Frontiers of marine science

On 9-13 October 2010 early career scientists from the UK and Australia across marine research fields were given the opportunity to come together in Perth, Australia to discuss the frontiers of marine research and exchange ideas.     

Endocrine PBL in the year 2000

The Southern Illinois University School of Medicine (SIU-SOM) has utilized problem-based learning (PBL) in its curriculum since 1981, when Dr. Howard Barrows joined the faculty. From 1989 to 2000, SIU-SOM implemented two parallel curricula for the basic science years (years I and II), one curriculum being a problem-based learning curriculum (PBLC). An executive decision to design and implement a single curriculum, to begin in Fall 2000, fostered a review of existing pedagogy upon which to base this new curriculum: C2000. The results of this review, which considered formal outcome measures as well as internal review in consideration of the institutional mission, led to PBL becoming the predominant pedagogy for C2000, albeit with some modifications from its PBLC predecessor. C2000, then, represents the third iteration of PBL in use at SIU-SOM, and its design and rationale offer insight for the teaching of Endocrine Physiology in a PBLC.     

Borrelia genomes in the year 2000

All analyzed members of the spirochete genus Borrelia contain a linear chromosome about 910 kbp long. The complete sequence of the B. burgdorferi B31 genome predicts that its chromosome carries essentially all of this organism's housekeeping genes. In accordance with these bacterial species' obligatory parasitic lifestyle, its genes encode enzymes that are capable of only a minimal metabolism, in which all nucleotides, amino acids, fatty acids and enzyme cofactors must be scavenged from the host. In addition to the chromosome, all Borrelia isolates examined carry multiple linear and circular plasmids with lengths between 5 and 200 kbp. The plasmids, which account for over 600 kbp in isolate B31, carry very few genes with homology to genes outside of the Borrelia genus. But they do carry numerous predicted lipoprotein genes, many of which are have been shown to be or are expected to be outer surface proteins. Ten of the linear plasmids have strikingly low protein coding potential for bacterial DNA. These plasmids have enjoyed numerous past duplicative rearrangements, which have resulted in the presence of a substantial fraction of the DNA that appears to be currently undergoing mutational decay, presumably because it is no longer under selection for function.     

Dengue situation in Brazil by year 2000

Dengue virus types 1 and 2 have been isolated in Brazil by the Department of Virology, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, in 1986 and 1990 respectively, after many decades of absence. A successful continental Aedes aegypti control program in the Americas, has been able to eradicate the vector in most countries in the 60's, but the program could not be sustained along the years. Dengue viruses were reintroduced in the American region and the infection became endemic in Brazil, like in most Central and South American countries and in the Caribbean region, due to the weaning of the vector control programs in these countries. High demographic densities and poor housing conditions in large urban communities, made the ideal conditions for vector spreading. All four dengue types are circulating in the continent and there is a high risk of the introduction in the country of the other two dengue types in Brazil, with the development of large epidemics. After the Cuban episode in 1981, when by the first time a large epidemic of dengue hemorrhagic fever and dengue shock syndrome have been described in the Americas, both clinical presentations are observed, specially in the countries like Brazil, with circulation of more than one dengue virus type. A tetravalent potent vaccine seems to be the only possible way to control the disease in the future, besides rapid clinical and laboratory diagnosis, in order to offer supportive treatment to the more severe clinical infections.