Present and Projected Australian Coal Supply Capacity : Impacts of Global Recession and Expansion in Coal Exports to China

Australias coal exports in 2008 totaled 252 million tons, accounting for 26.9% of global coal trade (in terms of exports) at 938 million tons. Although Indonesia has expanded its coal exports over recent years and reported exports in 2008 at 203 million tons, Australia has remained unshaken as the worlds largest coal exporter. Coal demand in Japan and European industrial countries has plunged on the global financial/economic crisis since the autumn of 2008. Their coal imports have thus declined. But China has expanded coal demand on the strength of high economic growth and increased coal imports more rapidly than earlier due to high domestic coal prices. Australias coal exports have maintained an upward trend even amid the global recession. In response to growing coal demand, new coalfield development and other projects are planned to expand production in Australia. This report considers the past results and future projections of Australias coal production and exports and its future coal supply capacity including estimated output under new coalmine development projects. It also covers the realities of a sharp increase in Australias coal exports to China in 2009.coal exports, Australia, Japan

PTH-related protein and cancer

The clinical significance of parathyroid hormone-related protein in humoral hypercalcemia of malignancy was investigated by determining the serum parathyroid hormone-related protein concentrations in 167 normal subjects, 56 patients with hematologic malignancy and 144 patients with solid tumor. Serum parathyroid hormone-related protein was measured with a radioimmunoassay kit that recognizes the C-terminal portion of the molecule. The serum parathyroid hormone-related protein concentrations were 20.2–50.8 pmol/l (mean±2 SD) in normal subjects, and were elevated in 80% of the patients with malignancies with hypercalcemia, including squamous cell carcinoma and adult T cell leukemia. Moreover, two cases of B cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma with hypercalcemia had high serum parathyroid hormone-related protein concentrations, which varied in parallel with the tumor size during the clinical course. Of 136 patients with solid tumors with normocalcemia, the serum parathyroid hormone-related protein concentration was slightly elevated in only 5.1%, all of whom were at an advanced stage. These data indicate that determination of the serum parathyroid hormone-related protein concentration is useful for differential diagnosis of humoral hypercalcemia of malignancy and prediction of its development

d-Val22 containing human big endothelin-1 analog, [d-Val22]Big ET-1[16–38], inhibits the endothelin converting enzyme

AbstractEndothelin converting enzyme (ECE) is essential for generation of the biological effects of endothelin-1 (ET-1) from a precursor, big endothelin-1 (Big ET-1). We synthesized four analogs of human Big ET-1[16–38], substituted with single d-amino acids at P1, P2, P1′and P2′ positions. ECE activity was determined using an ET-1 specific radioimmunoassay system. None of the d-amino acid containing Big ET-1 analogs were apparently cleaved by ECE, however, one of the synthetic peptides, [d-Val22]Big ET-1[16–38], strongly inhibited the ECE activity. Furthermore, when this d-Val22 containing peptide was preadministrated to rat striatum, it was found to inhibit the dopamine release induced by Big ET-1. This result suggests that the d-Val22 containing peptide inhibits the ECE activity in vivo. The d-Val22 containing inhibitor offers hope of developing more potent and highly specific ECE inhibitors of therapeutic significance

Loss of Heterozygosity in Pheochromocytomas

Molecular genetic analysis was performed with 20 oncogene probes and 32 polymorphic DNA probes on tumor DNA samples from seven pheochromocytomas; namely, one multiple endocrine neoplasia type 2B, and two familial and four sporadic pheochromocytomas. No amplification or rearrangement of the oncogenes was detected in any of the tumors. However, loss of heterozygosity on chromosome 1p, 11p or 11q was detected in these cases. In addition, a locus related to ETS1 was deleted in two of the sporadic tumors. These results suggest that pheochromocytomas may be genetically heterogeneous, and that inactivation of unknown genes on chromosome 1p, 11p or 11q may contribute to their development

Loss of Heterozygosity in Thyroid Tumors

We analyzed 53 loci on 21 chromosomes other than chromosome 4 to detect possible loss of heterozygosity in 31 thyroid tumors using polymorphic DNA markers that detect allelic deletions at specific chromosomal loci. Loss of heterozygosity on chromosomes 1, 7 and 12 was detected in one follicular thyroid adenoma, and on chromosome 1 in two medullary thyroid carcinomas. However, no loss of heterozygosity was detected at any of the loci examined in papillary thyroid carcinomas. These results suggest that chromosomal loss detected in thyroid adenoma is one of the signals for risk of premalignant transformation, and that inactivation of unknown genes on chromosome 1p contributes to tumorigenesis of medullary thyroid carcinoma. Some genetic changes other than chromosomal losses may participate in the tumorigenesis of papillary thyroid carcinoma

Lack of effect of aspartame or of -phenylalanine on photically induced myoclonus in the baboon, Papio papio

The effects of large doses of -phenylalanine and of aspartame on seizure susceptibility and severity have been assessed in baboons Papio papio from Senegal which show photosensitive epileptic responses similar to primary generalised epilepsy in man. -Phenylalanine, 50, 150 or 450 mg/kg, or aspartame, 300 or 1000 mg/kg, were administered orally. Peak plasma -phenylalanine concentrations of approximately 2000 [mu]moles/1 occurred 1-4 h after the highest dose of -phenylalanine or aspartame. The plasma -phenylalanine to large neutral amino acid ratio increased approximately 30-fold at this time. Compared with water administration there were no changes in epileptic responses 1-5 h after either treatment. In this primate model of epilepsy acute increases in plasma phenylalanine concentration are neither pro- nor anticonvulsant.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/27853/1/0000264.pd

TWO PITUITARY ADENOMAS IN MEN 1

The clinical and genetic features of a 43-year-old male patient with multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1 were reported. He developed hyperparathyroidism, a GHRH-producing pancreatic tumor, and acromegaly between 1980 and 1983. Because his pituitary gland increased in size even after resecting the GHRH-producing pancreatic tumor, transsphenoidal hypophysectomy was performed six years later. The pituitary contained two histologically-different adenomas composed of somatotroph cells and null cells. Genetic analyses revealed loss of heterozygosity on chromosome 11 in common in the pituitary adenomas, the pancreatic endocrine tumors, and a parathyroid hyperplasia. On the other hand, mutations of ras, p53, Gsα, and Gi2α genes were not found in these tumors. The loss of the tumor suppressor gene on chromosome 11q12-13 was involved in the formation of two pituitary adenomas, two pancreatic endocrine functioning tumors, and a parathyroid hyperplasia in this patient, but the tumorigenic factors in the specific endocrine organs remain to be studied