ORCID Profile
0000-0003-4052-3888
Current Organisations
Southern Cross University
,
Curtin University
Does something not look right? The information on this page has been harvested from data sources that may not be up to date. We continue to work with information providers to improve coverage and quality. To report an issue, use the Feedback Form.
Research Topics
In Research Link Australia (RLA), "Research Topics" refer to ANZSRC FOR and SEO codes. These topics are either sourced from ANZSRC FOR and SEO codes listed in researchers' related grants or generated by a large language model (LLM) based on their publications.
Top 5 Research Topics
ANZSRC Field of Research (FoR)
Medicinal and Biomolecular Chemistry | Microbiology Not Elsewhere Classified | Biologically Active Molecules | Biochemistry And Cell Biology Not Elsewhere Classified | Characterisation of Biological Macromolecules | Biochemistry and Cell Biology | Colloid And Surface Chemistry | Ecology And Evolution Not Elsewhere Classified | Nanochemistry and Supramolecular Chemistry | Physical Chemistry (Incl. Structural) | Chemical Characterisation of Materials | Proteins and Peptides | Biological Oceanography |
ANZSRC Socio-Economic Objective (SEO)
Expanding Knowledge in the Chemical Sciences | Expanding Knowledge in the Biological Sciences | Living resources (flora and fauna) | Land and water management | Expanding Knowledge in the Agricultural and Veterinary Sciences | Biological sciences | Rehabilitation of degraded coastal and estuarine areas | Other
Related Links
Publications
Cross-Cultural Adaptation to Australia of the KONTAKT (c) Social Skills Group Training Program for Youth with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Feasibility Study
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 08-04-2020
Acetylated triterpene glycosides and their biological activity from holothuroidea reported in the past six decades
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 04-08-2016
DOI: 10.3390/MD14080147
Variation in the antiviral and antibacterial activity of abalone Haliotis laevigata, H. rubra and their hybrid in South Australia
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 05-2011
Lipid-enriched diets reduce the impacts of thermal stress in corals
Publisher: Inter-Research Science Center
Date: 21-06-2017
DOI: 10.3354/MEPS12177
Extraction and quantification of bioactive Tyrian purple precursors: A comparative and validation study from the hypobranchial gland of a muricid Dicathais orbita
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 05-12-2016
Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi: effects on plant terpenoid accumulation
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 11-11-2016
DOI: 10.1111/PLB.12408
Abstract: Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) are a erse group of soil-dwelling fungi that form symbiotic associations with land plants. AMF-plant associations promote the accumulation of plant terpenoids beneficial to human health, although how AMF mediate terpenoid accumulation is not fully understood. A critical assessment and discussion of the literature relating to mechanisms by which AMF influence plant terpenoid accumulation, and whether this symbiosis can be harnessed in horticultural ecosystems was performed. Modification of plant morphology, phosphorus availability and gene transcription involved with terpenoid biosynthetic pathways were identified as key mechanisms associated with terpenoid accumulation in AMF-colonised plants. In order to exploit AMF-plant symbioses in horticultural ecosystems it is important to consider the specificity of the AMF-plant association, the predominant factor affecting terpenoid accumulation, as well as the end use application of the harvested plant material. Future research should focus on resolving the relationship between ecologically matched AMF genotypes and terpenoid accumulation in plants to establish if these associations are effective in promoting mechanisms favourable for plant terpenoid accumulation.
6-Bromoisatin found in muricid mollusc extracts inhibits colon cancer cell proliferation and induces apoptosis, preventing early stage tumor formation in a colorectal cancer rodent model
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 24-12-2014
DOI: 10.3390/MD12010017
Anti-viral gene induction is absent upon secondary challenge with double-stranded RNA in the Pacific oyster, Crassostrea gigas
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 08-2014
DOI: 10.1016/J.FSI.2014.06.010
Abstract: Oyster farming is one of the most important aquaculture industries in the world. However, its productivity is increasingly limited by viral disease and we do not yet have management practices, such as protective vaccination, that can control these disease outbreaks. Hence, in the current study we investigated the expression of known anti-viral genes in oysters (Crassostrea gigas) in response to primary and secondary encounter with a virus associated molecular pattern (dsRNA), and tested whether a common form of epigenetic gene regulation (DNA methylation) was associated with the expression of these anti-viral genes. Injection of dsRNA into the adductor muscle resulted in the rapid and transient expression of virus recognition receptors (TLR & MDA5), whereas several anti-viral signalling (IRF & SOC-1) and effector (PKR & viperin) genes were still up-regulated at one week post primary challenge (p 0.05). These results collectively suggest that C. gigas does not have an enhanced anti-viral gene response (immune-priming) to secondary dsRNA challenge and that the sustained up-regulation of anti-viral signalling and effector genes following primary challenge is unlikely to be associated with upstream DNA methylation levels.
Thermal tolerance and preference of exploited turbinid snails near their range limit in a global warming hotspot
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 02-2017
DOI: 10.1016/J.JTHERBIO.2017.01.008
Abstract: Predicted global climate change has prompted numerous studies of thermal tolerances of marine species. The upper thermal tolerance is unknown for most marine species, but will determine their vulnerability to ocean warming. Gastropods in the family Turbinidae are widely harvested for human consumption. To investigate the responses of turbinid snails to future conditions we determined critical thermal maxima (CTMax) and preferred temperatures of Turbo militaris and Lunella undulata from the tropical-temperate overlap region of northern New South Wales, on the Australian east coast. CTMax were determined at two warming rates: 1°C/30min and 1°C/12h. The number of snails that lost attachment to the tank wall was recorded at each temperature increment. At the faster rate, T. militaris had a significantly higher CTMax (34.0°C) than L. undulata (32.2°C). At the slower rate the mean of both species was lower and there was no significant difference between them (29.4°C for T. militaris and 29.6°C for L. undulata). This is consistent with differences in thermal inertia possibly allowing animals to tolerate short periods at higher temperatures than is possible during longer exposure times, but other mechanisms are not discounted. The thermoregulatory behaviour of the turban snails was determined in a horizontal thermal gradient. Both species actively sought out particular temperatures along the gradient, suggesting that behavioural responses may be important in ameliorating short-term temperature changes. The preferred temperatures of both species were higher at night (24.0°C and 26.0°C) than during the day (22.0°C and 23.9°C). As the snails approached their preferred temperature, net hourly displacement decreased. Preferred temperatures were within the average seasonal seawater temperature range in this region. However, with future predicted water temperature trends, the species could experience increased periods of thermal stress, possibly exceeding CTMax and potentially leading to range contractions.
Climate change does not affect the seafood quality of a commonly targeted fish
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 12-12-2019
DOI: 10.1111/GCB.14513
Abstract: Climate change can affect marine and estuarine fish via alterations to their distributions, abundances, sizes, physiology and ecological interactions, threatening the provision of ecosystem goods and services. While we have an emerging understanding of such ecological impacts to fish, we know little about the potential influence of climate change on the provision of nutritional seafood to sustain human populations. In particular, the quantity, quality and/or taste of seafood may be altered by future environmental changes with implications for the economic viability of fisheries. In an orthogonal mesocosm experiment, we tested the influence of near-future ocean warming and acidification on the growth, health and seafood quality of a recreationally and commercially important fish, yellowfin bream (Acanthopagrus australis). The growth of yellowfin bream significantly increased under near-future temperature conditions (but not acidification), with little change in health (blood glucose and haematocrit) or tissue biochemistry and nutritional properties (fatty acids, lipids, macro- and micronutrients, moisture, ash and total N). Yellowfin bream appear to be highly resilient to predicted near-future ocean climate change, which might be facilitated by their wide spatio-temporal distribution across habitats and broad diet. Moreover, an increase in growth, but little change in tissue quality, suggests that near-future ocean conditions will benefit fisheries and fishers that target yellowfin bream. The data reiterate the inherent resilience of yellowfin bream as an evolutionary consequence of their euryhaline status in often environmentally challenging habitats and imply their sustainable and viable fisheries into the future. We contend that widely distributed species that span large geographic areas and habitats can be "climate winners" by being resilient to the negative direct impacts of near-future oceanic and estuarine climate change.
An in vitro high‐throughput assay for screening reproductive and toxic effects of anticancer compounds
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 20-03-2014
DOI: 10.1002/BAB.1199
Abstract: An in vitro assay was developed that simultaneously tested the effects of anticancer drug candidates on cytotoxicity, hormone synthesis, and gonadotrophin responsiveness using the choriocarcinoma JAr cell line. JAr culture conditions were optimized and then cells were exposed to a marine mollusc extract in the presence and absence of hCG. The intra- and interassay coefficients of variation of the optimized 1 H thiazolyl blue tetrazolium bromide assay were 11.3% and 10.9%, respectively. hCG (1,000 mIU/mL) increased progesterone (P4) synthesis after 24 H (P<0.05). The mollusc extract significantly decreased cell viability, with the IC50 affected by incubation time, but not hCG. P4 synthesis was inhibited at low concentrations of the anticancer extract, but stimulated at the highest concentration, and complex interactions of P4 were also found with hCG. In conclusion, the optimized assay is useful to characterize the effects of novel drugs on cytotoxicity, basal, and gonadotrophin-stimulated P4 synthesis in vitro, and can be used to inform subsequent in vivo studies.
Mass spectrometry imaging reveals new biological roles for choline esters and Tyrian purple precursors in muricid molluscs
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 09-2015
DOI: 10.1038/SREP13408
Abstract: Despite significant advances in chemical ecology, the biodistribution, temporal changes and ecological function of most marine secondary metabolites remain unknown. One such ex le is the association between choline esters and Tyrian purple precursors in muricid molluscs. Mass spectrometry imaging (MSI) on nano-structured surfaces has emerged as a sophisticated platform for spatial analysis of low molecular mass metabolites in heterogeneous tissues, ideal for low abundant secondary metabolites. Here we applied desorption-ionisation on porous silicon (DIOS) to examine in situ changes in biodistribution over the reproductive cycle. DIOS-MSI showed muscle-relaxing choline ester murexine to co-localise with tyrindoxyl sulfate in the biosynthetic hypobranchial glands. But during egg-laying, murexine was transferred to the capsule gland and then to the egg capsules, where chemical ripening resulted in Tyrian purple formation. Murexine was found to tranquilise the larvae and may relax the reproductive tract. This study shows that DIOS-MSI is a powerful tool that can provide new insights into marine chemo-ecology.
Correlation between Fatty Acid Profile and Anti-Inflammatory Activity in Common Australian Seafood by-Products
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 06-03-2019
DOI: 10.3390/MD17030155
Abstract: Marine organisms are a rich source of biologically active lipids with anti-inflammatory activities. These lipids may be enriched in visceral organs that are waste products from common seafood. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) analyses were performed to compare the fatty acid compositions of lipid extracts from some common seafood organisms, including octopus (Octopus tetricus), squid (Sepioteuthis australis), Australian sardine (Sardinops sagax), salmon (Salmo salar) and school prawns (Penaeus plebejus). The lipid extracts were tested for anti-inflammatory activity by assessing their inhibition of nitric oxide (NO) and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFα) production in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated RAW 264.7 mouse cells. The lipid extract from both the flesh and waste tissue all contained high amounts of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) and significantly inhibited NO and TNFα production. Lipid extracts from the cephalopod mollusks S. australis and O. tetricus demonstrated the highest total PUFA content, the highest level of omega 3 (ω-3) PUFAs, and the highest anti-inflammatory activity. However, multivariate analysis indicates the complex mixture of saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated fatty acids may all influence the anti-inflammatory activity of marine lipid extracts. This study confirms that discarded parts of commonly consumed seafood species provide promising sources for the development of new potential anti-inflammatory nutraceuticals.
Volatile and bioactive compounds in opercula from Muricidae molluscs supports their use in ceremonial incense and traditional medicines
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 12-12-2017
DOI: 10.1038/S41598-017-17551-3
Abstract: Muricidae molluscs are the source of a valuable purple dye that was traded as a luxury item in the Mediterranean region and by the late Byzantine was reserved for royalty and priests. Less well known is the use of muricid opercula in sacred incense and traditional medicines, although they are still used as rare ingredients today. This study provides the first chemical assessment of opercula from Muricidae, based on several traditional preparation procedures. Chemical analysis of opercula smoke revealed aromatic phenols, which act as fragrance stabilisers and produce a “medicinal” odour. Analysis of lipid extracts revealed pharmaceutically active compounds, including brominated indoles, choline esters and adenosine, consistent with their traditional medical applications. Depending on the preparation procedures, toxic pyridine was also detected. ICP-MS analysis of muricid opercula shows the presence of essential macro and microelements, as well as metals, some of which exceed the recommended safe levels for human use. Nevertheless, these findings support the Muricidae as an historically important marine resource, providing Biblical dyes, medicines and perfume. The opercula contains biologically active compounds and produces smoke containing volatile scent compounds, consistent with their identification as the most likely source of onycha, a controversial ingredient in sacred incense.
Corrigendum to In vitro cytotoxicity evaluation of some substituted isatin derivatives [Bioorg. Med. Chem. 15 (2007) 931-938] (DOI:10.1016/j.bmc.2006.10.035)
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 06-2007
Scuba divers, coral reefs, and knowledge of ocean acidification
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 09-2023
A quantitative survey of mycosporine-like amino acids (MAAs) in intertidal egg masses from temperate rocky shores
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 28-09-2005
DOI: 10.1007/S10886-005-7110-3
Abstract: Mycosporine-like amino acids (MAAs) have been reported as functional chemical sunscreens in a variety of marine organisms, but their role in development of marine embryos and larvae remains largely unexplored. In this study, we quantified MAAs from intertidal egg masses of 46 species of mollusks, two species of polychaetes, and one species of fish from southeastern Australia. We aimed to elucidate potential patterns of occurrence and variation based on egg mass maturity, adult diet, spawning habitat, phylogeny, and viability. Our analyses revealed that maturity and spawning habitat did not affect MAA composition within egg masses. In contrast, adult diet, phylogeny, and viability affected MAA composition. Herbivores had higher levels of certain MAAs than carnivores similarly, viable egg masses had higher levels of some MAAs than inviable ones. MAA composition varied according to the taxonomic group, with nudibranchs and anaspids showing different MAA composition compared to that of neogastropods, sacoglossans, and polychaetes. Basommatophoran egg masses had more porphyra-334 than the other taxa, and anaspids had more mycosporine-2-glycine than the other groups. MAAs occurred in relatively high concentrations in intertidal molluskan egg masses when compared to adult mollusks and other common intertidal organisms. Despite the complexity of factors affecting MAA composition, the prevalence of MAAs in some species is consistent with protection afforded to offspring against negative effects of UV radiation.
Mollusc-Derived Brominated Indoles for the Selective Inhibition of Cyclooxygenase: A Computational Expedition
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 29-10-2021
DOI: 10.3390/MOLECULES26216538
Abstract: Inflammation plays an important role in different chronic diseases. Brominated indoles derived from the Australian marine mollusk Dicathais orbita (D. orbita) are of interest for their anti-inflammatory properties. This study evaluates the binding mechanism and potentiality of several brominated indoles (tyrindoxyl sulfate, tyrindoleninone, 6-bromoisatin, and 6,6′-dibromoindirubin) against inflammatory mediators cyclooxygenases-1/2 (COX-1/2) using molecular docking, followed by molecular dynamics simulation, along with physicochemical, drug-likeness, pharmacokinetic (pk), and toxicokinetic (tk) properties. Molecular docking identified that these indole compounds are anchored, with the main amino acid residues, positioned in the binding pocket of the COX-1/2, required for selective inhibition. Moreover, the molecular dynamics simulation based on root mean square deviation (RMSD), radius of gyration (Rg), solvent accessible surface area (SASA), and root mean square fluctuation (RMSF) analyses showed that these natural brominated molecules transit rapidly to a progressive constant configuration during binding with COX-1/2 and seem to accomplish a consistent dynamic behavior by maintaining conformational stability and compactness. The results were comparable to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved selective COX inhibitor, aspirin. Furthermore, the free energy of binding for the compounds assessed by molecular mechanics–Poisson–Boltzmann surface area (MM–PBSA) confirmed the binding capacity of indoles towards COX-1/2, with suitable binding energy values except for the polar precursor tyrindoxyl sulfate (with COX-1). The physicochemical and drug-likeness analysis showed zero violations of Lipinski’s rule, and the compounds are predicted to have excellent pharmacokinetic profiles. These indoles are projected to be non-mutagenic and free from hepatotoxicity, with no inhibition of human ether-a-go–go gene (hERG) I inhibitors, and the oral acute toxicity LD50 in rats is predicted to be similar or lower than aspirin. Overall, this work has identified a plausible mechanism for selective COX inhibition by natural marine indoles as potential therapeutic candidates for the mitigation of inflammation.
Ocean Warming and Heat Stress Impact Molecules of Keystone Significance in a Predatory Marine Gastropod
Publisher: Frontiers Media SA
Date: 13-06-2022
DOI: 10.3389/FMARS.2022.830425
Abstract: Water temperature is a major abiotic driver, controlling the rates and nature of biochemical reactions and subsequently affecting the physiology of marine organisms. However, relatively little is known about the implications of heat stress or predicted ocean climate change on marine secondary metabolites. The predatory gastropod Dicathais orbita is a useful model organism for climate change and natural product studies. Here we determine the upper thermal limit (CTMax) of D. orbita and investigate the effects of thermal stress on the bioactive compounds stored in their biosynthetic organ, the hypobranchial gland. Two CTMax experiments were undertaken, along with a static heat stress experiment where whelks were exposed to an elevated temperature of 30°C for one week, compared to a 20°C seawater control. An additional 35-day ocean climate change experiment used combinations of temperature (ambient: 23°C and future: 25°C) and p CO 2 (ambient: ~380 ppm and future: ~765 ppm). The impacts on secondary metabolites in all experiments were assessed using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. The mean CTMax of the whelks, from the northern limit of their distribution, was found to be 35.2°C using a rapid temperature increase rate of 1°C/1 h, but was only 30.6°C when a gradual heating rate of 1°C/12 h was used. The overall composition of the secondary metabolites was significantly affected by heat stress in all four experiments, but not by elevated pCO 2 in the ocean climate change experiment. The proportion of the choline ester murexine was significantly reduced in heat-stressed snails compared to the controls. Tyrindoxyl sulphate was significantly reduced under prolonged exposure to future temperature, whereas the relative abundance of the oxidation product, 6-bromoisatin significantly increased with elevated temperature exposure. Despite the fact that intertidal gastropods like D. orbita might be able to buffer the impact of external temperatures within the predicted future range, this study provides evidence that ocean warming could have significant implications for secondary metabolite production and/or storage in marine invertebrates. Impacts on bioactive molecules with multifunctional ecological roles could have implications for predator populations with possible flow on effects in some marine communities.
A review of the biology of the genus Isognomon (Bivalvia; Pteriidae) with a discussion on shellfish reef restoration potential of Isognomon ephippium
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 10-2020
Marine heatwaves have minimal influence on the quality of adult Sydney rock oyster flesh
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 11-2021
Acute toxicity, accumulation and sublethal effects of four neonicotinoids on juvenile Black Tiger Shrimp (Penaeus monodon)
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 07-2021
Stress and immune responses in abalone: Limitations in current knowledge and investigative methods based on other models
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 04-2007
DOI: 10.1016/J.FSI.2006.06.009
Abstract: Increasing mariculture of abalone focuses attention on their immune and stress responses. For abalone, as well as many invertebrates, the function and relationship of these systems and how in vitro tests relate to them are not fully understood. This review focuses on research into the immune system and stress response conducted on abalone and on aspects that can be monitored in vitro. To fill the considerable knowledge gaps, we discuss work on other invertebrate taxa, concentrating on those closest to abalone, and making explicit the phylogenetic relations involved. The stress response appears to be very similar to that in vertebrates, but interpreting most immune responses remains problematic. Phylogeny must be considered: immune function tests derived from research into vertebrates or distantly related invertebrates should not be used in abalone until they have been validated in abalone by studies of susceptibility to pathogens. We suggest phagocytic activity of haemocytes and their efficiency in clearing bacteria are reliable parameters to measure, because they have been directly related to immune competency and are consistently depressed by stress. Carefully designed assays of antimicrobial activity may also be useful. Important aims of future research will be to investigate the relationship between growth, stress and robust immunity, and to develop tests that can be run on production animals, which accurately depict immune status.
Pesticide occurrence in an agriculturally intensive and ecologically important coastal aquatic system in Australia
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 07-2022
DOI: 10.1016/J.MARPOLBUL.2022.113675
Abstract: Coastal agricultural practices are often located in catchments upstream of ecologically important aquatic systems. Here, we investigate the occurrence of pesticides in a coastal creek flowing into a habitat-protected area within the Solitary Islands Marine Park, Australia. Water s les were collected from six sites along a creek transect during three s ling periods. S les were analysed for 171 pesticide analytes, including organochlorines, organophosphates, herbicides, and fungicides. Five insecticides, two herbicides, and two fungicides were detected. The neonicotinoid imidacloprid was detected at 5 out of 6 sites, with concentrations reaching 294 μg L
Butterfly communities in South Australia urban reserves: estimating abundance and diversity using the Pollard walk
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 04-2006
Assemblages on limestone and siltstone boulders diverge over six years in a primary-succession transplant experiment
Publisher: Inter-Research Science Center
Date: 04-10-2018
DOI: 10.3354/MEPS12719
Immunological changes in response to herpesvirus infection in abalone Haliotis laevigata and Haliotis rubra hybrids
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 02-2013
DOI: 10.1016/J.FSI.2012.11.023
Abstract: Australian abalone production has been affected by outbreaks of abalone viral ganglioneuritis (AVG) caused by a herpesvirus (AbHV). In this study, we undertook experimental transmission trials by immersion to study the abalone immune response to infection with AbHV. Representative cellular and humoural immune parameters of abalone, including total haemocyte count (THC), superoxide anion (SO) and antiviral activity against herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1), were examined in apparently healthy (sub-clinical) and moribund abalone after challenge. In the early infection, sub-clinical stage (days 1-3), THC was found to increase significantly in infected abalone. TaqMan qPCR confirmed 20.5% higher viral load in moribund abalone compared to apparently healthy abalone, indicating that the abundance of AbHV within abalone is linked to their clinical signs. At the clinical stage of infection, THC was significantly lower in moribund abalone, but increased in AbHV-exposed but apparently healthy abalone, in comparison to non-infected controls. SO was reduced in all abalone that were PCR-positive for AbHV. THC and SO level were found to be negatively correlated with the presence of AbHV in abalone, but no effect of AbVH exposure was observed on the haemolymph antiviral activity. These results suggest that abalone mount an initial cellular immune response to AbHV infection, but this response cannot be sustained under high viral loads, leading to mortality.
Lack of general associations between intertidal assemblages and rock hardness
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 04-11-2020
DOI: 10.1111/AEC.12964
A preliminary investigation of diversity, abundance, and distributional patterns of chitons in intertidal boulder fields of differing rock type in South Australia
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 02-2013
Brominated indoles from a marine mollusc inhibit inflammation in a murine model of acute lung injury
Publisher: Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Date: 26-10-2017
Mass Spectrometry Imaging on Porous Silicon: Investigating the Distribution of Bioactives in Marine Mollusc Tissues
Publisher: American Chemical Society (ACS)
Date: 08-10-2012
DOI: 10.1021/AC3027433
Abstract: Desorption/ionization on porous silicon-mass spectrometry (DIOS-MS) is an attractive alternative to conventional matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry (MALDI-MS) for the analysis of low molecular weight compounds. Porous silicon (pSi) chips are also suitable as support for mass spectrometry imaging (MSI). Here, we report an implementation of DIOS-MSI using the biosynthetic organs of a marine mollusc for proof of principle. The tissue section is st ed onto a fluorocarbon-functionalized pSi chip, which extracts and traps small hydrophobic molecules from the tissue under retention of their relative spatial distribution. The section is subsequently removed and the chip is imaged without any remaining tissue. We apply this novel tissue contact printing approach to investigate the distribution of biologically active brominated precursors to Tyrian purple in the hypobranchial gland of the marine mollusc, Dicathais orbita, using DIOS-MSI. The tissue contact printing is also compatible with other types of desorption/ionization surfaces, such as nanoassisted laser desorption/ionization (NALDI) targets.
Resilience to the interactive effects of climate change and discard stress in the commercially important blue swimmer crab (Portunus armatus)
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 07-2020
Histomorphology of the female pallial gonoduct in Dicathais orbita (Neogastropoda, Muricidae): sperm passage, fertilization, and sperm storage potential
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 05-2010
Marine snails and slugs: A great place to look for antiviral drugs
Publisher: American Society for Microbiology
Date: 15-08-2015
DOI: 10.1128/JVI.00287-15
Abstract: Molluscs, comprising one of the most successful phyla, lack clear evidence of adaptive immunity and yet thrive in the oceans, which are rich in viruses. There are thought to be nearly 120,000 species of Mollusca, most living in marine habitats. Despite the extraordinary abundance of viruses in oceans, molluscs often have very long life spans (10 to 100 years). Thus, their innate immunity must be highly effective at countering viral infections. Antiviral compounds are a crucial component of molluscan defenses against viruses and have erse mechanisms of action against a wide variety of viruses, including many that are human pathogens. Antiviral compounds found in abalone, oyster, mussels, and other cultured molluscs are available in large supply, providing good opportunities for future research and development. However, most members of the phylum Mollusca have not been examined for the presence of antiviral compounds. The enormous ersity and adaptations of molluscs imply a potential source of novel antiviral compounds for future drug discovery.
“I Met Someone Like Me!”: Autistic Adolescents and Their Parents’ Experience of the KONTAKT® Social Skills Group Training
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 03-05-2022
DOI: 10.1007/S10803-021-05045-1
Abstract: This study captured the experiences of 35 autistic adolescents and their parents after completing a 16-session variant of social skills group training KONTAKT® (ACTRN12617001117303). Semi-structured interviews explored participants' and relatives' perceptions of KONTAKT® and associated social outcomes. Adolescents were classified as either high (HR, n = 23) or low (LR, n = 12) responders based on the primary outcome effects during the previous trial. Thematic analysis revealed that both HR and LR participants their parents were satisfied with KONTAKT®, noting consistent patterns of improvement in adolescents' social understanding, communication, relationships, and empowerment, although positive reports were more frequent among HR than LR groups. This study enhances the understanding of the impact of SSGT, which is key in improving their content, principles, and administration.
Contemporary habitat loss reduces genetic diversity in an ecologically specialized butterfly
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 27-04-2010
Water quality and the health of remnant leaf oyster (Isognomon ephippium) populations in four Australian estuaries
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 06-2022
DOI: 10.1016/J.SCITOTENV.2022.154061
Abstract: Leaf oysters (Isognomon ephippium) are large intertidal bivalves that form shellfish reefs. They have a patchy and restricted distribution in estuaries in northern New South Wales, Australia, where the water quality is impacted by a range of anthropogenic stressors from coastal agriculture, urbanisation, industry and recreational activities, along with natural stochastic events such as flooding. Little, however, is currently known about the tolerance of leaf oysters to poor water quality. This study investigated the condition of leaf oyster populations in four estuaries, by assessing the density, size-frequency and condition index. These biological parameters were modelled against habitat water quality parameters including nutrient loads, organic and inorganic carbon, algal biomass, sedimentation and total alkalinity. The water quality assessments were replicated during dry conditions and after rain in two estuaries. Leaf oyster density, size, and body condition significantly differed among the four estuaries. Density ranged from as few as 0.04 oysters per m
Identifying hotspots of molluscan species richness on rocky intertidal reefs
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 2002
Metabolite mapping by consecutive nanostructure and silver-assisted mass spectrometry imaging on tissue sections
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 17-05-2017
DOI: 10.1002/RCM.7869
Abstract: Nanostructure-based mass spectrometry imaging (MSI) is a promising technology for molecular imaging of small molecules, without the complex chemical background typically encountered in matrix-assisted molecular imaging approaches. Here, we have enhanced these surfaces with silver (Ag) to provide a second tier of MSI data from a single s le. MSI data was acquired through the application of laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry to biological s les imprinted onto desorption/ionization on silicon (DIOS) substrates. Following initial analysis, ultra-thin Ag layers were overlaid onto the followed by MSI analysis (Ag-DIOS MSI). This approach was first demonstrated for fingermark small molecules including environmental contaminants and sebum components. Subsequently, this bimodal method was translated to lipids and metabolites in fore-stomach sections from a 6-bromoisatin chemopreventative murine mouse model. DIOS MSI allowed mapping of common ions in fingermarks as well as 6-bromoisatin metabolites and lipids in murine fore-stomach. Furthermore, DIOS MSI was complemented by the Ag-DIOS MSI of Ag-adductable lipids such as wax esters in fingermarks and cholesterol in murine fore-stomach. Gastrointestinal acid condensation products of 6-bromoisatin, such as the 6,6'-dibromoindirubin mapped herein, are very challenging to isolate and characterize. By re-analyzing the same tissue imprints, this metabolite was readily detected by DIOS, placed in a tissue-specific spatial context, and subsequently overlaid with additional lipid distributions acquired using Ag-DIOS MSI. The ability to place metabolite and lipid classes in a tissue-specific context makes this novel method suited to MSI analyses where the collection of additional information from the same s le maximises resource use, and also maximises the number of annotated small molecules, in particular for metabolites that are typically undetectable with traditional platforms. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Where three snail species attach while emersed in relation to heterogenous substrate temperatures underneath intertidal boulders
Publisher: PeerJ
Date: 09-07-2021
DOI: 10.7717/PEERJ.11675
Abstract: Mobile intertidal gastropods can employ behavioural thermoregulation to mitigate thermal stress, which may include retreating under boulders when emersed. However, little is known about how gastropod occupancy of under-boulder habitats is associated with any variations in substrate temperature that exist under boulders. Thermal imagery was used to measure the temperature of boulder lower surfaces and investigate how three snail species were associated at low tide with the maximum and average temperatures underneath grey siltstone and quartzite. Lower boulder surfaces had heterogeneous temperatures, with grey siltstone having temperature gradients and quartzite temperature showing mosaics. Temperature differences between the hottest and coolest gradient or mosaic locations were °C thus there was a range of temperatures that snails could interact with. All three snail species occupied cooler parts of temperature mosaics or gradients, avoiding the hottest areas. Stronger associations were detected on the hotter grey siltstone and for the more-thermally sensitive Nerita atramentosa and Diloma concameratum . Even though snails were associated with cooler areas, some in iduals were still exposed to extreme substratum heat ( °C). These results suggest that gastropod thermoregulatory behaviour is far more complex than simply retreating underneath boulders at low tide, as there is also a range of under-boulder temperatures that they interact with. Untangling interactions between intertidal gastropods and heterogenous substrate temperatures is important given rocky seashores already represent a thermally-variable and potentially-stressful habitat, which may be exacerbated further given predictions of warming temperatures associated with climate change.
KONTAKT© in Australian Adolescents on the Autism Spectrum: Protocol of a Randomized Control Trial
Publisher: Research Square Platform LLC
Date: 15-10-2019
DOI: 10.21203/RS.2.326/V2
Abstract: Background: In iduals diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) experience impairing challenges in social communication and interaction across multiple contexts. While social skills group training (SSGT) has shown moderate effects on various sociability outcomes in ASD, there is a need for (i) replication of effects in additional clinical and cultural contexts, (ii) designs which employ active control groups, (iii) calculation of health economic benefits, (iv) identification of the optimal training duration, and (v) measurement of in idual goal and quality of life outcomes. Method/design: With the aim of investigating the efficacy and cost-effectiveness of a SSGT, KONTAKT©, a two-armed randomized control trial with adolescents aged 12 to17 years (N=90) with ASD and an intelligence quotient (IQ) of over 70 will be undertaken. Following stratification for centre and gender, participants will be randomly assigned to either KONTAKT© or to an active control group, a group-based cooking program. Participants will attend both programs in groups of 6 to 8 adolescents, over 16 one and a half hour sessions. The primary outcome examined is adolescent self-rated achievement of personally meaningful social goals as assessed via Goal Attainment Scaling during an interview with a blinded clinician. Secondary outcomes include adolescent self-reported interpersonal efficacy, quality of life, social anxiety, and loneliness, face emotion recognition performance and associated gaze behaviour, and parent proxy reports of autistic traits, quality of life, social functioning, emotion recognition and expression. Cost-effectiveness will be investigated in relation to direct and indirect societal and health care costs. Discussion: The primary outcomes of this study will be evidenced in the anticipated achievement of adolescents’ personally meaningful social goals following participation in KONTAKT© as compared to the active control group. This design will enable rigours evaluation of the efficacy of KONTAKT©, exercising control over the possibly confounding effect of exposure to a social context of peers with a diagnosis of ASD.
KONTAKT© in Australian Adolescents on the Autism Spectrum: Protocol of a Randomized Control Trial
Publisher: Research Square Platform LLC
Date: 13-02-2019
DOI: 10.21203/RS.2.326/V1
Abstract: Background: In iduals diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) experience impairing challenges in social communication and interaction across multiple contexts. While social skills group training (SSGT) has shown moderate effects on various sociability outcomes in ASD, there is a need for (i) replication of effects in additional clinical and cultural contexts, (ii) designs which employ active control groups, (iii) calculation of health economic benefits, (iv) identification of the optimal training duration, and (v) measurement of in idual goal and quality of life outcomes. Method: With the aim of investigating the efficacy and cost-effectiveness of a SSGT, KONTAKT©, a two-armed randomized control trial with adolescents aged 12 to17 years (N=90) with ASD and an intelligence quotient (IQ) of over 70 will be undertaken. Following stratification for centre and gender, participants will be randomly assigned to either KONTAKT© or to an active control group, a group-based cooking program. Participants will attend both programs in groups of 6 to 8 adolescents, over 16 one and a half hour sessions. The primary outcome examined is adolescent self-rated achievement of personally meaningful social goals as assessed via Goal Attainment Scaling during an interview with a blinded clinician. Secondary outcomes include adolescent self-reported interpersonal efficacy, quality of life, social anxiety, and loneliness, face emotion recognition performance and associated gaze behaviour, and parent proxy reports of autistic traits, quality of life, social functioning, emotion recognition and expression. Cost-effectiveness will be investigated in relation to direct and indirect societal and health care costs. Discussion: The primary outcomes of this study will be evidenced in the anticipated achievement of adolescents’ personally meaningful social goals following participation in KONTAKT© as compared to the active control group. This design will enable rigorous evaluation of the efficacy of KONTAKT©, exercising control over the possibly confounding effect of exposure to a social context of peers with a diagnosis of ASD. Trial registration: Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ANZCTR): ACTRN12617001117303, registered 31 July 2017, anzctr.org.au ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT03294668 registered 22 September 2017, clinicaltrials.gov. Keywords: Social Skills, Adolescents, KONTAKT, Autism Spectrum Disorder, Training.
Multiple measures are necessary to assess rarity in macro-molluscs: a case study from southeastern Australia
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 16-04-2008
Effects of severe heat stress on immune function, biochemistry and histopathology in farmed Australian abalone (hybrid Haliotis laevigata×Haliotis rubra)
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 08-2014
Impact of imidacloprid on the nutritional quality of adult black tiger shrimp (Penaeus monodon)
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 07-2020
Natural Product Research in the Australian Marine Invertebrate Dicathais orbita
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 23-04-2013
DOI: 10.3390/MD11041370
Enhanced acute apoptotic response to azoxymethane-induced DNA damage in the rodent colonic epithelium by Tyrian purple precursors: a potential colorectal cancer chemopreventative
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 03-2010
Abstract: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the second most prevalent and deadly cancer worldwide. Due to the mortality and morbidity associated with chemotherapeutic regimes, research is turning to natural product enhancement of the acute apoptotic response to genotoxic carcinogens (AARGC). Although Tyrian purple dye pigments and precursors from muricid molluscs are known for their anti-proliferative and proapoptotic activity, the chemoprotective properties of these edible molluscs has not been assessed. Enhancement of AARGC by oral administration of muricid extract (ME), containing a mixture of the cytotoxins tyrindoleninone and 6-bromoisatin, was assessed in an azoxymethane (AOM) rodent model. A dose-dependent increase in apoptotic index was observed in the distal colon, with a significant increase detected at an ME dose of 1.0 mg/g (p 0.05) independent of ME dose. Although, this is the first ex le of AARGC enhancement by indole-based compounds, bioactive precursor degradation in simulated gastric fluid may prevent introduction of muricids as a chemopreventative food. Nevertheless, the protective effect of ME against CRC in vivo clearly substantiates further research into the chemopreventative efficacy of Muricidae natural products.
Are the Traditional Medical Uses of Muricidae Molluscs Substantiated by Their Pharmacological Properties and Bioactive Compounds?
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 18-08-2015
DOI: 10.3390/MD13085237
Anti-inflammatory activity and structure-activity relationships of brominated indoles from a marine mollusc
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 06-05-2017
DOI: 10.3390/MD15050133
Ocean acidification and warming impacts the nutritional properties of the predatory whelk, Dicathais orbita
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 08-2017
Purified Brominated Indole Derivatives from Dicathais orbita Induce Apoptosis and Cell Cycle Arrest in Colorectal Cancer Cell Lines
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 11-10-2013
DOI: 10.3390/MD11103802
Solvent separating secondary metabolites directly from biosynthetic tissue for surface-assisted laser desorption ionisation mass spectrometry
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 16-03-2015
DOI: 10.3390/MD13031410
Lethal and sub-lethal effects of environmentally relevant levels of imidacloprid pesticide to Eastern School Prawn, Metapenaeus macleayi
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 11-2020
The microbiome of diabetic foot ulcers
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 16-06-2020
DOI: 10.1186/S12866-020-01843-2
Abstract: Health-care professionals need to collect wound s les to identify potential pathogens that contribute to wound infection. Obtaining appropriate s les from diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs) where there is a suspicion of infection is of high importance. Paired swabs and tissue biopsies were collected from DFUs and both s ling techniques were compared using 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Mean bacterial abundance determined using quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) was significantly lower in tissue biopsies ( p = 0.03). The mean number of reads across all s les was significantly higher in wound swabs $$ \\Big(\\overline{X} $$ ( X ¯ = 32,014) compared to tissue ( $$ \\overline{X} $$ X ¯ = 15,256, p = 0.001). Tissue biopsies exhibited greater overall ersity of bacteria relative to swabs (Shannon’s H ersity p = 0.009). However, based on a presence/absence analysis of all paired s les, the frequency of occurrence of bacteria from genera of known and potential pathogens was generally higher in wound swabs than tissue biopsies. Multivariate analysis identified significantly different bacterial communities in swabs compared to tissue ( p = 0.001). There was minimal correlation between paired wound swabs and tissue biopsies in the number and types of microorganisms. RELATE analysis revealed low concordance between paired DFU swab and tissue biopsy s les (Rho = 0.043, p = 0.34). Using 16S rRNA gene sequencing this study identifies the potential for using less invasive swabs to recover high relative abundances of known and potential pathogen genera from DFUs when compared to the gold standard collection method of tissue biopsy.
Dive industry perspectives on the threats to coral reefs: A comparative study across four Asia-Pacific countries
Publisher: Asia-Pacific Network for Global Change Research
Date: 31-10-2023
Ontogeny and water temperature influences the antiviral response of the Pacific oyster, Crassostrea gigas
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 2014
DOI: 10.1016/J.FSI.2013.10.026
Abstract: Disease is caused by a complex interaction between the pathogen, environment, and the physiological status of the host. Determining how host ontogeny interacts with water temperature to influence the antiviral response of the Pacific oysters, Crassostrea gigas, is a major goal in understanding why juvenile Pacific oysters are dying during summer as a result of the global emergence of a new genotype of the Ostreid herpesvirus, termed OsHV-1 μvar. We measured the effect of temperature (12 vs 22 °C) on the antiviral response of adult and juvenile C. gigas injected with poly I:C. Poly I:C up-regulated the expression of numerous immune genes, including TLR, MyD88, IκB-1, Rel, IRF, MDA5, STING, SOC, PKR, Viperin and Mpeg1. At 22 °C, these immune genes showed significant up-regulation in juvenile and adult oysters, but the majority of these genes were up-regulated 12 h post-injection for juveniles compared to 26 h for adults. At 12 °C, the response of these genes was completely inhibited in juveniles and delayed in adults. Temperature and age had no effect on hemolymph antiviral activity against herpes simplex virus (HSV-1). These results suggest that oysters rely on a cellular response to minimise viral replication, involving recognition of virus-associated molecular patterns to induce host cells into an antiviral state, as opposed to producing broad-spectrum antiviral compounds. This cellular response, measured by antiviral gene expression of circulating hemocytes, was influenced by temperature and oyster age. We speculate whether the vigorous antiviral response of juveniles at 22 °C results in an immune-mediated disorder causing mortality.
Assessment of acetylcholinesterase, catalase, and glutathione S-transferase as biomarkers for imidacloprid exposure in penaeid shrimp
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 2022
DOI: 10.1016/J.AQUATOX.2021.106050
Abstract: Shrimp aquaculture is a valuable source of quality seafood that can be impacted by exposure to insecticides, such as imidacloprid. Here, adult black tiger shrimp (Penaeus monodon) were used to evaluate the activity of acetylcholinesterase (AChE), catalase (CAT), and glutathione S-transferase (GST) in abdominal, head, gill, and hepatopancreas tissue as biomarkers for imidacloprid exposure. Adult P. monodon were continuously exposed to imidacloprid in water (5 μgL
Transcriptome of the Australian mollusc Dicathais orbita provides insights into the biosynthesis of indoles and choline esters
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 20-07-2016
DOI: 10.3390/MD14070135
Gastrointestinal and hepatotoxicity assessment of an anticancer extract from muricid molluscs
Publisher: Hindawi Limited
Date: 2013
DOI: 10.1155/2013/837370
Abstract: Marine molluscs from the family Muricidae are under development as a potential medicinal food for the prevention of colon cancer and treatment of gynaecological cancers. Here we report the outcome of the first in vivo toxicity assessment on an anticancer extract from a muricid mollusc containing brominated indole derivatives. Mice received the concentrated lipophilic extract by daily oral gavage over a two-week period. Mortality or clinical toxicity symptoms resulting from the extract were not detected during the trial, and there was no difference in the body weight of treated and control mice at the end of the trial. Histological analysis revealed some evidence for mild, idiosyncratic effects on the gastrointestinal tract and liver, including necrosis, fatty change, and inflammation in a small proportion ( %) of mice. This is likely to result from first-pass hepatic metabolism of tyrindoxyl sulphate combined with second-pass metabolism of indoles. Overall however, oral administration of muricid extract containing brominated indoles does not result in severe clinical toxicity.
Molluscan biological and chemical diversity: secondary metabolites and medicinal resources produced by marine molluscs
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 25-01-2010
Synergistic effects associated with climate change and the development of rocky shore molluscs
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 03-2005
Impacts of Neonicotinoids on Molluscs: What We Know and What We Need to Know
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 22-01-2021
Abstract: The broad utilisation of neonicotinoids in agriculture has led to the unplanned contamination of adjacent terrestrial and aquatic systems around the world. Environmental monitoring regularly detects neonicotinoids at concentrations that may cause negative impacts on molluscs. The toxicity of neonicotinoids to some non-target invertebrates has been established however, information on mollusc species is limited. Molluscs are likely to be exposed to various concentrations of neonicotinoids in the soil, food and water, which could increase their vulnerability to other sources of mortality and cause accidental exposure of other organisms higher in the food chain. This review examines the impacts of various concentrations of neonicotinoids on molluscs, including behavioural, physiological and biochemical responses. The review also identifies knowledge gaps and provides recommendations for future studies, to ensure a more comprehensive understanding of impacts from neonicotinoid exposure to molluscs.
Effect of movement stress on immune function in farmed Australian abalone (hybrid Haliotis laevigata and Haliotis rubra)
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 05-2011
Invading rain forest pioneers initiate positive fire suppression feedbacks that reinforce shifts from open to closed forest in eastern Australia
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 11-2021
DOI: 10.1111/JVS.13102
Abstract: Suppression of Aboriginal burning and wildfire from forests in which fires were historically frequent may trigger environmental changes that further suppress fire frequency and intensity. In high‐rainfall regions of eastern Australia, long‐unburnt open forests are frequently invaded by rain forest pioneer trees, which in turn modify open‐forest understorey structure and composition. We examine altered understorey fuel properties as potential fire suppression feedback mechanisms reinforcing switches from fire‐dependent eucalypt open forest to fire‐resistant closed forest. Northeastern New South Wales, Australia. We characterized forest understorey leaf traits, plant crown architecture and vegetation structure to test for differences in flammability across a mosaic of contrasting times since fire (recently burnt — 4 years long unburnt — 16 years) and midstorey composition (open, sclerophyll, rain forest) in subtropical shrubby dry sclerophyll eucalypt forest. Drivers of flammability were lower in long‐unburnt open forest with a rain forest pioneer midstorey at multiple scales (leaf, foliage clump, crown and stratum) than either long‐unburnt open forests with a sclerophyll midstorey or recently burnt open forest with an open midstorey. Grassy (graminoid) and sclerophyllous shrub fuels declined sharply beneath a rain forest pioneer midstorey, consistent with the fire suppression feedbacks regulating tropical savanna to closed forest transitions. Rain forest pioneers also reduced understorey flammability drivers through floristic compositional changes that increased leaf and foliage clump separation in shrub and midstorey fuel strata, and increased leaf moisture in the shrub stratum. Our results suggest that rain forest pioneers are ecosystem engineers that modify open‐forest fuel properties, initiating a positive fire suppression feedback that facilitates their persistence and continued transition to a fire‐resistant closed forest. The fire suppression feedbacks we identify may help explain paleoecological and modern observations of rain forest expansion under high CO 2 atmospheres, despite increased temperatures and seasonal drought severity.
Understanding the utility of “Talk‐to‐Me” an online suicide prevention program for Australian university students
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 08-2023
DOI: 10.1111/SLTB.12978
Oogenesis and ultrastructure of the ovary inNeotrigonia margaritacea(Lamarck 1804) (Bivalvia, Mollusca)
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 06-2012
Molluscan Compounds Provide Drug Leads for the Treatment and Prevention of Respiratory Disease
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 19-11-2020
DOI: 10.3390/MD18110570
Abstract: Respiratory diseases place an immense burden on global health and there is a compelling need for the discovery of new compounds for therapeutic development. Here, we identify research priorities by critically reviewing pre-clinical and clinical studies using extracts and compounds derived from molluscs, as well as traditional molluscan medicines, used in the treatment of respiratory diseases. We reviewed 97 biomedical articles demonstrating the anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, anticancer, and immunomodulatory properties of molluscan extracts/compounds with direct relevance to respiratory disease, in addition to others with promising bioactivities yet to be tested in the respiratory context. Of pertinent interest are compounds demonstrating biofilm inhibition/disruption and antiviral activity, as well as synergism with approved antimicrobial and chemotherapeutic agents. At least 100 traditional medicines, incorporating over 300 different mollusc species, have been used to treat respiratory-related illness in cultures worldwide for thousands of years. These medicines provide useful clues for the discovery of bioactive components that likely underpin their continued use. There is particular incentive for investigations into anti-inflammatory compounds, given the extensive application of molluscan traditional medicines for symptoms of inflammation, and shells, which are the principal molluscan product used in these preparations. Overall, there is a need to target research toward specific respiratory disease-related hypotheses, purify bioactive compounds and elucidate their chemical structures, and develop an evidence base for the integration of quality-controlled traditional medicines.
Mapping insoluble indole metabolites in the gastrointestinal environment of a murine colorectal cancer model using desorption/ionisation on porous silicon imaging
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 26-08-2019
DOI: 10.1038/S41598-019-48533-2
Abstract: Indole derivatives are a structurally erse group of compounds found in food, toxins, medicines, and produced by commensal microbiota. On contact with acidic stomach conditions, indoles undergo condensation to generate metabolites that vary in solubility, activity and toxicity as they move through the gut. Here, using halogenated ions, we map promising chemo-preventative indoles, i) 6-bromoisatin (6Br), ii) the mixed indole natural extract (NE) 6Br is found in, and iii) the highly insoluble metabolites formed in vivo using desorption/ionisation on porous silicon-mass spectrometry imaging (DIOS-MSI). The functionalised porous silicon architecture allowed insoluble metabolites to be detected that would otherwise evade most analytical platforms, providing direct evidence for identifying the therapeutic component, 6Br, from the mixed indole NE. As a therapeutic lead, 0.025 mg/g 6Br acts as a chemo-preventative compound in a 12 week genotoxic mouse model at this dose 6Br significantly reduces epithelial cell proliferation, tumour precursors (aberrant crypt foci ACF) and tumour numbers while having minimal effects on liver, blood biochemistry and weight parameters compared to controls. The same could not be said for the NE where 6Br originates, which significantly increased liver damage markers. DIOS-MSI revealed a large range of previously unknown insoluble metabolites that could contribute to reduced efficacy and increased toxicity.
Characterisation of the slime gland secretion from the peripatus, Euperipatoides kanangrensis (Onychophora: Peripatopsidae)
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 12-1999
Characterization of bacterial communities associated with the Tyrian purple producing gland in a marine gastropod
Publisher: Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Date: 21-10-2015
Effect of cooking on nutrient composition and anticancer indoles of the marine whelk Dicathais orbita – Can it be another high-value seafood product?
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 11-2018
DOI: 10.1016/J.FOODCHEM.2018.05.102
Abstract: The Australian marine mollusc Dicathais orbita has been identified as a functional food with potential for use in the prevention of colon cancer. This study investigated the effect of cooking on the biochemical profile of the edible flesh and extracts containing anticancer brominated indoles. The whelk flesh was high in protein (>75 mg/100 mg dry weight) and there was a significant increase in protein and amino acids after cooking, associated with a loss of moisture and lipids. The flesh also has a high proportion of polyunsaturated fatty acids (>49%), with omega-3:omega-6 around 1. The flesh contains unusually high levels of Docosapentaenoic acid and over 1000 mg/100 g serve of Eicosapentaenoic acid and Docosahexaenoic acid. Cooking resulted in a quantitative decrease in the bioactive compounds, however the main anticancer compound 6-bromoisatin can be retained after boiling. This provides evidence that cooking does not negatively impact the functional food properties of these muricids whelks.
Extended and spatially asynchronous reproductive periodicity in a harvested, warm‐temperate rocky‐reef gastropod (Turbinidae)
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 17-09-2023
DOI: 10.1111/FOG.12653
Combined effects of muricid extract and 5-fluorouracil on intestinal toxicity in rats
Publisher: Hindawi Limited
Date: 2015
DOI: 10.1155/2015/170858
Abstract: Chemotherapy drugs, such as 5-fluorouracil (5FU), are the standard approach for cancer and are associated with several peripheral toxicities. We previously demonstrated that Muricidae marine molluscs exhibit chemopreventive properties. This study investigated the combined effect of muricid extract derived from Dicathais orbita , with 5FU, on intestinal toxicity in rats. Groups of rats were orally gavaged water, muricid extract, or sunflower oil, with or without 5FU (150 mg/kg). Metabolic data was collected daily and small intestinal brush border enzyme activity was measured by sucrose breath test (SBT). Blood was collected by cardiac puncture for whole blood analysis. Intestinal biopsies were taken for histopathology. Neutrophil activity was measured by myeloperoxidase activity. No additional toxicity effects were observed in rats receiving the combination of 5FU and muricid extract compared to 5FU alone, as indicated by SBT, histopathology, and myeloperoxidase activity. Intestinal integrity was protected from 5FU-induced damage in the sunflower oil vehicle group, compared to controls, as measured by SBT, villus height, and crypt depth. We concluded that combination of muricid extract and 5FU did not confer any additional intestinal toxicity, further supporting its potential as a chemopreventive food product. In this model system, sunflower oil partially protected against 5FU-induced intestinal toxicity.
Ingestion of inorganic mercury by juvenile black tiger prawns (Penaeus monodon) alters biochemical markers
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 05-09-2018
DOI: 10.1007/S10646-018-1975-8
Abstract: There is a lack of information regarding the effects on biochemical markers in invertebrates diet-exposed to inorganic mercury. In the present study, juvenile black tiger prawn (Penaeus monodon) were fed with food dosed with mercuric chloride (low: 0.2 mg kg
Substantial advancement in aquaria rearing methods to assist recovery of an Endangered soft coral
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 09-11-2022
DOI: 10.1002/AQC.3895
Abstract: The temperate soft coral Dendronephthya australis has been listed as Endangered in NSW, Australia, owing to its restricted geographic range, rapidly declining populations, and a number of escalating threats. Research to assess practical methods for aquarium cultivation of D. australis for rehabilitation of wild populations is considered a high priority. Previous attempts at restoration by transplanting D. australis fragments have had limited success, but identified key challenges, which included achieving attachment to substrates and identifying appropriate foods to maximize survival. This study presents the results of experiments promoting the attachment of cuttings (nubbins) removed from donor colonies to moveable substrates (small concrete discs). Using a balanced orthogonal experimental design, three feeding regimes were tested: live artemia, live rotifers and dry powdered zooplankton. Donor colony survival and growth were also monitored over a 6 month period in the field. An overall nubbin survival rate of 100% was achieved under all three feeding regimes. Attachment rates were similar across feeding treatments, although nubbin behavioural responses (percentage of open polyps before feeding) suggested some preference for live rotifers. The cutting removal process had no significant effect on donor colonies in the wild, indicating that this is a sustainable approach for restoration. Overall, this study substantially advances the methodology for maintaining an Endangered azooxanthellate soft coral in aquaria and provides valuable input for management programmes aimed at implementing transplantation into the wild to aid species recovery.
Out of control: The need for standardised solvent approaches and data reporting in antibiofilm assays incorporating dimethyl-sulfoxide (DMSO)
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 12-2022
Application of anaesthetics for sex identification and bioactive compound recovery from wild Dicathais orbita
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 11-2009
Manganese uptake and partitioning between the tissue of the anemone host Exaiptasia pallida and Symbiodinium spp., including assessment of stress and recovery
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 05-2022
DOI: 10.1016/J.CHEMOSPHERE.2022.133895
Abstract: Manganese (Mn) is essential for global steel and Mn-iron (Fe) alloy production. The human health effects of elevated Mn concentrations have been well established, but studies on its impact on marine invertebrates are limited. This study is the first to investigate Mn uptake in the sea anemone Exaiptasia pallida after chronic exposure (0.5, 1, 10, and 100 mg/L) for 24-d. Following exposure, E. pallida were transferred to ambient seawater for 6-d to assess Mn depuration. Mn accumulation and partitioning in host tissue and symbionts (Symbiodinium spp.), tentacle retraction, and symbiont cell density were measured during exposure and depuration. Mn concentrations were substantially higher in symbionts than tissue in all treatments after 24-d. No significant difference was observed for symbiont cell density after Mn exposure. Tentacle retractions were significantly higher in all Mn exposed treatments than controls at all time points. Mn depuration was observed for both tissue and symbionts but was more rapid in symbionts. This study reveals that Symbiodinium spp. can play a role in Mn uptake and depuration in anemones, but Mn loading does not affect cell density. These results help understand metal uptake and depuration in complex relationships between Symbiodinium spp. and other host taxa like corals.
Simultaneous Assessment of the Efficacy and Toxicity of Marine Mollusc–Derived Brominated Indoles in an In Vivo Model for Early Stage Colon Cancer
Publisher: SAGE Publications
Date: 05-04-2018
Abstract: The acute apoptotic response to genotoxic carcinogens animal model has been extensively used to assess the ability of drugs and natural products like dietary components to promote apoptosis in the colon and protect against colorectal cancer (CRC). This work aimed to use this model to identify the main chemopreventative agent in extracts from an Australian mollusc Dicathais orbita, while simultaneously providing information on their potential in vivo toxicity. After 2 weeks of daily oral gavage with bioactive extracts and purified brominated indoles, mice were injected with the chemical carcinogen azoxymethane (AOM 10 mg/kg) and then killed 6 hours later. Efficacy was evaluated using immunohistochemical and hematoxylin staining, and toxicity was assessed via hematology, blood biochemistry, and liver histopathology. Comparison of saline- and AOM-injected controls revealed that potential toxic side effects can be interpreted from blood biochemistry and hematology using this short-term model, although AOM negatively affected the ability to detect histopathological effects in the liver. Purified 6-bromoisatin was identified as the main cancer preventive agent in the Muricidae extract, significantly enhancing apoptosis and reducing cell proliferation in the colonic crypts at 0.05 mg/g. There was no evidence of liver toxicity associated with 6-bromoisatin, whereas 0.1 mg/g of the brominated indole tyrindoleninone led to elevated aspartate aminotransferase levels and a reduction in red blood cells. As tyrindoleninone is converted to 6-bromoisatin by oxidation, this information will assist in the optimization and quality control of a chemopreventative nutraceutical from Muricidae. In conclusion, preliminary data on in vivo safety can be simultaneously collected when testing the efficacy of new natural products, such as 6-bromoisatin from Muricidae molluscs for early stage prevention of colon cancer.
Associations of benthic fauna with different rock types, and evidence of changing effects during succession
Publisher: Inter-Research Science Center
Date: 28-05-2014
DOI: 10.3354/MEPS10755
Observations on the production of purple pigments in the egg capsules, hypobranchial and reproductive glands from seven species of Muricidae (Gastropoda: Mollusca)
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 12-2004
Effects of oral exposure to inorganic mercury on the feeding behaviour and biochemical markers in yellowfin bream (Acanthopagrus australis)
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 03-2018
DOI: 10.1016/J.MARENVRES.2017.12.018
Abstract: Mercury is a known toxic metal, but studies on the effects of inorganic mercury ingestion in aquatic organisms are scarce. The present study aimed to investigate changes in feeding behaviour and biomarkers (lipid peroxidation, acetylcholinesterase, glutathione S-transferase and catalase activities) of yellowfin bream (Acanthopagrus australis) after ingestion of inorganic mercury (control: 0.2 mg kg
Temporal variation in condition index and meat quality of Lunella undulata (Turbinidae), in relation to the reproductive cycle
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 19-09-2018
Habitat associated differences in temperate sponge assemblages:
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 06-1997
Growth, settlement and survival of Dicathais orbita (Neogastropoda, Mollusca) larvae in response to temperature, diet and settlement cues
Publisher: Hindawi Limited
Date: 16-10-2015
DOI: 10.1111/ARE.12298
Sex-Specific Tyrian Purple Genesis: Precursor and Pigment Distribution in the Reproductive System of the Marine Mollusc, Dicathais orbita
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 12-12-2007
DOI: 10.1007/S10886-007-9402-2
Abstract: Exploitation of Tyrian purple from muricid molluscs, since antiquity, has prompted much interest in its chemical composition. Nevertheless, there remains a paucity of information on the biosynthetic routes leading to observed sexual differences in pigmentation. A liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LQ-MS) method was developed to simultaneously quantify dye pigments and precursors in male and female Dicathais orbita. The prochromogen, tyrindoxyl sulfate, was detected for the first time, by using this method in hypobranchial gland extracts of both sexes. Intermediates tyrindoxyl, tyrindoleninone, and tyriverdin were detected in female hypobranchial glands, along with 6,6'-dibromoindigo, while males contained 6-bromoisatin and 6,6'-dibromoindirubin. Multivariate analysis revealed statistically significant differences in the dye composition of male and female hypobranchial glands (ANOSIM, P = 0.002), thus providing evidence for sex-specific genesis of Tyrian purple in the Muricidae. Dye precursors were also present in male and female gonoduct extracts, establishing a mechanism for the incorporation of bioactive intermediates into muricid egg masses. These findings provide a model for investigating sex-specific chemical ergences in marine invertebrates and support the involvement of Tyrian purple genesis in muricid reproduction.
Investigation of nutritional properties of three species of marine turban snails for human consumption
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 05-04-2016
DOI: 10.1002/FSN3.360
Aquaculture and the production of pharmaceuticals and nutraceuticals
Publisher: Elsevier
Date: 2009
Impacts of seasonal temperatures, ocean warming and marine heatwaves on the nutritional quality of eastern school prawns (Metapenaeus macleayi)
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 06-2023
2,4,5-Tribromo-1H-Imidazole in the Egg Masses of three Muricid Molluscs
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 10-2004
DOI: 10.1080/1478641031000620682
Abstract: From analysis by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS), the presence of either 2,4,5-tribromo-1H-imidazole (1) or 3,4,5-tribromo-1H-pyrazole (2) was tentatively identified in lipophilic extracts from the egg masses of three muricid molluscs. Synthesis of these compounds, followed by comparison of the GC retention times and fragmentation patterns from electron impact MS, with those of the natural products, indicated that it was 2,4,5-tribromo-1H-imidazole rather than the pyrazole. This imidazole is likely to be responsible for some of the antimicrobial activity observed in the egg extracts. This is the first report of this compound from a natural source.
KONTAKT® social skills group training for Australian adolescents with autism spectrum disorder: a randomized controlled trial
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 30-05-2021
DOI: 10.1007/S00787-021-01814-6
Abstract: While there is a large body of evidence drawn from randomised controlled trials supporting the efficacy of SSGT in autistic adolescents, the control arms of these studies are almost exclusively treated either as usual or waitlist. Addressing this limitation, 90 verbal autistic adolescents (70% male) aged 12-17 years (M = 13.77, SD = 1.6) with IQ > 70 participated in this pragmatic two-armed randomised controlled trial design study evaluating the efficacy of sixteen 90-min sessions of SSGT KONTAKT® (n = 46) in comparison to a manualised interactive group cooking programme (n = 44) of equal dosage controlling for the potentially confounding effects of exposure to a social group context. The primary outcome was the adolescents' progress towards achieving their personally meaningful social goals at follow-up. Secondary outcomes were changes in autistic traits, quality of life, facial emotion recognition skills, social anxiety, and loneliness. Assessments were conducted at baseline, post intervention and 12-week follow-up. The interaction between time point and group allocation was investigated through a random-effects regression model (linear mixed model) to examine changes in the dependent outcomes. While intention-to-treat analysis (N = 90) demonstrated that both SSGT (ES = 1.36, p < .001) and active control (ES = 1.10, p < .001) groups made progress towards their personally meaningful social goals at follow-up, KONTAKT® participants demonstrated greater progress in social goal attainment than their peers in the active control group (ES = 0.35, p = .04). Findings suggest that KONTAKT® is efficacious in supporting autistic adolescents to achieve their personally meaningful social goals compared to other prosocial group activities.Trial registration: (1) Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ANZCTR): ACTRN12617001117303, registered 31 July 2017, anzctr.org.au (2) ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT03294668 registered 22 September 2017, clinicaltrials.gov .
The first observations ofIschnochiton(Mollusca, Polyplacophora) movement behaviour, with comparison between habitats differing in complexity
Publisher: PeerJ
Date: 19-12-2017
DOI: 10.7717/PEERJ.4180
Abstract: Most species of Ischnochiton are habitat specialists and are almost always found underneath unstable marine hard-substrata such as boulders. The difficulty of experimenting on these chitons without causing disturbance means little is known about their ecology despite their importance as a group that often contributes greatly to coastal species ersity. In the present study we measured among-boulder distributional patterns of Ischnochiton smaragdinus , and used time-lapse photography to quantify movement behaviours within different habitat types (pebble substrata and rock-platform). In intertidal rock-pools in South Australia, I. smaragdinus were significantly overdispersed among boulders, as most boulders had few in iduals but a small proportion harboured large populations. I. smaragdinus in iduals emerge from underneath boulders during nocturnal low-tides and move amongst the inter-boulder matrix (pebbles or rock-platform). Seventy-two percent of chitons in the pebble matrix did not move from one pebble to another within the periods of observation (55–130 min) but a small proportion moved across as many as five pebbles per hour, indicating a capacity for adults to migrate among disconnected habitat patches. Chitons moved faster and movement paths were less tortuous across rock-platform compared to pebble substrata, which included more discontinuities among substratum patches. Overall, we show that patterns of distribution at the boulder-scale, such as the observed overdispersion, must be set largely by active dispersal of adults across the substratum, and that differing substratum-types may affect the degree of adult dispersal for this and possibly other under-boulder chiton species.
Suppressive subtractive hybridisation transcriptomics provides a novel insight into the functional role of the hypobranchial gland in a marine mollusc
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 06-2013
DOI: 10.1016/J.CBD.2013.01.001
Abstract: The hypobranchial gland present in gastropods is an organ whose function is not clearly understood. Involved in mucus production, within members of the family Muricidae it is also the source of the ancient dye Tyrian purple and its bioactive precursors. To gain further insights into hypobranchial gland biology, suppressive subtractive hybridisation was performed on hypobranchial gland and mantle tissue from the marine snail Dicathais orbita creating a differentially expressed cDNA library. 437 clones were randomly sequenced, analysed and annotated and 110 sequences had their functions putatively identified. Importantly this approach identified a putative gene involved in Tyrian purple biosynthesis, an arylsulphatase gene. Confirmation of the upregulation of arylsulphatase in the hypobranchial gland compared to the mantle was demonstrated using quantitative real-time PCR. Other genes identified as playing an important role in the hypobranchial gland were those involved in mucus protein synthesis, choline ester regulation, protein and energy production. This study confirms that the hypobranchial gland is involved in the production of mucus secretion and also identifies it as a site of chemical interaction and biosynthesis. This study lays the foundation for a better understanding of the enzymatic production of Tyrian purple precursors within the gland.
Tyrian purple precursors in the egg masses of the Australian muricid, Dicathais orbita: A possible defensive role
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 2100
Assessing functioning for individuals with neurodevelopmental conditions: Current clinical practice in Australia
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 07-08-2022
Abstract: In the disability sector globally, and specifically in Australia, assessments of functioning have become key to diagnostic processes, and accessing therapy and funding. Over half of all in iduals accessing support through Australia's National Disability Insurance Scheme have a neurodevelopmental condition diagnosis. Little is known about assessments of functioning for this population. A mixed methods online survey was designed to understand the current assessment of functioning practices (including clinical contexts, concepts being assessed, and assessment methods) and barriers and facilitators to clinicians using best practice. Results were analysed descriptively, and differences between professions calculated where possible. Content analysis was used to explore qualitative comments. Clinicians from various medical and allied health backgrounds completed the survey ( n = 93), with varying ranges of age, experience, and education. Clinicians reported that they assessed functioning across age, setting, sector, funding body, and in iduals with a wide variety of diagnoses. Missing from current practice is a clear transdisciplinary conceptualisation of functioning. The largest barriers to best practice were limited time, large caseloads, availability of appropriate tools, and lack of clarity from funding bodies. Missing from current practice is a clear transdisciplinary conceptualisation of functioning.These results will help inform steps forward to improve assessment of functioning practices to ensure that all in iduals receive appropriate and sufficient support.
Chemical defense in the egg masses of benthic invertebrates: An assessment of antibacterial activity in 39 mollusks and 4 polychaetes
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 08-2001
Free fatty acids and sterols in the benthic spawn of aquatic molluscs, and their associated antimicrobial properties
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 03-2005
Characterisation of the physical and chemical properties influencing bacterial epibiont communities on benthic gelatinous egg masses of the pulmonate Siphonaria diemenensis
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 11-2012
The impact of diet on the growth and proximate composition of juvenile whelks, Dicathais orbita (Gastropoda: Mollusca)
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 04-2008
Is relative abundance a good predictor of population size?: evidence from fragmented populations of a specialist butterfly (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae).
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 15-08-2008
Bioactivity of the Murex homeopathic remedy and of extracts from an Australian muricid mollusc against human cancer cells
Publisher: Hindawi Limited
Date: 2009
DOI: 10.1093/ECAM/NEP042
Abstract: Marine molluscs from the family Muricidae are the source of a homeopathic remedy Murex , which is used to treat a range of conditions, including cancer. The aim of this study was to evaluate the in vitro bioactivity of egg mass extracts of the Australian muricid Dicathais orbita , in comparison to the Murex remedy, against human carcinoma and lymphoma cells. Liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (LC-MS) was used to characterize the chemical composition of the extracts and homeopathic remedy, focusing on biologically active brominated indoles. The MTS (tetrazolium salt) colorimetric assay was used to determine effects on cell viability, while necrosis and apoptosis induction were investigated using flow cytometry (propidium iodide and Annexin-V staining, resp.). Cells were treated with varying concentrations (1–0.01 mg/mL) of crude and semi-purified extracts or preparations (dilute 1 M and concentrated 4 mg/mL) from the Murex remedy (4 h). The Murex remedy showed little biological activity against the majority of cell lines tested. In contrast, the D. orbita egg extracts significantly decreased cell viability in the majority of carcinoma cell lines. Flow cytometry revealed these extracts induce necrosis in HT29 colorectal cancer cells, whereas apoptosis was induced in Jurkat cells. These findings highlight the biomedical potential of Muricidae extracts in the development of a natural therapy for the treatment of neoplastic tumors and lymphomas.
Histochemical correlations between egg capsule laminae and the female gonoduct reveal the process of capsule formation in the Muricidae (Neogastropoda: Mollusca)
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 2008
The nutritional and sensory quality of seafood in a changing climate
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 04-2022
DOI: 10.1016/J.MARENVRES.2022.105590
Abstract: Climate change is impacting living marine resources, whilst concomitantly, global reliance on seafood as a source of nutrition is increasing. Here we review an emerging research frontier, identifying significant impacts of climate-driven environmental change on the nutritional and sensory quality of seafood, and implications for human health. We highlight that changing ocean temperature, pH and salinity can lead to reductions in seafood macro and micronutrients, including essential nutrients such as protein and lipids. However, the nutritional quality of seafood appears to be more resilient in taxa that inhabit naturally variable environments such as estuaries and shallow near-coastal habitats. We develop criteria for assessing confidence in categorising the nutritional quality of seafood as vulnerable or resilient to climate change. The application of this criteria to a subset of seafood nutritional studies demonstrates confidence levels are generally low and could be improved by more realistic experimental designs and research collaboration. We highlight knowledge gaps to guide future research in this emerging field.
In vitro antiviral activity against herpes simplex virus in the abalone Haliotis laevigata
Publisher: Microbiology Society
Date: 12-2010
Abstract: As viruses are extremely abundant in oceans, marine organisms may have evolved novel metabolites to protect themselves from viral infection. This research examined a well-known commercial gastropod, abalone (Haliotidae), which in Australia have recently experienced disease due to a neurotropic infection, abalone viral ganglioneuritis, caused by an abalone herpesvirus (AbHV). Due to the lack of molluscan cell lines for culturing AbHV, the antiviral activity of the abalone Haliotis laevigata was assessed against another neurotropic herpesvirus, herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1), using a plaque assay. The concentration range at which abalone extract was used for antiviral testing caused minimal (<10 %) mortality in Vero cells. Haemolymph (20 %, v/v) and lipophilic extract of the digestive gland (3000 μg ml(-1)) both substantially decreased the number and size of plaques. By adding haemolymph or lipophilic extract at different times during the plaque assay, it was shown that haemolymph inhibited viral infection at an early stage. In contrast, the antiviral effect of the lipophilic extract was greatest when added 1 h after infection, suggesting that it may act at an intracellular stage of infection. These results suggest that abalone have at least two antiviral compounds with different modes of action against viral infection, and provide a novel lead for marine antiviral drug discovery.
The neonicotinoid insecticide imidacloprid, but not salinity, impacts the immune system of Sydney rock oyster, Saccostrea glomerata
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 11-2020
Imidacloprid and formulated product impacts the fatty acids and enzymatic activities in tissues of Sydney rock oysters, Saccostrea glomerata
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 10-2019
DOI: 10.1016/J.MARENVRES.2019.104765
Abstract: The use of imidacloprid (IMI) and its formulated products in agriculture is a risk to aquatic organisms due to deposition into waterways from runoff and aerial spraying. However, there is limited information on the potential effects of this pesticide on commercially important shellfish, such as oysters. We investigated the impacts of IMI and Spectrum 200SC (IMI formulation) on the activity of the enzymes Glutathione-S-transferase (GST), Catalase (CAT) and Acetylcholinesterase (AChE), in different oyster tissues including the gill, adductor muscle and digestive gland. We also investigated the condition index and fatty acid composition of the flesh of oysters after 2 weeks exposure. The concentrations of IMI in the different tissues was assessed using Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS) after QuEChERS extraction. Higher concentrations of IMI residues were detected in the adductor muscle of the oysters, followed by the gills and with the lowest amounts recovered from the digestive gland across all the concentrations tested. IMI and Spectrum 200SC significantly affected the gill AChE activity at 2 mg/L, but digestive gland CAT, and gill and digestive gland GST were impacted at environmentally relevant concentrations (0.01 and 0.05 mg/L). In the whole oyster, 2 weeks exposure to IMI (≥0.01 mg/L) resulted in a proportional increase in saturated fatty acids (SFA), altered the polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) to SFA ratio and altered the omega 3 fatty acids (n-3) to omega 6 fatty acids (n-6) ratio, but there were no effects on the condition index of the oyster. Although the oysters responded differently to the formulated product, there was no consistent difference in the sublethal effects of analytical IMI and Spectrum 200SC. This study showed that exposure to IMI and Spectrum 200SC can significantly affect the biochemical processes and metabolites in oysters, with implications for food quality and safety.
Responses of common SE Australian herbivores to three suspected invasive Caulerpa spp.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 27-01-2005
Review of anti-inflammatory, immune-modulatory and wound healing properties of molluscs
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 2018
DOI: 10.1016/J.JEP.2017.08.008
Abstract: This review focuses on traditional and contemporary anti-inflammatory uses of mollusc-derived products summarising all the in vitro, in vivo and human clinical trials that have tested the anti-inflammatory activity of molluscan natural products. Inflammatory conditions, burns and wounds have been an ongoing concern for human health since the early era of civilisation. Many texts from ancient medicine have recorded the symptoms, signs and treatments for these conditions. Natural treatments are well-documented in traditional European medicine, Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), Siddha and ancient Mediterranean and African traditional medicine and include a surprisingly large number of molluscan species. An extensive review of the Materia Medica and scientific literature was undertaken using key word searches for "mollusc" and "anti-inflammatory" or "immunomodulatory" or "wound healing". Molluscs have been used in ethnomedicine by many traditional cultures to treat different aspects of inflammatory conditions. We found 104 different anti-inflammatory preparations from a variety of molluscan species, of which 70 were from the well-documented Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). This traditional use of molluscs has driven the testing for inflammatory activity in extracts from some species in the phylum Mollusca, with 20 in vitro studies, 40 in vivo animal studies and 14 human clinical trials performed to substantiate the anti-inflammatory and wound healing activity of molluscs. Some of these studies have led to the approval of mollusc-derived products to be used as over-the-counter (OTC) nutraceuticals, like Lyprinol® and Biolane™ from the New Zealand green lipped mussel Perna canaliculus. Natural products provide important leads for the development of pharmaceuticals, including anti-inflammatory agents. Only a small proportion of the molluscan traditional medicines have been tested to confirm their anti-inflammatory activity and most screening studies have tested crude extracts from molluscs without any chemical characterisation. This highlights the need for further research to strategically identify the anti-inflammatory compounds in molluscan medicines to provide leads for novel anti-inflammatory drugs in the future.
Exposure to multiple elements reduces the Health of Saccostrea glomerata: an assessment of the Richmond River Estuary, NSW, Australia
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 11-2022
DOI: 10.1016/J.MARPOLBUL.2022.114177
Abstract: This study investigated relationships between Sydney Rock Oyster (SRO) health and element concentrations in sediments and oysters from the Richmond River estuary. Six sites were s led between November 2019 and May 2020. Multivariate permutational analysis of variance was used to compare oyster health parameters and element concentrations between sites, wet and dry conditions, and in oyster and sediment s les. Statistical analysis revealed significant spatial differences in oyster mortality, condition index, and size. Metal concentrations in oyster flesh significantly differed from metals in sediments. Most metals in sediments were below guideline values, except for Ni at some sites. Mortality, condition index, and weight correlated negatively with in idual elements in oyster flesh (P, Zn, Mg, Al, Ni). BEST statistical models included various combinations of metals in sediment and flesh. This study highlights that spatial differences in SRO health tend to be related to site-specific metal compositions in sediment and oysters.
Gastropod egg mass deposition on a temperate, wave-exposed coastline in New South Wales, Australia: Implications for intertidal conservation
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 05-2004
DOI: 10.1002/AQC.604
Evidence that the major hemolymph protein of the Pacific oyster, Crassostrea gigas, has antiviral activity against herpesviruses
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 10-2014
DOI: 10.1016/J.ANTIVIRAL.2014.08.010
Abstract: Viruses belonging to the family Malacoherpesviridae currently pose a serious threat to global production of the Pacific oyster, Crassostrea gigas. Hemolymph extracts from C. gigas are known to have potent antiviral activity. The compound(s) responsible for this broad-spectrum antiviral activity in oyster hemolymph have not been identified. The objective of this study was to identify these antiviral compound(s) and establish whether hemolymph antiviral activity is under genetic control in the Australian C. gigas population. Hemolymph antiviral activity of 18 family lines of C. gigas were assayed using a herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) and Vero cell plaque reduction assay. Differences in anti-HSV-1 activity between the family lines were observed (p<0.001) with heritability estimated to be low (h(2)=0.21). A glycoprotein that inhibits HSV-1 replication was identified by resolving oyster hemolymph by native-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE) and assaying extracted protein fractions using the HSV-1 and Vero cell plaque assay. Highest anti-HSV-1 activity corresponded with an N-linked glycoprotein with an estimated molecular mass of 21kDa under non-reducing SDS-PAGE conditions. Amino acid sequencing by tandem mass spectrometry revealed this protein matched the major hemolymph protein, termed cavortin. Our results provide further evidence that cavortin is a multifunctional protein involved in immunity and that assays associated with its activity might be useful for marker-assisted selection of disease resistant oysters.
Bromoperoxidase producing bacillus spp. isolated from the hypobranchial glands of a muricid mollusc are capable of tyrian purple precursor biogenesis
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 03-05-2019
DOI: 10.3390/MD17050264
Abstract: The secondary metabolite Tyrian purple, also known as shellfish purple and royal purple, is a dye with historical importance for humans. The biosynthetic origin of Tyrian purple in Muricidae molluscs is not currently known. A possible role for symbiotic bacteria in the production of tyrindoxyl sulphate, the precursor to Tyrian purple stored in the Australian species, Dicathais orbita, has been proposed. This study aimed to culture bacterial symbionts from the purple producing hypobranchial gland, and screen the isolates for bromoperoxidase genes using molecular methods. The ability of bromoperoxidase positive isolates to produce the brominated indole precursor to Tyrian purple was then established by extraction of the culture, and analysis by liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LC–MS). In total, 32 bacterial isolates were cultured from D. orbita hypobranchial glands, using marine agar, marine agar with hypobranchial gland aqueous extracts, blood agar, thiosulphate citrate bile salts sucrose agar, and cetrimide agar at pH 7.2. These included 26 Vibrio spp., two Bacillus spp., one Phaeobacter sp., one Shewanella sp., one Halobacillus sp. and one Pseudoalteromonas sp. The two Bacillus species were the only isolates found to have coding sequences for bromoperoxidase enzymes. LC–MS analysis of the supernatant and cell pellets from the bromoperoxidase producing Bacillus spp. cultured in tryptone broth, supplemented with KBr, confirmed their ability to produce the brominated precursor to Tyrian purple, tyrindoxyl sulphate. This study supports a potential role for symbiotic Bacillus spp. in the biosynthesis of Tyrian purple.
Resilience of a harvested gastropod, Turbo militaris, to marine heatwaves
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 10-2019
DOI: 10.1016/J.MARENVRES.2019.104769
Abstract: Marine heatwaves (MHW) are predicted to occur with increased frequency, duration and intensity in a changing climate, with pervasive ecological and socioeconomic consequences. While there is a growing understanding of the ecological impacts of warming and marine heatwaves, much less is known about how they influence the underlying physiology and health of species, and the nutritional properties of tissue. We evaluated the effects of different heatwave scenarios and ocean warming on the nutritional properties and immune health of the harvested gastropod Turbo militaris. Neither heatwave scenarios nor elevated temperatures had significant impacts on morphometrics, proximate composition or inorganic content of T. militaris. However, an increased moisture content and non-significant trends, such as elevated amount of lipids, and an increased number of hemocytes in the blood of T. militaris in the heatwave treatments were suggestive of mild stress. Overall, our study suggests that T. militaris is resilient to marine heatwaves and warming, although delayed, additive or synergistic stress responses cannot be ruled out. Understanding the possible effects of ocean warming and heatwaves on fisheries species could improve management actions to avoid species impacts, socioeconomic losses and negative effects to ecosystem service provision in a changing climate.
Histomorphology of the hypobranchial gland in Dicathais orbita (Gmelin, 1791) (Neogastropoda: Muricidae)
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 09-01-2010
Uptake, depuration and sublethal effects of the neonicotinoid, imidacloprid, exposure in Sydney rock oysters
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 09-2019
DOI: 10.1016/J.CHEMOSPHERE.2019.05.045
Abstract: The broad utilisation of imidacloprid (IMI) in agriculture poses an increasing risk to aquatic organisms. However, the potential impacts on commercially important shellfish and chemical residues after exposure, are yet to be assessed. We investigated the levels of IMI in Sydney rock oyster (SRO) tissue during a three-day uptake and four-day depuration cycle using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. IMI was absorbed from the water, with significantly higher concentrations in the adductor muscles than the gills and digestive glands. Depuration was also fast with a significant drop in tissue concentrations after one day in clean water and complete elimination from all tissues except the digestive gland after four days. The distribution of IMI in SRO after direct exposure using mass spectrometry imaging demonstrated uptake and spatially resolved metabolism to hydroxyl-IMI in the digestive gland and IMI-olefin in the gills. We assessed the effects of IMI on filtration rate (FR), acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity in the gills, and gene expression profiles in the digestive gland using transcriptomics. Exposure to 2 mg/L IMI reduced the FR of oysters on the first day, while exposure to 0.5 and 1 mg/L reduced FR on day four. IMI reduced the gill AChE activity and altered the digestive gland gene expression profile. This study indicates that commercially farmed SRO can uptake IMI from the water, but negative impacts were only detected at concentrations higher than currently detected in estuarine environments and the chemical residues can be effectively eliminated using simple depuration in clean water.
KONTAKT© for Australian adolescents on the autism spectrum: protocol of a randomized control trial
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 12-2019
DOI: 10.1186/S13063-019-3721-9
Abstract: In iduals diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) experience impairing challenges in social communication and interaction across multiple contexts. While social skills group training (SSGT) has shown moderate effects on various sociability outcomes in ASD, there is a need for (1) replication of effects in additional clinical and cultural contexts, (2) designs that employ active control groups, (3) calculation of health economic benefits, (4) identification of the optimal training duration, and (5) measurement of in idual goals and quality of life outcomes. With the aim of investigating the efficacy and cost-effectiveness of a SSGT, KONTAKT©, a two-armed randomized control trial with adolescents aged 12–17 years ( N = 90) with ASD and an intelligence quotient (IQ) of over 70 will be undertaken. Following stratification for centre and gender, participants will be randomly assigned to either KONTAKT© or to an active control group, a group-based cooking programme. Participants will attend both programmes in groups of 6–8 adolescents, over 16 one-and-a-half-hour sessions. The primary outcome examined is adolescent self-rated achievement of personally meaningful social goals as assessed via the Goal Attainment Scaling during an interview with a blinded clinician. Secondary outcomes include adolescent self-reported interpersonal efficacy, quality of life, social anxiety, loneliness, face emotion recognition performance and associated gaze behaviour, and parent proxy reports of autistic traits, quality of life, social functioning, and emotion recognition and expression. Cost-effectiveness will be investigated in relation to direct and indirect societal and healthcare costs. The primary outcomes of this study will be evidenced in the anticipated achievement of adolescents’ personally meaningful social goals following participation in KONTAKT© as compared to the active control group. This design will enable rigorous evaluation of the efficacy of KONTAKT©, exercising control over the possibly confounding effect of exposure to a social context of peers with a diagnosis of ASD. Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ANZCTR). ACTRN12617001117303. Registered on 31 July 2017. anzctr.org.au ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT03294668 . Registered on 22 September 2017. clinicaltrials.gov
Rocks of different mineralogy show different temperature characteristics: implications for biodiversity on rocky seashores
Publisher: PeerJ
Date: 26-01-2021
DOI: 10.7717/PEERJ.10712
Abstract: As some intertidal biota presently live near their upper tolerable thermal limits when emersed, predicted hotter temperatures and an increased frequency of extreme-heat events associated with global climate change may challenge the survival and persistence of such species. To predict the biological ramifications of climate change on rocky seashores, ecologists have collected baseline rock temperature data, which has shown substrate temperature is heterogenous in the rocky intertidal zone. A multitude of factors may affect rock temperature, although the potential roles of boulder surface (upper versus lower), lithology (rock type) and minerology have been largely neglected to date. Consequently, a common-garden experiment using intertidal boulders of six rock types tested whether temperature characteristics differed among rock types, boulder surfaces, and whether temperature characteristics were associated with rock mineralogy. The temperature of the upper and lower surfaces of all six rock types was heterogeneous at the millimetre to centimetre scale. Three qualitative patterns of temperature difference were identified on boulder surfaces: gradients mosaics and limited heterogeneity. The frequency of occurrence of these temperature patterns was heavily influenced by cloud cover. Upper surfaces were generally hotter than lower surfaces, plus purple siltstone and grey siltstone consistently had the hottest temperatures and white limestone and quartzite the coolest. Each rock type had unique mineralogy, with maximum temperatures correlated with the highest metallic oxide and trace metal content of rocks. These baseline data show that rock type, boulder surface and mineralogy all contribute to patterns of heterogenous substrate temperature, with the geological history of rocky seashores potentially influencing the future fate of species and populations under various climate change scenarios.
Influence of elevated temperatures on the immune response of abalone, Haliotis rubra
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 05-2012
DOI: 10.1016/J.FSI.2012.01.022
Abstract: Elevated water temperature can act as a stressor impacting the immune responses of molluscs, potentially increasing their susceptibility to microbial infections. Abalone are commercially important marine molluscs that have recently experienced disease outbreaks caused by a herpesvirus and Vibrio bacteria. S ling of wild-caught Haliotis rubra showed a significant correlation between water temperature and both antiviral and antibacterial activity, with higher activity in summer than in winter months. However, antibacterial activity was compromised in favour of antiviral activity as the water temperatures peaked in summer. A controlled laboratory experiment was then used to investigate several immune responses of H. rubra, including total haemocyte count (THC), stimulated superoxide anion production (SO), antiviral activity against a model herpesvirus, herpes simplex virus type 1 and antibacterial activity against a representative pathogenic bacterium, Vibrio anguillarum, over one week after raising water temperature from 18 to 21 or 24 °C. THC and SO increased at day 1 and then dropped back to control levels by days 3 and 7. By comparison, the humoural immune parameters showed a delayed response with antibacterial and antiviral activity significantly increasing on days 3 and 7, respectively. Consistent with the field study, antibacterial activity became significantly depressed after prolonged exposure to elevated temperatures. A principal components analysis on the combined immune parameters showed a negative correlation between antiviral and antibacterial activity. SO was positively correlated to THC and neither of these cellular parameters were correlated to the humoural antimicrobial activity. Overall, this study indicates that abalone may have more resilience to viruses than bacterial pathogens under conditions of elevated temperature, such as those predicted under future climate change scenarios.
In vitro cytotoxicity evaluation of some substituted isatin derivatives
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 2007
DOI: 10.1016/J.BMC.2006.10.035
Abstract: A range of substituted 1H-indole-2,3-diones (isatins) were synthesized using standard procedures and their cytotoxicity evaluated against the human monocyte-like histiocytic lymphoma (U937) cell line in vitro. SAR studies identified C(5), C(6), and C(7) substitution greatly enhanced activity with some di- and tri-halogenated isatins giving IC(50) values <10 microM. Of the 23 compounds tested, four were selected for further screening against a panel of five human cancer cell lines. These compounds, in general, showed greater selectivity toward leukemia and lymphoma cells over breast, prostate, and colorectal carcinoma cell lines. The most active compound, 5,6,7-tribromoisatin (2p), was found to be antiproliferative at low micromolar concentrations and also activated the effector caspases 3 and 7 in a dose-dependent manner. These results indicate that di- and tri-substituted isatins may be useful leads for anticancer drug development in the future.
Australian Clinicians’ Considerations When Choosing an Assessment of Functioning Tool for Children with Neurodevelopmental Conditions
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 30-09-2022
DOI: 10.1007/S41252-022-00292-4
Abstract: In the Australian disability context, the assessment of children with neurodevelopmental conditions’ functioning (across all domains) is of increasing importance, particularly since the introduction of the National Disability Insurance Scheme. Currently, there is wide variability across assessment of functioning practices, including the choice and use of published tools for assessment. Therefore, we sought to identify the tool characteristics and other factors clinicians consider when selecting an assessment of functioning tool for use with children with neurodevelopmental conditions. Using workshops and an online survey, 45 Australian medical and allied health clinicians (predominantly occupational therapists and psychologists) identified what they thought was ‘most important’ when selecting assessment of functioning tools for children with neurodevelopmental conditions. These qualitative responses were analysed using template analysis. Five main themes relating to a tool’s characteristics were identified: easy, feasible, fair, holistic, and useful. Within these themes, considerations relating to the measure itself, the clinician administering the tool and the in idual being assessed were identified. Characteristics raised by the clinicians align with frameworks described in the literature, pointing to the potential utility of these frameworks in guiding the development and evaluation of future assessment of functioning tools.
Indole-producing bacteria from the biosynthetic organs of a muricid mollusc could contribute to tyrian purple production
Publisher: National Shellfisheries Association
Date: 08-2015
DOI: 10.2983/035.034.0228
Marine Compounds Selectively Induce Apoptosis in Female Reproductive Cancer Cells but Not in Primary-Derived Human Reproductive Granulosa Cells
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 10-01-2012
DOI: 10.3390/MD10010064
Histopathology and haemolymph biochemistry following anaesthesia and movement in farmed Australian abalone (Haliotis rubra×Haliotis laevigata)
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 02-2014
Supercritical CO2 extraction of bioactive Tyrian purple precursors from the hypobranchial gland of a marine gastropod
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 10-2014
The efficacy of the “Talk-to-Me” suicide prevention and mental health education program for tertiary students: a crossover randomised control trial
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 04-10-2022
DOI: 10.1007/S00787-022-02094-4
Abstract: Despite suicide ideation being one of the most frequently reported health issues impacting tertiary students, there is a paucity of research evaluating the efficacy of preventive interventions aimed at improving mental health outcomes for students studying at two tertiary institutes. The current study evaluated the efficacy of the “Talk-to-Me” Mass Open Online Course (MOOC) in improving tertiary students’ abilities to support the mental health of themselves and their peers via a randomised controlled trial design, comparing them to a waitlist control group. Overall, 129 tertiary students ( M = 25.22 years, SD = 7.43 80% female) undertaking a health science or education course at two Western Australian universities were randomly allocated to either “Talk-to-Me” ( n = 66) or waitlist control ( n = 63) groups. The participants’ responses to suicidal statements (primary outcome), knowledge of mental health, generalised self-efficacy, coping skills, and overall utility of the program (secondary outcomes) were collected at three timepoints (baseline 10-weeks and 24-weeks from baseline). Assessment time and group interaction were explored using a random-effects regression model, examining changes in the primary and secondary outcomes. Intention-to-treat analysis ( N = 129) at 10-weeks demonstrated a significant improvement in generalised self-efficacy for “Talk-to-Me” compared to the control group (ES = 0.36, p = .04), with only the “Talk-to-Me” participants reporting increased knowledge in responding to suicidal ideation (primary outcome). This change was sustained for 24 weeks. Findings provide preliminary evidence suggesting that the “Talk-to-Me” MOOC can effectively improve tertiary students’ mental health and knowledge of how to support themselves and others in distress. ACTRN12619000630112, registered 18-03-2019, anzctr.org.au.
The risk of neonicotinoid exposure to shrimp aquaculture
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 02-2019
DOI: 10.1016/J.CHEMOSPHERE.2018.10.197
Abstract: Widespread agricultural use of systemic neonicotinoid insecticides has resulted in the unintended contamination of aquatic environments. Water quality surveys regularly detect neonicotinoids in rivers and waterways at concentrations that could impact aquaculture stock. The toxicity of neonicotinoids to non-target aquatic insect and crustacean species has been recognised, however, there is a paucity of information on their effect on commercial shrimp aquaculture. Here, we show that commercially produced shrimp are likely to be exposed to dietary, sediment and waterborne sources of neonicotinoids increasing the risks of disease and accidental human consumption. This review examines indicators of sublethal neonicotinoid exposure in non-target species and analyses their potential usefulness for ecotoxicology assessment in shrimp. The identification of rapid, reliable responses to neonicotinoid exposure in shrimp will result in better decision making in aquaculture management.
Behavioural and brain biomarker responses in yellowfin bream (Acanthopagrus australis) after inorganic mercury ingestion
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 02-2019
DOI: 10.1016/J.MARENVRES.2018.12.004
Abstract: To assess the effects of inorganic mercury ingestion on fish general behaviour and brain biochemical markers (acetylcholinesterase - AChE lipid peroxidation - LPO glutathione S-transferase - GST catalase - CAT), juvenile yellowfin bream (Acanthopagrus australis) were fed mercury dosed food (low = 0.7 mg kg
Ocean Warming and CO2-Induced Acidification Impact the Lipid Content of a Marine Predatory Gastropod
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 24-09-2015
DOI: 10.3390/MD13106019
The “Talk-to-Me” MOOC intervention for suicide prevention and mental health education among tertiary students: Protocol of a multi-site cross-over randomised controlled trial
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 2022
DOI: 10.1016/J.CCT.2021.106645
Abstract: Mental health problems are common among tertiary education students, with concerning levels of suicide ideation frequently observed in this population. There is a need for evidence-based mental health education and suicide prevention programs designed to meet the specific needs of these students. The "Talk-to-Me" Mass Open Online Course (MOOC) is a strengths-based mental health education program underpinned by a six-phase model for managing a suicidal crisis. To evaluate the efficacy of the "Talk-to-Me" MOOC in improving student knowledge of appropriate responses to suicide crisis via a randomised control trial (RCT) comparing tertiary education health science and education students attending the program to a waitlist control group. Overall, 170 will be screened and randomly allocated to either the "Talk-to-Me" MOOC or a waitlist control group, with data collection occurring at three-time points (baseline, 10-weeks and 24-weeks from baseline) over one year. The primary outcome will be participants' knowledge and responses to suicidal statements as measured by the Suicide Intervention Response Inventory. Secondary outcomes will be knowledge of mental health and coping skills as well as the overall utility of the program. This pragmatic RCT will demonstrate the efficacy of the "Talk-to-Me" MOOC in improving the students' ability to respond to suicidal and mental health concerns compared to the waitlist group. This design will enable rigorous evaluation of the "Talk-to-Me" MOOC, contributing to a greater understanding of the online-delivered safe-paced suicide prevention programs for tertiary students. Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ANZCTR): #12619000630112.
The Role Of Surface Fouling In The Development Of Encapsulated Gastropod Embryos
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 02-2005
Ocean warming and acidification affect the nutritional quality of the commercially-harvested turbinid snail Turbo militaris
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 10-2018
DOI: 10.1016/J.MARENVRES.2018.08.009
Abstract: Rising levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide are driving ocean warming and acidification. This could cause stress resulting in decreases in nutritional quality of marine species for human consumption, if environmental changes go beyond the optimal range for harvested species. To evaluate this, we used ambient and near-future elevated temperatures and pCO
The Role of Spongia sp. in the Discovery of Marine Lead Compounds
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 23-07-2016
DOI: 10.3390/MD14080139
Ni accumulation and effects on a representative Cnidaria - Exaiptasia pallida during single element exposure and in combination with Mn
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 11-2022
DOI: 10.1016/J.ENVPOL.2022.120110
Abstract: Nickel (Ni) and manganese (Mn) are well known for the production of steel and alloys and are commonly found co-occurring in Ni ores. They are metals of environmental concern and contamination in the marine environment is problematic single exposures and in combination. Several studies have documented the effects of single metal exposure on the model anemone E. pallida, but research on the effects of metal mixtures is far less common. This novel study assesses the accumulation and stress effects of Ni and Mn over a 12-d exposure period. E. pallida were exposed in two separate experiments Ni alone and Ni in combination with Mn, to assess accumulation, along with any effect on the density of symbionts and anemone tentacle length. Anemones were transferred to ambient seawater to assess depuration and recovery over 6 d. Anemone tissue accumulated Ni at a magnitude of five times higher in a mixture of 0.5 mg Ni/L with 2.5 mg Mn/L compared to the same concentration in a single Ni exposure experiment. In both experiments, Ni and Mn preferentially accumulated in the Symbiodinium spp. compared to the anemone tissue, but Ni depuration was more rapid in the mixture than Ni alone exposure. This study reveals a significant reduction in anemone Symbiodinium spp. density after exposure to Ni and Mn mixtures, but not with Ni exposure alone. A significant dose-dependent reduction in tentacle length was observed in anemones after 12 d of the Ni exposure both with and without Mn. The estimated sublethal concentration that causes tentacle retraction in 50% of test anemones (EC50) by Ni was 0.51 (0.25-0.73) mg/L, while in combination with Mn the EC50 was 0.30 mg Ni/L (confidence limits not calculatable). The present data reveals the importance of testing metal effects in combination before establishing safe limits for marine invertebrates.
Related Organisations
Related Funding Activities
Linkage Projects - Grant ID: LP0989354
Start Date: 03-2010
End Date: 12-2014
Amount: $350,000.00
Funder: Australian Research Council
View Funded ActivityLinkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE0237427
Start Date: 2001
End Date: 12-2002
Amount: $269,000.00
Funder: Australian Research Council
View Funded ActivityLinkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE170100192
Start Date: 05-2017
End Date: 12-2017
Amount: $450,000.00
Funder: Australian Research Council
View Funded ActivityLinkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE140100119
Start Date: 2014
End Date: 12-2015
Amount: $2,000,000.00
Funder: Australian Research Council
View Funded Activity