Medidas acústicas para detecção de rouquidão em crianças

Muito freqüentemente, pais e professores não reconhecem a presença das alterações vocais na criança, podendo trazer conseqüências educacionais e sociais para o seu desenvolvimento. O objetivo deste estudo foi o de descrever a configuração laríngea utilizando a videofibrolaringoscopia em um grupo de crianças órfãs, associando estes resultados com a análise computadorizada da voz, identificando parâmetros acústicos capazes de predizer alterações vocais e/ou estruturais das pregas vocais. Foram avaliados 50 meninos entre 3 e 10 anos de idade, sem história de patologia laríngea e, que viviam em um orfanato. As crianças foram divididas em 2 grupos: A: aquelas que apresentavam lesões (cistos e nódulos) nas pregas vocais (25 meninos); B: aquelas que não apresentavam lesões nas pregas vocais (25 meninos). Foram analisados 5 parâmetros acústicos da voz das crianças: freqüência fundamental, quociente de perturbação da freqüência, quociente de perturbação da amplitude, jitter e shimmer. A configuração glótica foi avaliada, sendo seus resultados analisados conjuntamente com a análise acústica. Os resultados indicaram a presença de nódulos vocais e de fenda triangular médio-posterior com diferença significante entre os dois grupos. A análise acústica computadorizada da voz não mostrou diferença significante entre os grupos estudados. Nós não observamos diferença significante com relação ao tipo de fechamento glótico e constrição laríngea no grupo de crianças sem lesão estrutural das pregas vocais. Considerando a análise computadorizada da voz, não houve diferença significante entre os grupos com relação aos parâmetros estudados.Very often, parents and teachers do not recognize the presence of hoarseness in children, a fact which may have consequences for the child's social and educational development. The objective of the present study was to assess laryngeal configuration using videofibrolaryngoscopy in a group of boys living in an orphanage, and to associate the results of this analysis with the results of computerized voice analysis, so as to identify acoustic parameters which may be used as predictors of vocal and/or structural alterations in the vocal fold. We analyzed 50 boys between 3 and 10 years of age, without history of laryngeal pathology, living in a private orphanage. The children were divided into two groups: A) with lesions (unilateral vocal cyst or bilateral small nodules) in the vocal fold (25 subjects); and B) without lesions in the vocal fold (25 subjects). Five parameters were assessed: fundamental frequency, pitch period perturbation quotient, amplitude perturbation quotient, jitter, and shimmer. Glottic configuration was analyzed; results were compared with the results of acoustic analysis. The results indicate that the presence of vocal nodules and median posterior glottic chink was significantly different in the two groups. The computerized analysis results were not statistically different for the two groups. Conclusion: We did not observe a significant difference with respect to type of glottic closure and laryngeal constriction in the group of children without lesion. Regarding the computerized analysis of voice, there were no significant differences between the groups in terms of the parameters studied

DNA Barcoding revealing the occurrence of Isarachnanthus (Cnidaria: Anthozoa: Ceriantharia) in Cape Verde

The occurrence of Isarachnanthus Carlgren, 1924 (Cnidaria: Anthozoa: Ceriantharia) specimens in Cape Verde Islands is recorded. Identification of the tube anemone species Isarachnanthus maderensis (Johnson, 1861) was possible based on DNA Barcoding. A discussion on biogeographic patterns associated with ocean circulation and life cycle is presented

Rick Factors Associated with Aspiration in Patients with Head and Neck Cancer

OBJECTIVE: To determine the major risk factors and abnormal videofluoroscopic swallowing study (VFSS) findings associated with aspiration in patients with head and neck cancer (HNC). METHOD: Risk factors associated with aspiration were investigated retrospectively in 241 patients with HNC using medical records and pre-recorded VFSS. Age, gender, lesion location and stage, treatment factors, and swallowing stage abnormalities were included. RESULTS: Aspiration occurred in 50.2% of patients. A univariate analysis revealed that advanced age, increased duration from disease onset to VFSS, higher tumor stage, increased lymph node stage, increased American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) stage, operation history, chemotherapy history, and radiotherapy history were significantly associated with aspiration (p<0.05). Among them, advanced age, increase AJCC stage, operation history, and chemotherapy history were significantly associated with aspiration in the multivariate analysis (p<0.05). Delayed swallowing reflex and reduced elevation of the larynx were significantly associated with aspiration in the multivariate analysis (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: The major risk factors associated with aspiration in patients with HNC were advanced age, higher AJCC stage, operation history, and chemotherapy history. A VFSS to evaluate aspiration is needed in patients with NHC who have these risk factors. Delayed swallowing reflex and reduced elevation of the larynx were major abnormal findings associated with aspiration. Dysphagia rehabilitation should focus on these resultsope

Treatment results for hypopharyngeal cancer by different treatment strategies and its secondary primary- an experience in Taiwan

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Purpose</p> <p>The aim of this study was to evaluate treatment results in our hypopharyngeal cancer patients.</p> <p>Patients and Methods</p> <p>A total of three hundred and ninety five hypopharyngeal cancer patients received radical treatment at our hospital; 96% were male. The majority were habitual smokers (88%), alcohol drinkers (73%) and/or betel quid chewers (51%). All patients received a CT scan or MRI for tumor staging before treatment. The stage distribution was stage I: 2 (0.5%); stage II: 22 (5.6%); stage III: 57 (14.4%) and stage IV: 314 (79.5%). Radical surgery was used first in 81 patients (20.5%), and the remaining patients (79.5%) received organ preservation-intended treatment (OPIT). In the OPIT group, 46 patients received radiotherapy alone, 156 patients received chemotherapy followed by radiotherapy (CT/RT) and 112 patients received concomitant chemo-radiotherapy (CCRT).</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The five-year overall survival rates for stages I/II, III and IV were 49.5%, 47.4% and 18.6%, respectively. There was no significant difference in overall and disease-specific survival rates between patients who received radical surgery first and those who received OPIT. In the OPIT group, CCRT tended to preserve the larynx better (p = 0.088), with three-year larynx preservation rates of 44.8% for CCRT and 27.2% for CT/RT. Thirty-seven patients developed a second malignancy, with an annual incidence of 4.6%.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>There was no survival difference between OPIT and radical surgery in hypopharyngeal cancer patients at our hospital. CCRT may offer better laryngeal preservation than RT alone or CT/RT. However, prospective studies are still needed to confirm this finding. Additionally, second primary cancers are another important issue for hypopharyngeal cancer management.</p

Prdm5 Regulates Collagen Gene Transcription by Association with RNA Polymerase II in Developing Bone

PRDM family members are transcriptional regulators involved in tissue specific differentiation. PRDM5 has been reported to predominantly repress transcription, but a characterization of its molecular functions in a relevant biological context is lacking. We demonstrate here that Prdm5 is highly expressed in developing bones; and, by genome-wide mapping of Prdm5 occupancy in pre-osteoblastic cells, we uncover a novel and unique role for Prdm5 in targeting all mouse collagen genes as well as several SLRP proteoglycan genes. In particular, we show that Prdm5 controls both Collagen I transcription and fibrillogenesis by binding inside the Col1a1 gene body and maintaining RNA polymerase II occupancy. In vivo, Prdm5 loss results in delayed ossification involving a pronounced impairment in the assembly of fibrillar collagens. Collectively, our results define a novel role for Prdm5 in sustaining the transcriptional program necessary to the proper assembly of osteoblastic extracellular matrix