A case report of cryptococcosis in a captive Cape hyrax (Procavia capensis).

Cryptococcosis, a globally distributed mycotic disease caused by Cryptococcus neoformans or C. gattii, has been extensively studied in various domestic animals and humans. However, non-domestic species have often been overlooked in the literature, with limited attention given to their susceptibility and contribution to the epidemiology of the disease. In this study, a captive two-year-old Cape hyrax in a Japanese zoo exhibited neurological symptoms and torticollis, ultimately succumbing to the infection. Necropsy and pathological analyses, including histopathological techniques and PCR, revealed the presence of C. neoformans in the lungs, cerebrum, and internal auditory canal. While cryptococcosis has been reported in various wild animals globally, this case represents the first documented cryptococcosis in Cape hyrax.

Clinical and CT Scan Evaluation of Outcomes of Modified SARPE Using a Bone-Borne Hyrax Appliance in Unilateral Posterior Crossbite.

Objective: The objective of this study was to evaluate, using clinical and computed tomography, outcomes of unilateral SARPE with a bone-borne hyrax appliance in case of unilateral crossbite and to assess the correlations between hyrax appliance opening and post-SARPE skeletal changes. Materials and Methods: Two patients of unilateral crossbite underwent Unilateral SARPE and post-surgical expansion of maxilla using a bone-borne hyrax appliance. Computed tomography was used to make comparative linear and angular measurements of the anterior, intermediate, and posterior portions of the maxilla. The correlation between maxillary expansion and appliance opening was also investigated. Results: Significant overall expansion was observed with maximum expansion in the anterior and inferior portions of the maxilla. The degree of appliance opening was significantly greater than that of the skeletal expansion. Comparative CAD measurements showed maximum increase in interdental width at the second premolar level. Conclusion: The transverse expansion of the maxilla obtained with a bone-borne hyrax is less than uniform. The lack of linear correlation between appliance opening and skeletal expansion is attributable to multiple factors, including those related to the device, the surgical technique, and the craniofacial deformity itself.

Comparison of Different Types of Palatal Expanders: Scoping Review.

Maxillary bone contraction is caused by genetics or ambiental factors and is often accompanied by dental crowding, with the possibility of canine inclusion, crossbite, class II and III malocclusion, temporomandibular joint disorder, and obstructive sleep apnea (OSAS). Transverse maxillary deficits, in which the maxillary growth is unusually modest, are frequently treated with maxillary expansion. The purpose of this study is to compare the dental and skeletal effects of different types of expanders, particularly the Leaf Expander, rapid and slow dental-anchored or skeletal-anchored maxillary expanders. METHODS: We chose studies that compared effects determined by palatal expansion using a rapid palatal expander, expander on palatal screws, and leaf expander. RESULTS: Reports assessed for eligibility are 26 and the reports excluded were 11. A final number of 15 studies were included in the review for qualitative analysis. CONCLUSIONS: Clinically and radiographically, the outcomes are similar to those obtained with RME and SME appliances; Therefore, it might be a useful treatment choice as an alternative to RME/SME equipment in cases of poor patient compliance or specific situations. Finally, all of the devices studied produce meaningful skeletal growth of the palate. The use of skeletally anchored devices does, without a doubt, promote larger and more successful growth in adolescent patients.

Dentofacial effects of miniscrew-anchored maxillary protraction on prepubertal children with maxillary deficiency: a randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: The introduction of bone-anchored maxillary protraction eliminated the side effects of facemask in the early treatment of patients with maxillary retrusion. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of miniscrew-anchored maxillary protraction (MAMP) and compare them with the growth changes in an untreated control group in growing patients with Class III malocclusion. METHODS: Forty growing patients with Class III malocclusion and retrognathic maxilla were randomly allocated into two groups: treated and control groups. In the treated group, patients were treated with full-time intermaxillary Class III elastics (C3E) anchored by a hybrid hyrax (HH) in the maxilla and a bone-supported bar in the mandible. Protraction was stopped after obtaining a positive overjet. Cephalometric radiographs were acquired before and after the treatment. Data were statistically analyzed on an intention-to-treat basis. Intergroup comparisons were also made using analysis of covariance with the readings at T0 as a covariate. RESULTS: Forty patients agreed to participate, and 30 of them completed the study (treated group, n = 17; control group, n = 13). The average treatment duration was 11.9 months. MAMP resulted in a significant maxillary advancement (A-VR, 4.34 mm) with significant control over the mandibular growth. No significant increase in the mandibular plane angle was found in the treated group compared with the control group. The upper and lower incisors showed significant protrusion in the treated group. CONCLUSIONS: Within the limitations of this study and high attrition rate, the MAMP protocol can effectively increase maxillary forward growth with good control over the growth of the mandible antero-posteriorly and vertically.

Analysis of maxillary arch expansion in growing patients treated with early Class III protocol versus RME.

Aim: To evaluate and compare the maxillary arch expansion obtained in growing patients treated with Class III early treatment protocol (the modified SEC III protocol), or rapid maxillary expansion (RME). Methods: This retrospective observational study included patients in the mixed dentition with maxillary constriction and/ or dental crowding. The first group consisted of 30 patients (11 males and 19 females, mean age 9.4 ±1.7 years) with dentoskeletal Class III malocclusion treated with the modified SEC III protocol. The second group of 30 patients (14 males and 16 females, mean age 9.3 ±1.5 years) with Class I or II malocclusion was treated with a Hyrax-type expander applied to bands on the first upper molars. For each subject, initial (T0) and post expansion (T1) digital dental casts were collected. The intermolar and intercanine widths, the arch lengths at both cusp and gingival levels, the anteroposterior length and the palatal depth were measured at T0 and T1. Results: At T1 there were statistically significant differences for 3-3 occlusal (OC) (P < 0.009), arch-length OC (P <0.030), anteroposterior arch-length (AP) (P <0.003), Depth (P <0.030) and Ap (P <0.000). No statistically significant T0-T1 changes were found between the modified SEC III and Hyrax groups except for Depth (P <0.011) with a mean difference of 2.3 mm between the two groups. Conclusions: Both bonded and banded expanders, used in the modified SEC III protocol and RME treatment respectively, produced similar changes in the upper arch. The different initial dentoskeletal malocclusions of the two sample groups were not relevant to the post-expansion arch changes.

Self-perceived pain in Hyrax versus other maxillary expansion orthodontic appliances: a systematic review of clinical studies.

PURPOSE: To evaluate self-perceived pain levels in the Hyrax compared to other types of maxillary expansion (ME) appliances in growing patients. METHODS: An unrestricted search of indexed databases and manual searching were performed up to October 2022. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing the Hyrax appliance with other ME appliances were included. Data screening, extraction, and Risk of Bias (RoB) assessment with the Cochrane tool were performed by two authors. RESULTS: Six RCTs were included. The number of participants in the included RCTs ranged between 34 to 114 and included both male and female growing patients. Various tools were used to measure self-perceived pain including the Graphic Rating Scale for Pain, the Wong-Baker Faces Pain Scale, the Numerical Rating Scale, the visual analogue scale, and a questionnaire. One RCT reported that pain intensity in patients treated with the Hyrax was higher than in the Haas appliance, with a statistically significant difference limited to the first day. Two RCTs reported that pain intensity in patients treated with the Leaf expander was lower than in the Hyrax during the first 7 days of treatment. Two RCTs reported no significant differences in pain intensity between the Hyrax and other ME appliances. One RCT reported that pain intensity in patients using the computer-guided skeletal ME appliance was higher than in the Hyrax appliance at the first day after expansion. Four RCTs had a high RoB, and two RCTs had a moderate RoB. CONCLUSIONS: Within the limitations of the present systematic review and based on the currently available evidence, it is challenging and inconclusive to identify the best maxillary expansion appliances, regarding pain levels for growing patients.

Land-use changes interact with geology to facilitate dispersal of the rock hyrax (Procavia capensis) and leishmaniasis across Israel and the West Bank.

Geology plays a fundamental role in establishing species' habitats, determining both physical (e.g., landscape morphology, soil texture) and chemical (e.g., mineral composition, water availability) properties. In the current Anthropocene epoch, human activity is transforming Earth's geology and ecosystems. Yet to date, there have been almost no studies incorporating geology when examining the effect of such land-use changes on species distribution. This study seeks to uncover how specific land-use changes interact with geology, in order to explain the recent and rapid expansion of the rock hyrax (Procavia capensis) across the mountains of central Israel and the West Bank. Hyraxes are dependent on rock mounds for their habitat, and their expansion seems to be correlated with increasing infrastructure construction. However, their expansion patterns differ among locations, even when the human land-use is similar. To explain the patterns of hyrax distribution observed over the past 46 years, we converted geological data into ecological data, which present the probability of the local bedrock breaking into boulders, whether due to either natural or anthropogenic weathering processes. We applied species distribution models (SDMs) and found that the expansion of rock hyrax populations was facilitated by means of the interaction of specific geological units with land-use practices (e.g., roads and construction), which resulted in the accumulation of large boulders, creating novel habitats and stepping stones in previously unsuitable areas for hyraxes. Since rock hyraxes are major hosts of the leishmaniasis pathogen, the findings from this study offer important insights into the progression and potential outbreaks of the disease in human populations. Understanding the role that geology plays in shaping a species' niche is expected to prove useful in studying the distribution of other wildlife species and is fundamental in studies seeking to predict the potential ecological impacts on local biodiversity associated with land-use change.

Bilateral tongue fibrous hyperplasia: A case report and literature review / Hiperplasia fibrosa bilateral de língua: relato de um caso e revisão daliteratura

Focal fibrous hyperplasia (FFH) is a pathology characterized by tissue enlargement as a result of increasing the number of inflammatory cells which receive chronic mechanical stimuli of low intensity that may affect gums, lip, palate, jugal mucosa and tongue.The aim of this article is to report a case of FFH on the lateral border on both sides of the tongue associated with the use of the Hyrax appliance in a hebiatric patient, whose chief complaint was chewing discomfort. This case was diagnosed clinically and by histopathology analysis and treated by surgical excision as well as the removal of Hyrax appliances. Follow-up care provided the recovery of the patient's quality of life.

La hiperplasia fibrosa focal (HFF) es una patología caracterizada por el aumento de tamaño de los tejidos como consecuencia del aumento del número de células inflamatorias que reciben estímulos mecánicos crónicos de baja intensidad que pueden afectar a encías, labio, paladar, mucosa yugal y lengua. El objetivo de este artículo es reportar un caso de FFH en el borde lateral a ambos lados de la lengua asociado al uso del aparato Hyrax en un paciente hebiátrico, cuyo principal motivo de consulta era la molestia masticatoria. Este caso fue diagnosticado clínicamente y por análisis histopatológico y tratado mediante escisión quirúrgica así como la retirada de los aparatos de Hyrax. La atención de seguimiento permitió la recuperación de la calidad de vida del paciente

The Hyrax appliance with tooth anchorage variations in surgically assisted rapid maxillary expansion: a finite element analysis.

PURPOSE: It is known that a correct transverse maxillary dimension is a key factor for a stable occlusion, which brings functional and esthetic benefits for the patient. In patients presenting maxillary atresia and the completion of bone growth, a highly recommended option for correction is the surgically assisted rapid maxillary expansion (SARME) associated with the Hyrax appliance. The objective of this study was to evaluate the influence of tooth anchorage variations of the Hyrax appliance in SARME through finite element analysis, evaluating which anchorage option might be associated with more effective orthopedic results with less undesired side effects. METHODS: Five different dental anchoring conditions for the Hyrax appliance were simulated through FE analysis applying premolars and molars as anchorage, having the same force applied by the activation of the Hyrax screw (0.5 mm) in all groups. The maxillary displacement results (axes X, Y, and Z) and generated stresses for both teeth and maxillary bone were calculated and represented using a color scale. RESULTS: All groups presented significant bone displacement and stress concentration on anchoring teeth, with the group presenting anchorage in the 1st and 2nd molars showing the greatest maxillary horizontal displacement (axis X) and suggesting the lowest tendency of dental vestibular inclination. CONCLUSIONS: Variations in dental anchorage might substantially affect the maxillary bone and teeth displacement outcome. The protocol for the Hyrax apparatus in SARME applying the 1st and 2nd molars as anchorage might generate less tilting and inclination of the anchoring teeth.

A Modified Hyrax Assembly for Intrusion of a Traumatically Extruded Incisor: An Innovative Technique.

This case report demonstrates an innovative technique involving concomitant correction of a traumatic extrusive luxated tooth, the mobility of which was being aggravated by anterior occlusal contacts, along with transverse rapid maxillary expansion to capitalize on the advantage of residual growth and simplify the need for comprehensive fixed orthodontic appliance. By incorporating a molar tube into the acrylic splint of the bonded Hyrax expander adjacent to the buccal surfaces and parallel to the buccal cusps of the maxillary first molars, effective intrusion of traumatically extruded upper incisor was achieved concomitantly using a modified intrusion arch during the passive stabilization period after expansion, thereby reducing treatment time. This enabled the immediate correction of extruded tooth and reduced the overall treatment duration and the complexity of post-expansion fixed mechanotherapy, improving compliance and uplifting the self-esteem of the patient. The modified bonded Hyrax assembly can serve as a versatile interim appliance for the simultaneous management of a variety of orthodontic problems such as crowding, spacing, and incisor proclination without compromising the basic integrity of the bonded assembly.

Dento-skeletal Sequel of Hyrax in Nonsyndromic Cleft Lip and Palate: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

Aim: To critically evaluate and review the dento-skeletal outcomes of hyrax with or without nonsurgical protraction therapy in nonsyndromic cleft lip and palate (CLP) patients. Materials and methods: Electronic databases were searched from PubMed, Cochrane, Scopus, SciELO, Lilacs, and Google Scholar from January 2005 to April 2022 to identify studies reporting on the dento-skeletal effect of hyrax with or without nonsurgical protraction therapy among children aged 7-15 years with CLP before the secondary alveolar bone grafting (SABG) procedure. Abstracts and subsequently eligible full-text articles were screened. The risk of bias in the included randomized and nonrandomized studies was assessed using Cochrane collaboration's risk of bias tool. The random-effects meta-analyses of the mean difference were carried out. Results: A total of 423 studies were identified. After a thorough screening, 19 studies met the inclusion criteria. Of these 19 studies, 13 studies were conducted with only hyrax appliances, six studies had hyrax with nonsurgical protraction therapy. Conclusion: Hyrax had increased intermolar width, anterior nasal cavity width, and posterior maxillary width compared to inverted mini hyrax with p-values = 0.027, 0.004, and 0.03, respectively. Inverted mini hyrax had more canine inclination on noncleft than hyrax. Hyrax and fan-type expanders had an equivalent effect on the dento-skeletal structures indicating that hyrax can be used as an alternative to fan-type expanders. Hyrax with protraction therapy had a remarkable change in ANB angle compared to noncleft patients. How to cite this article: Deepika U, Ray P, Nayak A, et al. Dento-skeletal Sequel of Hyrax in Nonsyndromic Cleft Lip and Palate: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. Int J Clin Pediatr Dent 2023;16(6):882-896.

RHSOFS: Feature Selection Using the Rock Hyrax Swarm Optimization Algorithm for Credit Card Fraud Detection System.

In recent years, detecting credit card fraud transactions has been a difficult task due to the high dimensions and imbalanced datasets. Selecting a subset of important features from a high-dimensional dataset has proven to be the most prominent approach for solving high-dimensional dataset issues, and the selection of features is critical for improving classification performance, such as the fraud transaction identification process. To contribute to the field, this paper proposes a novel feature selection (FS) approach based on a metaheuristic algorithm called Rock Hyrax Swarm Optimization Feature Selection (RHSOFS), inspired by the actions of rock hyrax swarms in nature, and implements supervised machine learning techniques to improve credit card fraud transaction identification approaches. This approach is used to select a subset of optimal relevant features from a high-dimensional dataset. In a comparative efficiency analysis, RHSOFS is compared with Differential Evolutionary Feature Selection (DEFS), Genetic Algorithm Feature Selection (GAFS), Particle Swarm Optimization Feature Selection (PSOFS), and Ant Colony Optimization Feature Selection (ACOFS) in a comparative efficiency analysis. The proposed RHSOFS outperforms existing approaches, such as DEFS, GAFS, PSOFS, and ACOFS, according to the experimental results. Various statistical tests have been used to validate the statistical significance of the proposed model.

Hyrax versus Leaf expander in growing patients, what about adverse dental effects? A retrospective study.

OBJECTIVES: Transverse discrepancy is a Common problem in young patients. Many devices are employed to expand the palatal dimension, with different characteristics and biomechanical aspects. The Leaf expander, a new-born appliance containing nickel-titanium springs, free from activation by parents. We compared the maxillary and mandibular dental effects of Leaf expander to conventional Hyrax in growing patients. METHODS: All patients who met the eligibility criteria between the period from January 2017 to December 2019 were included. The patients had transverse inter-arch discrepancy of at least 5mm and were treated with Hyrax expander (HEX) or Leaf expander (LEX). All patients had complete follow-up of expansion by remote monitoring. An algorithm established distances between the teeth. It was also used to measure the change in dental axes. RESULTS: In the maxilla, LEX caused more tipping on the canines and premolars but significantly less on the molars compared to HEX: -0.154̊ vs. 3.05̊ (P<0.001). In the mandible, LEX caused a greater increase in arch widths and tipping (P<0.02) in the molars and second premolars, but not in the other teeth. No correlation was demonstrated between mandibular dental movements and increased maxillary arch widths. Alternatively, for the two devices, expansion and tipping were correlated within each dental arch (r>0.4). CONCLUSIONS: The LEX produced more tooth movement on average than the HEX, except for the maxillary first molars. Several correlations exist between the movements within each arch for the two devices, most often between tipping and expansion.

DEVELOPMENTAL STAGES OF GRASSENEMA PROCAVIAE PETTER, 1959 (COSMOCERCOIDEA: ATRACTIDAE) FOUND IN THE STOMACH OF CAPE HYRAX (PROCAVIA CAPENSIS).

Morphological examination was made of the larval forms of Grassenema procaviae (Cosmocercoidea: Atractidae), an autoinfective and viviparous nematode parasite in the stomach of Cape hyrax (Procavia capensis). Three different larval stages (second-, third- and fourth-stages), and the adult stage were found among the worms collected at necropsy of 3 hosts, which were reared in a zoo in Japan. Molting phases between the larval stages and the final molt to the adult stage were also observed. It was considered that the gravid female delivers the second-stage larva, which develops to the adult stage through 3 molts. The cephalic structure was identical throughout the second to adult stages; all with transparent filaments extending from the mouth. Because starch grains were frequently found attached to the filaments and the worm intestinal lumen also contained starch grains ingested, the filaments were surmised to act as nutrient catchers.

Cancer suppression and the evolution of multiple retrogene copies of TP53 in elephants: A re-evaluation.

Evolving to become bigger and/or longer lived should increase cancer susceptibility, but this predicted increase is not observed, a contradiction named Peto's paradox. A solution is that cancer suppression evolves to minimize cancer susceptibility, and the discovery of 19 retrogene (RTG) copies of the tumor suppressor gene TP53 in the African elephant (Loxodonta africana) is increasingly cited as a classic example of such adaptive suppression. However, classic examples need rigorous evaluation and an alternative hypothesis is that the RTGs spread by genetic drift. This study shows that before its duplication, the ancestral elephant RTG was already truncated from 390 amino acids to 157 by a frameshift mutation, and that 14 of the 19 copies are now truncated to ≤88 amino acids. There was no compelling evidence of either positive or negative selection acting on these 88 codons, and the pattern of RTG accumulation fits a neutral model with a duplication rate of ~10-6 per generation. It is concluded that there is no evidence supporting the hypothesis that the 19 elephant RTGs spread to fixation by selection; instead, the evidence indicates that these RTGs accumulated primarily by segmental duplication and drift. It is shown that the evolutionary multistage model of carcinogenesis (EMMC) predicts the recruitment of 1-2 independently acting tumor suppressor genes to suppress the increased cancer risk in elephants, so it is possible that one or a few RTGs may have been favored by selection resulting in the known enhanced sensitivity of elephant cells to DNA damage. However, the analysis does not provide any support for either a direct (via conserved TP53 activity) or indirect (via supporting canonical TP53 function) role of the RTGs sequences, so that the presence of multiple copies of TP53 retrogenes in elephants needs to be further justified before being used as a classic example of tumor suppression in large-bodied animals.

Parcellation in the dorsal column nuclei of Florida manatees (Trichechus manatus latirostris) and rock hyraxes (Procavia capensis) indicates the presence of body barrelettes.

Florida manatees (Trichechus manatus latirostris) and rock hyraxes (Procavia capensis) exhibit expanded tactile arrays of vibrissae that are distributed not only on the face but also on the entire postfacial body. In contrast, the vibrissae of most mammals are principally restricted to the face. These facial vibrissae may be associated with central nervous system representations known as barrels in the cerebral cortex, barreloids in the thalamus, and barrelettes in the trigeminal nuclei of the brainstem. To date, vibrissae representations found within the brainstem have been principally limited to facial vibrissae representations in the trigeminal nuclei. We hypothesized that the tactile specializations of the manatee and rock hyrax would produce a unique modification of typical mammalian central nervous system organization, with postfacial vibrissae representations appearing in the cuneate and gracile nuclei as "body barrelettes." Using histological and histochemical methods, including cresyl violet, myelin, and cytochrome oxidase processing, we first delineated the rostral, middle, and caudal zones of the cuneate and gracile nuclei. Within the middle zone, divisions were present, including extensive parcellation in the cluster region, particularly in manatees. These clusters were particularly densely distributed and distinguishable in the presumptive postfacial body representations in the cuneate and gracile nuclei but otherwise shared many attributes with the barrelettes found in the trigeminal nuclei of other species. This study represents the first characterization of postfacial body vibrissae representations, or "body barrelettes," in the brainstem of any species. Previous studies have predominantly focused on facial vibrissae representations, which have served for decades as a model for sensory organization and plasticity. Our results extend what is known about vibrissae representations in the central nervous system to include expansions related to peripheral specializations of the postfacial body. Unusual somatosensory adaptations in the manatee and rock hyrax are highly informative regarding how mammalian brain organization responds to evolutionary pressures on sensory systems.

A retrospective long-term comparison of early RME-facemask versus late Hybrid-Hyrax, alt-RAMEC and miniscrew-supported intraoral elastics in growing Class III patients.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the long-term dentoskeletal effects of early treatment with banded or bonded RME (Rapid Maxillary Expansion)-Face Mask (RME-FM) versus late treatment with bonded Hybrid-Hyrax, alt-RAMEC (Alternate Rapid Maxillary Expansion and Contraction) and intraoral Class III elastics anchored to miniscrew-reinforced-Lower-lingual-Arch (alt-RAMEC-HH-LLA) in growing, maxillary retrognathic patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Two groups were matched at long-term follow-up retrospectively. Patients received either early RME-FM (n=16, 5 males, 11 females, age T1: 6.5±0.9 years, age T2: 15.8±2.5 years) or late alt-RAMEC-HH-LLA (n=15, 7 males, 8 females, age T1: 12.52±0.94 years, age T2: 16.8±0.9 years). Total follow-up was 9.2±2.3 years and 4.2±0.2 years respectively, including fixed appliances to compete treatment. RESULTS: Both treatments resulted in Class III correction except one unsuccessful case of alt-RAMEC-HH-LLA. Active maxillary protraction was 1.6±0.5years with RME-FM and 0.5 years with alt-RAMEC-HH-LLA being significantly shorter (P<0.001). Values at T2 estimation with multivariate linear regression for correlated multiple outcomes, conditional on baseline estimates, age and sex showed alt-RAMEC-HH-LLA inducing significantly more retroclined lower incisors (mean: -6.11°; 95%CI: -10.66, -1.57; P=0.01), less overbite (mean: -1.28mm; 95%CI: -1.79, -0.761; P<0.001), less maxillo (Co-A)- (mean: -4.54mm; 95%CI: -7.91, -1.16; P=0.01) mandibular (Co-Gn) (mean: -10.5mm; 95%CI: -17.45, -3.55; P=0.003) projections/size, more open gonial angle (mean: 4.93°; 95%CI: 2.27, 7.59; P<0.001), and less S-N length (mean: -5.04mm; 95%CI: -6.57, -3.51; P<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Patients treated with either early RME-FM or late Alt-RAMEC-HH-LLA had comparable overall post-pubertal skeletal and overjet corrections. However, the late Alt-RAMEC-HH-LLA showed less correction of dentoalveolar compensations and in particular of the mandibular incisors. The overbite, maxillary and mandibular projection and size were lower and the gonial angle was more open.

Review of sensory modalities of sirenians and the other extant Paenungulata clade.

Extant members of Paenungulata (sirenians, proboscideans, and hyracoideans) form a monophyletic clade which originated in Africa. While paenungulates are all herbivorous, they differ greatly in size, life history, and habitat. Therefore, we would expect both phylogenetically related similarities and ecologically driven differences in their use and specializations of sensory systems, especially in adaptations in sirenians related to their fully aquatic habitat. Here we review what is known about the sensory modalities of this clade in an attempt to better elucidate their sensory adaptations. Manatees have a higher frequency range for hearing than elephants, who have the best low-frequency hearing range known to mammals, while the hearing range of hyraxes is unknown. All paenungulates have vibrissae assisting in tactile abilities such as feeding and navigating the environment and share relatively small eyes and dichromatic vision. Taste buds are present in varying quantities in all three orders. While the olfactory abilities of manatees and hyraxes are unknown, elephants have an excellent sense of smell which is reflected by having the relatively largest cranial nerve related to olfaction among the three lineages. Manatees have the relatively largest trigeminal nerve-the nerve responsible for, among other things, mystacial vibrissae-while hyraxes have the relatively largest optic nerve (and therefore, presumably, the best vision) among the Paenungulata. All three orders have diverged significantly; however, they still retain some anatomical and physiological adaptations in common with regard to sensory abilities.

Evaluation of self-perceived pain and jaw function impairment in children undergoing slow and rapid maxillary expansion.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate and compare perceived pain and jaw function impairment during the first 4 weeks with slow maxillary expansion (SME) using quadhelix and rapid maxillary expansion (RME) using conventional banded hyrax. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Sixty patients aged 10.2 to 15 years were enrolled and consecutively recruited to either the quadhelix group (QG) or hyrax group (HG). A questionnaire was used to evaluate pain, jaw function impairment, and analgesic consumption in the first 7 days, at 2 weeks, and at 4 weeks. RESULTS: Fifty-five patients (43 girls and 12 boys) completed the questionnaire at all time points (27 in the QG and 28 in the HG). Except at 4 hours, there were no significant differences between the groups regarding pain from teeth, tongue, and palate. Patients started to adapt after day 3. Patients in the HG group reported significantly higher scores for difficulty in swallowing (moderate to severe) during the first 6 days. In both groups, minimal effects were found on speech and the majority of patients did not experience difficulty in yawning or laughing. There was no significant difference in analgesic consumption between the groups. No correlations were found between age, gender, or malocclusion type and any of the investigated outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: Quadhelix for SME and conventional banded hyrax for RME were well tolerated by patients after 1 week. The decision to use either appliance could be based on factors not related to patient experiences.

A postero-anterior cephalometric evaluation of different rapid maxillary expansion appliances.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of the study was to evaluate dental and skeletal changes induced by tooth-bone-borne, tooth-tissue-borne, and tooth-borne rapid maxillary expansion (RME) appliances using postero-anterior (PA) cephalometric radiographs. METHODS: A total of 54 patients' (25 boys, 29 girls) PA cephalometric radiographs who had bilateral posterior crossbite and RME treatment were included and divided into three groups according to the type of appliance used during treatment: tooth-bone-borne RME appliance (hybrid Hyrax) (7 boys, 11 girls, mean age 13.28 ± 1.20 years), tooth-tissue-borne RME appliance (TTB) (8 boys, 10 girls, mean age 13.08 ± 1.06 years) and tooth-borne RME appliance (Hyrax) (10 boys, 8 girls, mean age 12.05 ± 1.35 years). Pretreatment (T0) and posttreatment (T1) PA cephalometric radiographs were analyzed with Dolphin software v. 11.7 (Chatsworth, CA). The comparisons of the groups were performed with Two-way analysis of variance. P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: Significant and equal increase of right molar relationship and upper intermolar molar widths occurred in all groups. Dental midline discrepancy showed significant increase in only hybrid Hyrax group between T0 and T1. Significant increases were reported for lateronasal width in hybrid Hyrax and tooth-tissue-borne groups (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Both skeletal and dental changes were observed after RME in all groups. However, the greatest skeletal changes were seen in hybrid Hyrax and tooth-tissue-borne groups.