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Call for Papers     

Call for research papers atPlant Physiology on the role of Arabidopsis in modern biology

Cis and Trans

Call for research papers atPlant Physiology on the role of Arabidopsis in modern biology     

Call for papers: Symposium on “Tautomers and biology,” American Chemical Society National Meeting, Boston, MA, USA, August 2010

Announcement

Call for papers: Symposium on “Tautomers and biology,” American Chemical Society National Meeting, Boston, MA, USA, August 2010     

Call for papers oral and poster presentations are invited for the International Symposium: Exploring the Greet Lakes of the World: Food Web Dynamics,Health & Integrity

Aquatic Ecosystem Health and Management Society

Call for papers oral and poster presentations are invited for the International Symposium: Exploring the Greet Lakes of the World: Food Web Dynamics, Health & Integrity     

International Symposium on Chemistry and Biology of Municipal Water Treatment: Current status and future directions October 24–29, 1993 Call for papers

Aquatic Ecosystem Health and Management Society

International Symposium on Chemistry and Biology of Municipal Water Treatment: Current status and future directions October 24–29, 1993 Call for papers     

1st International Symposium on Ecosystem Health and Medicine: New Goals for Environmental Management

Symposium Announcement and Call for Presentations

1st International Symposium on Ecosystem Health and Medicine: New Goals for Environmental ManagementJune 19–22, 1994 · Ottawa Congress Centre Ottawa, Ontario, Canada     

Multi-Tiered Observation and Response Charts: Prevalence and Incidence of Triggers,Modifications and Calls,to Acutely Deteriorating Adult Patients

Background

Observation charts are the primary tool for recording patient vital signs. They have a critical role in documenting triggers for a multi-tiered escalation response to the deteriorating patient. The objectives of this study were to ascertain the prevalence and incidence of triggers, trigger modifications and escalation response (Call) amongst general medical and surgical inpatients following the introduction of an observation and response chart (ORC).

Methods

Prospective (prevalence), over two 24-hour periods, and retrospective (incidence), over entire hospital stay, observational study of documented patient observations intended to trigger one of three escalation responses, being a MER—Medical Emergency Response [highest tier], MDT—Multidisciplinary Team [admitting team], or Nurse—senior ward nurse [lowest tier] response amongst adult general medical and surgical patients.

Results

Prevalence: 416 patients, 321 (77.2%) being medical admissions, median age 76 years (IQR 62, 85) and 95 (22.8%) Not for Resuscitation (NFR). Overall, 193 (46.4%) patients had a Trigger, being 17 (4.1%) MER, 45 (10.8%) MDT and 178 (42.8%) Nurse triggers. 60 (14.4%) patients had a Call, and 72 (17.3%) a modified Trigger. Incidence: 206 patients, of similar age, of whom 166 (80.5%) had a Trigger, 122 (59.2%) a Call, and 91 (44.2%) a modified Trigger. Prevalence and incidence of failure to Call was 33.2% and 68% of patients, respectively, particular for Nurse Triggers (26.7% and 62.1%, respectively). The number of Modifications, Calls, and failure to Call, correlated with the number of Triggers (0.912 [p<0.01], 0.631 [p<0.01], 0.988 [p<0.01]).

Conclusion

Within a multi-tiered response system for the detection and response to the deteriorating patient Triggers, their Modifications and failure to Call are common, particularly within the lower tiers of escalation. The number of Triggers and their Modifications may erode the structure, compliance, and potential efficacy of structured observation and response charts within a multi-tiered response system.     

Geographic variation in advertisement calls in a tree frog species: gene flow and selection hypotheses

Background

In a species with a large distribution relative to its dispersal capacity, geographic variation in traits may be explained by gene flow, selection, or the combined effects of both. Studies of genetic diversity using neutral molecular markers show that patterns of isolation by distance (IBD) or barrier effect may be evident for geographic variation at the molecular level in amphibian species. However, selective factors such as habitat, predator, or interspecific interactions may be critical for geographic variation in sexual traits. We studied geographic variation in advertisement calls in the tree frog Hyla japonica to understand patterns of variation in these traits across Korea and provide clues about the underlying forces for variation.

Methodology

We recorded calls of H. japonica in three breeding seasons from 17 localities including localities in remote Jeju Island. Call characters analyzed were note repetition rate (NRR), note duration (ND), and dominant frequency (DF), along with snout-to-vent length.

Results

The findings of a barrier effect on DF and a longitudinal variation in NRR seemed to suggest that an open sea between the mainland and Jeju Island and mountain ranges dominated by the north-south Taebaek Mountains were related to geographic variation in call characters. Furthermore, there was a pattern of IBD in mitochondrial DNA sequences. However, no comparable pattern of IBD was found between geographic distance and call characters. We also failed to detect any effects of habitat or interspecific interaction on call characters.

Conclusions

Geographic variations in call characters as well as mitochondrial DNA sequences were largely stratified by geographic factors such as distance and barriers in Korean populations of H. japoinca. Although we did not detect effects of habitat or interspecific interaction, some other selective factors such as sexual selection might still be operating on call characters in conjunction with restricted gene flow.     

4. THE SOUTH AFRICAN CLIFF SWALLOW

Short, L.L. &; Horne, J. F. M. 1980, Vocal and other behaviour of the Green Barbet in Kenya. Ostrich 51:219–229.

Brief field studies of the Green Barbet Stactolaema olivacea in coastal Kenya, with emphasis on vocalizations, document its social behaviour, including communal roosting of four birds in a cavity. Green Barbets are aggressive, interacting strongly with a number of species. Erecting of the crown feathers, cocking of the tail, and woodpeckerlike swinging movements characterize displays. Wing Flutters and audible Bill Wiping are visual-auditory displays. Vocalizations include the Grating Call, Kek Call, Chuk Call and Chowp Call. These are agonistic and agonistic-reproductive in function. The Chowp Call comprises the song, used in simultaneous singing and duetting.     

PhyTB: Phylogenetic tree visualisation and sample positioning for M. tuberculosis

Background

Phylogenetic-based classification of M. tuberculosis and other bacterial genomes is a core analysis for studying evolutionary hypotheses, disease outbreaks and transmission events. Whole genome sequencing is providing new insights into the genomic variation underlying intra- and inter-strain diversity, thereby assisting with the classification and molecular barcoding of the bacteria. One roadblock to strain investigation is the lack of user-interactive solutions to interrogate and visualise variation within a phylogenetic tree setting.

Results

We have developed a web-based tool called PhyTB (http://pathogenseq.lshtm.ac.uk/phytblive/index.php) to assist phylogenetic tree visualisation and identification of M. tuberculosis clade-informative polymorphism. Variant Call Format files can be uploaded to determine a sample position within the tree. A map view summarises the geographical distribution of alleles and strain-types. The utility of the PhyTB is demonstrated on sequence data from 1,601 M. tuberculosis isolates.

Conclusion

PhyTB contextualises M. tuberculosis genomic variation within epidemiological, geographical and phylogenic settings. Further tool utility is possible by incorporating large variants and phenotypic data (e.g. drug-resistance profiles), and an assessment of genotype-phenotype associations. Source code is available to develop similar websites for other organisms (http://sourceforge.net/projects/phylotrack).     

Detection of a New Hainan Gibbon (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Nomascus hainanus</Emphasis>) Group Using Acoustic Call Playback

Targeted management actions informed by robust data are needed to conserve species of extreme rarity, and assessing the effectiveness of different field methods for detection and monitoring of such species is a conservation priority. Gibbons are typically detected by their daily song through passive listening surveys, but lone gibbon individuals and low-density populations are less likely to sing, making detection difficult or impossible using standard survey techniques. Call playback represents an alternative potential method for detecting gibbon presence, but there has been no empirical evaluation of the usefulness of this method in the field. We investigated the efficacy of call playback as a survey method for detecting previously unconfirmed or unknown individuals of the Critically Endangered Hainan gibbon (Nomascus hainanus), the world’s rarest primate, in patches of good-quality forest outside the current home ranges of the three known Hainan gibbon social groups in Bawangling National Nature Reserve, Hainan, China. Call playback led to detection of a male-only call likely to have been made by a solitary male, and a previously unknown social group comprising an adult male, adult female, and an infant, increasing the number of known breeding females in the global Hainan gibbon population from five to six. Call playback therefore represents an effective tool for improved monitoring of Hainan gibbons, as well as other gibbon populations; however, it is a moderately disruptive survey technique, and should be employed sparingly, in key locations, and for short periods of time only when attempting to detect gibbon presence.     

Novel neutral network approach to call admission control in high-speed networks

This paper presents a novel Call Admission Control (CAC) scheme which adopts the neural network approach, namely Minimal Resource Allocation Network (MRAN) and its extended version EMRAN. Though the current focus is on the Call Admission Control (CAC) for Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) networks, the scheme is applicable to most high-speed networks. As there is a need for accurate estimation of the required bandwidth for different services, the proposed scheme can offer a simple design procedure and provide a better control in fulfilling the Quality of Service (QoS) requirements. MRAN and EMRAN are on-line learning algorithms to facilitate efficient admission control in different traffic environments. Simulation results show that the proposed CAC schemes are more efficient than the two conventional CAC approaches, the Peak Bandwidth Allocation scheme and the Cell Loss Ratio (CLR) upperbound formula scheme. The prediction precision and computational time of MRAN and EMRAN algorithms are also investigated. Both MRAN and EMRAN algorithms yield similar performance results, but the EMRAN algorithm has less computational load.     

Responsiveness of young ring-billed gulls to various natural and manipulated adult gull calls

Individual adult gull calls, call sequences, and artificially manipulated calls were played to parentally naive young Larus delawarensis in the laboratory to assess the effectiveness of calls and call parameters in eliciting filial behaviour. Call duration, the number and rate of calls in a sequence, and absolute intensity (dB) significantly affected chitter vocalization responses. These parameters correlate functionally with the characteristics of actual calls given by adults within the colony. Call frequency (Hz), frequency modulation, and within-call variations in intensity did not. The latter parameters consititute potential physical bases for further differentiation of responses during subsequent development.     

Regulation of rat cardiac nuclei-associated Mg2+-NTPase by phosphorylation

A nucleoside triphosphatase (NTPase) activity appeared to be associated with a highly purified nuclear preparation from rat cardiac ventricles. Different nucleoside triphosphates (UTP > GTP > ITP > CTP) supported this enzymic activity, which was stimulated by Mg` but not by Call. The nuclear NTPase activity could be down regulated by endogenous phosphorylation of a 55,000 M_r protein. Maximal phosphorylation of the 55,000 M_r protein occurred in the presence of Mg²⁺-ATP. Addition of cAMP, cGMP, Ca²⁺, Ca²⁺/phospholipid, Ca²⁺/calmodulin, and catalytic subunit of cAMP-dependent protein kinase was not associated with any further phosphorylation of the 55,000 M_r protein. However, in the presence of Ca²⁺/calmodulin or the catalytic subunit of the cAMP-dependent protein kinase additional proteins became phosphorylated, but these had no effect on the Mg²⁺-NTPase activity. These results indicate that a protein with M_r 55,000 may be involved in the regulation the Mg²⁺-NTPase activity associated with rat cardiac nuclei.Abbreviations Hg Hemoglobin - GAR Goat Anti-Rabbit antibody - SR Sarcoplasmic Reticulum - NTP Nucleoside Triphosphate - TCA Trichloroacetic acid - PAGE Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis     

In vitro characterization of ligand-induced oligomerization of the S. cerevisiae G-protein coupled receptor,Ste2p

Background

The S. cerevisiae α-factor receptor, Ste2p, is a G-protein coupled receptor that plays key roles in yeast signaling and mating. Oligomerization of Ste2p has previously been shown to be important for intracellular trafficking, receptor processing and endocytosis. However the role of ligand in receptor oligomerization remains enigmatic.

Methods

Using functional recombinant forms of purified Ste2p, atomic force microscopy, dynamic light scattering and chemical crosslinking are applied to investigate the role of ligand in Ste2p oligomerization.

Results

Atomic force microscopy images indicate a molecular height for recombinant Ste2p in the presence of α-factor nearly double that of Ste2p alone. This observation is supported by complementary dynamic light scattering measurements which indicate a ligand-induced increase in the polydispersity of the Ste2p hydrodynamic radius. Finally, chemical cross-linking of HEK293 plasma membranes presenting recombinant Ste2p indicates α-factor induced stabilization of the dimeric form and higher order oligomeric forms of the receptor upon SDS-PAGE analysis.

Conclusions

α-factor induces oligomerization of Ste2p in vitro and in membrane.

General significance

These results provide additional evidence of a possible role for ligand in mediation of Ste2p oligomerization in vivo.     

CK2 phosphorylation of human Sec63 regulates its interaction with Sec62

Background

Protein kinase CK2 is a pleiotropic enzyme which is ubiquitously expressed in eukaryotic cells. Several years ago CK2 was found to be associated with the mammalian endoplasmic reticulum. So far nothing is known about the function of CK2 at the ER.

Methods

CK2 phosphorylation sites in the polypeptide chain of Sec63 were mapped using deletion mutants and a peptide library. Binding of Sec63 to CK2 and to Sec62 was analyzed by pull-down assays and by co-immunoprecipitation

Results

Sec63 was identified as a novel substrate and binding partner of protein kinase CK2.We identified serine 574, serine 576 and serine 748 as CK2 phosphorylation sites. Phosphorylation of Sec63 by CK2 enhanced its binding to Sec62.

Conclusions

Protein kinase CK2 phosphorylation of Sec63 leads to an enhanced binding of Sec63 to Sec62. This complex formation is a prerequisite for a functional ER protein translocon.

General significance

Thus, our present data indicate a regulatory role of CK2 in the ER protein translocation.     

A declaration of intent in the kittiwake gull (Rissa tridactyla)

During the breeding seasons 1979–1982 observations were made of the vocal behaviour of the kittiwake gull (Rissa tridactyla). Attention was directed at the vocal behaviour emitted immediately preceding a bird's departure from the nest and partner. The data indicate that the kittiwake consistently makes only one type of vocalization (the Pre-departure Call) prior to departure and that the behaviour communicates intention to leave nest and partner. An analysis of the behavioural interactions reveals that the Pre-departure Call given by one bird elicits five different categories of response in the other. The data reveal that consequent partner behaviour either sanctioned or prevented absence. The functional significance of the results is discussed.     

Molecular epidemiology of ��-thalassemia in Pakistan: Far reaching implications

BACKGROUND:

β -Thalassaemia, an autosomal recessive hemoglobinopathy, is one of the commonest genetically transmitted disorders throughout the world. Collective measures including carrier identification, genetic counseling and prenatal diagnosis are required for preventing β-thalassemia.

Aim:

To achieve this objective, Identification of the spectrum of genetic mutations, especially for various ethnic backgrounds in Pakistan. Therefore, we designed a cross sectional prospective study to identify the frequency of various gene mutations in different ethnic groups of Pakistan.

MATERIALS AND METHODS:

Over a 5-year period, DNA from 648 blood samples {including specimens of chorionic villus sampling (CVS)} were analyzed for the twelve most common β-thalassemia mutations found in the Pakistani population by a Multiplex amplification refractory mutation system (ARMS). Each sample was analyzed for the mutation as well as the normal gene, appropriate with negative and positive controls, and reagent blanks.

RESULTS:

Out of 648 samples mutations were identified in 640 (98.75%) samples by multiplex ARMS. 8 common β-thalassemia mutations were identified in 8 different ethnic groups accounting for 93.9% of the β-thalasemia alleles.

CONCLUSIONS:

Based on the outcome of this study a cost effective proposal is formulated for detection of β-thalassemia mutations.