Speech breathing during reading in women withvocal nodules

This study examined speech breathing patterns during reading bywomen with bilateral vocal fold nodules judged as mildly dysphonic and by women without vocal nodules. Although it might be predictable that the speech breathing patterns of individuals with laryngeal dysfunction will differ from those without laryngeal dysfunction, there is a lack of empirical data to support such assumptions.The results of the current study indicated that glottal airflow was greaterduring reading for the women with vocal nodules and that a larger volume of air was expended both per syllable and per breath group during reading. The rate of speech did not significantly differ between the two groups of women. There was no significant difference for the average duration of the breath groups and no significant difference for the number of syllables spoken per breath group. Additionally, both groups of women demonstrated a similar pattern of inspiratory pause location during the reading. The results suggest that speech breathing patterns associated with dysphonia be examined independently to distinguish specifically the nature of the interaction between the laryngeal dysfunction and the speech breathing pattern. Certainly, more information on how the severity of a voice disorder influences speech breathing is necessary.     

Estimated subglottal pressure in six professionalcountry singers

Estimates of subglottal pressure in six professional male country singerswere obtained during the /p/ occlusion while the subjects spoke, sang a country tune, and sang the tune of the United States national anthem. The subglottal pressure values, which were very similar in both the speech-like and singing-mode syllables, usually measured below 45 cm of water column, but they ranged as high as 59 cm. The sound pressure level in singing was also measured and was lower than that discovered in classically trained singers at high subglottal pressures.     

Negative chemical ionization and accurate mass measurement applications for a linked gas chromatography/Fourier transform infrared spectrometer/Fourier transform mass spectrometer

Summary The analytical utility of a linked GC/FTIR/ FTMS system operating in accurate mass and negative CI modes is demonstrated. In addition to the complementary information derived from IR and MS search results, accurate mass measurement data (average error of 4.2 ppm) is employed in the analysis of a seven component mixture. A post search filter uses accurate mass data to eliminate spectral search results with incorrect elemental compositions. An alternate positive ion EI and negative ion CI GC/IR/MS analysis is also performed on a mixture of substituted phenyl aldehydes and ketones. The reagent gas, ammonia, is introduced by pulsed valve thus minimizing crossover spectral contamination while maximizing spectral resolution. Proton abstraction by the amide produces an intense (M-1)^– for all compounds in the mixture. Molecular weight information from the negative CI data is used in a post search filter to improve the reliability of both IR and MS search results.

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Anwendung der negativen chemischen Ionisation und genauer Massenmessungen für ein gekoppeltes GC/FTIR/FTMS-System

Zusammenfassung Die analytische Anwendbarkeit eines gekoppelten GC/FTIR/FTMS-Systems mit akkurater Massenmessung und NCI-Betrieb wird dargestellt. Zusätzlich zu den komplementären Informationen aus IR- und MS- Bibliothekssuchen werden Daten aus akkuraten Massenmessungen (mittlerer Fehler 4.2 ppm) bei der Analyse einer Mischung aus sieben Komponenten mit herangezogen. Im Anschluß an die Bibliothekssuche eliminiert ein Filter mit Hilfe der akkuraten Massen Ergebnisse mit fehlerhafter Elementarzusammensetzung. Von einer Mischung aus substituierten Phenylaldehyden und -ketonen wird eine Analyse mit alternierender Registrierung von positiven EI- und negativen CI-Spektren durch ein GC/IR/-MS-System ausgeführt. Das Reaktandgas Ammoniak wird über ein gepulstes Ventil zugegeben, um bei maximaler spektraler Auflösung minimale Störung durch Verunreinigung zu erhalten. Durch Abstraktion eines Protons von der Amidfunktion werden von allen Komponenten der Mischung intensive (M-1)-Ionen gebildet. Molekulargewichtsinformationen aus dem NCI-Experiment werden als Filter verwendet, mit dem die Zuverlässigkeit des Suchens in IR- und MS-Datenbanken erhöht werden kann.

     

Molecular modeling of the intestinal bile acid carrier: A comparative molecular field analysis study

A structure–binding activity relationship for the intestinal bile acidtransporter has been developed using data from a series of bile acid analogsin a comparative molecular field analysis (CoMFA). The studied compoundsconsisted of a series of bile acid–peptide conjugates, withmodifications at the 24 position of the cholic acid sterol nucleus, andcompounds with slight modifications at the 3, 7, and 12 positions. For theCoMFA study, these compounds were divided into a training set and a test set,comprising 25 and 5 molecules, respectively. The best three-dimensionalquantitative structure–activity relationship model found rationalizesthe steric and electrostatic factors which modulate affinity to the bile acidcarrier with a cross-validated, conventional and predictive r²of 0.63, 0.96, and 0.69, respectively, indicating a good predictive model forcarrier affinity. Binding is facilitated by positioning an electronegativemoiety at the 24–27 position, and also by steric bulk at the end of theside chain. The model suggests substitutions at positions 3, 7, 12, and 24that could lead to new substrates with reasonable affinity for the carrier.