Validity and reliability of the Arabic translation of the child oral-health-related quality of life questionnaire (CPQ11-14) in Saudi Arabia

AIM

The purpose of this study was to test the validity and reliability of an Arabic translation and adaptation of the child oral-health-related quality of life questionnaire (CPQ(11-14)) in Saudi Arabia.

DESIGN

The modified questionnaire included two global ratings (oral health and oral-health-related well-being), and a battery of 36 questions in four domains (oral symptoms, functional limitations, emotional well-being and social well-being). The study population consisted of 174, 11-14-year-old children (65% healthy and 35% medically compromised). Clinical data on caries status and malocclusion were collected for 138 of the children, and 47 completed the questionnaire a second time.

RESULTS

There was a significant difference in mean total scale scores between children with and without malocclusions (P < 0.05). Significant relationships were identified between caries status and oral symptoms subscale scores, and between malocclusion and total scale and social well-being subscale scores (P < 0.05). Correlation was highly significant between scale scores and global ratings (P < 0.01). Cronbach's alpha was 0.81 and the test-retest reliability was substantial (r = 0.65, P < 0.001). However, problems were encountered in Saudi Arabia regarding self-reporting of age, and the questionnaire was too long for many of the medically compromised patients.

CONCLUSIONS

The questionnaire is valid and reliable for use in Saudi Arabia, although development of a shorter version is recommended.

Mastery, perceived stress and health-related behaviour in northeast Arnhem Land: a cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND

Indigenous peoples in Australia are disadvantaged on all markers of health and social status across the life course. Psychosocial factors are implicated in the aetiology of chronic diseases and in pathways underpinning social health disparities. Minimal research has investigated psychosocial factors and health in Indigenous peoples. This study evaluated associations between mastery, perceived stress, and health-related behaviour for a remote Indigenous population in Australia.

METHODS

Complete data on mastery (the degree to which individuals feel in control of their lives), perceived stress, physical activity, and fruit and vegetable consumption were obtained for 177 participants in a community-based chronic disease risk factor survey. Psychosocial questionnaires were completed as an option during community screening (response rate = 61.9%). Extensive consultation facilitated the cross-cultural adaptation of measures.

RESULTS

Mastery was inversely correlated with perceived stress measures (p < 0.009): recent stress, r = -0.47; chronic stress, r = -0.41; and youth stress, r = -0.30. Relationships between mastery and behaviour varied according to age group (<25 or > or =25 years) for physical activity (p = 0.001) and vegetable consumption (p = 0.005). Individuals aged > or =25 years engaging in < or =2 bouts of physical activity/week had lower mastery than individuals engaging in > or =3 bouts/week, with means (95% CI) of 14.8 (13.7-15.8) and 17.1 (15.3-19.0), respectively (p = 0.026). Individuals aged > or =25 years eating vegetables < or =3 times/week had lower mastery than those eating vegetables > or =4 times/week (p = 0.009) [means 14.7 (13.8-15.5) and 17.3 (15.5-19.1), respectively]. Individuals <25 years engaging in < or =2 bouts of physical activity/week had greater mastery than individuals engaging in > or =3 bouts/week (p = 0.022) [means 17.2 (15.2-19.2) and 13.8 (11.9-15.7), respectively]. For men > or =25 years and women > or =15 years, mastery was inversely related to age (p < 0.002). Men <25 years had less mastery than women of equivalent age (p = 0.001) [means 13.4 (12.1-14.7) and 17.5 (15.3-19.8), respectively].

CONCLUSION

Consistent with previous research, this study provides additional support for a link between mastery and health-related behaviour, and extends evidence of this association to a remote Indigenous population. Mastery's association with perceived stress, its age-specific association with health behaviour, and findings of low mastery amongst young men, highlights a need for life course research accounting for contextual factors affecting Indigenous peoples.

Electron beam damage studies of synthetic 6-line ferrihydrite and ferritin molecule cores within a human liver biopsy

In order to achieve an accurate understanding of the crystal structure of 6-line ferrihydrite (6LFh) and ferritin molecule cores within a human liver biopsy using transmission electron microscopy (TEM), electron beam damage should be considered. For the case of 6LFh, the electron energy loss near-edge structure (ELNES) of core ionisation edges in the electron energy loss spectrum (EELS) combined with multiple linear least-square (MLLS) fitting of reference spectra together with analysis of selected area electron diffraction (SAED) patterns suggests that the iron in 6LFh is solely octahedrally coordinated Fe3+. With increasing electron dose, an increasing percentage of this octahedrally coordinated Fe3+ migrates to tetrahedral sites. When the dose exceeds 3 x 10(8) electrons/nm2, Fe2+ is found to be present in the material. This method also indicates that the iron in ferritin molecule cores within a human liver biopsy is the same as in 6LFh, entirely Fe3+ in octahedral coordination with oxygen. Again the percentage of octahedrally coordinated Fe3+ decreases as the accumulated electron dose increases and Fe2+ is produced in the liver biopsies when the electron dose exceeds 10(6)electrons/nm2.

UV radiation and cancer prevention: what is the evidence?

The health benefits of sunlight and the risk of skin cancer from UV exposure are still controversial. The literature was analyzed in terms of reviews, controlled and epidemiological studies for the relationships between sunshine exposure and overall cancer mortality, as well as mortality from cancer of the prostate, colon and breast. The residential and/or occupational sun exposure rate seemed to be positively correlated with a lower risk of overall morality due to organ cancer. A normal vitamin D status appeared to be an important precondition, via the local and autocrine synthesis of 1,25(OH)2D3 in the target tissues. The vitamin D hormone system is necessary for cell proliferation and differentiation; different types of vitamin D receptor gene polymorphism seemed to be associated with cancer cell growth. The health benefits of sunlight appear to outweigh the risk of skin cancer. However, the optimal UV exposure, the target level of circulating vitamin D, and whether vitamin D is the only pathway are still undetermined.

Practical challenges of conducting research into rheumatic fever in remote Aboriginal communities

Before embarking on an epidemiological study of acute rheumatic fever in remote Aboriginal communities, researchers engaged in the processes of community consultation, consent and household enrollment. Community expectations and time constraints are not necessarily those of the funding bodies, and a considerable investment of time and local engagement was required before the project proceeded with local support. The remoteness of the communities, harsh climate and limited infrastructure made working conditions difficult. Nevertheless, the study was completed and the results are being returned to the local councils and households. The research team continues to maintain its relationship with each study community.

The unequal burden related to the risk of oral cancer in the different regions of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

OBJECTIVES

To estimate the burden and risk of oral cancer in Saudi Arabia and highlight differences between regions.

METHODS

Using the National Cancer Registry Saudi Arabia, data was collated on numbers of cases of oral cancer (1996-1998) by site, age group, gender and region, plus relative frequencies of all cancer cases. Using Globocan, age-standardised rate (ASR) of oral cancer in Saudi Arabia was compared with five other neighbouring countries in the region.

RESULTS

A total of 208 lip, mouth and tongue cancers for men and 209 for women were reported to the registry during this period. ASR of oral cancer was 1.81/100,000 for males and 2.13/100,000 for females. It was ranked 15th most common cancer for males and 11th for females, with a ratio of 1:1 and median age at diagnosis of 62 years. Very wide regional disparities in the incidence of oral cancer were found, with an almost thirty-fold difference in ASR between the regions with the lowest and highest rates. Jizan Region had the highest ASR (6.2/100,000 for males and 9.82/100,000 for females). Here oral cancer was ranked 2nd for males and 1st for females, with a ratio of 0.73:1 and the median age at diagnosis for females was lower. The third highest ASR (4.48/100,000) was found in females in Najran. In these two high incidence regions oral cancer was commonly reported on the gingiva.

CONCLUSIONS

Overall the burden and risk of oral cancer in Saudi Arabia are not large. However, cancer of the oral cavity is a significant public health problem for the residents of Jizan and the women of Najran. Saudi females in both these regions have a higher burden of oral cancer.

Pulse shaping for optimal control of molecular processes

In this paper, a new method is proposed to design optimized control fields with desired temporal and/or spectral properties. The method is based on penalizing the difference between an optimized field obtained from an iterative scheme and a reference field with desired temporal and/or spectral properties. Compared with the standard optimal control theory, the current method allows a simple, experimentally accessible field be found on the fly; while compared with parameter space searching optimization, the iterative nature of this method allows automatic exploration of the intrinsic mechanism of the population transfer. The method is illustrated by examing the optimal control of vibrational excitation of the Cl-O bond with both temporally and spectrally restricted pulses.

Experiences of new product development in the medical device industry

A survey of medical device professionals has revealed the factors that influence the development time and market success of new products. The vital elements that deliver commercial success are reported here.

Happy Birthday Marlboro: the cigarette whose taste outlasts its customers

Marlboro is 50 years old--and still killing its customers.

The utility of skin biopsy for prediction of progression in suspected small fiber neuropathy

Twenty-eight patients with sensory complaints of unknown etiology had repeated skin biopsies. Patients with large nerve fiber swellings on initial biopsy showed a decline in epidermal nerve fiber density on repeated biopsies (p < 0.05 within group; p < 0.05 vs those without swellings). Patients without nerve fiber swellings did not have changes in nerve fiber density between biopsies. Patients with large nerve fiber swellings were most likely to present clinically with paresthesias (p < 0.05).

Nonatopic allergen-independent mast cell activation in parasitized eosinophilic athymic rats

It is possible to induce eosinophilia in congenitally athymic rats by infection with the parasite Ascaris suum. Athymic bronchial eosinophilia is associated with increased expression of IL-5 and eotaxin mRNA, and with the presence of residual T cells and mast cells. Anamnestic mastocytosis is particularly pronounced and in this study we examine the relationship between mast cell degranulation and IgE production in athymic rats following infection. Incubation of peritoneal mast cells from athymic rats with anti-IgE induced dose-dependent degranulation, as measured by histamine release. However, the failure of mast cells from infected athymic rats to degranulate following incubation with all but one of the parasite antigens selected confirms the absence of a specific IgE response. In contrast, all agonists induced degranulation in euthymic rats. The only parasite-derived factor to induce histamine release in all mast cells was Ascaris body fluid, which contains an element capable of inducing IgE-independent degranulation. Furthermore, increased levels of rat mast cell protease II in athymic bronchoalveolar lavage fluid suggest degranulation of mast cells by IgE and allergen independent means in vivo. We believe that the development of eosinophilic lung inflammation in the absence of specific IgE makes this a prototype for investigating the immunological mechanisms underlying nonatopic asthma.

Photodissociation of HBr. 1. Electronic Structure, Photodissociation Dynamics, and Vector Correlation Coefficients

Ab initio potential energy curves, transition dipole moments, and spin-orbit coupling matrix elements are computed for HBr. These are then used, within the framework of time-dependent quantum-mechanical wave-packet calculations, to study the photodissociation dynamics of the molecule. Total and partial integral cross sections, the branching fraction for the formation of excited-state bromine atoms Br(2P(1/2)), and the lowest order anisotropy parameters, beta, for both ground and excited-state bromine are calculated as a function of photolysis energy and compared to experimental and theoretical data determined previously. Higher order anisotropy parameters are computed for the first time for HBr and compared to recent experimental measurements. A new expression for the Re[a1(3) (parallel, perpendicular)] parameter describing coherent parallel and perpendicular production of ground-state bromine in terms of the dynamical functions is given. Although good agreement is obtained between the theoretical predictions and the experimental measurements, the discrepancies are analyzed to establish how improvements might be achieved. Insight is obtained into the nonadiabatic dynamics by comparing the results of diabatic and fully adiabatic calculations.

The expanded bed biofilter: combined nitrification, solids destruction, and removal of bacteria

Developed for tertiary nitrification, this biofilter also removed carbonaceous BOD (cBOD) and (SS). Because the biofilter is expanded, it cannot clog, and therefore does not require backflushing; yet, it removed a significant proportion of the influent SS. This unanticipated capability was due to the activities of heterotrophic bacteria, protozoa, and metazoa (nematode and oligochaete worms). The expanded bed is an intensified process, which is based on natural immobilization of microbes to small support particles. Using glassy coke as the support material, an attached layer of microbes develops, forming particulate biofilms having a superficial surface area of 1 800 m2 m(-3)(expandedbed). Autotrophic nitritifiers (Nitrosomonas spp.) were detected in the biofilm using rRNA-based molecular methods and were likely responsible, at least in part, for reducing the ammonia concentration by up to 99% (to 0.1 mg L(-1)), while the other organisms reduced cBOD and SS by up to 56% and 62%, respectively. Furthermore, the influent concentrations of Escherichia coli, coliform and heterotrophic bacteria were reduced by over 80%. It thereby provides a single process solution for combined tertiary nitrification and solids removal. Operating the process to consistently achieve < 0.5mg NH3N L(-1) and at the same time removing a significant fraction of cBOD and SS, it can replace processes such as SAFs or NTFs followed by a sandfilter.

360 THE EFFECTS OF PROGESTERONE AND PRESENCE OF CORPUS LUTEUM ON SUPEROVULATION IN BEEF CATTLE (BOS TAURUS)

Bovine embryo transfer is a multi-million dollar industry that relies on hyperstimulation of cattle ovaries with exogenous follicle stimulating hormone (FSH). This process is variable among donors, breeds, and embryo transfer organizations. Historically, donor cattle are administered FSH (IM; <15 to 50 mg) for 4 days and a luteolytic dose of prostaglandin F2� (PGF2�; IM; 25 mg twice daily) on Day 3. The presence of a functional corpus luteum (CL) is crucial for this protocol; however, there are embryo donor cattle that do not exhibit progesterone indicative of a functional CL. Experiment 1 was performed to determine whether the number of embryos and ovulations that could be generated from donors without a functional CL might be increased by progesterone supplementation via a vaginal insert (CIDR). Experiment 2 was performed to determine an optimal FSH (Sioux Biochemical, Inc., Sioux Center, IA, USA) dosage (high dose = 30 units, n = 9; low dose = 20 units, n = 7) for cattle without a functional CL. Embryos were collected nonsurgically by uterine lavage and were evaluated morphologically according to the IETS system. Progesterone concentrations were determined using an RIA on venous blood samples (10 mL). Ovulations (as evident by resulting CL) were counted using transrectal ultrasonography. Embryo, ovulation, and progesterone data were analyzed using ANOVA with SAS (SAS Institute, Inc., Cary, NC, USA), to evaluate the main effects of group and time (progesterone concentrations only). In Experiment 1, there was no difference in the number of high-quality embryos that were recovered from hyperstimulated (IM; 35 units) Angus-cross cattle that either had a functional CL (n = 12) or a CIDR insert (n = 12) following PGF2� injection. Progesterone concentrations were similar until Day 3 (Day 0 = injection of PGF2� and CIDR insertion). On Day 3, the CL group had higher (P < 0.05) progesterone concentrations (3.5 � 0.4 ng/mL) than the CIDR group (1.5 � 0.1 ng/mL). Further, there was no difference between the average number of ovulations for the cows with a CL (22.5 � 2.4) or cows without a CL (22.8 � 1.5). In Experiment 2, there was no difference in the number of high-quality embryos recovered from cattle in the high-dose group (8.1 � 0.4) compared to cattle in the low dose group (5.7 � 1.3). There were no differences during the treatment period in progesterone concentrations between high- and low-dose groups. Although there was no statistical difference in the number of ovulations between cattle in the high dose group (20.2 � 2.5) compared to cattle in the low dose group (15.6 � 0.9), the higher FSH dose did yield over 30% more ovulations. Embryo collection from cattle that do not show signs of a CL can increase the number of offspring and embryos, and the genetic progress of otherwise unavailable cattle, thus benefiting the beef and beef cattle industries.

Genetic approaches to autonomic dysreflexia

Autonomic dysreflexia is a potentially life-threatening condition in which episodic hypertension occurs after injuries above the mid-thoracic segments of the spinal cord. Despite the seriousness of this condition, little is known of the molecular mechanisms that lead to its development. The completed sequencing of the mouse genome, its dense genetic map, and the large repository of engineered and spontaneous mouse mutants, make the mouse an ideal model organism in which to study the molecular mechanisms underlying autonomic dysreflexia. We subjected two wild-type strains of mice, 129Sv and C57BL/6, and one spontaneous mouse mutant, Wallerian degeneration slow (Wld s), to spinal cord transection and clip-compression injury. We found that the incidence of autonomic dysreflexia is greatly reduced, compared to spinal cord-transected wild-type mice, in Wld s mice after both injury paradigms and in 129Sv and C57BL/6 that have undergone the clip-compression injury. We also found that the amplitude of the dysreflexic response was greater in cord-compressed 129Sv than in C57BL/6 mice. These results implicate axonal degeneration as an important source of signals that trigger the development of autonomic dysreflexia and are discussed in the context of mouse genetics, interstrain differences and possible molecular mechanisms underlying autonomic dysreflexia after spinal cord injury.

Alleviation of insulitis and moderation of diabetes in NOD mice following treatment with a synthetic Pseudomonas aeruginosa signal molecule, N-(3-oxododecanoyl)-L-homoserine lactone

Quorum sensing signal molecules (QSSMs) from the bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa control bacterial population density and the expression of virulence determinants. Coincidentally, and possibly to allow this pathogen to gain a foothold in the human body, certain signal molecules also downregulate immunological responses in an apparently T-helper 1-selective manner, which would suggest their application as therapeutics to some autoimmune diseases. In the present paper, experiments are described that indicate that one particular signal molecule, a synthetic N-(3-oxododecanoyl)-L-homoserine lactone, can be used to alleviate insulitis and diabetes in non-obese diabetic (NOD) mice, suggesting that bacterial signal molecules may represent a novel source of immune modulatory compounds for the treatment of type 1 diabetes, which afflicts more than 2 million individuals in Europe and North America.