			Home About us Contact

Wilcoxon Test (wilcoxon + test)

Distribution by Scientific Domains

Medical Sciences	77%
Earth and Environmental Science	6%
4 Other Domains	17%

Selected Abstracts

Oral Isotretinoin as Part of the Treatment of Cutaneous Aging

DERMATOLOGIC SURGERY, Issue 7 2000
Enrique Hernandez-Perez MD
Background. A number of drugs have been used to prevent aging changes. However, studies of oral isotretinoin, the commonly used acne drug, as an antiaging drug are lacking. Objective. To determine improvement in cutaneous aging utilizing oral isotretinoin combined with different procedures of facial rejuvenation. Methods. Sixty patients ranging in age from 35 to 65 years, in whom additional modalities of rejuvenation were also used, were randomly assigned to receive treatment with oral isotretinoin (10,20 mg three times a week for 2 months, group A). Their results were compared with 60 patients who had undergone the same surgical procedures but with no oral isotretinoin (group B). Results. All patients treated with oral isotretinoin noted improvement in wrinkles, thickness and color of the skin, size of pores, skin elasticity, tone, and reduction in pigmented lesions and mottled hyperpigmentation. A statistically significant difference was found in the improvement of group A (Wilcoxon test <0.01). Using minimal amounts of this drug, the side effects were practically negligible. Conclusion. Utilizing various procedures with oral isotretinoin allowed us to improve the effects of cutaneous aging. Our results using isotretinoin in these cases have been satisfactory. We believe that this is one of the first reports of the use of oral isotretinoin in intrinsic and photoaged skin. [source]

Event-related delta oscillatory responses of Alzheimer patients

EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF NEUROLOGY, Issue 6 2008
G. Yener
Background and purpose:, Alzheimer type of dementia (AD) is the most common neuropsychiatric morbidity in elderly individuals. Event-related oscillations (ERO) provide an useful tool for detecting subtle abnormalities of cognitive processes with high temporal resolution. Methods:, In the present report, event-related oscillations of patients with AD were analyzed by using a visual oddball paradigm. A total of 22 mild probable AD subjects according to NINCDS-ADRDA criteria and 20 age-, gender-, and education-matched healthy control subjects were compared. AD group consisted from 11 untreated patients and 11 patients treated with cholinesterase inhibitor. Oscillatory responses were recorded from 13 scalp electrodes. Results:, Significant differences in delta frequency range were seen between the groups by using repeated measures of anova analysis [F(9.120) = 2.228; P = 0.022]. Post-hoc analyses using Wilcoxon test showed that at mid- and left central regions, (Cz, C3) peak amplitudes of delta responses of healthy subjects were significantly higher than either group. Also cholinesterase inhibitors did not have effect on delta oscillatory responses. Conclusions:, Our findings imply that the delta oscillatory responses at central locations are highly instable in mild probable AD patients regardless of treatment when compared to the healthy aged controls. This study supports the importance of oscillatory event-related potentials for investigating AD brain dynamics. [source]

CO2 laser surgery in the treatment of glottic cancer

HEAD & NECK: JOURNAL FOR THE SCIENCES & SPECIALTIES OF THE HEAD AND NECK, Issue 7 2005
Giovanni Motta MD
Abstract Background. The aim of the study was to assess the effectiveness of CO2 laser endoscopic surgery in the treatment of glottic carcinoma limited to the true vocal cords or involving the adjacent regions. Methods. Seven hundred nineteen patients (687 men and 32 women; mean age, 60.4 years; range, 33,86 years) with glottic carcinoma (432 T1N0M0, 236 T2N0M0, 51 T3N0M0) underwent CO2 laser surgery (mean follow-up, 5 years; range, 2,17 years). Statistical comparison was carried out with Wilcoxon test, considering p < .05 the minimum significance value. Results. Overall actuarial survival, adjusted actuarial survival, and percentage of patients with no evidence of disease at 5 years were 85%, 97%, and 85%, respectively, in patients with T1a disease; 84%, 96%, and 83% in those with T1b disease; 77%, 86%, and 61% in those with T2 unilateral tumors; 77%, 88%, and 55% in those with T2 bilateral tumors; and 64%, 72%, and 60% in those with T3 disease. The statistical analysis showed the following: significant differences in the comparison of T1 versus T2 and T2 versus T3 tumors (p < .01), with the exception of no evidence of disease in the comparison of T2 versus T3 (p > .05); and no significant differences in the comparison of unilateral and bilateral tumors (p > .05). Actuarial local control, actuarial nodal control, and actuarial distant metastasis control at 5 years were 85%, 98%, and 99%, respectively, in patients with T1 disease; and 66%, 82%, and 91% in patients with T2 disease; and 66%, 83%, and 95% in patients with T3 disease. The laryngeal preservation rate was 97.3% in the T1 group, 82.5% in the T2 group, and 80.5% in T3 group. Conclusions. CO2 laser endoscopic surgery is effective in the treatment of glottic carcinoma not infiltrating the cartilaginous skeleton; the results achieved are competitive with those of open conservative operations, if we take into account the possibilities afforded by salvage surgery and the rate of laryngeal preservation achieved in the study patients. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck27: XXX,XXX, 2005 [source]

The Use of Impedance Cardiography in Predicting Mortality in Emergency Department Patients With Severe Sepsis and Septic Shock

ACADEMIC EMERGENCY MEDICINE, Issue 4 2010
Anthony M. Napoli MD
Abstract Objectives:, Pulmonary artery catheterization poses significant risks and requires specialized training. Technological advances allow for more readily available, noninvasive clinical measurements of hemodynamics. Few studies exist that assess the efficacy of noninvasive hemodynamic monitoring in sepsis patients. The authors hypothesized that cardiac index, as measured noninvasively by impedance cardiography (ICG) in emergency department (ED) patients undergoing early goal-directed therapy (EGDT) for sepsis, would be associated with in-hospital mortality. Methods:, This was a prospective observational cohort study of patients age over 18 years meeting criteria for EGDT (lactate > 4 or systolic blood pressure < 90 after 2 L of normal saline). Initial measurements of cardiac index were obtained by ICG. Patients were followed throughout their hospital course until discharge or in-hospital death. Cardiac index measures in survivors and nonsurvivors are presented as means and 95% confidence intervals (CI). Diagnostic performance of ICG in predicting mortality was tested by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve and areas under the ROC curves (AUC) were compared using Wilcoxon test. Results:, Fifty-six patients were enrolled; one was excluded due to an inability to complete data acquisition. The mean cardiac index in nonsurvivors (2.3 L/min·m2, 95% CI = 1.6 to 3.0) was less than that for survivors (3.2, 95% CI = 2.9 to 3.5) with mean difference of 0.9 (95% CI = 0.12 to 1.71). The AUC for ICG in predicting mortality was 0.71 (95% CI = 0.58 to 0.88; p = 0.004). A cardiac index of < 2 L/min·m2 had a sensitivity of 43% (95% CI = 18% to 71%), specificity of 93% (95% CI = 80% to 95%), positive likelihood ratio of 5.9, and negative likelihood ratio of 0.6 for predicting in-hospital mortality. Conclusions:, Early, noninvasive measurement of the cardiac index in critically ill severe sepsis and septic shock patients can be performed in the ED for those who meet criteria for EGDT. There appears to be an association between an initial lower cardiac index as measured noninvasively and in-hospital mortality. ACADEMIC EMERGENCY MEDICINE 2010; 17:452,455 © 2010 by the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine [source]

Decalcification of root canal dentine by citric acid, EDTA and sodium citrate

INTERNATIONAL ENDODONTIC JOURNAL, Issue 6 2004
L. F. Machado-Silveiro
Abstract Aim, To measure the demineralization capability of 1 and 10% citric acid, 10% sodium citrate and 17% EDTA during immersions of 5, 10 and 15 min on root canal dentine. Methodology, Crowns were sectioned from eight maxillary canines. The cementum was removed from the cervical third of the roots to expose the dentine. Canals were prepared using a handpiece-mounted Largo Peeso reamer. A 3-mm thick cross-sectional slice was obtained from the cervical third of each root. Each slice was sectioned into four equal parts. These specimens were assigned to one of four groups (n = 8) for the application of 1% citric acid, 10% citric acid, 10% sodium citrate or 17% EDTA. Each specimen underwent three successive 5-min immersions in each solution at room temperature. The solutions were not renewed between immersions. Two millimetres of solution were collected from the extracts and lanthanum oxide was added for the calcium reading by spectrophotometry. To compare the amounts of calcium removed by each solution, the Friedman test was used for the global comparison and the Wilcoxon test for paired comparisons. Differences between groups were evaluated using the Kruskal,Wallis test for the global comparison and Mann,Whitney test for paired comparisons. Results, Overall, 1 and 10% citric acid were more effective than EDTA or sodium citrate at the three immersion times (P < 0.001); 10% citric acid was more effective than 1% citric acid (P < 0.001). EDTA and 1 and 10% citric acid showed decreasing effectiveness with time, and the decrease was significant for citric acid at both concentrations (P < 0.001). Although sodium citrate removed little calcium during the three time periods, the small increase recorded was significant (P < 0.01). Conclusions, Citric acid at 10% was the most effective decalcifying agent, followed by 1% citric acid, 17% EDTA and 10% sodium citrate. [source]

Comparative investigation of two rotary nickel,titanium instruments: ProTaper versus RaCe.

INTERNATIONAL ENDODONTIC JOURNAL, Issue 4 2004
Part 2.
Abstract Aim, To determine the cleaning effectiveness and shaping ability of ProTaper and RaCe nickel,titanium rotary instruments during the preparation of curved root canals in extracted human teeth. Methodology, A total of 48 root canals of mandibular and maxillary molars with curvatures ranging between 25° and 35° were divided into two groups of 24 canals each. Based on radiographs taken prior to instrumentation with the initial instrument inserted into the canal, the groups were balanced with respect to the angle and the radius of canal curvature. Canals were prepared using a crown-down preparation technique. After each instrument, the root canals were flushed with a 2.5% NaOCl solution and at the end of instrumentation with NaCl. Using pre- and post-instrumentation radiographs, straightening of the canal curvatures was determined with a computer image analysis program. After splitting the roots longitudinally, the amount of debris and smear layer was quantified on the basis of a numerical evaluation scale, using a scanning electron microscope (SEM). The data established for scoring the debris and the smear layer were separately recorded and analysed statistically using the Wilcoxon test. Results, Two ProTaper and three RaCe instruments fractured; there was no significant difference between instrument types (P > 0.05). Completely clean root canals were never observed. For debris removal, RaCe files achieved significantly better results (P < 0.001) than ProTaper instruments. The results for remaining smear layer were similar and not significantly different (P > 0.05). RaCe instruments maintained the original canal curvature significantly better (P < 0.05) than ProTaper instruments. No significant differences were detected between the instruments (P > 0.05) for the time taken to prepare the canals. Conclusions, Under the conditions of this study, RaCe instruments resulted in relatively good cleaning and maintained the original curvature significantly better than ProTaper did. [source]

Variability of extreme temperature events in south,central Europe during the 20th century and its relationship with large-scale circulation

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CLIMATOLOGY, Issue 9 2003
Peter Domonkos
Abstract The variability of winter extreme low-temperature events and summer extreme high-temperature events was investigated using daily temperature series (1901,98) from 11 sites in central and southern Europe. An extreme temperature event (EXTE) is defined by various threshold values of daily temperature or daily temperature anomaly. Systematic changes in the frequencies of EXTEs are investigated by the Mann,Kendall test and a method based on the Wilcoxon test. The catalogue of macrocirculation types over central Europe (the Hess,Brezowsky classification) is applied to investigate the connections between EXTEs and large-scale circulation. Circulation classes (HBC) are defined, and mostly spatial averages of EXTEs are examined. There were large long-term fluctuations in the frequencies of both winter extreme cold events (EXCEs) and summer extreme warm events (EXWEs) during the 20th century. The systematic changes referring to the entire period indicate a slight warming tendency, but only a few of the changes, mostly in the northernmost sites, are statistically significant. Strong connections are present between the frequencies of EXTEs and the large-scale circulation on various time scales, particularly for EXCEs. The spatial differences of EXTE fluctuations and EXTE,HBC connections are small within the study area. Northerlies and easterlies, as well as meridional and anticyclonic situations, are favourable for EXCEs, whereas southerlies and persistent anticyclonic situations are favourable for EXWE occurrences. In the latest decades, a decline in the frequency of EXCEs and a sharp increase in the frequency of EXWEs happened, and the residence times of the circulation patterns over central Europe became longer both in winter and summer. Copyright © 2003 Royal Meteorological Society [source]

Reduced oxidative stress in parallel to improved cardiac performance one year after selective removal of anti-beta 1-adrenoreceptor autoantibodies in patients with idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy: data of a preliminary study,

JOURNAL OF CLINICAL APHERESIS, Issue 3 2005
Ingolf Schimke
Abstract Patients with idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy (IDC) were treated with selective immunoadsorption to remove anti-beta 1-adrenoreceptor autoantibodies (anti-beta1A-AB). After one year, the effect on cardiac performance and oxidative stress was tested. Extracorporeal immunoadsorption of the whole IgG class in IDC patients for the removal of anti-beta1A-AB reduced oxidative stress in parallel to an improvement of cardiac performance. However, the non-specificity of IgG adsorption means that these beneficial effects cannot be attributed exclusively to anti-beta1A-AB removal. In an open clinical pilot study enrolling 8 patients with IDC prior to and one year after selective immunoadsorption of anti-beta1A-AB, plasma markers for oxidative stress,thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARS), lipid peroxides (LPO) and anti-oxidized low-density lipoprotein autoantibodies (anti-oxLDL-AB),were measured in parallel to evaluation of the left ventricular function using conventional echocardiography and wall motion analysis by tissue Doppler imaging. After one year, TBARS (Wilcoxon test with bootstrapping simulation for paired data: 95% confidence interval of the P value 0.020 to 0.029) and anti-oxLDL-AB (P = 0.025 to 0.035) were decreased in parallel to an improvement of the peak systolic wall motion velocity (P = 0.006 to 0.01) and left ventricular ejection fraction (P = 0.002 to 0.02). For changes over the study period, a direct correlation with borderline significance (P = 0.076) was calculated for TBARS to the left ventricular diameter in the diastole. One year after selective immunoadsorption for anti-beta1A-AB removal, patients with ICD show a reduction in oxidative stress and a parallel improvement in cardiac performance. J. Clin. Apheresis © 2005 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source]

Survival analysis for degree of compliance with supportive periodontal therapy

JOURNAL OF CLINICAL PERIODONTOLOGY, Issue 12 2001
M. Ojima
Abstract Background, aims: The purpose of this investigation was to evaluate the degree of compliance for supportive periodontal therapy (SPT) and to determine factors in relation to patients who failed to continue SPT programs. Method: A sample of 1896 patients who were treated between 1988 and 1999 was studied. The patients were classified by gender, age group and the distance between their house and the hospital. The number of visits was counted based on an electronic patient record for SPT. Data were analyzed by survival analysis. Survival probabilities in SPT were estimated by the Kaplan-Meier method and compared by the generalized Wilcoxon test. Results: 28% of patients did not comply with the first visit for SPT. The older patients had higher tendencies to continue the SPT program than the younger patients. No significant differences in compliance were found between males and females or between short-distance and long-distance groups. However, when these factors were adjusted by age, significantly different patterns were shown on the curves of survival probability: in males, significant differences were found between the 20 s and 30 s (p<0.00001) and between the 50 s and 60 s (p<0.01). In females, significant differences were found between the 40 s and 50 s (p<0.001) and between the 60 s and 70 s (p<0.001). The differences of the survival probability by age group were greater in the short-distance group than in the long-distance group. Conclusions: The results suggest that age is the most important factor for compliance of the patients with SPT, not only alone but also in relation to the other factors. Zusammenfassung Ziel: Der Zweck dieser Untersuchung war es, das Ausmaß der Compliance bei perodontaler Erhaltungstherapie (SPT) zu evaluieren und Patienten bezogene Faktoren zu bestimmen, wenn diese das SPT-Programm nicht forsetzten. Material und Methoden: Eine Stichprobe von 1896 Patienten, welche zwischen 1988 und 1999 behandelt wurden nahm man in die Studie auf. Die Patienten wurden klassifiziert nach Geschlecht, Altersgruppe und der Entfernung zwischen ihrem Haus und der Klinik. Auf der Grundlage einer elektronischen Patientenakte wurde die Anzahl der Sitzungen errechnet. Die Daten wurden mittels Überlebensanalyse ausgewertet. Die Überlebenswahrscheinlichkeiten in der SPT wurde mit der Kaplan-Meier-Methode geschätzt und mit dem allgemeinen Wilkoxon-Test verglichen. Ergebnisse: 28% der Patienten zeigten keine Compliance mit dem ersten Termin für die SPT. Die älteren Patienten zeigten eine stärkere Tendenz zur Forsetzung des SPT-Programms als die jüngeren Patienten. Zwischen Männern und Frauen oder den Gruppen mit geringer und größerer Entfernung gab es keine Unterschiede in der Compliance. Wenn diese Faktoren bezüglich des Alters adjustiert wurden, konnten signifikant unterschiedliche Muster bei den Kurven für die Überlebenswahrscheinlichkeit gezeigt werden: bei den Männern fand man signifikante Unterschiede zwischen der 20er und 30er-Gruppe (p<0.00001) und zwischen der 50er und 60er-Gruppe (p<0.01). Bei den Frauen fand man signifikante Unterschiede zwischen der 40er und 50er-Gruppe (p<0.001) und zwischen der 60er und 70er-Gruppe (p<0.001). Die Unterschiede der Überlebenswahrscheinlichkeit der Altersgruppen waren in der Gruppe mit geringen Entfernung größer, als in der Gruppe mit größerer Entfernung. Schlussfolgerung: Die Ergebnisse lassen annehmen, dass das Alter der wichtigste Faktor für die Compliance der Patienten mit der SPT ist. Dies gilt nicht nur für das Alter als alleinigen Faktor sondern auch zusammen mit den anderen Faktoren. Résumé But: Le but de cette étude était d'évaluer le degré de coopération pour la thérapeutique parodontale de soutien (SPT) et de déterminer les facteurs en cause relatifs aux patients qui ne suivaient pas le programme de STP. Matériaux et méthodes: Un échantillon de 1896 patients qui furent traités entre 1988 et 1999 a étéétudié. Les patieants ont été classés par sexe, âge et distance entre leur habitation et l'hôpital. Le nombre de visite était quantifiéélectroniquement pour la STP. Les données étaient analysées par analyse de continuité. Les probabilitiés de continuité de la STP étaient estimées par la méthode de Kaplan-Meyer et comparées par le test de Wilcoxon généralisé. Résultats: 28% des patients ne coopéraient pas pour la première visite de maintenance. Les patients les plus âgés avaient une plus forte tendance à suivre leur programme de STP que les plus jeunes. Aucune différence significative pour la maintenance n'était observée entre les hommes et les femmes et pour la distance entre l'habitation et l'hôpital. Cependant, lorsque l'on ajustait ces facteurs pour l'âge, différences caractéristiques des courbes de probabilités de continuitéétaient observées: chez les hommes, des différences significatives existatient entre les groupes d'âges 20 et 30 ans (p<0.00001) et entre les groupes d'âge 50 et 60 ans (p<0.001). Chez les femmes, ces différences existaient entre les groupes d'âge 40 et 50 ans (p<0.001) et 60 et 70 ans (p<0.001). Les différences de la probabilité de continuité par groupe d'âge étaient plus grandes dans le groupe résidant près de l'hôpital que pour les patients habitant loin. Conclusion: Les résultats suggèrent que l'âge est le facteur le plus important pour la coopération des patients envers leurs SPT, non seulement seul mais aussi en relation avec les autres facteurs. [source]

Protein intake, growth and lung function of infants with chronic lung disease

JOURNAL OF HUMAN NUTRITION & DIETETICS, Issue 3 2009
E. Cillié
Background:, The increased survival rate of extremely preterm infants has not improved the incidence or outcome of infants diagnosed with chronic lung disease (CLD) (Riley, 2008). The relationship between optimal nutrition (particularly protein intake) and chronic lung disease has not been established. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between protein intake, growth and lung function in infants with CLD. Methods:, A CLD database, maintained for the past 10 years, was used to select participants that had reached 1 year of corrected age. Infants who were born during 2001,2006 with a birth weight of <1500 g, and who subsequently had a diagnosis of CLD, were included. Infants with evidence of intra-uterine growth restriction and abnormal cerebral pathology were excluded. Demographic, mean weight gain, protein intake and respiratory support data were collected retrospectively from the medical notes. Growth parameters and need for oxygen and inhalers up to 1 year of corrected age were collected from the CLD follow-up database. SPSS, version 15 (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA) were used for Pearson's or Spearmans correlation analysis and analysis of variance or the Wilcoxon test, as appropriate. Results:, Sixty infants were studied: 25 females and 35 males. The median (range) post-menstrual age at birth was 26 (22,31) weeks. The most common feed was breast milk; fortified breast milk was used for 37% of the total days studied. The mean (SD) protein intake was 2.28 (0.33) g kg,1 day,1 and the mean (SD) weight gain was 11.67 (1.77) g kg,1 day,1. There was a positive correlation between protein intake and weight gain (r = 0.32, P = 0.013), which was stronger in females (r = 0.51, P = 0.009). Protein intake was significantly associated with head circumference growth in females only (r = 0.47, P = 0.038). Protein intake was inversely related to the number of days spent mechanically ventilated (r = ,0.32, P = 0.015). There was no relationship between protein intake and growth at 1 year corrected age, time spent on continuous positive airway pressure, age weaned off oxygen, or the use of inhalers. There was an inverse correlation between total weeks of oxygen dependence and head circumference at 1 year (r = ,0.35, P = 0.022). Discussion:, The mean protein intake was <3 g kg,1 day,1, which is the minimum requirement for preterm infants (Tsang et al., 2005). This was associated with a sub-optimal weight gain in our participants of <15 g kg,1 day,1 (Steward & Pridham, 2002). The study demonstrates the known association between low protein intake and poor growth with ventilator dependence (Loui et al., 2008). Conclusions:, Low birth weight and low gestational age infants at risk of CLD should receive special attention to optimise their protein intake because sub-optimal protein intake potentially leads to poor growth when on a neonatal intensive care unit. References Loui, A., Tsalikaki, E., Maier, K., Walch, E., Kamarianakis, Y. & Obladen, M. (2008) Growth in high risk infants <1500 g birth weight during the first 5 weeks. Early Hum. Dev. 84, 645,650, Doi: 10.1016/j.earlhumdev.2008.04.005. Riley, K., Roth, S., Sellwood, M. & Wyatt, J.S. (2008) Survival and neurodevelopmental morbidity at 1 year of age following extremely preterm delivery over a 20-year period: a single centre cohort study. Acta Paediatr.97, 159,165. Steward, D.K. & Pridham, K.F. (2002) Growth patterns of extremely low-birth-weight hospitalised preterm infants. JOGN Nurs31, 57,65. Tsang, R.C., Uauy, R., Koletzko, B. & Zlotkin, S.H., eds. (2005) Nutrition of the Preterm Infant: Scientific Basis and Practical Guidelines. Cincinnati: Digital Educational Publishing. [source]

Short-term efficacy of physical therapy compared to splint therapy in treatment of arthrogenous TMD

JOURNAL OF ORAL REHABILITATION, Issue 11 2007
F. ISMAIL
Summary, A prospective randomized study was carried out to evaluate the efficacy of physical therapy in addition to splint therapy on treatment outcome in patients with temporomandibular disorders (TMD) with respect to objective and subjective parameters. Twenty-six patients suffering from an arthrogenic TMD and exhibiting a painfully restricted jaw opening were randomized in two groups. Thirteen patients were treated solely with Michigan splint (group I), 13 patients received supplementary physical therapy (group II). Before treatment a clinical examination and electronic recording of jaw movements were performed and subjective pain level was evaluated by visual analogue scales. After 3 months of therapy maintenance of improvement was evaluated. Within treatment groups comparison of data before and after treatment was analysed using Wilcoxon test. Groups were compared by Mann,Withney- U test. A P -value < 0.05 was considered significant. Compared with the baseline, in both groups mandibular movement capacity increased significantly after treatment, whereas subjective pain decreased significantly (P < 0.05). Active jaw opening increased from 28.6 ± 5.8 to 35.9 ± 4.8 mm in group I and from 30.1 ± 5.4 to 40.8 ± 4.1 mm in group II. After therapy the difference of active jaw opening between groups was significant (P < 0.05). Physical therapy also gave a supplementary improvement of protrusive mandibular movement capacity during electronic registration and subjective pain level. For none of these parameters this difference between groups was significant. Physical therapy seems to have a positive effect on treatment outcome of patients with TMD. [source]

Comparative prospective study on splint therapy of anterior disc displacement without reduction

JOURNAL OF ORAL REHABILITATION, Issue 7 2005
M. STIESCH-SCHOLZ
summary A prospective randomized study was carried out to compare the therapeutic success of two different types of splint in patients with painful anterior disc displacement of the temporomandibular joint. The patients in Group I (n = 20) received stabilization splint therapy and the patients in Group II (n = 20) pivot splint therapy. Clinical investigation of the craniomandibular system was performed before and 1, 2 and 3 months after therapy and this was accompanied by subjective evaluation by the patients of their symptoms, using a validated questionnaire with visual analogue scales (VAS). There was a significant increase in maximum jaw opening and a significant reduction in subjective pain in both groups during the course of therapy (Wilcoxon test, P < 0·05). Active jaw opening increased by a mean of 8·05 mm in the group of patients treated with a stabilization splint (Group I). The comparable figure with pivot splint therapy (Group II) was 8·26 mm. The VAS scale value in Group I was reduced by 30·54 units and in Group II by 39·36 scale units. However, neither of these differences between the groups was statistically significant (Mann,WhitneyU -test, P > 0·05). It can be concluded that both types of splint provided effective therapy in patients with anterior disc displacement. [source]

The effect of home-use fluoride gels on glass,ionomer, compomer and composite resin restorations

JOURNAL OF ORAL REHABILITATION, Issue 7 2003
P. Dionysopoulos
summary The purpose of this study was to investigate the resistance to dissolution by two home-use fluoride gels on the surface integrity of glass,ionomer, resin modified glass,ionomer, compomer and composite resin restorations. Class V cavities prepared in extracted teeth were restored with a glass,ionomer (Fuji II), a resin modified glass,ionomer (Vitremenr), two compomers (Dyract and F-2000) and a composite resin (Z-100). Groups of five specimens of each material were treated for 24 h with one of the following: (i) distilled water, (ii) neutral fluoride gel and (iii) acidulated phosphate fluoride (APF) gel. Surface degradation of the restorations was studied using standard electron microscopy (SEM), rated according to specific criteria and statistically analysed by the Wilcoxon test (rank sums). Acidulated phosphate fluoride was found to have a significant effect on all examined materials, while minimal effects resulted from the neutral fluoride gel compared with the control group. The effect of home-use fluoride gels on glass,ionomer, compomer and composite resin restorations. [source]

The effect of three different periodontal pre-treatment procedures on the success of telescopic removable partial dentures

JOURNAL OF ORAL REHABILITATION, Issue 4 2003
R. Polansky
summary, In this prospective study, 120 teeth consisting of maxillary and mandibular canines and premolars were divided into three groups each containing 40 teeth. The teeth were assigned randomly in quadrants to three different periodontal treatment protocols. The first group was treated with professional prophylaxis only. The second group received additional deep scaling. With the third group, additional surgical periodontal flap surgery and scaling was performed. Both papillary bleeding index (PBI) and probing depth (PD) were evaluated before, during and after treatment. During the subsequent prosthetic treatment phase all teeth were then used as telescope abutments supporting a removable prosthesis. The documentation of the attachment level (AL) was then used as a clinical parameter. One year after the incorporation of telescopic removable partial dentures (RPDs), PD, PBI and AL were again evaluated. The resulting periodontal parameters were compared between the different groups using the general linear model (GLM) repeated measures and the Kruskal,Wallis test for non-parametric variables. Differences within the three treatment groups were determined using the t -test, e.g. the Wilcoxon test for dependent variables (P < 0·05). A significant decrease in inflammatory indices (PBI) was found for all types of periodontal treatment (P < 0·03 for all groups). Additionally, the reduction in PD was significant for all of the three groups (P < 0·001 for all groups). The greatest reduction in PD was observed in the group in which a surgical approach was used. Evaluation of the attachment level after the incorporation of the telescopic RPDs showed that tooth position did not influence the periodontal prognosis and that the use of telescopic RPDs exerted no ascertainable negative influence on the periodontium of the abutment teeth. [source]

Survival rate and fracture strength of incisors restored with different post and core systems after exposure in the artificial mouth

JOURNAL OF ORAL REHABILITATION, Issue 2 2001
J. R. Strub
Survival rate and fracture strength of incisors restored with different post and core systems after exposure in the artificial mouth. The survival rate and fracture resistance of 40 decapitated endodontically treated maxillary central incisors using four different post and core systems covered with all-ceramic copings was evaluated after exposure in the artificial mouth. Ten samples of the following post and core systems were investigated: high precious metal post (Permador®) and core (Olympia®) (A), zirconia post (Cerapost®) with a pre-fabricated bonded ceramic core (Ceracap®) (B), resin-ceramic post (experimental) with a pre-fabricated bonded ceramic core (Ceracap®) (C) and a zirconia post (Cerapost®) with a custom made ceramic core (Cosmo Ingots®) (D). The all-ceramic copings (Procera®) were cemented using Panavia TC®. The survival rates after 1 200 000 cycles in the artificial mouth are as follows: 90% (A), 80% (B), 60% (C) and 100% (D). The results of the means and standard deviations (s.d.) of the fracture resistance during static loading are: 1270 ± 312·5 (A), 1494·5 ± 333·5 (B), 1146·7 ± 182·6 (C) and 463·3 ± 46·2 (D). There are statistically significant differences between all groups with the exception of A and B, and A and C (Wilcoxon test). None of the zirconia posts with custom made ceramic cores covered with all-ceramic copings fractured during dynamic loading in the artificial mouth. The mean fracture strength during static loading was less favourable than that of groups A, B and C but above the clinical necessary level. [source]

Increased Acid Sphingomyelinase Activity in Peripheral Blood Cells of Acutely Intoxicated Patients With Alcohol Dependence

ALCOHOLISM, Issue 1 2010
Martin Reichel
Background:, Acid sphingomyelinase (ASM; EC 3.1.4.12) hydrolyses membrane sphingomyelin into the bioactive lipid ceramide and is thus involved in different cellular processes such as differentiation, immunity, or cell death. Activation of ASM has been reported in particular in conjunction with the cellular stress response to several external stimuli, and increased ASM activity was observed in a variety of human diseases. Ethanol-induced activation of ASM has been observed in different cell culture systems, thus raising the question about the effect of alcohol intoxication in human subjects on ASM activity in vivo. Methods:, We determined ASM activity in peripheral blood mononucleated cells of 27 patients suffering from alcohol dependence. Patients were classified according to their blood alcohol concentration at admission, and ASM activity was determined repeatedly from all patients during alcohol withdrawal. Results:, Acutely intoxicated patients displayed significantly higher ASM activity than patients in early abstinence (Mann,Whitney U test: Z = , 2.6, p = 0.009). ASM activity declined in acutely intoxicated patients to normal values with the transition from the intoxicated state to early abstinence (Wilcoxon test: Z = ,2.7, p = 0.007). At the end of withdrawal, ASM activity was significantly increased again compared to the early phase of abstinence in both patient groups (Wilcoxon test: Z = ,2.691, p = 0.007 and Z = ,2.275, p = 0.023, respectively). Conclusions:, Alcohol-induced activation of ASM occurs in human subjects and might be responsible for deleterious effects of ethanol intoxication. Chronic alcohol abuse may induce deregulation of sphingomyelin metabolism in general, and this impairment may cause side effects during withdrawal from alcohol. [source]

Evaluation of the usefulness of a new direct immunofluorescence assay (ScanVIT-LegionellaÔ) for monitoring hospital water systems contaminated with Legionella spp.

LETTERS IN APPLIED MICROBIOLOGY, Issue 4 2010
S. Ditommaso
Abstract Aims:, To compare the efficiency of the ScanVIT-LegionellaÔ test (Vermicon, Munich, Germany) vs a conventional culture method for the quantification of Legionella spp. in hospital water samples in daily hospital practice. Methods and Results:, The detection of Legionella spp. takes place on a cultivated filter brought into contact with dye-marked gene probes. The results are analysed under fluorescence microscopy. Bacteria that light up green belong to the genus Legionella; those that light up both green and red belong to the species Legionella pneumophila. Our results showed that the ScanVIT test has a sensitivity of 90%; agreement between the two methods was 82%. In the 48 samples that tested positive with both methods, the Legionella concentration detected by the culture method was consistently higher. A statistically significant difference between the results obtained with the two test methods emerged at the Wilcoxon test (P < 0·001). Conclusion:, The ScanVIT test may be recommended for investigating the presence of Legionella by qualitative testing. Significance and Impact of the Study:, Given the simplicity of colony identification by fluorescence, the ScanVIT test can be used in laboratories where staffs are not experienced in identifying typical colonies of Legionella. [source]

Heart Transplantation at the Ottawa Heart Institute: Comparison with Canadian and International Results

ARTIFICIAL ORGANS, Issue 2 2004
Ross A. Davies
Abstract:, Heart transplantation has been carried out in 340 patients in Ottawa, including seventy-one who required mechanical circulatory support as a bridge to transplant. Survival in Ottawa was compared with other Canadian centers based on data from the Canadian Organ Replacement Register up to the year 2000 and with the International Society of Heart and Lung Transplantation (ISHLT) registry 2001. For survival analysis, the number of adult patients at risk at year 0 was 303 (87 transplanted from 1985 to 1990, 105 from 1990 to 1994, and 111 from 1995 to 2000). The Statistical Analysis System (SAS) life test procedure was used. Survival was not adjusted for comorbidities or heart failure class. For the year of transplant 1985,1989, one-, five-, and ten-year patient survival in Ottawa was 83%, 70%, and 60%, respectively, compared to 82%, 71%, and 54%, respectively, for Canada (Wilcoxon test, P = 0.71), and compared to one- and five-year survival for ISHLT from 1980 to 1987 at 76% and 60%, respectively. For 1990,1994, one-, five-, and ten-year patient survival in Ottawa was 88%, 81%, and 74%, respectively, compared to 80%, 71%, and 61%, respectively, for Canada (P = 0.05), and compared to one- and five-year survival for ISHLT from 1998 to 1992 at 80% and 68%, respectively. For 1995,2000, one- and five-year patient survival in Ottawa was 90% and 82%, respectively, compared to 85% and 76%, respectively, for Canada (P = 0.09), and compared to one- and five-year survival for ISHLT from 1993 to 1996 at 82% and 68%, respectively. Survival after heart transplantation in Ottawa compares ,favorably ,with ,Canadian ,and ,international data. [source]

Chop-Lump Tests for Vaccine Trials

BIOMETRICS, Issue 3 2009
Dean Follmann
Summary This article proposes new tests to compare the vaccine and placebo groups in randomized vaccine trials when a small fraction of volunteers become infected. A simple approach that is consistent with the intent-to-treat principle is to assign a score, say,W, equal to 0 for the uninfecteds and some postinfection outcome X,> 0 for the infecteds. One can then test the equality of this skewed distribution of,W,between the two groups. This burden of illness (BOI) test was introduced by Chang, Guess, and Heyse (1994,,Statistics in Medicine,13, 1807,1814). If infections are rare, the massive number of 0s in each group tends to dilute the vaccine effect and this test can have poor power, particularly if the,X's are not close to zero. Comparing,X,in just the infecteds is no longer a comparison of randomized groups and can produce misleading conclusions. Gilbert, Bosch, and Hudgens (2003,,Biometrics,59, 531,541) and Hudgens, Hoering, and Self (2003,,Statistics in Medicine,22, 2281,2298) introduced tests of the equality of,X,in a subgroup,the principal stratum of those "doomed" to be infected under either randomization assignment. This can be more powerful than the BOI approach, but requires unexaminable assumptions. We suggest new "chop-lump" Wilcoxon and,t -tests (CLW and CLT) that can be more powerful than the BOI tests in certain situations. When the number of volunteers in each group are equal, the chop-lump tests remove an equal number of zeros from both groups and then perform a test on the remaining,W's, which are mostly >0. A permutation approach provides a null distribution. We show that under local alternatives, the CLW test is always more powerful than the usual Wilcoxon test provided the true vaccine and placebo infection rates are the same. We also identify the crucial role of the "gap" between 0 and the,X's on power for the,t -tests. The chop-lump tests are compared to established tests via simulation for planned HIV and malaria vaccine trials. A reanalysis of the first phase III HIV vaccine trial is used to illustrate the method. [source]

Evaluation of a new biodegradable membrane to prevent gingival ingrowth into mandibular bone defects in minipigs

CLINICAL ORAL IMPLANTS RESEARCH, Issue 1 2009
Daniel S. Thoma
Abstract Objective: The aim of this study was to test whether a synthetic, biodegradable membrane made of polyethylene glycol (PEG) can prevent soft-tissue ingrowth into alveolar defects. Material and methods: In each of 16 minipigs, three mandibular premolars were bilaterally extracted. Three months later, acute standardized defects (diameter 8 mm, depth 8 mm) were prepared. Four treatment modalities were randomly allocated to the defects: (1) PEG membrane plus collagen sponge, (2) polylactide (PLA) membrane plus collagen sponge, (3) collagen sponge alone, and (4) empty defect. Animals were sacrificed at 10 days (n=5), 21 days (n=5), or 2 months (n=6) after treatment. Qualitative and quantitative histological evaluations of soft-tissue ingrowth and bone regeneration were performed on nondecalcified ground sections. For statistical analysis, the Mann,Whitney,Wilcoxon test, the Kruskal,Wallis, and the paired t -test were applied. P -values were adjusted using the Dunnett,Hsu adjustment. Results: At 10 days, the PEG membrane group showed the least soft-tissue ingrowth (mean value ,0.75 mm; range ,1.35 to ,0.10), followed by the PLA membrane group ,0.18 mm (,0.80 to 0.44), the collagen group 0.04 mm (,0.65 to 0.73), and the empty defects 0.60 mm (,0.08 to 1.29). Statistically significant differences were observed between the PEG membrane group and the empty defects (P<0.05). At 21 days, the highest percentage of newly formed bone was found in the PEG membrane group (mean 28.4%; range 21.6,35.2) compared with 23.7% (16.9,30.5; PLA membrane), 15.2% (8.2,22.2; collagen group), and 21.6% (14.5,28.8; empty defects). Statistically significant differences were only found between the PEG membrane group and the collagen group (P<0.05). At 2 months, the tested parameters revealed no statistically significant differences between the groups. Conclusion: The experimental PEG membrane applied in the present study successfully prevented collapse of the covering soft tissues to a degree similar to the PLA membrane. The combination of a collagen sponge and the PEG membrane showed the least soft-tissue ingrowth at 10 days and promoted more bone formation at 21 days. [source]

Effect of Normal Saline Infusion on the Diagnostic Utility of Base Deficit in Identifying Major Injury in Trauma Patients

ACADEMIC EMERGENCY MEDICINE, Issue 12 2006
Richard Sinert DO
Abstract Background Base deficit (BD) is a reliable marker of metabolic acidosis and is useful in gauging hemorrhage after trauma. Resuscitation with chloride-rich solutions such as normal saline (NS) can cause a dilutional acidosis, possibly confounding the interpretation of BD. Objectives To test the diagnostic utility of BD in distinguishing minor from major injury after administration of NS. Methods This was a prospective observational study at a Level 1 trauma center. The authors enrolled patients with significant mechanism of injury and measured BD at triage (BD-0) and at four hours after triage (BD-4). Major injury was defined by any of the following: injury severity score of ,15, drop in hematocrit of ,10 points, or the patient requiring a blood transfusion. Patients were divided into a low-volume (NS < 2L) and a high-volume (NS , 2L) group. Data were reported as mean (±SD). Student's t- and Wilcoxon tests were used to compare data. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves tested the utility of BD-4 in differentiating minor from major injury in the study groups. Results Four hundred eighty-nine trauma patients (mean age, 36 [± 18] yr) were enrolled; 82% were male, and 34% had penetrating injury. Major-(20%) compared with minor-(80%) injury patients were significantly (p = 0.0001) more acidotic (BD-0 mean difference: ,3.3 mmol/L; 95% confidence interval [CI] =,2.5 to ,4.2). The high-volume group (n = 174) received 3,342 (±1,821) mL, and the low-volume group (n = 315) received 621 (±509) mL of NS. Areas under the ROC curves for the high-volume (0.63; 95% CI = 0.52 to 0.74) and low-volume (0.73; 95% CI = 0.60 to 0.86) groups were not significantly different from each other. Conclusions Base deficit was able to distinguish minor from major injury after four hours of resuscitation, irrespective of the volume of NS infused. [source]

Evaluation of Right Ventricular Fibrosis in Adult Congenital Heart Disease Using Gadolinium-enhanced Magnetic Resonance Imaging: Initial Experience in Patients with Right Ventricular Loading Conditions

CONGENITAL HEART DISEASE, Issue 5 2006
Lopa P. Hartke MD
ABSTRACT Objective., Gadolinium-enhanced cardiac magnetic resonance imaging has been used to show myocardial fibrosis, a finding that appears as late gadolinium enhancement. Its role in the evaluation of right ventricular fibrosis in congenital heart disease is unclear. The purpose of this study was to demonstrate late gadolinium enhancement of the right ventricle in adult and adolescent congenital heart disease and to investigate the relationship between this enhancement and clinical and pathophysiological data. Design., In total, 24 patients, 16 patients with congenital heart disease and right ventricular loading conditions and 8 controls, underwent gadolinium-enhanced viability imaging. Diagnoses varied and included repaired, palliated, and unrepaired lesions. The presence and extent of right ventricular late gadolinium enhancement was compared with patient clinical and hemodynamic data. Exact Wilcoxon tests, Fisher's exact tests, and Spearman's rank correlation were used to compare variables. Results., Nine of 16 patients (56%) were found to have right ventricular late gadolinium enhancement, ranging from 5% to 80% of right ventricular myocardium affected (mean 36.1%, SD 29.7). The combination of right ventricular systolic pressure ,98 mm Hg and systemic oxygen saturation ,93% strongly suggested the presence of right ventricular late gadolinium enhancement (positive predictive value 100%), but no single variable or combination of variables could reliably predict its absence (negative predictive values ,75%). Extent of right ventricular late gadolinium enhancement did not correlate with degree of either hypoxia or right ventricular hypertension. Conclusions., Gadolinium-enhanced cardiac magnetic resonance demonstrates right ventricular late gadolinium enhancement in some patients with congenital heart disease and right ventricular loading conditions. Clinical variables were associated with the presence of fibrosis but did not reliably predict severity. Myocardial preservation is likely a multifactorial process that may affect the right and left ventricles differently. [source]

Hydrodynamic sorting in a coastal marine skeletal assemblage

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF OSTEOARCHAEOLOGY, Issue 4 2002
*Article first published online: 9 AUG 200, Christopher M. Stojanowski
Abstract In this paper I evaluate the effects of wave and tidal erosion on element-specific measures of phenotypic variability. Previous research has found a high correlation between skeletal weight, shape, and density and the transport potential of an element exposed to hydrodynamic forces. However, no previous studies have attempted to address the issue of within-element sorting based on selective removal of only the smallest members of a given element class. I evaluate this hypothesis using a human skeletal sample from Bird Island (8DI52) located in Dixie County, Florida. This sample comprises two components, an eroded sample that was exposed during severe storm and tidal activity, and an uneroded sample excavated from primary context. The measurement-specific means for the subcomponents were compared using Student's t and Wilcoxon tests and variability differences were evaluated based on standard deviations, coefficients of variation, and maximum/minimum indices. The data included maxillary and mandibular tooth dimensions and postcranial metrics. No evidence for selective winnowing based on within-element size was found in this data set. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]

Dental health of 5-year-olds following community-based oral health promotion in Glasgow, UK

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PAEDIATRIC DENTISTRY, Issue 6 2006
Y. BLAIR
Summary., Aim., A community development oral health promotion programme based on the principles of the Ottawa Charter was conducted in an attempt to improve the dental health of children under 5 years of age in two severely socioeconomically challenged pilot districts in Glasgow, UK. Later phased extension involved all of the area's most deprived communities. The aim of the present study was to assess dental health outcomes by secondary analysis of routine caries datasets for Glasgow 5-year-olds over the interval from 1997,1998 to 2003,2004. Design., Wilcoxon tests assessed change in d3mft scores and logistic regression was used to analyse binomial scores (e.g. % d3mft = 0). Results., After adjusting for age and deprivation (DepCat) in pilot districts 1 and 2, significant redistributions of the relative frequency of d3mft scores were observed (P = 0·012 and P < 0·001, respectively), mean d3mft decreased from 5·5 to 3·6 and from 6·0 to 3·6, respectively, and the proportions with d3mft = 0 increased from 11% to 29% and from 10% to 32%, respectively [P = 0·010, odds ratio (OR) = 0·25, and P = 0·006, OR = 0·30, respectively, for d3mft > 0]. Following extension of the programme into all of Glasgow's socioeconomically challenged areas, the mean d3mft values of 5-year-olds reduced in all DepCat 7 communities, and across Glasgow as a whole from 4·9 to 4·1 and from 3·5 to 3·1, respectively, while the proportion with d3mft = 0 increased from 20% to 32% (P < 0·001) and from 34% to 42% (P < 0·001), respectively. Conclusion., Dental health improvements were observed in pilot districts and across all DepCat 7 communities following the roll-out of the programme. This change was of sufficient magnitude to impact upon area-wide statistics for Glasgow. [source]

Recall event timing: Measures of managerial performance in U.S. meat and poultry plants

AGRIBUSINESS : AN INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL, Issue 3 2005
Ratapol Teratanavat
This study investigates the performance of meat and poultry plant managers in discovering and responding effectively to food safety problems that lead to product recalls. Timing is used as a performance measure of managers' response to recalls of food, using survival distributions of times between production and recall, and recall case duration. The objectives are to understand how these time periods vary across plants and to determine factors explaining such variability. Survival distributions are estimated using the Kaplan-Meier and life table methods. Subgroups of the population are compared using plots of the estimated survival functions and statistically compared using log-rank and Wilcoxon tests. Managers at large plants, in multi-plant firms, and at plants with prior recall experience do not perform better. Cox regressions indicate that government agency sampling programs enhanced the speed of discovery, and that national distribution networks contributed to the risk that cases remained open for a longer period. [EconLit citations: D210, Q180.] © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Agribusiness 21: 351,373, 2005. [source]

Cephalometric evaluation of the effects of pendulum appliance on various vertical growth patterns and of the changes during short-term stabilization

ORTHODONTICS & CRANIOFACIAL RESEARCH, Issue 1 2001
Ms Toro
The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of the pendulum appliance in dental Class II patients with varying vertical growth patterns and to evaluate the changes during the short-term stabilization period of 3 months. The sample (n=30) was divided into two groups based on their FMA°. The high-angle group consisted of 14 patients (10 girls and 4 boys) and had a mean age of 157.7±8.0 months. The low-angle group consisted of 16 patients (8 girls and 8 boys) and had a mean age of 155.5±18.6 months. Pretreatment, posttreatment and poststabilization cephalometric radiographs were obtained to measure the changes. Mann,Whitney U and Wilcoxon tests were used for statistical evaluation. The amount of upper molar distalization was 5.9 mm (p<0.001) in the high-angle group and 1 mm (p<0.001) in the low-angle group, showing no intergroup difference. The amount of anchorage loss at the second premolars was 4.8 mm (p<0.001) in the high-angle group and 6.6 mm (p<0.001) in the low-angle group. Upper incisors moved anteriorly for 2.1 mm (p<0.05) in the high-angle group and 4.1 mm (p<0.001) in the low-angle group. Intergroup difference was statistically significant (p<0.001). During the stabilization period, 1.5 mm of anchorage loss was measured at the upper molar region in the high-angle group and 1.7 mm of anchorage loss was measured at the upper molar region in the low-angle group. During the stabilization period, upper second premolars and incisors tended to move back to their original places. The results of this study showed that pendulum appliance could move the upper molars distally in a short period of time without depending on the patient compliance. Care should be taken to prevent anchorage loss and to stabilize the upper molars for, at least, 3 months. [source]

Quality of Life in Advanced Oropharyngeal Carcinoma After Chemoradiation Versus Surgery and Radiation,

THE LARYNGOSCOPE, Issue 9 2006
Sarah E. Mowry MD
Abstract Objective: The objective of this cohort study from a tertiary academic university practice was to identify differences in patients' perceived quality of life after either chemoradiation or surgery and radiation for advanced-stage oropharyngeal carcinoma. Methods: From institutional databases, thirty-five patients were identified who had undergone either primary chemoradiation or primary surgery and postoperative radiation for advanced oropharyngeal cancer (stage II-IV). Patients voluntarily responded by mail using the University of Washington quality-of-life instrument version 4 (UW-QOL). Data were analyzed using ,2 and Wilcoxon tests. Results: There were 17 patients who underwent chemoradiation and 18 patients who underwent surgery and postoperative radiation. All surgical patients had undergone free-flap reconstruction. Patients completed the UW-QOL an average of 25 months after treatment. There was no statistically significant difference between the two groups with regard to any specific domain, including pain, appearance, swallowing, chewing, speech, saliva, or mood. There was a trend toward significance for taste (P = .07) with chemoradiation patients reporting poorer taste function. The lack of difference in the patients' perception of appearance and swallowing was rather surprising given the vastly different treatment modalities. Respondents reported equivalent overall quality of life in response to global quality-of-life questions. Conclusion: Most patients with advanced oropharyngeal carcinoma report good quality of life after treatment, regardless of treatment modality. Although the short-term side effects of treatment may be different between the groups, long-term quality of life is remarkably similar whether the patients choose primary chemoradiation or surgery with postoperative radiation. [source]

Exact Log-Rank Tests for Unequal Follow-Up

BIOMETRICS, Issue 4 2003
Georg Heinze
Summary. The asymptotic log-rank and generalized Wilcoxon tests are the standard procedures for comparing samples of possibly censored survival times. For comparison of samples of very different sizes, an exact test is available that is based on a complete permutation of log-rank or Wilcoxon scores. While the asymptotic tests do not keep their nominal sizes if sample sizes differ substantially, the exact complete permutation test requires equal follow-up of the samples. Therefore, we have developed and present two new exact tests also suitable for unequal follow-up. The first of these is an exact analogue of the asymptotic log-rank test and conditions on observed risk sets, whereas the second approach permutes survival times while conditioning on the realized follow-up in each group. In an empirical study, we compare the new procedures with the asymptotic log-rank test, the exact complete permutation test, and an earlier proposed approach that equalizes the follow-up distributions using artificial censoring. Results confirm highly satisfactory performance of the exact procedure conditioning on realized follow-up, particularly in case of unequal follow-up. The advantage of this test over other options of analysis is finally exemplified in the analysis of a breast cancer study. [source]

Comparison of root canal preparation using RaCe and ProTaper rotary Ni-Ti instruments

INTERNATIONAL ENDODONTIC JOURNAL, Issue 1 2005
F. Paqué
Abstract Aim, To compare various parameters of root canal preparation using RaCe (FKG Dentaire, La-Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland) and ProTaper (Dentsply Maillefer, Ballaigues, Switzerland) nickel-titanium (Ni-Ti) instruments. Methodology, Fifty extracted mandibular molars with mesial root canal curvatures between 20° and 40° were embedded in a muffle system. All root canals were prepared to size 30 using RaCe or ProTaper rotary instruments in low-torque motors with torque control and constant speed of 300 r.p.m. (ProTaper with ATR Tecnika, Advanced Technology Research, Pistoia, Italy; RaCe with EndoStepper, S.E.T., Olching, Germany). In both groups irrigation was performed with 2 mL NaOCl (3%) after each instrument size. Calcinase-Slide (lege artis, Dettenhausen, Germany) was used as a chelating agent with each instrument. The following parameters were evaluated: straightening of curved root canals, postoperative root canal cross-sections, safety issues and working time. Cleanliness of the root canal walls was investigated under the SEM using 5-score indices for debris and smear layer. Statistical analysis was performed using the following tests: Wilcoxon's test for straightening and working time was used (P < 0.05); Fisher's exact test for comparison of cross-sections and root canal cleanliness (P < 0.05). Results, Both Ni-Ti systems maintained curvature well; the mean degree of straightening was less than 1° for both systems. Following preparation with RaCe, 49% of the root canals had a round or oval diameter and 50% an irregular diameter, ProTaper preparations resulted in a round or oval diameter in 50% of the cases. For debris, RaCe and ProTaper achieved 47 and 49% scores of 1 and 2, respectively; there was no significant difference. For smear layer, RaCe and ProTaper achieved 51 and 33% scores 1 and 2, respectively; no statistically significant differences were apparent for the coronal and middle sections of the root canals, but RaCe performed significantly better in the apical region (Fisher's exact test, P = 0.0392). Two roots lost working length with RaCe instruments, whilst ProTaper preparation resulted in two roots loosing working length and one fractured instrument. Mean working time was shorter for ProTaper (90.9 s) than for RaCe (137.6 s); the difference was significant (Wilcoxon's test, P = 0.011). Conclusions, Both systems respected original root canal curvature well and were safe to use. Cleanliness was not satisfactory for both systems. [source]

Postmortem Blood Concentrations of R - and S -Enantiomers of Methadone and EDDP in Drug Users: Influence of Co-Medication and P-glycoprotein Genotype

JOURNAL OF FORENSIC SCIENCES, Issue 2 2010
Anders Buchard M.Sc.
Abstract:, We investigated toxicological and pharmacogenetic factors that could influence methadone toxicity using postmortem samples. R - and S -methadone were measured in femoral blood from 90 postmortem cases, mainly drug users. The R -enantiomer concentrations significantly exceeded that of the S -enantiomers (Wilcoxon's test, p < 0.001). The samples were divided into four groups according to other drugs detected (methadone only, methadone and strong analgesics, methadone and benzodiazepines, or methadone and other drugs). There was no significant difference in any of the R -methadone/total methadone ratios among the four groups. The median R/S ratio was 1.38, which tends to be higher than that reported for the plasma of living subjects. In addition, we investigated whether small nucleotide polymorphisms in the MDR1 gene that encode the drug transporter P-glycoprotein were associated with the concentrations of R - and S -methadone and its metabolite 2-ethylidene-1,5-dimethyl-3,3-diphenylpyrrolidine. No significant association was detected. [source]