Futures Research Methodologies: Report of an Exploration of a Delphi Study

In an unpublished Second Report on a Survey of Doctorates in Art Education , the author examined the responses of persons with doctorates in art education with regard to those items which dealt with their perceptions of the field as it existed both at the time of the survey and as they perceived the future might be. The responses suggested a lack of consensus regarding the present state of art education as well as little agreement regarding the direction(s) the field ought to be taking. Although the survey form used was quite lengthy, most information solicited was provided with the exception of those questions regarding future projections. The results of the survey motivated this researcher (1) to investigate appropriate research methodologies to be applied to art education for forecasting future possibilities for the field and (2) to ascertain leadership groups in the profession who would be influential in planning for and designing alternative futures for art education

Cardiac hemangioma of the right atrium in a neonate : fetal management and expedited surgical resection

Cardiac hemangioma is a rare tumor with a reported incidence of 1-2%. We describe the case of a neonate with a right atrial mass that was diagnosed prenatally. The fetus developed a supraventricular tachycardia and was delivered by cesarean section in the 35th week of gestation. The infant underwent surgery after 24 hours to remove the mass which was diagnosed as a cardiac capillary-cavernous hemangioma.peer-reviewe

Clinical Outcomes of 0.018-Inch and 0.022-Inch Bracket Slot Using the ABO Objective Grading System

Objective: To determine if there is a significant difference in the clinical outcomes of cases treated with 0.018-inch brackets vs 0.022-inch brackets according to the American Board of Orthodontics (ABO) Objective Grading System (OGS). Materials and Methods: Treatment time and the ABO-OGS standards in alignment/rotations, marginal ridges, buccolingual inclination, overjet, occlusal relationships, occlusal contacts, interproximal contacts, and root angulations were used to compare clinical outcomes between a series of 828 consecutively completed orthodontic cases (2005–2008) treated in a university graduate orthodontic clinic with 0.018-inch- and 0.022-inch-slot brackets. Results: A two-sample t-test showed a significantly shorter treatment time and lower ABO-OGS score in four categories (alignment/rotations, marginal ridges, overjet, and root angulations), as well as lower total ABO-OGS total score, with the 0.018-inch brackets. The ANCOVA—adjusting for covariants of discrepancy index, age, gender, and treatment time—showed that the 0.018-inch brackets scored significantly lower than the 0.022-inch brackets in both the alignment/rotations category and total ABO-OGS score. Conclusions: There were statistically, but not clinically, significant differences in treatment times and in total ABO-OGS scores in favor of 0.018-inch brackets as compared with the 0.022-inch brackets in a university graduate orthodontic clinic (2005–2008)

Reliability and Validity of the OrthoMechanics Sequential Analyzer

poster abstractPurpose: The aim of this study was to evaluate the reliability and validity of newly developed software in the assessment of orthodontic tooth movement three dimensionally. Methods: The sample consisted of pre- and post- treatment computed tomography scans and plaster dental models of 20 orthodontic subjects treated with a hyrax expander as a part of their comprehensive orthodontic treatment. Dental arch measurements, including arch widths, tooth inclinations and angulations, were measured on the scans using InvivoDental 3D imaging software version 5.1. The plaster dental models were laser scanned, superimposed, and measurements were obtained digitally using the new software. Agreement between the digital models and the CT measurements was evaluated using intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs), paired t-tests, and Bland-Altman plots. A p-value of ≤ 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: High agreement (ICC > 0.9), a non-significant paired t-test, and no indication of agreement discrepancies were observed for most of the measured parameters. Conclusions: The new software program offers a valid and reliable tool concerning dental arch measurements obtained from 3D laser scanned models. It could be considered a possible practical method that helps the orthodontist evaluate the treatment progress in a non-invasive manner and without unnecessary radiation exposure. Funding: Indiana University Purdue University - Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research & the Funding Opportunities for Research Commercialization and Economics Success (FORCES)

Targeting Succinate Metabolism in Ischemia/Reperfusion Injury.

Timely reperfusion is critical for salvaging ischemic tissue in myocardial infarction, in stroke, and during resuscitation. Paradoxically, the reperfusion of blood into the ischemic organ is damaging in itself, leading to ischemia/reperfusion (IR) injury. Best clinical practice is to reperfuse rapidly to limit ischemic time. Despite this, extensive IR injury still occurs, which is a major driver of pathology, making the prevention of this damage a clear unmet clinical need.1 Recent work has shown a role for mitochondrial succinate metabolism in IR injury that opens up exciting new therapeutic approaches

The Reliability and Reproducibility of Conventional, Digital and CT Created Cephalograms: A Comparative Study

poster abstractObjective: The purpose of this retrospective radiographic study was to determine the reliability and reproducibility of skeletal and dental measurements of lateral cephalograms created from computed tomography (CT) scan compared to the conventional and digital lateral cephalograms. Method: Following reliability studies, CT records of 30 patients were obtained from the archives. The lateral cephalometric radiographs of these patients were initially manually traced. Then the same radiographs were scanned and traced using Dolphin Imaging software Version 11 (Dolphin Imaging, Chatsworth, CA, USA). Totally 16 (10 angular and 6 linear) measurements were performed. Cephalometric measurements performed on conventional, digital and CT created cephalograms were compared statistically using repeated measures analysis of variance. Statistical significance was set at p<0.05 level. Result: The intrarater reliability test for each method showed high values r >.090 except for the mandibular length which had a correlation of 0.82 for the CT created cephalogram. Five measurements (N-A- Pog, N-S, ANS-PNS, Co-ANS and Co-Gn) were found to be significantly different between the CT created and conventional cephalograms and three measurements (SNB, ANB, and /1-MP) were found to be significantly different between the CT created and digital cephalograms. Conclusion: The measurement differences between the conventional, digital and CT created cephalograms are statistically significant, but clinically acceptable

Effects of mandibular advancement appliances on the upper airway dimensions

poster abstractPurpose: The aim of this retrospective cephalometric study was to investigate dentoskeletal and airway dimensional changes in a group of orthodontic patients with deficient mandible using Herbst vs. MARA appliances. Methods: Pre-treatment and post-treatment lateral cephalometric radiographs of 34 subjects with deficient mandible (aged 9-22 years) were selected from the postgraduate orthodontic clinic archives. The cephalograms were classified into 2 groups . Group 1 (n=17) consisted of cephalograms from individuals treated with a Herbst appliance and group 2 (n=17) consisted of cephalograms from individuals treated with a MARA appliance. Each cephalogram was traced manually and the selected dentoskeletal and airway parameters were recorded for all subjects. Intraclass correlations (ICC) were performed on duplicate measures of 10 cephalograms to assess reliability. Paired t-tests were used to differences in the airway parameters from pre-treatment to post-treatment within groups. Statistical significance was set at P < 0.05. Results: ICC values were ˃0.90 for all measurements. Significant changes were recorded in ANB, N-S, ANS-PNS, Go-Gn, Overbite, Overjet, Co-ANS, Co-Gn, TFH, AFH, and LAFH for both Herbst and MARA groups. Airway parameters such as soft tissue thickness of the posterior pharyngeal wall (Ba-ad1 and Ba-ad2), anteroposterior dimension of bony nasopharynx (Ba-PNS, AA-PNS and AA-ptm), and width of the nasopharyngeal airway space (PNS-ppw1) showed statistically significant decreases in both groups. The Herbst group also showed statistically significant decrease in the sagittal depth of pharyngeal lumen at the nasopharynx and oropharynx (ptm-ad1, PNS-ad1, and PNS-ppw2) while the MARA group demonstrated a statistically significant decrease in the angle represents the anteroposterior dimension of the nasopharynx (AA-S-PNS). Conclusion: Using mandibular advancement appliance decrease significantly the upper airway dimensions. The amount of the change in the upper airway size was variable between Herbst and MARA appliances