Caries experience and treatment need in adults with intellectual disabilities in two German regions.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study was to determine the caries experience, caries prevalence, dental treatment need and care index of adults with intellectual disabilities living in the German federal states of Baden-Württemberg and Sachsen which differ distinctly with respect to the socio-economic conditions. RESEARCH DESIGN: In 2007, legal custodians of all persons working in special day-care institutions (n=2037) were asked to give consent for dental examinations of their custodees. Some 21.9% consented. Thus, 428 persons received a dental examination in the day-care institutions. RESULTS: The mean age of the participants was 35.5 years (range 18-64). Caries prevalence was 93.7% (95% CI 91.3-95.9) in Baden-Württemberg and 97.6% (95% CI 96.2-99.0) in Sachsen. All caries-free persons (n=19) were younger than 35 years. The mean DMFT of the whole sample was 12.3 (95% CI 11.6-12.9). Although DMFT values were the same in both German regions, persons from Baden-Württemberg had more missing teeth than those from Sachsen but untreated carious defects were more common in Sachsen. CONCLUSIONS: Dental care for those with intellectual disabilities could be better harmonised within Germany. Furthermore, specific dental care and dental treatment strategies could be introduced in Germany in order to reduce caries prevalence and number of extracted teeth in persons with intellectual disabilities.

Evaluation of tablet formation of different lactoses by 3D modeling and fractal analysis.

The aim of this study was to use 3D modeling to differentiate not only among the four different types of lactose alpha-lactose monohydrate, spray-dried lactose, agglomerated lactose and lactose anhydrous but also between products from different manufacturers. Further "box-counting" fractal analysis of SEM images was done to gain additional information on tableting characteristics and tablet properties which can be found in the fractal structure. Twelve different materials from different manufacturers were analyzed for their powder-technological and physicochemical properties. They were tableted on an eccentric tableting machine at graded maximum relative densities and the recorded data, namely force, time, and displacement were analyzed by the 3D modeling technique. Tablet properties such as, elastic recovery, crushing force and morphology were analyzed. The results show that 3D modeling can precisely distinguish deformation behavior for different types of lactose and also for the same type of material produced with a slightly different technique. Furthermore, the results showed that the amorphous content of the lactose determined the compactibility of the material, which is due to a reversible exceeding of the glass transition temperature of the material. The three fractal dimensions DBW (box surface dimension), DWBW (pore/void box mass dimension), and DBBW (box solid mass dimension) are capable of describing morphological differences in lactose materials. Multivariate regression analysis showed that the fractal surface structure of the lactose-based materials is strongly correlated to tableting characteristics and tablet properties. Especially with regards to 3D modeling, it was found that the fractal indices can describe the parameters time plasticity d, pressure plasticity e, and fast elastic decompression, which is the inverse of omega. In addition, the 3D parameters are able to describe the powder and tablet fractal indices. In conclusion, the 3D modeling is not only able to characterize the compression process but it can also provide information on the final tablet morphology.

[Computer-aided image processing of digital subtraction angiographs of the pelvis-leg region]. / Computergestützte Bildverarbeitung digitaler Subtraktionsangiographien des Becken-Bein-Gebietes.

Within a clinical study on possible regression of arteriosclerotic processes in humans i.v. DSA-images were made and objectively evaluated. For the first time the digital system Densitron 4 was used for this. The image processing nodes of contrast enhancement, gray-scale and color conversion and stenosis evaluation by density sums are demonstrated for two selected cases from 52 intravenous digital subtraction angiographies of the pelvis-leg region. The results show, that digital image processing can enhance information-relevant detail. The preprocessing of densitometric values accounts for the third dimension of the vessel in its morphologic description. Compared with subjective visual evaluation the digital image interpretation facilitates a much higher degree of detectability of small detail located near the vessel walls and a more objective and reproducible evaluation of the degree of stenosis.

[Interpretation of autoradiogramms and images of biological objects with the electronically operating image analyzer. "Densitron II". 1. The mode of work, efficiency, and possibilities of application of the apparatus (author's transl)]. / Auswertung von Autoradiogrammen und von Bildern biologischer Objekte mit dem elektronischen Bildauswertegerät "Densitron II". 1. Zu Arbeitsweise, Leistungsfähigkeit und Einsatzmöglichkeiten des Gerätes

Mode of operation and general parameters of efficiency of the Densitron II, an automated, electronically operating image analyzer, are demonstrated in autoradiographs and histological preparations, as an example. In this apparatus, a condensation and preparation of data is effected by isolated representation on a TV colour monitor of all the image - points whose transparency is the same or lies within a determined, freely selected interval. Simultaneous estimation of both transparency and area is possible.

[Interpretation of autoradiographs and images of biological objects with the electronically operating image analyzer "Densitron II'". 2. Evaluation of the specific and total radioactivity of single cells (author's transl)]. / Auswertung von Autoradiogrammen und von Bildern biologischer Objekte mit dem elektronischen Bildauswertegerät "Densitron II'".2. Bestimmung der spezifischen und Gesamtradioaktivität einzelner Zellen1

Using the TV image analyzer Densitron, transparencies and areas can be measured by the grey value discrimination method equidensitometry. The time, necessary for one measurement, is approximately 1 min, the standard deviations do not exceed 2%. 2. Also microscopical objects such as single cells can be analyzed by this method. We measured photo-blackings and areas in autoradiographs of goldfish brain-sections after injection of 3H-phenylalanine. As a parallel, blacking and area calibration curves were obtainable and allowed a conversion of the relative values into absolute ones. 3. Using this conversion method, neurons of different brain regions were in the range from 104 to 1476 mum2 in area and from 4.17 to 14.43 muCi-cm-3 in specific radioactivity. After 10 repeated measurements of one and the same cell, the standard deviations of the absolute values were 6 and 4.5%, respectively, on an average. 4. On the basis of these and additional values (thickness of section, number of sections per cell), calculations of the total radioactivity of a cell section or the whole cell can be made.