Paradoxical vocal fold motion: Presentation and treatment options

Paradoxical vocal fold motion is a rare disorder in which adduction of the folds occurs on inspiration. The disorder presents with signs of airway obstruction and often airway distress, so proper diagnosis by the otorhinolaryngologist is critical to subsequent management. We present a retrospective review of 10 patients with the diagnosis of paradoxical vocal fold motion seen over a 6-year period. Eight patients were females, and 6 required an acute airway intervention at presentation; 3 patients eventually underwent tracheotomy for respiratory decompensation. Six patients had a prior diagnosis of asthma, and this was determined to contribute to their respiratory status. Five patients were treated with botulinum toxin and 2 with flexible nasolaryngoscopic biofeedback, which improved the outcome. A review of the literature confirms a female predominance of patients presenting with paradoxical adduction and airway distress, often with a history of asthma and psychopathology. Our experience with botulinum toxin and biofeedback suggests that these procedures are viable treatment options in the management of patients with this disorder.     

Deviant Vocal Fold Vibration as Observed During Videokymography: The Effect on Voice Quality

Videokymographic images of deviant or irregular vocal fold vibration, including diplophonia, the transition from falsetto to modal voice, irregular vibration onset and offset, and phonation following partial laryngectomy were compared with the synchronously recorded acoustic speech signals. A clear relation was shown between videokymographic image sequences and acoustic speech signals, and the effect of irregular or incomplete vocal fold vibration patterns was recognized in the amount of perceived breathiness and roughness and by the harmonics-to-noise ratio in the speech signal. Mechanisms causing roughness are the presence of mucus, phase differences between the left and right vocal fold, and short-term frequency and amplitude modulation. It can be concluded that the use of simultaneously recorded videokymographic image sequences and speech signals contributes to the understanding of the effect of irregular vocal fold vibration on voice quality.     

Mechanical and dynamic aspects of voice production as related to voice therapy and phonosurgery

Laryngeal framework surgery can change the position and tensionof the vocal folds safely without direct surgical intervention in the vocal fold proper. Some 23 years of experience with phonosurgery have proved its usefulness in treating dysphonia related to unilateral vocal fold paralysis, vocal fold atrophy, and pitch-related dysphonias. Meanwhile, much information about the mechanism of voice production has been obtained through intraoperative findings of voice and fiberscopic examination of the larynx . Based on such knowledge together with information obtained through model experiments, the human vocal organ was reconsidered mainly from the mechanical view point, and the roles of voice therapy and singing pedagogy were discussed in relation to phonosurgery. The vocal organ may not be an ideal musical organ and is rather vulnerable, but its potential is enormous.     

Structure-based identification and clustering of protein families and superfamilies

Summary We describe an approach to protein structure comparison designed to detect distantly related proteins of similar fold, where the procedure must be sufficiently flexible to take into account the elasticity of protein folds without losing specificity. Protein structures are represented as a series of secondary structure elements, where for each element a local environment describes its relations with the elements that surround it. Secondary structures are then aligned by comparing their features and local environments. The procedure is illustrated with searches of a database of 468 protein structures in order to identify proteins of similar topology to porcine pepsin, porphobilinogen deaminase and serum amyloid P-component. In all cases the searches correctly identify protein structures of similar fold as the search proteins. Multiple cross-comparisons of protein structures allow the clustering of proteins of similar fold. This is exemplified with a clustering of /- and -class protein structures. We discuss applications of the comparison and clustering of three-dimensional protein structures to comparative modelling and structure-based protein design.     

Synthesis and Crystal Structure of Amino Acid Modified NDI Lanthanide Coordination Complex

The synthesis and crystal structure of γ‐aminobutyric acid naphthalene diimides derivative with the La^III coordination complex, [La(L)(DMF)Cl]_n, was reported, which is a twofold interpenetrating metal‐organic framework architecture. The coordination polymer was characterized by elemental analysis, infrared spectroscopy, thermal gravimetric analysis, and single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction. The optical properties of the crystallized complex were investigated both in solution and the solid state.     

走滑式断层地震的折迭突变模型

利用过势函数微分形式的途径,计入远场外力功的影响,对走滑式断层地震机制进行分析．研究表明:突变理论中折迭突变模型展示的性状,与走滑式断层地震的主要特征之间一一对应．折迭突变可对包括震前、震后围岩-断层系统稳定性描述在内的断层失稳起、终点位置、断层失稳错距等作出描述．给出3种性状可相互印证的断层失稳围岩弹性能释放量图解．走滑式断层地震强度与围岩压力及围岩断层的刚度比等有关,围岩压力大、刚度比小、主切应力轴与发震断层面夹角大,则地震强度大．     

A Consumption Behavior Model with Advertising And Word-of-Mouth Effect

It is widely-held belief that people’s consumption behavior is partly determined by advertising and word-of-mouth effect especially in monopolistic competitive market. Owing to this, we propose a mathematical model to interpret consumer behavior under the advertising and word-of-mouth effects, which is divided into continuous and discrete types for dynamic behavior analysis. Our research indicates the continuous model undergoes fold bifurcation, Hopf bifurcation, and degenerate fold-Hopf bifurcation; the discrete model undergoes flip bifurcation and Neimark-Sacker bifurcation. Moreover, bifurcation diagrams are given by using MATLAB to illustrate the model. Based on the theory of Hopf bifurcation or Flip bifurcation, the system undergoes supercritical Hopf bifurcation or Flip bifurcation under certain conditions. This lead to both advertising impacts periodically on consumer behavior, and a short-term reduction cause no effect the public¡s recognition of the brand, which can guide precision advertising investment.