Allograft (Alloderm) and Autograft (Temporalis Fascia) Implantation for Glottic Insufficiency: A Novel Approach

Objective

Traditionally, glottic insufficiency because of scar, atrophy, and sulcus has been treated by injection or medialization laryngoplasty. These procedures do not reestablish the vertical height of the vocal fold margin. We propose soft tissue augmentation laryngoplasty with allograft (sheet Alloderm; LifeCell Corporation, Branchburg, NJ) or autograft (temporalis fascia) via a minithyrotomy or a transoral approach.

Study Design

A retrospective case series analysis of 21 patients treated by sheet Alloderm or temporalis fascia for correction of glottic insufficiency.

Methods

Twenty-one patients with glottic insufficiency secondary to scar, atrophy, or sulcus were treated. Ten failed prior techniques. Seventeen had minithyrotomy by a small fenestration in the thyroid cartilage. Exploration of scar or lamina propria through the fenestration allowed for the creation of a pocket for Alloderm implantation within the intermediate layer of the lamina propria. Four patients underwent a transoral approach by cordotomy with either Alloderm or temporalis fascia implantation, which also allowed for exploration of scar but required repair using sutures. These implantation approaches allowed for both restoration of the layered structure and augmentation of the middle third of the musculomembranous vocal fold. Preoperative and postoperative videostroboscopic examinations were reviewed with review of clinical outcome.

Results

With a median follow-up time of 12 months, patients demonstrated excellent long-term vocal fold augmentation and minimal absorption of the implant in 19 out of 21 patients. There is improved pliability of the vocal fold with good oscillation in scar patients.

Conclusion

Minithyrotomy with soft tissue augmentation is a novel approach for soft tissue augmentation of glottic insufficiency. It has the advantage of augmentation of the medial edge of the vocal fold with a soft tissue implant that has long-term viability. Its role should be explored further in patients with atrophy and scar.     

Assessment of tumor vasculature for diagnostic and therapeutic applications in a mouse model in vivo using 25-MHz power Doppler imaging

Objective

The blood flow rate in the microcirculation associated with angiogenesis plays an important role in the progression and treatment of cancer. Since the microvascular status of tumor vessels can yield useful clinical information, assessing changes in the tumor microcirculation could be particularly helpful for tumor evaluation and treatment planning.

Methods

In this study we used a self-developed 25-MHz ultrasound imaging system with a spatial resolution of 150 μm for assessing tumor-microcirculation development and the pattern of the vasculature in three tumor-bearing mice in vivo based on power Doppler images. The total Doppler power (DP) and color pixel density (CPD) revealed the presence of functional vessels distributed throughout a tumor volume. The vasculature distributions in the core and periphery were compared to the regulation of vasculature function, which facilitated determination of when the tumor grew rapidly.

Results

The data obtained from a quantified analysis of power Doppler images indicated that the tumor vascularity initially increased throughout the tumor. Both DP and CPD increased rapidly in the tumor periphery when the tumor volume exceeded 10 mm³.

Conclusion

Our preclinical findings suggest that power Doppler imaging could be useful for detecting the changes in tumor vascular perfusion and for determining the optimal treatment timing when a tumor begins its rapid volumetric growth.     

Bacterial Cellulose as Laryngeal Medialization Material: An Experimental Study

Hypothesis

The use of a material made of bacterial cellulose with the aim of obtaining vocal fold medialization has not hitherto been fully investigated. Although the material has been tested in other animal models, the evaluation did not include the larynx; hence, situations, such as tissue reaction, material absorption, and extrusion, need to be addressed to evaluate its usefulness as a material for laryngeal reconstruction.

Objective

To evaluate the medialization, tissue response, and healing of rabbit vocal folds, after the implantation of a membrane of bacterial cellulose.

Study Design

Experimental study.

Methods

A total of 32 rabbits were used, two of which were used to check out the adequacy of the implant location. The animals were followed for 4 months and grouped according to follow-up times of 2, 4, and 16 weeks. All test animals received an implant of bacterial cellulose in one vocal fold and the injection of distilled water in the other, both performed by videoendoscopic cervicotomy. At the end of the follow-up, the presence of inflammatory and medial displacement was evaluated.

Results

No statistically significant difference in the inflammatory parameters between the study and control vocal folds or among follow-up times was found. All animals receiving cellulose presented medial displacement of vocal folds, and all retained this material at the implant site up to study endpoint.

Conclusion

Bacterial cellulose is a useful material for laryngeal medialization, showing no signs of rejection or absorption.     

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.     

湿热环境对Ge基中波减反射膜可靠性的影响

采用双面抛光的锗片为基底,镀制中波减反射膜,在湿热环境中分别持续24 h、224 h、324 h、424 h、524 h、、 1224 h之后,研究了湿热环境对Ge基中波减反射膜的光学特性、牢固性等可靠性的影响。实验结果表明:在现有工艺条件下,所镀制的Ge基中波减反射膜经不同时间的湿热环境之后,透过率逐渐变低,并出现CO2和H2O的特征吸收峰,吸收峰是减反射膜长时间持续在湿热环境下CO2和H2O含量增大所致;湿热环境1024 h后,边缘膜层开始出现脱落现象,1224 h后,膜层平均透过率低于85%。     

Novel self-organization mechanism in ultrathin liquid films: theory and experiment

When an ultrathin metal film of thickness h (<20 nm) is melted by a nanosecond pulsed laser, the film temperature is a nonmonotonic function of h and achieves its maximum at a certain thickness h*. This is a consequence of the h and time dependence of energy absorption and heat flow. Linear stability analysis and nonlinear dynamical simulations that incorporate such intrinsic interfacial thermal gradients predict a characteristic pattern length scale Lambda that decreases for h>h*, in contrast to the classical spinodal dewetting behavior where Lambda increases monotonically as h2. These predictions agree well with experimental observations for Co and Fe films on SiO2.     

Increased accumulation of paclitaxel and doxorubicin in proliferating capillary cells and prostate cancer cells following ultrasound exposure

Introduction

We have previously reported enhanced cytotoxic effects of both doxorubicin and antisense oligonucleotides using an optimized ultrasound regime of a single 10 s exposure in burst-mode (4 MHz, 32 W/cm²(SaTa), 50 ms burst period) in both PC3 (prostate cancer) cells and angiogenic Huvec (human umbilical cord endothelial cells). The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of ultrasound on the cellular uptake of both hydrophilic agents (rhodamine R123, doxorubicin hydrochloride and mannitol) and hydrophobic agents (rhodamine R6G and paclitaxel) using the same 4 MHz ultrasound exposure system.

Methods

PC3 cells and Huvec were incubated with solutions of radioactive or fluorescent compounds for 1 h and ultrasound was then applied to cells. Following washing and lysis of cells, the degree of drug uptake was measured using liquid scintillation counting or fluorescence spectroscopy.

Results

Ultrasound exposure resulted in the enhanced uptake of both hydrophilic and hydrophobic compounds into cells. For paclitaxel, approximately 100% increased uptake was observed when the drug was encapsulated in a nanoparticulate micellar formulation compared to approximately 50% for free drug.

Conclusions

The 4 MHz, 32 W/cm² ultrasound exposure regime (using burst-mode with 50 ms burst period) allows for the enhanced uptake of both water soluble and insoluble compounds into proliferating cancer and angiogenic cells.     

Evaluation of MRI issues at 3-Tesla for a hospital identification (ID) wristband

Background and Purpose

A recent report suggested that a serious burn injury was due to the presence of the identification (ID) wristband. As such, in lieu of removing or padding hospital ID wristbands in all patients prior to magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), testing may be performed to characterize risks for ID wristbands. Therefore, the purpose of this investigation was to evaluate the magnetic field interactions, heating and artifacts at 3 T for a hospital ID wristband.

Materials and Methods

Standardized test methods were used to evaluate magnetic field interactions, MRI-related heating, and artifacts at 3 T for a hospital ID wristband.

Results

There were no magnetic field interactions. MRI-related heating evaluated at a relatively high, MR system-reported, whole body-averaged specific absorption rate (2.9 W/kg) did not increase above the background level. The artifacts related to the ink used for printing were “small” for one toner and “large” for the other in relation to the dimensions of the printing.

Conclusions

Based on the tests performed, this particular hospital ID wristband is considered MR safe and will not pose a hazard to a patient undergoing an MRI examination. Importantly, it is not necessary to remove this item for a patient referred for MRI.     

A robust graph-based segmentation method for breast tumors in ultrasound images

Objectives

This paper introduces a new graph-based method for segmenting breast tumors in US images.

Background and motivation

Segmentation for breast tumors in ultrasound (US) images is crucial for computer-aided diagnosis system, but it has always been a difficult task due to the defects inherent in the US images, such as speckles and low contrast.

Methods

The proposed segmentation algorithm constructed a graph using improved neighborhood models. In addition, taking advantages of local statistics, a new pair-wise region comparison predicate that was insensitive to noises was proposed to determine the mergence of any two of adjacent subregions.

Results and conclusion

Experimental results have shown that the proposed method could improve the segmentation accuracy by 1.5-5.6% in comparison with three often used segmentation methods, and should be capable of segmenting breast tumors in US images.     

Twelve-Month Clinical Follow-Up Study of Voice Patients' Recovery Using the Voice Activity and Participation Profile (VAPP)

Objective

To study the effects of voice treatment including brief voice therapy for 12 months in two groups of voice patients: organic and functional.

Design and Methods

A clinical prospective follow-up study with repeated measurements in five phases: medical session, first voice therapy session, last voice therapy session, and 6 months and 12 months after voice therapy. The mean number of voice therapy sessions was 3.4. The main outcome measures were the Voice Activity and Participation Profile (VAPP) and the Symptom Questionnaire.Of consenting patients (n = 141) with chronic voice disorders, 46 dropped out during follow-up. Ninety-five patients formed the study group. Forty-one of them received only voice therapy, but the rest of them received combined treatment (medication, amplifiers, and voice massage), but also experienced life events affecting voice. Patients with any laryngeal pathology formed the organic group (n = 47), others had a functional voice disorder.

Results

Using the improvement criterion that the change of the VAPP score should exceed standard error of measurement, the percentage of individual patients achieving improvement was 47% in the mild, 59% in the moderate, and 75% in the severe disorder groups. Effect size for VAPP total score was 0.89. The positive effect continued to progress after the therapy ended. Patients with functional or organic voice disorder improved almost equally, although minor findings indicate that functional patients benefited more.

Conclusions

Voice treatment had a progressive effect for 1 year in half of our patients. No statistical difference was found between the functional and organic patient groups.     

Intracranial microvascular imaging at 7 T MRI with transceiver RF coils

Purpose

To investigate intracranial microvascular images with transceiver radio-frequency (RF) coils at ultra-high field 7 T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

Materials and methods

We designed several types of RF coils for the study of 7 T magnetic resonance angiography and analyzed quantitatively each coil's performance in terms of the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) profiles to evaluate the usefulness of RF coils for microvascular imaging applications. We also obtained the microvascular images with different resolutions and parallel imaging technique.

Results

The overlapped 6-channel (ch) transceiver coil exhibited the highest performance for angiographic imaging. Although other multi-channel coils, such as 4- or 8-ch, were also suitable for fast imaging, these coils performed poorly in homogeneity or SNR for angiographic imaging. Furthermore, the 8-ch coil was poor in SNR at the center of the brain, while it had the highest SNR at the periphery.

Conclusion

The present study has demonstrated that the overlapped 6-ch coil with large-size loop coils provided the best performance for microvascular imaging or angiography with the ultra-high-field 7 T MRI, mainly because of its long penetration depth together with high SNR.     

Nonperturbative construction of nonrenormalizable models of quantum field theory in four-dimensional space-time

The report presents the construction of non-cutoff Euclidean Green's functions for nonrenormalizable interactions _I()= d(ge): exp : in four-dimensional space-time. It is shown that all axioms for the generating functional of E.G.F. are satisfied except perhaps theSO(4) invariance. It is shown that the singularities of E.G.F. for coinciding points are not worse than those of the free theory.Invited talk at the Symposium on Mathematical Methods in the Theory of Elementary Particles, Liblice castle, Czechoslovakia, June 18–23, 1978.Supported in part by NSF Grant No INT 73-20002 A 01 (formerly GF-41958).The author would like to thank Professors T.Balaban, J.Fröhlich and A.Uhlmann for interesting discussions and valuable suggestions. He would also like to express his sincere thanks to Professor J.Niederle for the very kind hospitality extended to him during his stay at the Symposium on Mathematical Methods in the Theory of Elementary Particles in Liblice Castle.     

激光束在漫射表面上的散射(Ⅱ)

首先在前文的基础上,对于用激光根据“光核、光带比”(D₂/D₁)来测定磨削工件表面光洁度的原理加以系统总结,然后按照经验关系R_x=5R_a(对于▽7以上光洁度),确定了表面随机高度的概率密度函数中的衰减系数。对于有限负指数型函数P₁(h)={e^{(-b(|h|/h_m))} 当|h|≤h_m; 0 当|h|>h_m, 定出b=1.23,对于正则型函数P₂(h)=e^{(-a2(h/h_m)2)} 定出a²=2.分别讨论了以上两种函数中h_m的物理意义(皆对应于1/2R_z)将前文中公式加以精确改进后,对P₁(h)和P₂(h)分别计算了D₂/D₁与R_x的关系曲线,即绝对定标曲线。最后还计算了衍射图样半强度宽与R_x的关系曲线。 关键词：     

Maximum Phonation Time in Healthy Older Adults

Objectives/Hypothesis

Maximum phonation time (MPT), a clinical measurement of the longest time one can phonate a vowel, typically /a/, is a frequently used measure of vocal function, but normative data are lacking for MPT in healthy older adults. The aim of this study was to provide data on MPT in healthy older adults and to determine the effect of advanced age, gender, and repeated measures on MPT.

Study Design

Prospective.

Methods

Sixty-nine healthy older adult volunteers participated (ie, 15, 26, and 28 in the seventh, eighth, and ninth decades of life, respectively). The effects of age, gender, and repeated measures (three trials in a single session) on MPT were assessed. Mean, standard deviation, compound symmetry covariance, analysis of variance, and analysis of covariance were used for statistical analysis.

Results

Neither age group, gender, trial, nor their interactions was statistically significant (P > 0.05). Adults in the seventh, eighth, and ninth decades of life had mean MPTs of 22.27 (standard error [SE] = 1.56), 22.97 (SE = 1.11), and 21.14 (SE = 0.97) seconds, respectively. Females and males had mean MPTs of 20.96 (SE = 0.92) and 23.23 (SE = 0.96) seconds, respectively. Finally, MPTs for trials 1, 2, and 3 were 21.77 (SE = 1.09), 21.67 (SE = 1.12), and 22.80 (SE = 1.27), respectively.

Conclusions

MPTs were longer in this group of older adults than previously reported and did not vary significantly with age or gender. Additionally, across a single short sampling session, measurements were relatively stable across three trials of MPTs.     

Readout-segmented echo-planar diffusion-weighted MR at 3.0 T for the evaluation the effect of low-intensity transcranial ultrasound on stroke in a rat model

ObjectiveTo investigate the feasibility of the relative apparent diffusion coefficient (rADC) values based on readout-segmented echo-planar diffusion sequence in evaluation the effects of low-intensity transcranial ultrasound (LIPUS) on ischemic stroke in rat models at different onset times.MethodsSixty Sprague-Dawley rats (weight, 250 ± 10 g) were divided randomly into six groups (n = 10) to establish a permanent model of distal middle cerebral artery occlusion (dMCAO). The rats were stimulated with ultrasound for 10 min in the LIPUS groups at 0.5 h, 1 h, 3 h, 6 h, and 9 h after dMCAO (denoted as the LIPUS group (0.5 h), LIPUS group (1 h), LIPUS group (3 h), LIPUS group (6 h), LIPUS group (9 h), and Control group without ultrasound stimulation). Magnetic resonance imaging was acquired at 0.5 h and 1 h after dMCAO and then at 1-hour intervals until 12 h. The rADC values were then measured and calculated. The pathological results from the rat brains were obtained after the experiment.ResultsWhen LIPUS was applied 0.5 h after dMCAO, the rate of decline of rADC values in the early stages were significantly reduced and the final rADC values were significantly increased. When LIPUS were applied at 1 h, 3 h, and 6 h, the final rADC values only increased slightly and did not prevent early declines. No significant difference of ultrasound stimulation at 9 h was found.ConclusionThe rADC values demonstrated difference at different time points after dMCAO between with and without LIPUS groups.     

Chronic Refractory Cough as a Sensory Neuropathy: Evidence From a Reinterpretation of Cough Triggers

Objectives/Hypothesis

The aims of this study were to examine cough triggers in individuals with chronic cough (CC), identify sensory symptoms consistent with central reflex sensitization (paresthesia and allotussia), and interpret this information in relation to sensory laryngeal neuropathy.

Study Design

Prospective observational study.

Methods

Patients (n = 53) with CC that was refractory to medical management based on the anatomic diagnostic protocol completed questionnaires regarding cough triggers, anxiety and depression, and factors contributing to laryngeal irritation such as vocal hygiene and laryngopharyngeal reflux.

Results

An abnormal sensation in the laryngeal area (laryngeal paresthesia) was present in 94% of people with refractory CC. Nontussive stimuli including phonation were frequent triggers for cough (allotussia), occurring in 71% of participants. Although tussive stimuli were significantly more potent than nontussive stimuli (P = 0.005), the relative clinical importance was not statistically different (P = 0.072). Most participants with refractory cough had poor vocal hygiene.

Conclusion

The sensory symptom changes that accompany CC suggest central reflex sensitization and include laryngeal paresthesia and allotussia. The results are consistent with cough as a sensory neuropathic disorder.     

Analytic expressions for the partial waves of the off-shell two body coulomb T-matrix

Closed form expressions for all partial waves of the pure Coulomb off-shell T-matrix p¦ T_c,l.(k ²) ¦p are obtained. All singularities appear through simple special functions, which makes it possible to study the analytic properties of p¦ T_c,l(k²) ¦p as a function not only of one of the momentap, p but even of both of them. With use of the renormalization procedure found by Zorbas the transition to half-and on-shell values is performed reproducing known expressions. By the same method simple expressions for the partial waves of the Coulomb wave function in the momentum representation are found.     

研磨影响粘土结构的红外光谱研究

将高岭石和蒙石两种粘土矿物分别用干法和湿法连续研磨,通过不同研磨时间的各粉城叶变换红外光谱（ＦＴ－ＩＲ）的实测和比较,发现干法研１２ｈ高岭石和蒙脱古老珠结构均开发改变,经４２ｈ高岭石的层状结构完全破坏,而经２４ｈ蒙脱石的层状结构即被破坏,但在湿法条件下研磨５４ｈ,它们的结构均无明显变化。由此可见,湿法研磨比干法好,文中还初步探讨了研磨影响粘土结构的原因。     

热加工对花生过敏原Ara h 2抗原性及构象的影响

从花生种子中分离纯化花生过敏原Ara h 2,采用酶联免疫吸附试验(ELISA)、圆二色谱(CD)、ANS荧光探针及紫外可见(UV-Vis)光谱等方法,系统研究热加工对Ara h 2抗原性和结构的影响.结果表明:Ara h 2蛋白经55或70℃处理后其抗原性略有升高,经85,100或115℃处理后,其抗原性显著降低,且随着温度和时间的增加其抗原性均不断降低.CD色谱分析表明,Ara h 2经热处理后其二级结构发生变化;ANS荧光探针光谱显示,不同的热处理均导致Ara h 2表面疏水性增加.紫外光谱显示,不同温度对Ara h 2处理30 min后(除55℃外),其紫外吸收值均升高.Ara h 2经100℃处理不同时间后,其紫外吸收值均有增加.由此推断,花生过敏原Ara h 2的构象改变导致了其抗原性的降低.     

TheN-body problem with spin-orbit or Coulomb interactions

A study is made of the resolventR() for a system ofn particles with spin-orbit coupling, an interaction which necessarily has a long range in momentum space. For short-range interactions, it has been known for several years thatR() satisfies a Fredholm equation whose kernel is in the Schmidt-class. The corresponding spin-orbit kernel is not in the Schmidt-class, but it is shown that it does belong to a certain class of compact operators which is larger than the Schmidt-class. A modified Fredholm theory is presented which applies to all operators in this larger class. This enablesR() to be found for all values of in the complex plane cut along the continuous spectrum of the Hamiltonian. It is shown that the modified Fredholm theory also holds for the Coulomb interaction.