Vocal Fold Mucosal Tears: Maintaining a High Clinical Index of Suspicion

Vocal fold mucosal tears have been discussed in the literature rarely, although they are not uncommon clinically. Disruptions in the epithelium usually follow trauma that may result from voice abuse and/or misuse, coughing, and other causes. A high index of suspicion is necessary to avoid missing vocal fold mucosal tears, and strobovideolaryngoscopy is indispensable in making the diagnosis. A brief period of complete voice rest is the standard of care and appears to be helpful in avoiding adverse sequelae and advancing the healing process, but there are no scientific studies to confirm its efficacy. Mucosal tears may heal completely or may be followed by the development of vocal fold masses, scar, and permanent dysphonia.     

Some Homo- and Copolymerization Studies of Dimethyldiallylammonium Chloride

This paper summarizes some of the experimental procedures used for making homopolymers and copolymers of dimethyldiallylammonium chloride, along with a discussion of some of the experimental variables such as effects of catalyst ratio, monomer concentration, and impurities. Also discussed are some of the procedures used for evaluation of the polymers and copolymers in flocculation and sludge dewatering.     

Highly practical copper(I)/TEMPO catalyst system for chemoselective aerobic oxidation of primary alcohols

Aerobic oxidation reactions have been the focus of considerable attention, but their use in mainstream organic chemistry has been constrained by limitations in their synthetic scope and by practical factors, such as the use of pure O(2) as the oxidant or complex catalyst synthesis. Here, we report a new (bpy)Cu(I)/TEMPO catalyst system that enables efficient and selective aerobic oxidation of a broad range of primary alcohols, including allylic, benzylic, and aliphatic derivatives, to the corresponding aldehydes using readily available reagents, at room temperature with ambient air as the oxidant. The catalyst system is compatible with a wide range of functional groups and the high selectivity for 1° alcohols enables selective oxidation of diols that lack protecting groups.     

Observations of the Askaryan effect in ice

We report on observations of coherent, impulsive radio Cherenkov radiation from electromagnetic showers in solid ice. This is the first observation of the Askaryan effect in ice. As part of the complete validation process for the ANITA experiment, we performed an experiment at the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center in June 2006 using a 7.5 metric ton ice target. We measure for the first time the large-scale angular dependence of the radiation pattern, a major factor in determining the solid-angle acceptance of ultrahigh-energy neutrino detectors.     

Monoacylglycerol lipase exerts dual control over endocannabinoid and fatty acid pathways to support prostate cancer

Cancer cells couple heightened lipogenesis with lipolysis to produce fatty acid networks that support malignancy. Monoacylglycerol lipase (MAGL) plays a principal role in this process by converting monoglycerides, including the endocannabinoid 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG), to free fatty acids. Here, we show that MAGL is elevated in androgen-independent versus androgen-dependent human prostate cancer cell lines, and that pharmacological or RNA-interference disruption of this enzyme impairs prostate cancer aggressiveness. These effects were partially reversed by treatment with fatty acids or a cannabinoid receptor-1 (CB1) antagonist, and fully reversed by cotreatment with both agents. We further show that MAGL is part of a gene signature correlated with epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition and the stem-like properties of cancer cells, supporting a role for this enzyme in protumorigenic metabolism that, for prostate cancer, involves the dual control of endocannabinoid and fatty acid pathways.     

Microcalorimeter arrays for ultra-high energy resolution X- and gamma-ray detection

Microcalorimeter detectors provide superior energy resolution for the detection of X-rays and gamma-rays. The technology utilizes a cryogenic transition-edge sensor (TES) coupled to a tin bulk absorber. We are working on fabrication methods for the production of arrays with many sensors. In this paper, we present data collected with an array of microcalorimeters using as many as 26 sensor elements simultaneously. Advances in sensor design have extended the useful dynamic range to photon energies up to ～200 keV, while providing resolution performance in the 80–90 eV FWHM range, significantly better than planar high-purity germanium. These sensor arrays have applications in the measurement of nuclear materials. We present data collected from ¹⁵³Gd, a highly-enriched uranium sample, and a plutonium isotopic standard source. We also demonstrate clean separation of the ²³⁵U 185.715 keV peak from the ubiquitous ²²⁶Ra 186.211 keV background peak interference.     

Observation of ultrahigh-energy cosmic rays with the ANITA balloon-borne radio interferometer

We report the observation of 16 cosmic ray events with a mean energy of 1.5 × 101? eV via radio pulses originating from the interaction of the cosmic ray air shower with the Antarctic geomagnetic field, a process known as geosynchrotron emission. We present measurements in the 300-900 MHz range, which are the first self-triggered, first ultrawide band, first far-field, and the highest energy sample of cosmic ray events collected with the radio technique. Their properties are inconsistent with current ground-based geosynchrotron models. The emission is 100% polarized in the plane perpendicular to the projected geomagnetic field. Fourteen events are seen to have a phase inversion due to reflection of the radio beam off the ice surface, and two additional events are seen directly from above the horizon. Based on a likelihood analysis, we estimate angular pointing precision of order 2° for the event arrival directions.