bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma with multicystic, mucinous appearance and oncocytic change
Authors: Fujii Takahiko , Harada Kenichi , Katayanagi Kazuyoshi , Kurumaya Hiroshi , Nakanuma Yasuni
Published: March 2005

A case is reported herein of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) with multicystic, mucinous appearance and oncocytic change. Because of liver dysfunction, a 73‐year‐old woman was hospitalized in early October 2003. She was diagnosed as having ICC of the right hepatic lobe with occlusion of the hilar and perihilar bile ducts by imaging examination. Extended right lobectomy was performed but the patient died of liver failure on the next day. In surgically resected specimens, the tumor (3 × 3 cm) was mainly located in the right lobe, and tumors infiltrated along the biliary tree as well as invading into the adjacent hepatic parenchyma. The tumor mass had a sponge or honeycomb appearance. Microscopically, these tumors were composed of multiple microcysts filled by abundant mucin and lined by micropapillary adenocarcinoma cells. Their cytoplasm was acidophilic, appearing as an oncocyte, and carcinoma cells were positive for mitochondrial antigen in addition to biliary cytokeratins. There were no ovarian‐like stromas around these cystic tumors, and communication of the biliary lumen with these carcinomatous cysts was not evident, thus different from biliary mucinous cystadenocarcinoma and intraductal papillary neoplasm of the liver. This is the third case of multicystic mucinous ICC and the present case might have been derived from intrahepatic peribiliary glands.
Renal oncocytosis
Authors: Nagashima Yoji , Mitsuya Toshiyuki , Shioi Ko‐ich , Noguchi Sumio , Kishida Takeshi , Hamano Atsushi , Ohgo Yoshiharu , Tsuura Yukio , Ogawa Toru , Aoki Ichiro , Yao Masahiro
Published: March 2005

Renal oncocytosis is a rare disorder in which numerous oncocytic nodules develop in the kidney. An additional case is reported here. The patient was a 51‐year‐old woman who had received hemodialysis for 27 years. Nineteen years previously she had developed a tumorous lesion in the right kidney, which had been diagnosed as oncocytoma with laparotomic biopsy. Recently the kidney was removed because of enlargement of the tumor. The renal parenchyma was entirely replaced with numerous brownish nodules. Histologically, the nodules were composed of nests of uniform oncocytic cells. Ultrastructurally, the oncocytic cells contained numerous mitochondria. Immunohistochemical features of the nodules were identical to those of sporadic oncocytomas, that is, immunophenotypes similar to the distal nephron and reactivity with antimitochondrial antigen. Based on these findings, the lesion was diagnosed as renal oncocytosis. It was not possible to determine whether the larger nodules should be diagnosed as oncocytoma or a part of oncocytosis. Additionally, the germ line mutation of the Birt–Hogg–Dubé (BHD) syndrome gene was examined using the genomic DNA obtained from the peripheral lymphocytes, which failed to show any gene alteration. Despite the rare occurrence pathologists and urologists should be aware of renal oncocytosis, as a precursor lesion of renal oncocytoma and chromophobe renal cell carcinoma.
Amyloidosis of pancreatic islets in primary amyloidosis (AL type)
Authors: Tomita Tatsuo
Published: March 2005

Seven cases of primary amyloidosis (AL‐type) were studied immunocytochemically for the possible involvement of pancreatic islets. The two cases with extensive organ involvement by AL‐amyloidosis revealed amyloid deposits in pancreatic islets by routine HE and Congo red staining, which were positive for amyloid p and amyloid a, but were only focally positive for light chains kappa and lambda. Positive staining for amyloid p and amyloid a was also noted in the scattered pancreatic acinar tissues, and this positive staining was not specifically located in pancreatic islets as seen in type 2 diabetes mellitus. It is concluded that amyloid deposits in pancreatic islets occur in systemic AL‐amyloidosis by a different mechanism from type 2 diabetes. Islet amyloidosis in AL‐amyloidosis appears to deposit via circulation, depositing in both pancreatic islets and acinar tissue through blood vessels. In type 2 diabetes, β islet cells die by cytotoxic effects of smaller amylin (islet amyloid polypeptide, IAPP) aggregates, and the interstitial space created by the necrotic β cells is replaced by larger IAPP aggregates, to form complex, polymerized islet amyloid. In AL‐amyloidosis, the amount of amyloid and light chain deposits in pancreatic islets is much less than that of the other organs and appears to have no connection to type 2  diabetes  because  the  patients  did  not  present  diabetes or hyperglycemia. However, considerable islet amyloidosis can be seen in severe AL‐type amyloidosis.
A case report of congenital isolated absence of the right pulmonary artery: bronchofibrescopic findings and chest radiological tracings over 9 years
Authors: MIMURA Satoshi , KOBAYASHI Hideo , SHINKAI Masaharu , KANOH Soichiro , MOTOYOSHI Kazuo
Published: March 2005

Abstract:  A 27‐year‐old man was admitted to hospital for investigation of haemoptysis. He was a serving member of the Japan Self‐Defense Forces. A CXR showed absence of the right hilum, and the right hemithorax was smaller than the contralateral hemithorax. Pulmonary arteriography demonstrated complete absence of the right pulmonary artery. Right heart catheterisation did not show any concomitant cardiovascular malformations, and the patient was diagnosed as having isolated absence of the right pulmonary artery. Bronchial arteriograms demonstrated enlargement and proliferation of the small branches of the right bronchial artery. Bronchofibrescopic examination showed obvious enlargement of the bronchial mucosal vessels with submucosal eruptions and swelling in the right bronchial tree, but not on the left side. Re‐examination of the patient's CXR from the previous 9 years revealed a chronological decrease of right lung volume and an increase of the cardiothoracic ratio. Isolated absence of the right pulmonary artery is generally considered to have a good prognosis, but close observation is necessary to monitor the pulmonary haemodynamics.
Pulmonary anisakiasis presenting as eosinophilic pleural effusion
Authors: SAITO Wakana , KAWAKAMI Kenji , KUROKI Reiki , MATSUO Hidenori , OISHI Kazunori , NAGATAKE Tsuyoshi
Published: March 2005

Abstract:  A 63‐year‐old man developed a pleural effusion with marked eosinophilia, which was more prominent in the pleural fluid than in the peripheral blood. The pleural effusion spontaneously disappeared 7 days after admission. A multiple dot enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay for anisakiasis was strongly positive for both the serum and pleural fluid. The serum IgG titre for Anisakis simplex gradually decreased over 7 months. It is suspected that Anisakis larvae can penetrate the alimentary canal, and then migrate into the pleural cavity through the diaphragm. Screening with a serological test is useful in the diagnosis of this condition; human pulmonary anisakiasis.
Zidovudine‐induced diaphragmatic contractile dysfunction: Impact of an antioxidant diet
Authors: WHEELER Sara , MAXWELL‐BAWDEN Anya , HERB Robert A. , GALLAGHER Gail E. , COAST J. Richard
Published: March 2005

Objective:  Zidovudine (AZT) is a primary drug therapy used to treat HIV‐infected individuals. While AZT inhibits replication of HIV, it also induces a drug‐specific myopathy resulting in altered muscle mitochondria, increased oxidative stress and muscle contractile dysfunction. The purpose of this study was to assess the impact of an antioxidant diet (high in vitamins C and E) on AZT‐mediated diaphragmatic contractile dysfunction in rodents.

Methodology:  Adult, Sprague–Dawley rats were assigned to feeding groups: control (CON, n = 9), AZT‐treatment (AZT, n = 8), antioxidant diet only (Anti‐Ox, n = 6), and AZT + antioxidant diet (AZT + Anti, n = 9). Two costal diaphragm strips were removed from each animal (under surgical anaesthesia) and evaluated for force‐frequency relationship, maximal specific tension, and fatigue resistance using an in vitro preparation.

Results:  Results indicate significant reductions in normalized force production (20–200 Hz), including maximal specific tension, between AZT animals and all other groups. While AZT reduced diaphragm contractility, the addition of an antioxidant diet eliminated this decrease.

Conclusion:  These data suggest that an increase in oxidative stress mediated by AZT may contribute to AZT‐induced muscle contractile dysfunction, and that antioxidant vitamin supplementation may help ameliorate this effect.
Usefulness of the Japanese Respiratory Society guidelines for community pneumonia: a retrospective analysis of community‐acquired pneumonia between 2000 and 2002 in a general hospital
Authors: MOTOMURA Kazushi , MASAKI Hironori , TERADA Mayumi , ONIZUKA Tomoko , FURUMOTO Akitsugu , ASOH Norichika , OISHI Kazunori , NAGATAKE Tsuyoshi
Published: March 2005

Objective:  The aim of this study was to investigate the causative organisms of community‐acquired pneumonia (CAP) diagnosed between 2000 and 2002 and to evaluate the Japanese Respiratory Society (JRS) guidelines.

Methodology:  A total of 124 cases of CAP diagnosed during the study period were analyzed, and the results were compared with those of a previous study by the authors’ research group. Determination of the causative organisms of CAP was based on Gram stain, morphology of colonies, quantitative culture of sputum, identification of bacterial isolates, and serological tests.

Results:  During the study period, the causative organisms were identified in 42 cases (33.8%). Streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae and Moraxella catarrhalis were the major causative organisms. Patients were classified into three groups based on the severity of CAP according to the JRS guidelines. The survival rates of patients with moderate and severe CAP were significantly lower than those of the mild group as evaluated by the Kaplan–Meier method (moderate vs mild, 70% vs 100%; severe vs mild, 40% vs 100%; P < 0.001 for both). Seven patients died during the study, and the risk factors were old age, bedridden status with cerebral infarction, and microaspiration, which was associated with recurrent pneumonia within 17 days.

Conclusion:  This study indicates that the JRS guidelines for CAP are useful for treating patients with CAP in Japan.
Tuberculous peritonitis developing during chemotherapy for pulmonary and intestinal tuberculosis: A case report
Authors: KASAHARA Kei , FUKUOKA Atsuhiko , MURAKAWA Koichi , OKAMURA Hideo , MIKASA Keiichi , Narita Nobuhiro , KIMURA Hiroshi
Published: March 2005

Abstract:  This report is of a case of tuberculous peritonitis that developed during antituberculous chemotherapy. A 54‐year‐old man had been diagnosed as all‐drug susceptible pulmonary and intestinal tuberculosis, and treatment with isoniazid, ethambutol and rifampicin had been initiated. About 5 months later, while still undergoing therapy, a large amount of ascites developed. A diagnostic laparoscopy was performed but due to the adhesion between the greater omentum and the parietal peritoneum, intestinal perforation occurred. An emergency operation was performed and the diagnosis of tuberculous peritonitis was confirmed. There are few reports of abdominal tuberculosis developing during antituberculous chemotherapy. In this case a paradoxical response may have been involved in the pathogenesis.
Smoking reduction does work: Resulting alterations in the incidence and histological subtypes of lung cancer in New South Wales in the last 20 years
Authors: JOSHUA A.M. , BOYER M.J. , SUBRAMANIAN R. , CLARKE S.J.
Published: March 2005

Background: There is irrefutable evidence of the association between lung cancer and smoking. The effects of public health campaigns to reduce population‐smoking rates on the incidence and the histological distribution of lung cancer were examined.

Methods: The data held in the New South Wales Cancer Registry from 1972 to 2001 was accessed.

Results: The data revealed a decreasing incidence of lung cancer amongst males and a rate that continued to increase amongst females. Interestingly, there was also an effect on the histological distribution of lung cancers, with falling rates of small cell lung cancer and squamous cell cancer, both of which have a high association with smoking; and an increasing incidence of adenocarcinomas.

Conclusions: These trends reveal patterns seen worldwide. The increasing proportion of adenocarcinomas in particular may be related to the changing composition of cigarettes and filters.
Augmentation of allergic inflammation in the airways of cyclooxygenase‐2‐deficient mice
Authors: NAKATA Junko , KONDO Mitsuko , TAMAOKI Jun , TAKEMIYA Takako , NOHARA Michiko , YAMAGATA Kanato , NAGAI Atsushi
Published: March 2005

Objective:  Airway cyclooxygenase‐2 (COX‐2) is induced by cytokine‐mediated inflammation such as occurs in asthma. However, the role of COX‐2 in the pathophysiology of asthma is not fully understood.

Methods:  Allergic inflammation, airway responsiveness to methacholine and mucous cell metaplasia after ovalbumin sensitization in the airways of COX‐2 deficient (–/–) mice, COX‐2 (+/+) mice and C57BL/6J mice treated with a selective COX‐2 inhibitor, nimesulide were assessed. Histology, cell analysis, measurements of arachidonic acid metabolites and Th2 cytokine levels in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF), and measurement of serum IgE were performed.

Results:  Eosinophil infiltration into the airway wall, and the number of eosinophils in BALF were greater in sensitized COX‐2 (–/–) mice than in sensitized COX‐2 (+/+) mice. The levels of cysteinyl leukotrienes (LTC4/D4/E4), prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) and interleukin (IL)‐13 as well as airway responsiveness did not differ in COX‐2 (–/–) mice and COX‐2 (+/+) mice. However, sensitized COX‐2 (–/–) mice had higher LTC4/D4/E4 and lower PGE2 concentrations compared with non‐sensitized COX‐2 (–/–) mice. The number of PAS/alcian blue‐positive airway epithelial cells and serum IgE were elevated in COX‐2 (–/–) mice. Nimesulide‐treated mice showed augmented eosinophilic inflammation, LTC4/D4/E4 concentrations and mucous cell metaplasia.

Conclusion:  These data indicate that COX‐2 deficiency augments allergic inflammation and mucous cell metaplasia.
An Interactive Deformation System for Granular Material
Authors: Onoue Koichi , Nishita Tomoyuki
Published: March 2005

Computer Graphics (CG) animations of natural phenomena are currently widely used for movies and in video games. Granular materials occur widely in nature, and therefore it is necessary that CG animations represent ground surfaces composed of a granular material as well as model deformations when the granular material comes into contact with other physical rigid objects (called solid objects). In this paper, we propose a deformation algorithm for ground surfaces composed of granular material. The deformation algorithm is divided into three steps: (1) detection of the collision between a solid object and the ground surface, (2) displacement of the granular material and (3) erosion of the material at steep slopes. The proposed algorithm can handle solid objects of various shapes, including concave polyhedra by additionally using a layered data structure called the Height Span Map. Furthermore, a texture sliding technique is presented to render the motion of granular materials. In addition, our implementation of the deformation algorithm can be used at interactive frame rates.
Acquisition, Synthesis, and Rendering of Bidirectional Texture Functions
Authors: Müller G. , Meseth J. , Sattler M. , Sarlette R. , Klein R.
Published: March 2005

One of the main challenges in computer graphics is still the realistic rendering of complex materials such as fabric or skin. The difficulty arises from the complex meso structure and reflectance behavior defining the unique look‐and‐feel of a material. A wide class of such realistic materials can be described as 2D‐texture under varying light‐ and view direction, namely, the Bidirectional Texture Function (BTF). Since an easy and general method for modeling BTFs is not available, current research concentrates on image‐based methods, which rely on measured BTFs (acquired real‐world data) in combination with appropriate synthesis methods. Recent results have shown that this approach greatly improves the visual quality of rendered surfaces and therefore the quality of applications such as virtual prototyping. This state‐of‐the‐art report (STAR) will present the techniques for the main tasks involved in producing photo‐realistic renderings using measured BTFs in details.
Missing the point: globalization, deterritorialization and the space of the world
Authors: Elden Stuart
Published: March 2005

This article provides a critique of a dominant strand of the literature on globalization – that which suggests it can be understood as deterritorialization. It argues that suggestions that we have moved away from territorial understandings of politics fail to conceptually elaborate the notion of territory itself. Drawing parallels between mathematics and politics in the seventeenth century, the paper claims that the notion of territory is dependent on a particular way of grasping space as calculable. This way of understanding space makes bounded territories possible, but also underlies new global configurations. In other words globalization is a reconfiguration of existing understandings rather than the radical break some suggest. The article concludes by making some comments on this reconfiguration, and suggesting that further historical and conceptual work on territory is necessary before it can be thought to be superseded.
Ethnic segregation in England's schools
Authors: Burgess Simon , Wilson Deborah
Published: March 2005

We document ethnic segregation in secondary schools in England in 2001 in order to contribute to the debate on the degree of ethnic group social integration. We use indices of dissimilarity and isolation to compare the patterns of segregation across nine ethnic groups. We find that levels of ethnic segregation in England's schools are high, with considerable variation both across LEAs and across different minority ethnic groups. By combining the two indices we are able to identify areas of particular concern as scoring highly on both. For pupils of South Asian origin, these include the locations of the severe disorders in the summer of 2001. Finally, we show that ethnic segregation is only weakly related to income segregation.
Accommodating Otherness: anti‐asylum centre protest and the maintenance of white privilege
Authors: Hubbard Phil
Published: March 2005

Geographers have recently progressed the debate on NIMBYism by demonstrating that opposition to new development is frequently motivated by white residents’ desire to exclude non‐white groups. In this paper, I extend this argument by exploring community opposition to a proposed accommodation centre for asylum seekers in Nottinghamshire (UK). Herein, I detail a rhetoric of opposition that ignored the multiple origins and ethnicities of asylum seekers to depict them as an undifferentiated Other group. Though local campaigners rarely referred directly to their own ‘whiteness’, I argue their campaign can only be understood within a racialized problematic, constituting an attempt to defend the privileges of an ‘unmarked’ whiteness against the imagined threat of a racialized Other. In conclusion, I argue that studies of NIMBYism must take careful account of the contingency of racial identities if they are to effectively contribute to the geographic literature that seeks to de‐centre white privilege.
Russia's penal peripheries: space, place and penalty in Soviet and post‐Soviet Russia
Authors: Pallot Judith
Published: March 2005

Russia has a distinctive ‘geography of punishment’ that is the product of the use of the peripheries as a place of exile and incarceration. Framing the analysis in a discussion of recent penal theory, including in the works of Michel Foucault, the author traces the formation of Russia's penal peripheries up to the present day and uses the example of the north of Perm’ oblast to analyse the process involved in forging a ‘penal region’.
Post‐socialism and the changing geographies of the everyday in Poland
Authors: Stenning Alison
Published: March 2005

In reporting on recent research on the changing geographies of everyday life in the town of Nowa Huta in southern Poland, this paper seeks to promote the use of post‐socialism as a conceptual, rather than simply descriptive and/or transitory, category. By exploring experiences of (im)mobility and (in)security in post‐socialism, this paper connects to related work on the West and asks what difference post‐socialism makes. It concludes by presenting a post‐socialism marked out as different by the particular experiences of socialism, its construction and destruction and as a partial and hybrid social form, produced by a combination of multiple social forms constructed at varied scales of time and space.
Application of Cutometer area parameters for the study of human skin fatigue
Authors: Dobrev Hristo
Published: March 2005

Background/aim: The age‐related decrease of skin elasticity results in larger fatigue of adult skin than young skin after applying multiple stress at one and the same anatomic region. The aim of this study was to compare the informativeness of Cutometer standard R‐parameters with new area parameters regarding the age‐related changes in human skin fatigue.

Materials/methods: A total of 40 healthy volunteers aged 12–82 years were studied. Mechanical parameters of the skin were determined using a non‐invasive suction skin elasticity meter (Cutometer). Measurements were made on the temporal region and volar forearm. Skin mechanical parameters analyzed by Win‐Cutometer MPA software were R3, R4 and R9 (R‐parameters), and F2 and F3 (area parameters).

Results: The adult skin was characterized by significantly higher values of R4, R9 and F2, and lower F3 compared with young skin. R3 was not significantly altered. There were not any sex‐related differences. F2 correlated positively with parameters R3, R4 and R9, while F3 correlated negatively with R4. A positive correlation within the parameters R3, R4 and R9 was established at both anatomic regions.

Conclusion: The non‐invasive method applied can be useful for objective and quantitative investigation of age‐related changes in skin fatigue and evaluation of the effects of cosmetic and antiaging topical products. The mechanical parameters R4 and F3 are most indicative of human skin fatigue.
Topography and anisotropy of the skin surface with ageing
Authors: Lagarde J.M. , Rouvrais C. , Black D.
Published: March 2005

Background/purpose: Most studies of how the relief of the skin surface changes on ageing are based solely on topography, and a few have taken into account anisotropy parameters. However, the calculation of these parameters is often carried out manually and as the techniques of data acquisition have progressed rapidly, a certain degree of obsolescence has been reached. It is for this reason that we have undertaken a similar study but with more advanced equipment.

Materials and Methods: The Dermatop system analyses the relief of Silflo negative prints of the skin surface. It is based on the projection of interference fringes and phase shift and provides surface parameters and not profiles. In addition, the Toposurf software enables image processing and the precise and automatic calculation of the topography parameters (roughness, developed surface area and peak–trough amplitude) and anisotropy (level of anisotropy and furrow density). These parameters were studied on the forearm and temple of 40 men and 40 women evenly distributed into two groups: the first including subjects aged 25–35 years and the second 50–65 years.

Results:

Roughness of both sites increases with age, independent of sex, but to a lesser extent in women than in men.

The developed surface area and the peak–trough amplitude increase significantly with age irrespective of the site and the sex.

The level of anisotropy increases with age, in both men and women, on the forearm and the temple, the site more exposed to light being more affected.

The density of the furrows decreases with age in both sexes and both sites but with a greater increase for the temple, which is more exposed to solar ageing.

Conclusion: The study of these new parameters will allow objective evaluation of the action of topical dermatological and cosmetic treatment, and new techniques in plastic surgery (e.g. laser resurfacing), and will enable the accurate follow‐up of certain pathologies.
Skin changes induced by a zinc oxide dressing compared with a hydrocolloid dressing in healthy individuals
Authors: Nielsen Lene Feldskov , Blume Niels , Romme Tina , Samuelsen Peter , Everland Hanne , Ifversen Peter , Karlsmark Tonny
Published: March 2005

Background/purpose: Incidence of skin complications in ostomy patients constitutes a well‐known and well‐described problem. The reasons are, however, very difficult to describe because of the many factors contributing to the problem. This article describes the skin changes derived exclusively from the adhesives used in a carefully controlled, long‐term study using two fundamentally different types of adhesives: a hydrocolloid adhesive and a zinc oxide adhesive.

Methods: The adhesives were changed daily on the volar forearm of 11 volunteers for a 4‐week period. Once a week, transepidermal waterloss (TEWL), water content of the skin, erythema and the peel force applied for removal of the adhesives were measured. On the last day of the study, a replica of the skin surface was obtained to determine changes in the skin topography, and a biopsy was taken to study changes at the cellular level.

Results and conclusion: We found increased TEWL and decreased water content in skin treated with the zinc oxide adhesive, but increased waterloss and water content when the hydrocolloid adhesive was used. In addition, the area treated with zinc oxide adhesive showed significant increase of epidermal thickness, scaly appearance and parakeratosis with similarities to pathological dry skin diseases such as psoriasis and atopic dermatitis, changes that were not found when using the hydrocolloid adhesive. The skin response seems to be the result of the content of zinc oxide and the mechanical interaction of the zinc oxide adhesive. We conclude that the nature of the adhesive plays an important role in the skin response to repeated application of adhesives, as seen in peristomal skin.
Automatic measurement of dermal thickness from B‐scan ultrasound images using active contours
Authors: Lagarde Jean‐Michel , George Jéróme , Soulcié Romain , Black David
Published: March 2005

Background/purpose: Measurement of dermal thickness is useful in the evaluation of dermo‐cosmetics for assessing not only morphological changes but also mechanical properties of this layer. Our aim was first to standardise the manual dermal thickness measurement procedure on B‐scan ultrasound images, then to develop an automatic operator independent method to detect the boundaries of the dermis.

Material and methods: The Dermcup® 20 MHz B‐scan ultrasound system was used. The method used for detecting the boundaries was adapted from active contour algorithms. The innovative aspect of the method consists in an automatic initialisation of the first step of the algorithm. To validate the method, we correlated measurements obtained by the manual and automatic approaches from a set of images from different anatomical sites.

Results and conclusion: The results showed for the two measurement methods, 72% of the images were perfectly correlated. The remaining images required manual initialisation of the boundaries by a non‐expert operator before the active contour process could be used. Subsequent to this semi‐automatic procedure, the correlation was very high.
Hip ulcer secondary to foreign body reaction and vacuum‐assisted closure therapy: report of a case
Authors: Moreno‐Coutiño Gabriela , Estrada‐Chávez Guadalupe , Domínguez‐Cherit Judith
Published: March 2005

Patients who have a foreign body reaction are at risk of developing chronic ulcers secondary to necrosis, due to the inflammation present in the affected tissues or trauma, worsened by alterations in the vascular perfusion. These ulcers represent a therapeutic challenge for both physicians and patients.
Risk assessment of the diabetic foot and wound
Authors: Wu Stephanie , Armstrong David G
Published: March 2005

Diabetic foot ulcers are among the most common severe complications of diabetes, affecting up to 68 per 1000 persons with diabetes per year in the United States. Over half of these patients develop an infection and 20% require some form of amputation during the course of their malady. The key risk factors of diabetic foot ulceration include neuropathy, deformity and repetitive stress (trauma). The key factors associated with non healing of diabetic foot wounds (and therefore amputation) include wound depth, presence of infection and presence of ischaemia. This manuscript will discuss these key risk factors and briefly outline steps for simple, evidence‐based assessment of risk in this population.
DOES PERFORMANCE IMPROVE FOLLOWING MULTISOURCE FEEDBACK? A THEORETICAL MODEL, META‐ANALYSIS, AND REVIEW OF EMPIRICAL FINDINGS
Authors: SMITHER JAMES W. , LONDON MANUEL , REILLY RICHARD R.
Published: March 2005

We review evidence showing that multisource feedback ratings are related to other measures of leadership effectiveness and that different rater sources conceptualize performance in a similar manner. We then describe a meta‐analysis of 24 longitudinal studies showing that improvement in direct report, peer, and supervisor ratings over time is generally small. We present a theoretical framework and review empirical evidence suggesting performance improvement should be more likely for some feedback recipients than others. Specifically, improvement is most likely to occur when feedback indicates that change is necessary, recipients have a positive feedback orientation, perceive a need to change their behavior, react positively to the feedback, believe change is feasible, set appropriate goals to regulate their behavior, and take actions that lead to skill and performance improvement.
A plane wave approach to particle beam magnetic resonance
Authors: Golub R. , Gähler R. , Keller T.
Published: March 2005

We present a quantum mechanical treatment of particle beam magnetic resonance and related experiments, in terms of static plane waves, applicable to experiments with oscillating fields. The results yield an alternate view of Larmor precession, showing it as a beating between different waves, and help to shed new light on several aspects of the problems discussed. We discuss magnetic resonance experiments with both the Rabi and Ramsey methods, neutron resonance spin echo and a neutron interferometer experiment.
The observable universe inside a black hole
Authors: Stuckey W. M.
Published: March 2005

A Schwarzschild radial coordinate R is presented for the Friedmann dust-filled cosmology models. It is shown that a worldline of constant Schwarzschild radial coordinate in the dust-filled universe is instantaneously null at Rn=2GM/c2, where M is the Schwarzschild mass inside the sphere R=Rn. It is also shown that Mp=3τc3/4G, where Mp is the proper mass inside R=Rn and τ is the age of the universe. The Rn=2GM/c2 result in Friedmann dust-filled cosmology is made physically significant by abandoning the cosmological principle and adjoining segments of Friedmann dust to segments of Schwarzschild vacuum. In the resulting cosmology model, the observable universe may lie inside a black or white hole.
Contextuality in quantum systems
Authors: de la Torre Alberto Clemente
Published: March 2005

The logic of the EPR argument is applied, not to two particles in a line but to one particle in a plane. Contextuality (defined here as a generalization of the notion of nonseparability) among commuting observables is shown to emerge as a result, i.e., although the two orthogonal coordinates characterizing the position of a particle commute, nonetheless there are states in which these coordinates are not independent, in the sense that the measurement or observation of one of them must have an effect on the other.
Simulator of optimally controlled molecular motion
Authors: Morris D. , Schwieters C. , Littman M. , Rabitz H.
Published: March 2005

This paper presents results of a molecular dynamics simulator (MDS) used to explore optimal control of molecular motion. A realistic model of an interatomic potential is created by a configuration of magnets. This simulated potential approximately models both the short and long range portions of true molecular potentials. Atoms within a polyatomic molecule are simulated using carts which float on an air track and a mechanical driver simulates the action of a controlling laser. In analogy with a molecular system, the potential is determined by analysis of a series of dynamics experiments. Knowledge of the potential combined with optimal control theory enables the design of the driver motion necessary to achieve controlled dissociation. Successful control requires overcoming a variety of difficulties analogous to those expected to be faced in the control of true molecular systems. The MDS provides insight into factors affecting the molecular control by demonstrating a real-time simulation of laser controlled molecular dynamics.
Solvable model for inelastic collisions
Authors: Muga J. G. , Snider R. F.
Published: March 2005

An analytically solvable model is described for the inelastic collision of two particles moving in one dimension but having an orientation dependent interaction. The bound states and scattering matrix for this system are explicitly calculated.
Ripples in the energy of a damped harmonic oscillator
Authors: Karlow Edwin A.
Published: March 2005

The exponential decay of the amplitude envelope of an underdamped harmonic oscillator leads to a similar exponential envelope for the kinetic and potential energies. The total energy does not decay smoothly, but includes considerable ripple, even under the conditions of small damping where the decay constant is less than 1% of the undamped natural frequency. The treatment of this varies considerably among the current textbooks and a clear demonstration of the phenomenon is presented here.
Rotational Raman scattering in the instructional laboratory
Authors: Compaan A. , Wagoner A. , Aydinli A.
Published: March 2005

We describe the use of a single spectrometer and a low power argon laser for the study of the pure rotational Raman spectra of H2, O2, N2, and CO2. Analyses of the spectra allow the student to obtain internuclear separations in the ground state, the rotational temperature of the gas, and the influence of nuclear spin on the allowed rotational states. The four molecules chosen for study have nuclei with spins of I=0 (O2), 1/2 (H2), and 1 (N2) and thus the discussion includes the effects of both Bose and Fermi exchange properties on the symmetry of the overall wave function. To fully illustrate the range of information available from the data, we provide spectra obtained with a high quality double spectrometer which allow even the lowest rotational states to be observed and show the stretching of the H2 molecule due to centripetal forces.
Resolution analysis of gyroscopic motion
Authors: Soodak Harry , Tiersten Martin S.
Published: March 2005

Two ideas, one kinematic and one dynamic, provide new insight into some of the amazing aspects of gyroscopic motion. The dynamic idea is to resolve the motion of the gyroscope in every short time interval as a superposition of its torque-free motion and its torque-induced motion. The kinematic idea is to directly track the motion of the symmetry axis.
Lise Meitner in Sweden 1938–1960: Exile from physics
Authors: Sime Ruth Lewin
Published: March 2005

Lise Meitner fled Germany for Sweden in 1938. Her professional difficulties in Stockholm coupled with her exclusion from the discovery of fission diminished her ability to work, damaged her reputation and, in the opinion of many of her contemporaries, kept her from a Nobel prize.
An experiment on magnetic induction pulses
Authors: Manzanares José A. , Bisquert Juan , Garcia-Belmonte Germà , Fernández-Alonso Mercedes
Published: March 2005

The voltage pulse induced by a bar magnet as it moves at constant velocity through the axis of a circular coil is analyzed. The physical system considered has a number of interesting features: (a) It is easy to set up and handle in the laboratory, (b) the observed pulse can be predicted theoretically by means of a simple model, and (c) it provides a very vivid and direct illustration of the concept of electromagnetic induction. In fact, the system of a coil and magnet in relative motion is usually presented in textbooks when introducing this concept. The experiment can also be used as a procedure for determining the magnetic dipole moment of magnets. Since the equipment, a digital storage oscilloscope or computer, is usually available in undergraduate laboratories, the experiment can be performed in the introductory physics course.
Entropy of a column of gas under gravity
Authors: Landsberg P. T. , Dunning-Davies J. , Pollard D.
Published: March 2005

The statistical thermodynamics of a classical ideal gas column of height H in a uniform gravitational field g has been treated by the canonical ensemble at temperature T. A key parameter is X≡mgH/kT where m is the mass of a particle. The internal energy U rises with X from 1.5 NkT at X=0 where N is the number of particles. If extrapolated beyond the region of applicability U reaches 2.5 NkT at X=∞. On the other hand, the entropy drops to zero (as X is increased) at a critical value XC of X, at which the model has already failed. The value of XC rises, extending the range of validity of the model, (a) as the gas becomes more dilute, (b) as the temperature is increased, and (c) as the particle mass is increased. The ideal quantum gas, treated by the grand canonical ensemble, leads to results consistent with those obtained from the canonical ensemble.
Shock simulation with magnetic pucks
Authors: Michaelis M. M.
Published: March 2005

Magnetic pucks on an air table create a two dimensional ‘‘gas.’’ The pucks are accelerated around a race track forming a strong shock and a rarefaction wave. The shock density reaches the limit given by the Rankine Hugoniot equations. A shock front instability is observed.
Teaching algebraic coding: Stakes, difficulties, and suggestions
Authors: Rebmann G. , Viennot L.
Published: March 2005

This article is focused on elementary algebra in physics. After a brief recall of what should be understood in this topic, the paper examines common difficulties. Results of inquiries conducted with students at university level (first to fourth year) and with trainee teachers are presented and discussed. The authors point to the advantages of using schemes that explicitly specify two different kinds of indications: coding arrows, on the one hand, and realistic arrows on the other. Some examples of questions suitable for an interactive work with students are proposed.
Thermal expansion in a symmetrical environment
Authors: Thompson D.
Published: March 2005

The standard presentation of thermal expansion in solids attributes it to the asymmetry of the interatomic potential. However, every atom in a linear chain experiences a symmetric potential, which, at first sight, would imply no thermal expansion. We show explicitly that the linear chain of N atoms with nearest neighbor interactions does indeed reduce to the equivalent of N−1 independent pairs of atoms and that it is still the asymmetry of the two-body potential that is important.
Colliding rods: Dynamics and relevance to colliding balls
Authors: Auerbach David
Published: March 2005

Colliding steel rods, unlike colliding steel balls, can lose kinetic energy during collisions. The kinetic energy lost appears as stress (vibrational) energy in the rods: We describe apparatus suitable for lecture demonstrations and laboratory investigations of such collisions. We explain how colliding rods interact. The reasons why steel balls collide elastically remain mysterious.
Exploration of extremely short times in nuclear physics
Authors: Kowalski Ludwik , Gelderloos C. J. , Alexander John M.
Published: March 2005

Lifetime measurements are crucial for our understanding of the dynamics of reaction processes. Nuclear reactions often occur too rapidly for direct measurements of the times involved. Here we describe a newly developed and actively used method for studying decay processes for very hot nuclei (e.g., with temperatures of ≳1010 K or ≳2 MeV) and in particular the associated time scales of ≊10−20–10−22 s (or ≊3000–30 fm/c).
K-space treatment of reflection and transmission at a potential step
Authors: Kirilov M. , Trott M.
Published: March 2005

The position space treatment of the interaction of a particle with a sharp potential step is a simple quantum-mechanical problem. In this paper we describe this configuration from another point of view, namely that of momentum space. Advantages and disadvantages of this approach are presented and a technique based on the use of distributions for tearing the mathematical problems demonstrated. Further, expressions for the eigenfunctions and the conditions for the eigenvalue are derived analytically, and the orthogonality and completeness of the solutions for k space are rigorously investigated.
Purcell’s role in the discovery of nuclear magnetic resonance: Contingency versus inevitability
Authors: Gerstein Mark
Published: March 2005

An account of the discovery of NMR at Harvard in 1945 is presented. It is based on an interview with one of the main participants, E. M. Purcell, and focuses on his role in the discovery. The account also puts the discovery in the context of Purcell’s previous experiences, particularly his wartime work at the MIT Radiation Laboratory.
Special relativity and the Michelson–Morley interferometer
Authors: Schumacher Reinhard A.
Published: March 2005

We examine the Michelson–Morley interferometer from an inertial frame in which the apparatus is in motion. Our goal is to complete the typical introductory exposition which drops this discussion as soon as the postulates of relativity are introduced. Computing the paths of light in the apparatus depends on understanding the tilting of the half-silvered mirror due to Lorentz contraction, and also the effect of reflecting light from a moving mirror. The traditional ray diagrams of the classical analysis are augmented to show these features more clearly.
Supersymmetric quantum mechanics: Examples with dirac δ functions
Authors: Goldstein J. , Lebiedzik C. , Robinett R. W.
Published: March 2005

We examine the bound-state spectra of several one-dimensional supersymmetric quantum mechanical systems containing Dirac δ-function potentials. Specifically, we investigate the cases of two attractive δ functions, as well as both the infinite well and simple harmonic potentials with an added attractive or repulsive δ function.
Fraunhofer diffraction of visible light by a narrow slit
Authors: Mayes T. W. , Melton B. F.
Published: March 2005

A single slit of width 4.90 μm was formed by chemically etching a 0.17 μm thick chromium film deposited on glass. The diffraction pattern obtained when the slit was illuminated with light from a 10 mW He–Ne laser, polarized first parallel and then perpendicular to the slit, was experimentally determined for angles of incidence between 0° and 45°. The measured diffraction patterns were first compared with predictions made using the scalar Helmholtz equation with either the Kirchhoff or the Rayleigh–Sommerfeld obliquity factors. The experimental patterns were also compared with the results of an exact numerical solution of Maxwell’s equations for the diffraction problem using the method of Neerhoff and Mur. All theoretical predictions agreed well with measurement for incident angles smaller than 10°, and, although no prediction agreed exactly with measurement at the largest angles of incidence, predictions obtained using the scalar Helmholtz equation with the Kirchhoff obliquity factor agreed with experiment best overall.
Quantum spectrum of a chain of oscillators
Authors: Zanette Damián H.
Published: March 2005

We analyze some statistical properties in the quantum spectrum of a chain of linear oscillators. Although completely integrable, the classical version of this system exhibits very complicated motion. Studying the energy-spacing distribution of the quantum problem we find that, for a large number of oscillators, the spectrum shows the typical characteristics of an integrable system, and conclude that no signs of the classical complicated behavior appear at quantum level. We also point out that the energy-spacing distribution is not stationary as the energy grows. This analysis—complete with a comparison of our results with those for a particle in an N-dimensional box—contains several points of pedagogical interest.
Exploring one-dimensional quantum mechanics with transfer matrices
Authors: Walker James S. , Gathright J.
Published: March 2005

An exact transfer-matrix formalism is developed for analyzing and solving problems in one-dimensional quantum mechanics. We show that with only three general-purpose matrices—one to propagate a wave function over a region of constant potential, one to take a wave function over a discontinuity in a potential, and one to connect a wave function across a delta function—a rich and intriguing variety of behavior is revealed. Not only are standard results recovered with this technique, in ways suitable for presentation in the classroom, but new findings and applications are discussed as well. A primary advantage of the transfer-matrix approach is that it facilitates wide-ranging explorations of one-dimensional quantum mechanics by both students and researchers, especially when implemented with Mathematica. For those interested in pursuing independent explorations, an electronic, interactive version of this paper, complete with the figures given here and the code that generates them, is available over Internet as a Mathematica notebook.
Renormalized vibrations of a loaded spring
Authors: Nunes da Silva J. M.
Published: March 2005

The classical problem of the elastic oscillations of a particle suspended on a spring of non-negligible mass is approached under the perspective of the renormalization group theory. This allows one to illustrate the nature of the renormalization group technique of wide application in the study of critical phenomena.
Micro-Raman spectroscopy in the undergraduate research laboratory
Authors: Voor R. , Chow L. , Schulte A.
Published: March 2005

Modern materials science requires processing and characterization techniques for microscopic structures. Molecular probes such as Raman spectroscopy are some of the most viable tools, particularly if they are supplemented by imaging to obtain spatially resolved compositional information of inhomogeneous or low volume samples. In order to introduce these techniques and materials science experiments into the advanced undergraduate laboratory, we have constructed an inexpensive micro-Raman attachment, which consists of an off-the-shelf microscope and the coupling optics to an existing Raman spectrometer. The modification of the microscope, the optical coupling, and a low cost viewing system for positioning the laser excitation on the sample are described in detail. The students study molecular spectra of new materials such as diamond films, Fullerenes, and biological compounds with spatial resolution of several microns.