Oral health-related quality of life among women early postpartum: A cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Periodontal diseases can negatively impact the oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) of pregnant women. This study investigates the association between maternal oral inflammatory load (OIL), sociodemographic characteristics, and the OHRQoL in postpartum women. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, breastfeeding mothers were recruited from St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto within 2-4 weeks postpartum. Mothers were categorized into "Normal/low" and "High" OIL groups based on the absolute counts of oral polymorphonuclear neutrophils (oPMNs). The Oral Health Impact Profile-14 questionnaire was used to assess the impact of the maternal OIL on the OHRQoL. Multiple linear regression analyses were performed to examine the association between maternal sociodemographic factors including age, marital status, education level, employment status, parity, and their OHRQoL. RESULTS: Forty-seven mothers were included in this study. Mothers with high OIL reported higher impact on their OHRQoL (30%) than mothers with normal/low OIL (21%), but these differences were not statistically different. There was a negative relationship between the mother's education level and the extent of impact of OHRQoL on the "physical pain" dimension (p < 0.05), and between the mothers' age and employment status and the "physical disability" dimension (p < 0.05). A positive correlation was noted between multi-parity and the extent of impact of OHRQoL on the "physical disability" dimension (p = 0.009), and between the marital status and the "psychological disability" dimension (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: This study highlighted the significant impact of sociodemographic characteristics on the OHRQoL of mothers, showcasing the importance of considering these factors when implementing targeted preventive dental care programs for mothers.

The Association between Maternal Oral Inflammation and Neutrophil Phenotypes and Poly-Unsaturated Fatty Acids Composition in Human Milk: A Prospective Cohort Study.

This prospective cohort study aimed to investigate the impact of maternal oral inflammation on human milk composition including neutrophil counts, activation state (based on cluster of differentiation (CD) markers expression), and fatty acid levels. Fifty mothers were recruited from St. Michael's hospital, Toronto, and followed up from 2-4 weeks until 4 months postpartum. Oral rinse and human milk samples were collected at both timepoints. Oral polymorphonuclear neutrophils (oPMNs) within the rinses were quantified using flow cytometry and the participants' oral health state was categorized into three groups (i.e., healthy, moderate, and severe) based on the oPMNs counts. Fatty acids were identified and quantified using a gas chromatography-flame ionization detector (GC-FID). Compared to mothers with a healthy oral health state, mothers with moderate to severe oral inflammation had a statistically significant decrease in the expression of CD64 biomarker, an increase in the expression of CD14 biomarker on human milk neutrophils and a decrease in the levels of eicosapentaenoic acid (C20:5n-3) in their human milk at follow-up compared to baseline. This study demonstrates for the first time that maternal oral inflammation can affect human milk composition. The mechanism by which these alterations can affect infant health outcomes in the long term critically needs to be considered.

Should dental schools adopt teledentistry in their curricula? Two viewpoints.

INTRODUCTION: Teledentistry is a cutting edge technology that could be used to improve access to care to underserved populations and those in remote areas. OBJECTIVES: To discuss the advantages and disadvantages of adopting teledentistry into the predoctoral dental curriculum. METHODS: Two teams of dentists reviewed the pros and cons of introducing teledentistry into the predoctoral dental curriculum. RESULTS: Viewpoint 1 produced evidence that teledentistry is a cutting-edge technology that can improve access to care for underserved populations in a practical, cost-effective manner. Viewpoint 2 showed evidence that teledentistry is too new to have an evidence base to support its widespread use, legal and regulatory requirements have not been established and there is no precedent for third party payers to reimburse for this service. CONCLUSION: The authors feel that a national teledentistry policy should be developed starting at the state level with stakeholders from the dental profession, dental education, government, patient advocates, and third party payers working together to determine the best way forward.

The impact of oral health education taken by personal support workers caring for a geriatric population in a long-term care facility: A mixed-methods study.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the impact of an online oral health education module on personal support workers' (PSW) knowledge and beliefs in their care for long-term care (LTC) residents in one Canadian LTC residence. BACKGROUND: LTC residents are dependent on PSWs for their oral health needs. However, PSWs receive minimal to no oral health education placing residents at risk for poor oral health. METHODS: A mixed-methods convergent design comprising a before-and-after questionnaire (N = 88), focus groups (N = 23) and interviews (N = 4) exploring module learning. Analysis of each data set was followed by their amalgamation and comparison. RESULTS: The online module had limited impact on the PSWs' knowledge and beliefs regarding resident oral health care. The quantitative results demonstrated knowledge improvements in two domains and changes in two belief domains. However, the qualitative results demonstrated new knowledge was not developed or sustained in practice. Themes that emerged include the following: lack of module recall, unmet learning needs and methods for oral care delivery, and timing of oral care in a busy clinical environment. CONCLUSION: Online oral health education alone has limited impact on PSWs' knowledge and beliefs. Research evaluating multifaceted education interventions including hands-on training with a dental expert is warranted.

Risk factors for increased shoulder Cutibacterium acnes burden.

BACKGROUND: Cutibacterium acnes is the primary cause of shoulder surgery infections, but the predisposition to larger skin counts and potentially higher risk for postoperative infection remains unclear. This study aimed to quantify risk factors influencing endogenous C. acnes burden and to compare counts among 4 shoulder sites. METHODS: C. acnes counts were quantified via a detergent scrub technique for 173 participants. Bivariate and multivariable stepwise linear regression statistical analyses were used to investigate the association of sex, age, ethnicity, degree of hirsutism, diabetes, smoking status, body mass index, and location with counts. A separate Wilcoxon rank-sum test was performed analyzing counts of East/Southeast Asians vs. all other ethnicities. RESULTS: Sex, age, degree of hirsutism, diabetes, smoking status, and body mass index were included in the multivariable stepwise linear regression analysis. The multiple regression analysis isolated individuals <40 years with the highest burden (P = .001). Males had a 191% increase in C. acnes counts compared with females (P = .001). Increased hirsutism was further indicated to be a risk factor for the male sex although not in a dose-dependent manner (P = .027). Wilcoxon rank-sum test results found that East/Southeast Asians had the lowest load (P = .019), although not significant in the multivariate model. CONCLUSION: Surgical site C. acnes infections occur more frequently in younger males, and males <40 years with shoulder-specific hirsutism have the highest preoperative burden. East/Southeast Asians have lower raw counts of C. acnes compared with other ethnicities that may be related to less hirsutism.

Benzoyl peroxide use transiently decreases Cutibacterium acnes load on the shoulder.

BACKGROUND: Cutibacterium acnes is the most common pathogen in shoulder prosthetic joint infections. Short-contact benzoyl peroxide (BPO) solutions effectively reduce C acnes loads on the shoulder preoperatively. It is unknown how long the effect of BPO lasts. We evaluated C acnes counts 1 week after BPO application. We hypothesized that BPO would decrease C acnes burden with a rebound after 1 week. METHODS: Screening of 102 healthy volunteers with no history of shoulder surgery or C acnes infection was performed to establish bacterial counts. Thirty-four participants were selected based on an established threshold. Each was given BPO 5% for 3 consecutive days of application on either the left or right shoulder as indicated by a random number generator. Deep sebaceous gland cultures were obtained with a detergent scrub technique before BPO application, after 3 days of use, and 1 week after BPO treatment commenced. RESULTS: The differences between the logarithmic reduction and the logarithmic rebound at the anterior, lateral, and posterior sites were statistically significant. Anteriorly, the average log reduction was -0.44 and the average log rebound was 0.69 (P = .003). Laterally, reduction was -0.64 and rebound was 0.74 (P = .003). Posteriorly, reduction was -0.63 and rebound was 0.78 (P = .008). At the axilla, reduction was -0.40 and rebound was 0.31 (P = .10). The differences in C acnes burden between pretreatment and 1-week counts at all sites were not statistically significant. CONCLUSION: A significant decrease in C acnes burden occurred after BPO application but was not permanent. Significant rebound occurred just 1 week later.

Neer Award 2018: Benzoyl peroxide effectively decreases preoperative Cutibacterium acnes shoulder burden: a prospective randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Benzoyl peroxide (BPO) solutions effectively reduce Cutibacterium acnes (formerly Propionibacterium acnes) on the face, neck, and back in nonoperative settings. This study compared preoperative application of BPO vs. chlorhexidine gluconate (CHG) in decreasing shoulder C acnes skin burden in surgical patients. METHODS: Eighty patients undergoing shoulder surgery were prospectively enrolled in a randomized double-blind trial at 1 institution from August 2015 to April 2017. Participants were randomized to 5% BPO or 4% CHG for 3 consecutive days. The nonoperative shoulder had no intervention and served as the negative control. Skin cultures of both shoulders were obtained via a detergent scrub technique the day of surgery at anterior, lateral, and posterior sites and the axilla. RESULTS: Fewer positive cultures were obtained from the BPO-treated side compared with the contralateral side (P = .0003), and no change was shown for the CHG group (P = .80). Shoulders treated with BPO showed a statistically significant reduction in C acnes counts compared with CHG at anterior (P = .03) and posterior (P = .005) portal sites. No significant difference was found at the axilla (P = .99) or lateral portal site (P = .08). No postoperative infections or wound complications occurred in either group. CONCLUSIONS: BPO is more effective than CHG at reducing C acnes on the shoulder. Decreasing the skin burden of C acnes may reduce intraoperative wound contamination and postoperative infection. BPO should be considered as an adjunctive preoperative skin preparation considering its potential benefit, low risk, and low cost.

Diminished Canonical ß-Catenin Signaling During Osteoblast Differentiation Contributes to Osteopenia in Progeria.

Patients with Hutchinson-Gilford progeria syndrome (HGPS) have low bone mass and an atypical skeletal geometry that manifests in a high risk of fractures. Using both in vitro and in vivo models of HGPS, we demonstrate that defects in the canonical WNT/ß-catenin pathway, seemingly at the level of the efficiency of nuclear import of ß-catenin, impair osteoblast differentiation and that restoring ß-catenin activity rescues osteoblast differentiation and significantly improves bone mass. Specifically, we show that HGPS patient-derived iPSCs display defects in osteoblast differentiation, characterized by a decreased alkaline phosphatase activity and mineralizing capacity. We demonstrate that the canonical WNT/ß-catenin pathway, a major signaling cascade involved in skeletal homeostasis, is impaired by progerin, causing a reduction in the active ß-catenin in the nucleus and thus decreased transcriptional activity, and its reciprocal cytoplasmic accumulation. Blocking farnesylation of progerin restores active ß-catenin accumulation in the nucleus, increasing signaling, and ameliorates the defective osteogenesis. Moreover, in vivo analysis of the Zmpste24-/- HGPS mouse model demonstrates that treatment with a sclerostin-neutralizing antibody (SclAb), which targets an antagonist of canonical WNT/ß-catenin signaling pathway, fully rescues the low bone mass phenotype to wild-type levels. Together, this study reveals that the ß-catenin signaling cascade is a therapeutic target for restoring defective skeletal microarchitecture in HGPS. © 2018 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.

Fatty Infiltration Is a Prognostic Marker of Muscle Function After Rotator Cuff Tear.

BACKGROUND: Massive rotator cuff tears (RCTs) begin as primary tendon injuries and cause a myriad of changes in the muscle, including atrophy, fatty infiltration (FI), and fibrosis. However, it is unclear which changes are most closely associated with muscle function. PURPOSE: To determine if FI of the supraspinatus muscle after acute RCT relates to short-term changes in muscle function. STUDY DESIGN: Controlled laboratory study. METHODS: Unilateral RCTs were induced in female rabbits via tenotomy of the supraspinatus and infraspinatus. Maximal isometric force and rate of fatigue were measured in the supraspinatus in vivo at 6 and 12 weeks after tenotomy. Computed tomography scanning was performed, followed by histologic analysis of myofiber size, FI, and fibrosis. RESULTS: Tenotomy resulted in supraspinatus weakness, reduced myofiber size, FI, and fibrosis, but no differences were evident between 6 and 12 weeks after tenotomy except for increased collagen content at 12 weeks. FI was a predictor of supraspinatus weakness and was strongly correlated to force, even after accounting for muscle cross-sectional area. While muscle atrophy accounted for the loss in force in tenotomized muscles with minimal FI, it did not account for the greater loss in force in tenotomized muscles with the most FI. Collagen content was not strongly correlated with maximal isometric force, even when normalized to muscle size. CONCLUSION: After RCT, muscle atrophy results in the loss of contractile force from the supraspinatus, but exacerbated weakness is observed with increased FI. Therefore, the level of FI can help predict contractile function of torn rotator cuff muscles. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Markers to predict contractile function of RCTs will help determine the appropriate treatment to improve functional recovery after RCTs.

The Effect of Contamination of Implant Screws on Reverse Torque.

PURPOSE: To determine if contamination of abutment screws with titanium nanoparticles affects the preload by measuring the reverse torque after multiple cycles of screw closing-opening. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study included 30 internal hex implants, titanium abutments, and titanium abutment screws. Fifteen abutment screws were contaminated with 60- to 80-nm titanium nanoparticles (contamination group), and the remaining 15 screws did not receive titanium nanoparticle contamination (noncontamination group). Each abutment screw was initially tightened to 25 Ncm with a digital torque gauge to stabilize the abutment to the implant. The second torque, 25 Ncm, was applied 10 minutes after the initial torque. After an additional 5 minutes, the screw was loosened to measure the reverse torque. Ten cycles of screw insertion and removal were conducted, and reverse torque values were measured in each cycle. Repeated measures analysis of variance and the Student t test were used for statistical analysis. The level of significance was set at α = .05. After 10 cycles of closure-opening, abutment screw threads were observed under ×40 magnification. RESULTS: Abutment screws at every cycle generally showed preload values less than the initial applied torque. The mean reverse torque values in both groups had a tendency to decline as the test cycle progressed, except at the 6th, 9th, and 10th cycle in the contamination group. The noncontamination group always had higher mean reverse torques than the contamination group at the same test cycle with significant differences at the 1st, 2nd, 4th, 5th, 7th, and 8th cycles. The preload loss in percentages were 7.83% and 12.57% after the 1st cycle, 14.48% and 19.77% after 5 cycles, and 18.83% and 19.83% after 10 cycles in the noncontamination and contamination group, respectively. Abutment screws in both groups showed various degrees of wear and metal debris on screw surfaces. CONCLUSION: Contamination of abutment screws with titanium nanoparticles decreased screw reverse torque values because of a settling effect, though this effect seemed minimal after five cycles. A future clinical study is indicated to validate if cleaning of contaminated screws before the delivery of the prosthesis will increase preloads.

A large-scale structural classification of antimicrobial peptides.

Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are potent drug candidates against microbial organisms such as bacteria, fungi, parasites, and viruses. AMPs have abundant sequences and structures, two fundamental resources for bioinformatics researches, but analyses on how they associate with each other are either nonexistent or limited to partial classification and data. We thus present A Database of Anti-Microbial peptides (ADAM), which contains 7,007 unique sequences and 759 structures, to systematically establish comprehensive associations between AMP sequences and structures through structural folds and to provide an easy access to view their relationships. 30 distinct AMP structural fold clusters with more than one structure are detected and about a thousand AMPs are associated with at least one structural fold cluster. According to ADAM, AMP structural folds are limited-AMPs only cover about 3% of the overall protein fold space.

Acute effects of noise exposure on 24-h ambulatory blood pressure in hypertensive adults.

OBJECTIVE: Noise exposure is associated with elevated blood pressure, but the effects on susceptible workers have not been reported. This repeated-measure study investigated the effects of noise exposure on 24-h ambulatory blood pressure among hypertensive, pre-hypertensive, and normotensive adults. METHODS: We enrolled 113 volunteers in an occupational cohort in 2009. Individual noise exposure and personal blood pressure were measured simultaneously over 24 h on working and non-working days. Linear mixed-effects regressions were used to estimate the effects on SBP and DBP by controlling for potential confounders. RESULTS: Each A-weighted decibel (dBA) increase in a 30-min time-lagged exposure was associated with transient elevations of work-time SBP [0.30 (95% confidence interval: 0.06, 0.54) mmHg] on working days as well as sleep-time SBP [0.39 (0.12, 0.66) mmHg] and DBP [0.33 (0.14, 0.51) mmHg] on non-working days among 19 hypertensive adults. In contrast, 46 normotensive workers had transient increases in work-time SBP [0.16 (0.03, 0.29) mmHg] and DBP [0.25 (0.15, 0.34) mmHg] on working days as well as sleep-time SBP [0.17 (0.06, 0.29) mmHg] and DBP [0.21 (0.14, 0.29) mmHg] on non-working days caused by a 1-dBA increase in the current exposure. All groups had sustained increases in 24-h average ambulatory SBP and DBP induced by noise exposure on 2 days, but the hypertensive workers had the most pronounced increase in SBP. CONCLUSION: Hypertensive adults are more susceptible to noise exposure with a greater effect on ambulatory SBP. These results suggest a need for more protection for this subpopulation.

Performance of conical abutment (Morse Taper) connection implants: a systematic review.

In this systematic review, we aimed to compare conical versus nonconical implant-abutment connection systems in terms of their in vitro and in vivo performances. An electronic search was performed using PubMed, Embase, and Medline databases with the logical operators: "dental implant" AND "dental abutment" AND ("conical" OR "taper" OR "cone"). Names of the most common conical implant-abutment connection systems were used as additional key words to detect further data. The search was limited to articles published up to November 2012. Recent publications were also searched manually in order to find any relevant studies that might have been missed using the search criteria noted above. Fifty-two studies met the inclusion criteria and were included in this systematic review. As the data and methods, as well as types of implants used was so heterogeneous, this mitigated against the performance of meta-analysis. In vitro studies indicated that conical and nonconical abutments showed sufficient resistance to maximal bending forces and fatigue loading. However, conical abutments showed superiority in terms of seal performance, microgap formation, torque maintenance, and abutment stability. In vivo studies (human and animal) indicated that conical and nonconical systems are comparable in terms of implant success and survival rates with less marginal bone loss around conical connection implants in most cases. This review indicates that implant systems using a conical implant-abutment connection, provides better results in terms of abutment fit, stability, and seal performance. These design features could lead to improvements over time versus nonconical connection systems.

Occupational noise exposure and incident hypertension in men: a prospective cohort study.

The associations between occupational noise exposure and hypertension remain controversial because of the differences in study designs, exposure assessments, and confounding controls. This prospective study investigated the relationship between noise exposure and the 10-year risk of hypertension. A cohort of 578 male workers in Taiwan was followed from 1998 to 2008. All subjects were divided into high-, intermediate-, and low-exposure groups on the basis of noise exposure assessment. Cox regression models were used to estimate the relative risks of hypertension after adjustment for potential confounders. During the 7,805 person-years of follow-up, 141 hypertension cases were identified. Significant increases of 3.2 (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.2, 6.2) mm Hg in systolic blood pressure and 2.5 (95% CI: 0.1, 4.8) mm Hg in diastolic blood pressure between the baseline and follow-up measurements were observed in the high-exposure group. Participants exposed to ≥85 A-weighted decibels (dBA) had a 1.93-fold (95% CI: 1.15, 3.22) risk of hypertension compared with those exposed to <80 dBA. There was a significant exposure-response pattern (P = 0.016) between the risk of hypertension and the stratum of noise exposure. Prolonged exposure to noise levels ≥85 dBA may increase males' systolic and diastolic blood pressure levels. This association may translate into a higher incidence of hypertension.

Effects of environmental noise exposure on 24-h ambulatory vascular properties in adults.

Exposure to environmental noise has been associated with hypertension, but the related mechanism of vascular structural changes is unclear. This repeated-measure study investigated the effects of noise exposure on the 24-h ambulatory vascular structural properties in 66 adults aged 18-32 years. Individual noise exposure and personal vascular parameters were measured simultaneously in all subjects. Linear mixed-effects regressions were used to estimate the effects. A 1-A-weighted decibel (dBA) increase was significantly associated with the transient effects of 1.39 (95% confidence interval: 1.07, 1.79) %mL/mmHg in arterial compliance at nighttime but -1.70 (-2.05, -1.10) kdynes·s/cm(5) in arterial resistance during the daytime and -2.38 (-3.44, -1.64) kdynes·s/cm(5) in arterial resistance at nighttime among all subjects. Such effects were observed in arterial distensibility only during the daytime after the 30-min (-1.84 [-2.61, -1.29] %/mmHg) and 60-min (-2.06 [-2.95, -1.44] %/mmHg) time-lagged noise exposures. For 24-h environmental noise, a 1-dBA increment was significantly associated with a sustained increase of 1.25 (1.10, 1.42) %mL/mmHg in arterial compliance but a decrease of 2.12 (-2.51, -1.80) kdynes·s/cm(5) in arterial resistance. Environmental noise exposure may have transient and sustained effects on adult vascular properties.

Effects of biodiesel, engine load and diesel particulate filter on nonvolatile particle number size distributions in heavy-duty diesel engine exhaust.

Diesel engine exhaust contains large numbers of submicrometer particles that degrade air quality and human health. This study examines the number emission characteristics of 10-1000 nm nonvolatile particles from a heavy-duty diesel engine, operating with various waste cooking oil biodiesel blends (B2, B10 and B20), engine loads (0%, 25%, 50% and 75%) and a diesel oxidation catalyst plus diesel particulate filter (DOC+DPF) under steady modes. For a given load, the total particle number concentrations (N(TOT)) decrease slightly, while the mode diameters show negligible changes with increasing biodiesel blends. For a given biodiesel blend, both the N(TOT) and mode diameters increase modestly with increasing load of above 25%. The N(TOT) at idle are highest and their size distributions are strongly affected by condensation and possible nucleation of semivolatile materials. Nonvolatile cores of diameters less than 16 nm are only observed at idle mode. The DOC+DPF shows remarkable filtration efficiency for both the core and soot particles, irrespective of the biodiesel blend and engine load under study. The N(TOT) post the DOC+DPF are comparable to typical ambient levels of ≈ 10(4)cm(-3). This implies that, without concurrent reductions of semivolatile materials, the formation of semivolatile nucleation mode particles post the after treatment is highly favored.

Treatment of chronic tendinopathy with ultrasound-guided needle tenotomy and platelet-rich plasma injection.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether ultrasound (US)-guided percutaneous needle tenotomy followed by a platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injection would result in pain reduction, functional improvement, or structural alterations in patients with chronic, recalcitrant tendinopathy. DESIGN: Part A was a retrospective observational study. Part B was a prospective observational study. SETTING: Outpatient academic sports medicine center. PARTICIPANTS: Patients were required to have chronic (>3 months), recalcitrant tendinopathy treated with US-guided percutaneous tenotomy and PRP injection between January 2007 and October 2009. Fifty-one subjects met the inclusion criteria. Forty-one (80%) participated in part A of the study, whereas 34 subjects (67%) participated in part B. METHODS: In part A, subjects completed a survey obtaining anthropomorphic, demographic, pain, and functional data. Subjects' platelet, hemoglobin, and white blood cell concentrations from their whole-blood and PRP samples were also obtained. In part B, subjects returned to the clinic after US-guided percutaneous needle tenotomy and PRP injection for a diagnostic US, which was compared with their preprocedure diagnostic US. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The main outcome measures included changes in pain, function, and tendon characteristics. RESULTS: The tendinopathy location was in the upper extremity in 10 subjects (24.4%), was in the lower extremity in 31 subjects (75.6%), and had been present for a mean of 40 months. The mean postprocedure follow-up was 14 months, and the maximum benefits occurred 4 months postprocedure. There were mean functional and worst-pain improvements of 68% and 58%, respectively. Eighty-three percent of subjects were satisfied with their outcomes and would recommend the procedure to a friend. Although no tendons demonstrated a normal sonographic appearance after the procedure, 84% of subjects had an improvement in echotexture, 64% had a resolution of intratendinous calcifications, and 82% had a decrease in intratendinous neovascularity. None of the variables analyzed in this study demonstrated a significant correlation with pain or functional outcome measures. CONCLUSIONS: In this case series, we found US-guided percutaneous needle tenotomy followed by PRP injection to be a safe and effective treatment for chronic, recalcitrant tendinopathy, and this treatment was associated with sonographically apparent improvements in tendon morphology. However, because of the intrinsic limitations of the study design and the heterogeneity of treated tendons, further research is required to corroborate our findings.

Hip strength and knee pain in high school runners: a prospective study.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether pre-injury hip muscle weakness is associated with the development of patellofemoral pain (PFP) in high school running athletes. DESIGN: Prospective cohort study. SETTING: Academic institution sports medicine center. PARTICIPANTS: High school running athletes. METHODS: Baseline hip strength of high school running athletes was assessed at the beginning of the running season. Strength testing was repeated in athletes who developed PFP. Peak hip muscle strengths and strength ratios were compared between the injured and non-injured groups. RESULTS: Six injuries occurred in 5 of the 98 subjects who completed the study. The baseline hip external-to-internal strength ratio was lower in injured than in uninjured subjects (P = .008). In the injured group, hip abduction and external rotation strengths decreased from pre-injury to post-injury (P = .002 and P = .01, respectively). Logistic regression analysis demonstrated that a greater baseline hip abduction strength (odds ratio = 5.35, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.46-19.53; P < .01) and abduction-to-adduction strength ratio increased the risk of injury (odds ratio = 14.14, 95% CI 0.90-221.06; P = .05), and a greater pre-injury hip external-to-internal rotation strength ratio decreased the risk of injury (odds ratio < 0.01, 95% CI ≤ .01, 0.44; P = .02). CONCLUSIONS: The findings of the current study suggest that stronger pre-injury hip abductors (particularly in relation to their hip adductors) and weaker pre-injury hip external rotators (particularly in relation to their hip internal rotators) are associated with the development of PFP. In addition, persons in whom PFP develops appear to lose hip abduction and external rotation strength when compared with their pre-injury strength. Finally, a higher hip external-to-internal rotation strength ratio may protect against the development of PFP.

Effect of Qigong on quality of life: a cross-sectional population-based comparison study in Taiwan.

BACKGROUND: Qigong, similar to Tai Chi Chuan, is beneficial to health. In Taiwan, Waitankung, a type of Qigong, is as popular as Tai Chi Chuan. This population-based comparison study compares the health-related quality of life between people practicing Waitankung and their comparable community residents. METHODS: A total of 165 individuals practicing Waitankung were matched by age and sex with 660 general individuals for comparison. Information about health-related quality of life, measured by the SF-36, and other basic and health conditions was obtained from the questionnaires. This study used the linear mixed-effect regression model to examine the association between health-related quality of life and the practice of Waitankung. RESULTS: Compared with either sedentary individuals or individuals practicing other types of exercise, the Waitankung group scored higher for eight and five out of ten SF-36 components, respectively. The Waitankung group scored better in general health, vitality, and physical component summary compared to individuals participating in other types of exercise, even when considering the energy expended by exercise. CONCLUSION: The results suggest that Waitankung exercising is significantly associated with health-related quality of life. Waitankung may serve as an exercise choice for middle-aged and older people to improve overall quality of life.

An OGG1 polymorphism is associated with mitochondrial DNA content in pesticide-exposed fruit growers.

Exposure to pesticides has the capacity to cause mitochondrial dysfunction. An increase mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) content has also been suggested to relate with DNA damaging agent. In mitochondria, the manganese superoxide dismutase (MnSOD) is a scavenger of reactive oxygen species, and the 8-oxoguanine DNA glycosylase (OGG1) is the major DNA glycosylase for the repair of 8-oxoG lesions. However, the alteration of mtDNA content elicited by pesticide exposure in people with genetic variations in MnSOD or OGG1 has not been investigated. In this study, the mitochondrial to nuclear DNA ratio was quantified in the peripheral blood of 120 fruit growers who experienced pesticide exposure and 106 unexposed controls by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (real-time qPCR). Questionnaires were administered to obtain demographic data and occupational history. The MnSOD and OGG1 genotypes were identified by the PCR based restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis. After adjusting for confounding effects, multiple regression model revealed that subjects experiencing high or low pesticide exposure had a greater mtDNA content than that of controls. The OGG1 Ser-Ser genotype was also associated with an increased mtDNA content. No association between MnSOD genotype and mtDNA content was revealed. Thus, subjects experiencing pesticide exposure had greater mtDNA content and the OGG1 genotype may modulate mtDNA content in pesticide-exposed fruit growers.