This survey shows considerable variability in the methods for evaluating and reporting speech outcomes following surgery. There is inconsistency in what is considered a successful surgical outcome, making comparison studies impossible. Most respondents thought that success should be defined as normal speech, but this is not happening in current practice.

Many important analytical methods are based on molecular recognition. Aptamers are oligonucleotides that exhibit molecular recognition; they are capable of specifically binding a target molecule, and have exhibited affinity for several classes of molecules. The use of aptamers as tools in analytical chemistry is on the rise due to the development of the "systematic evolution of ligands by exponential enrichment" (SELEX) procedure. This technique allows high-affinity aptamers to be isolated and amplified when starting from a large pool of oligonucleotide sequences. These molecules have been used in flow cytometry, biosensors, affinity probe electrophoresis, capillary electrochromatography, and affinity chromatography. In this paper, we will discuss applications of aptamers which have led to the development of aptamers as chromatographic stationary phases and applications of these stationary phases; and look towards future work which may benefit from the use of aptamers as stationary phases.

Purpose The purpose of this study was to evaluate the long-term effectiveness of presurgical nasoalveolar molding (PNAM) in patients with unilateral cleft lip and palate (UCLP). Methods Twenty-five patients with UCLP treated by either PNAM or non-PNAM therapy between 1998 and 2003 were recruited in the study. During the clinical examination and data analysis, the evaluators were blinded to which patients received PNAM. The patients were reviewed clinically, and their facial morphology was captured with a three-dimensional scanner. Their dental arch configuration and occlusion were recorded by plaster dental models. After the patient evaluations and measurements were completed, the patient list was unblinded. There were 20 patients in the PNAM group and 5 patients in the non-PNAM group. Fisher exact tests and Wilcoxon rank sum tests were used to compare the outcomes. Results Clinically, the improvement in the PNAM group was most evident in nasal and lip anatomy. However, there were no statistically significant differences between the 2 groups on each of the measurements on three-dimensional facial images and dental models. Conclusions Our study suggests a trend toward a long-term clinical improvement in nasal and lip anatomy of UCLP patients treated with PNAM. However, these improved results were not confirmed by three-dimensional stereophotography. There was no statistically significant difference in the long-term three-dimensional anthropometric measurements and dental model analysis between the PNAM group and the non-PNAM group.

Aptamers are oligonucleotides that are isolated and amplified on the basis of their recognition of a target molecule. In this study, an RNA aptamer isolated and amplified on the basis of its affinity for flavin mononucleotide (FMN) was covalently bound to the inner walls of fused-silica capillaries. This aptamer recognizes the flavin moiety of both FMN and flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD). When an attempt was made to evaluate these capillaries according to existing theory, the theory proved to be insufficient. We describe a new method to evaluate capillaries for use in open-tubular capillary electrochromatography (OTCEC) of charged analytes, which combines OTCEC and flow-counterbalanced capillary electrophoresis. This method enabled us to extract k' and evaluate k(CEC) values for these capillaries, and the dependence of these values on Mg(2+) concentration was explored. The k' values for these capillaries ranged from 0.0951 to 0.2530 and from 0.0255 to 0.1118 for FMN and FAD, respectively.

Tracheal reconstruction using cadaveric homograft is an option in children who have undergone multiple airway surgical procedures and present with long-segment stenoses that cannot be bridged using conventional methods. These patients must receive close postoperative follow-up. Subsequent procedures are almost always required before decannulation, and eventual decannulation rates are only 60%. Decannulation rates are lower in older patients who have previously undergone many procedures and require a long tracheal homograft.