Effect of Distance on Light Transmission Through Polymerized Resin Composite.

OBJECTIVE: Light transmittance of dental composites varies between products and shades, but also light curing units differ to each other in their irradiance and fiber optic structure of curing tip. The aim of this study was to investigate whether there is linear relationship between the distance of the curing tip to the resin composite and irradiance at lower surface of the resin composite. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Disks of 1 mm thickness (6mm diameter) were fabricated. Light transmittance (intensity) through the disk was measured at distance of 0, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10 mm from the light tip with two light curing units Elipar S10 (3M-ESPE) and Silverlight (GC). Irradiance ratio (irradiance on the sensor surface without the composite disk / with the composite disk) was calculated and plotted against the distance of the light curing tip. Statistical analysis was carried out using analysis of covariance (ANCOVA, Tukey's, α =0.05). RESULTS: Irradiance ratio varied between 18% to 24% with Silverlight and 21% to 26% with Elipar S10 light curing units. There were statistically significant differences between the ratios with different distances of the light curing tip (p⟨0.05). Interestingly, the highest irradiance ratio for Elipar S10 unit was found with 4 mm distance of the tip, whereas Silverlight unit had the highest ratio with 6 mm distance. Out of two tested resin composites, the flowable composite showed higher irradiance ratio than regular packable resin composite. CONCLUSIONS: Increase of distance of the light curing tip from the composite surface decreased the absolute irradiance underneath of composite, as expected. However, there seemed to be device dependent optimal distance of 4-6 mm to reach the most efficient irradiance ratio through the composite resin keeping in mind that most efficient transmission of light through the material is reached by having light curing tip in contact to the material.

Evaluation of VEGF-A and CCL2 in dogs with brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome or canine idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and in normocephalic dogs.

Brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome (BOAS) and canine idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (CIPF) of West Highland White Terriers (WHWTs) often cause intermittent or chronic hypoxemia. Our objective was to evaluate serum and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) concentrations of hypoxemia-related proinflammatory mediators vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGF-A) and chemokine (CC motif) ligand 2 (CCL2) in brachycephalic dogs (BDs) and WHWTs with and without CIPF. Additionally, effects of BOAS severity and ageing on these mediators were assessed. 114 BDs (28 English Bulldogs (EBs), 37 French Bulldogs, 49 Pugs), 16 WHWTs with CIPF, 26 healthy WHWTs, and 39 normocephalic control dogs were included. Fifty-four BDs were re-examined after two to three years. Bead-based immunoassay was used for proinflammatory mediator measurements. Compared with controls, significantly higher serum concentrations of VEGF-A were seen in EBs (P = 0.009) and of CCL2 in CIPF and healthy WHWTs (P < 0.001; P = 0.002). BALF samples were available from controls, EBs, and WHWTs. VEGF-A was significantly lower in EBs (P < 0.001) and in CIPF and healthy WHWTs (P = 0.006; P = 0.007) and CCL2 was higher in CIPF WHWTs (P = 0.01) compared with controls. Between visits, only serum VEGF-A significantly decreased in BDs (P < 0.001), but breed, BOAS severity, or its change had no significant effect. In conclusion, in EBs with BOAS proinflammatory changes in VEGF-A were detected in both serum and BALF. Ageing reduced serum VEGF-A in BDs. In WHWTs, our results confirmed earlier findings of CCL2 as an important biomarker for CIPF.

Sense of coherence and health behaviour in adolescence.

AIM: To explore associations of Sense of coherence (SOC) with health behaviour and social competence among 15-year-old adolescents. METHODS: Study population is a prospective cohort of a randomized cluster sample of families and their first-born children from south-western Finland in 1986-1987. In this study, cross-sectional data of the 15-year-olds were used. The present data were based on mailed, pretested questionnaires. The outcome variable, SOC, was based on the 13-item scale of Antonovsky's Orientation to Life Questionnaire (OLQ). The principal explanatory variables were health behaviour, including experienced oral health, and social competence. The statistical analysis was performed using linear regression modelling. RESULTS: Strong SOC of adolescents associated significantly with lighter use of alcohol, being a non-smoker, better care of oral health and better social competence compared with the others. CONCLUSION: Sense of coherence is a useful tool for identifying adolescents in need of extra support and motivation for their health behaviour.

Parental and childhood overweight in sedentary and active adolescents.

We studied whether the prevalence of overweight since age 2 years differed in sedentary and active adolescents (N=346). Further, we analyzed the energy intake of sedentary and active adolescents across 12 years. BMI was assessed annually since birth, energy intake since age 13 months and parents' BMI from the time their child was 7 months old in a longitudinal atherosclerosis prevention study. Data on physical activity were collected at age 13 years (N=560). Sedentary and Active groups were formed by upper and lower physical activity tertile cut-points. Girls Sedentary at 13 years were more often overweight than Active peers already since age 2 years (P=0.048). Activity habits were not associated with energy intake. Conversely, among boys, activity habits in adolescence were not associated with childhood overweight, while the energy intake of Active boys was higher than that of Sedentary boys (P=0.008). Parental overweight was not associated with the physical activity of children; however, Sedentary girls more often had an overweight mother than Active girls (P=0.021). In conclusion, overweight during early years of life is more common among girls who are Sedentary as adolescents than in Active peers. Overweight mothers more often have Sedentary daughters than normal-weight mothers. A healthy lifestyle right from early childhood requires active support.

Are signs of temporomandibular disorders stable and predictable in adolescents with headache?

The aim of the present study was to study changes in signs and symptoms of temporomandibular disorders (TMD) and factors predicting TMD signs in adolescents with and without headache. A population-based sample (n = 212) of 13-year-olds with and without headache was re-examined at the age of 16. The study included a questionnaire, face-to-face interview and somatic examination. In addition, a neurological examination, a muscle evaluation and a stomatognathic examination were performed. Significant changes were seen in TMD signs during the follow-up, but TMD signs at the end of the follow-up could not be predicted by baseline headache, sleeping difficulties, depression or muscle pain. TMD signs at the age of 16 were associated with female gender and muscle pain. We conclude that considerable changes in TMD signs occur in the follow-up of adolescents with and without headache. Headache-related TMD are not predictable in adolescents with and without headache.

Childhood headache at school entry: a controlled clinical study.

OBJECTIVE: Our objective was to study the prevalence of different headache types, characterizations, and triggers of headache in Finnish children starting school. METHODS: Questionnaires were sent to 1,132 families with 6-year-old children. Children with headache disturbing their daily activities (n=96) and an asymptomatic control group of children (n=96) participated in a clinical interview and examination. RESULTS: Children with headache had significantly more bruxism (odds ratio [OR], 1.9; 95% CI, 1.0 to 3.4), tenderness in the occipital muscle insertion areas (OR, 4.8; 95% CI, 1.8 to 12.7), and tenderness in the temporomandibular joint areas (OR, 2.8; 95% CI, 1.3 to 6.0). They also had more travel sickness (OR, 3.4; 95% CI, 1.7 to 6.7) than control children. Eating ice cream (OR, 5.3; 95% CI, 1.4 to 20.3), fear (OR, 3.7; 95% CI, 1.2 to 11.2), and anxiety (OR, 3.2; 95% CI, 1.0 to 10.8) triggered headache more often in migraineurs than in children with tension-type headache. Children with migraine also reported more frequently abdominal (OR, 5.6; 95% CI, 1.7 to 18.1) and other (OR, 3.5; 95% CI, 1.2 to 9.8) pain concurrently with headache, and they used medication for pain relief more often (OR, 3.1; 95% CI, 1.0 to 9.5). CONCLUSIONS: Headache classification in children may be improved by palpation of occipital muscle insertions and temporomandibular joint areas, and by discerning a history of triggering events and concurrent symptoms.

Pain experience of children with headache and their families: A controlled study.

OBJECTIVE: This study reports the pain sensitivity of children with headache and their family members, as well as the prevalence of recurring aches, psychosocial life, and family environment of children with headache at preschool age. DESIGN: A representative population-based sample of 1443 families expecting their first child were followed over 7 years. A screening questionnaire relating to the child's headache was sent to parents of a representative sample of 1132 6-year-old children. Of 144 children suffering from headache, 106 (76%) were examined and interviewed clinically. Ninety-six children with primary headache (58 migraine and 38 tension-type headache children) and matched controls (n = 96) were included in further examinations. RESULTS: Children with headache were more often extremely sensitive to pain according to their parents, were more excited about physical examinations, cried more often during blood sampling or vaccination, avoided play or games more often because they were afraid of hurting themselves, and had recurring abdominal and growing pains more often than did control children. The fathers of children with headache were more often extremely sensitive to pain. Children with headache reacted with somatic symptoms, usually with pain and functional intestinal disorders in stress situations, felt more tired, and had more ideations of death during the previous month. They had also had more problems in day care and fewer hobbies such as scout or club meetings than did control children. More mothers of tension-type headache children than those of migraine children reported that they were considerably sensitive to pain. Tension-type headache children also had a poorer family environment; the family atmosphere was more often unhappy and the relationship between the parents was more often distant than in the families of children with migraines. CONCLUSIONS: In addition to somatic factors, it is important to consider the child's pain sensitivity, reaction to various stress situations, and family functioning when studying childhood headache. The child's coping mechanisms can be supported by information given by the parents. School entry can be considered a suitable period for careful investigation into possible occurrence of headache and also for giving information about headache and its management.

Dental fear: one single clinical question for measurement.

A new dental fear measurement instrument, the Short Dental Fear Question (SDFQ), was developed and tested for clinical practice purposes. The correlations of the SDFQ with the Dental Anxiety Scale (DAS) and the Dental Fear Survey (DFS) were tested in 15-16-year-old adolescents. The Spearman correlations (rs) between the dental fear measurement instruments were: SDFQ - DFS: r(s) = 0.79, n = 26; DFS - DAS: r(s) = 0.72, n = 26; SDFQ- DAS: r(s) = 0.69, n = 27. DAS and DFS mean scores were clearly higher in the SDFQ fear group than SDFQ in the relaxed group. The SDFQ is a short and compact instrument which might be convenient for the measurement of dental fear in clinical practice.

Liquid flame spray for generating metal and metal oxide nanoparticle test aerosol.

A flame-based method for generating nanoparticles with production rate in the order of g/min is presented to be used in a variety of applied studies concerning nanoparticle measurements and toxicological tests. In this study, ferric oxide, titanium dioxide, and silver nanoparticles were produced by this technique, as an example of the variety of producible compounds, and number and surface area were measured by state-of-art aerosol instruments. In the primary experiments of this study, the generator was used in a conventional way, in a fume cupboard, and the aerosol was measured from the exhaust duct of the cupboard. It has been shown that this steady, turbulent flame generator is also suitable for producing high-concentration aerosols in a wider concept. The generated aerosol was measured by variety of aerosol instrumentation to show the applicability of the generator. When using the generator intentionally as a source of aerosol in the flame processing room, mean nanoparticle sizes of 5-60 nm and active surface area concentration ranges of 1-10,000 microm(2)/cm(3) were covered for the room aerosol.

Inconsistency between prospectively and retrospectively reported febrile seizures.

This study compared the incidence of febrile seizures (FS) reported prospectively up to 5 years of age, with the prevalence of FS by parental recall in the same cohort using the same questionnaire at 12 years of age. Both prospective and retrospective data were available for 807 children (389 males, 418 females). The number of children reported to have experienced FS in the prospective study was 57, and in the retrospective study was 45, yielding a cumulative incidence of 7.1 and 5.6% respectively. In the retrospective study there was an under-reporting of 19 children, over-reporting of eight children, and one child misreported by age at onset. Overall sensitivity of the retrospective approach was 65% and specificity was 99%. Positive predictive value was 82% and negative predictive value was 97%. Retrospective data underestimate the frequency of FS with high specificity but low sensitivity. Recall data suggest that some children with FS were not reported in the prospective data. These biases should be considered when evaluating the value of FS as a predictor of future health effects.

Changing headache from preschool age to puberty. A controlled study.

The characteristics of disturbing primary headache and the occurrence of headache types were studied by sending a questionnaire to 1132 Finnish families of 6-year-old children. Children with headache in the preceding 6 months and their controls were clinically examined at the ages of 6 and 13. During the follow-up, half of the headaches, classified as migraine at age 6 years, were unchanged and 32% turned into tension-type headache. In children with tension-type headache, the situation was unchanged in 35%, and in 38% of children the headache type had changed to migraine. At preschool age the most common location of headache was bilateral and supraorbital, and at puberty bilateral and temporal. During the follow-up, symptoms concurrent with headache, such as odour phobia, dizziness and balance disturbances became more typical, whereas restlessness, flushing and abdominal symptoms became less marked. The early manifestation of both migraine and tension-type headache predict equally often migraine in puberty with marked changes in concurrent symptoms and pain localization.

Does neck pain determine the outcome of adolescent headache?

The aim of the study was to examine the influence of concomitant neck pain (NP) on the outcome of headache (HA) frequency and HA type in adolescence. A population-based sample of 13-year-olds with or without HA (n = 228) was followed for 3 years. NP was evaluated at the beginning of the follow-up on the basis of recorded muscle tenderness and self-reported symptoms. During the 3 years of follow-up, changes in both HA type and frequency were common. NP interfering with daily activities at the age of 13 years predicted change from non-frequent (0-1/month) to monthly HA (>1/month), especially in boys (P = 0.03 boys, P = 0.06 girls). The use of physiotherapy predicted persistence of monthly HA in boys (P = 0.004). The changes in HA type were not predictable by NP. In conclusion, the risk of worsening HA in adolescence is more probable if the HA is associated with NP interfering with daily activities.

Characteristics of neck pain associated with adolescent headache.

The objective of the study was to find out what kind of neck pain (NP) is associated with headache (HA) and with various headache variables: frequency, type, intensity, disturbance, and relief with analgesics. A population-based sample of 12-year-olds with and without HA (n = 304) was followed for 4 years. At the age of 16 years, NP was evaluated on the basis of self-reported symptoms and a thorough physical examination of the neck region. Both self-reported and measured NP were associated with HA variables. Co-occurrent NP was found in adolescents with migraine as often as in those with tension-type HA. Especially, muscle pain and intensive, frequent NP were associated with disturbing HA unresponsive to analgesics. The study indicates that concomitant NP should be considered in adolescent HA sufferers, and a thorough cervical and muscle evaluation is recommended when planning the treatment of HA.

Adolescent disc degeneration--no headache association.

The objective of the study was to determine whether adolescents with headache have more disc degeneration in the cervical spine than headache-free controls. This study is part of a population-based follow-up study of adolescents with and without headache. At the age of 17 years, adolescents with headache at least three times a month (N = 47) and adolescents with no headache (N = 22) participated in a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) study of the cervical spine. Of the 47 headache sufferers, 17 also had weekly neck pain and 30 had neck pain less than once a month. MRI scans were interpreted independently by three neuroradiologists. Disc degeneration was found in 67% of participants, with no difference between adolescents with and without headache. Most of the degenerative changes were located in the lower cervical spine. In adolescence, mild degenerative changes of the cervical spine are surprisingly common but do not contribute to headache.

Outcome of headache frequency in adolescence.

Only a few studies have been published of the outcome of adolescent headache (HA). The aim of this study was to examine the predictors of the outcome of headache frequency. A population-based sample of 13-year-olds with or without HA (N=228) was followed to the age of 16 years. HA was classified on the basis of a face-to-face interview and clinical examination. The outcomes of monthly HA (>1/month) and non-frequent HA (0-1/month) were studied. Frequent use of analgesics, female gender and multiple non-headache pain predicted the persistence of monthly HA (>1/month). Significant predictors for worsening non-frequent HA (from 0 to 1/month to >1/month) were female gender, consistent migraine and high basic educational level of one parent. Adolescents frequently using analgesics constitute a risk group for a poor outcome of HA. Especially girls meeting this criterion should be considered a target group in the planning and implementing of preventive measures.

Behavioural and demographic factors during early childhood and poor dental health at 10 years of age.

The aim was to elucidate whether variables recorded in early childhood would have a long-lasting predictive value of poor dental health at the age of 10 years in a prospectively followed Finnish population-based cohort setting. The second aim was to find new tools for preventive work in order to improve dental health among children. Poor dental health (dmft + DMFT >or= 5) at 10 years of age was associated with child's nocturnal juice drinking at 18 months. It was associated with the following factors at age 3 years: frequent consumption of sweets; infrequent tooth brushing; plaque and caries on teeth. Of family factors, the following were significant: father's young age at birth of the child; mother's basic 9-year education; mother's caries (i.e. several carious teeth per year), and father's infrequent tooth brushing. Early childhood risk factors of poor dental health seem to be stable even after 10 years of life and the changing of teeth from primary to permanent ones. In preventive work, dental health care staff could offer support to those parents with risk factors in their child rearing tasks.

Leisure activities in adolescents with headache.

AIM: To investigate the association between different types of headache and leisure activities in 13-y-old schoolchildren. METHODS: A population-based, cross-sectional study was performed through face-to-face interviews with age-matched cohorts with headache and asymptomatic controls. The present study comprised 59 children with migraine, 65 with episodic tension-type headache (TTHA) and 59 headache-free controls. In the interview, besides questions concerning headache, the children were asked open and structured questions about the type and amount of their leisure activities. RESULTS: Children with migraine spent more time in sports activities than children with episodic tension-type headache or children without headache (test for trend, p<0.01; migraine: OR 1.4, 95% CI 1.1-1.9; tension-type headache: OR 0.9, 95% CI 0.7-1.1). The type of leisure activity was not significantly associated with headache type (p>0.05). Children with both migraine and episodic tension-type headache used computers more often than children without headache (test for trend, p<0.05; migraine: OR 1.2, 95% CI 1.1-1.5; tension-type headache: OR 1.3, 95% CI 1.1-1.5). CONCLUSION: This study provides additional data on the activity status and headache complaints in adolescents. The results indicate that frequent computer use is associated with both tension-type headache and migraine, and intensive overall sports activities are characteristic of adolescents with migraine.

Headache children with temporomandibular disorders have several types of pain and other symptoms.

The aim was to investigate the association between temporomandibular disorders (TMD) and overall muscle tenderness, depressive symptoms, sleep difficulties, headache frequency and related symptoms in children with primary headache in comparison with controls. Based on an unselected population sample of 1135 Finnish schoolchildren classified according to the type of headache at age 12, altogether 297 children aged 13-14 from different headache groups and healthy controls were randomly selected for an interview and clinical examinations. Children with migraine had more TMD signs than children with nonmigrainous headaches or healthy controls. High TMD total scores were associated with palpation tenderness in other parts of the body and with frequent headache attacks. We conclude that children with overall headache, migraine in particular, and high total TMD scores showed an increased overall tenderness to muscle palpation and multiply manifested hypersensitivity pain.

Prevalence of frequent headache in young Finnish adults starting a family.

A questionnaire study on pre-pregnancy headache and its predictors was carried out in a representative sample of young adults expecting their first baby. The study was part of a major project on the competence of Finnish families. It included 1322 women and 1257 men, either married or cohabiting (in total, 1262 families), followed from their first contact with a maternity health care unit. A questionnaire was given separately to the women and men inquiring about their health and health behaviour, as well as about sociodemographic and psychosocial factors. The prevalence of frequent headache (at least one episode per month) was 34.3% in women, 19.3% in men and 47.1% in families. On multivariate analysis, after age-adjustment, the independent predictors of headache occurrence in women were depression, menstrual pain, responsibilities at work and psychosocial stress. The predictors in men were nervousness, psychosocial stress, lack of or irregular physical exercise and long-term disease, depression, responsibilities at work and insomnia.

Prepregnancy headache and the well-being of mother and newborn.

Women (n = 1443) expecting their first child were studied to examine whether prepregnancy headache predicts problems in the well-being of pregnant women and new-borns. Subject collection was based on stratified randomized cluster sampling. Impairment of health during the first trimester was more often reported by women with frequent prepregnancy headache than by nonsufferers. They also made more visits to a doctor and had more pregnancy symptoms during the third trimester. Use of any medication during the first trimester was also more common in the headache group. Mental health status was worse, fatigue and depression increased during pregnancy more often, and stress and anxiety about delivery were more common in this group. The relationship with spouses worsened during pregnancy in the headache group and seemed to be predicted by impairment of somatic health during the first trimester and increasing depression during pregnancy. No statistical differences between groups were found in variables measuring the well-being of the newborns. Frequent prepregnancy headache proved to be a strong predictor of ill-being in pregnant women. This result should find practical applications in the preventive work of maternity health care clinics.