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Does Caffeine Affect The Development Of The Very Immature Brain: Dose Response Relationship?
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$668,386.00
Summary
Premature birth is a major health problem worldwide. Preterm babies often develop apnoea of prematurity (AOP), which is commonly treated with caffeine. Trials indicate that preterm babies treated with low dose caffeine have less neurodevelopmental disabilities at 18 months. Higher doses of caffeine are often needed to reduce AOP but the risk of this is unknown. We will study the short and long-term effects of increasing doses of caffeine on the developing brain in a long-gestation species.
The Burden Of Late Preterm Birth On Brain Development And 2 Year Outcomes – A Prospective, Longitudinal Cohort Study
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$838,690.00
Summary
80% of preterm babies are born from 32-36 weeks’ gestation, and are late preterm (LPT). LPT children have more learning problems, but why this occurs is unknown. This study aims to understand the effect of LPT birth on brain development. We will do brain scans at term and assess development at 2 years of age of 200 LPT and 200 full-term children. We expect LPT babies will have subtle alterations in brain development compared with term controls which will be associated with delayed development.
Mechanisms Of Escape From Progesterone-induced Suppression: Role In Normal And Preterm Birth
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$547,970.00
Summary
Prematurity caused by preterm birth is the leading cause of death and disease among newborns in Australia. Here we will define how the length of pregnancy is determined by the opposing actions of progesterone, which maintains pregnancy, and prostaglandins, which induce labour. We will demonstrate the mechanism by which the actions of the two hormones are balanced in normal pregnancy and disrupted in preterm labour. We will show that preterm birth can be prevented by correcting the disorder.
Molecular Regulation Of CRH Gene Expression In The Human Placenta
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$70,285.00
Summary
Approximately 70% of infant death is a result of premature birth. Preterm delivery occurs in 6-10% of pregnancies, and there has been no reduction in this rate in the last 30 years. This is largely because we remain ignorant of how normal and preterm birth is controlled. Understanding the physiology of human pregnancy is a critical step in the development of ways to detect and prevent preterm birth. Our group has demonstrated a link between production of a hormone (corticotropin releasing hormon ....Approximately 70% of infant death is a result of premature birth. Preterm delivery occurs in 6-10% of pregnancies, and there has been no reduction in this rate in the last 30 years. This is largely because we remain ignorant of how normal and preterm birth is controlled. Understanding the physiology of human pregnancy is a critical step in the development of ways to detect and prevent preterm birth. Our group has demonstrated a link between production of a hormone (corticotropin releasing hormone, CRH) in the placenta and the length of time the baby is carried in the mother. In women who will deliver prematurely the rise in CRH production occurs earlier and more rapidly, while in women who deliver late the rise occurs more slowly. This work has led to the concept of a biological clock that determines the length of time the fetus will be carried by the mother before birth, and in which production of CRH in the placenta plays a central role. We have been studying how the CRH gene is controlled in placental cells. We have discovered some regions in the DNA of the CRH gene which have important roles in controlling how much CRH is made by the placenta. The experiments described in this project will determine the molecular mechanisms that control the production of CRH in the human placenta. This will be done by examining the DNA sequences involved in controlling the CRH gene and by identifying the proteins that actually perform the regulating functions that result in either increased or decreased amounts of CRH being produced by the placenta. This important information will help us better understand how normal and preterm birth is controlled, and from that knowledge new ways to detect and prevent premature birth can be developed.Read moreRead less
Science and the Shaping of Modernity, 1690-1755. It is important that we understand the values underlying our culture, and one form of such understanding is historical. The idea that science provides the standards for all forms of cognitive enquiry is an intrinsic part of modern culture, and the notions of impartiality and objectivity that it is taken to express are closely tied in with estimations of the value of our culture. The history of how this conception emerged in the early-modern period ....Science and the Shaping of Modernity, 1690-1755. It is important that we understand the values underlying our culture, and one form of such understanding is historical. The idea that science provides the standards for all forms of cognitive enquiry is an intrinsic part of modern culture, and the notions of impartiality and objectivity that it is taken to express are closely tied in with estimations of the value of our culture. The history of how this conception emerged in the early-modern period shows that there was nothing self-evident in the assimilation of cognitive values to scientific ones, however, or in the extrapolation of these to general cultural and political values. Read moreRead less
The persona of the philosopher in early modern Europe. The project aims to provide a new interpretation of the history of early modern European philosophy, organised around the key concept of the persona of the philosopher. By focusing on the shaping and reshaping of the philosophical persona - understood as a self cultivated for the purposes of conducting philosophical life and learning - the project will offer novel and fundamental insights into conflicts over the character of philosophy, its ....The persona of the philosopher in early modern Europe. The project aims to provide a new interpretation of the history of early modern European philosophy, organised around the key concept of the persona of the philosopher. By focusing on the shaping and reshaping of the philosophical persona - understood as a self cultivated for the purposes of conducting philosophical life and learning - the project will offer novel and fundamental insights into conflicts over the character of philosophy, its disciplinary borders, its relation to the new scientific enterprises of the era, and its relation to civil and religious life.Read moreRead less
The rise of empiricism and the attempt to produce a unified understanding of the world, 1680-1750. Empiricism is often regarded as the characterising feature of modern scientific method, and, in those approaches to psychology and the social and economic sciences that seek to model themselves on successful scientific practice in the physical and life sciences, it often acts as a model of good practice. The project examines the original form of empiricism and shows how it was able to directly enga ....The rise of empiricism and the attempt to produce a unified understanding of the world, 1680-1750. Empiricism is often regarded as the characterising feature of modern scientific method, and, in those approaches to psychology and the social and economic sciences that seek to model themselves on successful scientific practice in the physical and life sciences, it often acts as a model of good practice. The project examines the original form of empiricism and shows how it was able to directly engage questions of value in a novel and revealing way, and how its connection with 'hard' sciences was not merely to provide a methodological gloss on these, but went to the core of what scientific explanation consisted in.Read moreRead less
A history of terra nullius. The concept of 'terra nullius' has been central to debates concerning the land rights of indigenous peoples. The term, however, has been understood almost in an historical vacuum. Partly in consequence, landmark legal rulings supposedly overturning the doctrine of terra nullius have left European colonisers' justifications of their appropriation of land largely conceptually intact. The central innovation of this history will be to show that when terra nullius, prop ....A history of terra nullius. The concept of 'terra nullius' has been central to debates concerning the land rights of indigenous peoples. The term, however, has been understood almost in an historical vacuum. Partly in consequence, landmark legal rulings supposedly overturning the doctrine of terra nullius have left European colonisers' justifications of their appropriation of land largely conceptually intact. The central innovation of this history will be to show that when terra nullius, properly understood, is rejected in order to establish native title, the implications for the European tradition of property rights and human rights more generally will be profound.Read moreRead less
State formation and European expansion. There is a direct national benefit from this research. The aim of an intellectual history of colonisation is to provide an account of what Europeans engaged in expansion understood themselves to be doing. This account explores the justifications and political motivations for expansion and is accordingly of fundamental importance to contemporary legal debates over dispossession and the larger legacy of colonisation.
Isaac Newton's Temple of Solomon and his analysis of sacred architecture: An interpretation and discussion of Babson Manuscript 0434. Babson Manuscript is an important Newtonian manuscript that contains significant cross disciplinary ideas. It requires a multi-disciplinary understanding and skills for its detailed evaluation. Interpretation and analysis of this significant Newtonian manuscript will advance Newtonian scholarship and will be a valuable resource for researchers of architectural his ....Isaac Newton's Temple of Solomon and his analysis of sacred architecture: An interpretation and discussion of Babson Manuscript 0434. Babson Manuscript is an important Newtonian manuscript that contains significant cross disciplinary ideas. It requires a multi-disciplinary understanding and skills for its detailed evaluation. Interpretation and analysis of this significant Newtonian manuscript will advance Newtonian scholarship and will be a valuable resource for researchers of architectural history. This project has both academic and public outcomes. Recently there has been an increased interest in what is commonly perceived as 'ancient wisdom.' Solomon's Temple is one of the most revered ancient symbols. This project will make the history and ideas of this symbol more accessible to the publicRead moreRead less