Slight Abduction/Adduction Deviations in Femur Positioning for Dual-Energy X-Ray Absorptiometry are Inconsequential

Straight femur alignment during dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) acquisition is assumed to help ensure accurate bone mineral density (BMD) measurement. Use of bilateral femur positioners may not result in straight femur alignment. To assess the effect of a bilateral femur positioner on DXA results, we compared a standard fixed-width bilateral femur positioner with an adjustable-width positioner that allowed for straight femur alignment. BMD values obtained from the adjustable-width bilateral femur positioner were highly correlated (R² = 0.98–0.99) with those obtained using a fixed-width positioner. The mean bias in BMD between the fixed- and adjustable-width positioner was low (?0.001 to +0.006 g/cm²) at all proximal femur regions of interest. In this study, the use of a fixed-width bilateral femur positioner and associated deviations in femur alignment have little consequence on BMD measurement.     

Moonlighting activity of presenilin in plants is independent of gamma-secretase and evolutionarily conserved

Presenilins (PS) provide the catalytic activity for gamma-secretase, which cleaves physiologically relevant substrates including Notch, ErbB4, and APP. Recent genetic studies indicated that the contribution of PS1 to mouse development includes gamma-secretase-independent functions that cannot be easily explained by any of the demonstrated or hypothesized functions of this protein. To begin a nonbiased analysis of PS1 activity unencumbered by the dominant effect stemming from loss of Notch function, we characterized PS functions in the early land plant Physcomitrella patens, which lacks Notch, ErbB4, and APP. Removal of P. patens PS resulted in phenotypic abnormalities. Further assays performed to delineate the defective pathways in PS-deficient P. patens implicated improper function of the cytoskeletal network. Importantly, this characterization of a nonmetazoan PS uncovered a previously undescribed, evolutionarily conserved function (human PS1 can rescue the growth and light responses) that is gamma-secretase-independent (mutants with substitutions of the catalytic aspartyl residues retain the activity). Introduction of PpPS into PS-deficient mouse embryonic fibroblasts rescues normal growth rates, demonstrating that at least some metazoan functions of PS are evolutionarily conserved.     

Dental implant tourism

Access and affordability of dental care can be problematic for some in the Australian community. Therefore, dental tourism is increasingly becoming more attractive to some patients due to decreased expense, increased convenience and immediacy of treatment. However, there are significant issues for both clinician and patient in regards to dental tourism. Lack of accountability and regulation are the main issues and this is particularly evident when complications occur. This paper presents five cases where complications have arisen in the setting of dental tourism.     

The assessment of quality of life in patients who have undergone surgery for oral cancer: a preliminary report.

PURPOSE: The outcome of management strategies for the treatment of oral cancer has always been in terms of disease-specific survival. Modern assessment of outcome now also includes assessment of quality of life (QOL). Little has been done previously in Australia to assess the QOL of patients treated primarily by surgery for oral cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty-two patients who had undergone primary surgical management for oral cancer underwent assessment of QOL using the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer QOL questionnaire version 3 (EORTC QLQ-C30) and the University of Washington Head and Neck QOL questionnaire version 4 (UWQOL). Similar emotional domains were compared and factors affecting QOL were determined. RESULTS: Fifty-five percent of patients were male and 45% were female. The mean age was 61.8 years (range, 38 to 86 years) with a mean review time of 24.6 months (SD, 20.3 months) postoperatively. Good QOL scores were experienced by most patients. A new addition to the UWQOL version 4 was the mood and anxiety domains, and these correlated well with the emotional domains of the EORTC QLQ-C30 using Spearman rank correlations. Factors significantly affecting survival included age, overall stage, neck dissection, free flap, and postoperative radiotherapy using Mann-Whitney tests (P < .05). No significant difference in QOL was found in patients reviewed at either less than or greater than 1 year. CONCLUSIONS: This study confirms previous reports in the literature. It has provided us with the foundation for further investigation of QOL in patients who have been and who will be treated for oral cancer. It also gives us a new measure of outcome to compare against survival rates.     

Reduction of abdominal fat and chronic disease factors by lifestyle change in migrant Asian Indians older than 50 years

The objective of this study was to assess the impact of a group diet and physical activity intervention on body composition, blood lipid profile and insulin resistance in migrant Asian Indian volunteers. Total body and abdominal fat, waist girth, serum glucose, insulin and lipids were measured one month before and immediately prior to an intervention designed to encourage increased physical activity and improved diet. Measurements were repeated after a 5-month period of altered exercise and dietary habits. Over this period monthly group education sessions were held on diet and physical activity and the importance of lifestyle changes to reduce risk factors for chronic disease. Forty one (21M, 20F) volunteers (aged > 50 y) were recruited from Asian Indian community groups in urban Auckland, New Zealand. Body weight, total and percentage body fat, waist girth and abdominal fat decreased in men following the intervention (p < 0.006) while these changes were not statistically significant in women. In both men and women high density lipoprotein (HDL) levels increased and LDL and total cholesterol/HDL ratio decreased (p < 0.002) without changes in serum glucose, insulin and triglycerides. Reduction in systolic and diastolic blood pressure was associated with an increase in HDL cholesterol in women (r = 0.63, p = 0.003, r = 0.48, p = 0.03) but not in men (r = 0.09, p = 0.69, r = 0.04, p = 0.86). Over a five month period, an Asian Indian community group diet and physical activity intervention resulted in significant reductions in total and abdominal body fat and blood lipid risk factors but not in insulin sensitivity or resistance.     

Frequency and extent of calcific deposits in purely regurgitant mitral valves: Analysis of 108 operatively excised valves

Operatively excised purely regurgitant mitral valves in 108 patients aged 21 to 73 years (mean 55) (63% men) undergoing isolated mitral valve replacement were examined for calcific deposits. Of the 108 patients, 19 (18%) had leaflet or chordal calcific deposits or both, but in each the deposits were small and did not appear to alter mitral function. Of the 19 patients with mitral calcium, 6 had had active infective endocarditis and the calcium likely represented healed vegetations; In 6 other patients, the leaflet calcium had extended from the mitral anulus in the setting of mitral valve prolapse. The average total serum cholesterol levels were higher in the patients with compared with those without mitral calcium. Thus, calcium deposits are relatively infrequent in adults with clinically isolated pure mitral regurgitation, and when they occur, the deposits are small and in themselves do not appear to contribute to mitral dysfunction.