CysView: protein classification based on cysteine pairing patterns

CysView is a web-based application tool that identifies and classifies proteins according to their disulfide connectivity patterns. It accepts a dataset of annotated protein sequences in various formats and returns a graphical representation of cysteine pairing patterns. CysView displays cysteine patterns for those records in the data with disulfide annotations. It allows the viewing of records grouped by connectivity patterns. CysView's utility as an analysis tool was demonstrated by the rapid and correct classification of scorpion toxin entries from GenPept on the basis of their disulfide pairing patterns. It has proved useful for rapid detection of irrelevant and partial records, or those with incomplete annotations. CysView can be used to support distant homology between proteins. CysView is publicly available at http://research.i2r.a-star.edu.sg/CysView/.

Less inhibited with age? Larval age modifies responses to natural settlement inhibitors

As larvae of marine invertebrates age, their response to settlement cues can change. This change can have significant consequences to both the ecology of these organisms, and to their response to antifouling coatings. This study examines how larval age affects the settlement response of larvae to two naturally derived settlement inhibitors, non-polar extracts from the algae Delisea pulchra and Dilophus marginatus, the former of which contains compounds that are in commercial development as antifoulants. Two species of marine invertebrates with non-feeding larvae were investigated: the bryozoans Watersipora subtorquata and Bugula neritina. Larval age strongly affected larval settlement, with older larvae settling at much higher rates than younger larvae. Despite having strong, inhibitory effects on young larvae, the non-polar extracts did not inhibit the settlement of older larvae to the same degree for both species studied. The results show that the effects of ecologically realistic settlement inhibitors are highly dependent on larval age. Given that the age of settling larvae is likely to be variable in the field, such age specific variation in settlement response of larvae may have important consequences for host-epibiont interactions in natural communities.

Quantification of orientation of pore patterns in X-ray images of deformed clay

The use of X-ray imaging to assess variability in ceramic fabrication is common in archaeological studies aimed at examining ancient pottery technologies. In this paper, a method based on the measurement of individual pores orientation is presented. This method is successfully applied to ceramic specimens of known origin whose structure signified different deformation histories.

An epidemic of violence?: Changing patterns in reported rapes in Victoria

Victoria Police statistics show that, since the late 1980s, there has been a significant increase in reported rapes in that State. One interpretation of this trend is that there has been an increase in the underlying incidence of sexual violence in the community. An alternative explanation is that rape victims have become more willing to report to the police, in response to factors such as improved provision of support services to sexual assault victims, reforms to substantive and procedural law, and changes in police attitudes and procedures. In order to rest these competing interpretations data were collected and analysed on the characteristics of rapes reported to the Victoria Police in the late 1980s/early 1990s. This analysis showed that: (I) most of the additional offences reported in the early 1990s were allegations of rapes committed by family members, spouses and other intimates; and (2) an increasing number of reports related to offences which had been committed at feast one year prior to a report being made to the police. It is argued that these changing patterns are consistent with a significant increase in the reporting rate for rape. More generally, the research reported in this paper highlights the limitations of reported crime statistics as measures of the level of social violence, and points to the need for crime researchers to develop alternative methodologies for measuring and interpreting trends.

Altered loading patterns and femoral bone mineral density in children with unilateral Legg-Calve-Perthes disease

Maximization of bone accrual during the growing years is thought to be an important factor in minimizing fracture risk in old age. Mechanical loading through physical activity has been recommended as a modality for the conservation of bone mineral in adults; however, few studies have evaluated the impact of different loading regimes in growing children. The purpose of this study was to compare bone mineral density (BMD) in weight-bearing and non-weight-bearing limbs in 17 children with unilateral Legg Calve Perthes Disease (LCPD). Children with this condition have an altered weight-bearing pattern whereby there is increased mechanical loading on the noninvolved normal hip and reduced loading on the involved painful hip. Thus, these children provide a unique opportunity to study the impact of differential mechanical loading on BMD during the growing years while controlling for genetic disposition. BMD at four regions of the proximal femur (trochanter, intertrochanter, femoral neck, total of the regions) was measured using dual energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA), and the values were compared between the involved and noninvolved sides of the children with LCPD. The BMD of both sides also were compared with normative values based on both chronological and skeletal age data. A significantly higher BMD was found on the noninvolved side over the involved side for all regions (P

Sibling competition and parental control: Patterns of begging in parrots

Begging and food allocation patterns are the outcome of complex and repeated interactions between parents and young. In most systems studied, food allocation is regulated by begging and scramble competition. In contrast, little is understood about how nestling solicitation behaviours will evolve in systems where parents engage in complex patterns of food allocation. Parrots appear to be an excellent group in which to examine the shifting balance between sibling competition and parental control. Studies to date have shown that levels of sibling competition within parrot broods are low, possibly in response to parental control over food distribution. I assess what is known about the function of nestling begging in parrots and evaluate why begging signals appear to function differently in this group.