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Biomedical subjects

M E Moss

Publications and source records attributed to M E Moss.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2000

Evaluation of a training program for detection of carotid artery calcifications on panoramic radiographs.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effectiveness of the American Academy of Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology-sponsored training packet for identification of carotid artery calcifications on panoramic radiographs. STUDY DESIGN: Two examiners, who completed the training (trainees), examined 778 panoramic radiographs. The sample included 298 men, with a mean age of 66, and 480 women, with a mean age of 68. Findings were compared with those obtained by an oral and maxillofacial radiologist. A kappa statistic was used to determine agreement between the 2 trainees. The positive predictive value (PPV) of the program was estimated by comparing the trainees rating of disease status with an expert in case identification. RESULTS: Examiners 1 and 2 identified 99 and 78 positive cases, respectively. A kappa statistic of 0.87 (95% CI, 0.81-0.92) was obtained, indicating good interexaminer agreement. The expert identified 27 positive cases, resulting in a PPV of 34.6% (95% CI, 24.4-46.3). CONCLUSION: Although the training packet offers valuable training, it does not provide a high PPV, suggesting the need to modify it or to seek an expert opinion before classification of a patient as having calcification on a panoramic radiograph.

Aged↗
PubMed2000

Effect of ring liner and casting ring temperature on the dimension of cast posts.

STATEMENT OF PROBLEM: If a post does not fit passively, binding with the radicular tooth structure occurs, possibly increasing the risk for root fracture. Therefore, it is necessary to fabricate slightly undersized cast posts to allow for passive fit and cement placement. Shrinkage of the mold cavity may be a desired effect during the casting of posts. PURPOSE: This study evaluated the influence of: (1) a cellulose ring liner, and (2) a lower casting temperature of the metal ring, on the dimensions of a cast post. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Eighty plastic posts were divided in 4 equal groups (group 1, 815 degrees C, liner; group 2, 815 degrees C, no liner; group 3, 600 degrees C, liner; and group 4, 600 degrees C, no liner), invested in phosphate-bonded investment and cast with a noble alloy. Posts were measured at 2 locations, the tip and base, before and after casting. RESULTS: Investing in a lined metal ring and using a casting ring temperature of 815 degrees C (group 1) resulted in markedly oversized posts (tip: +25.8 microm; base: +20.3 microm). The absence of the cellulose liner in the casting ring (group 2) decreased the expansion of the investment producing slightly oversized castings (tip: +9.75 microm; base: +4.52 microm). Lined rings that were heated to a final temperature of 600 degrees C (group 3) produced posts that were oversized (tip: +16.65 microm; base: +11.05 microm). Final casting ring temperature of 600 degrees C and the absence of a cellulose liner (group 4) resulted in posts slightly undersized (tip: -4.1 microm; base: -2.2 microm). CONCLUSION: The use of 2 casting ring temperatures (815 degrees C or 600 degrees C) and the influence of a ring liner were investigated. Decreasing the casting ring temperature from 815 degrees C to 600 degrees C and the absence of a ring liner significantly decreased the dimensions of a cast post.

Analysis of Variance↗
PubMed1999

Condyle position as a predictor of temporomandibular joint internal derangement.

STATEMENT OF PROBLEM: The significance of the position of the mandibular condyle in the glenoid fossa remains a controversial subject. PURPOSE: This study evaluated the relationship between condyle position and disk displacement. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Fifty-two asymptomatic volunteers and 130 symptomatic patients underwent linear tomography and bilateral temporomandibular joint magnetic resonance scans. RESULTS: There was a higher prevalence of distal condyles in symptomatic patients with disk displacement compared with asymptomatic volunteers (P <.05). Distally positioned condyles identified joints with disk displacement with reduction, disk displacement without reduction, or a symptomatic normal joint with a sensitivity of 0.64, 0.56, and 0.33, respectively. Distally positioned condyles identified joints with disk displacement with reduction, disk displacement without reduction, or a symptomatic normal joint with a specificity of 0.56, 0.65, and 0.55, respectively. CONCLUSION: There were more distal condyles in symptomatic subjects with disk displacement, but the reliability of a distal condyle to predict the presence or absence of disk displacement was low.

Cephalometry↗
PubMed1999

The effect of surgically induced anterior disc displacement of the temporomandibular joint on the midface and cranial base.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of unilateral TMJ disc displacement on the midface and cranial base. STUDY DESIGN: Thirteen 10-week-old rabbits, eight controls and five experimental were included in this study. The five experimental rabbits had surgically created unilateral disc displacement. Animals were sacrificed at 22 weeks and frontal, occlusal, and lateral oblique radiographs were made of the skulls. RESULTS: The occlusal radiograph demonstrated that the glenoid fossa on the experimental side was located more anterior. The oblique radiograph demonstrated the root of the zygomatic arch the experimental side was inferior. The anterior aspect of the fossa was more inferior on the frontal radiograph. CONCLUSIONS: A previous study suggested a shortening in the ramal height. This study suggests an alteration of the cranial articular fossa. Thus, it is suggested that disc displacement is capable of producing asymmetry in the developing mandible and cranial base.

Animals↗
PubMed1998

Association between dental occlusal variables and intraarticular temporomandibular joint disorders: horizontal and vertical overlap.

STATEMENT OF PROBLEM: It has been suggested that dental occlusion may play a role in the development of intraarticular temporomandibular joint disorders. PURPOSE: This study evaluated the relationship between horizontal and vertical overlap and intraarticular temporomandibular joint disorders. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Vertical and horizontal overlap of the anterior teeth of 82 asymptomatic volunteers and 263 symptomatic patients were examined. RESULTS: Fifty-five (67%) of the asymptomatic volunteers had normal joints and 27 (33%) had disk displacement. Two hundred and twenty-one patients (84%) had disk displacement and 42 (16%) had bilateral symptomatic normal joints. Horizontal overlap equal to or greater than 4 mm was more prevalent in the symptomatic patient group as compared with the asymptomatic volunteer group (p < 0.05). Vertical overlap equal to or greater than 4 mm demonstrated no significant differences. CONCLUSION: Horizontal overlap equal to or greater than 4 mm was greater in symptomatic patients with intraarticular temporomandibular joint disorders.

Adult↗
PubMed1997

Randomized clinical trial of the effect of prenatal fluoride supplements in preventing dental caries.

This randomized, double-blind study tested the caries-preventive efficacy of prenatal fluoride supplementation in 798 children followed until age 5. Initially, 1,400 women in the first trimester of pregnancy residing in communities served by fluoride-deficient drinking water were randomly assigned to one of two groups. During the last 6 months of pregnancy the treatment group received 1 mg fluoride daily in the form of a tablet and the control group received a placebo. Both treatment and control subjects were encouraged to use postnatal dietary fluoride supplements. Caries was measured in children at age 3 and 5 while fluorosis was assessed at age 5. Caries activity was very low in both study groups: 92% of children remained caries-free in the treatment group and 91% remained caries-free in the placebo group. Fluorosis was observed in 26 subjects, all classified as very mild. Overall, there were no statistically significant differences in the study groups with respect to caries and fluorosis in deciduous teeth. The study had sufficient power to detect an absolute risk reduction of 5.1% while only a 1.5% reduction was observed. These findings do not support the hypothesis that prenatal fluoride has a strong caries-preventive effect.

Cariostatic Agents↗
PubMed1997

Mandibular and maxillary asymmetry in individuals with unilateral cleft lip and palate.

OBJECTIVE: This study was conducted to evaluate the degree of maxillary and mandibular asymmetry in the verticle and transverse planes seen in posteroanterior cephalometric radiographs relative to chronologic age in postoperative complete UCLP patients compared to controls. METHOD: Mandibular and nasomaxillary asymmetry was retrospectively studied in complete unilateral cleft lip and palate (UCLP) and noncleft individuals (controls) by means of posteroanterior cephalometric analysis. All the UCLP patients available (total 40) and randomly selected noncleft controls (total 142) were included in the study. The UCLP patients had undergone lip and palate reconstruction in Strong Memorial Hospital, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York, and orthodontic treatment in the Department of Orthodontics, Eastman Dental Center, Rochester, New York. The controls were selected based on the age that treatment was initiated and were treated in the department for various malocclusions; none had undergone maxillary expansion or surgical treatment. The asymmetry assessed on mixed longitudinal records of the patients with UCLP was analyzed relative to three chronologic age groups and compared to the controls. In addition, mandibular asymmetry was correlated to maxillary asymmetry in UCLP individuals to investigate possible growth patterns between the two jaws. RESULTS: Mandibular asymmetry in UCLP individuals was found to increase with growth and time and peaked at post-pubertal growth-spurt stages. The cleft subjects were more asymmetric than controls in all stages of growth. Mandibular asymmetry followed the affected maxilla closely, indicating a parallel growth pattern of the jaws. CONCLUSION: The unilateral cleft lip and palate patients manifested asymmetry of the mandible. This asymmetry develops in a parallel pattern with the affected maxilla, suggesting that early evaluation and treatment of the anomalies in the nasomaxillary skeleton as well as in the mandible is necessary when treating unilateral cleft lip and palate individuals.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1997

Mandibular asymmetry in noncleft and unilateral cleft lip and palate individuals.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to retrospectively investigate mandibular asymmetry in unilateral cleft lip and palate individuals (UCLP) in relation to chronologic age and in relation to lower facial asymmetry. DESIGN: The longitudinal records of 34 UCLP individuals and 142 controls treated in the Department of Orthodontics, Eastman Dental Center, Rochester, NY, were included in the study. Posteroanterior and oblique cephalometric radiographs were analyzed for lower facial asymmetry and mandibular asymmetry, respectively. Mandibular asymmetry in UCLP was analyzed relative to three age groups (6-10, 11-14, and 15 or greater) and compared to controls. Moreover, mandibular asymmetry was analyzed relative to lower facial asymmetry. RESULTS: UCLP individuals showed no significant differences in mandibular asymmetry compared to controls. In addition, no significant correlation was found between mandibular asymmetry and lower facial asymmetry in UCLP. CONCLUSIONS: The degree of mandibular asymmetry in UCLP appears not to be the major contributing factor to the lower facial asymmetry noted on these individuals. Possible cranial-base/temporal-region anomalies may be involved in unilateral cleft lip and palate and be responsible of the asymmetry noted in the lower facial skeleton.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1997

The prevalence of disc displacement in symptomatic and asymptomatic volunteers aged 6 to 25 years.

The purpose of this investigation was to determine a possible association between disc displacement and temporomandibular disorders (TMD). Fifty-six Brazilian asymptomatic volunteers (25 males and 31 females) and 181 symptomatic TMD patients (112 females and 69 males) participated. Volunteers did not have temporomandibular joint pain, limited jaw opening, joint sounds, or previous TMD treatment. Bilateral temporomandibular joint magnetic resonance imaging scans were obtained from all subjects. Joints were classified as normal or having disc displacement. Asymptomatic volunteers had 28 (25%) joints with disc displacement; 10 (18%) had unilateral and 9 (16%) had bilateral disc displacement. Of the TMD patients, 25 (13.8%) had bilateral symptomatic but normal joints. Fifty-one (28.2%) had unilateral and 105 (58%) had bilateral disc displacement. Odds ratios (12.2 [95% confidence interval = 6.1 to 24.4, P = .001]) suggest a strong association between disc displacement and TMD. This study suggests that disc displacement is relatively common (34%) in asymptomatic volunteers and is highly associated with patients (86%) with TMD.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1997

Generalized joint laxity and temporomandibular disorders.

Temporomandibular disorders (TMD) has been suggested to be of multifactorial etiology. One factor that has been suggested is laxity of joint ligaments. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relationship between generalized joint hypermobility and TMD. Thirty-eight asymptomatic volunteers and 62 symptomatic patients were included in this study. All asymptomatic volunteers did not have temporomandibular joint pain, limited jaw movement, joint sounds, or previous TMD treatment. All subjects had bilateral magnetic resonance imaging scans in the sagittal closed and opened and coronal closed positions. The Beighton test was used to score joint laxity with a laxity score of > or = 4 to define generalized joint laxity. The symptomatic group had an increase in joint laxity as compared to asymptomatic control subjects (odds ratio 4.0 [95% confidence interval = 1.38 to 10.95, P = .01]). There were no differences in laxity between male and female symptomatic subjects (P > .05). This study suggests a positive correlation between generalized joint laxity and TMD.

Adult↗
PubMed1996

Xerostomia and associated factors in a community-dwelling adult population.

Xerostomia is the subjective sensation of dry mouth. Estimates on the occurrence of xerostomia in community-dwelling adults have ranged from 10% among persons over age 50 to 40% for persons over age 65. Virtually no data are available for persons under age 50. To begin to establish a database on the occurrence of xerostomia and factors associated with it, a cross-sectional assessment of self-reported symptoms and salivary function was conducted across a broad age-range of generally healthy community-dwelling adults. A convenience sample of 710 adults who ranged from 19 to 88 years of age was drawn from various sources in the greater-Rochester, New York area. Study volunteers were administered a standardized questionnaire on general and oral health, which included questions on the symptoms of xerostomia, and were provided an oral screening examination, which included measurement of unstimulated and stimulated whole saliva flow rates. Overall, the observed prevalence of xerostomia was 24% among females and 18% among males. While xerostomia was more commonly observed in women than men, this association was only clear after age 50. Xerostomia was associated with: use of medications with hyposalivatory side-effects; difficulty with dry foods; cracked lips; dry eyes; difficulty swallowing; and, among males, current cigarette smoking. Results indicated a tendency for salivary flow rates to be lower for older persons, particularly the stimulated flow rate. There was a tendency in the younger cohorts for flow rates to be lower among individuals who reported sensation of dry mouth than among those who did not. This tendency was not apparent among older persons, suggesting that younger persons may be more likely to experience symptoms of oral dryness when salivary flow was low while older persons may relate symptoms of dry mouth to a more complex constellation of factors where salivary flow is only one component. These findings need to be examined further.

Adult↗
PubMed1996

Exploratory case-control analysis of psychosocial factors and adult periodontitis.

We explored the association between social factors and adult periodontitis by comparing self-reported information for daily strains and symptoms of depression in 71 cases and 77 controls. Cases and controls were selected from among 1,426 participants in the Erie County Risk Factor Study. We found differences among those who scored higher than their peers on measures of social strain. The odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (95% CI) for the association between case status and Role Strain score of 2.27 or more was 2.84, 95% CI = 1.08 to 7.46. We also examined serum antibody, dichotomized at the median, for three periodontal pathogens (Bacteroides forsythus [IgG Bf], Porphyromonas gingivalis [IgG Pg], Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans [IgG Aa]), and assessed interaction between antibody levels and a Depression score derived from the Brief Symptom Inventory. IgG Pg and IgG Aa were both strongly associated with case status (OR = 4.52, 95% CI = 1.99 to 10.3 and OR = 5.29, 95% CI = 2.34 to 12.0, respectively). IgG Bf was associated with periodontal disease but only among individuals who had higher scores for Depression (OR = 6.75, 95% CI = 1.25 to 36.5). Smoking status was associated with case status (OR = 4.95, 95% CI = 1.86 to 13.2). We assessed these findings prospectively by examining factors associated with more extensive disease among the 71 case subjects after 1 year of follow-up. We found baseline smoking status and IgG Bf among individuals scoring high on Depression at baseline to be associated with more extensive disease (8.1% or more of the sites showing further breakdown). In this population an elevated Depression score may be a marker for social isolation, which could play a role in immune function during periods of social strain. This exploratory analysis has served to identify specific lines of inquiry concerning psychosocial measures as important environmental factors in adult periodontitis.

Adult↗
PubMed1995

An overview of caries risk assessment, and its potential utility.

The clinical findings that dentists use to estimate the future caries activity of patients are imperfect. Almost invariably there are protective factors in patients who go on to develop clinical caries and there are risk factors that persist in patients who do not develop clinical caries. Therefore, the clinical decision process is characterized by a level of uncertainty concerning the selection of patient management strategies for caries. To the degree that information relating to caries risk assessment can reduce the amount of uncertainty associated with decisions for clinical patient care in the present, that information has utility. Dentists face many treatment decisions daily. The integration of a mechanistic understanding of caries and use of clinical data may yield useful information that will improve clinical patient management. Certain factors affect the potential utility of caries risk screening from the clinician's perspective. These can be summarized in terms of the costs and benefits of the procedures as well as the availability and appeal of alternative procedures. Factored in with these considerations are the investment history one has made toward a given procedure and the propensity for changing one's behavior. These considerations are not easily addressed at present since costs and benefits for different therapeutic approaches have been developed for only a few dental conditions. We have put forth a framework that emphasizes the clinician as the key component in the assessment of caries risk. We argue that integration of the clinician's focus with a mechanistic understanding of caries and a probabilistic, empirical appreciation for caries activity will be beneficial for patient management. These arguments remain untested and should be challenged in a research setting. We need to establish whether information derived from risk assessment procedures leads to improved clinical outcomes. We need to have a better understanding of how clinicians process clinically available risk information. We need to determine what additional risk assessment information will improve the clinician's ability to identify high-risk patients. We also need to establish whether there are differences in the usefulness of additional risk information depending on the level of experience of the clinician.

Cost-Benefit Analysis↗
PubMed1993

Outsourcing data processing: planning for the disentanglement.

Outsourcing data processing operations may be considered a conventional acquisition transaction between a customer and supplier. The most distinctive feature of a DP outsourcing contract is that it involves complex issues relating to computer software and technology and, frequently, intense issues relating to employees. But, one must do more in order to provide for preservation of the integrity (and, therefore, the value) of the data center. The contract must include not just the sale of a facility to a supplier who will take over the operations, but also terms for reconveying the facility at a future date. Getting out of the arrangement can be very complex. Disentanglement can be made less complex however, if the customer and the supplier negotiate all or part of the disentanglement procedures during the original contract proposal. Know ahead of time the possible scenarios for when disentanglement may take place and know what to do during the contract negotiations and during the length of the agreement to keep track of each other's properties. Know also the risks involved in outsourcing DP operations, such as what happens when the supplier's business fails. Having the supplier set up a separate profit entity for your contracted business or using a lien on the data center properties may help avoid loss if such failure occurs.

Commerce↗
PubMed1989

Chronic disease mortality and risk factors in Wisconsin, 1986.

"Of the ten leading causes of death in the United States, at least seven could be substantially reduced if persons at risk improved just five habits: diet, smoking, lack of exercise, alcohol abuse, and the use of antihypertensive medication."

Chronic Disease↗
PubMed1982

Binding of crocetin to plasma albumin.

The binding of the carotenoid crocetin to human and bovine plasma albumin was studied using absorption and fluorescence techniques. Shifts in the absorption spectrum of crocetin, quenching of the albumin fluorescence, and competitive binding studies all provided information about the binding of crocetin to albumin. These studies suggest that crocetin binds to plasma albumin by occupying the free fatty acid binding sites. The binding constants for the first two binding sites are in the 10(5)-10(7) M-1 range and are an order of magnitude less than the values reported for other conjugated polyene fatty acids. The importance of this strong plasma albumin binding to the pharmacology of crocetin is discussed.

Animals↗