Oral Health in the Down Syndrome Population: Parental Perceptions on Dental Care in the United States.

To assess the oral health status of children with Down syndrome (DS) in the United States and evaluate the oral health needs of families with DS. Among 320 parents who consented to participate, 260 (81.2 percent) surveys were completed.

Testing Syndromes of Psychopathology in Parent and Youth Ratings Across Societies.

As societies become increasingly diverse, mental health professionals need instruments for assessing emotional, behavioral, and social problems in terms of constructs that are supported within and across societies. Building on decades of research findings, multisample alignment confirmatory factor analyses tested an empirically based 8-syndrome model on parent ratings across 30 societies and youth self-ratings across 19 societies. The Child Behavior Checklist for Ages 6-18 and Youth Self-Report for Ages 11-18 were used to measure syndromes descriptively designated as , and .

Sex-specific age-related changes of information processing rate indicators during childhood and adolescence.

Despite the relevant findings on non-average information processing rate (IPR) indicators-intelligence relation, and on age-related changes of some of these indicators during aging, the research on sex-specific age-related changes of these indicators during childhood and adolescence are lacking. In a transversal study, 1197 school children (598 girls) aged 8-18 have been individually measured on 5 IPR indicators--two averages (mean_t, median_t) and three non-averages (min_t, max_t, sd_t). The results corroborated the expected non-linear changes of average IPR indicators in the observed developmental period, whereby the sex difference in related developmental patterns was detected: marked age-related decrement in girls ceased at the age of 12, and in boys around the age of 13-14, after which progress in both sexes gradually ceased by the age of 18 and was less pronounced in girls.

Recent achievements in preventive dentistry by introducing a new probiotic toothpaste.

Artificially synthesized probiotic from Lactobacillus strain, contained in the tested toothpaste, led to an innovative approach in preventive dentistry. A new concept resulting from this research can be explained due to possible mechanisms of action of probiotic bacteria, according to which equilibrium of hostile bacterial flora is achieved by mechanical elimination of cariogenic bacteria from the mouth. This research was conducted during a 4-week period on a randomly selected Croatian sample of 50 participants, with the aim to investigate the efficacy of the first probiotic toothpaste ever produced in Croatia.

International epidemiology of child and adolescent psychopathology ii: integration and applications of dimensional findings from 44 societies.

Objective: To build on Achenbach, Rescorla, and Ivanova (2012) by (a) reporting new international findings for parent, teacher, and self-ratings on the Child Behavior Checklist, Youth Self-Report, and Teacher's Report Form; (b) testing the fit of syndrome models to new data from 17 societies, including previously underrepresented regions; (c) testing effects of society, gender, and age in 44 societies by integrating new and previous data; (d) testing cross-society correlations between mean item ratings; (e) describing the construction of multisociety norms; (f) illustrating clinical applications.

Method: Confirmatory factor analyses (CFAs) of parent, teacher, and self-ratings, performed separately for each society; tests of societal, gender, and age effects on dimensional syndrome scales, DSM-oriented scales, Internalizing, Externalizing, and Total Problems scales; tests of agreement between low, medium, and high ratings of problem items across societies.

Results: CFAs supported the tested syndrome models in all societies according to the primary fit index (Root Mean Square Error of Approximation [RMSEA]), but less consistently according to other indices; effect sizes were small-to-medium for societal differences in scale scores, but very small for gender, age, and interactions with society; items received similarly low, medium, or high ratings in different societies; problem scores from 44 societies fit three sets of multisociety norms.

Anthropometrical characteristics of the population of the island of Rab.

The paper presents the results of the population structure research on the inhabitants of the Island of Rab by the analysis of anthropometric, continuous characteristics (morphological variables of head and body) on the representative sample of 601 adult persons (aged 18-75 years) from the settlements Banjol, Barbat, Lopar, Rab and Supetarska Draga (Figure 1). The aim was to investigate the possibility to confirm the existence of population groupings or divisions in one geographically limited area based on the analysis of continuous anthropometric variables. In other words, the purpose is to investigate the structure of the inhabitants in order to contribute to the explanation of its microevolution.

Prevalence of metabolic syndrome in the interior of Croatia: the Baranja region.

Metabolic syndrome (MS), a constellation of metabolic risk factors associated with development of cardiovascular diseases and Type 2 diabetes (T2D), has emerged as a public health problem of enormous proportions in developed and developing countries. We have reported previously its prevalence in several island populations of the Eastern Adriatic coast of Croatia. In spite of leading a relatively traditional life style pattern including adherence to a Mediterranean diet, the prevalence of MS in these populations is high and comparable to that in developed nations.

Gender-specific growth patterns of transversal body dimensions in Croatian children and youth (2 to 18 years of age).

In a cross-sectional study of growth, 5,260 healthy children of both sexes from Zagreb (Croatia) aged 2 to 18 years were measured. Six transversal body dimensions were studied: biacromial, transverse chest, antero-posterior chest, biiliocristal, bicondylar humerus and bicondylar femur diamters. A significant increase in body diameters has been observed until the age of 14 to 15 in girls and until the age of 16 in boys, showing that girls have a 1 to 2 years shorter period of growth.

Metabolic syndrome in an island population of the eastern Adriatic coast of Croatia.

The metabolic syndrome, an assemblage of risk factors, viz., obesity, dyslipidemia, carbohydrate intolerance, and hypertension, associated with development of cardiovascular diseases and Type 2 diabetes, has become a major public health problem in the developed countries. However, data on its prevalence in worldwide populations, particularly in non-industrialized societies is sparse.

New anthropometric instruments.

Anthropometric examinations have been carried out since 1901 (USA) with the aim of developing and furthering the garment and footwear size system. The contribution to the solution of these problems was noticed in the last decades when a technical board was founded and the propositions in ISO norm series as well as in European norm (EN) series were prescribed. Two methods are employed in anthropometric measurements: the conventional one using anthropometric instruments and the one applying a 3D body scanner.

Dental anxiety in relation to emotional and behavioral problems in Croatian adolescents.

The investigation was performed on 113 adolescents in the age between 15 and 18 years (63 boys, 50 girls). Corah Dental Anxiety Scale (CDAS) and Children's Fear Survey Schedule - Dental Subscale (CFSS-DS) were used for evaluation of dental fear and Child Medical Fear Questionnaire (CMFQ) for evaluation of the fear of medical treatment. Achenbach Youth Self Report questionnaire (YSR) was used for evaluation of emotional and behavioral problems.

Antiproliferative, antiangiogenic and apoptotic effect of photochemotherapy (PUVA) in psoriasis patients.

The aim of the study was to investigate the antiproliferative, antiangiogenic and apoptotic effect of photochemotherapy (PUVA) in psoriatic patients, and to compare it with a control group of psoriatics treated with local corticosteroid therapy. The study included 60 psoriasis patients, 30 of them allocated to PUVA therapy and local corticosteroid each. Immunohistochemical methods of staining with Ki-67, F-8 and bcl-2 antibodies were used to determine proliferative keratinocyte count, to visualize the number of blood vessels in the dermis, and to determine the number of cells exhibiting expression of the antiapoptotic oncoprotein bcl-2, respectively.

Dental caries in disabled children.

The aim of the study was to evaluate oral health conditions and dental caries status in disabled and healthy children. Two groups of randomly selected children 3-17 years old were examined. The first group comprised 80 children with disabilities (cerebral palsy, mental retardation, Down syndrome, autism and hearing-speaking disorders) and the second (control) group included 80 healthy children.

Causal Bayesian network for tagging syntactical structure of Croatian sentences.

Paper describes tagging syntactical structure of Croatian language sentences using causal Bayesian network. In the first part of the paper we describe Bayesian model for tagging sentences. Base on this idea, we will test our model on Croatian language sentences on Database of grammatical sentences of Croatian language (http://infoz.

Morphological status of cadets and pilots of the Croatian Air Force.

Results of the analysis of morphological status of cadets and pilots of the Croatian Air Force are presented, in relation to the morphological status of a sample of conscripts of the Croatian Army. The results of the morphological status of body built of the flier potential of the Croatian Air Force, i.e.

Anthropometry and the comparison of garment size systems in some European countries.

This work points to the relevance of regional and state systems of garment sizes. High quality, garment size systems, garment design and economy are currently the focal points, which belie the outdated strategy of competitiveness based on product cost. The average body dimensions have considerably changed in the last decades.

The Child Behavior Checklist, Teacher Report Form and Youth Self Report problem scales in a normative sample of Croatian children and adolescents aged 7-18.

The main goal of this study was to standardize the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL), Teacher Report Form (TRF) and Youth Self Report (YSR) questionnaire problem scales on a normative random sample of children and adolescents (N=3309) aged 7 to 18 throughout Croatia. The second goal was to compare boys-girls problem scales data and CBCL-TRF-YSR differences in our sample. The mean value of CBCL scores for the Total Problems scale for different groups (children/adolescents; boys/girls) ranged from 17.

Lost in transition--the Island of Susak (1951-2001).

The isolated population of the Island of Susak was thoroughly studied by a multidisciplinary team of the Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts in early 1950's. Recently, a team of scientists revisited the island. This paper describes the main characteristics of the transition process during which a massive exodus occurred with 90% of the island's population migrating to New Jersey, USA.

Comparison of self-reported and parent-reported emotional and behavioral problems in adolescents from Croatia.

The first goal of this study was to obtain, Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) and Youth Self-Report (YSR) problem-scales data for youths in Croatia, and compare them to the original American sample. The second goal of this study was to compare boys -girls problem scales data and CBCL-YSR differences. The instruments were administered to school adolescents aged between 12-18 comprising a non-referred sample (n=611) drawn from the whole country.

Holistic anthropological research of Hvar Islanders, Croatia--from parish registries to DNA studies in 33 years.

The complexity of interactions between hereditary, environmental and cultural factors in determining human phenotypes is often underestimated in biomedical research. In this paper, we present 33 years of holistic anthropological research that was being conducted since 1971 in the island of Hvar, Croatia. During this period, detailed characterization of migrations, demography, isonymy, linguistic differences, anthropometric traits (head and body dimensions), physiological (cardio-respiratory) properties, quantitative and qualitative dermatoglyphic traits, radiogrammetric metacarpal bone dimensions and genetic traits (classical antigens, HLA diversity, DNA short tandem repeat -STR, mitochondrial DNA and Y-chromosome polymorphisms) was performed.

The structure of body measurements for the determination of shoe sizing for young Croatian men.

The determination and promotion of the system of shoe sizing requires accurate knowledge of morphological properties of the foot and lower leg of the tested population. Similarly it is necessary to establish the occurrence and regional distribution of definite sizes in the tested population. Possible regional differences in morphological properties must not be ignored because it has been established by means of anthropological measuring that both foot dimensions and foot shapes differ between populations and within the same population.

[Minor physical anomalies in children with hearing impairment].

The prevalence of minor physical anomalies was studied on a sample of 116 children with idiopathic hearing impairment (66 boys and 50 girls). The control group consisted of 246 children with normal hearing (123 boys and 123 girls) aged from 8 to 12 years. The number of minor anomalies found per child (W1) was compared and the sum of the weighted scores according to Waldrop (W2) in children with normal hearing (CNH) and children with impaired hearing (CIH).

Gender-specific growth patterns for stature, sitting height and limbs length in Croatian children and youth (3 to 18 years of age).

In a cross-sectional study of growth, 5,155 children (2,591 females, 2,564 males) from the town of Zagreb (Croatia) were measured. Four traits of linear dimensionality (stature, sitting height, arm and leg lengths) were studied in the age span of 3 to 18 years. A significant average annual increase of all four anthropometric parameters were observed up to 14 and 15 years of age in girls and 16 years of age in boys, showing that girls had a shorter growing period.