Dental erosion: a widespread condition nowadays? A cross-sectional study among a group of adolescents in Norway

Objective. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence, distribution and severity of erosive wear in a group of 16–18-year-olds in the western part of Norway. A second aim was to describe possible associations between caries experience, socioeconomic background and origin of birth. Materials and methods. Adolescents (n = 795) attending recall examinations at Public Dental Service (PDS) clinics were also examined for dental erosive wear on index surfaces, using the Visual Erosion Dental Examination scoring system (VEDE). Results. In total, 795 individuals were examined. Dental erosive wear was diagnosed in 59% of the population (44% erosive wear in enamel only, 14% combination of enamel and dentine lesions, 1% erosive wear in dentine only). The palatal surfaces of upper central incisors and occlusal surfaces of first lower molars were affected the most (33% and 48% of all surfaces, respectively). Cuppings on molars were registered in 66% of the individuals with erosive wear. Erosive wear was significantly more prevalent among men (63%) than women (55%) (p = 0.018). Conclusions. There were no significant associations between dental erosive wear and caries experience, socioeconomic background or origin of birth.     

What are the defining characteristics of the most cited publications in orthognathic surgery?

The purpose of this study was to identify the characteristics associated with highly cited papers in orthognathic surgery. This was a cohort study of articles published in the English-language literature from 1900 to 2017. Citation databases were searched for papers related to orthognathic surgery and the most frequently cited papers were identified. For each paper, the following variables were collected: region of origin, time-period of publication, corresponding author specialty, journal of publication, topic area, study design, and number of citations. The outcome variable was the citation index (citations per year). North American investigators published 70% of the 100 most-cited articles in orthognathic surgery. The majority of papers were from oral and maxillofacial surgeons. Frequent content areas were diagnosis, virtual planning, fixation/stability, and complications. The majority (54%) of studies were cohort or case report/series. The mean number of citations was 235.0 ± 126.5; the mean citation index was 9.9 ± 6.1 citations per year. Time-period, content area, and study design were associated with the citation index (all P < 0.001). Time-period, content area, and study design predicted the citation index (all P ≤ 0.009). Among frequently cited papers in orthognathic surgery, oral and maxillofacial surgeons had the highest volume of contributions. Diagnosis, treatment planning, and complications were the most common topics studied.     

A human melanoma cell line established from xenograft in athymic mice.

A human melanoma cell line with unusually high growth potential was established from a xenograft growing in athymic mice. When xenograft fragments were cultured in vitro, melanoma cells grew out rapidly without any contamination of mouse stromal cells. An established cell line, FME, derived from this tumour, grew both in monolayer and in shaker suspension culture with doubling times of about 20 h. The cells grew easily at low serum concentrations and could even be cultured in serum-free medium supplemented with insulin and transferrin. The cultured cells were hyperdiploid, as were the cells of the xenograft. The cells grew easily in soft agar and formed tumours in athymic mice. When growing exponentially, the cells were almost unpigmented, but when grown to high density, their melanin content increased. Upon treatment with dimethyl sulphoxide (DMSO), retinoic acid and theophylline, as well as with the tumour promoter 12-O-tetradecanoyl phorbol-13-acetate (TPA), the cells showed growth inhibition and increased melanin synthesis.     

A randomised phase II multicentre trial of irinotecan (CPT-11) using four different schedules in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer

The purpose of this phase II trial was to compare the efficacy, safety and pharmacokinetics of four irinotecan schedules for the treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer. In total, 174 5-fluorouracil pretreated patients were randomised to: arm A (n=41), 350 mg m(-2) irinotecan as a 90-min i.v. infusion q3 weeks; arm B (n=38), 125 mg m(-2) irinotecan as a 90-min i.v. infusion weekly x 4 weeks q6 weeks; arm C (n=46), 250 mg m(-2) irinotecan as a 90-min i.v. infusion q2 weeks; or arm D (n=49), 10 mg m(-2) day(-1) irinotecan as a 14-day continuous infusion q3 weeks. No significant differences in efficacy across the four arms were observed, although a shorter time to treatment failure was noted for arm D (1.7 months; P=0.02). Overall response rates were in the range 5-11%. Secondary end points included median survival (6.4-9.4 months), and time to progression (2.7-3.8 months) and treatment failure (1.7-3.2 months). Similarly, there were no significant differences in the incidence of grade 3-4 toxicities, although the toxicity profile between arms A, B, and C and D did differ. Generally, significantly less haematologic toxicity, alopecia and cholinergic syndrome were observed in arm D; however, there was a trend for increased gastrointestinal toxicity. Irinotecan is an effective and safe second-line treatment for colorectal cancer. The schedules examined yielded equivalent results, indicating that there is no advantage of the prolonged vs short infusion schedules.     

Responsiveness of the Shoulder Pain and Disability Index in patients with adhesive capsulitis

Background  

Instruments designed to measure the subjective impact of painful shoulder conditions have become essential in shoulder research. The Shoulder Pain and Disability Index (SPADI) is one of the most extensively used scales of this type. The objective of this study was to investigate reproducibility and responsiveness of the SPADI in patients with adhesive capsulitis.