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STUDENT DIGITAL NEWSLETTER ALAGAPPA INSTITUTIONS |
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Genevieve Guenther Ricart Embree, MD
https://medicine.duke.edu/faculty/genevieve-guenther-ricart-embree-md
The office was established to facilitate communications along Federal diabetes symptoms high blood sugar discount glucotrol xl 10 mg online, State and local agencies and the agricultural industry on agricultural water issues blood glucose 70 quality glucotrol xl 10 mg. We welcome all five of you and we appreciate your patience through the first panel blood glucose 82 discount glucotrol xl 10mg free shipping. I am also the Co-Chair of the Healing Our Waters Great Lakes Coalition diabetex international corp order glucotrol xl 10mg with amex, which is a coalition of conservation organizations 110 members strong devoted to protection and restoration of the Great Lakes diabetes juvenile discount 10mg glucotrol xl mastercard. Nutrient pollution is so important because our members are sportsmen and sportswomen diabetes prevalence in us quality glucotrol xl 10mg. And nutrient pollution has caused damage to conservation and recreation and their economic opportunities. You have already heard from the panel how widespread nutrient pollution is, and I am not going to repeat that here. Today, the National Wildlife Federation issued a report that you have in your packet. The report documents that a nutrient crisis emerging in the Great Lakes is causing massive ecosystem breakdowns. It has been measured in Lake Erie at levels 1,000 times higher, 1,000 times higher than drinking water standards from the World Health Organization. We are also seeing algae blooms in Saginaw Bay in Michigan and Green Bay in Wisconsin and on the shores of Lake Michigan. On the shores of Lake Michigan, the algae there combined with invasive species are actually causing botulism outbreaks, botulism, which has killed thousands of fish and birds. Captain Unger describes algae that goes for miles along the shores of the lakes and extends miles out into the lakes. It is up to two feet thick, and Senator Inhofe, you can imagine what kind of impact you would have if you swam in that. Because his boat has to go much farther to catch fish, his business costs are skyrocketing. The bottom line here is that it is not just fish and fishing, it is also the fact that it is ducks and geese and hunting. The American Sportfishing Association reports that all told, there are 456 million anglers in the Country. It is clear that our current management strategies and policies are not getting the job done. We are asking Congress to recognize that fact, and also to keep your foot on the gas. The numeric standards themselves in places like Ohio and Wisconsin vary, depending on the watershed, the stream segment and the needs of the near-shore and the offshore. The bottom line is the problems at this scale can only be solved with broad partnerships and funding. Nutrient pollution is one of the most significant threats to waters all across the country. Excess nitrogen and phosphorus from sources such as sewage, animal manure, and fertilizer enter water bodies and have significant negative impacts on water quality. The National Wildlife Federation is the largest private, nonprofit conservation education and advocacy organization with 47 state and territorial affiliated organizations. Our members are sportsmen, outdoor enthusiasts, nature lovers, and others who share a passionate concern for wildlife. And many of our constituents are fisherman, birders, swimmers and boaters, who witness the destructive impact of nutrient pollution each summer as they watch growing dead zones, declining fish stocks, and rivers and streams that have been overrun by algae that can cause sickness and impede many recreational activities. Our regional offices throughout the country work with local and state governments to protect and restore local rivers, lakes and streams. We co-chair the Healing Our Waters Great Lakes Coalition, the Choose Clean Water Chesapeake Coalition, and the Coastal Louisiana Restoration Coalition. Approximately 50% of streams and more than 40% of lake acres have medium or high levels of nutrients. Some of these systems have become so impaired that they are required by the Clean Water Act to implement pollution diets known as Total Maximum Daily Loads. The impact of these ecosystem declines is devastating to wildlife and to those who depend on them. This summer, the Bay experienced an unusually large dead zone, which the Washington Post noted might be the largest in history. The nutrient-related decline of submerged aquatic vegetation has eliminated essential habitat for many fish, shellfish, and other aquatic life. When healthy, this submerged vegetation serves as rich nursery ground, providing food and habitat for juvenile fish. Larger fish such as sea trout, drum, perch, pickerel, and bluefish patrol the grass beds in search of food. Many small and interesting creatures including pipefish, seahorses, mud crabs, spider crabs, and several kinds of shrimp and minnows inhabit the underwater grass beds. Other species, such as the Canada goose, American widgeon, and canvasback, have had to change their feeding habits to include other sources of food. The low oxygen conditions created by excess nutrients have severely impacted life in the Bay. Since 1960, there has been a substantial increase in the amount of Bay bottom with dangerously low levels of dissolved oxygen. Bottom-dwelling, or benthic organisms including worms, clams, oysters, crabs, and many smaller invertebrates are an essential fink in the food web. With the decline of these benthic organisms, the entire Chesapeake ecosystem is altered. In fact, a recent study from the University of Maryland found that "Alarming Dead Zone Grows in the Chesapeake. These are just some of the direct impacts of nutrient pollution on aquatic ecosystems, in the Chesapeake and throughout the country. Unless strong action is taken immediately to curb nutrient pollution, this story will continue to repeat itself throughout the country. Complicating Factors in the Great Lakes In the Great Lakes, excess nutrients are also causing massive ecological changes. The report documents the widespread ecosystem breakdowns and the policies and practices needed to address them. As indicated in the report, excessive nutrients in nearshore waters - in particular phosphorus from both agricultural and point sources have brought the Great Lakes to a crisis point: · this summer Lake Erie experienced the worst toxic algal bloom in its recorded history- even worse than the 1960s. Photos of these algal blooms and a satellite photo of their extent are included in this testimony (Exhibit 2). Rick Unger, president of the Lake Erie Charter Boat Captains Association reports on terrible conditions on the lake. He says that the algae goes for miles along the beaches and extends miles into the open lake. This phenomenon is encouraging explosive algal blooms in the nearshore while at the same time forming a nutrient desert in offshore waters, contributing to declines in fish populations. In addition, the populations of the tiny freshwater shrimp, Diporiea, that is the base of the Great lakes food web, have declined in Lake Michigan by 94% in 10 years and in Lake Huron by 57% in 3 years. This is unprecedented: algal blooms caused by excess nutrients and fish population crashes caused by too few nutrients, all happening in the same ecosystem. First, management actions based on whole-lake objectives alone (or alternatively, focusing on one part of the ecosystem, such as offshore waters) are unlikely to be successful. Controls and management strategies need to take into account the different conditions of nearshore and offshore areas. As part of an overarching lake- or ecosystem-wide management approach, we need to refine management and policy at smaller levels. Second, while implementation of policies specific to nutrients and invasive species is criticaL we need to explore policies that can address both stresses in an integrated way. For example, if research indicates that an invasive species may be limited in part by nutrients, reductions in nutrient loads could slow its growth and spread while reducing risks of harmful algae blooms. Finally, further nutrient reductions, particularly in targeted watersheds, are essential. Today in the Great Lakes, new nutrient loadings will in many cases continue to feed harmful algal blooms or invasive species, rather than contribute to the growth of desirable fish species. As Captain Unger reports, those problems are causing economic as well as ecological damage. Spending a pleasurable day on the water usually involves at least some expense for travel, equipment and supplies. Since anglers are found in every state, their expenditures have a significant effect on state and local economies as well. While many people recognize the recreational and economic benefits of fishing, its significant conservation benefits often go unnoticed. For each fishing-tackle purchase and each gallon of boating fuel consumed, a portion of the money is returned to state fish and wildlife agencies for conservation efforts. The American Sportfishing Association reports that 45 million anglers generate $45 billion every year in retail sales. Sportfishing, and the powerful economic effects it creates, would not be possible without fish. Those same fish would not exist without suitable habitat, which makes clean and healthy rivers, lakes and coastal waters essential to the bottom line. We believe that numeric nutrient criteria is the most logical way to ensure ecosystem health in a site specific manner. As go the Chesapeake and the Sunshine State, so will go the future of clean water for years to come. In the interest of the Everglades, water quality throughout the state of Florida and all of the waters impaired by nutrients throughout the country, we urge the committee to recognize the importance and necessity of the promulgation of numeric nutrient criteria, in Florida and wherever else nutrient pollution threatens rivers, lakes and streams. Although not the primary source of nutrient pollution overall, in many 4 Houck, Oliver A. For this reason we urge reauthorization and maximum funding for the Clean Water State Revolving Fund. A single state-wide nutrient standard will not work; and in many cases, neither will a lakewide nutrient standard. Funding for the conservation title of the Farm Bill is essentiaL We urge Congress to expand conservation funding in the next Farm Bill and to ensure that these mandatory funds are not capped annually by the Appropriations Committee. Many of the practices that once reduced nutrient loadings are not working any more, or at least are not working in the same way. For example, no till farming has had strong benefits in reducing sediment transport and runoff. Extensive tiling means that substantial runoff is never captured by buffer strips, and may bypass wetlands. We urge the Committee to support efforts to restore Clean Water Act protections to these streams and wetlands. I thank you for the opportunity to discuss this most important issue with you and look forward to answering your questions. We thank the fi>llowing National Wildlife Federation staff who provided additional input on this report: Andy Buchsbaum~ N[arc Smith, and Jordan Lubetkin. Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory, National Oceanic;md Atmospheric Administration; and Dr. National Vildlife Federation is solely responsible t(Jt the content of this report. Table of Contents I Executive Summary 4 6 9 Sec·tion I: Introduction Section 2: Back from the Brink Section 3: Ongoing Ecosystem Shock Cover(:hotocreditS (c! One result is that fish in the offshore such as native lake whitefish and burbot and naturalized Chinook salmon in Lake Huron have steeply diminished in numbers and in health as their prey base is altered. Excessive nutrients in nearshore Vaters··- in particular phosphorus from both agricultural and point sources- haw: caused or contributed to problems such as toxic algal blooms~ green algae blooms (including the nuisance alga Cladophora), avian botulism, and the Lake Erie central basin 'dead zone'. Indeed, the summer of 20ll witnessed one of the most extensive harmful ~1lgal blooms ever recorded for western Lake Erie~ leading to numerous recreational advisories. How can one part of the Great Lakes (coastal and nearshore areas) be overcome with excessive nutrients vhi! Invasive mussels, now numbering in the trillions in Lake Michigan alone and widespread throughout the Great Lakes, are a likely cause. This phenomenon is encouraging explosiw; algal blooms in coastal areas and the f(xm:ation of a nutrient desert in of(~hore waters, which has contributed to steep declines in fish populations. This is unprecedented: ~1lgal blooms caused by too many nutrients, and fish population cr~1shcs caused hy too tCw nutrients. The widespread changes in the Great Lakes nutrient eyrie that arc ctUsing simultaneous fe:~st and (~rninc require sophisticated responses; one-s-ize-fitsall measures arc unlikely to succeed. Finally, further nutrient reductions (particularly in targeted watersheds) are essential. Today in the Great Lakes, new nutrient loadings will in many cases continue to feed harmful or nuisance alg. With these overarching approaches in mind~ there are a Yariety of existing policy tfamevorks and tools that can help further nutrient reduction cffims, including the f(>llowing: A stronger Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement. The current renegotiation of the Agreement oft{~rs the opportunity to establish new goals and identify key program targets in the U. Given new nearshore-offshore dynamics, recognition of the importance of different ttxms of nutrients {e. In addition, the Agreement should call ti>r establishment of a basin-wide Phosphorus Task Force to research and advise the governments, and the Agreement should propose spccitlc oh}cctiYcs, measurable outcomes. Programs such as the Environmental Quality lncentiYes Program, the Conservation Reserve Program, and Conservation Stewardship Program should be strengthened to further reduct sediment and nutrient exports from agricultural watersheds. Funding for these programs should he maintained and expanded, and the programs themselves should be more targeted. Pr;:;ventinn must be:1 cornerstone of dl-i)rts addressing tn;Jjor discharge the ~ll<;sissippi Riwr and Gn:at Lakes f{H· sptxics;1. The abundant green spaces and fOrests in the Great Lakes basin provide vital habitat to animals such as moose, volves~ hears, fOxes.
In the opening years of that momentous seventeenth century diabetes type 2 supplements glucotrol xl 10 mg otc, every kind of magic and occultism was rampant diabetes insipidus nursing considerations order 10 mg glucotrol xl mastercard. In France blood glucose 72 generic 10 mg glucotrol xl overnight delivery, hundreds of sorcerers were being burned every year diabetes prevention research group generic glucotrol xl 10mg with mastercard,3 which diabetes mellitus with renal manifestation buy glucotrol xl 10 mg without prescription, as Lenoble has said diabetes type 1 management plan quality 10mg glucotrol xl, is an indication not only of the prevalence of magic but of belief in its powers. There can be little doubt that the esoteric and demon-ridden atmosphere of this period was the final outcome-as it were, the decadence-of the revaluation of magic ultimately deriving from Ficino and Pico and which, extravagantly continued by such descendants of theirs as Cornelius Agrippa, had received support from the animistic interpretations of nature of the Renaissance philosophers. The sections, which are of extremely uneven length, are headed by verses from the first three chapters of Genesis, and indeed the book, as its title shows, is intended to be a commentary on Genesis, the general purpose of which is not easily seized by the reader as he makes his way through what seems like a collection of treatises on a highly miscellaneous variety of subjects. He regards it as mainly directed against all magical and divinatory arts, against Cabalists and occultists of all kinds, against naturalist and animistic philosophers whom Mersenne suspects in general of being either atheists or deists. From the vast mass of material in this most important book, which lies between the Renaissance and the modern world, only a few points can be selected. Ficino does not speak as a Catholic when, in the book De vita coelitus comparanda, he affirms that images and characters have 1 2 power on all inferior things, which Catholics deny. Verum nemo sanae mentis dixerit illas imagines vim habere, ut constellationes magis influant. A drawing by Mantegna, he thinks, is of more value than all the images of the necromancers. Mersenne, who completely discards astrology,5 naturally also discards astral magic, the miraculous virtue of plants, stones,6 images, and the whole apparatus upon which magia naturalis rested. This reference to Mantegna occurs when Mersenne is condemning the lapidary of Camillus (Leonardus Camillus, Speculum lapidum, Venice, 1502) in which Mantegna, Bellini, and Leonardo da Vinci are mentioned; cf. Thomas Aquinas) who have said that the materials or stones of which a talisman is made have power (see above, p. Once again he has detected here the magical core in Renaissance Platonism, for this universal animism in nature was the basis for the operations of the Magus, and the spiritus mundi was the vehicle which he used. Concerning the Cabala, Mersenne would admit an orthodox Cabala, concerned with mystical interpretation of Scripture. In the course of this energetic clearance, which demolishes the Hermetist-Cabalist basis of Renaissance magic, Mersenne mentions and condemns all the chief propagators of these views, Ficino, Pico della Mirandola and their successors; he is naturally most severe against arch-magicians, such as Cornelius Agrippa or Trithemius. Against Francesco Giorgi, one of the most celebrated of Hermetic-Cabalists and author of the influential Harmonia Mundi he has many passages, and he also devoted another book specifically to refuting him. The life-blood of the Renaissance Magus drains away under this onslaught; his most cherished theories, illusions, and delusions are turning into so much useless lumber in the cold clear light of the new age. Mersenne, Observationes et emendationes ad Francisci Giorgi problemata, Paris, 1623. It is not as a Hermetist-Cabalist like Fludd that Mersenne approaches Genesis, but as an orthodox Catholic. But soon afterwards he discovered Casaubon and realised what a tool had been provided for his work of demolition of the edifice in which dwelt the Renaissance Magus and his descendant, Robert Fludd. For, if the "Egyptian Moses" was a fake, the corner-stone of the edifice was removed and the whole building must fall into ruin. In his Sophiae cum moria certamen (of which the preface is dated Oxford, 1626) he uses most abusive language against the monk, and quotes the passages against himself in the Quaestiones in Genesim with detailed rejoinders. In this "Strife of Wisdom with Folly", Fludd presents himself as the representative of deep wisdom, whilst Mersenne is the superficial fool. In his earlier works, Fludd had identified himself with the Rosicmcians and Mersenne had included this mysterious brotherhood in his censures on Fludd, so that the Rosicrucian cause became involved in the Fludd-Mersenne controversy. Hence in another publication, probably partly by Fludd, against Mersenne entitled Sumrnum bonum (1629),1 the highest good is defined on the title-page as "the Magia, Cabala and Alchymia of the Brothers of the Rosy Cross". In another publication of the same year in which there is a passage inveighing against the malice and falsehood of the monk Mersenne, Fludd quotes triumphantly from Pimander and the Asclepius, thus advancing under the banner of Hermes Trismegistus to defend wisdom against falsehood and malice. For example, Jacques Gaffarel, the Cabalist, joined in on the side of Fludd, whilst Pierre Gassendi, the scientist, came to the assistance and defence of Mersenne. Mersenne had asked Gassendi to help, since he was tired of replying to Fludd himself, and Gassendi performed this friendly office in 1630 in a publication attractively entitled Petri Gassendi theologi epistolica exercitatio, in qua Principia Philosophiae Robert Fluddi Medici reteguntur; et ad recentes illius Libros, adversus R. Marinum Mersennum Ordinis Minimorum Sancti Francisci de Paula scriptos respondetur. He prefers, he says, the old Aristotelianism to the misty science of these people (like Fludd) who are completely ignorant of mathematics, who confuse everything with their doctrine of the world soul, who put angels and demons everywhere. It contains a significant passage which shows that Mersenne has found, and is using, the weapon provided by Casaubon. Mersenne accuses Fludd (and the accusation is just) of giving to the writings of "pseudo-Trismegistus"- note the "pseudo"-an authority equal to that of the Scriptures; but these writings now have no authority since what Casaubon has written about them. Cum autem Fluddus plures alios authores enumeret, illos solum affero, quorum authoritate in suis libris nititur. Quos inter primum ordinem obtinet pseudo-Trismegistus, cujus Pymandrum et alios tractatus Scripturae sacrae authoritati atque veritati pares efficere videtur, et de quorum aestimatione nonnihil, credo, remittet, si legat Casaubonum, prima ad apparatum Annalium Exercitatione. Garin has quoted this passage as an illustration of how "la grande polemica accesasi intorno al Fludd e ai Rosacroce. No longer will Hermetism maintain the dominating position at the core of main movements, which it had held since Ficino, but will sink underground into esoteric channels, such as the "sogni ermetici dei Rosacroce". Kepler answered with an Apologia (1622) to which Fludd again retorted with his Monochordum Mundi (1622). The mighty mathematician who discovered the elliptical orbits of the planets had, in his general outlook, by no means emerged from Renaissance influences. His heliocentricity had a mystical background; his great discovery about the planetary orbits was ecstatically welcomed by him as a confirmation of the music of the spheres; and there are survivals of animism in his theories. To the Rosicrucian dreams should be added the pseudoEgyptian Hermetic dreams of the Jesuit, Kircher. Cassirer in his Das Erkenntnisproblem in der Philosophic und Wissenschaft der neueren Zeit. Pauli, "The Influence of Archetypal Ideas on the Scientific Theories of Kepler" in C. In his Harmonice Mundi, Kepler has a long passage on Hermes Trismegistus; he has evidently studied the Corpus Hermeticum very carefully, particularly the treatise on the "ultores". He identifies the Hermetic teachings with those of Pythagoras; "either Pythagoras is Hermetising, or Hermes is Pythagorising". Sic quod Pythagoraei celebrant Tetractyn fontem Animarum, et Camerarius plures ait fuisse Tetractyas, non illam solum, quae a quatcrnarij basi surgit ad summam 10. Omnia etiam geruntur per Harmonias; plurima inculcatio Silentij, plurima Mentis, Veritatisque mentio; proponitur et Antrum, Fundus, Penetrale, Crater Animarum, et caetera multa: ut dubiutn nullum esse possit, quin aut Pythagoras Hermetiset, aut Hermes Pythagoriset. Accedit enim et hoc, quod Hermes Theologiam quandam tradit, cultumque divini numinis; saepe Mosis, saepe Evangelistae Joannis in suo sensu paraphrastes, praesertirn de Regeneratione, caeremoniasque discipulo certas inculcat; cum idem 1 J. He also knows (and this opens up an entirely new world of sources for Kepler) the Christian Hermetist tradition, by which the Hermetica were connected with Genesis and with St. John by Hermes Trismegistus "whoever he may have been" are of post-Christian date? This does not seem clearly indicated in the above passage which I am therefore inclined to think is still reflecting pre-Casaubon religious Hermetism. The remark "aut Pythagoras Hermetiset, aut Hermes Pythagoriset" seems to leave it as an open question as to whether Hermes is the source of Pythagoras (and therefore very early as in the old tradition). According to Kepler, Trismegistus says to his son Tat, "Unitas secundum rationem Denarium complectitur, rursumque Denarius unitatem. Ille fisus veteribus, qui vim Harmoniarum ex numeris abstractis esse credebant, sat habet, si quas inter partes concordantiam esse dcmonstrabit, eas numeris quomodocunque comprehendat, nulla cura, cujusmodi unitates illo numero accumulentur: ego nuspiam doceo quaerere Harmonias, ubi res, inter quas sunt Harmoniae, non possunt mensurari eadem quantitatis mensura. Think of what the position of Giordano Bruno would have been amidst all these controversies! Of Giordano Bruno, one of whose four "guides" of the soul was "mathesis"; who read Hermetic meanings into the Copernican diagram; for whom a compass was not a compass but a hieroglyph; who wrote a book "against mathematicians" illustrated with wildly mystical diagrams. Surely he would have been on the side of the Hermetists, of Fludd (though he would not have been sufficiently "Egyptian" for Bruno), and of the Rosicrucians. This magician, animist, Hermetist had, in fact, been particularly dangerous because he had had a religious mission. Bruno himself, however, would not have regarded this as necessarily anti-Christian since, as we have seen, he entertained the strange hope that the reform would come within an existing religious framework. If Mersenne knew this he would certainly not have been mollified but confirmed in his view of the danger to orthodox Christianity of Renaissance magic. His clear view of this danger was, indeed, the chief motive behind his determined efforts to stamp it out. He, however, lost his favour among Anglicans, was imprisoned in the Tower for a month, and returned to Switzerland, which he soon afterwards left for Paris and then Toulouse, where in 1619 he was burned. He has sometimes been compared to Bruno, whose career his own certainly resembles since he travelled in the same countries, though not in the same order, and ended at the stake. It might have been as an Invisible One that Bruno would have returned to Paris had he been alive in the seventeenth century. Thus in these momentous years when the Renaissance world is cracking and the modern world is rising from its ruins, currents and counter-currents still running strongly out of the past swirl 1 round the protagonists in the epic struggle, the outlines of which are not as yet clear to the spectators. Mersenne1 and Descartes were suspected of being Rosicrucians because of their recondite interests. The seventeenth century is the creative period of modern science, and the Fludd controversies come at the crucial moment when the new turn begins to be made, when the mechanical philosophy of nature provided the hypothesis and the development of mathematics provided the tool for the first decisive victory of man over nature. For "the whole magnificent movement of modern science is essentially of a piece; the later biological and sociological branches took over their basic postulates from the earlier victorious mechanics. The phenomenon of Galileo derives from the continuous development in Middle Ages and Renaissance of the rational tradition of Greek science, and it is for this that Mersenne stands as he beats off the terrible magicians. The history of science can explain and follow the various stages leading to the emergence of modern science in the seventeenth century, but it does not explain why this happened at this time, why there was this intense new interest in the world of nature and its workings. A new centre of interest arises, surrounded by an emotional excitement; the mind turns whither the will has directed it, and new attitudes, new discoveries follow. Behind the emergence of modern science there was a new direction of the will towards the world, its marvels, and mysterious workings, a new longing and determination to understand those workings and to operate with them. It begins in the late fifteenth century when Ficino translates the newly discovered Corpus Hermeticum. Within the period of his reign the new world views, the new attitudes, the new motives which were to lead to the emergence of modern science made their appearance. The procedures with which the Magus attempted to operate have nothing to do with genuine science. The question is, did they stimulate the will towards genuine science and its operations? In an earlier chapter in this book I suggested that they did, giving as an example John Dee, who on one level of his mind is a genuine mathematician, in the line leading to the scientific advances, and on another level is attempting to summon angels with practical Cabala. Much more detailed "ferreting out" of the motives behind the work of Renaissance scientists is needed before more positive statements can be made as to the influence upon them of the dominant Hermetic-Cabalist tradition. Taking a very long view down the avenues of time a beautiful and coherent fine of development suggests itself-perhaps too beautiful and coherent to be quite true. The late antique world, unable to carry Greek science forward any further, turned to the religious cult of the world and its accompanying occultisms and magics of which the writings of "Hermes Trismegistus" are an expression. The appearance of the Magus as an ideal at this time was, as Festugiere has said, a retreat from reason into the occult. Hence, it is now suggested, when "Hermes Trismegistus" and all that he stood for is rediscovered in the Renaissance, the return to the occult this time stimulates the genuine science. The emerging modern science is still clothed in what might be described as a Hermetic atmosphere. The Hermetic impulse as a motive force behind imaginative formulation of a new cosmology is exemplified by Giordano Bruno. From the new approach to him put forward in this book, Bruno once more swings into place as an important landmark in the history of thought, not for the old wrong reasons but for the new right ones. Ever since Domenico Berti2 revived him as the hero who died rather than renounce his scientific conviction of the truth of the Copernican theory, the martyr for modern science, the philosopher who broke with medieval Aristotelianism and ushered in the modern world, Bruno has been in a false position. Bruno was an out-and-out magician, an "Egyptian" and Hermetist of the deepest dye, for whom the 1 F. Sweeping away the theological superstructure which the Christian Hermetists had evolved, using Cabala only as subsidiary to Magia, Bruno is a pure naturalist whose religion is the natural religion of the pseudo-Egyptian Hermetic Asclepius. Through a Hermetic interpretation of Copernicus and Lucretius, Bruno arrives at his astonishing vision of an infinite extension of the divine as reflected in nature. The earth moves because it is alive around a sun of Egyptian magic; the planets as living stars perform their courses with her; innumerable other worlds, moving and alive like great animals, people an infinite universe. The philosophy of Giordano Bruno, instead of being studied as has been done in the past in isolation from its true historical context,1 can now be examined by historians of thought as a remarkably complete example of a Hermetic world view in the immediately pre-scientific age. The history of attitudes to Bruno would make a fascinating study, the material for which is ready to hand in the monumental Bibliografia. Moreover, the mechanistic world view established by the seventeenth-century revolution has been in its turn superseded by the amazing latest developments of scientific knowledge. It may be illuminating to view the scientific revolution as in two phases, the first phase consisting of an animistic universe operated by magic, the second phase of a mathematical universe operated by mechanics. An enquiry into both phases, and their interactions, may be a more fruitful line of historical approach to the problems raised by the science of to-day1 than the fine which concentrates only on the seventeenth-century triumph. Is not all science a gnosis, an insight into the nature of the All, which proceeds by successive revelations? We are completely in the atmosphere of the Hermetic trance, of that sleep of the senses in which truth is revealed. Bruno probably arrived at this through the introduction of magical animism into the Lucretian cosmology (see above, pp. At about diis time, says Baillet, Descartes had almost given up his favourite study of mathematics and geometry which seemed to him to have no certainty. It will not do for Descartes, who was looking for a "Science generale" which might be called "Mathesis, ou Mathematique universelle". A transition has been made to an epoch in which what is still a Hermetic, almost a "Rosicrucian", impulse towards the world results in valid scientific intuitions. But may not the intensive Hermetic training of the imagination towards the world have prepared the way for Descartes to cross that inner frontier? He provisionally solved the problem in a very crude way, by his so-called dualism, "one world consisting of a huge mathematical machine, extended in space; and another world consisting of unextended thinking spirits.
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Therefore chemo-sensitization of prostate cancer cells could be a promising strategy for increasing efficacy of the conventional chemotherapeutic agents in prostate cancer patients diabetes test strips gold order glucotrol xl 10 mg line. We aimed to study the effects of the natural naphthoquinone Shikonin in human prostate cancer cells diabetes prevention in spanish buy generic glucotrol xl 10 mg. Results: the results indicated that Shikonin induces apoptosis in prostate cancer cells through the dual induction of the endoplasmic reticulum stress and mitochondrial dysfunction diabetes mellitus pregnancy order glucotrol xl 10 mg online. Despite the initial response to androgen deprivation diabetes symptoms leg cramps cheap glucotrol xl 10mg with amex, the disease gradually progresses to a hormone-refractory state due to cumulative genetic alterations resulting in progressive clinical deterioration [2] diabetes mellitus uns discount glucotrol xl 10 mg line. Despite the recent advances in diagnostic methods and improvement in treatment strategies mostly * Correspondence: dpm@cdri diabetes insipidus critical care purchase glucotrol xl 10mg with amex. Therefore there is a urgent need for expedited development of effective therapeutic agents against hormone refractory prostate cancers. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License creativecommons. Shikonin, a natural naphthaquinone compound from the herb Lithospermum erythrorhizon is known to act on a variety of molecular targets associated with carcinogenesis and shows similar potency towards drug sensitive and drugresistant cancer cell lines [11-17]. Furthermore, Shikonin is used as a food additive in many countries and has favorable toxicity, pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic profiles [15,16,18]. The details of the cell lines used in this study are summarized in the (Additional file 1: Table S1). The antibodies used in this study were purchased from Santa Cruz Biotechnology Inc. The dye was dissolved in dimethyl sulfoxide, and dilutions were made in culture medium. At the end of the incubation period adherent cells were trypsinized and collected. For each experiment, fluorometric measurements were performed in triplicate and expressed as fluorescence intensity units. Calpain activity assays mitochondria, indicated by a fluorescence emission shift from green (527 nm) to red (590 nm). After injury to mitochondria, is reduced and an increase in green fluorescence is observed. The ratio of the reading at 590 nm to the reading at 530 nm (590:530 ratio) was considered as the relative value. Results Shikonin inhibits proliferation of prostate cancer cells without affecting normal prostate epithelial cells the protein content of the control and treated cell extracts was measured by the Bradford assay. Membranes were blocked, incubated with primary antibodies at the appropriate concentration, and subsequently incubated with horseradish peroxidase-conjugated goat anti-rabbit IgG or goat anti-mouse IgG (1:5000 dilution). Labeled bands were detected by Immobilion western chemiluminescence horseradish peroxidase kit and images were captured. Consistent with earlier studies shikonin inhibited viability of a variety of non-prostate cancer cell types while sparing the normal cell types (Additional file 2: Figure S1). Furthermore, Shikonin inhibited proliferation of prostate cancer cells in a dose dependent manner (Additional file 2: Figure S2). Journal of Biomedical Science (2015) 22:26 Page 4 of 12 Figure 1 Shikonin treatment selectively induces apoptosis in prostate cancer cells. Collectively, these results indicated that shikonin inhibited proliferation of the prostate cancer cells through induction of apoptotic cell death. Shikonin treated prostate cancer cells were analyzed for calpain activity as described in as described in material and methods. Shikonin treatment induced significant loss of mitochondrial membrane potential (Figure 1A) and modulated pro-anti-apoptotic mitochondrial proteins expression (Figure 1B) in these cells. Ratio of 590/530 nm was measured by flow cytometry as described in material and methods. Cells were treated with Shikonin for 0-24 h, expression of indicated mitochondrial proteins were performed as described in Methods. These results suggested that shikonin alters the levels of pro- and antiapoptotic proteins of the Bcl-2 family in a manner that contributes to the shikonin-induced apoptosis. Additionally we also observed that either inhibition of caspase 9, 3 or Salubrinal prevented Shikonin induced reduction of cell viability (Figure 7A), and formation of apoptotic bodies in these cells (Figure 7B) as a marker of apoptotic cell death. Discussion Shikonin effectively induces apoptosis, necrosis and necroptosis in cancer cells [10,14,23]. Shikonin is known to selective killing of prostate cancer cell types, while sparing normal cells [14]. Protein expression was measured by western blotting as described in the Methods section. Prostate cancer cells were pretreated with Salubrinal (10 M), caspase 3 and 9 activity were performed by colorimetric assay as described in material and method section. The members of the Bcl-2 family of proteins are important regulators of apoptotic cell death [38]. However the group pretreated with Salubrinal significantly reversed the Shikonin induced effect in both cell types. Until recently, Bcl-2 proteins were thought to regulate the mitochondrial-mediated apoptotic pathway exclusively [38,39]. The present results also indicate that the reduced expression of antiapoptotic Bcl-2 protein and the increased expression of the proapoptotic Bax protein facilitated the Shikonin-mediated cell death of these cells (Figure 6), which increases the ratio of Bax/Bcl-2. This may be responsible for the concomitant execution phase of apoptosis observed in these cells, which included the disruption of the mitochondrial membrane (Figure 6). As the level of cytochrome c increases in the cytosol, it leads to the activation of the procaspase-9 and caspase- 3 [44]. Activated caspase-3 is the key executioner of apoptosis and the cleaved caspase-3 leads to the cleavage Gara et al. Natural compounds like shikonin might have multiple cellular targets in order to achieve their biological beneficial effects such as tumor growth inhibition [14,16]. A previous study using prostate cancer cells had indicated that the tumor proteasomal chymotrypsin subunit is one of the cellular as well as in vivo biological targets of shikonin [46]. Our results are consistent with is study as it demonstrates that shikonin with established proteasomal inhibitory activity induces apoptosis through induction of reactive oxygen species and endoplasmic reticulum stress-in prostate cancer cells [47] (Figure 7C). Inhibition of caspase activity (Pan caspase, caspase-9 and caspase-3 activities) reverses Shikonin induced inhibition of cell viability in prostate cancer cells, indicating sequential activation of caspases. This ability of Shikonin to induce dual pathways of cell death underscores its potential as a chemotherapeutic agent against hormone refractory prostate cancers need for further evaluation using in vivo models. Shikonin treatment inhibits cell viabilities of multiple cancer cells while sparing normal cell types. Shikonin treatment inhibits cellular proliferation of prostate cancer cells while sparing normal prostate Received: 10 August 2014 Accepted: 6 March 2015 References 1. Monensin is a potent inducer of oxidative stress and inhibitor of androgen signaling leading to apoptosis in prostate cancer cells. Current standard and investigational approaches to the management of hormone-refractory prostate cancer. Genistein induces apoptosis in human hepatocellular carcinomas via interaction of endoplasmic reticulum stress and mitochondrial insult. Berberine-induced apoptosis in human glioblastoma T98G cells is mediated by endoplasmic reticulum stress accompanying reactive oxygen species and mitochondrial dysfunction. Chemotherapeutic sensitization by endoplasmic reticulum stress: increasing the efficacy of taxane against prostate cancer. Shikonin directly targets mitochondria and causes mitochondrial dysfunction in cancer cells. Shikonin inhibits the proliferation and induces the apoptosis of human HepG2 cells. Topoisomerase I inhibitors, shikonin and topotecan, inhibit growth and induce apoptosis of glioma cells and glioma stem cells. Critical roles of intracellular thiols and calcium in parthenolide-induced apoptosis in human colorectal cancer cells. An involvement of oxidative stress in endoplasmic reticulum stress and its associated diseases. Reactive oxygen species-mediated endoplasmic reticulum stress contributes to aldosterone-induced apoptosis in tubular epithelial cells. Calpain and reactive oxygen species targets Bax for mitochondrial permeabilisation and caspase activation in zerumbone induced apoptosis. Role of intracellular calcium in proteasome inhibitor-induced endoplasmic reticulum stress, autophagy, and cell death. Shikonin-induced apoptosis involves caspase-3 activity in a human bladder cancer cell line (T24). Coupling endoplasmic reticulum stress to the cell death program in mouse melanoma cells: effect of curcumin. Shikonin exerts antitumor activity via proteasome inhibition and cell death induction in vitro and in vivo. By hypothesis, three fundamental organelles: the mitochondria, the photosynthetic plastids and the (9+2) basal bodies of flagella were themselves once free-living (prokaryotic) cells. The evolution of photosynthesis under the anaerobic conditions of the early atmosphere to form anaerobic bacteria, photosynthetic bacteria and eventually blue-green algae (and protoplastids) is described. The subsequent evolution of aerobic metabolism in prokaryotes to form aerobic bacteria (protoflagella and protomitochondria) presumably occurred during the transition to the oxidizing atmosphere. Classical mitosis evolved in protozoan-type cells millions of years after the evolution of photosynthesis. A plausible scheme for the origin of classical mitosis in primitive amoeboflagellates is presented. During the course of the evolution of mitosis, photosynthetic plastids (themselves derived from prokaryotes) were symbiotically acquired by some of these protozoans to form the eukaryotie algae and the green plants. The cytological, biochemical and paleontological evidence for this theory is presented, along with suggestions for further possible experimental verification. The implications of this scheme for the systematics of the lower organisms is discussed. Prokaryotic cells include the eubacteria, the blue-green algae, the gliding bacteria, the budding bacteria, the pleuropneumonia-like organisms, the spirochaetes and rickettsias, etc. Eukaryotic cells, of course, are the familiar components of plants and animals, molds and protozoans, and all other "higher" organisms. They contain subcellular organelles such as mitochondria and membrane-bounded nuclei and have many other features in common. In fact, this basic divergence in cellular structure which separates the bacteria and blue-green algae T. This paper presents a theory of the origin of this discontinuity between eukaryotic (mitosing or "higher") and prokaryotic cells. Specifically, the mitochondria, the (9 + 2) basal bodies of the flagella, and the photosynthetic plastids can all be considered to have derived from free-living cells, and the eukaryotic cell is the result of the evolution of ancient symbioses. Although these ideas are not new [Merechowsky (1910) & Minchin (1915)in Wilson (1925), WaUin (1927), Lederberg (1952), Haldane (1954), Ris & Plaut (1962)], t in this paper they have been synthesized in such a way as to be consistent with recent data on the biochemistry and cytology of subcellular organeUes. In accord with both the fossil record and this theory, the lower eukaryotes (protozoans, eukaryotic algae and fungi) can now be included on a single phylogenetic tree. In contrast to previous thought on the subject (Cronquist, 1960; Dougherty & Allen, 1960; Fritsch, 1935), many aspects of this theory are verifiable by modern techniques of molecular biology. In defending the idea that the eukaryotic cell arose by a specific series of endosymbioses, a plausible scheme for the origin of mitosis itself emerges. The second part is a compilation of the scientific literature in support of the sequences presented first. The last section suggests some experimental results which can be predicted from the theory. Such cells arose under reducing conditions of the primitive terrestrial atmosphere (4. All earlier events leading to the origin of a population of free-living entities upon which natural selection could act. The following is considered to be a plausible historical sequence: photodisassociation of water vapor in the upper atmosphere resulted in the escape of free hydrogen which led to the production of molecular oxygen. This threatened the highly reduced nucleic acid of early self-replicating cellular systems. Genes coding for the pathways involved in the syntheses of such chelated porphyrins. Such oxygen elimination by microbial photosynthesizers increased the partial pressure of oxygen in the atmosphere. In the anaerobic respirers, the abundance, at least in some locations, of free oxygen led to the evolution of the final and aerobic step in respiration, i. Among autotrophic microbes which used porphyrins in anaerobic photosynthesis in the light, mutants which could use these same porphyrins for aerobic respiration in the absence of light were eventually selected for. They continued to eliminate gaseous oxygen in photosynthesis and further accelerated the transition to the oxidizing atmosphere. Thus, some time after the origin of the earth and before the deposition of oxidized rocks and micro-fossils-a period of about 2400 million years-populations of prokaryotes with the major photosynthetic and respiratory metabolic capabilities evolved (4. The geological evidence indicates oxygen was present in the atmosphere as early as 2. By this time, then, all production of abiogenic organic matter must have come to a halt; not only was its source of energy removed by ozone absorption of ultraviolet light in the upper atmosphere, but such organic matter, if it were produced, would have been rapidly oxidized (Abelson, 1963). Therefore all terrestrial life became dependent, either directly or indirectly, upon cellular photosynthesis before 1. To insure replication of their nucleic acids, heterotrophs were forced to eat organic matter produced by photosynthetic or chemoautotrophic processes. It is suggested that the first step in the origin of eukaryotes from prokaryotes was related to survival in the new oxygen-containing atmosphere: an aerobic prokaryotic microbe.
If you have any of these tree species growing nearby diabetes medicine online discount 10mg glucotrol xl amex, you might be able to get fresh chips from your local highway department or garden center metabolic disease in pregnancy effective 10 mg glucotrol xl, or you could chip your own diabetes service dogs in illinois generic glucotrol xl 10 mg on-line. Chips produced from trees in winter or early spring are best diabetes mellitus in young dogs purchase glucotrol xl 10mg free shipping, since they will be highest in sugars and contain a minimum of leafY matter blood sugar right after eating generic glucotrol xl 10 mg amex, which can be a vector for contamination in beds diabetes videos buy discount glucotrol xl 10mg line. Sometimes you can get hardwood chips locally through barbeque suppliers, who sell them for use in food smokers If you do not have access to hardwoods locally, wood chips can be purchased online. Finely chipped wood chips of beech or maple are sold as animal bedding (Beta-Chip and SaniChip are two brands to look out for), but these are generally too fine to use alone, and must be combined with larger chips of some kind. Stove pellets make a good source of sawdust for substrates-just be sure to get a brand made exclusively from hardwoods. They are also sold as fuel for food smokers in a variety of tree species, includi~ alder and oak. The spiral groove around the outside of the peg provides a maximal surface area from which the mycelium can leap off onto subsequent substrates. The loose, open structure and limited nutritional content of paper nk1kes it ideal for the longterm maintenance of most mushroom species. Peat Moss Ii" A component of casing soil (see chapter 10), peat moss is sold in garden centers everywhere. While it has little nutritional value, its high waterholding capacity provides moisture to the developing fruitbodies. It is used for its waterholding capacity, and its fluffY, open structure, which allows proper gas exchange. Apparently, there was a single vermiculite mine in Montana that was contaminated with asbestos, and it was shut down. Nevertheless, vermiculite and similar materials (like peat and calcium salts) do contain a lot of very fine particulates, which can be harmful if inhaled. Water Crystals, / " Made from a synthetic polymer chemically related to super glue, these crystals can absorb four hundred times their weight in water, and then release it slowly back into their surroundings. They are used in agriculture and gardening to conserve water usage and to protect plants from drying out completely between waterings. In mushroom cultivation, they are added to casing soil to help maintain adequate moisture levels. The crystals come in two varieties: those made from sodium or others made from potassium. Since high levels of sodium are harmful to many fungi, be sure to get the kind made from potassium. More likely than not you live in a country that has (however ridiculous the notion) deem. While the authorities can do little to truly contain these organisms (no more so than if they were to ban the mold growing on your shower curtain), they could very well imprison you for cavorting with them. If, in the end, you decide that the rewards outweigh the risks (as we believe they do), we urge you to exercise caution when doing anything illicit. Come up with plausible alternative meanings for your purchases, even if you only tell them to yourself the 50-pound bag of v;heat berries is to grind your own bread flour, the malt is for your next bat! Ideally, you know someone who grows or has grown these mushrooms, and he or she will you a spore print or two to along with some advice yet, a copy of this book). Perhaps you live in a region where these mushrooms grow wild (the A homemade spore syringe 48 I Equipment and Supplies Gulf Coast states for Psilocybe cubensis and the Pacific Northwest, for P. If not, then you are, like most people, left with one option: purchase your spores online or by mail order and jeopardize your anonymity. Research your source well; the most reputable vendors are likely to have been in business for some time, and are in the business of being discreet. The best ones accept cash payments in the mail, and claim to destroy all customer records after fulfilling the order. To this end, we have provided in appendix C a list of vendors we consider trustworthy and discreet based upon our own research (at the time of this writing, at least). Equipment and Supplies I 49 50 Psilocybe: the Species PsilDcybe aubensis Color Section I 51 A flush of P. Color Section i 75 Mycelium and Agar Top: Mycelium growing onto cardboard from a stem butt of Psi/ocybe azurescens [pp. For many Psilocybe mushroom cultivators nowadays, this method is the first system they are exposed to , so we felt it was important that we cover it in our book, even if we do not recommend it as a general practice. Since it is as close to foolproof as a mushroom cultivation method can get, it is a good place for a beginner to start. It requires a minimum investment of time and expense and exposes the novice to the entire life cycle of a mushroom in a relatively short time. Seeing this process up close and firsthand will allow you to understand the principles underlying the more complex procedures that follow. If you choose to begin your mushroom cultivation with a Psilocybe cubensis spore-water syringe rather than a spore print, this method is a good way to put it to use (though not the only one: you could also use it to directly inoculate grain spawn, as we explain in chapter 8). The technique allows one to produce a pure fruiting strain of P mbensis very quickly, with a minimum of intervening steps. Even though this method is quite simple and virtually foolproof, it does have a number of drawbacks. First of all, the mushrooms are grown out on a mixture of brown rice flour and vermiculite in 1h-pint containers. By weight and volume, these substrates contain relatively little in the way of nutrition, and therefore yields are correspondingly low. Similar volumes of wheat berries can support far larger fruitings, and can be processed in much greater quantities. As we have already mentioned, we think it best to patronize these companies as little as possible. Learning traditional agar and grain methods allows you to work with materials that can be purchased from less risky sources. A thin layer of dry vermicu~e is placed over this, followed by a few layers of aluminum foil. The brown rice flour provides a balanced nutrient base for the fungus to colonize, while the vermiculite serves as a reserve for water and helps to create an open, airy structure, allowing the growing cultures to breathe. The top foil layer is replaced, and then the jars are placed in an incubator or a warm, draft-free spot. In time, the spores will germinate and fuse with a suitable mate to form a dikaryotic mycelium. The large numbers of spores in each injection insures that mating will occur, and that each jar contains a wide variety of strains. The many strains present compete to colonize the jar, with the most vigorous (and by eA. After several weeks or so, the jars should be fully colonized, and are ready to be fruited. The fruiting chamber is placed beneath a light source (fluorescent grow lights connected to a timer or even a brightly lit window). In time, primordia form on the outer surface of the cake and eventually mature into full-sized mushrooms. Instead, the jars are placed into any clear enclosed container, or even a plastic bag, perforated to allow gas exchange. Two, the need for high ambient humidity is reduced, because the top layer of pure vermiculite acts as a casing layer, holding a reservoir of water that the developing fruits can draw upon. Since fruiting is restricted to a horizontal surface, the mushro01115 that form retain a much more natural appearance and shape. The original "cake" method, on the other hand, tends to produce fruits of bizarre shapes and sizes, since they form at random points around the cake. If, as in our method, the stipes are already pointing in the right direction, they naturally grow straight and tall. After you have pelformed this method once or twice, you will be more than familiar with the basic mushroom life cycle, and ready to move on. Materials 40 mL (scant l /4 cup) organic brown rice flour (per jar) 140 mL Ciz cup) vermiculite (per jar), plus extra for casing layer Water liz-pint (~250 mL) mason jars Aluminum foil Spore-water syringe(s) Alcohol lamp or butane lighter Rubbing alcohol Material Notes: Brown rice flour is available at some health food stores, or you can grind your own in a mini coffee grinder or spice mill. The jars should be straight sided Gelly jars), without the shoulders present on larger-sized canning jars. Sterilization Note: this method contains the one instance in this book where we describe a boiling water bath sterilization of a substrate as an alternative to pressure-cooking. The water bath process is effective, but not 100% reliable; some percentage of jars prepared \rith it will still be likely to contaminate. If you have a pressure cooker, you should use it here too; if not, now is as good a time as any to get one. Depending on the number of jars you will inoculate (a 10 mL syringe contains enough solution to inoculate 8-10 jars), place the required amount of vermiculite in a bowl. Into the main bowl of vermiculite, add water a littleft a time, stirring as you go, until the mixture can hold no more and tliere is just a slight excess of water at the bottom of the bowl. The vermiculite should now be at "field capacity," meaning that it contains the maximum amount of water it can comfortably hold. Pour the brown rice flour into the bowl and mix well, coating the vermiculite grains with a layer of moistened flour. Spoon this mixture into the jars, leaving a level 1/2-inch (1-centimeter) gap at the top. Place it into the jars loosely and do not pack it down; keeping an open, airy structure will allow the mycelium to breath and grow at an optimum rate. Take a damp paper towel and wipe down the sides and around the inside rims of the jars to thoroughly remove any stray substrate, which could otherwise become a source of contamination. This layer will initially act as a barrier to contaminants, which, should they somehow find their way inside the jar, would be prevented from coming into contact with the substrate. Take two 5-inch square pieces of aluminum foil and wrap them tightly over the mouth of the jar. Load the jars into your pressure cooker, along with the appropriate amount of water, and sterilize the jars at 15 psi for 45 minutes. Check occasionally to make sure the water level remains constant, adding water as necessary. When the jars have cooled to room temperature, place them onto a clean work surface, along with the spore-water syringe and alcohol lamp. Remove the cover from the syringe, wipe the needle with an alcoholmoistened, clean paper towel or cotton ball, and then hold the tip of the needle in the flame of your lamp until it just begins to glow red (be careful to keep the plastic end of the needle away from the flame, and be sure to exercise caution when using alcohol near an open flame. Working one jar at a time, remove the top layer of foil, shake the syringe gently to disperse the spore solution, and inject a small amount into the jar at four equally spaced points just inside the inner rim. Insert the needle 1 inch (2 em) into the jar so that its point is past the dry vermiculite layer, and then squeeze out a few drops. Inject all of the jars in the same way, and then replace the top layer of foil and lid (if using) on each of them. Phase 3: Incubation the jars should be incubated in a warm, draft-free location, in the 75-85° F range. If the temperature in your home is consistently within this range, then simply storing them in a clean box should be sufficient. If not, an incubator box will insure healthy and rapid growth, and is simple to construct from a cooler and a items you can purchase from the reptile department of a pet store. Set the controller on its lowest setting, and let the cooler warm up for a few hours before adjusting it gradually upwards until it reaches a steady 80" or so. Situate the heating mat on one side of the cooler, and stack your jars on the opposite side, as far from direct heat as possible. Depending on the ambient temperature of the room, you may need to occasionally adjust the thermostat to keep a constant temperature inside the cooler. In this case, rather than constructing an elaborate refrigeration device, your best bet is to store them in a closed container in a cool spot in your home, such as an unheated basement. If no such place is available to you, this would be a good time to take a break for a while, until outside temperatures have cooled sufficiently to resume cultivation. Phase 4: Germination/Colonization Within a week or so, you should begin to see the first signs of spore germination in your jars. Look for tiny pinpoints of bright white fuzzy growth, usually near the base of the jar directly below the injection points. In time, these tiny colonies will radiate outward to form individual spheres of mycelium. In 10 days to a few weeks, the spheres inside each jar will join one another, and the jar will be fully colonized. The most common offenders will be molds, which tend to have highly colored spores in hues of blue, green, black, or pink. Bacterial contamination, on the other hand, will appear as spots of wet, sticky blobs on the inner surface of the jar, and may be accompanied by a sour or rotten apple smell. Always remember to dispose of contaminated culture containers away from your work and growing areas, and clean the containers thoroughly before bringing them back into your workspace. At this point, you will remove the lids and foil, moisten the top layer of vermiculite, and place the jars below a light source, either artificial light provided by a dedicated fluorescent "grow" light or a brighdy lit window. Because R cubetlSis requires light to stimulate fruiting, and you want to limit fruiting to the upper surface of the cakes, you need to somehow restrict light exposure to only that area of the jars. One simple method we have used is to place the jars inside short pieces of cardboard tubing, like the type used to store posters, cut to come just above the rim. Wipe a clean fork with some alcohol, allow it to evaporate, and then gently scrape (not scrape off) the dry vermiculite layer all the way down to the top of the cake below, to break up and evenly distribute the mycelial fragments within. Take a spray mister of clean water and mist the vermiculite until it is saturated (it will darken slightly in color; as soon as you can see free flowing water, that is enough. Repeat with each jar, cleaning the fork each time to avoid inadvertently spreading contaminants.
References