On Joseph Fourier: the man,the mathematician and the physicist

In 1793 Lord Macartney arrived in China as ambassador of King George III. The aims of his embassy were largely directed towards the enlargement of British trade with the far east, and especially with China. The embassy also had a diplomatic and cultural mission, to impress the Chinese with British achievements. They were to do so largely by distributing presents of British manufactures, chief among them being scientific instruments. The Chinese refused the embassy's requests, and clearly regarded the gifts of instruments as merely ingenious toys. This paper describes the role of instruments in the embassy, and contrasts British expectations with Chinese attitudes to scientific instruments. The embassy's failure is shown to reveal fundamental differences in British and Chinese eighteenth-century responses to science, and has wide cultural implications.     

Richard Watson

The development of the circular dividing engine in England is traced from Henry Hindley and Jesse Ramsden through the improvements introduced by Ramsden's successors to the self-acting engine of William Simms. Particular emphasis is given to the invention, evolution and transmission of the methods used to achieve accuracy in: dividing the wheel; ratching the teeth and matching them to the endless screw; and mounting the cutter. The procedures adopted by Ramsden and Troughton for correcting initial dividing marks are also described.     

Distribution records and comments on fleas in southwestern South Dakota

From October 2003 through April 2006, we collected 565 fleas incidental to a distribution survey of mammals in southwestern South Dakota. Sixty-one specimens, representing 18 species of mammals, possessed 20 species of fleas. The geographic distributions of these flea species revealed 8 new records for the Black Hills and its adjacent grasslands. Four species— Megarthroglossus divisus, Stenoponia americana, Odontopsyllus dentatus, and Amaradix euphorbi —constitute new records for South Dakota, thus increasing the state’s known flea fauna to 42 species. Hunters, trappers, and field biologists should be aware that serosurveillance during the 1990s revealed the presence of sylvatic plague and tularemia in the Black Hills area. Desde octubre de 2003 hasta abril de 2006, colectamos 565 pulgas de manera incidental durante un estudio de la distribución de mamíferos en el suroeste del estado de Dakota del Sur. Los 61 especímenes, que representaban 18 especies de mamíferos, albergaban 20 especies de pulgas. Sus distribuciones geográficas revelaron 8 nuevos registros para las Colinas Negras (Black Hills) y las praderas adyacentes. Cuatro de estas especies ( Megarthroglossus divisus, Stenoponia americana, Odontopsyllus dentatus y Amaradix euphorbi ) constituyen nuevos registros para Dakota del Sur. Esto aumenta el número de especies de pulgas conocidas del estado a 42 especies. Los cazadores, tramperos y biólogos de campo deben estar conscientes de que la vigilancia serológica durante la década de los 1990 reveló la presencia de la plaga silvática y la tularemia en el área de las Colinas Negras.     

Range extension of Helianthus spp. (Asteraceae) in Arizona and Utah

Two populations of Helianthus niveus (Benth.) Brandegee ssp. canescens (A. Gray) Heiser were discovered in northern Arizona extending the range 300 miles north for this species. Helianthus deserticola Heiser range was extended 100 miles east in both Arizona and Utah.     

Sperm viability in the reproductive tract of females in a population of Sceloporus mucronatus exhibiting asynchronous reproduction

Asynchronous reproduction is a common phenomenon in high-elevation populations of lizards from Central México. Sperm storage in the reproductive tract of females is the mechanism for making oocyte fertilization possible. Our study addresses questions related to functional oviductal sperm storage of females mating on different dates throughout the reproductive season. A population of Sceloporus mucronatus with copulation in the summer and ovulation in the fall was chosen for this experiment. Eleven females that copulated in the field during June and 13 females that copulated in captivity during August were maintained in the laboratory until parturition. The number of pregnant females and the litter sizes produced in each experimental group were indicative of the viability of the stored sperm. Sperm stored in the reproductive tract of females were able to fertilize eggs after 4 months. No significant differences were found in the number of pregnant females between the 2 experimental groups nor in the litter sizes that they produced. We found that the amount of time sperm were held in the female reproductive tract (ca. 3 months) had no effect on the capacity of sperm to fertilize eggs. Histological examination of 8 oviducts collected before the mating season eliminated the possibility of sperm storage from one year to the next. In this system, sperm retention could have evolved as a response mechanism to deal with the asynchrony between sexes in the reproductive cycles. However, we cannot rule out alternative hypotheses.     

Attributes associated with probability of infestation by the pi?on ips, Ips confusus (Coleoptera: Scolytidae), in pi?on pine, Pinus edulis

We examined attributes of pi?on pine ( Pinus edulis ) associated with the probability of infestation by pi?on ips ( Ips confuses ) in an outbreak in the Coconino National Forest, Arizona. We used data collected from 87 plots, 59 infested and 28 uninfested, and a logistic regression approach to estimate the probability of infestation based on plot and tree-level attributes. Pi?on pine stand density index was a good predictor of the likelihood of infestation by pi?on ips at the plot level, and a cross-validation analysis confirmed that the model correctly classified 82% of the cases. Diameter at root collar and pi?on dwarf mistletoe infestation level were good predictors of individual tree infestation, and a cross-validation analysis indicated that the model correctly classified 72% of the cases. Results suggest that the occurrence of pi?on ips infestations may be related to stress factors associated with increased stocking and pi?on dwarf mistletoe infestations.     

Basidiomycetes that decay junipers in Arizona. II

Five additional species of wood rotting basidiomycetes on Arizona junipers are described and illustrated.   All cause a white rot of dead, fallen trees. Leptosporomyces juniperinus is proposed as a new species. Vararia fibra is reported from the United States for the first time.     

Vaccination against and treatment of tuberculosis, the leishmaniases and AIDS: perspectives from basic immunology and immunity to chronic intracellular infections

The occurrence of infectious disease represents a failure of the immune system, a failure that must be prevented by effective vaccination or remedied by treatment. Vaccination against acute diseases such as smallpox and polio are very effective, due to the rapid and increased immune response of vaccinated individuals upon natural infection. In contrast, effective vaccination against intracellular pathogens that cause chronic diseases, such as the leishmaniases, tuberculosis and AIDS, has not been achieved. Clinical observations suggest cell-mediated, Th1 responses, exclusive of antibody production and the generation of Th2 cells, are optimally protective against these intracellular pathogens. Effective vaccination must ensure the generation of such a protective response. We explore here whether understanding very broad features of the regulation of the immune response can accommodate modern findings on the immunological features of these diseases, and provide a perspective within which strategies for effective vaccination and treatment can be developed.