Additive L-theory

The cobordism groups of quadratic Poincaré complexes in an additive category with involution are identified with the Wall L-groups of quadratic forms and formations in , generalizing earlier work for modules over a ring with involution by avoiding kernels and cokernels.     

Quantitative assessment of voice quality following laser surgery for reinke''s edema

Although laser surgery has been widely advocated for use in the treatment of vocal fold papilloma because it does not incur bleeding, it has been questioned for use in treating Reinke's edema due to the possibility of heat dispersion to normal surrounding tissue and of scarring. We present a series of 8 cases in which laser surgery was the method of treatment for bilateral Reinke's edema. In each case, voice therapy was selected as the initial treatment; laser surgery was performed following voice therapy. Prior to and following surgery, videostroboscopic examinations were performed on the subjects. Only 4 subjects were available for assessment at the 1-month postoperative period. From the audio track of the videotape, the speaking fundamental frequency, perturbation measures for the vowel /i/, and noise-to-harmonic ratio of a completely voiced sentence were obtained. From the videostroboscopic recordings, the symmetry of the vocal folds, the presence or absence of the mucosal wave and the glottic closure pattern, prior to and after surgery, were judged independently by 3 examiners. The fundamental frequencies approximated the normal male and female ranges for those subjects seen 1 month after surgery. In addition, the noise-to-harmonic ratio and the relative average perturbation improved. Stroboscopy revealed irregularities in the symmetry of vocal folds, mucosal wave, and glottic closure 1 month after surgery.     

‘One‐Touch’ Voltammetry of Microparticles for the Identification of Corrosion Products in Archaeological Lead

Voltammetry of microparticles is applied to the identification of lead corrosion products by means of an essentially non‐invasive ‘one‐touch’ technique based on the use of graphite pencil. This methodology permits the mechanical attachment of few nanograms of sample from the surface of lead archaeological artefacts to a paraffin‐impregnated graphite electrode, which, upon immersion in aqueous electrolytes, provides distinctive voltammetric responses for litharge and cotunnite‐ anglesite‐, cerusite‐based corrosion products. The reported method is applied to the identification of corrosion products in archaeological lead pieces from different Iberian sites in Valencia (Spain).     

Transoral Robotic Surgery (TORS): Glottic Microsurgery in a Canine Model

OBJECTIVES/HYPOTHESIS: We hypothesize that bimanual, three-dimensional robotic surgery will prove valuable for glottic microsurgical procedures. STUDY DESIGN: To test this hypothesis, we developed and optimized a canine model for glottic microsurgery using a commercially available surgical robot. Methods Using a da Vinci Surgical Robot (Intuitive Surgical, Inc., Sunnyvale, CA), glottic microsurgery was performed with a hydrodissection technique in a canine model. The experiments were performed on two orotracheal intubated mongrel dogs under general anesthesia in the supine position on a standard operating room table. A videoscope and two, 360-degree rotating, 5- and 8-mm, wrested-end effector instruments were introduced transorally with three robotic arms. The surgeon performed the actual procedures while positioned at a robotic system console that was located across the operating room suite. The procedure was performed in duplicate and was documented with still and video photography. RESULTS: Glottic microsurgery was successfully performed using the da Vinci Surgical Robot, with both 5- and 8-mm instrumentation. The smaller, 5-mm instruments afforded greater visualization of the operative site and increased maneuverability, which resulted in reduced operative time. The robotic system provided excellent visualization as well as controlled and delicate microdissection at the vocal cord level. CONCLUSIONS: Robotic laryngeal microsurgery is technically feasible in the canine model and warrants consideration for evaluation in controlled human trials.     

Finite-element simulation of ultrasound brain surgery: effects of frequency, focal pressure, and scanning path in bone-heating reduction

In this paper, the finite-element method (FEM) simulation of ultrasound brain surgery is presented. The overheating problem of the post-target bone, which is one of the limiting factors for a successful ultrasound brain surgery, is considered. In order to decrease bone heating, precise choices of frequency, focal pressure, and scanning path are needed. The effect of variations in the mentioned scanning parameters is studied by means of the FEM. The resulting pressure and temperature distributions of a transdural ultrasound brain surgery are simulated by employing the FEM for solving the Helmholtz and bioheat equations in the context of a two-dimensional MRI-based brain model. Our results show that for a suitable value of the frequency, an increase in focal pressure leads to a decrease in the required duration of the treatment and is associated with less heating of the surrounding normal tissue. In addition, it is shown that at a threshold focal pressure, the target temperature reaches toxic levels whereas the temperature rise in the bone is minimal. Wave reflections from sinus cavities, which result in constructive interference with the incoming waves, are one of the reasons for overheating of the bone and can be avoided by choosing a suitable scanning path.      

考虑视轴方向的个性化眼模型的构建

包含更多人眼解剖学特性的个性化眼模型具有重要的实验和临床意义。由角膜地形图计算了8只人眼视轴与光轴之间的夹角,水平分量平均值为4.23°±1.51°,竖直分量平均值为-0.40°±1.27°。根据视轴与光轴之间的夹角、角膜地形数据、眼内各部分轴向间距和人眼波像差,运用光学设计软件Zemax分别为这8只人眼构建了考虑视轴方向的个性化眼模型。在此基础上,计算了波前引导的个性化角膜切削深度,并与光程差方法计算的切削深度进行了比较。在切削光区中心处,两者相差不大,平均值为(0.09±0.04)μm;随着半径增大,两者之间的差值逐渐增大。对于所研究的实例,光区外围处的最大差值为0.59μm。个性化眼模型为设计波前引导的个性化角膜切削方案提供了一个有效工具。     

Applications of Biodegradable Magnesium-Based Materials in Reconstructive Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery: A Review

Reconstruction of defects in the maxillofacial region following traumatic injuries, craniofacial deformities, defects from tumor removal, or infections in the maxillofacial area represents a major challenge for surgeons. Various materials have been studied for the reconstruction of defects in the maxillofacial area. Biodegradable metals have been widely researched due to their excellent biological properties. Magnesium (Mg) and Mg-based materials have been extensively studied for tissue regeneration procedures due to biodegradability, mechanical characteristics, osteogenic capacity, biocompatibility, and antibacterial properties. The aim of this review was to analyze and discuss the applications of Mg and Mg-based materials in reconstructive oral and maxillofacial surgery in the fields of guided bone regeneration, dental implantology, fixation of facial bone fractures and soft tissue regeneration.     

Micro‐Raman spectroscopy identification of urinary stone composition from ureteroscopic lithotripsy urine powder

Urolithiasis is a prevalent, disturbing, and highly recurrent disease. Knowing the composition of a urinary stone is important for prevention purposes. Traditional urinary stone analysis methods need large stone fragments for analysis. However, the advancement of ureteroscopic lithotripsy (URSL) has resulted in micro‐stone fragments and unapparently expelled urinary stone powder. In this study, we developed a micro‐Raman spectroscopy (MRS) based diagnosis method for detecting micro‐stones or stone powders in urine after URSL. In our experiment, urine samples of 10 ml each were collected from 12 patients over the fragmented stone site in the ureter after the URSL procedure. The post‐URSL urine sediments extracted from urine were analyzed by MRS. The small urinary stones caught by grasping forceps were analyzed by both MRS and Fourier‐transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. We have identified common urinary stone compositions: calcium oxalate monohydrate (COM), calcium oxalate dihydrate (COD), dicalcium phosphate dihydrate (DCPD), calcium phosphate hydroxide (hydroxyl apatite or HAP), and uric acid, by using a 632.8 nm He‐Ne laser for excitation, a 100× microscope objective lens for irradiation and collection, and a short photobleaching time for fluorescent background reduction. Thus, we developed an MRS‐based method for analyzing the composition of urinary stone powders directly from the urine samples after the URSL procedure. This approach provides a quick and convenient method for urinary stone analysis. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Elements belonging to triangles in 3-connected matroids

An element e of a 3-connected matroid M is said to be superfluous provided M/e is 3-connected. In this paper, we show that a 3-connected matroid M with exactly k superfluous elements has at least