Isolation of Cryptococcus neoformans var. grubii (serotype A) and C. magnus from the nasal lining of free-ranging quokkas (Setonix brachyurus)

Cryptococcus species are environmental yeasts, with a worldwide distribution and remarkable environmental adaptation. Although many species do not cause disease, C. neoformans and C. gattii are causative agents of cryptococcosis, a life threatening infection and a significant public health problem worldwide. Infection especially affects immunocompromised animals and humans. In wildlife, cryptococcosis appears to be more prevalent in captive populations. The objective of this study was to assess whether apparently healthy quokkas (Setonix brachyurus) harbor Cryptococcus spp. Using cultural and molecular methods, we studied yeasts isolated from nasal swabs collected from 130 free-ranging quokkas on Rottnest Island (RI, n = 97) and the mainland (n = 33) of Western Australia. Unspeciated Cryptococcus spp. (from four quokkas), C. neoformans var. grubii (serotype A) (two quokkas) and C. magnus (one quokka) were isolated from the nasal lining of apparently healthy quokkas from RI. Cryptococcus neoformans var. grubii was isolated from animals captured in a human-populated area on RI. There was no significant effect of the presence of Cryptococcus on the results of haematology, blood chemistry, peripheral blood cell morphology or clinical examination. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first documented isolation of C. neoformans var. grubii (serotype A) and C. magnus in a free-ranging macropod in Western Australia. The public health implications of this finding should be further explored.     

Pathogenic characteristics of persistent feline enteric coronavirus infection in cats

Feline coronaviruses (FCoV) comprise two biotypes: feline enteric coronaviruses (FECV) and feline infectious peritonitis viruses (FIPV). FECV is associated with asymptomatic persistent enteric infections, while FIPV causes feline infectious peritonitis (FIP), a usually fatal systemic disease in domestic cats and some wild Felidae. FIPV arises from FECV by mutation. FCoV also occur in two serotypes, I and II, of which the serotype I viruses are by far the most prevalent in the field. Yet, most of our knowledge about FCoV infections relates to serotype II viruses, particularly about the FIPV, mainly because type I viruses grow poorly in cell culture. Hence, the aim of the present work was the detailed study of the epidemiologically most relevant viruses, the avirulent serotype I viruses. Kittens were inoculated oronasally with different doses of two independent FECV field strains, UCD and RM. Persistent infection could be reproducibly established. The patterns of clinical symptoms, faecal virus shedding and seroconversion were monitored for up to 10 weeks revealing subtle but reproducible differences between the two viruses. Faecal virus, i.e. genomic RNA, was detected during persistent FECV infection only in the large intestine, downstream of the appendix, and could occasionally be observed also in the blood. The implications of our results, particularly our insights into the persistently infected state, are discussed.     

Management recommendations based on matrix projection models: The importance of considering biological limits

Matrix population models are a common tool for evaluating different management strategies. In general, under deterministic analyses, management strategies are recommended that improve those matrix transitions that are most sensitive or elastic with respect to the asymptotic population growth rate, λ. These recommendations usually ignore the biological limit for these transitions. In this paper we use the endangered Serengeti cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) as a case study to illustrate that ignoring biological limits leads to a recommendation that will not always achieve the desired goal of an asymptotic population growth rate, λ ? 1.We estimate the survivorships of adult cheetahs in captivity using cheetah studbook data, which is a conservative estimate of the biological limit for the adult survivorship of wild cheetahs. Our analysis suggests that adult survival sharply decreases after 8.5 years. In addition, captive cheetahs older than 18 years do not reproduce. We modify a previously published population projection matrix to include the effect of senescence on survival and fecundity. Our model suggests that increasing adult survivorship alone is not sufficient to reverse population decline. However, an additional small increase in newborn survival is likely to result in a viable cheetah population. We show these conclusions hold even in the presence of relatively large parameter perturbations.     

Impacts of rising atmospheric carbon dioxide on model terrestrial ecosystems

In model terrestrial ecosystems maintained for three plant generations at elevated concentrations of atmospheric carbon dioxide, increases in photosynthetically fixed carbon were allocated below ground, raising concentrations of dissolved organic carbon in soil. These effects were then transmitted up the decomposer food chain. Soil microbial biomass was unaffected, but the composition of soil fungal species changed, with increases in rates of cellulose decomposition. There were also changes in the abundance and species composition of Collembola, fungal-feeding arthropods. These results have implications for long-term feedback processes in soil ecosystems that are subject to rising global atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations.     

Spontaneous emission spectrum in double quantum dot devices

A double quantum dot device is a tunable two-level system for electronic energy states. A dc electron current was used to directly measure the rates for elastic and inelastic transitions between the two levels. For inelastic transitions, energy is exchanged with bosonic degrees of freedom in the environment. The inelastic transition rates are well described by the Einstein coefficients, relating absorption with stimulated and spontaneous emission. The most effectively coupled bosons in the specific environment of the semiconductor device used here were acoustic phonons. The experiments demonstrate the importance of vacuum fluctuations in the environment for quantum dot devices and potential design constraints for their use for preparing long-lived quantum states.     

Frictional melting during the rupture of the 1994 bolivian earthquake

The source parameters of the 1994 Bolivian earthquake (magnitude Mw = 8.3) suggest that the maximum seismic efficiency eta was 0.036 and the minimum frictional stress was 550 bars. Thus, the source process was dissipative, which is consistent with the observed slow rupture speed, only 20% of the local S-wave velocity. The amount of nonradiated energy produced during the Bolivian rupture was comparable to, or larger than, the thermal energy of the 1980 Mount St. Helens eruption and was sufficient to have melted a layer as thick as 31 centimeters. Once rupture was initiated, melting could occur, which reduces friction and promotes fault slip.     

Stop-transfer regions do not halt translocation of proteins into chloroplasts

Protein targeting in eukaryotic cells is determined by several topogenic signals. Among these are stop-transfer regions, which halt translocation of proteins across the endoplasmic reticulum membrane. Two different stop-transfer regions were incorporated into precursors for a chloroplast protein, the small subunit of ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase. Both chimeric proteins were imported into chloroplasts and did not accumulate in the envelope membranes. Thus, the stop-transfer signals did not function during chloroplast protein import. These observations support the hypothesis that the mechanism for translocation of proteins across the chloroplast envelope is significantly different from that for translocation across the endoplasmic reticulum membrane.     

Excitation spectra of circular, few-electron quantum dots

Studies of the ground and excited states in semiconductor quantum dots containing 1 to 12 electrons showed that the quantum numbers of the states in the excitation spectra can be identified and compared with exact calculations. A magnetic field induces transitions between the ground and excited states. These transitions were analyzed in terms of crossings between single-particle states, singlet-triplet transitions, spin polarization, and Hund's rule. These impurity-free quantum dots allow "atomic physics" experiments to be performed in magnetic field regimes not accessible for atoms.     

Evaluation of effectiveness of Insegar (fenoxycarb 250 g/kg) WP against Phyllocnistis citrella Stainton (Lep., Gracillariidae) and its effect on Cales noacki How. (Hym., Aphelinidae)

Aiming to control the citrus leafminer Phyllocnistis citrella St. while at the same time protecting the biological equilibrium and mainly the beneficial insect Cales noacki, experiments have taken place in the regions of Argolis and Fthiotis, Greece in 1996 and 1997. Insegar (fenoxycarb) 2 5 WP was applied on young citrus trees. During 1996, the compound, applied every 10 days at a rate of 30 g/hI (with or without adjuvant), gave satisfactory protection from P. citrella without substantially harming C. noacki populations. No phytotoxicity symptoms were observed during the experiments.     

Evaluation of effectiveness of Insegar (fenoxycarb 250 g/kg) WP against Phyllocnistis citrella Stainton (Lep., Gracillariidae) and its effect on Cales noacki How. (Hym., Aphelinidae)

Aiming to control the citrus leafminer Phyllocnistis citrella St. while at the same time protecting the biological equilibrium and mainly the beneficial insect Cales noacki, experiments have taken place in the regions of Argolis and Fthiotis, Greece in 1996 and 1997. Insegar (fenoxycarb) 2 5 WP was applied on young citrus trees. During 1996, the compound, applied every 10 days at a rate of 30 g/hI (with or without adjuvant), gave satisfactory protection from P. citrella without substantially harming C. noacki populations. No phytotoxicity symptoms were observed during the experiments.