The purpose of this recently published survey was to obtain the demographic profile and educational background of chiropractors with paediatric patients on a multinational scale. A multinational online cross-sectional demographic survey was conducted over a 15-day period in July 2010. The survey was electronically administered via chiropractic associations in 17 countries, using SurveyMonkey for data […]
from Edzard Ernst http://bit.ly/2VmlfRh
Believed to be an A. evermanni, spotted on a tree truck in El Yunque. Does anyone know what the identifying characteristics of evermanni are?
from Anole Annals http://bit.ly/2IDH0Gs
Hello all! I’m working on Puerto Rican anole field identification. Here’s a specimen I photographed on the ruins atop El Yunque on March 4, 2019. I think it’s a juvenile A. evermanni, but I’m curious what you guys think!
from Anole Annals http://bit.ly/2XxUruO
‘Mom’s Choice Awards’ have just honoured the homeopathic product ‘COLD CALM KIDS’. This remedy has the following ingredients: Allium cepa 3C HPUS Apis mellifica 15C HPUS Eupatorium perfoliatum 3C HPUS Gelsemium sempervirens 6C HPUS Kali bichromicum 6C HPUS Nux vomica 3C HPUS Phytolacca decandra 6C HPUS Pulsatilla 6C HPUS 3C = a dilution of 1:1000000 […]
from Edzard Ernst http://bit.ly/2GmMbGY
Spinal manipulative therapy (SMT), especially hyperextension and rotation. have often been associated with cervical artery dissection (CAD), a tear in the internal carotid or the vertebral artery resulting in an intramural haematoma and/or an aneurysmal dilatation. But is the association causal? This question is often the subject of fierce discussions between chiropractors and the real doctors. […]
from Edzard Ernst http://bit.ly/2IHJgM2
Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) is a technique that utilizes electron beams that interact with and reflect the surface of a viewed specimen. These reflections allow the evaluation of surface topology and ultrastructure and give high-resolution detail about external structures and cellular arrangements (Goldstein et al. 2017). To create a reflection on specimen surfaces, a thin layer of gold is mechanically applied through a process known as “sputter-coating.” Recently, graduate students at Auburn University had the opportunity to view their own collected biological samples with SEM through an Applied and Environmental Microbiology course taught by Dr. Mark Liles.
As a student in this class, I had the opportunity to view a chosen sample under this process. While I highly debated bringing in an anole fecal sample (which would have been gold-coated and placed on my desk for a lifetime), I decided to view a recently dried, fertile A. sagrei egg collected from the lab of my advisor, Dr. Daniel Warner. The microbial communities on the surface of this egg were most likely highly impacted by the influence of drying (see image descriptions below); this is due to sample preparation required by conventional SEM, whereby water vaporization will distort images if the sample is not completely dry. Part of my research within the Warner lab involves investigating the microbial communities on the external surface of eggshells; thus, this class has provided an excellent opportunity to explore how varying environmental factors can influence eggshell microbiomes. The photos taken and attached were observed on 03 April 2019.
In Image 1 at 42X magnification, you can see the influence of drying from the large indentions on the egg as well as horizontal cracking within the surface itself. However, under closer inspection fungal and bacterial structures begin to appear. In Image 2 at 397X magnification, you can view a filamentous structure that we predict to be fungi. One of the limitations of SEM is that while structures can be easily viewed, they may not always be as easily identifiable. At 1,500X and 1,5700X, we can see a magnified image of a fungal root (Image 3) and potential bacterial cells above the spiral filamentous structure (Image 4).
Image 2. SEM image of A. sagrei egg at 397X magnification.
Image 3. SEM image of A. sagrei egg at 1,500X magnification.
Image 4. SEM image of A. sagrei egg at 1,5700X magnification.
The images above highlight the interesting use of SEM for reptilian eggs, especially those small enough to be entirely encompassed under a microscope (< 1.5 mm long). SEM observations can also be used to elucidate differences in eggshell structures, thickness, and porosity (Heulin et al. 2002). Additionally, SEM use within the classroom setting has allowed students to gain applicable skills and techniques, as well as their own photographs (Beane 2004).
References:
Beane, Rachel J. 2004. “Using the Scanning Electron Microscope for Discovery Based Learning in Undergraduate Courses.” Journal of Geoscience Education 52 (3): 250–53. http://bit.ly/2GtABtE.
Goldstein, Joseph I., Dale E. Newbury, Joseph R. Michael, Nicholas W. M. Ritchie, John Henry J. Scott, and David C. Joy. 2017. Scanning Electron Microscopy and X-Ray Microanalysis. Springer.
Heulin, Benoit, Samuele Ghielmi, Nusa Vogrin, Yann Surget‐Groba, and Claude Pierre Guillaume. 2002. “Variation in Eggshell Characteristics and in Intrauterine Egg Retention between Two Oviparous Clades of the Lizard Lacerta Vivipara: Insight into the Oviparity–Viviparity Continuum in Squamates.” Journal of Morphology 252 (3): 255–62. http://bit.ly/2UN1oLz.
from Anole Annals http://bit.ly/2GsIaAR
Among the many traditions of bowl carving is the Yup’ik method of bending a separate length of wood that attaches to the hollowed base and serves as a higher rim. The interaction between material, hands, eyes — and teeth — to create the form and a tight connection is simply wonderful. I stumbled onto the short video above that features Yup’ik traditional scholars sharing memories of how these objects were made. The video also includes some close ups of the bowls.
I’m still pretty clueless, but one thing I notice is the thickening of the rims along the straighter portions of the bowl. Seems to me that the wood has been made thinner where they want a tighter bend and vice versa. This would facilitate controlling the curvature at various points along the rim while bending without a form. Much to learn just from the short video and the accompanying information, drawings, and photos at this website through the Smithsonian Institution.
from David Fisher, Carving Explorations http://bit.ly/2XyLBgx
Whenever there are discussions about homeopathy (currently, they have reached fever-pitch both in France and in Germany), one subject is bound to emerge sooner or later: its cost. Some seemingly well-informed person will exclaim that USING MORE HOMEOPATHY WILL SAVE US ALL A LOT OF MONEY. The statement is as predictable as it is wrong. […]
from Edzard Ernst http://bit.ly/2Gyj593
Read more about Elaine Powers’ books, including her most recent post, “Stop and Meet the Anole Lizards,” on her author’s webpage.
from Anole Annals http://bit.ly/2XrGheU
Anolis chloris soaks up the sun while displaying.
If you’ve ever spent some time in the Caribbean, you might have noticed that humans are not the only organisms soaking up the sun. Anoles – diminutive little tree lizards – spend much of their day shuttling in and out of shade. But, according to a new study in Evolution led by Dr. Martha Muñoz at Virginia Tech and Jhan Salazar at Universidad Icesi, this behavioral “thermoregulation” isn’t just affecting their body temperature. Surprisingly, it’s also slowing their evolution.
The idea that evolution can be slow on islands is actually somewhat strange. Ever since Darwin’s journey to the Galapagos, islands have been recognized as hotspots of rapid evolution, resulting in many ecologically diverse species. The reason why evolution often goes into overdrive on islands has to do with the ecological opportunity presented by simplified environments. When organisms wash up on remote islands, they find themselves freed of their usual competitors and predators, which frees them to rapidly diversify to fill new niches. This phenomenon of faster evolution is often referred to as the “island effect.”
Yet, the researchers discovered that physiological evolution in Anolis lizards is actually much slower on islands than on the mainland. What is causing evolution to stall? According to Dr. Muñoz, the same ecological opportunity that frees island organisms from predators also facilitates behavioral thermoregulation. “Whereas mainland lizards spend most of their time hiding from predators, island lizards move around more, and are able to spend much of their day precisely shuttling between sun and shade,” she says. If it gets too hot, island lizards simply go find a shady spot. If it gets too cold, they can dash onto a sunny perch. By thermoregulating, island lizards are not just buffering themselves from thermal variation. They are effectively shielding themselves from natural selection. If lizards aren’t exposed to extreme temperatures, then selection on physiology is weakened. The result? Slower rates of physiological evolution. Effectively, island lizards use behavioral thermoregulation like SPF against natural selection!
Jhan Salazar notes that, “Our results show that faster evolution on islands is not a general rule.” This slower physiological evolution on islands stands in stark contrast to morphology, which has been shown to evolve faster in island anoles. When it comes to morphology and physiology on islands, it seems we are looking at different sides of the same coin. The same ecological release from predators and competition that allowed for the truly impressive amount of morphological diversification that has appeared quickly among island anoles, seems to additionally allow for more behavioral thermoregulation which slows physiological evolution.
“We are discovering that organisms are the architects of their own selective environments,” says Muñoz, “meaning that behavior and evolution are locked together in a delicate dance. This pas de deux tells us something important about how diversity arises in nature.”
Jhan Salazar holds an anole from Colombia.
from Anole Annals http://bit.ly/2Dl3p70
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