Fuel fumes and foliage: The fate of speciated gasoline VOCs during phytoremediation and their impact on the bacterial phenotype.

The capacity of indoor plants including green walls to capture, deposit and remediate individual volatile organic compounds (VOCs) has been well documented. However, in realistic settings, plant systems are exposed to a complex mixture of VOCs from highly varied various emission sources. Gasoline vapour is one of the major sources of these emissions, containing high concentrations of the carcinogens benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylene (BTEX).

Neurodegenerative effects of air pollutant Particles: Biological mechanisms implicated for Early-Onset Alzheimer's disease.

Background: Sporadic Alzheimer's disease (AD) occurs in 99% of all cases and can be influenced by air pollution such as diesel emissions and more recently, an iron oxide particle, magnetite, detected in the brains of AD patients. However, a mechanistic link between air pollutants and AD development remains elusive.

Aim: To study the development of AD-relevant pathological effects induced by air pollutant particle exposures and their mechanistic links, in wild-type and AD-predisposed models.

Fine particle pollution during megafires contains potentially toxic elements.

Wildfires that raged across Australia during the 2019-2020 'Black Summer' produced an enormous quantity of particulate matter (PM) pollution, with plumes that cloaked many urban centres and ecosystems along the eastern seaboard. This has motivated a need to understand the magnitude and nature of PM exposure, so that its impact on both built and natural environments can be more accurately assessed. Here we present the potentially toxic fingerprint of PM captured by building heating, ventilation, and air conditioning filters in Sydney, Australia during the peak of the Wildfires, and from ambient urban emissions one year later (Reference period).

Fuelling phytoremediation: gasoline degradation by green wall systems-a case study.

The capacity for indoor plants including green wall systems to remove specific volatile organic compounds (VOCs) is well documented in the literature; however under realistic settings, indoor occupants are exposed to a complex mixture of harmful compounds sourced from various emission sources. Gasoline vapour is one of the key sources of these emissions, with several studies demonstrating that indoor occupants in areas surrounding gasoline stations or with residentially attached garages are exposed to far higher concentrations of harmful VOCs. Here we assess the potential of a commercial small passive green wall system, commercially named the 'LivePicture Go' from Ambius P/L, Australia, to drawdown VOCs that comprise gasoline vapour, including total VOC (TVOC) removal and specific removal of individual speciated VOCs over time.

Host transmission dynamics of first- and third-stage larvae in .

Given the importance of angiostrongyliasis as an emerging infectious disease of humans, companion animals, and wildlife, the current study focused on the transmission dynamics of first- and third-stage larvae of the parasitic nematode, . The migration of infective larvae and their subsequent distribution within the Lymnaeidae snail, , were investigated over time using microscopic examination of histological sections and fresh tissue. Snails were divided into four anatomical regions: (i) anterior and (ii) posterior cephalopedal masses, (iii) mantle skirt and (iv) visceral mass.

The botanical biofiltration of volatile organic compounds and particulate matter derived from cigarette smoke.

Despite the growing use of control measures, environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) remains a significant pollutant source in indoor air in many areas of the world. Current control methods for reducing ETS exposure are inadequate to protect public health in environments where cigarettes are smoked. An alternative solution is botanical biofiltration which has previously been shown to lower concentrations of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and particulate matter (PM) from a range of polluted air streams.

Evaluating and comparing the green wall retrofit suitability across major Australian cities.

Urban densification continues to present a unique set of economic and environmental challenges. A growing shortage of green space and infrastructure is intrinsically linked with urban growth and development. With this comes the loss of ecosystem services such as urban heat island effects, reduction of air quality and biodiversity loss.

Effective reduction of roadside air pollution with botanical biofiltration.

Currently no sustainable, economical and scalable systems have been developed for the direct removal of roadside air pollutants at their source. Here we present a simple and effective air filtering technology: botanical biofiltration, and the first field assessment of three different botanical biofilter designs for the filtration of traffic associated air pollutants - NO, O and PM - from roadside ambient air in Sydney, Australia. Over two six month research campaigns, we show that all of the tested systems filtered NO, O and PM with average single pass removal efficiencies of up to 71.

Can Green Walls Reduce Outdoor Ambient Particulate Matter, Noise Pollution and Temperature?

Green walls have previously demonstrated the capacity to reduce particulate matter (PM), noise pollution, and temperature conditions in manipulative experiments and computational models. There is, however, minimal evidence that green walls can influence ambient environmental conditions, especially taking into account the variable environmental conditions encountered . The aim of this paper was to determine if green walls have a quantitative effect on ambient air quality in an urban environment.

Airborne particulate matter accumulation on common green wall plants.

In order to better design greening systems for effective particulate matter (PM) removal, it is important to understand the impact leaf traits have on PM deposition. There are however, inconsistences amongst the leaf traits that have previously been correlated with PM accumulation. The aim of this paper was to identify vegetation characteristics of green wall plants that were associated with the accumulation of particulate matter.

Does plant species selection in functional active green walls influence VOC phytoremediation efficiency?

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are of public concern due to their adverse health effects. Botanical air filtration is a promising technology for reducing indoor air contaminants, but the underlying mechanisms are not fully understood. This study assessed active botanical biofilters for their single-pass removal efficiency (SPRE) for benzene, ethyl acetate and ambient total volatile organic compounds (TVOCs), at concentrations of in situ relevance.

Determining broad scale associations between air pollutants and urban forestry: A novel multifaceted methodological approach.

Global urbanisation has resulted in population densification, which is associated with increased air pollution, mainly from anthropogenic sources. One of the systems proposed to mitigate urban air pollution is urban forestry. This study quantified the spatial associations between concentrations of CO, NO₂, SO₂, and PM₁₀ and urban forestry, whilst correcting for anthropogenic sources and sinks, thus explicitly testing the hypothesis that urban forestry is spatially associated with reduced air pollution on a city scale.

Active green wall plant health tolerance to diesel smoke exposure.

Poor air quality is an emerging world-wide problem, with most urban air pollutants arising from vehicular emissions. As such, localized high pollution environments, such as traffic tunnels pose a significant health risk. Phytoremediation, including the use of active (ventilated) green walls or botanical biofilters, is gaining recognition as a potentially effective method for air pollution control.

Conservation mycology in Australia and the potential role of citizen science.

Fungi are undoubtedly important for ecosystem functioning; however, they have been omitted or given scant attention in most biodiversity policy documents, management plans, and formal conservation schedules throughout the world. This oversight may be due to a general lack of awareness in the scientific community and compounded by a scarcity of mycology-associated curricula at the tertiary level and a lack of mycologists in research institutions. Although molecular techniques advance the systematic cataloging of fungi and facilitate insights into fungal communities, the scarcity of professional mycologists in the environmental sciences hampers conservation efforts.

Partial pancreatic transdifferentiation of primary human hepatocytes in the livers of a humanised mouse model.

Background: Gene therapy is one treatment that may ultimately cure type 1 diabetes. We have previously shown that the introduction of furin-cleavable human insulin (INS-FUR) to the livers in several animal models of diabetes resulted in the reversal of diabetes and partial pancreatic transdifferentiation of liver cells. The present study investigated whether streptozotocin-diabetes could be reversed in FRG mice in which chimeric mouse-human livers can readily be established and, in addition, whether pancreatic transdifferentiation occurred in the engrafted human hepatocytes.

Testing the single-pass VOC removal efficiency of an active green wall using methyl ethyl ketone (MEK).

In recent years, research into the efficacy of indoor air biofiltration mechanisms, notably living green walls, has become more prevalent. Whilst green walls are often utilised within the built environment for their biophilic effects, there is little evidence demonstrating the efficacy of active green wall biofiltration for the removal of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) at concentrations found within an interior environment. The current work describes a novel approach to quantifying the VOC removal effectiveness by an active living green wall, which uses a mechanical system to force air through the substrate and plant foliage.

The mayfly nymph Harker defies common osmoregulatory assumptions.

Osmoregulation is a key physiological function, critical for homeostasis. The basic physiological mechanisms of osmoregulation are thought to be well established. However, through a series of experiments exposing the freshwater mayfly nymph (Ephemeroptera) to increasing salinities, we present research that challenges the extent of current understanding of the relationship between osmoregulation and mortality.

Correspondence Between Urban Bird Roosts and the Presence of Aerosolised Fungal Pathogens.

Habitat fragmentation in urban environments concentrates bird populations that have managed to adapt to these newly developed areas. Consequently, the roosts of these birds are potentially creating environments conducive to fungal growth and dissemination. Airborne fungi derived from these environments are relatively unstudied, as is the potential health risk arising from these fungi.

Reversal of diabetes following transplantation of an insulin-secreting human liver cell line: Melligen cells.

As an alternative to the transplantation of islets, a human liver cell line has been genetically engineered to reverse type 1 diabetes (TID). The initial liver cell line (Huh7ins) commenced secretion of insulin in response to a glucose concentration of 2.5 mmol/l.

Supplementation with carnosine decreases plasma triglycerides and modulates atherosclerotic plaque composition in diabetic apo E(-/-) mice.

Objective: Carnosine has been shown to modulate triglyceride and glycation levels in cell and animal systems. In this study we investigated whether prolonged supplementation with carnosine inhibits atherosclerosis and markers of lesion stability in hyperglycaemic and hyperlipidaemic mice.

Methods: Streptozotocin-induced diabetic apo E(-/-) mice were maintained for 20 weeks, post-induction of diabetes.

Use of subpopulation data in Australian forensic DNA casework.

DNA profiling evidence presented in court should be accompanied by a reliable estimate of its evidential weight. In calculating such statistics, allele frequencies from commonly employed autosomal microsatellite loci are required. These allele frequencies should be collected at a level that appropriately represents the genetic diversity that exists in the population.

Association of SLC11A1 promoter polymorphisms with the incidence of autoimmune and inflammatory diseases: a meta-analysis.

Solute carrier family 11 member a1 (SLC11A1) exerts pleiotropic effects on macrophage function. Expression of SLC11A1 is regulated by a (GT)(n) microsatellite promoter repeat polymorphism of which nine alleles have been described. Enhanced activation of macrophages, associated with increased expression from allele 3, may be functionally linked to the development of autoimmune and inflammatory diseases.