RRx-001, an epigenetic-based radio- and chemosensitizer, has vascular normalizing effects on SCCVII and U87 tumors.

BackgroundThe tumor-specific microregional effects of the anticancer agent RRx-001, a novel epigenetic-based radio/chemosensitizer with nitrogen oxide-donating properties in phase II clinical trials, were investigated with whole tissue section quantitative immunohistological staining in mouse SCCVII and human U87 tumors.ResultsSCCVII tumors exhibited regions of intermittent perfusion exemplified by co-localization of vessels with the hypoxia marker pimonidazole commonly occurring throughout the tissue. A moderate increase in perfusion (21 to 28 %) was observed after a bolus dose of the perivascular stain DiOC7(3), however, with the absence of an increase in tissue oxygenation. U87 tumors showed an absence of blood flow over large areas of treated tumors after dosing with RRx-001. However, these areas did not become necrotic and returned to near normal levels after 12 h. No significant change in tumor hypoxia was seen at 90 min or 12 h. For both tumor types, RRx-001 treatment resulted in the loss of perfusion in the large regions of the tumor; however, at the 12-h time point, both tumor types showed an increase in vessel perfusion but no significant decrease in hypoxia.ConclusionsThese data suggest a redistribution of blood flow within the tumor for both tumor types akin to vascular normalization. Differences between the tumors were related to tumor architecture and distribution of alpha-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA). RRx-001 shows promise for short-term blood flow redistribution in tumors with a pericyte- and α-SMA-rich vasculature. Expression of α-SMA in tumor vasculature could therefore be useful for predicting tumor response to RRx-001

Walking,Writing, Improvising - Conscious-Unconscious, Kellerberring-Busselton

In late 2003, I walked from Busselton, to Perth, to Kellerberrin. The route I took,\ud including detours and backtracking, was a journey of c.700km.\ud I carried a pack, a solar panel, a GPS, a handheld computer, and a mobile phone.\ud Twice a day, at noon and one other time chosen by me, I stopped, took a GPS reading\ud and five photographs (NSEW and one other), and wrote about what I heard, touched,\ud saw, smelled, tasted, found, felt, thought, or imagined at those places. I chose one\ud photograph for each place and uploaded it with my writing to a website as email\ud messages. For each day there were two photographs and two texts. I wanted this\ud writing to be as raw, as ‘unmediated’ (acknowledging the difficulties of such an aim),\ud as unedited, as possible. I wanted to catch myself unawares, to get behind the\ud construction that comes with writing with a plan, and with time to edit. Subscribers\ud and visitors to my website read my emails. Some of these people wrote to me as I\ud walked. Intermittently, I read their messages

Gillian Rubinstein and Her Women

What is it that computers, jigsaw puzzles and cryptic crosswords have in common? Simply the capacity to intrigue us. To puzzle us and whet our appetite for more - to keep us thinking. There is one facet of Gillian Rubinstein's novels which is similarly intriguing and that is her characterisation of women. Just as cryptic crosswords do, her women behave according to their own internally consistent rules (although their relationship with reality is often erratic) and they draw on a wealth of observations, learning and experiences in (particularly women) readers which  might seem disconnected and meaningless to the uninitiated. but which create in the end a coherent whole. The depth and strength in these characters. counterpoised with their often appallingly negative character traits, forms the puzzle. Why do they seem so profoundly important? Are they simply storybook characters, entirely dictated by and subservient to the plot? Or do they speak to the reader directly because they represent a deeper working out of Rubinstein's own experiences and feelings about women, womanhood and motherhood in particular? The answer probably lies somewhere in the middle, but the question niggles away at the back of the mind. Accordingly, this paper concerns the question: where does the story end and the personal pain begin

Patterns of demography for rocky-shore, intertidal invertebrates approaching their geographical range limits: tests of the abundant-centre hypothesis in south-eastern Australia

The abundant-centre hypothesis predicts that species\u27 abundances peak at the centre of their geographical ranges and decline gradually towards their range limits. We tested predictions of this hypothesis for three rocky-shore, intertidal invertebrates with planktonic larvae (the whelk, Morula marginalba, the snail, Afrolittorina pyramidalis, and the barnacle, Tesseropora rosea) by quantifying their patterns of abundance and size, and inferring pulses of recruitment from size-frequency distributions, at multiple spatial scales spanning a 600-km region in south-eastern Australia and encompassing roughly the southern third of their geographical ranges. At the regional scale, abundances for all species were, as predicted, dramatically lower at their range limits. This decline was not gradual, however, because there were large variations in abundance at smaller spatial scales, and abrupt declines at the south-eastern corner of Australia. Size did not change towards the range limit for any species, but size-frequency distributions suggested a decline in the frequency of recruitment events at the range limit for T. rosea. We conclude that the abundant-centre hypothesis is not an appropriate model for abundance distributions of benthic marine invertebrates with planktonic larvae, because of the vagaries of dispersal and recruitment interacting with complex current patterns along non-uniform coastlines

Floral biology, pollination vectors and breeding system of Zieria granulata (Rutaceae), an endangered shrub endemic to eastern Australia

Context: Understanding the factors that influence viable-seed production is crucial in the conservation of threatened plant species, yet these factors are often poorly understood. Aims: We investigated the reproductive biology of Zieria granulata C.Moore ex Benth., an endangered Australian endemic with a limited distribution, with the intent of improving conservation and restoration outcomes. Methods: Components of floral biology, including floral ontogeny and nectar production, were quantified to determine the pollination syndrome and the likely breeding system. Flower-visitor surveys (using both digital video recordings and human observations), a manipulative wind-pollination experiment and hand-pollination experiments were conducted to investigate pollination vectors and confirm the breeding system. Key results: Z. granulata flowers were small, white, protandrous and produced highly ornamented pollen grains and small quantities of nectar; these characteristics suggest that the species fits the general entomophily syndrome. All floral visitors were arthropod species and of the 72 visitors observed, predominantly from the Dipteran and Hymenopteran families, 18 could be regarded as potential pollinators. Failure of simulated wind gusts (40 km h-1) to transport pollen ≥5 cm indicated that anemophily is unlikely for this species. Autonomous and manipulative selfing did not result in viable seed set, indicating that this is an obligate outcrossing species. However, fruit and viable-seed production was highly variable within and among some other treatments. Pre-dispersal seed predation was recorded at all study sites. Conclusions: Pre-dispersal seed predation was recorded at all study sites and is a likely factor inhibiting viable-seed production. Implications: This knowledge will be used to improve seed yield for collections used for ex situ conservation and restoration programs for the endangered Z. granulata