Silene vulgaris was introduced into North America sometime prior to 1800. In order to document the population structure that has developed since that time, collections were made from 56 local populations distributed among 9 geographical regions in eastern North America. Individual plants were characterized for chloroplast DNA (cpDNA) haplotype by restriction fragment size analysis of four noncoding regions of cpDNA amplified by polymerase chain reaction. A total of 19 cpDNA haplotypes were detected using this method. The overall gene diversity of 0.85 is quite similar to the diversity detected in these same regions of cpDNA in a previously published sample of S. vulgaris taken from across much of Europe. The spatial distribution of the North American cpDNA diversity was quantified by hierarchical F-statistics that partitioned the genetic variance into variation among local populations within regions, and variation among regions. The average FST among populations within regions was 0.66 and the FST among regions was 0.09. The among-region variation was due to both differences among regions in the frequency of two most common haplotypes, and to the presence of a number of region-specific haplotypes. In order to test for isolation by distance at the regional level, FST values were calculated for all possible pairs of regions, and regressed against the geographical distance between those regions. There was no evidence for isolation by distance. It is suggested that the local population structure is generated by recent extinction/colonization dynamics, and that the among-region structure reflects demographic events associated with range expansion following introduction to North America.

Semiconductor nanocrystals such as quantum dots (QDs) are a potentially powerful resource in the fields of flow cytometry and fluorescence microscopy. QD size and fluorescence characteristics offer attractive features for use in targeted delivery systems and detection by flow cytometry. While quantitative measurements of a variety of fluorescent molecules are routinely performed, fluorophores for which no calibration standards exist, such as QDs, pose a problem for quantitation in flow cytometry. Our goal was to develop a targeted nanoparticle delivery platform as well as a corresponding method to accurately and quantitatively assess the performance of this system. We synthesized surface-modified QD probes targeted to cellular surface receptors and measured the MFI of the resulting cell-probe conjugates by flow cytometry. MFI was converted to mean equivalent R-PE intensity (MEPE) using standard calibration microspheres. Known concentrations of both R-PE and QD probes were measured by fluorometry to relate R-PE and QD fluorescence. Fluorometry results were then used to translate MEPE measurements to the number of bound QD probes. The targeted probes exhibited superior binding characteristics over unmodified and untargeted particles. This binding interaction was shown to be specific and mediated by the NGR targeting peptide tethered to the QD surface. The calibration method developed to assess this system proved successful at converting raw fluorescence data to quantitative probe binding values. We demonstrate the synthesis and performance of a highly modular nanoparticle system capable of targeted binding and fluorescent imaging. The calibration method implemented to quantify the performance of this system represents a potentially powerful tool to utilize truly quantitative flow cytometry measurements with an array of fluorescent molecules, including QDs. '

Puerulus settlement has been monitored throughout the western rock lobster Panulirus cygnus fishery for nearly 40 years. These data, in combination with indices of effort and water temperature, were used to produce recruitment-catch relationships for each 1° transect of latitude in the coastal part of this fishery from Kalbarri to Cape Leeuwin, as well as at the offshore Abrolhos Islands (total of eight transects). The fine spatial scales of these models provided estimates of certain life history traits that are known to affect lobster catches between adjacent fishing ports. This catch modelling showed that the proportions of 3-and 4-year-old post-settlement lobsters contributing to the catches varied markedly from the southern to northern transects, suggesting that juvenile lobsters grow substantially faster in the warmer northern and offshore waters of this fishery. These proportions provide accurate estimates of juvenile growth rates, which are vital in the construction of location-specific growth algorithms required by the age-structured models used in the management of this fishery. Model estimates of density-dependent mortality were greater in the more densely populated centre of the fishery and markedly lower at the northern and southern limits of this species distribution. Annual increases in fishing efficiency were also found to be lowest at the northern and southern extremes of the fishery and greatest in the centre of the fishery, where technology advances and increased fleet mobility have enabled the fleet to increase efficiency by 1-3% each year. Catchability (q) was found to be most influenced by water temperatures in the cooler southern transects, whereas at the Abrolhos Islands, changes in water temperature produced almost no discernable change in q. The catch modelling was also used to quantify the impact of management changes introduced in the 1993/94 fishing season. Increased protection of female lobsters and an 18% pot reduction resulted in a 3-4% permanent reduction in the catch rates of lobsters throughout most of the coastal fishery, whereas at the offshore Abrolhos Islands, catch rates increased by c. 20%, presumably owing to a reduction in the level of pot saturation.

The CD51 integrin subunit is important in many functions ranging from mediation of adenovirus attachment and internalization to facilitation of angiogenesis. CD51 has also gained interest as an attractive ligand for directed therapy studies, including those for targeted gene delivery. While the function and importance of several CD51-specific targeting molecules have been examined, studies are often carried out without quantitative assessment of the receptor. A lack of this data complicates further mathematical analysis of targeting data and elucidation of the mechanism(s) underlying specific targeting. We performed a quantitative evaluation of CD51 receptors on the surface of HeLa cells, a common cell line utilized in many receptor-based studies, and compared them to other similar and dissimilar cell types. Unstimulated HeLa cells strongly express the CD51 receptor at a level of 212,700 +/- 12,000 (mean +/- SD) antibody binding capacity (ABC) cell(-1) (n = 3). Following irradiation with 3 Gy, receptor expression increases dramatically, peaking at a value of 403,700 +/- 26,400 (n = 4). The utility of this quantitative information is highlighted by the application of our data to targeting studies from the literature. Taken together, the results yield more detailed information than is available with experimental targeting data alone.

Migrating and pre-migrating western rock lobster Panulirus cygnus were tagged with datastorage tags that recorded temperature and pressure, which was converted to depth (Pressure (kPa) − surface pressure (kPa)/10)) at Dongara and Jurien Bay in Western australia between December 2005 and December 2007. All lobsters were fitted with tag flotation devices, and returns were made by either commercial fishers or beachcombers who located detached tags. a total of 135 lobsters were released with "backpack" flotation tags, but only 84 (62.2%) of the backpacks carried data-storage tags. Depths of release ranged from 5 to 113 m. Of the tagged lobsters released, commercial fishers recaptured 52 (38.5%), whereas 11 tags (8.1%) were found by beachcombers. At least 33%, and possibly up to 63%, of animals identified by their pale coloration as pre-migrating individuals, failed to migrate. Those that did migrate (n = 11) were at liberty from 1 to 94 days and showed generally similar movement patterns in that they migrated only at night from darkness (after 2000 h) until after moonrise. however, their movement patterns were less constrained by the rising of the moon in deep water. Only 27% migrated nightly, compared with 73% that skipped migrating on one or more nights, to restart some days later. This latter proportion would likely have been considerably greater, but some migrating animals were only at large for short periods before recapture, and therefore had little time to show any variation to the nocturnal migration pattern. individual speeds of migration during periods of activity were estimated for nine lobsters as 0.20 to 0.68 km h-1 , with a mean speed of 0.44 km h-1 , or 7.4 m min-1. improved knowledge of daily movement patterns resulting from this study provides a potentially important input into technological improvements in bait and pot design.

Size at maturity in the western rock lobster (Panulirus cygnus) fishery in Australia increases from north to south and female lobsters carry either one or two batches of eggs per season depending on their carapace length. There has been a steady decrease in the size at first maturity of western rock lobster over the last 30 years, and there are now significantly more small females, many below the legal minimum size, contributing to the brood stock than any time since the fishery has been researched. Biological data were used to show the current contribution to egg production in different management regions of the fishery and historical length-frequency data were used to show how egg production has changed in those regions overtime. Reasons for the change in size at maturity in this fishery are unclear, but the outcome has been that egg production is now more evenly distributed across management zones. Egg production was high at Abrolhos Islands in the 1990s owing to strong year classes of breeding animals entering the fishery over those years. In the period since 2000, egg production has fallen sharply at the islands, but has increased in the coastal population compared with the 1980s and 1990s.

The surface coating of quantum dots has been characterised using Z-stem. Quantum dots have been pegylated to increase stability in aqueous solution. The fluorescence intensity of the quantum dots was modulated pegylation. PEG was coupled using different ratios of EDC, PEG and NHS. Optimum coupling conditions were found to occur when 2000 equivalents of PEG were reacted with 1 equivalent of dot in the presence of 1500 equivalents of NHS and EDC. Angiotensin II was also conjugated to quantum dots and these conjugates were shown to be biologically active. Quantum dots have also been surface functionalised with other peptides such as NGR with subsequent demonstration of cell surface binding and can be characterized by flow cytometry.