Characterization of haemolytic phospholipase A2 activity in clinical isolates of Campylobacter concisus

A membrane-bound, haemolytic phospholipase A2 (PLA2) activity was detected in clinical strains of Campylobacter concisus isolated from children with gastroenteritis. The clinical strains were assigned into two molecular groups (genomospecies) based on PCR amplification of their 23S rDNA. This calcium-dependent, heat-stable, haemolytic PLA2 activity was detected in strains from both genomospecies. A crude haemolysin extract (CHE) was initially prepared from cellular outer-membrane proteins of these isolates and was further fractionated by ultrafiltration. The haemolytic activity of the extracted fraction (R30) was retained by ultrafiltration using a 30 kDa molecular mass cut-off filter, and was designated haemolysin extract (HE). Both CHE and HE had PLA2 activity and caused stable vacuolating and cytolytic effects on Chinese hamster ovary cells in tissue culture. Primers for the conserved region of pldA gene (phospholipase A gene) from Campylobacter coli amplified a gene region of 460 bp in all tested isolates, confirming the presence of a homologous PLA gene sequence in C. concisus. The detection of haemolytic PLA₂ activity in C. concisus indicates the presence of a potential virulence factor in this species and supports the hypothesis that C. concisus is a possible opportunistic pathogen.

Molecular phylogenetic relationships between Albugo candida collections on the Brassicaceae in Australia

Recent phylogenetic analyses of Albugo candida using the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit II (cox2) gene, the nuclear ribosomal RNA large subunit (LSU) gene and the nuclear ribosomal RNA internal transcribed spacer (ITS) gene region have revealed significant genetic variation and led to the description of new species in the A. candida complex. This study examined the genetic diversity within Australian collections of A. candida from various Brassicaceae species in a range of geographic locations. Phylogenetic analysis of 31 Australian A. candida collections from 11 hosts using the rDNA ITS region, rDNA LSU region and cox2 mtDNA showed that the majority of Australian A. candida collections were the common form of A. candida. One collection from a common weed host, hairy bitter cress (Cardamine hirsuta), was found to belong to a previously reported but undescribed species, while three collections, also from C. hirsuta, were found to belong to a new undescribed species.

Molecular identification of marine yeast and its spectroscopic analysis establishes unsaturated fatty acid accumulation

Marine microbes are competent organisms, some of which can accumulate large amounts of lipids. A yeast strain, Rhodotorula mucilaginosa AMCQ8A was isolated from the marine water of the Queenscliff region, Victoria, Australia. The yeast isolate was identified by sequencing 18s rDNA genes. Scanning electron microscopy images revealed scars on the surface of the yeast cells. The Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy microspectroscopy studies demonstrated the presence of unsaturated fatty acids by differential microscopic analysis. The sharp band at 1745 cm^-1 was represented by ν(C=O) stretches of ester functional groups from lipids and fats, and therefore indicated the presence of total lipids produced by the cells. Over 65% of the fatty acids from the yeast strain were analyzed as C¹⁶ and C^18:1 with omega-3 content from about 6% to 7%. Thus, this marine-derived yeast could be a potential source of lipids, including omega-3 fatty acids. 2012, The Society for Biotechnology, Japan. All rights reserved.

Internal consistency and validity of the Stroke Impact Scale 2.0 (SIS 2.0) and SIS - 16 in an Australian sample

Background and Purpose: The impact of stroke is multidimensional however standard stroke measures do not discriminate well when stroke patients are less physically impaired. The Stroke Impact Scale 2.0 (SIS 2.0) is a multidimensional measure of the impact of stroke but its'' psychometric properties require further testing. The SIS-16 is a measure of physical functioning designed to be more sensitive to differences in physical functioning than current stroke outcome measures but there is only preliminary information detailing its'' reliability and validity. The current study examined the internal consistency and validity of the SIS 2.0 and SIS-16 in an Australian sample of stroke patients. Methods: The SIS 2.0, SIS-16, World Health Organization Bref-Scale (WHOQOL-BREF) and Zung''s Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS) were completed by 74 stroke patients in rural Victoria, Australia.
Results: The item convergent validity index indicated good item convergence of the SIS-16 and SIS 2.0 domains. The item discriminant validity index had only adequate divergence for most SIS 2.0 domains. Internal consistencies of the SIS-16 and SIS 2.0 domains were acceptable (agr = 0.87–0.95). Correlations between the SIS-16 and SIS 2.0 and the WHOQOL-BREF and SDS supported the convergent and discriminant validity of the SIS-16 and all the dimensions of the SIS 2.0 except lsquoParticipationrsquo which lacked discriminant validity. Conclusions: The SIS 2.0 and SIS-16 had good psychometric properties with support for the internal consistency and validity of both measures.

Economic deprivation and its effects on subjective wellbeing in families of people with multiple sclerosis

Background: There has been limited research on the role of financial strain on the adjustment of people with multiple sclerosis.

Aims: This study examined the financial costs of MS and the impact of financial strain on the quality of life and adjustment of people with MS and their families.

Methods: Interviews were conducted with 16 health professionals, 26 people with MS and 11 family members of people who have MS.

Results: Economic deprivation impacted on the subjective well being of many families living with MS. Concerns included adjustment to a lower income if the person with MS reduced or ceased work, and meeting the costs of home alterations, mobility equipment, and special transport. The additional cost of living with MS is a stress factor, especially for people dependent on disability support pensions.

Conclusions: It is anticipated that the findings from this study will raise the awareness of health professionals and politicians regarding the potential impact of financial stress on people with MS and their families.

Evalutaion of the implementation of the folate-neural tube defect health claim and its impact on the availability of folate-fortified food in Australia

Objective: To evaluate the implementation of the folate-neural tube defect (NTD) health claim and its impact on the availability of folate-fortifed food in Australia.

Methods: During late 2005, a survey was conducted in 16 supermarkets across all Australian capital cities to identify the use of the folate-NTD health claim on the labels of the 128 food products listed in food standard 1.1A.2: 'Transitional standard - Health claims' and the number of products fortifed with folic acid.

Results: Seventy-nine per cent of existing listed food products were found and two of these were implementing the folate-NTD health claim. Forty-four per cent of these listed products, previously fortifed with folic acid, were no longer fortifed. One hundred and seventeen generally available food products were fortifed with folic acid, predominantly breakfast cereals (73%). Twenty-seven per cent of these folate-fortifed products were listed in the transitional standard.

Conclusions: The health claim was not used widely to inform women of child-bearing age of the importance of periconceptional folate intake. The increased availability of folate-fortifed products generally has occurred independently of the health claim. Defciencies in the verifcation system of the tested regulatory framework are identifed. The voluntary regulatory provisions for both folate fortifcation and the use of the health claim diminished the States' infuence over their implementation of public health tools.

Characterization of the zebrafish matrix metalloproteinase 9 gene and its developmental expression pattern

Members of the matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) family are important for the remodeling of the extracellular matrix in a number of biological processes including a variety of immune responses. Two members of the family, MMP2 and MMP9, are highly expressed in specific myeloid cell populations in which they play a role in the innate immune response. To further expand the repertoire of molecular reagents available to study zebrafish myeloid cell development, the matrix metalloproteinase 9 (mmp9) gene from this organism has been identified and characterized. The encoded protein is 680 amino acids with high homology to known MMP9 proteins, particularly those of other teleost fish. Maternal transcripts of mmp9 are deposited in the oocyte and dispersed throughout the early embryo. These are replaced by specific zygotic transcripts in the notochord from 12 h post fertilization (hpf) and also transiently in the anterior mesoderm from 14 to 16 h post fertilization. From 24 h post fertilization, mmp9 expression was detected in a population of circulating white blood cells that are distinct from macrophages, and which migrate to the site of trauma, and so likely represent zebrafish heterophils. In the adult, mmp9 expression was most prominent in the splenic cords, a site occupied by mature myeloid cells in other species. These results suggest that mmp9 will serve as a useful marker of mature myeloid cells in the zebrafish.

T.S. Eliot`s idea of the clerisy, and its discussion by Karl Mannheim and Michael Polanyi in the context of J.H. Oldham`s moot

In 1938, Joseph Oldham, a leading British Christian ecumenist, formed a discussion group that came to be known as the Moot. The Moot met in a retreat setting for several long weekends each year until early 1947, its discussions carefully organized and convened by Oldham. More than anything else, the discussions of the Moot revolved around the topic of order and, more particularly, around the problem of how order might be restored in British society and culture in the context of a ‘world turned upside down’. Oldham and most members of the group sought a central place for Christian ideas and ideals in British social life.

A striking feature of the Moot was the intellectual stature and the diversity of interests of its members. Among its 16 or so regular members were Oldham (1874-1969), his close friend T.S. Eliot (1888-1963) and Karl Mannheim (1893-1947). Among the later ‘visitors’ to Moot meetings was Michael Polanyi (1891-1976), who first came to the 20th Moot meeting in June of 1944.1

This article presents several papers that were produced for the Moot discussion of 15-18 December 1944 by Eliot, Mannheim and Polanyi. These papers have intrinsic and historical interest, and are published together for the first time here. The initial paper, written by Eliot, treats the role in society of ‘the clerisy’2 - a term borrowed from Samuel Taylor Coleridge that points to an intellectual elite or vanguard. Eliot requested that Oldham solicit responses to his paper from Mannheim and Polanyi. Mannheim’s response was a set of detailed answers to four questions that Eliot posed at the end of his essay. Polanyi’s response was a short, coherent essay, which he identified as ‘my own position with respect’ to Eliot’s discussion; his essay outlines a brief account of the role of the clerisy in science.3 Eliot wrote short comments on the responses of both Mannheim and Polanyi. These five pieces, which have a natural unity, should be of interest to anyone working in the history of social thought. We have abridged only Mannheim’s lengthy response and have eliminated a few lines of illustrative material from Eliot’s reply to Mannheim, but these excisions in no way detract from the clarity of the authors’ perspectives in this rich trilogue.

Expression of uncoupling protein-3 subsarcolemmal and intermyofibrillar mitochondria of various mouse muscle types and its moduclation by fasting

Uncoupling protein-3 (UCP3) is a mitochondrial inner-membrane protein abundantly expressed in rodent and human skeletal muscle which may be involved in energy dissipation. Many studies have been performed on the metabolic regulation of UCP3 mRNA level, but little is known about UCP3 expression at the protein level. Two populations of mitochondria have been described in skeletal muscle, subsarcolemmal (SS) and intermyofibrillar (IMF), which differ in their intracellular localization and possibly also their metabolic role. To examine if UCP3 is differentially expressed in these two populations and in different mouse muscle types, we developed a new protocol for isolation of SS and IMF mitochondria and carefully validated a new UCP3 antibody. The data show that the density of UCP3 is higher in the mitochondria of glycolytic muscles (tibialis anterior and gastrocnemius) than in those of oxidative muscle (soleus). They also show that SS mitochondria contain more UCP3 per mg of protein than IMF mitochondria. Taken together, these results suggest that oxidative muscle and the mitochondria most closely associated with myofibrils are most efficient at producing ATP. We then determined the effect of a 24-h fast, which greatly increases UCP3 mRNA (16.4-fold) in muscle, on UCP3 protein expression in gastrocnemius mitochondria. We found that fasting moderately increases (1.5-fold) or does not change UCP3 protein in gastrocnemius SS or IMF mitochondria, respectively. These results show that modulation of UCP3 expression at the mRNA level does not necessarily result in similar changes at the protein level and indicate that UCP3 density in SS and IMF mitochondria can be differently affected by metabolic changes.

T-Shaped equi-channel angular pressing of Pb-Sn eutectic and its tensile properties

Equi-channel angular pressing (ECAP) of a Pb–Sn eutectic alloy up to six passes in a T-shaped die, rather than a conventional L-shaped die, was studied for grain refinement. The effect of ECAP on the hardness and tensile properties was studied. Microstructure predominately changed in the early part of the ECAP process and became equiaxed and uniformly distributed in both the longitudinal and the transverse sections after four passes. There occurred substantial softening over the first two passes—hardness of 10 Hv, yield strength of 14.2 MPa and tensile strength of 16.3 MPa in the as-cast condition decreased upon two passes to 6 Hv, 9.7 MPa and 13.0 MPa, respectively. The ductility (% elongation) increased drastically from <50% in the as-cast condition to 150% upon two passes, and further increased to 230% after four passes. Various tensile properties and concurrent microstructural evolution were used to develop a mutual relationship among them.

Does Australia's treatment of non-citizens accord with its international human rights obligations? with specific reference to the treatment of on-shore refugees

The son of immigrants, I was motivated to write a paper addressing the issues of alienation and discrimination which confronts non-citizens upon arriving in Australia. Apart from descendants of Australia's indigenous population, the common bond shared by all citizens and permanent residents of Australia is that they are either themselves immigrants or are descended from immigrants. In this paper I will look at whether Australia's law and practice meets its international human rights treaty and convention obligations vis-a-vis non-citizens. To investigate this issue I trace the history of immigration to Australia and look at the political policies which influenced the treatment of non-citizens from 1788 to present times. In 1958 when my parents stepped upon Australian soil as displaced persons, Australia was a very different place from Australia in the 1990s. At that time Australia was still firmly under the influence of the 'White Australia Policy' which openly encouraged discrimination against non-anglo saxons. Since those times Australia has advanced to become one of the most culturally diverse nations in the world where multiculturalism is encouraged and a non-discriminatory immigration program is supported by both Australia's major political parties. However, notwithstanding the great social advances made in Australia in recent decades the traditional legal sources of law, namely, judicial pronouncements, statutes and the Commonwealth Constitution have not kept pace and it is my submission that Australia's body of law inadequately protects the rights of non-citizens when compared to Australia's international human rights convention and treaty obligations. This paper will consider these major sources of law and will investigate how they have been used in the context of the protection of the rights of non-citizens. It will be asserted that the weaknesses exposed in the Australian legal system can be improved by the adoption of a Bill of Rights1 which encompasses Australia's international human rights treaty and convention obligations. It is envisaged that a Bill of Rights would provide a framework applicable at the State, Territory and Federal levels within which issues pertaining to non-citizens could be resolved. The direction of this thesis owes much to the writings, advice and supervision of Dr. Imtiaz Omar who was always available to discuss the progress of this work. Dr. Omar is a passionate advocate of human rights and has been a tremendous inspiration to me throughout my writing. I owe a debt of thanks to the partners of Coulter Burke who with good nature ignored the sprawl of books and papers on the boardroom table, often for days at a time, thus enabling me to return to my writing from time to time as my inspirational juices ebbed and waned. Thanks also go to my typists Julie Pante, Vesna Dudas and Irene Padula who worked after hours and on weekends always without complaint, on the various versions of this thesis. My final acknowledgement goes to my wife Paula who during the years that I was working on this thesis encouraged me during my darker moments and listened to all my frustrations yet never doubted that I would one day complete the task successfully. I wish to thank her wholeheartedly for her motivation and belief in my abilities. The law relied upon in the thesis is as at the 30th June, 1998. Bill or Charter of Rights 'are taken to be enactments which systematically declare certain fundamental rights and freedoms and require that they be respected'. See Evans, G. 'Prospect and Problems for an Australian Bill of Rights' (1970) 3 Australian Year Book of International Law 1 at 16. Some such notable exception is the New Zealand Bill of Rights Act 1990, contained in an ordinary statute.

Docosapentaenoic acid (22:5n-3) : a review of its biological effects

This article summarizes the current knowledge available on metabolism and the biological effects of n-3 docosapentaenoic acid (DPA). n-3 DPA has not been extensively studied because of the limited availability of the pure compound. n-3 DPA is an elongated metabolite of EPA and is an intermediary product between EPA and DHA. The literature on n-3 DPA is limited, however the available data suggests it has beneficial health effects. In vitro n-3 DPA is retro-converted back to EPA, however it does not appear to be readily metabolised to DHA. In vivo studies have shown limited conversion of n-3 DPA to DHA, mainly in liver, but in addition retro-conversion to EPA is evident in a number of tissues. n-3 DPA can be metabolised by lipoxygenase, in platelets, to form ll-hydroxy-7,9,13,16,19- and 14-hydroxy-7,10,12,16,19-DPA. It has also been reported that n-3 DPA is effective (more so than EPA and DHA) in inhibition of aggregation in platelets obtained from rabbit blood. In addition, there is evidence that n-3 DPA possesses 10-fold greater endothelial cell migration ability than EPA, which is important in wound-healing processes. An in vivo study has reported that n-3 DPA reduces the fatty acid synthase and malic enzyme activity levels in n-3 DPA-supplemented mice and these effects were stronger than the EPA-supplemented mice. Another recent in vivo study has reported that n-3 DPA may have a role in attenuating age-related decrease in spatial learning and long-term potentiation. However, more research remains to be done to further investigate the biological effects of this n-3 VLCPUFA.

Circumcision in Australia : further evidence on its effects on sexual health and wellbeing

Objective: To report on the prevalence and demographic variation in circumcision in Australia and examine sexual health outcomes in comparison with earlier research.
Methods: A representative household sample of 4,290 Australian men aged 16–64 years completed a computer-assisted telephone interview including questions on circumcision status, demographic variables, reported lifetime experience of selected sexually transmissible infections (STIs), experience of sexual difficulties in the previous 12 months, masturbation, and sexual practices at last heterosexual encounter.
Results: More than half the men (58%) were circumcised. Circumcision was less common (33%) among men under 30 and more common (66%) among those born in Australia. After adjustment for age and number of partners, circumcision was unrelated to STI history except for non-specific urethritis (higher among circumcised men, OR=2.11, p<0.001) and penile candidiasis (lower among circumcised men, OR=0.49, p<0.001).
Circumcision was unrelated to any of the sexual difficulties we asked about (after adjusting for age) except that circumcised men were somewhat less likely to have worried during sex about whether their bodies looked unattractive (OR=0.77, p=0.04). No association between lack of circumcision and erection difficulties was detected. After correction for age, circumcised men were somewhat more likely to have masturbated alone in the previous 12 months (OR=1.20, p=0.02).
Conclusions: Circumcision appears to have minimal protective effects on sexual health in Australia.

The median and its extensions

We review various representations of the median and related aggregation functions. An advantage of the median is that it discards extreme values of the inputs, and hence exhibits a better central tendency than the arithmetic mean. However, the value of the median depends on only one or two central inputs. Our aim is to design median-like aggregation functions whose value depends on several central inputs. Such functions will preserve the stability of the median against extreme values, but will take more inputs into account. A method based on graduation curves is presented.

Residency and spatial use by reef sharks of an isolated seamount and its implications for conservation

Although marine protected areas (MPAs) are a common conservation strategy, these areas are often designed with little prior knowledge of the spatial behaviour of the species they are designed to protect. Currently, the Coral Sea area and its seamounts (north-east Australia) are under review to determine if MPAs are warranted. The protection of sharks at these seamounts should be an integral component of conservation plans. Therefore, knowledge on the spatial ecology of sharks at the Coral Sea seamounts is essential for the appropriate implementation of management and conservation plans. Acoustic telemetry was used to determine residency, site fidelity and spatial use of three shark species at Osprey Reef: whitetip reef sharks Triaenodon obesus, grey reef sharks Carcharhinus amblyrhynchos and silvertip sharks Carcharhinus albimarginatus. Most individuals showed year round residency at Osprey Reef, although five of the 49 individuals tagged moved to the neighbouring Shark Reef (∼14 km away) and one grey reef shark completed a round trip of ∼250 km to the Great Barrier Reef. Additionally, individuals of white tip and grey reef sharks showed strong site fidelity to the areas they were tagged, and there was low spatial overlap between groups of sharks tagged at different locations. Spatial use at Osprey Reef by adult sharks is generally restricted to the north-west corner. The high residency and limited spatial use of Osprey Reef suggests that reef sharks would be highly vulnerable to targeted fishing pressure and that MPAs incorporating no-take of sharks would be effective in protecting reef shark populations at Osprey and Shark Reef.