Phylogenetic analysis of the Monocotylidae (Monogenea) inferred from 28S rDNA sequences

The current classification of the Monocotylidae (Monogenea) is based on a phylogeny generated from morphological characters. The present study tests the morphological phylogenetic hypothesis using molecular methods. Sequences from domains C2 and D1 and the partial domains C1 and D2 from the 28S rDNA gene for 26 species of monocotylids from six of the seven subfamilies were used. Trees were generated using maximum parsimony, neighbour joining and maximum likelihood algorithms. The maximum parsimony tree, with branches showing less than 70% bootstrap support collapsed, had a topology identical to that obtained using the maximum likelihood analysis. The neighbour joining tree, with branches showing less than 70% support collapsed. differed only in its placement of Heterocotyle capricornensis as the sister group to the Decacotylinae clade. The molecular tree largely supports the subfamilies established using morphological characters. Differences are primarily how the subfamilies are related to each other. The monophyly of the Calicotylinae and Merizocotylinae and their sister group relationship is supported by high bootstrap values in all three methods, but relationships within the Merizocotylinae are unclear. Merizocotyle is paraphyletic and our data suggest that Mycteronastes and Thaumatocotyle, which were synonymized with Merizocotyle after the morphological cladistic analysis, should perhaps be resurrected as valid genera. The monophyly of the Monocotylinae and Decacotylinae is also supported by high bootstrap values. The Decacotylinae, which was considered previously to be the sister group to the Calicotylinae plus Merizocotylinae, is grouped in an unresolved polychotomy with the Monocotylinae and members of the Heterocotylinae. According to our molecular data, the Heterocotylinae is paraphyletic. Molecular data support a sister group relationship between Troglocephalus rhinobatidis and Neoheterocotyle rhinobatidis to the exclusion of the other species of Neoheterocotyle and recognition of Troglocephalus renders Neoheterocotyle,le paraphyletic. We propose Troglocephalus incertae sedis. An updated classification and full species list of the Monocotylidae is provided. (C) 2001 Australian Society for Parasitology Inc. Published by Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.

CADASIL (cerebral autosomal dominant arteriopathy with subcortical infarcts and leucoencephalopathy): an Australian perspective

Cerebral Autosomal Dominant Arteriopathy with Subcortical Infarcts and Leucoencephalopathy (CADASIL) is a recently described cause of stroke or stroke-like episodes. It is caused by mutations in the Notch3 gene on chromosome 19p. We sought to demonstrate mutations of the Notch3 gene in Australian patients suspected of having CADASIL. Patients from several families were referred to the study. A diagnosis was determined clinically and by neuroimaging. Those suspected of having CADASIL had sequencing of exons 3 and 4 of the Notch3 gene. Eight patients, two of whom were siblings, were suspected of having CADASIL. Five patients (including the siblings) had mutations. Because of strong clustering of Notch3 mutations in CADASIL, this has potential as a reliable test for the disease in Australian patients. (C) 2001 Harcourt Publishers Ltd.

MRI based diffusion and perfusion predictive model to estimate stroke evolution

In this study we present a novel automated strategy for predicting infarct evolution, based on MR diffusion and perfusion images acquired in the acute stage of stroke. The validity of this methodology was tested on novel patient data including data acquired from an independent stroke clinic. Regions-of-interest (ROIs) defining the initial diffusion lesion and tissue with abnormal hemodynamic function as defined by the mean transit time (MTT) abnormality were automatically extracted from DWI/PI maps. Quantitative measures of cerebral blood flow (CBF) and volume (CBV) along with ratio measures defined relative to the contralateral hemisphere (r(a)CBF and r(a)CBV) were calculated for the MTT ROIs. A parametric normal classifier algorithm incorporating these measures was used to predict infarct growth. The mean r(a)CBF and r(a)CBV values for eventually infarcted MTT tissue were 0.70 +/-0.19 and 1.20 +/-0.36. For recovered tissue the mean values were 0.99 +/-0.25 and 1.87 +/-0.71, respectively. There was a significant difference between these two regions for both measures (P

On the nonlocality of the quantum channel in the standard teleportation protocol

By exhibiting a violation of a novel form of the Bell-CHSH inequality, Żukowski has recently established that the quantum correlations exploited in the standard perfect teleportation protocol cannot be recovered by any local hidden variables model. In the case of imperfect teleportation, we show that a violation of a generalized form of Żukowski's teleportation inequality can only occur if the channel state, considered by itself, already violates a Bell-CHSH inequality. On the other hand, the fact that the channel state violates a Bell-CHSH inequality is not sufficient to imply a violation of Żukowski's teleportation inequality (or any of its generalizations). The implication does hold, however, if the fidelity of the teleportation exceeds ≈ 0.90. © 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

It's all in the contract: Rethinking feminist critiques of contract

This article examines contemporary feminist arguments about contract. It does not aim to advance new arguments for or against contract but to call into question the dominant feminist position which is that contract has to be cast aside and/or that alternative approaches to contract have to be developed in order to advance the position of women. In a reworking of Elizabeth Kingdom's anti-essentialist approach to rights, Sullivan argues that a feminist but non-essentialist approach to contract is both possible and desirable. Sullivan explores a number of concrete situations in the Australian context where contract approaches have been deployed in law and public policy and demonstrates that contract may be detrimental or advantageous to the position of women. Sullivan argues, therefore, for a strategic and critical feminist approach to the utilisation of the language and practice of contract.

Inferring population history from microsatellite and enzyme data in serially introduced cane toads, Bufo marinus

Much progress has been made on inferring population history from molecular data. However, complex demographic scenarios have been considered rarely or have proved intractable. The serial introduction of the South-Central American cane Load Bufo marinas in various Caribbean and Pacific islands involves four major phases: a possible genetic admixture during the first introduction, a bottleneck associated with founding, a transitory, population boom, and finally, a demographic stabilization. A large amount of historical and demographic information is available for those introductions and can be combined profitably with molecular data. We used a Bayesian approach to combine this information With microsatellite (10 loci) and enzyme (22 loci) data and used a rejection algorithm to simultaneously estimate the demographic parameters describing the four major phases of the introduction history,. The general historical trends supported by microsatellites and enzymes were similar. However, there was a stronger support for a larger bottleneck at introductions for microsatellites than enzymes and for a more balanced genetic admixture for enzymes than for microsatellites. Verb, little information was obtained from either marker about the transitory population boom observed after each introduction. Possible explanations for differences in resolution of demographic events and discrepancies between results obtained with microsatellites and enzymes were explored. Limits Of Our model and method for the analysis of nonequilibrium populations were discussed.

RelB nuclear translocation mediated by C-terminal activator reigons of Epstein Barr virus-encoded latent membrane protein 1 and its effect on antigen-presenting function in B cells

Previous studies have shown that Epstein-Barr virus-encoded latent membrane protein 1 (LMP1) is uniquely able to up-regulate the expression of the peptide transporters (referred to as TAP-1 and TAP-2) and major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I in Burkitt's lymphoma (BL) cell lines. This up-regulation is often accompanied by a restoration of antigen-presenting function as measured by the ability of these cells to present endogenously expressed viral antigen to cytotoxic T lymphocytes. Here we show that the expression of LMP1 resulted in up-regulation and nuclear translocation of RelB that were coincident with increased expression of MHC class I in BL cells. Deletion of the C-terminal activator regions (CTARs) of LMP1 significantly impaired the abilities of LMP1 to translocate RelB into the nucleus and to up-regulate the expression of antigen-processing genes. Further analysis with single-point mutations within the CTARs confirmed that the residues critical for NF-kappaB activation directly contribute to antigen-processing function regulation in BL cells. This LMP1-mediated effect was blocked following expression of either dominant negative IkappaBalpha S32/36A, an NF-kappaB inhibitor, or antisense RelB. These observations indicate that upregulation of antigen-presenting function in B cells mediated by LMP1 is signaled through the NF-kappaB subunit RelB. The data provide a mechanism by which LMP1 modulates immunogenicity of Epstein-Barr virus-infected normal and malignant cells.

Mobile digital technology: Emerging issues for marketing

The growth of direct marketing has been attributed to rapid advances in technology and the changing market context. The fundamental ability of direct marketers to communicate with consumers and to elicit a response, combined with the ubiquitous nature and power of mobile digital technology, provides a synergy that will increase the potential for the success of direct marketing. The aim of this paper is to provide an analytical framework identifying the developments in the digital environment from e-marketing to m-marketing, and to alert direct marketers to the enhanced capabilities available to them.

Low-density koala (Phascolarctos cinereus) populations in the mulgalands of south-west Queensland. I. Faecal pellet sampling protocol

Koala (Phascolarctos cinereus) populations in eastern Australia are threatened by land clearing for agricultural and urban development. At the same time, conservation efforts are hindered by a dearth of information about inland populations. Faecal deposits offer a source of information that is readily available and easily collected non-invasively. We detail a faecal pellet sampling protocol that was developed for use in a large rangeland biogeographic region. The method samples trees in belt transects, uses a thorough search at the tree base to quickly identify trees with koala pellets under them, then estimates the abundance of faecal pellets under those trees using 1-m(2) quadrats. There was a strong linear relationship between these estimates and a complete enumeration of pellet abundance under the same trees. We evaluated the accuracy of our method in detecting trees where pellets were present by means of a misclassification index that was weighed more heavily for missed trees that had high numbers of pellets under them. This showed acceptable accuracy in all landforms except riverine, where some trees with large numbers of pellets were missed. Here, accuracy in detecting pellet presence was improved by sampling with quadrats, rather than basal searches. Finally, we developed a method to reliably age pellets and demonstrate how this protocol could be used with the faecal-standing-crop method to derive a regional estimate of absolute koala abundance.

Thiazolidinediones and type 2 diabetes: new drugs for an old disease

Thiazolidinediones are a new class of drugs for the treatment of type 2 diabetes, and act by improving insulin sensitivity in adipose tissue, liver and skeletal muscle. Rosiglitazone and pioglitazone are registered for use in monotherapy, and in combination with sulfonylureas and metformin. Pioglitazone is also licensed for use in combination with insulin. There is level II evidence that in patients with inadequate glycaemic control both drugs reduce the level of HbA(1c) and fasting plasma glucose (FPG) when used as monotherapy and in combination with sulfonylurea or metformin or insulin; and both drugs increase levels of HDL and LDL and lower free fatty acid levels, but only pioglitazone significantly lowers triglyceride levels. Both drugs lower fasting insulin and C-peptide levels. In monotherapy, they may be slightly less potent at reducing the level of HbA(1c) than sulfonylureas or metformin. The maximal effect of these agents may not be seen for 6-14 weeks after commencement. Both drugs are well tolerated but liver function must be checked at baseline every second month for the first year, and periodically thereafter. The drugs are currently contraindicated in patients with moderate to severe liver dysfunction and alanine aminotransferase levels more than 2.5 times normal, New York Heart Association III-IV cardiac status, pregnancy, lactation and in children. The main side effects include weight gain, oedema, and mild dilutional anaemia.