1,579 results match your criteria: "School of Environmental and Life Sciences.[Affiliation]"

Dairy milk: There are alternatives but no equivalents.

Food Sci Nutr

October 2024

FOODiQ Global Sydney New South Wales Australia.

Dairy milk is a core food in many food-based guides to healthy eating. However, plant-based milk alternatives are becoming increasingly available as substitutes. While these products serve a subset of the population unable or unwilling to consume milk, plant-based milk alternatives can be perceived by consumers as direct equivalents, or even more healthful alternatives to dairy milk.

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Plasma Lipidomics Reveals Lipid Signatures of Early Pregnancy in Mares.

Int J Mol Sci

October 2024

Priority Research Centre for Reproductive Science, School of Environmental and Life Sciences, College of Engineering, Science and Environment, The University of Newcastle, Callaghan 2308, Australia.

Understanding the systemic biochemistry of early pregnancy in the mare is essential for developing new diagnostics and identifying causes for pregnancy loss. This study aimed to elucidate the dynamic lipidomic changes occurring during the initial stages of equine pregnancy, with a specific focus on days 7 and 14 post-ovulation. By analysing and comparing the plasma lipid profiles of pregnant and non-pregnant mares, the objective of this study was to identify potential biomarkers for pregnancy and gain insights into the biochemical adaptations essential for supporting maternal recognition of pregnancy and early embryonic development.

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Optimizing equine sperm quality: an alternative to single layer centrifugation for sperm isolation.

Reprod Fertil

October 2024

HMRI Infertility and Reproduction Research Program, Discipline of Biological Sciences, School of Environmental and Life Sciences, College of Engineering Science and Environment, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, New South Wales, Australia.

Abstract: In vitro semen purification techniques have been developed that seek to mimic the in vivo selection process in order to generate the highest possible chance of oocyte fertilization following artificial insemination. Numerous methods have been developed to isolate functional spermatozoa for artificial insemination, yet only one method, single-layer centrifugation using commercial preparations like EquiPure, has been widely employed. In this study, we have introduced a novel approach for isolating spermatozoa and compared their quality to those isolated using EquiPure.

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Mapping the lipidomic secretome of the early equine embryo.

Front Vet Sci

October 2024

School of Environmental and Life Sciences, College of Engineering, Science and the Environment, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, Australia.

The lipidomic secretions of embryos provide a unique opportunity to examine the cellular processes of the early conceptus. In this study we profiled lipids released by the early equine conceptus, using high-resolution mass spectrometry to detect individual lipid species. This study examined the lipidomic profile in embryo-conditioned media from -produced, 8-9 day-old equine embryos ( = 3) cultured for 36 h, analyzed over 3 timepoints.

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Male-male competition is a component of Darwin's theory of precopulatory intrasexual selection, where males compete for access to resources important for reproduction and successful males pass on traits that endow greater competitive ability to their offspring, thereby exaggerating the trait(s) over evolutionary time. Metals, such as lead (Pb) often occur in urban mangrove forests, where shore crabs reside, and being neurotoxic may cause sub-lethal effects on behaviour. In this study, we asked whether exposure to Pb influences the outcomes of male-male competition in the Semaphore crab, Heloecius cordiformis, thereby altering outcomes of intrasexual selection.

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DDX17 is an RNA helicase shown to be involved in critical processes during the early phases of neuronal differentiation. Globally, we compiled a case-series of 11 patients with neurodevelopmental phenotypes harbouring de novo monoallelic variants in DDX17. All 11 patients in our case series had a neurodevelopmental phenotype, whereby intellectual disability, delayed speech and language, and motor delay predominated.

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A Rootless Duckweed-Inspired Flexible Artificial Leaf from Plasmonic Photocatalysts.

ACS Nano

October 2024

Department of Chemical & Biological Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Monash University, Clayton 3800, Victoria, Australia.

Article Synopsis
  • The study introduces a flexible, lightweight artificial leaf inspired by duckweed that efficiently converts solar energy into chemical energy, overcoming limitations found in current photocatalytic systems.
  • This artificial leaf utilizes a unique design featuring Janus plasmonic nanosheets made from gold nanocubes and a thin layer of palladium, allowing it to float on water and perform reactions without additional equipment.
  • In tests, this innovative system demonstrated significantly higher reaction efficiencies compared to traditional methods, with a 2.5-fold and 65-fold increase in efficiency for different systems, and is analyzed through film theory for its kinetic and thermodynamic properties.
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RNA sequencing reveals molecular mechanisms of endometriosis lesion development in mice.

Dis Model Mech

October 2024

Robinson Research Institute and School of Biomedicine, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5006, Australia.

Article Synopsis
  • - The study investigates the molecular mechanisms behind endometriosis by using a mouse model with decidualized endometrial tissue injected to create endometriosis-like lesions.
  • - Researchers conducted high throughput mRNA sequencing to analyze gene expression in both decidualized tissue and lesions at two time points, identifying key genes and pathways involved in the disease.
  • - The findings highlight distinct gene expression patterns and suggest new potential regulators and genes not previously linked to endometriosis, indicating new avenues for understanding and researching the disease.
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Structure, biosynthesis and activity of indolactam alkaloids.

Alkaloids Chem Biol

October 2024

School of Environmental and Life Sciences, The University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, Australia; The Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence in Synthetic Biology, Macquarie Park, NSW, Australia.

Article Synopsis
  • - Indolactam alkaloids are toxic compounds produced by certain actinobacteria and the cyanobacterium Moorena producens, known for causing skin issues like severe dermatitis and potential serious health risks from ingestion.
  • - Notable types of these alkaloids include teleocidins, lyngbyatoxins, and others, which contain a common nine-membered lactam core made from l-tryptophanol and l-valine.
  • - This chapter discusses the history and current understanding of indolactam alkaloids, including their isolation, structure, biosynthesis, biological effects, and methods of synthesis, covering research from their discovery in the 1960s up to 2024.
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Seagrasses provide critical ecosystem services such as carbon sequestration, sediment stabilisation and nursery habitat for juvenile fish. is ubiquitous within Australian and New Zealand estuaries, however, as a species is relatively understudied. We sourced seeds from a thermally affected east Australian estuary and investigated whether germination rates differed between ambient and thermally affected seeds over a variety of temperatures (16°C-28°C) to determine how seagrass systems might react in a warming climate.

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Paternal age, de novo mutations, and offspring health? New directions for an ageing problem.

Hum Reprod

December 2024

Priority Research Centre for Reproductive Science, Discipline of Biological Sciences, School of Environmental and Life Sciences, College of Engineering Science and Environment, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW 2308, Australia.

This Directions article examines the mechanisms by which a father's age impacts the health and wellbeing of his children. Such impacts are significant and include adverse birth outcomes, dominant genetic conditions, neuropsychiatric disorders, and a variety of congenital developmental defects. As well as age, a wide variety of environmental and lifestyle factors are also known to impact offspring health via changes mediated by the male germ line.

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Background: Persons with disabilities (PwDs) experience various adverse sexual and reproductive health (SRH) outcomes. However, there is a paucity of evidence on the strategies to improve their SRH outcomes. This study, therefore, used a pluralistic approach to explore PwDs and healthcare providers' (HPs) perspectives on how to improve the SRH of PwDs in Ghana.

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Epididymosomes: Composition and Functions for Sperm Maturation.

Adv Anat Embryol Cell Biol

September 2024

Priority Research Centre for Reproductive Science, School of Environmental and Life Sciences, Discipline of Biological Sciences, The University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, Australia.

This article provides an overview of literature pertaining to epididymosome origin, composition and their functional significance. Broadly, epididymosomes are defined as extracellular vesicles that are secreted by the epididymal epithelium and thereafter facilitate intercellular communication within the male reproductive tract. Epididymosomes fulfil this communication role via their encapsulation and delivery of a diverse macromolecular payload to recipient cells.

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Impact of Bisphenol A and its alternatives on oocyte health: a scoping review.

Hum Reprod Update

December 2024

School of Biomedical Science and Pharmacy, College of Health, Medicine, and Wellbeing, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, Australia.

Background: Bisphenol A (BPA) is an endocrine disrupting chemical released from plastic materials, including food packaging and dental sealants, persisting in the environment and ubiquitously contaminating ecosystems and human populations. BPA can elicit an array of damaging health effects and, alarmingly, 'BPA-free' alternatives mirror these harmful effects. Bisphenol exposure can negatively impact female fertility, damaging both the ovary and oocytes therein.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study assesses the health risks from metal(loid) contamination in fish consumed in Bangladesh, analyzing data from 2000 to 2022.
  • It finds that freshwater and herbivorous fishes carry the least risk for non-cancer health issues, while saltwater and carnivorous fishes present the highest risks; however, freshwater and omnivorous fishes have the highest cancer risks.
  • Using advanced models like artificial neural networks, the study determines safe consumption limits, concluding that herbivorous fishes are the safest to eat, while setting specific limits for carnivorous, omnivorous, and saltwater fishes.
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The effects of ketogenic metabolic therapy on mental health and metabolic outcomes in schizophrenia and bipolar disorder: a randomized controlled clinical trial protocol.

Front Nutr

August 2024

Laboratory of Psychiatric Neurosciences, Australian Institute of Tropical Health and Medicine, College of Public Health, Medical and Veterinary Science, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD, Australia.

Article Synopsis
  • Schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, and bipolar disorder are serious mental illnesses associated with emotional, cognitive, and behavioral issues, leading to major health problems and reduced life expectancy.
  • The study aims to test the effectiveness of a modified ketogenic diet over 14 weeks for improving symptoms in patients with these disorders, compared to a standard healthy eating diet.
  • Key outcomes will focus on changes in psychiatric symptoms and cognitive function, as well as metabolic health measures.
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The efficacy and functional consequences of interactions between human spermatozoa and seminal fluid extracellular vesicles.

Reprod Fertil

October 2024

School of Environmental and Life Sciences, College of Engineering, Science and Environment, The University of Newcastle, University Drive, Callaghan, New South Wales, Australia.

Abstract: Seminal fluid extracellular vesicles (SFEVs) have previously been shown to interact with spermatozoa and influence their fertilisation capacity. Here, we sought to extend these studies by exploring the functional consequences of SFEV interactions with human spermatozoa. SFEVs were isolated from the seminal fluid of normozoospermic donors prior to assessing the kinetics of sperm-SFEV binding in vitro, as well as the effects of these interactions on sperm capacitation, acrosomal exocytosis, and motility profile.

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The karyotype of Litoria (L.) paraewingi (Watson et al., 1971) (Big River State Forest, Victoria) is described here for the first time.

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In (), microRNA160 (miR160) regulates the expression of (), and throughout development, including the development of the root system. We have previously shown that in addition to DOUBLE-STRANDED RNA BINDING1 (DRB1), DRB2 is also involved in controlling the rate of production of specific miRNA cohorts in the tissues where is expressed in wild-type plants. In this study, a miR160 overexpression transgene () and miR160-resistant transgene versions of and ( and ) were introduced into wild-type plants and the and single mutants to determine the degree of requirement of DRB2 to regulate the miR160 expression module as part of root development.

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Food wastes have a large number of functional ingredients that have potential for valorization. Melon peels are increasingly produced as waste in food industries in Thailand. This study aimed to optimize pectin extraction conditions from melon peel for its prebiotic potential.

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Spatial and environmental drivers of temperate estuarine archaeal communities.

Mar Environ Res

October 2024

School of Environmental and Life Sciences, The University of Newcastle, Ourimbah, NSW, 2258, Australia; Centre for Marine Ecosystems Research, School of Science, Edith Cowan University, Joondalup, WA 6027, Australia.

Archaea play a crucial role in the global biogeochemical cycling of elements and nutrients, helping to maintain the functional stability of estuarine systems. This study characterised the abundance and diversity of archaeal communities and identified the environmental conditions shaping these microbial communities within six temperate estuaries along approximately 500 km of the New South Wales coastline, Australia. Estuarine sediments were found to exhibit significantly higher species richness than planktonic communities, with representative sequences from the Crenarchaeota phylum characterising each environment.

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Capacity and capability of remote sensing to inform invasive plant species management in the Pacific Islands region.

Conserv Biol

August 2024

Conservation Science Research Group, School of Environmental and Life Sciences, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, New South Wales, Australia.

The Pacific Islands region is home to several of the world's biodiversity hotspots, yet its unique flora and fauna are under threat because of biological invasions. These invasions are likely to proliferate as human activity increases and large-scale natural disturbances unfold, exacerbated by climate change. Remote sensing data and techniques provide a feasible method to map and monitor invasive plant species and inform invasive plant species management across the Pacific Islands region.

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An Arabidopsis Kinesin-14D motor is associated with midzone microtubules for spindle morphogenesis.

Curr Biol

August 2024

Department of Plant Biology, College of Biological Sciences, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA. Electronic address:

The acentrosomal spindle apparatus has kinetochore fibers organized and converged toward opposite poles; however, mechanisms underlying the organization of these microtubule fibers into an orchestrated bipolar array were largely unknown. Kinesin-14D is one of the four classes of Kinesin-14 motors that are conserved from green algae to flowering plants. In Arabidopsis thaliana, three Kinesin-14D members displayed distinct cell cycle-dependent localization patterns on spindle microtubules in mitosis.

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