Evaluation of the Prevalence of Temporomandibular Joint Involvement in Rheumatoid Arthritis Using Research Diagnostic Criteria for Temporomandibular Disorders.

Objectives: Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorders, known as TMDs, are significant public health problems and may result in pain and disability. In order to determine the prevalence of clinical/subjective TMD in rheumatoid arthritis (RA), we used the research diagnostic criteria (RDC)/TMD axes. We assessed the anti-cyclic citrullinated protein (anti-CCP)-related TMD in RA for the first time.

Polymorphism detection of promoter region of IFN-γ and IL-2 genes and their association with productive traits in Mazandaran native breeder fowls.

To identify polymorphism in interferon gamma (IFN-γ) and interleukin-2 (IL-2) genes, blood samples were collected from 380 breeder hens of the Mazandaran native fowls breeding station. DNA extraction was performed through a modified saltingout method and fragments of 670 and 659 bp from the promoter regions of IFN-γ and IL-2 genes were amplified by using specific primers, respectively. Following genotyping in the IFN-γ gene using the 509I restriction enzyme, two alleles of A and G with the frequencies of 0.

Salivary oxidative stress in oral lichen planus treated with triamcinolone mouthrinse.

Background: Total antioxidant capacity (TAC) and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels have not been reported in oral lichen planus (OLP) patients treated with a topical corticosteroid. This study evaluates TAC and MDA levels in unstimulated saliva of OLP patients. Such measurements may need to be supported by clinical observation.

Control of finger forces during fast, slow and moderate rotational hand movements.

The goal of this study was to investigate the effect of speed on patterns of grip forces during twisting movement involving forearm supination against a torsional load (combined elastic and inertial load). For slow and moderate speed rotations, the grip force increased linearly with load torque. However, for fast rotations in which the contribution of the inertia to load torque was significantly greater than slower movements, the grip force-load torque relationship could be segmented into two phases: a linear ascending phase corresponding to the acceleration part of the movement followed by a plateau during deceleration.

Characterizing coordination of grasp and twist in hand function of healthy and post-stroke subjects.

The goal of this study was to characterize the coordination of grasp and twist in hand function of normal and post-stroke subjects using a two degree of freedom hand robot. Results of the analysis of data from eight control subjects indicated that normal grip coordination involves the linear modulation of grip force with load torque. Thus, there was a high correlation between grip force and load torque.

A robotic interface to train grip strength, grip coordination and finger extension following stroke.

A two degree of freedom robotic interface was developed to assist with rehabilitation of three hand impairments following stroke: reduced grip strength, reduced finger extension, and loss of dexterity due to the lack of coordination between finger and wrist muscles. The design and performance characteristics of this interface, which takes advantage of an FPGA-based real-time platform, are discussed. The robotic interface is able to accurately render elastic and viscous loads.

Assessing suturing techniques using a virtual reality surgical simulator.

Advantages of virtual-reality simulators surgical skill assessment and training include more training time, no risk to patient, repeatable difficulty level, reliable feedback, without the resource demands, and ethical issues of animal-based training. We tested this for a key subtask and showed a strong link between skill in the simulator and in reality. Suturing performance was assessed for four groups of participants, including experienced surgeons and naive subjects, on a custom-made virtual-reality simulator.