Life Sciences Commons^™

Mass Spectrometry-Based Proteomic Analysis To Characterise Barley Breeding Lines, Mahya Bahmani

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Barley is a key ingredient in the malting and brewing industry, and it is the fourth most important crop being cultivated worldwide. The protein content of the barley grain is one of the main components determining the quality and nutritive value of the food and beverages prepared from barley. Mass spectrometry-based proteomic analysis is a valuable tool that can guide and inform plant breeding strategies and crop improvement programs. Understanding the proteome changes in barley grain under different growing locations, the impact of different environmental conditions and its relationship with malting characteristics have the potential to inform breeding programs to …

Evaluating The Relative Importance Of Stormwater For Nutrient And Metal Contamination To The Urban, Groundwater Dependent Yellagonga Wetlands, Through Wetland Budgeting, Jonas Polifka

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Wetlands provide numerous ecosystem services and can be utilised as pollutant sinks, however excessive contamination of wetlands can induce adverse effects to wetland ecology and lead to degradation of its values. Runoff from precipitation mobilizes contaminants from impervious surfaces which are, in some case, transported directly to wetlands through stormwater drainage. Urban stormwater can be a significant source of contaminants to wetlands, although its overall importance needs to be assessed for each wetland individually. Wetland budgeting is a management tool used to evaluate the relative importance of contaminant sources to wetlands, by comparing contaminant loads. Environmental management of the Yellagonga …

Gait Entrainment In Coupled Oscillator Systems: Clarifying The Role Of Energy Optimization In Human Walking, Ryan T. Schroeder

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Empirical evidence suggests that parameters of human gait (e.g. step frequency, step length) tend to minimize energy expenditure. However, it is unclear if individuals can adapt to dynamic environments in real time, i.e. continuously optimize energy expenditure, and to what extent. Two coupled oscillator systems were used to test the learned interactions of individuals within dynamic environments: (1) experienced farmworkers carrying oscillating loads on a flexible bamboo pole and (2) individuals walking on a treadmill while strapped to a mechatronics oscillator system providing periodic forces to the body. Reductionist trajectory optimization models predicted energy-minimizing gait interactions within the coupled oscillator …

Tropicalisation Of Temperate Seagrass Meadows In Western Australia: Predicting The Impact Of Tropical Herbivorous Fishes On Temperate Seagrass Meadows, Maria Samsonova

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Rising sea temperatures through climate change produce shifts in the distribution of tropical species to temperate regions, a process termed “tropicalisation”. The poleward expansion of tropical herbivores into temperate seagrass meadows is predicted to increase grazing pressure and alter ecosystem services and processes in these seagrass systems. This study attempted to examine the effects of tropicalisation on temperate seagrass meadows along the western coast of Australia, where the increasing abundance of tropical consumers such as the herbivorous Siganus fuscescens has already been documented. Through the assessment of fish assemblages in seagrass meadows and the grazing levels on seagrass in 2001 …

Modernising Conservation Through Technology: A Metabolomic Investigation Of A Critically Endangered Freshwater Crayfish, Emily D. Lette

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

BACKGROUND: The Anthropocene has seen extinction rates orders of magnitude higher than the background rate; a trend that has been seen in all ecosystems. As a result of human activities, freshwater resources, and many of the species dependent on them have become imperilled. Freshwater crayfish are a dominant aquatic invertebrate due to their significant biomass, and they are globally distributed, highly speciose, and ecologically important. They have been referred to, inter alia, as bioindicators, keystone species, ecosystem engineers, and umbrella species and are also a valuable human food source. However, currently one-third of freshwater crayfish species worldwide are classified …

Deriving Statistical Inference From The Application Of Artificial Neural Networks To Clinical Metabolomics Data, Kevin M. Mendez

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Metabolomics data are complex with a high degree of multicollinearity. As such, multivariate linear projection methods, such as partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) have become standard. Non-linear projections methods, typified by Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs) may be more appropriate to model potential nonlinear latent covariance; however, they are not widely used due to difficulty in deriving statistical inference, and thus biological interpretation. Herein, we illustrate the utility of ANNs for clinical metabolomics using publicly available data sets and develop an open framework for deriving and visualising statistical inference from ANNs equivalent to standard PLS-DA methods.

Characterising Pd-L1 Expression In Circulating Melanoma And Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Cells, Isaac Spencer

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Incidence rates for both melanoma and non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) have risen in recent decades. While advanced cases of both diseases have previously demonstrated low survivability, novel therapies such as immune checkpoint inhibitors, have significantly improved the outcome of patients suffering from these cancers. Recent clinical trials have led to the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approving the use of antibodies targeting the PD-1 immune checkpoint for both melanoma and NSCLC. Anti-PD-1 antibodies have been seen to illicit responses in up to 40% of patients, however, particularly for melanoma, there is a lack of biomarkers to select …

An Investigation Into The Spatial Distribution, Habitat Selection And Resource Usage Of The Red Fox (Vulpes Vulpes) Inhabiting Urban Reserves Within Perth, Western Australia, Michael Thomas Main

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

I attempted to track a population of urban foxes in Kings Park, but due to collar failure, only one collar was retrieved. The GPS telemetry data from this fox produced home range estimates for minimum convex polygon (MCP) and kernel density (KD) of 0.302 km² and 0.331 km², respectively. The fox was predominantly active at night, with a ten-fold increase in movement during nocturnal periods when compared to daytime movements. Roads and man-made tracks were important for facilitating movement of the fox through its home range, with almost 97% of location fixes recorded within 100m of these features. The fox …

Application Of Advanced Algorithms And Statistical Techniques For Weed-Plant Discrimination, Saman Akbar Zadeh

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Precision agriculture requires automated systems for weed detection as weeds compete with the crop for water, nutrients, and light. The purpose of this study is to investigate the use of machine learning methods to classify weeds/crops in agriculture. Statistical methods, support vector machines, convolutional neural networks (CNNs) are introduced, investigated and optimized as classifiers to provide high accuracy at high vehicular speed for weed detection.

Initially, Support Vector Machine (SVM) algorithms are developed for weed-crop discrimination and their accuracies are compared with a conventional data-aggregation method based on the evaluation of discrete Normalised Difference Vegetation Indices (NDVIs) at two different …

Local Binary Pattern Based Algorithms For The Discrimination And Detection Of Crops And Weeds With Similar Morphologies, Vi Nguyen Thanh Le

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

In cultivated agricultural fields, weeds are unwanted species that compete with the crop plants for nutrients, water, sunlight and soil, thus constraining their growth. Applying new real-time weed detection and spraying technologies to agriculture would enhance current farming practices, leading to higher crop yields and lower production costs. Various weed detection methods have been developed for Site-Specific Weed Management (SSWM) aimed at maximising the crop yield through efficient control of weeds. Blanket application of herbicide chemicals is currently the most popular weed eradication practice in weed management and weed invasion. However, the excessive use of herbicides has a detrimental impact …

Nutrition, Body Composition And Physical Activity In Malignant Pleural Disease: Associations With Patient Outcomes And Response To An Exercise Intervention, Emily Jeffery

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Background: Patients with malignant pleural disease (MPD) have advanced cancer and high symptom burden. Goals of patient care are to optimise health-related quality-of-life (HR-QoL) and participation in daily physical activities. Supportive care interventions such as nutrition and exercise could offer benefit to patients. However, there is a lack of information on the prevalence of low muscle mass (i.e., pre-sarcopenia), malnutrition, inactivity and poor physical functioning in patients with MPD. Additionally, little is known about the factors associated with development of pre-sarcopenia and malnutrition or their associations with patient outcomes.

Purpose: The objectives were to: 1) characterise physical activity levels and …

Conospermum Undulatum: Insights Into Population Genetics And Pollination Ecology Of A Threatened Species, Nicola Delnevo

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Fragmentation of natural vegetation is currently one of the largest threats to biodiversity. Within the southwest Australia global biodiversity hotspot, the Swan Coastal Plain was historically cleared for agriculture and forestry and is now experiencing extensive land clearing for urbanisation. The wavy-leaved smokebush Conospermum undulatum is a rare species endemic to the Swan Coastal Plain, and its future persistence is threatened by urban expansion.

Throughout this research, I investigated the pollination ecology of this species and found a specific association between C. undulatum and native bees for pollination. I also demonstrated that C. undulatum has evolved pollen with resistance to …

Quantifying The Heterogeneity Of The Immunoglobulin G N-Glycome In An Ageing Australian Population: The Busselton Healthy Ageing Study, Alyce Russell

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

The use of immunoglobulin G N-glycomics to study chronic non-communicable disorders and other complex phenotypes emerged following the Human Genome Project. The consortium discovered that most phenotypes were too complex to be explained by genetics alone. Thus, the biological importance of epigenetics was recognised; heritable modifications to gene expression rather than the genome itself. Nglycosylation is a form of epigenetic regulation known as a post-translational modification. It stabilises the immunoglobulin G structure and alters downstream responses elicited by the antibody and is extensively studied as a candidate biomarker in the post-genomic era.

The N-glycosylation of immunoglobulin G itself is complex, …

Investigating Optimum Wavelength(S) For Growth Of Lactuca Sativa, L. Using Tunable Led Sources And Developing Thin-Film Filters For Glass Greenhouses, Jacqualine Anne Thomas

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

With the increase in world population, the continued advances in modern greenhouse agriculture and plant growth practices are expected to help overcome the global problem of future food shortages. This research investigates a way to assist in stemming the problem of food shortage by using optimised light irradiation (within the constraints of the experiment) on a sample plant species of lettuce (Lactuca sativa, L.). Whilst lettuce is often grown in hydroponic systems, the current research is conducted in stand-alone pots with hand watering, due to the requirements of health and safety and available resources.

The experiments were designed …

Heritability Enrichment Of Immunoglobulin G N-Glycosylation Relevant Genes In Specific Tissues, Xingang Li

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified over 60 genetic loci associated with IgG N-glycosylation; however, the causal genes and their abundance in relevant tissues are uncertain. In this study, firstly, I leveraged data from GWAS summary statistics for 8,090 Europeans, and large-scale expression quantitative trait loci (eQTL) data from the genotype-tissue expression of 53 types of tissues (GTEx v7), to derive a linkage disequilibrium score for the specific expression of genes (LDSC-SEG) and conduct a transcriptome-wide association study (TWAS). I identified 55 genes whose predicted levels of expression were significantly associated with IgG Nglycosylation in 14 tissues with regard to …

Dna Methylation Of The Clusterin Promoter: Associations With Alzheimer’S Disease Risk And Related Phenotypes, Madeline Peretti

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Background

In 2017 approximately 50 million people worldwide were living with dementia. With Alzheimer’s disease (AD), accounting for 50-70% of dementia cases making this debilitating disease, with no current effective prevention, treatment or cure, a critical healthcare concern. Genome wide association studies (GWAS) have identified a number of risk genes for late onset AD (LOAD); Apolipoprotein E (APOE), a gene involved in the cholesterol/lipid pathway is considered the gene with the greatest risk. The third most associated AD risk gene is Clusterin (CLU), is also involved in the cholesterol/lipid pathway. CLU has been implicated in both …

Projected Sea Level Rise And The Conservation Ecology Of The Micronesian Megapode (Megapodius Laperouse Senex) In Palau, Micronesia, Paul M. Radley

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Climate change has been a subject of numerous studies. While findings suggest that most biological taxa will be affected by its manifestations, aspects of a species life history may increase its susceptibility to climate change. Given their reliance on environmental sources of heat to incubate their eggs, I examined the vulnerability to climate change of the avian family Megapodiidae. I also assessed habitat use, susceptibility to sea level rise, and the effect of introduced rats and tourist presence, as added stressors to climate change, on the Micronesian Megapode (Megapodius

laperouse senex) in Palau.

Based on available literature, I …

Causes And Possible Consequences Of Hybridisation In Angelfishes At Christmas Island, Federico Vitelli

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

The angelfishes (family Pomacanthidae) have the greatest proportion (~30%) of hybridising species, compared to other families of reef fishes, with 26 species implicated in hybridisation. However, very little is known about hybridisation in angelfish, especially in terms of fitness of the hybrids and possible ecological consequences. Hybrids between three species (C. flavissima, C. eibli and C. vroliki) in the genus Centropyge have previously been reported from Christmas island, where these have been observed in heterospecific harems and interbreeding. This provides the unique opportunity to examine the breakdown in assortative mating in marine fishes. The broad aim of this …

Stimulation Of Western Australian Sandalwood (Santalum Spicatum) Oil Production Using Multiple Treatments [Thesis], Peta-Anne Smith

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Sandalwood is an important international commodity, recognised for its aromatic oil which is a key ingredient in many fragrances and cosmetics. Western Australian (WA) sandalwood (Santalum spicatum) is known to be a cheaper alternative for the superior Indian sandalwood (Santalum album) as it has a lower oil content and lower quality oil. The natural stocks of S. album have declined due to illegal poaching, mismanagement, and disease. WA sandalwood’s natural stands have also reduced due to historical mismanagement. As a result, WA sandalwood (S. spicatum) has been established in plantations in the southern half of WA to attempt to meet …

Seedling Xylem Anatomy Of Two Banksia Species Relative To Availability Of Groundwater, Melissa Karlinski

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Fluctuating environmental conditions place plants at risk of mortality if they cannot adapt, particularly to warmer temperatures and drier environments. Plants are known to modify their morphology, physiology and anatomy to thrive under these conditions, and xylem anatomy and hydraulic architecture are common traits studied to understand plant adaptations and responses to changeable water availability. However, little is known about the changes to the hydraulic architecture of groundwater dependent plants during their early establishment in water-limited environments. By exposing young seedlings of two Banksia species to contrasting groundwater availability treatments in a glasshouse experiment, it was possible to analyse the …

The Manifestations Of Fatigue In Amateur Boxing Performance, Emily C. Dunn

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

A subjective method of judgment, the “Ten Point Must-System” (TPMS), was introduced into amateur boxing in 2013. To be successful, boxers must deliver forceful punches and exert dominance over an opponent. There has been limited research examining the strategies used by boxers to win fights under the TPMS and whether these strategies induce fatigue that is sufficient to significantly affect punch force. The overall objective of the five studies contained in this thesis was to describe, in relation to fatigue, the performance characteristics of male amateur boxers under the TPMS, and improve our understanding of the physical characteristics associated with …

Ancient Origins Of A Diverse Stygofaunal Group: The Australian Bathynellidae (Crustacea), Giulia Perina

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Research on subterranean fauna on all continents has highlighted often high levels of endemism, for both troglobionts (terrestrial subterranean organisms) and stygobionts (organisms living in groundwater). In Australia, particularly in the arid zones of Western Australia, a rich hypogean assemblage has been discovered in the past few decades, largely due to surveys required as part of environmental impact assessments for, and imposed conditions on, mining operations. Bathynellidae (Crustacea) are part of the stygofaunal community, but to-date they are poorly understood, mainly because their conservative morphology, small size and delicate exoskeleton make their dissection, observation and study very difficult. Additionally, the …

Chemical Composition And Toxicity Of Emissions From Burning Five Vegetation Types Of Western Australia Under Experimental Combustion Conditions, T T Trang Dong

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

This study investigated the emission factors (EFs) for inorganic gases (CO2, CO, SO2, NO and NO2), carbonyls (formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, acetone, propionaldehyde, butyraldehyde and benzaldehyde), volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10) from laboratory-based fires of vegetation from five typical vegetation types of Western Australia. Species burnt were three grasslands (Spinifex represented by Triodia basedowii, Kimberley grass represented by Sehima nervosum and Heteropogon contortus, and an invasive grass represented by Ehrharta calycina (Veldt grass)), Banksia woodland and Jarrah forest under different combustion conditions. Chemical composition (water-soluble metals and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons – PAHs) and in vitro toxicity …

The Distribution And Trophic Ecology Of Golden Ghost Crabs (Ocypode Convexa), Caitlin Rae

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Sandy beaches make up approximately three-quarters of the world’s shorelines. They are important ecosystems, hosting abundant invertebrate macrofaunal communities that provide food resource for vertebrate predators such as shorebirds, seabirds, marine mammals and fish. Although possessing a terrestrial appearance, food input on sandy beaches is derived predominantly from the sea. Such food input includes detrital matter, mostly in the form of wrack, and has the potential to support a great diversity of species, as well as stabilising energy fluxes and dynamics of consumer populations. The movement of detritus, along with other vectors such as organisms and nutrients, across ecosystem boundaries …

The Cryopreservation Of Human Semen, And Subsequent Evaluation Of A Commercially-Available Device To Isolate Motile Sperm, Callum Andrew Robinson

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

The cryopreservation of human semen is a vital asset in assisted reproductive technologies (ART). Although advances have been in the freezing of sperm, further refinement is both necessary and ongoing. Computer-assisted semen analysis (CASA) has been increasingly utilised in both research and diagnostic however there are a range of variables that must first be controlled in order to produce reliable measurements. Following thawing, sperm must be isolated from both the original seminal plasma and the cryoprotectants; the two most used isolation methods include density gradient centrifugation (DGC) and the swim-up method.

The present thesis sought to investigate the following areas …

Within-Fire Patchiness Associated With Prescribed Burning In The Northern Jarrah Forests Of Western Australia, Zigourney Nielsen

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

There is growing understanding of the importance of landscape mosaics and heterogeneity for biodiversity outcomes in Western Australia. However, there is limited information on the patchiness (spatial configuration of unburnt and burnt patches which occur at a range of spatial scales) within the perimeter of a single prescribed burn. Of particular concern is the idea that prescribed burning operations, carried out under very restricted weather and environmental conditions, can lead to structural and floristic homogenization of the area within a burn perimeter. This may be evident as reduced post-fire vegetation patchiness. Western Australian Jarrah (Eucalyptus marginata) forests are managed to …

The Value Of Animal Behaviour As A Bio-Indicator Of Restoration Quality, Floyd Holmes

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Woodland restoration is a complex endeavour, and restoration ecology as a scientific discipline requires constant re-assessments and adjustments if it is to improve outcomes and better provide for biodiversity. The promise of effective restoration is often used to justify destructive processes that affect many of the world’s ecosystems. It is therefore imperative that those promises can be met, which comes down to restoration ecologists’ and land managers’ capacity to predict and facilitate desirable ecological changes in a timely and socio-economically responsible manner. As perspectives have changed, and knowledge has been gained over the past few decades there have been several …

Seed Morphology, Dormancy And Germination Of South-West Australian Ericaceae, Michael Just

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

The Ericaceae in South West Australia contains species with difficult to germinate seeds, including many species with deep intractable dormancy. A better understanding of seed biology and species specific dormancy, and germination mechanisms is required to overcome these difficulties. Land clearing, salinity and disease has resulted in over 125 species within 15 genera being listed as rare, highly restricted, threatened and endangered (Western Australian Herbarium 1998–). The present study examined the seed biology of eight species of Ericaceae native to Western Australia, exploring fruit and seed morphology, dormancy and germination. Cold and warm stratification was used in combination with gibberellic …

Antibiotic Resistance In Gram Negative Bacteria Isolated From Fish Sold In Western Australia, Hannah Kathleen Robinson

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Background Information The global misuse and overuse of antibiotics in human medicine and the animal production industry is contributing to the development of antibiotic resistance in bacteria. This is a serious threat to modern medicine and public health. Antibiotic resistant organisms can cause severe infections in humans which are difficult to treat, and in some cases impossible to resolve which can lead to premature death. Several studies have been conducted across the globe to assess the use of antibiotics in the seafood industry and the associated health risks, however, limited studies have recently explored this risk in an Australian setting. …

Influence Of Micropropagation On The Ontogenetic Phases Of Paulownia, Michael Pezzaniti

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

The aim of this research was to examine whether the method of micropropagation and tissue source affects the early growth and development of Paulownia in the first six months following transfer from tissue culture and establishment in soil. This tree species was chosen as it is a fast growing, short-rotation timber tree and able to adapt successfully to new environments. It is easily established in vitro and has been micropropagated using a range of different techniques. Three methods of micropropagation were chosen: callus regeneration, somatic embryogenesis and the third method was inducing root suckers in vitro. The third method …