Occurrence Ratio Research Articles

Thoracic lymphadenopathy as possible predictor of the onset of interstitial lung disease in systemic sclerosis patients without lung involvement at baseline visit: A retrospective analysis.

To evaluate clinical, laboratory, or radiographic predictors of the onset of interstitial lung disease in systemic sclerosis. Sixty-five out of 220 systemic sclerosis outpatients, without interstitial lung disease at baseline and with ⩾3 chest high resolution computed tomography scans during follow-up were recruited. Thoracic lymphadenopathy and interstitial lung disease were assessed by chest high resolution computed tomography. Hazard ratio (95% confidence interval) of interstitial lung disease occurrence was assessed by Cox regression models, adjusting patient's demographics and disease characteristics. Sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of the interstitial lung disease predictors were evaluated by receiver operating characteristic analysis. The development of interstitial lung disease was observed in 44/65 (68%) patients. Thoracic lymphadenopathies was detected in 40/65 (61%) patients, of whom 36 (82%) developed interstitial lung disease, but only four patients with thoracic lymphadenopathies did not develop ILD at last visit of follow-up (19%) (p = 0.0001). Adjusted hazard ratio of systemic sclerosis-interstitial lung disease onset was 5.8 (95% confidence interval, 2.0-16.5) for thoracic lymphadenopathy, which preceded by 108 ± 98 weeks the systemic sclerosis-interstitial lung disease detection. Thoracic lymphadenopathy had 84% specificity, 81% sensitivity, and 0.82 accuracy to predict interstitial lung disease. In particular, anticentromere antibodies or limited cutaneous subset of systemic sclerosis patients with thoracic lymphadenopathy showed earlier interstitial lung disease onset than those without lymphadenopathy. In addition, patients who developed interstitial lung disease had higher frequency of anti-Scl-70 (57% vs 19%; p = 0.009) and diffuse cutaneous subset (29% vs 3%; p = 0.02) than those who did not. Thoracic lymphadenopathy was the strongest independent predictor of systemic sclerosis-interstitial lung disease, mostly in anticentromere antibodies and limited cutaneous subset of systemic sclerosis patients. Further prospective studies are needed to confirm our preliminary data and to understand whether thoracic lymphadenopathies may have a pathogenetic role in interstitial lung disease development.

P0826OBESITY AND RISK FOR CHRONIC KIDNEY DISEASE IN THE HEALTHY MIDDLE-AGED KOREAN POPULATION

Abstract Background and Aims Although obesity is a well-known risk factor for chronic kidney disease (CKD), previous epidemiologic studies have produced mixed results. This study was purposed to investigate the relationship between obesity and CKD occurrence in the healthy middle-aged Korean population. Method We used a prospective, longitudinal data from the Korean Genome and Epidemiology Study (KoGES), a population-based, epidemiology study in South Korea (2001-2014). A total of 6,678 participants aged 40-69 who were free of diabetes, hypertension, and CKD at baseline were followed-up biennially. CKD was defined as at least two-time occurrence of estimated glomerular filtration rate < 60 mL/min/1.73m2 using CKD-EPI equation during the follow-up period. Results A total of 433 participants (6.5%) developed CKD. We divided the participants into 5 groups by BMI: underweight (BMI < 18.5), normal-weight (BMI 18.5-22.0), overweight 1 (BMI 23.0-24.9), overweight 2 (BMD 25-29.9), and obesity (BMI >30). Compared to the normal-weight group, hazard ratio of CKD occurrence was elevated in overweight 2 (HR=1.43, p=0.01) and obesity (HR=1.73, p=0.03) in multivariate-adjusted regression analysis (variates: age, newly developed hypertension, newly developed diabetes, fasting glucose > 126mg/dL, 2hours glucose > 200mg/dL, systolic blood pressure > 140mmHg, physical activity, alcohol consumption, smoking). When dividing the participants into three age groups: the 40s, 50s, and 60s, only the 60s group showed a significant correlation of BMI with CKD occurrence (overweight 2: HR=1.93, p=0.05, obesity: HR=3.94, p=0.03). Conclusion The risk of CKD was significantly high for those in their 60s who were overweight or obese despite free of underlying diseases in the Korean population.

Developing Concentration Index of Industrial and Occupational Accidents: The Case of European Countries.

BackgroundFrom only frequency rate of industrial accidents, it is difficult to define the industry composition of accident statistics in a nation. This study aims to propose and develop a new index for measuring the degree of concentration of industrial accidents using the concept of the Herfindahl-Hirschman Index in the case of European countries.MethodsUsing the concept of the Herfindahl-Hirschman Index, the concentration index of accidents in the country is developed, and the conditions of European countries are compared using indexes of frequency rate and concentration ratio.ResultsThe frequency rate and concentration ratio of fatal and nonfatal accidents in European countries are compared. According to the economic condition and geographical position, different patterns of accidents concentration are presented in terms of frequency rate and concentration ratio.ConclusionWe develop the concentration index of industrial and occupational accidents that identifies the industrial ratio of accident occurrence, and the differentiated strategy can be formulated such as approaches to reducing frequency and prioritizing target industries.

Prevalence of Intestinal Parasites among Children in Khanaqin City East of Diyala/Iraq

The current study was carried out during the period between November/2018 and March/2019. The studywas aiming to investigate the types and proportions of intestinal parasites among children who visited theprimary health care center in the city of Khanaqin - Diyala governorate. The total number of specimensexamined, during the course of study, was 805 stool specimens. These specimens were taken from childrenin the age range 1-10 years, and direct smear was the method used for the investigation of the intestinalparasites existence. The results showed that 156 children were infected with intestinal parasitic infections.These infections were categorized as four types of Protozoa and one type of intestinal Helminthes. Theincidence ratio of intestinal parasitic infection was 19.373%, where the percentages of parasites consideredin the current study have found to be 62.179% for the Entamoebahistolytica followed by 12.820% for theGiardia lamblia, 12.820 of Entamoebacoli, and 3.205% for the Iodomoebabutschillii. Moreover, the studyhas reported one type of Helminthes represented by the Entrobiusvermicularis with occurrence ratio of6.410%.

Association of Cervical Spondylosis With Peripheral Vertigo: A Case-Control Study.

This study aimed to assess the association of prior cervical spondylosis (CS) with peripheral vertigo. Case-control study. Data were retrieved from the Taiwan Longitudinal Health Insurance Database. A total of 2,570 patients who were newly diagnosed with peripheral vertigo were identified. We compared them with a 3:1 ratio of propensity score-matched patients, 7,710 comparison patients from the same dataset. We performed multivariate logistic regressions to estimate the odds ratio for prior CS occurrence among peripheral vertigo patients versus controls. Of 10,280 sample patients, 1,739 (16.92%) patients had CS prior to the index date. A significant difference in prior CS between peripheral vertigo patients and controls (19.49% vs. 16.06%, P < .001) was observed. Logistic regression analysis shows that the odds of prior CS was 1.285 for peripheral vertigo patients versus controls (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.143-1.446) after adjusting for age, sex, urbanization level, monthly income, geographic region, hyperlipidemia, diabetes, coronary heart disease, hypertension, and asthma. Prior CS with myelopathy was not associated with peripheral vertigo. Stratified analysis by age showed that the odds of CS were highest among patients with peripheral vertigo in the 45- to 64-year-old age group (1.442, 95% CI: 1.215-1.712). CS is associated with subsequent peripheral vertigo in the Taiwan population, with higher risk among those aged 45 to 64 years. 2b Laryngoscope, 131:E625-E630, 2021.

Statin Use Decreases the Incidence of Hepatocellular Carcinoma: An Updated Meta-Analysis.

Statins can decrease hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) occurrence, but the magnitude and the predictors of these effects remain unclear. This meta-analysis provides a pooled estimate of the impact of statin use on HCC occurrence. Pooled effects were calculated using a random-effects model by means of the DerSimonian and Laird test. Primary endpoint was the time-dependent correlation between statin use and HCC incidence expressed as hazard ratio (HR), both crude and adjusted. The crude and adjusted odds ratios (OR) for HCC occurrence between statin users and non-users were analyzed. Twenty-five studies with 1,925,964 patients were included. Crude OR for HCC incidence was 0.59 (95% CI: 0.47–0.74), confirmed in adjusted analysis (OR: 0.74, 95% CI: 0.70–0.78). Adjusted HR was 0.73 (95% CI: 0.69–0.76). This effect was more pronounced in HBV patients (HR: 0.46, 95% CI: 0.36–0.60) and with a cumulative daily dose beyond 365 (HR: 0.27, 95% CI: 0.11–0.67). Lipophilic statins were associated with reduced HCC incidence (HR: 0.49, 95% CI: 0.39–0.62). Atorvastatin determined the greater magnitude of effect (HR: 0.43, 95% CI: 0.28–0.65). This meta-analysis demonstrates the beneficial chemopreventive effect of statins against HCC occurrence. This effect is dose-dependent and more pronounced with lipophilic statins.

Predictive value of P wave terminal force in lead V1 for atrial fibrillation: A meta-analysis.

BackgroundSeveral studies have explored the association between P wave terminal force in lead V1 (PTFV1) and risk of atrial fibrillation (AF) occurrence, but the results were controversial. This meta‐analysis aimed to examine whether abnormal PTFV1 could predict AF occurrence.MethodsWe searched PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library databases for articles published before August 25, 2018. Pooled odds ratios (ORs) of AF occurrence were calculated using random‐effects models to explore the significance of PTFV1.ResultsA total of 12 studies examining 51,372 participants were included, with 9 studies analyzing PTFV1 as a categorical variable and 4 studies analyzing PTFV1 as a continuous variable. As a categorical variable, abnormal PTFV1 (>0.04 mm s) was significantly associated with AF occurrence with a pooled OR of 1.39 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.08–1.79, p = .01). Subgroup analysis found that ORs of studies in hemodialysis patients (OR = 4.89, 95% CI 2.54–9.90, p < .001) and acute ischemic stroke patients (OR = 1.60, 95% CI 1.14–2.25, p = .007) were higher than general population (OR = 1.15, 95% CI 1.03–1.29, p = .01). Studies from Europe (OR = 1.05, 95% CI 0.91–1.20, p = .51) yielded lower OR of endpoints compared with Asia (OR = 1.89, 95% CI 1.38–2.60, p < .001) and United States (OR = 1.43, 95% CI 1.19–1.72, p < .001). As a continuous variable, PTFV1 was also significantly associated with AF occurrence with a polled OR per 1 standard deviation (SD) change of 1.27 (95% CI 1.02–1.59, p = .03).ConclusionsPTFV1 was significantly associated with the risk of AF and was considered to be a good predictor of AF occurrence in population with or without cardiovascular diseases.

Spatial Associations Between Land Use and Infectious Disease: Zika Virus in Colombia.

Land use boundaries represent human–physical interfaces where risk of vector-borne disease transmission is elevated. Land development practices, coupled with rural and urban land fragmentation, increases the likelihood that immunologically naïve humans will encounter infectious vectors at land use interfaces. This research consolidated land use classes from the GLC-SHARE dataset; calculated landscape metrics in linear (edge) density, proportion abundance, and patch density; and derived the incidence rate ratios of the Zika virus occurrence in Colombia, South America during 2016. Negative binomial regression was used to evaluate vector-borne disease occurrence counts in relation to Population Density, Average Elevation, Per Capita Gross Domestic Product, and each of three landscape metrics. Each kilometer of border length per square kilometer of area increase in the linear density of the Cropland and Grassland classes is associated with an increase in Zika virus risk. These spatial associations inform a risk reduction approach to rural and urban morphology and land development that emphasizes simple and compact land use geometry that decreases habitat availability for mosquito vectors of Zika virus.

Mitigation of uncommon peel-off defects in galvanized steel sheets

Galvanizing defects occurring in hot-and cold-rolling procedures were studied by scanning electron microscopy and focused ion beam, and analyzed via the JMP software. The results show that, among the 200 bright spots dispersed along the hot dipping steel plate, the defect may be misidentified as zinc slag by the representation of coating surface, but there exists a tiny peel off on the matrix without oxide particles under each spot. Upon partial removal of zinc coating, a tiny iron film outcropped from the coating was revealed. As some of iron films are not adhered to the matrix, such outcrops are not detected. The cross-sectional morphology shows the formation of inhibition layer, with no oxide between the peel off and matrix. The relative cold and hot rolling plates are also analyzed to trace the source, that the defect is inherited from hot rolling process according to the results. By using JMP to calculate the relationship of hot rolling parameters with the defect, slab heating temperature is concluded as a strong correlation condition. The high slab heating temperature ensures smooth rolling procedure, but the intergranular binding force is too low, which enhances the coating surface separation from the matrix. After reducing the slab heating temperature from 1350 to 1300°C or lower, and optimization of descale and pickling parameters, the occurrence ratio of bright spot defects caused by peel-off was significantly reduced.

The effect of mass ratio and spring stiffness on flow-induced vibration of a square cylinder at different incidence angles

This paper presents a numerical study of the effect of spring stiffness and mass ratio on flow-induced vibration (FIV) of a square cylinder placed at four different incidence angles: α=0∘,10∘,22.5∘,45∘. The FIV is dominated by vortex-induced vibration (VIV), while another common form of FIV, galloping, is only found at α=0∘. A period-doubled mode which has a half of the shedding frequency of a fix body frequency component is found in all incidence angles except 0∘. For these cases of α=22.5∘,45∘, there exists a limiting mass ratio beyond which period-doubled does not exist. However, all mass ratio has a period-doubled mode at α=10∘ due to its high asymmetry. The parameter of effective elasticity keff1∗ combined by mass ratio and spring stiffness is introduced in this paper. For the period-double mode and galloping, another effective elasticity keff0.5∗ related to half of the frequency of a fix body is needed. The results show that the different flow regimes is a function of the effective elasticity rather than the reduce velocity with the change of mass ratio and spring stiffness. By using the effective elasticity, the limited mass ratio for occurrence of galloping can be determined.

Hypothesis: determining phenotypic specificity facilitates understanding of pathophysiology in rare genetic disorders.

In the rapidly growing group of rare genetic disorders, data scarcity demands an intelligible use of available data, in order to improve understanding of underlying pathophysiology. We hypothesize, based on the principle that clinical similarities may be indicative of shared pathophysiology, that determining phenotypic specificity could provide unsuspected insights in pathophysiology of rare genetic disorders. We explored our hypothesis by studying subunit deficiencies of the conserved oligomeric Golgi (COG) complex, a subgroup of congenital disorders of glycosylation (CDG). In this systematic data assessment, all 45 reported patients with COG‐CDG were included. The vocabulary of the Human Phenotype Ontology was used to annotate all phenotypic features and to assess occurrence in other genetic disorders. Gene occurrence ratios were calculated by dividing the frequency in the patient cohort over the number of associated genes, according to the Human Phenotype Ontology. Prioritisation based on phenotypic specificity was highly informative and captured phenotypic features commonly associated with glycosylation disorders. Moreover, it captured features not seen in any other glycosylation disorder, among which episodic fever, likely reflecting underappreciated other cellular functions of the COG complex. Interestingly, the COG complex was recently implicated in the autophagy pathway, as are more than half of the genes underlying disorders that present with episodic fever. This suggests that whereas many phenotypic features in these patients are caused by disrupted glycosylation, episodic fever might be caused by disrupted autophagy. Thus, we here demonstrate support for our hypothesis that determining phenotypic specificity could facilitate understanding of pathophysiology in rare genetic disorders.

Evaluation of Climatic and Anthropogenic Impacts on Dust Erodibility: A Case Study in Xilingol Grassland, China

Aeolian dust is dependent on erosivity (i.e., wind speed) and erodibility (i.e., land surface conditions). The effect of erodibility on dust occurrence remains poorly understood. In this study, we proposed a composite erodibility index (dust occurrence ratio, DOR) and examined its interannual variation at a typical steppe site (Abaga-Qi) in Xilingol Grassland, China, during spring of 1974–2018. Variation in DOR is mainly responsible for dust occurrence (R2 = 0.80, p-value &lt; 0.001). During 2001–2018, DOR values were notably higher than those during 1974–2000. There was also a general declining trend with fluctuations. This indicates that the land surface conditions became vulnerable to wind erosion but was gradually reversed with the implementation of projects to combat desertification in recent years. To understand the relative climatic and anthropogenic impacts on erodibility, multiple regression was conducted between DOR and influencing factors for the period of 2001–2018. Precipitation (spring, summer, and winter) and temperature (summer, autumn, and winter), together with livestock population (June) explained 82% of the variation in DOR. Sheep and goat population made the greatest contribution. Therefore, reducing the number of sheep and goat could be an effective measure to prevent dust occurrence in Xilingol Grassland.

Towards Void Hole Alleviation: Enhanced GEographic and Opportunistic Routing Protocols in Harsh Underwater WSNs

Internet of Things enabled Underwater Wireless Sensor Networks (IoT-UWSNs) are quite useful in monitoring different tasks including: from instrument monitoring to the climate recording and from pollution control to the prediction of natural disasters. However, there are some challenges, which affect the performance of a network, i.e., void hole occurrence, high Energy Consumption (EC) and low Packet Delivery Ratio (PDR). Therefore, in this work, two energy efficient routing protocols are proposed to maximize the PDR by minimizing the ratio of void hole occurrence. Scalability analysis of the proposed routing protocols is also performed. Additionally, feasible regions are computed to check the optimality of the proposed protocol in terms of EC. Furthermore, proposed protocols are compared with benchmark routing protocols in counterparts. Simulation results clearly show that proposed routing protocols achieved 80-81% higher PDR than GEographic and opportunistic routing with Depth Adjustment based topology control for communication Recovery (GEDAR) and Transmission Adjustment Neighbor-node Approaching Distinct Energy Efficient Mates (TA-NADEEM). Moreover, the ratio of void hole occurrence is minimized upto 30% approximately.

COVID-19: Ratio of Occurrence in General People and Medical Personnel, an Observation from the Second Country that Disease Emerged.

COVID-19: Ratio of Occurrence in General People and Medical Personnel, an Observation from the Second Country that Disease Emerged.

Epidemiological characterization of reported cases of brucellosis in cattle in the western region of the state of Santa Catarina, Brazil

ABSTRACT: Brucellosis is one of the most important and widespread bacterial zoonoses in the world. There are few epidemiological studies on brucellosis in cattle in the productive region of western Santa Catarina. Thus, the objective of this study was to characterize the epidemiological aspects of bovine brucellosis reported in this region from 2013 to 2018. Cattle data were provided by the Integrated Company for Agricultural Development of Santa Catarina (Companhia Integrada de Desenvolvimento Agrícola de Santa Catarina - CIDASC). The prevalence of the disease was evaluated in cattle and herds by means of temporal trend analysis and spatial distribution. Bovines with tests showing positive for brucellosis were analyzed for location (municipality) and year of confirmation of diagnosis. In the study period (2013-2018), 686,086 tests were performed for brucellosis, with a prevalence rate of 1.11% (7,586/686,086). Among the 80,171 herds tested, 0.95% were found to be positive (764/80171). The odds ratio of brucellosis occurrence in cattle increased significantly in 2015 (OR = 1.55) and 2016 (OR = 1.97) and decreased in 2014 (OR = 0.47) and 2017 (OR = 0.97). The disease is present in cattle in 61.07% (80/131) of the municipalities where the tests were performed. Results showed that brucellosis is endemic in the region.

Observations of TEC Depletion, Periodic Structure of TEC, ROTI and Scintillation Associated with ESF Irregularities over South China

The observations of Global Positioning System (GPS) scintillation, Total Electron Content (TEC) depletion, the periodic structure of TEC and Rate of TEC Index (ROTI) over south China were presented. Data were collected from GPS observations at stations of Shenzhen and Guangzhou from 2011 to 2012. This study reported that the ratio of simultaneous occurrences of TEC depletions with strong scintillations was higher than that of TEC depletions with weak scintillations in vernal and autumnal equinoxes of 2011 over South China. The number of the periodic structures of TEC with depletion contained was greater than that with no depletion contained corresponding to strong scintillations. The structure of the slab of plasma irregularities could be responsible for the simultaneous occurrences of TEC depletion with strong scintillations and ROTI. Before and during the occurrences of strong scintillation, there was Large-Scale Wave Structure (LSWS) which provided the seed ionization perturbation to trigger ESF irregularities and contributed to the periodic structure of TEC.

Ассоциативная роль полиморфизма гена eNOS (4a/4b) в развитии артериальной гипертензии у больных ревматоидным артритом

Aim: to study a contribution of eNOS (4a/4b) gene polymorphism in the development of arterial hypertension (AH) in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA).Patients and Methods: 143 patients with RA were examined, among which a group of patients without AH (n=50) and a group of patients with RA in association with AH (n=93) were selected. Healthy volunteers (n=151) were also divided into 2 groups, comparable in age and gender to the main groups. A range of clinical, laboratory, and instrumental methods were used in this study. We also conducted molecular genetics. Blood samples were taken from all patients in the study. DNA was isolated using the phenol-chloroform DNA extraction method. Genotyping for the eNOS gene was performed by PCR-RFLP (Polymerase Chain Reaction — Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism) analysis. PCR was performed with a set of primers to the corresponding genome regions. PCR products were analyzed by electrophoresis in a 4% polyacrylamide gel followed by staining with ethidium bromide.Results: during the molecular genetics, there was a statistically significant prevalence of 4a/4a homozygous genotype and 4a alleles of eNOS gene polymorphism in patients with RA in association with AH versus these parameters in patients with RA without AH. The estimated risk concerning odds ratio of RA occurrence in association with AH in carriers of 4a/4a genotype in the eNOS gene was 3.635 times higher versus carriers of 4a/4b and 4b/4b genotypes. 4a allele was significantly more common in the group of patients with RA in association with AH versus the control group (OR=3.458 [95% CI 1.571–4.575]; p&lt;0.05). There were no statistically significant values in the group of patients with RA without AH versus the control group with healthy volunteers.Conclusion: 4а/4a homozygous genotype and 4a allele of the eNOS 4a/4b gene polymorphism are predictors of RA development in association with AH.KEYWORDS: rheumatoid arthritis, cardiovascular pathology, arterial hypertension, molecular genetics, single-nucleotide polymorphism, genetic association.FOR CITATION: Chernova A.A., Nikulina S.Yu., Tolstokorova Yu.A. Association of eNOS (4a/4b) gene polymorphism with the development of arterial hypertension in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Russian Medical Inquiry. 2020;4(8):471–474. DOI: 10.32364/2587-6821-2020-4-8-471-474.

Association between Timed Up and Go Test and Subsequent Functional Dependency.

BackgroundThis study aimed to evaluate the association between baseline results of the Timed Up and Go (TUG) test and subsequent functional dependency occurrence.MethodsFrom the National Health Insurance Service-Senior Cohort database, we identified 39,519 people who participated in the National Screening Program for Transitional Ages at the age of 66 during 2007–2008. Impaired mobility was defined as taking 10 seconds or longer to perform the TUG test. Functional dependency occurrence was defined as the initiation of receiving national Long-Term Care Insurance services—home care or admission to long-term care facilities. Cox proportional hazard regression models were used to assess the hazard ratios (HRs) for dependency occurrence according to baseline TUG test results.ResultsThe mean follow-up period was 5.7 years. Occurrence rates of dependency were 2.0 and 3.4 cases per 1,000 person-years in the normal and impaired TUG groups, respectively. Impaired mobility was associated with a higher risk of functional dependency occurrence (adjusted HR [aHR], 1.65; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.40–1.95; P < 0.001). Additionally, in the subgroup analysis for the participants with intact baseline activities of daily living, impaired mobility was associated with a higher risk of dependency occurrence (aHR, 1.65; 95% CI, 1.33–2.04; P < 0.001).ConclusionThe TUG test might be a useful predictive marker of subsequent functional dependency occurrence. Intervention to prevent functional dependency may be helpful for older adults with impairment on the TUG test.

Prevalence of traumatic dental injuries in India: A systematic review and meta-analysis

The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to estimate the prevalence of traumatic dental injuries (TDI) in India. The secondary objective was to evaluate the prevalence rate according to the differences in gender, age, regions, type of TDI and risk factors associated with TDI. The PubMed, LILACS, Web of Science, Cochrane, CINHAL, and Scopus databases, along with the Public Health Electronic Library, TRoPHI and DoPHER were searched from 1st March to 15thApril 2019 without any restriction of language and year of publication. The qualitative synthesis was done regarding the demographics, study methods, cause of trauma, geographic location, increased overjet and inadequate lip coverage. The meta-analysis was undertaken with STATA-14 software (USA). The pooled prevalence of TDI was calculated using data extracted from 48 studies included in qualitative synthesis and meta-analysis. A sub-group meta-analysis was done by extraction of the data for age groups of 6 years and >6 years. The pooled prevalence of TDI in Indian population was 13 cases in 100 individuals. The prevalence of TDI for age groups of ≤6 was 15% (males, 15%; females, 16%) and for >6 years was 12% (males, 13%; females, 8%). The most common cause of TDI was falls, and most frequent location was home. The odds ratio for occurrence of TDI and inadequate lip-coverage was 3.35 and overjet greater than 3 mm was 3.53. The pooled prevalence of TDI was 13% and slightly higher in children less than 6 years of age. Inadequate lip coverage and increased overjet are the risk factors associated with TDI. Heterogeneity was observed among the studies in terms of design, variables recorded, sampling, study methods and statistical methods. Majority of them also suffered from moderate to high risk of bias.

Effect of the weir structure in the tundish on the cleanliness of IF steels and elimination of spot-like defects in deep drawing automobile steel sheets

The flow control devices (FCDs) in the tundish play an important role in steel cleanliness and removal of macro-inclusions. To eliminate the spot-like defects during deep-drawing process, the liquid steel samples were taken from tundish in three industrial IF steel heats, and the effect of weir structure in the tundish on the steel cleanliness were evaluated and compared with the aid of ASPEX with the total detection area of over 54 000 mm2. The results showed that non-metallic inclusions over 5 µm observed in the liquid tundish samples were categorized into two types: type 1: alumina based inclusions and type 2: calcium aluminates. Compared to the tundish without weir, the number density of macro-inclusions reduces by half when furnished with weir. In addition, several large sized calcium aluminates were occasionally found without weir whereas no calcium aluminates were detected with the weir. The mechanism of the inclusion distributions with the weir was proposed based on the experimental results, which shows that the weir act as a baffle that block the large sized inclusions from moving toward the mould. After using the weir in the actual casting practice, the occurrence ratio of spot-like defects was decreased by about 25%.