Cooperative Research Centre

About: Cooperative Research Centre is a based out in . It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Sea ice. The organization has 7633 authors who have published 8607 publications receiving 429721 citations.

Leaf water relations of Eucalyptus globulus ssp. globulus and E. nitens: seasonal, drought and species effects.

Abstract: In August 1990, a 2-ha plantation was established in an area where rainfall (about 515 mm year −1 ) was insufficient to meet evaporative demand. On nine occasions between September 1991 and April 1993, pressure-volume curves were constructed for irrigated and rainfed Eucalyptus globulus ssp. globulus Labill. and E. nitens (Deane and Maiden) Maiden trees. During the experiment, rainfed trees experienced six periods when predawn water potential was significantly lower than that of irrigated trees. In early spring of 1991 and 1992, osmotic potentials at full turgor and turgor loss point in the irrigated E. nitens were significantly lower than at other times of the year, probably because of winter hardening. Water stress reduced osmotic potential and increased bulk elastic modulus in E. nitens, whereas the reverse occurred in E. globulus. However, treatment differences with respect to changes in osmotic and elastic properties were commonly overshadowed by interspecific differences. These were most apparent at the end of the sixth period of water stress when osmotic potentials at full and zero turgor were significantly higher and bulk elastic modulus and relative water content at turgor loss point were significantly lower in E. globulus than in E. nitens. We conclude that the drought-tolerance responses of E. globulus make it a more suitable species than E. nitens for establishment on sites where moderate water stress is experienced.

Transporters expressed during grape berry (Vitis vinifera L.) development are associated with an increase in berry size and berry potassium accumulation.

Abstract: Potassium accumulation is essential for grapevine (Vitis vinifera L.) growth and development, but excessive levels in berries at harvest may reduce wine quality particularly for red wines. In addition to decreasing the free acid levels, potassium also combines with tartaric acid to form largely insoluble potassium bitartrate. This precipitates during winemaking and storage, resulting in an increase in wine pH that is associated with negative impacts on wine colour, flavour, and microbiological stability. For these reasons, a better understanding of potassium transport and accumulation within the vine and berries is important for producing fruit with improved winemaking characteristics. Here two genes encoding KUP/KT/HAK-type potassium transporters that are expressed in grape berries are described. Their function as potassium transporters was demonstrated by complementation of an Escherichia coli mutant. The two transporters are expressed most highly in the berry skin during the first phase of berry development (pre-veraison), with similar patterns in two grapevine varieties. The timing and location of expression of these transporters are consistent with an involvement in potassium accumulation in grape berries.

An organic ionic plastic crystal electrolyte for rate capability and stability of ambient temperature lithium batteries

Abstract: Reliable, safe and high performance solid electrolytes are a critical step in the advancement of high energy density secondary batteries. In the present work we demonstrate a novel solid electrolyte based on the organic ionic plastic crystal (OIPC) triisobutyl(methyl)phosphonium bis(fluorosulfonyl)imide (P1444FSI). With the addition of 4 mol% LiFSI, the OIPC shows a high conductivity of 0.26 mS cm−1 at 22 °C. The ion transport mechanisms have been rationalized by compiling thermal phase behaviour and crystal structure information obtained by variable temperature synchrotron X-ray diffraction. With a large electrochemical window (ca. 6 V) and importantly, the formation of a stable and highly conductive solid electrolyte interphase (SEI), we were able to cycle lithium cells (Li|LiFePO4) at 30 °C and 20 °C at rates of up to 1 C with good capacity retention. At the 0.1 C rate, about 160 mA h g−1 discharge capacity was achieved at 20 °C, which is the highest for OIPC based cells to date. It is anticipated that these small phosphonium cation and [FSI] anion based OIPCs will show increasing significance in the field of solid electrolytes.

stx1c Is the Most Common Shiga Toxin 1 Subtype among Shiga Toxin-Producing Escherichia coli Isolates from Sheep but Not among Isolates from Cattle

Abstract: Unlike Shiga toxin 2 (stx(2)) genes, most nucleotide sequences of Shiga toxin 1 (stx(1)) genes from Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC), Shigella dysenteriae, and several bacteriophages (H19B, 933J, and H30) are highly conserved. Consequently, there has been little incentive to investigate variants of stx(1) among STEC isolates derived from human or animal sources. However stx(1OX3), originally identified in an OX3:H8 isolate from a healthy sheep in Germany, differs from other stx(1) subtypes by 43 nucleotides, resulting in changes to 12 amino acid residues, and has been renamed stx(1c). In this study we describe the development of a PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) assay that distinguishes stx(1c) from other stx(1) subtypes. The PCR-RFLP assay was used to study 378 stx(1)-containing STEC isolates. Of these, 207 were isolated from sheep, 104 from cattle, 45 from humans, 11 from meat, 5 from swine, 5 from unknown sources, and 1 from a cattle water trough. Three hundred fifty-five of the 378 isolates (93.9%) also possessed at least one other associated virulence gene (ehxA, eaeA, and/or stx(2)); the combination stx(1), stx(2), and ehxA was the most common (175 of 355 [49.3%]), and 90 of 355 (25.4%) isolates possessed eaeA. One hundred thirty-six of 207 (65.7%) ovine isolates possessed stx(1c) alone and belonged to 41 serotypes. Seventy-one of 136 (52.2%) comprised the common ovine serotypes O5:H(-), O128:H2, and O123:H(-). Fifty-two of 207 isolates (25.1%) possessed an stx(1) subtype; 27 (51.9%) of these belonged to serotype O91:H(-). Nineteen of 207 isolates (9.2%) contained both stx(1c) and stx(1) subtypes, and 14 belonged to serotype O75:H8. In marked contrast, 97 of 104 (93.3%) bovine isolates comprising 44 serotypes possessed an stx(1) subtype, 6 isolates possessed stx(1c), and the remaining isolate possessed both stx(1c) and stx(1) subtypes. Ten of 11 (91%) isolates cultured from meat in New Zealand possessed stx(1c) (serotypes O5:H(-), O75:H8/H40, O81:H26, O88:H25, O104:H(-)/H7, O123:H(-)/H10, and O128:H2); most of these serotypes are commonly recovered from the feces of healthy sheep. Serotypes containing stx(1) recovered from cattle rarely were the same as those isolated from sheep. Although an stx(1c) subtype was never associated with the typical enterohemorrhagic E. coli serogroups O26, O103, O111, O113, and O157, 13 human isolates possessed stx(1c). Of these, six isolates with serotype O128:H2 (from patients with diarrhea), four O5:H(-) isolates (from patients with hemolytic-uremic syndrome), and three isolates with serotypes O123:H(-) (diarrhea), OX3:H8 (hemolytic-uremic syndrome), and O81:H6 (unknown health status) represent serotypes that are commonly isolated from sheep.