A Methodology to Quantify the Effective Vertical Thickness of Prephonatory Vocal Fold Medial Surface.

Objective: The shape of the vocal fold medial surface, particularly its vertical thickness, has been shown in computational and physical modeling studies to be highly influential in regulating glottal closure during phonation. However, because of the difficulty to quantify the vertical thickness in real vocal folds, this influence has often been overlooked in clinical contexts. Therefore, the goal of this study is to present a method to calculate an effective vertical thickness of the medial surface that is predictive of the glottal closure pattern during phonation.

Isorhamnetin in Quinoa Whole-Grain Flavonoids Intervenes in Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease by Modulating Bile Acid Metabolism through Regulation of FXR Expression.

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a severe hepatic health threat with no effective treatment. Based on the results that Chenopodium quinoa Willd. flavonoids eluted with 30% ethanol (CQWF30) can effectively alleviate NAFLD, this study employed ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-ESI-MS/MS) to analyze the components of CQWF30.

Effects of isoprene on the ozonolysis of Δ-carene and β-caryophyllene: Mechanisms of secondary organic aerosol formation and cross-dimerization.

Elucidating the mutual effects between the different volatile organic compounds (VOCs) is crucial for comprehending the formation mechanism of atmospheric secondary organic aerosols (SOA). Here, the mixed VOCs experiments of isoprene and Δ-carene/β-caryophyllene were carried out in the presence of O using an indoor smog chamber. The suppression effect of isoprene was recognized by the scanning mobility particle sizer spectrometer, online vacuum ultraviolet free electron laser (VUV-FEL) photoionization aerosol mass spectrometry, and quantum chemical calculations.

Isolation and purification of flavonoids from quinoa whole grain and its inhibitory effect on lipid accumulation in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease by inhibiting the expression of CD36 and FASN.

Background: Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), a chronic metabolic disorder marked by excessive lipid deposition, represents a considerable health burden with no established efficacious treatment strategy. Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.), valued for its health benefits, is replete with flavonoid bioactives.

Vocal Fold Injury Produces Similar Biomechanical Outcomes in Male and Female Rabbits.

Objective: Sex differences in response to trauma and physiologic stressors have been identified in numerous organ systems but have not yet been defined in the larynx. The objective of this study was to develop an endoscopic vocal fold injury model in rabbits and to compare structural and functional outcomes between male and female subjects.

Study Design: Basic science study.

Gastroprotective Effect of Isoferulic Acid Derived from Foxtail Millet Bran against Ethanol-Induced Gastric Mucosal Injury by Enhancing GALNT2 Enzyme Activity.

Excessive alcohol consumption has led to the prevalence of gastrointestinal ailments. Alleviating gastric disorders attributed to alcohol-induced thinning of the mucus layer has centered on enhancing mucin secretion as a pivotal approach. In this study, foxtail millet bran polyphenol BPIS was divided into two components with MW < 200 D and MW > 200 D by molecular interception technology.

Principal dimensions of voice production and their role in vocal expression.

How we produce and perceive voice is constrained by laryngeal physiology and biomechanics. Such constraints may present themselves as principal dimensions in the voice outcome space that are shared among speakers. This study attempts to identify such principal dimensions in the voice outcome space and the underlying laryngeal control mechanisms in a three-dimensional computational model of voice production.

The influence of sensor size on experimental measurement accuracy of vocal fold contact pressure.

The vocal folds experience repeated collision during phonation. The resulting contact pressure is often considered to play an important role in vocal fold injury, and has been the focus of many experimental studies. In this study, vocal fold contact pattern and contact pressure during phonation were numerically investigated.

Spectroscopic Characterization of Highly Excited Neutral Chromium Tricarbonyl.

Spectroscopic characterization of highly excited neutral transition-metal complexes is important for understanding the multifaceted reaction mechanisms between metals and ligands. In this work, the reactions of neutral chromium atoms with carbon monoxide were probed by size-specific infrared spectroscopy. Interestingly, Cr(CO) was found to have an unprecedented A septet excited state rather than the singlet ground state.

Restraining vocal fold vertical motion reduces source-filter interaction in a two-mass model.

Previous experimental studies suggested that restraining the vocal fold vertical motion may reduce the coupling strength between the voice source and vocal tract. In this study, the effects of vocal fold vertical motion on source-filter interaction were systematically examined in a two-dimensional two-mass model coupled to a compressible flow simulation. The results showed that when allowed to move vertically, the vocal folds exhibited subharmonic vibration due to entrainment to the first vocal tract acoustic resonance.

Spectroscopic characterization of carbon monoxide activation by neutral chromium carbides.

Spectroscopic characterization of carbon monoxide activation by neutral metal carbides is of essential importance for understanding the structure-reactivity relationships of catalytic sites, but has been proven to be very challenging owing to the difficulty in size selection. Here, we report a size-specific infrared-vacuum ultraviolet spectroscopic study of the reactions between carbon monoxide with neutral chromium carbides. Quantum chemical calculations were carried out to identify the low-lying structures and to interpret the experimental features.

Drug discovery and optimization based on the co-crystal structure of natural product with target.

Due to their structural diversities and prevalent biological activities, natural products (NPs) are momentous resources for drug discovery. Although NPs have a wide range of biological activities, many exhibit structural complexity that leads to synthetic difficulties, which combines with inefficient biological activity, toxicity, and unfavorable pharmacokinetic characteristics and ultimately imparts poor safety and efficacy outcomes. Progress in crystallization and computational techniques allow crystallography to have a seasonable influences on drug discovery.

Neural Adaptive Sliding-Mode Control for Uncertain Nonlinear Systems with Disturbances Using Adaptive Dynamic Programming.

This paper focuses on a neural adaptive H∞ sliding-mode control scheme for a class of uncertain nonlinear systems subject to external disturbances by the aid of adaptive dynamic programming (ADP). First, by combining the neural network (NN) approximation method with a nonlinear disturbance observer, an enhanced observer framework is developed for estimating the system uncertainties and observing the external disturbances simultaneously. Then, based on the reliable estimations provided by the enhanced observer, an adaptive sliding-mode controller is meticulously designed, which can effectively counteract the effects of the system uncertainties and the separated matched disturbances, even in the absence of prior knowledge regarding their upper bounds.

Effects of NO and SO on the secondary organic aerosol formation from β-pinene photooxidation.

Elucidating the effects of anthropogenic pollutants on the photooxidation of biogenic volatile organic compounds is crucial to understanding the fundamental mechanisms of secondary organic aerosol (SOA) formation. Here, the impacts of NO and SO on SOA formation from the photooxidation of a representative monoterpene, β-pinene, were investigated by a number of laboratory studies. The results indicated NO enhanced the SOA mass concentrations and particle number concentrations under both low and high β-pinene conditions.

The influence of source-filter interaction on the voice source in a three-dimensional computational model of voice production.

The goal of this computational study is to quantify global effects of vocal tract constriction at various locations (false vocal folds, aryepiglottic folds, pharynx, oral cavity, and lips) on the voice source across a large range of vocal fold conditions. The results showed that while inclusion of a uniform vocal tract had notable effects on the voice source, further constricting the vocal tract only had small effects except for conditions of extreme constriction, at which constrictions at any location along the vocal tract decreased the mean and peak-to-peak amplitude of the glottal flow waveform. Although narrowing in the epilarynx increased the normalized maximum flow declination rate, vocal tract constriction in general slightly reduced the source strength and high-frequency harmonic production at the glottis, except for a limited set of vocal fold conditions (e.

The impact of esterified nanofibrillated cellulose content on the properties of thermoplastic starch/PBAT biocomposite films through ball-milling.

To enhance the mechanical properties and interfacial compatibility of thermoplastic starch (TPS) highly filled poly(butylene adipate co-terephthalate) (PBAT) composite films, esterified NFC was innovatively fabricated and introduced into the composite system. The influences of NFC content and ball-milling treatment were thoroughly investigated. Interestingly, the amphiphilic esterified NFC provided a "bridge-like" effect between TPS and PBAT interfaces, which significantly improved the interfacial compatibility and mechanical properties.

Effects of Thyroarytenoid Activation Induced Vibratory Asymmetry on Voice Acoustics and Perception.

Introduction: Asymmetry of vocal fold (VF) vibration is common in patients with voice complaints and also observed in 10% of normophonic individuals. Although thyroarytenoid (TA) muscle activation plays a crucial role in regulating VF vibration, how TA activation asymmetry relates to voice acoustics and perception is unclear. We evaluated the relationship between TA activation asymmetry and the resulting acoustics and perception.

Cell-Based Outer Vocal Fold Replacement Both Treats and Prevents Vocal Fold Scarring in Rabbits.

Objective: Numerous pharmacological and cell-based treatments have shown promise in preventing vocal fold (VF) scarring when applied at the time of injury. A common clinical scenario, however, is the finding of mature scar impeding voicing. Many treatments are less effective in remodeling existing scar tissue.

Validation and enhancement of a vocal fold medial surface 3D reconstruction approach for in-vivo application.

In laryngeal research, studying the vertical vocal fold oscillation component is often disregarded. However, vocal fold oscillation by its nature is a three-dimensional process. In the past, we have developed an in-vivo experimental protocol to reconstruct the full, three-dimensional vocal fold vibration.

Vocal Fold Vertical Thickness in Human Voice Production and Control: A Review.

While current voice research often focuses on laryngeal adjustments in a two-dimensional plane from a superior endoscopic view, recent computational simulations showed that vocal control is three-dimensional and the medial surface vertical thickness plays an important role in regulating the glottal closure pattern and the spectral shape of the produced voice. In contrast, while a small glottal gap is required to initiate and sustain phonation, further changes in the glottal gap within this small range have only small effects on glottal closure and spectral shape. Vocal fold stiffness, particularly along the anterior-posterior direction, plays an important role in pitch control but has only a small effect on glottal closure and spectral shape.

Autoxidation Mechanism and Kinetics of Methacrolein in the Atmosphere.

Elucidating the autoxidation of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) is crucial to understanding the formation mechanism of secondary organic aerosols, but it has been proven to be challenging due to the complexity of reactions under atmospheric conditions. Here, we report a comprehensive theoretical study of atmospheric autoxidation in VOCs exemplified by the atmospherically important methacrolein (MACR), a major oxidation product of isoprene. The results indicate that the Cl-adducts and H-abstraction products of MACR readily react with O and undergo subsequent isomerizations via H-shift and cyclization, forming a large variety of lowly and highly oxygenated organic molecules.

A novel CDK8 inhibitor with poly-substituted pyridine core: Discovery and anti-inflammatory activity evaluation in vivo.

As an ideal anti-inflammatory target, cyclin-dependent kinase 8 (CDK8) has gradually attracted the attention of researchers. CDK8 inhibition up-regulates Interleukin-10 (IL-10) expression by enhancing the transcriptional activity of activator protein-1 (AP-1), and augmenting IL-10 abundance is a viable strategy for the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). In this research, through structure-based drug design and dominant fragment hybridization, a series of poly-substituted pyridine derivatives were designed and synthesized as CDK8 inhibitors.