Publications by authors named "G Birch"

Reproductive activity is costly in terms of future reproduction and survival. Oxidative stress has been identified as a likely mechanism underlying this cost of reproduction. However, empirical studies have yielded the paradoxical observation that breeders often sustain lower levels of oxidative damage than non-breeders.

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The costs of reproductive conflict can shape the evolution of life-histories in animal societies. These costs may change as individuals age and grow, and with within-group competition. Social costs of reproductive conflict have been invoked to explain why females might gain from delaying maturity or ceasing reproduction midway through life, but not in males.

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The Greater Sydney (Australia) region is dissected by eleven major estuaries comprising a wide range of sizes, sediment and contaminant types, while the catchments also vary in size, land use type, populations size and geology/soils. The magnitude and breadth of the current study are rare and offered an unusual opportunity to provide new information on interactions between source, fate and effect relationships of a highly diverse estuarine-catchment environment using sedimentary metals (Co, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn). Advanced methodologies used in this study revealed that although metal concentrations were generally high, ecological risk was surprisingly reduced due to the presence of metal-poor coarse sediment.

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Article Synopsis
  • Epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) is a highly deadly gynecological cancer, but recent studies have shown that cytokine-induced memory-like (CIML) natural killer (NK) cells can effectively target EOC cells and enhance immune responses.
  • The research indicates that CIML NK cells not only increase activation receptor expression but also improve antitumor effects when engineered with a chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) aimed at mesothelin (MSLN) found on EOC cells.
  • These CAR-modified CIML NK cells significantly inhibited tumor growth and metastasis in animal models, suggesting they could be a promising new treatment approach for EOC patients.
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Sydney estuary catchment supports the largest city in Australia and provides essential eco-social and environmental services; however, the region has been influenced by extensive anthropogenic modification. Soil metal concentrations in the catchment had been studied previously; however, the current investigation was designed to determine the risk posed by these contaminants to human health. Soil metal concentrations were higher than observed in most global capitals and increased substantially in the south and south-east of the catchment and close to the central business district.

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