Oral health and treatment needs of the long-term hospitalised elderly

Objectives: To determine the oral health and treatment needs of the long‐term hospitalised elderly. Setting: The Laakso long‐term hospital, Helsinki, Finland. Design: A cross‐sectional study with clinical oral examinations. Subjects: All long‐term patients (n = 260) aged 60 and older. Main outcome measures: Edentulousness, presence and hygiene of dentures, mucosal findings, number of teeth, functioning teeth and tooth remnants, level of dental hygiene, and need for operative treatment. Results: Subjects’ mean age was 83.3 years (SD = 8.1); 42% were edentulous, 45% of women and 33% of men (p = 0.12). With no gender difference, 41% had removable dentures, but one in four were considered to be in need of repair or replacement. Denture hygiene was good in 19%, moderate in 44%, and poor in 37%, and for men worse than for women (p = 0.02). Stomatitis was found in 25%, and angular cheilitis in 28% of the denture wearers. The dentate subjects had on average 12.4 (SD = 8.6) teeth with a clear difference by age (p = 0.03), but no difference by gender. Dental hygiene was considered poor. Of the dentate subjects, 37% were in need of restorations, 51% of periodontal therapy and 42% of extractions. Conclusions: Oral cleanliness should be improved with regards to dentures and teeth. More attention should be focused on dental care of the long‐term hospitalised elderly.     

Mass spectrometric analysis reveals changes in phospholipid, neutral sphingolipid and sulfatide molecular species in progressive epilepsy with mental retardation, EPMR, brain: a case study

Progressive epilepsy with mental retardation, EPMR, belongs to a group of inherited neurodegenerative disorders, the neuronal ceroid lipofuscinoses. The CLN8 gene that underlies EPMR encodes a novel transmembrane protein that localizes to the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and ER-Golgi intermediate compartment. Recently, CLN8 was linked to a large eukaryotic protein family of TLC (TRAM, Lag1, CLN8) domain homologues with postulated functions in lipid synthesis, transport or sensing. By using liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry we analysed molecular species of major phosholipid and simple sphingolipid classes from cerebral samples of two EPMR patients representing a progressive and advanced state of the disease. The progressive state brain showed reduced levels of ceramide, galactosyl- and lactosylceramide and sulfatide as well as a decrease in long fatty acyl chain containing molecular species within these classes. Among glycerophospholipid classes, an increase in species containing polyunsaturated acyl chains was detected especially in phosphatidylserines and phosphatidylethanolamines. By contrast, saturated and monounsaturated species were overrepresented among phosphatidylserine, phosphatidylethanolamine and phosphatidylinositol classes in the advanced state sample. The observed changes in brain sphingo- and phospholipid molecular profiles may result in altered membrane stability, lipid peroxidation, vesicular trafficking or neurotransmission and thus may contribute to the progression of the molecular pathogenesis of EPMR.     

Seasonal physiological responses and biomass growth in a bioenergy crop (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Phalaris arundinacea</Emphasis> L.) under elevated temperature and CO<Subscript>2</Subscript>, subjected to different water regimes in boreal conditions

We investigated the seasonal variability of effects of elevated temperature (+3.5°C), CO₂ elevation (700 μmol mol⁻¹) and varying water regimes (high to low water content) on physiological responses and biomass growth of reed canary grass (Phalaris arundinacea L., local field-grown cultivar) grown in a boreal environment. In controlled environment greenhouses, various physiological and growth parameters of grass, i.e., light-saturated net photosynthetic rates (P _nmax), water use efficiency (WUE) and optimal photochemical efficiency of photosystem II (F _v/F _m), and leaf area development and biomass of plant organs (leaf, stem, coarse, and fine root) were measured. During the early measurement periods, elevated temperature enhanced leaf photosynthesis and above-ground biomass of reed canary grass; however, this resulted in earlier senescence and lower biomass at the end of measurement period, compared to ambient temperature. This effect was more pronounced under water limitation. Elevated CO₂ enhanced P _nmax, WUE, and leaf area and total plant biomass (above- and below-ground) over growing season. The explanation for imbalance between stimulated photosynthesis and increase in above-ground biomass was that CO₂ enrichment causes a greater increase in the plant’s root system. The combination of elevated temperature and CO₂ slightly increases the growth of plant. Adequate water availability favored photosynthesis and biomass growth of reed canary grass. The temperature- and drought-induced stresses were partially mitigated by elevated CO₂. Other cultivars should be tested in order to identify those that are better adapted to elevated temperatures and CO₂ and variable water levels.     

Biodegradability and waste behavior of industrial wood-based construction materials

Industrial wood-based construction materials: chipboard, plain and overlaid plywood, phenolic surface film, laminates and selected synthetic polymers were studied for their biodegradability under aerobic and anaerobic conditions and for the environmental quality of the degradation residue. The yields of carbon dioxide plus methane from the wood-based materials in 6 months under anaerobic conditions at 33°C ranged from ⩽3% to 79% compared to that obtained from starch, and under aerobic conditions from ⩽7% to 55% of that obtained from acetate, measured in 28 days at 25°C. The plywoods were more readily degraded under aerobic and anaerobic conditions. The microbes attacked mainly the S₂-layer of the plywoods and started from the S₃-layer of the wood cells of chipboard in the compost. Extensive cavities, occupied with microbes, were observed by electron microscopy in the decaying plywoods, chipboard and laminates. The contents of Cu, Cr, Pb, Ni, and Cd of the wood-based construction materials were low, <10 mg kg⁻¹, compared to PVC and to a typical municipal solid waste. Toxicity and the amount of leachable organic halogen from the wood-based construction materials were low, EC₅₀ of 4–8 g L⁻¹ to V. fischeri and <12 μg adsorbable organic halogen (aox) of g⁻¹. The results show that the wood-based construction materials studied were aerobically biodegradable and the plywoods also anaerobically. There was no toxicity towards photobacteria or substances of environmental concern in the biodegradation and incineration residues of the materials tested. Journal of Industrial Microbiology & Biotechnology (2000) 24, 210–218. Received 08 September 1999/ Accepted in revised form 10 December 1999     

Gene Expression Profiling of Peri-Implant Healing of PLGA-Li+ Implants Suggests an Activated Wnt Signaling Pathway In Vivo

Bone development and regeneration is associated with the Wnt signaling pathway that, according to literature, can be modulated by lithium ions (Li⁺). The aim of this study was to evaluate the gene expression profile during peri-implant healing of poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) implants with incorporated Li⁺, while PLGA without Li⁺ was used as control, and a special attention was then paid to the Wnt signaling pathway. The implants were inserted in rat tibia for 7 or 28 days and the gene expression profile was investigated using a genome-wide microarray analysis. The results were verified by qPCR and immunohistochemistry. Histomorphometry was used to evaluate the possible effect of Li⁺ on bone regeneration. The microarray analysis revealed a large number of significantly differentially regulated genes over time within the two implant groups. The Wnt signaling pathway was significantly affected by Li⁺, with approximately 34% of all Wnt-related markers regulated over time, compared to 22% for non-Li⁺ containing (control; Ctrl) implants. Functional cluster analysis indicated skeletal system morphogenesis, cartilage development and condensation as related to Li⁺. The downstream Wnt target gene, FOSL1, and the extracellular protein-encoding gene, ASPN, were significantly upregulated by Li⁺ compared with Ctrl. The presence of β-catenin, FOSL1 and ASPN positive cells was confirmed around implants of both groups. Interestingly, a significantly reduced bone area was observed over time around both implant groups. The presence of periostin and calcitonin receptor-positive cells was observed at both time points. This study is to the best of the authors'' knowledge the first report evaluating the effect of a local release of Li⁺ from PLGA at the fracture site. The present study shows that during the current time frame and with the present dose of Li⁺ in PLGA implants, Li⁺ is not an enhancer of early bone growth, although it affects the Wnt signaling pathway.     

Spring phenology and timing of breeding in short‐distance migrant birds: phenotypic responses and offspring recruitment patterns in common goldeneyes

Understanding how organisms adjust breeding dates to exploit resources that affect fitness can provide insights into impacts of climate change on avian demography. For instance, mismatches have been reported in long‐distance migrant bird species when environmental cues experienced during spring migration are decoupled from conditions on breeding grounds. Short‐distance migrant bird species that store reproductive nutrients prior to breeding may avoid or buffer adverse phenological effects. Furthermore, reduced short‐term reproductive success could be offset by higher future recruitment of surviving offspring. We evaluated whether recruitment of locally‐hatched female offspring was related to hatching date alone or strength of mismatched breeding date for 405 individually‐marked adult female common goldeneyes Bucephala clangula (a short‐distance migrant) and their ducklings from a site in central Finland where ice‐out date has advanced by ～ 2 weeks over 24 yr. Path analyses revealed that older, early‐nesting females with good body condition and larger broods recruited the most female offspring. Offspring recruitment decreased strongly among females that bred late relative to other females in the population each year; the extent of mismatched breeding date, i.e. hatching date scaled to annual ice‐out date, was less influential. Overall, most females advanced breeding dates when ice‐out occurred earlier in spring, but some females exhibited greater flexibility in response to ice‐out conditions than did others. In general, directional selection favoured early breeding over a wide range of ice‐out dates. Our results seem most consistent with a hypothesis that some short‐distance migrant species like goldeneyes have the capacity to track and respond appropriately to changing environmental conditions prior to onset of breeding.     

Climate impact on suicide rates in Finland from 1971 to 2003

Seasonal patterns of death from suicide are well-documented and have been attributed to climatic factors such as solar radiation and ambient temperature. However, studies on the impact of weather and climate on suicide are not consistent, and conflicting data have been reported. In this study, we performed a correlation analysis between nationwide suicide rates and weather variables in Finland during the period 1971–2003. The weather parameters studied were global solar radiation, temperature and precipitation, and a range of time spans from 1 month to 1 year were used in order to elucidate the dose-response relationship, if any, between weather variables and suicide. Single and multiple linear regression models show weak associations using 1-month and 3-month time spans, but robust associations using a 12-month time span. Cumulative global solar radiation had the best explanatory power, while average temperature and cumulative precipitation had only a minor impact on suicide rates. Our results demonstrate that winters with low global radiation may increase the risk of suicide. The best correlation found was for the 5-month period from November to March; the inter-annual variability in the cumulative global radiation for that period explained 40 % of the variation in the male suicide rate and 14 % of the variation in the female suicide rate, both at a statistically significant level. Long-term variations in global radiation may also explain, in part, the observed increasing trend in the suicide rate until 1990 and the decreasing trend since then in Finland.