The Paper Industry: Strategic Alliances, Joint Ventures, and Electronic Commerce Are Reshaping Our Business Models

J. Ben Reeves, MBA, is a wood and fiber procurement manager, Georgia-Pacific Corperation, Lynchburg, VA 24503. Deanna S. Stepp, MBA, CRP, is a marketing director, Lawrence Transportation, Roanoke, VA 24012. Lewis E. Wertz, Jr., MBA, MSCE, P.E., is an engineer-planner, R & K Engineering Inc., Roanoke, VA 24012. Dale A. Henderson, Ph.D., is assistant professor of management, Department of Management, Radford University, Radford, VA 24142

On chains in HH-closed topological pospaces

We study chains in an $H$-closed topological partially ordered space. We give sufficient conditions for a maximal chain $L$ in an $H$-closed topological partially ordered space such that $L$ contains a maximal (minimal) element. Also we give sufficient conditions for a linearly ordered topological partially ordered space to be $H$-closed. We prove that any $H$-closed topological semilattice contains a zero. We show that a linearly ordered $H$-closed topological semilattice is an $H$-closed topological pospace and show that in the general case this is not true. We construct an example an $H$-closed topological pospace with a non-$H$-closed maximal chain and give sufficient conditions that a maximal chain of an $H$-closed topological pospace is an $H$-closed topological pospace.Comment: We have rewritten and substantially expanded the manuscrip

Semigroup Closures of Finite Rank Symmetric Inverse Semigroups

We introduce the notion of semigroup with a tight ideal series and investigate their closures in semitopological semigroups, particularly inverse semigroups with continuous inversion. As a corollary we show that the symmetric inverse semigroup of finite transformations $\mathscr{I}_\lambda^n$ of the rank $\leqslant n$ is algebraically closed in the class of (semi)topological inverse semigroups with continuous inversion. We also derive related results about the nonexistence of (partial) compactifications of classes of semigroups that we consider.Comment: With the participation of the new coauthor - Jimmie Lawson - the manuscript has been substantially revised and expanded. Accordingly, we have also changed the manuscript titl

A Comparison of Sphenoid Sinus Osteoneogenesis in Aspirin-Exacerbated Respiratory Disease

Background: Aspirin-exacerbated respiratory disease (AERD) is characterized by excessive leukotriene production, diffuse polyp burden and osteitic bone changes. These bony changes have not been previously characterized. Objective: The aim of this radiographic study is to characterize the bony changes noted on computed tomography (CT) scans of the sphenoid sinus in patients with AERD compared to other diseased sinonasal inflammatory states and non-diseased controls. Methods: A retrospective review of 43 patients with clinically confirmed AERD were included and compared to 22 non-diseased, 9 allergic fungal sinusitis, and 43 chronic rhinosinusitis controls (23 without polyps and 18 with polyps). Comparative measurements were performed using fine-cut CT scans. Sites of comparison were the intersinus septum, the left and right lateral sphenoid wall, the roof, and left and right floor of the sphenoid sinus. Standardized measurements were averaged by two separate rhinologists. Results: Patients with AERD had an average statistically significant increase in bone thickness compared to healthy and diseased controls in nearly every site with the most pronounced changes in the intersinus septum (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Patients with AERD have significantly increased thickness of the sphenoid bone compared to control groups with the most pronounced difference in the intersinus septum. These findings may help clinicians increase suspicion for a diagnosis of AERD who clinically have diffuse nasal polyposis

Sinonasal complications of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2: A single center case series

Background: The emergence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) has resulted in an unprecedented global pandemic. Most infected patients are either asymptomatic or have mild upper respiratory infection symptoms. However, life-threatening sequelae have been observed. In this report, we reviewed nine cases of patients with severe complications from sinonasal disease in the setting of acute SARS-CoV-2 infection. Methods: IRB approval was obtained prior to study initiation. A retrospective chart review was performed of patients admitted to a tertiary hospital with complex sinonasal symptoms that required otolaryngologic evaluation and management in the setting of concomitant SARS-CoV-2 infection. Results: Nine patients, ranging from ages 3 to 71 years, with sinonasal disease and simultaneous SARS-CoV-2 infection were identified. Initial presentations ranged from asymptomatic infection to mild/moderate disease (nasal obstruction, cough) or more severe sequelae including epistaxis, proptosis, or neurologic changes. SARS-CoV-2 tests were positive from one to 12 days after symptom onset, with three patients receiving SARS-CoV-2-directed treatment. Complex disease presentations included bilateral orbital abscesses, suppurative intracranial infection, cavernous sinus thrombosis with epidural abscess, systemic hematogenous spread with abscess development in four distinct anatomic locations, and hemorrhagic benign adenoidal tissue. Eight of nine patients (88.8%) required operative intervention. Patients with abscesses also required prolonged, culture-directed antibiotic courses. Conclusion: Though most SARS-CoV-2 infections are asymptomatic and/or self-limited, there is significant morbidity and mortality in patients with severe disease sequela as outlined in our reported cases. This suggests early identification and treatment of sinonasal disease in this patient population is critical to minimizing poor outcomes. Further research on the pathophysiology of these atypical presentations is needed. Level of Evidence: 4 (Case Series)

Effects of water availability and pest pressures on tea (Camellia sinensis) growth and functional quality

Extreme shifts in water availability linked to global climate change are impacting crops worldwide. The present study examines the direct and interactive effects of water availability and pest pressures on tea (Camellia sinensis; Theaceae) growth and functional quality. Manipulative greenhouse experiments were used to measure the effects of variable water availability and pest pressures simulated by jasmonic acid (JA) on tea leaf growth and secondary metabolites that determine tea quality. Water treatments were simulated to replicate ideal tea growing conditions and extreme precipitation events in tropical southwestern China, a major centre of tea production. Results show that higher water availability and JA significantly increased the growth of new leaves while their interactive effect was not significant. The effect of water availability and JA on tea quality varied with individual secondary metabolites. Higher water availability significantly increased total methylxanthine concentrations of tea leaves but there was no significant effect of JA treatments or the interaction of water and JA. Water availability, JA treatments or their interactive effects had no effect on the concentrations of epigallocatechin 3-gallate. In contrast, increased water availability resulted in significantly lower concentrations of epicatechin 3-gallate but the effect of JA and the interactive effects of water and JA were not significant. Lastly, higher water availability resulted in significantly higher total phenolic concentrations but there was no significant impact of JA and their interaction. These findings point to the fascinating dynamics of climate change effects on tea plants with offsetting interactions between precipitation and pest pressures within agro-ecosystems, and the need for future climate studies to examine interactive biotic and abiotic effects

Novel Characterization of Lymphatic Valve Formation during Corneal Inflammation

Lymphatic research has progressed rapidly in recent years. Though lymphatic dysfunction has been found in a wide array of disorders from transplant rejection to cancer metastasis, to date, there is still little effective treatment for lymphatic diseases. The cornea offers an optimal site for lymphatic research due to its accessible location, transparent nature, and lymphatic-free but inducible features. However, it still remains unknown whether lymphatic valves exist in newly formed lymphatic vessels in the cornea, and how this relates to an inflammatory response. In this study, we provide the first evidence showing that lymphatic valves were formed in mouse cornea during suture-induced inflammation with the up-regulation of integrin alpha 9. The number of corneal valves increased with the progression of inflammatory lymphangiogenesis. Moreover, we have detected lymphatic valves at various developmental stages, from incomplete to more developed ones. In addition to defining the average diameter of lymphatic vessels equipped with lymphatic valves, we also report that lymphatic valves were more often located near the branching points. Taken together, these novel findings not only provide new insights into corneal lymphatic formation and maturation, but also identify a new model for future investigation on lymphatic valve formation and possibly therapeutic intervention

Evaluating indices of traditional ecological knowledge: a methodological contribution

BACKGROUND: New quantitative methods to collect and analyze data have produced novel findings in ethnobiology. A common application of quantitative methods in ethnobiology is to assess the traditional ecological knowledge of individuals. Few studies have addressed reliability of indices of traditional ecological knowledge constructed with different quantitative methods. METHODS: We assessed the associations among eight indices of traditional ecological knowledge from data collected from 650 native Amazonians. We computed Spearman correlations, Chronbach's alpha, and principal components factor analysis for the eight indices. RESULTS: We found that indices derived from different raw data were weakly correlated (rho<0.5), whereas indices derived from the same raw data were highly correlated (rho>0.5; p < 0.001). We also found a relatively high internal consistency across data from the eight indices (Chronbach's alpha = 0.78). Last, results from a principal components factor analysis of the eight indices suggest that the eight indices were positively related, although the association was low when considering only the first factor. CONCLUSION: A possible explanation for the relatively low correlation between indices derived from different raw data, but relatively high internal consistency of the eight indices is that the methods capture different aspects of an individual's traditional ecological knowledge. To develop a reliable measure of traditional ecological knowledge, researchers should collect raw data using a variety of methods and then generate an aggregated measure that contains data from the various components of traditional ecological knowledge. Failure to do this will hinder cross-cultural comparisons

Novel interactions of transglutaminase-2 with heparan sulphate proteoglycans: reflection on physiological implications

This mini-review brings together information from publications and recent conference proceedings that have shed light on the biological interaction between transglutaminase-2 and heparan sulphate proteoglycans. We subsequently draw hypothesis of possible implications in the wound healing process. There is a substantial overlap in the action of transglutaminase-2 and the heparan sulphate proteoglycan syndecan-4 in normal and abnormal wound repair. Our latest findings have identified syndecan-4 as a possible binding and signalling partner of fibronectinbound TG2 and support the idea that transglutaminase-2 and syndecan-4 acts in synergy