bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Carbothermal Reaction of Silica–Phenol Resin Hybrid Gels to Produce Silicon Nitride/Silicon Carbide Nanocomposite Powders
Authors: Li Jinwang , Riedel Ralf
Published: September 2007

A carbothermal reaction of silica–phenol resin hybrid gels prepared from a two‐step sol–gel process was conducted in atmospheric nitrogen. The gels were first pyrolyzed into homogeneous silica–carbon mixtures during heating and subsequently underwent a carbothermal reaction at higher temperatures. Using a gel‐derived precursor with a C/SiO2 molar ratio higher than 3.0, Si3N4/SiC nanocomposite powders were produced at 1500°–1550°C, above the Si3N4–SiC boundary temperature. The predominant phase was Si3N4 at 1500°C, and SiC at 1550°C. The Si3N4 and SiC phase contents were adjustable by varying the temperature in this narrow range. The phase contents could also be adjusted by changing the starting carbon contents, or by its combination with varying reaction temperature. A two‐stage process, i.e., a reaction first at 1550°C and then at 1500°C, offered another means of simple and effective control of the phase composition: the Si3N4 and SiC contents varied almost linearly with the variation of the holding time at 1550°C. The SiC was nanosized (∼13 nm, Scherrer method) formed via a solid–gas reaction, while the Si3N4 has two morphologies: elongated microsized crystals and nanosized crystallites, with the former crystallized via a gaseous reaction, and the latter formed via a solid–gas reaction. The addition of a Si3N4 powder as a seed to the starting gel effectively reduced the size of the Si3N4 produced.
Anisotropic Grain Growth in Mullite Powders as a Result of High‐energy Ball Milling
Authors: Kong Ling Bing , Zhang Tian Shu , Ma Jan , Boey Freddy Yin Chiang
Published: September 2007

High‐energy ball milling was applied to a commercial mullite powder, which had a particle size ranging from 2 to 10 μm, and was considerably refined to be <1 μm after milling for 10 h. Anisotropic grain growth of mullite was observed in the milled mullite powder, starting at relatively low temperatures (1200°C). The anisotropic grain growth was possibly attributed to the special anisotropic structure of mullite and refined mullite powder as a result of the high‐energy ball milling, although other factors, such as lattice defects, localized stress of the milled powder, and impurities or contaminations caused by the high‐energy milling also could be factors. This anisotropic grain growth of mullite might be useful in the fabrication of reinforced ceramics based on mullite and other materials.
Silicone Index: An Alternative Approach for Tooth Fragment Reattachment
Authors: ÁLVARES ISANA , SENSI LUIS GUILHERME , ARAUJO EDSON MEDEIROS , ARAUJO ELITO
Published: September 2007

Tooth fragment reattachment is a simple, conservative, fast, and affordable treatment option for fractured teeth when the fragment is available. However, this technique can present some difficulties, among which is the possibility of the fragment being positioned and bonded inadequately. To avoid this situation, it is necessary to establish a reference for the adequate positioning of the fragment using a silicone index.

CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE

This article presents an alternative approach for better handling of tooth fragments resulting from trauma by using a silicone index as a guide to proper positioning and bonding.

(J Esthet Restor Dent 19:240–246, 2007)
Surface Roughness of Nanofill and Nanohybrid Resin Composites after Polishing and Brushing
Authors: SENAWONGSE PISOL , PONGPRUEKSA PONG
Published: September 2007

Purpose:  The purpose of this study was to compare the surface roughness of nanofill (Filtek Supreme XT dentin shade and transparent shade, Filtek Z350, and Estelite Sigma), nanohybrid (Tetric EvoCeram, Ceram X, and Premise), and microhybrid resin composites (Filtek Z250, Tetric Ceram, and Clearfil AP‐X) with the materials after polishing or brushing.

Materials and Methods:  Forty specimens of each resin composite were polymerized for 40 seconds under a matrix strip in cylindrical molds. Each type of polymer was divided into four subgroups: unpolished, polished with abrasive disks (Sof‐Lex), polished with silicone‐impregnated polishing devices (Astropol), and brushed with a toothbrush (Oral B) and toothpaste (Colgate). The surface roughness of each specimen was determined using a contact stylus profilometer and by observation under a scanning electron microscope.

Results:  No significant differences in surface roughness among the materials were found on unpolished surfaces. For the nanofill resin composites, there were no significant differences in surface roughness between the two polishing methods or among the unpolished surfaces. After brushing, the surfaces of all materials, except those made from Filtek Z350 and Filtek Supreme XT (dentin), had greater roughness than unpolished surfaces and surfaces polished with either abrasive disks or silicone devices. The scanning electron microscope studies revealed that the surface irregularities of the materials corresponded to the results obtained using the surface roughness tester.

CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE

The use of nanofill resin composites made with nanoclusters demonstrated the smoothest surfaces after polishing and brushing.

(J Esthet Restor Dent 19:265–275, 2007)
Resistance responses induced by the plant growth retardant prohexadione‐Ca in apple against scab infections
Authors: Bini F. , Ragaini A. , Bazzi C.
Published: September 2007

The efficacy of the dioxygenase inhibitor prohexadione‐Ca (ProCa) as an inducer of resistance responses against apple scab (Venturia inaequalis/Spilocaea pomi) was evaluated in two sets of experiments under glasshouse conditions. ProCa (200 ppm) was applied on seedlings of open‐pollinated Malus domestica L. cv. Golden Delicious, and 10 days after application, a group of seedlings was inoculated with a conidial suspension of S. pomi. Total RNA was extracted from leaf samples collected at different times from both inoculated and noninoculated seedlings, and expression of the pathogenesis‐related proteins PR‐1, PR‐2, PR‐5, PR‐8, PR‐10 and chitinase was studied by reverse transcription–polymerase chain reaction and Northern blot hybridisation. Disease severity was significantly lower on seedlings treated with ProCa than on the water‐treated control seedlings. ProCa triggered a general increase in gene expression of almost all the PR genes; only the level of chitinase and PR‐10 did not show a detectable increase. A strong upregulation of all the assayed genes was observed in leaves of apple seedlings first treated with ProCa and then inoculated with the pathogen, whereas no expression and/or a constitutive signal was found in samples from the control seedlings.
TEXTURE PROPERTIES OF GOUDA CHEESE
Authors: YATES M.D. , DRAKE M.A.
Published: September 2007

The role of age and fat content on the sensory texture properties of Gouda cheeses was investigated. Twenty‐one Gouda cheeses were collected from domestic and international sources. The cheese samples represented a range of typical ages and fat contents (3 months to 5 years; 12.2–33.9% fat). A descriptive sensory analysis of texture was conducted using an established cheese texture language. Representative cheese samples were selected for consumer acceptance testing. Two consumer tests (n = 90 consumers each day) were conducted to evaluate the effect of age and fat content on acceptance and consumer perception of texture. Results were analyzed by analysis of variance with means separation. Internal preference mapping was also applied to consumer data. Descriptive panelists documented specific differences in texture attributes with cheese age and fat content (P < 0.05). Consumers also documented differences in color, flavor, texture and overall liking of cheese samples based on age and fat content. A wide variability in color and flavor liking was documented. In contrast, most consumers preferred a smooth, cohesive texture in Gouda cheeses while fracturability, firmness and springiness contributed to a decrease in texture liking and were negatively associated with liking, regardless of flavor. Flavor is a key driver for consumer acceptance of Gouda cheeses. However, there is an ideal or optimum texture concept, and deviation from the expected or desired texture negatively impacts overall liking.

PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS

This study demonstrates the impact of age and fat removal on texture characteristics of Gouda cheese. Consumer perception of these attributes is also addressed. In the case of Gouda cheeses, the ideal texture of Gouda cheese is described by American consumers as “smooth” and “creamy.” These terms correspond to mild or young cheeses that display trained panel texture attributes of cohesiveness, breakdown, smoothness of mass and smoothness of mouth coating.
PREFERENCE MAPPING OF COLOR OF URUGUAYAN HONEYS
Authors: GÁMBARO ADRIANA , ARES GASTÓN , GIMÉNEZ ANA , PAHOR SILVANA
Published: September 2007

The color of 30 honey samples, both from unifloral and multifloral origin, was characterized using Pfund scale and CIE L*a*b* tristimulus method. A panel of 140 consumers evaluated the color acceptability of the samples using a 9‐point structured scale. The color of the samples was differentiated (P < 0.001) by both instrumental methods, which confirms the validity of using them to characterize the color of honey. Consumers showed highly significant different degrees of liking for the color of the evaluated honeys. Two clusters (cluster 2 and cluster 3) with different preference patterns were identified; one liked intermediate‐colored honeys, and the other preferred dark reddish honeys. External preference mapping was used to model color acceptability for consumers in each cluster using the first two principal components of the principal component analysis of the instrumental color data.

PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS

The key finding of this study is the comparison of Pfund scale and CIE L*a*b* method to characterize the color of honey, and the relationship of instrumental color measurements and consumer preferences. Although the Pfund scale showed the highest discrimination between samples, it does not take into account the tone of the color of the samples and was not enough to the color of honeys. Preference mapping provided insight into the aspects that are important for consumers when deciding the acceptability of color in honey. Results showed that Uruguayan consumers seemed to dislike light‐colored honeys.
SIMULTANEOUS ESTIMATIONS OF MULTIPLE PRODUCT SIMILARITIES USING A NEW DISCRIMINATION PROTOCOL
Authors: ROUSSEAU BENOÎT
Published: September 2007

This research investigated new paradigms that permit the simultaneous comparison of more than two samples in a discrimination study. Three successive experiments were conducted. All involved noncarbonated orange beverages. In experiment I, Torgerson's method of triads was found to be more discriminating than the multiple dual‐pair method and was used in the subsequent two experiments. In experiments II and III, subjects discriminated among stimuli using the Torgerson's method as well as traditional duo–trios. In experiment II, the univariate Thurstonian model with four distributions was found to provide a suitable fit of the data, and the d′ values obtained using the traditional duo–trio methodology were not found to be significantly different from those obtained with Torgerson's method. In experiment III, a multivariate, but not univariate, model provided a good fit of the data. Furthermore, d′ values from the Torgerson's method were not found to be significantly different from those obtained using the traditional duo–trio methodology.

PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS

This research supported the use of a Thurstonian model for Torgerson's method of triads and uncovered the usefulness of the method when comparing more than two samples using a discrimination methodology, which has applications in situations involving samples with inherent intra‐product variations. Flexibility in the models available also permits the estimation of the dimensionality of the differences among the stimuli involved, providing valuable information that can be obtained more efficiently than running multiple pair‐wise traditional discrimination trials.
EXPECTATIONS, NEEDS AND SEGMENTATION OF HEALTHY BREAKFAST CEREAL CONSUMERS
Authors: LEE C.M. , MOSKOWITZ H.R. , LEE S‐Y.
Published: September 2007

Cereal is the number one food choice for half of the American population who consume breakfast. The growing concern about obesity makes the availability of a healthy breakfast cereal (HBC) a key goal to achieve for healthy consumer lifestyles. This study investigated various factors that consumers associate with HBC, including ingredients, health claims, sensory benefits, brand names and pricing, using conjoint analysis. Consumers were motivated to buy HBC if it tastes good, but were not willing to pay more than $2.49 for 14 oz of HBC. Overall, consumers expect HBC to contain high fiber, low fat and sugar, and multigrain ingredients. Consumers were divided into four segments, including the “healthy choosy ” (n = 171), “basic” (n = 109), “sensory thriller” (n = 38) and “static” (n = 49). Descriptions of soy ingredient and soy health claims were rated favorably only by the “healthy choosy” segment.

PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS

The findings from this research will benefit the healthy breakfast cereal (HBC) manufacturers when developing or improving their products. Manufacturers should not ignore basic ingredients such as fiber, sugar and fat. Although 47% of the respondents were classified as “healthy choosy,” new or improved products should be introduced at a higher level of consumer acceptance without outrageous pricing to encourage respondents from “basic” and “sensory thriller” segments to switch to HBC. In particular, soy‐based HBC elements were not received well by the respondents in the “sensory thriller” segment, signaling a need to improve the consumer acceptance of soy‐based HBC with improved product and marketing. By selecting respondents from the study, we will be able to conduct a qualitative study to reveal the underlying factors for their choice of HBC.
Using the Survey of Consumer Finances: Some Methodological Considerations and Issues
Authors: LINDAMOOD SUZANNE , HANNA SHERMAN D. , BI LAN
Published: September 2007

We identify and present original analyses of four methodological issues related to using Survey of Consumer Finances data sets and illustrate these issues with recent articles published in this journal. The issues are recognizing that the respondent is not necessarily the household head, reporting race and ethnicity in conformity with Survey of Consumer Finances and federal standards, using the repeated‐imputation inference method to combine the five implicates in each survey year’s data set, and discussing the use of weighted or unweighted data in multivariate analysis. We found a considerable variation in how authors dealt with these issues, which could hinder replication or comparison of research results. Authors and reviewers should consider methodological issues related to the Survey of Consumer Finances more carefully.
Nutritional Improvements and Student Food Choices in a School Lunch Program
Authors: GRAINGER CORBETT , SENAUER BENJAMIN , RUNGE C. FORD
Published: September 2007

This study analyzed data on students’ food purchases linked to their school records to examine factors affecting the healthiness of their food choices and the impacts of reforms to promote healthier eating in a high school lunch program. U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Healthy Eating Index was used to evaluate the nutritional quality of the foods purchased, as well as an alterative ranking developed by the school dietitian. The new lunch program was associated with an improvement in the nutritional quality of students’ food choices. Girls tended to purchase relatively healthier food than boys, but male students had a greater improvement in the healthiness of their food choices.
Disclosures Exposed: Banner Ad Disclosure Adherence to FTC Guidance in the Top 100 U.S. Web Sites
Authors: HOY MARIEA G. , LWIN MAY O.
Published: September 2007

With banner ads accounting for one‐fifth of the $16.4 billion spent on Internet advertising in 2006, this advertising format has become an integral marketing communications tool. Inclusion of required disclosure language and presenting those disclosures in a clear and conspicuous manner are important areas of regulatory interest and in recent years have extended to the online environment. This study examines the extent to which disclosures in banner ads in the top 100 U.S. Web sites adhere to Federal Trade Commission guidance in these two areas. Additionally, this study compares the banner ad results for clear and conspicuous presentation to those of a prior study that examined television advertising. All the banner ads in the study contained at least one disclosure; yet, adherence was mixed in terms of providing all the required information clearly and conspicuously. Implications of these results are discussed.
Shopping for Privacy on the Internet
Authors: NEHF JAMES P.
Published: September 2007

Privacy is a concern for all major stakeholders in modern society, and technology to erode privacy continually emerges. Studies show that individuals are concerned about database privacy; yet, they seldom make privacy a salient attribute when deciding among competing alternatives. Although privacy policies are present on many Web sites, Web users rarely bother to read them. Professor Nehf explores why this is so, identifying rational reasons why Web users do not shop for privacy and discussing the implications for the expanding market for consumer information. Unless privacy becomes a salient attribute influencing consumer choice, Web site operators will continue to obtain and use more personal information than Web users would choose to provide in a more transparent exchange. In a responding commentary, Professors Pitt and Watson use an ecosystem approach that explores the multiple dimensions of privacy. Investigating the interactions between the three major players—citizen/consumer/investor, government, and corporation—they identify reasons for the failure of market mechanisms to arise to protect privacy.
WOMEN'S PARTICIPATION IN CHINESE TRANSNATIONAL HUMAN SMUGGLING: A GENDERED MARKET PERSPECTIVE*
Authors: ZHANG SHELDON X. , CHIN KO‐LIN , MILLER JODY
Published: September 2007

Despite extensive sociological research on gender and organizations, criminologists have paid insufficient attention to how organizational context and market demands may shape the extent and nature of women's participation in illicit enterprises. This study uses an organizational framework to examine the case of Chinese human smuggling to the United States. Drawing from interviews with 129 human smugglers, we propose a gendered market perspective for understanding the place of women in the human smuggling enterprise. We argue that the limited place of violence and turf as organizing features of human smuggling, the importance of interpersonal networks in defining and facilitating smuggling operations, gender ideologies about work and caregiving, and the impact of safety as an overriding concern for clients combine to create a more meaningful niche for women in human smuggling operations than is found in other criminal endeavors. Our research suggests that organizational and market contexts are significant explanations for gender stratification in illicit enterprises.
Advance Australia Fair? The Copyright Reform Process
Authors: Bond Catherine , Paramaguru Abi , Greenleaf Graham
Published: September 2007

Since the start of the millennium, the Australian federal government has engaged in repeated reforms of the nation's copyright laws as part of a broader response to the national and international challenges created by the advent of the internet and the wider digital revolution. This reform process has at times been both chaotic and confusing. Substantial amendments enacted in only 2001 to bring Australian copyright law into the digital age were changed substantially in response to the Australia–United States Free Trade Agreement (AUSFTA) of 2004. Concurrent to meeting the obligations created by the AUSFTA, the Australian government also conducted several reviews with a view to introducing new user‐based exceptions to copyright infringement in an attempt to balance Australia's increasingly copyright‐owner‐focused legislation. These changes were enacted as part of the Copyright Amendment Act 2006 (Cth). However, any benefit that these new exceptions created for copyright users and consumers has arguably been outweighed by the implementation of stronger technological protection measures and digital rights management protection and criminal sanctions that have been accompanied by few exceptions for legitimate use. Now, at the end of an often rushed and inadequately debated reform process, few parties are expressing satisfaction with the resulting amendments.
Perpetuating difference? Law school sabbaticals in the era of performativity
Authors: Spencer Maureen , Kent Penelope
Published: September 2007

This paper attempts to contribute to the increasing body of research on the working practices of legal academics and what has been called the ‘private life’ of the law school. It seeks to subject to further empirical investigation the analysis made by Collier, Cownie, McGlynn, Morley, Wells and others that the new corporate managerialism in universities has created a gendered regime of control and target setting. It examines one under-researched aspect of academic practice, namely the award of sabbaticals. The study draws on an examination of the practice of sabbatical leave by academic staff in both pre- and post-1992 university law schools. Although sabbaticals are widely assumed to be necessary for the effective development of research and scholarship, there has been little recent investigation of their operation in English universities. This is in contrast to the USA where a number of studies have been conducted. Sabbaticals are thus an aspect of the ‘donnish dominion’ which, although well covered in campus novels, is missing from researched surveys of university life. The paper reviews the relevant literature on sabbaticals, reports on the results of a study of the published criteria law schools have for awarding sabbaticals and analyses responses to a questionnaire sent to law school heads on the operation of their policies. Particular areas of interest are differing practices between universities, possible gender bias and the relevance of sabbaticals both to the teaching versus research debate and to an understanding of academics’ working lives more generally. The survey results suggest that the practical application of sabbatical policies demonstrates the ambivalent way managerialism operates in universities. Although performance targets are stipulated, the mechanism for enforcement in relation to sabbatical awards is surprisingly light or non-existent. It is argued that the use of sabbatical leave plays a part in defining both the status of university law schools and also the organisation of academic research. It thus impacts on the formation of the professional identities of legal academics. Those who are excluded from this benefit may be marginalised and areas of academic labour considered inappropriate for sabbaticals consequently regarded as secondary. This may entrench already existing areas of inequality.
IS OUR SEXUALITY OUR OWN? A DEVELOPMENTAL MODEL OF SEXUALITY BASED ON EARLY AFFECT MIRRORING
Authors: Target Mary
Published: September 2007

abstract  Psychoanalytic theory, with its move away from drive theory to object‐relations, lacks a compatible model of the power of psychosexuality in adult life (including in therapy). It is proposed that in infancy drive tension, frustration and urgency may be erotized by the caregiver; while actual sexual excitement may remain unmirrored and uncontained. This produces a psychosexual core which is unstable, elusive and never felt to be really owned. In sexual acts we can project and identify with our own sexuality, felt to belong to the other, yet allowing more successful re‐internalization and gradual integration. The relief at being able to relate to troubling aspects of the self, via the other, creates a deep attachment bond, although sexual excitement may fade as self‐integration becomes more secure. The technical challenges of working on sexuality in long‐term, relationship‐focused psychotherapy with an implicit parental model are briefly considered.
ANALYSING MURIEL'S WEDDING WITH REFERENCE TO THE STORY OF ‘CINDERELLA’
Authors: Valentine Marguerite
Published: September 2007

abstract  This paper analyses Muriel's Wedding, a film based on and inspired by the story of ‘Cinderella’. Beginning with a discussion of fairy tales, it argues that interpretations of them are theoretically and culturally specific. Bearing this point in mind, Bettelheim's oedipal analysis of ‘Cinderella’ is compared with an alternative view developed in Muriel's Wedding. Hogan, the film's author and director, posits a different perspective; one where female friendship becomes integral to the psychological development of Muriel. The iconic significance of weddings is also discussed in relation to this. The paper draws on the pre‐oedipal theories of Winnicott, and the more recent contributions of analytic feminist and relational theorists. Implicit in this is the contribution that can be made to clinical practice, and the notion there is a dialectical relationship between the fantasies of the inner world and the lived experience of the cultural world.
Epidemiology of hepatocellular carcinoma in USA
Authors: El‐Serag Hashem B.
Published: September 2007

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is increasing in frequency the USA. Age‐adjusted incidence, hospitalization, and mortality rates have doubled over the past two decades. There are striking differences in the incidence of HCC related to age, gender, race, and geographic region. Although it remains an affliction of the elderly (mean age 65), there has been a considerable shift toward younger cases. There is a birth cohort effect with those born after 1945. Men are affected three times more frequently than women, Asians two times more than African American and Hispanic people, who are affected two times more often than Caucasians. However, the recent increase has disproportionately affected Caucasian (and Hispanic) men between ages 45 and 65. Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection acquired 2–4 decades ago explains at least half of the observed increase in HCC; HCV‐related HCC is likely tocontinue to increase for the next decade. A variable but significant proportion of cases (15–50%) do not have evidence for the risk factors of either viral hepatitis or heavy alcohol consumption. Insulin resistance syndrome manifesting as obesity and diabetes is emerging as a risk factor for HCC in the USA and may operate through the formation of non‐alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD); however, its effect on the current trend in HCC remains unclear. While there has been a small recent improvement in survival, it remains generally dismal (median 8 months). Population‐based data in the USA indicate low application rate of HCC potentially curative therapy and marked regional differences.
Pathogenesis of hepatitis B virus‐associated hepatocellular carcinoma
Authors: Tabor Edward
Published: September 2007

Hepatitis B virus (HBV)‐associated hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains the most common form of HCC in large areas of Asia and Africa. It remains common even in some countries where hepatitis C virus (HCV)‐associated HCC has become the predominant form, such as Japan. Integration of HBV in HCC DNA is found at random sites in the host genome in nearly all patients with HBV‐associated HCC. It is not clear how often this integration results in insertional mutagenesis, but previously unknown growth regulating genes and cancer‐associated genes have been found frequently near HBV integration sites in HCC in recent studies. In addition, HBV encodes a transactivating protein, the X protein, which could enable the randomly integrated HBV to alter the function of host genes that are not near the integration site. Mutations at two adjacent codons in HBV (1762T/1764A mutations) within the X gene are frequently found in HCC patients, and may play a role in the mutagenic or transactivational role of HBV in HCC. The presence of cirrhosis in most patients with HBV‐associated HCC, and the presence of mutations in tumor suppressor genes in many, suggests that these are also factors in hepatocarcinogenesis. Few studies have examined the mutations of more than one gene in the same HCC patients. Fewstudies have evaluated the interactions between HBV mutations, host gene mutations, cirrhosis, and other potentially mutagenic stresses at the cellular level, with progression to HCC, and few studies have been conducted to determine whether these changes must accumulate in succession to lead to HCC. The recent availability of rapid sequencing methods and DNA microarray technologies has permitted expression profiling and permutation analysis of an array of genes to explore the pattern and succession of molecular changes leading to HBV‐associated HCC. To date, these methods have been used to show patterns of molecular changes that differ in HBV‐associated HCC (compared to HCV‐associated HCC or to HCC in patients lacking either virus) and patterns that can predict survival (and hence may directly indicate different mechanisms of disease), and may soon make possible a universally accepted clinical classification scheme for HCC.
Screening
Authors: Colombo Massimo
Published: September 2007

Screening is the only practical approach for improving the management of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients, as early detection increases the application of curative treatments. A conference of experts from Japan, USA, and Europe (Barcelona 2005) advised surveillance every six months for patients with chronic liver disease at increased risk of HCC with abdominal US. Whether this approach benefits HCC patients in terms of survival is still uncertain, since available data are retrospective and biased by lead‐time factors in the calculation of patient survival. Only one randomized controlled study in China showed the benefit of surveillance for HCC; however, in a population‐based setting. Today, clinic‐based, randomized studies are unfeasible for ethical reasons. In a cohort of 447 Italian patients with compensated cirrhosis, we compared the survival of HCC patients identified along three consecutive quinquennia of surveillance. HCC developed in 112 patients (3.4% per year) and was the prime cause of death. Forty‐six patients (41%) had a single tumor with mean sizes of 3.7, 3.0, and 2.2 cm in the three quinquennia (first vs third, P = 0.0147; second vs third, P = 0.02) and 38(44%) underwent radical therapies. Mortality rates in HCC patients fell from 45% in the first quinquennium to 10% in the third (P = 0.0009), in parallel with a reduction in mortality of treated patients (34, 28, and 5%) (first vs third, P = 0.0024). Cirrhotic patients developing HCC during the last five years of surveillance survived longer than previously, as a consequence of improved management of the tumor and complications of cirrhosis. It remains controversial whether HCC screening is cost‐effective, i.e. whether the cost of detection, confirmatory studies, and treatment are outbalanced by the number of life‐years gained. In a retrospective study of Italian patients with cirrhosis, there was an incremental cost‐efficacy ratio of surveillance vs no surveillance to be $USD 112 993 per liver‐year saved. The cost of surveillance was increased by surgery applied to 15 patients with HCC detected during surveillance.
Screening for hepatocellular carcinoma
Authors: Sherman Morris
Published: September 2007

This article reviews methodological issues around screening for hepatocellular carcinoma, and discusses selection of the at‐risk group, which screening test to use, and how frequently it should be applied. Screening of patients at risk for hepatocellular carcinoma should be undertaken using ultrasonography applied at six‐month intervals. Patients at risk include all those with cirrhosis, and certain non‐cirrhotic patients withchronic hepatitis B. In this population, screening has been shown to reduce disease‐specific mortality. Although data do not exist for other populations, screening is nonetheless advised because small cancers can be cured with appreciable frequency.
Diagnostic and therapeutic approach to hepatocellular carcinoma in the USA
Authors: Di Bisceglie Adrian M. , Befeler Alex S.
Published: September 2007

It is now apparent that hepatocellular carcinoma is occurring with increasing frequency in the USA. This mirrors a trend that occurred in Japan approximately 10 years earlier. Although the approach to diagnosis and treatment are similar in Japan and the USA, there are some differences. Thus, imaging is the primary modality of diagnosis and computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging are favored over ultrasound. Liver transplantation is an important modality oftherapy, which is associated with excellent survival and, with the introduction of the Model for End‐Stage Liver Disease (MELD) system, there has been a sharp rise in liver transplants performed for hepatocellular carcinoma since 2002.
Effect of Anatomical Fine Structure on the Dispersion of Solutes in the Spinal Subarachnoid Space
Authors: Stockman Harlan W.
Published: September 2007

The dispersion of a solute bolus is calculated for cerebrospinal fluid undergoing oscillatory flow in the subarachnoid space of the spine. The fine structure of the subarachnoid space (nerves and trabeculae) enhances both longitudinal and transverse dispersions five to ten times over a simple model with an open annular space. Overall, dispersion is >103 times simple molecular diffusion. The result of enhanced dispersion is rapid spread and dilution of the bolus, effectively stirred by fluid movement around the fine structure.
Effects of Intracortical Porosity on Fracture Toughness in Aging Human Bone: A μCT-Based Cohesive Finite Element Study
Authors: Ural Ani , Vashishth Deepak
Published: September 2007

The extent to which increased intracortical porosity affects the fracture properties of aging and osteoporotic bone is unknown. Here, we report the development and application of a microcomputed tomography based finite element approach that allows determining the effects of intracortical porosity on bone fracture by blocking all other age-related changes in bone. Previously tested compact tension specimens from human tibiae were scanned using microcomputed tomography and converted to finite element meshes containing three-dimensional cohesive finite elements in the direction of the crack growth. Simulations were run incorporating age-related increase in intracortical porosity but keeping cohesive parameters representing other age-related effects constant. Additional simulations were performed with reduced cohesive parameters. The results showed a 6% decrease in initiation toughness and a 62% decrease in propagation toughness with a 4% increase in porosity. The reduction in toughnesses became even more pronounced when other age-related effects in addition to porosity were introduced. The initiation and propagation toughness decreased by 51% and 83%, respectively, with the combined effect of 4% increase in porosity and decrease in the cohesive properties reflecting other age-related changes in bone. These results show that intracortical porosity is a significant contributor to the fracture toughness of the cortical bone and that the combination of computational modeling with advanced imaging improves the prediction of the fracture properties of the aged and the osteoporotic cortical bone.
Reproduction of In Vivo Motion Using a Parallel Robot
Authors: Howard Ryan A. , Rosvold Joshua M. , Darcy Shon P. , Corr David T. , Shrive Nigel G. , Tapper Janet E. , Ronsky Janet L. , Beveridge Jillian E. , Marchuk Linda L. , Frank Cyril B.
Published: September 2007

Although alterations in knee joint loading resulting from injury have been shown to influence the development of osteoarthritis, actual in vivo loading conditions of the joint remain unknown. A method for determining in vivo ligament loads by reproducing joint specific in vivo kinematics using a robotic testing apparatus is described. The in vivo kinematics of the ovine stifle joint during walking were measured with 3D optical motion analysis using markers rigidly affixed to the tibia and femur. An additional independent single degree of freedom measuring device was also used to record a measure of motion. Following sacrifice, the joint was mounted in a robotic/universal force sensor test apparatus and referenced using a coordinate measuring machine. A parallel robot configuration was chosen over the conventional serial manipulator because of its greater accuracy and stiffness. Median normal gait kinematics were applied to the joint and the resulting accuracy compared. The mean error in reproduction as determined by the motion analysis system varied between 0.06mm and 0.67mm and 0.07deg and 0.74deg for the two individual tests. The mean error measured by the independent device was found to be 0.07mm and 0.83mm for the two experiments, respectively. This study demonstrates the ability of this system to reproduce in vivo kinematics of the ovine stifle joint in vitro. The importance of system stiffness is discussed to ensure accurate reproduction of joint motion.
SPATIAL EVOLUTION OF THE BACKGROUND CONDUCTANCE IN THE TUNNELING SPECTRA IN Bi2Sr2-xLaxCuO6+δ
Authors: KATO T. , MACHIDA T. , KAMIJO Y. , HARADA K. , SAITO R. , NOGUCHI T. , SAKATA H.
Published: September 2007

The spatial evolution of the background conductance in the tunneling spectra was investigated with low-temperature scanning tunneling spectroscopy on a slightly overdoped Bi 2 Sr 1.74 La 0.26 CuO 6+δ single crystal at 4.2 K. The asymmetry in the background conductance between positive and negative biases strongly correlates with the local energy gap, which shows the inhomogeneous spatial variation: the tunneling spectra become more asymmetric in the regions where the spectra exhibit larger gap value.
PSEUDOGAP IN CUPRATE SUPERCONDUCTORS: EXPLORING SCALING AND QUANTUM CRITICAL END POINT
Authors: KRUSIN-ELBAUM L. , SHIBAUCHI T.
Published: September 2007

We explore extremely overdoped regime in the phase diagram of cuprate superconductors. Interlayer tunneling transport measurements under high magnetic fields are employed to detect the field dependence of low-energy density of states (DOS) in hole-doped (BSCCO and TBCO), and electron-doped (SCCO) cuprates. We find a strong doping dependence of the pseudogap closing field whose Zeeman energy universally scales with the pseudogap onset temperature, indicating a preeminent role of spin-singlet correlations in forming the pseudogap regardless of the doping type. Excess dissipation due to the pseudogap is found to follow a 'universal' correlation with the pseudogap closing field. The pseudogap features appear absent in the extremely overdoped TBCO, pointing to a possible quantum critical point very near the edge of the superconducting 'dome'.
SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND CRYSTALLINITY IN EPITAXIAL THIN FILMS OF YBa2Cu3Oy GROWN ON Eu2CuO4/YSZ DOUBLE BUFFERED SILICON
Authors: GAO J. , FU E. G. , LUO Z. , WU X. S. , YANG J.
Published: September 2007

A double buffer of EU 2 CuO 3/ YSZ has been used to grow highly epitaxial thin films of YBa 2 Cu 3 O y (YBCO) on Si . These films showed enhanced superconductivity and improved crystallinity in comparing with that of films grown on Si directly. Well defined interfaces with no immediate layers were found. The YBCO film surface was more smooth and stable. The results obtained indicate that highly epitaxial YBCO thin films can be successfully grown on Si wafers, demonstrating advantages of such a double buffer structure.
UPPER THRESHOLD FIELDS OF DENDRITIC FLUX JUMPS IN GOLD-COATED MgB2 THIN FILMS
Authors: CHOI EUN-MI , LEE HYUN-SOOK , LEE JAE YEAP , LEE SUNG-IK , OLSEN Å. A. F. , YURCHENKO V. V. , SHANTSEV D. V. , JOHANSEN T. H. , KIM HYEONG-JIN , CHO MOO-HYUN
Published: September 2007

We measured the magneto-optical images (MOIs) and the magnetic hysteresis (M – H) curves of c-axis-oriented MgB 2 thin films to investigate the flux penetration in the form of dendritic avalanches. In order to understand the role of the thermal effects, we prepared Au -coated MgB 2 thin films with different thicknesses of gold. While the MOI provides a spatially resolved flux pattern, the M – H curve presents global and average information about the flux noise associated with avalanches. These two types of measurements complement each other. The upper threshold field, above which the flux noise disappears, was determined from the M-H curves while the lower threshold field was determined from both the M – H curves and the MO images. The field range where the flux penetrates via avalanches is found to be smaller for thicker gold layers. These results are important for many superconducting applications.
TWO-LEVEL RANDOM TELEGRAPH NOISE FROM MOVING VORTICES IN CLEAN MgB2 SINGLE CRYSTAL
Authors: JANG DONG-JIN , LEE HYUN-SOOK , LEE SUNG-IK , KANG BYEONGWON
Published: September 2007

The time evolution of the voltage response ( V ( t )) of the zero-field-cooled (ZFC) vortex matter for MgB 2 single crystals while applying a constant current application was recorded. Near the peak effect (PE) region, we observed a specific pattern of the V ( t ), that of a random telegraph signal for which the voltage mainly remained at two different levels. The origin of this random telegraph signal is closely related to the motional ordering of vortices resulting from the competition between the pinning and the Lorentz forces.
VORTEX PHASE DIAGRAM OF UNDERDOPED YBa2Cu3Oy IN PARALLEL MAGNETIC FIELDS
Authors: NISHIZAKI TERUKAZU , TAKAHASHI YUKI , KOBAYASHI NORIO
Published: September 2007

In order to study the Josephson vortex phase diagram in high-Tc superconductors, we have prepared untwinned single crystals of underdoped YBa 2 Cu 3 O y and measured the c-axis resistivity ρc(T) in magnetic fields H parallel to the ab plane. In YBa 2 Cu 3 O y (Tc ~ 60 K ), the vortex liquid phase freezes into the Josephson vortex glass through two-stage processes with decreasing temperature in the high-H region above 5 T. Since the two phase transition lines consist of the first-order transition line T L (H) and the second-order transition line T g (H), the intermediated phase in the region of T g (H) < T < T L (H) is considered to be the vortex slush phase. We find that the oscillatory field dependence of T L (H) corresponds to the commensurability between the vortex spacing and the period of the CuO 2 planes. The lower critical point μ0H lcp ~ 5 T of T L (H) and the vortex slush phase result from the moderate disorder due to the oxygen vacancy in the CuO chain.
GROUND STATE OF INTERLAYER JOSEPHSON VORTEX SYSTEMS BASED ON THE LAWRENCE–DONIACH MODEL
Authors: NONOMURA YOSHIHIKO , HU XIAO
Published: September 2007

Ground state of interlayer Josephson vortex systems is investigated on the basis of the Lawrence-Doniach model. For low fields, the ground state is characterized by various rotated-lattice configurations, and inhomogeneity of the internal field and superconducting amplitude plays little role. For intermediate fields, the ground state is characterized by continuously-varying shearing angle of vortex lattices, and the shear instability field is enhanced by inhomogeneity of the internal field. For high fields, the upper critical field H c 2 is determined by inhomogeneity of the superconducting amplitude. For material parameters of cuprate high-T c superconductors, the shear instability field is significantly increased, and H c 2 becomes infinite. These results are compared with the elastic theory and the London theory with respect to field dependence of the shear modulus c66.
THE RESISTIVITY INDUCED BY THE VARIATION OF Co ION'S SPIN CONFIGURATION IN La2/3Ca1/3Mn1-xCoxO3
Authors: CAI H. L. , REN S. L. , WANG Z. H. , WU X. S. , GAO J.
Published: September 2007

The polycrystalline samples of La 2/3 Ca 1/3 Mn 1-x Co x O 3 ( LCMCO ) ( x ≤ 0.20) with single phase are synthesized by solid-state reaction method. Rietveld refinements proved that Co replaces Mn in LCMCO. The lattice parameters decrease monotonically with increasing Co content, while the bond angles of Mn-O-Mn increases from 160.4° ( x = 0.02) to 170.2° ( x = 0.20). The metal-to-insulator transition temperature decreases with increasing Co content. The scattering of coupling between eg electrons and the surface phonons, which is indicated by T p, decreases with the increase of Co content. Magne-toresistance at T MI decreases with increasing the Co content from 297.4% to 81.4%, but increases at T p from 23.8% to 121.2%, respectively.
FLOW SENSING CHARACTERISTICS OF THIN FILM BASED ON MULTI-WALL CARBON NANOTUBES
Authors: ZHANG YUNHUAI , HE JIAN , XIAO PENG , GONG YUN
Published: September 2007

Multi-wall carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) thin film was synthesized and its sensing for different flowing solutions was investigated in this paper. The voltage generated from MWNTs thin film was in sublinear fashion and a new discovery in this paper is that the charge-to-mass ratio (q/m) of the ions is an important factor. The results were inconsistent with the conventional idea that a streaming potential is the efficient factor. New mechanism has been discussed about their effects on the charge of MWNTs and the sublinear response based on a pulsating ratchet model. This result would be indicative in nanoscale sensors, detectors and power cells.
NUMERICAL INVESTIGATION OF SILICON MELT FLOW IN A SHALLOW ANNULAR POOL UNDER AN AXIAL MAGNETIC FIELD
Authors: LI YOU-RONG , MO DONG-MING , PENG LAN , WU SHUANG-YING
Published: September 2007

In order to understand the effect of the magnetic field on surface patterns on semi-conducting silicon melt in industrial Czochralski furnaces, we conducted a series of unsteady three-dimensional numerical simulations of silicon melt flow in a shallow annular pool under the axial magnetic field for the magnetic field strength from 0 to 0.1T. The pool is heated from the outer cylindrical wall and cooled at the inner wall. Bottom and top surfaces are adiabatic. When the magnetic field is weak, the simulation can predict various three-dimensional oscillatory flows depending on the radial temperature difference. With the much larger magnetic field, three-dimensional flow becomes axisymmetric steady flow. Details of flow and temperature disturbances are discussed and the critical magnetic field strengths for the onset of axisymmetric steady flow are determined.
STUDY ON MICROSTRUCTURE AND PROPERTY OF Pt-DOPED WO3 FILMS
Authors: WANG YINFENG , LIU ANPING , YANG XUEHENG , SU XIAOPING
Published: September 2007

We have prepared Pt -doped WO 3 composite films by sol-gel compounding and DC reactive magnetron sputtering respectively. Spectra change process according to the absorbing hydrogen time has been characterized by UV-VIS, X-ray diffraction spectra of two kinds of samples have been studied in this paper, and the crystallization temperature of film has been observed at the same time. As a result, both two WO 3 composite films are better sensitive to hydrogen by Pt -doping and the Pt sputtered sol-gel film has faster response to hydrogen than the Pt sputtered film by DC reactive magnetron sputtering, but the changes of luminousness are almost equal for two films.