BACKGROUND: Gong's nonverbal intelligence test(GNIT) is a nonverbal and cross-cultural test of intelligence designed primarily to suit the use in the minority groups and those with linguistic difficulties by Professor Gong Yao-xian. At present 5 unified norms of the minority groups as well as norms of Chinese Han children and adult aged below 55 years have been developed, but the norms for the elderly above 56 years of age are not available. Nonverbal intelligence test is especially suitable for the elderly and has therefore wide applications.OBJECTIVE: To establish regional norms of the GNIT for healthy elderly people above 56 to enable the completion of nonverbal intelligence test norms suitable for each age groups.DESIGN: A controlled study with stratified sampling of healthy elderly retirees over 56 years of age in the community.SETTING: Department of Physiology in Medical College of Henan University of Science and Technology; Center for Psychology, Xiangya Second Hospital,Central South University.PARTICIPANTS: Healthy elderly retirees above 56 years of age in Luoyang cityor the counties were selected on a voluntary basis with stratified sampling according to the proportion of each region. The selected subjects aged between 56 and 101 years, and 8 age groups were divided at the interval of 5 years(about 200 people in each age group). Totally 1 460 subjects were selected, including 679 male and 781 female subjects.METHODS: With the instruments and manual of GNIT, the subjects were tested for color identification, classification, blank-filling with numbers or graphs, characters and encoding tests. The results were original scores, scale scores and intelligence quotient.MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The norms of GNIT for the elderly above 56 years of age.RESULTS: The norms included three scores, namely the original scores, scale scores and standard deviation scores. To test of reliability and validity of the norms, retest was performed in 40 1 or 2 weeks after the initial test, resulting in the test-retest reliability coefficient ranging from 0.59 to 0. 89, with the total test-retest reliability coefficient of 0.83. The correlation coefficients the original scores between the subtests ranged from 0. 35 to 0. 63, and the correlation coefficients between the standard deviation scores of the verbal intelligence quotient(VIQ), performance intelligence quotient(PIQ) and full intelligence quotient(FIQ) of Wechster intelligence scale for children(WAIC-RC) were 0.43,0.51 and 0.54 respectiyely, based on a study of a sample of 50 elderly subjects.CONCLUSION: Primary regional norms of GNIT for elderly subjects above 56 years of age have been established to measure mainly the perception and reasoning factors loaded with also visual motor psychological factors and abstract summary factors, with satisfactory reliability and validity equivalent to similar tests.

This study was aimed to assess the stress distribution of different capacity of class I cavity after composite resin filling. A three-dimensional finite element made of the maxillary second molar was constructed by spiral CT scan technology. Based on this model, stress distribution in tooth was analyzed before and after post-core restorations with 5 different capacities of class I cavity. When the circle triangle of class I cavities being under 50N vertical pressures, the cavity capacity increased from 3.3 mm to 3.7 mm, the maximum tensile stress values of the composite resin restorations being 3 times those of normal tooth, which were 14.872 MPa, 16.682 MPa and 17.589 MPa, 17.307 MPa and17.912 MPa. Obviously, the effect of different capacities of class I cavity on the maximum stress value enduring ability of teeth was samll, but in the analysis model, the enduring ability of teeth was reduced when the molars were filled with resin.
Composite Resins ; chemistry ; Computer Simulation ; Dental Stress Analysis ; Finite Element Analysis ; Humans ; Imaging, Three-Dimensional ; Models, Biological ; Molar ; diagnostic imaging ; pathology ; Post and Core Technique ; Root Canal Filling Materials ; chemistry ; Tomography, Spiral Computed

OBJECTIVETo measure the agreement, reliability and validity of assessment of multiple systematic reviews (AMSTAR) to assess Chinese systematic reviews on stomatology.

METHODSA comprehensive electronic search was made through Chinese BioMedical Literature Database, VIP Database for Chinese Technical Periodicals and China National Knowledge Infrastructure electronically on March 1st 2011 together with handsearch through 19 stomatological journals to identify published Chinese systematic reviews on stomatology. Each systematic review was assessed by two reviewers with overview quality assessment questionnaire (OQAQ) and AMSTAR. And reliability (interobserver Kappa of the 11 AMSTAR items), interclass correlation coefficient (ICC) of the sum scores and construct validity (ICC of the sum scores of AMSTAR compared with those of the OQAQ) were reported.

RESULTSA total of 52 systematic reviews on stomatology were eligible. The reviewers agreement of the individual items of AMSTAR was with a mean Kappa of 0.81 [95% CI(0.73, 0.89)] while the OQAQ was 0.74 [95% CI (0.66, 0.83)]. The ICC of the total score for AMSTAR was 0.98 [95% CI (0.97, 0.99), P = 0.000]. Cronbach' alpha was 0.69 [95% CI (0.56, 0.80), P = 0.000]. And ICC of the sum scores of AMSTAR compared with those of the OQAQ was 0.94 [95% CI (0.90, 0.97), P = 0.000].

CONCLUSIONAMSTAR has good agreement, reliability and validity. AMSTAR can be well used in Chinese stomatology and can bring dentists much convenience when assess the methodological quality of systematical reviews on stomatology.

China ; Humans ; Oral Medicine ; Publishing ; Quality Control ; Reproducibility of Results ; Review Literature as Topic

OBJECTIVETo assess the effect and safety of periodontal therapy in relieving the symptoms and clinical signs of rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

METHODSThe electronic search was conducted in Medline (OVID, 1950-2010 Sep), EMBASE (1984-2010 Sep), CENTRAL (2010, Issue 3), CBM (1978-2010 Sep) and the Chinese journals on stomatology were hand-searched. Clinical randomized controlled trials as well as clinical controlled trials were selected regarding the targeted issue. Two investigators evaluated the reporting quality and risk of bias of those included trials in accordance with CONSORT statement and Cochrane risk of bias assessment tools, and collected data of included studies in duplicate. Revman 5.0.23 was applied for Meta-analysis.

RESULTSFour trials met the inclusion criteria and a total of 150 patients were enrolled in the trials, one had low risk of bias and others had moderate risk of bias. Meta-analysis showed that pure periodontal therapy could not decrease disease activity score in 28 joints (DAS28) (P=0.06), and there was no statistically significant difference between periodontal therapy with anti-tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) medication and pure anti-TNF-alpha medication (P=0.24). But the subgroup analysis showed that a significantly decreased DAS28 was achieved by periodontal therapy (P=0.03), and the interventions provided a remarkable effect on alleviating clinical signs and erythrocyte sedimentation rate of RA (P<0.05). Results of the symptoms relief differed from the studies. No adverse events were reported.

CONCLUSIONThe evidence available currently indicates that periodontal therapy may play a positive role in remitting the clinical signs and periodontal status of RA except the relief of the symptoms.

Arthritis, Rheumatoid ; Humans ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha

OBJECTIVETo assess the efficacy and safety of hyaluronate sodium (HS) for internal derangement of temporomandibular joint by means of systematic review on relevant randomized controlled trials.

METHODSAfter identifing the study question of the efficacy and safety of HS for internal derangement of temporomandibular joint, Medline, Cochrane Controlled Trials Register, EMBASE, OPEN SIGLE and CBM were searched electronically till October 3rd 2010. Hand-searching covering 19 dental journals in Chinese were also performed. Risk of bias assessment, with Cochrane Collaboration's tool, and data extraction of included studies were conducted by two reviewers in duplicate. Meta analysis was done with Revman 5.0.23 and the quality of evidence was evaluated by GRADE.

RESULTS10 randomized controlled trials met the eligibility criteria and were included. All these studies had unclear risk of bias. When compared with negative control, HS showed a significant advantage on maximal mouth opening in short and long-term (P < 0.05), and clinical overall assessment in short-term (P < 0.05), but its effect on pain control and long-term effect on clinical overall assessment had no extra benefit (P > 0.05). Additionally, when compared with glucocorticoids, the participants who received HS injection would get a better clinical overall assessment in short-term and less adverse drug reactions (P < 0.05), but presented a similar temporomandibular joint pain relief and maximal mouth opening (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONTo a certain extent, HS had good efficacy and better safety than controls when treating internal derangement of temporomandibular joint. However, as the quality of some included studies were limited, more randomized controlled trials are needed to reinforce the conclusion.

Glucocorticoids ; Humans ; Hyaluronic Acid ; Temporomandibular Joint