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Ten Trenches: A Scienceart Collaboration, Timothy J. Cohen, Martin Cohen, Stephanie Kermode, Michael G. Leggett

Faculty of Science - Papers (Archive)

Collaborative and cross-disciplinary research by a group of artists and scientists in an Australian rural setting generates data and ideas that form the basis of a wider understanding of the ramifications of global warming and cooling within the local, regional and national community. The work is viewed as an initial educational platform that will allow the public to see and understand the complexities of climate-based research.

Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells As Tools For Disease Modelling And Drug Discovery In Alzheimer's Disease, Lezanne Ooi, Kuldip Sidhu, Anne Poljak, Greg Sutherland, Michael D. O'Connor, Perminder Sachdev, Gerald Munch

Faculty of Science - Papers (Archive)

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative brain disorder that leads to a progressive decline in a person’s memory and ability to communicate and carry out daily activities. The brain pathology in AD is characterized by extensive neuronal loss, particularly of cholinergic neurons, intracellular neurofibrillary tangles composed of the tau protein (NFTs) and extracellular deposition of plaques composed of β-amyloid (Aβ), a cleavage product of the amyloid precursor protein (APP). These two insoluble protein aggregates are accompanied by a chronic inflammatory response and extensive oxidative damage. Whereas dys-regulation of APP expression or processing appears to be important for the familial, …

A Reagentless Thermal Post-Synthetic Rearrangement Of An Allyloxy-Tagged Metal-Organic Framework, Andrew D. Burrows, Sally O. Hunter, Mary F. Mahon, Christopher Richardson

Faculty of Science - Papers (Archive)

Direct heating of a metal-organic framework provides a simple, controllable way of effecting a covalent post-synthetic modification. Herein we report that an allyloxy-tagged zinc metal-organic framework undergoes a thermally-promoted aromatic Claisen rearrangement through which the framework connectivity and porosity are maintained.

Bryophyte Species Composition Over Moisture Gradients In The Windmill Islands, East Antarctica: Development Of A Baseline For Monitoring Climate Change Impacts, J Wasley, S A. Robinson, J D. Turnbull, D H. King, W Wanek, M Popp

Faculty of Science - Papers (Archive)

Extreme environmental conditions prevail on the Antarctic continent and limit plant diversity to cryptogamic communities, dominated by bryophytes and lichens. Even small abiotic shifts, associated with climate change, are likely to have pronounced impacts on these communities that currently exist at their physiological limit of survival. Changes to moisture availability, due to precipitation shifts or alterations to permanent snow reserves, will most likely cause greatest impact. In order to establish a baseline for determining the effect of climate change on continental Antarctic terrestrial communities and to better understand bryophyte species distributions in relation to moisture in a floristically important Antarctic …

The Isolation Of Bioactive Flavonoids From Jacaranda Obtusifolia H. B. K. Ssp. Rhombifolia (G. F. W. Meijer) Gentry, Sorachai Khamsan, Saisunee Liawruangrath, Aphiwat Teerawutkulrag, Stephen G. Pyne, Mary J. Garson, Boonsom Liawruangrath

Faculty of Science - Papers (Archive)

The paper describes the bioassay-guided isolation, structure elucidation and anticancer evaluation of five flavonoids (-)-liquiritigenin (1), (-)-neoliquiritin (2), isoliquiritigenin (3), isoliquiritin (4) and formononetin (5) from the twigs of Jacaranda obtusifolia H. B. K. ssp. rhombifolia (G. F. W. Meijer) Gentry. The structures were elucidated based on 1H, 13C NMR, comprehensive 2D NMR, MS analyses and comparison with previously reported spectral data. Compounds 1 and 3 were demonstrated to be inhibitory in vitro against NCI-H187 (small cell lung cancer) with IC50 values of 30.1 and 16.6 μg mL-1, respectively. The isolates were non-cytotoxic to Vero cells (African green monkey kidney).

Translocation Of The Eastern Bristlebird 1: Radio-Tracking Of Post-Release Movements, David Bain, Kris French, Jack Baker, Jean Clarke

Faculty of Science - Papers (Archive)

Translocating birds to a new area of habitat to restore or supplement depleted populations may pose a significant threat to the translocated individuals. While for many species, translocated individuals appear to move larger distances than resident animals, species with poor dispersal capacity may be restricted in movements and translocation methods may need to accommodate differences in movements to ensure success. In this study, designed to provide insights to inform our broader programme of translocations in New South Wales, Australia, we investigated post-release movements in the endangered, semi-flightless Eastern Bristlebird (Dasyornis brachypterus). We predicted that movements would be minimal, with few …

Manufacturing On The Move? Beyond The High Dollar In The Debate About Making Things In Australia - The Case Of The Australian Surfboard Industry - Ausccer Discussion Paper No. 2012/2, Andrew Warren, Chris Gibson

Faculty of Science - Papers (Archive)

In October 2011 surfboard manufacturer BASE abruptly closed its factory on the Gold Coast resulting in the direct loss of 50 jobs. A few days later, nearby D’Arcy Surfboards also announced it was shedding workers and downsizing from a state-of-the art purpose built factory into a backyard workshop. Each business exported surfboards internationally and employed some of Australia’s best known surfboard-makers. The troubles facing these workshops added to those brewing at the very same in Australia’s steel, aluminium, automotive and garment industries. With renewed public debate and media commentary on the future of manufacturing, we now face a crisis in …

Process-Evaluation Of Tropospheric Humidity Simulated By General Circulation Models Using Water Vapor Isotopologues: 1. Comparison Between Models And Observations, Camille Risi, David Noone, John Worden, Christian Frankenberg, Gabriele Stiller, Michael Kiefer, Bernd Funke, Kaley Walker, Peter Bernath, Matthias Schneider, Debra Wunch, Vanessa Sherlock, Nicholas M. Deutscher, David W. Griffith, Paul O. Wennberg, Kimberly Strong, Dan Smale, Emmanuel Mahieu, Sabine Barthlott, Frank Hase, Omar Garcia, Justus Notholt, Thorsten Warneke, Geoffrey Toon, David Sayres, Sandrine Bony, Jeonghoon Lee, Derek Brown, Ryu Uemura, Christophe Sturm

Faculty of Science - Papers (Archive)

[1] The goal of this study is to determine how H2O and HDO measurements in water vapor can be used to detect and diagnose biases in the representation of processes controlling tropospheric humidity in atmospheric general circulation models (GCMs). We analyze a large number of isotopic data sets (four satellite, sixteen ground-based remote-sensing, five surface in situ and three aircraft data sets) that are sensitive to different altitudes throughout the free troposphere. Despite significant differences between data sets, we identify some observed HDO/H2O characteristics that are robust across data sets and that can be used to evaluate models. We evaluate …

The Role Of Streptokinase As A Virulence Determinant Of Streptococcus Pyogenes - Potential For Therapeutic Targeting, Jason D. Mcarthur, Simon M. Cook, Carola Venturini, Mark J. Walker

Faculty of Science - Papers (Archive)

Streptococcus pyogenes is a major human pathogen responsible for numerous diseases ranging from uncomplicated skin and throat infections to severe, life threatening invasive disease such as necrotising fasciitis and streptococcal toxic shock syndrome. These severe invasive infections progress rapidly and produce high rates of morbidity and mortality despite the implementation of aggressive treatment plans. The activation of plasminogen and the acquisition of plasmin activity at the bacterial cell surface is critical for the invasive pathogenesis of this organism. To facilitate this process, S. pyogenes secrete streptokinase, a potent plasminogen activating protein. Here, we describe the role of streptokinase in invasive …

Seed Bank Persistence And Climate Change, Mark K. J Ooi

Faculty of Science - Papers (Archive)

"The strong mechanistic relationship between climatic factors and seed dormancy and germination suggests that forecast climatic changes will significantly affect seed bank persistence. This review focuses on the potential impact of changing temperature, rainfall and fire regimes on the longevity of long-term persistent seed-banks. Currently, there are few studies investigating the mechanistic responses of demographic processes, such as seed-bank dynamics, to forecast climate change. However, from the work that has been published, several key points have been highlighted. First, increased air temperatures will produce significantly higher soil temperatures in open and sparsely vegetated habitats. Some evidence shows that this could …

Inorganic Arsenic And Iron(Ii) Distributions In Sediment Porewaters Investigated By A Combined Dgt - Colourimetric Det Technique, William Bennett, Peter R. Teasdale, David T. Welsh, Jarad Panther, Ryan R. Stewart, Helen L. Price, Dianne F. Jolley

Faculty of Science - Papers (Archive)

No abstract provided.

Ch4, Co, And H2o Spectroscopy For The Sentinel-5 Precursor Mission: An Assessment With The Total Carbon Column Observing Network Measurements, A Galli, A Butz, R A. Scheepmaker, O Hasekamp, J Landgraf, P Tol, D Wunch, N M. Deutscher, G C. Toon, P O. Wennberg, D W. T Griffith, I Aben

Faculty of Science - Papers (Archive)

The TROPOspheric Monitoring Instrument (TROPOMI) will be part of ESA’s Sentinel-5 Precursor (S5P) satellite platform scheduled for launch in 2015. TROPOMI will monitor methane and carbon monoxide concentrations in the Earth’s atmosphere by measuring spectra of back-scattered sunlight in the short-wave infrared (SWIR).

Does Cytotoxicity Of Metallointercalators Correlate With Cellular Uptake Or Dna Affinity?, Kimberley J. Davis, Judith A. Carrall, Barry Lai, Janice R. Aldrich-Wright, Stephen F. Ralph, Carolyn T. Dillon

Faculty of Science - Papers (Archive)

The cytotoxicity of the metallointercalators, [Pt(5,6-dimethyl-1,10-phenanthroline)(trans-1R,2Rdiaminocyclohexane)] 2+ ([56MERR]) and [Pt(5,6-dimethyl-1,10-phenanthroline)(trans-1S,2Sdiaminocyclohexane)] 2+ ([56MESS]), towards A549 human lung cancer cells was examined using the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. The IC50 value obtained following exposure of A549 cells to [56MESS] for 4 h was approximately three times smaller than that obtained when [56MERR] was administered under the same conditions, indicating that the former complex displayed greater cytotoxicity. Both IC50 values were greater than that obtained after exposure of A549 cells to cisplatin, demonstrating that the latter compound was the most cytotoxic of the three examined. Microprobe synchrotron radiation X-ray fluorescence (SR-XRF) analyses of …

A Simple Post-Hoc Method To Add Spatial Context To Predictive Species Distribution Models, Michael B. Ashcroft, Kristine O. French, Laurie A. Chisholm

Faculty of Science - Papers (Archive)

Methods to incorporate spatial context into species distribution models (SDMs) are underutilised, with predictions usually based only on environmental space and ignoring geographic space. The goals of this study were to demonstrate a relatively simple post-hoc method to include spatial context in SDMs and to quantify the improvement over purely niche-based models. The method involved producing a standard niche-based model using established techniques, such as Maxent, and then calculating the neighbourhood average of the model output in geographic space. In effect, we tested whether the spatially averaged model output was better at predicting species distributions than the raw model output. …

Activity And Molecular Dynamics Relationship Within The Family Of Human Cholinesterase, Judith Peters, Marie Trovaslet, Marcus Trapp, Florian Nachon, Flynn Hill, Etienne Royer, Frank Gabel, Lambert Van Eijck, Patrick Masson, Moeava Tehei

Faculty of Science - Papers (Archive)

The temperature dependence of the dynamics of recombinant human acetylcholinesterase (hAChE) and plasma human butyrylcholinesterase (hBChE) is examined using elastic incoherent neutron scattering. These two enzymes belong to the same family and present 50% amino acid sequence identity. However, significantly higher flexibility and catalytic activity of hAChE when compared to the ones of hBChE are measured. At the same time, the average height of the potential barrier to the motions is increased in the hBChE, e.g. more thermal energy is needed to cross it in the latter case, which might be the origin of the increase in activation energy and …

Atmospheric Greenhouse Gases Retrieved From Sciamachy: Comparison To Ground-Based Fts Measurements And Model Results, O Schneising, P Bergamaschi, H Bovensmann, M Buchwitz, J P. Burrows, N M. Deutscher, D W. T Griffith, J Heymann, R Macatangay, J Messerschmidt, J Notholt, M Rettinger, M Reuter, R Sussmann, Voltaire A. Velazco, T Warneke, P O. Wennberg, D Wunch

Faculty of Science - Papers (Archive)

SCIAMACHY onboard ENVISAT (launched in 2002) enables the retrieval of global long-term columnaveraged dry air mole fractions of the two most important anthropogenic greenhouse gases carbon dioxide and methane (denoted XCO₂ and XCH₄). In order to assess the quality of the greenhouse gas data obtained with the recently introduced v2 of the scientific retrieval algorithm WFM-DOAS, we present validations with ground-based Fourier Transform Spectrometer (FTS) measurements and comparisons with model results at eight Total Carbon Column Observing Network (TCCON) sites providing realistic error estimates of the satellite data. Such validation is a prerequisite to assess the suitability …

Emulsion-Coaxial Electrospinning: Designing Novel Architectures For Sustained Release Of Highly Soluble Low Molecular Weight Drugs, Lucie Viry, Simon E. Moulton, Tony Romeo, Courtney Suhr, Damia Mawad, Mark Cook, Gordon G. Wallace

Faculty of Science - Papers (Archive)

In drug therapy, most therapeutic drugs are of low molecular weight and could freely diffuse in the biological milieu depending on the administration route applied. The main reason for the development of polymeric drug carriers is to obtain desired effects such as sustained therapy, local and controlled release, prolonged activity and reduction of side effects. Alternatively, polymeric carriers can be made bioerodible in order to be eliminated by natural ways after a certain time of therapy. Core-shell fibres from coaxial spinneret or emulsion electrospinning are good candidates for the development of such devices; however difficulties remain especially in controlling the …

Direct Exfoliation Of Graphite With A Porphyrin - Creating Functionalizable Nanographene Hybrids, Jenny Malig, Adam W. I Stephenson, Pawel Wagner, Gordon G. Wallace, David L. Officer, Dirk M. Guldi

Faculty of Science - Papers (Archive)

Exfoliation of graphite was achieved using a free-base porphyrin 1 resulting in an efficient fabrication of single-layer nanographene (NG)-1 hybrid platelets that can be further functionalized with other nanomaterials. The novel nanographene-porphyrin hybrids reveal efficient charge transfer in the excited state.

High-Yield Cell-Free Protein Synthesis For Site-Specific Incorporation Of Unnatural Amino Acids At Two Sites, Kiyoshi Ozawa, Karin V. Loscha, Kekini V. Kuppan, Choy Theng Loh, Nicholas E. Dixon, Gottfried Otting

Faculty of Science - Papers (Archive)

Using aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase/suppressor tRNA pairs derived from Methanocaldococcus jannaschii, an Escherichia coli cell-free protein production system affords proteins with site-specifically incorporated unnatural amino acids (UAAs) in high yields through the use of optimized amber suppressor tRNA_CUA opt and optimization of reagent concentrations. The efficiency of the cell-free system allows the incorporation of trifluoromethyl-phenylalanine using a polyspecific synthetase evolved previously for p-cyanophenylalanine, and the incorporation of UAAs at two different sites of the same protein without any re-engineering of the E. coli cells used to make the cell-free extract.

Dgt-Induced Copper Flux Predicts Bioaccumulation And Toxicity To Bivalves In Sediments With Varying Properties, Stuart L. Simpson, Heloise Yverneau, Anne Cremazy, Chad V. Jarolimek, Helen Price, Dianne F. Jolley

Faculty of Science - Papers (Archive)

Many regulatory frameworks for sediment quality assessment include consideration of contaminant bioavailability. However, the “snap-shots” of metal bioavailability provided by analyses of porewaters or acid-volatile sulfidesimultaneously extractable metal (AVS-SEM) relationships do not always contribute sufficient information. The use of inappropriate or inadequate information for assessing metal bioavailability in sediments may result in incorrect assessment decisions. The technique of diffusive gradients in thin films (DGT) enables the in situ measurement of metal concentrations in waters and fluxes from sediment porewaters. We utilized the DGT technique to interpret the bioavailability of copper to the benthic bivalve Tellina deltoidalis in sediments of varying …

Molecular Characterization Of A 21.4 Kilobase Antibiotic Resistance Plasmid From An Hemolytic Escherichia Coli O108:H-Human Clinical Isolate, Fay E. Dawes, Dieter M. Bulach, Alexander Kuzevski, Karl A. Bettelheim, Carola Venturini, Steven P. Djordjevic, Mark J. Walker

Faculty of Science - Papers (Archive)

This study characterizes the 21.4 kilobase plasmid pECTm80 isolated from Escherichia coli strain 80, an α hemolytic human clinical diarrhoeal isolate (serotype O108:H-). DNA sequence analysis of pECTm80 revealed it belonged to incompatibility group X1, and contained plasmid partition and toxin-antitoxin systems, an R6K-like triple origin (ori) replication system, genes required for replication regulation, insertion sequences IS1R, ISEc37 and a truncated transposase gene (Tn3-like ΔtnpA) of the Tn3 family, and carried a class 2 integron. The class 2 integron of pECTm80 contains an intact cassette array dfrA1-sat2, encoding resistance to trimethoprim and streptothricin, …

Isolation Of Tuberospironine A, A Novel Croomine Derivative From Stemona Tuberosa Lour., Pratiwi Pudjiastuti, Stephen G. Pyne, S Sugiyanto, Wilford Lie

Faculty of Science - Papers (Archive)

A novel croomine derivative, tuberospironine A (3-epi-tuberospironine) was isolated from the root extracts of Stemona tuberosa Lour. found growing on Seram Island, Moluccas Province, Indonesia. The structure of this novel alkaloid, with unprecedented configuration at C-3 for a croomine derivative, was determined from interpretation of its NMR spectroscopic data.

Activation Of The Damage-Associated Molecular Pattern Receptor P2x7 Induces Interleukin-1b Release From Canine Monocytes, Iman Jalilian, Michelle Peranec, Belinda L. Curtis, Aine Seavers, Mari Spildrejorde, Vanessa Sluyter, Ronald Sluyter

Faculty of Science - Papers (Archive)

P2X7, a damage-associated molecular pattern receptor and adenosine 5'-triphosphate (ATP)-gated cation channel, plays an important role in the activation of the NALP3 inflammasome and subsequent release of interleukin (IL)-1β from human monocytes; however its role in monocytes from other species including the dog remains poorly defined. This study investigated the role of P2X7 in canine monocytes, including its role in IL-1β release. A fixed-time flow cytometric assay demonstrated that activation of P2X7 by extracellular ATP induces the uptake of the organic cation, YO-PRO-1²⁺, into peripheral blood monocytes from various dog breeds, a process impaired by the specific P2X7 …

Engaging Creative Communities In An Industrial City Setting, Chris Gibson, Ben Gallan, Andrew Warren

Faculty of Science - Papers (Archive)

Much has been said about how ‘creativity’ might infuse policymaking and planning – especially in the wake of popular bestsellers by Richard Florida and Charles Landry on ‘creative places’ and the ‘creative class’ (the latter a supposed demographic group associated with creative industries such as film, design and music, who are said to be the key to the economic fortunes of cities). Creativity, it is said, can be facilitated in particular urban environments, given the right preconditions such as ‘hip’ inner-city precincts, café culture and walkable dense clusters of design firms and retail and residential spaces. The common argument is …

Molecular Characterization Of Escherichia Coli Strains That Cause Symptomatic And Asymptomatic Urinary Tract Infections, Sam Abraham, Toni A. Chapman, Ren Zhang, James Chin, Amanda N. Mabbett, Makrina Totsika, Mark A. Schembri

Faculty of Science - Papers (Archive)

The differences between Escherichia coli strains associated with symptomatic and asymptomatic urinary tract infections (UTIs) remain to be properly determined. Here we examined the prevalence of plasmid types and bacteriocins, as well as genetic relatedness, in a defined collection of E. coli strains that cause UTIs. Comparative analysis identified a subgroup of strains with a high number of virulence genes (VGs) and microcins M/H47. We also identified associations between microcin genes, VGs, and specific plasmid types.

Molecular Dynamics Analysis Of Apolipoprotein-D - Lipid Hydroperoxide Interactions: Mechanism For Selective Oxidation Of Met-93, Aaron J. Oakley, Surabhi Bhatia, Heath Ecroyd, Brett Garner

Faculty of Science - Papers (Archive)

Background: Recent studies suggest reduction of radical-propagating fatty acid hydroperoxides to inert hydroxides by interaction with apolipoprotein-D (apoD) Met93 may represent an antioxidant function for apoD. The nature and structural consequences of this selective interaction are unknown.

Methodology/Principal Findings: Herein we used molecular dynamics (MD) analysis to address these issues. Longtimescale simulations of apoD suggest lipid molecules are bound flexibly, with the molecules free to explore multiple conformations in a binding site at the entrance to the classical lipocalin ligand-binding pocket. Models of 5s- 12s- and 15s hydroperoxyeicosatetraenoic acids were created and the lipids found to wrap around Met93 thus …

Characterization Of Gellan Gum By Capillary Electrophoresis, Danielle L. Taylor, Cameron J. Ferris, Alison R. Maniego, Patrice Castignolles, Marc In Het Panhuis, Marianne Gaborieau

Faculty of Science - Papers (Archive)

Gellan gums were characterised for the first time using free-solution capillary electrophoresis (CE) or CE under critical conditions (CE-CC). CE-CC is a fast method that separates the polysaccharide. Gellan gums are shown to be heterogeneous in terms of their electrophoretic mobility at 55°C revealing: oligomer peak(s), broad peaks of polymers with a random coil conformation with different degrees of acylation (composition), aggregates, and polymers with double-helix conformation. CE-CC is complementary with the rheological analysis also performed in this work. Sonication of gellan gums is shown to decrease the viscosity of gellan gum mainly by breaking up aggregates. The effect of …

Self-Assembled Gels From Biological And Synthetic Polyelectrolytes, Paul Calvert, Skander Limem, Don Mccallum, Gordon G. Wallace, Marc In Het Panhuis

Faculty of Science - Papers (Archive)

Inkjet printing of alternate layers of anionic and cationic polyelectrolytes allows organized gels to form with structures similar to those made by layer--by-layer dipping methods but very much faster. Structures of gels formed using slow and fast inkjet printing systems are compared using elemental analysis, swelling and diffusion kinetics as characterization methods. After printing and washing, most sodium or chloride counter-ions are last from the gel, leave only the polymer complex. The swelling properties of the printed and washed gel depend on the deposition rate and on the ratio of the two polymers as originally printed. The synthetic polyelectrolytes reported …

Fragment-Based Screening By Protein Crystallography: Successes And Pitfalls, Zorik Chilingaryan, Zhou Yin, Aaron J. Oakley

Faculty of Science - Papers (Archive)

Fragment-based drug discovery (FBDD) concerns the screening of low-molecular weight compounds against macromolecular targets of clinical relevance. These compounds act as starting points for the development of drugs. FBDD has evolved and grown in popularity over the past 15 years. In this paper, the rationale and technology behind the use of X-ray crystallography in fragment based screening (FBS) will be described, including fragment library design and use of synchrotron radiation and robotics for high-throughput X-ray data collection. Some recent uses of crystallography in FBS will be described in detail, including interrogation of the drug targets β-secretase, phenylethanolamine N-methyltransferase, phosphodiesterase …

Competition Strength Of Two Significant Invasive Species In Coastal Dunes, K French

Faculty of Science - Papers (Archive)

To investigate the effect of increased nutrient availability on competition amongst invasive and native plants, I measured changes in above and below ground biomass of Chrysanthemoides monilifera spp. rotundata (bitou bush) and Asparagus aethiopicus (asparagus fern) competing with two native species, Banksia integrifolia and Ficinia nodosa, under highand low-nutrient regimes. Bitou bush, as a primary invader, was competitive under all conditions lowering the growth of native species in both high and low nutrients. Asparagus fern as a secondary invader, did not influence growth of native species but responded, like bitou bush, to high nutrients. Native species were generally negatively …