Letter from J[ohn] H. Boyes to John Muir, 1888 Jan 19.

[in margin: 213]Himrods Yates Co N.Y. Jan. 19th /88Mr. John MuirMy Dear old friendHaving thought of you a thousand times and longing to hear from you I have resolved to write hoping to find you. A Prof- [essor?] Crowhurst or [illegible] took the last evening with me and read me a glowing account of you in a lecture on the Yosemite Valley by Rev. Thos [Guard D.P.?] which very much pleased me. The Prof- said he thought I could find you by writing you in care of the Overland Monthly and so I anxiously write this short note and if you receive it and [illegible] I will unburden my feelings to you in a long letter By the Bye I have some intentions of coming out to Cal. I have written to the Rev. E. B. Hatch of Salinas City in reference to a field of labor out there. And how I would like to see you.! And now will yo please answer, and send me a good photo of yourself if you have one? and I will send you my photo (recently taken in return) And now when I weight about 183.. tho I am not afraid of the [awks?] hanging around the old Hollow carrying me off. However I might say that a wineglass dose has. Impatiently waiting a reply I am your very dear_ friendJ. H. Boyes0128

Is the Ozone Hole Over Your Classroom?

First year university science students are surveyed about their understanding of the ozone layer, ozone depletion and the effect of ozone depletion on Australia. Although students seem to understand the basic function of the ozone layer, over 65% of students incorrectly believe that the ozone hole is over Australia, and over 90% of students incorrectly believe that the ozone hole is present during the summer. Together these ideas seem to explain why nearly 75% of students blame the ozone hole for Australia’s high rate of skin cancer. Survey results also indicate that students seem confused about global warming, and the connection with ozone depletion. Conclusions from this study suggest that better teaching resources for environmental issues such as ozone depletion and global warming are needed before improvements in students’ understanding can be expected

Purification of Starch Granules from Arabidopsis Leaves and Determination of Granule-Bound Starch Synthase Activity

Starch constitutes the most important carbon reserve in plants and is composed of branched amylopectin and linear amylose. The latter is synthesized exclusively by the Granule-Bound Starch Synthase (GBSS, EC 2.4.1.21). Here we report a readily reproducible, specific and highly sensitive protocol, which includes the isolation of intact starch granules from Arabidopsis thaliana leaves and the subsequent determination of GBSS activity. We have applied this method to study GBSS activity in diurnal cycles in vegetative growth and during the photoperiodic transition to flowering in Arabidopsis (Tenorio et al., 2003; Ortiz-Marchena et al., 2014).España,MINECO CSD2007-00057, BIO2008-02292, and BIO2011-28847-C02-00España, Junta de Andalucía P06-CVI-01450 and P08-AGR-0358

‘At school I got myself a certificate’: HIV/AIDS Orphanhood and Secondary Education: a Qualitative Study of Risk and Protective Factors

Secondary school is a period during which risk of school dropout is highest. To date, little research has examined reasons for school dropout amongst HIV/AIDS-orphaned children, who are affected economically, psychosocially and educationally. HIV/AIDS orphanhood can perpetuate poverty and increase school dropout in a range of ways, including inability to pay school fees, family disruption and stigma. Related research mostly focuses on school performance and completion and, more recently, on context-specific approaches to measure educational outcomes. The primary aim of this qualitative study was to examine how HIV/AIDS orphanhood influences participation in secondary education in South Africa and to investigate why some HIV/AIDS-orphaned adolescents find it easier to stay in school than others. Specifically, the study aimed to explore, interpret and elicit the perceptions of South African HIV/AIDS-orphaned adolescents (N = 243, aged 13–22, 53 % female, 47 % male) towards potential risk and protective factors influencing their secondary school attendance. Findings suggest complex and interconnecting multiple risk factors such as poverty pre- and post-parental death, crisis-fosterage often accompanied by further traumatic events, changing schools sporadically, recurring household migration and forced employment all of which can create obstacles to secondary education. Protective factors that emerged included extra-curricular activities and teacher/community support. These findings highlight the need for evidence-informed school and community policies, which consider the effects of household poverty, migration and living arrangements, if secondary school participation for HIV/AIDS-orphaned adolescents is to be promoted and sustained

Using Crosslinked Hyaluronic Acid (HA) and Collagen Scaffolds with Sustained Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF) Release for Post-SCI Nerve Regeneration

Traumatic events resulting in spinal cord injuries (SCIs) often leave people paralyzed or with partial loss of motor function. The physical disabilities arising from traumatic events prevent people from functioning at the same level as pre-injury. My work aims to identify a plausible method to overcome the inhibitory post-SCI environment and to regenerate nervous tissue in order to restore neural function and, subsequently, motor function. I identified components of a new, hypothetical nerve scaffold based on the immune response after SCIs and the efficacy of currently used scaffolds for nerve regeneration. Hyaluronic acid (HA) polymer scaffolds and collagen-based scaffolds are individually effective in counteracting the post-SCI inhibitory environment and inducing neurofilament growth. In addition, sustained release of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) into the lesion site has shown to supplement, and even augment, the physical and functional recovery achieved through the HA and collagen-based scaffolds. Thus, I propose the testing of a crosslinked HA and collagen scaffold with sustained BDNF release through BDNF-bound collagen binding domain and BDNF embedded PLGA microspheres as a more viable and effective method for spinal nerve regeneration in order to restore neural and motor function.https://scholarscompass.vcu.edu/uresposters/1286/thumbnail.jp

An asymptomatic 11 year child with ruptured sinus of Valsalva

Ruptured sinus of Valsalva (RSOV) is a rare lesion in a paediatric age group. A right sinus of Valsalva aneurysm usually ruptures into the right ventricle, while aneurysms of non-coronary sinus do so into the right atrium. RSOV usually presents in the third decade of life with congestive heart failure and is more common among Asians with male predominance. It may present as acute cardiogenic shock and sudden death or may remain completely asymptomatic with incidental detection by a murmur. Surgery is indicated as early as possible, once the diagnosis is made as without surgery, most cases will eventually succumb to uncontrollable congestive heart failure. This article reports an 11 year old child with the diagnosis of ruptured sinus of Valsalva.peer-reviewe