Subnanosecond phase transition dynamics in laser-shocked iron

Iron is one of the most studied chemical elements due to its sociotechnological and planetary importance; hence, understanding its structural transition dynamics is of vital interest. By combining a short pulse optical laser and an ultrashort free electron laser pulse, we have observed the subnanosecond structural dynamics of iron from high-quality x-ray diffraction data measured at 50-ps intervals up to 2500 ps. We unequivocally identify a three-wave structure during the initial compression and a two-wave structure during the decaying shock, involving all of the known structural types of iron (α-, γ-, and ε-phase). In the final stage, negative lattice pressures are generated by the propagation of rarefaction waves, leading to the formation of expanded phases and the recovery of γ-phase. Our observations demonstrate the unique capability of measuring the atomistic evolution during the entire lattice compression and release processes at unprecedented time and strain rate.

The Role of Personality Traits Toward Organizational Commitments and Service Quality Commitments

Service providers personality traits is one of important determinants to deliver proper service to customers to make them satisfied in service delivery. Despite numerous studies on personality traits and emotional labor, little empirical work has been conducted to investigate the causal effects of hotel middle managers' personality traits on their commitment to the hospitality industry. Thus, this study aims to examine the effects of hotel middle managers' personality on two dimensions of commitments: organizational commitment and service quality commitment meditated by emotional variables: emotional labor and emotional exhaustion. The sample of this study consists of 266 department managers from full-service hotels in a metropolitan city in the Southern United States. The results confirmed the significant role of hotel middle managers' personality traits, especially expressive personality, in organizational commitment and service quality commitment. Hotel operators should foster a work setting that consistently promotes congruent emotions via regular training and screening to reducing employees' emotional exhaustion, increasing organizational commitment and service quality commitment, ultimately, reducing employees' turnover intentions.

The Role of Emotional Service Expectation Toward Perceived Quality and Satisfaction: Moderating Effects of Deep Acting and Surface Acting

A conceptual model articulating the nature of customer expectations and satisfaction over services was proposed with emotional factors. Five propositions about consumer emotional service expectations as a primary antecedent toward confirmation, perceived quality, and satisfaction were provided. As moderators, two dimensions of consumer detection of emotional labor (i.e., detecting deep acting and surface acting) were imposed on each of the relationships. Evidence demonstrated the roles of emotional service expectation in service confirmation and satisfaction. The moderating effects of consumer detections of employees' emotional strategies were limited to the relationship between emotional service expectation and confirmation; its relationship was weakened by detections of surface acting while the other relationships were not moderated by detections of deep nor surface acting. Structural equation modeling analyses were conducted using online survey data targeting consumers in the hotel industry.

Relationship Bonds and Service Provider's Emotional Labor: Moderating Effects of Collectivism

Since service providers directly conduct emotional labor to customers, it is important to identify the factors influencing emotional labor of service providers. Even though the studies identifying the predisposing factors influencing emotional labor are taking place, there is no empirical evidence confirming how relationship bonds, which have been established between corporations and service providers, are related to emotional labor. This study examined the influences of relationship bonds on emotional labor through person-organization fit (P-O fit) and the moderating effects of collectivism between P-O fit and emotional labor. Analysis was conducted by performing questionnaire surveys targeting 350 employees in the financial industry. As a result of the analysis, it has been found that financial bonds, social bonds, and structural bonds enhanced P-O fit and P-O fit improved deep acting. In addition, this study identified that collectivism of service providers strengthened the influence of P-O fit toward deep acting. This study not only suggested the empirical evidence identifying the process of relationship bonds influencing emotional labor but also expanded the scope of study by examining moderating roles of collectivism in cultural psychology aspect.

Do Emotional Laborers Help the Needy More or Less? The Mediating Role of Sympathy in the Effect of Emotional Dissonance on Prosocial Behavior

Despite the growing body of research on emotional labor, little has been known about the social consequences of emotional labor. Drawing on emotional dissonance theory, the authors investigate the relationship between the felt emotional dissonance and prosocial behavior (e.g., donation to a charity). Findings from multiple studies suggest that higher emotional dissonance serially influences perceived lack of control, emotional exhaustion, lowered sympathy for others' feeling, and subsequently lower willingness to help others. When individuals are asked to recall their past experiences of emotional dissonance, they expressed lack of control and emotional exhaustion (Study 3), lower sympathy for others' feeling (Studies 1, 3), and subsequently become less willing to help others both in their intention (Studies 2A and 3) and with actual money (Study 2B). Further, this negative relationship is moderated by the display rules (i.e., surface acting vs. deep acting, Study 3). Managerial and public policy implications are discussed.

Seasonality of consumers' third-party online complaining behavior

We examined consumer complaining behavior on a third-party website at different times during a 1-year period, with a focus on seasonal differences in complaints made during the year. We collected 1,799 complaints as data from the website and applied both content analysis and critical incident technique to identify whether or not there were seasonal differences in reasons for reporting complaints and the frequency of complaints. Results showed that there were differences in frequency and type of complaint between the nonholiday shopping season and the holiday shopping season from Thanksgiving to Christmas. Our findings contribute to a topic on which there is a paucity of empirical research.

Juxtaorbital en plaque meningiomas. Report of four cases and review of literature

Juxtaorbital spheroid wing or ridge meningiomas are the most common of the basal meningiomas. These are at times meningiomas en plaque, which in most patients do not have significant intracranial component. This article reviews the literature on en-plaque meningiomas and discusses the role of MR imaging and CT in the diagnosis of en-plaque meningiomas of the paraorbital region. The role of fat-suppression, gadolinium-enhanced, T1-weighted MR imaging is emphasized.

Ischemic colitis: Tc-99m HMPAO leukocyte scintigraphy and correlative imaging

A 62-year-old woman became progressively ill after aorto-bifemoral graft surgery. A Tc-99m hexamethylpropyleneamine oxime (HMPAO) leukocyte scan was performed because of fever and suspected graft infection. The anterior abdominal and pelvic views demonstrated marked uptake within the sigmoid colon. Follow-up studies, including CT scan and contrast intestinal x-rays, confirmed the presence of an abnormal sigmoid loop. Subsequent surgical resection and pathological examination of the sigmoid colon revealed ischemic changes. To our knowledge, detection of ischemic colitis using Tc-99m HMPAO labeled leukocytes has not been reported. Clinical and routine radiological findings of ischemic colitis are typically nonspecific and may result in delayed diagnosis that can lead to high mortality. Tc-99m HMPAO leukocyte scintigraphy may be helpful in the noninvasive diagnosis of ischemic injury to the colon, especially after aortic graft surgery.

Thyroid nodules in the follow-up of irradiated individuals: comparison of thyroid ultrasound with scanning and palpation

In 1974 we began a prospective study of a cohort of 4296 individuals exposed to therapeutic head and neck irradiation during childhood for benign conditions. To define the role of thyroid ultrasonography in following irradiated individuals, we studied a subgroup of 54 individuals. They all had been screened between 1974-1976 and had normal thyroid scans and no palpable nodules at that time. Thyroid ultrasonography, thyroid scanning, physical examination, and serum thyroglobulin measurements were performed. One or more discrete ultrasound-detected nodules were present in 47 of 54 (87%) subjects. There were a total of 157 nodules, 40 of which were 1.0 cm or larger in largest dimension. These 40 nodules occurred in 28 (52%) of the subjects. Thirty (75%) of these 1.0-cm or larger nodules matched discrete areas of diminished uptake on corresponding thyroid scans. The 10 that did not match (false negative scans for > or = 1.0-cm nodules) were the only nodules of this size in 7 subjects. Of 11 nodules 1.5 cm or larger, only 5 were palpable. Serum thyroglobulin correlated to the number (P = 0.04; r2 = 0.10), but not the volume of the thyroid nodules (P = 0.07; r2 = 0.08). We conclude that thyroid nodules are continuing to occur and are exceedingly common in this irradiated cohort of individuals. The results confirm that thyroid ultrasonography is more sensitive than physical examination and scanning. However, thyroid ultrasound is so sensitive and nodules so prevalent that great caution is needed in interpreting the results.

Radioimmunoscintigraphy in patients with early stage cutaneous malignant melanoma

CT and MRI examinations remain relatively insensitive for the detection of metastatic melanoma lesions, especially those of regional lymph nodes. Imaging cutaneous malignant melanoma patients with the Fab fragment of monoclonal antibody (MAb) NR-ML-05 labeled with 99mTc has been reported to increase the accuracy of staging. Our purpose in this study was to assess the sensitivity of 99mTc-labeled NR-ML-05 in detecting the spread of melanoma.

METHODS

Twenty-six adult cutaneous malignant melanoma patients were enrolled in this study and were followed for 6 to 60 mo after radioimmunoscintigraphy. At the time of imaging, 20 patients had their primary lesions resected, whereas the remaining 6 patients had their primary lesions intact.

RESULTS

Radioimmunoscintigraphy correctly detected 8 of 18 suspicious lesions as malignant, as well as 4 additional malignant lesions which had not been suspected previously. Radioimmunoscintigraphy also correctly identified 8 of the 18 suspicious lesions as benign. Two of the 18 suspicious lesions were found to be false negatives. The overall lesion sensitivity of radioimmunoscintigraphy was 86%.

CONCLUSION

Twenty-four of the 26 patients were correctly staged by radioimmunoscintigraphy. The accuracy of staging of cutaneous malignant melanoma patients by clinical and or radiologic examinations (73%) was greatly improved with the use of radioimmunoscintigraphy (93%). These results suggest that radioimmunoscintigraphy may be a clinically useful adjunct to the current armamentarium for guidance of medical, and particularly surgical, therapy of cutaneous malignant melanoma patients.

Improved staging of B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma patients with 99mTc-labeled LL2 monoclonal antibody fragment

Radioimmunodetection (RAID) with the 99mTc-labeled Fab' fragment of monoclonal antibody (MoAb) LL2 has been reported to have a high lesion detection rate for malignant lymph nodes as well as for visceral and skeletal tumor masses (20). Our purpose in this study was to evaluate the safety and staging efficacy of the 99mTc-labeled Fab' fragment of MoAb LL2 in patients with various grades and stages of B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL). Thirty adult patients, 13 male and 17 female, ranging in age from 20 to 80 years, with at least one biopsy-proved malignant node (> or = 0.5 cm) and a Karnofsky performance score of > or = 60% were enrolled in this study. Patients underwent selected planar and single photon emission computed tomographic imaging at 6 and 18 h after receiving an i.v. infusion of 0.25-1 mg of LL2 Fab' fragment labeled with 25-30 mCi of 99mTc. RAID findings were compared with physical examination, chest radiography, computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, and bone and 67Ga scan findings. The RAID scan was positive in all but three patients. The sensitivity for known lesions was 90% and for suspected lesions, 89%, with an overall positive predictive value of 96%. Twenty-nine of the 30 patients had either low- or intermediate-grade NHL. Fifteen of 16 (94%) low-grade patients were correctly staged by RAID; three of these patients were correctly upstaged. Twelve of the 13 (92%) intermediate-grade patients were correctly staged by RAID; two of these patients were correctly upstaged. The high-grade NHL patient was staged correctly by RAID. Infused doses of 99mTc-labeled LL2 Fab' of 0.5 and 1.0 mg did not affect lesion sensitivity. The RAID sensitivity decreased as the total tumor burden increased > or = 100 g. On the basis of these initial results, the 99mTc-labeled Fab' fragment of MoAb LL2 (LymphoScan) seems to yield useful clinical information, especially for the staging of B-cell NHL patients who do not have bulky disease (i.e., tumor burdens of < or = 100 g).