A Pilot Survey of Vocal Health in Young Singers

The objective of this study was to determine the incidence of vocal problems in young choir singers and to correlate vocal problems with demographic and behavioral information. A questionnaire addressing vocal habits and hygiene was offered to 571 young choir singers, up to 25 years of age, who sing at least weekly; 129 (22.6%) responded. More than one-half of the respondents had experienced vocal difficulty, particularly older adolescents. Detrimental behaviors and circumstances surveyed were not reflective of the incidence of vocal difficulty, except for morning hoarseness, chronic fatigue, insomnia, and female gender after puberty. Voice care professionals should be aware that self-reported voice difficulties are common among young choral singers, especially postpubescent girls, and children with symptoms consistent with reflux (morning hoarseness) and emotional stress (insomnia). Laryngologists should communicate with choral conductors and singing teachers to enhance early identification and treatment of children with voice complaints, and to develop choral educational strategies that help decrease their incidence.     

Probing the Binding Region of the Single-Stranded DNA-Binding Domain of Rat DNA Polymerase β Using Nanosecond-Pulse Laser-Induced Cross-Linking and Mass Spectrometry

In recent years, there has been a significant number of studies in which UV light has been used as a reagent to induce cross-links in nucleic acid-protein complexes. An area of considerable interest among those interested in structural biology is the garnering of information about the sites of cross-linking within the protein and nucleic acid members of photolinked conjugates, under the assumption that such knowledge should lead to identification of contact regions or sites within the native complexes. In this paper, we present our results from a photocross-linking study of the complex of the single-stranded DNA-binding domain of rat DNA polymerase β (pol β-ss) with the oligonucleotide d(ATATATA). In this study, we have used single nanosecond laser pulses as the cross-linking reagent and matrix-assisted laser desorp-tion/ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry as an analytical tool to identify cross-linked peptides purified from proteolytic digests of the cross-linked complex. Six cross-linked peptides have been identified in tryptic digests of the protein-oligonucleotide conjugates that result from irradiation of the pol β-ss-d(ATATATA) complex with a single laser pulse. Comparisons with NMR data in the literature for the same complex show that each of the cross-linked peptides contains amino acids that are in contact with the nucleic acid component of the complex.     

PHOTOCHEMICAL AND FREE RADICAL INITIATED REACTIONS OF 1,3-DIMETHYLTHYMINE WITH ETHANOL

The photochemically induced reaction of 1,3-dimethylthymine (DMT) with ethanol gives four major alcohol adducts. These have been identified as l,3-dimethyl-6-(1-hydroxy-1-ethyl)thymine ( 1 ), 1,3-dimethyl-5-(2-hydroxy-l-pyl)uracil ( 2 ), and the cis and trans isomers of 5,6-dihydro-l,3-di-methyl-6-(l-hydroxy-l-ethyl) thymine ( 3 and 4 ). The compounds 3 and 4 have been shown to be identical to the adducts produced in y-ray irradiated ethanolic aqueous solutions of DMT. Cyclobutane dimers of DMT are also found in the photochemical reaction mixture. Reaction of 1-hydroxyethyl radicals with DMT, initiated by decomposition of di-t-butyl peroxide, leads to formation of the same alcohol adducts, as well as to DMT adducts containing two molecules of ethanol. The acetone sensitized reaction of DMT with ethanol gives 1,3, and 4, along with a variety of adducts incorporating the acetone sensitizer.     

PHOTOCHEMICAL AND FREE RADICAL INITIATED REACTIONS OF1,3-DIMETHYLTHYMINE WITH ISOPROPANOL

Abstract— A photochemically induced reaction of 1 ,3-dimethylthymine (DMT) with isopropanol leads to the formation of four alcohol adducts. The products have been identified as the cis and trans isomers of 5 ,6-dihydro-1,3-dimethyll-6-(2-hydroxy-2-propyl) thymine (I and II), 2.4-diaza-8-hydroxy-2.4,6.8-tetramethylbicyclo[4.2.0]octan-1,3-dione (III), and 5 ,6-dihydro-1,3-dimethyl-6-(2-oxo-l-propyl)-thymine (IV). An acetone photosensitized reaction of DMT with isopropanol gives the same products in a similar relative yield distribution. In both of these reactions, cyclobutane dimers of DMT are produced as well. Free radical reactions of 2-hydroxyisopropyl radicals with DMT, initiated by decomposition of di- t -butyl peroxide, leads to formation of only one of the cis and trans isomers described above. along with 1 ,3-dimethyl-5-(2-hydroxy-2-methyl-1-propyl)uracil (V).     

Characterization of the Reaction of Chloroacetaldehyde with Single and Double Stranded DNA

Chloroacetaldehyde reacts with viral M13mp18 single and double stranded DNA to form the highly fluorescent adducts, etheno-AMP and etheno-CMP.

Absorbance and fluorescence spectroscopy can be used to monitor and characterize these reactions. Both single and double stranded DNA showed increases in the absorbance following reaction with the aldehyde. The fluorescence also increased in these two groups and continued to rise with increasing time of incubation until a point of saturation was reached. The fluorescence of the double stranded moiety was considerably enhanced following reaction with the aldehyde while that of the single stranded population was not, making this method appropriate for the separation of small quantities of the two populations of DNA.     

Application of the single comparator method to instrumental photon activation analysis

Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry - Instrumental photon activation analysis (IPAA) is nondestructive and multi-elemental analysis method like instrumental neutron activation...     

Twist-Bend Nematic Glasses: The Synthesis and Characterisation of Pyrene-based Nonsymmetric Dimers

A selection of pyrene-based liquid crystal dimers have been prepared, containing either methylene-ether or diether linked spacers of varying length and parity. All the diether linked materials, CBOnO.Py (n=5, 6, 11, 12), exhibit conventional nematic and smectic A phases, with the exception of CBO11O.Py which is exclusively nematic. The methylene-ether linked dimer, CBnO.Py, with an even-membered spacer (n=5) was solely nematogenic, but odd-members (n=6, 8, 10) exhibited both nematic and twist-bend nematic phases. Replacement of the cyanobiphenyl fragment by cyanoterphenyl giving CT6O.Py, gave elevated melting and nematic-isotropic transition temperatures, and SmA and SmC_A phases were observed on cooling the nematic phase. Intermolecular face-to-face associations of the pyrene moieties drive glass formation, and all these materials have a glass transition temperature at or above room temperature. The stability of the glassy twist-bend nematic phase allowed for its study using AFM, and the helical pitch length, P_TB, was measured as 6.3 and 6.7 nm for CB6O.Py and CB8O.Py, respectively. These values are comparable to the shortest pitch of a twist-bend nematic phase measured to date.     

A modeling concept of a mechanical system having a piecewise linear spring property for its diagnosis

Machine condition monitoring and fault diagnosis of rotating machinery are very important because of the wide use of rotating machinery in industry. Couplings and gears are used in many mechanical systems to connect elements and transmit power. The system is usually modeled as a single-degree-of-freedom system with a piecewise linear spring property, where the mass of main machine is only considered. In the present study, the dynamic behavior of a system with an unsymmetrical nonlinearity and a significant mass of the connecting part was investigated both experimentally and by numerical simulation. In the experiment, a 1/3 sub-harmonic oscillation was observed, but this oscillation was not found in the simulation using a single-degree-of-freedom system, in which the mass of the connecting part was ignored. However, when a two-degrees-of-freedom system was used that considered both the mass of the connecting part and the impact property, the 1/3 sub-harmonic oscillation was observed. Thus it is recognized that an adequate mathematical model for diagnosis in the early stage of abnormality must be selected on the basis of the mass ratio between the connecting part and the main body.