Gland-sparing neck dissection: oncological and functional outcomes in oral cancer patients.

This study was performed to evaluate the subjective and objective functional outcomes of patients who had undergone submandibular gland-sparing neck dissection. All data were obtained from patients treated in a single hospital. Seventy-seven patients who had undergone complete submandibular gland sparing (CSGS) were included in the study. Cancer prognosis items were recorded. The subjective outcomes included patient self-evaluation of mouth dryness and the evaluation of the presence of saliva secretion following the application of digital pressure. Saliva scintigraphy served as the objective test. Self-reported xerostomia was compared between the CSGS patients and a control group of patients who had undergone unilateral submandibular gland removal (USGR; n = 74). In the CSGS group, local recurrence occurred in 3.8% of the 80 cancer sites, and neck recurrence occurred in 5.9% of neck dissection sites. Regarding the subjective measurements, 7.0% of the CSGS patients reported xerostomia and 91.9% demonstrated saliva secretion by digital pressure. Scintigraphy revealed actively secreting glands, with 42.9% of them showing normal gland function; none of the patients had severe xerostomia. The relative risk of dry mouth was significantly higher in the USGR patients than in the CSGS patients (P < 0.001). Submandibular gland sparing during neck dissection was found to result in satisfactory saliva secretion, with a relatively small risk of local or neck recurrence.

Transoral vertical ramus osteotomy fixed with Kirschner pins.

Transoral vertical ramus osteotomy (VRO) has been condemned because the condyle has the potential to sag, and because it needs lengthy maxillomandibular fixation. We have therefore introduced a simple method of fixation, and examined its effectiveness and complications. After the osteotomy, the proximal and distal segments are trimmed to adapt to each other. Four Kirschner (K) pins 0.9mm in diameter are inserted percutaneously from the proximal to the distal segment while the condyle is positioned in the glenoid fossa. This is followed by a brief period of maxillomandibular fixation. We have reviewed the records of 95 patients who had unilateral or bilateral vertical ramus osteotomy fixed with K pins, after which the mean (SD) period of fixation was 19 (11) days. Fixation failed in two patients because excursion of the jaw was either too heavy or too early. The fixations were redone. All other fixations remained stable, including the 20 dual-jaw procedures in which VRO preceded maxillary osteotomy. The mean (SD) maximal mouth opening at final follow-up was 44 (7) mm, and in only one patient was it less than 30mm. Numbness of the lip or chin developed in seven patients, five of whom had other anterior mandibular procedures. Four patients had discomfort on palpation of the site of the pins, and one required removal. The new method was effective, and resulted in few complications within its limitations.

Fluctuating asymmetry of the normal facial skeleton.

The purpose of this study was to produce reliable estimations of fluctuating facial asymmetry in a normal population. Fifty-four computed tomography (CT) facial models of average-looking and symmetrical Chinese subjects with a class I occlusion were used in this study. Eleven midline landmarks and 12 pairs of bilateral landmarks were digitized. The repeatability of the landmark digitization was first evaluated. A Procrustes analysis was then used to measure the fluctuating asymmetry of each CT model, after all of the models had been scaled to the average face size of the study sample. A principal component analysis was finally used to establish the direction of the fluctuating asymmetries. The results showed that there was excellent absolute agreement among the three repeated measurements. The mean fluctuating asymmetry of the average-size face varied at each anthropometric landmark site, ranging from 1.0mm to 2.8mm. At the 95% upper limit, the asymmetries ranged from 2.2mm to 5.7mm. Most of the asymmetry of the midline structures was mediolateral, while the asymmetry of the bilateral landmarks was more equally distributed. These values are for the average face. People with larger faces will have higher values, while subjects with smaller faces will have lower values.

Ineffectiveness of the Tobacco Hazards Prevention Act in patients with severe and persistent mental illness.

OBJECTIVES: The effect of the Tobacco Hazards Prevention Act (THPA) on the reduction of tobacco use in the general population in Taiwan is understood. However, there has been little research on how these policies affect people with severe and persistent mental illness (SPMI). Hence, the influence of the THPA on daily cigarette use by patients with SPMI was investigated in a 3-year follow-up. The risk and protective factors in smoking behavior and cessation were investigated. STUDY DESIGN: This is an observational study. METHODS: A total of 144 participants (78 of whom had smoked >100 cigarettes throughout their lifetime) were randomly selected from a healthcare network. Then, 100 of 144 patients with SPMI, included 50 smokers and 50 non-smokers, have agreed with 1st year follow-up. Eighty-two patients with SPMI, consisted of 44 smokers and 38 non-smokers, have agreed with 2nd year follow-up. RESULTS: Although women were less likely to smoke than men, those who did smoke reduced the number of cigarettes less than men over the 3-year period. Less-educated patients were more likely to smoke than those who were more educated but reduced the number of daily cigarettes more after implementation of the THPA. Maternal overprotection was a risk factor and paternal care a protective factor for smoking. Addiction, a perception of pleasure, interpersonal relationships, and self-destructive behavior increased cigarette smoking. Patients perceived that smoking alleviated their depressive symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: The THPA was ineffective for patients with SPMI. Some factors had different effects on the development of smoking behavior and the cessation process. Understanding the etiology of smoking can help policymakers establish more effective programs for smoking prevention and cessation.

Investigation of the inhibitors of histone-lysine N-methyltransferase SETD2 for acute lymphoblastic leukaemia from traditional Chinese medicine.

Leukaemia is the leading cause of childhood malignancies. Recent research indicates that the SETD2 gene is associated with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia. This study aims to identify potential lead compounds from traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) using virtual screening for SET domain containing 2 (SETD2) protein against acute lymphoblastic leukaemia. Docking simulation was performed to determine potential candidates which obtain suitable docking poses in the binding domain of the SETD2 protein. We also performed molecular dynamics (MD) simulation to investigate the stability of docking poses of SETD2 protein complexes with the top three TCM candidates and a control. According to the results of docking and MD simulation, coniselin and coniferyl ferulate have high binding affinity and stable interactions with the SETD2 protein. Coniselin is isolated from the alcoholic extract of Comiselinum vaginatum Thell. Coniferyl ferulate can be isolated from Angelica sinensis, Poria cocos (Schw.) Wolf, and Notopterygium forbesii. Although S-adenosyl-L-homocysteine has more stable interactions with key residues in the binding domain than coniselin and coniferyl ferulate during MD simulation, the TCM compounds coniselin and coniferyl ferulate are still potential candidates as lead compounds for further study in the drug development process with the SETD2 protein against acute lymphoblastic leukaemia.

Androgen deprivation therapy did not increase the risk of Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease in patients with prostate cancer.

Androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) has been the standard treatment for advanced prostate cancer for many decades. Although potential adverse effects of ADT have been reported, there are no empirical studies investigating the association between ADT and Alzheimer's disease. Therefore, this retrospective cohort study explored the relationship between the use of ADT and the subsequent risk of Alzheimer's disease in men with prostate cancer using a population-based database. We retrieved data from the "Taiwan Longitudinal Health Insurance Database 2000." The study included 1335 patients with prostate cancer and 4005 age-matched comparison patients without prostate malignancy. We then individually tracked each patient (n = 5340) for a 5-year period to discriminate those who subsequently received a diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease. The Cox proportional hazard regression showed that the hazard ratio (HR) for Alzheimer's disease during the 5-year follow-up period for prostate cancer patients was 1.71 (95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.90~3.25) over that of comparison patients. We further analyzed the hazard ratio for Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease between prostate cancer patients who did and those who did not receive ADT, but we failed to observe a significant difference in the hazard ratio for both diseases during the 5-year follow-up period (adjusted HR = 1.76, 95% CI = 0.55~5.62, and HR = 1.13, 95% CI = 0.58~2.20, respectively). In conclusion, this study demonstrated that the use of androgen deprivation therapy in patients with prostate cancer was not associated with a higher risk of Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease during the follow-up period.

Evaluation of mandibular contour in patients with significant facial asymmetry.

Most previous studies on facial asymmetry have not specifically differentiated mandible deviation from structural asymmetry of the mandible. The purpose of this study was to assess the symmetry of the mandible by examining its contour in a cohort of patients with significant facial asymmetry. Eleven cases of facial asymmetry with chin deviation ≥10mm were enrolled. A voxel-paired median plane (optimal symmetry plane, OSP) and two landmark-based median planes were generated. The OSP was created by computing the best pairing of the bony voxels on the two sides. One side of the mandibular contour was mirrored onto the other side using the test plane. The contour differences were measured by distance and by area ratio. They were examined both in frontal and frontal downward inclined view. The contour symmetry of the mandible was that revealed by the plane that presented the best symmetry. The results showed that the OSP worked best in bisecting the contour into two symmetrical halves. Contour analysis showed relatively small discrepancies between the two sides. In conclusion, the mandibles retained an acceptable contour symmetry despite the presence of significant mandibular deviations. It is suggested that proper mandibular alignment be the primary objective in the correction of facial asymmetry.

The mortality and direct medical costs of osteoporotic fractures among postmenopausal women in Taiwan.

UNLABELLED: This study estimated the fracture-related mortality and direct medical costs among postmenopausal women in Taiwan by fracture types and age groups by utilizing a nationwide population-based database. Results demonstrated that hip fractures constituted the most severe and expensive complication of osteoporosis across fracture sites. INTRODUCTION: The aims of the study were to evaluate the risk of death and direct medical costs associated with osteoporotic fractures by fracture types and age groups among postmenopausal women in Taiwan. METHODS: This nationwide, population-based study was based on data from the National Health Insurance Research Database in Taiwan. Female patients aged 50 years and older in the fracture case cohort were matched in 1:1 ratio with randomly selected subjects in the reference control cohort by age, income-related insurance amount, urbanization level, and the Charlson comorbidity index. There were two main outcome measures of the study: age-differentiated mortality and direct medical costs in the first and subsequent years after osteoporotic fracture events among postmenopausal women. The bootstrap method by resampling with replacement was conducted to generate descriptive statistics of mortality and direct medical costs of the case and control cohorts. Student's t tests were then performed to compare mortality and costs between the two cohorts. RESULTS: A total of 155,466 postmenopausal women in the database met the inclusion criteria for the fracture case cohort, including 22,791 hip fractures, 72,292 vertebral fractures, 15,621 upper end humerus (closed) fractures, 36,774 wrist fractures, and 7,988 multiple fractures. Analytical results demonstrated that patients experiencing osteoporotic fractures were at considerable excess risk of death and incurred substantially higher treatment costs, notably for hip fractures. Furthermore, results also revealed that the risk of mortality increased with advancing age across the spectrum of fracture sites. CONCLUSIONS: The present study confirmed an excess mortality and higher direct medical costs associated with osteoporotic fractures. Moreover, hip fractures constituted the most severe and expensive complication of osteoporosis among fracture types.

Algorithm for planning a double-jaw orthognathic surgery using a computer-aided surgical simulation (CASS) protocol. Part 1: planning sequence.

The success of craniomaxillofacial (CMF) surgery depends not only on the surgical techniques, but also on an accurate surgical plan. The adoption of computer-aided surgical simulation (CASS) has created a paradigm shift in surgical planning. However, planning an orthognathic operation using CASS differs fundamentally from planning using traditional methods. With this in mind, the Surgical Planning Laboratory of Houston Methodist Research Institute has developed a CASS protocol designed specifically for orthognathic surgery. The purpose of this article is to present an algorithm using virtual tools for planning a double-jaw orthognathic operation. This paper will serve as an operation manual for surgeons wanting to incorporate CASS into their clinical practice.

Algorithm for planning a double-jaw orthognathic surgery using a computer-aided surgical simulation (CASS) protocol. Part 2: three-dimensional cephalometry.

Three-dimensional (3D) cephalometry is not as simple as just adding a 'third' dimension to a traditional two-dimensional cephalometric analysis. There are more complex issues in 3D analysis. These include how reference frames are created, how size, position, orientation and shape are measured, and how symmetry is assessed. The main purpose of this article is to present the geometric principles of 3D cephalometry. In addition, the Gateno-Xia cephalometric analysis is presented; this is the first 3D cephalometric analysis to observe these principles.

Differential Gene Expression Profiles Reflecting Macrophage Polarization in Aging and Periodontitis Gingival Tissues.

Recent evidence has determined a phenotypic and functional heterogeneity for macrophage populations. This plasticity of macrophage function has been related to specific properties of subsets (M1 and M2) of these cells in inflammation, adaptive immune responses and resolution of tissue destructive processes. This investigation hypothesized that targeted alterations in the distribution of macrophage phenotypes in aged individuals, and with periodontitis would be skewed towards M1 inflammatory macrophages in gingival tissues. The study used a non-human primate model to evaluate gene expression profiles as footprints of macrophage variation in healthy and periodontitis gingival tissues from animals 3-23 years of age and in periodontitis tissues in adult and aged animals. Significant increases in multiple genes reflecting overall increases in macrophage activities were observed in healthy aged tissues, and were significantly increased in periodontitis tissues from both adults and aged animals. Generally, gene expression patterns for M2 macrophages were similar in healthy young, adolescent and adult tissues. However, modest increases were noted in healthy aged tissues, similar to those seen in periodontitis tissues from both age groups. M1 macrophage gene transcription patterns increased significantly over the age range in healthy tissues, with multiple genes (e.g. CCL13, CCL19, CCR7 and TLR4) significantly increased in aged animals. Additionally, gene expression patterns for M1 macrophages were significantly increased in adult health versus periodontitis and aged healthy versus periodontitis. The findings supported a significant increase in macrophages with aging and in periodontitis. The primary increases in both healthy aged tissues and, particularly periodontitis tissues appeared in the M1 phenotype.

Quantifying midbrain serotonin transporter in depression: a preliminary study of diagnosis and naturalistic treatment outcome.

INTRODUCTION: Serotonin may play an important role in the pathology of major depressive disorder (MDD). However, the relationship between serotonin transporter (SERT) availability and the medical outcome of antidepressant treatment is uncertain. METHODS: In this naturalistic study, SERT availability (expressed as the specific uptake ratio, SUR) in the midbrain of 17 drug-free patients with MDD and 17 controls matched for age and gender was measured using SPECT with [(123)I]ADAM. The severity of MDD was measured by the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale before, and after 6 weeks of non-standardized antidepressant treatment. RESULTS: A total of 12 patients completed the study. The SUR of the patients with MDD was significantly lower than that of the healthy controls. The SUR of SERT was not found to have a linear relationship with the treatment outcome; however, supplemental analysis found a curvilinear relationship between treatment outcome and the SUR of SERT. DISCUSSION: The findings indicate that the SUR of SERT is lower in patients with MDD; however it did not predict treatment outcome in a linear fashion. Studies with larger sample sizes are required.

Correlation of plasma brain-derived neurotrophic factor and metabolic profiles in drug-naïve patients with bipolar II disorder after a twelve-week pharmacological intervention.

OBJECTIVE: Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is thought to be involved in the pathophysiology of bipolar disorder (BD) and metabolic syndrome. We investigated the correlation between plasma BDNF with mood symptoms and metabolic indices in patients with BD-II over a 12-week pharmacological intervention. METHOD: Drug-naïve patients with BD-II (n=117) were recruited. Metabolic profiles [cholesterol, triglyceride, HbA1C, fasting serum glucose, body mass index (BMI)] and plasma BDNF wtrun "tblautotrun "tblsctrun "tbl_contere measured at baseline and 2, 8, and 12 weeks after beginning medication. To adjust within-subject dependence over repeated assessments, multiple linear regressions with generalized estimating equation methods were used. RESULTS: Seventy-six (65.0%) patients completed the intervention. Plasma BDNF levels were significantly associated with BMI (P=9.6E-5), low-density lipoprotein (P=0.034) and total (P=0.001) cholesterol, but not with the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale-17 and Young Mania Rating Scale scores over the 12-week treatment. CONCLUSION: We found initial evidence of a positive correlation between plasma BDNF levels and BMI, low-density lipoprotein and total cholesterol in drug-naïve patients with BD-II. The specific function of BDNF in regulating and maintaining peripheral metabolic health requires additional investigation.

Genetic polymorphisms in the prostaglandin pathway genes and risk of head and neck cancer.

OBJECTIVE: Previous studies examining the association between genetic variations in prostaglandin pathway and risk of head and neck cancer (HNC) have only included polymorphisms in the PTGS2 (COX2) gene. This study investigated the association between genetic polymorphisms of six prostaglandin pathway genes (PGDS, PTGDS, PTGES, PTGIS, PTGS1 and PTGS2), and risk of HNC. METHODS: Interviews regarding the consumption of alcohol, betel quid, and cigarette were conducted with 222 HNC cases and 214 controls. Genotyping was performed for 48 tag and functional single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). RESULTS: Two tag SNPs of PTGIS showed a significant association with HNC risk [rs522962: log-additive odds ratio (OR) = 1.42, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.01-1.99 and dominant OR = 1.58, 95% CI: 1.02-2.47; rs6125671: log-additive OR = 1.49, 95% CI: 1.08-2.05 and dominant OR = 1.96, 95% CI: 1.16-3.32]. In addition, a region in PTGIS tagged by rs927068 and rs6019902 was significantly associated with risk of HNC (global P = 0.007). Finally, several SNPs interacted with betel quid and cigarette to influence the risk of HNC. CONCLUSIONS: Genetic variations in prostaglandin pathway genes are associated with risk of HNC and may modify the relationship between use of betel quid or cigarette and development of HNC.

Experimental and numerical insights into isotropic spreading and deterministic dewetting of dielectrowetted films.

Dielectrowetting effects of surface wrinkling, isotropic vs anisotropic spreading, electrode geometry, and deterministic dewetting are presented both experimentally and by 3D numerical modeling. The numerical results are generated by COMSOL in conjunction with the phase-field and electrohydrodynamic methods, including comparisons to experimental data. The dynamic behavior of the two-phase system has been accurately characterized on both the macro- and microscopic level. This work provides a deeper theoretical insight into the operating physics of dielectrowetting superspreading devices.

The correlation between mid-brain serotonin transporter availability and intelligence quotient in healthy volunteers.

PURPOSE: This study was performed to investigate the association between the mid-brain serotonin transporter (SERT) availability and intelligence quotient (IQ). METHODS: One hundred and thirteen healthy participants, including 52 male and 61 female subjects, were recruited. We used SPECT with [(123)I]ADAM images to determine the SERT availability in the mid-brain, and measured the subjects' IQ using the WAIS-R. RESULTS: We found a significant positive correlation between the mid-brain SERT availability and the IQ of the participants. Even when controlling for age and sex, the significant association still existed. CONCLUSION: This result implied that the higher the SERT binding in the mid-brain, the better the IQ in healthy participants.

Efficient spin-light emitting diodes based on InGaN/GaN quantum disks at room temperature: a new self-polarized paradigm.

A well-behaved spin-light emitting diode (LED) composed of InGaN/GaN multiple quantum disks (MQDs), ferromagnetic contact, and Fe3O4 nanoparticles has been designed, fabricated, and characterized. The degree of circular polarization of electroluminescence (EL) can reach up to a high value of 10.9% at room temperature in a low magnetic field of 0.35 T, which overcomes a very low degree of spin polarization in nitride semiconductors due to the weak spin-orbit interaction. Several underlying mechanisms play significant roles simultaneously in this newly designed device for the achievement of such a high performance. Most of all, the vacancy between nanodisks can be filled by half-metal nanoparticles with suitable energy band alignment, which enables selective transfer of spin polarized electrons and holes and leads to the enhanced output spin polarization of LED. Unlike previously reported mechanisms, this new process leads to a weak dependence of spin relaxation on temperature. Additionally, the internal strain in planar InGaN/GaN multiple quantum wells can be relaxed in the nanodisk formation process, which leads to the disappearance of Rashba Hamiltonian and enhances the spin relaxation time. Our approach therefore opens up a new route for the further research and development of semiconductor spintronics.

Lower availability of midbrain serotonin transporter between healthy subjects with and without a family history of major depressive disorder - a preliminary two-ligand SPECT study.

PURPOSE: Serotonin transporter (SERT) and dopamine transporter (DAT) levels differ in patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) who are in a depressed state in comparison with healthy controls. In addition, a family history of depression is a potent risk factor for developing depression, and inherited vulnerability to serotonergic and dopaminergic dysfunction is suspected in this. The aim of this study was to examine the availabilities of midbrain SERT and striatal DAT in healthy subjects with and without a first-degree family history of MDD. METHODS: Eight healthy subjects with first-degree relatives with MDD and 16 sex- and age-matched healthy controls were recruited. The availabilities of SERT and DAT were approximated using SPECT, employing [¹²³I] 2-((2-((dimethylamino) methyl) phenyl)thio)-5-iodophenylamine (ADAM) and [(99m)Tc] TRODAT-1 as the ligands, respectively. There are missing data for one participant with a first-degree family history of MDD from the ADAM study, due to a lack of the radio-ligand at the time of experiment. RESULTS: SERT availability in the midbrain was significantly lower in subjects with a first-degree family history of MDD than in healthy subjects. However, DAT availability was no different between two groups. CONCLUSIONS: The results with regard to the midbrain SERT level suggest the heritability of MDD.

FK506-binding protein 1b/12.6: a key to aging-related hippocampal Ca2+ dysregulation?

It has been recognized for some time that the Ca(2+)-dependent slow afterhyperpolarization (sAHP) is larger in hippocampal neurons of aged compared with young animals. In addition, extensive studies since have shown that other Ca(2+)-mediated electrophysiological responses are increased in hippocampus with aging, including Ca(2+) transients, L-type voltage-gated Ca(2+) channel activity, Ca(2+) spike duration and action potential accommodation. Elevated Ca(2+)-induced Ca(2+) release from ryanodine receptors (RyRs) appears to drive amplification of the Ca(2+) responses. Components of this Ca(2+) dysregulation phenotype correlate with deficits in cognitive function and plasticity, indicating they may play critical roles in aging-related impairment of brain function. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying aging-related Ca(2+) dysregulation are not well understood. FK506-binding proteins 1a and 1b (FKBP1a/1b, also known as FKBP12/12.6) are immunophilin proteins that bind the immunosuppressant drugs FK506 and rapamycin. In muscle cells, FKBP1a/1b also bind RyRs and inhibits Ca(2+)-induced Ca(2+) release, but it is not clear whether FKBPs act similarly in brain cells. Recently, we found that selectively disrupting hippocampal FKBP1b function in young rats, either by microinjecting adeno-associated viral vectors expressing siRNA, or by treatment with rapamycin, increases the sAHP and recapitulates much of the hippocampal Ca(2+) dysregulation phenotype. Moreover, in microarray studies, we found FKBP1b gene expression was downregulated in hippocampus of aging rats and early-stage Alzheimer's disease subjects. These results suggest the novel hypothesis that declining FKBP function is a key factor in aging-related Ca(2+) dysregulation in the brain and point to potential new therapeutic targets for counteracting unhealthy brain aging.