Analysis of the positioning of the head, trunk, and upper limbs during gait in children with visual impairment

Background: This study analyzed the positioning of the head, trunk, and upper extremities during gait in children with visual impairment. Methods: A total of 11 children participated in this study: 6 with blindness and 5 with low vision. The kinematics of the positioning of the head, trunk, shoulders, and elbows in each participant was analyzed during the four phases of the gait cycle: foot strike, support, toe-off, and swing. Results: There were significant differences between children with blindness and low vision in the positioning of the trunk in the sagittal plane during the foot strike, support, and swing phases. Conclusions: The analysis identified postural alterations of the head, trunk, shoulder, and elbow during the children’s gait, highlighting the relevance of appropriate stimulation at an early age in orientation and mobility programs, as well as the essential presence of professionals who work with movement.

Linear Versus Geometric Morphometric Approaches for the Analysis of Head Shape Dimorphism in Lizards

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Position paper from the IBRA Symposium on Surgery of the Head - The 2nd International Symposium for Condylar Fracture Osteosynthesis, Marseille, France 2012

Background: This is a position paper from the 2nd International Bone Research Association (IBRA) Symposium for Condylar Fracture Osteosynthesis 2012 was held at Marseille, succeeding the first congress in Strasbourg, France, in 2007. The goal of this IBRA symposium and this paper was to evaluate current trends and potential changes of treatment strategies for mandibular condylar fractures, which remain controversial over the past decades.Methods: Using a cross-sectional study design, we enrolled the consensus based on the panel of experts and participants in the IBRA Symposium 2012. The outcomes of interest were the panel and electronic votes on management of condylar base, neck and head fractures, and panel votes on endoscopic and paediatric condylar fractures. Appropriate descriptive and univariate statistics were used.Results: The consensus derived from 14 experts and 41 participant surgeons, using 12 case scenarios and 27 statements. The experts and participants had similar decision on the treatment of condylar base, neck and head fractures, as well as similar opinion on complications of condylar fracture osteosynthesis. They had a parallel agreement on using open reduction with internal fixation (ORIF) as treatment of choice for condylar base and neck fractures in adults. Endoscopic approaches should be considered for selected cases, such as condylar base fractures with lateral displacement. There was also a growing tendency to perform ORIF in condylar head fractures. The experts also agreed to treat children (> 12 years old) in the same way as adults and to consider open reduction in severely displaced and dislocated fractures even in younger children. Nevertheless, non-surgical treatment should be the first choice for children <6 years of age. The decision to perform surgery in children was based on factors influencing facial growth, appropriate age for ORIF, and disagreement to use resorbable materials in children.Conclusions: The experts and participating surgeons had comparable opinion on management of condylar fractures and complications of ORIF. Compared to the first Condylar Fracture Symposium 2007 in Strasbourg, ORIF may now be considered as the gold standard for both condylar base and neck fractures with displacement and dislocation. Although ORIF in condylar head fractures in adults and condylar fractures in children with mixed dentition is highly recommended, but this recommendation requires further investigations. (C) 2014 European Association for Cranio-Maxillo-Facial Surgery. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Shell beds from the Low Head Member (Polonez Cove Formation, early Oligocene) at King George Island, west Antarctica: new insights on facies analysis, taphonomy and environmental significance

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Salivary and serum proteomics in head and neck carcinomas before and after surgery and radiotherapy

Several body fluids have been evaluated as new sources for cancer biomarker discovery. In this context, salivary and serum proteomics seem promising diagnostic and predictive tools for head and neck diseases. In the present study, we performed a proteomic analysis of saliva and serum from patients presenting head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) and compared the results before and after therapy. In saliva of cancer patients, we observed an altered protein profile, including over-expression of PLUNC and zinc-alpha-2-glycoprotein. Both proteins may contribute to control tumor growth and, therefore, represent targets for new analysis. We also detected serotransferrin and a modified transthyretin form with altered levels in serum from patients. Comparing preoperative and postreatment samples, the results showed that the protein profile after treatment reverted to a pattern closer to those observed for controls. These results add information on the role of secreted proteins in the cancer process and emphasize the potential of saliva and serum analysis for diagnosis and monitoring of HNSCC.

PHF21B as a candidate tumor suppressor gene in head and neck squamous cell carcinomas

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Evaluation of the cervical vertebrae maturation index in lateral cephalograms taken in different head positions

The aim of this study was to evaluate if upward or downward head inclination might interfere with determination of the growth stage, using cervical vertebrae maturation index (CVMI), in order to verify the accuracy of such diagnosis when radiographs are taken with errors. Forty-nine patients, 26 females and 23 males, aged 9 to 15 years, were submitted to 3 lateral cephalograms: normal (NHP), with 15° upward head inclination (NHP-Up), and with 15° downward head inclination (NHP-Down). Three examiners evaluated the CVMI on the 147 cephalograms. The agreement among examiners was higher in the evaluation of cephalograms taken in NHP. The weighted Kappa test revealed moderate to substantial agreement between NHP and NHP-Up and between NHP and NHP-Down. There was greater agreement between NHP-Up and NHP-Down. It may be concluded that the evaluation of the CVMI on cephalograms in NHP is different as compared with radiographs taken with inclinations. Both NHP-Up and NHP-Down exhibited greater disagreement in the interpretation among examiners, since the evaluation method was not designed for cephalograms with positioning errors.

Relationship between head and neck cancer therapy and some genetic endpoints

Head and neck cancer (HNC) is the sixth most common human malignancy worldwide. The main forms of treatment for HNC are surgery, radiotherapy (RT) and chemotherapy (CT). However, the choice of therapy depends on the tumor staging and approaches, which are aimed at organ preservation. Because of systemic RT and CT genotoxicity, one of the important side effects is a secondary cancer that can result from the activity of radiation and antineoplastic drugs on healthy cells. Ionizing radiation can affect the DNA, causing single and double-strand breaks, DNA-protein crosslinks and oxidative damage. The severity of radiotoxicity can be directly associated with the radiation dosimetry and the dose-volume differences. Regarding CT, cisplatin is still the standard protocol for the treatment of squamous cell carcinoma, the most common cancer located in the oral cavity. However, simultaneous treatment with cisplatin, bleomycin and 5-fluorouracil or treatment with paclitaxel and cisplatin are also used. These drugs can interact with the DNA, causing DNA crosslinks, double and single-strand breaks and changes in gene expression. Currently, the late effects of therapy have become a recurring problem, mainly due to the increased survival of HNC patients. Herein, we present an update of the systemic activity of RT and CT for HNC, with a focus on their toxicogenetic and toxicogenomic effects.

Opportunistic microorganisms in patients with head and neck trauma

The use of antimicrobial agents has facilitated the dissemination of multi-resistant microorganisms, compromising dental and medical treatment. The aim of this study was to evaluate the distribution of different opportunistic microbial species in patients who suffered head and neck trauma, under temporary maintenance in nosocomial environment, particularly intensive care units, on the occurrence of such microorganisms in the oral cavity of the patients. It was selected 38 patients subjected to head and neck traumas. After emergency surgical procedures, clinical samples of saliva, sub and supragingival biofilms and mucosal surfaces were collected at two different moments: just after stabilization of the patient and soon after patients’ release from medical units. The presence of opportunistic and superinfecting microorganisms was evaluated by culture on selective and non-selective media, and the presence of the family Enterobacteriaceae, as well as genera Enterococcus, Pseudomonas, and Staphylococcus was assessed by PCR. It was found that the use of antimicrobials, even for short periods of time was sufficient to facilitate colonization by microorganisms of the families Enterobacteriaceae and Pseudomonadaceae, as well as yeasts and enterococci. These results support the concept that medical and dental teams should make a periodically change of antimicrobials used in treatment protocols in hospital for head and neck trauma patients, in order to minimize dissemination of opportunistic or superinfecting microorganisms.