Floral micromorphology of the genus Restrepia (Orchidaceae) and the potential consequences for pollination

Restrepia is a small Pleurothallid genus, comprising 57 species, 44 of which were discovered since 1970. These species are indigenous to Central and South America, where their montane forest habitats are under increasing pressure from changes in land use. With resulting increasingly fragmented habitats and dwindling numbers, the pollination systems of obligate out-breeding genera, such as Restrepia, may no longer function efficiently which could potentially lead to their extinction. As such, the main aim of the current study was to perform an in-depth investigation of floral structures in the genus, using SEM and photographic technology to formulate a putative pollination mechanism for these species. The floral micromorphology of dorsal sepal and lateral petal osmophores, synsepal, labellum, cirrhi and calli were investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), macro-photography and quantitative analyses of some floral proportions. The secretory nature of the labellum, synsepal and osmophore papillae were established and the calli were shown to possess a unique papillate, non-secretory structure. A pollination mechanism for the genus was proposed which includes the role of the scent trails produced by the osmophores and the ‘trapping’ role of the cirrhi. A ‘functional fit’ between the flower and the pollinator is suggested. In conclusion, we consider Restrepia to represent a non-nectar rewarding and ‘deceptive’ orchid genus and that this pollination mechanism may be directly linked to the breeding system (gametophytic self-incompatibility) in this genus

Encouraging results with endoscopic vein harvest for infrainguinal bypass

BackgroundWound complications after infrainguinal vein bypass remain a significant source of morbidity. Endoscopic saphenous vein harvest has emerged as a viable alternative to minimize vein harvest incisions.MethodsInfrainguinal bypass using endoscopic vein harvest was performed in 214 limbs in 197 consecutive patients between May 1998 and July 2004. The indication for bypass was limb salvage in 88.3%, claudication in 9.3%, and other in 2.4%. Atherosclerotic risk factors were prevalent, with diabetes mellitus in 68% and dialysis-dependent renal failure in 11.7%.ResultsThe procedure was successful in all but one patient. This patient was early in the series and had a friable varicose vein. Ipsilateral greater saphenous vein was used in 89.7%, contralateral greater saphenous vein in 8.4%, and lesser saphenous vein in 1.9%. Two injuries to the main trunk of the vein occurred early in the series. Assisted primary patency at a mean follow-up of 18 months (range, 1 to 48 months) is 77.2% by life-table analysis. For patients with claudication, rest pain, or minimal gangrene, the average length of stay was 3.15 days (range, 1 to 6 days). Wound complications occurred in 16 patients (7.5%), 10 of these required only local care (class I and II), and 6 had deep wounds threatening the leg or graft (class III). Only 5 patients, all with class III wounds, required readmission to the hospital for graft-related problems. There is no increase in operating room time once the learning curve is overcome. Patient satisfaction is very high.ConclusionEndoscopic saphenous vein harvest is a useful adjunct to infrainguinal vein bypass, with short length-of-hospital stay, few wound complications, and low hospital readmission rates. Endoscopic vein harvest is recommended as the procedure of choice for vein procurement for infrainguinal bypass procedures

A new method for imaging nuclear threats using cosmic ray muons

Muon tomography is a technique that uses cosmic ray muons to generate three dimensional images of volumes using information contained in the Coulomb scattering of the muons. Advantages of this technique are the ability of cosmic rays to penetrate significant overburden and the absence of any additional dose delivered to subjects under study above the natural cosmic ray flux. Disadvantages include the relatively long exposure times and poor position resolution and complex algorithms needed for reconstruction. Here we demonstrate a new method for obtaining improved position resolution and statistical precision for objects with spherical symmetry

Acherontiscus caledoniae: the earliest heterodont and durophagous tetrapod.

The enigmatic tetrapod Acherontiscus caledoniae from the Pendleian stage of the Early Carboniferous shows heterodontous and durophagous teeth, representing the earliest known examples of significant adaptations in tetrapod dental morphology. Tetrapods of the Late Devonian and Early Carboniferous (Mississippian), now known in some depth, are generally conservative in their dentition and body morphologies. Their teeth are simple and uniform, being cone-like and sometimes recurved at the tip. Modifications such as keels occur for the first time in Early Carboniferous Tournaisian tetrapods. Acherontiscus, dated as from the Pendleian stage, is notable for being very small with a skull length of about 15 mm, having an elongate vertebral column and being limbless. Cladistic analysis places it close to the Early Carboniferous adelospondyls, aïstopods and colosteids and supports the hypothesis of 'lepospondyl' polyphyly. Heterodonty is associated with a varied diet in tetrapods, while durophagy suggests a diet that includes hard tissue such as chitin or shells. The mid-Carboniferous saw a significant increase in morphological innovation among tetrapods, with an expanded diversity of body forms, skull shapes and dentitions appearing for the first time.NER

A Survey of Psychiatrists' Attitudes Toward Treatment Guidelines

We developed a survey to look at psychiatrists' attitudes toward psychotropic prescribing guidelines, specifically the Texas Medication Algorithm Project (TMAP) algorithms. The 22-page survey was distributed to 24 psychiatrists working in 4 CMHC's; 13 completed the survey. 90% agreed that guidelines should be general and flexible. The majority also agreed that guidelines should define how to measure response to a specific agent; fewer agreed guidelines should specify dosage, side effect management, or augmentation strategies. Psychiatrists were familiar with TMAP; none referred to it in their practice. In spite of this, psychiatrists' medication preferences were similar to those suggested by guidelines.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/44317/1/10597_2004_Article_484143.pd

Assessing Conformance to Medication Treatment Guidelines for Schizophrenia in a Community Mental Health Center (CMHC)

The feasibility of implementing current medication treatment guidelines in a community mental health clinic was examined in this cross-sectional and retrospective study. Specifically, two issues were addressed: 1) could we identify a set of clinical guidelines whose utilization could be monitored with a routine medical chart review; and 2) were the requisite data for such a review available in the medical records. An examination of three sets of published guidelines revealed 5 specific guidelines that could be operationalized and monitored. Records were reviewed for a random sample of two-thirds of all patients currently diagnosed with schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder (n = 309). Information was collected from the medical record on patient demographics, diagnosis, duration of illness, symptoms and side effects, and medication information. Rates of conformance to the 5 guidelines ranged from a high of 97% to a low of 43%. The use of current guidelines to improve treatment in community clinics appears to be limited by the deficiencies in the medical record and the structure of the guidelines themselves. Standardized progress notes and computerized prescribing programs will improve conformance, and permit the rapid and accurate assessment of conformance to guidelines in community clinics.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/44313/1/10597_2004_Article_475195.pd

HIV-2 Encephalitis: Case Report and Literature Review

We report the case of a 59-year-old man who moved from Cape Verde to Massachusetts at the age of 29. He had multiple sexual contacts with female partners in Cape Verde and with West African women in Massachusetts, as well as multiple past indeterminate HIV-1 antibody tests. He presented to our facility with 2–3 months of inappropriate behaviors, memory impairment, weight loss, and night sweats, at which time he was found to have an abnormal enhancing lesion of the corpus collosum on brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Laboratory testing revealed a CD4 count of $63 cells/mm^3$, positive HIV-2 Western blot, serum HIV-2 RNA polymerase chain reaction (PCR) of 1160 copies per milliliter and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) HIV-2 RNA PCR of 2730 copies per milliliter. Brain biopsy demonstrated syncytial giant cells centered around small blood vessels and accompanied by microglia, which correlated with prior pathologic descriptions of HIV-2 encephalitis and with well-described findings of HIV-1 encephalitis. Based on genotype resistance assay results, treatment guidelines, and prior studies validating success with lopinavir-ritonavir, he was treated with tenofovir-emtricitabine and lopinavir-ritonavir, which has led to virologic suppression along with steady neurologic and radiologic improvement, although he continues to have deficits

Instances and connectors : issues for a second generation process language

This work is supported by UK EPSRC grants GR/L34433 and GR/L32699Over the past decade a variety of process languages have been defined, used and evaluated. It is now possible to consider second generation languages based on this experience. Rather than develop a second generation wish list this position paper explores two issues: instances and connectors. Instances relate to the relationship between a process model as a description and the, possibly multiple, enacting instances which are created from it. Connectors refers to the issue of concurrency control and achieving a higher level of abstraction in how parts of a model interact. We believe that these issues are key to developing systems which can effectively support business processes, and that they have not received sufficient attention within the process modelling community. Through exploring these issues we also illustrate our approach to designing a second generation process language.Postprin

Multi-modal representation of effector modality in frontal cortex during rule switching.

We report a functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study which investigated whether brain areas involved in updating task rules within the frontal lobe of the cerebral cortex show activity related to the modality of motor response used in the task. Participants performed a rule switching task using different effector modalities. In some blocks participants responded with left/right button presses, whilst in other blocks left/right saccades were required. The color of a Cue event instructed a left or right response based upon a rule, followed by a Feedback which indicated whether the rule was to stay the same or "Flip" on the next trial. The findings revealed variation in the locus of activity within the ventrolateral frontal cortex dependent upon effector modality. Other frontal areas showed no significant difference in activity between response epochs but changed their pattern of connectivity with posterior cortical areas dependent upon response. Multivariate analysis revealed that the pattern of activity evoked by Flip rule Feedbacks within an apparently supra modal frontal region (dorsolateral frontal cortex) discriminated between response epochs. The results are consistent with the existence of multi-modal representations of stimulus-response (SR) rules within the frontal cerebral cortex