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Background: Care providers and surgeons prepare for cardiac surgery using case conferences to review, discuss, and run through the surgical procedure. Surgeons visualize a patient’s anatomy to decide the right surgical approach using magnetic resonance imaging and echocardiograms in a presurgical case planning session. Previous studies have shown that surgical errors can be reduced through the effective use of immersive virtual reality (VR) to visualize patient anatomy. However, inconsistent user interfaces, delegation of view control, and insufficient depth information cause user disorientation and interaction difficulties in using VR apps for case planning. Objective: The objective of the study was to evaluate and compare the usability of 2 commercially available VR apps—Bosc (Pyrus Medical systems) and Medical Holodeck (Nooon Web & IT GmbH)—using the Vive VR headset (HTC Corporation) to evaluate ease of use, physician attitudes toward VR technology, and viability for presurgical case planning. The role of medical libraries in advancing case planning is also explored. Methods: After screening a convenience sample of surgeons, fellows, and residents, ethnographic interviews were conducted to understand physician attitudes and experience with VR. Gaps in current case planning methods were also examined. We ran a usability study, employing a concurrent think-aloud protocol. To evaluate user satisfaction, we used the system usability scale (SUS) and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration-Task Load Index (NASA-TLX). A poststudy questionnaire was used to evaluate the VR experience and explore the role of medical libraries in advancing presurgical case planning. Semistructured interview data were analyzed using content analysis with feedback categorization. Results: Participants were residents, fellows, and surgeons from the University of Washington with a mean age of 41.5 (SD 11.67) years. A total of 8 surgeons participated in the usability study, 3 of whom had prior exposure to VR. Users found Medical Holodeck easier to use than Bosc. Mean adjusted NASA-TLX score for Medical Holodeck was 62.71 (SD 18.25) versus Bosc’s 40.87 (SD 13.90). Neither app passed the mean SUS score of 68 for an app to be considered usable, though Medical Holodeck (66.25 [SD 12.87]) scored a higher mean SUS than Bosc (37.19 [SD 22.41]). One user rated the Bosc usable, whereas 3 users rated Medical Holodeck usable. Conclusions: Interviews highlighted the importance of precise anatomical conceptualization in presurgical case planning and teaching, identifying it as the top reason for modifying a surgical procedure. The importance of standardized user interaction features such as labeling is justified. The study also sheds light on the new roles medical librarians can play in curating VR content and promoting interdisciplinary collaboration.

We theoretically demonstrate that metals can be useful for increasing the quality factor and confinement factor of a zinc oxide (ZnO) nanocavity. For small cavities, the advantages of low radiation loss and significant mode confinement due to metal coating outweigh the disadvantage of absorption loss from metal and efficiently lower the threshold material gain. The performances of ZnO cavities without metal coating, with aluminum (Al) coating, and with silver (Ag) coating are investigated. The results indicate that while surface-wave-like plasmonic modes are lossy due to metal loss, the performances of well-confined dielectric modes are indeed improved significantly as a result of metal. Both Al and Ag can significantly reduce the threshold material gain of the uncoated ZnO cavity from 16 613 cm-1 to less than 5000 cm-1. In particular, the threshold material gain of Ag-coated cavity is reduced to only 3206 cm-1.

Infrared (IR) spectra in the gas phase are reported for CF(2)=CHD and CF(2)=CD(2) in the region 350-4000 cm(-1). Ab initio calculations of an harmonic force-field and anharmonicity constants have been made with an MP2/aug-cc-pVTZ model. These enable a number of Fermi resonances in each species to be analyzed and a complete set of "observed" harmonic frequencies to be derived. The latter are combined with similar data for CF(2)=CH(2) in a scaling of the model harmonic force field to both anharmonic and harmonic frequencies. Inspection of the scale factors reveals minor defects of the model, evident in the out-of-plane wagging modes and in the CF stretch/CF stretch interaction force constant. Fermi resonance treatments involved in all isotopomers studied are compatible with the overall force-field refinement results. The treatment leaves a small anomaly in the (13)C shift on nu(1). Improved microwave spectra are reported for five isotopic species, and a semiexperimental equilibrium structure for F(2)C=CH(2) is determined and compared favorably with the structure obtained from new high-level ab initio calculations. Centrifugal distortion constants are predicted for the five isotopic species, and those for F(2)C=CH(2) are compared with values fit to microwave spectra.

Assignments of the vibrational fundamentals of cis - and trans -1,3,5-hexatriene are reevaluated with new infrared and Raman spectra and with quantum chemical predictions of intensities and anharmonic frequencies. The rotational structure is analyzed in the high-resolution (0.0013–0.0018 cm −1 ) infrared spectra of three C-type bands of the trans isomer and two C-type bands of the cis isomer. The bands for the trans isomer are at 1010.96 cm −1 ( ν 14 ), 900.908 cm −1 ( ν 16 ), and 683.46 cm −1 ( ν 17 ). Ground state (GS) rotational constants have been fitted to the combined ground state combination differences (GSCDs) for the three bands of the trans isomer. The bands for the cis isomer are at 907.70 cm −1 ( ν 33 ) and 587.89 cm −1 ( ν 35 ). GS rotational constants have been fitted to the combined GSCDs for the two bands of the cis isomer and compared with those obtained from microwave spectroscopy. Small inertial defects in the GSs confirm that both molecules are planar. Upper state rotational constants were fitted for all five bands.

High-resolution (0.0013 cm −1 ) infrared spectra have been recorded for trans,trans -1,4-difluorobutadiene (ttDFBD) and cis,cis- 1,4-difluorobutadiene (ccDFBD). The rotational structure in two C-type bands ( ν 10 and ν 12 ) and one A-type band ( ν 22 ) for ttDFBD and in two C-type bands ( ν 11 and ν 12 ) for ccDFBD has been analyzed. Ground state and upper state rotational constants, except for ν 10 of ttDFBD, have been fitted. Band centers are 934.1 cm −1 ( ν 10 ), 227.985 cm −1 ( ν 12 ), and 1087.919 cm −1 ( ν 22 ) for ttDFBD. Band centers are 762.891 cm −1 ( ν 11 ) and 327.497 cm −1 ( ν 12 ) for ccDFBD. The small inertial defects in the ground state confirm that both isomers are planar. Obtaining the ground state rotational constants for the two isomers of DFBD is a first step toward determining their semi-experimental equilibrium structures.

The discovery by Schwabl that maternal steroid hormones are transferred to the egg yolk and have effects on the phenotype of offspring revealed a new pathway for non-genetic maternal effects. The initial model relied on passive transfer. The thinking was that steroids passively entered the lipophillic yolk during yolk deposition and then were deposited in the yolk until they were passively delivered to the embryo as the yolk was used. Subsequent studies revealed that the system is much more dynamic than that. Here, we explore questions about how dynamic the system really is and look at questions like: Is transfer of maternal steroids to the yolk passive or is it actively regulated? At what stages of the maternal reproductive cycle are steroids transferred? During reproduction, how dynamic are the levels of yolk steroids? Especially in the case of potentially deleterious steroids (e.g., androgens in female offspring; glucocorticoids), once deposited can they come out of the yolk over time? Can they be metabolized by the yolk or by the embryo? During incubation, how much do steroid levels in the yolk change? Can steroids diffuse from the yolk to the embryo prior to yolk utilization? Does the embryo contribute to yolk steroid levels as it develops? We believe that comprehensive answers to questions like these will eventually allow us to generate a much more accurate and complete model of the transfer and utilization of yolk steroids and that this model will be much more dynamic and active than the one initially proposed.

Summary 1When resources are scarce, organisms are faced with critical challenges trying to optimize competing functions. Reproduction and immune function are both resource intensive and important to most species. Most studies have reported a down-regulation of immune function during reproduction. Conversely, it is unclear whether mounting an immune response can affect the reproductive process and few studies have examined competition for resources between these two processes. 2Here we report evidence for direct competition for resources between the reproductive and immune systems in a vertebrate model system, the tree lizard (Urosaurus ornatus). We manipulated food intake in reproductive female tree lizards, where half of the females were undergoing cutaneous wound healing and the other half were not. We then measured reproductive investment in all animals and wound healing rate in all wounded animals. 3We found that animals with unlimited access to food sustained both reproduction and immune function whereas animals maintained on a restricted diet were not. Specifically, when food was unlimited, females were able to invest in reproduction and heal their wounds. However, when food was limited, females forced to heal a cutaneous wound had significantly smaller follicles than their non-wounded counterparts. Under extreme food limitation (i.e. no food) both reproductive investment and wound healing were suppressed. 4These results clearly demonstrate resource competition between the reproductive and immune systems, whereby physiological trade-offs between the two systems only arise when resources are limiting. Furthermore, this type of facultative regulation is adjustable and allows animals to respond to changing environmental conditions.

SUMMARYPhysiological trade-offs arise because multiple processes compete for the same limiting resources. While competition for resources has been demonstrated between reproduction and immune function, the regulation of this competition remains unclear. Corticosterone (CORT) is a likely mediator due to its dual role in mobilizing energy stores throughout the body and regulating physiological responses to stressors. We manipulated CORT concentrations and resources in pre-reproductive and reproductive female tree lizards(Urosaurus ornatus) to test the hypothesis that CORT regulates the distribution of limiting resources between the reproductive and immune systems. To manipulate circulating concentrations of CORT we utilized a novel method of hormone implantation, in which a polymeric compound is mixed with hormone and injected in liquid form into the animal. After injection, the liquid quickly gels in situ forming a slow release hormone implant. This method of hormone delivery eliminated the need for substantial wounds to the animal or repeated handling required by other methods. In this study, the hormone-treated animals had plasma CORT concentrations comparable to high physiological concentrations. We found that CORT treatment suppressed immune function, but only when animals were energetically compromised. We assessed immune function by measuring the healing rate of a cutaneous biopsy. Healing was suppressed in all CORT-treated reproductive animals and in all CORT-treated animals (pre-reproductive and reproductive) undergoing food restriction, but CORT had no effect in ad libitum non-reproductive females. The context-dependent action of CORT renders its response adjustable to changing environmental conditions and may allow for the suppression of specific functions depending on resource availability.

Objective—To compare anamnestic antibody responses of dogs and cats with current versus out-of-date vaccination status. Design—Cross-sectional study. Animals—74 dogs and 33 cats. Procedures—Serum samples were obtained from dogs and cats that had been exposed to rabies and brought to a veterinarian for proactive serologic monitoring or that had been brought to a veterinarian for booster rabies vaccination. Blood samples were collected on the day of initial evaluation (day 0) and then again 5 to 15 days later. On day 0, a rabies vaccine was administered according to label recommendations. Paired serum samples were analyzed for antirabies antibodies by means of a rapid fluorescent focus inhibition test. Results—All animals had an antirabies antibody titer ≥ 0.5 IU/mL 5 to 15 days after booster vaccination. Dogs with an out-of-date vaccination status had a higher median increase in titer, higher median fold increase in titer, and higher median titer following booster vaccination, compared with dogs with current vaccination status. Most (26/33) cats, regardless of rabies vaccination status, had a titer ≥ 12 IU/mL 5 to 15 days after booster vaccination. Conclusions and Clinical Relevance—Results indicated that dogs with out-of-date vaccination status were not inferior in their antibody response following booster rabies vaccination, compared with dogs with current vaccination status. Findings supported immediate booster vaccination followed by observation for 45 days of dogs and cats with an out-of-date vaccination status that are exposed to rabies, as is the current practice for dogs and cats with current vaccination status.

The 2,3-13C2 isotopomer of butadiene was synthesized, and its fundamental vibrational fundamentals were assigned from a study of its infrared and Raman spectra aided with quantum chemical predictions of frequencies, intensities, and Raman depolarization ratios. For two C-type bands in the high-resolution (0.002 cm−1) infrared spectrum, the rotational structure was analyzed. These bands are for ν11 (au) at 907.17 cm−1 and for ν12 (au) at 523.37 cm−1. Ground state and upper state rotational constants were fitted to Watson-type Hamiltonians with a full quartic set of centrifugal distortion constants and two sextic ones. For the ground state, A0 = 1.3545088(7) cm−1, B0 = 0.1469404(1) cm−1, and C0 = 0.1325838(2) cm−1. The small inertial defects of butadiene and two 13C2 isotopomers, as well as for five deuterium isotopomers as previously reported, confirm the planarity of the s-trans rotamer of butadiene.

Empirical tests of Einstein's metric theory of gravitation, even in the non- relativistic, weak-field limit, could play an important role in judging theory-driven extensions of the current Standard Model of fundamental interactions. Guided by Galileo's work and his own experiments, Newton formulated a theory of gravity in which the force of attraction between two bodies is independent of composition and proportional to the inertia of each, thereby transparently satisfying Galileo's empirically informed conjecture regarding the Universality of Free Fall. Similarly, Einstein honored the manifest success of Newton's theory by assuring that the linearized equations of GTR matched the Newtonian formalism under "classical" conditions. Each of these steps, however, was explicitly an approximation raised to the status of principle. Perhaps, at some level, Newtonian gravity does not accurately describe the physical interaction between uncharged, unmagnetized, macroscopic bits of ordinary matter. What if Newton were wrong? Detecting any significant deviation from Newtonian behavior, no matter how small, could provide new insights and possibly reveal new physics. In the context of physics as an empirical science, for us this yet unanswered question constitutes sufficient motivation to attempt precision measurements of the kind described here. In this paper we report the current status of a project to search for violation of the Newtonian inverse square law of gravity.

Bats have been implicated as potential carriers of Leptospira as a result of surveys, mostly in Australia and South America. We measured the prevalence of pathogenic leptospires in kidneys of bats from Kansas and Nebraska. From 7 August 2012 to 21 August 2012, we extracted DNA from kidneys of 98 big brown bats (Eptesicus fuscus) submitted and found negative for rabies. The DNA was processed in a two-step, seminested PCR assay with a dual-labeled Taqman probe specific for pathogenic leptospires. As a negative control, we used a saprophytic leptospire (Leptospira biflexa Patoc) and, as a pathogenic control, Leptospira interrogans Canicola. All bat kidneys were negative for pathogenic leptospires, suggesting that it is unlikely that the big brown bat, one of the most prevalent bat species in North America, is a reservoir for transmission of leptospires to dogs or humans.

Abstract —The mechanisms of sodium-induced myocardial hypertrophy and vascular hypertrophy are poorly understood. We tested the hypothesis that a high sodium concentration can directly induce cellular hypertrophy. Neonatal rat myocardial myoblasts (MMbs) and vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) were cultured in a 50:50 mixture of DMEM and M199 supplemented with 10% fetal bovine serum. When the monolayers reached ≈80% confluence, normal sodium medium (146 mmol/L) was replaced with high sodium media (152 mmol/L, 160 mmol/L, and 182 mmol/L) for up to 5 days. Increasing sodium from a baseline concentration of 146 mmol/L to the higher concentrations for 5 days caused dose-related increases in cell mean diameter, cell volume, and cellular protein content in both MMbs and VSMCs. Increasing the sodium concentration by only 4% (from 146 mmol/L to 152 mmol/L) caused the following respective changes in MMbs and VSMCs: 8.5% and 8.7% increase in cell mean diameter, 27.6% and 27.0% increase in cell volume, and 55.7% and 46.7% increase in cellular protein content. The rate of protein synthesis, expressed as [ 3 H]leucine incorporation, increased by 87% and 99% in MMbs after exposure to 152 mmol/L and 160 mmol/L sodium, respectively, compared with the 146-mmol/L sodium control group. Exposure of MMbs to medium with a sodium concentration of 10% above normal, ie, 160 mmol/L, caused a significant decrease (range, 26% to 44%) in the rate of protein degradation at multiple time points over a 48-hour period compared with normal sodium control cells. The increase in cellular protein content caused by 160 mmol/L sodium returned to normal within 3 days after MMbs were returned to a normal sodium medium. These findings support the hypothesis that sodium has a direct effect to induce cellular hypertrophy and may therefore be an important determinant in causing myocardial and/or vascular hypertrophy in subjects with increased sodium concentration in the extracellular fluid.

SYNOPSIS. An organism's phenotype results from an interaction of environment and genotype. Sex steroids play a role in translating sexual genotype into phenotype. The focus of this research has been to extend the model of sex steroid hormone action in sexual differentiation to individual variation in reproductive phenotype. The hypothesis generated, called the relative plasticity hypothesis, has been tested in a species with alternative phenotypes, tree lizards ( Urosaurus ornatus ). Such species are useful models for tests of these ideas because variation is extreme and easily studied. These tests have shown that permanent differentiation of the territorial and nonterritorial phenotypes is accomplished by hormonal mechanisms operating during early development. These are similar to organizational actions of hormones classically described for sexual differentiation. A unique finding of this work is that the adrenal hormone progesterone regulates differentiation of the two male types. Furthermore, the nonterritorial male tree lizard appears to conditionally switch tactics between sedentary satellite and nomadic behavior. Nomadic behavior is triggered under stressful environmental conditions. Nonterritorial tree lizards show greater inhibition of reproductive hormones following stress than do territorial tree lizards, suggesting that a differential sensitivity of reproductive hormones to stress is the endocrine basis of conditional tactic switching in this morph. This mechanism is similar to the classical activational effects of hormones. Together, these findings indicate that individual variation in sexual phenotype is produced by mechanisms similar to sexual differentiation. Further refinement of the models and integration with some evolutionary ideas is explored.

Tree lizards (Urosaurus ornatus) vary in throat fan (dewlap) color. Earlier, we described five dewlap types (Orange, Orange-Blue, Yellow, Yellow-Blue, and Blue), and reported that only males had blue in the dewlap and that presence or absence of a discrete blue patch was correlated with male alternative reproductive phenotypes in a central Arizona population. Here, with a modified scheme characterizing two dewlap elements, background color (orange, yellow, blue) and blue patch occurrence, we assessed: (1) sexual, annual, and geographic variation in the frequencies of dewlap elements; (2) simple habitat correlates; and (3) the effects of laboratory rearing regime on dewlap type. Within a population, frequencies of males and females expressing orange or yellow backgrounds did not differ, suggesting that control of background is similar in the sexes. Within several populations, frequencies of the dewlap elements did not differ across years (and probably generations), indicating that phenotype frequencies are relatively stable. Among five populations frequencies of background colors varied, as did frequencies of male types (blue patch present or absent). Dewlap frequencies did not correlate with habitat (boulders or mesquite trees), although few populations were sampled. In male and female offspring reared from eggs to sexual maturity in a common-garden laboratory study, background color frequencies in both sexes and blue patch frequencies in males differed among offspring from different populations. Offspring frequencies matched respective parental population frequencies. Results suggest that among-population variation in frequencies of the two dewlap elements are mediated by differences in genetics, in maternal effects, or both. Thus, differences in male behavior functionally linked to the blue patch also may be controlled by genetic or maternal effects.

Changes in circulating glucocorticoid and androgen levels mediate agonistic behaviors in many vertebrates. Individual variation in the magnitude of the glucocorticoid response to stressful stimuli, the negative effects of elevated glucocorticoid levels on androgen levels, or both could mediate individual differences in subsequent agonistic behavior. In a series of previous studies, we found that both alternative male reproductive morphs in the tree lizard, Urosaurus ornatus, can exhibit elevated levels of plasma corticosterone following male–male encounters, but that the territorial morph appears less likely to exhibit coincident decreases in plasma testosterone. Two studies tested the hypothesis that the two morphs differ in the degree to which testosterone levels are influenced by elevated corticosterone levels. In the first study, physically restraining males elicited endogenous elevations of circulating corticosterone levels. Testosterone levels were significantly negatively correlated with corticosterone levels in the nonterritorial morph, but there was no correlation between levels of the two steroids in territorial males. In the second study, corticosterone levels were artificially elevated in free-living male tree lizards using a noninvasive dermal patch. This exogenous elevation of corticosterone significantly depressed testosterone levels in both morphs, but it produced a significantly greater depression in the nonterritorial morph. Nonterritorial males appear to be more sensitive than territorial males to the testosterone-suppressing effects of elevated circulating levels of corticosterone. This difference between the morphs in the effects of a stress hormone on the reproductive axis may be a fundamental part of the mechanism (1) underlying behavioral tactic switching within the nonterritorial morph or (2) contributing to behavioral differences between the morphs.

Few studies have examined the role of steroid hormones in mediating tactic-associated differences in male agonistic behaviour. Long-term (24 h) steroid hormone responses to winning staged male–male encounters in different morphs of free-living male tree lizards,Urosaurus ornatus, were studied. Males belong to either an aggressive, territorial (type) morph or to a less aggressive, non-territorial morph. On the day after winning a staged male–male encounter, males of the less aggressive morph showed elevated plasma levels of the stress hormone corticosterone and depressed levels of the sex steroid testosterone compared with controls of the same morph not subjected to an encounter. In contrast, males of the more aggressive, territorial morph that engaged in an encounter had levels of both hormones similar to controls. This morph difference in hormonal response is the first endocrine difference between adult males of the two tree lizard morphs detected to date; previous field and laboratory studies showed no morph difference in resting hormone levels or in hormonal responses 30 min following male–male encounters. The consequences of these morph differences in hormone responses to male–male interactions are unknown, but the hormonal changes in the less aggressive morph may (1) influence spontaneous agonistic behaviour, (2) influence agonistic behaviour in subsequent male–male interactions or (3) reflect morph differences in physiological capabilities related to energy expenditure during male–male interactions.

Across North America the skunk acts as a reservoir for several rabies virus variants. Some of these variants are geographically restricted in range as is the case for the California skunk variant and two distinct variants present in Mexico. In contrast the North Central and South Central skunk rabies viruses are dispersed in overlapping ranges over large areas of the Midwestern region of the United States with the former extending into southern parts of the Canadian prairies. Despite this extensive range, there has been only very limited molecular characterization of these two viral variants. This study has examined the genetic diversity of the rabies viruses associated with North American skunks, with particular emphasis on the South Central skunk variant which was found to comprise three distinct geographically restricted groups of viruses that could in some cases be further sub-divided. The phylogenetic relationships of these groups and sub-groups allowed us to infer the likely direction of spread of these variants in some instances. Patterns of amino acid replacement of North American skunk-associated rabies viruses for both the nucleoprotein and glycoprotein products are also examined. These patterns reflect the virus phylogeny but no amino acid residues associated specifically with the skunk host were identified.

Fitness tradeoffs are difficult to examine because many fitness variables are correlated and vary in the same direction. Phenotypic manipulation circumvents many of these difficulties, and here we used this technique to examine mechanisms for tradeoffs between increased aggression (territorial defense) and survivorship. The behavioral phenotype of male mountain spiny lizards (Sceloporus jarrovi) was manipulated with testosterone to increase territorial defense, a sexually selected trait. We previously demonstrated that increased territorial defense results in a decrease in survival caused by a lower ratio of energy intake to energy expenditure. Here we measured energy consumption of increased territorial aggression using the doubly labeled water technique in the field and compared males with and without testosterone implants (Fig. 1). In a supplementary study we measured standard metabolic rate using captive lizards given similar testosterone implants to examine if an increase in energy expenditure was a result of only an increase in standard metabolic rate (Fig. 3). Our results indicated that a primary contribution to tradeoffs between increased territorial defense and survivorship could be made by a 31% increase in energy expenditure in the field that is not due to an increase in standard metabolic rate.

A major challenge in integrative biology is understanding the mechanisms by which organisms regulate trade-offs among various functions competing for limiting resources. Key among these competing processes is the maintenance of health and the production of offspring. Optimizing both, given limited resources, can prove challenging. The physiological and behavioral changes that occur during reproduction have been shown to greatly influence an organism's immune system, which can have consequences for susceptibility to disease. Likewise, investing in costly immunological defenses can impair reproductive function. However, the precise nature of these physiological and behavioral interactions appears to be greatly dependent upon the environmental context in which they occur. Here we take a comparative look at interactions between the reproductive and immune systems, including current immunological approaches, and discuss how similar studies can reveal vastly disparate results. Specifically, we highlight results from the ornate tree lizard (Urosuarus ornatus) and the Siberian hamster (Phodopus sungorus) model systems, which provide an example of current research in the field. Collectively, these results emphasize the importance of resource availability and an individual's energy stores for the existence of life-history trade-offs and the efficiency of physiological processes in general. Akin to Dobzhansky's famous line, like other aspects of biology, nothing in ecoimmunology seems to make sense except in the context of an organism's environment.

Adult male tree lizards, Urosaurus ornatus, practise alternative (territorial or sneaker/satellite) reproductive strategies that are correlated with differences in throat color and body size. In this study we raised tree lizards from hatching in the laboratory to examine the question of whether the phenotypic expression of secondary sex coloration and body size can be facultatively influenced by social or abiotic environmental factors. We compared males reared in the laboratory under different social and environmental conditions to males in the field and found no effect of different conditions on phenotypic differentiation (Figs. 2–4). Thus, phenotypic differences between morphs probably result largely from nonfacultative expression of different genotypes. This suggests that alternative male morphs practise a mixed evolutionary stable strategy (ESS) rather than one morph making the best of a bad situation. However, in the context of ESS theory it is difficult to explain our further result that the nonterritorial morph in this species grows faster and reaches a larger adult body size than the territorial morph (Fig. 5).

Structural remains, burials: and trash pits exposed by land leveling activities in Roger Mills County, Oklahoma, were recorded dunng July, 1984. Based on the material remains and corrected radiocar...

The urban environment presents new and different challenges to wildlife, but also potential opportunities depending on the species. As urban encroachment onto native habitats continues, understanding the impact of this expansion on native species is vital to conservation. A key physiological indicator of environmental disturbance is the vertebrate stress response, involving increases in circulating glucocorticoids (i.e., corticosterone), which exert influence on numerous physiological parameters including energy storage, reproduction, and immunity. We examined how urbanization in Phoenix, Arizona influences corticosterone levels, blood parasitism, and innate immunity in populations of tree lizards (Urosaurus ornatus) to determine whether urbanization may be detrimental or beneficial to this species. Both baseline and stress-induced corticosterone concentrations were significantly lower in urban lizards relative to the rural ones, however, the magnitude of the increase in corticosterone with stress did not differ across populations. Urban lizards also had a lower ratio of heterophils to lymphocytes, but elevated overall leukocyte count, as compared to lizards from the natural site. Urban and rural lizards did not differ in their prevalence of the blood parasite, Plasmodium mexicanum. Taken together, these results suggest that urban tree lizards may have suppressed overall corticosterone concentrations possibly from down-regulation as a result of frequent exposure to stressors, or increased access to urban resources. Also, urban lizards may have bolstered immunocompetence possibly from increased immune challenges, such as wounding, in the urban environment, or from greater energetic reserves being available as a result of access to urban resources.

KABELIK, D., Weiss S. L. AND MOORE M. C. Steroid hormones alter neuroanatomy and aggression independently in the tree lizard. PHYSIOL BEHAV 00(0) 000-000, 0000. –Steroid hormones affect changes in both neuroanatomy and aggressive behavior in animals of various taxa. However, whether changes in neuroanatomy directly underlie changes in aggression is unknown. We investigate this relationship among steroid hormones, neuroanatomy, and aggression in a free-living vertebrate with a relatively simple nervous system, the tree lizard (Urosaurus ornatus). Weiss and Moore [1] manipulated testosterone and progesterone levels in adult male tree lizards and found that both hormones facilitated aggressive behavior toward a conspecific. In this study, we examined the brains of a subset of these animals to determine whether changes in limbic morphology were associated with hormone-induced changes in aggressive behavior. Specifically, we tested the hypothesis that testosterone and/or progesterone cause changes in neural morphology that are necessary for the expression of testosterone’s effects on aggressive behavior. We found that both hormones increased aggression; however, only testosterone induced changes in neuroanatomy. Testosterone increased the size of both the amygdala and nucleus sphericus. However, we could detect no individual correlations between neuroanatomy and aggression levels suggesting that the observed large-scale changes in neuroanatomy are not precisely reflective of changes in mechanisms underlying aggression.

The regulation of hatching in oviparous animals is important for successful reproduction and survival, but is poorly understood. We unexpectedly found that RU-486, a progesterone and glucocorticoid antagonist, interferes with hatching of viable tree lizard (Urosaurus ornatus) embryos in a dose-dependent manner and hypothesized that embryonic glucocorticoids regulate hatching. To test this hypothesis, we treated eggs with corticosterone (CORT) or vehicle on Day 30 (85%) of incubation, left other eggs untreated, and observed relative hatch order and hatch time. In one study, the CORT egg hatched first in 9 of 11 clutches. In a second study, the CORT egg hatched first in 9 of 12 clutches, before vehicle-treated eggs in 10 of 12 clutches, and before untreated eggs in 7 of 9 clutches. On average, CORT eggs hatched 18.2 h before vehicle-treated eggs and 11.6 h before untreated eggs. Thus, CORT accelerates hatching of near-term embryos and RU-486 appears to block this effect. CORT may mobilize energy substrates that fuel hatching and/or accelerate lung development, and may provide a mechanism by which stressed embryos escape environmental stressors.

A major challenge in biology is understanding how organisms partition limited resources among physiological processes. For example, offspring production and self-maintenance are important for fitness and survival, yet these critical processes often compete for resources. While physiological trade-offs between reproduction and immune function have been documented, their regulation remains unclear. Most current evidence suggests that physiological changes during specific reproductive states directly suppress various components of the immune system; however, some studies have not found this clear relationship. We performed two experiments in female tree lizards (Urosaurus ornatus) that demonstrate the presence of trade-offs between the reproductive and immune systems under controlled laboratory conditions. These results also support the hypothesis that these trade-offs are a facultative response to resource availability and are not obligatory responses to physiological changes during reproduction. We found that (1) experimentally increasing reproductive investment under limited resources resulted in suppressed immune function and (2) experimentally limiting resources resulted in immunosuppression but only during resource costly reproductive activities. There seems to be a critical balance of resources that is maintained between multiple processes, and changes in the balance between energy intake and output can have major consequences for immune function.

The placenta provides a maternal-fetal exchange interface that maximizes the diffusion of gases, nutrients, and wastes. However, the placenta also may permit diffusion of lipid-soluble steroid hormones that influence processes such as sex-specific fetal development and maternal pregnancy maintenance. In mammals, placental steroid metabolism contributes to regulation of maternal and fetal hormone levels. Such mechanisms may be less highly developed in species that have recently evolved placentation, such as many reptiles. We therefore chose to investigate placental metabolism of steroids in the viviparous lizard Sceloporus jarrovi. In vitro tissue incubations tested the abilities of the chorioallantoic placenta to clear progesterone and corticosterone by converting them to other metabolites and to synthesize progesterone. Placental tissue rapidly cleared progesterone and corticosterone added to the incubation media, indicating that the tissue had converted the steroids to other products. Placental tissue also synthesized substantial concentrations of progesterone from the prohormone pregnenolone. Thus, even in a species with a simple, recently evolved placenta, steroid metabolism appears to be highly developed and could be critical for regulation of maternal and fetal hormone levels. This finding suggests that placental hormone metabolism may be critical to the successful evolution of placentation.

We tested whether increased endogenous adenosine produced by the adenosine kinase inhibitor GP-515 (Metabasis Therapeutics) can induce vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) expression in cultured rat myocardial myoblasts (RMMs). RMMs were cultured for 18 h in the absence (control) and presence of GP-515, adenosine (Ado), adenosine deaminase (ADA), or GP-515 + ADA. GP-515 (0.2–200 μM) caused a dose-related increase in VEGF protein expression (1.99–2.84 ng/mg total cell protein); control VEGF was 1.84 ± 0.05 ng/mg. GP-515 at 2 and 20 μM also increased VEGF mRNA by 1.67- and 1.82-fold, respectively. ADA (10 U/ml) decreased baseline VEGF protein levels by 60% and completely blocked GP-515 induction of VEGF. Ado (20 μM) and GP-515 (20 μM) caused a 59 and 39% increase in VEGF protein expression and a 98 and 33% increase in human umbilical vein endothelial cell proliferation, respectively, after 24 h of exposure. GP-515 (20 μM) had no effect on VEGF protein expression during severe hypoxia (1% O2) but increased VEGF by an additional 27% during mild hypoxia (10% O2). These results indicate that raising endogenous levels of Ado through inhibition of adenosine kinase can increase the expression of VEGF and stimulate endothelial cell proliferation during normoxic and hypoxic conditions.

We tested whether adenosine has differential effects on vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) expression under normoxic and hypoxic conditions, and whether A1or A2receptors (A1R; A2R) mediate these effects. Myocardial vascular smooth muscle cells (MVSMCs) from dog coronary artery were exposed to hypoxia (1% O2) or normoxia (20% O2) in the absence and presence of adenosine agonists or antagonists for 18 h. VEGF protein levels were measured in media with ELISA. VEGF mRNA expression was determined with Northern blot analysis. Under normoxic conditions, the adenosine A1R agonists, N6-cyclopentyladenosine and R(-)- N6-(2-phenylisopropyl)adenosine did not increase VEGF protein levels at A1R stimulatory concentrations. However, adenosine (5 μM) and the adenosine A2R agonist N6-[2-(3,5-dimethoxyphenyl)-2-(2-methylphenyl)]ethyl adenosine (DPMA; 100 nM) increased VEGF protein levels by 51 and 132% and increased VEGF mRNA expression by 44 and 90%, respectively, in cultured MVSMCs under normoxic conditions. Hypoxia caused an approximately fourfold increase in VEGF protein and mRNA expression, which could not be augmented with exogenous adenosine, A2R agonist (DPMA), or A1R agonist [1,3-diethyl-8-phenylxanthine (DPX)]. The A2R antagonist 8-(3-chlorostyryl)-caffeine completely blocked adenosine-induced VEGF protein and mRNA expression and decreased baseline VEGF protein levels by up to ∼60% under normoxic conditions but only by ∼25% under hypoxic conditions. The A1R antagonist DPX had no effect. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that 1) adenosine increases VEGF protein and mRNA expression by way of A2R. 2) Adenosine plays a major role as an autocrine factor regulating VEGF expression during normoxic conditions but has a relatively minor role during hypoxic conditions. 3) Endogenous adenosine can account for the majority of basal VEGF secretion by MVSMCs under normoxic conditions and could therefore be a maintenance factor for the vasculature.

Thermoelectric materials have generated interest as a means of increasing the efficiency of power generation through the scavenging of waste heat. Materials containing nanometer-sized structural and compositional features can exhibit enhanced thermoelectric performance due to the decoupling of certain electrical and thermal properties, but the extent to which these features can be controlled is often limited. Here we report a simple synthesis of M2O3(ZnO)n (M = In, Ga, Fe) nanowires with controllable polytypoid structures, where the nanostructured features are tuned by adjusting the amount of metal precursor. After the introduction of nanometer-scale features (individual atomic layers and alloying), thermal and electrical measurements on single In2-xGaxO3(ZnO)n nanowires reveal a simultaneous improvement in all contributing factors to the thermoelectric figure of merit, indicating successful modification of the nanowire transport properties.

Prepared by Gerard Melito* Using Meditation in the Classroom * Michael C. Moore, Pima Comnmunity College (Tucson, AZ) Inspired, os-perhaps, challenged by the theos-etiper minute? cal foundation of Loz nov's Suggestopedia, I Add to that the required dramatic presentai trod ce af m of meditation accompanied by tionby the teac er and you've got something th t music to my beginning Spanish classes, works for g fted teaches-s who have had extensive I first enc untered the Suggestopedi in Alice training in this m thod logy. Omaggio's Teaching Language in Context: "It As I see it, Lozanov's theory is that the was in r duced by G orgi Lozan v (1978), a co sc us mind severely limits the in ake of psychoth rapist a d p ys cian, w o believ s kn wledg . H t orizes that if we can access that laxation tech iques nd con en r t on will the subco scious mind, t at he u ent will b help lea ners tap their subc s iou r sou s f ee to s milate much re ha h ow and ai grea am u t f v cabulary nd does-b com ng a s per e n r. structu es tha t y v th u ht possibl " (84). Dr. Stevi k um arizes s ollows: "To be Rese rch l me to Earl St vi k' t cle, gi ith, I see Sugg toped s being ba d n "In erpr ti d A a t ng Loz v' P h soh e assumptio : (1) hat l arning involv s he y" (Olle , Ch t r 9). Dr. Stevick d 't u conscious fu c ions f t lear er, as claim to be knowledgeable about the the conscious functions; and (2) that people can Suggestopedia, nor does he use these methods in heam much faster than they usually do, but (3) his own classes, but "Reading about Sugthat learning is held back by (a) the norms and g s p dia a me to do ng om thi gs h t limit i ns whi soci t has taug t u , y I'm g a I d d v ugh m lv s (b) ha k f a ar on u , re x d working o ld n v r b c lled ex mples of Sugg st get o ll pa t of t r, a d by (c) edi " (O l r, 116). c eq e t f ur a u e of p w s whic D . L z v's app oach s b n imp i l os pe ple m s of he t me. nt i h y ic l c lege l sro , bu h s T stra gy f S gg s op di , t e f r , is to

We describe a color polymorphism in male tree lizards, Urosaurus ornatus, that may be one of the most complex social badge polymorphisms known. Male tree lizards in central Arizona possess dewlaps that are solid blue, solid yellow or solid orange, or bicolored consisting of a yellow or orange background with a blue central spot that varies continuously in size from a few scales to 55% of the area of the unextended dewlap. The occurrence of this polymorphism varies geographically and microgeographically, from populations that are monomorphic, to those that are dominated by two dewlap morphs, to those where all five morphs are more equally represented. Comparisons of the frequency of the different morph types both within and between years suggests no evidence of differential fitness between the morphs. Comparisons between habitats suggest that morph complexity was highest in the better quality habitat of the two sites we compared.

Several lines of evidence support the hypothesis that free-living male mountain spiny lizards (Sceloporus jarrovi) given testosterone (T) implants experience increased energetic costs as a result of increased territorial aggression. More aggressive T-implanted males expended more energy by having a longer daily activity period andperforming more territorial displays and movements. T-implanted males made fewer foraging attempts, caught fewer insects, and had lower gut content mass. The change infrequency of foraging attempts suggests a time conflict between territorial aggression and foraging. T-implanted males also had less stored energy in the form of neutral lipids and lower dry lean body mass for their snoutvent lengths. Decreased lean body mass suggests that T-implanted males may be trading increased aggression for decreased growth. These data suggest that energetic considerations could explain previously observed decreases in survivorship of T-implanted males. Survivorship diferences, however, may al...

Plasma levels of luteinizing hormone (LH), testosterone, and corticosterone were measured in relation to periods of inclement versus fair weather during the reproductive season of the Puget Sound White-crowned Sparrow (Zonotrichia leucophrys pugetensis). In 1974, cool stormy weather in spring delayed the onset of breeding by one month and also prolonged the period of elevated circulating levels of LH and testosterone, compared with the fair spring of 1975. Inclement weather in 1974 did not appear to be stressful, as indicated by body weights and plasma levels of corticosterone. In late May 1980, however, a storm occurred after nesting activities had begun and all pairs sampled were feeding young. In this case, plasma levels of corticosterone were greatly elevated above those of birds sampled at the same time in the warm spring of 1979 and also above those of birds sampled in spring of both 1974 and 1975. In addition, fat depots were virtually exhausted in birds sampled during the storm of 1980, suggesting that these birds were stressed. Most pairs lost their brood in May 1980, presumably to starvation, and renested after amelioration of environmental conditions in June. These data suggest that although storms may modify the onset and temporal progression of the reproductive cycle, they are stressful to adults only when the nesting phase is in progress. Thus, the underlying mechanisms by which inclement weather delays the onset of breeding or disrupts the nesting once underway are likely to have different endocrine bases.

The proximate mechanisms underlying mating behavior in naturally occurring species can be fundamentally different from those in more commonly studied laboratory and domesticated forms. In naturally occurring species, reproductive strategies are much more diverse, and mechanisms controlling behavior are correspondingly diverse. A variety of hormonal, environmental, and social cues can be used to activate mating behavior. Which cues are used by particular species depends on differences in environmental and physiological constraints imposed by particular reproductive strategies. Study of this diversity of mechanisms promises to identify specific selective forces that have shaped their evolution. This evolutionary perspective leads to widely applicable generalizations and provides a useful context within which to conceptualize differences between species, populations, and individuals.

Two models of the mechanism that measures daylength in the photoperiodic testicular response in Passer domesticus have been proposed. Both explain adequately the "ultra-short-day" response of this species, which appears to be unique among avian photoperiodic species. However, the models differ in their predictions of the response to very long days and to continuous light. Because of this we have examined experimentally the responses of this species thereto and have compared them with those of Zonotrichia leucophrys gambelii, which does not respond to "ultra-short days." We measured testicular growth rates and plasma levels of luteinizing hormone (LH), both of which increased with increasing daylength up to about 18L 6D and were maximal for all photoregimes from 20L 4D through LL. The results are consistent with the predictions of the simplest form of external-coincidence model, but not with those of the internal-coincidence model of Dolnik or the class of simple models that involve coincidence in phase of...

Circulating levels of testosterone in male white-crowned sparrows increase when their mates are sexually receptive. Two experiments were conducted to test the hypothesis that this increase in circulating levels of testosterone results in an increase in the intensity of male territorial defense. The first experiment demonstrated that males with sexually receptive females are more aggressive than males with nonreceptive females under laboratory conditions. The second experiment, conducted in the field, confirmed the laboratory finding and also demonstrated that experimental elevation of plasma levels of testosterone results in increased territorial defense. Thus, male territorial behavior in white-crowned sparrows appears to be regulated by changes in circulating levels of testosterone. The fact that this results in males being most aggressive when their mates are sexually receptive suggests that this response functions as mate-guarding behavior.

Previous studies of the parthenogenetic whiptail lizard Cnemidophorus uniparens have provided the best evidence for an endogenous circannual rhythm of reproduction in a reptile. However, these studies were restricted to captive animals on constant photothermal conditions. We report the results of field and laboratory studies indicating that timing of reproduction is dramatically affected by seasonal temperature change. Our field data show that between-year variations in timing of breeding in natural populations are correlated with between-year variations in spring temperatures. Our laboratory data demonstrate that reproduction is delayed and synchronized by exposure to winter-like photothermal conditions. Thus, temperature appears to be the most important environmental cue regulating timing of reproduction in this species. However, the conclusion of previous studies that the natural reproductive cycle is controlled by a circannual rhythm is equivocal and requires further study.

We examined the hypothesis that increased aggression results in decreased survivorship. We tested this hypothesis by increasing aggression of free-living male lizards Sceloporus jarrovi with testosterone implants and evaluating the effects on survivorship. A previous study showed that testosterone-implanted males were more aggressive than controls, suggesting a greater degree of success in male-male competition. Results of the present study show that the same testosterone-implanted lizards experienced greater mortality. Testosterone-treated males were also seen more frequently and more conspicuous ones were less likely to survive. Testosterone-treated males lost more weight over the summer. In controls, survivorship was negatively correlated with the body weight index. These data suggest that conspicuousness and energetic demands interact in their influence on survivorship. Thus, the natural plasma level of testosterone may be at an optimal level balancing any potential selection pressures for a higher level of testosterone through sexual selection with selection pressures for a lower level through a decrease in survivorship.

The testes of male white-crowned sparrows, Zonotrichia leucophrys gambelii, subjected to a photoregimen of 12-h days (12L 12D) undergo quasiannual cycles of repeated growth and regression. These cycles decrease successively in period and amplitude and are not accompanied by postnuptial molts. This suggests that they are not physiologically equivalent to those of birds subjected to natural photocycles. Our results demonstrate that transfer of white-crowned sparrows undergoing testicular regression on 12L 12D to long days (20L 4D) induces both testicular growth and increases in plasma levels of luteinizing hormone at normal rates for 20L 4D. These data indicate that testicular regression on 12L 12D must be induced by mechanisms other than the development of photorefractoriness, which is the normal cause of regression on natural photocycles. This suggests very strongly that daylength functions as a driver of the independent components of the annual cycle rather than, as in some other species, a Zeitgeber for...

Already trying to carry out Russell's kind of *Start on campus and expand. in organizing. *Interested particularly in BR's pacifism, Inake it comprehensive. Work with McMaster. No reason for rival journal to Russe~~. *Young "Russelophile". Dedicated. Entrance corridor to apartment has "The Bertrand Russell Memorial Alcove". *Applauds. Suggests some programs. *Delighted. *Busy but interested" work. *1£ anything I can do, calIon me. *A priVilege to cooperate. Capitalize on Einstein peace experiences. *Don't believe in cultist Preservation Societies. *Those who thought of organizing are best qualified to proceed. *Start as broadly as possible. Attract as many as possible of BR admirers. *Main interest is BR's parents, not BR. *Very interested and very willing to help. Combine education and action. *Further Russell's social and political goals. Further the ideas behind the War Crimes Tribunal. a prog ressreport

Termination of breeding, the development of photorefractoriness, subsequent postnuptial molt, and fat deposition precede autumnal migration in White-crowned Sparrows (Zonotrichia leucophrys). The timing of these postreproductive functions differs from that of analogous vernal functions because they are neither synchronous within the population nor uniformly coincident with environmental stimuli. We hypothesize that the expressions of autumnal functions are internally coupled and that they result from a separate process initiated by the increasing vernal daylength. Our data concerning the effect of various photoregimes on testicular regression, postnuptial molt and fat deposition of Z. 1. gambelii are consistent with the following generalizations: (1) on daylengths that exceed 16 h these processes begin after 40-60 days of photostimulation, inversely related to daylength; (2) transfer of photostimulated (20L 4D) males to an intermediate daylength of 12 h near the end of the testicular growth phase blocks the expression of autumnal functions, although their expression is not blocked if the birds are photorefractory when transferred; (3) males transferred from 12L 12D to 20L 4D in various stages of testicular development begin postnuptial molt after a fixed number of days regardless of the stage of testicular development at the time of transfer; (4) rates of postnuptial molt and fat deposition are inversely related to the daylength to which the birds are exposed when these functions occur, which may explain the acceleration of preparation for autumnal migration in late-starting individuals. Therefore, the systems that control autumnal processes appear not only to be independent of those that regulate analogous vernal processes, but also appear to rely more on internal coupling to integrate these functions than do the latter. The physiological preparation that precedes migration usually involves several functions that require coordination--activation (spring) or inactivation (autumn) of the reproductive system, hyperphagia, and fat deposition, and usually at least a partial molt (Stresemann and Stresemann 1966, Farner and Lewis 1971, Murton and Westwood 1977, Wingfield and Farner 1980). These processes occur in a species-specific order and are temporally separated in small avian forms, although the extent of separation varies among species (Stresemann and Stresemann 1966, Payne 1972, Farner et al. 1980). Although the mechanisms that ensure that these functions occur at the proper time and in the proper sequence have been extensively studied in the migratory races of the Whitecrowned Sparrow (Zonotrichia leucophrys), they remain only partially understood. Differences in preparation for vernal and autumnal migration under natural conditions suggest that different control mechanisms are employed in these two seasons. Preparation for spring migration is synchronized within a population of Z. leucophrys wintering at a given latitude because it appears to be initiated in direct response to increasing daylength (Farner and Wilson 1957, King 1961, King and Farner 1965, Mewaldt and King 1978b). In contrast, preparation for autumnal migration is less synchronous within populations because it does not begin until the birds finish nesting. If a clutch or brood is lost, a pair may renest and delay onset of postnuptial molt, although there is a compensatory acceleration of the molt (Wingfield and Farner 1979). In addition, the decreasing daylength of late summer and autumn differs from lengthening days of spring as predictive information for fall migration (King 1963). Because of (1) lack of synchrony among individuals with the same environmental information and (2) individual differences in rate of preparation due to renesting, i seems likely that this sparrow relies on external information to coordinate its post-repro