Cleft Skeletal Asymmetry: Asymmetry Index, Classification and Application.

OBJECTIVE: To quantitatively measure the extent of 3D asymmetry of the facial skeleton in patients with unilateral cleft lip and palate (UCLP) using an asymmetry index (AI) approach, and to illustrate the applicability of the index in guiding and measuring treatment outcome. METHOD: Two groups of subjects between the ages of 15 and 20 who had archived CBCT scan were included in this study. Twenty-five patients with complete UCLP were compared with 50 age-matched noncleft subjects. The CBCT scans were segmented and landmarked for 3D anthropometric analysis. An AI was calculated as a quantitative measure of the extent of facial skeletal asymmetry. RESULTS: For the control group, the AI ranged from 0.72 ± 0.47 at A point to 4.77 ± 1.59 at Gonion. The degree of asymmetry increased with the increasing laterality of the landmark from the midsagittal plane. In the UCLP group, the values of AI significantly increased compared to the control group at nearly all measured landmarks. The extent of the asymmetry to involve the upper, middle, and lower facial skeleton varied widely with the individual patient with UCLP. CONCLUSION: The asymmetry index is capable of capturing the 3D facial asymmetry of subjects with UCLP and as a basis for classification of the extent of the asymmetry. We found the index to be applicable in surgical planning and in measuring the outcome in improving the symmetry in patients who have undergone orthognathic surgery.

In-column bonded phase polymerization for improved packing uniformity.

It is difficult to pack chromatographic particles having polymeric-bonded phases because solvents used for making a stable slurry cause the polymer layer to swell. Growth of the polymer inside the column (in situ) after packing was investigated and compared with conventional, ex situ polymer growth. The method of activators generated by electron transfer, along with atom-transfer radical polymerization, enabled polymerization under ambient conditions. Nonporous, 0.62 µm silica particles with silane initiators were used. Polyacrylamide films with a hydrated thickness of 23 nm in 75:25 water/isopropanol grew in 55 min for both in situ and ex situ preparations, and the same carbon coverage was observed. Higher chromatographic resolution and better column-to-column reproducibility were observed for in situ polymer growth, as evaluated by hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography for the model glycoprotein, ribonuclease B. In situ polymer growth was also found to give lower eddy diffusion, as shown by a narrower peak width for injected acetonitrile in 50:50 acetonitrile/water. When columns were packed more loosely, bed collapse occurred quickly for ex situ, but not for in situ, polymer growth. The higher resolution and stability for in situ polymer growth is explained by packing with hard, rather than soft, contacts between particles.

Effective coordination and cooperation between ecological risk assessments and natural resource damage assessments: a new synthesis.

Although ecological risk assessments (ERAs) and natural resource damage assessments (NRDAs) are performed under different statutory and regulatory authorities, primarily the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA), as currently practiced, the activities typically overlap. ERAs performed as part of the response process (typically by the US Environmental Protection Agency [USEPA]) should be closely coordinated with the natural resource trustees' (trustees') NRDAs. Trustees should actively participate in the early stages of the remedial investigation (RI) and work with USEPA, including the potentially responsible parties (PRPs), when appropriate, to coordinate NRDA data needs with those of the RI. Close coordination can present opportunities to avoid inefficiencies, such as unnecessary resampling or duplicate data gathering, and provide the opportunity to fulfill both process requirements with a few well-designed investigations. Early identification of opportunities for practical combined assessment can save money and time as the restoration process proceeds and facilitate a cooperative resolution of the entire site's CERCLA liability. The Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (SETAC) convened an invited workshop (August 2008) to address coordination between ERA and NRDA efforts. This paper presents the findings and conclusions of the Framework Work Group, which considered technical issues common to each process, while mindful of the current legal and policy landscape, and developed recommendations for future practice.