Factors Correlated with Post-Orthodontic Treatment Gingival Enlargement

Introduction: It has been established that gingival inflammation is exacerbated during puberty, in women taking oral contraceptives, and during pregnancy. Increased levels of sex hormones are implicated in the changes in periodontal conditions. It has also been established that treatn1ent with fixed orthodontic appliances presents a favorable situation for plaque accumulation, making oral hygiene more difficult to maintain. Therefore, it was hypothesized that adolescents receiving orthodontic therapy during their pubertal growth peak, might be more susceptible to gingival enlargement than those being treated outside of puberty. Orthodontists often seek to treat adolescent patients during their pubertal growth peak and utilize the Cervical Vertebral Maturation (CVM) Index proposed by Baccetti et al in 2005 to identify this time point. The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether orthodontic patients treated during their pubertal growth spurt, defined as cervical stage 3 - cervical stage 4 by the CVM index, are more susceptible to gingival enlargement than those treated outside of puberty. Additional factors, such as gender, race, treatment length, and initial spacing, might be correlated with the severity of gingival enlargement. Therefore, these conditions were evaluated and controlled for. Methods: A retrospective review of the records of 232 patients treated with comprehensive orthodontics between the ages of 10 and 25 years old at the Medical University of South Carolina was performed. Subjects\u27 pre-treatment intraoral photographs were evaluated from canine-canine for hygiene and amount of spacing. The final cephalograms were judged for cervical stage to indicate proximity to the pubertal growth spurt. A new method for photographically assessing gingival enlargement is proposed as part of this research and was utilized to evaluate the gingival condition in the final intraoral photographs. Statistical analysis was performed to identify factors correlated with post-orthodontic gingival enlargement, specifically: gender, ethnicity, initial hygiene, length of treatment, treatment type (space closure vs. crowding relief), and proximity to the pubertal growth spurt. Results: No correlation was found between gender, ethnicity, length of treatment, or pubertal stage and severity of gingival enlargement. Initial hygiene, amount of space, and arch (upper vs. lower) were associated with the severity of gingival enlargement. Patients with worse initial hygiene and more initial spacing exhibited greater degrees of gingival enlargement. More severe gingival enlargement was also found in the lower arch than the upper arch. Conclusions: Severity of photographically-assessed post-orthodontic gingival enlargement does not appear to be correlated with proximity to the pubertal growth spurt. Patients with poor initial hygiene and those planned for closure of anterior spacing are at risk for increased levels of gingival enlargement, especially in the lower arch. Increased efforts to manage hygiene during orthodontic treatment might be warranted in such patients

Spatial, Roadway, and Biotic Factors Associated with Barn Owl (\u3cem\u3eTyto alba\u3c/em\u3e) Mortality and Characteristics of Mortality Hotspots Along Interstates 84 and 86 in Idaho

One of the world’s highest roadway mortality rates for barn owls (Tyto alba) occurs along Interstate 84/86 (I-84/86) in southern Idaho. Although mortality occurs in numerous portions of the I-84/86 corridor, there are segments where relatively much higher numbers of owls are killed (in total comprising \u3e20% of the corridor total, hereafter “hotspots”). My objectives were to 1) identify areas of greatest mortality (hotspots), 2) understand the spatial, roadway, and biotic factors potentially contributing to barn owl-vehicle collisions and 3) assess how mortality hotspots have changed over time. If factors contributing to barn owl mortality along highways can be identified, it may be possible to find ways to reduce barn owl-vehicle collisions in this region. To do so, I conducted road surveys to identify locations of barn owl-vehicle collisions, and quantified spatial, roadway, and biotic factors along the focal highway to examine how they related to patterns of barn owl roadway mortality. I also quantified mortality hotspots to examine temporal and spatial changes between a previous survey in 2004-2006 and this study in 2013-2015. Standardized road kill surveys conducted by Than Boves from 2004 to 2006 located 812 dead barn owls. Between 2013 and 2015, I located another 550 dead barn owls. I characterized nine spatial, 19 roadway, and nine biotic variables that may potentially affect barn owl roadway mortality using squares of 1-, 3-, and 5-km lengths centered on 120 randomly selected sites along the I-84/86 corridor. I evaluated variables at each of the three scales in relation to the number of dead barn owls counted along 1- and 5-km highway segments to determine their respective best scales (either 1-, 3-, or 5-km) using Akaike Information Criterion (AICC). This approach produced two sets of models: the 1-km highway segment model set and the 5-km highway segment model set. The final variable set included 14 variables for both the 1- and 5-km model sets. I assessed the potential effects of all possible combinations of these variables within each set (spatial, roadway, and biotic) on number of dead barn owls in 1- and 5-km highway segments using Generalized Linear Models within an AICC information theoretic model selection framework and combined the variables from the top models in each variable set into a final set in which I assessed all possible combinations (a total of eight variables for the 1-km set and seven variables for the 5-km set). I averaged the variables into a final model for the 1-km set, whereas model averaging was not necessary for the 5-km set. One of the variables in the final 1-km model (width of the median) was further analyzed to determine its potential correlation with percent land cover type. In the final 1-km model set, percentage human structures, cumulative length of secondary roads (length of all roads other than I-84/86), and width of median had an inverse relationship with the number of dead barn owls/1-km segment/survey. Percent land cover type varied with the width of the median in that the median was generally wider when the highway was surrounded by shrubs (rs = 0.30, p = 0.0008) and narrower when surrounded by crops (rs= -0.24, p = 0.009). The number of dead barn owls/1-km segment/survey increased with commercial average annual daily traffic (CAADT), small mammal abundance index, and when the plant cover type in the roadside verge was grass. The final model for the 5-km model set included percentage of crops in which the number of dead barn owls/5-km segment/survey increased as the percentage of crops increased. Barn owls are associated with agricultural lands and thus less likely to occur in areas with high percentages of human structures, secondary roads, and when the median is wide in shrublands. Barn owl carcasses increased with higher small mammal abundance index values as well as when there was grass in the verges. Furthermore, the small mammal abundance index was greater in grass versus mixed shrub verges (Wilcoxon rank sum test: eastbound verge, W = 1507, p = 0.01; westbound verge, W = 2255, p I evaluated temporal and spatial changes in hotspots between survey periods using point density estimation and KDE+. Additionally, of the 120 randomly selected sites, I calculated which fell within an area delineated as a hotspot and which did not as defined by the point density estimation analysis. I compared characteristics of the two types of sites (hotspot and non-hotspot) for the 14 spatial, roadway, and biotic variables selected for final modeling. The area between Bliss and Hazelton was the section of I-84/86 with the highest rates of barn owl-vehicle collisions in both surveys, although particular hotspots did exhibit some expansions and contractions between 2004-2006 and 2013-2015. Two of the historical hotspots no longer appeared as hotspots in the recent surveys indicating they perhaps have shifted or were so fatal they reduced the local barn owl population and thus no longer appear as hotspots. Therefore, these historical hotspots may still be important mortality zones and important for future mitigation consideration as the hotspots potentially have reduced the barn owl population in these areas. The most important difference between hotspots and other sites was the higher number of secondary roads (Wilcoxon rank sum test: W = 613, p = 0.001) and higher traffic volume (W = 600, p = 0.002) in hotspots. However, hotspots were also generally situated close to the Snake River Canyon and other water features which should have more prey, provide nesting and/or roosting sites, and attract owls; had low slopes (level terrain) which would allow owls to fly low to the pavement; narrow medians (correlated with cropland); and flexible rather than rigid pavement type (potentially related to noise level), and did not contain the highest number of dairies (which should attract owls to their higher rodent populations). The hotspots were also in regions of I-84/86 with moderate to high small mammal abundance and features that should correlate with higher rodent abundance: low percentages of human structures near the highway, grass cover types in the median and verges, high percentages of crops, and few obstructions to low flight. Mortality hotspots along I-84/86 were generally devoid of low flying obstructions, so establishing barriers to low flight may be an effective technique to reduce barn owl-vehicle collisions. Reducing small mammals in verges and median vegetation could also potentially reduce barn owl mortality. Because I found fewer small mammals in areas with shrubs, establishing taller shrub vegetation may reduce small mammal habitat and reduce hunting success, encouraging owls to hunt elsewhere. Reducing wildlife-collisions involving barn owls in Idaho is important for motorist safety and would be an important step in ensuring the persistence of this avian species

Ultrasound of the knee during voluntary quadriceps contraction: A technique for detecting otherwise occult effusions

Objective To describe 1) a technique that can detect synovial effusions not seen on static ultrasound (US) examination and 2) the characteristics of patients with knee osteoarthritis (OA) for whom this technique proved useful. Methods From reviewed records of 76 patients with knee OA (112 knees) that we had seen for US-guided injections over a defined period, we found 45 knees with no detectable effusion on static US, of which 18 (14 patients) showed fluid when scanned during voluntary quadriceps contraction. For all patients, we had recorded effusion features (physical examination, presence and size on US), and success of joint entry was determined by getting synovial fluid and/or seeing an air echo or inflow of injected material. Results The 14 patients we studied were obese (mean ± SEM body mass index 32.7 ± 2.3 kg/m 2 ; 3 morbidly obese), with moderate to severe OA by radiography in most (Kellgren/Lawrence class 3 or 4 in 10 of 14 knees for which radiographs were available). The suprapatellar synovial space seen by US was small (mean ± SEM depth 0.38 ± 0.04 cm). Arthrocentesis obtained 0.5–16 ml of synovial fluid (mean ± SEM 2.9 ± 0.6 ml), which correlated with the depth of effusion as seen on US with the quadriceps in maximum contraction (Spearman's Ρ = 0.5597, P = 0.0157). In 4 knees where arthrocentesis failed to retrieve fluid, we observed at injection the inflow of material and a linear air echo. Conclusion US of the knee during voluntary quadriceps contraction can find effusions not detectable on static US. Such effusions provide targets for accurate aspiration and injection that would not be appreciated with static US.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/75770/1/20047_ftp.pd

Bacteria Monitoring in the Upper Illinois River Watershed

This project focuses on the Upper Illinois River Watershed (UIRW; HUC 11110103), which is within the Boston Mountains and Ozark Highlands ecoregions in northwest Arkansas. Headwaters of the Illinois River originate near Hogeye, Arkansas and flow north through Savoy, then west into Oklahoma near Watts. The UIRW drains an area of 1952 km2 , of which 50.3% is pasture and grassland, 35.9% is forest, 8.8% is urban and suburban, 4.3% is transitional and 0.3% is water (Arkansaswater.org, 2015). Land use throughout the watershed is also changing, with increases in residential, commercial and industrial development. The IRW has been designated a priority watershed for the Arkansas Natural Resources Commission (ANRC) 319 Nonpoint Source Program

Comparison of branded rugby headguards on their effectiveness in reducing impact on the head

Aim: To compare the available brands of rugby headguards and evaluate their impact attenuation properties at various locations on the cranium, with regard to concussion prevention.Methods: Seven different branded headguards were fitted onto a rigid headform and drop-tested in three different positions. An accelerometer measured the linear acceleration the headform experienced on impact with the ground. Each test involved dropping the headform from a height that generated 103.8 g on average when bare, which is the closest acceleration to the upper limit of the concussion threshold of 100 g. A mean peak acceleration for each drop position was calculated and compared with the bare baseline measurement.Results: Each headguard demonstrated a significant decrease in the mean peak acceleration from the baseline value (all p≤0.01). Overall the Canterbury Ventilator was the most effective headguard, decreasing the impact force on average by 47%. The least effective was the XBlades Elite headguard, averaging a force reduction of 27%. In five of the seven headguards, the right side of the headwear was the most effective at reducing impact force.Conclusion: Overall, the results indicate that it would be beneficial to wear a headguard during rugby in order to reduce the impact forces involved in head collisions. There was also a clear difference in performance between the tested brands, establishing the Canterbury headguard as the most effective. However, only one model of headguard from each brand was tested, so further research evaluating all other models should be considered.</p

Measuring freshwater aquatic ecosystems: The need for a hyperspectral global mapping satellite mission

AbstractFreshwater ecosystems underpin global water and food security, yet are some of the most endangered ecosystems in the world because they are particularly vulnerable to land management change and climate variability. The US National Research Council's guidance to NASA regarding missions for the coming decade includes a polar orbiting, global mapping hyperspectral satellite remote sensing mission, the Hyperspectral Infrared Imager (HyspIRI), to make quantitative measurements of ecosystem change. Traditionally, freshwater ecosystems have been challenging to measure with satellite remote sensing because they are small and spatially complex, require high fidelity spectroradiometry, and are best described with biophysical variables derived from high spectral resolution data. In this study, we evaluate the contribution of a hyperspectral global mapping satellite mission to measuring freshwater ecosystems. We demonstrate the need for such a mission, and evaluate the suitability and gaps, through an examination of the measurement resolution issues impacting freshwater ecosystem measurements (spatial, temporal, spectral and radiometric). These are exemplified through three case studies that use remote sensing to characterize a component of freshwater ecosystems that drive primary productivity. The high radiometric quality proposed for the HyspIRI mission makes it uniquely well designed for measuring freshwater ecosystems accurately at moderate to high spatial resolutions. The spatial and spectral resolutions of the HyspIRI mission are well suited for the retrieval of multiple biophysical variables, such as phycocyanin and chlorophyll-a. The effective temporal resolution is suitable for characterizing growing season wetland phenology in temperate regions, but may not be appropriate for tracking algal bloom dynamics, or ecosystem responses to extreme events in monsoonal regions. Global mapping missions provide the systematic, repeated measurements necessary to measure the drivers of freshwater biodiversity change. Archival global mapping missions with open access and free data policies increase end user uptake globally. Overall, an archival, hyperspectral global mapping mission uniquely meets the measurement requirements of multiple end users for freshwater ecosystem science and management

Returning home: heritage work among the Stl'atl'imx of the Lower Lillooet River Valley

This article focusses on heritage practices in the tensioned landscape of the Stl’atl’imx (pronounced Stat-lee-um) people of the Lower Lillooet River Valley, British Columbia, Canada. Displaced from their traditional territories and cultural traditions through the colonial encounter, they are enacting, challenging and remaking their heritage as part of their long term goal to reclaim their land and return ‘home’. I draw on three examples of their heritage work: graveyard cleaning, the shifting ‘official’/‘unofficial’ heritage of a wagon road, and marshalling of the mountain named Nsvq’ts (pronounced In-SHUCK-ch) in order to illustrate how the past is strategically mobilised in order to substantiate positions in the present. While this paper focusses on heritage in an Indigenous and postcolonial context, I contend that the dynamics of heritage practices outlined here are applicable to all heritage practices