Search

Lower lip defects are a major challenge from a reconstructive perspective. The lower lip is an anatomical region formed by different types of tissue, and it is essential to obtain adequate functional and aesthetic results. When local tissue is available to be a donor area, it becomes the best option to repair the defect. This article's purpose is to present our experience in reconstruction of partial or transfixing total defects of the lower lip with the musculocutaneous flap of the depressor anguli oris described by Yotsuyanagi.

Study Design: A Quasi Experimental Single Group Pre-Test Post-Test. Objectives: The aim of this study was to determine the effects of sensory stimulation and motor control cueing of the foot on balance in females over the age of 65. Background: Balance deficits in the elderly population have shown to have detrimental consequences. Evidence suggests that sensory stimulation and motor control of the foot improve postural sway, however, studies have yet to compare the effects of both interventions on balance. Method and Measures: A total of 40 participants were contacted to complete the study with 32 participants meeting inclusion criteria for data collection and completing the research study. Two data collection days were utilized to perform pre and post-test outcome measures using the Functional Reach Test and Overall Sway Index (collected using the Biodex Medical System Inc., Biodex Biosway Portable Balance System). The interventions were 2-minute sensory stimulation to the sole of each foot on day one, and the “short foot” motor control cue on day two. Four related sample T-tests were conducted with the interventions as the dependent variable and the time of observation (pre and post) as the independent variable. Results: The results revealed sensory stimulation significantly improved balance as indicated by a decline in postural sway from pretest (5.92 ± 3.05) to posttest (5.00 ± 2.92) (p = 0.045) and a significant increase in Functional Reach from pretest (8.01 ± 2.55) to posttest (8.70 ± 2.66) (p < 0.001). Motor control cueing demonstrated mixed results on balance with an increase in postural sway from pretest (5.52 ± 3.50) to posttest (6.66 ± 4.06) (p = 0.015), and an increase in Functional Reach from pretest (8.47 ± 2.34) to posttest (9.01 ± 2.37) (p = 0.004). Conclusion: Based on the results, researchers concluded that sensory stimulation is a viable intervention to utilize in order to improve balance in the elderly population. Further research to identify the appropriate prescription of sensory stimulation to maximize effects should be completed.

Peatland porewaters frequently contain large concentrations of dissolved organic nitrogen (DON), but small concentrations of inorganic N (NH4+ and NO3−). Our aim was to test whether peatland plants, with low tissue N concentrations (0.7 to 1.7%), have the ability to take up organic forms of N, specifically glycine. We applied dual-labeled (13C and 15N) glycine to two peatlands: an ombrotrophic bog in eastern Canada and a New Zealand restiad bog undergoing restoration. We compared the δ13C and δ15N values of control and treated above and below-ground plant tissues to establish whether the glycine had been taken up. At the Canadian bog, the moss, shrub and sedge species treated with glycine showed significant increases in δ15N, above and below-ground, and there was evidence of a significant change in δ13C in shrub roots. At the New Zealand peatland, above- and below-ground tissues of the two restiad species and the roots of the sedge species showed significantly increased δ15N, while only the sedge roots showed a significant increase in δ13C. All but one of the nine plant species examined showed significant uptake of 15N in foliage and all roots showed increases in 15N. Variations in uptake appear to be partially related to the plant type and root characteristics. Large variations in C, 13C, N and 15N concentration within treatments precluded strong evidence of whether uptake included intact glycine.

Human well-being is a socio-cultural construct, originated within human experiences, that changes through time. The current literature shows a renewed interest to develop new measures and approaches to relate it to the progress of nations. One of the challenges is whether inequality is a key component and how to measure it. Furthermore, are indicators appropriate for the realities and diversity of environments of Latin American countries? In this chapter, we analyze human well-being and its subjective and objective dimensions in social-ecological systems. We propose that one way to study the relationships between both concepts is through an ecosystem services perspective. This includes the social-ecological interactions reflecting human-nature dependencies and their contributions to the well-being of local people and local and national economies. Its application shows a direct dependence of subsistence economies within Latin American rural zones on those services. One consequence is that these zones will be more affected by the degradation of ecosystems than populations from developed countries. Latin American countries still have important groups of ancestral populations whose social, cultural, and economic development has occurred within society-nature interactions for hundreds of years, shaping their well-being. We assert that their co-evolution and adaptations to maintain their interactions are of worldwide interest since they represent learning experiences for contemporary cultures that may help on the generation of co-learning and management structures.

Rural communities worldwide face a decrease of critical ecosystem services caused by replacement of native forests by commercial plantations. Replacement of native forest by commercial plantations decreases water provisioning, with possible negative impacts over well-being. We tested this hypothesis in Central Chile. We assessed subjective well-being (SWB) and local perceptions of changes in forest cover and water provision among 78 rural families. We also assessed if the Shifting Baseline Syndrome (SBS) affects the perceptions of environmental changes and their implications in SWB. Individuals perceived less forest cover than 20 years ago, and this is seen as a factor of decreased livelihood, availability of forest products, and water provisioning for households. People also reported less water available than 20 years ago. The main drivers associated with decreased water provision were the establishment of pine plantations (44% of individuals) and drought (44%). A better-off SWB was associated wi...