Development of Model Systems to Investigate Blood Hydrodynamic Parameters Affecting Blood Cell Function: An Interdisciplinary Approach. National benefit will come through this research contributing to a better understanding of blood flow biology and pathology, both of which are of particular relevance to the aging Australian population. This benefit is well aligned with the 2008 National research priority 2: Promoting and Maintaining Good Health; Priority Goal 3. Preventative Health. The synthes ....Development of Model Systems to Investigate Blood Hydrodynamic Parameters Affecting Blood Cell Function: An Interdisciplinary Approach. National benefit will come through this research contributing to a better understanding of blood flow biology and pathology, both of which are of particular relevance to the aging Australian population. This benefit is well aligned with the 2008 National research priority 2: Promoting and Maintaining Good Health; Priority Goal 3. Preventative Health. The synthesis of both extensive expertise in platelet/cardiovascular research and bioengineering/rheology should provide a substantial platform from which fundamental new discoveries in this niche area can be made. The development of novel platelet analysis tools arising from this work may also ultimately lead to new intellectual property and attract industry based funding.Read moreRead less
Stress Evaluation with Non-Linear Guided Waves. This project plans to investigate a novel approach for in situ measurement of stress in structures based on an internal resonance phenomenon for nonlinear guided waves. Monitoring the stress level of critical structural components is important to ensure structural safety. The project plans to derive the requirements for this internal resonance and its dependence on stress analytically and verify them experimentally for both simple waveguides and mo ....Stress Evaluation with Non-Linear Guided Waves. This project plans to investigate a novel approach for in situ measurement of stress in structures based on an internal resonance phenomenon for nonlinear guided waves. Monitoring the stress level of critical structural components is important to ensure structural safety. The project plans to derive the requirements for this internal resonance and its dependence on stress analytically and verify them experimentally for both simple waveguides and more realistic structures. The expected outcome is the demonstration of the feasibility of a new inexpensive method for continuous monitoring of applied or thermally-induced stresses, which is of great importance in several engineering contexts, such as modern railway track rails, pipelines or pre-stressed strands in concrete structures.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE100100222
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$440,000.00
Summary
Time-resolved tomographic particle image velocimetry facility. The experimental information gained from measurements provided by this infrastructure will lead to significant advances in understanding turbulent flows and the dynamics of solid structures, which will impact a broad range of engineering and geophysical fields. Some specific examples include the development of efficient turbulence control strategies for the reduction of skin-friction drag and improved combustion processes, resulting ....Time-resolved tomographic particle image velocimetry facility. The experimental information gained from measurements provided by this infrastructure will lead to significant advances in understanding turbulent flows and the dynamics of solid structures, which will impact a broad range of engineering and geophysical fields. Some specific examples include the development of efficient turbulence control strategies for the reduction of skin-friction drag and improved combustion processes, resulting in not only better fuel efficiency for vehicles but also reduced CO2 and pollutant emissions. Significant advances can also be made in understanding the dispersion of pollutants in the atmosphere, wind turbine design and the development of lighter and stronger intelligent materials with improved fatigue life.Read moreRead less
Effect Of Testosterone Treatment Combined With Dietary Restriction On Body Fat Mass And Muscle Function In Obese Men: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$140,949.00
Summary
Obesity, an increasing health and economic burden, is associated with lowered testosterone levels in men. While both dietary restriction and testosterone treatment reduce body fat, whether a combination of these two approaches achieves a more pronounced fat mass reduction is unknown. We will conduct a rigorous 12 month clinical trial of testosterone treatment in 150 obese men with a low testosterone level. All men will receive dietary intervention to induce and maintain weight loss
Determining The Function Of Parasite Proteins At The Membrane Skeleton Of Malaria-infected Red Blood Cells
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$392,036.00
Summary
Malaria is a serious disease that frequently kills its victim after a bout of high fever and coma. The most vicious form of malaria is caused by a minute parasite called Plasmodium falciparum that lives inside red blood cells. As these parasites grow, they make some dramatic renovations to their red blood cell home that make it become very stiff and sticky. Instead of flowing around the body like normal red blood cells, the infected cells become trapped in small veins and can no longer carry out ....Malaria is a serious disease that frequently kills its victim after a bout of high fever and coma. The most vicious form of malaria is caused by a minute parasite called Plasmodium falciparum that lives inside red blood cells. As these parasites grow, they make some dramatic renovations to their red blood cell home that make it become very stiff and sticky. Instead of flowing around the body like normal red blood cells, the infected cells become trapped in small veins and can no longer carry out their normal job. The ability of the parasite to make red blood cells stiff and sticky is what makes this type of malaria so dangerous, particularly when red cells get stuck in the brain. We plan to look at certain proteins that malaria parasites place on the walls of red blood cells because we think this is what makes them stiff and sticky. We hope this will help with the development of and urgently required ways to cure malaria.Read moreRead less
Does Increased Non-Linear Behavior Caused By Dynamic Variables Increase Ventilatory-Induced Lung Injury (VILI)?
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$109,625.00
Summary
Acute lung injury (ALI) is precipitated by a variety of different insults, either directly to the lung or elsewhere to the body. Approximately 50% of the patients die. ALI is characterized by an increase in the leakiness of the barrier that normally separates the blood from the airspaces. The fluid which consequently floods the airspaces not only makes it difficult for patients to adequately obtain oxygen, but also dramatically increases the work of breathing by changing the surface forces withi ....Acute lung injury (ALI) is precipitated by a variety of different insults, either directly to the lung or elsewhere to the body. Approximately 50% of the patients die. ALI is characterized by an increase in the leakiness of the barrier that normally separates the blood from the airspaces. The fluid which consequently floods the airspaces not only makes it difficult for patients to adequately obtain oxygen, but also dramatically increases the work of breathing by changing the surface forces within the lungs. As a result, the patients must be mechanically ventilated. However, the very act of using a positive pressure to inflate the lungs often creates further damage, either through repeated opening and closing of collapse tissue or through its over distension. Ventilatory-induced lung injury (VILI), in itself is estimated to contribute to ~30% of the mortality. The best way shown to minimize VILI is through the use of small programmed breaths so as not to overinflate the lungs while still allowing adequate gas exchanges, superimposed upon a background pressure, in order to pre-inflate the lungs and prevent them from repeatedly collapsing. A remaining problem is that just as a rubber band changes its elasticity as it is stretched, so too the lung changes its mechanical properties during distension. Moreover, the lung is considerably more complex since different regions have different elasticities, which change differentially as air flows in and out of them. Airflow in turn depends on regional differences in the location, size, and number of conducting airways. Indeed, we have recently shown for the first time that dynamic changes in lung mechanics may contribute to VILI in patients, despite the use of safe ventilation modalities. This application proposes to examine the extent to which dynamic changes in lung mechanic contribute to VILI in an animal model, as a prelude to more costly, large scale clinical trials aimed at improving mortality.Read moreRead less