Illumination discrimination in real and simulated scenes.

Characterizing humans' ability to discriminate changes in illumination provides information about the visual system's representation of the distal stimulus. We have previously shown that humans are able to discriminate illumination changes and that sensitivity to such changes depends on their chromatic direction. Probing illumination discrimination further would be facilitated by the use of computer-graphics simulations, which would, in practice, enable a wider range of stimulus manipulations.

First Report of Leaf Spot Caused by Colletotrichum cf. linicola on Field Bindweed in Turkey.

Field bindweed (Convolvulus arvensis L., Convolvulaceae) is one of the most problematic weeds in the world (1) and a target of biological control efforts (2). In the summer of 2006, dying field bindweed plants were found in a wheat field near Bafra, Turkey (41°21.

First Report of Leaf Spot Caused by Cercospora bizzozeriana on Hoary Cress in Russia.

Hoary cress (Lepidium draba (L.) subsp. draba (synonym = Cardaria draba (L.

Slender Wheatgrass is Susceptible to Smut Caused by Ustilago phrygica from Turkey.

Slender wheatgrass (Elymus trachycaulus (Link) Gould ex Shinners subsp. trachycaulus), family Poaceae, tribe Triticeae, is a native North American grass that is used as a livestock forage. Ustilago phrygica, a systemic ovary-smut fungus, is native to Turkey and West Asia and is pathogenic on Aegilops spp.

First Report of a Leaf Spot Caused by Cercospora bizzozeriana on Lepidium draba subsp. draba in Tunisia.

Lepidium draba (L.) subsp. draba (synonym = Cardaria draba (L.

Late onset of subcutaneous emphysema and hypercarbia following laparoscopic cholecystectomy.

Laparoscopic surgical techniques are increasingly being applied to treat intraperitoneal abnormalities. These minimally invasive techniques potentially offer decreased operation time, decreased morbidity, and decreased length of hospitalization stays. These procedures, however are not without potential morbidity.

Estimating the Economic Impact of Breeding Nonspecific Resistance to Leaf Rust in Modern Bread Wheats.

Breeding for resistance to rust diseases in wheat is an example of productivity maintenance research. Productivity maintenance research is necessary to avoid contractions in the wheat supply curve that result from changes in the biological or physical environment. In this study, the benefits of incorporating nonspecific resistance to leaf rust caused by Puccinia recondita into modern bread wheats (Triticum aestivum) have been estimated using data on resistance genes identified in cultivars, trial data, and area sown to cultivar in the Yaqui Valley, Sonora State, Mexico.

Confirmatory interleukin-1 receptor antagonist trial in severe sepsis: a phase III, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicenter trial. The Interleukin-1 Receptor Antagonist Sepsis Investigator Group.

Objective: To determine the therapeutic efficacy and safety of recombinant human interleukin-1 receptor antagonist (rhIL-1ra) in the treatment of patients with severe sepsis.

Design: Prospective, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicenter trial with a planned, midstudy, interim analysis.

Setting: Ninety-one academic medical center intensive care units in North America and Europe.

Breeding disease-resistant wheats for tropical highlands and lowlands.

Wheat is grown on about 10 million ha in the tropical highlands and lowlands of the world, where it is an important food source. Many farmers in these areas work under subsistence conditions. Wheat diseases in tropical regions can be severe and require significant efforts to control.

Failure of reticular erythematous mucinosis to respond to cyclosporine.

We describe a 48-year-old woman who had worsening psoriasis, photosensitive reticular erythematous mucinosis (REM), and acne rosacea. The psoriasis was unresponsive to etretinate, and the REM was unsuccessfully treated with hydroxychloroquine. Cyclosporine (6 mg/kg/day) successfully cleared the psoriasis in 8 weeks but did not improve the REM and acne rosacea.

Nodular cutaneous B-cell lymphoma of the scalp in the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome.

Aggressive B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma frequently complicates human immunodeficiency virus type 1 infection. Although extranodal disease is an important feature of this condition, the incidence of cutaneous involvement has not been determined. A review of 754 published cases of B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma associated with human immunodeficiency virus type 1 revealed an incidence of cutaneous extranodal involvement of 8.

An advanced resuscitation training course for preregistration house officers.

Preregistration house officers need to be able to manage the first 5-10 minutes of a cardiac arrest. A course has been designed based on the recommendations of the Resuscitation Council UK 1984 and the format of the American Heart Association advanced cardiac life support course. Fifty-nine newly qualified doctors from the same medical school class were studied in two consecutive groups: Group 1 (n = 31) were commencing their first post and Group 2 (n = 28), whose first preregistration post had been at other hospitals without practical resuscitation training, were commencing their second post.

Juvenile dermatitis herpetiformis.

Juvenile dermatitis herpetiformis occurred in a 20-month-old girl. She had granular lgA, C3, and fibrin bound to the basement membrane zone of the skin by direct immunofluorescence and negative serum antibodies against the skin on indirect immunofluorescence. The HLA typing of peripheral lymphocytes was A1, Aw30, B8, Bw51 without clinical evidence of malabsorption syndrome.

Xanthomas and lipoproteins.

Xanthomas and lipoprotein abnormalities are important to all physicians. Many factors affect the synthesis and degradation of cholesterol and triglyceride, the lipids of major importance in these disorders. Lipids travel in serum bound to protein moieties, forming lipoproteins.

Recurrent pyoderma gangrenosum and agnogenic myeloid metaplasia.

Pyoderma gangrenosum has been associated with myelogenous leukemia and plasma cell dyscrasia. When associated with leukemia, pyoderma gangrenosum often has a distinctive clinical presentation with an advancing bullous margin. The pathogenesis of this disorder is unknown, although defective immune mechanisms may be operative.

Disseminated granuloma faciale.

Granuloma faciale is a well-defined entity that almost exclusively involves the face, although it has been reported in extrafacial locations. The infrequent reports of extrafacial lesions may reflect the inconspicuous nature of extrafacial lesions or a failure to specifically examine the patient for such lesions.