The demise of the hospital dining room

Recalling a time when informal consultations, information exchange and social interaction took place during lunch, Dr. Michael Kaye laments the demise of collegial dining in the hospital.     

禾本科燕麦属植物的地理分布

为探讨燕麦属(Avena L.)植物的地理分布,通过野外调查及查阅标本和文献资料,对燕麦属植物的地理分布进行整理和研究。结果表明,燕麦属植物约有29种,主要分布在欧洲、地中海地区、北非、西亚、东亚和美洲。中国有4种,分布于华北、西北、西南各省(区)的高海拔地区。燕麦属下分7个组,分别是多年生燕麦组[sect.Avenotrichon(Holub)Baum]、偏凸燕麦组(sect.Ventricosa Baum)、耕地燕麦组(sect.Agraria Baum)、软果燕麦组(sect.Tenuicarpa Baum)、埃塞俄比亚燕麦组(sect.Ethiopica Baum)、厚果燕麦组(sect.Pachycarpa Baum)和真燕麦组(sect.Avena)。其中,埃塞俄比亚燕麦组分布在埃塞俄比亚、沙特阿拉伯、也门,其他6个组分布在欧洲、地中海、西北非洲、西亚、东亚和美洲地区。地中海、西北非洲、西亚地区分布有除埃塞俄比亚燕麦组之外的所有6个组,因此推断该地区可能是燕麦属的现代分布中心和多样性中心,而燕麦属的起源地尚需确证。     

Biotech Crossroads: Singapore

Cover illustration: Singapore Biotech Crossroads, a BTJ special issue edited by Dr. Michael Entzeroth, Pharma Resources Asia Pte Ltd, Singapore. Highlights include articles about Singapore's biomedical sciences landscape, UK-Singapore relationships in life sciences, oncology and drug discovery, bioprocessing technology and much more. Image©Photodisc Inc.     

A review of factors which may influence the sea-age and maturation of Atlantic salmon Salmo salar L.

The many enigmatic factors in the life cycle of the Atlantic salmon have long fascinated and long frustrated those working on this subject. This comprehensive review by Dr Michael Gardner collates and summarizes the findings of investigations from the turn of the century to the present day. The author also provides an objective assessment of several hypotheses relating to the reasons for the diverse behaviour patterns of the salmon.     

Next issue (November 2007): Singapore Biotech Crossroads

Edited by Dr. Michael Entzeroth, Singapore Highlight articles: – Singapore's biomedical sciences landscape – Re-starting malaria research at NITD – CombinatoRx moves its molecular speed-dating to Singapore – UK-Singapore relationships in life sciences – AMRI and Singapore: Driving discovery in Asia – Function of SIRT1 Deacetylase in Oncology – The chakragati mouse: rapid in vivo antipsychotic drug screening – Neuroscience drug discovery in Singapore ... and much more: Read the next issue of BTJ!     

The Claude Bernard Distinguished Lecture. In pursuit of meaningful learning

The Bernard Distinguished Lecturers are individuals who have a history of experience and expertise in teaching that impacts multiple levels of health science education. Dr. Joel Michael more than meets these criteria. Joel earned a BS in biology from CalTech and a PhD in physiology from MIT following which he vigorously pursued his fascination with the mammalian central nervous system under continuous National Institutes of Health funding for a 15-yr period. At the same time, he became increasingly involved in teaching physiology, with the computer being his bridge between laboratory science and classroom teaching. Soon after incorporating computers into his laboratory, he began developing computer-based learning resources for his students. Observing students using these resources to solve problems led to an interest in the learning process itself. This in turn led to a research and development program, funded by the Office of Naval Research (ONR), that applied artificial intelligence to develop smart computer tutors. The impact of problem solving on student learning became the defining theme of National Science Foundation (NSF)-supported research in health science education that gradually moved all of Dr. Michael's academic efforts from neurophysiology to physiology education by the early 1980's. More recently, Joel has been instrumental in developing and maintaining the Physiology Education Research Consortium, a group of physiology teachers from around the nation who collaborate on diverse projects designed to enhance learning of the life sciences. In addition to research in education and learning science, Dr. Michael has devoted much of his time to helping physiology teachers adopt modern approaches to helping students learn. He has organized and presented faculty development workshops at many national and international venues. The topics for these workshops have included computer-based education, active learning, problem-based learning, and the use of general models in teaching physiology.     

The European Proteomics Association (EuPA) is in the field. Report of the formal inauguration of the European Proteome Association (Munich, Germany, August 29, 2005)

After one year of preparation the European Proteomics Association (EuPA) was formally inaugurated on August 29, 2005, on the occasion of the 4(th) HUPO World Congress in Munich, Germany. Delegates from 16 European countries elected Dr. Friedrich Lottspeich, President of the German Proteome Society, as the first EuPA President. The EuPA Board also comprises Professor Mathias Uhlen as Vice President, along with Professor Michael Dunn (Ireland), Professor Concha Gil (Spain), Dr. Jean Charles Sanchez (Switzerland) and Professor Pier Giorgio Righetti (Italy) as Coordinators for the presently defined focus activities of the EuPA. The general objectives of the EuPA are to promote proteomic activities throughout Europe, emphasising the benefits and contribution of proteomics to biological researchers, industry, the general public and politicians.     

2K09 and thereafter : the coming era of integrative bioinformatics, systems biology and intelligent computing for functional genomics and personalized medicine research

Significant interest exists in establishing synergistic research in bioinformatics, systems biology and intelligent computing. Supported by the United States National Science Foundation (NSF), International Society of Intelligent Biological Medicine (http://www.ISIBM.org), International Journal of Computational Biology and Drug Design (IJCBDD) and International Journal of Functional Informatics and Personalized Medicine, the ISIBM International Joint Conferences on Bioinformatics, Systems Biology and Intelligent Computing (ISIBM IJCBS 2009) attracted more than 300 papers and 400 researchers and medical doctors world-wide. It was the only inter/multidisciplinary conference aimed to promote synergistic research and education in bioinformatics, systems biology and intelligent computing. The conference committee was very grateful for the valuable advice and suggestions from honorary chairs, steering committee members and scientific leaders including Dr. Michael S. Waterman (USC, Member of United States National Academy of Sciences), Dr. Chih-Ming Ho (UCLA, Member of United States National Academy of Engineering and Academician of Academia Sinica), Dr. Wing H. Wong (Stanford, Member of United States National Academy of Sciences), Dr. Ruzena Bajcsy (UC Berkeley, Member of United States National Academy of Engineering and Member of United States Institute of Medicine of the National Academies), Dr. Mary Qu Yang (United States National Institutes of Health and Oak Ridge, DOE), Dr. Andrzej Niemierko (Harvard), Dr. A. Keith Dunker (Indiana), Dr. Brian D. Athey (Michigan), Dr. Weida Tong (FDA, United States Department of Health and Human Services), Dr. Cathy H. Wu (Georgetown), Dr. Dong Xu (Missouri), Drs. Arif Ghafoor and Okan K Ersoy (Purdue), Dr. Mark Borodovsky (Georgia Tech, President of ISIBM), Dr. Hamid R. Arabnia (UGA, Vice-President of ISIBM), and other scientific leaders. The committee presented the 2009 ISIBM Outstanding Achievement Awards to Dr. Joydeep Ghosh (UT Austin), Dr. Aidong Zhang (Buffalo) and Dr. Zhi-Hua Zhou (Nanjing) for their significant contributions to the field of intelligent biological medicine.     

The Philadelphia chromosome: celebration of the 50th anniversary of its discovery

To commemorate the 50th anniversary of its discovery, Tuesday, September 28, 2010 was declared "Philadelphia Chromosome Day" by Mayor Michael Nutter of the City of Philadelphia. On that day, the Fox Chase Cancer Center hosted the "Philadelphia Chromosome Symposium: Past, Present and Future" at the Chemical Heritage Foundation, located just a few blocks from the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall. The symposium was conceived by Joseph R. Testa, PhD, who also served as scientific organizer for the event. The symposium included sessions on the discovery and molecular characterization of the abnormality and the development of a successful treatment for chronic granulocytic leukemia. Honored guests included Dr. Peter Nowell, Dr. Janet Rowley, and Mrs. David (Alice) Hungerford.     

Book reviews

Book Reviewed in this article: Statistics for Biology. Microcomputer Edition O. N. Bishop Field Guide to Eucalypts — Volume 1, Southeastern Australia M. 1. H. Brooker and D. A. Kleinig Paleolimnology. Proceedings of the Third International Symposium on Paleolimnology, held at Joensuu, Finland. Developments in Hydrobiology 15 . Edited by J. Merilainen, P. Huttunen and R. W. Battarbee, Dr W. Junk B V The Gastric Brooding Frog Edited by Michael J. Tyler     

Human performance on a two-alternative rapid-acquisition choice task

Davison and Baum [Davison, M., Baum, W. M., 2000. Choice in a variable environment: every reinforcer counts. Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior 74, 1-24.] developed a concurrent-schedule procedure where, within each session, different reinforcer ratios were arranged across components separated by brief black-outs. Behaviour adapted quickly to the reinforcer ratios and reinforcers also had local effects on responding. This procedure has been used with pigeons and rats. In the present experiment, we adapted the Davison and Baum procedure to study the effects of reinforcement on human choice behaviour. Eighteen participants were presented with four different reinforcer ratios within a single 50-minute session. Mean sensitivity to the reinforcer ratios increased within components, and preference was greater for the just-reinforced response alternative immediately following reinforcer delivery, similar to the results from non-human experiments. Although there were limitations to the current procedure, the local time scale analyses are a novel way of examining human operant behaviour.     

Body size of terrestrial arthropods and biomass of their populations in relation to the abiotic parameters of their milieu

Summary From collections made in very different biotopes of very different zoogeographical regions it is concluded that the biomass per area, the average body size, and the number of winged insects and spiders are primarily governed by the relative humidity of the biotope. From this finding several predictions are put forward on parental care, social systems, activity time and predators in different biotopes all of which seem to support the hypothesis.Dedicated to Professor Michael Evenari and Dr. Konrad F. Springer on the occasion of the 50th volume of Oecologia     

A system worth saving.

The country will mark Canada Health Day on May 12, so CMAJ asked Dr. Michael Gordon to reflect on Canada''s health care system and the changes it has seen and will see. The special day, cosponsored by the Canadian Public Health Association, is designed to highlight "the need for better communication between health professionals and the communities they serve." In this article, Gordon reflects on the dangers facing Canada''s medicare system and the need to protect it from the inroads threatened by privatization.     

Predictors of success in hypertensives treated with biofeedback-assisted relaxation

This paper describes differences in response in seventeen patients with essential hypertension who participated in a treatment program consisting of electromyograph biofeedback assisted relaxation training. Responders were found to have higher treatment values of urinary and plasma cortisol, Trait Anxiety and forehead muscle tension compared to treatment failures. Responders also sustained greater decreases in plasma, and urinary cortisol after treatment. These data are discussed in light of the ability to predict which hypertensive patients may be most benefitted by a relaxation based treatment.We would like to thank Dr. Charles Spielberger for his permission to use the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory. We thank Michael Robinson for assistance with statistical analysis.     

Book Reviews

Book reviewed in this article: Guide to Fossil Man .By Dr. Michael Day Craniofacial Variations in a Central Australian Tribe . By T. Brown Vanished Giants of Australia. By Hans. Mincham Culture and Society . By George Peter Murdock Sorcery in its Social Setting. A study of the Northern Rhodesian Cewa . By M. G. Marwick Housekeeping among Malay Peasants . By Rosemary Firth Road Belong Cargo: A Study of the Cargo Movement in the Southern Madang District New Guinea The Winds of Change in Central Australia By Frederick G. C. Rose Social Psychology and Individual Values . By D. W. Harding     

Terminology associated with cell,tissue and organ culture,molecular biology and molecular genetics

When areas of research become interdisciplinary their jargon, techniques and bodies of information are utilized widely in diverse disciplines. At such times, reciprocal use of terminology by individuals who had not previously used it is often misused and, therefore, confusion occurs. This confusion is especially acute in the field of vertebrate, invertebrate and plant cell culture. There is hardly a field of biological investigation in which culturing of such cells is not employed. Similarly, molecular biology and molecular genetics are lending their technology to an everwidening group of researchers who are communicating in a more global sense via scientific presentations, publications and research proposals. Unfortunately often the writer and reader represent different areas of specialization who have been brought together by the common technology used in their work. As such, misuse of terminology can prove unfortunate indeed; anything from inability to repeat a piece of research to problems in publishing a paper or obtaining funding of a research proposal. The following glossary, approved by the Tissue Culture Association Terminology Committee is published in an effort to increase communication between scientists and between scientists and the lay community. Terminology Committee Members: Dr. Stephen Mueller, Coriell Institute for Medical Research, Camden, New Jersey; Dr. Michael Renfroe, James Madison University, Harrisonburg, Virginia; Dr. Jerry W. Shay, The University of Texas, Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, Dallas, Texas; Dr. James Vaughn, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Beltsville, Maryland; and Ms. Martha Wright, CIBA-GEIGY, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina.     

Surface specialization of the larval salt gland inArtemia salina nauplii

Summary Scanning electron microscopic (SEM) observations of brine shrimp nauplii reveal the dorsal surface of the cephalothorax region to be specialized in structure. During larval differentiation the epithelial layer is transformed from a flat caplike structure into a hemispherical dome that has deep channels coursing through the epithelium. A thin cuticular film covers the epithelial cap but a distinct ruffled edge serves as a boundary that identifies the limits of the organ. These morphological observations support previous finding which indicated this area to be the site of the larval salt gland.This research was supported by AEC grant RLO 2227-T13-2. One of the authors (FPC) wishes to thank Mr. Michael Nemanic, Dept. of Zoology, University of California for help in preparing specimens and to Dr. Thomas Hayes, Donner Lab, for the generous use of his scanning electron microscope. The authors also wish to thank Dr. Franco Rossi, Mr. Charles Dwire, and Mrs. Joan Dwire of Electros Analytics, A Division of Electros, Inc. Tigard, Oregon for the time and effort given in the preparation of the micrographs of the freeze-dried specimens.     

以礼草属的分类研究

以礼草属Kengyilia Yen et J. L. Yang 是禾本科Poaceae小麦族trib．Triticeae中新近建立的屑,针对其存在问题,对它进行了全面清理,提出了一个新的分类系统。新系统含3组、26种、6变种,其中3个组为新设立,并包括1新种、7个新等级、新组合及新异名。此外,还报道了一些类群的分布新记录。     

A taxonomical study on the genus Kengyilia Yen et J. L. Yang

Kengyilia Yen et J L Yang is a recently established genus in trib. Tritieeae of Poaceae. In this paper, this genus is taxonomically revised, and a new taxonomic system is presented. The new system includes 3 sections, 26 species and 6 varieties, of which 3 sections and 1 species are described as new, 7 taxa are treated respectively in the ways of new status or combination and reduction. Three new sections, sect. Kengyilia, sect. Stenachyra L. B. Cai and sect. Hyalolepis (Nevski) L. B. Cai, are differentiated by the length and width of spike, the growing position of spikelet, the relative length of glume, the colour of anther and so on. The sect. Kengyilia contains 9 species, distributed in northwestern China, extending westward to Kazakhstan, Kirghizia, Tadzhikistan, Afghanistan and Iran; the sect. Stenachyra L. B. Cai comprises 10 species and 3 verieties, distributed in western China, mainly in the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau; and the sect. Hyalolepis (Nevski) L. B. Cai consists of about 7 species and 3 varieties, distributed in western China, extending westward to Kirghizia and Tadzhikistan. Twenty-six species of Kengyilia are recognized on the basis of the same criterion of specific concept, and the other taxa below the rank of species are also checked in terms of their external morphology. As a result, Kengyilia pen~ dula L. B. Cai is reported as a new species; K. hirsuta var. obviaristata L. B. Cai is raised to a species; K. melanthera (Keng) J. L. Yang, Yen et Baum is reduced to a variety under K. thoroldiana (Oliver) J. L. Yang, Yen et Baum; Roegneria hirsuta var. leiophylla Keng et S. L. Chen is reduced as a synonym of K. hirsuta var. hirsuta; Agropyron thoroldianum var. lasciusculum Melderis is reduced to K. grandiglumis (Keng et S. L. Chen) J. L. Yang, Yen et Baum; Roegneria rigidula var. intermedia Keng et S. L. Chen to K. rigidula (Keng et S. L. Chen) J. L. Yang, Yen et Baum; R. hirsuta var. variabilis Keng et S. L. Chen and R. rnelanthera var. tahopaica Keng et S. L. Chen to K. hirsuta (Keng et S. L. Chen)J. L. Yang, Yen et Baum. In addition, new records onthe geographical distributions of some taxa are also reported in this paper.