METHODS: This is a cross-sectional study in which 77 patients (18 males, 59 females, mean age of 48) with unilateral VFP with an opposite normal mobile vocal fold underwent LEMG with a standardized protocol. Koufman gradings and MT and MA were used for the qualitative and quantitative evaluations. Mann-Whitney U test was performed to compare the median of the turns and amplitudes between the opposite normal mobile vocal fold and the paralyzed side. A linear-scale graphical "cloud" of the normal TA-LCA muscle complex was generated using logarithmic regression analysis. The qualitative and quantitative parameters were analyzed using multiple analysis of variance and Kruskall-Wallis test. Post-hoc analysis was performed to further determine the differences of the significance between both parameters. The correlation between the qualitative and quantitative parameters was analyzed using Spearman correlation.
RESULTS: The MT and MA were significantly higher for the normal TA-LCA muscle complex than the paralyzed side (582 vs. 336; 412 vs. 296, respectively) and the median of the turns and amplitudes were significantly lower in the paralyzed side with p-values <0.001. A significant difference was observed between the Koufman grading and the combination of MT and MA [F (8,144) = 73.254] and between the Koufman grading and MT and MA individually [H (4, 72) = 18.3 and H (4, 72) =33.4], in which both had p-values <0.001. A moderate negative linear relationship was seen between the Koufman grading and MT and MA. On further analysis, it was revealed that only certain pairs of Koufman grading were statistical significant.
CONCLUSIONS: This study was the first to present the quantitative normative values and "cloud" of the TA-LCA muscle complex using the opposite normal mobile vocal fold in patients with unilateral VFP in which it is comparable to healthy controls. We concluded that quantitative LEMG supports the qualitative Koufman grading method however it cannot be used independently to determine the severity of neuropathy.
Method: Participants of this cross-sectional study included 99 full-term neonates (165 ears) with mean chronological age of 46.7 hrs (SD = 26.3 hrs). Of the 99 neonates, 58 were Malay, 28 were Indian, and 13 were Chinese. The neonates who passed high-frequency (1 kHz) tympanometry, acoustic stapedial reflex, and distortion product otoacoustic emission screening tests were assessed using a pressurized WBA test (wideband tympanometry). To reduce the number of measurement points, the WBA responses were averaged to 16 one-third octave frequency bands from 0.25 to 8 kHz. A mixed-model analysis of variance was applied to the data to investigate the effects of frequency, ear, gender, and ethnicity on WBA. The analysis of variance was also used to compare between WBA measured at TPP and 0 daPa. An interclass correlation coefficient test was applied at each of the 16 frequency bands to measure the test-retest reliability of WBA at TPP and 0 daPa.
Results: Both WBA measurements at TPP and 0 daPa exhibited a multipeaked pattern with 2 maxima at 1.25-1.6 kHz and 6.3 kHz and 2 minima at 0.5 and 4 kHz. The mean WBA measured at TPP was significantly higher than that measured at 0 daPa at 0.25, 0.4, 0.5, 1.25, and 1.6 kHz only. A normative data set was developed for absorbance at TPP and at 0 daPa. There was no significant effect of ethnicity, gender, and ear on both measurements of WBA. The test-retest reliability of WBA at TPP and 0 daPa was high with the interclass correlation coefficient ranging from 0.77 to 0.97 across the frequencies.
Conclusions: Normative data of WBA measured at TPP and 0 daPa for neonates were provided in the present study. Although WBA at TPP was slightly higher than the WBA measured at 0 daPa at some frequencies below 2 kHz, the WBA patterns of the 2 measurements were nearly identical. Moreover, the test-retest reliability of both WBA measurements was high.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: Forty Turkom-Cera ceramic disks (10 mm × 3 mm) were prepared and randomly divided into four groups. The disks were wet ground to 1000-grit and subjected to four surface treatments: (1) No treatment (Control), (2) sandblasting, (3) silane application, and (4) sandblasting + silane. The four groups of 10 specimens each were bonded with Panavia-F resin cement according to manufacturer's recommendations. The SBS was determined using the universal testing machine (Instron) at 0.5 mm/min crosshead speed. Failure modes were recorded and a qualitative micromorphologic examination of different surface treatments was performed. The data were analyzed using the one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Tukey honestly significant difference (HSD) tests.
RESULTS: The SBS of the control, sandblasting, silane, and sandblasting + silane groups were: 10.8 ± 1.5, 16.4 ± 3.4, 16.2 ± 2.5, and 19.1 ± 2.4 MPa respectively. According to the Tukey HSD test, only the mean SBS of the control group was significantly different from the other three groups. There was no significant difference between sandblasting, silane, and sandblasting + silane groups.
CONCLUSION: In this study, the three surface treatments used improved the bond strength of resin cement to Turkom-Cera disks.
CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: The surface treatments used in this study appeared to be suitable methods for the cementation of glass infiltrated all-ceramic restorations.
PURPOSE: The purpose of this observational study was to measure the prevalence of the presence of the anterior loop and to estimate sex and ethnicity-related variations in anterior loop length in the Malaysian population.
MATERIAL AND METHODS: A total of 100 cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine (DICOM) files were selected from a pool of 810 ongoing or completed patients in 3 different ethnic groups: Malay (33), Indian (33), and Chinese (34). The DICOM data were imported into commercial software. The IAN was traced with software along with the anterior loop and part of the incisive nerve. The vertical length of the nerve was estimated from the canal to the opening of the mental foramen from the cross-sectional view and translated to the panoramic view. Measurement was made from this point to the most anterior point of the anterior loop by following the trajectory of the nerve and was repeated on the opposite side. A 2-way mixed analysis of variance (ANOVA) test was carried out to evaluate the sex- and ethnicity-related variations (α=.05).
RESULTS: The anterior loop was present in 94% of the 100 participants. Overall anterior loop length (AnLL) ranged between 0.73 and 7.99 mm with a mean length of 3.69 ±1.75 mm on the left side and 3.85 ±1.73 mm on the right side. Among all participants, no statistically significant differences were found between the left and right sides of the mandible (P=.379). Overall, no significant main effect of ethnicity (P=.869) or sex (P=.576) was found on AnLL measurements. Also, with multiple comparisons, no significant effect was found between each pair of ethnic groups. Men in all 3 ethnic groups had greater AnLL than women.
CONCLUSIONS: The anterior loop was present in 94% of the 100 participants among the 3 major ethnic groups of Malaysia. Overall AnLL ranged between 0.73 and 7.99 mm and mean lengths of 3.69 ±1.75 mm on the left side and 3.85 ±1.73 mm on the right side, with no significant ethnicity- or sex-related variations.
DESIGN: Prospective study.
SETTING: University hospital.
PATIENT(S): Six hundred ten women undergoing SHG.
INTERVENTION(S): We performed SHG with six different types of catheters: Foleycath (Wembley Rubber Products, Sepang, Malaysia), Hysca Hysterosalpingography Catheter (GTA International Medical Devices S.A., La Caleta D.N., Dominican Republic), H/S Catheter Set (Ackrad Laboratories, Cranford, NJ), PBN Balloon Hystero-Salpingography Catheter (PBN Medicals, Stenloese, Denmark), ZUI-2.0 Catheter (Zinnanti Uterine Injection; BEI Medical System International, Gembloux, Belgium), and Goldstein Catheter (Cook, Spencer, IN).
MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): We assessed the reliability, the physician's ease of use, the time requested for the insertion of the catheter, the volume of contrast medium used, the tolerability for the patients, and the cost of the catheters.
RESULT(S): In 568 (93%) correctly performed procedures, no statistically significant differences were found among the catheters. The Foleycath was the most difficult for the physician to use and required significantly more time to position correctly. The Goldstein catheter was the best tolerated by the patients. The Foleycath was the cheapest whereas the PBN Balloon was the most expensive.
CONCLUSION(S): The choice of the catheter must be targeted to achieving a good balance between tolerability for the patients, efficacy, cost, and the personal preference of the operator.
METHODS: Twenty-five young and healthy university students performed a triceps push-down exercise at 45% one repetition maximum (1RM) with and without CS until task failure, and the rate of fatigue (ROF), endurance time (ET) and number of repetitions (NR) for both exercises were analyzed. In addition, the first and last six repetitions of each exercise were considered non-fatiguing (NF) and fatiguing (Fa), respectively, and the root mean square (RMS), mean power frequency (MPF) and median frequency (MDF) for each exercise repetition were evaluated.
RESULTS: The lateral and long head showed significant differences (P<0.05) in the ROF between the two exercises, and all the heads showed significant (P<0.05) differences in the RMS between the two exercises under NF conditions. Only the long head showed a significant difference (P<0.05) in the MPF and MDF between the two exercises. CS increases the ET (24.74%) and NR (27%) of the exercise. The three heads showed significant differences (P<0.05) in the RMS, MPF and MDF under all exercise conditions.
CONCLUSION: A lower ROF was obtained with CS. In addition, the RMS was found to be better approximator of CS, whereas MPF and MDF were more resistant to the effect of CS. The results showed that the three heads worked independently under all conditions, and the non-synergist and synergist head pairs showed similar behavior under Fa conditions. The findings from this study provide additional insights regarding the functioning of each TB head.
METHODOLOGY AND FINDINGS: A total of 1880 of older adults were selected by multistage stratified sampling. Life satisfaction and social support were measured with the Philadelphia Geriatric Center Morale Scale and Medical Outcomes Study Social Support Survey. The result shows living with children as the commonest type of living arrangement for older adults in peninsular Malaysia. Compared to living alone, living only with a spouse especially and then co-residency with children were both associated with better life satisfaction (p