bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Progesterone Receptor in Human Term Amniochorion and Placenta Is Isoform C
Authors: Taylor Anthony H. , McParland Penny C. , Taylor David J. , Bell Stephen C.
Published: October 2005

The mechanism that initiates human parturition has been proposed to be functional progesterone withdrawal whereby the 116-kDa B isoform of the progesterone receptor (PR-B) switches in favor of the 94-kDa A isoform (PR-A) in reproductive tissues. Recently other PR isoforms, PR-S, PR-C, and PR-M generated from the same gene have been identified and partially characterized. Using immunohistochemical, Western blotting, and RT-PCR techniques, evidence is provided that the major PR isoform present in human term fetal membranes (amnion and chorion) and syncytiotrophoblast of the placenta is neither of the classical nuclear PR-B or PR-A isoforms but is the N terminally truncated 60-kDa PR-C isoform. Evidence is also provided that the PR-C isoform resides in the cytoplasm of the expressing cell types. Data are also presented to show that PR-B, PR-A, and PR-S isoforms are essentially absent from the amnion and chorion, whereas PR isoforms A, B, C, and S are all present in the decidua, with PR-A being the major isoform. The syncytiotrophoblast of the placenta contains the cytoplasmic PR-C isoform but not PR-A, PR-B, or PR-S. The major PR isoform in the amnion, chorion, and placenta is PR-C, suggesting that the cytoplasmic PR-C isoform has a specific role in extraembryonic tissues and may be involved in the regulation of human parturition.
Targeting of amacrine cell neurites to appropriate synaptic laminae in the developing zebrafish retina
Authors: Godinho Leanne , Mumm Jeff S. , Williams Philip R. , Schroeter Eric H. , Koerber Amy , Park Seung W. , Leach Steven D. , Wong Rachel O. L.
Published: October 2005

Cellular mechanisms underlying the precision by which neurons target their synaptic partners have largely been determined based on the study of projection neurons. By contrast, little is known about how interneurons establish their local connections in vivo. Here, we investigated how developing amacrine interneurons selectively innervate the appropriate region of the synaptic neuropil in the inner retina, the inner plexiform layer (IPL). Increases (ON) and decreases (OFF) in light intensity are processed by circuits that are structurally confined to separate ON and OFF synaptic sublaminae within the IPL. Using transgenic zebrafish in which the majority of amacrine cells express fluorescent protein, we determined that the earliest amacrine-derived neuritic plexus formed between two cell populations whose somata, at maturity, resided on opposite sides of this plexus. When we followed the behavior of individual amacrine cells over time, we discovered that they exhibited distinct patterns of structural dynamics at different stages of development. During cellular migration, amacrine cells exhibited an exuberant outgrowth of neurites that was undirected. Upon reaching the forming IPL, neurites extending towards the ganglion cell layer were relatively more stable. Importantly, when an arbor first formed, it preferentially ramified in either the inner or outer IPL corresponding to the future ON and OFF sublaminae, and maintained this stratification pattern. The specificity by which ON and OFF amacrine interneurons innervate their respective sublaminae in the IPL contrasts with that observed for projection neurons in the retina and elsewhere in the central nervous system.
Efficient Finite Element Modelling For Complex Shaft Couplings Under Non-Symmetric Loading
Authors: Sum W. S , Leen S. B , Williams E J , Sabesan R , McColl I. R
Published: October 2005

A number of key aspects of the three-dimensional finite element (FE) modelling of spline couplings for fretting and fatigue assessment are discussed. The primary issue addressed is the development of an efficient and accurate modelling technique for non-symmetric shaft loading of the couplings, which is an important mode of loading for fretting fatigue assessment. An improved method is presented for implementing an axial modification of the contact geometry, commonly referred to as barrelling, which is also important for fretting fatigue assessment of splines.
Form finding of revolution shells by analysing mechanical behaviour by means of the finite element method
Authors: Ortega N. F , Robles S. I
Published: October 2005

A methodology suitable for finding optimal forms of shells of revolution by considering shell structural mechanics features is presented. In this case shells of revolution that compose the walls of reinforced concrete pressure vessels used to contain fluids are considered. In general, typical design objectives are to determine the shell stress, maximum load bearing capacity, minimum material needed, etc. The work here is limited to a study of the forms in which bending stresses are minimized. The proposed methodology, which enables approximately bending free forms to be obtained, is based on the mathematical optimization concept, which combines the use of geometrical modelling tools, structural analysis, and mathematical optimization. The optimization schemes are applied using a function called ‘volumetric flexure’ as an objective, and bounds the stresses to a certain limit. This objective function has been introduced with the intent of minimizing bending throughout the structure. It is to be noted that minimizing bending means minimizing the strain energy.

In order to show the versatility of the model thus developed two different applications are presented. Both refer to reinforced concrete water storage facilities of important aesthetic value, but have a relatively complex geometry.

By applying this technique the intent is to minimize flexure and/or tension acting on the shell inner surface, with the aim of reducing crack generation that would provoke containment loss of the vessel walls in order to obtain a reasonable useful life of the vessel. It needs to be mentioned that crack generation resulting from rheological phenomena that occur in concrete are unavoidable, but when the shell has a mechanical behaviour where compression prevails, these cracks tend to close and their propagation is more limited.
Investigation of adsorption behaviour of lubricants in near-dry machining
Authors: Min S , Inasaki I , Fujimura S , Wakabayashi T , Suda S
Published: October 2005

Near-dry machining (NDM) is a technology with many ecological and economic benefits that uses very small amounts of metal working fluid (MWF). In order to increase the applications of this technology, the tribological mechanism during this process needs to be better understood. To accomplish this, two experimental set-ups were configured. The first involved a vacuum chamber where changes of gas near the cutting area can be traced by a mass spectrometer. The second has an atmospheric chamber where practical cutting can be done for cutting-performance comparison. Three gases - argon, nitrogen, and oxygen - were used with and without an ester in a series of orthogonal cutting tests to understand their roles in lubrication. It was found that oxygen adsorbs best onto a newly generated work surface and plays a significant role in promoting adsorption of the ester and, in turn, creating a lubrication film. Therefore, it is important to supply an abundant amount of oxygen in NDM to provide good lubrication conditions.
Application of enterprise modelling technique for specifying a component-based system
Authors: Ong M H , West A A , Monfared R P , Harrison R
Published: October 2005

The adoption of a set of enterprise modelling diagrams as a formal representation of the processes involved in developing a system based on a component-based approach is described in this paper. Illustration is given on how the information, resources, and events within the systems and the activities involved are abstracted, captured, and represented using a Computer Integrated Manufacturing Open System Architecture (CIMOSA)-based method. Such representation of the engineering processes is useful as it: (a) provides support for analysis of the system based on the component-based approach; (b) promotes understanding of the system implemented using the component-based approach; (c) enables better management of the complexities involved in describing the system; and (d) can potentially support system design.
Vacuum casting, a new answer for manufacturing biomicrosystems
Authors: Denoual M , Mognol P , Lepioufle B
Published: October 2005

In this work, the vacuum-casting process is pushed to its dimensional limits thanks to microfabricated original parts. The successful replication of those parts with a slightly adapted vacuum-casting process demonstrates that this technique is suitable for biomicrosystem manufacturing and development.
Detection of cracks in scratching tests in ceramic materials through acoustic emission
Authors: Sanchez L E A , Oliveira J F G , Coelho R T
Published: October 2005

The mechanisms of material removal and the interactions among scratches performed in ceramic materials were investigated using acoustic emission signals, and scanning electron microscopy, in scratching experiments. Several testing conditions were used to produce different types of removing mechanism on a glass as well as on a polycrystalline alumina sample composed by heterogeneous grain size. It is known that the material removing process on a polycrystalline ceramic involves intergranular microfracture and grain dislodgement, unlike the chipping produced by the extension of lateral cracks in non-granular materials, such as glass. Distinct settings for velocities, loads, and two types of diamond indenter were tested. The material removal was carried out by three different methods of scratching: single passes, repeated overlapping passes, and parallel scratches. As a general result, there was a clear relationship between the acoustic emission signals and the damage intensity occurred in the material removal. More specifically there were differences in the acoustic emission signal levels in the scratches made on the alumina and on the glass owing to the material removal mechanisms associated with the structure of these materials. A gradual increase in the acoustic emission levels was observed when the number of repeated passes was increased as a result of the damage accumulation process followed by severe material removal. It was also noticed that the acoustic emission signals were capable of reflecting the interactions between two parallel scratches.
Application of singular spectrum analysis to tool wear detection using sound signals
Authors: Alonso F J , Salgado D R
Published: October 2005

The aim of the present work is to study the applicability of singular spectrum analysis (SSA) to the processing of the sound signal from the cutting zone during a turning process, in order to extract information correlated with the state of the tool. SSA is a novel non-parametric technique of time series analysis that decomposes a given time series into an additive set of independent time series. The correspondence between the singular spectrum obtained using SSA and the frequency spectrum of the signal is the basis of this processing technique. Finally, some of the features extracted from the SSA-processed sound signal were presented to a feedforward back-propagation (FFBP) neural network to determine the tool flank wear. The results showed that the proposed processing technique is well suited to the task of signal processing in the area of tool condition monitoring (TCM).
A computational design-of-experiments study of hemming processes for automotive aluminium alloys
Authors: Lin G , Iyer K , Hu S J , Cai W , Marin S P
Published: October 2005

Hemming is a three-step sheet-folding process utilized in the production of automotive closures. It has a critical imact on the performance and perceived quality of assembled vehicles. Using a two-dimensional finite element model, this paper presents a design-of-experiments (DOE) study of the relationships between important hemming process parameters and hem quality for aluminium alloy AA 6111-T4PD flat surface-straight edge hemming. The quality measures include roll-in/roll-out of the hem edge as well as the maximum true strain on the exposed bent surface. The finite element (FE) model combines explicit and implicit procedures in simulating the three forming subprocesses (flanging, pre-hemming, and final hemming) along with the corresponding springback (unloading). The results show that the pre-hemming die angle and the flanging die radius have the greatest influence on hem edge roll-in/roll-out, while pre-strain and the flanging die radius impact the maximum surface strain significantly. The computational DOE results also provide the basis for process parameter selection to avoid hem surface cracking and particular insights for achieving acceptable formability.
Process design of a permalloy shielding can for shape fixability
Authors: Kim D H , Lee S B , Kim B M , Kim H K
Published: October 2005

This study focuses upon process design and forming analysis of a permalloy shielding can (PSC) supporting automobile multidisplay parts to indicate accurate information about the car. This study is particularly important, since the shape fixability of PSC is known to affect quite sensitively magnetic properties such as coercivity and permeability. In this study, an optimizing technique based on a neural network (NN) using an orthogonal array (OA) has been developed for deep drawing processes to obtain PSC parts that have good magnetic properties. The punch radius, die radius, and blank holding force are considered as design parameters in the deep drawing process. Also, in order to attain optimum magnetic properties, the roundness of the PSC part must be maintained within tolerances after the annealing process. The objective functions are hemming defects such as creepage, warp, tightness, and roundness in the cylinder prehemming and hemming process. The NN has been implemented to minimize the objective function and to investigate the influence of the prehemming angle on the hemming process. In the present study, the optimum prehemming angle selected firstly to obtain roundness and then to keep warp and tightness relatively insignificant was 124°. The results of analysis to validate the proposed design method are presented.
STEP-NC compliant information modelling for wire electrical discharge machining component manufacture
Authors: Ho K H , Newman S T , Allen R D
Published: October 2005

Over the last five years, a great deal of research effort has been concentrated on the development of a new data model ISO 14649, informally known as STEP-NC. It has been strongly argued that STEP-NC has huge implications on the integration of the computer-aided design/computer-aided process planning/computer-aided manufacture (CAD/CAPP/CAM) (CAx) systems, giving the opportunity to realize interoperable computer numerical control (CNC) manufacturing. This is largely owing to the data model, which provides the capability to revolutionize the current state of the art in CNC manufacturing by offering a bi-directional interface with a high-level description of the geometrical and manufacturing information. This paper provides a view of how these STEP-NC compliant information models can be used to support the wire electrical discharge machining (WEDM) CAD to the CNC process chain. The models are based on part 13 of the ISO 14649 standard, which is dedicated to the WEDM process, together with part 10 of the standard, which specifies the general machining information. The information models have been identified and their structures have been defined and modelled using the unified modelling language (UML). A STEP-NC compliant WEDM CAx prototype system, based on the Java and the object-oriented database management system (DBMS) ObjectStore, has been constructed with an example case study to demonstrate the information models.
Optimization of milling operations for the selection of cutting conditions using Tribes
Authors: Onwubolu G C
Published: October 2005

This paper presents a new methodology involving the use of Tribes for the selection of cutting conditions in single-pass milling operations. The new methodology, which is autonomous because it does not need any parameter tuning, is based on a comprehensive optimization criterion integrating the contributing effects of all major machining performance measures for milling operations. The results of case studies previously considered using genetic algorithms are presented to demonstrate the application of this new methodology for the determination of optimum cutting conditions in face- and end-milling operations. Results obtained show that the new methodology is efficient, effective, and competitive.
Interaction of the −308G/A Promoter Polymorphism of the Tumor Necrosis Factor-α Gene with Single-Nucleotide Polymorphism 45 of the Adiponectin Gene: Effect on Serum Adiponectin Concentrations in a Spanish Population
Authors: González-Sánchez José L , Martínez-Calatrava María J , Martínez-Larrad María T , Zabena Carina , Fernández-Pérez Cristina , Laakso Markku , Serrano-Ríos Manuel
Published: October 2005

Background: We investigated whether interactions of the −308G/A polymorphism in the promoter region of the tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) gene with single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) 45 and 276 of the adiponectin gene are associated with circulating adiponectin and soluble TNF-α receptor 2 (sTNFR2) concentrations in a Spanish population.

Methods: We performed anthropometric and physiologic measurements in 809 unrelated participants recruited with a simple random sampling approach from respondents to a cross-sectional population-based epidemiologic survey in the province of Segovia in central Spain (Castille).

Results: The 2-h postload glucose and serum insulin concentrations were higher in −308A allele carriers than in −308G/G individuals homozygous for the TNF-α gene. Plasma concentrations of sTNFR2 were positively correlated with body mass index, waist-to-hip ratio, and sagittal abdominal diameter among individuals with type 2 diabetes. Individuals with type 2 diabetes and the −308A allele had higher sTNFR2 and lower adiponectin concentrations than −308G homozygotes. Moreover, individuals carrying both the TNF-α −308A allele and the G allele of SNP 45 in the adiponectin gene had the highest prevalence of impaired glucose tolerance (adjusted odds ratio, 1.26; 95% confidence interval, 1.01–1.56; P = 0.038) and had lower adiponectin concentrations (β = −0.090; P = 0.005) than individuals without these genotypes.

Conclusions: Our findings are the first to indicate that a higher incidence of impaired glucose tolerance and low circulating adiponectin concentration may be associated with interaction between the −308G/A promoter polymorphism of the TNF-α gene and SNP 45 in the adiponectin gene.
Stairway to heaven: Ferzan Özpetek and the revision of Italy
Authors: Duncan Derek
Published: October 2005

Ferzan Özpetek has been criticized for producing work that is old-fashioned and middlebrow and whose apparent hybridity results from international casting rather than any sustained attempt to investigate new forms of subjectivity. The aim of this article is to look at Özpetek's
Le fate ignoranti (2001) as a film that explores multiple levels of difference and cohabitation between formations of sexuality and national or ethnic identity. The article suggests that there are ways of looking at Le fate ignoranti and of understanding the reception of Özpetek's
work in Italy that show him to be revising familiar cinematic forms and identity formations rather than reiterating them.
Brazilian cinema: its fall, rise, and renewal (1990–2003)
Authors: Rêgo Cacilda M.
Published: October 2005

After President Fernando Collor de Mello dismantled the state public enterprise - EMBRAFILME - in 1990, Brazilian cinema virtually ceased to exist. Five years later Brazilian cinema made its phoenix-like rebirth, rising on the heels of new tax incentive laws, and it has since matured
and solidified into a ‘new’ national cinema with a freedom of expression and level of artistry of which it had previously only dreamed. This article offers a concrete glimpse of both how legislation for audio-visual investment played a crucial role in the revival of national film
production in the 1990s and what subsequent steps were taken by the state to strengthen and protect the sector. This article shows that public policy toward the Brazilian film industry has been important but limited, and that chronic structural problems remained in the 1995–2003 period.
It contends that Brazilian cinema is still overshadowed by the dominance of foreign films on national screens, not least because Brazil does not have effective control of its film industry.
Storytelling by sound: a theoretical frame for radio drama analysis
Authors: Huwiler Elke
Published: October 2005

In German-speaking research on ‘Hörspiele’ or radio plays, there is little to be found when it comes to adequate theoretical tools for analysing a radio play. Radio drama is still widely seen as a literary genre and is therefore analysed by literary studies theories or drama theories. This article argues that radio drama is an acoustic art form in its own right and should be analysed as such. Its aim is to support this argument first by describing the historical reasons that led to the misinterpretation of the art form, and then by presenting a methodology, based on semiotic and narratological theories, that enables scholars to analyse a narrative radio play by integrating all of its acoustic features. The article seeks to emphasize that music, noises and voices and also technical features like electro-acoustical manipulation or mixing, can be, and often are, used as tools to signify story elements and therefore should be analysed accordingly. To demonstrate the applicability of the model, a short analysis of some German radio plays is presented at the end of the article.
‘Arajo efemu’ local FM radio and the socio-technical system of communications in Koutiala, Mali
Authors: Tower Craig
Published: October 2005

Only a handful of the estimated 150 FM radio stations in Mali could properly be called ‘community’ stations, with administrative structures to ensure representative listener participation in decision-making. However, due to regulations and scarce funding sources, virtually
all stations depend on their audiences for direct financial support in return for mediated listener-to-listener communications. This article, based on over a year and a half of fieldwork in the southern Malian city of Koutiala, outlines the system of social and technical interdependence that
links stations and their listeners in Mali. FM radio depends fundamentally on systems of transportation, and, to a lesser degree, other communication technologies like telephones. Social interdependence is emphasized in the speech of announcers, through an insistence on Islam as a common religion
and fictive joking relationships. Referencing the operational structures of the stations in the city, including one community station, I show that a socio-technical system has developed in which local FM blurs standard understandings of ‘community’ media.
Bridges in the Mountains
Authors: Wallace Saro
Published: October 2005

A management ‘gap’ exists at some Greek sites excavated by foreign institutions in the early 20th century without conservation provision or detailed records. Karfi, in the mountainous Lasithi region of Crete, is one of the best-known settlements of the Aegean Early Iron Age. A recent study there shows how integrated projects can help develop sites’ value for local communities and visitors, while also pushing forward research. Currently, visitor attention to local archaeological sites is concentrated on the highly-managed Psychro Cave, nearby, to an extent compromising its sustainability. In contrast, Karfi’s low-key management has led to deterioration and obscuring of its remains, diminishing their research and educational potential, and serving to minimize local awareness and sense of ownership of the area’s broader archaeological heritage. This has created a negative cycle, discouraging new initiatives in management at the site. At the same time, vocal dissatisfaction with a perceived lack of ‘heritage’, and its associated cultural and economic benefits, is growing in the local community. A commercial venture—an ‘archaeological’ theme park—has recently appeared in the region. In providing an accessible substitute for authentic archaeological remains, I show that this theme park helps to perpetuate the low profile of Karfi and other under-managed sites nearby. The case highlights issues of responsibility and structure in archaeological management and research in Greece: I suggest that a long-established disjunction between the sectors, alongside other social, historical and economic factors operating at regional and national level, has contributed to the situation exemplified in Lasithi.
Inventing the Minoans
Authors: Papadopoulos John K.
Published: October 2005

This study explores the modern history of Minoan culture and the myth of Minoan archaeology. Emerging from the cultural milieu of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the genesis of this culture formed in the mind of Arthur Evans soon after he began excavations at Knossos in 1900. By 1930, he had transformed the site previously excavated by Minos Kalokairinos and earlier known as Tou Tseleve he Kephala and Ta Pitharia into the so-called Palace of Minos, and from poorly preserved ruins into a brightly painted, multi-storied, concrete vision of the past. After Evans’s death, the restored palace became one of the most visited archaeological sites in the world and, in the process, the restoration assumed its own historical identity and became a major problem of conservation. Evans was the first not only to restore a monument to such an extent, but also to use actual archaeological remains as a medium of expression. Beyond giving posterity his vision of the past, Evans was to have a much greater influence on archaeological thought than is currently conceded. Evans viewed his Minoans as the first great European culture, but it was his disciple, V. Gordon Childe, who was to apply the concept of an archaeological culture systematically in his The Dawn of European Civilization (1925), thereby making it a working tool for all European archaeologists. At the brink of modernity, archaeology became entangled with a quest for European identity, and the legacy of that time continues to exert its influence on the present.
Olig2 Overexpression Induces the In Vitro Differentiation of Neural Stem Cells into Mature Oligodendrocytes
Authors: Copray Sjef , Balasubramaniyan Veerakumar , Levenga Josien , de Bruijn Jorick , Liem Robert , Boddeke Erik
Published: October 2005

Differentiation induction of neural stem cells (NSCs) into oligodendrocytes during embryogenesis is the result of a complex interaction between local induction factors and intracellular transcription factors. At the early stage of differentiation, in particular, the helix-loop-helix transcription factors Olig1 and Olig2 have been shown to be essential for oligodendrocyte lineage determination. In view of the possible application of NSCs as a source for remyelinating cell transplants in demyelinating diseases (e.g., multiple sclerosis), in vitro procedures need to be developed to drive the oligodendrocyte differentiation process. Mere culture in medium supplemented with major embryonic oligodendrogenic induction factors, such as Sonic hedgehog, results in oligodendrocyte differentiation of only about 10% of NSCs. We previously showed that induction of Olig1 expression by gene transfection could indeed initiate the first stage of oligodendrocyte differentiation in NSCs, but appeared to be unable to generate fully mature, functional oligodendrocytes. In this study, we transfected NSCs isolated from the embryonic mouse brain with the Olig2 gene and found that the introduced overexpression of Olig2 could induce the development of fully mature oligodendrocytes expressing the transcription factor Nkx2.2 and all major myelin-specific proteins. Moreover, Olig2-transfected NSCs, in contrast to nontransfected NSCs, developed into actively remyelinating oligodendrocytes after transplantation into the corpus callo-sum of long-term cuprizonefed mice, an animal model for demyelination. Our results show that transfection of genes encoding for oligodendrogenic transcription factors can be an efficient way to induce the differentiation of NSCs into functional oligodendrocytes.
Establishing Standards for the Characterization of Human Embryonic Stem Cell Lines
Authors: Loring Jeanne F. , Rao Mahendra S.
Published: October 2005

As of August 2005, 22 human embryonic stem cell (hESC) lines listed on the National Institutes of Health (NIH) hESC Registry were being distributed to investigators. At a June 2005 meeting of NIH-supported hESC researchers, we proposed that a set of shared standards should be available in order to characterize the cells unambiguously in multiple laboratories. Here, we elaborate such a plan to identify a set of standard methods and to initiate collaborative efforts to validate the standards. The standard assays we propose should be comprehensive enough to ensure that hESC banks can provide a consistent and reliable product for NIH researchers, and inexpensive enough that individual laboratories can afford to use at least some of the methods routinely in their laboratories. We expect that as data accumulate and standards evolve, a core set of tests will become the norm for routine assessment of hESC cultures and that these tests will lay the groundwork for clinical applications of these cells.
Physician–Patient Racial Concordance, Continuity of Care, and Patterns of Care for Hypertension
Authors: Konrad Thomas R. , Howard Daniel L. , Edwards Lloyd J. , Ivanova Anastasia , Carey Timothy S.
Published: October 2005

To assess the effects of physician–patient racial concordance and continuity of care on hypertension outcomes, we described patterns of care for hypertension; we used cross-tabulations and repeated measures (generalized estimating equations) analyses with panel survey data from elderly persons interviewed and examined in 1987 and 1990. Continuity of care was associated with recognition of hypertension, receipt of medication, and lower incidence of undetected hypertension. Physician race had little effect, but continuity is important for successful management of hypertension in older persons.
The Changing Fate of Pneumonia as a Public Health Concern in 20th-Century America and Beyond
Authors: Podolsky Scott H.
Published: October 2005

For a brief period from the 1930s through the early 1940s, public health advocates made pneumonia a leading public health concern. Predicated on the need for antipneumococcal antiserum, but also incorporating physician reeducation, state “pneumonia control programs” were established nationwide.

However, with the advent of penicillin and the sulfonamides, the pneumonia control programs soon collapsed. Pneumonia reverted to the domain of the private practitioner, which was devoid of state oversight. With the emergence of pneumococcal antibiotic resistance in the 1990s, the possibility again arose that pneumonia could become a public health concern, given the nationwide need to curb unnecessary antibiotic usage and to encourage vaccination. An understanding of the history of pneumonia’s changing status could shed light on current attempts to reformulate the disease and elucidate the contested domains of private practice and public health.
Building Geographic Information System Capacity in Local Health Departments: Lessons From a North Carolina Project
Authors: Miranda Marie Lynn , Silva Jennifer M. , Overstreet Galeano M. Alicia , Brown Jeffrey P. , Campbell Douglas S. , Coley Evelyn , Cowan Christopher S. , Harvell Dianne , Lassiter Jenny , Parks Jerry L. , Sandelé Wanda
Published: October 2005

State government, university, and local health department (LHD) partners collaborated to build the geographic information system (GIS) capacity of 5 LHDs in North Carolina. Project elements included procuring hardware and software, conducting individualized and group training, developing data layers, guiding the project development process, coordinating participation in technical conferences, providing ongoing project consultation, and evaluating project milestones. The project provided health department personnel with the skills and resources required to use sophisticated information management systems, particularly those that address spatial dimensions of public health practice.

This capacity-building project helped LHDs incorporate GIS technology into daily operations, resulting in improved time and cost efficiency. Keys to success included (1) methods training rooted in problems specific to the LHD, (2) required project identification by LHD staff with associated timelines for development, (3) ongoing technical support as staff returned to home offices after training, (4) subgrants to LHDs to ease hardware and software resource constraints, (5) networks of relationships among LHDs and other professional GIS users, and (6) senior LHD leadership who supported the professional development activities being undertaken by staff.
Rural American Indian Medicaid Health Care Services Use and Health Care Costs in California
Authors: Wong Sabrina T. , Kao Chi , Crouch James A. , Korenbrot Carol C.
Published: October 2005

Objectives. We determined differences in Medicaid service use and health care costs in a rural Indian Health Service (IHS) user population of American Indians and Alaska Natives as compared with Whites.

Methods. California Medicaid eligibility and claims files were linked to IHS user files to obtain a sample of Medicaid-eligible American Indian/Alaska Native users (n=7910). A random sample of Whites was matched for age, gender, aid category, length of eligibility, and county of residence (n=15075). We used generalized linear models to compare risk-adjusted use of resources—ambulatory visits, prescriptions, emergency room visits, hospitalizations, and costs—both adjusting and stratifying for dominant source of ambulatory visits.

Results. American Indians/Alaska Natives had significantly lower use of Medicaid-paid ambulatory visits, prescriptions, emergency room visits, and hospitalizations and lower associated costs than Whites. Medicaid-paid total costs and use of services were lower for those who predominantly used Indian health program clinics, as well as for those who predominantly used other sources of ambulatory care.

Conclusions. Barriers to receiving Medicaid services and payments exist for American Indians/Alaska Natives in the rural IHS-user population. If American Indians/Alaska Natives are to have Medicaid resources comparable to those of Whites, these barriers must be reduced.
Social Disparities in Maternal Morbidity During Labor and Delivery Between Mexican-Born and US-Born White Californians, 1996–1998
Authors: Guendelman Sylvia , Thornton Dorothy , Gould Jeffrey , Hosang Nap
Published: October 2005

Objectives. To assess maternal health disparities, we compared maternal morbidities during labor and delivery among Mexican-born and US-born White, non-Latina women residing in California.

Methods. This population-based study used linked hospital discharge and birth certificate data for 1996–1998 (862723 deliveries). We calculated the frequency, and observed and adjusted odds ratios for obstetric complications. Covariates included maternal age, parity, education, prenatal care initiation and payment source, and hospital quality of care.

Results. Approximately 1 in 5 deliveries resulted in a obstetric complication. After control for covariates, Mexican-born women were significantly less likely to have 1 or more maternal morbidities than White, non-Latina women but more likely to have complications that reflect the quality of intrapartum care.

Conclusions. Maternal morbidities during labor and delivery are a substantial burden for women in California. The favorable overall outcome of Mexican-born women over US-born White, non-Latinas is surprising given their lower educational attainment, relative poverty, and greater barriers to health care access. The favorable outcomes obscure vulnerabilities in those complications that are sensitive to the quality of intrapartum care.
Cancer Disparities Research Partnership in Lakota Country: Clinical Trials, Patient Services, and Community Education for the Oglala, Rosebud, and Cheyenne River Sioux Tribes
Authors: Rogers Deborah , Petereit Daniel G.
Published: October 2005

Native Americans served by the Aberdeen, Billings, and Bemidji areas of the Indian Health Service (IHS) have a cancer mortality rate approximately 40% higher than that of the overall US population. The National Cancer Institute has funded Rapid City Regional Hospital to provide clinical trials, behavioral research, a genetic protocol, patient navigator services (assisting patients with health care coordination and financial issues and helping them to understand their options), and community education for members of 3 western South Dakota tribes.

Challenges faced by the project included obtaining multiple approvals from 3 tribes, 4 IHS facilities, and 5 institutional review boards; travel distances; lack of screening; red tape of referrals; and refusal by some payers to cover clinical trials. Building trust through ongoing communication and community presence is key to a successful project.
Breast Cancer Treatment Experiences of Latinas in Los Angeles County
Authors: Katz Steven J. , Lantz Paula M. , Paredes Yvonne , Janz Nancy K. , Fagerlin Angela , Liu Lihua , Deapen Dennis
Published: October 2005

Objective. We examined breast cancer treatment experiences of and outcomes for Latinas in Los Angeles County.

Methods. We conducted a population-based survey of women who were diagnosed with breast cancer between December 2001 and November 2002 (n=910) to evaluate the types of treatments received, communication with clinicians, and satisfaction.

Results. About two thirds were non-Latina White, 18.8% were African American, and 18.9% were Latina (with 11.0% preferring English and 7.9% preferring Spanish). The rest indicated other ethnic groups. Latinas who preferred Spanish were more likely to experience a delay of 3 months or more from diagnosis to surgical treatment (36.4% vs 9.1% for non-Latina Whites, 18.6% for African Americans, and 12.7%, for other Latinas, P<.001). African Americans and Latinas who preferred Spanish had very low rates of reconstruction (13.8% and 9.2%, respectively, compared with 42.1% for Whites and 34.5% for Latinas who preferred English, P=.009). Latinas who preferred Spanish had the highest odds ratio for low satisfaction.

Conclusion. Latinas who preferred Spanish received different treatments and perceived a different treatment experience than did other cultural groups.
Changes in Veterans’ Use of Outpatient Care From 1992 to 2000
Authors: Long Judith A. , Polsky Daniel , Metlay Joshua P.
Published: October 2005

Objectives. During the mid-1990s, the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) reorganized and placed greater emphasis on high-quality primary care. To determine whether the reorganization was associated with changes in patterns of out-patient VHA use, we sought to evaluate changes in characteristics of veterans who use VHA outpatient services between 1992 and 2000.

Methods. We merged 2 waves of the National Survey of Veterans to determine changes in patterns of outpatient care use. We evaluated the extent to which veterans who received outpatient care received that care from the VHA.

Results. The odds ratio for VHA-only outpatient care relative to non-VHA–only care in 2000 relative to 1992 was 1.75 (95% confidence interval [CI]=1.51, 2.04), and the odds ratio for dual relative to non-VHA-only care was 1.22 (95% CI=1.08, 1.37). Veterans who were older, had low incomes, and had no additional health insurance coverage were most likely to increase their use of VHA outpatient care.

Conclusions. Our results suggest that the VHA is increasingly serving veterans who have trouble accessing the private health care system.
Skin Color, Social Classification, and Blood Pressure in Southeastern Puerto Rico
Authors: Gravlee Clarence C. , Dressler William W. , Bernard H. Russell
Published: October 2005

Objectives. We tested competing hypotheses for the skin color–blood pressure relationship by analyzing the association between blood pressure and 2 skin color variables: skin pigmentation and social classification.

Methods. We measured skin pigmentation by reflectance spectrophotometry and social classification by linking respondents to ethnographic data on the cultural model of “color” in southeastern Puerto Rico. We used multiple regression analysis to test the associations between these variables and blood pressure in a community-based sample of Puerto Rican adults aged 25–55 years (n=100). Regression models included age, gender, body mass index (BMI), self-reported use of antihypertensive medication, and socioeconomic status (SES).

Results. Social classification, but not skin pigmentation, is associated with systolic and diastolic blood pressure through a statistical interaction with SES, independent of age, gender, BMI, self-reported use of antihypertensive medication, and skin reflectance.

Conclusion. Our findings suggest that sociocultural processes mediate the relationship between skin color and blood pressure. They also help to clarify the meaning and measurement of skin color and “race” as social variables in health research.
Stormy Weather: Race, Gene Expression, and the Science of Health Disparities
Authors: Krieger Nancy
Published: October 2005

In the current US political climate, conservative foundations are seeking to frame debates over determinants of racial/ethnic health disparities as a matter of “politically correct” unscientific ideology (concerning the health impacts of discrimination) vs scientific yet “politically incorrect” expertise rooted in biological facts (concerning genes).

I draw on historical and contemporary examples to place conservative polemics in context, and also highlight fundamental flaws in their arguments involving the use of spurious categories (e.g., Caucasian), logical fallacies, temporal fallacies, and an erroneous emphasis on gene frequency over gene expression. The larger goal is to strengthen development of a more critical, reflexive, and rigorous science capable of generating evidence useful for rectifying—rather than perpetuating—social disparities in health.
Racializing Drug Design: Implications of Pharmacogenomics for Health Disparities
Authors: Lee Sandra Soo-Jin
Published: October 2005

Current practices of using “race” in pharmacogenomics research demands consideration of the ethical and social implications for understandings of group difference and for efforts to eliminate health disparities. This discussion focuses on an “infrastructure of racialization” created by current trajectories of research on genetic differences among racially identified groups, the use of race as a proxy for risk in clinical practice, and increasing interest in new market niches by the pharmaceutical industry.

The confluence of these factors has resulted in the conflation of genes, disease, and race. I argue that public investment in pharmacogenomics requires careful consideration of current inequities in health status and social and ethical concerns over reifying race and issues of distributive justice.
Targeting Cultivars onto Rice Growing Environments Using AMMI and SREG GGE Biplot Analyses
Authors: Samonte Stanley Omar PB. , Wilson Lloyd T. , McClung Anna M. , Medley James C.
Published: October 2005

The identification of the highest yielding cultivar for a specific environment on the basis of both genotype (G) and genotype × environment (GE) interaction would be useful to breeders and producers since yield estimates based only on G and environment (E) effects are insufficient. The objective of this study was to demonstrate the usefulness of additive main effects and multiplicative interactions (AMMI) model analysis and G plus GE interaction (GGE) biplots, obtained from sites regression (SREG) model analysis in interpreting GE grain yield data. Replicated grain yield data of six rice (Oryza sativa L.) cultivars (Cocodrie, Cypress, Jefferson, Lemont, Saber, and Wells) from three main cropping seasons (2000, 2001, and 2002) at four locations in Texas, USA (Bay City, Eagle Lake, Ganado, and Beaumont) were obtained and used for this purpose. Through AMMI model analysis, the magnitude and significance of the effects of GE interaction and its interaction principal components relative to the effects of G and E were estimated. The stability and adaptability of specific cultivars were assessed by plotting their nominal grain yields at specific environments in an AMMI biplot, which aided in the identification of megaenvironments (environments with the same highest yielding cultivar). Appropriate check cultivars for all locations or for specific locations were identified. Through GGE biplots of SREG model analysis results, the relative yield performance of cultivars at a specific environment were illustrated, the performance of a cultivar at different environments was compared, the performance of two cultivars at different environments were compared, the highest yielding cultivars at the different megaenvironments were identified, and ideal cultivars and test locations were identified.
Mapping QTL for Individual and Total Isoflavone Content in Soybean Seeds
Authors: Primomo Valerio S. , Poysa Vaino , Ablett Gary R. , Jackson Chung-Ja , Gijzen Mark , Rajcan Istvan
Published: October 2005

Dietary intake of isoflavones has been shown to reduce the risk of several major diseases in humans. Therefore, breeding soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merrill] seeds with desirable isoflavone content would be beneficial to the food and health industries, but the environmental sensitivity of the trait complicates phenotypic selection. The objective of this study was to identify quantitative trait loci (QTL) and epistatic interactions associated with isoflavone contents in soybean seeds. A population of 207 F4:6 recombinant inbred lines (RILs) was produced from the cross ‘AC756’ × ‘RCAT Angora’. The population was phenotyped at two locations in Ontario, Canada, and genotyped by means of 99 polymorphic SSR markers. A significant genotype × environment interaction was found. Seventeen QTLs were detected (P < 0.01) by single‐factor ANOVA. Individual loci explained up to 10.5% (P < 0.0001) of the phenotypic variation. Interval mapping and composite interval mapping identified nine genomic regions (LGs A1, C2, D1a, F, G, H, J, K, and M) associated with isoflavone contents. Some QTL associated with agronomic or seed quality traits mapped to the same regions as those for individual isoflavone contents on LGs A1, C2, F, J, K, M, and N. Twenty‐three epistatic interactions were detected for isoflavones. Multiple locus models explained up to 25.0% (P < 0.0001) of the phenotypic variation without epistasis and up to 35.8% (P < 0.0001) with it. The QTL identified in this study could be useful for developing soybean varieties with desirable isoflavone content in the seed through marker‐assisted selection (MAS).