Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Intranasal Vaccination With Streptococcal Fibronectin Binding Protein Sfb1 Fails To Prevent Growth And Dissemination Of Streptococcus Pyogenes In A Murine Skin Infection Model, Jason D. Mcarthur, E. Medina, J. Chin, B. J. Currie, K. S. Sriprakash, S. R. Talay, G. S. Chhatwal, Mark J. Walker

Faculty of Science - Papers (Archive)

Fibronectin binding protein F1 (Sfb1) of Streptococcus pyogenes (group A streptococcus [GAS]) is a well-characterized adhesin that has been shown to induce protection in mice against a lethal intranasal GAS challenge after intranasal immunization with cholera toxin B subunit (CTB) as adjuvant. With a murine skin infection model, we have shown that Sfb1/CTB vaccination neither elicits opsonizing antibodies nor prevents systemic bacterial growth and dissemination to internal organs after a subcutaneous GAS challenge. These results indicate that an Sfb1-based vaccine should be complemented with additional protective antigens in order to be used in areas such as the tropical north of …

Two Distinct Genotypes Of Prtf2, Encoding A Fibronectin Binding Protein, And The Evolution Of The Gene Family In Streptococcus Pyogenes, V. Ramachandran, Jason D. Mcarthur, C. E. Behm, C. Gutzeit, M. Dowton, P. K. Fagan, R. Towers, B. J. Currie, K. S. Sriprakash, Mark J. Walker

Faculty of Science - Papers (Archive)

The group A Streptococcus (GAS) is an important pathogen responsible for a wide range of human diseases. Fibronectin binding proteins (FBPs) play important role in promoting GAS adherence and invasion of host cells. The gene prtF2 encodes a FBP and is contained in approximately 60% of GAS strains. In the present study we have examined 51 prtF2-positive GAS strains isolated from the Northern Territory of Australia and describe two genotypes of prtF2, which are mutually exclusive. Both genotypes have been previously identified in the literature as pfbp and fbaB. We show these genotypes map to the same chromosomal location within …

Austrochlamys Heardensis (Fleming, 1957) (Bivalvia: Pectinidae) From Central Kerguelen Plateau, Indian Ocean: Palaeontology And Possible Tectonic Significance, P. G. Quilty, C. V. Murray-Wallace, J. M. Whitehead

Faculty of Science - Papers (Archive)

Austrochlamys heardensis (Fleming) is recorded from a boulder of Late Pliocene (3.62–2.5 Ma) volcaniclastic sandstone dredged 70 km east-north-east of Heard Island, the third record of the species. The collection is much larger than the original described by Fleming and includes left valves which are described for the first time. The species is compared with A. anderssoni (Hennig) from Cockburn Island and ‘Chlamys’ mawsoni Fletcher from Îles Kerguelen. The source rock accumulated in fully marine, highly current-affected conditions. The collection is dominated by right valves, possibly because left valves are more susceptible to breakage and the effects of current winnowing. …

Australian Backyard Gardens And The Journey Of Migration, Lesley M. Head, Pat Muir, E. Hampel

Faculty of Science - Papers (Archive)

Gardens have been an important site of environmental engagement in Australia since the British colonization. They are places where immigrant people and plants carry on traditions from their homelands, and work out an accommodation with new social and biophysical environments. We examine the backyard gardens of three contemporary migrant groups in suburban Australia, Macedonian, Vietnamese and British-born, and a fourth group of first generation Australians with both parents born overseas. There is strong emphasis on the production of vegetables in Macedonian backyards, and herbs and fruit in Vietnamese backyards. British backyards were more diverse, some focusing on non-native ornamental flowers …

Nativeness, Invasiveness And Nation In Australian Plants, Lesley M. Head, Pat Muir

Faculty of Science - Papers (Archive)

The conceptualization of alien invasive species conflates two axes of variability that have become unhelpfully blurred. The nativeness/alienness axis refers to the presumed belonging of a species in ecological or social space. Invasiveness refers to the behavior of the species in question, particularly in relation to other species. The overlay of nation introduces further variability. Teasing these axes apart is important for more effective environmental management. We examine these concepts using two influential forms of ecological knowledge: the biogeographical and ecological literature and the vernacular experiences of suburban backyarders. Three case studes, the invasive native Pittosporum undulatum and two invasive …

Comparison Of Solvent Regimes For The Extraction Of Photosynthetic Pigments From Leaves Of Higher Plants, J. L. Dunn, J. D. Turnbull, Sharon A. Robinson

Faculty of Science - Papers (Archive)

The relative efficiency of methanol- and acetone-based solvents for the extraction of pigments from photosynthetic tissues of plant was compared, together with the advantages of multiple versus single extractions. The two commonly employed triple acetone extractions (100:80:80% and 85:100:100%) performed comparably for most pigments and for all plant species tested. Single extractions with either 96% methanol or 85% acetone failed to extract the more hydrophobic pigments, especially ?-carotene. We conclude that multiple extractions that combine pure and aqueous (80–85%) acetone are preferable for extraction of the full range of pigments. These results suggest that previous studies that have utilised aqueous …

National Inquiry On Bushfire Mitigation And Management, S. Ellis, P. Kanowski, R. J. Whelan

Faculty of Science - Papers (Archive)

Bushfires are an inherent part of the Australian environment. We cannot prevent them, but we can minimise the risks they pose to life, property and infrastructure, production systems, and the environment. Australia has a large and very capable force of volunteer and career firefighters, advanced firefighting technologies, and significant firefighting resources. But the geographical scale of our country, the large and expanding rural–urban interface, and the potential for rapid bushfire development and spread under adverse weather conditions mean that individual Australians cannot rely solely on fire agencies to protect their lives and property from bushfires. Bushfires have a fundamental and …

Trace Gas Emissions From Biomass Burning Inferred From Aerosol Optical Depth, Clare Paton-Walsh, N. B. Jones, Stephen R. Wilson, A. Meier, N. Deutscher, D. W. Griffith, R. Mitchell, S. Campbell

Faculty of Science - Papers (Archive)

We have observed strong correlations between simultaneous and co-located measurements of aerosol optical depth and column amounts of carbon monoxide, hydrogen cyanide, formaldehyde and ammonia in bushfire smoke plumes over SE Australia during the Austral summers of 2001/2002 and 2002/2003. We show how satellite-derived aerosol optical depth maps may be used in conjunction with these correlations to determine the total amounts of these gases present in a fire-affected region. This provides the basis of a method for estimating total emissions of trace gases from biomass burning episodes using visible radiances measured by satellite.

Food Fears: A National Survey On The Attitudes Of Australian Adults About The Safety And Quality Of Food, P. G. Williams, E. Stirling, N. Keynes

Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences - Papers (Archive)

A national telephone survey of a representative sample of 1200 Australian adults was conducted in March 2002 in order to identify the factors of greatest concern to consumers in relation to the safety and quality of food, to measure recent trends in views about hazards in the food supply, to explore beliefs about the safety of additives and to discover whether consumers use food labels to check for ingredients of concern. Forty five percent of Australians responded that they were more concerned about the safety and quality of food than they were five years previously, while only 5% were less …

The Illawarra Healthy Food Price Index. 1. Development Of The Food Basket, P. G. Williams, M. Reid, K. Shaw

Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Objective To define a basket of foods that could be used to monitor trends in the affordability of healthy food in the Illawarra region. Design A reference family of five was defined reflecting the population of the Illawarra region. A draft basket of foods was selected based on recommendations of the Australian Guide to Healthy Eating (AGHE), and using information on typical eating patterns from the 1995 National Nutrition Survey and data from local supermarket sales. Products were chosen to conform where possible to the National Heart Foundation guidelines for acceptability in the Pick the Tick food approval program. Seven …

The Illawarra Healthy Food Price Index. 2. Pricing Methods And Index Trends From 2000-2003, P. G. Williams, Y. James, J. Kwan

Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Objective To develop a method to monitor trends in the cost of the Illawarra Healthy Food Basket (IHFB) and report trends from 2000 to 2003.

Design Detailed instructions for the method of pricing the IHFB were developed and tested. The price of the IHFB was collected each year in September at a major supermarket, green grocer and butcher in five Illawarra suburbs, representing a range of socio-economic locations. Data on welfare payments available to the reference family, assuming all members were unemployed, were collected from staff of Centrelink.

Main outcome measures The average weekly cost of the IHFB, the Illawarra …

Diet And Metabolic Syndrome: Where Does Resistant Starch Fit In?, Linda C. Tapsell

Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Metabolic syndrome is a term linking the clinical profiles of some of the world’s major health problems today: obesity, heart disease and diabetes. It is predicated on dietary patterns, and particularly on the delivery of fuel. The effects may be seen first in the development of abdominal obesity and insulin resistance leading to type 2 diabetes mellitus and coronary heart disease. This review examines the role resistant starch might play in the prevention and management of these conditions. Beginning with a definition of resistant starch, a critical review of the scientific literature is presented. Current knowledge suggests that resistant starch …

The Impact Of Different Types Of Incentives On Re-Enrolment Into Health Management Programs, Sandra C. Jones, Christina Hoang

Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences - Papers (Archive)

The Australian Health Management Group (AHMG) offers disease- and risk-management programs for members, aimed at improving health status and reducing health care costs. As an incentive to re-enrol, members are posted a small gift upon receipt of their completed enrolment form. The purpose of the present study was to determine whether the provision of an incentive has a measurable effect on re-enrolment rates. Members were allocated to one of three conditions: “gift”; “competition”; or “no incentive”. We found that the provision of an incentive resulted in an increase in re-enrolment rates, with little difference between the “competition” and “gift” conditions. …

What Can Change Blindness Tell Us About The Visual Processing Of Complex Objects?, Simone Keane, Stephen A. Palmisano

Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Processing visual information about objects in our environment is an essential and widely used skill. However, recent research in change blindness suggests that humans are remarkably poor at detecting certain types of changes to objects. In particular, changes to the configuration of an object's parts are detected quicker and more accurately than changes to the shape of the parts or a switching of parts. The implication of this finding is that information regarding the layout or configuration of an object is better encoded than finer details, like part shape. The aim of the current study was to determine whether this …

Erythrocyte Biomarker-Based Validation Of A Diet History Method Used In A Dietary Intervention Trial, Craig S. Patch, Karen J Murphy, Jackie Mansour, Linda C. Tapsell, Barbara J. Meyer, Trevor A Mori, Manny Noakes, P Clifton, I Puddey, P Howe

Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences - Papers (Archive)

No abstract provided.

Functional Foods And Ingredients: Opportunities For Health And Profit, Linda C. Tapsell

Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences - Papers (Archive)

The National Centre of Excellence in Functional Foods (NCEFF) is developing well with strategic research projects underway. This report outlines progress to date.

Jitter And Size Effects On Vection Are Immune To Experimental Instructions And Demands, Stephen A. Palmisano, Amy Y. Chan

Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Both coherent perspective jitter and explicit changing-size cues have been shown to improve the vection induced by radially expanding optic flow. The current study examined whether these stimulus-based vection advantages could be modified by altering cognitions/expectations about both the likelihood of self-motion perception and the purpose of the experiment. In the main experiment, participants were randomly assigned into two groups – one where the cognitive conditions biased participants towards self-motion perception and another where the cognitive conditions biased them towards object motion perception. Contrary to earlier findings by Lepecq et al (1995), we found that identical visual displays were less …

Western Pacific Coral Delta18o Records Of Anomalous Holocene Variability In El Nino-Southern Oscillation, Helen V. Mcgregor, M Gagan

Faculty of Science - Papers (Archive)

No abstract provided.

Metal Equilibration And Bioavailability In Laboratory-Contaminated (Spiked) Sediments Used For The Development Of Whole-Sediment Toxicity Tests, Stuart L. Simpson, Brad M. Angel, Dianne F. Jolley

Faculty of Science - Papers (Archive)

The equilibration and bioavailability of metals in laboratory-contaminated sediments has been investigated in order to provide better guidance on acceptable procedures for spiking sediments with metals for use in the development whole-sediment toxicity tests. The equilibration rates of Cd, Cu, Ni and Zn spiked into three estuarine surface sediments with varying properties were investigated. Changes to sediment pH, redox potential, porewater and acid soluble metals, acid-volatile sulfide and bacterial activity during equilibration, effects of temperature and disturbances following equilibration are reported. The addition of metals to sediments caused major decreases in pH and increases in redox potential as metals displaced …

Selenium Accumulation In The Cockle Anadara Trapezia, Dianne F. Jolley, William A. Maher, Jennelle Kyd

Faculty of Science - Papers (Archive)

An extensive study on Se accumulation in a population of Anadara trapezia from a marine lake is reported. The effects of organism mass, gender, reproductive cycle, and season on Se accumulation and tissue distribution were investigated. Analyses showed that gender and reproductive cycle had no significant effect on Se accumulation. A. trapezia showed a strong positive correlation between Se burden and tissue mass. Constant Se concentrations were observed within individual populations but varied spatially with sediment Se concentrations. Se concentrations in tissues decreased from gills>gonad/intestineOmantleO muscleOfoot, which remained constant over 12 months, however, significantly lower concentrations were observed in …

An Assessment Of Five Australian Polychaetes And Bivalves For Use In Whole-Sediment Toxicity Tests: Toxicity And Accumulation Of Copper And Zinc From Water And Sediment, C K. King, M C. Dowse, S L. Simpson, D F. Jolley

Faculty of Science - Papers (Archive)

The suitability of two polychaete worms, Australonereis ehlersi and Nephtys australiensis, and three bivalves, Mysella anomala, Tellina deltoidalis, and Soletellina alba, were assessed for their potential use in whole-sediment toxicity tests. All species except A. ehlersi, which could not be tested because of poor survival in water-only tests, survived in salinities ranging from 18‰ to 34‰ during the 96-hour exposure period. No mortality was observed in any of the species exposed to sediment compositions ranging from 100% silt to 100% sand for 10 days, thus demonstrating the high tolerance of the five species to a wide range of sediment types. …

Landscape Management: Is It The Future?, R. J. Whelan

Faculty of Science - Papers (Archive)

As a Keynote Address at the 2004 Nature Conservation Council Conference, Bushfire in a Changing Environment - New Directions in Management, this paper argues that the landscape is a template with biodiversity assets, and human assets and bushfires overlaid. Two case studies, the Greater Glider and Eastern Bristlebird, are used to illustrate how the impact of bushfire on a species is contingent on it is distributed in the landscape, relative to the locations of its remnant habitat. Mitigation of bushfire effects, using fuel-reduction programs, is a process that also needs to be considered at a landscape scale, and has the …

Synthesis Of (+)-(1r,2s,9s,9ar)-Octahydro-1h-Pyrrolo-[1,2-A]Azepine-1,2,9-Triol: A Potential Glycosidase Inhibitor, Karl B. Lindsay, Stephen G. Pyne

Faculty of Science - Papers (Archive)

The title compound was prepared as a potential glycosidase inhibitor. Key steps in the synthesis are vinyl epoxide aminolysis, ring-closing metathesis, cis-dihydroxylation and then ring closure.

Asymmetric Synthesis Of (-)-Swainsonine, Karl Lindsay, Stephen G. Pyne

Faculty of Science - Papers (Archive)

This paper describes a new synthesis of (-)-swainsonine via the ring-closing metathesis reaction of a substituted 3-allyl-4-vinyl-2-oxazolindinone and subsequent diastereoselective syn-dihydroxylation of the resulting pyrrolo[1,2-c]oxazol-3-one.

Phytochemical Studies On Stemona Burkillii Prain: Two New Dihydrostemofoline Alkaloids, Pitchaya Mungkornasawakul, Stephen G. Pyne, Araya Jatisatienr, Wilford Lie, Alison T. Ung, Kritchaya Issakul, Auntika Sawatwanich, Damrat Supyen, Chaiwat Jatisatienr

Faculty of Science - Papers (Archive)

Two new dihydrostemofoline alkaloids, 11(S),12(R)-dihydrostemofoline (3) and stemoburkilline (4), along with stemofoline (1) and 2’-hydroxystemofoline (2) have been isolated from a root extract of Stemona burkillii Prain. The structure and relative configuration of (3) have been determined via spectroscopic data and from comparison with synthetic 11(S),12(S)-dihydrostemofoline (5). The configuration of the exo-cyclic alkene group in (4) is tentively assigned as (E) based upon mechanistic considerations.

Asymmetric Synthesis Of (+)-1-Epiaustraline And Attempted Synthesis Of Australine, Minyan Tang, Stephen G. Pyne

Faculty of Science - Papers (Archive)

A diastereoselective synthesis of the pyrrolizidine alkaloid, (+)-1-epiaustraline has been achieved via a diastereoselective syn-dihydroxylation of a pyrrolo[1,2-c]oxazol-3-one precursor that was readily prepared by a RCM reaction. Attempts to extend this methodology to the synthesis of australine were not successful since the final pyrrolidine ring closure to produce the desired pyrrolizidine of the target molecule was not productive.

Studies On The Synthesis Of Croomine: Synthesis Of The Tricyclic B,C,D-Ring Core Structure, Karl B. Lindsay, Stephen G. Pyne

Faculty of Science - Papers (Archive)

A convergent and asymmetric synthesis of the tricyclic B,C,D-ring core structure of croomine has been achieved, using aminolysis reactions of chiral vinyl epoxides and the RCM reaction.

Phytochemical And Larvicidal Studies On Stemona Curtisii: Structure Of A New Pyriodo[1,2-A]Azepine Stemona Alkaloid, Pitchaya Mungkornasawakul, Stephen G. Pyne, Araya Jatisatienr, Damrat Supyen, Chaiwat Jatisatienr, Wilford Lie, Alison T. Ung, Brian W. Skelton, Allan H. White

Faculty of Science - Papers (Archive)

A new pentacyclic Stemona alkaloid, stemocurtisinol (3), with a pyrido[1,2-a]azepine A,B-ring system, and the known pyrrolo[1,2-a]azepine alkaloid oxyprotostemonine (4) have been isolated from a root extract of S. curtisii. The structure and relative stereochemistry of stemocurtisinol was determined by spectral data interpretation and X-ray crystallography. This compound is a diastereoisomer of oxystemokerrin and has the opposite configuration at C-4 and C-19. The individual alkaloid components showed significant larvicidal activity (IC₅₀ 4−39 ppm) on mosquito larvae (Anopheles minimus HO).

Asymmetric Synthesis Of Polyfunctionalized Pyrrolidines And Related Alkaloids, Stephen G. Pyne, Andrew S. Davis, Nicole Gates, Joseph Hartley, Karl Lindsay, Theeraphan Machan, Minyan Tang

Faculty of Science - Papers (Archive)

This account describes our recent studies on the development of a general method of preparing polyfunctionalized pyrrolidine, indolizidine, pyrrolizidine and pyrrolo[1,2-a]azepines and their related alkaloids.

The Ad 1607 Coastal Flood In The Bristol Channel And Severn Estuary: Historical Records From Devon And Cornwall (Uk), S. K. Haslett, Edward A. Bryant

Faculty of Science - Papers (Archive)

The 1607 coastal flood was a high magnitude event that may have been the result of either a storm surge or a tsunami wave(s). Contemporary accounts describe the impacts of the surge/wave at Appledore and Barnstaple in North Devon, and a 19'x' century comment exists for Hayle in. Cornwall. An examination restricted to these local accounts reveals that the surge altitude or tsunami run-up at Appledore, at the estuary mouth, exceeded 8.5 in OD (a surge/wave height in excess of 3.28 in, possibly lip to c. 7-8 in), and at Barnstaple, about 12 km up-estuary it reached 7.53 in OD …