Issues & Answers is an ongoing series of reports from short-term Fast Response Projects conducted by the regional educational laboratories on current education issues of importance at local, state, and regional levels. Fast Response Project topics change to reflect new issues, as identified through lab outreach and requests for assistance from policymakers and educators at state and local levels and from communities, businesses, parents, families, and youth.

Excision of small benign naevi on the face is commonplace in Plastic Surgery. The clinician and patient must balance the benefits of removal with the resultant scar and the potential for recurrence. Traditional elliptical excisions can result in scars up to three or even four times the length of the original lesion. Several techniques can be employed in order to minimise such scarring. Circular excision, with or without closure of the wound can be useful in small lesions but is unsuitable for larger lesions (>1 cm in diameter) where wound closure results in ‘dog-ear’ formation whilst healing of such defects by secondary intention can be prolonged and scarring may be significant. Dermal shaving of lesions often produces highly acceptable scarring 1 Breuninger H. Garbe C. Rassner G. Shave excision of melanocytic nevi of the skin: indications, technique, results. Hautarzt. 2000; 51: 575-580 Google Scholar , 2 Harrison P.V. Good results after shave excision of benign moles. J Dermatol Surg Oncol. 1985; 11 ([see also p. 686]): 668 Google Scholar but carries a risk of both pigment recurrence (27%) and hair regrowth (24%) resulting from incomplete excision of the lesion or deeply placed hair follicles. 3 Hudson-Peacock M.J. Bishop J. Lawrence C.M. Shave excision of benign papular naevocytic naevi. Br J Plast Surg. 1995; 48: 318-322 Google Scholar Deeper elements of naevi and hair follicles are often placed centrally and we have designed a technique combining shaving and excision wherein the periphery of the lesion is removed by dermal shaving and the central, deeper portion is removed as an ellipse. The wound is then closed leaving a small raw area (corresponding to the shaved portion). A clinical series of this simple procedure is illustrated in Fig. 1. This technique would increase the likelihood of preventing recurrence of hair growth or pigment formation in comparison to dermal shaving whilst reducing the length of the resultant scar. We have found the resultant scarring to be cosmetically very acceptable.

Nipple and areola reconstruction is an important component of breast reconstruction and numerous techniques have been reported. Each has its own advantages and disadvantages. A novel variation in nipple-areola complex reconstruction utilising a 'Button-Hole' is presented which can be advantageous in women with smaller nipples. Review of thirteen patients with a mean follow up of 39 months showed durable Long-term results. In selected patients, this technique is a useful alternative to the many others currently employed.

Background: As Northern Ireland starts to recover from 30 years of terrorist violence, political focus has moved to address social issues incumbent in a landscape blighted by civil unrest. This paper appears to be the primary attempt to synthesize the most violent period of Ireland's history in terms of the actual number of premature and unnecessary deaths.Aim: The aim of this study was to examine the trends in suicide rates and terrorist-related homicide in Northern Ireland from 1966 to 1999 and to investigate any relationship between the two.Methods: The official suicide rates from the Reports of the Registrar Generals Office (1967 – 2000) were extrapolated from the total list of causes of death. The death figures were taken from the data published by McKittrick et al. (2000). Data was initially systematically listed. Cross-tabs were then undertaken to examine the number of suicides and deaths by gender and age. Where appropriate Pearson correlation co-efficient was used to analyse possible statistically significant relationships between variables.Results: Nearly 7000 people have died prematurely in Northern Ireland between 1966 and 1999. Males were more likely to die by both methods than females. The standardized rate of suicide falls in both genders after the age of 65 years. A highly significant inverse correlation (p < 0.01) was noted between the total number of suicides and homicides. A finding repeated in both genders.Conclusions: The “Troubles” may have had the effect of increasing social cohesion that protected individuals from suicide.Declaration of interest: None.KeywordsTerrorist-related deathssuicideNorthern Ireland

Efficient quantitative detection for halogens is necessary in a wide range of applications, ranging from pharmaceutical products to air polluting hazardous gases or organic compounds used as chemical weapons. Detection of the non-metallic elements such as fluorine (F) and chlorine (Cl) presents particular difficulty, because strong emission lines originating from their resonance states lie in the VUV spectral range (110–190 nm). In the present work we detect F and Cl in the upper visible and in the near IR (650–850 nm) under controlled inert gas ambient atmosphere. Investigation of the controlled atmosphere effects suggests that there exists an optimum pressure range that optimizes signal strength and quality. Ablation and ionization were achieved with a UV laser at 355 nm, and a gated GaAs photocathode-based detector was used for detection with quantum efficiency in the range of 20% in the wavelengths of interest. Our results indicate that our approach provides quantitative detection with linearity over at least two orders of magnitude that is achieved without the need for Internal Standardization Method, and improved limits of detection. In particular, fluorine has been detected for concentration values down to 0.03 wt.% Definite spectral assignment revealing all major emission lines centered around 837 nm for F and 687 nm for Cl has been obtained for the first time in Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy application.

MacQuillan, Anthony M.R.C.S.; Hamilton, Stephen F.R.C.S.; Grobbelaar, Adriaan M.Med.(Plast.), F.C.S.(S.A.), F.R.C.S.(Plast.) Author Information

AbstractObjectives: This study was designed to test a proposed relationship between the total impact score (devised by the authors) and the quantum of damages in compensation received by victims of criminal and political violence. In so doing, the authors sought to develop a mathematical formula which could be used to quantify damages in a simple and expeditious manner.Method: Data on 2,191 victims of violence was collated forming three databases of information, on the incident, on the victim and on the outcomes. A tool of measurement of the psychosocial impact of the traumatic event was designed (the Total Impact Score). Information on a subsample of the 208 survivors of attempted assassination was then selected and the TIS for each individual was calculated and examined for correlations with other variables including the quantum damages awarded.Results: The TIS was shown to have validity as a measure of the psychosocial impact of a traumatic event upon an individual. The analysis showed a significant relationship between the TIS and quantum awarded. This relationship was used to generate a mathematical formula which could be used to calculate quantum damages in any case. Compensation = £500 × (10(0037t+0.059y) -1), where t is the TIS and y is the number of years after 1985.Conclusions: The TIS can be taken as a valid tool for quantifying the psychosocial impact of a traumatic event or violent act. The tool consists of a checklist of readily ascertainable outcome variables each of which can be scored and a TIS calculated. From this score the amount of damages can be ascertained. The authors believe that this measurement tool represents a fair and equitable method of calculating a case's worth.

A hydrocracking rig has been constructed which involves the passing of coal-derived liquids and hydrogen over a trickle bed packed with a nickel oxide/molybdenum oxide catalyst. The ash and trace metal levels have been measured, before and after hydrocracking, and their variation with catalyst lifetime has been assessed. Al, Ca, Fe, Mg, Mn, K, Si, Na and Ti levels have been determined by a.a.s. and considerable reductions have been observed for Fe, Mg, Mn and Ti after hydrocracking. The ash level of hydrocracked extract increases for the first 50 h and then stabilizes at about 60% of the feed level. Metal levels determined for the catalyst itself show an accumulation of all the metals under consideration, especially for the sections of the catalyst which were hottest. Overall catalytic activity is not seen to decrease markedly but the ability of the catalyst to produce lower boiling material is considerably reduced after only 25 h. Comparisons between catalyst activity and metal deposition are made.

High- and low-temperature ashes from feed coal, coal extract solution and filter cake from a two-stage coal liquefaction process have been studied by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy/energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence (SEM/EDX). Hydrocracking experiments using alumina support only, in place of the active NiMo catalyst on alumina, were also carried out, with trace metal analysis of the coal extract solution feed and hydrocracked extracts using atomic absorption and emission spectroscopy. The major mineral transformations occurring were of pyrite to pyrrhotite and the fixation of organic sulphur by calcium carbonate. Mineral particles were not observed in the coal extract solution ashes, even under high magnification, and the study indicated that size alone was not a determining factor as to whether a coal mineral was to be found in a coal-derived liquid. None of the trace metals was deposited on the alumina support under hydrocracking conditions, in marked contrast to the results obtained with the normal NiMo catalyst. These results lead to the conclusion that for the deposition of trace elements to occur a reaction must take place and hence the trace elements must be chemically bound in some form.