Vocal Tremor Reduction with Deep Brain Stimulation: A Preliminary Report

Vocal tremor has been a challenging problem for patients and their physicians. In some cases, it has been possible to lesson the symptom's tremor through medications and/or voice therapy. However, in most cases no good treatment has been available. Chronic stimulation of the thalamus has been successful in controlling tremors of the upper limb and other portions of the body. Our preliminary experience suggests that it may also be helpful in controlling vocal tremor.     

Prolonged Ulcerative Laryngitis

Acute and prolonged laryngitis commonly are diagnosed and treated by primary care physicians. These ailments come to the attention of the otolaryngologist when symptoms are prolonged despite treatment. Since the beginning of 1991, the senior authors (RTS, JRS) have recognized a clinical syndrome defined by prolonged hoarseness, prolonged laryngeal inflammation, and vocal fold ulceration. Patients are frequently young, nonsmokers, and nondrinkers who have had an upper respiratory infection prior to, or associated with, the onset of laryngeal symptomatology. Patients may be affected for up to 1 year despite aggressive medical therapy. This review of 14 patients highlights the features of this previously undescribed entity.     

An alternative characterization of the deferred acceptance algorithm

Kojima and Manea (Econometrica 78(2):633–653, 2010) present two characterizations of when an allocation rule corresponds to the agent-proposing deferred acceptance (DA) algorithm for some substitutable priority rule of the objects being assigned. Building on their results we characterize when an allocation rule is outcome equivalent to the DA algorithm for every substitutable priority rule. In particular, an assignment rule satisfies mutual best (MB) if an agent is always assigned her most preferred object whenever she has the highest priority for it. This mild requirement is a necessary but far from sufficient condition for an assignment rule to be stable. We demonstrate that any allocation mechanism that satisfies MB along with non-wastefulness, population monotonicity and either individually rational monotonicity or weak Maskin monotonicity not only is a stable assignment mechanism but is equivalent to the agent proposing DA algorithm.     

Plastic surgery in professional voice users: Special considerations

Many professional voice users undergo cosmetic plastic surgery. Cosmetic procedures can be especially important for the professional who needs to improve appearance to enhance his or her career. It is essential for any patient considering such surgery to fully define the cosmetic change desired, to choose the appropriate procedure, and to avoid complications as much as possible. It is especially important for the professional voice user planning plastic surgery to understand the special considerations that could affect both the voice and the ability to perform in general. He or she must be able to choose a surgeon who understands the special needs of the professional voice user, who can make the appropriate decisions regarding anesthesia and choice of surgical procedures, and who understands both the transient and potentially permanent sequelae of cosmetic plastic surgery. With this knowledge, surgery can be planned that minimizes potential complications involving the voice or the artist's performing schedule.     

Kinetic studies on the reaction of methylcobalamin with metal oxides

Aqueous solutions of methylcobalamin (CH₃B₁₂) react with various water-insoluble metal oxides. The decomposition of methylcobalamin follows a kinetic pattern of two parallel first-order reactions. A proposed reaction mechanism involves the attachment of methylcobalamin to the oxide surface, followed by methyl transfer and dissolution of the oxide.