Charles Henry Gilbert (1859-1928), Naturalist-in-Charge: the 1906 North Pacific Expedition of the Steamer Albatross

Fishery science pioneers often faced challenges in their field work that are mostly unknown to modern biologists. Some of the travails faced by ichthyologist and, later, fishery biologist Charles Henry Gilbert (1859-1928) during his service as Naturalist-in-Charge of the North Pacific cruise ofthe U.S. Bureau of Fisheries Steamer Albatross in 1906, are described here, as are accomplishments of the cruise. The vessel left San Francisco, Calif., on 3 May 1906, just after the great San Francisco earthquake, for scientific exploration of waters of the Aleutian islands, Bering Sea, Kamchatka, Sakhalin, and Japan, returning to San Francisco in December. Because the expedition occurred just after the war between Japan and Russia of 1904-05 floating derelict mines in Japanese waters were often a menace. Major storms caused havoc in the region, and the captain of the Albatross, Lieutenant Commander LeRoy Mason Garrett (1857-1906), U.S.N., was lost at sea, apparently thrown from the vessel during a sudden storm on the return leg of the cruise. Despite such obstacles, Gilbert and the Albatross successfully completed their assigned chores. They occupied 339 dredging and 48 hydrographic stations, and discovered over 180 new species of fishes and many new species of invertebrates. The expedition's extensive biological collections spawned over 30 descriptive publications, some of which remain today as standards of knowledge.

A California pilgrimage : by one of the pilgrims / Amelia Woodward Truesdell.

http://www.archive.org/details/californiapilgri00truerich

Fate of organo-mineral particles in streams: Microbial degradation by streamwater & biofilm assemblages

Inland waters are of global biogeochemical importance. They receive carbon inputs of ~ 4.8 Pg C/ y of which, 12 % is buried, 18 % transported to the oceans, and 70 % supports aquatic secondary production. However, the mechanisms that determine the fate of organic matter (OM) in these systems are poorly defined. One aspect of this is the formation of organo-mineral complexes in aquatic systems and their potential as a route for OM transport and burial vs. their use as carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) sources within aquatic systems. Organo-mineral particles form by sorption of dissolved OM to freshly eroded mineral surfaces and may contribute to ecosystem-scale particulate OM fluxes. We experimentally tested the availability of mineral-sorbed OM as a C & N source for streamwater microbial assemblages and streambed biofilms. Organo-mineral particles were constructed in vitro by sorption of ¹³C:¹⁵N-labelled amino acids to hydrated kaolin particles, and microbial degradation of these particles compared with equivalent doses of ¹³C:¹⁵N-labelled free amino acids. Experiments were conducted in 120 ml mesocosms over 7 days using biofilms and water sampled from the Oberer Seebach stream (Austria). Each incubation experienced a 16:8 light:dark regime, with metabolism monitored via changes in oxygen concentrations between photoperiods. The relative fate of the organo-mineral particles was quantified by tracing the mineralization of the ¹³C and ¹⁵N labels and their incorporation into microbial biomass. Here we present the initial results of ¹³C-label mineralization, incorporation and retention within dissolved organic carbon pool. The results indicate that 514 (± 219) μmol/ mmol of the ¹³:¹⁵N labeled free amino acids were mineralized over the 7-day incubations. By contrast, 186 (± 97) μmol/ mmol of the mineral-sorbed amino acids were mineralized over a similar period. Thus, organo-mineral complexation reduced amino acid mineralization by ~ 60 %, with no differences observed between the streamwater and biofilm assemblages. Throughout the incubations, biofilms were observed to leach dissolved organic carbon (DOC). However, within the streamwater assemblage the presence of both organo-mineral particles and kaolin particles was associated with significant DOC removal (-1.7 % and -7.5 % respectively). Consequently, the study demonstrates that mineral and organo-mineral particles can limit the availability of DOC in aquatic systems, providing nucleation sites for flocculation and fresh mineral surfaces, which facilitate OM-sorption. The formation of these organo-mineral particles subsequently restricts microbial OM degradation, potentially altering the transport and facilitating the burial of OM within streams.

Mechanisms of osteoclastogenesis inhibition by a novel class of biphenyl-type cannabinoid CB(2) receptor inverse agonists

The cannabinoid CB(2) receptor is known to modulate osteoclast function by poorly understood mechanisms. Here, we report that the natural biphenyl neolignan 4'-O-methylhonokiol (MH) is a CB(2) receptor-selective antiosteoclastogenic lead structure (K(i) < 50 nM). Intriguingly, MH triggers a simultaneous G(i) inverse agonist response and a strong CB(2) receptor-dependent increase in intracellular calcium. The most active inverse agonists from a library of MH derivatives inhibited osteoclastogenesis in RANK ligand-stimulated RAW264.7 cells and primary human macrophages. Moreover, these ligands potently inhibited the osteoclastogenic action of endocannabinoids. Our data show that CB(2) receptor-mediated cAMP formation, but not intracellular calcium, is crucially involved in the regulation of osteoclastogenesis, primarily by inhibiting macrophage chemotaxis and TNF-α expression. MH is an easily accessible CB(2) receptor-selective scaffold that exhibits a novel type of functional heterogeneity.

Design, synthesis, and biological evaluation of somatostatin-based radiopeptides

The prototypes for tumor targeting with radiolabeled peptides are derivatives of somatostatin. Usually, they primarily have high affinity for somatostatin receptor subtype 2 (sst2), and they have moderate affinity for sst5. We aimed at developing analogs that recognize different somatostatin receptor subtypes for internal radiotherapy in order to extend the present range of accessible tumors. We synthesized DOTA-octapeptides based on octreotide by replacing Phe3 mainly with unnatural amino acids. The affinity profile was determined by using cell lines transfected with sst1-5. Internalization was determined by using AR42J, HEK-sst3, and HEK-sst5 cell lines, and biodistribution was studied in rat tumor models. Two of the derivatives thus obtained showed an improved binding affinity profile, enhanced internalization into cells expressing sst2 and sst3, respectively, and better tumor:kidney ratios in animals.

Insulin resistance, obesity and the metabolic syndrome. Is there a therapeutic role for endothelin-1 antagonists?

There is increasing evidence to suggest that chronic activation of the endothelin-1 system can lead to heterologous desensitization of the glucose-regulatory and mitogenic actions of insulin with subsequent development of glucose intolerance, hyperinsulinemia, impaired endothelial function and exacerbation of cardiovascular disease. Effects are mediated through a variety of mechanisms that include attenuation of key insulin signalling pathways and decreased tyrosine phosphorylation of insulin receptor substrates IRS-1, SHC and G alpha q/11. Other actions involve hemodynamic changes leading to reduced delivery of insulin and glucose to peripheral tissues as well as enhanced hepatic glycogenolysis, decreased glucose-transporter translocation and modulation of various adipokines that regulate insulin action. Overall the data suggest that ET-1 antagonists may provide an effective means of improving cardiac dysfunction and favourably influencing glucose tolerance in obese humans and patients with early insulin sensitivity where there is clear evidence for activation of the ET-1 system. Although most effects of ET-1 that modulate mechanisms leading to glucose intolerance appear to involve the ETA receptor subtype recent data indicates that combined ETA/ETB receptor antagonists may function as effectively as selective ETA blockers. Prospective trials are needed to assess whether ET-1 antagonists, either alone or in combination, are superior to other more conventional therapies such as insulin sensitizers and to evaluate effects of combined treatments on the development of insulin resistance and the progression of diabetes. Early screening of patients at risk for evidence of ET-1 activation would help to identify subjects who may benefit most from such treatment.

Triunfo de la fidelidad murciana ... que dedico a la ... proclamacion por rey de España D. Carlos III ... : exequias por el rey D. Fernando el sexto ... año de 1759

El pie de imp. consta en colofón

El castillo de la Mola de la ciudad de Novelda [Texto impreso]

Apéndice documental

Mind majick : a study of the paintings by Harry Smith

Harry Smith was an American artist who worked primarily in the 1940s through the 1980s. Although largely an obscure figure in American culture, Smith is most commonly recognized for his achievements in anthropology and ethnology, experimental cinema, and musicology. This master’s research paper is the first in-depth scholarly study of Harry Smiths’ achievements as a painter. Only a few of Smith’s paintings exist today, which explains why they have received so little attention. However, there is enough work and information available to weave together a chronological study of Smith’s occupation as a painter. In this paper, one will see how Smith’s work and interests in various fields of study influenced his painterly aesthetic, and how he was able to tie together all of his disparate diversions into cohesive and unified visions upon a twodimensional surface.