Occlusal and dentofacial characteristics of the deciduous dentition and treatment effects of the eruption guidance appliance in the early mixed dentition

The aim of this investigation was to analyze the dental occlusion in the deciduous dentition, and the effects of orthodontic treatment carried out in the early mixed dentition with the eruption guidance appliance. The deciduous occlusion and craniofacial morphology of 486 children (244 girls and 242 boys) were investigated at the onset of the mixed dentition period (mean age 5.1 years, range 4.0-7.8 years). Treatment in the treatment group and follow-up in the control group were started when the first deciduous incisor was exfoliated (T1) and ended when all permanent incisors and first molars were fully erupted (T2). The mean age of the children was 5.1 years (SD 0.5) at T1 and 8.4 years (SD 0.5) at T2. Treatment was carried out with the eruption guidance appliance. Occlusal changes that took place in 167 children were compared with those of 104 untreated control children. Pre- and post-treatment cephalometric radiographs were taken, and the craniofacial morphology of 115 consecutively treated children was compared with that of 104 control children. The prevalence of malocclusion in the deciduous dentition was 68% or 93% depending on how the cut-off value between the acceptable and non-acceptable occlusal characteristic was defined. The early dentofacial features of children with distal occlusion, large overjet and deepbite differed from those with normal occlusion. However, the skeletal pattern of these three malocclusions showed considerable similarity each being characterized by a retrusive mandible, small maxillo-mandibular difference, convex profile, retrusive lower incisors, and large interincisal angle. In the treatment group, overjet and overbite decreased significantly from T1 to T2. Following treatment, a tooth-to-tooth contact was found in 99% of the treated children but only in 24% of the controls. A Class I molar relationship was observed in 90% of the children in the treatment group, and in 48% in the control group. Good alignment of the incisors was observed in 98% of the treated children, whereas upper crowding was found in 32% and lower crowding in 47% of the controls. A significant difference between the groups was found in the mandibular length, midfacial length and maxillo-mandibular differential. The occlusal correction, brought about by the eruption guidance appliance, was achieved mainly through changes in the dentoalveolar region of the mandible. In addition, the appliance seemed to enhance the growth of the mandible. Treatment in the early mixed dentition using the eruption guidance appliance is an effective method to normalize occlusion and reduce further need of orthodontic treatment. Only few spontaneous corrective changes can be expected without active intervention.Siirretty Doriast

Ilmastonmuutos ja Suomen arktinen identiteetti verkkomediassa

Tutkimuksen tavoitteena on selvittää, miten Suomesta puhutaan verkkomediassa arktisen alueen ilmastonmuutoksen yhteydessä. Tutkimusaineisto koostuu yhteensä 111 julkaistusta, jotka on kerätty Helsingin Sanomien, Yleisradio Oy:n ja Lapin Kansan verkkosivuilta sekä Twitter-mikroblogipalvelun käyttäjätileiltä. Aineisto ajoittuu vuoteen 2015. Tutkimuksessa yhdistän kehysanalyysin ja diskurssianalyysin menetelmiä. Selvitän kehysanalyysin avulla, miten verkkomediassa julkiseen keskusteluun nousevat arktiseen alueen ilmastonmuutokseen liittyvät asiat asemoivat Suomen arktiseksi valtioksi. Diskurssianalyysin keinoilla tarkastelen sitä, millä tavoin tässä keskustelussa rakennetaan Suomen arktista identiteettiä. Aineistosta tunnistettiin kolme kehystä, joissa puhutaan Suomesta arktisessa ilmastonmuutoskeskustelussa. Nämä kehykset ovat poliittis-taloudellinen kehys, luontokehys sekä tieteellis-tutkimuksellinen kehys. Diskurssien analyysi tuotti seitsemän diskurssia, joilla arktista Suomea merkityksellistetään verkkomedian ilmastonmuutoskehyksissä. Nämä diskurssit ovat ilmaston ja ympäristön turmelija -diskurssi, mahdollisuuksien maa -diskurssi, epäselvät keinot -diskurssi, Yhdysvaltain ihailija -diskurssi, vaaran mahdollisuus -diskurssi, ainutlaatuisesti arktinen -diskurssi sekä muukalaisdiskurssi. Tutkimuksesta kävi ilmi, että verkkomediassa käytävässä ilmastonmuutoskeskustelussa rakennetaan Suomen arktista identiteettiä. Arktisen identiteetin idea ei kuitenkaan ole yhtenäinen. Niin ikään Suomen roolia arktisessa ilmastonmuutoksessa pidetään ristiriitaisena ja epäselvänä eikä Suomesta puhuta sosiaalisista ja kulttuurisista näkökulmista. Tutkimus paljasti myös sen, että Suomen roolia ja identiteettiä arktisessa ilmastonmuutoskeskustelussa määrittelevät verkkomediassa pääasiassa journalistit, ympäristö-, luonnonsuojelu- ja ilmastojärjestöt ja aktivistit, tutkijat ja tiedeinstituutit, kansalaiset sekä poliitikot.fi=Opinnäytetyö kokotekstinä PDF-muodossa.|en=Thesis fulltext in PDF format.|sv=Lärdomsprov tillgängligt som fulltext i PDF-format

Perinatal factors and high-sensitive C-reactive protein levels during adolescence

Objective: To examine whether perinatal factors are associated with low-grade inflammation measured by high-sensitivity C-reactive protein levels during adolescence. Methods: Nested case-control study of 125 teenagers who were born by Cesarean delivery and had high-sensitivity C-reactive protein levels determined at 15-17 years. Data on obstetric and perinatal factors were recorded prospectively at the time of their birth. Results: Median values of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein were significantly higher in teenagers, who were born as large for gestational age or with maternal diabetes compared to others (2.54 vs 0.34 mg/L; p < 0.024), and born during spring or summer compared to those born during winter or autumn (0.48 vs 0.27 mg/L; p < 0.023). No other perinatal associations were detected (for ex. such as electivity of operation, onset of labor, rupture of fetal membranes, cervical dilatation at delivery, gestational age, Apgar scores at 5 min, umbilical blood pH value, administration of neonatal antibiotics or need of neonatal intensive care treatment) in CRP levels. Further, teenagers with current body mass index in the highest tertile, regular medication for chronic disease and girls using oral contraceptives had significantly higher high-sensitivity C-reactive protein levels than others. Conclusion: Prenatal exposures such as maternal metabolic environment and seasonality may have longterm effects on the low-grade inflammation and later cardiometabolic risks. Seasonality might be partly explained by maternal vitamin D levels during pregnancy, and thus future efforts are warranted to ensure sufficient vitamin D availability during pregnancy. Surprisingly, no other significant associations were detected between perinatal characteristics and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein levels.Peer reviewe

Reduction of inflammation by high-dose methylprednisolone does not attenuate oxidative stress in children undergoing bidirectional Glenn procedure with or without aortic arch or pulmonary arterial repair

Objective Corticosteroids attenuate inflammatory reaction in pediatric heart surgery. Inflammation is a source of free oxygen radicals. Children with a cyanotic heart defect are prone to increased radical stress during heart surgery. We hypothesized that high-dose methylprednisolone reduces inflammatory reaction and thereby also oxidative stress in infants with a univentricular heart defect undergoing bidirectional Glenn procedure. Design A double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized clinical trial. Setting Operation theatre and pediatric intensive care unit of a university hospital. Participants Twenty-nine infants undergoing bidirectional Glenn procedure with or without aortic arch or pulmonary arterial repair. Interventions After anesthesia induction, the patients received intravenously either 30 mg/kg of methylprednisolone (n=15) or the same volume of saline as placebo (n=14). Measurements and Main Results Plasma interleukin-6, interleukin-8 and interleukin-10 (biomarkers of inflammation) as well as 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine concentrations (a biomarker of oxidative stress) were measured at four different time points: preoperatively, during CPB, after protamine administration, and six hours postoperatively. The study parameters did not differ between the study groups preoperatively. Methylprednisolone reduced the pro-inflammatory cytokines interleukin-6 and interleukin-8 and increased the anti-inflammatory cytokine interleukin-10 postoperatively. Despite reduced inflammation, there were no differences in 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine between the methylprednisolone and placebo groups. Conclusions Pro-inflammatory reaction and increase in free radical stress were not interrelated during congenital heart surgery in cyanotic infants with a univentricular heart defect undergoing bidirectional Glenn procedure. High-dose methylprednisolone was ineffective in attenuating free radical stress.Peer reviewe

Parental smoking and cessation during pregnancy and the risk of childhood asthma

Background: To evaluate the association between maternal and paternal smoking during pregnancy, and asthma among offspring. Methods: We conducted a hospital-based birth retrospective observational birth cohort study in a University-based Obstetrics and Gynecology Department, Kuopio University Hospital, Finland. 39 306 women, delivering between 1989 and 2006, were linked to the national register for asthma reimbursement for their offspring (2641 asthmatics). Pregnancy factors were recorded during pregnancy. Results: The risk of asthma was significantly elevated if both parents smoked (aOR 3.7; 95 % Cl 3.2-4.4) and it remained high in only paternal smoking families (aOR 2.9; 95 % Cl 2.5-3.3) as well as only maternal smoking families (aOR 1.7; 95 % Cl 1.2-2.2). Paternal cessation of smoking during pregnancy seemed to reduce the risk of asthma regardless of maternal smoking (aOR 0.3-0.4). Conclusions: Parental smoking, and especially paternal smoking, was significantly associated with the risk of asthma in offspring and paternal cessation of smoking during pregnancy was associated with a decreased risk of childhood asthma regardless of maternal smoking. The results indicate that both parents should be encouraged to quit smoking during pregnancy, since it is a relatively easy and cheap way to reduce the risk of asthma in offspring.Peer reviewe

Environmental Intolerance, Symptoms and Disability Among Fertile-Aged Women

The purpose was to study the prevalence of environmental intolerance (EI) and its different manifestations, including behavioral changes and disability. Fertile-aged women (n = 680) of the Kuopio Birth Cohort Study were asked about annoyance to 12 environmental factors, symptoms and behavioral changes. We asked how much the intolerance had disrupted their work, household responsibilities or social life. We chose intolerance attributed to chemicals, indoor molds, and electromagnetic fields to represent typical intolerance entities. Of the respondents, 46% reported annoyance to chemicals, molds, or electromagnetic fields. Thirty-three percent reported symptoms relating to at least one of these three EIs, 18% reported symptoms that included central nervous system symptoms, and 15% reported behavioral changes. Indicating disability, 8.4% reported their experience relating to any of the three EIs as at least "somewhat difficult", 2.2% "very difficult" or "extremely difficult", and 0.9% "extremely difficult". Of the latter 2.2%, all attributed their intolerance to indoor molds, and two thirds also to chemicals. As the number of difficulties increased, the number of organ systems, behavioral changes and overlaps of the three EIs also grew. EI is a heterogeneous phenomenon and its prevalence depends on its definition. The manifestations of EI form a continuum, ranging from annoyance to severe disability.Peer reviewe

Etiology, syndrome diagnosis, and cognition in childhood-onset epilepsy: A population-based study

Peer reviewe