Effects of taijiquan and qigong practice over behavioural disorders in school-age children: A pilot study.

Child development and wellness are strictly dependent on several factors among them physical activity, a proper nutrition and, of critical importance, a healthy mind. Psychopathologies like attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) and conduct disorder (CD) have a direct negative impact on social, academic or occupational functioning of the affected children. If left untreated, these pathologies may progress to adulthood, thus requiring research strategies on conventional and nonconventional modalities of treatment. In this pilot study, conducted during the academic year 2015/2016, a combination of exercises of TaijiQuan (TJQ) and Qi Gong (QG) were taught to four selected children, three males and one female, aged between 6 and 10, suffering from the above mentioned behavioural disorders. The main goal was to understand if it is possible to achieve any kind of improvement in their condition, by evaluating the scores of the Achenbach Teacher's Report Form (TRF) in the beginning and ending of the experimental period. Results showed very interesting improvements in symptoms of CD, ODD and ADHD-HI (hyperactive-impulsive), while ADHD-PI (predominantly inattentive) showed only minor improvements. The overall symptom improvement was 43% across pathologies, which demonstrates that TJQ and QG may be a promising treatment of symptoms for children with behavioural disorders. More research is needed with controlled experimental designs and statistically representative samples in order to fully comprehend the versatility of these modalities.

Cell therapy with human MSCs isolated from the umbilical cord Wharton jelly associated to a PVA membrane in the treatment of chronic skin wounds.

The healing process of the skin is a dynamic procedure mediated through a complex feedback of growth factors secreted by a variety of cells types. Despite the most recent advances in wound healing management and surgical procedures, these techniques still fail up to 50%, so cellular therapies involving mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are nowadays a promising treatment of skin ulcers which are a cause of high morbidity. The MSCs modulate the inflammatory local response and induce cell replacing, by a paracrine mode of action, being an important cell therapy for the impaired wound healing. The local application of human MSCs (hMSCs) isolated from the umbilical cord Wharton's jelly together with a poly(vinyl alcohol) hydrogel (PVA) membrane, was tested to promote wound healing in two dogs that were referred for clinical examination at UPVET Hospital, showing non-healing large skin lesions by the standard treatments. The wounds were infiltrated with 1000 cells/µl hMSCs in a total volume of 100 µl per cm(2) of lesion area. A PVA membrane was applied to completely cover the wound to prevent its dehydration. Both animals after the treatment demonstrated a significant progress in skin regeneration with decreased extent of ulcerated areas confirmed by histological analysis. The use of Wharton's jelly MSCs associated with a PVA membrane showed promising clinical results for future application in the treatment of chronic wounds in companion animals and humans.

Retrospective study of 1251 maxillofacial fractures in children and adolescents.

BACKGROUND: Fractures of the facial skeleton are relatively uncommon in children and adolescents, and only a few reports review a significant number of patients. The authors performed a retrospective study to analyze the different characteristics of such fractures in the pediatric population of Portugal. METHODS: The authors reviewed the clinical records of a series of 912 patients 18 years of age or younger with facial fractures treated by the Departments of Plastic, Reconstructive, and Aesthetic Surgery and of Maxillofacial Surgery, São João Hospital, in Porto, Portugal, between the years 1993 and 2002. The following parameters were evaluated: age; sex; cause of accident; hour, day, and month of hospital admission; location and type of fractures; presence and location of associated injuries; treatment methods; length of in-hospital stay; and complications. RESULTS: A total of 1251 fractures were treated. The ratio of boys to girls was 3.1:1. Patients between 16 and 18 years old were the major group (47.8 percent). Motor vehicle accident was the most common cause of injury (53.3 percent of patients). Mandibular fracture was the most common type of fracture (48.8 percent). Associated injuries occurred in 558 patients (64.5 percent). CONCLUSIONS: Pediatric facial fractures are usually associated with severe trauma. The number of fractures caused by automobile accidents has decreased (p < 0.05). The incidence of this type of fracture is high in Portugal.

Parotid surgery: review of 107 tumors (1990-2002).

Tumors of the parotid gland are uncommon. We performed a retrospective study to analyze the clinical, diagnostic, and therapeutic features of a group of patients. We reviewed the clinical and the surgical records of a series of 109 patients who were recommended for surgery because of parotid tumors by the Plastic and Reconstructive Service of São João Hospital, Portugal, between 1990 and 2002. The following parameters were evaluated: age, sex, gland afflicted, symptoms, and duration of symptoms, diagnostic procedures, treatment methods, follow-up, and recurrences. Pleomorphic adenoma was the most common tumor (63.5%). In the majority of cases, fine-needle aspiration cytology was used. Swelling was the most frequent clinical finding. In 68.2%, superficial parotidectomy was performed. There were five cases of permanent facial palsy, and 10 patients developed Frey's syndrome. Recurrent disease was seen in six patients. For the majority of tumors, superficial parotidectomy is an effective treatment with acceptable morbidity.

Cervical impalement injury.

Impacted injuries of the head and neck are uncommon. Associated injuries can be present and can be a serious problem. We present an unusual clinical case and discuss the management of this complex injury. Head and neck injuries deserve special attention because of their enormous functional and esthetic significance. Contusion, abrasion, retained foreign bodies, laceration, and avulsion are some of the most frequent injuries. Impalement injuries are not so common. These lesions combine aspects of blunt and penetrating trauma and usually result from penetration by a large, rigid, blunt-tipped object that traverses a certain body area in a through-and-through fashion and often remains in situ at the time of presentation. There have been many case reports describing these injuries in the trunk and extremities; however, cases of head and neck impalement are still lacking in number. A case of an unusual cervical impalement is presented, together with a discussion of the management of this complex injury.

Etiology and patterns of pediatric mandibular fractures in Portugal: a retrospective study of 10 years.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the pattern of occurrence of mandibular fractures in the pediatric population in Portugal. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This retrospective study reviews the records of patients 18 years of age or younger from the 10-year period 1993 to 2002. Age, gender, anatomic site, cause of the accident, weekly and monthly variation, location and type of fractures, presence and location of associated injuries, treatment methods, and complications were reviewed. RESULTS: During this 10-year period, 521 patients with 681 mandibular fractures were treated. Motor-vehicle accident (MVA) was the most common (53.9% patients) cause of fracture. Almost half of the patients (48.8%) were in the oldest age group (16 to 18 years old). The condyle of the mandible was involved in 31.0% of the fractures. Maxillomandibular (MMF) fixation was used in 534 (78.4%) fractures. Overall mortality in this series was 0.6% (3 patients); mortality was caused by multiple traumas, mainly head trauma. CONCLUSION: There is a need to reinforce legislation aimed to prevent MVA and the total enforcement of existing laws to reduce maxillofacial injuries among children and adolescents.