OBJECTIVE To determine, if staining of articular cartilage for proteoglycans (natural element of healthy and functioning cartilage) and discoidin domain receptor 2 (DDR2) (a protein associated with articular cartilage degradation) is correlated with histological tissue damage or radiographic assessment score in patients with early stages of knee osteoarthritis (OA). METHOD 40 patients, with e...

PURPOSE This study aimed to evaluate the correlation between microleakage and screw loosening at different types of implant-abutment connections and/or geometries measuring the torque values before and after the leakage tests. MATERIALS AND METHODS Three different abutment types (Intenal hex titanium, internal hex zirconium, morse tapered titaniuım) with different geometries were connected to...

OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to investigate the association between dental and skeletal maturity. STUDY DESIGN Digital panoramic radiographs and lateral skull cephalograms of 302 patients (134 boys and 168 girls, ranging from 8 to 16 years of age) were examined. Dental maturity was assessed by calcification stages of the mandibular canines, first and second premolars, and second molars...

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the correlation between axial myopia and diabetic retinopathy. STUDY DESIGN Cross-sectional study. PLACE AND DURATION OF STUDY Eye Department of Postgraduate Medical Institute, Lahore General Hospital, from August 2012 to February 2013. METHODOLOGY A total of 258 participants suffering from type-2 diabetic retinopathy were included. Axial length was measured by two o...

Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient (denoted here by rs) is a nonparametric (distribution-free) rank statistic proposed by Charles Spearman as a measure of the strength of the associations between two variables. It is a measure of a monotone association that is used when the distribution of the data makes Pearson’s correlation coefficient undesirable or misleading. Spearman’s coefficient is...

OBJECTIVES To evaluate the mechanical joint score (MJS) in terms of its reliability between observers and over time, its ease of use and its relationship with conventional measures of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) disease activity, severity and functional outcome. METHODS The MJS was evaluated in 103 patients with reference to the following joints: total proximal interphalangeal (PIP) joints, tot...

OBJECTIVES To study the correlation between Sunnybrook and House-Brackmann facial grading systems at different time points during the course of peripheral facial palsy. STUDY DESIGN Prospective multicenter trial. SETTING Seventeen otorhinolaryngological centers. SUBJECTS AND METHODS Data are part of the Scandinavian Bell's palsy study. The facial function of 1920 patients with peripheral ...

BACKGROUND Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) are a serious problem among the nursing staff. Mental workload is the major cause of MSDs among nursing staff. The aim of this study was to investigate the mental workload dimensions and their association with MSDs among nurses of Alzahra Hospital, affiliated to Isfahan University of Medical Sciences. MATERIALS AND METHODS This descriptive cross-sec...

BACKGROUND Tissue microarrays (TMAs) allow high-throughput evaluation of protein expression from archived tissue samples. We identified characteristics specific to ovarian cancer that may influence TMA interpretation. METHODS TMAs were constructed using triplicate core samples from 174 epithelial ovarian cancers. Stains for p53, Ki-67, estrogen receptor-alpha, progesterone receptor, Her-2, WT...

PURPOSE To assess the arterial stiffness in patients with branch retinal vein occlusion (BRVO). METHODS Brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (PWV) and ankle-brachial index were measured in 10 patients with BRVO (mean age 67.9 +/- 7.5 years) and in 18 age-matched controls (mean age 66.9 +/- 6.8 years). The controls were subjects with systemic essential hypertension having no retinal lesions. R...