School of Science - Te Kura Pūtaiao

Permanent link for this collectionhttps://hdl.handle.net/10292/1333

Research at AUT's School of Science - Te Kura Pūtaiao is focused on key scientific issues with regional and global significance. The common theme connecting all research areas is sustainability – in the broadest sense as it relates to environmental and human health. Our research is closely allied to teaching and learning opportunities at undergraduate and postgraduate level within the school. Research is organised in six main areas:

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Conceptualising Pro-Environmental Behaviour and the Experiences of Anthropogenic Environmental Degradation
(New Zealand Psychological Society Inc., 2024-12-31) Van Kessel, Kirsten; Ashwell, Dana Y; Feather, Jacqueline S
There is growing recognition of the psychological effects of the experience of anthropogenic environmental degradation. Pro-environmental behaviour (PEB) can be an adaptive response and may be influenced by value orientations and psychological processes. Using a mixed-methods approach, quantitative data from 205 New Zealand adults was collected to determine how well value orientations and stress appraisals of anthropogenic environmental degradation predict PEB. Results showed biospheric values and primary appraisals predicted greater engagement in PEB. Qualitative data from 269 New Zealand adults showed that experiences of anthropogenic environmental degradation are multi-dimensional and reflected five themes: depressive emotions; anxious emotions; dissatisfaction and outrage; impact on behaviour and functioning; and hope. The generalisability of the findings is limited given our samples (predominantly female, Pākeha and young) do not reflect the diversity of the wider New Zealand population. Relevance of findings are discussed in promoting wellbeing of individuals and communities whilst maximising mitigation strategies.
“I can remember thinking, like almost wishing, that the injuries would have been worse, because then I wouldn’t be questioned”: A Qualitative Study on Women’s Experience of Accessing Healthcare for Intimate Partner Violence-related Brain Injury
(MDPI AG, 2026-01-08) Valera, Eve M; Sanghvi, Isha; Sitto, Sarah Rose; Chua, Jason; Saadi, Altaf; Theadom, Alice
Background/Objectives: To identify the barriers and facilitators to accessing healthcare following intimate partner violence (IPV)-related brain injury (BI). Methods: Sixteen adult women participated in interviews about their experience of accessing healthcare following IPV-related BI. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and analyzed using the interpretative descriptive (ID) approach to identify themes and subthemes in the data. Results: Two themes, each with six subthemes related to healthcare seeking for IPV-related BI were identified: Theme 1—Deciding to seek and ability to access healthcare, comprising (a) severity of injury; (b) impact of injury; (c) ability to access medical services; (d) self-blame, fear, shame, and guilt; (e) contextual influences on healthcare seeking; and (f) previous negative interactions; and Theme 2—Complexity in identifying IPV-related BI, comprising (a) trauma can affect recall of events; (b) inability to distinguish IPV-related trauma or aging outcomes from BI sequelae; (c) the importance of trust in disclosure; (d) healthcare professionals need to ask the right questions and respond in the right way; (e) the complex nature of disclosure creates challenges for diagnosis; and (f) fear of being dismissed or judged. Conclusions: Many context-related factors influence whether women can seek treatment for IPV-related BIs. These factors need to be understood by first responders and medical professionals to improve the likelihood and speed of treatment seeking. Furthermore, challenges and fears associated with disclosure of IPV prevent women from seeking proper treatment. IPV training could be helpful in ensuring women feel safe with disclosure.
How Might Comorbid Conditions Co-Occurring With Child Autism Impact Parenting Stress?
(Springer, 2026-01-22) Shepherd, Daniel; Landon, Jason; Goedeke, Sonja
Purpose Many Autistic individuals present with comorbid conditions, including internalising and externalising behaviours, sleep issues, intellectual disabilities, and gastrointestinal dysfunction. We investigated the impact of these child comorbidities on parenting stress in an effort to elucidate the underlying mechanism and how they interact with autistic core symptoms. In total, three theoretical models were tested, being the Amplification, Additive, and Mediation Hypotheses. Methods Participants were 453 parents of an Autistic child reporting on their child’s core symptoms, comorbid conditions, and their parenting stress. Results Correlation analyses reveal moderate associations between the comorbid conditions and parenting stress, but uncovered a weak link between core symptoms and parenting stress. Regression analyses revealed that, when key variables were allowed to adjust for one another, comorbid conditions were found to be independent predictors of parenting stress. A subsequent path analysis indicated that internalising and externalising behaviours partially mediated the relationship between core symptoms and parenting stress. There was no evidence to support the Amplification Hypotheses, and limited evidence to support the Additive and Mediation Hypotheses. Conclusion The findings reinforce the argument that Autistic children require multidisciplinary services and interventions that stretch beyond their primary diagnosis. Further suggestions for future research into child comorbid factors and parenting stress are discussed.
Characteristics of Candlenut (Aleurites moluccana) and Daikon Radish (Raphanus sativus L.)
(Springer Nature, 2026-01-03) Mahirah, Muntaha; Hamid, Nazimah; Raseetha, Siva
Background: This study investigates the physicochemical properties of candlenut (Aleurites moluccana) and daikon radish (Raphanus sativus L.) to explore their potential as natural healing remedies as practised by local communities in Malaysia. Both plants have been used in traditional medicine, but there is limited research on their bioactive compounds and how their characteristics contribute to anti-inflammatory effects. Results: Colour analysis for fresh candlenut exhibited significantly higher L* value (67.70 ± 0.11) compared to its extract (43.21 ± 0.00). This indicated that fresh candlenut had more whitish hue. Likewise, fresh daikon radish showed more whitish hue compared to its extract. Yellowish hue was more pronounced in fresh candlenut (25.46 ± 2.92) compared to its extract (0.45 ± 0.02). Hydroxyl (O–H), alkenyl (C=C), iso-dimethyl (–CH3), and oxygen-bonded (C–O) functional groups were found in both samples using the FTIR method. Significantly higher tannin content was found in candlenut (91.77 ± 12.18 mg/L), compared to daikon radish (2.13 ± 3.00 mg/L). Similarly, alkaloid concentrations were significantly higher in candlenut (10.30 ± 0.59 mg/L) than in daikon radish (3.56 ± 0.12 mg/L). Phenolic analysis using HPLC identified gallic acid concentrations of 273.43 ± 17.23 mg/L in candlenut and 27.39 ± 20.39 mg/L in daikon radish. Daikon radish detected vanillic acid (28.43 ± 11.92 mg/L) and p-coumaric acid (3.04 ± 0.12 mg/L), which was not detected in candlenut. Conclusions: These results suggested that candlenut contains higher alkaloids, tannins and gallic acid compared to daikon radish. Vanillic acid and p-coumaric acid, however, were detected in daikon radish only. All three phenolic acids can act as an antioxidant. However, gallic acid was found in higher proportion in candlenut; hence, it has higher potential against oxidative damage condition. This research supports the traditional use of these plants in managing inflammatory conditions and highlights their potential for nutraceutical applications. It may be a useful to eliminate trigger in inflammatory with interaction with receptors. These interactions occur in NF-κB signalling in inflammation pathway usually, and its dysregulation is an important factor for many inflammatory-related diseases such as asthma, atherosclerosis, gout, diabetes, cancer and many more.
Rimurimu of Waihau Bay: A Guide to Common Seaweeds of the Region
(Auckland University of Technology, 2025-12-11) White, W Lindsey; Wilton, Stevie; Smith, Thomas; Sommerville, Pippa; Ryan-Watson, Caitlyn; Gee-Miller, Natasha; Roach, Jessica; Simmons, Felicity
A Study on Optimizing Functional Oats and Quinoa Cookies: The Role of Fiber in Enhancing Texture, Taste, and Sensory Acceptance of Rebaudioside A–sweetened Formulation
(Functional Food Center, 2025-12-05) Banu, A; Watawana, MI; Ryan, G; Pogorzalek, M; Granato, D; Sarda, FAH
Background: Since obesity, diabetes, and celiac disease are becoming global health issues, interest in low-calorie and gluten-free food consumption has increased over time. Sugar alternatives, such as Rebaudioside-A, have gained attention due to their health benefits and natural origins. In this study, we investigated the effects of Rebaudioside-A as a sugar substitute and inulin as a functional ingredient in gluten-free oat and quinoa cookies. Objective: This study aimed to develop and optimize gluten-free, dairy-free, and sugar-free functional cookies formulated from oats and quinoa. Rebaudioside-A was used as a complete substitute for traditional sugar. As an alternative, a dietary fiber source, inulin, was incorporated with three primary objectives: enhancing the product's sensory acceptability and nutritional value and improving its binding properties to ensure structural integrity. Methods: Oats and quinoa-based gluten-free cookies were formulated in three variations: sugar-based (SuC, control), Rebaudioside-A-based (StC), and Rebaudioside-A and Inulin-based (InStC). Water activity and texture analysis were performed on the same day of baking and after 5 days. Sensory analysis (n=103) was carried out following ethical approval. Results: Sensory evaluation revealed that InStC had improved acceptability compared with StC alone due to the inclusion of inulin, with no difference in odor or color. Based on the sensory study results, there was no perceived difference between odor and color for the three formulations. Suc and InStC showed the same water activity and physical texture analysis results, and the texture sensory analysis also found the two products to be not different. Conclusion: This study demonstrates that replacing sugar with Rebaudioside-A and incorporating inulin in gluten-free cookies is a novel and viable approach for developing functional, low-calorie baked goods. While Rebaudioside-A alone posed challenges in terms of aftertaste acceptability, adding inulin improved the sensory profile in terms of taste and texture.
A Front Lines Look at Peer-to-Peer Sharing of Indigenous Knowledge and Academic Science
(Oxford University Press (OUP), 2025-12-02) Pendleton, L; Baron-Aguilar, C; Tsai, FCL; Kokaua, L; Quesnot, T; Vavia, Antony; Rongo, T; Tseng, HC; Alexandroff, SJ; Su, SHL; Ho, TY
Indigenous knowledge systems and non-Indigenous academic science are recognized as important components of the evidence base that Indigenous leaders can use to manage marine protected areas (MPAs). Nevertheless, the use of both Indigenous and academic knowledge in marine management is still evolving. Indigenous academics, i.e. people of Indigenous heritage with advanced academic training, are increasingly acting as the agents to integrate Indigenous knowledge, academic approaches, and marine management. While attention in the literature has been paid to knowledge sharing between Indigenous knowledge holders and academic researchers, far less has been written about peer-to-peer knowledge sharing between Indigenous academics working in marine science and management. Here, we describe the frontline details of a workshop focused on the sharing of Indigenous knowledge and academic science by Indigenous academics. The workshop, held in Taiwan, brought together Indigenous academics and community leaders from across the Austronesian region. The central technical challenge was facilitating effective cross-cultural knowledge exchange between diverse Indigenous communities and Indigenous academics and researchers. The workshop employed several technical approaches that likely have broad application beyond Indigenous peer-to-peer knowledge sharing. We used a co-designed planning process that prioritized Indigenous protocols over common academic formats. This involved remote meetings and iterative agenda revisions to address cultural sensitivities and ensure collaborative input from all participating Indigenous groups (Amis and Polynesian). The workshop deliberately moved away from panel presentations to utilize culturally resonant activities like ceremonies, gift-giving, and circle discussions in a longhouse; this helped to create a foundation of trust and respect, essential for authentic knowledge sharing. We undertook an active listening approach in which our most senior and most junior participants were charged with making sense of the proceedings and creating the post-workshop analysis of the meeting's outcomes. We found that four key elements were important to the success of our knowledge exchange: build relationships, raise awareness about Indigenous academic science, engage in active listening, and allow for enough time.
Blue Carbon Storage in a Tropical Coastal Estuary: Insights for Conservation Priorities
(Elsevier, 2023-10-10) Suwandhahannadi, WK; Wickramasinghe, D; Dahanayaka, DDGL; Le De, Loic
Seagrass ecosystems have been determined as necessary sinks in the global carbon cycle and contribute towards climate change mitigations. In the recent past, there has been an increase of studies focused on blue carbon opportunities provided by seagrasses but large knowledge gaps and uncertainties remain, particularly in tropical seagrass meadows in the South Asian regions. Therefore, the current study aims to quantify the organic carbon stocks in the seagrass meadows on the tropical estuary in southern coast of Sri Lanka and highlights the need of conserving seagrasses specially in the context of effective management of lagoons to achieve Sustainable Development Goals. Landsat 9 (OLI/TIRS) images were used to develop seagrass distribution maps for 2022 and the data were verified with ground truthing. Vegetation and soil samples were taken from eight sampling locations representing the Rekawa Lagoon. Aboveground biomass (AGB) and belowground biomass (BGB) were determined by multiplying the biomass with the carbon conversion factor whereas the loss-on-ignition (LOI) technique was applied to calculate the soil organic carbon. Results revealed that the soil core carbon content of the study site were ranged between 2.56 ± 0.29 to 3.04 ± 0.44 Mg C/ha. The calculated total carbon content of the 0.0324 km2 study area in Rekawa Lagoon was 10.21 Mg C, giving 87.06 % contribution from sediment organic carbon pool. This study provides insights for the conservation of these critical ecosystems and highlights the need of policy and action agendas for better management.
The Presence and Impact of Autistic Child Comorbid Conditions and Their Relationship to Parent Well-being
(Elsevier BV, 2026-01-07) Shepherd, Daniel; Goedeke, Sonja; Landon, Jason
Purpose The diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder is rising globally, and as a long-life condition associated with high support needs, parents of Autistic children experience greater parenting stress and lower quality of life than parents raising typically developing children. However, while research has investigated the relationship between the severity of child autism symptoms and parenting stress, studies into comorbid conditions that likewise impair child function are not as common and often focus on a small subset of conditions. The aim of the current study was to estimate the frequency of the five most common comorbidities reported in the autism literature (Anxiety, ADHD, Intellectual Disability, Gastrointestinal Issues, Sleep Disorder) and relate them to parenting stress and health-related quality of life (HRQOL). Methods Using an internet-based survey, parent reports of their Autistic child’s comorbid conditions and the impact these have on their child’s function, parenting stress, and parental HRQOL were obtained from 453 parents residing in New Zealand. A global measure of parenting stress was obtained using the 18-item Parenting Stress Scale, while HRQOL ratings were obtained using the 36-Item Short Form Survey (SF-36). Results While many parents indicated the presence of comorbid conditions in their Autistic child, a substantial proportion were not formally diagnosed. A Linear Mixed-Effects Model indicated that child anxiety, Intellectual Disability, and ADHD had the greatest impact on both child and parent, however, subsequent multivariate analyses clarified that sleep disorder and Gastrointestinal Issues had the largest effect on parental stress and HRQOL, followed by ADHD. This result was robust irrespective of whether parents were asked if the comorbidity was present (vs. absent), diagnosed (vs. undiagnosed), or when related to child (i.e., functional) and parent (i.e., stress) impact. Conclusion Evidence that child sleep disorder, Gastrointestinal Issues, and ADHD are most detrimental to parental well-being indicate that interventions targeting these comorbidities should be prioritised. Coupled with increased child function as a direct result of intervention, better parental outcomes should increase child well-being and family quality of life, indicating that future research into the diagnostic barriers associated with comorbid conditions would be useful.
Decision Processes Contributing to Support and Willingness to Forward Links on the Ukraine War
(Interactive Media Institute, 2025-06-01) Phillips, JG; Mann, L
We investigated whether religiosity, political partisanship activism on the Ukraine-Russia conflict, decision making style, and time taken to complete an online Questionnaire predict willingness to forward the online Questionnaire to others. The Questionnaire study was conducted May-September 2024 on Qualtrics with an online sample of N=204. The online Questionnaire measured political support for Ukraine, Russia, or neither in the Ukraine-Russia War, decision making style on the Melbourne Decision Making Questionnaire (MDMQ), political activism, religiosity, and willingness to forward the Questionnaire. We found more support for Ukraine (73.5%) than for Russia (3.9%), than for neither side (22.5%). Religiosity was a factor in willingness to forward the Questionnaire. There was a tendency for religious participants to be more willing to forward the Questionnaire. A 2x2 MANOVA found that politically active participants were more willing to forward the Questionnaire and religious participants with a less vigilant decisional style were more willing to forward the Questionnaire. We measured time taken to complete the online Questionnaire. Participants neutral in the Ukraine-Russia conflict and who spent more time on the Questionnaire were more willing to forward the Questionnaire. The findings suggest people who are less vigilant, have stronger political viewpoints, and take more time completing Questionnaires, are more likely to spread information and accordingly might pose greater security risks in organisations.
Examining the CRAFT Program’s Impact on Student Musicians’ Well-Being Compared to Controls
(SAGE Publications, 2025) Bartos, Javier; Posadas de Julián, M Pilar; Wrapson, Wendy; Medvedev, Oleg; Krageloh, Chris
Consciousness, Relaxation, Attention, Fulfillment, and Transcendence (CRAFT) is a neuroeducational program for self-actualization, happiness, and well-being grounded in yoga, mindfulness, positive psychology, and emotional intelligence. The present study was devised to build on preliminary CRAFT research by examining the effectiveness of CRAFT to enhance tertiary students’ physical, psychological, and emotional well-being. Accordingly, tertiary student musicians (n = 93) were assessed on psychophysical measures before and after participating in a 3-arm non-randomized controlled trial—conducted once a week for 60–90 min over 7 months within courses based on CRAFT (CRAFT group, n = 28), Alexander Technique (active control group, n = 32), or regular music instruction (inactive control group, n = 33) at a higher conservatory. Measures included surveys of mindfulness, music performance anxiety (MPA), emotional regulation, well-being, and psychological distress, as well as tests of lower body balance and flexibility. Statistical and practical significance of the between-group differences in change scores was tested through planned contrasts and Cohen’s d ESs ± 95% CIs. CRAFT participants reported statistically and practically significant improved levels of overall mindfulness (d > 0.96), non-reactivity (d > 0.78), and left leg balance (d > 1.24) compared to active and inactive controls; observing mindfully (d = 0.68) and cognitive reappraisal (d = 0.79) compared to active controls; and right leg balance (d = 0.69), flexibility (d = 0.70), proximal MPA (d = −0.57), dread/scrutiny MPA (d = −0.69), depression (d = −0.73), anxiety (d = −0.68), and overall psychological distress (d = −0.65) compared to inactive controls. Notwithstanding some limitations, this study supported CRAFT as an effective intervention to multidimensionally enhance tertiary student musicians’ well-being and resilience. Larger multi-arm studies with students from other disciplines are needed to substantiate these findings.
Variability of Airborne Microbial Communities and Associations with Organic Pollutants in African Air Particulate Matter Across Land-Use Types
(Elsevier BV, 2025-12-15) Kalisa, Egide; Lacap-Bugler, Donnabella; Adams, Matthew; Bi, Jiaqi; Nsabimana, Antoine; Habiyaremye, Gabriel; Uwizeye, Glorieuse; Lawrence, Timothy; Lee, Kevin; Hayakawa, Kazuichi; Pointing, Stephen; Archer, Stephen DJ
Exposure to particulate matter (PM) is a major global health concern, yet the potential relationships between its chemical and microbial components remains poorly understood, particularly in rapidly urbanizing, understudied settings. This study presents an integrated assessment of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), nitrated PAHs (NPAHs), bacteria, and fungi in both fine (PM2.5) and coarse (PM10) aerosols across urban, roadside, and rural sites in sub-Saharan Africa, with a focus on Rwanda across dry and wet seasons. Microbial analysis revealed that the richness and community structure of the airborne bacterial and fungal communities varied with land-use type, linked with PAH/NPAH abundance, PM size fraction, and season. Spearman correlation coefficient confirmed that bacterial communities were more strongly associated with PAH and NPAH compounds, whereas fungal communities were shaped primarily by environmental factors. One bacterial genus, Sphingobium, exhibited evidence of selective enrichment within the PAH rich PM2.5 size fraction, highlighting the potential for direct interaction between the biological and chemical compositions in air. We provide a critical baseline for African cities where air quality data are scarce. Current air quality standards, which prioritize chemical thresholds, overlook the biological burden carried by PM.
Untargeted Metabolomics in Halophytes: The Role of Different Metabolites in New Zealand Mangroves Under Multi-factorial Abiotic Stress Conditions
(Elsevier, 2020-05-01) Ravi, S; Young, T; Macinnis-Ng, C; Nyugen, TV; Duxbury, M; Alfaro, AC; Leuzinger, S
Mangroves are halophytes which live in harsh coastal environments, and can serve as excellent model organisms to understand mechanisms of stress tolerance. Metabolomics is a useful approach to investigate the role different metabolites play during physiological responses of plants to abiotic stress factors. Previous studies indicate that levels of non-structural carbohydrates in plants may be associated with stress tolerance. Here, we manipulated levels of non-structural carbohydrates (NSCs) in the New Zealand mangrove, Avicennia marina subsp. australasica, through a light swapping regime. In a subsequent drought × salinity experiment, we then monitored leaf metabolite profiles of two NSC groups (high-NSC and low-NSC). Our results show that fourteen metabolites, belonging to multiple biochemical pathways, were significantly affected by one or more of these factors. The manipulation of non-structural carbohydrates led to increased abundance of amino acids in the low-NSC (L-NSC) plants compared to the high-NSC (H-NSC) plants. Under high drought conditions, the L-NSC plants had higher abundances of leucine and valine in comparison to those with the H-NSC phenotype. The L-NSC plants also had higher abundances of putrescine and aminoadipic acid when exposed to high salinity. Under the combination of drought and salinity, α-ketoglutarate was reduced in plants with the H-NSC phenotype, and soluble sugars accumulated compared to those with the L-NSC phenotype. The increased soluble sugar content in the H-NSC plants can facilitate osmotic adjustment, thereby aiding their survival during low soil water potential conditions. We also detected the presence of stress-protective phenolic compounds (syringic and sinapic acids) not previously reported in mangroves. Relationships between plant growth and the mangrove metabolome were also established, with levels of glucose and phosphoenol pyruvate being primarily responsible for phenotypic associations. Our findings show that the metabolites detected in this study, and their respective metabolic pathways, play a significant role in salinity and drought stress tolerance of A. marina subsp. australasica, providing new information to better understand mangrove mortality.
3642 Down the Rabbit Hole: Case Reports of a Hallucinogen-induced Disorder of Neuroperception
(BMJ Publishing Group Ltd, 2025-10-23) McConnell, Anneliese; He, Wei; McConnell, Harry; Sprendei, Sandro; Sowman, Paul
Background/Objectives We present case histories of severe adverse effects associated with Hallucinogen Persisting Perception Disorder (HPPD), a disorder of neuroperception involving visual and other senses that is due to the treatment of various neuropsychiatric disorders with hallucinogens. This includes the case of a young woman who developed visual hallucinations of distorted shapes and colours after participating in a clinical trial of psilocybin for treatment-resistant depression. She continued to have ongoing perceptual abnormalities, and other neuropsychiatric phenomena with severe effects on her quality of life. Objective To discuss the ramifications of HPPD stemming from treatment with psychedelics for neuropsychiatric disorders and the importance this holds for clinical practice and research trials. Methods We present case histories of people with HPPD, with a focus on a case occurring during a research trial as well as a systematic review of HPPD occurring with therapeutic use of hallucinogens. Results HPPD affects approximately 1 in 25 people taking psychedelics whether recreationally or therapeutically. HPPD occurs irrespective of dosing or frequency of use and may occur in those who have microdosed. HPPD may have serious long-term consequences often associated with other perceptual and neuropsychiatric symptoms. Conclusion HPPD is a potentially devastating adverse effect of hallucinogens irrespective whether the use occurs recreationally, therapeutically or even in a controlled trial. It is important that HPPD be screened for and that informed consent is obtained from patients with reference to this adverse effect. Patient education prior to being offered therapeutic hallucinogens is essential for clinical and research practice.
The in Vitro Bioactive Properties of Fermented Brewer's Spent Grain With Lactiplantibacillus plantarum: Aerobic vs Anaerobic Processes
(MDPI, 2025-10-27) Ha, Minh Quoc; Rimbault, Victor; Nguyen, Phuc Hanh; Berthevas, Mathilde; Ghamsary, Maryam; Kitundu, Eileen; Kam, Rothman; Seale, Brent; Henier Bang-Berthelsen, Claus; Le, Thao
Introduction Fermentation offers a sustainable method to convert food by-products into valuable resources. This study explored the Lactiplantibacillus plantarum (L. plantarum) fermentation of brewer’s spent grain (BSG), a major by-product from blonde wheat (WB) and stout beer (SB) production. This study compared aerobic and anaerobic fermentation conditions to enhance BSG’s bioactive properties. Methods BSG from WB and SB was fermented with L. plantarum under aerobic and anaerobic conditions for 10 days, with non-fermented BSG as a control. Extracts, collected every two days, were evaluated for in vitro bioactivities: antioxidant capacity (ferric ion reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) and DPPH assays), antimicrobial effects (against Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, and Bacillus cereus), anti-obesity potential (anti-lipase activity), and cytotoxicity on RAW 264.7 macrophages. Ex vivo antibacterial activity was assessed on wheat- and milk-based food products. Results Fermentation significantly enhanced BSG bioactivities compared to non-fermented controls, with distinct outcomes varying by condition. Anaerobic fermentation doubled antioxidant activity in WB and SB extracts by Day 6 compared to aerobic conditions. Aerobic fermentation showed superior antimicrobial activity, fully inhibiting Bacillus cereus at 83.3 mg/mL (vs. 166.6 mg/mL under anaerobic conditions, Day 6), and stronger anti-obesity effects, with IC₅₀ values of 8.6 mg orlistat equivalents (OE)/g (WB) and 6.6 mg OE/g (SB) on Day 8. Ex vivo assays confirmed antimicrobial effects, with wheat-based media requiring lower concentrations (0.042 mg/mL) than milk-based media (333.3 mg/mL). Cytotoxicity assays indicated no toxicity, with both conditions promoting macrophage proliferation. Conclusions Fermentation with L. plantarum significantly enhances BSG’s bioactivity. Anaerobic conditions optimise antioxidant properties, while aerobic conditions favour antimicrobial and anti-obesity effects. These findings suggest fermented BSG’s potential for food preservation and health-promoting applications.
From Clicks to Creating Kin: How Australian Online Egg Donors Craft Relationships With Recipients and Donor-conceived Children
(Informa UK Limited, 2025-12-03) Volks, C; Goedeke, S; Griffin, L; Kelly, F
Anonymous egg donation is prohibited in Australia, with all states allowing donor-conceived people (DCPs) to access their donor's identity at age 18 or 16, depending on the state. However, early contact, well before age 18, is becoming more common. A key driver of this trend is recipients' and donors' use of online platforms (OPs) like Facebook to find one another, enabling donor-recipient contact before donation and/or after the donor-conceived children are born. This study reports on interviews with 24 egg donors who met recipients via OPs and had early contact post-birth. Using reflexive thematic analysis, the study found that donors were primarily motivated by empathy and saw donation as a relational act. They selected recipients with shared values around early contact and negotiated post-birth relationships. Early contact often led to meaningful kinship connections, with relationships described using extended family terms. The donor-recipient relationship unfolded as a progressive relational model: motivations informed recipient choice and contact expectations, and early contact deepened relational bonds. However, some donors experienced relationship breakdowns with recipients, illustrating the emotional complexity of (early) contact, even when agreed to. Findings underscore the importance of psychosocial support to ensure donor conception practices promote the wellbeing of all parties involved.
Nowhere Else to Go: Help Seeking Online and Maladaptive Decisional Styles
(Elsevier BV, 2021) Kim, J; Phillips, JG; Ogeil, RP
Many high-risk individuals do not use mental health services. This is a concern for mental health and suicide prevention efforts, and requires an examination of the role of decision-making style upon willingness to seek help. To consider whether defensive avoidance influenced willingness to engage with Professionals or online assistance, participants (N = 189) answered an online survey, completing the Melbourne Decision Making Questionnaire and WHOQOLBref. Participants were then asked their preferred source of assistance, and their subsequent behaviour (time, clicks) was tracked on a debrief page listing sources of assistance. Overall quality of life was used to determine risk. Multiple regression indicated that people with poorer quality of life had poorer decisional styles. A 2 × 4 Risk by Preferred Source of Assistance MANOVA found that: (1) people seeking online assistance were hypervigilant procrastinators; (2) self-sufficiency and an unwillingness to seek professional assistance by those at risk was linked to panic and confirmed behaviourally from the increased number of clicks on a debrief page. Decision making styles can influence quality of life, and help-seeking behaviors, and this has implications for outreach towards those with poor engagement with offline mental health services.
Quantifying Opponent Process Dynamics in Pornography Use and Masturbation: An Exploratory Ecological Momentary Assessment Study
(Springer, 2025-11-21) Henry, Nathan IN; Pedersen, Mangor; Williams, Matt; Donkin, Liesje
The causal relationships between pornography use, masturbation, moral incongruence, and mental health are poorly understood. While the link between problematic pornography use (PPU) and depression is well documented, the temporal dynamics associated with pornography use and masturbation have not yet been quantified. Utilizing an exploratory ecological momentary assessment (EMA) design, we measured the temporal dynamics of cognitive and affective state variables collected from 22 participants before, during, and after pornography use and masturbation, and examined the moderating role of moral incongruence in these relationships. Participants completed an initial survey followed by a four-week EMA, capturing data on sexual activities and cognitive and affective state variables. Bayesian hierarchical mixed-effects models were employed to analyze temporal dynamics. Findings suggest that pornography use and masturbation were linked to changes in affective and cognitive states that spiked both before and after sexual episodes. These states were generally more pronounced and sustained in participants with high moral incongruence, who experienced transient increases in shame, guilt, difficulty thinking, relationship disconnectedness, craving for sexual intercourse, and mood deterioration after pornography use and masturbation. These shifts typically persisted for several hours before decaying to baseline levels. High-incongruence participants also experienced strong spikes in craving prior to sexual episodes, while low-incongruence participants experienced craving spikes after pornography use and masturbation, indicating possible sensitization effects. Our findings also signalled potential evidence for "brain fog" following pornography use in both low and high-incongruence participants. Further, we discovered opponent process dynamics in the mood of high-incongruence participants, providing a possible causal mechanism that may explain how PPU can lead to depression.
Ontogenetic Variation in the Gut Microbiota of Kyphosus sydneyanus: A Comparative Analysis
(American Society for Microbiology, 2025-10-20) Pisaniello, Alessandro; Handley, Kim M; White, W Lindsey; Angert, Esther R; Clements, Kendall D
Gut microbiota can be shaped by host-related (e.g., species, diet) and environmental (e.g., habitat, geography) factors. Gut microbiota of the herbivorous fish family Kyphosidae vary between individuals and gut sections and can be influenced by diet and geography. Temperate Kyphosus sydneyanus are abundant on rocky reefs of northeastern New Zealand, where adults mainly consume Phaeophyceae, whereas juveniles typically feed on Rhodophyta and Chlorophyceae. We compared the gut microbiota of K. sydneyanus adults and juveniles to investigate the relative effects of ontogeny versus diet on bacterial community composition. We used 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing and ddPCR quantification to determine the following: (i) ontogenetic variation in gut microbiota of K. sydneyanus, (ii) shared microbial taxa, and (iii) processes influencing bacterial community assembly, given the lack of vertical transmission. To further explore dietary effects, we also compared these data to the gut microbiota of adult K. sectatrix, which are rare tropical vagrants to northeastern New Zealand. Juvenile K. sydneyanus exhibited greater dietary similarity to K. sectatrix adults than conspecific adults. Overall, K. sydneyanus gut microbiota diversity increased with fish size, and K. sydneyanus adults had a more diverse gut microbiota than K. sectatrix adults. Estimated absolute abundances and community structure varied considerably across individuals. K. sydneyanus juveniles had relative abundances more similar to those from adult K. sectatrix than adult conspecifics. However, a comparison of amplicon sequence variants (ASVs) showed that juveniles of K. sydneyanus shared more ASVs with conspecific adults. This suggests that historical contingency and selection are important drivers of community assembly.
BrainScape: An Open-Source Framework for Integrating and Preprocessing Anatomical MRI Datasets
(Massachusetts Institute of Technology Press, 2025-09-30) Yasinzai, Muhammad Nabi; Mito, Remika; Pedersen, Mangor
MRI has revolutionized our ability to investigate and understand brain structure and function in health and disease. A large amount of MRI data is widely available to researchers, both from large-scale multi-site consortia and smaller site-specific datasets. This wealth of MRI data offers opportunities to advance our understanding of the brain, particularly through machine learning and deep learning approaches that rely on large sample sizes to reveal complex associations between brain organization and its behavioral and clinical associations. Many large-scale initiatives provide extensive datasets with sufficient statistical power to support reproducibility, but reproducibility alone does not ensure clinical relevance or broad generalizability due to narrow demographic representations and minimized dataset variability. Recent work highlights the need to embrace dataset variability and open-science collaborations for pooling heterogeneous datasets. Nevertheless, effectively integrating these diverse resources remains a significant challenge. Inconsistencies in organization, data formatting, acquisition protocols, and metadata remain, especially for smaller, site-specific datasets, despite ongoing efforts within the neuroimaging community to standardize data sharing practices. To address these issues, we introduce BrainScape: a curated collection of 160 publicly available MRI datasets packaged with an open-source, plugin-based Python framework that automates the download, organization, preprocessing, and demographic attachment of the MRI data. Each individual dataset includes a detailed configuration file capturing all dataset-specific parameters, enabling other researchers to regenerate the BrainScape dataset. The current BrainScape dataset integrates 160 datasets, encompassing a total of 27227 subjects and 46583 multimodal MRI scans after quality control. The BrainScape framework’s pipeline effectively aggregates these heterogeneous datasets while preserving the original dataset structure and demographic details. Its modular design allows integration into data pipelines, supporting large-scale studies involving diverse cohorts and targeted research on rare phenotypes. BrainScape framework employs an easy-to-use plugin-based architecture with distinct modules for data downloading, file mapping, validation, preprocessing, and demographics attachment. Furthermore, each MRI image can be traced to its source project and repository, and subjects excluded from datasets are documented in dedicated dataset-specific configuration files, providing transparent and reproducible exclusion criteria. BrainScape dataset includes multiple MRI modalities such as T1-weighted (T1w), T2-weighted (T2w), gadolinium-enhanced T1-weighted (T1Gd), and fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) from diverse sources and integrates key demographic fields, such as age, sex, and handedness, for large-scale studies. This unified workflow reduces manual labor and minimizes the risk of data duplication and biases. By providing automated, transparent, and configurable workflows, BrainScape hopes to address open science challenges, accelerate data-driven investigations, and promote inclusivity and reproducibility in neuroscience research.

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