Ecology and conservation of Alseuosmia quercifolia (Alseuosmiaceae) in the Waikato region, New Zealand

The ecology of Alseuosmia quercifolia, a small endemic shrub, was investigated, focussing on its habitat requirements, population dynamics, phenology and reproductive biology, and conservation status. This species occurs most commonly in lowland native forests of the Waikato region of the North Island (north of latitude 38°05'S), but is also found in scattered populations to North Cape. In the Waikato region it typically occupies shady, well-drained, south or south-east facing lower slopes of hills and ranges at altitudes below 400 m. Population structures show considerable variation amongst seven study sites in the Waikato region, with disjunct size classes a reflection of the presence and abundance of introduced browsing mammals. It is a relatively short-lived (less than 50 years), slow-growing species with a fleshy fruit adapted to bird dispersal, but seed dispersal now appears to be primarily by gravity. Flowering occurs early in spring and is synchronous at both individual and population levels, occurring over a 5-week period, with peak flowering during the second and third weeks. While all populations set seed, reproductive output can be negatively affected by persistent browse and by rain during peak flowering. This species is vulnerable because it is highly palatable to introduced mammals and all plants in a population are within browse height. It has relatively narrow habitat specificity, localised distribution, and limited potential to extend its range. We suggest it fulfils the requirements of the category "declining", using the most recent classification of threatened and uncommon plants of New Zealand

An assessment of the efficacy of deep drains constructed in the wheatbelt of Western Australia Part 1 A discussion on drainage implmentation in the wheatbelt : a case study review, summary, conclusions and recommendations

Australia has undertaken a strategic review of current and historical deep drainage projects. A \u27rapid appraisal\u27 methodology was utilised, based principally on existing hydrological investigations and interpretation and anecdotal evidence provided by landholders to clarify the role of drainage in managing water in dry land rural landscapes. The objectives of this discussion paper are to: 1. Review the current status of groundwater drainage practice 2. Provide an assessment of deep drains in the landscape and 3. Propose recommendations on the development of drainage policy to enable the application of best management practice in groundwater drainage.https://researchlibrary.agric.wa.gov.au/bulletins/1012/thumbnail.jp

Moyamoya Disease in Pregnancy: Management after Intracranial Bypass Grafting

Moyamoya disease (MD) is a chronic, progressive cerebrovascular disease distinguished by bilateral stenosis or occlusion of the arteries around the circle of Willis with resulting prominent arterial collateral circulation. We describe a pregnant woman in whom this diagnosis was confirmed by cerebral angiogram and treated with bilateral superficial temporal artery-middle cerebral artery (STA-MCA) bypass grafting prior to conception. The patient was managed with strict blood pressure monitoring and low-dose aspirin antepartum, intrapartum, and postpartum. The patient presented in spontaneous labor at term and underwent a spontaneous vaginal delivery without complications

Cell-free protein synthesis as a tool to study RXFP3- Relaxin-3 protein interactions

With the discovery of the relaxin family peptide receptors there is interest in obtaining a clearer understanding of the structure of these proteins and the molecular mechanism of receptor-ligand interaction. As G-protein coupled receptors, obtaining milligram quantities for structural investigations is hampered by the inherent instability of these integral membrane proteins. In the current context, understanding of GPCR structural biology has increased dramatically with crystal structures of several inactive and now active forms solved. In addition, the first nuclear magnetic resonance structure of a GPCR was obtained which is of crucial importance to studying these receptors in a more “biologically relevant” setting. However despite this expansion in the field, most structures have been solved on modified systems so as to increase stability and are not necessarily representative of the native receptors. In relation to the relaxin family peptide receptors, we chose to investigate relaxin-family peptide receptor-3 expressed by cellfree protein synthesis. In contrast to in-vivo expression, cell-free was capable of producing large amounts of native receptor which makes it amenable to demanding structural studies

Mid-gestation Angiogenic Biomarker Levels are Increased in Women at High Risk for Preeclampsia

Background: Pre-pregnancy hypertension and diabetes mellitus, multiple gestations, prior preeclampsia, are significant risk factors for preeclampsia. Whether altered maternal levels of angiogenic factors contribute to increased preeclampsia risk in these conditions is unknown. Our objective was to compare maternal serum angiogenic biomarker levels in women with major risk factors for preeclampsia and healthy controls. Methods: Women presenting for prenatal care were enrolled if they had one of the following preeclampsia risk factors: pre-pregnancy hypertension and/or diabetes mellitus, nulliparity with pre-pregnancy BMI\u3e30, multiple gestations, or prior preeclampsia. Healthy control pregnancies without these risk factors were enrolled for comparison. Maternal serum samples were collected at 3 pre-specified gestational windows between 23 and 36 weeks gestation. sFlt1, sEng, and PlGF were measured by ELISA. The (sFlt1+sEng):PlGF ratio was calculated and compared for each risk group at each gestational window. Results: Gestational patterns of angiogenic biomarkers differed in high-risk groups vs. healthy control subjects. The angiogenic ratio (sFlt1+sEng):PlGF was higher for all high risk groups except obesity/nulliparity as compared with healthy control subjects after 28 weeks gestation. Biomarker ratio levels were highest in subjects with MG and prior PE, and differences from the health control group became more pronounced as gestation progressed. Women with hypertension/diabetes had more subtle differences as compared with healthy control subjects. Conclusion: Women with preeclampsia risk factors had higher angiogenic ratios compared with healthy control women. This study illuminates the interplay between risk factors and placental angiogenic biomarkers in the pathogenesis of preeclampsia

A Coding Variant in the Gene Bardet-Biedl Syndrome 4 (BBS4) Is Associated with a Novel Form of Canine Progressive Retinal Atrophy

Progressive retinal atrophy is a common cause of blindness in the dog and affects >100 breeds. It is characterized by gradual vision loss that occurs due to the degeneration of photoreceptor cells in the retina. Similar to the human counterpart retinitis pigmentosa, the canine disorder is clinically and genetically heterogeneous and the underlying cause remains unknown for many cases. We use a positional candidate gene approach to identify putative variants in the Hungarian Puli breed using genotyping data of 14 family-based samples (CanineHD BeadChip array, Illumina) and whole-genome sequencing data of two proband and two parental samples (Illumina HiSeq 2000). A single nonsense SNP in exon 2 of BBS4 (c.58A > T, p.Lys20*) was identified following filtering of high quality variants. This allele is highly associated (P-CHISQ = 3.425e(-14), n = 103) and segregates perfectly with progressive retinal atrophy in the Hungarian Puli. In humans, BBS4 is known to cause Bardet-Biedl syndrome which includes a retinitis pigmentosa phenotype. From the observed coding change we expect that no functional BBS4 can be produced in the affected dogs. We identified canine phenotypes comparable with Bbs4-null mice including obesity and spermatozoa flagella defects. Knockout mice fail to form spermatozoa flagella. In the affected Hungarian Puli spermatozoa flagella are present, however a large proportion of sperm are morphologically abnormal andPeer reviewe

A functional link between bone morphogenetic proteins and insulin-like peptide 3 signaling in modulating ovarian androgen production

Bone morphogenetic proteins (BMP) are firmly implicated as intra-ovarian regulators of follicle development and steroidogenesis. Here we report a microarray analysis showing that treatment of cultured bovine theca cells (TC) with BMP6 significantly (>2-fold; P<0.01) up- or down-regulated expression of 445 genes. Insulin-like peptide 3 (INSL3) was the most heavily down-regulated gene (-43-fold) with CYP17A1 and other key transcripts involved in TC steroidogenesis including LHCGR, INHA, STAR, CYP11A1 and HSD3B1 also down-regulated. BMP6 also reduced expression of NR5A1 encoding steroidogenic factor-1 known to target the promoter regions of the aforementioned genes. Real-time PCR confirmed these findings and also revealed a marked reduction in expression of INSL3 receptor (RXFP2). Secretion of INSL3 protein and androstenedione were also suppressed suggesting a functional link between BMP and INSL3 pathways in controlling androgen synthesis. RNAi-mediated knockdown of INSL3 reduced INSL3 mRNA and secreted protein level (75 and 94%, respectively) and elicited a 77% reduction in CYP17A1 mRNA level and 83% reduction in androstenedione secretion. Knockdown of RXFP2 also reduced CYP17A1 mRNA level (81%) and androstenedione secretion (88%). Conversely, treatment with exogenous (human) INSL3 increased androstenedione secretion ~2-fold. The CYP17 inhibitor abiraterone abolished androgen secretion and reduced expression of both INSL3 and RXFP2. Collectively, these findings indicate a positive autoregulatory role for INSL3 signaling in maintaining thecal androgen production, and visa versa. Moreover, BMP6-induced suppression of thecal androgen synthesis may be mediated, at least in part, by reduced INSL3-RXFP2 signaling

Leaf diseases of wheat

Trial 90PE10 Strategic variety mixtures to reduce septoria diseases of wheat. Evaluation of wheat lines for suitability to mixing for septoria control. Location: Mt. Barker Research Station To determine components of partial resistance to both Septoria species to ensure that lines with components that are complimentary are chosen for evaluation as mixtures for Septoria control. Trial 90MT12 and 90ME10 Assessing effects of a paired variety mixture to reduce Septoria. Location: Borden and Mt Barker Research Station. To assess the effects of a variety mixture on Septoria diseases. Trial 90MT11 and 90JE9 Evaluating variety mixtures to reduce septoria, using a range of crossbreds. Location: Mt. Barker Research Station To identify varietal combinations from a range of genotypes for using in mixtures to reduce Septoria diseases. Trial 90BA50 and 90MT60 Mixing varieties with a range of maturities for possible disease and agronomic benefits. Location: Badgingarra Research Station and Mt Barker Research Station. To evaluate disease control and other agronomic effects from growing varieties with different maturities as mixtures. Glasshouse screening for resistance to S. nodorum in wheat (with R.E. Wilson) During the year 16 sets of material were screened. Material comprised stage 1.2 and stage 2 lines as well as experimental Triticum tauschii material. Tests were conducted on Triticum tauschii lines and synthetic hexaploid derivatives. Derivatives are called synthetic because their production imitates the natural cross of durum with the primitive grass species %. tauschii which in theory resulted in the first bread wheat. Trial 90MT15 and 90E12 Time of planting and variety effects on septoria diseases of wheat. (with W. Smith, Esperance) Location: Mt. Barker Research Station and Esperance Downs Research Station. To establish earliest practical planting times for differing varieties to minimize the impact of Septoria diseases and maximize yield. Trial 90BA15 (90ES20 was discontinued because of very severe Rhizoctonia and absence of leaf disease) Location: Badgingarra Research Station. To compare a range of new products for control of Septoria diseases with the current standard chemical - TILT. Trial 90A4 Is seed infection a significant source of early inoculum of septoria nodorum? Location: Avondale Research Station. To evaluate the effect of seed borne infection of S. nodorum as early season inoculum. Are ascospores a significant source of infection of septoria nodorum? Location: Badgingarra and Mt Barker Research Station. To determine the extent of ascospore dispersal of Leptosphaeria nodorwn from wheat stubble. Unusual disease occurrence. Leaf rust (Puccinia recondita) of wheat Location: Esperance and Mt. Barker, Jerramungup Leaf rust has occurred in Western Australia, perhaps for the first time in over 10 years. A late wheat leaf rust epidemic developed along the south coast between Esperance and Mt Barker. It was first apparent at trace levels on early-sown crops in September around Esperance. Because rainfall was below average in many areas until October, the rust did not increase until late in the season. It reached yield-damaging levels in some later sown crops with severe epidemics observed in the Esperance and Jerramungup districts. The rust strain is new to Western Australia. Its mode of entry is unknown but is likely to have been by wind from South Australia and its appearance relatively early in 1990 suggests it reached Western Australia in 1989. It apparently remained undetected, surviving through a summer with favourable rains