Whatever happened to Bishopanthus (Compositae, Liabeae)?

The enigmatic monospecific Bishopanthus of the tribe Liabeae (Compostiae/Asteraceae) has never been fully understood. It has not been possible to examine it in detail since it was described, because most of the type material was destroyed shortly after it arrived at the US National Herbarium, the morphology is insufficient to assign it to a subtribe, and the small amount of leaf material that remains is unsuitable for DNA extraction. A detailed description in English, image of the type specimen, photograph, and original illustration are included along with an estimation of where it was collected in the hopes that this information will encourage other field botanists who collect in northern Peru to search for it.

Effect of a standardized grape seed extract on low-density lipoprotein susceptibility to oxidation in heavy smokers.

The aim of our study was to evaluate the effect of a standardized formulation of a polyphenolic extract of grapes (Leucoselect-Phytosome [LP]) on low-density lipoprotein (LDL) susceptibility to oxidation in a group of heavy smokers. A randomized, double-blind, crossover study was undertaken in 24 healthy male heavy smokers, aged > or = 50 years. Enrolled subjects were given 2 capsules twice daily for 4 weeks (phase 1).

Final height and endocrine function in thalassaemia intermedia.

We present data of a detailed study of endocrine function in 50 patients (21 males, 29 females) with thalassaemia intermedia, 15-46 years old (mean age 28.7 yr), with raised serum ferritin levels (mean 1540 micrograms/l). Mean haemoglobin concentration was 8.