Long-term clozapine treatment identifies significant improvements in clinical and functioning scales

The majority of clinical drug trials only cover a small number of variables over a short period of time on a small group of people. The objective of this study was to track a large group of people over a long period of time, using a diverse range of variables with a naturalistic design to assess the ‘real world’ use of clozapine. Fifty-three people with treatment-resistant schizophrenia were recruited into a 2-year study which assessed the subjects using the following scales: Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS), Clinical Global Impression Scale (CGI), Life Skills Profile (LSP), and Role Functioning Scale (RFS). Discharge, leave, and ward movement rates were also monitored. All subjects were inpatients at a tertiary psychiatric facility. Thirty-three percent of the group was discharged. Seventythree percent moved to less cost-intensive wards, and the leave rate increased by 105”/0. Sixty-seven percent of the study group were identified as responders by the 24-month time point. Twenty-four percent of the group had their CGI scores reduced to 2 or better 0, =O.OOOl). Significant improvements were identified in the RFS (p = 0.02) and LSP (p = 0.0001). Long-term clozapine treatment has identified a significant group of responders on a variety of measures.

Phylogeographic differentiation in the mitochondrial control region in the koala, Phascolarctos cinereus (Goldfuss 1817)

The koala, Phascolarctos cinereus, is a geographically widespread species endemic to Australia, with three currently recognized subspecies: P.c. adustus, P.c. cinereus, and P.c. victor. Intraspecific variation in the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) control region was examined in over 200 animals from 16 representative populations throughout the species' range. Eighteen different haplotypes were defined in the approximate to 860 bp mtDNA control region as determined by heteroduplex analysis/temperature gradient gel electrophoresis (HDA/TGGE). Any single population typically possessed only one or two haplotypes yielding an average within-population haplotypic diversity of 0.180 +/- 0.003, and nucleotide diversity of 0.16%. Overall, mtDNA control region sequence diversity between populations averaged 0.67%, and ranged from 0% to 1.56%. Nucleotide divergence between populations averaged 0.51%, and ranged from 0% to 1.53%. Neighbour-joining methods revealed limited phylogenetic distinction between geographically distant populations of koalas, and tentative support for a single evolutionarily significant unit (ESU). This is consistent with previous suggestions that the morphological differences formalized by subspecific taxonomy may be interpreted as clinal variation. Significant differentiation in mtDNA-haplotype frequencies between localities suggested that little gene now currently exists among populations. When combined with microsatellite analysis, which has revealed substantial differentiation among koala populations, we conclude that the appropriate short-term management unit (MU) for koalas is the local population.

Miscibility and specific interactions in blends of poly(4-vinylphenol) and poly(2-ethoxyethyl methacrylate)

The properties of the hydrogen-bonded polymer blends of poly(4-vinylphenol) and poly(2-ethoxyethyl methacrylate) are presented. Spectroscopic techniques such as C-13 solid-state NMR and FT-IR are used to probe specific interactions of the blends at various compositions. Spectral features from both techniques revealed that site-specific interactions are present, consistent with a significant degree of mixing of the blend components. Changes in chemical shift and line shape of the phenolic carbon and carbonyl resonances in the C-13 CPMAS spectra of the blends as a function of composition are interpreted as resulting from changes in the relative intensities of two closely overlapped signals. A quantitative measure of hydrogen-bonded carbonyl groups using C-13 NMR has been obtained which agreed well with the results from FT-IR analyses. It is also shown that C-13 NMR can be used to measure the fraction of hydroxyl groups associated with carbonyl groups, which was not possible previously using FT-IR due to extensive overlapping of bands in the hydroxyl stretching region. The results of measurements of H-1 T-1 and 1H T-1 rho indicate that PVPh and PEEMA are intimately mixed on a scale less than 2-3 nm.

Women's health Australia: On the progress of the main cohort studies

More than 41,000 women aged 18-23, 45-50, and 70-75 years in 1996 are participating in the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health (Women's Health Australia). Baseline surveys were conducted for all three cohorts in 1996, and the first follow-up survey of the mid-age group in 1998 has achieved a response rate exceeding 90%. The main findings so far reflect the large differences in the life experiences of the three cohorts. The young women report high levels of stress. The physical and mental health of those with young children is worse than for those without children, but confounding by sociodemographic characteristics may account for the differences. Two thirds of young women in the healthy weight or underweight range would like to weigh less, and early onset of dieting is associated with poorer physical and mental health. Most of the women in the mid-age group have multiple roles-in paid work, home duties, and caring for children and other dependents. The potential of the study to investigate the long-term impact of such busy lives on health outcomes is considerable. At this stage, the main health issues for these women relate to tiredness, weight gain, and menopause. The older cohort presents a picture of positive aging. These women are heavier users of health services than the mid-age and younger women, and they are also more satisfied with these services. Although their physical health is poorer, their mental health is better, and they report less stress than women in the other two cohorts. The follow-up survey of this group, planned for 1999, will focus on the coping strategies used by these women. An overall goal of the project is to understand the interactions among social roles, life events, and women's health in order to provide a basis for improved health policies and services. Analysis of these interactions, which relies on both quantitative and qualitative data, poses many challenges that will be addressed as the longitudinal data become available.

Macropore sheath: quantification of plant root and soil macropore association

Plants require roots to supply water, nutrients and oxygen for growth. The spatial distribution of roots in relation to the macropore structure of the soil in which they are growing influences how effective they are at accessing these resources. A method for quantifying root-macropore associations from horizontal soil sections is illustrated using two black vertisols from the Darling Downs, Queensland, Australia. Two-dimensional digital images were obtained of the macropore structure and root distribution for an area 55 x 55 mm at a resolution of 64 mu m. The spatial distribution of roots was quantified over a range of distances using the K-function. In all specimens, roots were shown to be clustered at short distances (1-10 mm) becoming more random at longer distances. Root location in relation to macropores was estimated using the function describing the distance of each root to the nearest macropore. From this function, a summary variable, termed the macropore sheath, was defined. The macropore sheath is the distance from macropores within which 80% of roots are located. Measured root locations were compared to random simulations of root distribution to establish if there was a preferential association between roots and macropores. More roots were found in and around macropores than expected at random.

Trends in the incidence, severity, and short-term outcome of stroke in Perth, Western Australia

Background and Purpose-This report describes trends in the key indices of cerebrovascular disease over 6 years from the end of the 1980s in a geographically defined segment of the city of Perth, Western Australia. Methods-Identical methods were used to find and assess all cases of suspected stroke in a population of approximately 134 000 residents in a triangular area of the northern suburbs of Perth. Case fatality was measured as vital status at 28 days after the onset of symptoms. Data for first-ever strokes and for all strokes for equivalent periods of 12 months in 1989-1990 and 1995-1996 were compared by age-standardized rates and proportions and Poisson regression. Results-There were 355 strokes in 328 patients and 251 first-ever strokes (71%) for 1989-1990 and 290 events in 281 patients and 213 first-ever strokes (73%) for 1995-1996. In Poisson models including age and period, overall trends in the incidence of both first-ever strokes (rate ratio = 0.75; 95% confidence limits, 0.63, 0.90) and all strokes (rate ratio = 0.73; 95% confidence limits, 0.62, 0.85) were obviously significant, but only the changes in men were independently significant. Case fatality did not change, and the balance between hemorrhagic and occlusive strokes in 1995-1996 was almost indistinguishable from that observed in 1989-1990. Conclusions-Our results, which are the only longitudinal population-based data available for Australia for key indices of stroke, suggest that it is a change in the frequency of stroke, rather than its outcome, that is chiefly responsible nationally for the fall in mortality from cerebrovascular disease.

New integrable model of correlated electrons with off-diagonal long-range order from so(5) symmetry

We present a new integrable model for correlated electrons which is based on so(5) symmetry. By using an eta-pairing realization we construct eigenstates of the Hamiltonian with off-diagonal long-range order. It is also shown that these states lie in the ground state sector. We exactly solve the model on a one-dimensional lattice by the Bethe ansatz.

The ocular morphology of the southern hemisphere lamprey Geotria australis gray with special reference to optical specialisations and the characterisation and phylogeny of photoreceptor types

This paper describes the ocular morphology of young adults of the southern hemisphere lamprey Geotria australis, the sole representative of the Geotriidae, and makes comparisons with those of holarctic lampreys (Petromyzontidae). As previously reported for the holarctic lamprey Ichthyomyzon unicuspis [Collin and Fritzsch, 1993], the lens of G. australis is non-spherical and possesses a cone-shaped posterior that may be capable of mediating variable focus. The avascular retina of G. australis is well differentiated, containing three retinal ganglion cell populations, three layers of horizontal cells and three photoreceptor types, in contrast to petromyzontids that contain only two photoreceptor types (short and long), G. australis possesses one rod-like (R1) and two cone-like (C1 and C2) photoreceptors. Although the rodlike receptor in G. australis may be homologous with the short receptors of holarctic lampreys, the two cone-like receptors have morphological characteristics that differ markedly from those of the long receptors of their holarctic counterparts. The features which distinguish the two cone-like receptors from those of the long receptor type in holarctic lampreys are the characteristics of the mitochondria and the presence of large amounts of two different types of stored secretory material in the endoplasmic reticulum of the myoid (refractile bodies). The endoplasmic reticulum of each receptor type has a different shape and staining profile and is polymorphic, each showing a continuum of distension. It is proposed that the presence of two cone-like photoreceptors with different characteristics would increase the spectral range of G. australis and thus be of value during the parasitic phase, when this lamprey lives in the surface marine waters. The irideal flap, present in G. australis but not petromyzontids, would assist in reducing intraocular flare during life in surface waters. The results of this study, which are discussed in the context of the proposed evolution of lampreys, emphasise that it is important to take into account the characteristics of the eyes of southern hemisphere lampreys when making generalizations about the eyes of lampreys as a whole.

Weathering of hydrocarbons in mangrove sediments: testing the effects of using dispersants to treat oil spills

This field study was a combined chemical and biological investigation of the relative effects of using dispersants to treat oil spills impacting mangrove habitats. The aim of the chemistry was to determine whether dispersant affected the short- or long-term composition of a medium range crude oil (Gippsland) stranded in a tropical mangrove environment in Queensland, Australia. Sediment cores from three replicate plots of each treatment (oil only and oil plus dispersant) were analyzed for total hydrocarbons and for individual molecular markers (alkanes, aromatics, triterpanes, and steranes). Sediments were collected at 2 days, then 1, 7, 13 and 22 months post-spill. Over this time, oil in the six treated plots decreased exponentially from 36.6 +/- 16.5 to 1.2 +/- 0.8 mg/g dry wt. There was no statistical difference in initial oil concentrations, penetration of oil to depth, or in the rates of oil dissipation between oiled or dispersed oil plots. At 13 months, alkanes were >50% degraded, aromatics were similar to 30% degraded based upon ratios of labile to resistant markers. However, there was no change in the triterpane or sterane biomarker signatures of the retained oil. This is of general forensic interest for pollution events. The predominant removal processes were evaporation (less than or equal to 27%) and dissolution (greater than or equal to 56%), with a lag-phase of 1 month before the start of significant microbial degradation (less than or equal to 7%). The most resistant fraction of the oil that remained after 7 months (the higher molecular weight hydrocarbons) correlated with the initial total organic carbon content of the soil. Removal rate in the Queensland mangroves was significantly faster than that observed in the Caribbean and was related to tidal flushing. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.

Molecular characterization of the toxic cyanobacterium Cylindrospermopsis raciborskii and design of a species-specific PCR

Cylindrospermopsis raciborskii is a toxic-bloom-forming cyanobacterium that is commonly found in tropical to subtropical climatic regions worldwide, but it is also recognized as a common component of cyanobacterial communities in temperate climates. Genetic profiles of C. raciborskii were examined in 19 cultured isolates originating from geographically diverse regions of Australia and represented by two distinct morphotypes. A 609-bp region of rpoC1, a DNA-dependent RNA polymerase gene, was amplified by PCR from these isolates with cyanobacterium-specific primers. Sequence analysis revealed that all isolates belonged to the same species, including morphotypes with straight or coiled trichomes. Additional rpoC1 gene sequences obtained for a range of cyanobacteria highlighted clustering of C. raciborskii with other heterocyst-producing cyanobacteria (orders Nostocales and Stigonematales). In contrast, randomly amplified polymorphic DNA and short tandemly repeated repetitive sequence profiles revealed a greater level of genetic heterogeneity among C. raciborskii isolates than did rpoC1 gene analysis, and unique band profiles were also found among each of the cyanobacterial genera examined. A PCR test targeting a region of the rpoC1 gene unique to C. raciborskii was developed for the specific identification of C. raciborskii from both purified genomic DNA and environmental samples. The PCR was evaluated with a number of cyanobacterial isolates, but a PCR-positive result was only achieved with C, raciborskii. This method provides an accurate alternative to traditional morphological identification of C. raciborskii.

Characterization of the sequential non-covalent and covalent interactions of the antitumour antibiotic hedamycin with double stranded DNA by NMR spectroscopy

Hedamycin, a member of the pluramycin class of antitumour antibiotics, consists of a planar anthrapyrantrione chromophore to which is attached two aminosugar rings at one end and a bisepoxide-containing sidechain at the other end, Binding to double-stranded DNA is known to involve both reversible and non-reversible modes of interaction. As a part of studies directed towards elucidating the structural basis for the observed 5'-pyGT-3' sequence selectivity of hedamycin, we conducted one-dimensional NMR titration experiments at low temperature using the hexadeoxyribonucleotide duplexes d(CACGTG)(2) and d(CGTACG)(2). Spectral changes which occurred during these titrations are consistent with hedamycin initially forming a reversible complex in slow exchange on the NMR timescale and binding through intercalation of the chromophore. Monitoring of this reversible complex over a period of hours revealed a second type of spectral change which corresponds with formation of a non-reversible complex. Copyright (C) 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Extraordinary and extensive karyotypic variation: A 48-fold range in chromosome number in the gall-inducing scale insect Apiomorpha (Hemiptera : Coccoidea : Eriococcidae)

Chromosome number reflects strong constraints on karyotype evolution, unescaped by the majority of animal taxa. Although there is commonly chromosomal polymorphism among closely related taxa, very large differences in chromosome number are rare. This study reports one of the most extensive chromosomal ranges yet reported for an animal genus. Apiomorpha Rubsaamen (Hemiptera: Coccoidea: Eriococcidae), an endemic Australian gall-inducing scale insect genus, exhibits an extraordinary 48-fold variation in chromosome number with diploid numbers ranging from 4 to about 192. Diploid complements of all other eriococcids examined to date range only from 6 to 28. Closely related species of Apiomorpha usually have very different karyotypes, to the extent that the variation within some species- groups is as great as that across the entire genus. There is extensive chromosomal variation among populations within 17 of the morphologically defined species of Apiomorpha indicating the existence of cryptic species-complexes. The extent and pattern of karyotypic variation suggests rapid chromosomal evolution via fissions and (or) fusions. It is hypothesized that chromosomal rearrangements in Apiomorpha species may be associated with these insects' tracking the radiation of their speciose host genus, Eucalyptus.

Long range forecasts of the numbers of Helicoverpa punctigera and H-armigera (Lepidoptera : Noctuidae) in Australia using the Southern Oscillation Index and the Sea Surface Temperature

The use of long-term forecasts of pest pressure is central to better pest management. We relate the Southern Oscillation Index (SOI) and the Sea Surface Temperature (SST) to long-term light-trap catches of the two key moth pests of Australian agriculture, Helicoverpa punctigera (Wallengren) and H. armigera (Hubner), at Narrabri, New South Wales over 11 years, and for H. punctigera only at Turretfield, South Australia over 22 years. At Narrabri, the size of the first spring generation of both species was significantly correlated with the SOI in certain months, sometimes up to 15 months before the date of trapping. Differences in the SOI and SST between significant months were used to build composite variables in multiple regressions which gave fitted values of the trap catches to less than 25% of the observed values. The regressions suggested that useful forecasts of both species could be made 6-15 months ahead. The influence of the two weather variables on trap catches of H. punctigera at Turretfield were not as strong as at Narrabri, probably because the SOI was not as strongly related to rainfall in southern Australia as it is in eastern Australia. The best fits were again given by multiple regressions with SOI plus SST variables, to within 40% of the observed values. The reliability of both variables as predictors of moth numbers may be limited by the lack of stability in the SOI-rainfall correlation over the historical record. As no other data set is available to test the regressions, they can only be tested by future use. The use of long-term forecasts in pest management is discussed, and preliminary analyses of other long sets of insect numbers suggest that the Southern Oscillation Index may be a useful predictor of insect numbers in other parts of the world.

Multidimensional quantum solitons with nondegenerate parametric interactions: Photonic and Bose-Einstein condensate environments

We consider the quantum theory of three fields interacting via parametric and repulsive quartic couplings. This can be applied to treat photonic chi((2)) and chi((3)) interactions, and interactions in atomic Bose-Einstein condensates or quantum Fermi gases, describing coherent molecule formation together with a-wave scattering. The simplest two-particle quantum solitons or bound-state solutions of the idealized Hamiltonian, without a momentum cutoff, are obtained exactly. They have a pointlike structure in two and three dimensions-even though the corresponding classical theory is nonsingular. We show that the solutions can be regularized with a momentum cutoff. The parametric quantum solitons have much more realistic length scales and binding energies than chi((3)) quantum solitons, and the resulting effects could potentially be experimentally tested in highly nonlinear optical parametric media or interacting matter-wave systems. N-particle quantum solitons and the ground state energy are analyzed using a variational approach. Applications to atomic/molecular Bose-Einstein condensates (BEC's) are given, where we predict the possibility of forming coupled BEC solitons in three space dimensions, and analyze superchemistry dynamics.

Cyclotron effective masses in layered metals

Many layered metals such as quasi-two-dimensional organic molecular crystals show properties consistent with a Fermi-liquid description at low temperatures. The effective masses extracted from the temperature dependence of the magnetic oscillations observed in these materials are in the range, m(c)*/m(e) similar to 1 - 7, suggesting that these systems are strongly correlated. However, the ratio m(c)*/m(e) contains both the renormalization due to the electron-electron interaction and the periodic potential of the lattice. We show that for any quasi-two-dimensional band structure, the cyclotron mass is proportional to the density-of-states at the Fermi energy. Due to Luttinger's theorem, this result is also valid in the presence of interactions. We then evaluate m(c) for several model band structures for the beta, kappa, and theta families of (BEDT-TTF)(2)X, where BEDT-TTF is bis-(ethylenedithia-tetrathiafulvalene) and X is an anion. We find that for kappa-(BEDT-TTF)(2)X, the cyclotron mass of the beta orbit, m(c)*(beta) is close to 2 m(c)*(alpha), where m(c)*(alpha) is the effective mass of the alpha orbit. This result is fairly insensitive to the band-structure details. For a wide range of materials we compare values of the cyclotron mass deduced from band-structure calculations to values deduced from measurements of magnetic oscillations and the specific-heat coefficient gamma.