Therapeutic pluralism in pregnancy, labour and birthing: Decision-making, communication and inter-professional dynamics. Women are frequent users of practices outside 'mainstream' medicine. Pregnancy, labour and birthing (PLB) is a key area of integration, but no research has examined how women perceive obstetrics, midwifery and complementary medicine, or the impact on their health and wellbeing. This study systematically document Australian women's experiences of PLB with a nationally-represe ....Therapeutic pluralism in pregnancy, labour and birthing: Decision-making, communication and inter-professional dynamics. Women are frequent users of practices outside 'mainstream' medicine. Pregnancy, labour and birthing (PLB) is a key area of integration, but no research has examined how women perceive obstetrics, midwifery and complementary medicine, or the impact on their health and wellbeing. This study systematically document Australian women's experiences of PLB with a nationally-representative sample of women of child-bearing age to document decision making, lay-professional communication, and inter-professional dynamics.Read moreRead less
Navigating back pain care: a sociological study of women's illness pathways within and between intersecting social worlds. Back pain affects most people at some point in their life. It is difficult to treat, choosing a provider can be confusing, and it is costly for the Government. This project will provide comprehensive data on women's journeys through back pain care, their experiences of different providers, and how they negotiate competing ideological perspectives.
Advanced biomass gasification process for distributed power generation with significant negative carbon emission in rural and regional Australia. The outcome of this project is fundamental knowledge essential to the development of advanced biomass gasification processes for distributed power generation with drastic reduction in carbon emissions and the recycling of inorganic nutrients to the land. It will contribute significantly to the future sustainability of rural and regional Australia.
In-cylinder soot sampling and morphology analysis in an optically-accessible diesel engine. Black soot emissions from diesel engines are associated with respiratory illness, cancer, and heart attacks. This project aims to reduce diesel soot emissions by clarifying the nature of the structure and size of soot particles that are sampled from both the engine cylinder and the tailpipe.
Fires of halogenated industrial chemicals and their impact on the Australian environment. Recent large fires of industrial chemicals in Australia led to significant environmental pollution. In this project, we will develop sophisticated techniques to assess pollutants formed in fires of commonly used industrial chemicals. The results will find immediate applications in training fire brigades in their response to chemical fires.
The role of phospholipids in the biogenesis of lipid droplets. The general aim is to elucidate the fundamental molecular mechanisms that govern the biogenesis/formation of the lipid droplets. Lipid droplets store sterol esters and/or triacylglycerols, two major storage lipids that play key roles in cellular and whole body lipid metabolism. Lipid droplets are also the core components of plant oil and biodiesel. Little is known about how lipid droplets are generated. The proposed work will examine ....The role of phospholipids in the biogenesis of lipid droplets. The general aim is to elucidate the fundamental molecular mechanisms that govern the biogenesis/formation of the lipid droplets. Lipid droplets store sterol esters and/or triacylglycerols, two major storage lipids that play key roles in cellular and whole body lipid metabolism. Lipid droplets are also the core components of plant oil and biodiesel. Little is known about how lipid droplets are generated. The proposed work will examine the synthesis of certain lipid intermediates such as phosphatidic acid, and their impact on the biogenesis of lipid droplets from the endoplasmic reticulum. Such fundamental new knowledge on how cells store neutral lipids will provide new strategies for enhancing plant oil and biodiesel production. Read moreRead less
Fundamental mechanisms of metaplast formation during coal and biomass pyrolysis. This project investigates the reasons behind why some coals become fluid at high temperatures and apply these findings to biomass. This fluid phase (metaplast) represents the main area of uncertainty in pyolysis. This project builds on current research into coal macerals (the constituents of coal) using specifically developed novel thermal techniques to capture the dynamic behaviour of the fluid phase during its tra ....Fundamental mechanisms of metaplast formation during coal and biomass pyrolysis. This project investigates the reasons behind why some coals become fluid at high temperatures and apply these findings to biomass. This fluid phase (metaplast) represents the main area of uncertainty in pyolysis. This project builds on current research into coal macerals (the constituents of coal) using specifically developed novel thermal techniques to capture the dynamic behaviour of the fluid phase during its transformation. Critically, these techniques offer a new method of characterising tar compounds and in particular the extracted components of the metaplast. It will provide fundamental insight into an area governed by "black art" and empiricism, guide renewable fuel substitution and optimise Australia's coal and biomass reserves.Read moreRead less
Production, processing and combustion of an innovative slurry fuel for high efficiency distributed power generation. This project will advance the science underpinning the development of an innovative technology for energy production (with carbon capture) and use in remote regions. The outcomes of this research will help meet the great challenges of climate change and contribute to the development of an environmentally sustainable Australia.
Initiation of spontaneous fires. This project aims to determine the origin of the initiation reactions that set off the self-heating of wood chips, coal, milk powder and other economically-important materials, leading to spontaneous fires. This project will provide fundamental understanding of the reactions between electronically excited species of oxygen and carbonaceous fuels, with applications to improved safety in wood, mineral and food industries. The outcomes include identification of the ....Initiation of spontaneous fires. This project aims to determine the origin of the initiation reactions that set off the self-heating of wood chips, coal, milk powder and other economically-important materials, leading to spontaneous fires. This project will provide fundamental understanding of the reactions between electronically excited species of oxygen and carbonaceous fuels, with applications to improved safety in wood, mineral and food industries. The outcomes include identification of the initiation mechanisms and development of mechanistic models that include the initiation step of the self-heating process, and development of new technologies for mitigation of spontaneous fires, based on quenching of the initiation reactions.Read moreRead less
Novel H2 production technology using brown coal for clean power generation. This project aims to develop a novel technology of poly-generation for the large-scale production of hydrogen and activated carbon materials using Australian brown coal through a high-pressure entrained-flow pyrolysis process, which is combined with a flameless catalytic H2 combustion process. The scientific goal of the project is to gain a detailed scientific understanding of the mechanisms of radical reaction pathways ....Novel H2 production technology using brown coal for clean power generation. This project aims to develop a novel technology of poly-generation for the large-scale production of hydrogen and activated carbon materials using Australian brown coal through a high-pressure entrained-flow pyrolysis process, which is combined with a flameless catalytic H2 combustion process. The scientific goal of the project is to gain a detailed scientific understanding of the mechanisms of radical reaction pathways for the high-pressure pyrolysis of brown coal, and the mechanism and kinetics of the catalytic flameless combustion of H2. The project outcomes will meet the needs of Australia's recent national hydrogen initiatives and lead to an industry demonstration to convert Victorian brown coal to NO-free and carbon-free clean power.Read moreRead less