The potential role of ultrasound in differentiating solid and cystic swellings of the true vocal fold

This study was designed to investigate the potential role of ultrasound in the diagnosis of cysts of the true vocal fold. Materials and Methods: Grayscale ultrasound of the larynx was carried out in 29 patients with a swelling of the true vocal fold and dysphonia. The findings were then compared with those at subsequent microlaryngoscopy, in the majority of cases. Results and Conclusions: Whereas preoperative laryngeal ultrasound correctly predicted the surgical findings of a cystic lesion in only 5 of 11 cases, it correctly identified that no cyst was present in 15 of 16 instances when this had been queried. This study suggests that ultrasound may have some role in investigation of unilateral vocal fold pathology, but that further fine-tuning of the technique may be necessary.     

Adsorption of poly(vinyl pyrrolidone) on silica. II. The fraction of bound segments, measured by a variety of techniques

The adsorption of the flexible, linear, and nonionic homopolymer poly(vinyl pyrrolidone) from water and from 1,4-dioxane onto pyrogenic silica was studied. Results are reported for the adsorbed amount as a function of adsorption time, molecular mass, and molecular mass distribution (polydispersity). It is found that the adsorption of fractionated samples can be qualitatively explained by the recent theory of Scheutjens and Fleer. However, the influence of the solvent type is larger than predicted by this theory, and an extension of the model to account for this influence is suggested. The polydispersity effects encountered in adsorption isotherms are satisfactorily accounted for by a theory published by Cohen Stuart, Scheutjens, and Fleer.     

Effect of stoichiometry on liquid crystalline supramolecular polymers formed with complementary nucleobase pair interactions

We report herein studies on the liquid crystalline behavior of a series of supramolecular materials that contain different ratios of two complementary symmetrically-substituted alkoxy-bis(phenylethynyl)benzene AA- and BB-type monomers. One monomer has thymine units placed at either end of the rigid mesogenic core, while the other has N⁶-(4-methoxybenzoyl)-adenine units placed on the ends. Differential scanning calorimetric and polarized optical microscopy studies have been carried out on these systems. These studies show that the material's behavior is strongly dependent on its thermal history. As a result, the materials can exhibit, on heating, either a liquid crystalline phase, a crystalline phase, or the coexistence of crystalline and liquid crystalline regions. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 44: 5049–5059, 2006     

Wetting at a polymer gel–vapor interface; a system not influenced by a long-range van der Waals contribution

The exterior of a cross-linked polymer gel resembles a polymer brush. Such gel including its brush can be swollen by a good solvent. The detachment of the solvent–vapor (L–V) interface from the brush is controlled by the adsorption of polymer segments onto this interface and is to a very good approximation not influenced by long-range van der Waals contributions. A wetting transition in this system coincided with the adsorption–desorption transition for chains onto such L–V interface and has various unusual features. There are several indications that in practice this system should feature a second-order wetting transition.     

ULTRAVIOLET RADIATION - INDUCED MALIGNANT MELANOMA IN Monodelphis domestica

Several lines of evidence support the hypothesis that ultraviolet radiation (UVR) is involved in the etiology of cutaneous melanoma in humans. However, progress in understanding the mechanisms involved in induction of melanotic tumors by UVR has been hindered by lack of a suitable animal model. During the course of multiple exposures (3 times/wk for 70 wk) of the South American opossum, Monodelphis domestica, to UVR, we first observed the appearance of areas of dermal melanocytic hyperplasia (MH) on the exposed skin. Post-UVR exposure to photoreactivating light (320-500 nm) suppressed the occurrence of MH. We also observed at 100 weeks from first exposure that 10 of 46 surviving animals had developed melanotic tumors which arose, presumably, from areas of MH. Tumors on three of the 10 animals have been classified as malignant melanomas based on metastasis to lymph nodes. We conclude from these results that UVR can act as a complete carcinogen for melanoma induction and, based on the photoreactivation of MH induction, that DNA damage is involved in melanoma formation.     

Synthesis of Novel Nucleic Acid Mimics via the Stereoselective Intermolecular Radical Coupling of 3'-Iodo Nucleosides and Formaldoximes(1)

A highly convergent free radical coupling of alkyl iodides and oximes, mediated by bis(trimethylstannyl) benzopinacolate (8), has been utilized to prepare a series of dimeric nucleosides as mimics of natural nucleic acids. The systematic optimization of the reaction conditions allowed for the single-step conversion of the appropriate iodides and oximes into the 2'-deoxy dimers 9 in moderate to excellent yields. For example, the reaction of 3'-deoxy-3'-iodo-5'-(triphenylmethyl)thymidine (6a) with 3'-O-(tert-butyldiphenylsilyl)-5'-O-(methyleneimino)thymidine (7a) in the presence of 8 in degassed benzene gave an 81% yield of 3'-de(oxyphosphinico)-3'-(methyleneimino)-5'-O-(triphenylmethyl)thymidylyl-(3'-->5')-3'-O-(tert-butyldiphenylsilyl)thymidine (9a). Similarly prepared were dimers containing both pyrimidine (thymine, 5-methylcytosine) and purine (adenine, guanine) bases. The reaction was highly stereoselective, giving only a single dimeric species having the ribo-configuration of the newly introduced C-3'-branched methylene moiety. Also prepared were dimers 16, incorporating 2'-O-methyl ribonucleosides in both halves of the dimer. This required the synthesis of 3'-deoxy-3'-iodo-2'-O-methyl nucleosides 12 as well as 2'-O-methyl-5'-O-methyleneimino nucleosides 15. For example, 5'-O-(tert-butyldiphenylsilyl)-3'-deoxy-3'-iodo-2'-O-methyl-5-methyluridine (12e) was prepared in 80% yield by displacement of the corresponding triflate with Bu(4)NI. Also prepared were the suitably protected 3'-deoxy-3'-iodo adenosine and guanosine derivatives. Compounds 15 were prepared in high yield by a regioselective Mitsunobu reaction to give the corresponding 5'-O-phthalimido nucleosides 13, which were subsequently converted to the requisite oximes 15. In the 2'-O-methyl series, the pinacolate coupling reaction proceeded with efficiency equal to that observed for the 2'-deoxy series 9, but with slightly less stereoselectivity, giving predominantly the C-3'ribo products 16, contaminated with 5-25% of the epimeric material. Mixed base dimers containing both pyrimidine and purine bases at all possible positions, including purine-purine dimers were prepared. The hydroxylamine or methyleneimino (MI) backbone of several representative dimers so prepared was converted via methylation to give the corresponding methylenemethylimino (MMI)-linked compounds, which are novel phosphate surrogates for use in antisense oligonucleotides.     

On the synthesis of pyrinodemin A. Part 1: The location of the olefin

The elucidation of the structure of the cytotoxic marine sponge alkaloid pyrinodemin A by synthesis is described. Based on the ¹³C NMR spectra of three double bond positional isomers and the natural product, it is concluded the C14′-C15′ isomer best represents the true structure of pyrinodemin A. In addition, the structural assignment of pyrinodemin C is evaluated.