Involvement Of Interstitial Cells Of Cajal In The Pathogenesis Of Diabetic Gastroparesis
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$386,104.00
Summary
Diabetics commonly suffer from gastrointestinal symptoms such as bloating and nausea. We have preliminary evidence that interstitial cells of Cajal (ICC), which are essential for normal gut motility, are particularly vunerable to damage in diabetes. The goal of this study is to determine how the loss of ICC in diabetes leads to delayed gastric emptying. Our overall aim is to identify potential therapeutic targets for improved treatment of diabetes-related gastrointestinal motility disorders.
The Role Of Connexins In Blood Pressure Regulation: Use Of A Conditional Gene Expression System
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$583,767.00
Summary
Cell coupling through gap junctions is said to play an important role in regulating blood flow and blood pressure. However data obtained from mice, in which specific gap junctions are deleted, may be compromised by compensatory changes in other junctions. We have validated a new method for rapidly and reversibly altering gap junctions in adult mice with oral sugar. This technique will enable us to directly determine whether interference with cell coupling affects blood flow and blood pressure.
Myoendothelial Gap Junctions: Their Composition And Role In Vasodilator Responses Attributed To EDHF
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$282,750.00
Summary
Cardiovascular disease, including coronary heart disease and stroke, continues to be the major cause of death in Australia and hypertension is a significant risk factor. The endothelium, which lines blood vessels of all sizes, is critical to the control of blood flow to the organs of the body. Endothelial cells release factors which can cause blood vessels to constrict or to relax, thus decreasing or increasing blood flow, respectively. Under normal conditions, the endothelium is more important ....Cardiovascular disease, including coronary heart disease and stroke, continues to be the major cause of death in Australia and hypertension is a significant risk factor. The endothelium, which lines blood vessels of all sizes, is critical to the control of blood flow to the organs of the body. Endothelial cells release factors which can cause blood vessels to constrict or to relax, thus decreasing or increasing blood flow, respectively. Under normal conditions, the endothelium is more important as a source of relaxing factors, while under hypertensive conditions, the balance is shifted in favour of the release of constricting factors. Thus, restoration of the vasodilatory function of the endothelium is seen as an important new therapeutic target in the treatment of vascular disorders. Present data suggests that the action of one of the major endothelial derived vasodilatory factors, the so-called endothelium-derived hyperpolarizing factor, EDHF, requires the presence of particular structures within the vascular wall, but little is known about the molecules of which they are comprised. We have identified two unique situations, during development and during hypertension, when these structures are present in vessels in which they are absent in normal adults. We will use gene microarrays to identify the specific molecules involved in these structures and use physiological studies to test the role of these proteins and structures in vasodilatory responses. The results of these studies may identify new targets for therapeutic intervention to restore the action of EDHF in hypertension.Read moreRead less
Evaluating communication for development: supporting adaptive and accountable development. Australia spends $5.2 billion a year on overseas aid and is increasingly interested in the role of communication in sustainable development. This project will help to create a more effective means of understanding the impact of communication for development and improving its effectiveness in contributing to sustained, positive development outcomes.
Digital photography: mediation, memory and visual communication. This project aims to address the social impact of major shifts in the production, distribution, viewing and storage of photographic images which have profoundly altered their everyday use. By adopting an interdisciplinary, user-centred approach to digitally networked photography, the project will provide a more holistic understanding of how photographs mediate communication, sociality and memory in the present. Expected outcomes i ....Digital photography: mediation, memory and visual communication. This project aims to address the social impact of major shifts in the production, distribution, viewing and storage of photographic images which have profoundly altered their everyday use. By adopting an interdisciplinary, user-centred approach to digitally networked photography, the project will provide a more holistic understanding of how photographs mediate communication, sociality and memory in the present. Expected outcomes include generating original empirical data, building international collaboration, and creating a new conceptual framework for assessing contemporary photographic practices. The research will provide community benefit by enabling insight into the social and ethical tensions affecting photography in the present.
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Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE230101233
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$454,386.00
Summary
Addressing the Crisis of Local Visual News in Regional and Remote Australia. This project aims to measure the volume and quality of visual content on regional news platforms by diverse publishers in eight key geographic areas. It is the first in Australia to examine the full cycle from production through presentation to consumption for local visual news in a regional context. Expected project outcomes include enhanced relationships between journalists and communities, stronger regional news ecos ....Addressing the Crisis of Local Visual News in Regional and Remote Australia. This project aims to measure the volume and quality of visual content on regional news platforms by diverse publishers in eight key geographic areas. It is the first in Australia to examine the full cycle from production through presentation to consumption for local visual news in a regional context. Expected project outcomes include enhanced relationships between journalists and communities, stronger regional news ecosystems, and a more representative local visual news product. These outcomes boost the academic understanding of an understudied area, help regional Australia, including regional Indigenous Australia, see itself in the journalism that is produced in the regions, and provide commercial benefits to hard-hit news providers.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE190100789
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$401,808.00
Summary
Social media influencers as conduits of knowledge in Australia and Asia. This project aims to evaluate how social media influencers can become conduits to communicate information among young people between Australia and East Asia. As icons on the internet who are experts in holding attention and amplifying content, influencers have expanded from being mere commercial enterprises to being conduits of public service information by reaching wide, diverse, and sometimes marginalised youth audiences ....Social media influencers as conduits of knowledge in Australia and Asia. This project aims to evaluate how social media influencers can become conduits to communicate information among young people between Australia and East Asia. As icons on the internet who are experts in holding attention and amplifying content, influencers have expanded from being mere commercial enterprises to being conduits of public service information by reaching wide, diverse, and sometimes marginalised youth audiences with important socio-cultural messages. This project will glean lessons from leading influencer ecologies in East Asia (Seoul, Shanghai and Tokyo), to understand how we can use internet-native communication formats to improve inter-cultural knowledge and relations in Australia.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE140100148
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$460,000.00
Summary
TrISMA - Tracking Infrastructure for Social Media Analysis. Tracking infrastructure for social media analysis: The tracking infrastructure for social media analysis (TrISMA) project establishes state-of-the-art technical and organisational infrastructure for the tracking of public communication by Australian users of social media, at large scale, in real time, and for the long term, addressing a significant gap in national research infrastructure. Social media are increasingly embedded in the Au ....TrISMA - Tracking Infrastructure for Social Media Analysis. Tracking infrastructure for social media analysis: The tracking infrastructure for social media analysis (TrISMA) project establishes state-of-the-art technical and organisational infrastructure for the tracking of public communication by Australian users of social media, at large scale, in real time, and for the long term, addressing a significant gap in national research infrastructure. Social media are increasingly embedded in the Australian media ecology, and systematic analyses of how public communication takes place via social media provide rich insights into a range of issues and debates of high importance to our society.Read moreRead less
New Media and Public Communication: Mapping Australian User-Created Content in Online Social Networks. Understanding the ways people contribute to and use the Internet for a wide range of purposes is important to Australia's future from both a social and an economic perspective. Effective, evidence-based policy depends on developing a vastly improved understanding of the current level of Australians' online activities and interests. This project provides crucial, detailed baseline data on the so ....New Media and Public Communication: Mapping Australian User-Created Content in Online Social Networks. Understanding the ways people contribute to and use the Internet for a wide range of purposes is important to Australia's future from both a social and an economic perspective. Effective, evidence-based policy depends on developing a vastly improved understanding of the current level of Australians' online activities and interests. This project provides crucial, detailed baseline data on the social, cultural and technological dynamics of Australian online public communication, which can inform further government initiatives to strengthen the country's digital economy and to maximise civic engagement through media participation.Read moreRead less