Instrumented spinal fusion surgery is increasingly performed in the treatment of degenerative disorders, Spondylolisthesis, deformity, trauma and tumors affecting the spine (Davis, 1994; Katz, 1995). In-vitro and In-vivo studies using the free hand or fluoroscopically assisted techniques documented breaching of the pedicle in 3-55% (Amiot et al., 2000; Belmont et al., 2001; Belmont et al., 2002...

Biogenic amines are important neuromodulators whose discovery laid the foundation of modern neuropharmacology. These compounds (which include norepinephrine, dopamine, serotonin, and histamine) are stored in secretory vesicles located in the cytoplasm, are released into the extracellular space by regulated exocytosis, then activate specific G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) located in preand ...

Folate is an important micronutrient found in green vegetables, fruits and beans. The synthetic form that is added to foods and found in supplements is known as folic acid (FA). FA plays an essential role in several complex metabolic pathways including DNA synthesis and pathways that are involved in the methionine metabolic pathway, which is crucial for DNA methylation (Fenech et al., 2001; Eic...

Recent physiological studies show that neural responses correlated with the perception of brightness are found in cortical area V1 but not earlier in the visual pathway (Kayama et al., 1979; Reid and Shapley, 1989; Squatrito et al., 1990; Komatsu et al., 1996; Rossi et al., 1996; MacEvoy et al., 1998; Rossi and Paradiso, 1999; Hung et al., 2001; Kinoshita and Komatsu, 2001; MacEvoy and Paradiso...

In recent years, increasing attention has been focused on the study of dynamical systems, often with time delay, which model in population dynamics [Chen & Blackmore, 2002; Gopalsamy, 1992; Yang, 1993; Matin & Ruan, 2001; May, 1973], physics and mechanics [Cahlon et al., 1997], remote control [Ryabov, 1960], radiation damping [Chicone et al., 2001], and so on and so forth. Such systems attract ...

OBJECTIVES To describe the morphological features of atherosclerosis in the aortas of autopsied patients (ranging from young adults to the elderly), thus providing new tools for a more sensitive morphological evaluation. METHOD We collected 141 aorta samples. We assessed the macroscopic degree of atherosclerosis, thickness of the intima and media, lipid and collagen depositions in the intima,...

General interpolating expressions, valid for nearand arbitrary overcritical sizes of clusters, are proposed for the nucleation fluxes and distributions. Results are expressed in terms of the deterministic growth rates, and are characterized by a non-Gaussian dependence on the size of nuclei. In a sense, the proposed approximations combine the positive aspects of the parabolic model by Trinkaus ...

One of the most critical problems that hospitality firms face in selecting employees is that the use of cognitive ability tests and other valid predictors of job performance lead to subgroup differences between majority and minority group members. The recent Ricci v. DeStefano U.S. Supreme Court case provides new implications for the adverse diversity-validity dilemma. This paper seeks to bridg...

The Formosan subterranean termite, Coptotermes formosanus Shiraki is currently one of the most destructive pests in the USA. It is estimated to cost consumers over US dollars 1 billion annually for preventative and remedial treatment and to repair damage caused by this insect. The mission of the Formosan Subterranean Termite Research Unit of the Agricultural Research Service is to demonstrate t...