Prevalence of voice disorders in African American and European American preschoolers

Several studies have reported prevalence rates for voice disorders in school-aged children. Less is known, however, about such prevalence in preschoolers, and whether racial, ethnic, or cultural diversity may influence it. The presence of voice disorders in a total of 2445 African-American and European-American preschool children, 1246 males and 1199 females, from 2 to 6 years of age is reported here. Presence of a voice disorder characterized by hoarseness was identified by a three-prong approach including teacher identification, investigator screening, and parent identification. Speech-language pathologists listened individually to each child's speech as they engaged each child in play-conversation activities. A voice disorder was identified on the basis of the judgment of two speech-language pathologists. Voice disorders characterized by hoarseness were identified in 95 children or 3.9% of the total sample by the investigators. Statistical analysis revealed no significant differences for age, gender, or race.     

Direct quantitative analysis of peptides using matrix assisted laser desorption ionization

The protocol and various matrices were examined for quantification of biomolecules in both the low ca. 1200 amu and mid mass 6000-12000 amu ranges using an internal standard. Comparative studies of different matrices of MALDI quantitative analysis showed that the best accuracy and standard curve linearity were obtained for two matrices: (a) 2,5-dihydroxybenzoic acid (DHB) combined with a comatrix of fucose and 5-methoxysalicylic acid (MSA) and (b) ferulic acid/fucose. In the low mass range, the quantitative limit was in the 30 fmol range and in the mid mass range the quantitative limit was in the 250 fmol range. Linear response was observed over 2-3 decades of analyte concentration. The relative error of the standard curve slope was 1.3-1.8% with correlation coefficients of 0.996-0.998.The main problem for quantitative measurement was suppression of the signal of the less concentrated component (analyte or internal standard) by the more concentrated component. The effect was identified with saturation of the matrix by the analyte. The threshold of matrix saturation was found to be in the range of 1/(3000-5000) analyte/matrix molar ratio. To avoid matrix saturation the (analyte+internal standard) to matrix molar ratio should be below this threshold. Thus the internal standard concentration should be as low as possible.DHB/MSA/fucose and ferulic acid/fucose matrices demonstrated good accuracy and linearity for standard curves even when the internal standard had chemical properties different from the analyte. However, use of an internal standard with different chemical properties requires highly stable instrumental parameters as well as constant (analyte+internal standard)/matrix molar ratio for all samples.     

Michael and ring expansion reactions of 6-carboethoxy-3,5-diaryl-2-cyclohexen-1-ones

When -keto-ester1 a was reacted with dimethyl acetylenedicarboxylate ring expansion occurred to give substituted cyclooctadienones.Michael reactions of the title compounds1 with unsaturated ketones gave adducts, some of which underwent further cyclization reactions. A new route to -tetralone ring system10 via cyclization of the intermediateMichael adduct9 is described.

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Michael- und Ringerweiterungsreaktionen von 6-Carboethoxy-3,5-diaryl-2-cyclohexen-1-onen

Zusammenfassung Bei der Reaktion von -Keto-ester1 a mit Dimethyl-acetylendicarboxylat wurden unter Ringerweiterung substituierte Cyclooctadienone erhalten. DieMichael-Reaktion der Titelverbindung1 mit ungesättigten Ketonen ergab Addukte, von denen einige weitere Cyclisierungsreaktionen eingingen. Es wird ein neuer Weg zum -Tetralonsystem10 über die Cyclisierung des intermediärenMichael-Addukts9 beschrieben.

     

The dependence of collision induced fragmentation pattern on the internal energy of the precursor ion

A Method is presented whereby product organic ions formed as the result of fragmentation of metastable ions can be selected on the basis of their internal energies. The method requires requires angular collimation of the beam of reactant ions issuing from the ion source and that the fragmentation of the metastable ions is studied in the first field free region of a reversed geometry double focusing mass spectrometer. The product ions that make up the metastable peak are allowed to fall on the intermediate resolving slit and, by adjusting the magnet current over a small range, ions contained in different regions of the peak can be allowed into the second field free region. It is shown that the position of an ion within the metastable peak correlates with its internal energy, ions near the edges of the peak being the least excited. The ions entering the second field free region can be investigated by collisional activation. This has been done for molecular ions of p-chlorophenol, methylbenzoate, benzaldehyde, m-chlorotoluene and n-butane. The in which the collision induced fragmentation pattern varies with internal energy of the ions is illustrated.     

Atmospheric pressure ionization mass spectrometry

Atmospheric pressure ionization has been used to great effect by mass spectrometrists in widely diverse fields. The aim of this brief review is to set down the advantages of API/MS to fundamental and analytical chemists alike through discussion of the basic processes of ionisation and through its application.     

Chromatography-free product separation in the Mitsunobu reaction

Mitsunobu products can be isolated pure without column chromatography by first washing a solution of the crude reaction mixture in dichloromethane with 15% aqueous hydrogen peroxide followed by aqueous sodium sulfite. A final filtration through silica gel secures the pure Mitsunobu product.     

Numerical demonstration of fluctuation dynamo at low magnetic Prandtl numbers

Direct numerical simulations of incompressible nonhelical randomly forced MHD turbulence are used to demonstrate for the first time that the fluctuation dynamo exists in the limit of large magnetic Reynolds number Rm>1 and small magnetic Prandtl number Pm<1. The dependence of the critical Rmc for dynamo on the hydrodynamic Reynolds number Re is obtained for 1 less than or similar Re less than or similar 6700. In the limit Pm<1, Rmc is about 3 times larger than for the previously well-established dynamo at large and moderate Prandtl numbers: Rmc less than or similar 200 for Re greater than or similar 6000 compared to Rmc approximately 60 for Pm>or=1. It is not yet possible to determine numerically whether the growth rate of the magnetic energy is proportional, Rm1/2 in the limit Rm-->infinity, as it should be if the dynamo is driven by the inertial-range motions at the resistive scale.