Cost analysis of patients treated with fixed and twin block appliances : part 2

A person’s quality of life (QoL) can be affected with poor oral health.1 Measurement of oral health related quality of life (OHRQoL) helps professionals clarify the role of oral health status on the overall quality of life.2 It also assists in clinical decisions taking into account patients’ needs and serves as an effective communication mechanism with policy makers.3,4 Consequently modern healthcare systems should address patient’s health complaints, taking into consideration the impact of patients’ illness on quality of life.5 Modern dental procedures endeavour to improve patients’ quality of life. Orthodontic treatment based on purely clinical and functional perceptions may not fully address patients’ concerns. Patients and their parents have been shown to share similar treatment expectations, although parents reported more realistic prospects. Ethnicity significantly influences expectations for orthodontic treatment, and this may relate to differences in the patients’ and parents’ assessment of the clinical outcome. In the previous paper (part 1), the impact of fixed and Twin block appliances on. OHRQoL was assessed, both groups demonstrated significant improvement toward the end of the treatment. However, in the current paper the economic analysis for Twin block and fixed appliances was performed. Economic evaluation is widely used and well accepted in the appraisal of health care. However in the field of orthodontics, there have been relatively few economic analyses performed.peer-reviewe

The Grizzly, March 4, 1983

Zeta Chi Suspended: Fraternity Disciplined for Pledging Violations • Symposium Topics Discussed • New Forum Committee to Revise System • Letters to the Editor: Alumnus Responds to Grizzly Policy • Committee Reviews Appeals Procedure • Meistersingers Tour • Exam Schedule • Woodcuts at Myrin • Stravinsky Program Ends Winterfest • Lantern Deadline Approaches • Lewis on Wall Street • Alpha Sigma Nu Tops GPAs • Roving Reporter: The Administration is Proposing to put a Live-in Dean in 97 of New Men\u27s Dorm • Pre-Legal Society Resurrected • Swimmers Perform Beyond Expectation • Bear Blades Blaze to Victory • Gymnasts Draw No. 2 Ratinghttps://digitalcommons.ursinus.edu/grizzlynews/1096/thumbnail.jp

Less-than-lethal "flashbang" diversionary device.

Diversionary devices such as flashbang grenades are used in a wide variety of military and law-enforcement operations. They function to distract and/or incapacitate adversaries in scenarios ranging from hostage rescue to covert strategic paralysis operations. There are a number of disadvantages associated with currently available diversionary devices. Serious injuries and fatalities have resulted from their use both operationally and in training. Because safety is of paramount importance, desired improvements to these devices include protection against inadvertent initiation, the elimination of the production of high-velocity fragments, less damaging decibel output and increased light output. Sandia National Laboratories has developed a next-generation diversionary flash-bang device that will provide the end user with these enhanced safety features

A network analysis to identify mediators of germline-driven differences in breast cancer prognosis

cited By 0Identifying the underlying genetic drivers of the heritability of breast cancer prognosis remains elusive. We adapt a network-based approach to handle underpowered complex datasets to provide new insights into the potential function of germline variants in breast cancer prognosis. This network-based analysis studies similar to 7.3 million variants in 84,457 breast cancer patients in relation to breast cancer survival and confirms the results on 12,381 independent patients. Aggregating the prognostic effects of genetic variants across multiple genes, we identify four gene modules associated with survival in estrogen receptor (ER)-negative and one in ER-positive disease. The modules show biological enrichment for cancer-related processes such as G-alpha signaling, circadian clock, angiogenesis, and Rho-GTPases in apoptosis.Peer reviewe

Transcriptome-wide association study of breast cancer risk by estrogen-receptor status

Previous transcriptome-wide association studies (TWAS) have identified breast cancer risk genes by integrating data from expression quantitative loci and genome-wide association studies (GWAS), but analyses of breast cancer subtype-specific associations have been limited. In this study, we conducted a TWAS using gene expression data from GTEx and summary statistics from the hitherto largest GWAS meta-analysis conducted for breast cancer overall, and by estrogen receptor subtypes (ER+ and ER-). We further compared associations with ER+ and ER- subtypes, using a case-only TWAS approach. We also conducted multigene conditional analyses in regions with multiple TWAS associations. Two genes, STXBP4 and HIST2H2BA, were specifically associated with ER+ but not with ER- breast cancer. We further identified 30 TWAS-significant genes associated with overall breast cancer risk, including four that were not identified in previous studies. Conditional analyses identified single independent breast-cancer gene in three of six regions harboring multiple TWAS-significant genes. Our study provides new information on breast cancer genetics and biology, particularly about genomic differences between ER+ and ER- breast cancer.Peer reviewe

Identification of 12 new susceptibility loci for different histotypes of epithelial ovarian cancer.

To identify common alleles associated with different histotypes of epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC), we pooled data from multiple genome-wide genotyping projects totaling 25,509 EOC cases and 40,941 controls. We identified nine new susceptibility loci for different EOC histotypes: six for serous EOC histotypes (3q28, 4q32.3, 8q21.11, 10q24.33, 18q11.2 and 22q12.1), two for mucinous EOC (3q22.3 and 9q31.1) and one for endometrioid EOC (5q12.3). We then performed meta-analysis on the results for high-grade serous ovarian cancer with the results from analysis of 31,448 BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutation carriers, including 3,887 mutation carriers with EOC. This identified three additional susceptibility loci at 2q13, 8q24.1 and 12q24.31. Integrated analyses of genes and regulatory biofeatures at each locus predicted candidate susceptibility genes, including OBFC1, a new candidate susceptibility gene for low-grade and borderline serous EOC

An original phylogenetic approach identified mitochondrial haplogroup T1a1 as inversely associated with breast cancer risk in BRCA2 mutation carriers

Introduction: Individuals carrying pathogenic mutations in the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes have a high lifetime risk of breast cancer. BRCA1 and BRCA2 are involved in DNA double-strand break repair, DNA alterations that can be caused by exposure to reactive oxygen species, a main source of which are mitochondria. Mitochondrial genome variations affect electron transport chain efficiency and reactive oxygen species production. Individuals with different mitochondrial haplogroups differ in their metabolism and sensitivity to oxidative stress. Variability in mitochondrial genetic background can alter reactive oxygen species production, leading to cancer risk. In the present study, we tested the hypothesis that mitochondrial haplogroups modify breast cancer risk in BRCA1/2 mutation carriers. Methods: We genotyped 22,214 (11,421 affected, 10,793 unaffected) mutation carriers belonging to the Consortium of Investigators of Modifiers of BRCA1/2 for 129 mitochondrial polymorphisms using the iCOGS array. Haplogroup inference and association detection were performed using a phylogenetic approach. ALTree was applied to explore the reference mitochondrial evolutionary tree and detect subclades enriched in affected or unaffected individuals. Results: We discovered that subclade T1a1 was depleted in affected BRCA2 mutation carriers compared with the rest of clade T (hazard ratio (HR) = 0.55; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.34 to 0.88; P = 0.01). Compared with the most frequent haplogroup in the general population (that is, H and T clades), the T1a1 haplogroup has a HR of 0.62 (95% CI, 0.40 to 0.95; P = 0.03). We also identified three potential susceptibility loci, including G13708A/rs28359178, which has demonstrated an inverse association with familial breast cancer risk. Conclusions: This study illustrates how original approaches such as the phylogeny-based method we used can empower classical molecular epidemiological studies aimed at identifying association or risk modification effects.Peer reviewe

When does old age begin? The role of attitudes in age parameter placement

This research examined the influence of a person’s age and their attitudes towards ageing in their placement of age parameters, and in particular, their placement of the beginning of old age. Previous research has shown that as an individual’s age increases, their parameter for the beginning of old age is placed further along the lifespan. Two groups (young and middle-aged adults) were recruited to test the hypothesis that an individual’s attitude towards old age will mediate the relationship between age and the placement of this age parameter, such that the middle-aged group will hold more negative attitudes towards old age causing them to place the parameter further away. Results showed that middle-aged adults were, in fact, more optimistic towards old age than young adults. Despite this unanticipated finding, the mediation model was tested and found to be valid. Thus, middle-aged people were more optimistic towards old age and this caused them to place the age parameter further down the lifespan. Two possible explanations were suggested: an increase in contact with counterstereotypical older adults, and a possible confounding effect of optimism towards living a long life. Policy implications were discussed