Description: Article describing how Alpha Chi Sigma members were involved with the events described on a pictured Kansas historical marker relating to the discovery of helium in a deposit of natural gas.

Description: This article discusses the role of hypoxia in the evolution and development of the cardiovascular system. How multicellular organisms obtain and use oxygen and other substrates has evolved over hundreds of millions of years in parallel with the evolution of oxygen-delivery systems. A steady supply of oxygen is critical to the existence of organisms that depend on oxygen as a primary source of fuel (i.e., those that live by aerobic metabolism). Not surprisingly, a number of mechanisms have evolved to defend against oxygen deprivation. This review highlights evolutionary and developmental aspects of O(2) delivery to allow understanding of adaptive responses to O(2) deprivation (hypoxia). First, the authors consider how the drive for more efficient oxygen delivery from the heart to the periphery may have shaped the evolution of the cardiovascular system, with particular attention to the routing of oxygenated and deoxygenated blood in the cardiac outlet. Then the authors consider the role of O(2) in the morphogenesis and the cardiovascular system of animals of increasing size and complexity. The authors conclude by suggesting areas for future research regarding the role of oxygen deprivation and oxidative stress in the normal development of the heart and vascular or in the pathogenesis of ...

Description: This article accompanies a poster presentation on contributing factors in judgement of fairness by monetary value. Given that the authors have developed for emotional response (Emotional-Gain Model) and a model for fairness (Fairness-Equity Model) that quantified emotional bias and fairness bias, the authors will use these models to reveal the hidden factors contributing to the emotional bias and fairness bias. Using the Ultimatum Game (UG) with human subjects to split a sum of money, the authors compare the responses between sharing $10 vs. $10 million.

Description: This paper accompanies a poster presentation on the anti-diabetic and cholesterol-lowering effects of common and cassia cinnamon (Cinnamomum verum and C. aromaticum). According to the World Health Organization (WHO), approximately 150 million people worldwide have type 2 diabetes. It is a growing health concern. Common and cassia cinnamon have been reported to have anti-diabetic and lipid-lowering effects. The objective was to determine if the combination of common and cassia cinnamon (Cinnamomum verum and C. aromaticum) reduces fasting blood glucose, insulin, glycosylated hemoglobin (HA1C), triglyceride, total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol and LDL cholesterol levels in people with type 2 diabetes.

Description: This article discusses using GIS technology to identify areas of tuberculosis transmission and incidence. Background: Currently in the U.S. it is recommended that tuberculosis screening and treatment programs be targeted at high-risk populations. While a strategy of targeted testing and treatment of persons most likely to develop tuberculosis is attractive, it is uncertain how best to accomplish this goal. In this study the authors seek to identify geographical areas where on-going tuberculosis transmission is occurring by linking Geographic Information Systems (GIS) technology with molecular surveillance. Methods: This cross-sectional analysis was performed on data collected on persons newly diagnosed with culture positive tuberculosis at the Tarrant County Health Department (TCHD) between January 1, 1993 and December 31, 2000. Clinical isolates were molecularly characterized using IS6 110-based RFLP analysis and spoligotyping methods to identify patients infected with the same strain. Residential addresses at the time of diagnosis of tuberculosis were geocoded and mapped according to strain characterization. Generalized estimating equations (GEE) analysis models were used to identify risk factors involved in clustering. Results: Evaluation of the spatial distribution of cases within zip-code boundaries identified distinct areas of geographical distribution of same strain disease. The authors identified these geographical areas as having increased ...