Multicentre study conducted across centres in the USA, Europe and Australia to assess the safety and effectiveness of a bilateral hypoglossal nerve stimulation system for the treatment of obstructive sleep apnoea in adults: a protocol for a pivotal, multicentre, open-label, single-arm study.

Introduction: Obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) is characterised by blood oxygen desaturations and sleep disruptions manifesting undesirable consequences. Existing treatments including oral appliances, positive airway pressure (PAP) therapy and surgically altering the anatomy of the pharynx have drawbacks including poor long-term adherence or often involving irreversible, invasive procedures. Bilateral hypoglossal nerve stimulation (HNS) is a new treatment for managing OSA, and this study is intended to determine whether an HNS system is a safe and effective treatment option for adults with OSA.

Association of Facial Paralysis With Perceptions of Personality and Physical Traits.

Importance: Facial paralysis has a significant effect on affect display, with the most notable deficit being patients' the inability to smile in the same way as those without paralysis. These impairments may result in undesirable judgements of personal qualities, thus leading to a significant social penalty in those who have the condition.

Objective: To quantify the association of facial paralysis with the way smiling patients are perceived by others with respect to personality traits, attractiveness, and femininity or masculinity and to evaluate the potential association of facial palsy-related patient-reported outcome measures with how patients are perceived by others.

Oral Surgeons as Cosmetic Surgeons and Their Scope of Practice.

Background: In recent years, the practice of cosmetic surgery has expanded to include oral and maxillofacial surgeons. The groundwork for this scope-of-practice expansion was laid in part by the American Dental Association's definition change of the practice of dentistry. This change modified the scope of dentistry from the earlier "teeth and surrounding and supporting structures" to the maxillofacial area and beyond.

Educational Resources for Global Health in Otolaryngology.

Advances in modern communications and information technology have helped to improve access to, and quality of, health care and education. These enhancements include a variety of World Wide Web-based and mobile learning platforms, such as eLearning, mLearning, and open education resources. This article highlights the innovative approaches that have fostered improved collaboration and coordination of global health efforts in otolaryngology.

Erratum to: The influence of a CYP1A2 polymorphism on the ergogenic effects of caffeine.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1186/1550-2783-9-7.].

The influence of a CYP1A2 polymorphism on the ergogenic effects of caffeine.

Background: Although caffeine supplementation improves performance, the ergogenic effect is variable. The cause(s) of this variability are unknown. A (C/A) single nucleotide polymorphism at intron 1 of the cytochrome P450 (CYP1A2) gene influences caffeine metabolism and clinical outcomes from caffeine ingestion.