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What doctors should consider before prescribing e-liquids for e-cigarettesAlexander Larcombe BScEnv (Hons) PhD Head, Respiratory Environmental Health Team Leader, Respiratory Environmental Health Associate Professor
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Annual Community Lecture: You Are What You BreatheJoin us for our Annual Community Lecture entitled "You Are What You Breathe" with Professor Stephen Holgate.
Research
House dust mite induced lung inflammation does not alter circulating vitamin D levelsWe hypothesized that allergic inflammation decreases the level of circulating 25(OH)D and tested this using a mice model of house dust mite (HDM) induced...
Research
Development of a screening tool to identify safer biodieselsAlexander Anthony Larcombe Kicic BScEnv (Hons) PhD BSc (Hons) PhD Head, Respiratory Environmental Health Rothwell Family Fellow; Head, Airway
Research
Inclusion of genital, sexual, and gender diversity in human reproductive teaching: impact on student experience and recommendations for tertiary educatorsWestern societal norms have long been constrained by binary and exclusionary perspectives on matters such as infertility, contraception, sexual health, sexuality, and gender. These viewpoints have shaped research and knowledge frameworks for decades and led to an inaccurate and incomplete reproductive biology curriculum. To combat these deficiencies in reproductive systems-related education, our teaching team undertook a gradual transformation of unit content from 2018 to 2023, aiming to better reflect real diversity in human reproductive biology.
Research
Fuel feedstock determines biodiesel exhaust toxicity in a human airway epithelial cell exposure modelBiodiesel is promoted as a sustainable replacement for commercial diesel. Biodiesel fuel and exhaust properties change depending on the base feedstock oil/fat used during creation. The aims of this study were, for the first time, to compare the exhaust exposure health impacts of a wide range of biodiesels made from different feedstocks and relate these effects with the corresponding exhaust characteristics.
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Biodiesel Exhaust Toxicity with and without Diethylene Glycol Dimethyl Ether Fuel Additive in Primary Airway Epithelial Cells Grown at the Air-Liquid InterfaceBiodiesel usage is increasing steadily worldwide as the push for renewable fuel sources increases. The increased oxygen content in biodiesel fuel is believed to cause decreased particulate matter (PM) and increased nitrous oxides within its exhaust.
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Growth of the airway smooth muscle layer from late gestation to childhood is mediated initially by hypertrophy and subsequently hyperplasiaThe airway smooth muscle (ASM) layer thickens during development. Identifying the mechanism(s) for normal structural maturation of the ASM reveals pathways susceptible to disease processes. This study characterized thickening of the ASM layer from foetal life to childhood and elucidated the underlying mechanism in terms of hypertrophy, hyperplasia and extracellular matrix (ECM) deposition.
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Mechanical Abnormalities of the Airway Wall in Adult Mice After Intrauterine Growth RestrictionWe propose that mechanical abnormalities of the airway wall acquired through disrupted fetal growth impact susceptibility to disease
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Increased heterogeneity of airway calibre in adult rats after hypoxia-induced intrauterine growth restrictionThe rat model demonstrates that intrauterine growth restriction leads to a more heterogeneous distribution of airway lumen calibre in adulthood