Reliability and validity of the short questionnaire to assess health-enhancing physical activity (SQUASH) in patients after total hip arthroplasty

Background  

Despite recognized benefits of regular physical activity on musculoskeletal fitness as well as general health, little is known about the physical activity behavior of patients after Total Hip Arthroplasty (THA). So far, no physical activity questionnaire has been validated in this category of patients. As the Short Questionnaire to Assess Health-enhancing physical activity (SQUASH) has been shown to be a fairly reliable and valid tool to gauge the physical activity behavior of the general Dutch adult population, we measured the reliability and relative validity of this tool in patients after THA.     

Abfraction: separating fact from fiction

Non-carious cervical lesions involve loss of hard tissue and, in some instances, restorative material at the cervical third of the crown and subjacent root surface, through processes unrelated to caries. These non-carious processes may include abrasion, corrosion and possibly abfraction, acting alone or in combination. Abfraction is thought to take place when excessive cyclic, non-axial tooth loading leads to cusp flexure and stress concentration in the vulnerable cervical region of teeth. Such stress is then believed to directly or indirectly contribute to the loss of cervical tooth substance. This article critically reviews the literature for and against the concept of abfraction.
Although there is theoretical evidence in support of abfraction, predominantly from finite element analysis studies, caution is advised when interpreting results of these studies because of their limitations. In fact, there is only a small amount of experimental evidence for abfraction. Clinical studies have shown associations between abfraction lesions, bruxism and occlusal factors, such as premature contacts and wear facets, but these investigations do not confirm causal relationships. Importantly, abfraction lesions have not been reported in pre-contemporary populations.
It is important that oral health professionals understand that abfraction is still a theoretical concept, as it is not backed up by appropriate clinical evidence. It is recommended that destructive, irreversible treatments aimed at treating so-called abfraction lesions, such as occlusal adjustment, be avoided.     

肝脏和胰腺创伤的分类(综述)

肝脏是腹部外伤中最常见的易损脏器之一,尤其在合并其他器官损伤时,其并发症的发生率和死亡率较高.胰腺外伤性损伤少见且表现隐匿,常合并其他腹腔内脏器损伤,因其有类似实性或空腔脏器损伤的特点,这种少见的病变常表现出很高的并发症发生率和死亡率.本文作者重点综述了用于肝脏和胰腺创伤的各种分类方法和临床应用评估.……     

Comparison of adult oral health in Australia, the USA, Germany and the UK

Background:  Australian adults reportedly have poor oral health when compared to 28 other OECD countries. The Australian ranking was based on edentulism and caries experience data from selected age groups that apparently were collected in 1987–88. The objective of this study was to compare the oral health of Australian adults with that of three other western countries that have comprehensive oral health survey data.
Methods:  Published data were obtained from the NHANES 2003–2004, the Fourth German Oral Health Study 2005 and the UK Adult Dental Health Survey 1998. Data from the Australian NSAOH 2004–06 were analysed to generate comparable age-specific estimates using nine dental clinical indicators, two measures of oral hygiene behaviour and two of dental attendance.
Results:  Australia had the best oral health based on two clinical indicators, was equal first on three indicators and ranked second in the remaining clinical indicators. Australia ranked first or second based on dental flossing, use of mouthwash and frequency of dental attendance.
Conclusions:  The oral health of the Australian adult population was among the best of the four nations studied.     

Evaluation of hypoglycemic and anti-hyperglycemic potential of Tridax procumbens (Linn.)

Background  

Diabetes is a metabolic disorder affecting carbohydrate, fat and protein metabolism. Tridax procumbens Linn. (Family-Asteraceae; common name-Dhaman grass) is common herb found in India. Traditionally, the tribal inhabitants of Udaipur district in Rajasthan (India) uses the leaf powder (along with other herb) orally to treat diabetes. There is a need to evaluate extracts of this plant in order to provide scientific proof for it's application in traditional medicine system.     

What predicts evolution from episodic to chronic cluster headache?

Curr Pain Headache . Rep 2002 Feb;6(1):65-70
Over the last few years, attention has increasingly been focused on the evolution of cluster headache over time. Predictive factors have been identified that are correlated with an increased risk of unfavorable evolution from the episodic form to the chronic form of cluster headache. Late onset, the presence of sporadic attacks, a high frequency of cluster periods, and short-lived duration of remission periods when the headache is still in its episodic form all correlate with a possible worsening of the clinical picture over time. The reasons for evolution of episodic cluster headache to chronic are still unknown, but some factors, such as head trauma and other lifestyle factors—eg, cigarette smoking and alcohol intake—have been suggested as having a negative influence on the course of cluster headache over time.
Comment: Further longitudinal epidemiological research is needed to assess the impact of smoking cessation in these patients and to confirm or refute the hypotheses suggested in this paper. DSM
Lee Kudrow documented that smoking, like nitroglycerin, lowers oxygen tension, which in turn can precipitate cluster attacks. Another possibility is that smoking and nitroglycerine are nitric oxide (NO) delivery systems and that the NO both precipitates attacks and worsens long-term cluster prognosis. SJT