bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Comparison in the Coating of Mg(OH)2 on Micron‐Sized and Nanometer‐Sized Nb2O5 Particles
Authors: Luo Hongyu , Shih Wan Y. , Shih Wei‐Heng
Published: September 2010

Using Mg(OH)2 coating on Nb2O5 particles as a model system, the effects of core particle size and that of aging on coating in an aqueous environment were investigated. Specifically, two Nb2O5 particle sizes were used in this study: micron‐sized commercial Nb2O5 powder and 17‐nm synthesized Nb2O5 particles. Coating of Mg(OH)2 on Nb2O5 was carried out by precipitating Mg(OH)2 from magnesium nitrate in an aqueous Nb2O5 suspension. The coating behavior of Mg(OH)2 on Nb2O5 was examined with optical microscopy, zeta‐potential measurement, and local chemical analysis by energy dispersion spectroscopy (EDS). The results showed that the size of Nb2O5 plays an important role in the coating behavior of Mg(OH)2. Optical micrographs, zeta‐potential measurements, as well as local EDS analysis all indicated that coating Mg(OH)2 on micron‐sized Nb2O5 particles was easier than on nanometer‐sized Nb2O5 particles. We attribute the difficulty in coating Mg(OH)2 on nanometer‐sized Nb2O5 to the enhanced dissolution of Mg(OH)2 by the nanometer particle size as a result of the Kelvin effect. Aging improved the coating on micron‐sized Nb2O5 but did not exhibit significant improvement in the Mg(OH)2 coating on nanometer‐sized Nb2O5 particles. It is likely that aging modified the coating behavior of Mg(OH)2 on Nb2O5 via a dissolution‐re‐precipitation mechanism.
Impact Response and Analysis of Several Silicon Carbides
Authors: Normandia M. J.
Published: September 2010

Several hot‐pressed and sintered SiC variants were impacted with tungsten‐carbide (WC) spheres at velocities up to 1700 m/s. Ballistic response curves of areal density penetrated as a function of impact velocity were generated to compare ceramics for ballistic applications. Observed response curve features are shown to be similar to those observed for metal impacts. Ballistics penetration models that captured these features for metal targets were utilized toanalyzethe ceramic data. Visual examination of damage type and extent suggested that cavity expansion expressions for target resistance might help to quantify the strength of fully confined, damaged, comminuted ceramics. The experimental results, visual observations, and preliminary analysis using a ballistics penetration model are presented.
Development of Sodium‐Sulfur Batteries
Authors: Oshima Taku , Kajita Masaharu , Okuno Akiyasu
Published: September 2010

This paper briefly describes sodium sulfur (NAS) battery development with emphasis on the program to establish the technology for the use of a β‐alumina solid electrolyte. Since the mid‐1980s, NGK INSULATORS, LTD. (NGK) and the Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) have jointly conducted the NAS battery development program in Japan and, in April 2003, NGK launched production on a commercial scale. A critical aspect of NAS battery development has been achieving low resistance to the flow of sodium ions through the β‐alumina solid electrolyte while ensuring material properties consistent with high mechanical strength, as well as with the dimensional stability required for automated manufacturing. The resistance to sodium ion flow within β‐alumina depends on three factors: grain resistivity, grain boundary resistivity, and crystal orientation. NGK's approach to addressing these factors is explained in this paper.
Review on Advanced EB‐PVD Ceramic Topcoats for TBC Applications
Authors: Schulz Uwe , Saruhan Bilge , Fritscher Klaus , Leyens Christoph
Published: September 2010

Development of electron beam physical vapor deposited (EB‐PVD) thermal barrier coatings (TBC) aims at low conductivity, increased temperature capability, and longer life. Considerable progress has been achieved by comprehensive understanding of the evolvement of the porous microstructure in columnar ceramic topcoats and its application to tailoring optimized micro‐structures. New ceramic compositions such as alternative stabilizers in zirconia, hafnia modified coatings, and pyrochlores are addressed. They have demonstrated their potential for future TBC applications. New results of both microstructure and chemistry are presented together with a summary of recent research results.
Development of Oxide‐Based EBC for Silicon Nitride
Authors: Ueno Shunkichi , Jayaseelan D. Doni , Ohji Tatsuki
Published: September 2010

In search of a candidate EBC material for silicon nitride ceramics, water vapor corrosion test was performed for a series of monolithic materials such as Al2O3, TiO2, ZrO2, HfO2, Al2TiO5, Al6Si2O13, Lu4Hf3O12, Ln2Si2O7 (Ln = Yb and Er) and mullite/Lu2Si2O7 eutectic bulk at above 1300°C. Based on the high‐temperature water vapor corrosion test results and the resultant microstructures, the mechanisms of water vapor corrosion of these materials were discussed in this paper. In this present study, ZrO2 and HfO2 showed excellent resistance to water vapor corrosion at high temperatures. Among low‐thermal‐expansion materials, specifically silicate‐based materials, Lu2Si2O7 showed better results in the aspect of weight loss rate during the corrosion test, which also desirably has a coefficient of thermal expansion very close to that of silicon nitride. To verify the recession mechanism of Lu2Si2O7, a recession test was performed for this bulk in high‐velocity combustion gas flow at 1300‐1500°C. This material showed excellent recession resistance compared to Al2O3 and Si3N4. Different coating techniques, such as sputtering, sol‐gel, and reaction sintering, were employed to coat a high‐density Lu2Si2O7 EBC layer on a silicon nitride substrate. However, in polycrystalline Lu2Si2O7 phase, the grain boundary silica was prone to water vapor corrosion. It was observed that the corrosion resistance of a Lu2Si2O7/mullite eutectic bulk, without boundary silica, was more excellent than that of polycrystalline Lu2Si2O7 bulk.
A New Water‐Resistant Coating for AlN Powders
Authors: Morisada Y. , Sakurai T. , Miyamoto Y.
Published: September 2010

AlN powders were coated with a protective layer at temperatures between 1150‐1450°C in a vacuum by the reaction with SiO vapor. The waterproof property of the coated AlN powders was studied. The composition of the protective coating varied with the coating temperature. Si‐coated AlN powders at 1200°C showed excellent stability against hydrolysis. On the other hand, the coated layer was not observed when the AlN powders were treated at 1450°C. A silica layer was formed on the surface of the Si‐coated AlN powders by the oxidation treatment at 1000°C. These powders showed superior stability against hydrolysis compared to that of the commercially available silica‐coated AlN produced by the sol‐gel method. Compared to other processes used to coat AlN powders, the vaporization process using SiO vapor is simple and effective.
Epitaxial Solution Deposition of YBa2Cu3O7−δ‐Coated Conductors
Authors: Clem P. G. , Dawley J. T. , Siegal M. P. , Overmyer D. L. , Richardson J. J. , Voigt J. A. , Holesinger T. A.
Published: September 2010

A variety of solution deposition routes have been reported for processing complex perovskite‐based materials such as ferroelectric oxides and conductive electrode oxides, due to ease of incorporating multiple elements, control of chemical stoichiometry, and feasibility for large area deposition. Here, we report an extension of these methods toward long length, epitaxial film solution deposition routes to enable biaxially oriented YBa2Cu3O7−δ (YBCO)‐coated conductors for superconducting transmission wires. Recent results are presented detailing an all‐solution deposition approach to YBCO‐coated conductors with critical current densities Jc (77 K)>1 MA/cm2 on rolling‐assisted, biaxially textured, (200)‐oriented Ni–W alloy tapes. Solution‐deposition methods such as this approach and those of other research groups appear to have promise to compete with vapor phase methods for superconductor electrical properties, with potential advantages for large area deposition and low cost/kA·m of wire.
Crystal Phase and Orientation Control in Integrated Ferroelectric CaBi4Ti4O15 Using a Tailored Liquid of Alkoxides
Authors: Kato Kazumi , Fu Desheng , Tanaka Kiyotaka , Suzuki Kazuyuki , Kimura Tatsuo , Nishizawa Kaori , Miki Takeshi
Published: September 2010

We used a Ca–Bi–Ti complex alkoxide, in which metal–oxygen bonding was confirmed by spectroscopic analysis, to deposit CaBi4Ti4O15 (CBTi144) thin films in various configurations. The phase transition of non‐ferroelectric pyrochlore to ferroelectric perovskite in the complex‐alkoxy‐derived CBTi144 thin films was found to depend on the Pt bottom electrodes. Matching of the atomic arrangement to the Ca–Bi–Ti–O thin films was predominant rather than the strain and crystallinity of the bottom electrode. The thin films crystallized at 650°C on (111)‐oriented Pt showed random orientation and ferroelectric P–V hysteresis loops. The endurance property was excellent against a number of switchings. For this reason, CBTi144 thin films would be expected to be excellent for application to ferroelectric random access memories (FeRAM). Polar‐axis‐oriented CBTi144 films were fabricated on Pt foils using the complex metal alkoxide solution. The 500‐nm‐thick film had a columnar structure comprising well‐developed grains. The a/b‐axis orientation of the ferroelectric films is considered to be associated with the preferred orientation of Pt foil. The film showed improved ferro‐ and piezoelectric properties. The Pr, Ec, and d33 values were enhanced to become twice those of CBTi144 thin films with random orientation. These polar‐axis‐oriented CBTi144 films are eminently useful in devices as Pb‐free piezoelectric materials.
Hydrothermal Synthesis and Characterization of KxNa(1−x)NbO3Powders
Authors: Lv Jun‐Hai , Zhang Mei , Guo Min , Li Wen‐Chao , Wang Xi‐Dong
Published: September 2010

NaNbO3, KNbO3, and KxNa(1−x)NbO3powders were successfully prepared by the hydrothermal method. The phase of the products was identified to be orthorhombic structure by X‐ray diffraction (XRD) technique, and the XRD results revealed that thexvalue of the KxNa(1−x)NbO3gradually increased with the increase in the ratio of K+to Na+in alkaline solution. The morphology and the microstructure were investigated by scanning electron microscopy, energy‐dispersive spectroscopy, and transmission electron microscopy, and the results indicated that the ratio of K+to Na+in the solution had a great effect on the morphology and the size of products. Na0.5K0.5NbO3with morphotropic phase boundary composition could be synthesized when the molar ratio of K+to Na+was between 4:1 and 6:1 in the solution. A possible formation mechanism of the KxNa(1−x)NbO3crystal was also proposed based on the experimental results.
Modeling the Effects of Reactor Inlet Configuration on Isothermal CVI Process of C/SiC Composites
Authors: Wei Xi , Pan Wei , Cheng Laifei , Zhang Litong , Xu Yongdong
Published: September 2010

Two comparative models were proposed to simulate the effects of the reactor configuration on the isothermal chemical vapor infiltration (ICVI) process of C/SiC composites. The difference in the two models is that there is an expansion zone near the reactor inlet in one model while no expansion zone exists in another model. Calculation results show that the existence of the expansion zone has rather negligible effects on the ICVI process. It is accordingly suggested that the simplification of the reactor configuration by neglecting the expansion zone of the reactor is reasonable and acceptable for the ICVI process of C/SiC composites.
Power Generation of a p‐Type Ca3Co4O9/n‐Type CaMnO3 Module
Authors: Urata Saori , Funahashi Ryoji , Mihara Toshiyuka , Kosuga Atsuko , Sodeoka Satoshi , Tanaka Takahiro
Published: September 2010

Thermoelectric modules composed of eight pairs of p‐type Ca2.7Bi0.3Co4O9 (Co‐349) and n‐type CaMn0.98Mo0.02O3 (Mn‐113) bulks were constructed using Ag electrodes and paste including powder of the n‐type oxide. The former bulks were prepared by hot pressing. On the other hand, the latter were densified using a cold isostatic pressing technique and sintered in atmospheric pressure. Dimensions of both oxide legs were 5 mm wide and thick and 4.5 mm high. An alumina plate was used as a substrate, and there was no alumina plate on the other side of the modules. When the substrate side was heated, the module could generate up to 1.0 V and 0.17 W of open circuit voltage (VO) and maximum power (Pmax), respectively, at a hot‐side temperature of 1273 K (furnace temperature as a heat source) and a cold‐side temperature of 298 K (circulated water temperature) in air. But internal resistance RI reached a value of 1.5 Ω, which is about six times higher than the calculated one from resistivity of both p‐ and n‐type bulks. When the substrate side was cooled, VO and Pmax reached 0.7 V and 0.34 W of VO and Pmax, respectively, at a furnace temperature of 1273 K.
Wear Mechanisms of Chromia Refractories in Slagging Gasifiers
Authors: Kwong Kyeising , Petty Art , Bennett James , Krabbe Rick , Thomas Hugh
Published: September 2010

The hot‐face refractory lining is a key component of gasification systems. The refractory liner protects the gasification system from the high‐temperature corrosive gaseous and from the molten slag environment associated with the conversion of carbon feedstocks. This paper will discuss the effect of gasifier operating conditions and carbon feedstock slag/ash chemistry on the refractory service life. Particular attention is focused on the wear mechanism of chromia refractories, determined through postmortem analysis of spent refractory bricks from service in gasifiers. Also presented is the behavior of a phosphate‐containing chromia refractory with improved resistance to structural spalling.
Self‐Repairing Function in the Carbon‐Containing Refractory
Authors: Yamaguchi Akira
Published: September 2010

Self‐repairing function is observed in carbon‐containing refractory such as MgO–C, Al2O3–C, and so forth. Non‐oxides such as pure metallic, alloys, carbides, and nitrides are intentionally added to the refractory composition to bring about this function. As a basis of the development of a self‐repairing refractory, the self‐repairing mechanism in the carbon‐containing refractory is described.
Rules and standards in the workplace: a perspective from the field of labour law
Authors: Cabrelli David
Published: September 2010

Employment rights may be crafted as ‘bright-line’ rules or open-textured standards. Employment rights which are framed at a higher level of generality, such as standards, have not been examined in the same level of detail as rules in labour law scholarship. Standards can be divided into standards of conduct and standards of review. Standards of conduct represent commands to decision makers, such as employers, which enable them to scrutinise their decision making internally; whereas standards of review are addressed to adjudicators whose function it is to scrutinise the conduct of decision makers externally. In the majority of cases, the intensity of scrutiny which is attached to both of these standards will be the same, resulting in conflation. However, there is a general assumption that in adjudicating disputes involving employment rights, the judiciary is overly deferential to the managerial prerogative and this assumption can be corroborated – but also challenged – by an analysis which focuses on standards of review quite separately from standards of conduct. Such an examination reveals situations in which the level of scrutiny exerted externally by the adjudicator pursuant to the standard of review may be less, but also more, acute than that attached to the internal standard of conduct. This paper goes on to evaluate what the degree of intensity of scrutiny attached to standards of conduct and review reveals about employment rights more generally and erects a framework against which the argument about varying intensities of scrutiny can be given greater clarity.
An unusual combination of congenital cardiac anomalies in a cat
Authors: DEAR M. G.
Published: September 2010

A case of a congenital cardiac anomaly in a cat is described. The anomaly includes a patent ductus arteriosus, an interatrial septal defect, an interventricular septal defect and tricuspid insufficiency. An umbilical hernia was present also. Emphasis is placed on the relationship of the auscultatory, radiographic and electrocardiographic features and the pathological findings.

Résumé. On décrit un cas d'anomalie cardiaque congénitale chez un chat; cette anomalie comprenait la présence d'un carnal artériel, d'une communication inter‐auriculaire septale, d'une communication inter‐ventriculaire septale et d'une insuffisance tricuspidienne. L'animal était atteint aussi d'une hernie ombilicale. On souligne les rapports entre les données de l'auscultation, de la radiographie, de l'électro‐cardiographie et les lésions anatomopathologiques.

Zusammenfassung. Ein Fall einer kongenitalen Herzanomalie bei einer Katze wird beschrieben. Zu der Anomalie gehören ein Ductus arteriosus apertus, ein interatrialer Septumdefekt, ein interventrikularer Septumdefekt und Tricuspidalinsuffizienz. Ausserdem lag ein Nabelbruch vor. Besonderes Gewicht wird auf die Beziehung der Auskultation, Radiographie und Elektrokardiographie zum pathologischen Befund gelegt.
Clinical and pathological aspects of cervical disc protrusion and primary tumours of the cervical spinal cord in the dog*
Authors: PALMER A. C.
Published: September 2010

A short account is given of the pathological changes that occur in the spinal cord of the dog as a result of prolapsed intervertebral discs and this includes a description of pressure‐induced injury to local nerve roots. The clinical features are also described of five dogs suffering from primary tumours of the cervical spinal cord and an attempt is made to differentiate this condition clinically from cervical disc protrusion.

Résumé. On rapporte brièvenicnt les modifications anatomo‐pathologiques obscrvées au nivcau de la moelle du chien à la suite du prolapsus du disclue intervertébral et on dérit les lésions des racines nerveuses intéressées, produites par la pression. Les aspects cliniques sont égalemcnt décrits; il s'agissait de cinq chiens attcints de tumeur primaire de la moelle cervicale ct on présente un essai de différenciation des signes permettant de faire le diagnostic différentiel entre cet état et la protrusion d'un disque cervical.

Zusammenfassung. Es wird cin kurzer Bericht über die pathologischen Verändrrungen gegeben, die im Rückcnmark des Hundes als Folge eines Zwischenwirbelscheibenvorfalls eintreten, was eine Beschreibung der durch Druck verursachten Schädigungen örtlicher Nervenwurzeln einschliesst. Es werden auch die klinische Befunde hei fünf Hunden beschrieben, die an primären Tumoren des Cervicalmarks leiden, und es wird versucht, diescn Zustand klinisch von der Protrusio cervicaler Zwischenwirbelscheiben zu differenzieren.
A simple manoeuvre to aid in suture passage during ligation of patent ductus arteriosus
Authors: Parchman M. B.
Published: September 2010

A simple manoeuvre is described which prevents incorporation of soft tissue by the forceps when passing suture around the blind (medial) side of the aorta or ductus arteriosus during ligation of patent ductus arteriosus in dogs.
Effects of whelping and season of the year on the interoestrous intervals in dogs
Authors: Linde‐Forsberg C. , Wallén A.
Published: September 2010

An analysis of 319 interoestrous intervals of 36 beagles, 36 German shepherd dogs and 20 labrador retrievers was made to study the influence of whelping on the length of this interval and the within‐year variation in length of interoestrous intervals and timing of the oestrous periods. The mean interoestrous interval was significantly longer for beagles (247±5 days) than for German shepherd dogs and labrador retrievers (both 198±5 days)(P<0–001). For bitches that had not whelped there were no significant differences between breeds (beagles 172+10; German shepherd dogs 166±6; and labrador retrievers 172±7 days). The mean interoestrous interval after whelping was significantly lengthened in all breeds (P<0–001). This increase was more pronounced for beagles (84 days)(P<0–001) than for German shepherd dogs (58 days) and labrador retrievers (52 days). Heat periods were evenly distributed over the year for the labrador retrievers and German shepherd dogs that were kept as family pets. For the beagles kept as a colony and housed outdoors without heating or supplementary light, there were significant differences between months (P<0001), with a peak in May. The longest interoestrous intervals were found in beagle bitches that had been in oestrous and whelped during autumn.
Atlantoaxial subluxation with absence of the dens in a rottweiler
Authors: Wheeler S. J.
Published: September 2010

Atlantoaxial subluxation was diagnosed in a five‐month‐old male rottweiler. Surgical treatment was performed by lag screw fixation via a ventral approach. Treatment resulted in complete resolution of the neurological signs.
The vasovagal tonus index as a prognostic indicator in dogs with dilated cardiomyopathy
Authors: Pereira Y. Martinez , Woolley R. , Culshaw G. , French A. , Martin M.
Published: September 2010

Objectives: To investigate the prognostic and diagnostic value of heart rate variability (HRV) using the vasovagal tonus index (VVTI) in dogs suffering from idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM).

Methods: Electrocardiographic (ECG) recordings of 369 patients presented to a referral centre between 1993 and 2006 were reviewed.

Results: VVTI values were calculated from 132 dogs. Lower VVTI values were found in patients in International Small Animal Cardiac Health Council (ISACHC) heart failure (HF) class 2 and 3 compared with class 1. VVTI was found to be positively correlated with survival time (ST) in class 2 and 3 patients. When a cut‐off value of 7·59 for VVTI was used, the test could differentiate patients in ISACHC HF class 1 versus 2 and 3 with a sensitivity of 89 per cent and a specificity of 62·5 per cent. The ST for patients with VVTI values less than 7·59 was significantly lower.

Clinical Significance: The VVTI is a useful index, obtained from a standard ECG recording that estimates HRV in dogs and does not require any specific equipment for its calculation. It can be useful as a diagnostic tool to assess the severity of HF and is a useful prognostic tool in dogs with DCM.
Advancing Health Rights in a Globalized World: Responding to Globalization through a Collective Human Right to Public Health
Authors: Meier Benjamin Mason
Published: September 2010

In confronting the insalubrious ramifications of globalization, human rights scholars and activists have argued for greater national and international responsibility pursuant to the human right to health. Codified seminally in Article 12 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR), the right to health proclaims that states bear an obligation to realize the “highest attainable standard” of health for all. However, in pressing for the highest attainable standard for each individual, the right to health has been ineffective in compelling states to address burgeoning inequalities in underlying determinants of health, focusing on individual medical treatments at the expense of public health systems. This article contends that the paradigm of individual health, focused on a right to individual medical care, is incapable of responding to health inequities in a globalized world and thereby hampers efforts to operationalize health rights through public health systems. While the right to health has evolved in international discourse over time, this evolution of the individual right to health cannot address the harmful societal ramifications of economic globalization. Rather than relying solely upon an individual right to medical care, envisioning a collective right to public health – a right applied at the societal level to address underlying determinants of health – would alleviate many of the injurious health inequities of globalization.
Limited Liability and the Public's Health
Authors: Rutkow Lainie , Teret Stephen P.
Published: September 2010

Corporations, through their products and behaviors, exert a strong effect on the wellbeing of populations. Public health practitioners and academics have long recognized the harms associated with some corporations’ products. For example, firearms are associated with approximately 30,000 deaths in the United States each year1 and over 200,000 deaths globally. Motor vehicles are associated with about 40,000 deaths in the United States each year and over 1.2 million deaths globally. Tobacco products kill about 438,000 people each year in the United States5 and about 4.9 million people worldwide. In addition to producing unsafe or harmful products, some corporations behave in ways that negatively impact the public’s health, such as marketing alcohol to youth and other vulnerable populations. Given these observations, one can conclude that it is possible to quantify the public health impact of individual industries, such as firearms, motor vehicles, tobacco, and alcohol. Health professionals can then target these individual industries to prevent or lessen the harms they cause.
Nanotechnology in Global Medicine and Human Biosecurity: Private Interests, Policy Dilemmas, and the Calibration of Public Health Law
Authors: Faunce Thomas A.
Published: September 2010

This article explores a unique opportunity for shaping public health law and policy to reflect a greater balance between public and private goods in two areas of primary concern to human well-being: medicine and human biosecurity. This opportunity is presented both by the rapid changes likely to occur in these areas as a result of nanotechnology and the fact that multinational corporate actors have not yet had the opportunity to use their well-honed techniques of governance influence to modify public health policy and law in this area to their own narrowly focused advantage. Such a rare opportunity to rethink some fundamental assumptions about a regulatory framework for globally important health issues in advance is one reason why issues concerning nanotechnology regulation in medicine and human biosecurity should have considerable interest to health law and policy scholars.
Looking Ahead: Addressing Ethical Challenges in Public Health Practice
Authors: Baum Nancy M. , Gollust Sarah E. , Goold Susan D. , Jacobson Peter D.
Published: September 2010

In recent years, scholars have begun to lay the groundwork to justify a distinct application of ethics to the field of public health. They have highlighted important features that differentiate public health ethics from bioethics, especially public health’s emphasis on population health rather than issues of individual health. Articulations of public health ethics also tend to emphasize the role of social justice compared to the predominance of autonomy in the bioethical literature. Now that the field of public health ethics is developing a unique focus and a language of its own, including a code of ethics disseminated by the American Public Health Association, the future of public health ethics may well be global health ethics, focusing on issues of global justice. As public health ethics evolves from its nascent stage of reflection to a place of action and application in the national and global arenas, two interrelated developments will need to occur: (1) public health professionals, including practitioners, policymakers, and scholars, will need a richer understanding of the ethical challenges practitioners face on a daily basis and (2) scholars will need to develop useful tools (i.e., frameworks) that practitioners may employ for identifying and tackling these ethical challenges.
The Ethics of Restrictive Licensing for Handguns: Comparing the United States and Canadian Approaches to Handgun Regulation
Authors: Vernick Jon S. , Hodge James G. , Webster Daniel W.
Published: September 2010

On April 16, 2007, Cho Seung-Hui used two semiautomatic handguns to kill 32 persons and then himself at Virginia Tech University in the largest campus shooting in U.S. history. Mr. Cho purchased his handguns from a pawnshop and a gun store in Virginia, where under state law a background check was conducted to determine whether he had any disqualifying criminal or mental health history. The paperwork for the background check was completed at the gun store, and the check itself was conducted through an “instant” system facilitated by a toll-free telephone number. The entire transaction took approximately 20 minutes. At no point was Mr. Cho asked why he wished to purchase the guns. And although he had been deemed a potential danger to himself by a state magistrate in 2005 – which should have disqualified his purchase of a gun under federal law – this information never reached those conducting the background check.
Luck, Genes, and Equality
Authors: Fox Dov
Published: September 2010

In a little noted passage inA Theory of Justice, John Rawls argued that genetic intervention in the traits of offspring may be morally required as a matter of distributive justice. Given that the “greater natural assets” of each “enables him to pursue a preferred plan of life[,]” Rawls wrote, the parties to the original position “want toinsure for their descendents the best genetic endowment.…Thus over time a society is to take steps at least to preserve the general level of natural abilities and to prevent the diffusion of serious defects.…The pursuit of reasonable policies in this regard is something thatearlier generations owe to later ones.” (Emphasis added.) Whether biological enhancement actuallyisa moral obligation we owe to future generations is a question that I have taken up elsewhere, but which lies beyond my scope here. If we agree with Rawls that some measure of safe and effective genetic intervention may be required as a matter of justice, it stands to askhowthe distribution of genetic goods – that is, the hereditary basis of human traits – should be carried out.
Ethics at Phase 0: Clarifying the Issues
Authors: Kimmelman Jonathan
Published: September 2010

Many commentators have expressed concern that large investments in biomedical research over the past two decades have not been translated effectively into clinical applications. In its Critical Path Report, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) characterized the problem as a “technological disconnect between discovery and the product development process,” and documented that the number of investigational new drugs (INDs) submitted to the agency had declined “significantly” since 2000. Along a similar vein, another study found that only five of 101 basic science studies showing significant therapeutic promise were successfully translated into clinical applications.

This perceived translational lag is stimulating a shift toward human testing of study interventions earlier in the drug development process. One indication of this trend is a recent guidance encouraging sponsors to pursue human “exploratory” studies before embarking on phase I trials.
Health IT and Solo Practice: A Love-Hate Relationship
Authors: Heyman Joseph
Published: September 2010

On April 1, 2001, I joined the world of Health Information Technology. I started a solo gynecology practice with no income and only expenses. I hired a medical assistant to be my front desk person and my clinical helper. I rented a smaller space than most physicians could use for this purpose because my plan was to use technology to avoid both chart storage as well as the people needed to maintain a medical record library.

I hired a hospital employee to put together my “network.” He helped me install my software and set up an automatic backup system. I purchased a single robust desktop computer and brought in an older computer from home for the front desk. I bought a scanner and an inexpensive laser printer. The hardware including a router for my “network” of two computers cost me about $6000. The software, a combined practice management system with an associated EMR requiring only single entry of patient demographics, cost me about $7000.
Health Information Technology and the Idea of Informed Consent
Authors: Goldstein Melissa M.
Published: September 2010

As policy makers place great hope in health information technology (HIT) as a means to lower costs and achieve improvements in health care quality, safety, and efficiency, organizations at the forefront of building health information exchange (HIE) networks attempt to weave the concept and function of informed consent into an evolving information-driven health care system. The vast amount of information that will become available to both health professionals and patients in the new HIT-driven environment can reasonably be expected to affect the relationship between them in many ways, particularly in the area of informed consent. During this early stage of HIT adoption, it is critical that we engage in discussions regarding informed consent’s proper role in a heretofore unknown health care environment — one in which electronic information sharing holds primary (and possibly rightful) importance. The central and largely unexamined question of whether and how the legal and ethical underpinnings of informed consent will fit into the context of HITenabled treatment is critical to both public policy and clinical practice.
Prescription Data Mining and the Protection of Patients' Interests
Authors: Orentlicher David
Published: September 2010

Pharmaceutical companies have long relied on direct marketing of their drugs to physicians through one-on-one meetings with sales representatives. This practice of “detailing” is substantial in its costs and its number of participants. Every year, pharmaceutical companies spend billions of dollars on millions of visits to physicians by tens of thousands of sales representatives.

Critics have argued that drug detailing results in sub-optimal prescribing decisions by physicians, compromising patient health and driving up spending on medical care. In this view, physicians often are unduly influenced both by marketing presentations that do not accurately reflect evidence from the medical literature and by the gifts that sales representatives deliver in conjunction with their presentations.
The Management of Incidental Findings in Neuro-Imaging Research: Framework and Recommendations
Authors: Rangel Erica K.
Published: September 2010

With improved diagnostic capability and accuracy, the fields of medicine, neuroscience, psychiatry, and psychology have benefitted remarkably from the dramatic advancements in neuroimaging technology. Not only can surface and subsurface structures of the brain be mapped with incredible anatomical detail (with magnetic resonance imaging), now neural activity can be imaged across time as the brain responds to different stimuli (with functional magnetic resonance imaging). These sophisticated techniques have been a vital element in the recent increase in neuroimaging-based research. This increase, while producing new diagnostic techniques and improved treatment mechanisms for neurological disease, has also led to a new dilemma for human subjects researchers: how should incidental findings be managed? An incidental finding (IF) is a finding concerning an individual research participant that has potential health or reproductive importance and is discovered in the course of conducting research but is beyond the aims of this study.
The 2008 Declaration of Helsinki — First among Equals in Research Ethics?
Authors: Rid Annette , Schmidt Harald
Published: September 2010

The World Medical Association's (WMA) Declaration of Helsinki is one of the most important and influential international research ethics documents. Launched in 1964, when ethical guidance for research was scarce, the Declaration comprised eleven basic principles and provisions on clinical research. The document has since evolved to a complex set of principles, norms, and directions for action of varying degrees of specificity, ranging from specific rules to broad aspirational statements. It has been revised six times in an effort to maintain its influence. While all revisions were the result of vigorous debate, the 2000 revision and two subsequent notes of clarification spurred particular controversy surrounding the use of placebo in clinical research and the standard of care and post-trial obligations in research in developing countries. Several institutions opted to cite earlier versions of the Declaration, and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently removed all reference to the Declaration in its approval requirements for drugs and biological products that are studied outside the United States.
Headspace Volatiles along with Other Instrumental and Sensory Analyses as Indices of Maturation of Horse Mackerel Miso
Authors: Giri Anupam , Okamoto Akira , Okazaki Emiko , Ohshima Toshiaki
Published: September 2010

Abstract:  Development of aroma‐active compounds during fermentation in the preparation of fermented fish‐meat paste product (fish miso) from horse mackerel meat was quantitatively determined and characterized by olfactometric and organoleptic assessments. The critical ripening time was estimated by quantitative and/or qualitative analyses of volatile compounds, peptides, amino acids, product color, and total phenolics of the fish miso matrix throughout fermentation. The results confirmed that the application of koji for the fermentation of horse mackerel meat to produce fish miso significantly reduced the fishy off odor and promoted the development of highly acceptable fish miso with a nutty, cheesy, and fruity aroma. Ethyl acetate, ethyl heptanoate, ethyl decanoate, 2‐methylpropanal, 3‐methylbutanal, 2,3‐butanedione, dimethyl trisulfide, and 3‐(methylthio) propanal were identified as key odor‐active compounds in fish miso prepared from horse mackerel meat. Among the volatiles, 2‐methylpropanal, 3‐methylbutanal, and 2,3‐butanedione were identified to serve as potential indicators of the maturation of fish miso. Amino acid content could also be a potential indicator of maturation of protein‐rich, fermented products such as fish miso. In addition, surface color analysis of fish miso revealed a high correlation between sensory attributes and color components. Specifically, r and b values were considered potential indicators of maturation.

Practical Application: Variability is a major drawback in fermented products such as fish miso and it requires establishing the optimum ripening time, defined as that providing the aroma attributes qualitatively and quantitatively mostly appreciated by consumers. We have carried out this work for comprehensive determination of the critical ripening time by applying several instrumental and sensory tools including quantitative and/or qualitative analysis of volatile compounds, peptides, amino acids, product color, and total phenolics of the fish miso matrix throughout the fermentation period. The outcome of the present study can be efficiently applied for detection of maturation in similar types of fermented product for large‐scale production.
Impacts of Glutathione Maillard Reaction Products on Sensory Characteristics and Consumer Acceptability of Beef Soup
Authors: Hong J.H. , Jung D.W. , Kim Y.S. , Lee S.M. , Kim K.O.
Published: September 2010

Abstract:  The sensory characteristics and consumer acceptability of beef soup with added glutathione Maillard reaction products (GMRPs) were investigated to examine the effects of the GMRPs on beef‐soup flavor compared to soups made with glutathione (GSH) and monosodium glutamate (MSG), a control (CON), or a control soup made with 150% beef content (CON150). The sensory characteristics of the beef soups were examined by descriptive analysis. The overall acceptabilities of the beef soups were rated by consumers. Principal component analysis was performed on descriptive data as explanatory variables with overall acceptability as a supplementary variable to observe the relationships between the descriptive data and consumer acceptability, as well as the relationships between the beef‐soup samples and their sensory attributes. The samples containing GMRPs had “beef flavor” that was stronger than the CON and MSG samples, and comparable to that of the GSH sample and CON150. The GMRP samples had stronger “green onion flavor,”“garlic flavor,” and “boiled egg white flavor” than the other samples. The beef soup containing MSG was preferred to CON, CON150, and GSH. The samples with GMRPs were least favored because of their pronounced metallic and astringent notes. The results of this study imply the feasibility of GMRPs as a flavor enhancer since the soups containing these compounds showed more complex flavor profiles than GSH. However, future studies are required to optimize the MR conditions that produce GMRPs without undesirable characteristics.

Practical Application: This study examined the practicability of the Maillard reaction products between glutathione (GSH) and glucose (GP) or fructose (FP) as a flavor enhancer by investigating the sensory characteristics and consumer acceptability evoked by them in a beef‐soup system. This study helps flavor and food industry to develop a new flavor enhancer by providing practical information, such as beef flavor‐enhancing effect of FP and GP compared to that by increasing beef content or adding GSH or MSG. In addition, it is expected that the outcome of this study, such as sensory attributes of and consumer responses to GSH Maillard reaction products, compliments previous studies that mostly focused on chemical analysis of Maillard reaction.
Bioactivities of Kernel Extracts of 18 Strains of Maize (Zea mays)
Authors: Lee Chen‐Hsien , Garcia Hugo S. , Parkin Kirk L.
Published: September 2010

Abstract:  Aqueous and ethanolic extracts of maize kernels from 18 varieties/strains were prepared for the evaluation of inhibitory activities toward α‐glucosidase and scavenging activities toward nitric oxide (NO•) and superoxide (•O2−). All ethanolic extracts of maize strains tested inhibited yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) α‐glucosidase with the highest potency (49% to 54%) found for 2 purple and a yellow strains. However, inhibitory effects of maize extracts on rat intestinal α‐glucosidase were as a whole about 10% as effective as with the yeast enzyme. Maize extracts were capable of scavenging NO• at the level of 0.25 mg/mL to extents ranging from 24% to 50% and 26% to 57%, respectively, for aqueous and ethanolic extracts. All tested aqueous extracts were also capable of scavenging •O2−, with efficacies ranging from 8% to 38%, at the level of 1.5 mg/mL, whereas almost none of the ethanolic extracts scavenged •O2−, except for one purple strain (approximately 10% effective). The effectiveness in the enzyme inhibition and antioxidant assays did not correlate with total phenolic and/or anthocyanin levels, nor with the nature of pigmentation among the maize strains evaluated.

Practical Application: A diversity of pigmented maize strains was evaluated for biological activities related to mitigating oxidative stress and slowing down glucose absorption from the diet. Certain strains tended to be more abundant in these biological activities and have potential to be used in dietary regimes that are designed to promote human health.
Tibial tuberosity advancement in 92 canine stifles: initial results, clinical outcome and owner evaluation
Authors: Dymond NL , Goldsmid SE , Simpson DJ
Published: September 2010

Objective To investigate the clinical outcomes, complications and owners' evaluation of the tibial tuberosity advancement (TTA) procedure in canine stifles.

Methods A retrospective study of hospital records was performed to identify dogs diagnosed with partial or complete cranial cruciate ligament (CCL) rupture that had undergone TTA repair. Information obtained included signalment, period of lameness, surgical report, evidence of meniscal injury, postoperative recovery and peri‐operative complications. Owners were asked to assess the long‐term outcome.

Results In a total of 72 dogs (median age, 6 years; median body weight, 34.8 kg), TTA was performed in 92 stifles. Twenty breeds were represented, with Labrador Retrievers and Rottweilers the most common. The period of lameness ranged from 3 days to 24 months. The median pre‐operative lameness score was 3/4 and meniscal injury was present in 51 stifles. Minor complications occurred in 29% of cases. Major complications occurred in 6.5% of cases and consisted of meniscal injury and two tibial tuberosity fractures. All were successfully managed, with good limb function when subsequently assessed. In the owner evaluation, 96% reported moderate to great improvement postoperatively, with no lameness at rest and mild to no lameness after vigorous exercise.

Conclusion Clinical outcome and owner evaluations in this case series indicate favourable results can be expected when CCL‐deficient stifles are treated with TTA.
Mixing Levels of Analysis in Organizational Research
Authors: Korukonda Appa Rao
Published: September 2010

This paper presents an analytical and philosophical exposition of the arguments for consistency in level of analysis in organizational research. The role of fundamental epistemological and ontological positions in the formulation of Level of Analysis problems is examined. Some misapplications of the Level of Analysis argument are indicated and it is suggested that an undue concern with this issue could stifle creativity and inhibit theoretical development of the discipline.

Ce texte discute du souci de constance dans le choix du niveau d'analyse dans les études organisationnelles. On y examine l'influence de certaines perspectives épistémologiques et ontologiques sur le choix du niveau d'étude d'un phénomène. Quelques problèmes résultant du recours abusif à l'argument de la constance sont exposés. En brimant la créativité du chercheur, l'exagération en ce sens risque de nuire à l'évolution théorique du domaine des sciences de la gestion.
Self‐employment in the Canadian Sub‐Arctic: An Exploratory Study
Authors: Dana Leo Paul
Published: September 2010

This exploratory study provides a theoretical and empirically informed analysis of self‐employment in a small sub‐Arctic town in Canada. An interdisciplinary literature review leads to the development of a theoretical typology of the self‐employed used to analyze empirical findings. Using ethnographic means to obtain information on how and why people in Churchill, Manitoba, become self‐employed, the author compares his findings with established schools of thought. Much literature relates self‐employment to opportunity; this implicitly assumes a uniform response to opportunity across cultures. In contrast, the results of this study suggest that identification of and Ior response to opportunity is linked to culture. The causal variable of self‐employment is not simply opportunity; cultural constraints affect the individual's response to opportunity, i.e., cultural perception of opportunity is a relevant causal variable. Implications are discussed, concluding with topics for future research.

Cette étude exploratoire présente une analyse de l'entre‐preneuriat dans une petite ville du Grand Nord canadien, celle‐ci avec ses racines dans un schéma théorique, ainsi que dans des données empiriques. Une revue interdisciplinaire de la littérature mène au développement d'une typologie du travailleur autonome, ceci étant utile pour l'analyse de données empiriques. Muni d'outils ethnographiques à la recherche de comment et pourquoi des individus à Churchill, au Manitoba, deviennnent travailleurs autonomes, l'auteur compare ses données avec la littérature existante. Plusieurs écrits tracent l'entre‐preneuriat à l'opportunité; ceux‐ci s'attendent à une réaction uniforme vis‐à‐vis de l'opportunité, peut importe la culture. Par contre, les résultats de la présente étude suggèrent que l'identification de et/ou la réaction face à l'opportunité, est reliée à la culture. Ce n'est pas l'opportunité qui détermine I entrepreneurial, mais plutǒt, puisque des contraintes culturelles influencent la réponse au stimulus, c'est la perception culturelle de l'opportunité qui en est responsable. Des implications sont discutées, concluant avec des suggestions pour de futures recherches.