INTRODUCTION: Orthopedic maxillary expansion, also commonly referred to as Rapid Maxillary Expansion (RME) is a widely used orthodontic technique for early treatment of skeletal transverse deficiencies1. Condylar changes in response to RME have been observed using a variety of imaging techniques such as tomograms2, magnetic resonance imaging3-4 and cone beam computerized tomography5. To this day, most of the studies have focused on changes in condylar position after RME but to best our knowledge, no study has examined the changes in condylar shape and volume in addition to position. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this retrospective cohort study is to determine the long term effect of Rapid Maxillary Expansion (RME) on condylar shape, volume and orientation as well as on mandibular rotation. METHOD: Pre- and post-expansion cone beam computerized tomography (CBCT) images of forty-four healthy subjects (mean age=11.8±2.06) who previously had undergone banded RME were selected from a CBCT repository. Due to extensive time range existing between the pre- and post-CBCTs (0.7-4.7y, average time = 2.4y ± 0.97), a stratified analysis was run to account for the subject’s growth. Two subgroups were created according to the Baccetti Cervical Maturation stage : a “growing” group (n=37, mean age=11.86y, diff CVM>1) and a “non-growing” group (n=7, mean age=11.73y, diff CVM<1). Linear, angular and volumetric changes as well as condylar surface area differences and changes in mandibular rotation were assessed on isolated 3D condyles using Mimics version 20.0 software (Materialise, Leuven, Belgium). The condyles were segmented by a plane passing through the sigmoid notch (Snp) and parallel to a Frankfort Horizontal derivative plane (FHD). Changes in mandibular rotation were evaluated by analyzing the alterations in the angle between mandibular plane and FHD plane before and after RME. Paired T test was performed to compare pre- and post- expansion for all variables stated above. Statistical significance was set at <0.05. RESULTS: In the “growing” group, the right and left condylar heights and widths significantly increased by 0.61mm±1.19mm (p=0.0035), 0.80±1.26 (p=0.0005) and 1.01mm±0.95mm (p<0.0001), 0.89±0.93 (p<0.0001) respectively. The right and left condylar volumes significantly increased by 117.7mm3±149.3mm3 (p<0.0001) and 106.7mm3±133.5mm3 (p<0.0001), respectively. In the “non growing” group, the right condylar height and the right condylar width statistically increased by 1.56mm±1.65 and 0.42mm±0.42 respectively. The right and left condylar volumes also increased by 114.1mm3±104.3 and 141.5mm3±89.1 respectively. No statistically significant changes were found in condylar orientation and mandibular plane angle for either of the two sub-groups. CONCLUSION: Right condylar height, width, and right and left volumes were significantly increased after rapid maxillary expansion. No statistically significant effect on condylar orientation and mandibular plane was found. Condylar growth still remains to be an important co-founding factor which potentially affected the results of our study. A control group will be required to assess the effects of growth in our current findings to limit the effects of growth on our results.

This retrospective clinical study aimed: (1) to establish and validate a reproducible geometrical measurement strategy in quantifying peri-implant alveolar bone changes based on CBCT images taken before and one year after implantation; (2) to quantify and compare the bone changes of Type 1 and Type 4 implant placement in the patient cohort that requested implant placement at premolar and molar sites; (3) to analyse the bone changes in relation to the two implant protocols in aspects of buccal and lingual, maxilla and mandible, within the cohort and combined cohorts. 3D imaging analysis in this study had used a software package - OnDemand3D. The evaluation of the measurement strategy was based on a simulation model which was made of human dry skull with and without a standard implant (Straumann Standard Plus, Ø3.3 mm diameter, L12 mm) to simulate before and after the implant placement. The recruited cases were 69 (44 Type 1 cases and 25 Type 4 cases); all data sets were provided by Shanghai 9th people's hospital, China. Each case had two CBCT data sets at before and one year after implant placement. With 69 cases, bone grafting was applied to all Type 1 cases, and the flap surgery was applied to Type 1 cases when buccal bone recession greater than 3 mm. The measurements were made in bone height (HL) and bone thickness (L0O0, L1O1, L2O2, L3O) at lingual side, while the same at buccal side (HB, B0O0, B1O1, B2O2, B3O3). The four sections of bone thickness were at 0, 1 mm, 4 mm and 7 mm from the top of the implant. Additionally, six special cases were reported, as they provided extra information. They were two spilt-mouth control cases, three 2-year follow-up cases and one 3-year follow-up case. The evaluation of the measurement strategy showed the error of the measurement strategy was -0.06 mm and the measurement uncertainty was ±0.05 mm. The main measurement outcomes from the clinical cases were as follows: (1) at buccal side, the mean value of bone changes in height was a positive value of +0.18±1.64 mm for Type 1, which was significantly more than +0.01±0.86 mm for Type 4 (p < 0.05). However the standard deviation over the 44 and 25 patient cohorts were as large as 1.64 mm and 0.86 mm; (2) at buccal side, the bone changes in thickness showed significantly more loss at B0O0 (p < 0.01) and B1O1 (p < 0.05) sections in Type 1 (-0.38±1.49 mm and -0.25±1.15 mm) compared with Type 4 (-0.19±0.34 mm and -0.16±0.76 mm); (3) in Type 1 cases, the bone thickness at buccal side showed significantly more absorption at L1O1B1 (p < 0.05), L2O2B2 (p < 0.01), L3O3B3 (p < 0.01) section (-0.25±1.15 mm, -0.19±0.99 mm, -0.12±0.57 mm) compared to lingual side (-0.13±0.85 mm, -0.16±0.28 mm, -0.05±0.28 mm); and the bone height (+0.18±1.64 mm) increased significantly more at buccal side than lingual side (-0.25±0.79 mm) with bone augmentation procedure (p < 0.01). However, within Type 4 cases, no significant difference in bone changes between buccal and lingual sides could be found. In conclusion, the measurement strategy established in this study was reproducible and provided valid quantifiable data of bone changes in relation to implant placement based on 3D CBCT images. The data analysis from these two patient cohorts suggested that Type 1 implant placement protocol could re-build the bone height at buccal side better than Type 4.

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Global climate change is expected to increase the frequency of extreme and unpredictable weather in many parts of the world. As a result, a critical goal for biologists is to predict how organisms may come to cope with increased environmental variability. The key to making these predictions will be to understand how animals currently living in fluctuating environments are able to survive and reproduce under these conditions. Sociality (i.e. group living) and cooperative breeding (i.e. where more than two individuals care for young together) may both facilitate the colonization of highly fluctuating environments. However, the relative benefits of group living and engaging in alloparental care under variable conditions remain unclear. My dissertation examines the fitness consequences of living in one of the world’s most unpredictable habitats—the African savanna—in a population of free-living cooperatively breeding superb starlings (Lamprotornis superbus). In chapter 1, I examine whether adults benefit from living in large social groups of up to 50 individuals, which are among the largest known for any cooperatively breeding bird. In addition, I test whether group size serves to buffer against harsh environmental conditions. In chapter 2, I examine whether breeders gain reproductive benefits by having alloparents at their nest—I explore the type of reproductive benefits gained (i.e. improved reproductive success versus offspring care load-lightening), as well as whether these benefits occur in both harsh and benign conditions (i.e. temporal variability hypothesis), or are greatest under harsh conditions only (i.e. hard life hypothesis). In chapter 3, I explore whether offspring care load-lightening reduces the cost of reproduction incurred by breeders and alloparents by comparing four physiological mechanisms known to mediate reproductive costs. Lastly, in chapter 4 I test the long-standing assumption that cooperatively breeding species face reduced costs of reproduction by sharing offspring care relative to non-cooperatively breeding species. I compare the oxidative cost of reproduction in superb starlings to greater blue-eared glossy starlings (L. chalybaeus), a synoptic non-cooperatively breeding species. Taken together my dissertation findings demonstrate that group living and alloparental care do not solely buffer against harsh conditions in superb starlings, but instead provide individuals with the flexibility to modify their offspring care behavior according to environmental conditions, to the behavior of other group members, and to their physiological condition prior to breeding—this behavioral flexibility may in turn serve to mitigate fluctuations in the cost of living and breeding in variable environments.

The impact of the Madden Julian Oscillation (MJO), a major source of intraseasonal variability in the tropical atmosphere, on the Indonesia Seas is investigated using satellite-derived, reanalysis and mooring data. The MJO footprint on the Indonesian Seas is evident from the surface layer into the pycnocline. In the surface, MJO air-sea heat fluxes govern the intraseasonal sea surface temperature (SST) variations. Within the pycnocline, the MJO reduces the transfer of the Pacific water to the Indian Ocean, the Indonesian Throughflow (ITF). In addition to the ocean’s response, the oceanic feedback to the MJO is also examined. Warmer SST in the Indonesian Seas during the suppressed phase of the MJO promotes the MJO convective phase to propagate eastward over the maritime continent (MC). Intraseasonal SST variation accounts for 55 - 60% of the total non-seasonal SST variance across the Indonesian Seas. It is most energetic in Banda and Timor Seas, with its standard deviation varying between 0.4 – 0.5°C. Coupled to the MJO surface fluxes, the intraseasonal SST exhibits stronger variation in boreal winter than in summer. A slab ocean model indicates that MJO surface heat fluxes account for 69-78% of the intraseasonal SST variability. The SST increases by 1.1° - 2°C, on average, in response to intense surface heating and weak winds over the suppressed (dry) MJO phase, and then decreases by 1.8° - 2.1°C over the course of the ensuing MJO active phase that is characterized by enhanced convective cooling and westerly wind bursts. Intraseasonal variability is also significant in the Sulawesi Sea SST, but it is mostly derived from eddies and local winds. Over the period 1980 - 2012, we observe 86 significant MJO (Real-time Multi variate MJO index > 1) events occurring in the Indian Ocean, of which 51 events achieve eastward propagation (EP) over the MC, while 35 events attentuate in the eastern Indian Ocean, or show no propagation (NP) over the MC. Eastward propagation (EP) MJO events occur more frequently during La Niña years than during El Niño years. Analyses of SST across the Indonesian Seas during the suppressed phase of the MJO events indicate that the SST in Java, Banda, and Timor Seas attributed to the EP MJO events is warmer by 0.5oC that associated with the NP MJO events. The warmer SST corresponds with enhanced surface latent heat flux, sensible heat flux, and low-level moisture in the atmospheric boundary layer, driven by diurnal activity. The EP MJO events are more frequent during La Niña, as the SST response to MJO events is influenced by the thermocline depth: shallower thermocline during El Niño enables cooler subsurface water under the MJO forcing to reduce SST that then attenuates MJO activity, with deeper thermocline of La Niña having the opposite outcome. Moored velocity data in Makassar Strait between 2004 – August 2011 and August 2013 – August 2015 document substantial direct impacts of the MJO on the ITF, particularly with the surface layer (< 80 m ). A composite of the along-strait velocity within the surface layer for 10 MJO events observed during the observational period exhibits strong northward velocity within days, following the peak of MJO wind stress. The MJO forces both northward along-strait pressure gradient and the resultant of northward wind stress and turbulent stress at the base of the surface layer that, together with the seasonal forcing, maintain the reduction or even reversal of the ITF southward transport on timescales of 1-3 months during boreal winter.

Student Number : 0204056G - MD research report - School of Oral Health Science - Faculty of Health Sciences / Evaluating facial profiles and facial balance is a continuous learning process for orthodontists. Hence, the importance of studying the intermediate and long term effects of treatment on soft tissues cannot be overemphasized. The objective of this study was to evaluate the lip changes occuring in response to tooth movement, not only immediately post-treatment but also to following the long-term monitoring when cranio-facial growth has ceased. The lip changes were measured relative to the Burstone (B-line) line. The sample was taken from the records successfully treated orthodontic cases in the Department of Orthodontics at the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg. This sample comprised 18 Caucasoid females (14 extracttion, 4 non-extraction). Pre-treatment, post-treatment, and long term follow-up lateral cephalometric radiographs were evaluated. Statistical evaluation of the lips in the long term follow-up records revealed no statistically significant changes. The lips remained, relatively, in a similar position to that which had been attained immediately post-treatment. This was the case for both the extraction and non-extraction groups. The general lack of consistency in post-treatment correlations between dental variables and the soft tissue form supports the hypothesis that the soft tissues, having their own inherent architecture, respond independently. This varied response to tooth movement makes lip movement difficult to predict on a reliable basis. The concept that is better to finish the cases slightly more protrusive because the lips tend to lose elasticity with age and, as a result, become more retrusive, is therfore supported by these observations.

The work presented in my dissertation focuses on the conformational studies of bio-molecules including proteins and DNA using computational approaches. Conformational changes are important in numerous molecular bioprocesses such as recognition, transcription, replication and repair, etc. Proteins recognize specific DNA sequences and upon binding undergo partial or complete folding or partial unfolding in order to find the optimal conformational fit between molecules involved in the complex. In addition to sequence specific recognition, proteins are able to distinguish between subtle differences in local geometry and flexibility associated with DNA that may further affect their binding affinities. Experimental techniques provide high-resolution details to the static structures but the structural dynamics are often not accessible with these methods; but can be probed using computational tools. Various well-established molecular dynamics methods are used in this work to study differences in geometry and mechanical properties of specific systems under unmodified and modified conditions. Briefly, the studies of several protein and DNA systems investigated the importance of local interactions and modifications for the stability, geometry and mechanical properties using standard and enhanced molecular dynamics simulations. In addition to the conformational studies, the development of a new method for enhanced sampling of DNA step parameters and its application to DNA systems is discussed. Chapter 1 reviews the importance of the conformational changes in bioprocesses and the theory behind the computational methods used in this work. In the project presented in chapter 2 unbiased molecular dynamics and replica exchange molecular dynamics are employed to identify the specific local contacts within the inhibitory module of ETS-1. ETS-1 is a human transcription factor important for normal but also malignant cell growth. An increased concentration of this protein is related to a negative prognosis in many cancers. A part of the inhibitory module, inhibitory helix 1 (HI-1) is located on the site of the protein opposite to the DNA binding site and although loosely packed, stays folded in the apo state and unfolds upon ETS-1 binding to DNA. Our study investigated the character and importance of contacts between HI-1 and neighboring helices of the inhibitory module: HI-2 and H4. We also identified a mutant of HI-1, which possessed the higher helical propensity than the original construct. This study supported the experimental findings and enhanced the field by the identification of new potential target for experimental tests of the system, which plausibly inhibits binding to DNA. In the studies discussed in chapters 3-5 the conformational dynamics of DNA under normal conditions and upon specific epigenetic modifications are presented. Since DNA conformation can be accurately described by six base pair step parameters: twist, tilt, roll, shift, slide and rise, these were extensively analyzed and the results elucidated insights into the properties of the systems. In order to enhance unbiased simulations and allow for easier crossing of the energy barriers, we developed and implemented a novel method to control DNA base pair step parameters. With this approach we obtained the free energy estimates of e.g. DNA rearrangements in a more efficient manner. This advanced computational method, supported by standard and additional enhanced techniques, was then applied in the studies of DNA methylation on cytosine or adenine bases and oxidative damage of cytosine.

STUDY DESIGN: Randomized crossover experiment. OBJECTIVE: To determine whether the Rich-Mar AutoSound™ would be as effective as traditional ultrasound at increasing the temperature of the triceps surae muscle during a 10-min, 1 MHz, 1.0 W/cm2 ultrasound treatment. BACKGROUND: The AutoSound™ is a hands-free ultrasound device that is strapped on the body and left for the duration of the ultrasound treatment. It requires no clinician during the actual ultrasound treatment, thus freeing the clinician to perform other tasks and reducing clinician error during treatments. METHODS: 16 healthy subjects (6 males, 10 females, age = 22 ± 1.6 yrs, height = 173.2 ± 8.4 cm, weight = 72.5 ± 11.3 kg, triceps surae subcutaneous fat thickness = 0.85 ± 0.37 cm) received a 10-min, 1 MHz, 1.0 W/cm2 ultrasound treatment over their left triceps surae muscle with both the AutoSound™ and traditional ultrasound (via the TheraHammer™) with 24 hours between treatments. Temperatures were measured every 30 seconds during the ultrasound treatments by way of a thermistor, approximately 2.25 cm deep in the triceps surae. RESULTS: The AutoSound™ was not effective at increasing the temperature of the triceps surae muscle, as temperature decreased 0.16°C during treatment (p = 0.334). On average, the AutoSound™ caused intramuscular temperature to decrease at a rate of 0.016 ± 0.001°C per min. Traditional ultrasound performed using the TheraHammer™ had a total temperature increase of 0.41°C. Rate of temperature increase during traditional ultrasound was 0.025 ± 0.003°C per min (p < 0.0001). CONCLUSION: The AutoSound™ is not as effective at increasing muscle temperature as traditional ultrasound during a 10-min, 1 MHz, 1.0 W/cm2 treatment. However, neither the AutoSound™ nor traditional ultrasound was very effective at increasing the temperature of the triceps surae muscle during the treatment time.

One of the profound realizations in Earth science during the last several decades has been that the solid earth and climate system interact through mountain belt evolution. Tectonic forces generate topography, and erosion, driven largely by the climate, destroys topography. Perturbations to the competition between these processes may, for example, have driven the transition from greenhouse to icehouse climate during the Cenozoic. Erosion is the ultimate connection between the climate and solid earth system, and because landscapes are shaped by erosion, they hold in their form information about climatic and tectonic forcings. Reading climatic and tectonic processes from the landscape requires an understanding of how these processes drive erosion. One way that climate influences erosion is by setting the elevation at which glaciation occurs. It has been thought for over a century that erosion by glaciers can limit the height of cold, heavily glaciated mountains. In this thesis, I argue that the prevalence of this phenomenon is underappreciated, and that glacial erosion has imposed an upper limit on the growth of warm, tropical mountains. The argument is premised on a combination of field observations from two (sub)tropical mountain ranges in Costa Rica and Taiwan (including 10Be and 3He surface exposure ages), a new method of topographic analysis that identifies previously unrecognized patterns of landscape rearrangement introduced by high elevation glaciation, and a study of ten tropical mountain ranges that reveals a widespread glacial control on their height. The results of this thesis demonstrate the efficacy of glacial erosion even in the warmest mountains, and challenge the hypothesis that quickly uplifting and eroding landscapes have approached a steady state balance between rock uplift and fluvial erosion during the Pleistocene.