Prominence of scientific publications towards peri-implant complications in implantology: A bibliometric analysis using the H-classics method.

Current bibliometric analyses of the evolving trends in research scope category across different time periods using the H-classics method in implantology are considerably limited. The purpose of this study was to identify the classic articles in implantology to analyse bibliometric characteristics and associated factors in implantology for the past four decades. H-Classics in implantology were identified within four time periods between 1977 and 2016, based on the h-index from the Scopus® database. For each article, the principal bibliometric parameters of authorship, geographic origin, country origin, and institute origin, collaboration, centralisation, article type, scope of study and other associated factors were analysed in four time periods. A significant increase in mean numbers of authors per H-Classics was found across time. Both Europe and North America were the most productive region/country and steadily dominated this field in each time period. Collaborations of author, internationally and inter-institutionally had significantly increased across time. A significant decentralisation in authorships, institutes and journals was noted in past four decades. The journal of Clinical Oral Implant Researches has raised its importance for almost 30 years (1987-2016). Research on Complications, peri-implant infection/pathology/therapy had been increasing in production throughout each period. This is the first study to evaluate research trends in implantology in the past 40 years using the H-classics method, which through analysing via principle bibliometric characteristics reflected a historical perspective on evolutionary mainstream in the field. Prominence of research regarding complications may forecast innovative advancements in future.

Patients with chronic periodontitis present increased risk for osteoporosis: A population-based cohort study in Taiwan.

OBJECTIVES: Chronic periodontitis is a bone destructive inflammatory disease with an adverse impact on general health and suggested underlying factors in common with osteoporosis. A few studies have examined the possible relationship between chronic periodontitis and osteoporosis; however, the results remain inconclusive. This longitudinal follow-up study investigated the possible risk of patients with chronic periodontitis to present osteoporosis by using a population-based national health insurance data set in Taiwan. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A random sample consisting of 1 million individuals was collected from Taiwan's national health insurance data set. From the sample, a total of 29 463 patients with newly diagnosed periodontitis from 2002 to 2008 were recruited and compared with a matched cohort of 58 926 patients without periodontitis. All patients were tracked until an osteoporosis diagnosis, or death, until the end of 2011. Associated factors, such as gender, age and comorbidities were examined. Cox proportional-hazards regression was performed to examine the risk of osteoporosis for patients with or without periodontitis. RESULTS: Within the 6-year follow-up period, the incidence rates of osteoporosis in the periodontitis cohort and comparison group were 2.72 and 1.66 per 1000 person-years, respectively. Mild, moderate and severe periodontitis were found to have 1.56, 2.09 and 2.08 times the risk of osteoporosis respectively compared to patients without periodontitis. Log-rank analysis revealed that patients with periodontitis had significantly higher cumulative incidence rates of osteoporosis than the control group (P<.0001). CONCLUSION: This study found that patients with periodontitis had a higher risk of being diagnosed with osteoporosis.

Use of antipsychotics increases the risk of fracture: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Our systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies indicated that the use of antipsychotics was associated with a nearly 1.5-fold increase in the risk of fracture. First-generation antipsychotics (FGAs) appeared to carry a higher risk of fracture than second-generation antipsychotics (SGAs). INTRODUCTION: The risk of fractures associated with the use of antipsychotic medications has inconsistent evidence between different drug classes. A systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted to evaluate whether there is an association between the use of antipsychotic drugs and fractures. METHODS: Searches were conducted through the PubMed and EMBASE databases to identify observational studies that had reported a quantitative estimate of the association between use of antipsychotics and fractures. The summary risk was derived from random effects meta-analysis. RESULTS: The search yielded 19 observational studies (n = 544,811 participants) with 80,835 fracture cases. Compared with nonuse, use of FGAs was associated with a significantly higher risk for hip fractures (OR 1.67, 95% CI, 1.45-1.93), and use of second generation antipsychotics (SGAs) was associated with an attenuated but still significant risk for hip fractures (OR 1.33, 95% CI, 1.11-1.58). The risk of fractures associated with individual classes of antipsychotic users was heterogeneous, and odds ratios ranged from 1.24 to 2.01. Chlorpromazine was associated with the highest risk (OR 2.01, 95% CI 1.43-2.83), while Risperidone was associated with the lowest risk of fracture (OR 1.24, 95% CI 0.95-1.83). CONCLUSIONS: FGA users were at a higher risk of hip fracture than SGA users. Both FGAs and SGAs were associated with an increased risk of fractures, especially among the older population. Therefore, the benefit of the off-label use of antipsychotics in elderly patients should be weighed against any risks for fracture.

Combined body mass index with high-sensitivity C-reactive protein as independent predictors for chronic kidney disease in a relatively healthy population in Taiwan.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Obesity, a chronic inflammatory state, increases risk of cardiovascular disease and insulin resistance, which are the leading cause of end-stage renal disease (ESRD). We evaluated the relationship between body mass index (BMI) and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) level and impaired kidney function to determine the predictive value of both markers for estimating chronic kidney disease (CKD) risk in a healthy adult population in Taiwan. SUBJECTS/METHODS: In a retrospective cross-sectional study of 4100 subjects ⩾18 years, a multivariate logistic regression model was used to assess the relationship among BMI, high hsCRP levels and CKD. Receiver-operating characteristic curve and Youden index were developed to define the discrimination power of combining BMI with hsCRP for CKD prediction and to determine the best predictive index. RESULTS: Overweight/obese subjects with high hsCRP levels had the highest odds ratio for CKD (P=0.048). In females, combining BMI with hsCRP for CKD prediction was superior to that of males (0.890 vs 0.623, respectively; both P<0.001). For females, the Youden index was 25.65 kg/m(2) for BMI and 1.04 µg/ml for hsCRP. CONCLUSIONS: Overweight/obesity with higher hsCRP levels is associated with reduced renal function and increased risk for CKD. BMI and hsCRP levels can be used as surrogate markers for CKD risk, especially for females.

Inclined-incidence hard-X-ray resonator with ultrahigh efficiency and resolution.

We report a high-efficiency hard-X-ray resonator with inclined-incidence geometry. A beam incident at 36.87° with respect to [3 1 0] excites Bragg back diffraction along (12 4 0) at 14.4388 keV for resonance in a Si-based resonator to produce intense resonance fringes. The experimental results showed the visibility enhanced by nearly 30 times compared with normal incidence. Also numerical calculations of the inclined-incidence resonator demonstrate ultrahigh efficiency and extremely narrow resolving power (sub-meV) with low background. This geometry surpasses the intrinsic limits of normal-incidence crystal-based resonators and enables ultrahigh-resolution X-ray optics for X-ray diffraction, spectroscopy, and imaging applications.

Impact of body composition on estimated glomerular filtration rate in relatively healthy adults in Taiwan.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Chronic kidney diseases are associated with changes in cardiometabolic risk (CMR) factors in which body composition parameters have been used as sensitive predictors. This study aimed to explore the associations of anthropometric indicators, body fat (BF), body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference (WC) with estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) in an adult healthy Chinese population. SUBJECTS/METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted for the subjects undergoing annual health examinations. The associations of subjects with body composition parameters were analyzed using the cutoff values of BMI, BF and WC in accordance with the criteria for Asian or Taiwanese population by gender. RESULTS: A total of 3473 subjects, aged 30-45 years, who received physical examinations in 2007 were analyzed. The levels of CMR factors were significantly higher in males than in females. eGFR was negatively associated with BMI but positively related to BF. The additional roles of BMI and WC were observed in the subjects who were categorized according to BF. Females with normal weight obese were associated with increased eGFR, whereas a higher eGFR was found in males with low/normal BF and BMI or normal WC. CONCLUSIONS: Our data provided evidence that anthropometric parameters were associated with changes of eGFR in relatively healthy adults. Higher eGFR was observed in females with normal weight obese in whom hyperfiltration may be suspected, and this finding deserves further studies.

Performance enhancement using a non-uniform vertical electric field and polymer networks for in-plane switching of multi-pretilt, vertically aligned liquid crystal devices.

A simple and reproducible alignment method for fabricating vertically aligned (VA) liquid crystal (LC) cells with a multi-pretilt structure is developed. A non-uniform vertical electric field is employed in the LC/monomer mixed cells during the photocuring process, and two pretilt domains with a functional small pretilt angle (∼1.6°) in the stabilized VA LC/polymer cells are achieved. The enhanced electro-optical performance of the cell driven by an in-plane switching field is demonstrated. Compared to the pure cell, the 2 wt.% pretilt angle cell shows 36%, 64%, and 76% improvement in the optical switch, the gray-level rise time, and the gray-level fall time responses, respectively, which are obtained at a low driving voltage (≤12 V). When applied to LC devices, the proposed method not only effectively benefits the LC molecular alignment, but it also significantly boosts the electro-optical performance.

Dynamical diffraction effect in a curved multi-plate crystal cavity.

A modified algorithm for X-ray dynamical diffraction theory is presented for curved boundary crystals and a detailed description of the numerical procedure is given. The simulated and experimental results both show an anomalous focusing behavior in a curved multi-plate crystal cavity of silicon under the (12,4,0) back-diffraction condition at a photon energy of 14.4388 keV. The focusing effects are analyzed, within the framework of the dynamical theory of X-ray diffraction, from the excitation of the dispersion surface and modification of the index of refraction with respect to the non-plane-parallel boundaries of a curved crystal cavity.

The behaviour of purchasing smuggled cigarettes in Taiwan.

OBJECTIVE: Since market liberalization in 1987, the Taiwan Tobacco and Wine Monopoly Bureau (TTWMB) annual statistics indicate that both the demand for imported cigarettes as well as the number of seized smuggled packs have increased with an average revenue loss of NT dollars 4942 million over the past 15 years. The NT dollars 10 average increase in cigarette prices after Taiwan entered the World Trade Organization (WTO) and the implementation of the Tobacco and Alcohol Tax Law in 2002 are forcing policy makers to examine smuggling even more closely. This study evaluates factors that affect an individual smoker's decision to purchase smuggled cigarettes, particularly when faced with higher prices. DESIGN: 437 male smokers of imported cigarettes were drawn from a national interview survey on cigarette consumption, which the Division of Health Policy Research at the National Health Research Institutes conducted during the year 2000. Multiple logistic regression models were used to analyse the behaviour of purchasing smuggled cigarettes with respect to demographic factors, economic factors, smoking behaviour, and other variables. RESULTS: Cigarette price was the driving factor most closely linked to the purchase of smuggled cigarettes--a 1% increase in cigarette price raised the likelihood of purchasing smuggled cigarettes at least 2.60 times (95% confidence interval (CI) 1.08 to 6.26). Smokers who spent more than NT 1000/month dollars on cigarettes were twice as likely to purchase smuggled cigarettes as those who spent less than NT 1000 dollars (odds ratio (OR) 2.34, 95% CI 1.48 to 3.70). Betel nut chewers were more likely to purchase smuggled cigarettes (OR 1.80, 95% CI 1.09 to 2.90). Smokers who opposed cigarette taxation policy were 1.69 times more likely to buy smuggled cigarettes. Personal income was not significantly associated with smuggled cigarettes purchases. CONCLUSIONS: This study evaluates what causes smokers to purchase smuggled cigarettes. We have determined that cigarette price is the most important factor and that betel nut vendors are the main suppliers. Our study provides policy makers with information that can help them develop effective strategies to curb cigarette smuggling after Taiwan's recent cigarette tax reform, which has increased cigarette prices.

In situ EXAFS investigation of carbon-supported Pt clusters under potential control.

The transformation of carbon supported Pt clusters under potential control in 1M HClO4 solution was investigated by in-situ X-ray absorption spectroscopy measurements. Both XANES and EXAFS data are used to show the structure evolution of the Pt clusters at various potentials. It showed that the white line area and the edge energy increase with the applied potential in the range 0.1-1.5V. The coordination number of oxygen and platinum on the Pt/C electrode increases and decreases, respectively, with the applied potential. It is found that the size of Pt cluster does not grow during the electrode fabrication. However, the crystallization of Pt cluster occurs during the potential cycling.

Cigarette consumption in rural China: survey results from 3 provinces.

OBJECTIVES: This study assessed cigarette consumption and its main determinants in rural China. METHODS: A logistic regression model was used to analyze status of smoking, daily amount of smoking, and expense of cigarettes in rural China. RESULTS: Approximately 57.1% of the males and 3.1% of the females were current smokers. The daily amount of smoking among smokers was 15.23 cigarettes, and their annual expenses were 227 yuan. CONCLUSIONS: People in rural China consume fewer cigarettes and are less likely to smoke than those in urban areas. Education and occupation are 2 major factors that determine the likelihood of smoking in rural China.

Three-dimensional modelling of the catalytic domain of Streptococcus mutans glucosyltransferase GtfB.

Glucosyltransferases (GtfB/C/D) of Streptococcus mutans, a pathogen for human dental caries, synthesize water-insoluble glucan through the hydrolysis of sucrose. Genetic and biochemical approaches have identified several active sites of these enzymes, but no three-dimensional (3D) structural evidence is yet available to elucidate the subdomain arrangement and molecular mechanism of catalysis. Based on a combined sequence and secondary structure alignment against known crystal structures of segments from closely related proteins, we propose here the 3D model of an N-terminal domain essential for the sucrose binding and splitting in GtfB. A Tim-barrel of (alpha/beta)(8) structural characteristics is revealed and the structural correlation for two peptides is described.

Children of working low-income families in California: does parental work benefit children's insurance status, access, and utilization of primary health care?

OBJECTIVE: To examine financial and nonfinancial access to care and utilization of primary health care services among children of working low-income families earning below 200 percent of the federal poverty level in California, and to compare them to children in nonworking low-income families and in families earning over 200 percent of poverty. DATA SOURCES/STUDY SETTING: The 1994 National Health Interview survey weighted to reflect population estimates for California. STUDY DESIGN: This cross-sectional study of 3,831 children under age 19 focuses on financial access, that is, the prevalence and continuity of health insurance coverage; structural access, including the presence of a usual source of care, the predominant care source, its responsiveness to patient's needs, and any indications of delayed or missed care; and utilization of health care measured by the presence of an outpatient doctor's visit and the mean number of visits relative to child health status. DATA COLLECTION: The study uses secondary analysis. FINDINGS: Compared to children of nonworking low-income parents and to nonpoor children, children of working low-income parents were more likely to be uninsured (32.1 percent versus 15.6 percent and 10.3 percent, p = .0001) and to experience disruptions in insurance coverage (p = .0009). These differences persisted after controlling for other covariates in multivariate analyses. Children of working low-income parents did not differ significantly from children of nonworking low-income parents on measures of structural access or utilization, after adjusting for other covariates. However, they differed significantly from nonpoor children on structural access and utilization, and these differences mostly persisted after adjusting for other covariates (odds ratios from 1.5 to 2.9). Similar patterns were observed when children of full-time, year-round working parents with low earnings were compared with the two reference populations. CONCLUSION: Children in working low-income families in California have some of the worst access problems. Even full attachment to the workforce does not guarantee health insurance benefits, access to care, or improved health care use for children of low-income parents. These children are not better off than other low-income children of nonworking parents and are much worse off than nonpoor children. Expansion of health insurance coverage through Healthy Families and Medi-Cal, and attention to nonfinancial barriers to care for working low-income families may help to reduce these disparities.

Differentiation of lactate-fermenting, gas-producing Clostridium spp. isolated from milk.

Endospores of Clostridium spp. capable of producing gas in a lactate-containing medium were enumerated from 14 pasteurized milk samples from Wisconsin cheese plants. Concentrations of endospores of lactate-fermenting, gas-producing Clostridium spp. were between 5.0 x 10(-2) and 1.7 x 10(0) MPN ml(-1). Concentrations of presumptive C. tyrobutyricum endospores (defined by subterminal endospore position and lactate dehydrogenase activity) were lower, not exceeding 2.0 x 10(-2) MPN ml(-1). Based on subterminal endospore position, lactate dehydrogenase activity, and a carbohydrate fermentation profile identical to C. tyrobutyricum strain ATCC 25755, five isolates (Ct) were initially characterized as C. tyrobutyricum, a known cause of late-blowing in high-pH cheeses. Twenty-eight other isolates (Cx) produced gas from lactate, but differed from ATCC 25755 in either endospore position, lactate dehydrogenase activity or carbohydrate fermentation profile. When inoculated at high concentrations in Gouda cheese, strain ATCC 25755, two Ct isolates and 18 Cx isolates tested produced gas during ripening. Among the five Ct isolates obtained and two reference strains confirmed as C. tyrobutyricum, there were four qualitatively different volatile organic acid byproduct profiles. Each of the two confirmed C. tyrobutyricum reference strains and five Ct isolates had distinct quantitative cell membrane fatty acid (CMFA) profiles. The Cx isolates represented 14 different volatile organic acid byproduct profiles and each isolate had a unique CMFA profile. Pulsed field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) of DNA from the two confirmed reference C. tyrobutyricum strains, four Ct and three Cx isolates, showed a low degree of relatedness. The results of this study suggest that a heterogeneous group of lactate-fermenting, gas-producing Clostridium spp. may be found in milk. Gas chromatographic analysis of volatile organic acid byproducts or CMFA, and PFGE of DNA are highly discriminating methods for differentiating Clostridium spp. that may cause late blowing in high-pH cheeses.

T-tube drainage for the treatment of high jejunal atresia.

Since 1976, the authors have used T-tube drainage for the treatment of diaphragmatic type, high jejunal atresia. Twelve cases were operated on. All cases survived the operation. On the fourteenth to thirtieth postoperative day, T-tubes were removed when the dilated proximal intestine returned to normal size.

Adult Hirschsprung's disease.

This report presents a series of 17 patients with adult Hirschsprung's disease treated at the National Taiwan University Hospital and its affiliated hospitals from 1965 to 1988. Adults with Hirschsprung's disease may present with symptoms and operative findings different from those of children with Hirschsprung's disease. The symptoms, signs, criteria for diagnosis, operative findings, and operative procedures are presented.