Effect of Fasting on Voice in Women

OBJECTIVE/HYPOTHESIS: To study the effect of fasting on voice in women: abstinence from food and water intake between 14 and 18 hours. STUDY DESIGN: A prospective study on female subjects. MATERIAL AND METHOD: A total of 28 female subjects were included in this study. Their age ranged between 21 and 45 years. Subjects with vocal symptoms or vocal fold lesions were excluded. The subjects were tested when they were not fasting and while fasting after the first week of intermittent fasting during Ramadan. Each subject was first asked about her vocal symptoms and the ease of phonation or phonatory effort. Then each underwent acoustic analysis and laryngeal video-endostroboscopy. RESULTS: Vocal fatigue was the most common reported complaint (53.6%) followed by deepening of the voice (21.4%) and harshness (10.2%). Self-reported phonatory effort was significantly affected by fasting (P value < 0.001). Out of the 28 subjects, 23 had an increase in their phonatory effort. Vocal acoustic parameters did not change markedly except for the maximum phonation time, which decreased significantly. Laryngeal video-endostroboscopy did not reveal any significant changes during fasting. All stroboscopic parameters were the same except for a decrease in the amplitude of the mucosal waves in one subject and the presence of a posterior chink in three subjects. CONCLUSION: Fasting affects voice. There is an increase in the phonatory effort, and vocal fatigue is the most common symptom.     

咖啡因诱导提高茶叶中咖啡因的可提取率的研究

从茶叶中提取咖啡因是获得天然咖啡因的主要途径之一。如何增加咖啡因的可提取率是提高产量的决定性因素。本文通过在提取液中加入少量咖啡因,从而诱导咖啡因的提取,明显增加咖啡因的可提取率。研究了咖啡因提取的动力学遵从Gompertz方程,1h可达到提取平衡,为咖啡因的提取提供新思路。     

Vocal Warm-up Increases Phonation Threshold Pressure in Soprano Singers at High Pitch

Vocal warm-up is thought to optimize singing performance. We compared effects of short-term, submaximal, vocal warm-up exercise with those of vocal rest on the soprano voice (n = 10, ages 19-21 years). Dependent variables were the minimum subglottic air pressure required for vocal fold oscillation to occur (phonation threshold pressure, Pth), and the maximum and minimum phonation fundamental frequency. Warm-up increased Pth for high pitch phonation (p = 0.033), but not for comfortable (p = 0.297) or low (p = 0.087) pitch phonation. No significant difference in the maximum phonation frequency (p = 0.193) or minimum frequency (p = 0.222) was observed. An elevated Pth at controlled high pitch, but an unchanging maximum and minimum frequency production suggests that short-term vocal exercise may increase the viscosity of the vocal fold and thus serve to stabilize the high voice.     

荧光光谱法研究咖啡因与肌红蛋白的相互作用

采用荧光光谱法在生理pH 7.4条件下研究了药物咖啡因与肌红蛋白分子间的相互作用,表明这种相互作用能使肌红蛋白的内源荧光猝灭。通过猝灭常数,结合常数和结合位点数的计算,证明此猝灭为静态猝灭机制。咖啡因和肌红蛋白形成1∶1稳定配合物,形成常数(18 ℃)K_A=1.82×104 L·mol-1;根据热力学参数确定了它们之间的主要作用力为疏水力和静电力。利用同步荧光光谱法研究了咖啡因对肌红蛋白构象的影响。咖啡因能使肌红蛋白的构象发生改变,导致蛋白质分子中色氨酸和酪氨酸残基所处微环境由原来的疏水环境不同程度地向亲水环境转变。     

茶多酚中咖啡因的近红外光谱分析

采用近红外光谱分析技术对茶多酚中咖啡因进行了光谱及定量分析,原始光谱表明咖啡因在近红外波段有着很强且较为明显的吸收峰。通过对样品的漫反射原始吸光度光谱进行导数、散射校正及相关分析更清晰地给出了咖啡因在近红外光谱波段的光谱特性,为建立快速稳健的定标模型创造了条件。该技术能够解析出咖啡因中各主要基团在近红外波段的吸收特性,结合定标过程定量快速检测咖啡因在茶多酚中的含量,定标分析结果显示在很大的浓度范围内有很好的线性相关性,定标标准差SEC为0．49％,相关系数（r）为0．993,证实了近红外光谱分析技术作为一种新的快速分析茶多酚中咖啡因含量手段的可行性及优越性。     

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.     

咖啡因与氧氟沙星的相互作用

利用紫外光谱、一阶导数紫外光谱及荧光光谱研究了咖啡因与氧氟沙星的相互作用,结果发现,咖啡因通过与氧氟沙星杂环共轭体系的堆积形成配合物引起氧氟沙星溶液荧光猝灭,二者形成1∶1的配合物,结合反应的表观结合常数分别为KA(T=299K)=1.18×104L.mol-1;KA(T=309K)=0.84×104L.mol-1,二者之间存在着范德华力以及杂环共轭体系的堆积效应。     

荧光法研究咖啡因和茶碱与牛血清白蛋白相互作用

用荧光光谱法研究了咖啡因和茶碱两种生物碱药物与牛血清白蛋白(BSA)分子间的相互结合反应。测定了咖啡因和茶碱与BSA反应的结合平衡常数分别为：1.673×104 L·mol-1,6.802×103 L·mol-1。证实了两种生物碱药物与牛血清白蛋白的相互结合作用为单一的静态猝灭过程。     

Caffeine as non-toxic corrosion inhibitor for copper in aqueous solutions of potassium nitrate

Different electrochemical methods were employed in order to confirm the ability of caffeine (1,3,7-trimethylxanthine) to inhibit the corrosion processes of copper in aqueous potassium nitrate solutions in the absence and in the presence of chloride. Some experiments were repeated in potassium perchlorate in order to compare the influence of the medium. The interaction between the organic compound and the electrode surface occurs independently of the electrode potential. However, maximum interaction was observed at 0.0 V (Ag/AgCl) in aerated solutions, and at −0.25 V (Ag/AgCl) in deaerated solutions.The presence of the organic compound adsorbed on the electrode surface was confirmed by comparing the voltammograms of copper electrode in the absence and presence of 1.5 mmol L⁻¹ of dissolved caffeine. The same results were observed by comparing polarization curves in the absence and in the presence of caffeine.Anodic currents decrease noticeably in the presence of the organic compound. Chronoamperometric experiments were conclusive to prove the inhibitor capability of caffeine to decrease the corrosion dissolution processes of copper under anodic polarization.     

Effects of voice therapy on the voice range profiles of dysphonic patients

In a group of chronically dysphonic patients, a voice range profile, or phonetogram, was recorded before and after receiving voice therapy and again 3 months later. The voice range profiles took a wide variety of shapes. Therefore, only measures that did not depend on a smooth contour could be used to describe changes before and after therapy. The main effect of voice therapy was an enlargement on the side of low frequency and low intensity.     

咖酚伪麻片中盐酸伪麻黄碱的含量

建立高效液相色谱法测定咖酚伪麻片中盐酸伪麻黄碱含量的方法。色谱柱为C18（150mm×4.6mm×5μm）,流动相为0.05mol/L磷酸二氢钠-甲醇（75∶25）,流速为1mL/min,检测波长为210nm。盐酸伪麻黄碱在0.2155—1.0776μg/g范围内线性良好,r=0.9999;盐酸伪麻黄碱的平均收率为100.92%,RSD值为0.41%（n=5）。此法操作简单,准确性好,可用于咖酚伪麻片中盐酸伪麻黄碱的含量测定。     

基于激光诱导击穿光谱技术的咖啡豆中咖啡因含量快速检测方法

应用激光诱导击穿光谱(LIBS)技术研究了快速检测咖啡豆中咖啡因含量的可行性。将咖啡豆磨粉压成片状作为采集LIBS光谱数据的样本,应用原子吸收分光光度计测量每个样本中咖啡因的含量。应用基线校正,小波变换和归一化等数据预处理方法;针对基于全部变量的偏最小二乘(PLS)模型会出现过拟合,分别应用回归系数和主成分分析(PCA)选择特征变量,并建立了基于特征变量的PLS和BP神经网络模型。结果表明：基于回归系数所选特征变量的PLS模型中,建模集相关系数R_c=0.96,预测集R_p=0.91;基于PCA提取特征变量的PLS模型中,R_c=0.94,R_p=0.90;基于PCA所选特征变量的BP神经网络模型中,R_c=0.96,R_p=0.96。两种方法所提取特征变量均对应C,H,O,N,Na,Mn,Mg,Ca和Fe,且基于上述两种方法所选特征变量的PLS模型均对预测集样本有较好的预测结果,说明上述元素与咖啡因含量存在联系,应用回归系数和PCA选择的特征变量是有效的,但是咖啡豆内C,H,O,N,Na,Mn,Mg,Ca,Fe与咖啡因含量的确切关系需要进一步研究。基于PCA所选特征变量的BP神经网络模型有更优的预测结果,说明所选特征变量适用于不同的建模方法。研究表明LIBS技术结合化学计量学方法可以实现咖啡豆中咖啡因含量的快速检测。