James Cook University

About: James Cook University is a education organization based out in Townsville, Queensland, Australia. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Coral reef. The organization has 9101 authors who have published 27750 publications receiving 1032608 citations. The organization is also known as: JCU.

Nutritional evaluation of Australian microalgae as potential human health supplements.

Abstract: This study investigated the biochemical suitability of Australian native microalgal species Scenedesmus sp., Nannochloropsis sp., Dunaliella sp., and a chlorophytic polyculture as nutritional supplements for human health. The four microalgal cultures were harvested during exponential growth, lyophilized, and analysed for proximate composition (moisture, ash, lipid, carbohydrates, and protein), pigments, and amino acid and fatty acid profiles. The resulting nutritional value, based on biochemical composition, was compared to commercial Spirulina and Chlorella products. The Australian native microalgae exhibited similar, and in several cases superior, organic nutritional properties relative to the assessed commercial products, with biochemical profiles rich in high-quality protein, nutritious polyunsaturated fats (such as α-linolenic acid, arachidonic acid, and eicosapentaenoic acid), and antioxidant pigments. These findings indicate that the microalgae assessed have great potential as multi-nutrient human health supplements.

Securing a Just Space for Small-Scale Fisheries in the Blue Economy

Abstract: The vast developmental opportunities offered by the world's coasts and oceans have attracted the attention of governments, private enterprises, philanthropic organizations, and international conservation organizations. High-profile dialogue and policy decisions on the future of the ocean are informed largely by economic and ecological research. Key insights from the social sciences raise concerns for food and nutrition security, livelihoods and social justice, but these have yet to gain traction with investors and the policy discourse on transforming ocean governance. The largest group of ocean-users - women and men who service, fish and trade from small-scale fisheries (SSF) - argue that they have been marginalized from the dialogue between international environmental and economic actors that is determining strategies for the future of the ocean. Blue Economy or Blue Growth initiatives see the ocean as the new economic frontier and imply an alignment with social objectives and SSF concerns. Deeper analysis reveals fundamental differences in ideologies, priorities and approaches. We argue that SSF are being subtly and overtly squeezed for geographic, political and economic space by larger scale economic and environmental conservation interests, jeopardizing the substantial benefits SSF provide through the livelihoods of millions of women and men, for the food security of around four billion consumers globally, and in the developing world, as a key source of micro-nutrients and protein for over a billion low-income consumers. Here, we bring insights from social science and SSF to explore how ocean governance might better account for social dimensions of fisheries.

A highly specific and sensitive monoclonal antibody-based ELISA for the detection of circulating antigen in bancroftian filariasis

Abstract: A monoclonal antibody, Og4C3, directed against antigens of Onchocerca gibsoni (but not phosphorylcholine) has been used in a sandwich ELISA to detect a circulating antigen of Wuchereria bancrofti in human serum. The interfering effect of host antibody was reduced by first boiling one part of serum for 5 min in the presence of three parts of 0.1 M Na2EDTA, pH 4.0. A total of 119 sera from individuals and 8 pooled sera from clinically and/or parasitologically defined cases of filariasis, plus 8 individual and 1 pooled endemic control sera, all from the filariasis serum bank of the World Health Organisation, as well as 20 non-endemic control sera, were screened with the assay. Circulating antigen was detected in serum from people infected with W. bancrofti but not Brugia malayi. B. timori, O. volvulus or Loa loa, and not in endemic or non-endemic controls. Of the 68 sera from W. bancrofti-infected subjects, 55/55 parasitologically confirmed and 12/13 clinically confirmed but amicrofilaraemic cases reacted in the assay. A weak but significant correlation (r2 = 0.4016) was found between numbers of microfilariae in blood and detectable levels of circulating antigen from patients with bancroftian filariasis.

Basal cell carcinoma: histological classification and body-site distribution.

Abstract: Background: basal cell carcinoma (BCC) is the most common cancer worldwide in white-skinned populations. Recent studies suggest that BCC is not a single entity and that different histological subtypes show different clinical behaviour and might have different aetiology. Objectives: to provide information on the incidence of BCC by histopathological subtype and body site. Methods: a case series of BCC from a prospective population-based register study collecting information on all excised and histologically confirmed skin cancers in Townsville, north Australia between 1997 and 1999. Results: age-standardized incidence rates for nodular BCC were 727·1 per 100 000 inhabitants per year for males and 411·8 for females, while rates for superficial BCC were 336·5 for males and 251·4 for females. Incidence rates for 'high risk' BCC were 261·3 for males, 146·5 for females with infiltrative, and 156·7 for males and 100·2 for females with micronodular types. Superficial BCC occurred at a younger age, particularly in female patients. For all histological subtypes and both genders relative tumour density was highest for the face, followed by the neck. An exception was superficial BCC in males, where the posterior trunk was second, followed by the neck. Conclusions: the study found a higher rate of superficial BCC than previous studies from less sun-exposed countries, and a more equal distribution of superficial BCC on face, trunk and limbs. These results seem to blur the difference between intermittent and continuous sun exposure as the causative environmental agents. The clinical implications of 'high risk' BCC rates are discussed.