Lip Morphology Research Articles

Congruence between male upper lip morphology and molecular phylogeny in Parapolycope (Ostracoda), with two new species from Korea

The ostracod genera Parapolycope Klie, 1939 and Kliecope Tanaka, Tsukagoshi & Karanovic, 2014 have a sexually dimorphic upper lip, and males use their lip during courtship. Here we study the male upper lip of 14 species in order to find homologous structures. For this purpose, the lip is divided into six homologous parts, determined by their relative position on the lip and the lip’s position in relation to other body parts. We found that the distal part (‘c’) is the most variable across taxa, probably due to high sexual selection. Six characters of the male upper lip are used in our cladistic analysis, along with another 12, in order to study phylogenetic relationships between Parapolycope species from East Asia. In addition, 18S rRNA is used to reconstruct molecular phylogeny and test the congruence between morphological and molecular data. The recovered topology on all obtained trees is almost identical, emphasising the importance of the male upper lip morphology in interpreting phylogenetic relationships in this peculiar ostracod group. Parapolycope viriosa, sp. nov. and P. widoensis, sp. nov. from marine interstitial habitats in South Korea are described here. To aid further identification of the 12 East Asian Parapolycope species we provide a taxonomic key.

Relationship between lip-closing force and three-dimensional lip morphology in adults with straight facial profile

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the relationship between multidirectional lip­closing force and the three-dimensional morphology of perioral soft tissue in adults. Twenty-three Japanese adults with straight facial profiles participated in this study. The signals of directional lip­closing force (DLCF) were investigated in 8 directions. Three-dimensional morphology of perioral soft tissue was recorded using a 30 surface-imaging device. Correlations between lip-closing force and the three-dimensional morphology of the perioral soft tissue were analyzed statistically. Upper lip-closing force significantly correlated with the anteroposterior, vertical, transverse morphology of the upper lip, while lower lip-closing force did not correlate with the anteroposterior, vertical, or transverse morphology of the lower lip. In adults with straight facial profiles, associations were found between upper lip-closing force and upper lip morphology. There were no associations between lower lip-closing force and lower lip morphology.

Structural and ultrastructural characterization of the floral lip in Gongora bufonia (Orchidaceae): understanding the slip-and-fall pollination mechanism

In this study, we investigated the pollination ecology and floral lip morphology of Gongora bufonia Lindl., an epiphytic orchid from tropical forest, to better understand the peculiarities of its unusual pollination mechanism. Field observations on pollination were performed and floral lip samples were prepared for anatomical, histochemical, and ultrastructural analyses. Male Eufriesea violacea (Blanchard) bees use the second and third pairs of legs to hold on the epichile and collect the fragrance in the hypochile region. During this process, the bee slips and falls on the column and receives the pollinarium, which is attached to the rear edge of the bee’s scutellum. A subsequent visit (usually to another flower) and fall through the flower may result in insertion of a pollinium into the stigmatic slit at the apex of the column. The fragrance production occurs in the hypochile region, specifically in the papillose epidermal cells and in the subepidermal parenchyma layers. The wax production occurs in the epichile region, exclusively in the epidermal cells. The cells of both regions, hypochile and epichile, have ultrastructural features of lipophilic secretion. The slippery quality of the epichile epidermis is due to wax deposits; this is probably essential to the pollination mechanism of G. bufonia.

Growth-related changes of skeletal and upper-airway features in bilateral cleft lip and palate patients

The craniofacial morphology of subjects with cleft lip and palate differs from that of subjects without clefts. Subjects with bilateral cleft lip and palate tend to have maxillary retrognathism, a smaller mandible with an obtuse gonial angle, greater anterior upper and lower facial heights, and retroclined maxillary incisors. The purposes of this research were to compare the skeletal and upper-airway features of subjects with bilateral cleft lip and palate with the same features in control subjects without clefts and to determine the growth-related changes at different growth stages. The sample comprised 212 subjects divided into 2 groups: 68 with bilateral cleft lip and palate, and 144 controls without clefts; each group was further divided into 4 subgroups according to growth stage using the cervical vertebral maturation stage method. The subgroups were defined as early childhood (stage 1), prepubertal (stage 2), pubertal (stage 3), and postpubertal (stage 4). The cephalometric variables were evaluated with 2-way analysis of variance and the Bonferroni test. Maxillary position showed no significant differences between the male groups. The maxilla was more prognathic at stage 2 and became more retrognathic at stages 3 and 4 in the females. The mandible was more retrusive in the bilateral cleft lip and palate subjects at stage 1 in males and at stages 3 and 4 in females. ANB was larger at stages 1 and 2, and it became similar to the controls at stages 3 and 4 in male and female bilateral cleft lip and palate subjects. Vertical growth was seen in the bilateral cleft lip and palate subjects regardless of sex, and no change was observed with age. Posterior airway space was narrower in all stages (except for stage 1 in females). Middle airway space was wider after stage 1 in the male and female bilateral cleft lip and palate subjects. Inferior airway space was narrower in the male bilateral cleft lip and palate patients at the early childhood and pubertal stages. Age- and sex-dependent differences in skeletal morphology and upper-airway widths of the bilateral cleft lip and palate subjects were identified when compared with the control subjects without clefts.

Psychosocial acceptance of cleft patients: has something changed?

The main purpose of this study was to analyse the reactions of a panel (non-cleft adults) when observing cleft lip morphology. Although rehabilitation of cleft lip and palate is improving, there are still indications of social rejection of cleft patients by the people around them. Polarity profiles have been used since 1973 to measure social distance with regard to cleft patients. Because rehabilitation results and education of the society have improved in recent decades, we investigated whether social distance has been affected. The setting of this study is the Department of Oral, Craniomaxillofacial, and Facial Plastic Surgery, University Hospital of Leipzig, Germany Using a cross-sectional study design, we enrolled a sample of adult laypersons (n = 273). For the survey, we followed the concept of photograph presentation and questionnaire investigation reported by Sergl and Schmid (1973). We presented anonymised frontal and profile pictures of the faces of 50 cleft patients and asked the laypersons to specify social distance. Three predictor variables (layperson gender, profession and year of evaluation) were grouped. Although social distance has reduced during the last 40 years, life situations which require emotional proximity still cause some concern. Professional background and gender affect laypersons' attitudes. Although rehabilitation of cleft lip and palate is much better than 40 years ago, social distance remains a problem in society. It is necessary to improve both results of rehabilitation of cleft patients and social acceptance by the people around them.

Correlation of upper lip morphology to smile: A photographic study

Aims and Objective The purpose of this study was to examine different components of a smile in subjects with class I occlusion and to formulate a comprehensive photographic analysis of a smile. This study was designed to find a correlation between upper lip elevation and retraction with upper lip morphology during smiling among male and female groups. Materials and Methods Lateral cephalogram and standardized frontal photographs were taken at rest and smiling. Results A significant sexual dimorphism was apparent in several of the parameters studied. Middle portion of lower border of upper lip (MUL’-MUL) rose significantly higher by 0.91 mm in the male group than in the female group, during smiling (P = 0.003). Decrease in vermillion display (VE-VE’) was significantly higher in the male group than the in female group by 0.668 mm (P = 0.021). Conclusion This comprehensive study of lip mobility, when applied to a larger population can enable us to further evaluate the correlation between lip morphology and mobility.

Floral variability in selected species of the genus Coelogyne Lindl., Orchidaceae

Correlations of the lip characters in the Coelogyne flower proved a synchronised development of this organ. The lip is a very interspecifically variable organ. A numerical taxonomy approach permitted to select in an ordination space some extreme species, based on a description of lip morphology, Coelogyne salmonicolor versus C. fuliginosa and C. quinquelamellata versus C. nitida. A hybrid C. lawrenceana × mooreana appeared to be close to its paternal species.

Holes Formed in Thin Aluminum Sheets by Spheres with Impact Velocities Ranging from 2 to 10 Km/S

The dimensions of 96 holes produced by the impact of 2017-T4 aluminum spheres with various thicknesses of 6061-T6 aluminum sheets are presented and analyzed. The sphere diameters ranged from 1.40mm to 19.05mm and the sheet-thickness-to-projectile-diameter ratio, t/D, ranged from 0.008 to 0.618 with the majority of the tests having t/D ratios of less than 0.234. Impact velocities ranged from 1.98km/s to 9.89km/s. The measured hole diameters were normalized by dividing them by the diameter of the sphere that produced the hole. The normalized diameters of the holes are shown to scale when compared on the basis of t/D ratio. When the impact velocity was held constant, a relationship between the t/D ratio and the morphology of the lip structure surrounding the hole was noted. As the t/D ratio increased, the holes tended to be less circular and the lip morphology became more complex. The results of the analysis of all hole data was used to develop a description of the hole-formation sequence.

Can Occlusal Evaluation of Children with Unilateral Cleft Lip and Palate Help Determine Future Maxillofacial Morphology?

Objective : To investigate the change in occlusal evaluations from the 5-year-olds' index to the Goslon Yardstick and to compare the relationship between the evaluations and maxillofacial growth in patients with complete unilateral cleft lip and palate (UCLP). Design : A prospective longitudinal study. Subjects : The sample consisted of 85 patients with complete UCLP who underwent surgery from 1969 to 1994 and were treated at the Kyushu University Hospital in Fukuoka, Japan. Subjects had two serial dental casts performed at the ages of 5 and 10 years. Furthermore, each patient had lateral cephalographs taken at the age of 5 years, 76 of 85 subjects had films taken at the age of 10 years, and 54 subjects also had lateral cephalograms taken after the age of 15 years. Methods : Every dental cast was evaluated by the 5-year-olds' index and the Goslon Yardstick, respectively. The lateral cephalographs were traced and digitized, and angular dimensions were calculated. Outcomes were compared using Spearman's rank-order correlation analysis and the Kruskal-Wallis analysis. Results and Conclusion : Dental arch relationships were evaluated and rated as 2.96 in the 5-year-olds' index and 2.85 in the Goslon Yardstick, respectively. Both groupings showed a significant relationship, and they showed no change in 36 out of 85 subjects (42.3%), significant improvement in 30 (35.3%), and deterioration in 19 (22.3%). Two occlusal groupings and maxillofacial morphology on the cephalographs indicated that the grouping reflected the anteroposterior position of the mandible. Moreover, both groupings showed some relation to previous maxillofacial growth, but they did not show any relationship with future growth. The Goslon Yardstick may not predict maxillofacial morphology in adulthood.

Intraspecific Variation in Male Upper Lip Morphology of Parapolycope Watanabei n. sp. (Crustacea: Ostracoda) and Its Implications for Speciation

The morphology of non-genitalic structures in males is often associated with mating and courtship, and the evolution of those structures may cause speciation. In the present study, we describe a new species of marine interstitial ostracod from Japan. Morphological comparisons and molecular phylogenetic analysis based on ITS (internal transcribed spacer) 1 and ITS2 sequences revealed intraspecific variation on the male upper lip in the new species. The male upper lip of Parapolycope Klie, 1936 species has been reported to be related to mating behavior, and it likely produces species-specific stimuli for the female. The results of this study suggest that the male upper lip morphology in Parapolycope changed at the early stage of the speciation process.

The effects of palatoplasty and pre-surgical infant orthopedic treatment on occlusion in unilateral cleft lip and palate patients

PurposeThe aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of pre-surgical infant orthopedic treatment (Hotz plate) and type of palatoplasty on the dental arch relationship and the dental arch morphology of unilateral cleft lip and palate (UCLP) patients. Materials and methodsSeventy-four children with UCLP were divided into three groups. One group had undergone one-stage palatoplasty without Hotz plate (OSP w/o H), the second had undergone one-stage palatoplasty with Hotz plate (OSP w/H), and the third had undergone two-stage palatoplasty with Hotz plate (TSP w/H). We evaluated the dental models which were taken during initial examination at our orthodontic clinic, using the Goslon Yardstick, the 5-year-old index, and dental model analysis. ResultsRegarding both indices, there were no significant differences among the three groups. However, the dental arch width between maxillary deciduous canines in OSP w/H and TSP w/H was significantly greater than that of OSP w/o H. The dental arch width at the maxillary deciduous second molars in TSP w/H was significantly greater than in OSP w/H and OSP w/o H. ConclusionDental arch relationship in UCLP patients was not influenced by the type of palatoplasty and the use of pre-surgical infant orthopedic treatment. Our results suggest that pre-surgical infant orthopedic treatment results in the increase of anterior dental width, whereas two-stage palatoplasty is significantly effective for increasing posterior dental width in UCLP patients.

Notes on the Genus <I>Sertifera</I> (Orchidaceae, Epidendroideae)

Sertifera is a small orchid genus consisting of nine species distributed in Andean regions of Ecuador, Colombia, and Venezuela. Representatives of the genus are erect, slender plants growing terrestrially, rarely as epiphytes or lithophytes. In habit, the plants resemble Sobralia and Elleanthus species. However, flowers, especially the lip, of Sertifera are unique and make the genus different from all others. No previous comprehensive treatment of the genus exists, and the only key for determining Sertifera species was published by Garay in 1978, involving Ecuadorean taxa exclusively. Here we present the first key including all species of the genus, along with available details concerning morphology, distribution, and ecology. Based on differences in lip morphology and flower arrangement, the genus is divided into three sections; Sertifera, Aurantiacae, and Racemosae. Sertifera gracilis, discovered by Reichenbach, is validated. Sertifera risaraldana is described as a new species.

Tailoring Folded-Fasciocutaneous Flap for the Restoration of Oral Commissure Morphology

The reconstruction of a through-and-through cheek defect with oral commissure involvement can be challenging. When attempting to reconstruct its seam-like structure or to replace its supple lip tissue, postoperative morbidities such as drooling, microstomia, and poor aesthetic appearance can often occur and be difficult to correct. After inspecting the oral commissure, one can observe that the morphology of the upper lip acts as a "drape" hanging over the upper teeth, whereas the lower lip functions similarly to a "dam" holding the constant pour of saliva within the oral cavity. We noted that if we tailored a single fasciocutaneous flap to satisfy these morphologies during reconstruction, not only were the mentioned morbidities of reconstruction greatly diminished, but the reconstructed oral commissure could also spontaneously mimic the contralateral side in form. We presented 10 consecutive patients with cheek defects with concomitant oral commissure involvement, which underwent reconstruction by using a single-folded fasciocutaneous flap. We described how the flaps are tailored to suit the mentioned upper and lower lip morphology. For certain defects, such as a cheek defect with oral commissure involvement, the loss of functional morphology greatly outweighs its anatomical or tissue losses. Our method provides a simple and straightforward surgical option in this area, which was previously perceived as a challenging reconstruction site.

A Modified ABCDE Model of Flowering in Orchids Based on Gene Expression Profiling Studies of the Moth Orchid Phalaenopsis aphrodite

Previously we developed genomic resources for orchids, including transcriptomic analyses using next-generation sequencing techniques and construction of a web-based orchid genomic database. Here, we report a modified molecular model of flower development in the Orchidaceae based on functional analysis of gene expression profiles in Phalaenopsis aphrodite (a moth orchid) that revealed novel roles for the transcription factors involved in floral organ pattern formation. Phalaenopsis orchid floral organ-specific genes were identified by microarray analysis. Several critical transcription factors including AP3, PI, AP1 and AGL6, displayed distinct spatial distribution patterns. Phylogenetic analysis of orchid MADS box genes was conducted to infer the evolutionary relationship among floral organ-specific genes. The results suggest that gene duplication MADS box genes in orchid may have resulted in their gaining novel functions during evolution. Based on these analyses, a modified model of orchid flowering was proposed. Comparison of the expression profiles of flowers of a peloric mutant and wild-type Phalaenopsis orchid further identified genes associated with lip morphology and peloric effects. Large scale investigation of gene expression profiles revealed that homeotic genes from the ABCDE model of flower development classes A and B in the Phalaenopsis orchid have novel functions due to evolutionary diversification, and display differential expression patterns.

The Labial Aging Process: A Surface Analysis-Based Three-Dimensional Evaluation

With increasing age, the smile becomes elongated and less appealing. Currently, several methods are proposed for analysis of lip morphology including lateral cephalograms, profile and frontal photographs, video images, and three-dimensional systems. Despite several descriptions of morphologic and histologic age-related changes in the literature, no scientific well-supported model of the labial aging process is reported. For this study, 33 healthy volunteers were selected and divided into two groups according to age: a youthful group (ages 21-34years) and an aged group (ages 45-65years). Their dental and labial stone casts were obtained, digitized, and virtually reproduced using a computerized electromechanical digitizer and applying nonuniform rational B-spline geometry. To obtain a synthetic parameter describing local surface deformation, average curvature and curvature variability indexes were computed and compared. No significant age- or sex-related differences in the average curvature were detected. In contrast, the curvature variability was significantly greater in the young than in the aged subjects. The labial arch surface remains macroscopically constant between the third and the sixth decades of life, but with local modifications that influence the standard deviation of its curvature. A high standard deviation described the protruding labial appearance of the young subjects, whereas a reduced one described the flat lips of the aged subjects. This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266 .

Ostracod genus Parapolycope (Crustacea): Diversity, distribution, and phylogeny, with description of the first representative from Korea

ParapolycopeKlie, 1936 belongs to the family Polycopidae, one of the ecologically most diverse and morphologically most primitive ostracod families. Due to the small size of animals, polycopids are poorly studied and unknown in many regions of the world. We describe a new species, Parapolycope koreana sp. nov., from marine beach interstitial in Gyeongsangnam-do, South Korea. This is the first representative of the genus, and the first named polycopid species from Korea. It is very closely related to several species from marine interstitial in Japan, but differs mainly in the shape and ornamentation of the shell and morphology of the male upper lip. A cladistic analysis of the genus Parapolycope is performed to test the phylogenetic relationships between species. Although Parapolycope presently encompasses 18 species, only 15 are included in the analysis, because Parapolycope seridentata (Hartmann, 1959), Parapolycope ramunchensis (Hartmann-Schröder and Hartmann, 1962), and Parapolycope minutissima (Hartmann, 1974) differ so much from other congeners that they should be excluded from the genus. The analysis is based on 27 morphological characters, with Parapolycopissa rossica (Chavtur, 1977) and Polycopiella microdentataChavtur, 1979 as two outgroup taxa. In spite of the fact that descriptions of almost half of species included in the analysis are based on a limited set of morphological characters, the majority rule of the 15 equally parsimonious trees undoubtedly shows that there are at least two distinct lineages in the genus, defined by the number of claws on the female uropodal lamellae. A close relationship between the new species and the Japanese congeners is also strongly supported. We redescribe the type species of the genus, Parapolycope germanicaKlie, 1936, based on the type material, and designate the lectotype and paralectotypes. A key for identification of Parapolycope species is provided, along with a map of their distribution. This is a cosmopolitan taxon, with the centre of diversity in the Northwest Pacific region.

The taxonomic utility of the male upper lip morphology in the ostracod genus Parapolycope (Crustacea), with descriptions of two new species

The male copulatory organ is recognized as a significant character for species taxonomy in the sexually reproducing Ostracoda. However, the genus Parapolycope has a simply shaped male copulatory organ consisting almost entirely of just the copulatory duct. In this study, two new species, Parapolycope psittacina sp. nov. and Parapolycope uncata sp. nov., are described, and the characters that have taxonomic value were examined based on a morphological comparison of these new species. Carapace size, shape and surface ornamentation, and the male upper lip are valuable characteristics for species identification. The morphology of the male upper lip, especially, exhibited a remarkable sexual dimorphism, which might have a function associated with reproductive isolation.http://www.zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:D2F2F902-C496-4861-8872-813BC310AD9F

Two new species of freshwater amphipods (Crustacea: Gammaridae) from Central Asia, with comments on the unusual upper lip morphology

Two new species of freshwater amphipods (Crustacea: Gammaridae) from Central Asia, with comments on the unusual upper lip morphology

Postnatal treatment factors affecting craniofacial morphology of unilateral cleft lip and palate (UCLP) patients in a Japanese population

We have evaluated the craniofacial morphology of Japanese patients with unilateral cleft lip and palate (UCLP) and assessed the various postnatal factors that affect it. Lateral cephalograms of 140 subjects (mean (SD) aged 7 (2) years) with UCLP were taken before orthodontic treatment. Surgeons from Hokkaido University Hospital had done the primary operations. The craniofacial morphology was assessed by angular and linear cephalometric measurements. Cheiloplasty, palatoplasty, and preoperative orthopaedic treatment were chosen as postnatal factors. To compare the assessments of the postnatal factors, we made angular and linear cephalometric measurements for each subject and converted them into Z scores in relation to the mean (SD) of the two variables. Subjects treated by the modified Millard cheiloplasty had larger sella-nasion-point A (SNA) and nasion-point A-pogonion (NA-POG) measurements than subjects treated by the modified Millard with a vomer flap cheiloplasty. Two-stage palatoplasty showed consistently better craniofacial morphology than the other palatoplasty. Subjects who had preoperative orthopaedic treatment with a Hotz plate had significantly larger upper incisor/sella-nasion (U1-SN) measurements than who had no preoperative orthopaedic treatment or an active plate. We conclude that in subjects treated by a modified Millard type of cheiloplasty, a two-stage palatoplasty, and a Hotz plate there were fewer adverse effects on craniofacial morphology.

Stereophotogrammetric Analysis of Nasolabial Morphology among Asian Malays: Influence of Age and Sex

It is clear that population-specific norms should be used when planning plastic and reconstructive surgery for selected patients. In this study, we aimed to generate nasal and labial reference values by applying a stereophotogrammetric technique. A further aim was to investigate the effect of sexual dimorphism, age-related changes, and the interrelation between nasal and labial morphology. Cross-sectional study. The data were collected from different locations on the Malaysian peninsula. A total of 276 Asian Malays (138 males and 138 females) were included in this study, and a three-dimensional system was used for capturing data. The sample was divided into three age groups: 13 to 14, 15 to 17, and 18 to 36 years. Twenty-five dimensions of the nose and lips were measured and analyzed separately in males and females. Significant differences between males and females were identified in 11 distances, and significant effects of age were found in most of the dimensions (p < .05). Significant correlations between the nasal and labial dimensions were recorded, particularly between lateral lip height and width of the ala insertion. A principal component analysis showed interrelationships between the nasal width distances and upper lip height. This study has provided a new three-dimensional database for nose and lip morphology in Malays and demonstrated patterns of variation that can be used by surgeons to make comparisons within and between different human populations and also to develop treatment plans for their patients.