The influence of orthodontic and orthopaedic therapy on mandibular motion

Orthodontic functional appliances for the correction of Class II malocclusions work by both dental and orthopaedic effects on the mandible. In asymmetrical Class II malocclusions, unilateral appliances can be used to effect correction on the affected side. Very little is known about the effect of functional appliances on mandibular kinematics in general, and to date, no data has been found on the effect of a unilateral functional appliance on mandible movement. Ten subjects were recruited for the study, five in a group with a bilateral fixed FORSUS® fatigue resistant appliance, and five with a unilateral FORSUS appliance. Three participants in the bilateral group were lost to the study, leaving seven participants in total. Where possible, jaw movement recordings were taken pre-treatment, pre-FORSUS appliance placement (ie, after fixed appliances had been placed), pos-FORSUS removal, and post-treatment. Recordings were done using a 12-camera opto-electric Eagle system that monitored movement of the lower jaw relative to the cranium by tracking reflective markers. The mandible markers were mounted on a splint that rigidly fixed to the lower jaw. Participants were requested to do two open-close movements, protrusion movement and both left and right lateral excursion movements. Data were processed using a Butterworth filter and standardized to 100 data points The data were exported to a spreadsheet, where maximum opening, protrusion and for the unilateral group, rotation around the vertical axis was assessed. Descriptive statistical analysis was used to assess the recordings. There was individual variation in the recordings, but results showed that the use of a unilateral FORSUS appliance does not appear to alter either open-close, protrusion or rotation. Assessment of bilateral FORSUS was made difficult with only two participants completing the study, with both showing individual variation on both measures of open-close and protrusion. In this group particularly, treatment effects may have confounded the recordings. The placement of fixed appliances did not influence mandibular kinematics, and there appeared to be little difference between repeat open-close recordings within any particular recording session. In conclusion, the results indicate that a unilateral fixed FORSUS appliance does not alter jaw function either during or post-orthodontic treatment. Further research is indicated with both unilateral and bilateral FORSUS appliances, especially with regards to mandibular kinematic with the appliance in situ

Scenographic Technology as Metaphor in Transmedial Performance

Chapter co-authored with Andrew Quick in Mark Crossley's (editor) book Intermedial Theatre. From the publishers' website: This rigorous yet accessible collection demystifies the principles of intermediality whilst examining its place in 21st century theatrical practice. Bringing together chapters and case studies from top thinkers in the field, this book clarifies the key theoretical ideas and practical impacts of intermediality while encouraging students to experiment with it in their own practical work. Offering an engaging insight into one of the most dominant trends in contemporary theatre, this is essential reading for students of Theatre, Performance and Media Studies

Effects of a scientific echo sounder on the behavior of short-finned pilot whales (Globicephala macrorhynchus)

This work was supported by award RC-2154 from the Strategic Environmental Research and Development Program and funding from the Naval Facilities Engineering Command Atlantic and NOAA Fisheries, Southeast Region.Active echo sounding devices are often employed for commercial or scientific purposes in the foraging habitats of marine mammals. We conducted an experiment off Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, USA, to assess whether the behavior of short-finned pilot whales (Globicephala macrorhynchus) changed when exposed to an EK60 scientific echo sounder. We attached digital acoustic recording tags (DTAGs) to nine individuals, five of which were exposed. A hidden Markov model to characterize diving states with and without exposure provided no evidence for a change in foraging behavior. However, generalized estimating equations to model changes in heading variance over the entire tag record under all experimental conditions showed a consistent increase in heading variance during exposure over all values of depth and pitch. This suggests that regardless of behavioral state, the whales changed their heading more frequently when the echo sounder was active. This response could represent increased vigilance in which whales maintained awareness of echo sounder location by increasing their heading variance and provides the first quantitative analysis on reactions of cetaceans to a scientific echo sounder.PostprintPeer reviewe

Screening for Popliteal Aneurysms Should not be a Routine Part of a Community-Based Aneurysm Screening Program

Martin Claridge1, Simon Hobbs1, Clive Quick2, Donald Adam1, Andrew Bradbury1, Teun Wilmink11University Department of Vascular Surgery, Birmingham Heartlands Hospital, Birmingham, UK; 2Department of Surgery, Hinchingbrooke Hospital, Huntingdon, UKIntroduction: Several studies have found an increased incidence of peripheral aneurysms in patients with an abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA). The aim of this study was to determine whether screening for popliteal aneurysms should be part of an AAA screening programme.Setting: A community-based AAA screening programmeMethods: The diameters of the internal abdominal aorta and both popliteal arteries were assessed by B-Mode ultrasound in a subgroup of the screened population. An AAA was defined as an infrarenal aortic diameter >29 mm. A popliteal aneurysm was defined as a popliteal diameter >19 mm.Results: Information was available for 283 subjects, 112 subjects with a small AAA, and 171 subjects with a normal aorta. No popliteal aneurysms were found in the subjects with a normal aorta. Three popliteal aneurysms were found in patients with a small AAA. Scanning both popliteal arteries took an experienced sonographer on average three times as long as scanning for an AAA (5 vs 15 minutes).Conclusion: Popliteal artery aneurysms are seen in less than 3% of men with a small AAA and not at all in men with a normal aortic diameter. It is therefore not cost effective to include screening for popliteal aneurysms in population screening for AAA.Keywords: popliteal aneurysm, screening progra

Nonsteroidal Antiinflammatory Drugs are Associated with Increased Aortic Stiffness

Martin Claridge1, Simon Hobbs1, Clive Quick2, Nick Day3, Andrew Bradbury1, Teun Wilmink11Department of Vascular Surgery, University of Birmingham, Birmingham Heartlands Hospital Birmingham, UK; 2Department of Surgery, Hinchingbrooke Hospital, Huntingdon, UK; 3Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UKObjectives: Nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) have been shown to retard aneurysm growth in animal models. In vitro studies have shown an inhibitory effect of NSAIDS on matrix metalloproteinase-9, interleukin-1β, and IL-6 mediated arterial wall elastolysis. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of NSAIDs on arterial stiffness, a surrogate marker of elastolysis.Methods: 447 subjects enrolled in a community-based abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) screening program were assessed for age, blood pressure, smoking status, and drug history. Aortic diameter and stiffness were measured by M-Mode ultrasound. The concentration of the amino-terminal propeptide of type III procollagen was used as a proxy measurement of type III collagen turnover.Results: NSAID ingestion was significantly (p = 0.006) associated with increased aortic wall stiffness after adjusting for age, aortic diameter, blood pressure, and smoking status. No such effect was seen for β-blockers, calcium channel antagonists, nitrates, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, diuretics, or antiplatelet agents.Discussion: These novel data show that NSAIDS are associated with increased aortic stiffness, possibly through the effects of cytokine mediated elastolysis. This in turn may prevent aortic expansion and the development of AAA.Keywords: nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs, abdominal aortic aneurysm, aortic stiffness, elastolysi

Meyouandus: Interactive in-venue displays. Research and Development Report

Arts practice MeYouAndUs will produce TILO, a hybrid display system for cultural venues. It uses digital screens situated in the public spaces of a venue, combined with live feeds and sensors to display engaging, interactive and personalised content. TILO aims to create a dialogue between the arts organisation, the building and its visitors, and will allow artists to carry out their own interventions. The system will be piloted at FACT, the popular cross-arts venue in Liverpool

Hidden Markov models reveal complexity in the diving behaviour of short-finned pilot whales

This work was supported by award RC-2154 from the Strategic Environmental Research and Development Program and funding from the Naval Facilities Engineering Command Atlantic and NOAA Fisheries, Southeast Region. DS was supported by the United States Office of Naval Research grant N00014-12-1-0204, under the project entitled Multi-study Ocean acoustics Human effects Analysis (MOCHA).Diving behaviour of short-finned pilot whales is often described by two states; deep foraging and shallow, non-foraging dives. However, this simple classification system ignores much of the variation that occurs during subsurface periods. We used multi-state hidden Markov models (HMM) to characterize states of diving behaviour and the transitions between states in short-finned pilot whales. We used three parameters (number of buzzes, maximum dive depth and duration) measured in 259 dives by digital acoustic recording tags (DTAGs) deployed on 20 individual whales off Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, USA. The HMM identified a four-state model as the best descriptor of diving behaviour. The state-dependent distributions for the diving parameters showed variation between states, indicative of different diving behaviours. Transition probabilities were considerably higher for state persistence than state switching, indicating that dive types occurred in bouts. Our results indicate that subsurface behaviour in short-finned pilot whales is more complex than a simple dichotomy of deep and shallow diving states, and labelling all subsurface behaviour as deep dives or shallow dives discounts a significant amount of important variation. We discuss potential drivers of these patterns, including variation in foraging success, prey availability and selection, bathymetry, physiological constraints and socially mediated behaviour.Publisher PDFPeer reviewe

Examining the paradoxes children experience in language and literacy learning

Paradoxes are particularly problematic in literacy as they often complicate learning. However, identifying and examining them can also tell us something about the inherent problems within social, political, and educational systems. This paper reports on an analysis of a total of 205 AJLL articles and editorials, published between 2011 and 2021. The purpose of the study was to identify the paradoxes associated with student language and literacy learning. The systematic literature review identified 311 instances of paradoxes across these 205 articles. Thirty instances of paradoxical terminology associated with student literacy learning were selected from the 311 instances. The excluded 271 instances of paradox were associated with policy contexts, teacher performance, and accountabilities, which are outside the scope of this article. The research in the 205 articles found that literacy learning was shaped by the skills of literacy learning, the complexity of student learning through standardised approaches, and textual plurality. The contexts of literacy learning spanned the virtual and real, the implications of national testing on local situations, and the changing nature of text and what it means to be literate. This review identified that students negotiate paradoxes associated with the risks of standardised testing, the narrowing of the writing curriculum, and understanding the variety of textual forms and practices. Identifying and examining these paradoxes will help address some of the persistent problems in literacy learning faced by students and teachers

Deficient supplies of drugs for life threatening diseases in an African community

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>In Malawi essential drugs are provided free of charge to patients at all public health facilities in order to ensure equitable access to health care. The country thereby spends about 30% of the national health budget on drugs. In order to investigate the level of drug shortages and eventually find the reasons for the drugs shortages in Malawi, we studied the management of the drug supplies for common and life threatening diseases such as pneumonia and malaria in a random selection of health centres.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>In July and August 2005 we visited eight out of a total of 37 health centres chosen at random in the Lilongwe District, Malawi. We recorded the logistics of eight essential and widely used drugs which according to the treatment guidelines should be available at all health centres. Five drugs are used regularly to treat pneumonia and three others to treat acute malaria. Out-of-stock situations in the course of one year were recorded retrospectively. We compared the quantity of each drug recorded on the Stock Cards with the actual stock of the drug on the shelves at the time of audit. We reviewed 8,968 Patient Records containing information on type and amount of drugs prescribed during one month.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>On average, drugs for treating pneumonia were out of stock for six months during one year of observation (median value 167 days); anti-malarial drugs were lacking for periods ranging from 42 to138 days. The cross-sectional audit was even more negative, but here too the situation was more positive for anti-malarial drugs. The main reason for the shortage of drugs was insufficient deliveries from the Regional Medical Store. Benzyl penicillin was in shortest supply (4% received). The median value for non-availability was 240 days in the course of a year. The supply was better for anti-malarial drugs, except for quinine injections (9 %). Only 66 % of Stock Card records of quantities received were reflected in Patient Records showing quantities dispensed.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>We conclude that for the eight index drugs the levels of supply are unacceptable. The main reason for the observed shortage of drugs at the health centres was insufficient deliveries from the Regional Medical Store. A difference between the information recorded on the Stock Cards at the health centres and that recorded in the Patient Records may have contributed to the overall poor drug supply situation. In order to ensure equitable access to life saving drugs, logistics in general should be put in order before specific disease management programmes are initiated.</p