Triphasic pattern in the ex vivo response of human proliferative phase endometrium to oestrogens

The aim of this study was to evaluate the ex vivo oestrogen responsiveness of human proliferative phase endometrium using short-term explant cultures. The effects of oestrogen (17beta-E2) on proliferation and the expression of oestrogen-responsive genes known to be involved in regulating endometrial function were evaluated. Three distinct response patterns could be distinguished: (1) the menstrual (M) phase pattern (cycle days 2-5), which is characterised by a complete lack in the proliferative response to 17beta-E2, while an increased expression of AR (2.6-fold, P<0.01), PR (2.7-fold, P<0.01) and COX-2 (3.5-fold, P<0.01) at the mRNA level was observed and a similar upregulation was also found for AR, PR and COX-2 at the protein level; (2) the early proliferative (EP) phase pattern (cycle days 6-10) with 17beta-E2 enhanced proliferation in the stroma (1.7-fold, P<0.05), whereas the expression of AR, PR and COX-2 were not affected at the mRNA and protein levels and ER-a mRNA and protein levels were significantly reduced by 17beta-E2; (3) the late proliferative (LP) phase pattern (cycle days 11-14), which is characterised by a moderate stimulation of proliferation (1.4-fold, P<0.05) and PR mRNA expression (1.7-fold, P<0.01) by 17beta-E2. In conclusion, three distinct response patterns to 17beta-E2 could be identified with respect to proliferation and the expression of known oestrogen-responsive genes in human proliferative phase endometrium explant cultures.

Identification of eusynstyelamide B as a potent cell cycle inhibitor following the generation and screening of an ascidian-derived extract library using a real time cell analyzer

Ascidians are marine invertebrates that have been a source of numerous cytotoxic compounds. Of the first six marine-derived drugs that made anticancer clinical trials, three originated from ascidian specimens. In order to identify new anti-neoplastic compounds, an ascidian extract library (143 samples) was generated and screened in MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells using a real-time cell analyzer (RTCA). This resulted in 143 time-dependent cell response profiles (TCRP), which are read-outs of changes to the growth rate, morphology, and adhesive characteristics of the cell culture. Twenty-one extracts affected the TCRP of MDA-MB-231 cells and were further investigated regarding toxicity and specificity, as well as their effects on cell morphology and cell cycle. The results of these studies were used to prioritize extracts for bioassay-guided fractionation, which led to the isolation of the previously identified marine natural product, eusynstyelamide B (1). This bis-indole alkaloid was shown to display an IC50 of 5 μM in MDA-MB-231 cells. Moreover, 1 caused a strong cell cycle arrest in G2/M and induced apoptosis after 72 h treatment, making this molecule an attractive candidate for further mechanism of action studies.

1950s made in Brisbane : Italian tailors and the continental suit

During the 1950s and 1960s, when the French couturiers Dior, Balenciaga, Givenchy and Chanel dominated the fashion industry, the Italian community in Brisbane, Australia, was very active in the local industry through retail, dress-making and tailoring. Australia is geographically at the margins of the developed countries and has been dependent on European trends and taste. In the 1950s, communication was based on magazines and especially newsreels and film; each ethnic group dressed as they liked and according to their custom. Moreover, ‘Made in Italy’ was not yet the prestigious concept that revolutionized ready-to-wear design from the 1970s. However, Italian tailors and demi-couturiers brought to Brisbane their trans-national sense of elegance (the Italian style) and the taste in fashion that influenced new generations in England and elsewhere in Europe from the 1950s. They brought quality and workmanship, offering excellence through the use of quality fabrics from prestigious English and Italian brands. These tailors and dress-makers also contributed towards the local industry through passing on the skills that they brought from Italy. This article is based on a project that seeks to understand the connection between fashion, history and place. The area under examination is the Valley, short for Fortitude Valley, an area adjacent to the Brisbane CBD. Fundamental to this connection between place and fashion was the presence of many Italian migrants in the area. Through archival research and oral history, the aim of this ethnographic project is to bring to the fore an untold story about the economic and aesthetic contribution of Italian migrants to Queensland. Central to the understanding of this aesthetic change is the Italian suit. This research is innovative in that it opens a new area of study in Australian fashion history, connected to the history of migrants and their identity.

Corneal changes following short-term miniscleral contact lens wear

Purpose To examine the influence of short-term miniscleral contact lens wear on corneal shape, thickness and anterior surface aberrations. Methods Scheimpflug imaging was captured before, immediately following and 3 hours after a short period (3 hours) of miniscleral contact lens wear for 10 young (mean 27 ± 5 years), healthy participants. Natural diurnal variations were considered by measuring baseline diurnal changes obtained on a separate control day without contact lens wear. Results Small but significant anterior corneal flattening was observed immediately following lens removal (overall mean 0.02 ± 0.03 mm, p < 0.001) which returned to baseline levels three hours after lens removal. During the three hour recovery period significant corneal thinning (-13.4 ± 10.5 μm) and posterior surface flattening (0.03 ± 0.02 mm) were also observed (both p < 0.01). The magnitude of posterior corneal flattening during recovery correlated with the amount of corneal thinning (r = 0.69, p = 0.03). Central corneal clearance (maximum tear reservoir depth) was not associated with corneal swelling following lens removal (r = -0.24, p > 0.05). An increase in lower-order corneal astigmatism Z(2,2) was also observed following lens wear (mean -0.144 ± 0.075 μm, p = 0.02). Conclusions Flattening of the anterior corneal surface was observed immediately following lens wear, while ‘rebound’ thinning and flattening of the posterior surface was evident following the recovery period. Modern miniscleral contact lenses that vault the cornea may slightly influence corneal shape and power but do not induce clinically significant corneal oedema during short-term wear.

Short-data recursive HMM parameter estimation for rapid vision-based aircraft heading estimation

Rapid recursive estimation of hidden Markov Model (HMM) parameters is important in applications that place an emphasis on the early availability of reasonable estimates (e.g. for change detection) rather than the provision of longer-term asymptotic properties (such as convergence, convergence rate, and consistency). In the context of vision- based aircraft (image-plane) heading estimation, this paper suggests and evaluates the short-data estimation properties of 3 recursive HMM parameter estimation techniques (a recursive maximum likelihood estimator, an online EM HMM estimator, and a relative entropy based estimator). On both simulated and real data, our studies illustrate the feasibility of rapid recursive heading estimation, but also demonstrate the need for careful step-size design of HMM recursive estimation techniques when these techniques are intended for use in applications where short-data behaviour is paramount.

Double-strand breaks and the concept of short- and long-term epigenetic memory

Double-strand breaks represent an extremely cytolethal form of DNA damage and thus pose a serious threat to the preservation of genetic and epigenetic information. Though it is well-known that double-strand breaks such as those generated by ionising radiation are among the principal causative factors behind mutations, chromosomal aberrations, genetic instability and carcino-genesis, significantly less is known about the epigenetic consequences of double-strand break formation and repair for carcinogenesis. Double-strand break repair is a highly coordinated process that requires the unravelling of the compacted chromatin structure to facilitate repair machinery access and then restoration of the original undamaged chromatin state. Recent experimental findings have pointed to a potential mechanism for double-strand break-induced epigenetic silencing. This review will discuss some of the key epigenetic regulatory processes involved in double-strand break (DSB) repair and how incomplete or incorrect restoration of chromatin structure can leave a DSB-induced epigenetic memory of damage with potentially pathological repercussions

Barbara's story : a thematic analysis of a relative's reflection of being in the intensive care unit

Aim The aim of this reflective account is to provide a view of the intensive care unit (ICU) relative’s experiences of supporting and being supported in the ICU. Background Understanding the relatives’ experiences of ICU is important especially because a recent work has identified the potential for this group to develop post-traumatic stress disorder, a condition that is normally equated with the ICU survivor. Design A thematic analysis was used in identifying emerging themes that would be significant in an ICU nursing context. Setting The incident took place in two 8-bedded ICUs (Private and National Health Service) in October. Results Two emergent themes were identified from the reflective story – fear of the technological environment and feeling hopeless and helpless. Conclusion The use of relative stories as an insight into the live experiences of ICU relatives may give a deeper understanding of their life-world. The loneliness, anguish and pain of the ICU relative extends beyond the walls of the ICU, and this is often negated as the focus of the ICU team is the patient. Relevance to clinical practice: Developing strategies to support relatives might include the use of relative diaries used concurrently with patient diaries to support this groups recovery or at the very least a gaining a sense of understanding for their ICU experience. Relative follow-up clinics designed specifically to meet their needs where support and advice can be given by the ICU team, in addition to making timely and appropriate referrals to counselling services and perhaps involving spiritual leaders where appropriate.

Spinning a sustainable yarn : environmental sustainability and brand story in the Australian fashion industry

In the Australian fashion industry, few fashion brands have intervened in the design of their products or the systems around their product to tackle environmental pollution and waste. Instead, support of charities (whether social or environmental) has become conflated with sustainability in the eyes of the public. Thus it is difficult to assess with any accuracy fashion brands’ response to sustainability. This article aims to address this through proposing a categorization system to structure the various interventions that a company may make. This system is applied to two case studies, analysing campaigns that respond to environmental sustainability by two established Australian brands, Country Road and Billabong. The case studies demonstrate how the interventions employed by a company, at least in the Australian context, are carefully developed to align with their brand story, revealing the interplay between the intangible aspects of a brand’s positioning and the tangible, measurable impacts of their garments.

Competition for pollination by the lesser short-tailed bat and its influence on the flowering phenology of some New Zealand endemics

The lesser short-tailed bat, Mystacina tuberculata, is the only native mammalian pollinator in New Zealand and the only fully temperate bat pollinator in the world. Although this unique status as a pollinator is well recognized, its reduced abundance and cryptic behaviour means little research has been undertaken to assess the contribution of the lesser short-tailed bat (hereafter ‘short-tailed bat’) to pollination in New Zealand. Accordingly, pollination by short-tailed bats has been assumed to be comparatively inconsequential, and the potential impacts of the bat's widespread extirpation have been overlooked. The recent discovery that the short-tailed bat is a major pollinator for at least some of the plants it visits emphasizes the importance of exploring this species' role as a pollinator. Here, our aim was to provide an assessment of the competition for short-tailed bat pollination through study of the temporal variation of flowering. Bats were sampled for pollen, and phenology surveys were conducted simultaneously. We found that the amount and type of pollen carried by the bats varied temporally, with one pollen type dominating samples at any given time. The two plants most consistently observed in the pollen samples flowered sequentially with little temporal overlap, suggesting that their flowering phenology may be adapted to minimize competition for the pollination services of the short-tailed bat.

Echolocation call production during aerial and terrestrial locomotion by New Zealand's enigmatic lesser short-tailed bat, Mystacina tuberculata

Linkage of echolocation call production with contraction of flight muscles has been suggested to reduce the energetic cost of flight with echolocation, such that the overall cost is approximately equal to that of flight alone. However, the pattern of call production with limb movement in terrestrially agile bats has never been investigated. We used synchronised high-speed video and audio recordings to determine patterns of association between echolocation call production and limb motion by Mystacina tuberculata Gray 1843 as individuals walked and flew, respectively. Results showed that there was no apparent linkage between call production and limb motion when bats walked. When in flight, two calls were produced per wingbeat, late in the downstroke and early in the upstroke. When bats walked, calls were produced at a higher rate, but at a slightly lower intensity, compared with bats in flight. These results suggest that M. tuberculata do not attempt to reduce the cost of terrestrial locomotion and call production through biomechanical linkage. They also suggest that the pattern of linkage seen when bats are in flight is not universal and that energetic savings cannot necessarily be explained by contraction of muscles associated with the downstroke alone.

Assessment of the short-term success of a translocation of lesser short-tailed bats Mystacina tuberculata

Translocation is a powerful tool that has been used in the conservation of a wide range of taxa. However, few translocations of bats have been attempted and we know of no successes. The few translocations which have been attempted have either failed due to dispersal from the release site or have not been monitored sufficiently to determine the cause of failure. We assessed the short-term success of a translocation of lesser short-tailed bats Mystacina tuberculata by the New Zealand Department of Conservation, where 3 release methods were used to minimise dispersal or mortality: bats were juveniles, were maintained in captivity at the release site, and were provided with supplementary food and roosts following release. Success was assessed by determining if founders remained at the release site and maintained condition (weight). Recapture showed that at least 9 of the 20 bats remained at the release site 232 d after release. There was weak evidence that bats lost weight, although final weights were comparable to those of bats from a natural population. However, all bats caputred 8 mo after release had damaged, infected ears and some were balding. The problem was treated but recurred, and bats were returned to captivity. Our results are th first to demonstrate that translocated bats can remain at their release site and survive. However, disease may be an issue in future translocations.

The potential availability of roosting sites for lesser short-tailed bats (Mystacina tuberculata) on Kapiti Island, New Zealand: Implications for a translocation

Lesser short-tailed bats (Mystacina tuberculata) have recently been translocated to Kapiti Island in an attempt to form a new population of this threatened species. However, the island's vegetation is regenerating, and there was doubt that the forests provided enough large trees with cavities for bats to roost in. This study measured the availability of tree-trunk cavities of the right size for potential roost sites on Kapiti Island, and assessed if habitat restoration would be required to increase the translocation's chance of success. First, trees with cavities accessible to us were sampled in six of Kapiti Island's forest types. Size variables known to affect roost site selection by lesser short-tailed bats at the tree and cavity level were measured. Trees were classified as containing cavities that could potentially provide suitable roosts if their values for all variables measured fell within the range of roosts used by lesser short-tailed bats in natural populations. Roosts were classified as suitably sized for solitary bats or for colonies, using measurements from both types of roosts in natural populations. Second, the density of these potential roost cavities was calculated. Cavities of a size potentially suitable for colonies were found in four of the six forest types at densities ranging from 3.2 +/- 3.2 SE to 52.4 +/- 14.0 trees per ha. Density of potential solitary roosts was much higher. Not all potential cavities will be suitable because they may be damp, poorly insulated, or have an unsuitable microclimate. Nevertheless, our estimates indicated that the two most extensive forest types each contained thousands of potential cavities of a size suitable for colonies of lesser short-tailed bats. In addition, there were tens of thousands of cavities large enough to shelter solitary bats. Roost habitat restoration appears unnecessary to assist translocated Mystacina tuberculata on Kapiti Island.

Terrestrial locomotion of the New Zealand short-tailed bat Mystacina tuberculata and the common vampire bat Desmodus rotundus

Bats (Chiroptera) are generally awkward crawlers, but the common vampire bat (Desmodus rotundus) and the New Zealand short-tailed bat (Mystacina tuberculata) have independently evolved the ability to manoeuvre well on the ground. In this study we describe the kinematics of locomotion in both species, and the kinetics of locomotion in M. tuberculata. We sought to determine whether these bats move terrestrially the way other quadrupeds do, or whether they possess altogether different patterns of movement on the ground than are observed in quadrupeds that do not fly. Using high-speed video analyses of bats moving on a treadmill, we observed that both species possess symmetrical lateral-sequence gaits similar to the kinematically defined walks of a broad range of tetrapods. At high speeds, D. rotundus use an asymmetrical bounding gait that appears to converge on the bounding gaits of small terrestrial mammals, but with the roles of the forelimbs and hindlimbs reversed. This gait was not performed by M. tuberculata. Many animals that possess a single kinematic gait shift with increasing speed from a kinetic walk (where kinetic and potential energy of the centre of mass oscillate out of phase from each other) to a kinetic run (where they oscillate in phase). To determine whether the single kinematic gait of M. tuberculata meets the kinetic definition of a walk, a run, or a gait that functions as a walk at low speed and a run at high speed, we used force plates and high-speed video recordings to characterize the energetics of the centre of mass in that species. Although oscillations in kinetic and potential energy were of similar magnitudes, M. tuberculata did not use pendulum-like exchanges of energy between them to the extent that many other quadrupedal animals do, and did not transition from a kinetic walk to kinetic run with increasing speed. The gait of M. tuberculata is kinematically a walk, but kinetically run-like at all speeds.

The long and short of it: branch lengths and the problem of placing the New Zealand short-tailed bat.

The taxonomic position of the endemic New Zealand bat genus Mystacina has vexed systematists ever since its erection in 1843. Over the years the genus has been linked with many microchiropteran families and superfamilies. Most recent classifications place it in the Vespertilionoidea, although some immunological evidence links it with the Noctilionoidea (=Phyllostomoidea). We have sequenced 402 bp of the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene for M. tuberculata (Gray in Dieffenbach, 1843), and using both our own and published DNA sequences for taxa in both superfamilies, we applied different tree reconstruction methods to find the appropriate phylogeny and different methods of estimating confidence in the parts of the tree. All methods strongly support the classification of Mystacina in the Noctilionoidea. Spectral analysis suggests that parsimony analysis may be misleading for Mystacina's precise placement within the Noctilionoidea because of its long terminal branch. Analyses not susceptible to long-branch attraction suggest that the Mystacinidae is a sister family to the Phyllostomidae. Dating the divergence times between the different taxa suggests that the extant chiropteran families radiated around and shortly after the Cretaceous–Tertiary boundary. We discuss the biogeographical implications of classifying Mystacina within the Noctilionoidea and contrast our result with those classifications placing Mystacina in the Vespertilionoidea, concluding that evidence for the latter is weak.