The impact of COVID-19 restrictions on perceived health and wellbeing of adult Australian sport and physical activity participants.

Individuals' access to sport and physical activity has been hampered due to COVID-19 lockdown restrictions. In Australia participation in community sport was cancelled during lockdowns. There is limited research on the impact of sport participation restrictions on the health and wellbeing of adults.AimThe aim of this study was to investigate the perceived health and wellbeing of a sample of predominantly active Australian adults, both during COVID-19 and in comparison with one year earlier (pre COVID-19).MethodsA survey was conducted during the first COVID-19 restrictions and lockdowns in Australia in May-June 2020. It was distributed by national and state sporting organisations and through researchers' social media accounts. This particular paper focuses on adults aged 18-59 years. The survey collected information on participant demographics, the sport and physical activity patterns pre- COVID-19, and health and wellbeing outcomes during COVID-19 lockdown and compared to one year earlier. The health measures were cross-tabulated against the demographic and sport and physical activity variables, and group profiles compared with chi-square tests. Scales were derived from three wellbeing questions, and group differences were analysed by t-tests and F-tests.ResultsThe survey sample included 1279 men and 868 women aged 18-59 years. Most (67%) resided in metropolitan cities. The great majority (83%) were sport participants. During COVID-19 lockdown men were significantly more likely than women to report worse or much worse general (p = 0.014), physical (p = 0.015) and mental health (p = 0.038) and lower life satisfaction (p = 0.016). The inactive adults were significantly more likely to report poorer general health (p = 0.001) and physical health (p = 0.001) compared to active adults. The younger age cohort (18-29 years) were significantly more likely to report poorer general wellbeing (p < 0.001), and lower life satisfaction (p < 0.001) compared to the older age groups.ConclusionIt seems that the absence of playing competitive sport and training with friends, teams and within clubs has severely impacted males and younger adults in particular. Sports clubs provide an important setting for individuals' health and wellbeing which is why clubs require the capacity to deliver sport and individuals may need to regain the motivation to return.

Ploidy status and the response of T1 glottic carcinoma to radiotherapy.

Flow cytometric DNA ploidy measurements were performed on formalin fixed paraffin embedded tumour specimens from patients with a T1 glottic laryngeal carcinoma in order to evaluate the role of DNA content in relation to local control. From 1980 to 1987, a consecutive series of 90 patients with a T1 glottic laryngeal carcinoma were treated by radiotherapy with curative intent. Biopsies from 44 of these patients were readily available for DNA flow cytometry. In this group aneuploidy was associated with a significantly higher risk (P = 0.018) of local recurrence within 2 years after completion of radiotherapy (38% vs. 9% in the diploid group).

DNA-flow cytometry of head and neck carcinoma: the importance of uniform tissue sampling and tumor sites.

Flow cytometric DNA ploidy measurements using deparaffinized tumor specimens were performed on 46 squamous cell carcinomas of the head and neck, including 22 carcinomas of the oropharynx, 18 carcinomas of the larynx and six carcinomas of the oral cavity. Aneuploidy was found in 14 of these tumors with carcinomas of the larynx and oral cavity showing almost equal percentages of DNA aneuploidy (10/18 and 3/6, respectively). In contrast, only 1 of the oropharyngeal carcinomas was aneuploid. Accurate microscopy-controlled sampling of tumor tissue from the histological tissue blocks was found to be mandatory in order to obtain reliable ploidy measurements.

[Orbital cellulitis after a dental infection]. / Orbita-flegmone als gevolg van een dentogene infectie.

Blindness as a complication of a dental infection is rare. A nineteen-year-old male is presented with an apical abscess, leading to a maxillary sinusitis, orbital cellulitis and an imminent cavernous sinus thrombosis.