Endoscopic microsuture repair of vocal fold defects

The presence of a nonvibratory segment of vocal folds after microlaryngeal surgery is often a cause of poor voice result. The etiology of a nonvibratory segment is due to full thickness epithelial defect followed by secondary wound closure and scar contracture. To reduce scar contracture and nonvibratory segment of the vocal folds, primary repair with a 6-0 chromic endo-knot suture technique was used to close defects and approximate microflaps of the vocal folds. This was done in 18 patients with epithelial defects after resection of benign vocal fold lesions. The pathologic findings included severe polypoid degeneration (n = 7), fusiform laryngeal polyps (n = 5), sulcus vocalis (n = 2), cyst (n = 2), and keratosis (n = 2). Voice was improved in all patients after surgery. Comparison of vocal fold vibration before and after surgery showed improvements in configuration, amplitude, and mucosal wave. Vocal folds that were sutured all had good vibratory characteristics; none had a nonvibrating segment at the site of suture placement. Voice and healing after microsuture technique were near normal by Day 10 and return of mucosal wave was often complete by Day 14. Endoscopic microsuture closure of microflaps of the vocal folds edge is safe and affords the surgeon an opportunity for primary repair with improved functional result.     

Precision nuclear orientation measurements for determining mixed magnetic dipole/electric quadrupole hyperfine interactions

We report the temperature dependence of the gamma-ray anisotropies from oriented¹⁶⁰Tb nuclei produced by neutron activation of the central portion of a high-purity single crystal Tb slab. The magnetically saturated sample was studied over a wide temperature range from 18 mK to 150 mK. The temperatures were determined using precision resistance thermometry within situ calibration by a magnetically shielded six-element superconducting fixed point device. Temperature stability during data acquisition was better than 0.1%, and least-squares fitting of the resulting temperature dependences of 0° and 90° anisotropies allowed both the magnetic dipole and the electric quadrupole hyperfine interaction frequencies to be determined with good accuracy. The weighted averages for 18 gamma rays arev _M=1393.8 (8.1) MHz andv _P=178.0 (2.1) MHz, in excellent agreement with NMR results on ion-implanted samples.     

Effects of electronically neutral impurities on muonium in germanium

Low-temperature measurements of muonium parameters in various germanium crystals have been performed. We have measured crystals with different levels of neutral impurities, with and without dislocations, and with different annealing histories. The most striking result is the apparent trapping of Mu by silicon impurities in germanium.     

Does an electron form a bubble in liquid neon?

Muon spin relaxation measurements in liquid neon in electric fields up to 35 kV/cm reveal the existence of a delocalized electron state which is responsible for delayed muonium atom formation. Other fraction of radiolysis electrons created in the positive muon’s ionization track is believed to be localized inside bubbles and therefore possesses low mobility. Bubble formation in liquid neon is discussed in detail. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Pretreatment of corn fiber by pressure cooking in water

The pretreatment of corn fiber using liquid water at temperatures between 220 and 260°C enhances enzymatic hydrolysis. This paper describes the laboratory reactor system currently in use for cooking of corn fiber at temperatures ranging from 200 to 260°C. The corn fiber at approx 4.4% solid/liquid slurry was treated in a 2-L, 304 SS, Parr reactor with three turbine propeller agitators and a Proportional-Integral-Derivative (PID), controller that controlled temperature within ±1°C. Heat-up times to the final temperatures of 220, 240, or 260°C were achieved in 50 to 60 min. Hold time at the final temperature was less than 10 s. A serpentine cooling coil, through which tap water was circulated at the completion of the run, cooled the reactor’s contents to 180°C within 2 min after the maximum temperature was attained. Ports in the reactor’s head plate facilitated sampling of the slurry and monitoring the pH. A continuous pH monitoring system was developed to help observe trends in pH during pretreatment and to assist in the development of a base (2.0M KOH) addition profile to help keep the pH within the range of 5.0 to 7.0. Enzymatic hydrolysis gave 33 to 84% conversion of cellulose in the pretreated fiber to glucose compared to 17% for untreated fiber.