Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

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 …

Radiocarbon Bomb Spike Reveals Biological Effects Of Antarctic Climate Change, Laurence J Clarke, Sharon A. Robinson, Quan Hua, David J. Ayre, David Fink

Faculty of Science - Papers (Archive)

The Antarctic has experienced major changes in temperature, wind speed and stratospheric ozone levels during thelast 50 years. However, until recently continental Antarctica appeared to be little impacted by climate warming, thusbiological changes were predicted to be relatively slow. Detecting the biological effects of Antarctic climate changehas been hindered by the paucity of long-term data sets, particularly for organisms that have been exposed to thesechanges throughout their lives. We show that radiocarbon signals are preserved along shoots of the dominant Antarcticmoss flora and use these to determine accurate growth rates over a period of several decades, allowing us toexplore the …

Clinical Dyslipidaemia Is Associated With Changes In The Lipid Composition And Inflammatory Properties Of Apolipoprotein-B-Containing Lipoproteins From Women With Type 2 Diabetes, M Ståhlman, T H. Pham, M Adiels, Todd Mitchell, Stephen J. Blanksby, B Fagerberg, K Ekross, J Boren

Faculty of Science - Papers (Archive)

Aims/hypothesis The aim of this study was to use lipidomics to determine if the lipid composition of apolipoprotein-Bcontaining lipoproteins is modified by dyslipidaemia in type 2 diabetes and if any of the identified changes potentially have biological relevance in the pathophysiology of type 2 diabetes.

Methods VLDL and LDL from normolipidaemic and dyslipidaemic type 2 diabetic women and controls were isolated and quantified with HPLC and mass spectrometry. A detailed molecular characterisation of VLDL triacylglycerols (TAG) was also performed using the novel ozone-induced dissociation method, which allowed us to distinguish vaccenic acid (C18:1 n-7) from oleic acid (C18:1 n-9) in …

Optimization Of Colorimetric Det Technique For The In Situ, Two-Dimensional Measurement Of Iron(Ii) Distributions In Sediment Porewaters, William W. Bennett, Peter R. Teasdale, David T. Welsh, Jarad G. Panther, Dianne F. Jolley

Faculty of Science - Papers (Archive)

No abstract provided.

Coral Reefs And Reef Islands Of The Amirantes Archipelago, Western Indian Ocean, Sarah Hamylton, Tom Spencer, Annelise B. Hagan

Faculty of Science - Papers (Archive)

No abstract provided.

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.

Dye Regeneration And Charge Recombination In Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells With Ferrocene Derivatives As Redox Mediators, Torben Daeneke, Attila J. Mozer, Tae-Hyuk Kwon, Noel W. Duffy, Andrew B. Holmes, Udo Bach, Leone Spiccia

Faculty of Science - Papers (Archive)

Ferrocene compounds are promising redox shuttles for application in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSCs). Chemical modification of the cyclopentadienyl rings is easily achievable affording almost unlimited variation of the redox properties. This allows fine-tuning of the driving force for dye-regeneration and optimization of the energy conversion efficiency of DSCs. Herein, six ferrocene derivatives have been chosen for investigation which cover the large redox potential range of 0.85 V, by virtue of simple alkylation and halogenation of the cyclopentadienyl ring, and enable improved matching of the energy levels of the sensitizer and the electrolyte. Although the focus of this work was to …

Direct Detection Of Additives And Degradation Products From Polymers By Liquid Extraction Surface Analysis Employing Chip-Based Nanospray Mass Spectrometry, Martin Paine, Phillip Barker, Shane A. Maclaughlin, Todd W. Mitchell, Stephen J. Blanksby

Faculty of Science - Papers (Archive)

Rationale: Polymer-based surface coatings in outdoor applications experience accelerated degradation due to exposure to solar radiation, oxygen and atmospheric pollutants. These deleterious agents cause undesirable changes to the polymers aesthetic and mechanical properties reducing its lifetime. The use of antioxidants such as hindered amine light stabilisers (HALS) retard these degradative processes, however, mechanisms for HALS action and polymer degradation are poorly understood. Methods: Detection of the hindered amine light stabiliser (HALS) TINUVIN®123 (bis (1-octyloxy-2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-4-piperidyl) sebacate) and the polymer degradation products directly from a polyester-based coil coating was achieved by liquid extraction surface analysis (LESA) coupled to a triple quadrupole QTRAP® …

Different Radiolabelling Methods Alter The Pharmacokinetic And Biodistribution Properties Of Plasminogen Activator Inhibitor Type 2 (Pai-2) Forms, Marie Ranson, Paula Berghofer, Kara L. Vine, Ivan Greguric, Rachael Shepherd, Andrew Katsifis

Faculty of Science - Papers (Archive)

Introduction: Tumour-associated urokinase plasminogen activator (uPA) is a critical marker of invasion and metastasis, and it is recognised as having strong prognostic relevance as well as being a therapeutic target. The specific uPA inhibitor plasminogen activator inhibitor type-2 (PAI-2, SerpinB2) specifically targets cell bound uPA and is internalised. Furthermore, preclinical studies have established the “proof-of-principle” of uPA-targeting by PAI-2-cytotoxin conjugates in human carcinoma models. However, these studies also suggest that PAI-2 is rapidly cleared via the renal system with low total dose reaching the tumour. In this study, a comparative single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) and biodistribution (BD) analysis …

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).

Spatial Modelling Of Benthic Cover Using Remote Sensing Data In The Aldabra Lagoon, Western Indian Ocean, Sarah Hamylton, Tom Spencer, A Hagan

Faculty of Science - Papers (Archive)

Spatially explicit ecological modelling was used to predict the distribution of 4 benthic components (live coral, carbonate sand, macroalgae and dead coral) inside the Aldabra lagoon, southern Seychelles, western Indian Ocean. Both classic ordinary least-squares and spatial autoregression techniques were carried out on a field data set of 774 spatially referenced records and 3 satellite remote sensing images to define an empirical relationship between local environmental conditions (water depth and water level variation) and benthic cover. This relationship was then used to generate a synoptic model of the spatial cover and distribution of each benthic component at the landscape (i.e. …

Effects Of Atmospheric Light Scattering On Spectroscopic Observations Of Greenhouse Gases From Space: Validation Of Ppdf-Based Co 2 Retrievals From Gosat, Sergey Oshchepkov, Andrey Bril, Tatsuya Yokota, Isamu Morino, Yukio Yoshida, Tsuneo Matsunaga, Dmitry Belikov, Debra Wunch, Paul Wennberg, Geoffrey Toon, Christopher O'Dell, André Butz, Sandrine Guerlet, Austin Cogan, Hartmut Boesch, Nawo Eguchi, Nicholas Deutscher, David Griffith, Ronald Macatangay, Justus Notholt, Ralf Sussmann, Markus Rettinger, Vanessa Sherlock, John Robinson, Esko Kyro, Pauli Heikkinen, Dietrich G. Feist, Tomoo Nagahama, Nikolay Kadygrov, Shamil Maksyutov, Osamu Uchino, Hiroshi Watanabe

Faculty of Science - Papers (Archive)

This report describes a validation study of Greenhouse gases Observing Satellite (GOSAT) data processing using ground-based measurements of the Total Carbon Column Observing Network (TCCON) as reference data for column-averaged dry air mole fractions of atmospheric carbon dioxide (X CO2). We applied the photon path length probability density function method to validate X CO2 retrievals from GOSAT data obtained during 22months starting from June 2009. This method permitted direct evaluation of optical path modifications due to atmospheric light scattering that would have a negligible impact on ground-based TCCON measurements but could significantly affect gas retrievals when observing reflected sunlight from …

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 …

Decentring 1788: Beyond Biotic Nativeness, Lesley M. Head

Faculty of Science - Papers (Archive)

The usefulness of the concept of biotic nativeness has been challenged in both the social and natural sciences, for different reasons. This paper explores the particular construction of nativeness in Australia in relation to plants, showing that the definition builds on and inscribes more deeply the boundary between humans and the rest of nature seen in the wider literature. In this context two further boundaries are etched: between some humans and others, and before and after European colonisation. Such a use of nativeness as an axiom of environmental management is argued to be problematic, foreclosing a number of future options …

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. …

Energy And Water Use By Invasive Goats (Capra Hircus) In An Australian Rangeland, And A Caution Against Using Broad-Scale Allometry To Predict Species-Specific Requirements, Adam J. Munn, C E. Cooper, B Russell, T J. Dawson, S R. Mcleod, S K. Maloney

Faculty of Science - Papers (Archive)

Feral goats (Capra hircus) are ubiquitous across much of Australia's arid and semi-arid rangelands, where they compete with domestic stock, contribute to grazing pressure on fragile ecosystems, and have been implicated in the decline of several native marsupial herbivores. Understanding the success of feral goats in Australia may provide insights into management strategies for this and other invasive herbivores. It has been suggested that frugal use of energy and water contributes to the success of feral goats in Australia, but data on the energy and water use of free-ranging animals are lacking. We measured the field metabolic rate …

Are Competitive Effects Of Native Species On An Invader Mediated By Water Availability?, Tanya J. Mason, Kristine French, Ken Russell

Faculty of Science - Papers (Archive)

Question: Climate change processes could influence the dynamics of biotic interactions such as plant competition, especially in response to disturbance phenomena such as invasional processes. Are competitive effects of native species on an invadermediated bywater availability?

Location: Glasshouse facility, New SouthWales, Australia.

Methods: We constructed competitive hierarchies for a representative suite of species from coastal dune communities that have been invaded by the Asteraceae shrub, bitou (Chrysanthemoides monilifera subsp. rotundata). We used a comparative phytometer approach, where the invader species was grown with or without a suite of native species in glasshouse trials. This was used to construct competition hierarchies …

Accordion Vs. Quantum Tectonics: Insights Into Continental Growth Processes From The Paleozoic Of Eastern Gondwanan, Jonathan C. Aitchison, Solomon Buckman

Faculty of Science - Papers (Archive)

The Early Paleozoic Lachlan Fold Belt of eastern Australia is widely regarded as an ancient convergent plate margin beneath which paleo-Pacific (Panthalassic) oceanic lithosphere was continuously subducted. It is cited as the type example of a retreating accretionary orogeny. However, sandstone compositions, the sedimentological nature and timing of chert accumulation and overall stratigraphic architecture are not necessarily consistent with this model. We suggest an alternative explanation for growth of Gondwanan continental margin. Oceanic lithosphere outboard of the passive Gondwana continental margin was subducted beneath an extensive intra-oceanic island arc that now crops out as an allochthonous element (Macquarie arc) within …

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 …

Antimalarial Alkaloids From A Bhutanese Traditional Medicinal Plant Corydalis Dubia, Phurpa Wangchuk, Paul A. Keller, Stephen G. Pyne, Anthony C. Willis, Sumalee Kamchonwongpaisan

Faculty of Science - Papers (Archive)

Ethnopharmacological relevance: Corydalis dubia is used in Bhutanese traditional medicine as a febrifuge and for treating infections in the blood, liver and bile which correlate to the signs and symptoms of malarial and microbial infections.

Aim of the study: To validate the ethnopharmacological uses of the plant and to discover potential new therapeutic drug leads. Materials and methods C. dubia was collected from Bhutan and the alkaloids were obtained using acid–base fractionation and separation by repeated column and preparative plate chromatography. The alkaloids were identified from analysis of their physiochemical and spectroscopic data and were tested for antiplasmodial, antimicrobial and …

Oxidation Of Acid-Volatile Sulfide In Surface Sediments Increases The Release And Toxicity Of Copper To The Benthic Amphipod Melita Plumulosa, Stuart L. Simpson, Daniel Ward, David Strom, Dianne F. Jolley

Faculty of Science - Papers (Archive)

Acid-volatile sulfides (AVS) are an important metal-binding phase in sediments. For sediments that contain an excess of AVS over simultaneously extracted metal (SEM) concentrations, acute or chronic effects should not result from the metals Cd, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn. While AVS phases may exist in surface sediments, the exposure to dissolved oxygen may oxidize the AVS and release metals to more bioavailable forms. We investigated the role of oxidation of AVS, and specifically copper sulfide phases, in surface sediments, in the toxicity to juveniles of the epibenthic amphipod, Melita plumulosa. Sediments containing known amounts of copper sulfide were prepared …

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.