Annual Report of the Iowa Academy of Science, 1994-95

Since 1976, annual reports have served as a continuing record of the activities of the Iowa Academy of Science and an archive for its history. These augment the 100 year IAS history written in the centennial year of 1975. This report covers the period from July 1, 1994 to June 30, 1995. It is based on the official records of the Academy (committee reports, Board minutes, correspondence) as well as the recollections, impressions and thoughts of the author

Annual Report of the Iowa Academy of Science, 1991-92

Starting in 1976, annual reports have served as a continuing record of the activities of the Iowa Academy of Science. These augment a 100 year history of the Academy which was written in the centennial year of 1975. This report covers the period from July 1, 1991 to June 30, 1992. It is based on the official records of the Academy (committee reports, Board minutes, correspondence) as well as the recollections, impressions and thoughts of the author

Annual Report of the Iowa Academy of Science, 1988-89

Starting in 1976, annual reports have served as a continuing record of the activities of the Iowa Academy of Science. These augment a 100 year history of the Academy which was written in the centennial year of 1975. This report covers the period from July 1, 1988 to June 30, 1989. It is based on the official records of the Academy (committee reports, Board minutes, correspondence) as well as the recollections, impressions and musings of the author, who is writing his first annual report

Historical Science: Stephen Jay Gould at the NSTA

Stephen Jay Gould, the Alexander Agassiz Professor of Zoology at Harvard University, recently spoke at a meeting of the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) in Washington, D.C. An eloquent spokesperson for the earth sciences, Gould holds a degree in paleontology from Columbia University. The American Geological Institute has made a video tape of his talk available for purchase. This article, a review of the tape, is for the benefit of science teachers who may wish to buy a copy

Stink Bugs (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Pentatomidae) of Minnesota: An Annotated Checklist and New State Records

Pentatomidae have been relatively poorly documented in Minnesota. Based on literature and museum records, an annotated checklist of the Pentatomidae of Minnesota was created. State-level and county-level records for Minnesota and the distribution of each species in North America are provided. Fifty-one species of Pentatomidae (12 Asopinae, 37 Pentatominae, and 2 Podopinae) are recorded for Minnesota. Of this total, 15 species are newly recorded for the state. Knowledge of the fauna of Pentatomidae in Minnesota will be important for providing baseline data for monitoring of potential shifts in the fauna resulting from the invasions of exotic Pentatomidae. Furthermore, a list of native Pentatomidae will be necessary for monitoring non-target impacts, if classical biological control is implemented for management of exotic Pentatomidae

Infection of human cytomegalovirus in cultured human gingival tissue.

BackgroundHuman cytomegalovirus (HCMV) infection in the oral cavity plays an important role in its horizontal transmission and in causing viral-associated oral diseases such as gingivitis. However, little is currently known about HCMV pathogenesis in oral mucosa, partially because HCMV infection is primarily limited to human cells and few cultured tissue or animal models are available for studying HCMV infection.ResultsIn this report, we studied the infection of HCMV in a cultured gingival tissue model (EpiGingival, MatTek Co.) and investigated whether the cultured tissue can be used to study HCMV infection in the oral mucosa. HCMV replicated in tissues that were infected through the apical surface, achieving a titer of at least 300-fold at 10 days postinfection. Moreover, the virus spread from the apical surface to the basal region and reduced the thickness of the stratum coreum at the apical region. Viral proteins IE1, UL44, and UL99 were expressed in infected tissues, a characteristic of HCMV lytic replication in vivo. Studies of a collection of eight viral mutants provide the first direct evidence that a mutant with a deletion of open reading frame US18 is deficient in growth in the tissues, suggesting that HCMV encodes specific determinants for its infection in oral mucosa. Treatment by ganciclovir abolished viral growth in the infected tissues.ConclusionThese results suggest that the cultured gingival mucosa can be used as a tissue model for studying HCMV infection and for screening antivirals to block viral replication and transmission in the oral cavity

NF01-451 Consumer Responsibility in Health Care: Improving Communication with Your Provider

The U.S. health care system continues to undergo reform. The direction of change places more emphasis on the patient to be a responsible partner in his/her own care and for those for whom they are responsible (family members) for care. One of the most important skills consumers have to exercise in this partnership is communication skills

NF01-451 Consumer Responsibility in Health Care: Improving Communication with Your Provider

The U.S. health care system continues to undergo reform. The direction of change places more emphasis on the patient to be a responsible partner in his/her own care and for those for whom they are responsible (family members) for care. One of the most important skills consumers have to exercise in this partnership is communication skills