Utjecaj pjevanja na akustičke karakteristike alaringealnog glasa

Totalna laringektomija kao metoda kirurškog liječenja tumora područja glave i vrata nosi doživotne posljedice koje su funkcionalnog, psihološkog i socijalnog karaktera, a jedna od najtežih je gubitak sposobnosti glasnog govora. Zbog toga rehabilitacija glasa/govora nakon totalne laringektomije predstavlja važan aspekt funkcionalne rehabilitacije laringektomirane osobe. Dvije najčešće korištene metode usvajanja alaringealnog govora su ezofagealni (EF) i traheoezofagealni (TEF) glas/govor. Rehabilitacija je primarno usmjerena na restituciju glasa/govora u svrhu svakodnevne komunikacije, ali moguće je pomicati granice, te ju usmjeriti na najkompleksniji čin proizvodnje glasa - pjevanje. U Hrvatskoj službeno postoje četiri zbora laringektomiranih osoba. Cilj istraživanja bio je utvrditi razlike u akustičkim vrijednostima alaringealnog glasa između dvije skupine laringektomiranih osoba. U jednu skupinu su bili uključeni uspješno rehabilitarni bolesnici, a u drugu uspješno rehabilitirani bolesnici koji su i članovi zbora alaringealnih pjevača. Na osnovu objektivnih akustičkih parametara prikazati ćemo koja skupina postiže bolje akustičke vrijednosti. Metode: Istraživanje smo proveli na 12 članova zbora i 12 uspješno rehabilitiranih laringektomiranih bolesnika u Klinici za bolesti uha, nosa i grla i kirurgiju glave i vrata Kliničkog bolničkog centra Zagreb. Akustičke vrijednosti mjerene su programom za akustičku analizu glasa LingWAVES SLP Suite Pro VPR (WEVOSYS medical technology GmbH - Germany), te su analizirani sljedeći parametri: fundamentalna frekvencija, intenzitet, varijacije u osnovnoj frekvenciji (jitter), varijacije u intenzitetu glasa (shimmer). Rezultati statističke analize pokazali su da postoji statistički značajna razlika (p<0.05) između dvije skupine alaringealnih govornika na svim mjerenim parametrima. Zaključak: Bolesnici koji su uključeni u zbor alaringealnih pjevača postižu bolje rezultate od drugih laringektomiranih osoba na svim mjerenim akustičkim parametrima

Utjecaj pjevanja na akustičke karakteristike alaringealnog glasa

Totalna laringektomija kao metoda kirurškog liječenja tumora područja glave i vrata nosi doživotne posljedice koje su funkcionalnog, psihološkog i socijalnog karaktera, a jedna od najtežih je gubitak sposobnosti glasnog govora. Zbog toga rehabilitacija glasa/govora nakon totalne laringektomije predstavlja važan aspekt funkcionalne rehabilitacije laringektomirane osobe. Dvije najčešće korištene metode usvajanja alaringealnog govora su ezofagealni (EF) i traheoezofagealni (TEF) glas/govor. Rehabilitacija je primarno usmjerena na restituciju glasa/govora u svrhu svakodnevne komunikacije, ali moguće je pomicati granice, te ju usmjeriti na najkompleksniji čin proizvodnje glasa - pjevanje. U Hrvatskoj službeno postoje četiri zbora laringektomiranih osoba. Cilj istraživanja bio je utvrditi razlike u akustičkim vrijednostima alaringealnog glasa između dvije skupine laringektomiranih osoba. U jednu skupinu su bili uključeni uspješno rehabilitarni bolesnici, a u drugu uspješno rehabilitirani bolesnici koji su i članovi zbora alaringealnih pjevača. Na osnovu objektivnih akustičkih parametara prikazati ćemo koja skupina postiže bolje akustičke vrijednosti. Metode: Istraživanje smo proveli na 12 članova zbora i 12 uspješno rehabilitiranih laringektomiranih bolesnika u Klinici za bolesti uha, nosa i grla i kirurgiju glave i vrata Kliničkog bolničkog centra Zagreb. Akustičke vrijednosti mjerene su programom za akustičku analizu glasa LingWAVES SLP Suite Pro VPR (WEVOSYS medical technology GmbH - Germany), te su analizirani sljedeći parametri: fundamentalna frekvencija, intenzitet, varijacije u osnovnoj frekvenciji (jitter), varijacije u intenzitetu glasa (shimmer). Rezultati statističke analize pokazali su da postoji statistički značajna razlika (p<0.05) između dvije skupine alaringealnih govornika na svim mjerenim parametrima. Zaključak: Bolesnici koji su uključeni u zbor alaringealnih pjevača postižu bolje rezultate od drugih laringektomiranih osoba na svim mjerenim akustičkim parametrima

Synthesis of CdS and CdSe nanocrystallites using a novel single-molecule precursors approach

The synthesis of CdS and CdSe nanocrystallites using the thermolysis of several dithioor diselenocarbamato complexes of cadmium in trioctylphosphine oxide (TOPO) is reported. The nanodispersed materials obtained show quantum size effects in their optical spectra and exhibit near band-edge luminescence. The influence of experimental parameters on the properties of the nanocrystallites is discussed. HRTEM images of these materials show well-defined, crystalline nanosized particles. Standard size fractionation procedures can be performed in order to narrow the size dispersion of the samples. The TOPO-capped CdS and CdSe nanocrystallites and simple organic bridging ligands, such as 2,2¢-bipyrimidine, are used as the starting materials for the preparation of novel nanocomposites. The optical properties shown by these new nanocomposites are compared with those of the starting nanodispersed materials

Direct visualization of G-quadruplexes in DNA using atomic force microscopy

The formation of G-quadruplexes in G-rich regions of DNA is believed to affect DNA transcription and replication. However, it is currently unclear how this formation occurs in the presence of a complementary strand. We have used atomic force microscopy (AFM) to image stable RNA/DNA hybrid loops generated by transcription of the plasmid pPH600, which contains a 604-bp fragment of the murine immunoglobulin Sγ3 switch region. We show that the non-RNA-containing portion folds into G-quadruplexes, consistent with computational predictions. We also show that hybrid formation prevents further transcription from occurring, implying a regulatory role. After in vitro transcription, almost all (93%) of the plasmids had an asymmetric loop, a large asymmetric blob or a spur-like projection at the appropriate position on the DNA contour. The loops disappeared following treatment of the transcribed plasmid with RNase H, which removes mRNA hybridized with the template strand. Replacement of K+ in the transcription buffer with either Na+ or Li+ caused a reduction in the percentage of plasmids containing loops, blobs or spurs, consistent with the known effects of monovalent cations on G-quadruplex stability. The minimal sample preparation required for AFM imaging has permitted direct observation of the structural changes resulting from G-quadruplex formation

Impact of AFM-induced nano-pits in a-Si:H films on silicon crystal growth

Conductive tips in atomic force microscopy (AFM) can be used to localize field-enhanced metal-induced solid-phase crystallization (FE-MISPC) of amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) at room temperature down to nanoscale dimensions. In this article, the authors show that such local modifications can be used to selectively induce further localized growth of silicon nanocrystals. First, a-Si:H films by plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition on nickel/glass substrates are prepared. After the FE-MISPC process, yielding both conductive and non-conductive nano-pits in the films, the second silicon layer at the boundary condition of amorphous and microcrystalline growth is deposited. Comparing AFM morphology and current-sensing AFM data on the first and second layers, it is observed that the second deposition changes the morphology and increases the local conductivity of FE-MISPC-induced pits by up to an order of magnitude irrespective of their prior conductivity. This is attributed to the silicon nanocrystals (<100 nm) that tend to nucleate and grow inside the pits. This is also supported by micro-Raman spectroscopy

Genome-Wide Analyses of Recombination Prone Regions Predict Role of DNA Structural Motif in Recombination

HapMap findings reveal surprisingly asymmetric distribution of recombinogenic regions. Short recombinogenic regions (hotspots) are interspersed between large relatively non-recombinogenic regions. This raises the interesting possibility of DNA sequence and/or other cis- elements as determinants of recombination. We hypothesized the involvement of non-canonical sequences that can result in local non-B DNA structures and tested this using the G-quadruplex DNA as a model. G-quadruplex or G4 DNA is a unique form of four-stranded non-B DNA structure that engages certain G-rich sequences, presence of such motifs has been noted within telomeres. In support of this hypothesis, genome-wide computational analyses presented here reveal enrichment of potential G4 (PG4) DNA forming sequences within 25618 human hotspots relative to 9290 coldspots (p<0.0001). Furthermore, co-occurrence of PG4 DNA within several short sequence elements that are associated with recombinogenic regions was found to be significantly more than randomly expected. Interestingly, analyses of more than 50 DNA binding factors revealed that co-occurrence of PG4 DNA with target DNA binding sites of transcription factors c-Rel, NF-kappa B (p50 and p65) and Evi-1 was significantly enriched in recombination-prone regions. These observations support involvement of G4 DNA in recombination, predicting a functional model that is consistent with duplex-strand separation induced by formation of G4 motifs in supercoiled DNA and/or when assisted by other cellular factors

Demographic, clinical and antibody characteristics of patients with digital ulcers in systemic sclerosis: data from the DUO Registry

OBJECTIVES: The Digital Ulcers Outcome (DUO) Registry was designed to describe the clinical and antibody characteristics, disease course and outcomes of patients with digital ulcers associated with systemic sclerosis (SSc). METHODS: The DUO Registry is a European, prospective, multicentre, observational, registry of SSc patients with ongoing digital ulcer disease, irrespective of treatment regimen. Data collected included demographics, SSc duration, SSc subset, internal organ manifestations, autoantibodies, previous and ongoing interventions and complications related to digital ulcers. RESULTS: Up to 19 November 2010 a total of 2439 patients had enrolled into the registry. Most were classified as either limited cutaneous SSc (lcSSc; 52.2%) or diffuse cutaneous SSc (dcSSc; 36.9%). Digital ulcers developed earlier in patients with dcSSc compared with lcSSc. Almost all patients (95.7%) tested positive for antinuclear antibodies, 45.2% for anti-scleroderma-70 and 43.6% for anticentromere antibodies (ACA). The first digital ulcer in the anti-scleroderma-70-positive patient cohort occurred approximately 5 years earlier than the ACA-positive patient group. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides data from a large cohort of SSc patients with a history of digital ulcers. The early occurrence and high frequency of digital ulcer complications are especially seen in patients with dcSSc and/or anti-scleroderma-70 antibodies