Clinical factors and self‐perceived oral health

Self‐perceived oral health is affected not only by awareness of the clinical status but also by comparisons with people of a similar age. This study explored the relative contributions of clinical variables assessing caries, periodontal status, and prosthetic status to self‐perceived oral health within two age groups. Data of 891 adults (35–44 yr of age) and 760 older people (65–74 yr of age) from the Fourth German Oral Health Study (DMS IV, 2005) were evaluated. Self‐perceived oral health was obtained from questionnaires. Numbers of decayed, filled, and unreplaced teeth, mean attachment loss, bleeding on probing (BOP), the presence of a fixed denture, and the presence of a removable denture were assessed. Multinomial logistic regression models were developed for both age groups, separately, using stepwise methods. For adults, unreplaced teeth, filled teeth, decayed teeth, the presence of a removable denture, and mean attachment loss were added to the final model. For older people, the presence of a removable denture, unreplaced teeth, decayed teeth, mean attachment loss, filled teeth, and BOP were included in the final model. Awareness of the relative contributions of clinical variables to self‐perceived oral health is important for obtaining a clearer understanding of patients' subjective and objective self‐perceptions of oral health.     

Validation of the Danish version of the brief negative symptom scale

Abstract

Objective: The Brief Negative Symptom Scale (BNSS) is an instrument for evaluating negative symptoms (NS) in schizophrenia based on the 2005 consensus statement by the National Institute of Mental Health. This study examines the validity and reliability of the Danish version of BNSS.

Materials and methods: Acutely and chronically affected patients with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder were assessed with BNSS along with other psychopathological scales and clinical measures. Convergent and discriminant validity of BNSS was evaluated by its relationships with these assessments. Inter-rater agreement was estimated by the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC).

Results: Forty-nine subjects were included; the mean age was 33.1 (±10.8) years and 32 (65%) were males. BNSS correlated strongly with traditional assessment tools for NS and poorly with measures of depressive and extrapyramidal symptoms, except for Parkinsonism. Moreover, BNSS correlated well with the assessment of positive symptoms. The ICC of BNSS was 0.95 (n?=?19, 95% CI: 0.88–0.98).

Conclusions: Overall, BNSS holds appropriate psychometric properties in terms of reliability and validity. However, discriminant validity was compromised by correlations with positive symptoms and Parkinsonism. The former originates presumably from NS secondary to positive symptoms since the sample included acutely psychotic patients, and the latter from overlapping rating criteria regarding facial expressivity impairment.     

Cortico-subthalamic connection predicts individual differences in value-driven choice bias

It has been suggested that a connection between the STN and value-sensitive areas of the prefrontal cortex might mediate value-based actions in perceptual decision making. In this study, we first seek to quantify a structural connection between the STN and a cortical region that was associated with mechanisms underlying bias in choice behavior (vmPFC). Next, we tested whether individual differences in the probabilistic tract-strength of this connection were predictive for individual differences in the magnitude of bias in a perceptual decision-making task. Probabilistic tractography was used to measure the tract-strength between the STN and the vmPFC. Bias was quantified using an accumulation-to-bound model where a shift in the starting point of the accumulation of sensory evidence causes faster and more choices for an alternative that is more likely or more valuable. Results show that vmPFC is structurally connected with the STN and that the strength of this connection is predictive for choice bias towards an alternative that is more valuable, but not for choice bias towards an alternative that is more likely. These findings confirm the involvement of the cortico-subthalamic circuit in mechanisms underlying value-based actions in perceptual decision making.     

Bioactive nano‐fibrous scaffold for vascularized craniofacial bone regeneration

There has been a growing demand for bone grafts for correction of bone defects in complicated fractures or tumours in the craniofacial region. Soft flexible membrane like material that could be inserted into defect by less invasive approaches; promote osteoconductivity and act as a barrier to soft tissue in growth while promoting bone formation is an attractive option for this region. Electrospinning has recently emerged as one of the most promising techniques for fabrication of extracellular matrix such as nano‐fibrous scaffolds that can serve as a template for bone formation. To overcome the limitation of cell penetration of electrospun scaffolds and improve on its osteoconductive nature, in this study, we fabricated a novel electrospun composite scaffold of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)‐poly (ε) caprolactone (PCL)‐Hydroxyapatite based bioceramic (HAB), namely, PVA‐PCL‐HAB. The scaffold prepared by dual electrospinning of PVA and PCL with HAB overcomes reduced cell attachment associated with hydrophobic PCL by combination with a hydrophilic PVA and the HAB can contribute to enhance osteoconductivity. We characterized the physicochemical and biocompatibility properties of the new scaffold material. Our results indicate PVA‐PCL‐HAB scaffolds support attachment and growth of stromal stem cells; [human bone marrow skeletal (mesenchymal) stem cells and dental pulp stem cells]. In addition, the scaffold supported in vitro osteogenic differentiation and in vivo vascularized bone formation. Thus, PVA‐PCL‐HAB scaffold is a suitable potential material for therapeutic bone regeneration in dentistry and orthopaedics.