Laryngeal Gestures During Stop Production Using High-Speed Digital Images

On acoustic and fiberscopic studies of stop consonants, voice onset time and glottal width have been shown to be greatest in heavily aspirated stops, next greater for slightly aspirated stops, and least for unaspirated stops. Integrated activity of the thyroarytenoid and posterior cricoarytenoid muscles has been reported to be involved in differentiating aspirate characteristics of the stops. However, the fine movement of mucosal edges of vocal folds during the production of stops has not been well documented. In recent years, a new method for high-speed digital recording of laryngeal dynamics has made this possible. In the current study, the movements of vocal fold edges were documented during the period of stop production using a fiberscopic system of high-speed digital images. By observing the glottal width and the visual vibratory movements of vocal folds before voice onset, the heavily aspirated stop was characterized as being more prominent and dynamic than the slightly aspirated and unaspirated stops.     

Hyaluronic Acid: Its Role in Voice

The extracellular matrix (ECM), once regarded simply as a structural scaffold, is now recognized as an important modulator of cellular behavior and function. One component that plays a prominent role in this process is hyaluronic acid (HA)--a molecule found in many different tissues. Research into the roles of HA indicates that it plays a key role in tissue viscosity, shock absorption, and space filling. Specifically, research into the role of HA in laryngology indicates that it has profound effects on the structure and viscosity of vocal folds. This article provides an introduction to the structure and biological functions of HA and its importance in voice. In addition, an overview of the pharmaceutical applications of HA is discussed.     

Vocal Nodules and Laryngeal Morphology

Our purpose was to study the occurrence of vocal fold nodules under conditions of habitual vocal abuse associated with increased laryngeal muscle tension, to identify the existence of a relationship between vocal nodules and laryngeal morphology. We studied one group of 30 subjects with vocal nodules, 18 to 50 years old, who were compared with two control groups, one of females and one of males, consisting of 30 subjects each. The parameters evaluated were: type of vocal folds coaptation, glottic proportion (GP) and abduction angle (AA), obtained by videotelelaryngoscopy. In the nodules group, the larynges presented a mean value of GP similar to that of the female group, both of which were lower than the mean GP value of the male group. On the other hand, the mean AA was lower than the one in the female group, and closer to the one in the male group. We concluded that vocal nodules were present only in larynges with a predominantly young female morphology, with functional limitations of abduction.     

Synthesis, characterization and examination of Gd[DO3A-hexylamine]-functionalized silica nanoparticles as contrast agent for MRI-applications

Spherical, nonporous and monodisperse silica nanoparticles (NPs) with a diameter of about 100 nm were synthesized and covalently functionalized with lanthanoid(III) (Ln=Gd or Y) chelate complexes, which serve as contrast agents (CAs) for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The materials were fully characterized after each synthetic step by different analytical methods, such as dynamic light scattering, scanning electron microscopy, DRIFT and NMR spectroscopy, thermogravimetry and elemental analysis, as well as zetapotential measurements. High surface concentrations of Gd(III) complexes (up to 50 μmol g(-1)) were determined by ICP-AES and T(1)-measurements, respectively. MRI experiments show the typical concentration-dependent increase of the longitudinal relaxation rate. T(1)-weighted images of samples with more than 25 μg NPs per 100 μL agar display a clear contrast enhancement in the agar layer. The transverse relaxivities r(2) of the materials are significantly higher than r(2) of the corresponding free Gd(III) complexes in water and medium, whereas the longitudinal relaxivities r(1) are slightly increased. Due to the high loading of Gd(III) complexes, the relaxivities per particle are remarkably high (up to 2.78×10(5) mM(-1) s(-1) for r(1)). Thus, new hybrid materials, based on nonporous silica NPs with high local relaxivity values were synthesized, which can serve as very effective CAs for MRI.     

A Mössbauer study of the binary system LiNbO3-Fe2O3 in a broad concentration range

The binary system LiNbO₃-Fe₂O₃ has been studied by Mössbauer spectroscopy in the concentration range up to 24 mol% Fe₂O₃. For Fe₂O₃ concentrations up to 6 mol% iron is incorporated into the matrix of LiNbO₃ as Fe²⁺ and Fe³⁺, whereby the Fe²⁺ content decreases with increasing Fe₂O₃ concentration. Samples containing 9 and 11 mol% Fe₂O₃ showed only the Fe³⁺ valence state. There were no indications of any considerable formation of superparamagnetic Fe₂O₃ clusters up to 11 mol% Fe₂O₃. This is in agreement with the X-ray and DTA investigations of Takei and Katsumata (1982) who found that a solid solution exists between 0 and 11 mol% Fe₂O₃. Above 11 mol% the appearance of magnetically split sextets in the Mössbauer spectra indicated the formation of a second α-Fe₂O₃ phase. The isomer shift, which reflects the electron density at the Fe nucleus, measured as a function of the Fe₂O₃ concentration showed two steps, one at 6 mol% Fe₂O₃ (the turning point of the C_H axis parameter (Takei et al. 1982) and one at 11 mol% Fe₂O₃ (phase boundary). These steps were tentatively related to abrupt changes in the spontaneous polarization.     

The ENDOR spectrum of bis(p-methoxyphenyl)nitroxide

In this paper we develop useful expansions for the differential cross section in terms of the frequency moments of Van Hove's scattering function, i.e. the Placzek [1] and Wick [3] series. Using only the density independent terms of these series we compare their predictions with those obtained from the models described in paper I. It is concluded that for nitrogen, deuterium chloride and hydrogen chloride the single molecule interference term is given to high accuracy by our Placzek series, so that no density dependent terms are required. For the self terms of nitrogen, and chloride in the HCl and DCl molecules Placzek's series is satisfactory over the range of angles used in most experiments although Wick's series may be needed for angles near 180°. For the self term of D in DCl Wick's series is good over a moderate range of angles, but a realistic model for the rotational behaviour is needed over a wider range and also for all cases involving H in HCl.

The results presented here may be used for the interpretation of a wide range of neutron diffraction experiments, and are shown to be accurate for many cases to ～1 per cent.     

Measuring the dielectric constant of materials from valence EELS

Valence EELS combined with STEM provides an approach to determine the dielectric constant of materials in the optical range of frequencies. The paper describes the experimental procedure and discusses the critical aspects of valence electron energy-loss spectroscopy (VEELS) treatment. In particular, the relativistic losses might affect strongly the results, and therefore they have to be subtracted from the spectra prior the analysis. The normalization of the energy-loss function is performed assuming an uniform thickness of the investigated area, which is reasonably fulfilled for carefully prepared FIB samples. This procedure requires the presence of at least one reference material with known dielectric properties to determine the absolute thickness. Examples of measuring the dielectric constant for several materials and structures are presented.     

Cryopreservation of seeds and in vitro-cultured protocorms of Oncidium bifolium sims. (Orchidaceae) by encapsulation-dehydration

Encapsulation-dehydration was employed for cryopreserving seeds and in vitro-cultured protocorms of Oncidium bifolium. Freshly harvested seeds, 120 days after pollination, were encapsulated in beads containing 1/2 MS medium with 3% sucrose and 3% calcium alginate and subsequently pretreated in agitated (80 rpm) liquid medium supplemented with 0.15 M sucrose (24 h) followed by 0.25 M sucrose (48 h), 0.5 M sucrose (24 h) and 0.75 M sucrose (24 h). The beads with seeds were dehydrated with silica gel for 5 h to 19.2% moisture content and immersed in liquid nitrogen for 1 h, thawed at 30 degrees C for 2 min, post-treated using the same series of liquid media [0.5 M sucrose (24 h), 0.25 M sucrose (48 h), 0.15 M sucrose (24 h)], and recultured on 1/2 MS medium with 0.1M sucrose and 0.7% percent agar. As much as 4.8% of the cryopreserved seeds produced complete plants. In-vitro cultured protocorms were successfully cryopreserved following the same procedure, allowing 11.3% of them to produce plants.     

Influence of micromixing on the free-radical polymerization in a discontinuous process

With the help of a simple reaction-diffusion model with constant striation thickness the influence of micromixing on free-radical polymerization was investigated for several test reactions with discontinuous prepolymerization and jerky addition of selected reactants. Monomer conversion or mean values of molar mass and chemical composition cannot be expected to be very sensitive to micromixing effects. If molar mass distributions are to be used, problems will arise from the fact that the distribution of the polymer accumulated during prepolymerization covers mixing influences occurring after reactant feed. The instantaneous molar mass distribution would be more suitable. Time-integral distributions of chemical composition or sequence length in combination with appropriate test reactions proved to be feasible indicators for the effects of micromixing as it becomes possible to separate the distribution of the prepolymer from that of the polymer which is formed after addition when micromixing is to be investigated.     

Reactive groups on polymer-covered electrodes

Polythiophene films containing ester groups on the surface of electrodes are interesting potential carrier materials for reagents. Methyl thiophene-3-acetate (3) can be copolymerized with 3-methylthiophene (1) and 3-butylthiophene (2) by means of cyclic voltammetry (CV) at potentials of 0–2.2 V. Higher potentials (0–2.4 V) lead to overoxidation of the copolymers. The ester groups were confirmed by FTIR spectra. Electrochemical investigations of 2,2′-bithiophene (6) and 3 at equimolar ratios showed no successful copolymerization at potentials of 0–1.3 V. If the copolymerization experiments of 6 with 1 or 3 were carried out at molar ratios of 1:50 at 1.3 V, 6 with its low oxidation potential was polymerized without copolymerization of the other monomers. However, if the oxidation potential was increased stepwise from 1.3 V, the oxidation of 1 or 3 occurred, forming copolymers containing both monomer components. HPLC investigations of solutions containing mixtures of 6 and 3 and also 6 and 1 in acetonitrile/TEABF₄ showed, after exhaustive oxidation at a potential of 1.3 V, the complete absence of 6; 1 and the ester 3 were not oxidized and copolymerized at these potentials. From the results of the copolymerization experiments, as well as the HPLC investigations, it can be concluded that the dominant mechanism of the electrochemical polymerization is radical cation dimerization. Received: 21 August 1998 / Accepted: 11 January 2000