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The Australian Imaging Biomarkers and Lifestyle (AIBL) study is a longitudinal study of 1,112 volunteers from healthy, mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and Alzheimer's disease (AD) populations who are assessed at 18-month intervals in order to enable prospective research into ageing and AD. Using a multidisciplinary battery, AIBL assessments comprise the extensive study of clinical factors and cognitive function, collection of blood and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples for biomarker discovery, structural and β -amyloid (Aβ) neuroimaging, and obtaining information on diet and physical activity patterns of the cohort. Now in its seventh year, AIBL is part of a substantial international effort to prospectively study the relationships between clinical characteristics and putative AD biomarkers in groups who carry different risk factors for AD. The identification of biomarkers would provide a window of opportunity to assess AD risk in individuals prior to the onset of advanced clinical symptoms, in addition to facilitating testing of therapeutic and lifestyle interventions likely to emerge within the next decade that prevent or delay symptom emergence in those at high risk for developing AD. In this paper, we present key findings from the AIBL study and discuss how they contribute to our understanding of AD pathogenesis and diagnosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The field of proteomics opens new possibilities for the mass screening of proteins from many different sources. While genomics is well understood to be a big science field, proteomics is just emerging as such. This paper describes the setting up of the first national proteomics facility. The facility has been funded by the Australian government and this funding has allowed the design of purpose built, integrated laboratories with state of the art equipment for large scale proteome research.

A vigorous effort has been undertaken to develop a robust and high speed network in the Asia-Pacific region which satisfies the needs of the scientific community. Consortium for Asia-Pacific Advanced Network (APAN) are established in some countries in this region. Our group, along with collaborators in Singapore and Australia, is moving towards the establishment of Asia-Pacific Bioinformatics Network (APBioNet) based on APAN. In this paper, we describe the concept of APBioNet and introduce the activities of DNA Data Bank of Japan (DDBJ) which will play an important role in APBioNet. Some salient features of APBioNet are also discussed.

The body protein reserves, assessed indirectly by the measurement of intracellular water, was determined in free-living Aboriginal children and adolescents located in Central and Northwestern Australia. Fifty one individuals were studied--31 males and 20 females. Significant reductions were observed in intracellular water or cell mass relative to the cube of body length for Aboriginal females when compared to a control female group. Only marginal or borderline differences for the same parameters were observed when Aboriginal males were compared with controls. Comparison of Aboriginal females with Aboriginal males demonstrated significant reductions in cell mass (intracellular water) relative to body length cubed in the female. This finding in the Aboriginal female is of concern because many become pregnant in the early teenage years. Evidence was found during the course of this study that plasma zinc concentrations were frequently low. This led to a concomitant study on serum and plasma trace metals in two Aboriginal settlements (364 individuals) to be published in a subsequent paper.

Both genetic and epigenetic factors are important regulators of the immune system. There is an increasing body of evidence attesting to epigenetic modifications that influence the development of distinct innate and adaptive immune response cells. Chromatin remodelling via acetylation, methylation, phosphorylation, and ubiquitination of histone proteins as well as DNA, methylation is epigenetic mechanisms by which immune gene expression can be controlled. In this paper, we will discuss the role of epigenetics in the regulation of host immunity, with particular emphasis on histone deacetylase inhibitors. In particular, the role of HDAC inhibitors as a new class of immunomodulatory therapeutics will also be reviewed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of technologies for the in vitro amplification of abnormal conformations of prion protein (PrPSc) has generated the potential for sensitive detection of prions. Here we developed a new PrPSc amplification assay, called real-time quaking-induced conversion (RT-QUIC), which allows the detection of ≥1 fg of PrPSc in diluted Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) brain homogenate. Moreover, we assessed the technique first in a series of Japanese subjects and then in a blind study of 30 cerebrospinal fluid specimens from Australia, which achieved greater than 80% sensitivity and 100% specificity. These findings indicate the promising enhanced diagnostic capacity of RT-QUIC in the antemortem evaluation of suspected CJD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Survivors of acute kidney injury (AKI) are at increased risk of major adverse kidney events and international guidelines recommend individuals be evaluated 3 months following AKI. Aim: We describe practice patterns and predictors of post‐AKI care in an Australian tertiary hospital. Methods: A retrospective analysis was undertaken of adults with AKI (defined by KDIGO criteria) admitted to a single centre between 2012 and 2016. The primary outcome was outpatient nephrology review at 3 months. Secondary outcomes included inpatient nephrology review, and outpatient serum creatinine and urinary protein measurements. Data were analysed using multivariable logistic and competing risk regression. Results: Only 117 of 2111 (6%) patients with AKI were reviewed by a nephrologist at 3 months. Reviewed patients were more likely to have a higher discharge serum creatinine (odds ratio (OR) 1.20 per 10 μmol/L increase; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.16–1.25) or a history of peripheral vascular disease (OR 1.77; 95% CI 1.00–3.14). They were less likely to be older (OR 0.66 per decade; 95% CI 0.57–0.76) or to have a history of liver (OR 0.47; 95% CI 0.26–0.87) or ischaemic heart (OR 0.50; 95% CI 0.27–0.94) disease. AKI stage did not predict follow up. The median time from discharge to outpatient serum creatinine testing was 12 days (interquartile range 4–47) and proteinuria was measured in 538 (25%) patients. Conclusions: A minority of admitted AKI patients receive recommended post‐AKI care. Studies in other Australian institutions are required to confirm or refute these concerning findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Protein bait spray is a tool used widely in tephritid fruit fly pest (Diptera: Tephritidae) control and eradication programs. However, this technique might have a negative effect on non‐target, beneficial insects. Aphytis lingnanensis is a very successful parasitoid of the California red scale, Aonidiella aurantii, a worldwide pest of citrus. Though A. lingnanensis is widely used in augmentative release programs, the impact of protein bait‐insecticide mixtures on the parasitoid is not documented. In this study, we investigated the attraction of A. lingnanensis to Pinnacle® protein, a fruit fly protein bait commonly used in Australia. Following this, the contact toxicity of field weathered residues of protein bait mixed with the insecticides spinosad, fipronil, malathion and chlorpyrifos to A. lingnanensis were evaluated. Finally, the non‐lethal impact of these residues on the capacity of A. lingnanensis to parasitize its host was investigated. Food‐deprived parasitoids were not attracted to protein but were significantly attracted to honey. The lack of attraction of protein, however, increased when sugar was added to it. Relative to a control of only protein, protein bait‐insecticide mixtures applied on citrus leaves and weathered outdoors for 2 h, 3 days, 7 days and 12 days caused high mortality of A. lingnanensis. The residual toxicity of the four weathering periods, for all the protein bait‐insecticide mixtures, produced high mortality rates varying between 90% and 100%. In addition, the capacity of A. lingnanensis to parasitize its host after exposure to weathered residues containing an insecticide was severely affected. The results suggest that A. lingnanensis is highly susceptible to the insecticides evaluated here when used in fruit fly protein baits. Therefore, the use of these insecticides in protein bait sprays, as part of an area wide fruit fly management, should be carefully considered in areas where augmentative release and conservation of A. lingnanensis are also applied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The spread of goldfish ulcer disease (GUD) from Victoria to New South Wales. Australia, and the first isolation of Aeromonas salmonicida from wild goldfish are reported. Cultural, biochemical and protein SDS-PAGE characteristics of these recent isolates are compared with those of existing Australian isolates, with strains recovered from goldfish in Italy and the USA (atypical strains) and with strain ATCC 14174 (typical strain). The Australian isolates were identical and closely resembled the exotic atypical strains. Although there were several biochemical differences between the atypical isolates and the typical ATCC 14174 strain, the results of SDS-PAGE confirmed that these strains were closely related. The homology of the Australian and overseas strains recovered from goldfish supports the common view that A. salmonicida was introduced first into Australia with diseased goldfish in 1974. The three widely separated outbreaks of GUD reported here confirm that an atypical strain of A. salmonicida is now endemic in Australia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Canine parvovirus (CPV) is a major enteric pathogen of dogs worldwide that emerged in the late 1970s from a feline parvovirus (FPV)‐like ancestral virus. Shortly after its emergence, variant CPVs acquired amino acid (aa) mutations in key capsid residues, associated with biological and/or antigenic changes. This study aimed to identify and analyse CPV variants and their capsid mutations amongst Australian dogs, to gain insights into the evolution of CPV in Australia and to investigate relationships between the disease and vaccination status of dogs from which viruses were detected. CPV VP2 sequences were amplified from 79 faecal samples collected from dogs with parvoviral enteritis at 20 veterinary practices in five Australian states. The median age at diagnosis was 4 months (range 1–96 months). Only 3.7% of dogs with vaccination histories had completed recommended vaccination schedules, while 49% were incompletely vaccinated and 47.2% were unvaccinated. For the first time, CPV‐2b has emerged as the dominant antigenic CPV variant circulating in dogs with parvoviral enteritis in Australia, comprising 54.4% of viruses, while CPV‐2a and CPV‐2 comprised 43.1% and 2.5%, respectively. The antigenic variant CPV‐2c was not identified. Analysis of translated VP2 sequences revealed a vast repertoire of amino acid (aa) mutations. Several Australian CPV strains displayed signatures in the VP2 protein typical of Asian CPVs, suggesting possible introduction of CPV strains from Asia, and/or CPV circulation between Asia and Australia. Canine parvoviruses were identified containing aa residues typical of FPV at key capsid (VP2) positions, representing reverse mutations or residual mutations retained from CPV‐2 during adaptation from an FPV‐like ancestor, suggesting that evolutionary intermediates between CPV‐2 and FPV are circulating in the field. Similarly, intermediates between CPV‐2a‐like viruses and CPV‐2 were also identified. These findings help inform a better understanding of the evolution of CPV in dogs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reading and language abilities are critical for educational achievement and success in adulthood. Variation in these traits is highly heritable, but the underlying genetic architecture is largely undiscovered. Genetic studies of reading and language skills traditionally focus on children with developmental disorders; however, much larger unselected adult samples are available, increasing power to identify associations with specific genetic variants of small effect size. We introduce an Australian adult population cohort (41.7-73.2 years of age, N = 1505) in which we obtained data using validated measures of several aspects of reading and language abilities. We performed genetic association analysis for a reading and spelling composite score, nonword reading (assessing phonological processing: a core component in learning to read), phonetic spelling, self-reported reading impairment and nonword repetition (a marker of language ability). Given the limited power in a sample of this size (~80% power to find a minimum effect size of 0.005), we focused on analyzing candidate genes that have been associated with dyslexia and developmental speech and language disorders in prior studies. In gene-based tests, FOXP2, a gene implicated in speech/language disorders, was associated with nonword repetition (p < .001), phonetic spelling (p = .002) and the reading and spelling composite score (p < .001). Gene-set analyses of candidate dyslexia and speech/language disorder genes were not significant. These findings contribute to the assessment of genetic associations in reading and language disorders, crucial for understanding their etiology and informing intervention strategies, and validate the approach of using unselected adult samples for gene discovery in language and reading. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Metabolic risk factors for cardiovascular disease (CVD) warrant significant public health concern globally. This study aims to utilise the regional database of a major laboratory network to describe the geographic distribution pattern of eight different cardiometabolic risk factors (CMRFs), which in turn can potentially generate hypotheses for future research into locality specific preventive approaches. Method: A cross-sectional design utilising de-identified laboratory data on eight CMRFs including fasting blood sugar level (FBSL); glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c); total cholesterol (TC); high density lipoprotein (HDL); albumin creatinine ratio (ACR); estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR); body mass index (BMI); and diabetes mellitus (DM) status was used to undertake descriptive and spatial analyses. CMRF test results were dichotomised into ‘higher risk’ and ‘lower risk’ values based on existing risk definitions. Australian Census Statistical Area Level 1 (SA1) were used as the geographic units of analysis, and an Empirical Bayes (EB) approach was used to smooth rates at SA1 level. Choropleth maps demonstrating the distribution of CMRFs rates at SA1 level were produced. Spatial clustering of CMRFs was assessed using Global Moran’s I test and Local Indicators of Spatial Autocorrelation (LISA). Results: A total of 1,132,016 test data derived from 256,525 individuals revealed significant geographic variation in the distribution of ‘higher risk' CMRF findings. The populated eastern seaboard of the study region demonstrated the highest rates of CMRFs. Global Moran’s I values were significant and positive at SA1 level for all CMRFs. The highest spatial autocorrelation strength was found among obesity rates (0.328), and the lowest for albuminuria (0.028). LISA tests identified significant High-High (HH) and Low-Low (LL) spatial clusters of CMRFs, with LL predominantly in the less populated northern, central and southern regions of the study area. Conclusion: The study describes a range of CMRFs with different distributions in the study region. The results allow generation of hypotheses to test in future research concerning location specific population health approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Burkholderia pseudomallei causes melioidosis, a common source of pneumonia and sepsis in Southeast Asia and Northern Australia that results in high mortality rates. A caprine melioidosis model of aerosol infection that leads to a systemic infection has the potential to characterize the humoral immune response. This could help identify immunogenic proteins for new diagnostics and vaccine candidates. Outbred goats may more accurately mimic human infection, in contrast to the inbred mouse models used to date. B. pseudomallei infection was delivered as an intratracheal aerosol. Antigenic protein profiling was generated from the infecting strain MSHR511. Humoral immune responses were analyzed by ELISA and western blot, and the antigenic proteins were identified by mass spectrometry. Throughout the course of the infection the assay results demonstrated a much greater humoral response with IgG antibodies, in both breadth and quantity, compared to IgM antibodies. Pre-infection sera showed multiple immunogenic proteins already reactive for IgG (7–20) and IgM (0–12) in most of the goats despite no previous exposure to B. pseudomallei. After infection, the number of IgG reactive proteins showed a marked increase as the disease progressed. Early stage infection (day 7) showed immune reaction to chaperone proteins (GroEL, EF-Tu, and DnaK). These three proteins were detected in all serum samples after infection, with GroEL immunogenically dominant. Seven common reactive antigens were selected for further analysis using ELISA. The heat shock protein GroEL1 elicited the strongest goat antibody immune response compared to the other six antigens. Most of the six antigens showed the peak IgM reactivity at day 14, whereas the IgG reactivity increased further as the disease progressed. An overall MSHR511 proteomic comparison between the goat model and human sera showed that many immune reactive proteins are common between humans and goats with melioidosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: KLF1 is an essential transcriptional activator that drives erythropoiesis. KLF1 variants can result in the Inhibitor of Lutheran, or In(Lu), phenotype where red blood cells (RBCs) have reduced BCAM (LU) and CD44 (IN). Other RBC surface molecules also have changed expression; however, there is controversy in the literature regarding which are truly impacted. We aimed to investigate KLF1 variants in the Australian population.Study Design and Methods: In(Lu) samples were sourced through screening and through the RBC reference laboratory. Blood donor samples (8036) were screened to identify weakened/absent Lub antigen. Samples were genotyped by massively parallel sequencing, while surface carbohydrates and blood group molecules were assessed by flow cytometry. Hemoglobin (Hb) types were analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography.Results: Four of 8036 donors were identified to be In(Lu), and two previously identified In(Lu) samples were provided from the RBC reference laboratory. Five different KLF1 variants were identified; two were novel: c.954G>C/p.Trp318Cys and c.421C>T/p.Arg141*. BCAM and CD44 were reduced in all samples, consistent with previous reports. As a group, In(Lu) RBCs had reduced CD35 (KN), ICAM4 (LW), and CD147 (OK), and demonstrated increased binding of lectins ECA and SNAI. One In(Lu) sample had elevated HbF and another elevated HbA2.Conclusion: Different KLF1 variants may potentially produce variable phenotypes. A framework for investigating KLF1 variants and their phenotypic impact has been provided. In the future, given available international databases, further testing algorithms (as advocated here) will allow for correlation of phenotype with genotype and therefore accurately document this variability between KLF1 variants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Gestational Diabetes Mellitus (GDM) increases the risk of type 2 diabetes. A register can be used to follow-up high risk women for early intervention to prevent progression to type 2 diabetes. We evaluate the performance of the world’s first national gestational diabetes register. Research design and methods: Observational study that used data linkage to merge: (1) pathology data from the Australian states of Victoria (VIC) and South Australia (SA); (2) birth records from the Consultative Council on Obstetric and Paediatric Mortality and Morbidity (CCOPMM, VIC) and the South Australian Perinatal Statistics Collection (SAPSC, SA); (3) GDM and type 2 diabetes register data from the National Gestational Diabetes Register (NGDR). All pregnancies registered on CCOPMM and SAPSC for 2012 and 2013 were included–other data back to 2008 were used to support the analyses. Rates of screening for GDM, rates of registration on the NGDR, and rates of follow-up laboratory screening for type 2 diabetes are reported. Results: Estimated GDM screening rates were 86% in SA and 97% in VIC. Rates of registration on the NGDR ranged from 73% in SA (2013) to 91% in VIC (2013). During the study period rates of screening at six weeks postpartum ranged from 43% in SA (2012) to 58% in VIC (2013). There was little evidence of recall letters resulting in screening 12 months follow-up. Conclusions: GDM Screening and NGDR registration was effective in Australia. Recall by mail-out to young mothers and their GP’s for type 2 diabetes follow-up testing proved ineffective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

West Nile virus is globally wide-spread and causes significant disease in humans and animals. The evolution of West Nile virus Kunjin subtype in Australia (WNVKUN) was investigated using archival samples collected over a period of 50 years. Based on the pattern of fixed amino acid substitutions and time-stamped molecular clock analyses, a single long-term lineage (or topotype) was inferred. This implies that a bottleneck exists such that regional strains eventually die out and are replaced with strains from a single source. This was consistent with current hypotheses regarding the distribution of WNVKUN, whereby the virus is enzootic in northern Australia and is disseminated to southern states by water-birds or mosquitoes after flooding associated with above average rainfall. In addition, two previous amino acid changes associated with pathogenicity, an N-Y-S glycosylation motif in the envelope protein and a phenylalanine at amino acid 653 in the RNA polymerase, were both detected in all isolates collected since the 1980s. Changes primarily occurred due to stochastic drift. One fixed substitution each in NS3 and NS5, subtly changed the chemical environment of important functional groups, and may be involved in fine-tuning RNA synthesis. Understanding these evolutionary changes will help us to better understand events such as the emergence of the virulent strain in 2011. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Four previously reported studies have tested for association of blood proteins with neocortical amyloid-β burden (NAB). If shown to be robust, these proteins could have utility as a blood test for enrichment in clinical trials of Alzheimer's disease (AD) therapeutics.Objective: This study aimed to investigate whether previously identified blood proteins also show evidence for association with NAB in serum samples from the Australian Imaging, Biomarker and Lifestyle Flagship Study of Ageing (AIBL). The study considers candidate proteins seen in cohorts other than AIBL and candidates previously discovered in the AIBL cohort.Methods: Our study used the SOMAscan platform for protein quantification in blood serum. Linear and logistic regressions were used to model continuous NAB and dichotomized NAB respectively using single proteins as a predictor. Multiple protein models were built using stepwise regression techniques and support vectors machines. Age and APOEɛ4 carriage were used as covariates for all analysis.Results: Of the 41 proteins previously reported, 15 AIBL candidates and 20 non-AIBL candidates were available for testing. Of these candidates, pancreatic polypeptide (PPY) and IgM showed a significant association with NAB. Notably, IgM was found to associate with continuous NAB across cognitively normal control subjects.Conclusions: We have further demonstrated the association of PPY and IgM with NAB, despite technical differences between studies. There are several reasons for a lack of significance for the other candidates including platform differences and the use of serum rather than plasma samples. To investigate the possibility of technical differences causing lack of replication, further studies are required. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alzheimer's disease neuropathology (amyloid, tauopathies) and brain atrophy are present decades prior to manifestation of clinical symptoms. With the failure of treatment trials it is becoming clearer that the window for prevention and therapeutic intervention is before significant neuronal loss and clinical deterioration of cognition has occurred. Early identification of those at risk of disease and optimizing their management to prevent disease in later life are crucial to delaying disease onset and improving people's quality of life. The Women's Healthy Aging Project (WHAP) is a longitudinal study of over 400 Australian-born women, epidemiologically randomly sampled in 1990. The WHAP aims to identify modifiable mid-life risk factors for the development of late-life cognitive decline, improve the understanding of the pathogenesis of dementia, and target early disease identification utilizing clinical, biomarker and health risk profiles. These aims are fortified by the ability to leverage the considerable database on health, lifestyle and socio-demographics collected prospectively from 1990 to date. This is the first study with a comprehensive neuropsychological battery, over a decade of cognitive follow-up, with all participants being offered amyloid imaging from 2012, and prospective longitudinal data including clinical and physical measures and bio-bank samples from over 20 years prior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim The aim of this study was to determine the effect of gestational diabetesmellitus on maternal circulating levels ofC3a,C4a and C5a. Methods Anaphylatoxin C3a, C4a and C5a levels were measured in maternal and cord plasma from 42 women with normal glucose tolerance and 40 women with gestational diabetes at the time of term elective Caesarean section. Maternal plasma C3a, C4a and C5a concentrations were determined by enzyme-linked immunoassay. Results Maternal C3a and C4a concentrations were significantly lower in women with gestational diabetes compared with women with normal glucose tolerance at the time of term delivery (P < 0.05, Student's t-test).There was, however, no difference in maternal circulating C5a levels between the two groups. Additionally, there was no difference in C3a, C4a and C5a levels in cord plasma obtained from women with normal glucose tolerance and those with gesational diabetes. However, a significant positive correlation was observed between maternal and cord complement split levels. Conclusions Gestational diabetes is characterized by lower levels of C3a and C4a in thematernal circulation at the time of term Caesarean delivery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The family Proteaceae dominates the nutrient-poor, Mediterranean-climate floristic regions of southwestern Australia (SWA) and the Cape of South Africa. It is well-recognised that mediterranean Proteaceae have comparatively large seeds that are enriched with phosphorus (P), stored mainly as salts of phytic acid in protein globoids. Seed P can contribute up to 48% of the total aboveground P, with the fraction allocated depending on the species fire response. For SWA species, 70–80% of P allocated to fruiting structures is invested in seeds, compared with 30–75% for Cape species, with SWA species storing on average 4.7 times more P per seed at twice the concentration. When soil P is less limiting for growth, seed P reserves may be less important for seedling establishment, and hence plants there tend to produce smaller seeds with less P. For Australian Hakea and Grevillea species the translocation of P from the fruit wall to the seed occurs in the days/weeks before final fruit dry mass is reached, and accounts for 4–36% of seed P. Seed P content increases with the level of serotiny, though it decreases marginally as a fraction of the total reproductive structure. The greater occurrence of serotiny and higher seed P content within the Proteaceae in SWA supports the notion that SWA soils are more P-impoverished than those of the Cape. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: There is a dearth of knowledge about the foods that Australian adults eat and a need for a flexible, easy-to-use tool that can estimate usual dietary intakes. The present study was to validate a commonly used Australian Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) food-frequency questionnaire (C-FFQ) against two 4-day weighed food records (WFR), as the reference method. Methods: The C-FFQ, as the test item, was administrated before the WFR. Two 4-day WFR were administrated 4 weeks apart. Under-reporting was established using specific cut-off limits and estimated basal metabolic rate. Seventy-four women, aged 31–60 years, were enrolled from a free-living community setting. Results: After exclusion for under-reporting, the final sample comprised 62 individuals. Correlations between protein intake from the WFR and urinary urea were significant. Overall agreement between FFQ and WFR was shown by ‘levels of agreement’ (LOA) and least products regressions. There was presence of fixed and proportional bias for almost half the nutrients, including energy, protein, fat and carbohydrates. For most of the nutrients that did not present bias, the LOA were 50–200%. Agreement was demonstrated for percentage dietary energy protein and fat; carbohydrate; and absolute amounts of thiamine, riboflavin, magnesium and iron. However, relative intake agreement was fair to moderate, with approximately 70% of (selected) nutrients exact or within ±1 quintile difference. Conclusion: The C-FFQ is reasonable at measuring percentage energy from macronutrients and some micronutrients, and comprises a valuable tool for ranking intakes by quintiles; however, it is poor at measuring many absolute nutrient intakes relative to WFR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing can lead to irreversible ecosystem changes; however, it is also one of the most difficult forms of fishing to manage and deter. In northern Australia over the past decade there has been a large increase in small-scale IUU fishing. We suggest that this small-scale fishing has arisen because of long-term fisheries over-exploitation in South East Asia. This IUU fishing forms part of the expansion-and-displacement cycle that can rapidly reduce biomass and alter the trophic structure of local ecosystems. With increasing human populations in the region, the pressure to fish illegally is likely to increase. Regional responses are required to deter and monitor the illegal over-exploitation of fisheries resources, which is critical to secure ecosystem stability as climate change and other destructive human activities threaten food security. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The overlap between autism and Rett syndrome clinical features has led to many cases of Rett syndrome being initially diagnosed with infantile autism or as having some autistic features. Both conditions seriously disrupt social and language development and are often accompanied by repetitive, nonpurposeful stereotypic hand movements. The aims of this study were to compare the early and subsequent clinical courses of female subjects with Rett syndrome categorised by whether or not a diagnosis of autism had been proposed before Rett syndrome had been diagnosed and compare the spectrum of methyl-CpG binding protein 2 (MECP2) mutations identified among the two groups. This study made use of a total of 313 cases recorded in two databases: the Australian Rett Syndrome Database (ARSD) and the International Rett Syndrome Phenotype Database (InterRett). Cases with an initial diagnosis of autism had significantly milder Rett syndrome symptoms and were more likely to remain ambulant, to have some functional hand use and not to have developed a scoliosis. Females with the p.R306C or p.T158M mutations in the MECP2 gene were more likely to have an initial diagnosis of autism, and the specific Rett syndrome symptoms were noted at a later age. We recommend that females who are initially considered to have autism be carefully monitored for the evolution of the signs and symptoms of Rett syndrome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Repetitive extragenic palindromic polymerase chain reaction (rep-PCR), sequencing of the 16S−23S rDNA internal transcribed spacer (ITS), biochemical and physiological tests, the Biolog microplate system, polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE) of whole-cell proteins, and pathogenicity tests were used to characterize variability among xanthomonads isolated from pistachio trees suffering from bacterial dieback in four regions of Australia. ITS sequencing and rep-PCR revealed two distinct genotypes among the strains. The ITS sequencing suggested that the pistachio strains were closely related to Xanthomonas translucens pathovars, in particular X. translucens pv . poae. Results of physiological and biochemical tests, as well as Biolog microplate analysis and protein profiling, confirmed the existence of two groups. Furthermore, pathogenicity and host-range studies indicated that the two groups were biologically different. There was an association between the two groups and the geographical origin of the strains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Crude protein estimation is an important parameter for perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne) management. This study aims to establish an effective and affordable approach for a non-destructive, near-real-time crude protein retrieval based solely on top-of-canopy reflectance. The study contrasts different spectral ranges while selecting a minimal number of bands and analyzing achievable accuracies for crude protein expressed as a dry matter fraction or on a weight-per-area basis. In addition, the model's prediction performance in known and new locations is compared. This data collection comprised 266 full-range (350–2500 nm) proximal spectral measurements and corresponding ground truth observations in Australia and the Netherlands from May to November 2018. An exhaustive-search (based on a genetic algorithm) successfully selected band subsets within different regions and across the full spectral range, minimizing both the number of bands and an error metric. For field conditions, our results indicate that the best approach for crude protein estimation relies on the use of the visible to near-infrared range (400–1100 nm). Within this range, eleven sparse broad bands (of 10 nm bandwidth) provide performance better than or equivalent to those of previous studies that used a higher number of bands and narrower bandwidths. Additionally, when using top-of-canopy reflectance, our results demonstrate that the highest accuracy is achievable when estimating crude protein on its weight-per-area basis (RMSEP 80 kg.ha − 1 ). These models can be employed in new unseen locations, resulting in a minor decrease in accuracy (RMSEP 85.5 kg.ha − 1 ). Crude protein as a dry matter fraction presents a bottom-line accuracy (RMSEP) ranging from 2.5–3.0 percent dry matter in optimal models (requiring ten bands). However, these models display a low explanatory ability for the observed variability (R2 > 0.5), rendering them only suitable for qualitative grading. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]