Correlation between Psychomotor Skills and Some Academic Scores of Dental Students: A Longitudinal Study

Background & Objective: The profession of dentistry necessitates the proficiency of students not only in theoretical knowledge, but also in psychomotor skills. Many dentistry skills, in addition to theoretical courses, are taught through practical courses. The aim of the present research was to investigate the correlation between psychomotor skills and academic scores from theoretical and practical courses among a group of dental students. Methods: In this study, the psychomotor skills of 33 dental students in their first term in 2010 and before taking any practical courses were evaluated through a practical test. After being presented with an image, the students were asked to build a sample of that image with a certain type of dough, in a determined duration of time, and simultaneously. Each student’s work was evaluated separately by professors of the Department of Pediatric Dentistry. The mean of the scores given by 6 professors was considered as the psychomotor skill score of the participants. After 3 years, the scores were compared with those obtained by the same students from theoretical and practical lessons of Endodontics 1 and Restorative Dentistry 1. The partial correlation coefficient was used to determine the correlation between the scores. Results: There was a significant correlation between the practical test score and the practical Endodontics (r = 0.51, P = 0.020) and Restorative Dentistry (r = 0.35, P = 0.040) scores. However, no significant correlation was observed between practical test scores and theoretical Endodontics and Restorative Dentistry scores. Conclusion: There is a significant correlation between dental students’ psychomotor skills and the scores of their practical courses. Practical examination at the time of the students’ entrance into the university or enhancement of their psychomotor skills may improve their work. Keywords: Psychomotor skills; Dental students; Practical score

Characterization of tumor heterogeneity using dynamic contrast enhanced CT and FDG-PET in non-small cell lung cancer

AbstractPurposeDynamic contrast-enhanced CT (DCE-CT) quantifies vasculature properties of tumors, whereas static FDG-PET/CT defines metabolic activity. Both imaging modalities are capable of showing intra-tumor heterogeneity. We investigated differences in vasculature properties within primary non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) tumors measured by DCE-CT and metabolic activity from FDG-PET/CT.MethodsThirty three NSCLC patients were analyzed prior to treatment. FDG-PET/CT and DCE-CT were co-registered. The tumor was delineated and metabolic activity was segmented on the FDG-PET/CT in two regions: low (<50% maximum SUV) and high (⩾50% maximum SUV) metabolic uptake. Blood flow, blood volume and permeability were calculated using a maximum slope, deconvolution algorithm and a Patlak model. Correlations were assessed between perfusion parameters for the regions of interest.ResultsDCE-CT provided additional information on vasculature and tumor heterogeneity that was not correlated to metabolic tumor activity. There was no significant difference between low and high metabolic active regions for any of the DCE-CT parameters. Furthermore, only moderate correlations between maximum SUV and DCE-CT parameters were observed.ConclusionsNo direct correlation was observed between FDG-uptake and parameters extracted from DCE-CT. DCE-CT may provide complementary information to the characterization of primary NSCLC tumors over FDG-PET/CT imaging

Global age-sex-specific mortality, life expectancy, and population estimates in 204 countries and territories and 811 subnational locations, 1950–2021, and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic: a comprehensive demographic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021

Background: Estimates of demographic metrics are crucial to assess levels and trends of population health outcomes. The profound impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on populations worldwide has underscored the need for timely estimates to understand this unprecedented event within the context of long-term population health trends. The Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2021 provides new demographic estimates for 204 countries and territories and 811 additional subnational locations from 1950 to 2021, with a particular emphasis on changes in mortality and life expectancy that occurred during the 2020–21 COVID-19 pandemic period. Methods: 22 223 data sources from vital registration, sample registration, surveys, censuses, and other sources were used to estimate mortality, with a subset of these sources used exclusively to estimate excess mortality due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 2026 data sources were used for population estimation. Additional sources were used to estimate migration; the effects of the HIV epidemic; and demographic discontinuities due to conflicts, famines, natural disasters, and pandemics, which are used as inputs for estimating mortality and population. Spatiotemporal Gaussian process regression (ST-GPR) was used to generate under-5 mortality rates, which synthesised 30 763 location-years of vital registration and sample registration data, 1365 surveys and censuses, and 80 other sources. ST-GPR was also used to estimate adult mortality (between ages 15 and 59 years) based on information from 31 642 location-years of vital registration and sample registration data, 355 surveys and censuses, and 24 other sources. Estimates of child and adult mortality rates were then used to generate life tables with a relational model life table system. For countries with large HIV epidemics, life tables were adjusted using independent estimates of HIV-specific mortality generated via an epidemiological analysis of HIV prevalence surveys, antenatal clinic serosurveillance, and other data sources. Excess mortality due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and 2021 was determined by subtracting observed all-cause mortality (adjusted for late registration and mortality anomalies) from the mortality expected in the absence of the pandemic. Expected mortality was calculated based on historical trends using an ensemble of models. In location-years where all-cause mortality data were unavailable, we estimated excess mortality rates using a regression model with covariates pertaining to the pandemic. Population size was computed using a Bayesian hierarchical cohort component model. Life expectancy was calculated using age-specific mortality rates and standard demographic methods. Uncertainty intervals (UIs) were calculated for every metric using the 25th and 975th ordered values from a 1000-draw posterior distribution. Findings: Global all-cause mortality followed two distinct patterns over the study period: age-standardised mortality rates declined between 1950 and 2019 (a 62·8% [95% UI 60·5–65·1] decline), and increased during the COVID-19 pandemic period (2020–21; 5·1% [0·9–9·6] increase). In contrast with the overall reverse in mortality trends during the pandemic period, child mortality continued to decline, with 4·66 million (3·98–5·50) global deaths in children younger than 5 years in 2021 compared with 5·21 million (4·50–6·01) in 2019. An estimated 131 million (126–137) people died globally from all causes in 2020 and 2021 combined, of which 15·9 million (14·7–17·2) were due to the COVID-19 pandemic (measured by excess mortality, which includes deaths directly due to SARS-CoV-2 infection and those indirectly due to other social, economic, or behavioural changes associated with the pandemic). Excess mortality rates exceeded 150 deaths per 100 000 population during at least one year of the pandemic in 80 countries and territories, whereas 20 nations had a negative excess mortality rate in 2020 or 2021, indicating that all-cause mortality in these countries was lower during the pandemic than expected based on historical trends. Between 1950 and 2021, global life expectancy at birth increased by 22·7 years (20·8–24·8), from 49·0 years (46·7–51·3) to 71·7 years (70·9–72·5). Global life expectancy at birth declined by 1·6 years (1·0–2·2) between 2019 and 2021, reversing historical trends. An increase in life expectancy was only observed in 32 (15·7%) of 204 countries and territories between 2019 and 2021. The global population reached 7·89 billion (7·67–8·13) people in 2021, by which time 56 of 204 countries and territories had peaked and subsequently populations have declined. The largest proportion of population growth between 2020 and 2021 was in sub-Saharan Africa (39·5% [28·4–52·7]) and south Asia (26·3% [9·0–44·7]). From 2000 to 2021, the ratio of the population aged 65 years and older to the population aged younger than 15 years increased in 188 (92·2%) of 204 nations. Interpretation: Global adult mortality rates markedly increased during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and 2021, reversing past decreasing trends, while child mortality rates continued to decline, albeit more slowly than in earlier years. Although COVID-19 had a substantial impact on many demographic indicators during the first 2 years of the pandemic, overall global health progress over the 72 years evaluated has been profound, with considerable improvements in mortality and life expectancy. Additionally, we observed a deceleration of global population growth since 2017, despite steady or increasing growth in lower-income countries, combined with a continued global shift of population age structures towards older ages. These demographic changes will likely present future challenges to health systems, economies, and societies. The comprehensive demographic estimates reported here will enable researchers, policy makers, health practitioners, and other key stakeholders to better understand and address the profound changes that have occurred in the global health landscape following the first 2 years of the COVID-19 pandemic, and longer-term trends beyond the pandemic

Global age-sex-specific mortality, life expectancy, and population estimates in 204 countries and territories and 811 subnational locations, 1950–2021, and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic: a comprehensive demographic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021

BACKGROUND: Estimates of demographic metrics are crucial to assess levels and trends of population health outcomes. The profound impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on populations worldwide has underscored the need for timely estimates to understand this unprecedented event within the context of long-term population health trends. The Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2021 provides new demographic estimates for 204 countries and territories and 811 additional subnational locations from 1950 to 2021, with a particular emphasis on changes in mortality and life expectancy that occurred during the 2020–21 COVID-19 pandemic period. METHODS: 22 223 data sources from vital registration, sample registration, surveys, censuses, and other sources were used to estimate mortality, with a subset of these sources used exclusively to estimate excess mortality due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 2026 data sources were used for population estimation. Additional sources were used to estimate migration; the effects of the HIV epidemic; and demographic discontinuities due to conflicts, famines, natural disasters, and pandemics, which are used as inputs for estimating mortality and population. Spatiotemporal Gaussian process regression (ST-GPR) was used to generate under-5 mortality rates, which synthesised 30 763 location-years of vital registration and sample registration data, 1365 surveys and censuses, and 80 other sources. ST-GPR was also used to estimate adult mortality (between ages 15 and 59 years) based on information from 31 642 location-years of vital registration and sample registration data, 355 surveys and censuses, and 24 other sources. Estimates of child and adult mortality rates were then used to generate life tables with a relational model life table system. For countries with large HIV epidemics, life tables were adjusted using independent estimates of HIV-specific mortality generated via an epidemiological analysis of HIV prevalence surveys, antenatal clinic serosurveillance, and other data sources. Excess mortality due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and 2021 was determined by subtracting observed all-cause mortality (adjusted for late registration and mortality anomalies) from the mortality expected in the absence of the pandemic. Expected mortality was calculated based on historical trends using an ensemble of models. In location-years where all-cause mortality data were unavailable, we estimated excess mortality rates using a regression model with covariates pertaining to the pandemic. Population size was computed using a Bayesian hierarchical cohort component model. Life expectancy was calculated using age-specific mortality rates and standard demographic methods. Uncertainty intervals (UIs) were calculated for every metric using the 25th and 975th ordered values from a 1000-draw posterior distribution. FINDINGS: Global all-cause mortality followed two distinct patterns over the study period: age-standardised mortality rates declined between 1950 and 2019 (a 62·8% [95% UI 60·5–65·1] decline), and increased during the COVID-19 pandemic period (2020–21; 5·1% [0·9–9·6] increase). In contrast with the overall reverse in mortality trends during the pandemic period, child mortality continued to decline, with 4·66 million (3·98–5·50) global deaths in children younger than 5 years in 2021 compared with 5·21 million (4·50–6·01) in 2019. An estimated 131 million (126–137) people died globally from all causes in 2020 and 2021 combined, of which 15·9 million (14·7–17·2) were due to the COVID-19 pandemic (measured by excess mortality, which includes deaths directly due to SARS-CoV-2 infection and those indirectly due to other social, economic, or behavioural changes associated with the pandemic). Excess mortality rates exceeded 150 deaths per 100 000 population during at least one year of the pandemic in 80 countries and territories, whereas 20 nations had a negative excess mortality rate in 2020 or 2021, indicating that all-cause mortality in these countries was lower during the pandemic than expected based on historical trends. Between 1950 and 2021, global life expectancy at birth increased by 22·7 years (20·8–24·8), from 49·0 years (46·7–51·3) to 71·7 years (70·9–72·5). Global life expectancy at birth declined by 1·6 years (1·0–2·2) between 2019 and 2021, reversing historical trends. An increase in life expectancy was only observed in 32 (15·7%) of 204 countries and territories between 2019 and 2021. The global population reached 7·89 billion (7·67–8·13) people in 2021, by which time 56 of 204 countries and territories had peaked and subsequently populations have declined. The largest proportion of population growth between 2020 and 2021 was in sub-Saharan Africa (39·5% [28·4–52·7]) and south Asia (26·3% [9·0–44·7]). From 2000 to 2021, the ratio of the population aged 65 years and older to the population aged younger than 15 years increased in 188 (92·2%) of 204 nations. INTERPRETATION: Global adult mortality rates markedly increased during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and 2021, reversing past decreasing trends, while child mortality rates continued to decline, albeit more slowly than in earlier years. Although COVID-19 had a substantial impact on many demographic indicators during the first 2 years of the pandemic, overall global health progress over the 72 years evaluated has been profound, with considerable improvements in mortality and life expectancy. Additionally, we observed a deceleration of global population growth since 2017, despite steady or increasing growth in lower-income countries, combined with a continued global shift of population age structures towards older ages. These demographic changes will likely present future challenges to health systems, economies, and societies. The comprehensive demographic estimates reported here will enable researchers, policy makers, health practitioners, and other key stakeholders to better understand and address the profound changes that have occurred in the global health landscape following the first 2 years of the COVID-19 pandemic, and longer-term trends beyond the pandemic. FUNDING: Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

A Multi-Institutional Meningioma MRI Dataset for Automated Multi-Sequence Image Segmentation

Meningiomas are the most common primary intracranial tumors and can be associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Radiologists, neurosurgeons, neuro-oncologists, and radiation oncologists rely on brain MRI for diagnosis, treatment planning, and longitudinal treatment monitoring. However, automated, objective, and quantitative tools for non-invasive assessment of meningiomas on multi-sequence MR images are not available. Here we present the BraTS Pre-operative Meningioma Dataset, as the largest multi-institutional expert annotated multilabel meningioma multi-sequence MR image dataset to date. This dataset includes 1,141 multi-sequence MR images from six sites, each with four structural MRI sequences (T2-, T2/FLAIR-, pre-contrast T1-, and post-contrast T1-weighted) accompanied by expert manually refined segmentations of three distinct meningioma sub-compartments: enhancing tumor, non-enhancing tumor, and surrounding non-enhancing T2/FLAIR hyperintensity. Basic demographic data are provided including age at time of initial imaging, sex, and CNS WHO grade. The goal of releasing this dataset is to facilitate the development of automated computational methods for meningioma segmentation and expedite their incorporation into clinical practice, ultimately targeting improvement in the care of meningioma patients

Global burden of 288 causes of death and life expectancy decomposition in 204 countries and territories and 811 subnational locations, 1990–2021: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021

BACKGROUND Regular, detailed reporting on population health by underlying cause of death is fundamental for public health decision making. Cause-specific estimates of mortality and the subsequent effects on life expectancy worldwide are valuable metrics to gauge progress in reducing mortality rates. These estimates are particularly important following large-scale mortality spikes, such as the COVID-19 pandemic. When systematically analysed, mortality rates and life expectancy allow comparisons of the consequences of causes of death globally and over time, providing a nuanced understanding of the effect of these causes on global populations. METHODS The Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2021 cause-of-death analysis estimated mortality and years of life lost (YLLs) from 288 causes of death by age-sex-location-year in 204 countries and territories and 811 subnational locations for each year from 1990 until 2021. The analysis used 56 604 data sources, including data from vital registration and verbal autopsy as well as surveys, censuses, surveillance systems, and cancer registries, among others. As with previous GBD rounds, cause-specific death rates for most causes were estimated using the Cause of Death Ensemble model-a modelling tool developed for GBD to assess the out-of-sample predictive validity of different statistical models and covariate permutations and combine those results to produce cause-specific mortality estimates-with alternative strategies adapted to model causes with insufficient data, substantial changes in reporting over the study period, or unusual epidemiology. YLLs were computed as the product of the number of deaths for each cause-age-sex-location-year and the standard life expectancy at each age. As part of the modelling process, uncertainty intervals (UIs) were generated using the 2·5th and 97·5th percentiles from a 1000-draw distribution for each metric. We decomposed life expectancy by cause of death, location, and year to show cause-specific effects on life expectancy from 1990 to 2021. We also used the coefficient of variation and the fraction of population affected by 90% of deaths to highlight concentrations of mortality. Findings are reported in counts and age-standardised rates. Methodological improvements for cause-of-death estimates in GBD 2021 include the expansion of under-5-years age group to include four new age groups, enhanced methods to account for stochastic variation of sparse data, and the inclusion of COVID-19 and other pandemic-related mortality-which includes excess mortality associated with the pandemic, excluding COVID-19, lower respiratory infections, measles, malaria, and pertussis. For this analysis, 199 new country-years of vital registration cause-of-death data, 5 country-years of surveillance data, 21 country-years of verbal autopsy data, and 94 country-years of other data types were added to those used in previous GBD rounds. FINDINGS The leading causes of age-standardised deaths globally were the same in 2019 as they were in 1990; in descending order, these were, ischaemic heart disease, stroke, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and lower respiratory infections. In 2021, however, COVID-19 replaced stroke as the second-leading age-standardised cause of death, with 94·0 deaths (95% UI 89·2-100·0) per 100 000 population. The COVID-19 pandemic shifted the rankings of the leading five causes, lowering stroke to the third-leading and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease to the fourth-leading position. In 2021, the highest age-standardised death rates from COVID-19 occurred in sub-Saharan Africa (271·0 deaths [250·1-290·7] per 100 000 population) and Latin America and the Caribbean (195·4 deaths [182·1-211·4] per 100 000 population). The lowest age-standardised death rates from COVID-19 were in the high-income super-region (48·1 deaths [47·4-48·8] per 100 000 population) and southeast Asia, east Asia, and Oceania (23·2 deaths [16·3-37·2] per 100 000 population). Globally, life expectancy steadily improved between 1990 and 2019 for 18 of the 22 investigated causes. Decomposition of global and regional life expectancy showed the positive effect that reductions in deaths from enteric infections, lower respiratory infections, stroke, and neonatal deaths, among others have contributed to improved survival over the study period. However, a net reduction of 1·6 years occurred in global life expectancy between 2019 and 2021, primarily due to increased death rates from COVID-19 and other pandemic-related mortality. Life expectancy was highly variable between super-regions over the study period, with southeast Asia, east Asia, and Oceania gaining 8·3 years (6·7-9·9) overall, while having the smallest reduction in life expectancy due to COVID-19 (0·4 years). The largest reduction in life expectancy due to COVID-19 occurred in Latin America and the Caribbean (3·6 years). Additionally, 53 of the 288 causes of death were highly concentrated in locations with less than 50% of the global population as of 2021, and these causes of death became progressively more concentrated since 1990, when only 44 causes showed this pattern. The concentration phenomenon is discussed heuristically with respect to enteric and lower respiratory infections, malaria, HIV/AIDS, neonatal disorders, tuberculosis, and measles. INTERPRETATION Long-standing gains in life expectancy and reductions in many of the leading causes of death have been disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, the adverse effects of which were spread unevenly among populations. Despite the pandemic, there has been continued progress in combatting several notable causes of death, leading to improved global life expectancy over the study period. Each of the seven GBD super-regions showed an overall improvement from 1990 and 2021, obscuring the negative effect in the years of the pandemic. Additionally, our findings regarding regional variation in causes of death driving increases in life expectancy hold clear policy utility. Analyses of shifting mortality trends reveal that several causes, once widespread globally, are now increasingly concentrated geographically. These changes in mortality concentration, alongside further investigation of changing risks, interventions, and relevant policy, present an important opportunity to deepen our understanding of mortality-reduction strategies. Examining patterns in mortality concentration might reveal areas where successful public health interventions have been implemented. Translating these successes to locations where certain causes of death remain entrenched can inform policies that work to improve life expectancy for people everywhere. FUNDING Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

Estudo comparativo sobre os aspectos estéticos e construtivos das ilustrações de Sani ol-Molk e Chagall, adaptadas dos Contos de " One Thousand and One Nights "

This paper studied the paintings of Sani ol-Molk, a Qajar Iranian artist, as well as those of Chagall, a Russian-Jewish artist, and it aims to answer the question of what elements and techniques were employed by the artists to illustrate One Thousand and One Nights stories in such a way that the form appropriately serves the content. The two painters, Sani ol-Molk and Chagall, with distinct viewpoints, influenced by Eastern and Western socio-cultural discrepancies, respectively, created paintings for the stories using their own artistic styles. This paper compared pairs of Sani ol-Molk and Chagall’s illustrations that have the same theme but are completely different both structurally and aesthetically. It also analyzed the works in terms of form, composition, color, visual elements, and symbols. The pairs are divided into three categories in terms of their subject, including romances, imaginaries, and everyday life. Despite the considerable differences between the works of the two painters, both Sani ol-Molk (by combining naturalistic techniques and Qajar painting styles) and Chagall (by freely using Western visual culture, colors, and forms and mixing them with Iranian, Indian, and Arabic elements as well as with oriental lighting) illustrated One Thousand and One Nights successfully and achieved to create a fantasy.Este artículo estudió los cuadros de Sani ol-Molk, un artista Qajar iraní, y los de Chagall, un artista ruso-judío, y tiene por objetivo responder la pregunta por qué elementos y técnicas utilizaron los artistas para ilustrar historias de Las mil y una noches de tal modo que la forma sirviera apropiadamente al contenido. Los dos pintores, Sani ol-Molk y Chagall, con puntos de vista particulares, influenciados por discrepancias socioculturales de Oriente y Occidente respectivamente, crearon cuadros para las historias utilizando sus propios estilos artísticos. Este artículo comparó pares de ilustraciones de Sani ol-Molk y Chagall que tienen el mismo tema pero son completamente distintos tanto estructural como estéticamente. También analizó las obras en cuanto a la forma, la composición, el color, los elementos visuales y los símbolos. Los pares se dividen entre tres categorías de acuerdo con su tema, lo cual incluye romances, imaginarios, y la vida cotidiana. A pesar de las diferencias considerables entre las obras de los dos pintores, tanto Sani ol-Molk (combinando técnicas naturalísticas y estilos de pintura Qajar) y Chagall (utilizando libremente la cultura visual, los colores y las formas de la cultura visual occidental y mezclándolos con elementos iraníes, indios y árabes, así como con iluminación oriental) ilustraron Las mil y una noches de manera exitosa y lograron crear una fantasía.Este artigo estudou os quadros de Sani ol-Molk, um artista Qatar iraniano, e os de Chagall, um artista russo-judio, e tem por objetivo responder à questão de quais elementos e técnicas os artistas utilizaram para ilustrar histórias de As Mil e Uma Noites de tal modo que a forma serviu apropriadamente ao conteúdo. Os dois pintores, Sani ol-Molk e Chagall, com pontos de vista particulares, influenciados por discrepâncias socioculturais no Oriente e no Ocidente, respectivamente, criaram quadros para as histórias utilizando seus próprios estilos artísticos. Este artigo comparou pares de ilustrações de Sani ol-Molk e Chagall que têm o mesmo tema mas são completamente distintos tanto estrutural como esteticamente. Também analisou as obras enquanto a forma, a composição, a cor, os elementos visuais e os símbolos. Os pares se dividem entre três categorias de acordo com o seu tema, o qual inclui romances, imaginários e a vida cotidiana. Apesar das diferenças consideráveis entre as obras dos dois pintores, tanto Sani ol-Molk (combinando técnicas naturalistas e estilos de pintura Qatar) e Chagall (utilizando livremente a cultura visual, as cores e as formas da cultura visual ocidental e mesclando-as com elementos iranianos, indianos e árabes, assim como iluminação oriental) ilustraram As Mil e Uma Noites com sucesso e conseguiram criar uma fantasia

Studying the effect of LPS on cytotoxicity and apoptosis in PC12 neuronal cells: Role of Bax, Bcl-2, and Caspase-3 protein expression

Gram-negative bacteria and their endotoxins may be a causal or complicating factor in many serious diseases. Bacterial lipopolysaccharides (LPS) could potentially be human pathogens. Among the many disorders induced by LPS, neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson's are reported and are of great interest. Despite the evidence on LPS-induced neurodegeneration, the exact mechanism is unknown. The purpose of this study was to investigate the cytotoxic effect of LPS and also to examine the involvement of Bax, pro-apoptotic, Bcl-2, anti-apoptotic, and caspase-3, the executioner of apoptosis, protein expression, during LPS-induced apoptosis in neuronal PC12 cells. The cell viability was evaluated by MTT assy. The expression of pro-apoptotic Bax and anti-apoptotic Bcl2 and caspase-3 protein expressions were measured by immunoblotting. The results showed that LPS could reduce cell viability after 72h in a dose-dependent manner which was statistically significant in concentration of 200 g/ml. In western blotting analysis, LPS (200 g/ml) also enhanced expression of pro-apoptotic Bax and pro-caspase-3 proteins compared to controls, while the expression of Bcl-2 protein was not changed significantly. The Bax/Bcl-2 ratio was significantly increased in LPS-treated cells compared to controls. From the present results, it might be concluded that LPS can cause PC12 cell death, in which apoptosis plays an important role, possibly by the mitochondrial pathway through higher expression of the Bax as well as caspase 3 protein. © 2010 Informa UK Ltd

The prevalence of finger sucking habit among preschool children in Kerman, Iran

BACKGROUND AND AIM: The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of finger sucking habit among three-six-year-old children from kindergartens of Kerman, Iran. METHODS: This descriptive, cross-sectional study used census sampling to select 1000 children from 40 kindergartens. Data was collected by a checklist and clinical examination. Chi-square test in SPSS16 was used for statistical analysis. RESULTS: The prevalence of finger sucking habit was 3.4%. There was no statistically significant relation between gender and the habit. Pacifier sucking habit was not an influencing factor in finger sucking habit. Most children (47.06%) had received exclusive breastfeeding. Anterior open bite was seen in 50.00% of the children with finger sucking habit. CONCLUSIONS: This study showed the decreased prevalence of finger sucking habit compared to similar studies. This difference might have been caused by the type of feeding (about 50% of the children in the present study were breast-fed). KEYWORDS: Finger and Thumb Sucking, Prevalence, Oral Habits, Breast-Feedin