Lip Forces and Chewing Efficiency in Children with Peripheral Facial Paralysis.

Peripheral facial paralysis is accompanied by facial motor disorders and also, by oral dysfunctions. The aim of this study was to evaluate the lip forces and chewing efficiency in a group of children with peripheral facial paralysis. The degree of peripheral facial paralysis in the study group (n 11) was assessed using the House-Brackmann scale. The control group consisted of 21 children without facial nerve impairment. To assess lip forces, acrylic vestibular plates of three sizes were used: large (LVP), medium (MVP) and small (SVP). The lip force was recorded with a force transducer coupled with the data acquisition system. Masticatory efficiency was evaluated by the ability to mix two differently colored chewing gums. The images were processed with Adobe Photoshop CS3 (Delaware Corporation, San Jose, California, United States) and the number of pixels was quantified with the Image J software (DHHS/NIH/NIMH/RSB, Maryland, United States). For statistical analysis, the following statistical analysis were used: Pearson or Spearman correlation coefficient, multiple linear regression analysis, multiple logistic regression analysis, and optimal cutoff values for muscular dysfunction. There were statistically significant differences between lip forces in the following three groups: p=0.01 (LVP), p=0.01 (MVP), and p=0.008 (SVP). The cutoff values of lip forces in the study group were as follows: 7.08 N (LVP), 4.89 N (MVP), and 4.24 N (SVP). There were no statistically significant differences between the masticatory efficiency in the two groups (p=0.25). Lip forces were dependent on the degree of peripheral facial paralysis and age, but not on gender. In peripheral facial paralysis in children, a significant decrease of lip forces, but not masticatory efficiency, occurs.

Electrochemical Impedance Studies on Single and Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotubes--Polymer Nanocomposites for Biosensors Development.

Advances in nanoscience have allowed scientists to incorporate new nanomaterials in biosensing platforms. Carbon nanotubes are nanomaterials that facilitate the charge transfer between the bioelement and the transducer. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy is a useful technique for the modified surface characterization. In the present approach electrochemical impedance spectroscopy was used to characterize the electrodes modified with different types of carbon nanotubes (single and multi-wall) according to their morphology and electrochemical behavior. By using Nyquist and Bode diagrams it was possible to assign the appropriate circuit considering all possible contributors. The charge transfer resistances as well as the time constants were calculated for all five types of investigated carbon nanotubes.

Using archaeological and geomorphological evidence for the establishment of a relative chronology and evolution pattern for Holocene landslides.

Hilly regions around the world are one of the most vulnerable places for inhabitation, where landslides represent a permanent threat for their population. In some particular cases, in the past, due to their topographic features, areas affected by massive landslides served a real opportunity for the location of strategic and fortified settlements. In this study, we have extended a previous approach of correlation between landslides and archaeological heritage, adding 14 new representative case studies of landslided hillforts, a new period with landslided hillforts, and a new typology of relationship (landslided tumuli) for establishing relative chronologies for landslide inventories. The landslide mapping presented here supplements a previous inventory, which now has 1211 landslides, and it is based on the interpretation of high-resolution DEMs, geomorphometric derivatives, remote sensing images, and field validation. For one of the most characteristic sites (Baiceni settlement, Iasi County), we used Electrical Resistivity Tomography (ERT) to assess the geometry of the compound and complex landslides. The current approach allowed us to acquire a more accurate relative chronology of landslide activity during the Holocene and Upper Pleistocene, and more importantly, to establish the pattern of landslides evolution in the Moldavian Plateau, North-Eastern Romania. The relict landslides are Lateglacial and Lower Holocene, the old landslides are post-Holocene Climatic Optimum and pre-Medieval, while the recent landslides are post-Medieval. The landslide magnitude decreased continuously, the new events being retrogressive reactivations of earlier events scarps and landslide bodies (as shown by the ERT data). Further studies on absolute dating will improve the relative chronology. Still, while not all the landslides can be dated, the methodology that we describe can be applied to increase the spatial density of the relative chronology. The presented approach can be used in other regions all over the world to establish the relative age of landslide inventories when archaeological topography can be related to landslide topography.

Electrochemical sensors based on carbon nanomaterials for acetaminophen detection: A review.

This study describes the advancements made over the last five years in the development of electrochemical sensors and biosensors for acetaminophen detection. This study reviews the different configurations based on unmodified and chemically modified carbon nanotubes and graphene. The influence of various modifiers on the two types of materials is presented along with their role on the enhancement of the selectivity and sensitivity of (bio)sensors. The review is focused on a comparative description of the applications of carbon-based nanomaterials towards acetaminophen detection and presents the results in a critical manner.

Management of patients with facial paralysis in the dental office: A brief review of the literature and case report.

In the dental office, the dentist may have to examine patients with facial asymmetry and functional disorders caused by facial paralysis (FP). Following clinical examination, it is important for the dental practitioner to establish whether FP was caused by injury to the facial nerve, and to focus on the site of the lesion and potential risk factors. The risks of dental treatment in a patient with FP should also be assessed. Through dental or surgical procedures, the dentist may cause transient or permanent FP. Interdisciplinary collaboration is required for the confirmation of diagnosis and etiology, and for the complex treatment of FP. This article aims to examine the role of the dentist within the multidisciplinary medical team and to present two cases with transient FP following intraoral anesthesia in the dental office.