Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Does fetal weight estimated by ultrasound really affect the success rate of external cephalic version?

Objective. To determine whether fetal weight estimated by ultrasound on the day the external cephalic version (ECV) is related to the procedure's success rate. Design. Retrospective cohort study. Setting. University hospital. Population or sample. Two hundred women with a singleton pregnancy undergoing an ECV attempt between March 2002 and March 2006. Method. Projected birthweight at delivery was calculated. Logistic regression analysis, by grams and by weight intervals, and multiple correspondence analysis were performed to determine whether or not the weight was related to the procedure's success. Specific statistical analysis was undertaken to minimize measurement bias in fetal weight estimation. Main outcome measure. Success of ECV in relation to estimated fetal weight. Results. Measurement bias was ruled out because no statistically significant differences were identified with the Student's t‐test (p>0.05), Bland–Altman's agreement analysis, and the interclass correlation coefficient analysis (ICC = 0.829; CI95% 0.772–0.871; p<0.01). By logistic regression analysis, a variable relation between fetal weight estimated by ultrasound and ECV success was detected, while multiple correspondence analysis suggested that variations in fetal weight are weakly related to the procedure's success or failure. No relation was identified between ECV and birthweight (p = 0.38) when the delivery took place in the same week as the version. Conclusions. Estimated fetal weight before ECV seems not to be related to the outcome of ECV.
Contact Tracing to Control the Spread of HIV-Reply

In Reply. — We appreciate Drs Vernon and Hoffman's interest in our editorial and support use of the term partner notification, as proposed by the Centers for Disease Control, 1 for the spectrum of activities in which sexual partners of persons with sexually transmitted diseases are notified and counseled about their exposure. In this new nomenclature, contact tracing is referred to as "provider referral" and subsumes activities in which partners of infected patients are notified by health department staff. 1 To avoid confusion, we will use the term contact tracing. The question regarding partner notification as a disease control strategy for HIV infection is not whether HIV-infected individuals should notify their sexual partners of their exposure and refer them for evaluation. On this we all agree. Rather the question is what should the relative role of contact tracing be in a comprehensive HIV control program and what proportion of prevention and education
Association of interleukin-6 (IL-6) haplotypes with plaque-induced gingivitis in children

Objectives. The proinflammatory cytokine interleukin-6 (IL-6) is a key regulator of the host response to microbial infection and major modulator of extracellular matrix catabolism and bone resorption. The aim of this case-control study was to test differences between children with and without gingivitis in the distribution of IL-6 alleles at positions −174, −572, and −597 and their haplotypes. Material and methods. A total of 455 Caucasian children, aged 11 to 13 years, were enrolled in this study. According to gingival bleeding on probing indices, 183 were classified as healthy subjects and 272 as children with plaque-induced gingivitis. DNA for genetic analysis was obtained from buccal epithelial cells and PCR-RFLP methods were used for genotyping three selected IL-6 promoter polymorphisms. Results. Complex analysis revealed significant differences in haplotype frequencies between patients and healthy subjects (p<0.01). The CGA haplotype was significantly more frequent in children with gingivitis than in healthy subjects (41.5% versus 34.1%). In subanalyses, we found that IL-6 −174C allele was more frequent in patients (44.3%) than in healthy children (36.1%, p=0.016, Pcorr<0.05). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that allele C remained a risk factor for gingivitis in children (p=0.03) regardless of plaque or gender. However, the proportions of the IL-6 −597 and −572 genotypes were comparable between the two groups. Conclusions. Our results indicate that the three promoter polymorphisms in the IL-6 gene act in a cooperative fashion and suggest that IL-6 haplotypes could play a role in the pathogenesis of gingivitis in Caucasian children.
Utilization of toothpaste and fluoride content in toothpaste manufactured in Tanzania

Objective. To determine the use of toothpaste, the reasons behind its irregular use, the cost perceptions, and the fluoride concentrations in locally manufactured toothpaste. Material and Methods. A total of 978 dental patients attending 13 dental clinics for 2 weeks in June 2007 completed a pre-tested questionnaire on toothpaste use. Toothpaste was collected from shops in Dar es Salaam and analyzed at the laboratory of the Dental School in Amsterdam. Logistic regression was applied to determine the relative importance of independent variables on usage and perceptions about the cost of toothpaste. Results. Eighty-six percent of respondents used toothpaste daily. Of the 130 who used toothpaste less than once a day, 57.7% gave financial reasons for their irregular use. Toothpaste was perceived as expensive by 34.8% of respondents. Urban residents were five times more likely than rural residents to use toothpaste. Younger respondents were more likely than older respondents: to perceive toothpaste as important, to brush their teeth, to use toothpaste, and to brush their teeth regularly. All toothpaste manufactured in Tanzania had free fluoride concentrations below 400 ppm. Conclusions. Most respondents used toothpaste regularly and one-third regarded it as expensive. Toothpaste manufactured in Tanzania had free fluoride concentrations below the optimum levels for dental caries prevention. For a well-functioning Basic Package of Oral Care, the authority responsible for oral health has to take measures aimed at lowering the price of toothpaste, and toothpaste manufacturers have to ensure that their products have the optimal fluoride concentration for dental caries prevention.
Anorexia nervosa, athletics, and amenorrhea: the female athlete triad

Purpose of reviewThe female athlete triad – anorexia, athletics, and amenorrhea – is a clinical problem found among young women who are engaged in intense physical activity. This review describes the psychological factors involved in the triad and the endocrine and skeletal consequences of the disorder. This subject is particularly timely and important as eating disorders are increasing in frequency among young women athletes. Recent findingsConcern about body weight and its effect on athletic performance can lead to chronic undernutrition. Complications of low body weight include hormonal disturbances, bone loss and fracture. The potential endocrine abnormalities seen in this group of women include anovulatory cycles, chronic elevation in glucocorticoids and lower serum leptin concentrations. Lower insulin-like growth factor-1 and resistance to growth hormone have also been described. Treatment of consequent bone loss with hormones, and most recently, with bisphosphonates, provides conflicting, but also encouraging data. SummaryThe pressures to improve peak athletic performance often underlie the abnormal behavior and eating disorders characteristic of the female athlete triad, with subsequent life-long consequences. Physicians should be made aware of such pressures, and their psychological and physical consequences. Prevention is the best medicine; but more research in ways to effectively and safely treat bone loss in young women is needed.
Factors associated with increased pulse wave velocity in peritoneal dialysis patients

Elevated pulse wave velocity (PWV) reflects increased arterial stiffness. Several studies have investigated PWV in peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients, but direct comparisons with healthy controls were not done. The potential influence of peritoneal transport characteristics on arterial stiffness in PD patients was suggested in recent studies. The aims of this study were to compare PWV in PD patients and healthy volunteers, and to investigate factors associated with increased PWV. The carotid-femoral PWV was measured in 28 PD patients and 28 healthy controls, matched for age and gender. A peritoneal equilibration test (PET) was performed in all PD patients. Based on the PET, patients were classified as: high transporters (H) (n=8), high-average (HA) (n=12), low-average (LA) (n=6), and low transporters (L) (n=2). Six of the PD patients were diabetic. PWV was significantly higher in the PD patients than in the controls (9,9±2,4 vs. 8,0±0,9; p=0,0004). In the PD group, PWV was higher in H/HA than in L/LA patients (10,4 ± 2,5 vs. 8,6 ± 1,0; p=0,008), but all the diabetic patients were in the H/HA group. PWV was significantly higher in diabetic than in non-diabetic PD patients (12,8 ± 2,0 vs. 9,1 ± 1,7; p=0,004). In the PD patients, significant positive correlations were found between PWV and: age, pulse pressure, Kt/V, and duration of PD therapy. In conclusion, the carotid-femoral PWV is elevated in peritoneal dialysis patients. Increased PWV in PD patients is associated with age, diabetic status, and longer duration of PD therapy, but not with this type of peritoneal transport.
Targeting apoptosis: preclinical and early clinical experience with mapatumumab, an agonist monoclonal antibody targeting TRAIL-R1

In spite of the advances in survival with chemotherapy and radiotherapy, many cancer patients continue to experience failure with treatments. Advances in molecular oncology and the development of numerous targeted therapies, used by themselves or in combination with at present available treatments such as chemotherapy and radiation, will hopefully improve the fate of these patients. It has been well understood for many years now that deregulation of apoptosis is a major hallmark of cancer cells. Mapatumumab, a fully human agonistic monoclonal antibody to TNF-related apoptosis-inducing ligand receptor 1, has been developed to induce apoptosis in cancer cells although having minimal effects on normal cells. This paper reviews the preclinical and early clinical data of this exciting new agent and discusses options for future development of mapatumumab, mostly in combinations with other therapies.
Acesso a hospitais regionais de urgência e emergência: abordagem aos usuários para avaliação do itinerário e dos obstáculos aos serviços de saúde

A perspectiva do usuario e imprescindivel para o aprimoramento das politicas de saude direcionadas a garantia dos principios constitucionais da universalidade e integralidade. Este estudo descritivo-transversal teve como objetivo avaliar o acesso ao servico de urgencia e emergencia em hospitais regionais de Pernambuco, com base no itinerario e nos obstaculos dos usuarios ate a assistencia no referido setor. Selecionou-se uma amostra estratificada e aleatoria, realizando-se 853 entrevistas semiestruturadas com usuarios de sete hospitais distribuidos nas mesorregioes Zona da Mata, Agreste e Sertao. Dentre os entrevistados, 74,9% sao residentes do municipio em que o hospital esta localizado e 66,9% reconheceram-se cadastrados em Equipes de Saude da Familia. A maioria dos usuarios recorreu ao hospital como primeira unidade assistencial (77,1%), destacando a confianca no atendimento do servico como principal motivo para a selecao do setor de urgencia e emergencia. Em relacao ao itinerario, os entrevistados predominantemente (99,5%) buscaram apenas um atendimento previo, tendo-se submetido a consulta medica (75,4%). Entretanto, 42,8% foram referenciados e, destes, a maioria (78,9%) foi encaminhada ao hospital avaliado. Dentre aqueles que demandaram assistencia previa, a ausencia de profissional (65,5%) foi a principal razao para o nao atendimento, destacando-se a deficiencia na resolutividade e a distância entre a residencia e o hospital como importantes obstaculos ao itinerario. Os resultados revelam um cenario em que o hospital permanece como eixo central da assistencia a saude, indicando a necessidade de fortalecimento da rede de saude integral, com vistas a reducao das iniquidades sociais em âmbito locorregional.
Treatment compliance in patients with aggressive periodontitis – a retrospective case-control study

Abstract Objective: To investigate if differences according to discontinuation of treatment could be identified between patients with aggressive periodontitis and chronic periodontitis at two specialist clinics of periodontology irrespective of the effects of background factors. Materials and methods: This is a retrospective case-control study. The variables were registered from dental records. The population consisted of patients referred to two specialist clinics of periodontology during three years. A study group was included consisting of 234 patients with a diagnosis of aggressive periodontitis. A control group with a diagnosis of chronic periodontitis was randomly selected. Results: In total, 234 patients (4% of the referrals) with a diagnosis of aggressive periodontitis were referred to the two periodontal clinics during a period of three years. Forty-two per cent of the non-compliant patients were smokers compared to 31% for the compliers and this difference was statistically significant. Patients with aggressive periodontitis interrupted their periodontal treatment significantly more frequently (46%) compared to those patients with chronic periodontitis (34%). The non-compliant patients had significantly deeper periodontal pockets at baseline as well as significantly more sites with bleeding at probing. In a stepwise logistic regression analysis, aggressive periodontitis, smoking and the relative frequency of sites with periodontal pockets >4 mm at baseline were the remaining variables with a significant influence on the incidence of interrupting ongoing periodontal treatment. Conclusions: The patient group with aggressive periodontitis interrupted the periodontal treatment significantly more often irrespective of background factors and risk factors, which may be regarded as a major health problem.
Influences of parents, close friends and classmates on four co-existing oral health practices in Saudi male teenagers

Abstract Objective: The objective of this study is to investigate the association between oral health practices and similar practices adopted by parents, close friends and classmates in a group of Saudi male teenagers. Material and methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in Dammam, Saudi Arabia, in 2016 including 12–14-year-old intermediate school students (n = 478). A questionnaire assessed socioeconomic background, whether participants, their parents, close friends and classmates brushed twice daily, used tobacco, snacked on sugary foods or sugary drinks and perceiving a supportive classroom environment. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression models assessed the association of parents’, close friends’, classmates’ practices and classroom support with participants’ four practices, controlling for socioeconomic factors. Results: The response rate was 93.9%. In multivariate regression, close friends’ practices had a strong significant association with teenagers’ tooth brushing (OR = 4.45; 95%CI = 1.09, 18.12), tobacco use (OR = 5.63; 95%CI = 3.44, 7.88), snacking on sugary foods (OR = 14.42; 95%CI = 7.89, 21.89) and sugary drinks (OR = 7.05; 95%CI = 5.97, 9.20). The percentages of classmates perceived to brush their teeth and use tobacco were significantly associated with the respective practices in teenagers (OR = 1.03 and 1.02). Fathers’ snacking on sugary drinks was significantly associated with that of the teenagers (OR = 4.04; 95%CI= 1.03, 15.85). Conclusions: In early adolescence, four oral health practices of Saudi males were associated with those perceived to be adopted by their close friends. Fathers’ use of sugary drinks was also significantly associated with that of teenagers.
Long term changes in health complaints after removal of amalgam restorations

Abstract Objective: Concerns over adverse effects of mercury released from dental amalgam sometimes lead patients to request removal of their amalgam restorations. Several studies report improvement of subjective health after removal of amalgam restorations, but the mechanisms are unclear. The aim of this paper is to present data on long term changes in intensity of health complaints after amalgam removal in a group of patients with health complaints self-attributed to dental amalgam. Data from the five years follow-up in a clinical trial are presented and related to potential determinants of change. Materials and methods: Patients previously referred to a specialty unit for health complaints attributed to amalgam restorations were included in the study. The 20 participants who were allocated to the treatment group had all amalgam restorations removed and replaced with other dental restorative materials. Intensity of health complaints was calculated from questionnaire data and personality variables were measured by MMPI-2. Results: At the follow-up five years after the amalgam removal was completed, intensity of general health complaints was significantly reduced (p=.001), but the symptom load was still high. The reduction was significantly correlated with concentration of mercury in urine at pre-treatment. There were no significant correlations with personality variables. Conclusions: Removal of amalgam restorations was followed by a long term reduction of general health complaints, which was associated with mercury concentration in urine before amalgam removal. Additional studies are needed to confirm the potential mechanisms for the observed reduction.
Optical coherence tomography findings in welder's maculopathy.

PURPOSE To describe the optical coherence tomography (OCT) findings in two patients with welder's maculopathy. METHODS Retrospective cases series. In addition to examination by slit lamp biomicroscopy, color fundus photographs and OCT images were obtained from patients with welder's maculopathy. RESULTS Both patients had a history of bilateral decreased central vision after welding without appropriate eye protection. Yellowish foveal spots developed in the acute stage, evolving over several months into well demarcated lamellar foveal defects with surrounding retinal pigment epithelium changes. OCT showed interruption of the inner high reflective layer (HRL) corresponding to the level of the outer neurosensory retina. These appearances are similar to those seen in solar maculopathy. CONCLUSIONS OCT shows disruption of the inner HRL in late welder's maculopathy. These appearances are similar to those seen in late solar maculopathy. OCT can be a useful tool in confirming the diagnosis and understanding the pathogenesis of photic maculopathy.
Effect of local zoledronate delivery on osseointegration: a systematic review of preclinical studies

Abstract Purpose: The aim of the present systematic review was to assess the effect of local zoledronate (ZOL) delivery (topical or as implant surface coatings) on osseointegration. Materials and methods: In this systematic review, the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines were followed. To address the focused question, ‘Does local zoledronate delivery enhance osseointegration? ’ indexed databases were searched without time or language restrictions up to and including April 2017 using various combination of the following keywords: ‘zoledronate’, ‘bisphosphonates’, ‘osseointegration’ and ‘topical administration’. Letters to the Editor, historic reviews, commentaries, case-series and case-reports were excluded. Results: Initially, 383 articles were identified out of which, 23 experimental studies fulfilled the inclusion criteria. In 18 studies, ZOL was incorporated into implants surfaces as a coating and in five studies ZOL was applied topically (bone graft or irrigation) into the bone cavities. Results from 87% studies reported that local delivery of ZOL (coating or topical) is effective in enhancing osseointegration or new bone formation around implants. Conclusions: Local ZOL delivery (coating or topical) seems to enhance osseointegration in animals; however, from a clinical perspective, further randomized control trials with long-term follow-up are needed in this regard.
Manual tracing versus smartphone application (app) tracing: a comparative study

Abstract Objective: This study aimed to compare the results of conventional manual cephalometric tracing with those acquired with smartphone application cephalometric tracing. Materials and methods: The cephalometric radiographs of 55 patients (25 females and 30 males) were traced via the manual and app methods and were subsequently examined with Steiner’s analysis. Five skeletal measurements, five dental measurements and two soft tissue measurements were managed based on 21 landmarks. The durations of the performances of the two methods were also compared. Results: SNA (Sella, Nasion, A point angle) and SNB (Sella, Nasion, B point angle) values for the manual method were statistically lower (p < .001) than those for the app method. The ANB value for the manual method was statistically lower than that of app method. L1–NB (°) and upper lip protrusion values for the manual method were statistically higher than those for the app method. Go-GN/SN, U1–NA (°) and U1–NA (mm) values for manual method were statistically lower than those for the app method. No differences between the two methods were found in the L1–NB (mm), occlusal plane to SN, interincisal angle or lower lip protrusion values. Conclusions: Although statistically significant differences were found between the two methods, the cephalometric tracing proceeded faster with the app method than with the manual method.
Detection and characterization of the accessory mental foramen using cone-beam computed tomography

Abstract Objective: This study aimed to investigate the frequency and characteristics of accessory mental foramina (AMFs) and their bony canals in a selected Chinese population using cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT). Materials and methods: Reconstructed CBCT images of the mandible in 784 Chinese patients (305 males and 479 females) were retrospectively analysed to identify the AMF. The presence, dimension and location of the AMF as well as the origin and course of the associated bony canal were evaluated and classified. Variations in these characteristics were analysed according to gender, side and age. Results: A total of 66 AMFs were found in 57 (7.3%) of the 784 patients. The frequency of AMFs was significantly influenced by gender and side of the mandible (p < .05). Most AMFs were located apically between apices of the first and second premolars. The high-position AMFs (above the mental foramen) accounted for 54.5% of the total. The mean horizontal and vertical diameters of the AMF were 1.38 ± 0.47 and 1.23 ± 0.37 mm, respectively. Two typical types of the bony canal leading to the AMF were identified according to their bifurcation site from the mandibular canal. Most bony canals originated from the anterior loop of the mental canal (56.1%) and coursed posterosuperiorly (36.3%). The mean length of the bony canals was 5.78 ± 2.31 mm. Conclusions: This study presents a considerable frequency of AMFs in a Chinese population. The high-position AMF and the associated bony canal coursing in the oblique upward direction appear frequently. Thus, clinicians should be alert to the presence of the AMF to avoid neurovascular complications especially when dental procedures require periosteum detachment and implant insertion in the mental region.