Understanding The Mechanisms For Ameliorating/preventing Antipsychotic-induced Obesity In Early Life
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$576,496.00
Summary
There has been a sharp worldwide increase during the last decade in antipsychotic prescriptions (mostly “off-label”) to paediatric patients. One important issue is that antipsychotic drugs were developed for adult patients and normally have serious side-effects. This project will not only reveal the mechanisms of antipsychotic-induced obesity side-effects in youth, but will also explore intervention strategies for preventing antipsychotic-induced weight gain/obesity in paediatric patients.
Iron and phosphorus recovery from ferric precipitation sludge. To minimise health risks and environmental pollution, water and wastewater treatment processes often use iron salts to eliminate phosphate and other pollutants. This generates large amounts of chemical sludge that is typically sent to landfill. The benefits of this new process will be the recovery of both the iron, which can be reused in the process, and the phosphate, which is a key component in fertiliser. Since phosphate is a limi ....Iron and phosphorus recovery from ferric precipitation sludge. To minimise health risks and environmental pollution, water and wastewater treatment processes often use iron salts to eliminate phosphate and other pollutants. This generates large amounts of chemical sludge that is typically sent to landfill. The benefits of this new process will be the recovery of both the iron, which can be reused in the process, and the phosphate, which is a key component in fertiliser. Since phosphate is a limited natural resource with an increasingly high value, the recovery and recycling of this critical element in food production is highly important. The process will also avoid a large part of the sludge production and will make the water treatment processes more cost-effective.Read moreRead less
Novel hybrid silica membranes for desalination. This project aims to produce high flux, highly stable ceramic membranes for use in desalination. This will result in novel, low energy desalination processes, delivering potable water at a greatly reduced cost.
Testing A Tailored, Evidence-based Education Intervention To Enhance Outcomes For Patients Commencing Chemotherapy
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$311,250.00
Summary
This project tests an innovative education program aimed at reducing the physical and psychosocial burden experienced during a course of cancer chemotherapy. The aim of the study is to reduce the burden and distress associated with cancer chemotherapy. Cancer chemotherapy is associated with physical (nausea, fatigue, hair loss, infection) and psychosocial (fear, anxiety, worry about family) effects that cause significant distress. Patients experience a highly level of pre-treatment anxiety and f ....This project tests an innovative education program aimed at reducing the physical and psychosocial burden experienced during a course of cancer chemotherapy. The aim of the study is to reduce the burden and distress associated with cancer chemotherapy. Cancer chemotherapy is associated with physical (nausea, fatigue, hair loss, infection) and psychosocial (fear, anxiety, worry about family) effects that cause significant distress. Patients experience a highly level of pre-treatment anxiety and for many this distress lasts across the course of treatment. Over the past decade there has been a dramatic shift in chemotherapy delivery to the outpatient setting. This means that patients are now responsibile for monitoring their own health at home and may need to use self-care strategies to deal with the many adverse effects of treatment. Pre-treatment education has usually focused on providing information about the facts of treatment, i.e. likelihood of nausea, rather than preparing the patient for the experience of treatment or helping them to manage the self-care demands associated with receiving treatment in the outpatient setting. The innovative education program tested here is the first of its type to draw on high level research evidence about preparing patients for potentially threatening medical procedures, tailoring this education to the individual situation of the patient and coaching the patient to implement evidence-based self-care behaviours and to use stress reduction techniques across the course of treatment.Read moreRead less
Snake envenoming is a neglected tropical disease and results in numerous deaths, psychological problems and economic burden. Antivenoms aren't readily available in resource poor countries. The CRE will investigate the effects of venom and antivenom to improve understanding of human envenoming. It will also develop tests for early diagnosis of envenoming and undertake clinical trials of antivenom. These studies will be translated back into clinical practice to improve treatment of snake bites.
Fracture Associated Premature Mortality; An International Consortium
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$579,807.00
Summary
Following an osteoporotic fracture there is an increased premature mortality compared with someone who has not fractured. There is also evidence that anti-osteoporosis medication reduces this premature mortality. This study will determine the size of the fracture-mortality relationship and the effect of treatment on this mortality for different fracture types and in different populations by integrating data from multiple international epidemiology studies of osteoporosis.
A Cluster RCT Of A Novel Psychological Intervention To Reduce Depression Among At-risk Older Adults Transitioning To Residential Aged Care
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$893,152.00
Summary
Depression is common in aged care facilities, with many older adults finding the transition extremely difficult. We have developed a simple intervention to help new residents, including those with dementia, to adjust to life in aged care. This program focuses on key aspects of psychological wellbeing, and is designed for widespread use in aged care. We will evaluate the intervention to determine if it is superior to current care approaches in reducing depression and improving quality of life.
Improving Treatment Strategies For Chronic Alphaviral Arthritic Diseases
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$643,624.00
Summary
Chikungunya virus and Ross River virus cause epidemics of acute and chronic arthritic disease in humans, which is often poorly managed with current treatments. This grant seeks to understand the mechanisms that give rise to disease in order to identify improved treatment strategies. Both the persistence of viral replication in joint tissues and unnecessary inflammatory responses appear to be important factors driving chronic disease.
This Centre of Research Excellence will translate the best available evidence to improve cancer outcomes through better management of infections in cancer patients, a rapidly growing group. We will establish new research networks to detect emerging multi resistant infections, develop guidelines on how to manage them, implement locally successful programs that have been shown to save lives nationally and validate new practice changing immune, bioinformatics and diagnostic technologies.
Probiotic Prawn Oral Immunotherapy (ProPIT) For Treatment Of Prawn Allergy
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,865,369.00
Summary
A ‘curative’ food allergy treatment is needed to prevent deaths and improve care. We recently showed that probiotic peanut oral immunotherapy (PPOIT) was highly effective for treating peanut allergy. 82% of PPOIT treated children gained tolerance compared to 4% of the placebo group. We will now test the combined probiotic-food OIT approach for treating prawn allergy. If successful, we will have identified the first treatment for prawn allergy and a platform treatment for other food allergies.