Cannabis Smoking and Periodontal Disease Among Young Adults

Tobacco smoking is a recognized behavioral risk factor for periodontal disease (through its systemic effects), and cannabis smoking may contribute in a similar way

Inverse Simulation as a Tool for Fault Detection and Isolation in Planetary Rovers

With manned expeditions to planetary bodies beyond our own and the Moon currently intractable, the onus falls upon robotic systems to explore and analyse extraterrestrial environments such as Mars. These systems typically take the form of wheeled rovers, designed to navigate the difficult terrain of other worlds. Rovers have been used in this role since Lunokhod 1 landed on the Moon in 1970. While early rovers were remote controlled, communication latency with bodies beyond the Moon and the desire to improve mission effectiveness have resulted in increasing autonomy in planetary rovers. With an increase in autonomy, however, comes an increase in complexity. This can have a negative impact on the reliability of the rover system. With a fault-free system an unlikely prospect and human assistance millions of miles away, the rover must have a robust fault detection, isolation and recovery (FDIR) system. The need for comprehensive FDIR is demonstrated by the recent Chinese lunar rover, Yutu (or “Jade Rabbit”). Yutu was rendered immobile 42 days after landing and remained so for the duration of its operational life: 31 months. While its lifespan far exceeded its expected value, Yutu's inability to move severely impaired its ability to perform its mission. This clearly highlights the need for robust FDIR. A common approach to FDIR is through the generation and analysis of residuals. Output residuals may be obtained by comparing the outputs of the system with predictions of those outputs, obtained from a mathematical model of the system which is supplied with the system inputs. Output residuals allow simple detection and isolation of faults at the output of the system. Faults in earlier stages of the system, however, propagate through the system dynamics and can disperse amongst several of the outputs. This problem is exemplified by faults at the input, which can potentially excite every system state and thus manifest in every output residual. Methods exist for decoupling and analysing output residuals such that input faults may be isolated, however, these methods are complex and require comprehensive development and testing. A conceptually simpler approach is presented in this paper. Inverse simulation (InvSim) is a numerical method by which the inputs of a system are obtained for a desired output. It does so by using a Newton-Raphson algorithm to solve a non-linear model of the system for the input. When supplied with the outputs of a fault-afflicted system, InvSim produces the input required to drive a fault-free system to this output. The fault therefore manifests itself in this generated input signal. The InvSim-generated input may then be compared to the true system input to generate input residuals. Just as a fault at an output manifests itself in the residual for that output alone, a fault at an input similarly manifests itself only in the residual for that input. InvSim may also be used to generate residuals at other locations in the system, by considering distinct subsystems with their own inputs and outputs. This ability is tested comprehensively in this paper. Faults are applied to a simulated rover at a variety of locations within the system structure and residuals generated using both InvSim and conventional forward simulation. Residuals generated using InvSim are shown to facilitate detection and isolation of faults in several locations using simple analyses. By contrast, forward simulation requires the use of complex analytical methods such as structured residuals or adaptive thresholds

Does maternal oral health predict child oral health-related quality of life in adulthood?

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>A parental/family history of poor oral health may influence the oral-health-related quality of life (OHRQOL) of adults.</p> <p>Objectives</p> <p>To determine whether the oral health of mothers of young children can predict the OHRQOL of those same children when they reach adulthood.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Oral examination and interview data from the Dunedin Study's age-32 assessment, as well as maternal self-rated oral health data from the age-5 assessment were used. The main outcome measure was study members' short-form Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP-14) at age 32. Analyses involved 827 individuals (81.5% of the surviving cohort) dentally examined at both ages, who also completed the OHIP-14 questionnaire at age 32, and whose mothers were interviewed at the age-5 assessment.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>There was a consistent gradient of relative risk across the categories of maternal self-rated oral health status at the age-5 assessment for having one or more impacts in the overall OHIP-14 scale, whereby risk was greatest among the study members whose mothers rated their oral health as "poor/edentulous", and lowest among those with an "excellent/fairly good" rating. In addition, there was a gradient in the age-32 mean OHIP-14 score, and in the mean number of OHIP-14 impacts at age 32 across the categories of maternal self-rated oral health status. The higher risk of having one or more impacts in the psychological discomfort subscale, when mother rated her oral health as "poor/edentulous", was statistically significant.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>These data suggest that maternal self-rated oral health when a child is young has a bearing on that child's OHRQOL almost three decades later. The adult offspring of mothers with poor self-rated oral health had poorer OHRQOL outcomes, particularly in the psychological discomfort subscale.</p

Performance and cross-cultural comparison of the short-form version of the CPQ11-14 in New Zealand, Brunei and Brazil

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The Child Perception Questionnaire (CPQ_11-14) is a self-report instrument developed to measure oral-health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) in 11-14-year-olds. Earlier reports confirm that the 16-item short-form version performs adequately, but there is a need to determine the measure's validity and properties in larger and more diverse samples and settings.</p> <p>Aim</p> <p>The objective of this study was to examine the performance of the 16-item short-form impact version of the CPQ_11-14in different communities and cultures with diverse caries experience.</p> <p>Method</p> <p>Cross-sectional epidemiological surveys of child oral health were conducted in two regions of New Zealand, one region in Brunei, and one in Brazil. Children were examined for dental caries (following WHO guidelines), and OHRQoL was measured using the 16-item short-form item-impact version of the CPQ_11-14, along with two global questions on OHRQoL. Children in the 20% with the greatest caries experience (DMF score) were categorised as the highest caries quintile. Construct validity was evaluated by comparing the mean scale scores across the categories of caries experience; correlational construct validity was assessed by comparing mean scores and children's global ratings of oral health and well-being.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>There were substantial variations in caries experience among the different communities (from 1.8 in Otago to 4.9 in Northland) and in mean CPQ_11-14scores (from 11.5 in Northland to 16.8 in Brunei). In all samples, those in the most severe caries experience quintile had higher mean CPQ_11-14scores than those who were caries-free (P < 0.05). There were also greater CPQ scores in those with worse self-rated oral health, with the Otago sample presenting the most marked gradient across the response categories for self-rated oral health, from 'Excellent' to 'Fair/Poor' (9.6 to 19.7 respectively).</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The findings suggest that the 16-item short-form item impact version of the CPQ_11-14performs well across diverse cultures and levels of caries experience. Reasons for the differences in mean CPQ scores among the communities are unclear and may reflect subtle socio-cultural differences in subjective oral health among these populations, but elucidating these requires further exploration of the face and content validity of the measure in different populations.</p

Cigarette smoking and periodontal disease among 32-year-olds: a prospective study of a representative birth cohort

Smoking is recognized as the primary behavioural risk factor for periodontal attachment loss (AL), but confirmatory data from prospective cohort studies are scarce

The impact of xerostomia on oral-health-related quality of life among younger adults

BACKGROUND: Recent research has suggested that chronic dry mouth affects the day-to-day lives of older people living in institutions. The condition has usually been considered to be a feature of old age, but recent work by our team produced the somewhat surprising finding that 10% of people in their early thirties are affected. This raises the issue of whether dry mouth is a trivial condition or a more substantial threat to quality of life among younger people. The objective of this study was to examine the association between xerostomia and oral-health-related quality of life among young adults while controlling for clinical oral health status and other potential confounding factors. METHODS: Cross-sectional analysis of data from a longstanding prospective observational study of a Dunedin (New Zealand) birth cohort: clinical dental examinations and questionnaires were used at age 32. The main measures were xerostomia (the subjective feeling of dry mouth, measured with a single question) and oral-health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) measured using the short-form Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP-14). RESULTS: Of the 923 participants (48.9% female), one in ten were categorised as 'xerostomic', with no apparent gender difference. There was a strong association between xerostomia and OHRQoL (across all OHIP-14 domains) which persisted after multivariate analysis to control for clinical characteristics, gender, smoking status and personality characteristics (negative emotionality and positive emotionality). CONCLUSION: Xerostomia is not a trivial condition; it appears to have marked and consistent effects on sufferers' day-to-day lives

Group-based trajectories of maternal intake of sugar-sweetened beverage and offspring oral health from a prospective birth cohort study

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the trajectory of maternal intake of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSB) during the first five years of their child's life and its effect on the child's dental caries at five years-of-age. METHODS: This is an ongoing prospective population-based birth cohort study in Adelaide, Australia. Mothers completed questionnaires on their SSB intake, socioeconomic factors and health behaviors at the birth of their child and at the ages of one, two and five years. Child dental caries measured as decayed, missing, or filled tooth surfaces was collected by oral examination. Maternal SSB intake was used to estimate the trajectory of SSB intake. The trajectories then became the main exposure of the study. Dental caries at age five years were the primary outcomes. Adjusted mean- and prevalence-ratios were estimated for dental caries, controlling for confounders. RESULTS: 879 children had dental examinations at five years-of-age. Group-based trajectory modeling identified three trajectories of maternal SSB intake: 'Stable low' (40.8%), 'Moderate but increasing' (13.6%), and 'High early' trajectory (45.6%). Multivariable regression analysis found children of mothers in the 'High early' and 'Moderate but increasing' groups to have greater experience of dental caries (MR: 1.37 (95%CI 1.01-1.67), and 1.24 (95%CI 0.96-1.60) than those in the 'Stable low' trajectory, respectively. CONCLUSION: Maternal consumption of SSB during pregnancy and in the early postnatal period influenced their offspring's oral health. It is important to create a low-sugar environment from early childhood. The results suggest that health promotion activities need to be delivered to expecting women or soon after childbirth

Measuring the effects of listening for leisure on outcome after stroke (MELLO):A pilot randomized controlled trial of mindful music listening

Background: Cognitive deficits and low mood are common post-stroke. Music listening is suggested to have beneficial effects on cognition, while mindfulness may improve mood. Combining these approaches may enhance cognitive recovery and improve mood early post-stroke. Aims: To assess the feasibility and acceptability of a novel mindful music listening intervention. Methods: A parallel group randomized controlled feasibility trial with ischemic stroke patients, comparing three groups; mindful music listening, music listening and audiobook listening (control group), eight weeks intervention. Feasibility was measured using adherence to protocol and questionnaires. Cognition (including measures of verbal memory and attention) and mood (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale) were assessed at baseline, end of intervention and at six-months post-stroke. Results: Seventy-two participants were randomized to mindful music listening (n = 23), music listening (n = 24), or audiobook listening (n = 25). Feasibility and acceptability measures were encouraging: 94% fully consistent with protocol; 68.1% completing ≥6/8 treatment visits; 80–107% listening adherence; 83% retention to six-month endpoint. Treatment effect sizes for cognition at six month follow-up ranged from d = 0.00 ([−0.64,0.64], music alone), d = 0.31, ([0.36,0.97], mindful music) for list learning; to d = 0.58 ([0.06,1.11], music alone), d = 0.51 ([−0.07,1.09], mindful music) for immediate story recall; and d = 0.67 ([0.12,1.22], music alone), d = 0.77 ([0.16,1.38]mindful music) for attentional switching compared to audiobooks. No signal of change was seen for mood. A definitive study would require 306 participants to detect a clinically substantial difference in improvement (z-score difference = 0.66, p = 0.017, 80% power) in verbal memory (delayed story recall). Conclusions: Mindful music listening is feasible and acceptable post-stroke. Music listening interventions appear to be a promising approach to improving recovery from stroke