Visualising vascular adaptation at the micro-scale in humans. The project aims to investigate fundamental issues in the mechanisms underlying vascular remodelling. It plans to develop novel optical scanning techniques to acquire high-resolution images of the cutaneous microvasculature, alongside absolute blood flow quantification. These novel tools would allow us to visualise and quantify functional and structural adaptations in the microvasculature in response to physiological stimuli such as h ....Visualising vascular adaptation at the micro-scale in humans. The project aims to investigate fundamental issues in the mechanisms underlying vascular remodelling. It plans to develop novel optical scanning techniques to acquire high-resolution images of the cutaneous microvasculature, alongside absolute blood flow quantification. These novel tools would allow us to visualise and quantify functional and structural adaptations in the microvasculature in response to physiological stimuli such as heat exposure and exercise. The non-invasive tool aims to enable us to assess adaptations in microvasculature health, improving our understanding of cardiovascular diseases and type 2 diabetes and potentially reducing the impact of costly and debilitating morbidities such as nephropathy, neuropathy, retinopathy, impotence and skin ulceration.Read moreRead less
Defining the direct effects of exercise on arterial adaptation. Understanding the mechanisms responsible for the beneficial effects of exercise is fundamental to optimising the design of preventative programs aimed at healthy ageing. These experiments will contribute to our understanding of the direct effects of changes in blood flow and pressure during exercise on vascular adaptations in humans.
Impact of shear stress on vascular adaptations in humans. Large arteries are important for the delivery of blood and oxygen to organs such as the heart and brain. A primary physiological stimulus which controls the size and function of these crucial arteries is the magnitude of flow or, more accurately, shear force that the inner wall of the artery is exposed to. We have developed novel software which enables non-invasive assessment of arterial wall velocity, diameter and blood flow. We will ass ....Impact of shear stress on vascular adaptations in humans. Large arteries are important for the delivery of blood and oxygen to organs such as the heart and brain. A primary physiological stimulus which controls the size and function of these crucial arteries is the magnitude of flow or, more accurately, shear force that the inner wall of the artery is exposed to. We have developed novel software which enables non-invasive assessment of arterial wall velocity, diameter and blood flow. We will assess the impact of acute and chronic changes in wall flow and shear on arterial size and function. We will also develop new software which measures other aspects of artery wall behaviour. These basic human physiology studies have direct implications for assessment of artery health in humans.Read moreRead less
Goal orientations, self-regulation and performance: Implications for accelerating learning via goal-setting interventions. This project relates to the priority of strengthening Australia's social and economic fabric. The question of when and why various goals are adaptive versus maladaptive is of fundamental importance for understanding human behaviour. Society benefits from research into this question, because it provides a pathway for tapping into human potential. The results have implications ....Goal orientations, self-regulation and performance: Implications for accelerating learning via goal-setting interventions. This project relates to the priority of strengthening Australia's social and economic fabric. The question of when and why various goals are adaptive versus maladaptive is of fundamental importance for understanding human behaviour. Society benefits from research into this question, because it provides a pathway for tapping into human potential. The results have implications for the development of effective training programs and thus have the potential to influence personal growth and financial stability. The results will have wide application in a variety of industries. Examples include the development of interventions for more rapid training, and the development of performance-management plans for facilitating career advancement.Read moreRead less
School Exclusionary Policies and Practices and their Impact. This project aims to investigate how and why Australian schools use exclusionary practices to manage disorderly students. This project expects to generate new knowledge in the area of school discipline about the extent and impact of these practices. It will provide a detailed analysis of the political, legislative and policy frameworks that impact on exclusion rates. Expected outcomes of this project include alternative policy and prac ....School Exclusionary Policies and Practices and their Impact. This project aims to investigate how and why Australian schools use exclusionary practices to manage disorderly students. This project expects to generate new knowledge in the area of school discipline about the extent and impact of these practices. It will provide a detailed analysis of the political, legislative and policy frameworks that impact on exclusion rates. Expected outcomes of this project include alternative policy and practice recommendations for legislatures and education systems. This should provide significant benefits, such as reducing youth alienation from schooling; creating inclusive schools; reducing the financial burden of exclusion on individuals and governments; and improving the health and wellbeing of young people.Read moreRead less
Improving assessment in science through the use of students' perceptions. The aim of the project is to focus on students as the clients and generate information resulting in an improvement in the assessment of science at middle school level. It brings together three components of educational research not previously conceptualised in the one study: students' perceptions of assessment tasks, students' perceptions of teacher-student interactions, and students' attitudes towards science. The current ....Improving assessment in science through the use of students' perceptions. The aim of the project is to focus on students as the clients and generate information resulting in an improvement in the assessment of science at middle school level. It brings together three components of educational research not previously conceptualised in the one study: students' perceptions of assessment tasks, students' perceptions of teacher-student interactions, and students' attitudes towards science. The current international emphasis on outcomes-based education has focused attention on assessment as a crucial component in student learning and makes this research timely. Understanding the relationships among the three research components will lead to improvements in teaching and learning science.Read moreRead less
Touching scenes: intelligent haptic guidance for supporting learning with complex graphic displays. Complex visual information is a defining feature of 21st Century life because advances in graphics display technology permeate all aspects of our society. For Australian citizens to prosper in a world reliant on rich informational graphics, they must be able to use these depictions effectively and efficiently. Touch-based approaches, using a haptic tablet, could facilitate processing of key visual ....Touching scenes: intelligent haptic guidance for supporting learning with complex graphic displays. Complex visual information is a defining feature of 21st Century life because advances in graphics display technology permeate all aspects of our society. For Australian citizens to prosper in a world reliant on rich informational graphics, they must be able to use these depictions effectively and efficiently. Touch-based approaches, using a haptic tablet, could facilitate processing of key visual information in challenging circumstances where displays are complex or vision is limited. Improving visually-based performance and learning will benefit education and training, increase productivity and safety across the industrial, professional and service sectors, enhance security monitoring, and broaden community information access.Read moreRead less
Models of Knowledge Restructuring. In a world of rapid change, people must frequently adapt cognitive skills to new technologies. This often requires restructuring of knowledge, from simple initial strategies to increasingly complex ways of mastering the task. This is not always easy and people sometimes resist knowledge restructuring. We present a network model of knowledge restructuring that combines attentional processes with error-driven learning. The model accounts for several existing resu ....Models of Knowledge Restructuring. In a world of rapid change, people must frequently adapt cognitive skills to new technologies. This often requires restructuring of knowledge, from simple initial strategies to increasingly complex ways of mastering the task. This is not always easy and people sometimes resist knowledge restructuring. We present a network model of knowledge restructuring that combines attentional processes with error-driven learning. The model accounts for several existing results and makes predictions that guide the proposed research. Three factors will be examined empirically: (1) the role of directing attention to alternative strategies; (2) the imperfection of existing knowledge; and (3) the complexity of alternative strategies.Read moreRead less
Environmental geodesy: variations of sea level and water storage in the Australian region. It is essential for Australia's long-term planning and security that the effects of global warming on our nation's water resources and coastlines are quantified. Sea level variations projected into the future vary around Australia and have large uncertainties, yet the impacts have substantial social and financial ramifications for our community. Australia hasn't yet quantified accurately its critical water ....Environmental geodesy: variations of sea level and water storage in the Australian region. It is essential for Australia's long-term planning and security that the effects of global warming on our nation's water resources and coastlines are quantified. Sea level variations projected into the future vary around Australia and have large uncertainties, yet the impacts have substantial social and financial ramifications for our community. Australia hasn't yet quantified accurately its critical water resources nor how they are changing. This proposal will address both these issues, providing for the first time valuable and accurate information for planning appropriate strategies to mitigate the impact of sea level rise and water storage on the Australian society.Read moreRead less
Advancing the application of Rasch models to the level of tests: estimating person parameters independently of all test parameters. The project advances recent theoretical work on Rasch models which makes it possible to compare estimates of person locations on a scale independently of all properties of the tests to which they have responded. The project aims to circumvent the current methods of test equating where various distribution assumptions are implied.