Australian art exhibitions 1968-2009: a generation of cultural transformation. The years 1968 to 2009 witnessed a transformation in the way Australians saw the art of their country. This project investigates the impact of increased funding (government and private) and new scholarship on the curating of art exhibitions, and traces the reconfiguration of Australia’s art history that took place in exhibitions during this period.
The invisible farmer: Securing Australian farm women's history. The invisible farmer: Securing Australian farm women's history. This project, believed to be the first national study of farm women in Australia, aims to address their historical and contemporary invisibility by creating an online, publicly accessible, multimedia documentary database that maps the role women play/played in Australian agriculture. Chief investigators in the fields of social work, women's history, cultural informatics ....The invisible farmer: Securing Australian farm women's history. The invisible farmer: Securing Australian farm women's history. This project, believed to be the first national study of farm women in Australia, aims to address their historical and contemporary invisibility by creating an online, publicly accessible, multimedia documentary database that maps the role women play/played in Australian agriculture. Chief investigators in the fields of social work, women's history, cultural informatics and archival practice will collaborate with community, government and cultural organisations to create digital tools for research, public access and community engagement. Reframing the narrative of rural Australia is expected to create greater understanding and awareness of the value of inclusion, reveal structures of gender inequality in rural communities, and enable significant outcomes in research, industry and public policy.Read moreRead less
Surface engineering of biomaterials for optimal bone bonding characteristics. The ideal bone-implant material is hydroxyapatite. Chemically similar to bone mineral, hydroxyapatite is capable of inducing bone ongrowth. An ideal surface coating for metal hip implants, plasma spraying has been the preferred commercial hydroxyapatite coating technique. Until recently, it was always presumed that the bioactivity of hydroxyapatite resulted from its surface chemistry. However, a recent study has shown ....Surface engineering of biomaterials for optimal bone bonding characteristics. The ideal bone-implant material is hydroxyapatite. Chemically similar to bone mineral, hydroxyapatite is capable of inducing bone ongrowth. An ideal surface coating for metal hip implants, plasma spraying has been the preferred commercial hydroxyapatite coating technique. Until recently, it was always presumed that the bioactivity of hydroxyapatite resulted from its surface chemistry. However, a recent study has shown that the bioactivity of HAp coatings strongly correlates with surface roughness on the scale of bone cells. This project will explore cell-attachment behaviour for hydroxyapatite coatings prepared by plasma spraying compared with engineered surface morphology/chemistry by microlithography and vapour coating.Read moreRead less
Functionally graded fibre-polymer composites: a novel material for spinal disk prostheses. Chronic back pain affects a significant proportion of the population and is primarily caused by failure of the spinal disk. A strong social/economic imperative exists to develop engineering solutions to this problem. This project concerns the development of a novel fibre-polymer functionally graded composite material that mimics the structure of the spinal disk. The spinal disk comprises a soft core (nucle ....Functionally graded fibre-polymer composites: a novel material for spinal disk prostheses. Chronic back pain affects a significant proportion of the population and is primarily caused by failure of the spinal disk. A strong social/economic imperative exists to develop engineering solutions to this problem. This project concerns the development of a novel fibre-polymer functionally graded composite material that mimics the structure of the spinal disk. The spinal disk comprises a soft core (nucleus) and a tough fibrous periphery (annulus). The graded composite approach of this proposal represents a significant advance over spinal fusion, and over the alternative spinal disk protheses in clinical use or in the patent literature.Read moreRead less
Communication skills training for oncology health care professionals working with culturally and linguistically diverse patients. The project will develop and evaluate two novel training programs designed to equip health professionals to communicate with cancer patients from different cultures. It is expected that the programs will improve trainees’ ability to communicate in a culturally sensitive way.
Variation and Perceptual Ecologies in Computer Games and Simulations: Towards a Generic Model of Variable 3D Environments. The non repeatability is a key element in providing a challenging and interesting experience in computer games and simulations. However, too much variation could lead to a rejection of the environment and reluctance to accept the premise as a base for game play or training. Examples of applications that could utilise this research include; (a) Computer Games - always playing ....Variation and Perceptual Ecologies in Computer Games and Simulations: Towards a Generic Model of Variable 3D Environments. The non repeatability is a key element in providing a challenging and interesting experience in computer games and simulations. However, too much variation could lead to a rejection of the environment and reluctance to accept the premise as a base for game play or training. Examples of applications that could utilise this research include; (a) Computer Games - always playing in an unknown environment, (b) Vocational Training - a Forest Fire Fighting simulation that allows for different terrain configurations, undergrowth volatility, fire source, etc., and (c) Military Simulations - Anti-terrorist simulations where the level of variability will manifest itself both in the physical environment and in the nature of the combatants. Read moreRead less
Energy-Efficient Communication Protocols for Wearable Wireless Biomedical Sensor Devices. The communication protocols developed in this project will directly contribute to the realisation of wearable, mobile, and robust devices for continuous medical monitoring. Several Australian industries can benefit economically by using the technology to improve the performance, efficiency, and longevity of their existing systems for chronic disease management, aged care, personal wellness, occupational hea ....Energy-Efficient Communication Protocols for Wearable Wireless Biomedical Sensor Devices. The communication protocols developed in this project will directly contribute to the realisation of wearable, mobile, and robust devices for continuous medical monitoring. Several Australian industries can benefit economically by using the technology to improve the performance, efficiency, and longevity of their existing systems for chronic disease management, aged care, personal wellness, occupational health, and in hospitals/GPs. Non-intrusive monitoring offers quality-of-life to the millions of aged and chronically ill Australians, while low-cost allows it to be widely used in regional and rural communities. Partaking in the innovation of the technology will also give Australia a strong position in the ICT space.Read moreRead less
An Innovative Multimedia Framework for Multidimensional PET-CT Image Navigation and Communication. The recent development of a combined positron emission tomography and computerized tomography (PET-CT) device ushers in a completely new era in molecular imaging that will revolutionize the approach to imaging in the clinical environment. In this project, we address a number of the critical challenges associated with the introduction of PET-CT, and provide a range of innovative multimedia technolo ....An Innovative Multimedia Framework for Multidimensional PET-CT Image Navigation and Communication. The recent development of a combined positron emission tomography and computerized tomography (PET-CT) device ushers in a completely new era in molecular imaging that will revolutionize the approach to imaging in the clinical environment. In this project, we address a number of the critical challenges associated with the introduction of PET-CT, and provide a range of innovative multimedia technologies to visualize, manipulate and deliver these multi-dimensional data. Our research will greatly enhance the clinical and research benefits of PET-CT and facilitate new discoveries which will have a significant scientific and social impact in Australia and the world at large.Read moreRead less
A consumer-adoption study: Exercise training for the healthy elderly in an Australian retirement community setting. Investigates the consumer-adoption process (knowledge, persuasion, decision, implementation, and confirmation) for an exercise training service in a retirement village. This project will evaluate the psychological and physical impacts of the new exercise service. From a consumer behaviour perspective it will examine behavioural outcomes (adoption vs non-adoption), as well as the ....A consumer-adoption study: Exercise training for the healthy elderly in an Australian retirement community setting. Investigates the consumer-adoption process (knowledge, persuasion, decision, implementation, and confirmation) for an exercise training service in a retirement village. This project will evaluate the psychological and physical impacts of the new exercise service. From a consumer behaviour perspective it will examine behavioural outcomes (adoption vs non-adoption), as well as the individual differences that distinguish adopters from non-adopters. Finally, it will examine customer intentions (i.e. intention to stay, intention to recommend). The project will establish the product/service effectiveness and acceptability in Australia, as well as the marketing potential of the program for Australian retirement villages in general.Read moreRead less
New fermentation and purification production technologies for menaquinone-7 for promoting bone and cardiovascular health. We will develop a significantly more cost-efficient and environmentally friendly process for the production of vitamin K (menaquinone-7, or MK7) to manufacture food supplements for humans and animals. MK7 will increase bone regeneration and minimise the risk of cardiovascular disease. It has the potential to reduce the costs of these conditions for the community, and to incre ....New fermentation and purification production technologies for menaquinone-7 for promoting bone and cardiovascular health. We will develop a significantly more cost-efficient and environmentally friendly process for the production of vitamin K (menaquinone-7, or MK7) to manufacture food supplements for humans and animals. MK7 will increase bone regeneration and minimise the risk of cardiovascular disease. It has the potential to reduce the costs of these conditions for the community, and to increase the quality of life for Australia's ageing population. Orthopaedic diseases are also a major veterinary issue, and our advance should make MK7 a more widely used available supplementary food for animals such as horses and dogs. Read moreRead less