Boys Age Research Articles

Use of the Demirjian method to estimate dental age in panoramic radiographs of patients treated at the Buenos Aires University School of Dentistry.

The aim of this study was to determine the difference between real age (RA) and dental age (DA) in boys and girls from the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires (C.A.B.A.) by analyzing digital panoramic radiographs from the database of the Imaging Department at the Buenos Aires University School of Dentistry, using the Demirjian Method (DM). The sample consisted of 508 panoramic radiographs of 6- to 14-year old Argentines (268 female and 240 male). The Demirjian method was used to estimate dental age from each panoramic radiograph, and the Wilcoxon test was applied to perform a comparative analysis with the real age recorded in the image database. Average RA was 9.36 years (SD 2.11), and average DA according to the Demirjian method was 10.45 years (SD 2.31). For females, RA was 9.25 (SD 2.12), and DA according to the DM was 10.40 years (SD 2.41). For males, RA was 9.46 (SD 2.10), and DA according to the DM was 10.50 years (SD 2.22). An inter-classcorrelationcoefficient(ICC) calculated as a correlation measure between dental age and real age was ICC = 1.09%. The ICC was 1.04% for the males and 1.15% for females. Significant differences were found between DA and RA (p<0.01) in general and according to sex. Real age was found to be lower than dental age in the study population from Buenos Aires City.

Analysis of yogic practices and aerobic exercise on flexibility among children with down syndrome

Context: Analysis the impact of Yogic Practices and Aerobic Exercises on Flexibility among children with Down syndrome. Aim: This study aims to identify the effect of Yogic Practices and Aerobic Exercises on Flexibility among children with Down syndrome. Research Design : Random group design was used as research design. Material and Methods : 30 down syndrome boys age group 12 to 18 years have been selected for as final samples for further data collection process of the study. Subjects for study have been chosen from Anugragha special school Kanyakumari district, Tamil Nadu, India. The subjects were divided into three groups, namely Yogic practice group, Aerobic exercise group, and control group, each group consisting of 10 subjects. The subjects were divided into three groups, namely Yogic practice group, Aerobic exercise group, and control group, each group consisting of 10 subjects. The study was conducted on dependent variables such as flexibility.

Cerebrospinal Fluid Histamine Levels in Healthy Children and Potential Implication for SIDS: Observational Study in a French Tertiary Care Hospital.

ObjectiveA defect of the waking systems could constitute a factor of vulnerability for sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). A decrease in orexin levels, which promotes wakefulness and activates histaminergic neurons (another hypothalamic wake-promoting system) has already been demonstrated between 2 and 6 months. This work aims to study the levels of histamine (HA), tele-methylhistamine (t-MeHA), its direct metabolite, and t-MeHA/HA ratio in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of healthy children, to evaluate the maturation of the histaminergic system and its possible involvement in SIDS.MethodsSeventy Eight French children between 0 and 20 years (48.7% boys) were included, all of whom had a clinical indication for lumbar puncture, but subsequently found to be normal. Measurements of HA and t-MeHA in CSF were performed by reverse phase liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry detection. Statistical analyses were performed using Spearman correlations and Non-parametric pairwise ranking tests.ResultsA negative correlation was found between age and CSF HA (r = −0.44, p < 10−4) and t-MeHA (r = −0.70, p < 10−4) levels. In pairwise comparisons, no difference in CSF HA and t-MeHA levels was observed between youngest age groups (i.e., 0–2 mo vs. 3–6 mo), but CSF HA and t-MeHA levels were significantly lower in older children (i.e., >6 mo vs. 0–6 mo). The CSF HA decrease with age was only observed in boys, who also presented global lower CSF HA levels than girls.ConclusionCSF HA and t-MeHA levels decrease with age in boys, and global levels are lower in boys than in girls. These results reveal changes in histaminergic transmission and metabolism during maturation. Whether lower CSF histamine values in boys compared to girls could contribute to their higher risk of SIDS warrants further research.

Organization of recreational and health handball classes for boys of primary school age in the conditions of children's sports

The article is devoted to the construction of a program of recreational and health activities for boys of primary school age based on the use of handball. The purpose of the study is to theoretically substantiate and develop a program of classes based on the use of handball for boys of primary school age, aimed at organizing active leisure, increasing the level of physical activity of children. Methods and organization of research - analysis and generalization of special scientific and methodological literature, documentary materials, sociological (questionnaires, expert surveys), pedagogical research methods (pedagogical observation, pedagogical experiment), methods of mathematical statistics.&#x0D; The proposed program of classes includes 3 main parts: theoretical, practical and cognitive and covers a number of activities that affect the involvement of children in recreational and health activities, different from the existing degree of development, structure and content. The duration of classes was 30-45 minutes. The frequency of classes was 2 times a week. Among the funds used a series of fun handball exercises: tennis and soccer ball relays, mobile games, competitions, sports quizzes, entertainment events, holidays, story-based role-playing games. The variety of means of the program, namely special exercises aimed at getting acquainted with the technique of handball, allowed to attract boys of primary school age to recreational and health activities, to promote a positive attitude to a healthy lifestyle and physical activity.

The influence of curricular physical activities on the values of body balance indices in university students

The investigation analyzes the effect of specific motor structures on the indicators of the static and dynamic balance of the students of Dunărea de Jos University in Galați (99 boys aged = 20.29 years, body weight = 84.17 kg, height = 180.08 cm, respectively 96 girls aged = 20.09 years, mass bodyweight = 60.88 kg, height = 164.73 cm. The members of the tested group have no concerns related to performance sports or physical activities as a lifestyle. The application of the experi-mental program was made during the 28 weeks of the academic year 2018-2019, with 3 distinct moments: T1 / initial at the beginning of the 1st semester, T2 / intermediate before the winter break, T3 / final at the end of the academic year. The battery of tests included 7 tests: One leg standing test with eyes closed (sec), Stork test (sec), Flamingo test (number of attempts), Bass test (points), Functional reach test (cm), Walk and turn field sobriety test (errors) and Fukuda test (degrees). The results of the Anova parametric test with repeated measurements revealed statis-tically significant values of F associated with critical thresholds (p &lt;0.05), and the values of Parti-al eta squared (Ƞ2p) indicate strong influences of the proposed program on test performance in most cases, both at the level of the whole group and also for each gender. It should be noted that the performance improvements are greater in the first part of the study (differences between ini-tial and intermediate tests, with p &lt;0.05), compared to those in semester 2 (differences between intermediate and final tests), which can be explained by the adaptation to the planned and ap-plied stimuli, so modifying or changing their dosage is necessary in order to have a better chan-ce of improving the results. Significant differences are confirmed for most tests of both genders (p &lt;0.05), with exceptions being the Walk and turn field sobriety test for boys (at the level of the difference between intermediate and final testing) and the Fukuda test for both genders (for dif-ferences between initial and intermediate testing). However, the results should be viewed with caution, the low level of physical training and sedentary behavior of most students providing the premises for such progress, even with a single weekly physical activity. Keywords: students, balance, postural stability, physical exercise, progress, motor skills

Prevalence of Phimosis, Benefit of Manual Foreskin Retraction, and Parent’s Perception about Phimosis in Thai Kindergarten and Primary School Aged Boys

Background: Primary phimosis can be resolved naturally by aging, however, it can cause a serious complication such as infection, emergency visit to hospital, and risk of developing penile cancer. Circumcision is a good option for treatment but there is no exact cut-off point of the age that the procedure should be performed. Conservative treatment such as manual foreskin retraction has benefit according to literature but timing and how to do it are still questionable. Objective: To evaluate the prevalence of phimosis in kindergarten and primary school aged boys, the benefit of manual retraction by parents, and to explore the awareness of parents of the complications of phimosis. Materials and Methods: The present study was a cross-sectional study initiated between June 2020 and August 2020 at Thammasat kindergarten and primary school, Pathumthani, Thailand. Data from 264 boys were collected by online questionnaire. The questionnaire consisted of the grading of phimosis and parental awareness of the complications of the phimosis. Results: The prevalence of phimosis from the present study was 68% in 3- to 4-year-old boys, 54% in 5- to 6-year-old, 51% in 7- to 8-year-old, 44% in 9- to 10-year-old, and 39% in 11- to 12-year-old boys. For parental awareness, 61% of parents knew that phimosis can be a risk for urinary tract infection, 48% for acute event such as urinary retention or paraphimosis, and only 24% knew that phimosis can be a risk for developing penile cancer. The benefit of the manual retraction was not demonstrated in the present study. Conclusion: In the present study, the prevalence of phimosis was almost 50%, even in children older than 6-year-old. The authors encourage the education of parents about the complications of phimosis, especially penile cancer. Keywords: Phimosis; Manual retraction; Penile cancer; Parental awareness; Urinary tract infection; Penile cancer

Central body fat deposits are associated with poor vitamin D status in Chinese children and adolescents

ObjectivesTo examine the association between regional fat deposits and vitamin D levels in Chinese children. Whether regional fat distribution contributes to vitamin D deficiency remains uncertain. MethodsA population-based, nationwide and multicenter cross-sectional study involving 6,589 pediatric participants (49.9% boys) ages 6 to 18 y. The regional fat mass index (FMI) variables were calculated as regional fat mass (kg) divided by the square of height (m2), and plasma 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25[OH]D) levels were measured. ResultsAmong boys, after adjustment for multiple variables (including opposite regional fat), higher values for trunk FMI and android FMI were associated with a greater likelihood of vitamin D inadequacy (odds ratios [ORs], 2.14 and 1.87, respectively), whereas the extremity FMI and gynoid FMI were associated with protection from vitamin D inadequacy (ORs, 0.63 and 0.71, respectively). Consistently, increased central fat distribution (e.g., trunk or android to total fat ratio) and decreased peripheral fat distribution (e.g., extremity or gynoid to total fat ratio) were associated with greater odds of vitamin D inadequacy. Among girls, the associations of regional fat with vitamin D were weaker than those in boys, and most analyses did not reach statistical significance. ConclusionsRegional fat deposits were associated with vitamin D status in Chinese school-aged children and more pronounced among boys.

Oxygen Uptake in Repeated Cycling Sprints Against Different Loads Is Comparable Between Men and Preadolescent Boys.

Children recover faster than adults in repeated sprints, but it is unclear if their aerobic responses differ.PurposeThis study tested the hypothesis that aerobic response (VO2) during repeated sprints is greater in preadolescent boys than in men. Further, this study compared normalization with conventional ratio-scaling and scaling with the use of body mass (BM) as a covariate.MethodsNine boys (age: 11.8 ± 0.6 years, swimmers) and 11 men (age: 21.7 ± 0.6 years, recreational athletes) performed 10 maximal 6-s cycling sprints separated by 24-s of passive recovery, against two loads (optimum and 50% of optimum). Oxygen uptake (VO2) was measured continuously.ResultsMen’s mean power output (MPO) was greater than boys in each sprint, both in absolute (unscaled) values ( p < 0.05) and when adjusted for lean leg volume ( p < 0.05). Children had lower absolute VO2 ( p < 0.05) than men, but when it was adjusted for BM or power-output, VO2 was comparable between men and boys. Thus, most of the difference in VO2 between men and boys was due to body size and power-output differences.ConclusionOur results suggest that men and boys have similar VO2 during repeated sprints when appropriately adjusted to body mass or power output. Results highlight the importance of using appropriate scaling methods to compare adults’ and children’s aerobic responses to high-intensity exercise.

Resting metabolic rate and its association with body composition parameters in 9- to 18-year-old Indian children and adolescents

ObjectivesObesity is a disorder of energy balance with increasing prevalence in Indian children. Objectives were to study 1) resting metabolic rate (RMR), anthropometry, body composition (BC), and their relationships in Indian children and adolescents affected with overweight (OW) or obesity (OB) and in non-overweight (NOW) children and 2) factors influencing RMR, such as age, sex, and BC. MethodsThis cross-sectional, observational, multicentric study included 495 children (260 boys) of age 9–18 y who were assessed from six Indian states for sociodemographic and anthropometric parameters using standard protocols. Body composition was assessed by a body impedance analyzer technique (Tanita-BC-420), and RMR was assessed using indirect calorimetry. Data were analyzed using SPSS (version 26) with appropriate statistical tests. The level of significance was set at P < 0.05. ResultsBoys had higher absolute RMR values than did girls (1212±263 kcal/d versus 1066±204 kcal/d; P < 0.001). Weight-adjusted RMR was significantly lower among children classified as OW or OB than among NOW children of both sexes, respectively (P < 0.001). Linear regression analysis revealed fat-free mass, sex, age, and body mass index (BMI) as significant predictors of RMR (P < 0.05). ConclusionsWe found lower weight-adjusted RMR in children classified as OW or OB as compared with NOW children. Our study underlines the importance of low RMR levels among children with a higher BMI, in girls, and with increasing age.

Sports injuries patterns in children and adolescents according to their sports participation level, age and maturation

BackgroundGrowth can make young athletes more vulnerable to sports injuries. Increased knowledge about injury profile and its predictors is an important part of an overall risk management strategy but few studies have produced information.MethodsInformation about injury profile and sports participation (SP) level was obtained by LESADO and RAPIL II questionnaires. They were distributed to 651 participants aged between 10 and 18 years attending four schools. Maturity measures were evaluated through maturity offset (MO) and Tanner-Whitehouse III method. Bivariate analysis was used to identify the set of candidate predictors for multinomial logistic regression analysis that was used to determine significant predictors of injury type and body area injury location.ResultsRegarding injury type predictors recreative boys had more chances of having a sprain or a fracture than a strain. Also, recreative and scholar girls had more chances of having a sprain than a strain. As MO decreased, the chances of girls having a strain or a fracture when compared to sprains were higher. For body area location boys with 10–11 years were more likely to have upper limbs injuries than boys of other ages. This was also confirmed by MO. Spine and trunk injuries were more likely to occur in federate and no sports participation girls.ConclusionsInjury type and body area injury location differed significantly by SP level, age group and MO.

Robust Estimation of the Chronological Age of Children and Adolescents Using Tooth Geometry Indicators and POD-GP.

Determining the chronological age of children or adolescents is becoming an extremely necessary and important issue. Correct age-assessment methods are especially important in the process of international adoption and in the case of immigrants without valid documents confirming their identity. It is well known that traditional, analog methods widely used in clinical evaluation are burdened with a high error rate and are characterized by low accuracy. On the other hand, new digital approaches appear in medicine more and more often, which allow the increase of the accuracy of these estimates, and thus equip doctors with a tool for reliable estimation of the chronological age of children and adolescents. In this study, the work on a fast and effective metamodel is continued. Metamodels have one great advantage over all other analog and quasidigital methods—if they are well trained, a priori, on a representative set of samples, then in the age-assessment phase, results are obtained in a fraction of a second and with little error (reduced to months). In the here-proposed method, the standard deviation for each estimate is additionally obtained, which allows the assessment of the certainty of each result. In this study, 619 pantomographic photos of 619 patients (296 girls and 323 boys) of different ages were used. In the numerical procedure, on the other hand, a metamodel based on the Proper Orthogonal Decomposition (POD) and Gaussian processes (GP) were utilized. The accuracy of the trained model was up to 95%.

An Examination of the Sex-Specific Nature of Nutrition Assessment within the Nutrition Care Process: Considerations for Nutrition and Dietetics Practitioners Working with Transgender and Gender Diverse Clients

An Examination of the Sex-Specific Nature of Nutrition Assessment within the Nutrition Care Process: Considerations for Nutrition and Dietetics Practitioners Working with Transgender and Gender Diverse Clients

Risk Factors for Excessive Social Media Use Differ from Those of Gambling and Gaming in Finnish Youth.

Purpose: Adolescents’ excessive social media use has characteristics similar to other addictive behaviours. This study aims to explore whether the same risk factors are associated with excessive social media use as with excessive gaming and gambling among Finnish adolescents. Methods: Multinomial logistic regression analyses were carried out using the European School Survey Project on Alcohol and Other Drugs data, collected from Finnish adolescents aged 15–16 in 2019 (n = 4595). Results: Excessive use of social media was more common among girls (reported by 46% of respondents) than boys of the same age (28%), whereas boys reported both excessive gaming (23%) and gambling (6%) more often than girls (4% and 1%, respectively). All differences between genders were statistically significant (p < 0.0001). Daily smoking was associated with a high risk of excessive gambling (AOR = 3.23) and low risk of excessive gaming (AOR = 0.27) but had no significant effect on excessive social media use. Cannabis use in the past 12 months was positively associated only with excessive gambling (AOR = 2.39), while past 12 months alcohol consumption increased the risk for excessive social media use (AOR = 1.25). Conclusions: Adolescent girls are at greater risk of excessive social media use than boys, while boys are at greater risk of excessive gaming and gambling. The associations with known risk factors are somewhat different for excessive use of social media as compared to excessive gambling and gaming and should be acknowledged when developing preventive measures for adolescents.

Efficacy and Safety of Vamorolone in Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy

Vamorolone is a synthetic steroidal drug with potent anti-inflammatory properties. Initial open-label, multiple ascending dose-finding studies of vamorolone among boys with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) found significant motor function improvement after 6 months treatment in higher-dose (ie, ≥2.0 mg/kg/d) groups. To investigate outcomes after 30 months of open-label vamorolone treatment. This nonrandomized controlled trial was conducted by the Cooperative International Neuromuscular Research Group at 11 US and non-US study sites. Participants were 46 boys ages 4.5 to 7.5 years with DMD who completed the 6-month dose-finding study. Data were analyzed from July 2020 through November 2021. Participants were enrolled in a 24-month, long-term extension (LTE) study with vamorolone dose escalated to 2.0 or 6.0 mg/kg/d. Change in time-to-stand (TTSTAND) velocity from dose-finding baseline to end of LTE study was the primary outcome. Efficacy assessments included timed function tests, 6-minute walk test, and NorthStar Ambulatory Assessment (NSAA). Participants with DMD treated with glucocorticoids from the Duchenne Natural History Study (DNHS) and NorthStar United Kingdom (NSUK) Network were matched and compared with participants in the LTE study receiving higher doses of vamorolone. Among 46 boys with DMD who completed the dose-finding study, 41 boys (mean [SD] age, 5.33 [0.96] years) completed the LTE study. Among 21 participants treated with higher-dose (ie, ≥2.0 mg/kg/d) vamorolone consistently throughout the 6-month dose-finding and 24-month LTE studies with data available at 30 months, there was a decrease in mean (SD) TTSTAND velocity from baseline to 30 months (0.206 [0.070] rises/s vs 0.189 (0.124) rises/s), which was not a statistically significant change (-0.011 rises/s; CI, -0.068 to 0.046 rises/s). There were no statistically significant differences between participants receiving higher-dose vamorolone and matched participants in the historical control groups receiving glucocorticoid treatment (75 patients in DNHS and 110 patients in NSUK) over a 2-year period in NSAA total score change (0.22 units vs NSUK; 95% CI, -4.48 to 4.04]; P = .92), body mass index z score change (0.002 vs DNHS SD/mo; 95% CI, -0.006 to 0.010; P = .58), or timed function test change. Vamorolone at doses up to 6.0 mg/kg/d was well tolerated, with 5 of 46 participants discontinuing prematurely and for reasons not associated with study drug. Participants in the DNHS treated with glucocorticoids had significant growth delay in comparison with participants treated with vamorolone who had stable height percentiles (0.37 percentile/mo; 95% CI, 0.23 to 0.52 percentile/mo) over time. This study found that vamorolone treatment was not associated with a change in TTSTAND velocity from baseline to 30 months among boys with DMD aged 4 to 7 years at enrollment. Vamorolone was associated with maintenance of muscle strength and function up to 30 months, similar to standard of care glucocorticoid therapy, and improved height velocity compared with growth deceleration associated with glucocorticoid treatment, suggesting that vamorolone may be an attractive candidate for treatment of DMD. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03038399.

Nightmare frequency and psychopathological problems in a large sample of Chinese adolescents.

Nightmares are common, especially in pediatric populations and psychiatric patients. Nightmares are associated with daytime distress and negative health outcomes. The data on the prevalence and psychopathological profiles of nightmares in Chinese adolescents are limited. This study examined age and gender differences in nightmare frequency and associated psychopathological problems in a large sample of Chinese adolescents. A total of 11,831 adolescent students (mean age = 14.9, 12-18years) participated in the baseline survey of Shandong Adolescent Behavior and Health Cohort. Participants completed a self-administered questionnaire to report their nightmare frequency, trait anger, hopelessness, and multiple domains of behavioral/emotional problems. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to examine psychopathological problems in relation to nightmare frequency. Of the sample, 45.2% reported having nightmares at least once in the past month and 7.9% at least once/week. Girls reported more frequent nightmares than boys. Nightmare frequency significantly declined with age for both boys and girls. Mean scores on trait anger, hopelessness, attention, internalizing problems, and externalizing problems significantly increased with nightmare frequency. Frequent nightmares (at least once/week) were significantly associated with 2-4-fold increased likelihood of behavioral/emotional problems after adjusting for adolescent and family covariates. Nightmares are prevalent in Chinese adolescents. Frequent nightmares are associated with multiple domains of psychopathological problems. Assessment and intervention of frequent nightmares should be incorporated into routine clinical practice and mental health services in adolescents.

Systematic Isolation of Key Parameters for Estimating Skeletal Maturity on Anteroposterior Wrist Radiographs.

The ability to make a continuous skeletal maturity estimate from a wrist radiograph would be useful in the treatment of adolescent forearm fractures, scoliosis, and other conditions. We attempted to create a reliable, rapid, and accurate method to do this. Many anteroposterior wrist radiographic parameters from 3 skeletal maturity systems were simplified to 23 based on relevance to the peripubertal age range, univariate correlation with skeletal maturity, and reliability. These 23 parameters were evaluated on serial peripubertal anteroposterior hand-wrist radiographs. We determined the Greulich and Pyle (GP) skeletal age and Sanders hand system (SHS) stage. We used stepwise linear regression and generalized estimating equation (GEE) procedures to identify important radiographic and demographic parameters for estimating skeletal maturity, creating the "Modified Fels wrist skeletal maturity system." Its accuracy predicting skeletal maturity was evaluated and compared with that of 4 other systems: (1) GP system, (2) SHS, (3) GP parameters along with age and sex, and (4) SHS parameters along with age and sex. Three hundred and seventy-two radiographs of 42 girls (age range, 7 to 15 years) and 38 boys (age range, 9 to 16 years) were included. Fifteen radiographic parameters were excluded from the Modified Fels wrist system by stepwise regression and GEE analyses, leaving age, sex, and 8 radiographic parameters in the final model. Use of the Modified Fels wrist system resulted in more accurate skeletal maturity estimations (0.34-year mean discrepancy with actual skeletal maturity) than all other systems (p < 0.001 for all). The Modified Fels wrist system had a similar rate of outlier skeletal maturity estimations as the age, sex, and SHS model (1.9% versus 3.5%, p = 0.11) and fewer outliers than all other systems (p < 0.05 for all). A system that included demographic factors and 8 anteroposterior wrist radiographic parameters estimates skeletal maturity more accurately than the 2 most-used skeletal maturity systems in the United States. The Modified Fels wrist skeletal maturity system may allow for more accurate, reliable, and rapid skeletal maturity estimation than current systems, and also may be used when treating adolescent forearm fractures as it does not require imaging past the metacarpals. Diagnostic Level III. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.

Prevalence and Characteristics of Back Pain in Children and Adolescents from the Region of Murcia (Spain): ISQUIOS Programme.

Puberty is a vulnerable period for musculoskeletal disorders due to the existence of a wide inter-individual variation in growth and development. The main objective of the present study was to describe the prevalence of back pain (BP) in the past year and month in school-aged children according to sex, age, maturity status, body mass index (BMI) and pain characteristics. This study involved 513 students aged between 9 and 16 years. Anthropometric measures were recorded to calculate the maturity stage of the students using a regression equation comprising measures for age, body mass, body height, sitting height and leg length. An ad hoc questionnaire composed of eight questions was used to describe BP prevalence in school-aged children. The results showed that the prevalence of BP in school-aged children was observed in 35.1% over the last year (45% boys and 55% girls), and 17.3% (40.4% boys and 59.6% girls, with an association found between female sex and BP) in the last month. The prevalence of back pain in the past year and month was higher the older the students were, or the more pubertal development they had experienced. The prevalence of BP in the last year was also higher in those with overweight or obesity. After adjustment for sex, there was an association between BP and older age and higher BMI in boys and an association between BP and higher pubertal development in girls. In summary, the present study showed that the prevalence of BP was related to the maturity stage and weight of the participants, with different prevalence patterns found according to sex.

Dental age estimation of Tibetan children and adolescents: Comparison of Demirjian, Willems methods and a newly modified Demirjian method

Tibetan ethnic group is one of the oldest ethnic groups in China and South Asia. This study set out to analyze the dental development and validate Demirjian method and Willems method in estimating dental age of Tibetan children and adolescents, and to modify Demirjian method based on Tibetan population to provide ethnic-specific reference data and a more reliable method for forensic age assessment in Tibetan ethnic group. In this study, 1951 samples aged between 4 and 15 years were retrospectively collected and analyzed. Multiple linear regression was used to establish relationship between chronological age (CA) and developmental stages of left mandibular permanent teeth. The accuracy of the modified method was tested and compared with that of Demirjian and Willems method. Results showed that dental maturity score (DMS) was significantly greater in girls than in boys in all age groups except for the 4-year age group (p < 0.05). Mean absolute error (MAE) was 0.96 years for both boys and girls by Demirjian method, and 1.06 and 1.16 years for boys and girls respectively by Willems method. Adjusted scores table was established and tested. The age of boys was overestimated by 0.13 years and the age of girls was underestimated by 0.06 years by the adjusted scores table. MAE was lower than that of the other two methods. In conclusion, Demirjian method and Willems method was not sufficiently accurate in estimating dental age of Tibetan population. The modified method was more suitable for dental age estimation of Tibetan population than Demirjian and Willems method.

Reliability, validity and developmental sensitivity of the Language Use Inventory (LUI) in the Chinese context

BackgroundPragmatics has generally been defined as the ability to use language in social situations, it is commonly regarded as the third major component of language ability. To date, there is no tool for assessing early pragmatic development of Chinese‐speaking children.AimsTo describe the translation of the Language Use Inventory (LUI) from English to Mandarin Chinese and to report findings on the Chinese version's reliability, validity and developmental sensitivity.Methods & ProceduresThe original English version of the LUI was translated into Mandarin Chinese. Parents of 177 typically developing (TD) toddlers and preschool children completed the inventory to examine its internal reliability and construct validity and how scores differed across ages and sexes. A total of 31 parents out of the 177 completed the LUI‐Mandarin, again within 4 weeks, to assess test–retest reliability. To examine discriminative validity, 43 parents of age‐ and sex‐matched TD children and children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) recruited from Nanjing Brain Hospital affiliated with Nanjing Medical University completed the LUI‐Mandarin.Outcomes & ResultsCronbach's alpha values for the LUI‐Mandarin's three parts and for 11 of 12 LUI‐Mandarin subscales were 0.707–0.992, with most values in the 0.825–0.992 range. Test–retest reliability ranged from 0.66 to 0.95, indicating good to excellent reliability. Factor analysis of the LUI‐Mandarin revealed two different factors, and the total variance explained was 74.38%. The LUI‐Mandarin total scores and subscale scores increased with age for both boys and girls, providing evidence of the inventory's developmental sensitivity. Girls, however, had higher total scores than boys at earlier ages (18–23 months). The results of the discriminant validity study revealed that performance was significantly lower in the ASD group than in the TD group with respect to LUI total scores and subscale scores (except for subscale A).Conclusions & ImplicationsThe LUI‐Mandarin is the first and only questionnaire available in China that evaluates the pragmatic language skills of children aged between 18 and 47 months. The results of the study show that the LUI‐Mandarin is a valid and reliable tool for Chinese toddlers and preschool children.What this paper addsWhat is already known on this subjectThe LUI is a parent‐report questionnaire that can provide comprehensive information about very young children's communicative competence. It is widely used both for assessment and to guide intervention. Additionally, it has been translated into French, Italian, Polish, Arabic, Portuguese and Norwegian and it shows good reliability and validity.What this paper adds to existing knowledgeIn the present study we describe the translation of the LUI from English to Mandarin Chinese and report findings on the Chinese version's reliability, validity and developmental sensitivity.What are the potential or actual clinical implications of this work?The LUI‐Mandarin is the first and only questionnaire available in China that can evaluate pragmatic language skills of children aged between 18 and 47 months. The results show that the LUI‐Mandarin is a valid and reliable tool for use with Chinese toddlers and preschool children.

Racial and gender differences of cervical vertebral maturation staging between African Americans versus Caucasian patients of various age groups: A retrospective study

The primary purpose of this study was to compare CVM staging between African American (AA) and Caucasian (CC) subjects, grouped based on gender. The secondary objectives were to conduct a CVM comparison of (1) male vs. female subjects, grouped based on their race, and (2) AA vs. CC subjects, categorized based on their age group. All patients between 8-18 years of age (University of XXX), meeting the criteria, were included between the period of the year 2007 to 2020. Three blinded independent evaluators analysed the lateral cephalograms for a 6-stage CVM system (CS1 to CS6) as described by McNamara and Franchi. Samples were divided based on race, gender, and age to conduct the statistical analysis for racial and gender comparisons. Out of the initial 1,300 lateral cephalograms, 1,276 with the mean age: 12.7 years SD 2.5 years, and median CVM: 4 (IQR: 25% percentile- 2 and 75% percentile- 4) were included. Gender-specific racial age comparison showed no significant differences for male subjects for most of the CVM stages (P>0.05). Overall and race-specific gender comparison of age showed significant differences for almost all CVM stages (P<0.05). No significant difference of CVM was found on racial comparison for overall, females (P=0.6131) or males (P=0.0825) subjects. On age-specific racial comparison, AA girls (8-10 years) were skeletally more mature than CC girls (P=0.0143); over 14-year-old CC girls (P<0.0001) and over 16-year-old CC boys (P=0.0008), being skeletally more mature than AA boys of the same age. There was no significant difference between AA and CC subjects on gender-specific comparisons for most of the CVM stages. A significant difference of age was observed for most of the CVM stage between male and female subjects on race-specific comparisons. Female patients were ahead in skeletal maturity as compared to males for each CVM stage. The CVM for 8-12-year-old AA females was significantly higher than that of the CC females, whereas the CVM for>14-year-old CC females was significantly higher than AA females.