Contributions to a catalogue of alien plants in Tasmania III

Management of Tasmania's alien flora requires an accurate and up-to-date account of taxa present. 1his paper is the third of a series (Baker 2005, 2007) which aims to ensure that taxa that become naturalised in Tasmania are formally recorded; that taxa that are present in Tasmania, but have not become fully naturalised ["sparingly naturalized" in the sense of Buchanan (2005) and Baker (2005)] are likewise recorded; that new incursions of alien taxa are recorded; and to maintain up-to-date names for taxa that have been affected by nomenclatural change. In this paper, six taxa are treated, giving diagnostic descriptions and notes on their distribution. It is hoped that this information will increase general knowledge of distribution of naturalised alien taxa in Tasmania and raise community awareness of plants that have the potential to become naturalised. Reports of new incursions, naturalised and sparingly naturalised species are welcomed by the author. Specimens and relevant collection information can be forwarded to the Tasmanian Herbarium

Contributions to a catalogue of alien plants in Tasmania

The status of II alien plant taxa recorded in Tasmania is discussed. Hypericum L. and Solanum americanum Mill. have been recorded only once and further evidence is required to determine their status in Tasmania. Setaria pumila (PoiL) Roem. & Schult. subsp. pumila is a recent incursion of an Australian mainland weed that has been recorded once in TIasmania and has since been eradicated from the recorded site. A treatment of naturalised Cotoneaster Medik. in Tasmania is included. Genista linifolia L. and Kunzea ericoides (A.Rich.) Joy Thomps. are ornamental taxa that are naturalised in Tasmania. Tasmanian specimens of Plantago coronopus L. arc treated at subspecific rank: P. coronopus subsp. coronopus and P. coronopus subsp. commutata (Guss.) Pilg. A diagnostic description for each taxon is provided and distribution and habitat details are discussed. Keys to the Tasmanian species of Cotoneaster, Genista L., Kunzea Rchb. and Setaria 1'. Beauv., and to the subsp. of Plantago coronopus are included

A perspective on equity implications of net zero energy systems

We present examples of energy inequity, in both the current system and in potential net zero systems, and lay out some research needs in order to center equity in the study of net zero energy systems. •Our current energy systems are inequitable across several dimensions. •We must recognize and address barriers to a just and equitable net zero energy system. •We highlight inequities in energy burden and energy insecurity; health consequences of the energy system; and decision making power. •There is a need to define, quantify, and explicitly model equity outcomes in net zero systems. •There is a need to better understand the equity impact of existing policies and programs. •Energy systems researchers must include voices from marginalized communities

Contributions to a catalogue of alien plants in Tasmania IV.

The status of four alien plant taxa in Tasmania is discussed. Mirabilis jalapa L., Phytolacca octandra L., Coleonema pulchellum I.William and Gomphocarpus fruticosus (L.) W.T.Aiton are ornamentals that are now recognised as naturalised in Tasmania. A description for each taxon is provided and distribution and habitat details are discussed. The status of two species that are recorded as naturalised in Tasmania but are not represented in the Tasmanian Herbarium collection was also investigated. Veronica peregrina L. is known from two collections from Tasmania whilst the name Silene longicaulis Pourr. ex. Lag. was found to be misapplied to Tasmanian specimens of Silene colorata Poir

The usefulness of rapid diagnostic tests in the new context of low malaria transmission in zanzibar.

BACKGROUND\ud \ud We assessed if histidine-rich-protein-2 (HRP2) based rapid diagnostic test (RDT) remains an efficient tool for Plasmodium falciparum case detection among fever patients in Zanzibar and if primary health care workers continue to adhere to RDT results in the new epidemiological context of low malaria transmission. Further, we evaluated the performance of RDT within the newly adopted integrated management of childhood illness (IMCI) algorithm in Zanzibar.\ud \ud METHODS AND FINDINGS\ud \ud We enrolled 3890 patients aged ≥2 months with uncomplicated febrile illness in this health facility based observational study conducted in 12 primary health care facilities in Zanzibar, between May-July 2010. One patient had an inconclusive RDT result. Overall 121/3889 (3.1%) patients were RDT positive. The highest RDT positivity rate, 32/528 (6.1%), was found in children aged 5-14 years. RDT sensitivity and specificity against PCR was 76.5% (95% CI 69.0-83.9%) and 99.9% (95% CI 99.7-100%), and against blood smear microscopy 78.6% (95% CI 70.8-85.1%) and 99.7% (95% CI 99.6-99.9%), respectively. All RDT positive, but only 3/3768 RDT negative patients received anti-malarial treatment. Adherence to RDT results was thus 3887/3889 (99.9%). RDT performed well in the IMCI algorithm with equally high adherence among children <5 years as compared with other age groups.\ud \ud CONCLUSIONS\ud \ud The sensitivity of HRP-2 based RDT in the hands of health care workers compared with both PCR and microscopy for P. falciparum case detection was relatively low, whereas adherence to test results with anti-malarial treatment was excellent. Moreover, the results provide evidence that RDT can be reliably integrated in IMCI as a tool for improved childhood fever management. However, the relatively low RDT sensitivity highlights the need for improved quality control of RDT use in primary health care facilities, but also for more sensitive point-of-care malaria diagnostic tools in the new epidemiological context of low malaria transmission in Zanzibar.\ud \ud TRIAL REGISTRATION\ud \ud ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01002066

In Vitro Fertilization and Risk for Hypertensive Disorders of Pregnancy: Associations With Treatment Parameters

With an increasing proportion of pregnancies being conceived using assisted-reproductive technology, important changes to in vitro fertilization (IVF) such as the use of cryopreserved oocytes or embryos have been made. It is now established that adverse maternal and infant perinatal outcomes are associated with both assisted reproductive technologies and subfertility

Defining critical factors in multi-country studies of assisted reproductive technologies (ART): data from the US and UK health systems

As the worldwide use of assisted reproductive technologies (ART) continues to grow, there is a critical need to assess the safety of these treatment parameters and the potential adverse health effects of their use in adults and their offspring. While key elements remain similar across nations, geographic variations both in treatments and populations make generalizability challenging. We describe and compare the demographic factors between the USA and the UK related to ART use and discuss implications for research. The USA and the UK share some common elements of ART practice and in how data are collected regarding long-term outcomes. However, the monitoring of ART in these two countries each brings strengths that complement each other’s limitations

A Full Pharmacological Analysis of the Three Turkey β-Adrenoceptors and Comparison with the Human β-Adrenoceptors

There are three turkey β-adrenoceptors: the original turkey β-adrenoceptor from erythrocytes (tβtrunc, for which the X-ray crystal structure has recently been determined), tβ3C and tβ4C-receptors. This study examined the similarities and differences between these avian receptors and mammalian receptors with regards to binding characteristics and functional high and low affinity agonist conformations.Stable cell lines were constructed with each of the turkey β-adrenoceptors and 3H-CGP12177 whole cell binding, CRE-SPAP production and (3)H-cAMP accumulation assays performed. It was confirmed that the three turkey β-adrenoceptors are distinct from each other in terms of amino acid sequence and binding characteristics. The greatest similarity of any of the turkey β-adrenoceptors to human β-adrenoceptors is between the turkey β3C-receptor and the human β2-adrenoceptor. There are pharmacologically distinct differences between the binding of ligands for the tβtrunc and tβ4C and the human β-adrenoceptors (e.g. with CGP20712A and ICI118551). The tβtrunc and tβ4C-adrenoceptors appear to exist in at least two different agonist conformations in a similar manner to that seen at both the human and rat β1-adrenoceptor and human β3-adrenoceptors. The tβ3C-receptor, similar to the human β2-adrenoceptor, does not, at least so far, appear to exist in more than one agonist conformation.There are several similarities, but also several important differences, between the recently crystallised turkey β-adrenoceptor and the human β-adrenoceptors. These findings are important for those the field of drug discovery using the recently structural information from crystallised receptors to aid drug design. Furthermore, comparison of the amino-acid sequence for the turkey and human adrenoceptors may therefore shed more light on the residues involved in the existence of the secondary β-adrenoceptor conformation

Cryo-EM structure of a helicase loading intermediate containing ORC-Cdc6-Cdt1-MCM2-7 bound to DNA

In eukaryotes, the Cdt1-bound replicative helicase core MCM2-7 is loaded onto DNA by the ORC-Cdc6 ATPase to form a prereplicative complex (pre-RC) with an MCM2-7 double hexamer encircling DNA. Using purified components in the presence of ATP-γS, we have captured in vitro an intermediate in pre-RC assembly that contains a complex between the ORC-Cdc6 and Cdt1-MCM2-7 heteroheptamers called the OCCM. Cryo-EM studies of this 14-subunit complex reveal that the two separate heptameric complexes are engaged extensively, with the ORC-Cdc6 N-terminal AAA+ domains latching onto the C-terminal AAA+ motor domains of the MCM2-7 hexamer. The conformation of ORC-Cdc6 undergoes a concerted change into a right-handed spiral with helical symmetry that is identical to that of the DNA double helix. The resulting ORC-Cdc6 helicase loader shows a notable structural similarity to the replication factor C clamp loader, suggesting a conserved mechanism of action