Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

The First Mitochondrial Genome For The Wasp Superfamily Platygastroidea: The Egg Parasitoid Trissolcus Basalis, Meng Mao, Alejandro Valerio, Andrew D. Austin, Mark Dowton, Norman F. Johnson

Faculty of Science - Papers (Archive)

The nearly complete mitochondrial (mt) genome of an egg parasitoid, Trissolcus basalis (Wollaston), was sequenced using both 454 and Illumina next-generation sequencing technologies. A portion of the noncoding region remained unsequenced, possibly owing to the presence of repeats. The sequenced portion of the genome is 15 768 bp and has a high A+T content (84.2%), as is typical for hymenopteran mt genomes. A total of 36 of the 37 genes normally present in animal mt genomes were located. The one exception was trnR; a truncated version of this gene is present between trnS1 and nd5, but it is unclear whether …

The Influence Of Prescribed Fire On The Extent Of Wildfire In Savanna Landscapes Of Western Arnhem Land, Australia, Owen F. Price, Jeremy Russell-Smith, Felicity Watt

Faculty of Science - Papers (Archive)

Fire regimes in many north Australian savanna regions are today characterised by frequent wildfires occurring in the latter part of the 7-month dry season. A fire management program instigated from 2005 over 24 000 km2 of biodiversity-rich Western Arnhem Land aims to reduce the area and severity of late dry-season fires, and associated greenhouse gas emissions, through targeted early dry-season prescribed burning. This study used fire history mapping derived mostly from Landsat imagery over the period 1990-2009 and statistical modelling to quantify the mitigation of late dry-season wildfire through prescribed burning. From 2005, there has been a reduction in mean …

Synthesis And Anti-Leukaemic Activity Of Pyrrolo[3,2,1-Hi]Indole-1,2- Diones, Pyrrolo[3,2,1-Ij]Quinoline-1,2-Diones And Other Polycyclic Isatin Derivatives, Lidia Matesic, Julie M. Locke, Kara Vine, Marie Ranson, John B. Bremner, Danielle Skropeta

Faculty of Science - Papers (Archive)

To further expand the structure–cytotoxic activity relationships of isatin derivatives and to reduce flexibility in substituent groups at nitrogen, 20 analogues incorporating a ring system between the N1 and C7 atoms of isatin were prepared using a variety of synthetic strategies. This yielded pyrroloindole-, pyrroloquinoline-, pyrroloacridine-, pyrrolophenanthridine- and benzopyrrolophenanthridine-based systems with embedded isatin moieties, the latter possessing a novel carbon skeleton. These compounds were subsequently assessed for their in vitro cytotoxicity against human U937 lymphoma cells, with the brominated pyrroloacridine dione 27 showing the most promising activity (IC50 3.01 μM) after 24 h.

Reinforced Materials Based On Chitosan, Tio2 And Ag Composites, Khairul Anuar Mat Amin, Marc In Het Panhuis

Faculty of Science - Papers (Archive)

This study investigates the mechanical reinforcement of chitosan with TiO2 and Ag nanoparticles, as well as their water vapour transmission rates and water resistance behaviour. The mechanical properties of chitosan were improved by addition of TiO2 or Ag, with significant increases in Young’s modulus (from 25 MPa to ~300 MPa), tensile strength (from 6 MPa to 18–35 MPa) and toughness (from 1.3 J g−1 to 7–8 J g−1). The water vapour transmission rates (368–413 g m−2 d−1) were found to be similar for both materials. Inclusion of Ag reduced the water resistance (from 823% to 1,000%), while inclusion of TiO2 …

Synchrotron Radiation Spectroscopic Techniques As Tools For The Medicinal Chemist: Microprobe X-Ray Fluorescence Imaging, X-Ray Absorption Spectroscopy, And Infrared Microspectroscopy, Carolyn Therese Dillon

Faculty of Science - Papers (Archive)

This review updates the recent advances and applications of three prominent synchrotron radiation techniques, microprobe X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy/imaging, X-ray absorption spectroscopy, and infrared microspectroscopy, and highlights how these tools are useful to the medicinal chemist. A brief description of the principles of the techniques is given with emphasis on the advantages of using synchrotron radiation-based instrumentation rather than instruments using typical laboratory radiation sources. This review focuses on several recent applications of these techniques to solve inorganic medicinal chemistry problems, focusing on studies of cellular uptake, distribution, and biotransformation of established and potential therapeutic agents. The importance of using these …

Bacterial Plasminogen Receptors: Mediators Of A Multifaceted Relationship, Martina L. Sanderson-Smith, David M. P De Oliveira, Marie Ranson, Jason D. Mcarthur

Faculty of Science - Papers (Archive)

Multiple species of bacteria are able to sequester the host zymogen plasminogen to the cell surface. Once localised to the bacterial surface, plasminogen can act as a cofactor in adhesion, or, following activation to plasmin, provide a source of potent proteolytic activity. Numerous bacterial plasminogen receptors have been identified, and the mechanisms by which they interact with plasminogen are diverse. Here we provide an overview of bacterial plasminogen receptors and discuss the diverse role bacterial plasminogen acquisition plays in the relationship between bacteria and the host.

Structural Insights Into The Dehydroascorbate Reductase Activity Of Human Omega-Class Glutathione Transferases, Huina Zhou, Joseph Brock, Dan Liu, Philip G. Board, Aaron J. Oakley

Faculty of Science - Papers (Archive)

The reduction of dehydroascorbate (DHA) to ascorbic acid (AA) is a vital cellular function. The omega-class glutathione transferases (GSTs) catalyze several reductive reactions in cellular biochemistry, including DHA reduction. In humans, two isozymes (GSTO1-1 and GSTO2-2) with significant DHA reductase (DHAR) activity are found, sharing 64% sequence identity. While the activity of GSTO2-2 is higher, it is significantly more unstable in vitro. We report the first crystal structures of human GSTO2-2, stabilized through site-directed mutagenesis and determined at 1.9Å resolution in the presence and absence of glutathione (GSH). The structure of a human GSTO1-1 has been determined at 1.7Å resolution …

Synthesis, Properties And Water Permeability Of Swnt Buckypapers, L J. Sweetman, L Nghiem, I Chironi, G Triani, Marc In Het Panhuis, St F. Ralph

Faculty of Science - Papers (Archive)

The ability of macrocyclic ligands to facilitate formation of dispersions of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) was investigated using a combination of absorption spectrophotometry and optical microscopy. Vacuum filtration of aqueous dispersions containing SWNTs and various macrocyclic ligands (derivatised porphyrin, phthalocyanine, cyclodextrin and calixarene) afforded self-supporting membranes known as buckypapers. Microanalytical data and energy dispersive X-ray spectra were obtained for these buckypapers and provided evidence for retention of the macrocyclic ligands within the structure of the membranes. The electrical conductivities of the membranes varied between 30 ± 20 and 220 ± 60 S cm−1, while contact angle analysis revealed they all …

Remote Sensing Of Co2 And Ch4 Using Solar Absorption Spectrometry With A Low Resolution Spectrometer, C Petri, T Warneke, N Jones, T Ridder, J Messerschmidt, T Weinzierl, M Geibel, J Notholt

Faculty of Science - Papers (Archive)

Throughout the last few years solar absorption Fourier Transform Spectrometry (FTS) has been further developed to measure the total columns of CO2 and CH4. The observations are performed at high spectral resolution, typically at 0.02 cm(-1). The precision currently achieved is generally better than 0.25%. However, these high resolution instruments are quite large and need a dedicated room or container for installation. We performed these observations using a smaller commercial interferometer at its maximum possible resolution of 0.11 cm(-1). The measurements have been performed at Bremen and have been compared to observations using our high resolution instrument also situated at …

The Acos Co2 Retrieval Algorithm - Part Ii: Global Xco2 Data Characterization, D Crisp, B Fisher, C O'Dell, C Frankenberg, R Basilio, H Bosch, L R. Brown, R Castano, B Connor, N M. Deutscher, A Eldering, D Griffith, M Gunson, A Kuze, L Mandrake, J Mcduffie, J Messerschmidt, C E. Miller, I Morino, V Natraj, J Notholt, D M. O'Brien, F Oyafuso, I Polonsky, J Robinson, R Salawitch, V Sherlock, M Smyth, H Suto, T E. Taylor, D R. Thompson, P O. Wennberg, D Wunch, Y L. Yung

Faculty of Science - Papers (Archive)

Here, we report preliminary estimates of the column averaged carbon dioxide (CO2) dry air mole fraction, XCO2, retrieved from spectra recorded over land by the Greenhouse gases Observing Satellite, GOSAT (nicknamed "Ibuki"), using retrieval methods originally developed for the NASA Orbiting Carbon Observatory (OCO) mission. After screening for clouds and other known error sources, these retrievals reproduce much of the expected structure in the global XCO2 field, including its variation with latitude and season. However, low yields of retrieved XCO2 over persistently cloudy areas and ice covered surfaces at high latitudes limit the coverage of some geographic regions, even on …

Trends And Variations In Co, C2h6, And Hcn In The Southern Hemisphere Point To The Declining Anthropogenic Emissions Of Co And C2h6, G Zeng, S W. Wood, O Morgenstern, N B. Jones, J Robinson, D Smale

Faculty of Science - Papers (Archive)

We analyse the carbon monoxide (CO), ethane (C2H6) and hydrogen cyanide (HCN) partial columns (from the ground to 12 km) derived from measurements by ground-based solar Fourier Transform Spectroscopy at Lauder, New Zealand (45° S, 170° E), and at Arrival Heights, Antarctica (78° S, 167° E), from 1997 to 2009. Significant negative trends are calculated for all species at both locations, based on the daily-mean observed time series, namely CO (−0.94 ± 0.47% yr−1), C2H6 (−2.37 ± 1.18% yr−1) and HCN (−0.93 ± 0.47% yr−1) at Lauder and CO (−0.92 ± 0.46% yr−1), C2H6 (−2.82 ± 1.37% yr−1) and HCN …

Fatty And Volatile Oils Of The Gypsywort Lycopus Europaeus L. And The Gaussian-Like Distribution Of Its Wax Alkanes, Niko Radulovic, Marija Denic, Zorica Stojanovic-Radic, Danielle Skropeta

Faculty of Science - Papers (Archive)

The detailed analyses of the volatile essential oil and lipid profiles of the aerial parts from the blooming and fruit-forming stages of both ripe and unripe fruit of Lycopus europaeus (Lamiaceae) are presented. Both of these profiles are distinguished by components with a restricted occurrence in the Plant Kingdom. These rare compounds include (E)-hotrienol in the volatiles, numerous unusual fatty acids (such as very long chain, odd-numbered and branched-chain) in the bound lipids and a high amount of iso- and anteiso-alkanes in the epicuticular waxes. Furthermore, a Gaussian-like distribution of the relative amounts of the epicuticular wax alkanes was observed. …

A Comparison Of Spatially Explicit And Classic Regression Modelling Of Live Coral Cover Using Hyperspectral Remote-Sensing Data In The Al Wajh Lagoon, Red Sea, S Hamylton

Faculty of Science - Papers (Archive)

Live coral is a key component of the Al Wajh marine reserve in the Red Sea. The management of this reserve is dependent on a sound understanding of the existing spatial distribution of live coral cover and the environmental factors influencing live coral at the landscape scale. This study uses remote-sensing techniques to develop ordinary least squares and spatially lagged autoregressive explanatory models of the distribution of live coral cover inside the Al Wajh lagoon, Saudi Arabia. Live coral was modelled as a response to environmental controls such as water depth, the concentration of suspended sediment in the water column …

Book Review - Women In Leadership: Contextual Dynamics And Boundaries, Christine Eriksen

Faculty of Science - Papers (Archive)

Leadership scenarios and paradoxes - past, present and future - form the basis of Karin Klenke's analysis of women in leadership. The book sets out to explore the paradoxical nature of women's leadership in male-dominated contexts, paradoxes women leaders are confronted with, as well as the paradox of change versus the persistence of the status quo. Contexts with a 'paradoxical nature'- temporally and spatially - are at the forefront. These 'contexts' for women's leadership range from remarkable female leaders, today and historically, in politics, organisational structures, information technology (IT), the media, sports, the military, religion and spirituality, science, higher education …

The Use Of Representative Species As Surrogates For Wetland Inundation, Kerrylee Rogers, Timothy J. Ralph, Neil Saintilan

Faculty of Science - Papers (Archive)

The complex task of determining the inundation requirements of large floodplain wetlands is often simplified through the use of representative, umbrella or flagship species. This subset of species is targeted based on the assumption that their collective inundation requirements serve as a surrogate for the broader suite of species found within the wetland. We tested the application of representative species commonly used in wetland and water management planning in the Murray-Darling Basin. In a review of the water requirements of 155 plants and animals, we collated information on preferred inundation timing, duration, depth, rate of rise and fall, and inter-flood …

The Awkward Spaces Of Fathering [Book Review], Ben Gallan

Faculty of Science - Papers (Archive)

This review starts with PiriWeepu, the All Black and rugby world cup winner.An image depictingWeepu bottle-feeding his child was removed from a national anti-smoking advertisement in early 2012.What could be wrong with this tender moment between father and daughter? The image raised controversy because it conflicted with carefully scripted advertising campaigns promoting breastfeeding.

The First Climate Refugees? Contesting Global Narratives Of Climate Change In Tuvalu, Carol Farbotko, Heather Lazrus

Faculty of Science - Papers (Archive)

Climate change effects such as sea-level rise are almost certain. What these outcomes mean for different populations, however, is far less certain. Climate change is both a narrative and material phenomenon. In so being, understanding climate change requires broad conceptualisations that incorporate multiple voices and recognise the agency of vulnerable populations. In climate change discourse, climate mobility is often characterised as the production of 'refugees', with a tendency to discount long histories of ordinary mobility among affected populations. The case of Tuvalu in the Pacific juxtaposes migration as everyday practice with climate refugee narratives. This climate-exposed population is being problematically …

Conducting Sensitive Research In The Present And Past Tense: Recounting The Stories Of Current And Former Child Domestic Workers, Natascha Klocker

Faculty of Science - Papers (Archive)

In recent years, scholarship on children's work has increasingly incorporated the perspectives of working children. Although laudable, this shift toward children's inclusion in research has concentrated on those employed at the time of data collection. Former child workers have largely been overlooked as a source of information. This paper reflects on research conducted with current and former child domestic workers in Tanzania. The child domestic working experiences reported by those two groups diverged markedly: those who had already ceased employment reported far higher rates of dissatisfaction with child domestic work, and far more experiences of exploitation and abuse, than those …

The Atlas Of Women In The World [Book Review], Christine Eriksen

Faculty of Science - Papers (Archive)

The Atlas ofWomen in theWorld is a resourceful book that instantly drew me in with its interesting choice of topics, vibrant colours and magnificent graphs. Joni Seager - an internationally acclaimed feminist geographer - highlights in the introduction that gender equality has yet to be attained around the world as well as what has actually improved for women since the first edition of the atlas was published in 1986.

Police Witness Identification Images: A Geometric Morphometric Analysis, Susan Hayes, Cameron Tullberg

Faculty of Science - Papers (Archive)

Research into witness identification images typically occurs within the laboratory and involves subjective likeness and recognizability judgments. This study analyzed whether actual witness identification images systematically alter the facial shapes of the suspects described. The shape analysis tool, geometric morphometrics, was applied to 46 homologous facial landmarks displayed on 50 witness identification images and their corresponding arrest photographs, using principal component analysis and multivariate regressions. The results indicate that compared with arrest photographs, witness identification images systematically depict suspects with lowered and medially located eyebrows (p=

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. …

Conducting Composite Materials From The Biopolymer Kappa-Carrageenan And Carbon Nanotubes, Ali Aldalbahi, Jin Chu, Peter Feng, Marc In Het Panhuis

Faculty of Science - Papers (Archive)

Conducting composite films containing carbon nanotubes (CNTs) were prepared by using the biopolymer kappa-carrageenan (KC) as a dispersant. Rheological studies indicated that 0.5% w/v was the appropriate KC concentration for dispersing CNTs. Our results showed that multiwalled nanotubes (MWNTs) required less sonic energy than single-walled nanotubes (SWNTs) for the dispersion process to be complete. Films prepared by vacuum filtration exhibited higher conductivity and improved mechanical characteristics compared to those prepared by evaporative casting. All composite films displayed sensitivity to water vapour, but MWNT films were more sensitive than SWNT films.

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 …

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 …

Comparisons Of Observed And Modeled Oh And Ho 2 Concentrations During The Ambient Measurement Period Of The Hoxcomp Field Campaign, Y Kanaya, A Hofzumahaus, H-P Dorn, T Brauers, H Fuchs, F Holland, F Rohrer, B Bohn, R Tillmann, Rebekah Wegener, A Wahner, Y Kajii, K Miyamoto, S Nishida, K Watanabe, A Yoshino, Dagmar C. Kubistin, M Martinez, M Rudolf, H Harder, H Berresheim, T Elste, C Plass-Dulmer, G Stange, J Kleffmann, Y Elshorbany, U Schurath

Faculty of Science - Papers (Archive)

A photochemical box model constrained by ancillary observations was used to simulate OH and HO 2 concentrations for three days of ambient observations during the HOxComp field campaign held in Jülich, Germany in July 2005. Daytime OH levels observed by four instruments were fairly well reproduced to within 33% by a base model run (Regional Atmospheric Chemistry Mechanism with updated isoprene chemistry adapted from Master Chemical Mechanism ver. 3.1) with high R 2 values (0.72-0.97) over a range of isoprene (0.3-2 ppb) and NO (0.1-10 ppb) mixing ratios. Daytime HO 2(*) levels, reconstructed from the base model results taking into …

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 …

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 …

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® …

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.