Mid-gestation intra-amniotic infection with Ureaplasma parvum is resolved within spiny mice (Acomys cahirinus) by term delivery: but caused chronic infection of fetal lungs and placentae

Background: Ureaplasma species in amniotic fluid at the time of second-trimester amniocentesis increases the risk of preterm birth, but most affected pregnancies continue to term (Gerber et al. J Infect Dis 2003). We aimed to model intra-amniotic (IA) ureaplasma infection in spiny mice, a species with a relatively long gestation (39 days) that allows investigation of the disposition and possible clearance of ureaplasmas in the feto-placental compartment. Method: Pregnant spiny mice received IA injections of U. parvum serovar 6 (10µL, 1x104 colony-forming-units in PBS) or 10B media (10µL; control) at 20 days (d) of gestation (term=39d). At 37d fetuses (n=3 ureaplasma, n=4 control) were surgically delivered and tissues were collected for; bacterial culture, ureaplasma mba and urease gene expression by PCR, tissue WBC counts and indirect fluorescent antibody (IFA) staining using anti-ureaplasma serovar 6 (rabbit) antiserum. Maternal and fetal plasma IgG was measured by Western blot. Results: Ureaplasmas were not detected by culture or PCR in fetal or maternal tissues but were visualized by IFA within placental and fetal lung tissues, in association with inflammatory changes and elevated WBC counts (p<0.0001). Anti-ureaplasma IgG was detected in maternal (2/2 tested) and fetal (1/2 tested) plasma but not in controls (0/3). Conclusions: IA injection of ureaplasmas in mid-gestation spiny mice caused persistent fetal lung and placental infection even though ureaplasmas were undetectable using standard culture or PCR techniques. This is consistent with resolution of IA infection, which may occur in human pregnancies that continue to term despite detection of ureaplasmas in mid-gestation.

Knowledge is not power, but it’s a start : what young people know about their rights and obligations in employment

Scholarship addressing the employment concerns of school age workers has identified a number of areas of vulnerability. Prominent among these is that young workers have insufficient knowledge of their rights in employment, yet the extent of this knowledge has not previously been quantified. This study explores areas of strength and deficit in awareness of employment rights and obligations in a sample of 892 young people in Australian high schools. The findings demonstrate that, despite part-time work being a majority experience for school students, young Australians know relatively little of their employment rights. The conclusions underscore the need for education strategies that inform young people prior to and in the very early stages of their working lives.

Increased plant volatile production affects oviposition, but not larval development, in the moth Helicoverpa armigera

It is well established that herbivorous insects respond to changes in plant odour production, but little attention has been given to whether these responses relate to direct fitness costs of plant volatile production on insect growth and survival. Here, we use transgenic Nicotiana tabacum (tobacco) plants that produce relatively large amounts of the volatile (S)-linalool to study whether the responses of egg-laying herbivorous insects to linalool production relate directly to the growth and survival of offspring. In choice tests, fewer eggs were laid on transgenic plants compared with non-transformed controls, indicating that increased linalool emissions have a deterrent effect on Helicoverpa armigera oviposition. Larval survival and larval mass after feeding on transgenic leaves, however, was comparable to non-transformed controls. (S)-linalool, whether in volatile or sequestered form, does not appear to have a direct effect on offspring fitness in this moth. We discuss how the ecology of this polyphagous moth species may necessitate a high tolerance for certain volatiles and their related non-volatile compounds, and suggest that responses by adult female H. armigera moths towards increased linalool production may be context specific and relate to other indirect effects on fitness.

We still don’t know how much BPMN is enough – but we are getting closer

Process models expressed in BPMN typically rely on a small subset of all available symbols. In our 2008 study, we examined the composition of these subsets, and found that the distribution of BPMN symbols in practice closely resembles the frequency distribution of words in natural language. We offered some suggestions based on our findings, how to make the use of BPMN more manageable and also outlined ideas for further development of BPMN. Since this paper was published it has provoked spirited debate in the BPM practitioner community, prompted the definition of a modeling standard in US government, and helped shape the next generation of the BPMN standard.

National cultural policy is bold, but vulnerable

The first major national cultural policy in 19 years was unveiled by Minister for the Arts Simon Crean on 13 March 2013. Minister Crean has called it “a national cultural policy for the decade.” Uncharitable souls might ask “which decade?”, given that it was first promised soon after the election of the Rudd government in 2007. It is, however, a bold and forward-looking statement. In marked contrast to the limited detail provided by Communications Minister Stephen Conroy in support of the media reforms he recently announced, more than 150 pages Creative Australia outlines a comprehensive set of proposals for immediate action, and some aspirations for the longer term. Like the media reforms, however, it may not survive if there is a change in government in September.

Progesterone, glucocorticoid, but not estrogen receptor mRNA is altered in breast cancer stroma

Our laboratory has previously found that anti-mitogenic nuclear receptor mRNA is elevated in late stage tumours and this study was performed to scrutinize the possibility of cancer-stroma crosstalk using hormone signaling in these tissues. RNA levels in stromal tissue were examined for the estrogen α, estrogen β, androgen, progesterone and glucocorticoid nuclear receptors by a semi-quantitative PCR. Significant differences in expression between the cancer stroma and control tissue were seen, analyzing for both cancer grade and estrogen receptor status. Stroma and control tissue were significantly different for the progesterone and glucocorticoid nuclear receptors (p = 5.908 × 10−7 and 2.761 × 10−5, respectively). Glucocorticoid receptor also showed a significant increase to mRNA levels in the stroma of estrogen receptor negative tumours (p = 5.85 × 10−5). By contrast, the estrogen receptors α and β, those most closely associated with breast tissue growth, showed no significant change in mRNA (p = 0.372 and 0.655, respectively). Androgen receptor mRNA also remained unaffected (p = 0.174).

TLR2, but Not TLR4, is required for effective host defence against Chlamydia respiratory tract infection in early life

Chlamydia pneumoniae commonly causes respiratory tract infections in children, and epidemiological investigations strongly link infection to the pathogenesis of asthma. The immune system in early life is immature and may not respond appropriately to pathogens. Toll-like receptor (TLR)2 and 4 are regarded as the primary pattern recognition receptors that sense bacteria, however their contribution to innate and adaptive immunity in early life remains poorly defined. We investigated the role of TLR2 and 4 in the induction of immune responses to Chlamydia muridarum respiratory infection, in neonatal wild-type (Wt) or TLR2-deficient (−/−), 4−/− or 2/4−/− BALB/c mice. Wt mice had moderate disease and infection. TLR2−/− mice had more severe disease and more intense and prolonged infection compared to other groups. TLR4−/− mice were asymptomatic. TLR2/4−/− mice had severe early disease and persistent infection, which resolved thereafter consistent with the absence of symptoms in TLR4−/− mice. Wt mice mounted robust innate and adaptive responses with an influx of natural killer (NK) cells, neutrophils, myeloid (mDCs) and plasmacytoid (pDCs) dendritic cells, and activated CD4+ and CD8+ T-cells into the lungs. Wt mice also had effective production of interferon (IFN)γ in the lymph nodes and lung, and proliferation of lymph node T-cells. TLR2−/− mice had more intense and persistent innate (particularly neutrophil) and adaptive cell responses and IL-17 expression in the lung, however IFNγ responses and T-cell proliferation were reduced. TLR2/4−/− mice had reduced innate and adaptive responses. Most importantly, neutrophil phagocytosis was impaired in the absence of TLR2. Thus, TLR2 expression, particularly on neutrophils, is required for effective control of Chlamydia respiratory infection in early life. Loss of control of infection leads to enhanced but ineffective TLR4-mediated inflammatory responses that prolong disease symptoms. This indicates that TLR2 agonists may be beneficial in the treatment of early life Chlamydia infections and associated diseases.

The duration of Chlamydia muridarum genital tract infection and associated chronic pathological changes are reduced in IL-17 knockout mice but protection is not increased further by immunization

IL-17 is believed to be important for protection against extracellular pathogens, where clearance is dependent on neutrophil recruitment and local activation of epithelial cell defences. However, the role of IL-17 in protection against intracellular pathogens such as Chlamydia is less clear. We have compared (i) the course of natural genital tract C. muridarum infection, (ii) the development of oviduct pathology and (iii) the development of vaccine-induced immunity against infection in wild type (WT) BALB/c and IL-17 knockout mice (IL-17-/-) to determine if IL-17-mediated immunity is implicated in the development of infection-induced pathology and/or protection. Both the magnitude and duration of genital infection was significantly reduced in IL-17-/- mice compared to BALB/c. Similarly, hydrosalpinx was also greatly reduced in IL-17-/- mice and this correlated with reduced neutrophil and macrophage infiltration of oviduct tissues. Matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) 9 and MMP2 were increased in WT oviducts compared to IL-17-/- animals at day 7 post-infection. In contrast, oviducts from IL-17-/- mice contained higher MMP9 and MMP2 at day 21. Infection also elicited higher levels of Chlamydia-neutralizing antibody in serum of IL-17-/- mice than WT mice. Following intranasal immunization with C. muridarum Major Outer Membrane Protein (MOMP) and cholera toxin plus CpG adjuvants, significantly higher levels of chlamydial MOMP-specific IgG and IgA were found in serum and vaginal washes of IL-17-/- mice. T cell proliferation and IFNγ production by splenocytes was greater in WT animals following in vitro re-stimulation, however vaccination was only effective at reducing infection in WT, not IL-17-/- mice. Intranasal or transcutaneous immunization protected WT but not IL-17-/- mice against hydrosalpinx development. Our data show that in the absence of IL-17, the severity of C. muridarum genital infection and associated oviduct pathology are significantly attenuated, however neither infection or pathology can be reduced further by vaccination protocols that effectively protect WT mice.

Association of a RFLP for the insulin receptor gene, but not insulin, with essential hypertension

Insulin has cardiovascular actions and patients with essential hypertension display insulin resistance. A cross-sectional study of the R1 RFLP of the insulin receptor gene (INSR) was carried out in 67 hypertensive (HT) and 75 normotensive (NT) subjects whose parents had a similar blood pressure status at age ≥50. The frequency of the minor (+) allele was 0.31 in HTs and 0.44 in NTs, and the difference between observed alleles in all subjects in each group was significant (χ2 = 4.8, P<0.05). Allele frequencies of a BglI RFLP of the insulin gene, however, did not differ between the HT and NT groups. The data thus provide evidence in favour of an association of HT with a polymorphism at the INSR locus (19p 13.3-13.2), so implicating this locus, and possibly a genetic variant of the insulin receptor itself, in HT.

One night’s CPAP withdrawal in otherwise compliant OSA patients: marked driving impairment but good awareness of increased sleepiness

Purpose Obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) patients effectively treated by and compliant with continuous positive air pressure (CPAP) occasionally miss a night’s treatment. The purpose of this study was to use a real car interactive driving simulator to assess the effects of such an occurrence on the next day’s driving, including the extent to which these drivers are aware of increased sleepiness. Methods Eleven long-term compliant CPAP-treated 50–75-year-old male OSA participants completed a 2-h afternoon, simulated, realistic monotonous drive in an instrumented car, twice, following one night: (1) normal sleep with CPAP and (2) nil CPAP. Drifting out of road lane (‘incidents’), subjective sleepiness every 200 s and continuous electroencephalogram (EEG) activities indicative of sleepiness and compensatory effort were monitored. Results Withdrawal of CPAP markedly increased sleep disturbance and led to significantly more incidents, a shorter ‘safe’ driving duration, increased alpha and theta EEG power and greater subjective sleepiness. However, increased EEG beta activity indicated that more compensatory effort was being applied. Importantly, under both conditions, there was a highly significant correlation between subjective and EEG measures of sleepiness, to the extent that participants were well aware of the effects of nil CPAP. Conclusions Patients should be aware that compliance with treatment every night is crucial for safe driving.

Performance of a cognitive, but not visual, secondary task interacts with alcohol-induced balance impairment in novice and experienced motorcycle riders

The appropriateness of applying drink driving legislation to motorcycle riding has been questioned as there may be fundamental differences in the effects of alcohol on driving and motorcycling. It has been suggested that alcohol may redirect riders’ focus from higher-order cognitive skills such as cornering, judgement and hazard perception, to more physical skills such as maintaining balance. To test this hypothesis, the effects of low doses of alcohol on balance ability were investigated in a laboratory setting. The static balance of twenty experienced and twenty novice riders was measured while they performed either no secondary task, a visual (search) task, or a cognitive (arithmetic) task following the administration of alcohol (0%, 0.02%, and 0.05% BAC). Subjective ratings of intoxication and balance impairment increased in a dose-dependent manner in both novice and experienced motorcycle riders, while a BAC of 0.05%, but not 0.02%, was associated with impairments in static balance ability. This balance impairment was exacerbated when riders performed a cognitive, but not a visual, secondary task. Likewise, 0.05% BAC was associated with impairments in novice and experienced riders’ performance of a cognitive, but not a visual, secondary task, suggesting that interactive processes underlie balance and cognitive task performance. There were no observed differences between novice vs. experienced riders on static balance and secondary task performance, either alone or in combination. Implications for road safety and future ‘drink riding’ policy considerations are discussed.

Star performers : task and contextual performance are components, but are they enough?

Identifying outstanding performers or ‘stars’ is a critical component of managing talent. However, organizational effectiveness in this area is limited by the current lack of guidance about the behaviour and characteristics of stars. We address this gap by combining a conceptual analysis with an empirical study involving 174 managers. Conceptually we examine the alignment of managers’ perceptions of outstanding performance with the well established task and contextual performance model and find this framework accounts for a core element in managers’ judgments about outstanding performers. However, a second, more qualitative approach finds that other dimensions including being self-directed, and a willingness to lead are also important. Our findings are consistent with a long-term trend toward identifying work effectiveness with highly discretionary, psychological and behavioural elements, and we consider the implications of this for the study and management of high level, individual effectiveness.

Court finds solicitor in breach of fiduciary duty owed to client but loss not caused by the breach

A solicitor owes fiduciary obligations to his or her client including the obligations of loyalty and disclosure. The Court of Appeal in Mantonella Pty Ltd v Thompson (2009) 255 ALR 367; [2009] QCA 80; BC200902311 recently considered when the fiduciary duty owed by a solicitor to a client is breached and the consequent liability of the solicitor...

Google Books wins ‘fair use’ but Australian copyright lags

Australia wants to foster innovation in a digital economy, but our copyright laws discourage businesses from investing in new technologies and make it harder for individuals to access the knowledge upon which innovation is based. Yesterday’s US decision in the Google Books case shows why US copyright law is much more supportive of innovation than ours. This article argues that if the government is serious about encouraging private innovation, introducing fair use is crucially important.

The Yd2 resistance to barley yellow dwarf virus is effective in barley plants but not in their leaf protoplasts

The Yd2 gene for “resistance” to barley yellow dwarf virus (BYDV) has been widely used in barley (Hordeum vulgare). We have tested Australian isolates of BYDV of varying severity against barley genotypes with and without the Yd2 gene and report here a positive relationship between symptoms and virus levels determined by ELISA. Cultivar Shannon is the result of backcrossing the resistant line CI 3208 to cultivar Proctor, a susceptible line. It appears to be intermediate in reaction to BYDV between Proctor and CI 3208, although it carries the major gene, Yd2. Unlike the whole plant studies, no significant differences were observed with regard to the ability of protoplasts derived from these various genotypes to support BYDV replication. It is therefore demonstrated for the first time that the Yd2 gene is not among the small number of resistance genes which are effective against virus replication in isolated protoplasts.