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To assess the overall imaging performance (radiation dose and image quality) of a photon-counting detector CT (PCD-CT) in comparison with a state-of-the-art energy-integrating detector CT (EID-CT) in run-off CTAs.Consecutive patients who underwent run-off CTA on a PCD-CT were included (PCD-CT cohort). A retrospective cohort of patients who had undergone run-off CTA on an EID-CT was matched for gender, body mass index, height, and age (EID-CT cohort). Virtual monoenergetic imaging (VMI) reconstructions for various keV settings (40-120 keV) were generated. CT values and noise were semiautomatically measured for 13 vascular segments of the abdomen, pelvis, and lower extremities. Signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) were calculated for each segment. Subjective image quality was evaluated by two radiologists along the dimensions 'vessel attenuation', 'vessel sharpness', and 'overall image quality' using 5-point Likert scales.Forty patients (age 70.9 ± 9.8 years; 14 women) were included in the PCD-CT cohort and matched with a corresponding number of EID-CT patients. Overall, there was an inverse correlation of signal and noise but also of SNR and CNR with keV levels used for VMI reconstructions. SNR and CNR in the 40 - 60 keV range exceeded EID-CT levels significantly. Subjective image quality was substantially higher at lower keV levels and showed no significant difference to EID-CT.Low keV VMI reconstructions of run-off CTA scans on a PCD-CT result in substantially higher SNR and CNR than 80 kVp and 100 kVp EID-CT acquisitions with equal subjective image quality.

Background An increase in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) cases was observed despite the reduction in exposure to classic risk factors. Although the exact cause of this trend remains unknown, epigenetic factors could be contributing to an increased occurrence of these tumors. This study aims to assess the influence of PMS2 protein immunoexpression on the prognosis of patients with OSCC. Material and Methods This study comprised 76 cases of OSCC treated between 2011 and 2016. Immunohistochemical staining for PMS2 was performed. For evaluation, 10 fields per histological section were photographed at a 400x magnification and positively-stained cells were counted with Image J. Mann-Whitney and Kruskal-Wallis tests were used to compare the immunolabeling pattern with the clinical-pathological and prognostic characteristics. Survival analysis was performed with Chi-square, Long-Rank Mantel-Cox and Cox regression tests (p60%; p=0.041) were associated with low survival (p=0.029). In multivariate analysis, surgery combined with chemotherapy (p=0.030) and high PMS2 immunoexpression (p=0.042) significantly increased the risk of death for ≤60 years old patients. Conclusions The findings of this study indicate that PMS2 can be a potential prognostic protein marker in OSCC patients 60 years of age and younger. Key words:Squamous cell carcinoma, mouth neoplasms, mismatch repair endonuclease PMS2, survival.

Governments frequently use financial incentives to encourage the creation, expansion, or relocation of businesses within their borders. Previous research on financial incentives have given little clarity as to what impact these incentives may have on the government. While incentives may draw in more economic growth, they also pull resources from the government’s coffers and may commit future funding for public services that benefit the incentivized business. Using a panel of 32 states from 1990 to 2015, we seek to understand how incentives affect a state’s fiscal health. After controlling for the governmental, political, economic, and demographic characteristics of a state, we find that incentives draw resources away from the state. Ultimately, the results show that financial incentives negatively affect the overall fiscal health of a state.

Following-up on previous studies that investigated genetic relationships among several world-wide cattle breeds using genome-wide SNP data, we focus here on the central and western part of the Mediterranean. Notably, 50K genotypes from 30 Marismeña (Spain); 24 Guelmoise (Algeria); 46 Brune de l’Atlas Fauve, 15 Brune de l’Atlas Grise, and 15 Blonde du Cap (Tunisia); 29 Modicana and 30 Cinisara (Sicily); 24 Podolica Italiana (Southern continental Italy); 34 Chianina and 24 Romagnola (Central Italy); 23 Modenese, 24 Reggiana, 23 Alpine Grey and 50 Pezzata Rossa Italiana (Northern Italy); 50 Bruna Italiana and 50 Frisona Italiana were considered. When included in a world-wide dataset, the three Tunisian, the Algerian, the two Sicilian, the Podolica, the Chianina and the Romagnola were the taurine breeds showing the highest closeness to the Indian zebu group in the MDS plot of the IBS distance. These results were also confirmed by ADMIXTURE analysis (K = 2). This relatively lower influence of zebu material into cattle breeds from Northern Italy suggests a major maritime-mediated route of dispersal of zebu material into Southern Europe and Northern Africa. Interestingly, breeds from the Iberian peninsula showed lower evidence of zebu introgression, suggesting that zebu introgression was likely not mediated by Moors, and possibly occurred at earlier times. Clear evidence of more recent introgression of material from improved dairy cattle breeds (Bruna Italiana and Brown Swiss) into the two Brune de l’Atlas populations from Tunisia highlights the need for urgent conservation of this cross-border cattle.

The criminal population of U.S. prisons has increased dramatically in recent years, leaving policymakers with difficult decisions in regard to the allocation of resources and how to plan for the long-term care of the criminal population. Although prison forecasts are conducted by every state, no consensus has emerged on how the population is best projected. This chapter seeks to provide guidance on this issue by examining the literature on prison forecasting. Using the success and failure of the models established in the literature as a guide, we provide a series of best practices for the forecasting of the prison population.

We discover the detailed atomic structure of -MgZnY, a stable decagonal quasicrystal alloy of the layered Frank–Kasper type, and related phases, using the ‘tiling and decoration’ approach. The atoms have invariable sites in the rectangle and triangle tiles of a 10-fold-symmetric planar tiling. To discover the lowest-energy structures, we combine the methods of density functional theory (DFT) total energy calculations, empirical oscillating pair potentials (fitted to DFT), fitting effective Hamiltonians for tilings, and discovering optimum tiling structures using a nonlocal tile-reshuffling algorithm. We find a family of almost stable binary compounds with varying composition, including the decagonal quasicrystal and the known MgZn; in addition, we show the ternary versions can be stable: -MgZnY at high temperature, and -MgZnSc even at .

Wenn es in einer Legierung eine Komponente gibt, die bei hoherer Temperatur immer besser loslich wird, so kann eine solche Legierung durch Erhitzen gegebenenfalls homogen gemacht werden. Nach Abschrecken bis auf eine viel niedrigere Temperatur bleibt dann der homogene Zustand zuerst metastabil erhalten. Im Laufe der Zeit spielt sich eine Alterung ab, welche schliesslich zur Ausscheidung der schwer loslichen Komponente fuhrt, durch welche Ausscheidung der Gleichgewichtszustand erreicht wird. Am Anfang der Alterung steigt die Harte der Legierung. (Aushartung). Es wurden mit einer Reihe von Legierungen, welche ungefahr 98% Pb enthielten, Untersuchungen ausgefuhrt. Es sind Sb und/oder Sn als Legierungsbestandteile vorhanden. Derartige Legierungen zeigen die oben genannten Erscheinungen. Ein Teil der Legierungen enthalt ausserdem eine kleine Menge Zn. Die Zusammensetzung der Legierungen ist gegeben in Zahlentafel 1. Kleine Konzentrationen Zn (etwa 0.1%) hemmen ein Ansteigen der Harte und befordern die Ausscheidung in diesen Legierungen (s. Fig. 2 und Zahlentafel 2). Aus Literaturangaben geht hervor, dass geringe Mengen von As oder Cu die Aushartung derartiger Legierungen beschleuningen ohne merkbare Beforderung der Ausscheidung. Aus den unterschiedlichen Tatsachen kann man folgern, dass die Aushartung bei den untersuchten Legierungen stattfindet in der noch homogenen, metastabilen Phase und nicht mit dem Beginn der Ausscheidung verknupft ist. Auch uber den Einfluss der neben Sb vorhandenen Menge Sn lassen sich Folgerungen aus den Versuchen ableiten.

Mit Hilfe eines besonderen Apparates (s. Fig. 3) war es moglich, Rontgendiagramme von einzelnen Krystallen der fluchtigen metastabilen Modification S1 von Phosphorpentoxyd zu erhalten (s. Fig. 1). Es wurden Drehkrystall-, Weissenberg- und Laue-Diagramme hergestellt; die Elementarzelle ist rhomboedrisch, mit a = 7.43 A.E. und α = 87°. Sie umfasst 4 Molekule P2O5; die Rontgendichte ist 2.30. Als Raumgruppe wird gefunden R3c. Die Struktur ist ein Molekulgitter von Molekulen P4O10 (s. Fig. 2), welche die Form und die Abmessungen des Dampfmolekuls haben. Die Lage dieser Molekule im Gitter wird gegeben durch Tabelle 2, Zeile 6 und durch Fig. 6c ([001]-Projektion) und Fig. 7 (Raummodell). Die Herstellung der fluchtigen metastabilen Modifikation S1 erfolgt durch Sublimation im trocknen Sauerstoffstrom; dabei konnen zweierlei Krystalle entstehen. Bei Zimmertemperatur erhalt man feine Nadelchen, bei einigen Hundert Celsiusgraden setzen sich grosse Krystalle ab. Es stellte sich heraus, dass zwei Habitus derselben Krystallstruktur vorliegen: die Nadelchen hatten immer die Rhomboederkante als Nadelachse; sie lieferten nur Drehdiagramme um [001]. Die grossen Krystalle dagegen sind weniger langlich und konnen verschiedene Achsen als bevorzugte Richtung des Wachstums haben; sie lieferten u.a. Drehdiagramme um [001], [111] und [111].

The main objective of this study was to assess whether speech perception and speech production in children using the Nucleus 24 cochlear implant system improved with a change in speech processing strategy from the SPEAK to the Advanced Combination Encoder (ACE) strategy. The major difference between the two strategies is that ACE uses a higher stimulation rate (in this study the stimulation rate was 900 Hz per channel) compared with the SPEAK strategy, where the stimulation rate is 250 Hz per channel. Information also was obtained regarding the adjustment period after conversion to the ACE strategy.An ABA experimental design was used where scores were initially obtained using the SPEAK strategy' (in the initial A time interval), and subsequently performance was assessed using the ACE strategy (B time interval) and then again with the SPEAK strategy (second A time interval). The duration of the B interval was 10 wk, and the duration for the second A interval was 4 wk. Seven children aged between 9 and 16 yr who had at least 6 mo experience with the SPEAK strategy participated. Open-set monosyllabic CNC word perception in quiet and Speech Intelligibility Test sentence perception in noise was evaluated at the end of each of the time intervals. Word perception was also monitored at fortnightly intervals during the B time interval. Speech production was assessed at the end of the initial A time interval and at the end of the B time interval.Mean word and phoneme scores for open-set words in quiet for the group of seven children were significantly higher with the ACE strategy as compared with the SPEAK strategy scores obtained in both of the A time intervals. For sentences in noise, mean scores using the ACE strategy as well as the SPEAK strategy at the second A evaluation point were significantly higher than the scores using the SPEAK strategy measured at the first A time interval. This suggests that learning effects may have influenced outcomes. For some subjects, an initial decrease in scores was found during the initial 2-wk period after fitting the ACE strategy; however, scores subsequently were found to be similar to or higher than those when using the initial SPEAK strategy. Analysis of speech production assessments showed an improvement in the medial consonant scores after using the ACE strategy.This study demonstrated that some children were able to benefit from the additional information provided by the ACE strategy as compared with the SPEAK strategy. However, the differences in overall performance between the two strategies appear to be relatively small.

Evaluation of the uncertainty for the measurement of a gauge block by optical interferometry is presented. The measurement method which serves as the basis for the uncertainty evaluation is consistent with popular measurement techniques which apply the method of exact fractions. This uncertainty evaluation is an example of rigorous application of the ISO Guide to the Expression of Uncertainty in Measurement including treatment of higher-order terms and correlation.

Transverse deviations from the ideal flat surface in paper, or curl, can be a serious problem in the paper industry. The manufacturing of paper materials results in the material being orthotropic and laminar. Moreover, the dominant fiber orientation in a paper sheet can vary through the thickness of the sheet. Many paper structures are produced by lamination of paper plies. In these products directions of symmetry of the elastic properties, and coefficients of moisture and temperature expansion/contraction, consequently differ through the thickness of the laminated material. When subjected to humidity changes, the top and bottom portions of a paper laminate therefore expand or contract different amounts, causing the structure to curl. Paper products that curl are difficult to convert in packaging applications and print or copy in automated feeding mechanisms, leading to large costs for companies. It can become impossible to machine process and dispense paper products (such as stamps) that have curled. The present research involves determining the moisture induced curl in [0/15] and [0/45] Whatman paper laminates using a full-field 3-D laser scanner.

A broad collection of experimental tunnel ionization data obtained using intense 10.6 mu m CO2 laser radiation, is presented. The variety of species studied includes three rare gas atoms (Xe, Kr and Ar), three homonuclear diatomic molecules (H2, O2 and N2), two heteropolar diatomic gases (CO and NO) and one triatomic molecule (CO2). The ionization behaviour going from the neutral particle to its associated singly charged ionic state, for all of the above species, is compared with a quasistatic tunnel ionization model. Good agreement between this theoretical model and the complete range of experimental results is found.

The toxicity of 3′-azido-3′-deoxythymidine (AZT) and the appearance of drug-resistant mutants in patients treated with AZT emphasizes the critical importance of the development of alternative strategies for the therapy of AIDS patients. Combination antiviral chemotherapy provides an attractive therapeutic strategy since the dose of the individual agents may be lowered to reduce toxicity and the use of two potent antiviral agents may limit the development of drug resistance. Two analogues of tetrahydro-imidazo[4,5,1-jk][1,4]-benzodiazepin-2(1H)-thione (TIBO) potently and selectively inhibit the replication of HIV-1 in cell culture. In combination with AZT, either of the two TIBO compounds, R82913 and R86183, was highly synergistic in cell culture against HIV-1. However, in biochemical enzyme inhibition assays, utilizing recombinant HIV-1 reverse transcriptase, synergy was not detected at the enzymatic level. These results suggest that one of these two known inhibitors of HIV-1 reverse transcriptase may have a secondary mechanism of action distinct from inhibition of the reverse transcriptase.

Next generation sequencing platforms have democratized genome sequencing. Large genome centers are no longer required to produce genome sequences costing millions. A few lanes of paired-end sequence on an Illumina Genome Analyzer, costing$10,000, will produce more sequence than generated only a few years ago to produce the human and cow assemblies. The de novo assembly of large numbers of short reads into a high-quality whole-genome sequence is now technically feasible and will allow the whole genome sequencing and assembly of a broad spectrum of ruminant species. Next-generation sequencing instruments are also proving very useful for transcriptome or resequencing projects in which the entire RNA population produced by a tissue, or the entire genomes of individual animals are sequenced, and the produced reads are aligned to a reference assembly. We have used this strategy to examine gene expression differences in tissues from cattle differing in feed efficiency, to perform genome-wide single nucleotide polymorphism discovery for the construction of ultrahigh-density genotyping assays, and in combination with genome-wide association analysis, for the identification of mutations responsible for Mendelian diseases. The new 800K SNP bovine genotyping assays possess the resolution to map trait associations to the locations of individual genes and the 45 million polymorphisms identified in180X genome sequence coverage on over 200 animals can be queried to identify the polymorphisms present within positional candidate genes. These new tools should rapidly allow the identification of genes and mutations underlying variation in cattle production and reproductive traits.

Bandera's neonatal ataxia (BNAt) is an autosomal recessive cerebellar ataxia that affects members of the Coton de Tulear dog breed.To identify the mutation that causes BNAt.The study involved DNA from 112 Cotons de Tulear (including 15 puppies with signs of BNAt) and 87 DNA samples from dogs of 12 other breeds.The BNAt locus was mapped with a genome-wide association study (GWAS). The coding exons of positional candidate gene GRM1, which encodes metabotropic glutamate receptor 1, were polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-amplified and resequenced. A 3-primer PCR assay was used to genotype individual dogs for a truncated retrotransposon inserted into exon 8 of GRM1.The GWAS indicated that the BNAt locus was in a canine chromosome 1 region that contained candidate gene GRM1. Resequencing this gene from BNAt-affected puppies indicated that exon 8 was interrupted by the insertion of a 5'-truncated retrotransposon. All 15 BNAt-affected puppies were homozygous for the insert, whereas all other Cotons de Tulear were heterozygotes (n = 43) or homozygous (n = 54) for the ancestral allele. None of the 87 dogs from 12 other breeds had the insertion allele.BNAt is caused by a retrotransposon inserted into exon 8 of GRM1. A DNA test for the GRM1 retrotransposon insert can be used for genetic counseling and to confirm the diagnosis of BNAt.

Experiments have been performed investigating the interaction of an intense CO2 laser pulse of nanosecond duration with diatomic molecules O2, CO and NO as well as triatomic CO2. New measurements relating to the tunnel ionization behaviour of noble gas atoms have been performed. These results contain less data scatter than previous work and thus provide a useful reference with which to compare the molecular results. Comparison with theory shows that in the absence of vibrational resonance with the CO2 laser (in the weak field approximation), these 'simple' molecules are tunnel ionized as if they were structureless atoms with an ionization potential equivalent to that of the molecular ground state.

An offshore power transmission grid in Northern Europe has become a serious and important topic among the power industry, the power transmission sector, national governments and the European Commission. The OffshoreGrid project will provide policy recommendations for the political process towards such a grid in pursuing the efficient integration of renewables, the integration of market regions, security of supply and the competitiveness of the European economy. OffshoreGrid will develop a scientific view on an offshore grid along with a suited regulatory framework considering technical, economic and policy aspects. The project is targeted towards European policy makers, industry, transmission system operators and regulators. In first instance, the geographical scope is Northern Europe. The paper covers the general approach and objectives of the project. Furthermore, the first results of the preparatory work packages are presented and discussed.

Some 'Keldysh-like' theories are analysed leading to a more pragmatic definition of the tunnelling regime of ionization of atoms. Rather than using the more extreme definition of tunnelling (i.e. gamma <

Experimental results of the ionization of heavy water vapour in the tunnelling regime, at two different CO2 laser frequencies, are presented. The ionization mechanism appears to have a similar dependence on laser intensity as that for atoms, although the ionization probability seems to be higher in the case of the molecules in our experiment. It is proposed that vibrational excitation and strong field dressing of the potential energy surfaces of the molecule help in reducing its ionization potential. Numerical fits of ion number versus peak laser intensity for the ionization potential. Numerical fits of ion number versus peak laser intensity for the ionization products D2O+ and (D2O)2+ using atomic tunnelling theory provide an estimation for the rate probability of multiphoton excitation and strong field dressing prior to ionization.

The authors report experimental results of the ionization of D2O vapour by intense 10.6 mu m pulses. The processes leading to the products of D+, D2O+ and (D2O)+2 are qualitatively described by tunnel ionization from a reduced atom picture of the molecule, which is enlarged due to dressing by the strong laser field.

The aim of this study was to investigate the benefits of the preprocessing scheme "Adaptive Dynamic Range Optimization" (ADRO) in children using Nucleus cochlear implants. Previous research with adults indicates improved speech perception in quiet and improved sound quality in everyday listening environments with the ADRO scheme.Children were given 4 wk of take-home experience with ADRO, with a minimum of 2 wk in which ADRO was "locked-in." After 1 wk of ADRO use and again after 4 wk of ADRO use, Bench-Kowal-Bamford (BKB) sentence perception in quiet at a low input level of 50 dB SPL (unweighted root mean square) and sentence perception in noise were compared with the child's everyday (Standard) program and the ADRO program. Children also rated the loudness of a variety of environmental sounds and indicated which program provided the best hearing in a variety of everyday listening situations.On average, BKB sentence perception in quiet at 50 dB SPL was significantly better with the ADRO program compared with the Standard program. The group mean improvement was 8.60%. Similarly, group mean scores for BKB sentences presented at 65 dB SPL in multitalker babble were significantly higher with the ADRO program (an improvement of 6.87%). The ADRO program was the preferred program in 46% of the listening situations, whereas the Standard program was preferred in 26% of situations. Everyday sounds were not unacceptably loud with ADRO.There was an ADRO benefit for this group of children in quiet and in noise. These findings suggest that young children would benefit from the ADRO programming option being locked in along with other processor settings in the SPrint processor once their MAP levels have stabilized. Some older children and teenagers may choose to use ADRO selectively for specific listening situations.

A higher impedance, steroid-eluting pacing lead was studied in a multicenter trial. A total of 132 leads were implanted in 61 patients and the electrical characteristics were compared with historical controls. The study lead had a lower pacing threshold at 3 months, 0.72 +/- 0.33 versus 1.29 +/- 0.82 in the atrium and 0.71 +/- 0.25 versus 1.52 +/- 0.52 in the ventricle (P0.01 for both). Impedance was significantly higher in the study lead, 923 +/- 133 versus 719 +/- 109 in the atrium and 980 +/- 235 versus 664 +/- 104 in the ventricle (P0.01 for both). Sensing was similar for both leads. The study lead's higher impedance values and low pacing thresholds combine to reduce pacing system energy requirements.

We established and achieved our goal to (1) fabricate and evaluate test structures based on the micromirror design optimized for maskless lithography applications, (2) perform system analysis and code development for the maskless lithography concept, and (3) identify specifications for micromirror arrays (MMAs) for LLNL�s adaptive optics (AO) applications and conceptualize new devices.

Pharmacists at the 1995 American College of Clinical Pharmacy Pediatric Practice and Research Network meeting volunteered to act as coordinators at their sites and survey pediatric and neonatal nurses, pharmacists, and physicians regarding dependency in neonatal and pediatric patients after therapeutic administration of narcotics. Thirteen (60%) of 21 coordinators returned 244 surveys. Primary symptoms of withdrawal reported by clinicians were agitation (100%), irritability (100%), inconsolability (100%), crying (99%), tremors (98%), high heart rate (98%), fidgets (98%), high blood pressure (97%), less sleep (96%), and sweating (94%). Most clinicians considered narcotic withdrawal to be a problem (74%) that should be treated (87%). A dependency scale is being developed and will include symptoms reported by more than 75% of respondents.

We conducted a 4-year (1/89-12/92) retrospective cohort study among employees at a large metropolitan hospital where a nosocomial outbreak of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (TB) had occurred. We compared the risk of tuberculin skin test (TST) conversion among employees who worked on wards where patients with culture-confirmed TB were cared for ("exposed") with the risk among employees who worked on wards with no such patients ("unexposed"). Exposed employees had a higher 4-year risk of TST conversion (14.5%) than unexposed employees (1.4%) (adjusted relative risk 13.4; 95 percent confidence interval 5.1-35.2). Exposed employees had significantly higher risks of conversion than unexposed employees during 1989-91, but not for 1992. Among the exposed, ward clerks had a risk of conversion (15.6%) only slightly lower than nurses (18.2%). We conclude that employees who worked in areas where patients with active M. tuberculosis infection were cared for, including workers who did not provide direct patient care, had a higher risk of TST conversion than employees who did not work in these areas. Reasons for the decline in risk over time include outbreak termination, fewer admissions of patients with TB, implementation of effective infection control measures, and possible resistance to infection in some members of the study population.

A long gauge in the form of a thick-walled tube is converted to a Fabry-Perot cavity by attaching partial reflectors to its ends. The length of this gauge is determined from a number of absolute frequency measurements of the cavity resonances. A set of tunable, well-known CO2 laser frequencies is used for lengths between 1 m and 10 m.

Forty patients since 1988 have had distal tibial bone grafting for 41 arthrodeses of the foot and ankle. Bone graft is obtained through a cortical window made just above the medial metaphyseal distal tibial flare.Average follow-up was 23.3 months. Forty of 41 arthrodesis sites fused; there was only one nonunion. There were no delayed unions. There were no complications at the donor site based on patient examination and radiographs. Ipsilateral ankle motion was not affected by the bone graft procedure.Cited complications from iliac crest bone graft include donor site pain, blood loss, heterotopic bone formation, pelvic instability, iliac hernia, infection, fracture, and deformity. Complications with allografts include disease transmission and immune response. These are avoided by using locally obtained distal tibia autograft for arthrodeses in the foot and ankle.

Argentina’s significant mining potential has long been recognized; however, it has traditionally been overlooked in view of the country’s other tremendous natural resources. Recent world interest in mineral projects, particularly in neighbouring Chile, has caused the Argentine government to review its policy with respect to mining. This paper provides an overview of the mining environment and the changes required to encourage investment in it.

The technique of external rhinoplasty has enjoyed a renaissance over the last ten years, primarily for cosmetic and functional septorhinoplasty, and we have found this to be an effective method for nasal reconstruction. Moreover, we have recognized the versatility of this approach for a variety of rhinologic problems and have utilized it for transsphenoidal hypophysectomy, sphenoidotomy, unilateral choanal atresia, septal perforation, nasal valvuloplasty and rhinophyma. We describe our technique and the rationale for employing it. We conclude that the enhanced exposure provided by the cutaneous decortication of the nose facilitates surgery of both the soft tissues and the supportive architecture of the nose.

Experimental results of the ionization of heavy water vapour by a CO2 laser are presented. Experimental conditions are such that ionization in the tunnelling regime is expected. A qualitative model is proposed explaining the processes leading to D2O+ and (D2O) 2 + ions.