bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Fluorosis risk in grade 2 students residing in a rural area with widely varying natural fluoride
Authors: Brothwell Douglas J. , Limeback Hardy 
Published: March 2007

Abstract – Objectives: This pilot study was performed to determine the prevalence of dental fluorosis and the association between fluorosis and a number of risk factors in a group of second grade students in a rural, non‐fluoridated area of Ontario, Canada. Methods: Of 1739 students screened during routine health surveillance, 1367 had erupted maxillary central incisors. Fluorosis was scored on these children using the Tooth Surface Index of Fluorosis (TSIF). A fluoride exposure questionnaire and water sample vial was sent home from school with each child. Results: Valid responses were obtained for 752 children (55%). The prevalence of fluorosis in respondents was 23.3%, with 4.9% scoring TSIF of 2 or more. In bivariate analysis, several variables were significantly associated with the prevalence and/or severity of fluorosis. These included: water fluoride concentration, breast‐feeding duration, professionally applied topical fluoride, fluoride supplement use, bottle‐feeding, fluoridated mouthwash use, and early parental tooth‐brushing with toothpaste. In logistic regression analysis limited to children living at the current residence for 4 years or more, only four variables had significant independent effects. These were water fluoride concentration, breast–feeding duration, fluoride supplement use, and fluoridated mouthwash use. Conclusions: These findings indicate that fluorosis is an important concern in non‐fluoridated areas. Fluoride supplements should not be recommended unless an independent home water test is performed. Breast‐feeding for 6 months or more may protect children from developing dental fluorosis in the permanent incisors.
Cost‐effectiveness of composite resins and amalgam in the replacement of amalgam Class II restorations
Authors: Tobi Hilde , Kreulen Cees M. , Vondeling Hindrik , van Amerongen W. Evert 
Published: March 2007

Abstract – Objectives: The replacement of an old amalgam Class II restoration is a common treatment and will remain so for decades. In addition to effectiveness, possible adverse health effects and esthetics, the costs of the treatment options will play a role in the choice of material. The aim of this study was to yield information on the relative cost‐effectiveness of the use of composite resins and amalgam for the rerestoration of amalgam Class II restorations. Methods: As part of a larger randomized clinical trial, treatment effectiveness and treatment costs were estimated in 73 composite and amalgam Class II posterior re‐restorations. The main treatment outcome was longevity. Secondary outcomes included need of repair and quality of the margin while in situ. Costs were analyzed from the perspective of dentistry, assuming a treatment strategy aimed at offering ‘value e for money. From this perspective, differential costs were based on personnel costs as approximated by treatment time. Results: Replacing an amalgam Class II restoration with amalgam is associated with lower costs than replacing with a composite resin. A sensitivity analysis, considering type of composite, increasing proficiency with the material, and time needed for future removal of material, demonstrated that these differences are fairly robust. The materials performed equally well for the first 5 years after placement with respect to longevity. Differences in secondary outcomes were minor and not all in favor of the same material. Conclusions: It is tentatively concluded that amalgams are more cost‐effective than composites for replacing existing Class II amalgam restorations.
Facial anti‐wrinkle cream: influence of product presentation on effectiveness: a randomized and controlled study
Authors: Lodén Marie , Buraczewska Izabela , Halvarsson Karin 
Published: March 2007

Background/aims: The great interest in eternal youth has developed a large market for skin care products claiming anti‐wrinkle effects. A high‐priced luxurious anti‐wrinkle cream dispensed in its original packaging and in a neutral jar, were compared with the effects from a regular moisturizing face cream in a luxurious jar.Methods: Eighty Swedish women aged 35–64 years were randomly divided into three groups; group A treated their facial skin for 6 weeks with the expensive cream in its luxury jar, B used a regular moisturiser filled in the luxury jar, and C used the expensive cream filled in a neutral jar. Evaluation was made by the subjects, clinical evaluation by a trained observer, and measurement of skin surface relief by optical profilometry.Results: Participants using jars A and B consumed more product than participants using jar C, and the luxury jar thus resulted in better compliance. There were no significant differences between the three groups relating to the effects on wrinkles and smoothness, nor in subject assessment of their skin feeling younger or more beautiful. Facial appearance was the same. Profilometry showed reduced surface microrelief with all products.Conclusions: The present study conducted as a formal trial could not verify a claim of anti‐wrinkle effect of a known prestigious product. Surprisingly, there was no systematic effect on subjective and objective cosmetic parameters of the luxury packaging, except a better compliance. Product appreciation by consumers may, however, be different in spontaneous use not biased by study conditions.
Mechanism of pajama material on stratum corneum water content under mild cold conditions: explored by hierarchical linear regression
Authors: Yao Lei , Tokura Hiromi , Li Yi , Newton Edwards , Gohel Mayur Danny I. , Chung Waiyee J. 
Published: March 2007

Objective: The aim of this study was to explore the effect of fabric material worn during nocturnal sleep on stratum corneum water content (SCWC) under mild cold conditions.Method: A controlled cross‐over study has been designed to investigate systematically the effects of two kinds of pajama materials, cotton and polyester, on SCWC. Factors such as pajama fabric material, subjective perception and sleep quality were examined. Hierarchical linear regression was applied to assess the association between the factors and SCWC.Results: Fabric material and subjective perception of coldness significantly predicted SCWC in the wear trial. Polyester fabric had a negative effect on SCWC compared with cotton, and subjective perception of coldness also had a negative effect on SCWC.Conclusion: The mechanisms by which pajama fabrics affect the SCWC could be due to the different thermal/hygroscopicity properties of the polyester and cotton fabric and the integral involvement of physiological and neurophysiological processes.
Exogen hair characterization in human scalp
Authors: Van Neste Dominique , Leroy Thérèse , Conil Séverine 
Published: March 2007

Background/aim: Classically, the hair cycle is described as a sequence of three successive phases: a hair‐growth phase named anagen, a regression phase or catagen and a resting phase or telogen. In rodents, it appears that the resting hair follicle population contains also a new phase that has been identified recently as the exogen phase of the hair cycle. This phase leads to the release of the telogen club and results in hair shedding. The aim of this paper is to propose a method that is applicable to humans and that is able to discriminate the two components of the resting hair population i.e. the telogen and the exogen hair follicles.Methods: We used non‐invasive approaches to entrap exogen scalp hair into silicon‐based polymers. We also extracted growing and non‐growing hair with a calibrated dynamometer. We characterized differences between anagen, catagen, telogen and exogen root ends with histochemical stains and with the scanning electron microscope. Furthermore, we documented all known hair‐cycle stages with the contrast‐enhanced phototrichogram (CE‐PTG) technique.Results: We demonstrated that anagen and telogen hair are firmly anchored to the hair follicle and that cohesion forces are correlated with hair thickness. On the contrary, exogen hair are passively retained within the hair follicle. Among the resting hair population, telogen clubs retain cellular elements of the outer root sheaths that are not found on exogen hair. The specificity of the new exogen collection method was documented with the simultaneous use of the CE‐PTG method: indeed anagen, catagen and telogen follicles remain unaffected by the exogen extraction procedure.Conclusion: Exogen hair can be sampled specifically from the human scalp with a new non‐invasive method. Our data suggest that the casual levels of exogen hair, in normal individuals and under the present experimental conditions, are usually less than seven hair per cm2.
A new experimental method for measuring skin's natural tension
Authors: Jacquet Emmanuelle , Josse Gwendal , Khatyr Fouad , Garcin Camille 
Published: March 2007

Purpose: The precise determination of skin's mechanical properties is still an open question. When performing an in vivo test, the piece of skin tested is not as well defined as it is in material testing. Moreover, the body zone and the body posture imply an initial stress on the skin. Consequently, a precise mechanical analysis needs a precise measurement of the natural skin tension.Methods: A new method and the relative device are presented. It is based on an extensiometry test. Skin is tested not only in traction but also in compression. The tested skin sample is well defined and protected from surrounding effects by follower tabs. The size and shape of the device have been optimised by a finite element modelisation.Results: The method was tested with elastomers pre‐tensioned at different loads. It is shown that the initial tension can be retrieved with good precision. Tests were then performed in vivo on the forearm for different arm positions. It is shown that initial tension could be only clearly determined for the highest skin tension, although the skin presented very different traction behaviour with different arm positions.Conclusion: It is shown how body posture influences measurements. An innovative method for easily determining initial tension is presented. Nevertheless, further tests and device improvements are needed to apply this skin tension measurement for different body zones and body postures.
Skin lesion classification using relative color features
Authors: Cheng Yue (Iris) , Swamisai Ragavendar , Umbaugh Scott E. , Moss Randy H. , Stoecker William V. , Teegala Saritha , Srinivasan Subhashini K. 
Published: March 2007

Background/purpose: Clinically, it is difficult to differentiate the early stage of malignant melanoma and certain benign skin lesions due to similarity in appearance. Our research uses image analysis of clinical skin images and relative color‐based pattern recognition techniques to enhance the images and improve differentiation of these lesions.Methods: First, the relative color images were created from digitized photographic images. Then, they were segmented into objects and morphologically filtered. Next, the relative color features were extracted from the objects to form two different feature spaces; a lesion feature space and an object feature space. The two feature spaces serve as two data models to be analyzed to determine the best features. Finally, we used a statistical analysis model of relative color features, which better classifies the various types of skin lesions.Results/conclusions: The best features found for differentiation of melanoma and benign skin lesions from this study are area, mean in the red and blue bands, standard deviation in the red and green bands, skewness in the green band, and entropy in the red band. With the relative color feature algorithm developed, the best results were obtained with a multi‐layer perceptron neural network model. This showed an overall classification success of 79%, with 70% of the benign lesions successfully classified, and 86% of malignant melanoma successfully classified.
A randomized, prospective study using the LPG® technique in treating radiation‐induced skin fibrosis: clinical and profilometric analysis
Authors: Bourgeois J. F. , Gourgou S. , Kramar A. , Lagarde J. M. , Guillot B. 
Published: March 2007

Background/purpose: Cutaneous fibrosis is the quite mandatory sequela after a breast cancer treated by radiotherapy and it induces more or less important functional troubles. The LPG® technique is a technique of mechanical massage that allows skin mobilization by folding/unfolding. The aim of this study was to evaluate the changes on irradiated skin before and after LPG treatment by clinical and skin replica analysis.Methods: Twenty women, 43–55 years old, who had been treated from 6 to 16 months before, for breast cancer with a conservative surgery and radiotherapy, had been enrolled in the trial. They were divided into two groups after randomization: the first group was LPG treated three times a week for 1 month; the second group was only placed under medical supervision. The clinical criteria studied were systematically studied before (T0), at the end of treatment (T1) and 1 month after the end of treatment (T2): pain, itching, skin dryness, erythema, skin infiltration, feeling of tightness and of induration of the skin. Softening of the skin was assessed at T1 and T2. Cutaneous replica was performed on the internal upper 1/4 of each breast with silicone material before, after and 1 month later after the end of the treatment. After polymerization, the replica was stored and then blindly analyzed by image analysis software. The following parameters were systematically measured: average skin roughness, average of wrinkles' depth and residual length, wrinkle number and the space between them.Results: Clinically, the LPG treatment induced a decrease of erythema (10% of the patients vs. 40% before treatment), a decrease of pain and pruritus (10% vs. 20% and 40%, respectively) and a decrease of the feeling of induration of the skin (10% of the patients vs. 70% before treatment). Furthermore, a skin‐softening sensation was noted by seven patients vs. one in the control group. Replica shows an increase of roughness and of furrow depth without any change in the residual length and an increase in the space between the wrinkles, whose number decreases.Conclusion: This study confirms the impact of the clinical sequelae induced on skin after radiotherapy and shows improvement of the clinical signs after treatment by the LPG® technique. The latter induces changes of micro relief, suggesting a softening effect on the skin. These preliminary results have to be confirmed on a more important group of patients.
Network epidermolysis bullosa: molecular pathomechanisms and novel therapeutic approaches
Authors: Volz Andreas , Has Cristina , Schumann Hauke , Bruckner‐Tuderman Leena 
Published: March 2007

SummaryIn October 2003 the German network of excellence “Epidermolysis bullosa: molecular pathomechanisms and novel therapeutic approaches“ initiated its activities. The network partners are physicians and scientists working on epidermolysis bullosa (EB), basement membranes and structural proteins. The clinical partners and associated specialists improve interdisciplinary management of patients with EB and coordinate diagnostic and therapeutic procedures. Efficient molecular diagnostics consisting of antigen mapping and mutation analysis is offered in specialized centers. Using a highly productive information technology infrastructure, a central internet‐based patient registry contains clinical,genetic and molecular data.The registry provides a platform for genotype‐phenotype studies, epidemiological investigations, and for the identification of patients for future molecular therapies. Mouse models of different EB subtypes help elucidate causal disease mechanisms. Further scientific projects aim at understanding the normal mechanisms of epidermal adhesion to basement membranes, and protein‐protein‐ and cell‐ligand interactions, and their physiological regulation. These results will provide a foundation for developing novel therapeutic approaches for the causal treatment of EB.
Natural history of invasive cutaneous melanoma in Styria, Austria 2001–2003
Authors: Richtig Erika , Gerger Armin , Berghold Andrea , Schwantzer Gerold , Ott Arthur , Kerl Helmut , Smolle Josef 
Published: March 2007

Summary Background: Rising melanoma incidences have created the need of assessment of epidemiological and clinical data. Patients and methods: We investigated the natural history of invasive cutaneous melanoma in Styria, a province of Austria, in the years 2001–2003. 1082 patients, 511 men and 571 women, mean age 58.2 ± 16.7 years, were collected. Besides basic melanoma data, special histologic features such as regression structures, ulceration, microsatellites and vascular invasion were investigated. Furthermore, lymph node pathology in case of sentinel node biopsy and/or lymph node dissection was recorded. Results: Mean annual incidence (crude rate) was 28.6 per 100,000 inhabitants, age standardized rate 24.5 per 100,000 (95 % CI 22.4–26.6). Cumulative risk (0– 74 years) was 1.92, lifetime risk 1 in 52. Superficial spreading melanoma was the most common type in both sexes, men on the trunk and women on the extremities. Only 11 % of all melanomas were in easily visible areas. Median tumor thickness was 0.75 mm, ranging between 0.2 and 50.0 mm. Sentinel node biopsy was performed in 158 melanomas (14.6 %),and was positive in 22 %.Primary therapeutic lymph node dissection was performed in 19 patients, showing metastases in 18 patients. Conclusions: The investigation revealed an unclear high melanoma incidence for invasive melanomas in our province, requiring further investigation.
The Influence of Time Interval between Bleaching and Enamel Bonding
Authors: Da Silva Machado Jéfferson , Cândido Maria Salete Machado , Sundfeld Renato Herman , De Alexandre Rodrigo Sversut , Cardoso Jader Duarte , Sundefeld Maria Lúcia marçal mazza 
Published: March 2007

ABSTRACTObjectives:  The purpose of this study was to investigate the penetration of a conventional adhesive material into enamel bleached with 16% carbamide peroxide and 38% hydrogen peroxide using optical light microscopy.Methods:  Extracted human teeth were randomly divided into eight experimental groups with six specimens each, according to the bleaching material and time interval after bleaching and before the bonding procedure. Groups were designated as follows: control group, restorations in unbleached teeth; restorations performed immediately after bleaching; restorations performed 7 days after bleaching; restorations performed 14 days after bleaching; and restorations performed 30 days after bleaching. The length of resin tags was measured with an Axiophot photomicroscope at 400× magnification for the calculation of the proportion of tags of study groups compared to the respective control groups. Analysis of variance was applied for comparison between groups; data were transformed into arcsine (p < 0.05).Results:  The specimens of experimental groups, in which restorations were performed 7, 14, and 30 days after bleaching, showed better penetration of adhesive material into enamel than specimens restored immediately after bleaching. There was no statistically significant difference between the bleaching materials employed or in the interaction between bleaching agent and time interval.Conclusions:  This suggests that a time interval of at least 7 days should be allowed between enamel bleaching and placement of adhesive bonding agents for accomplishment of composite resin restorations.CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCEEstablishment of adequate time after bleaching is fundamental to allow the normal penetration of a one‐bottle conventional adhesive onto the enamel surface.
Learning to Support Children With Complex and Continuing Health Needs and Their Families
Authors: Farasat Helen , Hewitt‐Taylor Jaqui 
Published: March 2007

PURPOSE.  This paper reports on the evaluation of a pilot placement for preregistration child health nursing students focused on supporting children with complex needs in their homes. CONCLUSIONS.  This type of placement can be beneficial in enabling students to develop practical skills, attitudes, and values that will assist them to provide appropriate support for this client group. The pilot placement clarified some of the major organizational and practical issues that must be considered. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS.  Developing opportunities for preregistration nursing students to learn to support children with complex needs and their families is possible and potentially beneficial.
Risks of Lending and Liability of Lenders
Authors: Raffer Kunibert 
Published: March 2007

Risk and liability change the initially stipulated terms of contracts, overruling their otherwise binding nature. Risk encourages careful assessment of debtors' abilities to service debts. Errors and negligence in assessment, and even external shocks, make creditors suffer losses. Disregarding one's duty of care or professional standards, or engaging in tortious or illegal behavior makes actors liable to compensate for any resulting damage—a necessary systemic element of the framework markets need to function well. Neither mechanism was allowed to work properly in sovereign lending.This essay analyzes why risk and liability are necessary mechanisms of well-functioning markets, and discusses how risk can be handled. In the United States, inappropriate regulatory norms hindered providing against risk in the case of sovereign debt. The absence of liability—a market imperfection—has produced debts no decent legal system would recognize as legitimate domestic debt, thus aggravating the sovereign debt problem, and giving rise to concepts such as criminal, odious, and illegal debts. Discriminating sovereign debtors and disobeying the rule of law caused market distortions, resulting in not only grave damages to debtors, but also losses to creditors that the mechanisms risk and liability would have avoided. Finally, I briefly present proposals to repair these shortcomings in order to avoid the disasters of the past.
Phosphorylation of Akt (Ser473) Predicts Poor Clinical Outcome in Oropharyngeal Squamous Cell Cancer
Authors: Yu Ziwei , Weinberger Paul M. , Sasaki Clarence , Egleston Brian L. , Speier William F. , Haffty Bruce , Kowalski Diane , Camp Robert , Rimm David , Vairaktaris Eleftherios , Burtness Barbara , Psyrri Amanda 
Published: March 2007

Abstract
Background: Several lines of laboratory evidence support a role of persistent activation of Akt pathway in oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) progression. Loss of phosphatase PTEN is one of the proposed mechanisms of Akt activation. We sought to determine the prognostic significance of Akt activation in a cohort of patients with OSCC as well as the association between phosphorylated (activated) Akt and PTEN levels.
Methods: Using a novel system of in situ quantitative protein expression analysis (AQUA), we studied the protein expression levels of phosphorylated Akt (p-Akt) and PTEN on a tissue microarray. The array included 79 OSCCs with a mean follow-up of 36 months.
Results: Patients with tumors expressing low tumor p-Akt levels had lower 5-year local recurrence rates (5% versus 38%). Additionally, these patients had improved 5-year overall survival rates (45% versus 27%). This survival effect was likely due to disease recurrence, as there was no difference in death without recurrence between low- and high-expressing groups. In adjusted analysis, tumor p-Akt expression was a strong predictor of local recurrence. A significant inverse relationship was found between nuclear p-Akt and nuclear PTEN: Tumors with high nuclear p-Akt had low nuclear PTEN and vice versa.
Conclusions: Akt activation in OSCC is associated with adverse patient outcome, indicating that Akt is a promising molecular target in OSCC. PTEN loss may be one of the mechanisms of Akt activation in OSCC. (Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2007;16(3):553–8)