Prospective Longitudinal Changes in the Periodontal Inflamed Surface Area Following Active Periodontal Treatment for Chronic Periodontitis

Periodontal disease is a chronic inflammatory disease of the periodontal tissue. The periodontal inflamed surface area (PISA) is a proposed index for quantifying the inflammatory burden resulting from periodontitis lesions. This study aimed to investigate longitudinal changes in the periodontal status as evaluated by the PISA following the active periodontal treatment. To elucidate the prognostic factors of PISA, mixed-effect modeling was performed for clinical parameters, tooth-type, and levels of periodontal pathogens as independent variables. One-hundred-twenty-five patients with chronic periodontitis who completed the active periodontal treatment were followed-up for 24 months, with evaluations conducted at 6-month intervals. Five-times repeated measures of mean PISA values were 130+/−173, 161+/−276, 184+/−320, 175+/−417, and 209+/−469 mm2. Changes in clinical parameters and salivary and subgingival periodontal pathogens were analyzed by mixed-effect modeling. Plaque index, clinical attachment level, and salivary levels of Porphyromonas gingivalis were associated with changes in PISA at the patient- and tooth-level. Subgingival levels of P. gingivalis and Prevotella intermedia were associated with changes in PISA at the sample site. For most patients, changes in PISA were within 10% of baseline during the 24-month follow-up. However, an increase in the number of bleeding sites in a tooth with a deep periodontal pocket increased the PISA value exponentially.

What factors should be accounted for when developing a generalized taper function for black wattle trees?

Taper functions have been widely used for various purposes. Several functions were developed and successfully applied; however, most of these functions fail to account for the influence of stand-level and individual-tree effects of variation on the stem profile. Hence, we aimed in this study to assess how these factors influence the stem profile of black wattle (Acacia mearnsii De Wild.) trees in southern Brazil. There is a notable necessity for developing a domestic market for black wattle solid wood. The database was composed of 218 black wattle trees at age 10 years distributed across the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. A dimensionally compatible taper equation combined with the mixed-effect modeling approach was used. Additionally, auxiliary variables were included to build a generalized taper function that explains stem form variations. In general, all variables showed a significant influence on the stem profile, except the crown ratio. The inclusion of relative spacing and tree hierarchical position in the taper function resulted in higher accuracy when estimating stem diameters and total tree volume. This study indicates that accounting for attributes at the stand and individual-tree levels may improve stem profile predictions, as well as the biological soundness of the taper function.

Distinguishing Frontotemporal Dementia From Alzheimer Disease Through Everyday Function Profiles: Trajectories of Change

Background: Different dementia syndromes display different patterns of everyday functioning. This article explored different patterns of functioning at baseline and trajectories of change in behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD) and Alzheimer disease (AD). Methods: Data from the Uniform Data Set of the National Alzheimer’s Coordinating Centre were employed. The Functional Assessment Questionnaire assessed functioning at up to 7 follow-up visits. Independent t tests assessed variations in functioning between syndromes at baseline. Linear mixed-effect modeling explored longitudinal functional trajectories between syndromes. Results: Data from 3351 patients (306 bvFTD and 3,045AD) were analyzed. At baseline, patients with bvFTD performed all daily activities poorer than AD dementia. Linear mixed models showed a significant effect of syndrome and time on functioning, and evidence of interaction between syndrome and time, with bvFTD showing a steeper decline for using the stove and travel. Conclusions: Findings can help in the effective care planning of everyday functioning for bvFTD and AD dementia.

Effects of Cariogenic Bacteria and Sealant Evaluated by International Caries Detection Assessment System

Aim: Evaluation of tooth surface level effect of cariogenic bacteria and sealant. Background: International Caries Detection Assessment System (ICADS) is a clinical scoring system that can assess the non-cavitated early stage of dental caries by surface level. Scores used in ICDAS are ordinary and each tooth within one individual is not statistically independent. Objective: In this study, by applying mixed effect modeling, the effect of cariogenic bacteria and fissure sealant for tooth surface-level caries progression was analyzed. Methods: Ninety-eight patients who had been regularly visited the dental hospital for the regular check-ups were enrolled in this study. Among them, patients who visited at baseline, after one and two years, were included for the analysis. Fifty-two patients were dropped out. The study population consisted of 25 boys and 21girls and their mean ages were 9.3 +/- 2.1. Salivary levels of cariogenic bacteria were measured by qPCR. Mixed effect modeling with repeated measures was applied for the analysis. Results: Salivary levels of S. mutans and Lactobacilli were affected by the progression of the ICDAS score. Maxillary teeth, molars and buccal and occlusal surfaces were tended to progress. Maxillary tooth, molar tooth and buccal, approximal, and occlusal surface were tended to be affected by both cariogenic bacteria. Conclusion: By applying mixed effect modeling, highly-detailed surface-level analysis can be available.