Info-chemicals for the environmentally sustainable management of autumn gum moth and scarab beetle pests of bluegum plantations. Insect pest control in Australian bluegum plantations currently relies on insecticides. Insecticides are incompatible with maintaining populations of native beneficial insects and achieving biotic regulation of pest populations. Info-chemicals offer ways of disrupting pest populations that are benign to beneficials because they only interfere with the responses of the ....Info-chemicals for the environmentally sustainable management of autumn gum moth and scarab beetle pests of bluegum plantations. Insect pest control in Australian bluegum plantations currently relies on insecticides. Insecticides are incompatible with maintaining populations of native beneficial insects and achieving biotic regulation of pest populations. Info-chemicals offer ways of disrupting pest populations that are benign to beneficials because they only interfere with the responses of the target insect. This project will pioneer the development of sex pheromone-based technologies for managing autumn gum moth and reveal potential applications of info-chemicals for managing scarab beetles. Application of info-chemical solutions to plantation pests will improve public perception of the industry and assist with forestry standard certification.Read moreRead less
Developing feasible in situ control of mange disease in wombats. Our goal is the development of feasible in situ control of sarcoptic mange in wombat populations. Globally important, the Sarcoptes scabiei mite infects >100 mammal species and is among the 50 most common human diseases, causing health, welfare and population impacts. This infection is treatable, and we will test a new treatment (fluralaner), develop new models to guide management, and conduct replicated field trials. This will ena ....Developing feasible in situ control of mange disease in wombats. Our goal is the development of feasible in situ control of sarcoptic mange in wombat populations. Globally important, the Sarcoptes scabiei mite infects >100 mammal species and is among the 50 most common human diseases, causing health, welfare and population impacts. This infection is treatable, and we will test a new treatment (fluralaner), develop new models to guide management, and conduct replicated field trials. This will enable science-based guidelines, advancing disease control, local eradication, and regulatory approval for wombats. Our research framework is adaptable to other mange-impacted species, and advance methods and theory for control of treatable disease in wildlife.Read moreRead less
The role of neurohormones in the regulation of appetite and successful sea water transfer in farmed Atlantic salmon. Cultured Atlantic salmon spend the first part of their life in freshwater and then following a physiological adaption phase called smoltification, the fish (now termed smolts) are transferred to sea cages for growout. A proportion of smolts fail to thrive after transfer, show slow or no growth and usually die some months later. This project will investigate the role that the neuro ....The role of neurohormones in the regulation of appetite and successful sea water transfer in farmed Atlantic salmon. Cultured Atlantic salmon spend the first part of their life in freshwater and then following a physiological adaption phase called smoltification, the fish (now termed smolts) are transferred to sea cages for growout. A proportion of smolts fail to thrive after transfer, show slow or no growth and usually die some months later. This project will investigate the role that the neurohomones that control both appetite and physiological stress in fish have in stimulating the resumption of feeding after sea water transfer.The basic knowledge generated will be used directly in development of strategies for minimising smolt failure in Atlantic salmon aquaculture.Read moreRead less
The cellular basis of temperature impairment of reproductive function in Atlantic salmon. Elevated summer and autumn temperatures, either as a result of normal climate variation or global warming, inhibit reproduction in salmonid fishes by disrupting endocrine (hormonal processes). The mechanisms involved are unclear but are known to involve inhibition of ovarian estrogen and the assembly of egg-yolk proteins. This project will investigate the cellular basis of the inhibitory effect of high temp ....The cellular basis of temperature impairment of reproductive function in Atlantic salmon. Elevated summer and autumn temperatures, either as a result of normal climate variation or global warming, inhibit reproduction in salmonid fishes by disrupting endocrine (hormonal processes). The mechanisms involved are unclear but are known to involve inhibition of ovarian estrogen and the assembly of egg-yolk proteins. This project will investigate the cellular basis of the inhibitory effect of high temperature on reproduction, at the ovarian and hepatic levels. The understanding developed will be an essential component of amelioration strategies for managing the continued successful rearing of salmon and trout under warming environmental conditions.Read moreRead less
Linking plant genetics and chemistry to maximise tree production in the softwood industry. This project aims to test a ‘gene to plantation’ approach for the management of pests in softwood forestry. The project aims to focus on the stripping of bark from Pinus radiata trees by mammals: a major threat to tree productivity in many regions of Australia and an economic burden for forestry companies. The project aims to use a wide complement of P. radiata germplasm to link genetics, bark defensive ch ....Linking plant genetics and chemistry to maximise tree production in the softwood industry. This project aims to test a ‘gene to plantation’ approach for the management of pests in softwood forestry. The project aims to focus on the stripping of bark from Pinus radiata trees by mammals: a major threat to tree productivity in many regions of Australia and an economic burden for forestry companies. The project aims to use a wide complement of P. radiata germplasm to link genetics, bark defensive chemistry and susceptibility to damage. It aims to identify genotypes with increased resistance, unravel defensive tree traits, screen for genetic markers and identify specific gene regions correlated with trait variation, and examine cross-correlations with other major tree productivity traits.Read moreRead less
Individual, social and physical environmental influences on children's active transport and independent mobility. Childhood obesity is likely to have significant economic and social impacts on Australian society. Preventing further increases in this disease is crucial, particularly among children at high risk such as those living in rural or disadvantaged areas. The promotion of behaviours such as active transport may have a significant benefit for public health; however little is known about wh ....Individual, social and physical environmental influences on children's active transport and independent mobility. Childhood obesity is likely to have significant economic and social impacts on Australian society. Preventing further increases in this disease is crucial, particularly among children at high risk such as those living in rural or disadvantaged areas. The promotion of behaviours such as active transport may have a significant benefit for public health; however little is known about what influences active transport among children in rural or disadvantaged areas. This study will identify important factors influencing active transport and will directly inform strategies aiming to promote health and wellbeing, thereby creating a healthier generation of Australian children.Read moreRead less
Community Engagement for Productive Ageing: Models to support rural healthy ageing through the maintenance of community involvement and contribution. Governments at all levels are concerned about the looming social and economic challenges flowing from an ageing population. At present, ageing services are largely focussed on caring for the frail dependent aged. Yet, ultimately, the key to meeting the ageing challenge will lie in how successful we are in supporting our healthy independent aged to ....Community Engagement for Productive Ageing: Models to support rural healthy ageing through the maintenance of community involvement and contribution. Governments at all levels are concerned about the looming social and economic challenges flowing from an ageing population. At present, ageing services are largely focussed on caring for the frail dependent aged. Yet, ultimately, the key to meeting the ageing challenge will lie in how successful we are in supporting our healthy independent aged to stay contributing and productive members of their community. By developing evidence-based interventions that focus on preventing social disengagement before it occurs, the project provides a cost effective approach to ensuring that Australia's rapidly growing aged cohort remain social assets and do not become social burdens.Read moreRead less
The effects of maternal attachment, marital satisfaction and sensitivity to infants on infants attachment and adjustment: A longitudinal-structural equation study. This study will examine how family and attachment factors effect the adjustment of infant at 24 months of age. A longitudinal study, using structural equation method, will examine how maternal attachment and marital satisfaction when infants are 4 months of age will effect maternal parenting behaviors two months later, and how all thr ....The effects of maternal attachment, marital satisfaction and sensitivity to infants on infants attachment and adjustment: A longitudinal-structural equation study. This study will examine how family and attachment factors effect the adjustment of infant at 24 months of age. A longitudinal study, using structural equation method, will examine how maternal attachment and marital satisfaction when infants are 4 months of age will effect maternal parenting behaviors two months later, and how all three of these measures will effect infant attachment 6 months later. It will then examine how all four of these measures will effect the adjustment of infants 12 months later. The study will have important implications for early intervention and prevention of psychological problems in infants and children.Read moreRead less
The future of shipping: achieving autonomous navigation. This project aims to develop autonomous decision systems and onshore control stations to support the design and operation of unmanned cargo ships. Blending observations, numerical models, virtual reality and machine learning, the project will develop algorithms for unsupervised navigation and embed these in an advanced ship simulator platform capable of responding to environmental conditions and optimising sea freight transport capabilitie ....The future of shipping: achieving autonomous navigation. This project aims to develop autonomous decision systems and onshore control stations to support the design and operation of unmanned cargo ships. Blending observations, numerical models, virtual reality and machine learning, the project will develop algorithms for unsupervised navigation and embed these in an advanced ship simulator platform capable of responding to environmental conditions and optimising sea freight transport capabilities. The expected outcomes will enable the integration of automated controls in ships, including remote-control capabilities. This will support Australia’s transition towards an autonomous shipping industry, delivering greater reliability, efficiency, productivity and safety.Read moreRead less
Modeling Healthcare Systems. An efficient healthcare system is essential for the well-being of any society. The aim of the project is to develop major advances in the mathematical modelling of healthcare systems, in order to improve efficiency, and ultimately, patient health. The first expected outcome is the development of mathematical models that constitute a high-level description of patient flow through hospitals and subacute care, so that demands for emergency and elective capacity are met ....Modeling Healthcare Systems. An efficient healthcare system is essential for the well-being of any society. The aim of the project is to develop major advances in the mathematical modelling of healthcare systems, in order to improve efficiency, and ultimately, patient health. The first expected outcome is the development of mathematical models that constitute a high-level description of patient flow through hospitals and subacute care, so that demands for emergency and elective capacity are met given limited resources. The second is the development of a bed allocation algorithm that allocates patients to appropriate wards, so as to optimise the set of performance indicators of the system under appropriate constraints, given the current ward occupancy.Read moreRead less