A Geometric Morphometric Approach to the Analysis of Lip Shape During Speech: Development of a Clinical Outcome Measure.

A Geometric Morphometric Approach to the Analysis of Lip Shape during Speech: Development of a Clinical Outcome Measure.

PLoS One. 2013; 8(2): e57368
Popat H, Richmond S, Zhurov AI, Rosin PL, Marshall D

Objective assessments of lip movement can be beneficial in many disciplines including visual speech recognition, for surgical outcome assessment in patients with cleft lip and for the rehabilitation of patients with facial nerve impairments. The aim of this study was to develop an outcome measure for lip shape during speech using statistical shape analysis techniques. Lip movements during speech were captured from a sample of adult subjects considered as average using a three-dimensional motion capture system. Geometric Morphometrics was employed to extract three-dimensional coordinate data for lip shape during four spoken words decomposed into seven visemes (which included the resting lip shape). Canonical variate analysis was carried out in an attempt to statistically discriminate the seven visemes. The results showed that the second canonical variate discriminated the resting lip shape from articulation of the utterances and accounted for 17.2% of the total variance of the model. The first canonical variate was significant in discriminating between the utterances and accounted for 72.8% of the total variance of the model. The outcome measure was created using the 95% confidence intervals of the canonical variate scores for each subject plotted as ellipses for each viseme. The method and outcome model is proposed as reference to compare lip movement during speech in similar population groups. HubMed – rehab

Prior Infection Does Not Improve Survival against the Amphibian Disease Chytridiomycosis.

PLoS One. 2013; 8(2): e56747
Cashins SD, Grogan LF, McFadden M, Hunter D, Harlow PS, Berger L, Skerratt LF

Many amphibians have declined globally due to introduction of the pathogenic fungus (). Hundreds of species, many in well-protected habitats, remain as small populations at risk of extinction. Currently the only proven conservation strategy is to maintain species in captivity to be reintroduced at a later date. However, methods to abate the disease in the wild are urgently needed so that reintroduced and wild animals can survive in the presence of . Vaccination has been widely suggested as a potential strategy to improve survival. We used captive-bred offspring of critically endangered booroolong frogs () to test if vaccination in the form of prior infection improves survival following re exposure. We infected frogs with a local isolate, cleared infection after 30 days (d) using itraconazole just prior to the onset of clinical signs, and then re-exposed animals to at 110 d. We found prior exposure had no effect on survival or infection intensities, clearly showing that real infections do not stimulate a protective adaptive immune response in this species. This result supports recent studies suggesting may evade or suppress host immune functions. Our results suggest vaccination is unlikely to be useful in mitigating chytridiomycosis. However, survival of some individuals from all experimental groups indicates existence of protective innate immunity. Understanding and promoting this innate resistance holds potential for enabling species recovery. HubMed – rehab

Correction: Absence of Antiretroviral Therapy and Other Risk Factors for Morbidity and Mortality in Malaysian Compulsory Drug Detention and Rehabilitation Centers.

PLoS One. 2013; 8(2):
Fu JJ, Bazazi AR, Altice FL, Mohamed MN, Kamarulzaman A

[This corrects the article on p. e44249 in vol. 7.]. HubMed – rehab

The challenge of periodic fevers in children.

Paediatr Child Health. 2012 Mar; 17(3): 123
Dancey P, Benseler S, Junker AK, Laxer RM, Miettunen PM, Turner LA, Gattorno M

HubMed – rehab

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