Early Indicators Of Noise Injury: Are Decreased Auditory Processing Skills Evident In Noise-exposed Adults Prior To Diagnosis Of Hearing Loss?
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$367,605.00
Summary
Recent research indicates that noise-exposed individuals with similar hearing thresholds to non-noise exposed counterparts are more likely to have diminished temporal and spectral auditory processing abilities. This research aims to determine the relationship between noise exposure levels and auditory processing difficulties; the influence of musical training in ameliorating these difficulties; and a neurological model of causation, operation and possible remediation of these difficulties.
Organization Of Descending Auditory Projections From Inferior Colliculus To Cochlear Nucleus
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$473,121.00
Summary
Sensory information gains awareness by ascending brain pathways to reach consciousness. Descending projections, however, have grown in importance because of implications for feedback management of ascending signals. Studies of these pathways will provide insight into auditory processing with respect to selective volume control, calibration adjustments between the two ears, and the extraction of signals from background noise. The data could lead to new strategies for treating hearing disorders.
Development Of The Listening In Spatialized Noise - Tonal Test (or LiSN-T)
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$227,136.00
Summary
In this project a novel listening test software will be developed for diagnosing spatial processing disorder in children. These children often have difficulties in understanding teachers in classrooms, which can significantly impact their ability to learn. The developed software will be specifically designed for diagnosing 5-year old children, before they enter primary school, and in contrast to existing tests will be independent of their language background.
Studies Of The Effects Of Asymmetric Hearing Loss On The Brain
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$920,076.00
Summary
Hearing loss impairs the normal development and maintenance of auditory pathways. Irreversible pathologies persist when hearing is not restored in a timely manner. While cochlear implantation is the accepted treatment for profound sensorineural hearing loss, there is significant variability in outcomes. Some of this variability is linked to the degree of hearing asymmetry. Thus, we propose to study brain changes in the auditory system that accompany asymmetric hearing impairment.
Predicting Language Skills From Early Auditory Speech Discrimination In Infants With Hearing Loss: Implications For Early Management And Intervention
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$706,113.00
Summary
Now that newborn hearing checks are available, hearing loss can be picked up soon after birth and hearing aids are fitted shortly after. Although procedures exist for checking that the devices make sounds audible, there is no way to evaluate their effectiveness for supporting a child’s auditory discrimination. This study aims to 1) develop new clinical tools for assessing infants’ auditory discrimination, and 2) determine whether early discrimination predicts spoken language at 3 years of age.
A scalable and portable question-answering system. The current availability of large volumes of free text digitally stored demands the development of methodologies that can automatically find specific answers to user questions about this "unstructured" information. The goal of this project is to develop a scalable portable and domain-independent real-time natural-language question-answering system that explores the logical contents of the text. To achieve this we will fuse current approaches to ....A scalable and portable question-answering system. The current availability of large volumes of free text digitally stored demands the development of methodologies that can automatically find specific answers to user questions about this "unstructured" information. The goal of this project is to develop a scalable portable and domain-independent real-time natural-language question-answering system that explores the logical contents of the text. To achieve this we will fuse current approaches to question answering with approaches that look at the logical contents of the questions and answer candidates. A central part of the project will be the characterisation of the optimal logical forms, the determination of efficient methods to create and store sentence logical forms of potentially large volumes of text, and the treatment of difficult questions by incorporating summarisation and text generation techniques.Read moreRead less
A Layered Controlled Natural Language for Knowledge Representation. In this research project we will develop a controlled natural language for knowledge representation that has the potential to bridge the gap between fragments of natural language and formal languages. This controlled language will be based on a variety of increasing sophisticated layers, each building upon those below it by providing enhancements in expressive power. Sentences of the controlled language will be unambiguously tra ....A Layered Controlled Natural Language for Knowledge Representation. In this research project we will develop a controlled natural language for knowledge representation that has the potential to bridge the gap between fragments of natural language and formal languages. This controlled language will be based on a variety of increasing sophisticated layers, each building upon those below it by providing enhancements in expressive power. Sentences of the controlled language will be unambiguously translatable into a corresponding formal language. Anyone who can read and write English can immediately use the controlled language with the help an intelligent text editor. This technology will make it possible for non-specialists to write problem specifications in terms of the application domain without the need to formally encode the information.Read moreRead less
A Skin Detection Micro-Sensor for Face Identification using Color and Stereo Information. The objective of this research is to develop a micro-sensor for face identification, using color and stereo information. The micro-sensor chip performs a real-time search of the scene to locate human skin for subsequent face detection. This micro-sensor could also be used for gesture recognition, lip reading, monitoring driver's hypo-vigilance or tracking a person in a crowd. The chip image-recognition capa ....A Skin Detection Micro-Sensor for Face Identification using Color and Stereo Information. The objective of this research is to develop a micro-sensor for face identification, using color and stereo information. The micro-sensor chip performs a real-time search of the scene to locate human skin for subsequent face detection. This micro-sensor could also be used for gesture recognition, lip reading, monitoring driver's hypo-vigilance or tracking a person in a crowd. The chip image-recognition capabilities will spur the development of a new generation of consumer products with "intelligent eyes".
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Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE100100235
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$280,000.00
Summary
Accelerating Australia's large scale video surveillance research programmes. The research to be conducted using this infrastructure will bring immense benefits to Australia in terms of increased levels of public safety and in the protection of critical facilities from terrorism and other crimes, by developing better surveillance systems. This will provide both increases in measurable research outputs and opportunities for Australian business to commercialise these systems. The infrastructure wil ....Accelerating Australia's large scale video surveillance research programmes. The research to be conducted using this infrastructure will bring immense benefits to Australia in terms of increased levels of public safety and in the protection of critical facilities from terrorism and other crimes, by developing better surveillance systems. This will provide both increases in measurable research outputs and opportunities for Australian business to commercialise these systems. The infrastructure will accelerate the pace of surveillance research and development in Australia, enhancing the competitiveness of both Australia's researchers and the businesses that will commercialise these researchers' discoveries.Read moreRead less