Analysis of Prognostic Factors in Malignant External Otitis.

OBJECTIVES: Malignant external otitis (MEO) is a potentially fatal infection of the external auditory canal, temporal bone, and skull base. Despite treatment with modern antibiotics, MEO can lead to skull base osteomyelitis. Until now, there have been few studies on the prognostic factors of MEO. METHODS: We performed a retrospective study to identify prognostic factors of MEO, and a meta-analysis of other articles investigating MEO. On the basis of disease progression the 28 patients in our study were divided into 'controlled' and 'uncontrolled' groups, consisting of 12 and 16 patients, respectively. We identified three categories of prognostic factors: those related to patient, disease, and treatment. We compared these prognostic factors between the controlled and uncontrolled groups. RESULTS: In our study, the duration of diabetes mellitus (DM), presence of inflammatory markers (C-reactive protein and erythrocyte sedimentation rate), and computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging findings influenced the prognosis of MEO. In contrast, prognosis was unrelated to age, gender, mean glucose level, hemoglobin A1c level, pathogen, comorbidity, or cranial nerve involvement. No factor related to treatment modality was correlated with prognosis, such as surgery, steroid therapy, or interval to the first appropriate treatment. Cranial nerve involvement has been proven to be associated with disease progression, but the relationship between cranial nerve involvement and the prognosis of MEO remains controversial. As a part of this study, we conducted a meta-analysis of cranial nerve involvement as a prognostic factor of MEO. We found that cranial nerve involvement has a statistically significant influence on the prognosis of MEO. CONCLUSION: We found that glycemic control in diabetes mellitus, cranial nerve involvement, and the extent of disease determined from various imaging modalities influence the prognosis of MEO. We suggest that significant prognostic factors should be monitored to determine the prognosis of patients with MEO.

Persistent Vocal Fold Granuloma Following Superficial PAAG Injection Laryngoplasty: A Case Report.

The injection material polyacrylamide hydrogel (PAAG; Ferrosan, Søborg, Denmark) is often used as space filler for soft-tissue defects. PAAG is a suitable alternative to the materials used for injection laryngoplasty. Over the past decade, 427 patients have undergone injection laryngoplasty in our clinic using PAAG, and no major complications, such as material migration or foreign body granuloma, were identified. Here, we report the case of the first woman to undergo laryngomicrosurgery to remove a vocal fold granuloma that developed after a superficial injection laryngoplasty performed 4 years previously.

Spectroscopic identification of isomeric jet-cooled benzyl-type radicals generated from 4-fluoro-o-xylene.

Vibronically excited but jet-cooled benzyl-type radicals were generated by the corona discharge of precursor 4-fluoro-o-xylene seeded in a large amount of inert carrier gas helium using a pinhole-type glass nozzle, from which the vibronic emission spectra were observed with a long-path monochromator in the visible region. From an analysis of the spectra observed, we identified the existence of two isomeric benzyl-type radicals, 2-methyl-4-fluorobenzyl and 2-methyl-5-fluorobenzyl radicals in corona discharge, and determined the electronic energy of the D1 → D0 transition and several vibrational mode frequencies in the D0 state of both isomers for the first time.

Spectroscopic identification of benzyl-type radicals generated by corona discharge of 2-chloro-4-fluorotoluene.

By means of a technique of corona excited supersonic expansion coupled with a pinhole-type glass nozzle, we generated vibronically excited but jet-cooled benzyl-type radicals from precursor 2-chloro-4-fluorotoluene seeded in a large amount of inert carrier gas He. From an analysis of the visible vibronic emission spectrum, we found evidence of the formation of the 2-chloro-4-fluorobenzyl and 4-fluorobenzyl radicals. A possible pathway for the formation of these benzyl-type radicals is herein proposed. Also, the electronic energy in the D(1) → D(0) transition and the vibrational mode frequencies of the 2-chloro-4-fluorobenzyl radical in the ground electronic state were accurately determined, for the first time, by comparison with ab initio calculations and the known vibrational data of the precursor.

Spectroscopic observation of jet-cooled 2-fluoro-m-xylyl radical.

The jet-cooled 2-fluoro-m-xylyl radical was generated and vibronically excited in a corona excited supersonic expansion from precursor 2-fluoro-m-xylene seeded in a large amount of carrier gas helium. The well-resolved visible vibronic emission spectrum of the jet-cooled 2-fluoro-m-xylyl radical was recorded using a long-path monochromator. From the analysis of the spectrum, we determine an accurate electronic energy of the D(1) → D(0) transition and the frequencies of vibrational modes in the ground electronic state by comparison with those of ab initio calculations and the known spectroscopic data of 2-fluoro-m-xylene for the first time.

Confirmed assignments of isomeric dimethylbenzyl radicals generated by corona discharge.

The controversial vibronic assignments of isomeric dimethylbenzyl radicals were clearly resolved by using different precursors. By employing corresponding dimethylbenzyl chlorides as precursors, we identified the origins of the vibronic bands of the dimethylbenzyl radicals generated by corona discharge of 1,2,4-trimethylbenzene. From the analysis of the spectra observed from the dimethylbenzyl chlorides in a corona excited supersonic expansion, we revised previous assignments of the 3,4-, 2,4-, and 2,5-dimethylbenzyl radicals. Spectroscopic data of electronic transition and vibrational mode frequencies in the ground electronic state of each isomer were accurately determined by comparing them with those obtained by an ab initio calculation and with the known vibrational data of 1,2,4-trimethylbenzene.

Distribution of tritium in water vapour and precipitation around Wolsung nuclear power plant.

The distribution of tritium in water vapour and precipitation with discharge of tritiated water vapour and meteorological factors was studied around the Wolsung nuclear power plant (NPP) site during the period 2004-2008. The tritium concentrations in atmospheric water vapour and precipitation had a temporal variation with relatively high values in the early summer. Spatial distribution of tritium concentrations was affected by various factors such as distance from the NPP site, wind direction, tritium discharge into the atmosphere and atmospheric dispersion factor. The annual mean concentrations of atmospheric HTO and precipitation were correlated with the amount of gaseous tritium released from the Wolsung NPP. The tritium concentrations in precipitation decrease exponentially with an increase of the distance from the Wolsung NPP site.

Observation of vibronic emission spectrum of jet-cooled 3,5-difluorobenzyl radical.

We applied the technique of corona-excited supersonic expansion using a pinhole-type glass nozzle to observe the vibronic emission spectrum of jet-cooled benzyl-type radicals from the corona discharge of precursor 3,5-difluorotoluene seeded in a large amount of inert helium carrier gas. The vibronically well-resolved emission spectrum was recorded with a long-path monochromator in the visible region. After subtracting the vibronic bands originating from isomeric difluorobenzyl radicals from the observed spectrum, we identified for the first time the bands belonging to the 3,5-difluorobenzyl radical, from which the electronic energy and vibrational mode frequencies of the 3,5-difluorobenzyl radical were accurately determined in the ground electronic state by comparison with those of the precursor and with those from an ab initio calculation.

Spectroscopic evidence of jet-cooled o-chloro-alpha-methylbenzyl radical in corona excitation.

We report the first spectroscopic evidence of the o-chloro-alpha-methylbenzyl radical. The electronically hot but jet-cooled o-chloro-alpha-methylbenzyl radical was formed from precursor o-chloro-ethylbenzene seeded in a large amount of inert carrier gas helium, by employing the technique of corona excited supersonic expansion with a pinhole-type glass nozzle. The vibronic emission spectrum was recorded with a long path monochromator in the D(1) --> D(0) electronic transition in the visible region. By comparing the observed spectrum with that of the o-chlorobenzyl radical reported previously, we could easily identify the spectroscopic evidence of the jet-cooled o-chloro-alpha-methylbenzyl radical generated in the corona discharge of o-chloro-ethylbenzene, from which the electronic transition energy and several vibrational mode frequencies in the ground electronic state were accurately determined.

Observation of vibronic emission spectrum of jet-cooled duryl radical in corona excitation.

The vibronically excited but jet-cooled 2,4,5-trimethylbenzyl (duryl) radical was formed in a corona excitation from precursor 1,2,4,5-tetramethylbenzene (durene) seeded in a large amount of inert carrier gas helium using a pinhole-type glass nozzle. The vibronically resolved emission spectrum of the jet-cooled duryl radical was recorded, for the first time, with a long path monochromator in the visible region. The spectrum was analyzed to obtain an accurate electronic energy of the D1-->D0 transition and vibrational mode frequencies in the ground electronic state by comparing with those of the precursor and those from an ab initio calculation.

Vibronic spectroscopy of benzyl-type radicals: observation of mesityl radical in the gas phase.

We observed, for the first time, the vibronic emission spectrum of the jet-cooled mesityl radical that was formed from mesitylene seeded in a large amount of inert carrier gas helium using a pinhole-type glass nozzle in a corona excited supersonic expansion. The well-resolved vibronic emission spectrum was recorded in the visible region with a long path monochromator. The spectrum was analyzed to identify the origin of the D(2) --> D(0) and D(1) --> D(0) transitions as well as the frequencies of the vibrational modes in the ground electronic state of the mesityl radical by comparison with those of the known data of the precursor and an ab initio calculation.

Preferential site of attack on fullerene cations: frontier orbitals and rate coefficients.

An analysis of reaction efficiency is presented for reactions of carbonaceous ions and molecules. Our results show that the combination of experimental rate-coefficient measurements and computations of the condensed Fukui functions of frontier molecular orbitals and pyramidal angles of pi orbitals is very useful for elucidating the reactive sites on fullerene carbon clusters in the gas phase.

Vibronic structure of jet-cooled 2,6-dimethylbenzyl radical: revisited.

We reexamined the vibronic structure of the jet-cooled 2,6-dimethylbenzyl radical that was generated from 1,2,3-trimethylbenzene seeded in a large amount of inert carrier gas helium using a pinhole-type glass nozzle in a corona excited supersonic expansion, from which the vibronically resolved emission spectrum was recorded with a long path double monochromator in the visible region. The spectrum exhibited bands arising from not only the D1 --> D0 transition but also the D2 --> D0 transition, in which transitions the accurate electronic energies of the D2 and D1 states and the revised vibrational mode frequencies in the ground electronic state were obtained by comparison with those from the known data of the precursor and an ab initio calculation.

3,4-dimethylbenzyl radical formed in a corona discharge of 1,2,4-trimethylbenzene.

A precursor, 1,2,4-trimethylbenzene, seeded in a large amount of an inert carrier gas, helium, was electrically discharged in a corona-excited supersonic expansion using a pinhole-type glass nozzle. The blue-green colored fluorescence emanating from the downstream jet was recorded with a long path monochromator to observe the vibronic emission spectrum of the benzyl-type radical formed. Analysis of the spectrum suggests that the most dominant product of the corona discharge is the 3,4-dimethylbenzyl radical formed by extracting a hydrogen atom from the methyl group at the 4-position. The electronic energies of the D1 and D2 states and the vibrational mode frequencies of the 3,4-dimethylbenzyl radical were accurately obtained for the first time by comparison with those from an ab initio calculation as well as those of the known vibrational mode frequencies of the precursor.

Vibronic Spectrum of the Jet-Cooled 2,6-Dimethylbenzyl Radical in a Corona Excitation.

A jet-cooled 2,6-dimethylbenzyl radical was generated for the first time from a precursor 2,6-dimethylbenzyl chloride with a large amount of inert carrier gas He in a corona-excited supersonic expansion using a pinhole type glass nozzle. The visible fluorescence emanating from the jet was recorded with a long path monochromator to observe the vibronically resolved jet-cooled emission spectrum. The spectrum was analyzed to obtain accurate electronic transition and active vibrational mode frequencies in the ground electronic state by comparison with those from an ab initio calculation.