This study is a quantitative evaluation of the influence of the lower component of the nasofrontal angle on perceived attractiveness and threshold values of desire for rhinoplasty. The nasofrontal angle of an idealized silhouette male Caucasian profile image was altered incrementally between 106 and 148 degrees. Images were rated on a Likert scale by pretreatment patients (n = 75), laypeople (n = 75), and clinicians (n = 35). The results demonstrated that a nasofrontal angle of approximately 130 degrees is ideal, corresponding to a lower component of 60 degrees, with a range of 127 to 142 degrees deemed acceptable. Angles above or below this range are perceived as unattractive, and anything outside the range of 118 to 145 degrees is deemed very unattractive. Reduced nasofrontal angles, simulating a nasal hump deformity, of less than 115 degrees were deemed the least attractive. In terms of threshold values of desire for surgery, for all groups a threshold value of 148 degrees indicated a preference for surgery: for patients, the threshold value was 121 degrees or less; for lay people, the threshold value was 124 degrees or less; and similarly for clinicians, the threshold value was 118 degrees or less. Clinicians were the least critical, and patients appeared to be less critical than lay people. This stresses the importance of using patients as observers, as well as laypeople and clinicians, in facial attractiveness research. From the results of this study, it is recommended that in rhinoplasty planning, the range of normal variability of the nasofrontal angle, in terms of observer acceptance, is taken into account as well as the threshold values of desire for surgery.
Cerebral electrical activity in extremely preterm infants is affected by various factors including blood gas and circulatory parameters.To investigate whether continuously measured invasive mean arterial blood pressure (BP) is associated with electroencephalographic (EEG) discontinuity in extremely preterm infants.This prospective observational study examined 51 newborn infants born <29 weeks gestation in the first 3 days after birth. A single channel of raw EEG was used to quantify discontinuity. Mean BP was acquired using continuous invasive measurement and Doppler ultrasound was used to measure left ventricular output (LVO) and common carotid artery blood flow (CCAF).Median gestation and birthweight were 25.6 weeks and 760 g, respectively. Mean discontinuity reduced significantly between days 1 and 3. EEG discontinuity was significantly related to gestation, pH and BP. LVO and CCAF were not associated with EEG discontinuity.Continuously measured invasive mean arterial BP was found to have a negative relationship with EEG discontinuity; increasing BP was associated with lower EEG discontinuity. This did not appear to be mediated by surrogates of systemic or cerebral blood flow. Infants receiving inotropic support had significantly increased EEG discontinuity on the first day after birth.
Microscopic examination of the skin structure may help in identifying possible lesions as well as studying the integrity of the tissue; two dimensional examination of the structure may not be able to easily identify the complexity of the collagen bundle network in skin sections. In this area our research involves examination of skin sections in three dimensions. Thin dermal sections were stained with Haematoxylin and Eosin (H & E) and mounted on glass slides with a cover slip. The sections were imaged using a Leica TCS SP2 confocal microscope (Leica Microsystems GmbH, Germany). We have developed software techniques for 3D visualisation of the confocal data allowing display on a computer monitor or an observation cube. The image shows an example of visualisation from confocal microscope data of collagen bundles in a skin section (microscope image width 750 microns).
Motility of cancer cells is a principal cellular parameter, essentially required in the invasion and formation of distant metastasis in human cancer. Measures to stimulate or inhibit motility of cancer cells may play an important part in the understanding of metastasis biology. The aim of this study was to develop a computer system to analyse and evaluate the movement of cells.Software was developed which enabled cell boundary definition by specifying salient points around the cell. The position of the centre of area was calculated. Six human cancer cells treated with a motogen and cells without added motogen were analysed by the system.We observed higher velocities and greater variation in area and velocity of the cells treated with HGF/SF motogen compared with control cells.The system enables rapid analysis of cell area, velocity and movement, and may thus be of value in further understanding cell motility.
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