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Background: Skills such as planning and problem solving that are required in self‐determination can be cognitively demanding. It has not yet been examined whether executive functions and intelligence are associated with levels of self‐determination in individuals with intellectual disability (ID), and how that is related to quality of life (QoL). This study examined the associations among executive functions, intelligence, self‐determination, and QoL in adolescents with ID. Methods: Seventy‐nine adolescents aged between 17 and 20 years with mild ID participated in the study. Executive functions were assessed by experimental tasks. Non‐verbal IQ and survey data regarding QoL and self‐determination capacity were collected from the participants. Results: In a regression model with QoL as the dependent variable, only executive planning and self‐determination capacity (but not working memory, inhibition and IQ) were significant predictors of QoL. Two mediation models were tested based on the hypotheses, literature and current findings. Model 1 revealed that executive planning had a negative direct effect on QoL when the mediator, self‐determination capacity, was held constant. Model 2 indicated that the significant association between self‐determination and QoL was not mediated by executive planning. Conclusions: The findings highlighted the crucial significance of self‐determination, in comparison with executive functions and intelligence, for improving the QoL in adolescents with ID. Importantly, higher executive planning skill was even associated with lower QoL if self‐determination was not concurrently strengthened. These findings carry implications for the design of education and intervention programmes aimed at improving QoL of adolescents with ID. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We recruited 144 women of whom 131 underwent scheduled caesarean section and were allocated to intrathecal bupivacaine without (46) or with (47) morphine and postoperative rectus sheath bupivacaine; or intrathecal bupivacaine with morphine and postoperative rectus sheath saline (38). We measured postoperative pain with a 10-point numeric rating scale. The mean (SD) areas under the curve for pain on movement during 48 postoperative hours were 273.5 (63.6), 223.8 (80.7) and 223.8 (80.7), respectively, p = 0.008. There was no difference between women who had intrathecal morphine with or without rectus sheath bupivacaine, p = 1. The equivalent values for pain at rest were 160.8 (64.7), 85.8 (79.4) and 82.8 (74.3), respectively, p < 0.001. There was no difference between women who had intrathecal morphine with or without rectus sheath bupivacaine, p = 0.98. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background This study elucidated the association between histopathological factors and the prognosis of oral carcinoma. As the histopathological factors were determined from the surgical specimen and this can only be used for the choices of postoperative regimens, this study also investigated the linkage between prognostic factors and the expression of key molecules to examine the feasibility of markers as predictors. Methods Clinicopathological factors of 101 oral carcinomas were cross-analyzed with disease-free survival. The expression of nerve growth factor ( NGF) and its receptor, tyrosine kinase A receptor, was assayed with immunohistochemistry. Results Nodal metastasis was the most crucial clinical predictor for disease-free survival. Perineural invasion ( PNI) was an independent histopathological predictor for both nodal metastasis ( P = 0.004) and disease-free survival ( P = 0.019). Patients with advanced tumor and PNI exhibited the high hazard for tumor progression and poor disease-free survival. NGF immunoreactivity in tumors was correlated with PNI ( P = 0.005) and neck lymph node metastasis ( P = 0.036). Conclusion Perineural invasion is the indicator of worst prognosis. As NGF immunoreactivity was found to be associated with PNI and nodal metastasis, the NGF immunoreactivity of oral carcinoma revealed by diagnostic biopsy suggests that alternative therapeutic approaches might be appropriate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: End-stage kidney disease registry data have reported increased mortality in patients with diabetes as compared with those without. Here we examine whether diabetes is independently associated with an increased risk of major cardiovascular events and death in patients with advanced chronic kidney disease (CKD). Methods: Data from 315 participants with CKD in the Atherosclerosis and Folic Acid Supplementation Trial (ASFAST) were assessed. Primary end-points were fatal or non-fatal cardiovascular events, including myocardial infarction, stroke, unstable angina, coronary revascularisation and peripheral vascular events assessed both jointly and separately using Cox-proportional hazard models. Results: Twenty-three per cent reported diabetes. Median follow up was 3.6 years. In those with diabetes, an increased risk for major cardiovascular events was observed, crude hazard ratio (HR) 2.87 (95% confidence interval (CI) 2.11-3.90). After adjustment for age, gender, smoking, systolic blood pressure, body mass index, past ischaemic heart disease and use of preventive therapies, diabetes was associated with an HR of 1.83 (1.28-2.61) for major cardiovascular events. The risk for peripheral vascular events was also increased, adjusted HR 6.31 (2.61-15.25). For all-cause death, major coronary and stroke events, the risk in those with diabetes was not significantly increased (all-cause death, adjusted HR 1.31 (95% CI 0.80-2.14); major coronary events, adjusted HR 1.26 (95% CI 0.64-2.49); and major stroke events, adjusted HR 1.28 (95% CI 0.55-2.99)). Conclusions: Diabetes significantly increases the risk of major cardiovascular events, especially peripheral vascular events in patients with advanced CKD. Trials of multifactorial management of cardiovascular risk factors are required to determine if outcomes for this population may be improved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A five-year-old domestic shorthair cat underwent general anaesthesia and tooth extractions. Immediately after use of a high-speed, air-driven, water-cooled dental drill, the cat suffered cardiac arrest and attempted resuscitation was unsuccessful. Post-mortem radiographs showed air in the vena cava, right atrium, right auricle and right ventricle, hepatic and renal veins. These findings were confirmed at post-mortem examination. The cause of death was massive air embolism. There are reports of fatal venous air embolism in the human literature from the use of high-speed, air-driven, water-cooled dental drills. In this case, we believe that the air jet from the cooling system provided an enormous pressure gradient allowing air entry through an alveolar bone fracture or the inflamed gingival tissues. This is the first report of fatal venous air embolism associated with the use of a high-speed dental drill in the veterinary literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The concentration of MICA in serum seems be a good candidate marker in cancer. Previous studies from our laboratory have shown that the polymorphic MIC gene may confer a risk for oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). The study investigated the expression levels of MICA and MICB of OSCC patients and cancer cell lines. Material and methods: We used RT-PCR to analyze the mRNA expression of MICA and MICB in four oral cancer cell lines compared with three normal human oral keratinocyte (NHOK) cell lines and in tissues from 36 patients with OSCC comparing tumor tissue with non-cancerous matched tissue (NCMT). Results: Endogenous MICB mRNA expression in OSCC cell lines was significantly higher than that in NHOK (1.40 +/- 0.27 vs. 0.40 +/- 0.16; P = 0.04). In 20 of 36 sets of tissue from patients with OSCC, MICB mRNA expression was higher in the cancerous tissue than in the NCMT. The mean MICB mRNA expression in OSCC tissues was significantly higher than in NCMT (0.39 +/- 0.08 vs. 0.14 +/- 0.03, P = 0.009, paired t-test). A significantly lower MICA mRNA was found in patients who chewed areca nut compared with those who did not use areca ( P = 0.001) and in patients with well-differentiated tumors compared with those with less well-differentiated tumors ( P = 0.02). Conclusion: MICA and MICB mRNA expression may be increased in OSCC but there appears to be individual variation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: The main cause of treatment failure in resectable oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is metastasis. E-cadherin (E-cad) plays a principal role in cell adhesion and motility, and is associated with OSCC progression. The aim of this study was to investigate the clinical significance of E-cad expression in OSCC with lymph node metastasis which had radical neck dissection done.METHOD: Immunohistochemistry was used to detect E-cad expression in normal oral mucosa (NOM) (n = 10), oral precancerous lesions (OPLs) (n = 20), primary OSCC (n = 45), and their paired metastatic lesions (n = 45). E-cad immunoreactivity correlated with the clinicopathologic features.RESULTS: E-cadherin immunoreactivity was progressively reduced in the NOM followed by OPLs and primary OSCC (58%). It decreased significantly in the advanced stages of OSCC. However, the increase in E-cad immunoreactivity was observed in the majority (60%) of metastatic lesions in relation to primary OSCC. Patients with such increased or positive immunoreactivity of E-cad in metastatic lesions exhibited worse prognosis.CONCLUSION: The findings suggested a dynamic change in E-cad immunoreactivity during tumorigenesis and metastasis of OSCC. In a multivariate analysis, E-cad immunoreactivity in metastasis lesions (odds ratio 3.74, 95% CI 1.15-14.67; P = 0.040) implied the potential role of mortality predictors for OSCC cases with nodal involvement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The main cause of treatment failure in resectable oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is metastasis. E-cadherin (E-cad) plays a principal role in cell adhesion and motility, and is associated with OSCC progression. The aim of this study was to investigate the clinical significance of E-cad expression in OSCC with lymph node metastasis which had radical neck dissection done. Method: Immunohistochemistry was used to detect E-cad expression in normal oral mucosa (NOM) ( n = 10), oral precancerous lesions (OPLs) ( n = 20), primary OSCC ( n = 45), and their paired metastatic lesions ( n = 45). E-cad immunoreactivity correlated with the clinicopathologic features. Results: E-cadherin immunoreactivity was progressively reduced in the NOM followed by OPLs and primary OSCC (58%). It decreased significantly in the advanced stages of OSCC. However, the increase in E-cad immunoreactivity was observed in the majority (60%) of metastatic lesions in relation to primary OSCC. Patients with such increased or positive immunoreactivity of E-cad in metastatic lesions exhibited worse prognosis. Conclusion: The findings suggested a dynamic change in E-cad immunoreactivity during tumorigenesis and metastasis of OSCC. In a multivariate analysis, E-cad immunoreactivity in metastasis lesions (odds ratio 3.74, 95% CI 1.15–14.67; P = 0.040) implied the potential role of mortality predictors for OSCC cases with nodal involvement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Insertion/deletion (-1171 5A-->6A) polymorphisms in the promoter region of matrix metalloproteinase 3 (MMP3) gene result in different transcriptional activities. MMP3 is able to degrade collagens types II, V, IX, and X, and other extracellular matrix. The functional promoter polymorphism of MMP3 has been related to the susceptibility in some inflammatory diseases and metastasis of cancers. METHODS: Oral submucous fibrosis (OSF) and oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) are prevalent among Asian areca users. In this study, genomic DNA obtained from the blood of OSCC (n = 150), OSF (n = 71), and control non-diseased areca user (n = 98) in male were subjected to polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based genotyping of MMP3. RESULTS: The 5A genotype in MMP3 promoter was observed more frequently in OSF group than in control group (P = 0.01). No significant difference was noted between OSCC and control groups on the 5A genotype frequency (P = 0.18). No association was found between 5A genotype in MMP3 promoter and site or lymph node metastasis and stage of OSCC. CONCLUSION: The results indicated that the 5A genotype of MMP3 promoter was associated with the risk of OSF but not OSCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Insertion/deletion (−1171 5A→6A) polymorphisms in the promoter region of matrix metalloproteinase 3 ( MMP3) gene result in different transcriptional activities. MMP3 is able to degrade collagens types II, V, IX, and X, and other extracellular matrix. The functional promoter polymorphism of MMP3 has been related to the susceptibility in some inflammatory diseases and metastasis of cancers. Methods: Oral submucous fibrosis (OSF) and oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) are prevalent among Asian areca users. In this study, genomic DNA obtained from the blood of OSCC ( n = 150), OSF ( n = 71), and control non-diseased areca user ( n = 98) in male were subjected to polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based genotyping of MMP3. Results: The 5A genotype in MMP3 promoter was observed more frequently in OSF group than in control group ( P = 0.01). No significant difference was noted between OSCC and control groups on the 5A genotype frequency ( P = 0.18). No association was found between 5A genotype in MMP3 promoter and site or lymph node metastasis and stage of OSCC. Conclusion: The results indicated that the 5A genotype of MMP3 promoter was associated with the risk of OSF but not OSCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]