A Phase III Trial Comparing Adjuvant Versus Salvage Radiotherapy For High Risk Patients Post Radical Prostatectomy
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$819,138.00
Summary
About half of all patients Treated with an operation to remove their prostate cancer have a high chance of the cancer coming back. Giving immediate radiotherapy to all patients will improve cure rates but does not benefit all men and can cause significant side effects. This study explores whether it is safe to wait and only give radiotherapy when there is a rising PSA after surgery indicating active cancer. A total of 470 men from Australasia will enter this study comparing the two approaches.
Preventing Early Language Delay In Primary Care Setting:cluster Randomised Trial
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$415,133.00
Summary
The trial aims to lower the numbers of children with poor expressive language skills at ages 2 and 3 years, through a sustainable early language promotion program linked to the universal Victorian Maternal and Child Health (M and CH) service, attended by more than 75% of Victorian children at 12 months of age. The trial targets the 20% of toddlers most at risk of expressive language delay, by virtue of having limited or no spoken vocabulary at 18 months of age. It also aims to lower the numbers ....The trial aims to lower the numbers of children with poor expressive language skills at ages 2 and 3 years, through a sustainable early language promotion program linked to the universal Victorian Maternal and Child Health (M and CH) service, attended by more than 75% of Victorian children at 12 months of age. The trial targets the 20% of toddlers most at risk of expressive language delay, by virtue of having limited or no spoken vocabulary at 18 months of age. It also aims to lower the numbers of children with behaviour problems (strongly linked to language delay), to determine the acceptability and cost-effectiveness of the approach, and to determine whether it differentially benefits disadvantaged children.Read moreRead less
Music Therapy Interventions For Dementia: Cluster Randomised Control Trial
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,014,430.00
Summary
Music therapy interventions are increasingly used in aged care facilities across Australia, however Australian-based research that tests its effectiveness is scarce. In this study, we track the impact of group music therapy and group singing on levels of depression, cognitive function, quality of life, and other symptoms of dementia. By providing music therapy programs across sites in Victoria, NSW and Queensland, we will also evaluate the cost effectiveness of the intervention.
Benefits Of Home-based Multidisciplinary Rehabilitation In Non Small Cell Lung Cancer
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$581,039.00
Summary
Lung cancer is the third leading cause of death in Australia. People with lung cancer experience a complex mix of symptoms that can provoke significant distress and impair physical function. This study aims to develop and test a home based exercise and self-management support program to increase function and physical activity levels, reduce levels of depression and improve quality of life of people with lung cancer.
Evolutionary signficance of sexual conflict in orb-web spiders. Multiple mating by females creates intense competition between ejaculates over the fertilisation of her eggs, and has a profound influence on male and female life history and mating strategies. In orb-web spiders, sexual cannibalism creates further conflicts of interest because the male may forfeit future matings. This project examines how life-history and mating strategies interact in these spiders, by identifying the mechanisms t ....Evolutionary signficance of sexual conflict in orb-web spiders. Multiple mating by females creates intense competition between ejaculates over the fertilisation of her eggs, and has a profound influence on male and female life history and mating strategies. In orb-web spiders, sexual cannibalism creates further conflicts of interest because the male may forfeit future matings. This project examines how life-history and mating strategies interact in these spiders, by identifying the mechanisms that determine the outcome of sperm competition; the selection pressures favouring sexual size dimorphism and male size variation; the influence of sexual cannibalism on male mating strategies; and the relationship between female feeding history and her mating behaviour.Read moreRead less
Experimental evolution in the mitochondrion. This project aims to discover if the genetic variation in mitochondria (our energy centres) contributes to evolutionary adaptation. This is a long-debated hypothesis in evolutionary biology. This project will take an inter-disciplinary approach, involving experimental evolution, an ecological framework, the measurement of organismal physiologies, and fruit fly genetics. The outcomes could change how biologists view the mitochondria, reveal mitochondri ....Experimental evolution in the mitochondrion. This project aims to discover if the genetic variation in mitochondria (our energy centres) contributes to evolutionary adaptation. This is a long-debated hypothesis in evolutionary biology. This project will take an inter-disciplinary approach, involving experimental evolution, an ecological framework, the measurement of organismal physiologies, and fruit fly genetics. The outcomes could change how biologists view the mitochondria, reveal mitochondria’s role in adaptation to climatic stress, and their contribution to shaping evolutionary trade-offs and conflict between the sexes.Read moreRead less
Mitochondria, maternal inheritance and the evolution of male life-histories. This project aims to unravel the extent to which maternal inheritance of the mitochondrial DNA renders it susceptible to accumulating mutations that are harmful only to males; an evolutionary theory called ‘Mother’s Curse’. Left unchecked, Mother’s Curse could threaten the long-term viability of populations. This project will combine experimental techniques in ecology, fruit fly genetics and a platform for measuring phy ....Mitochondria, maternal inheritance and the evolution of male life-histories. This project aims to unravel the extent to which maternal inheritance of the mitochondrial DNA renders it susceptible to accumulating mutations that are harmful only to males; an evolutionary theory called ‘Mother’s Curse’. Left unchecked, Mother’s Curse could threaten the long-term viability of populations. This project will combine experimental techniques in ecology, fruit fly genetics and a platform for measuring physiological phenotypes to test three hypotheses central to the theory. By testing these hypotheses, the project intends to understand the causes of sex differences in physiology, longevity and reproductive health, and improve awareness of evolutionary concepts that may ultimately affect human health.Read moreRead less
Optimising Volunteer Management Strategy at the Australian Red Cross Blood Service (Victoria). This project reconceptualises volunteering as a ?cultural practice? (de Certeau 1984) to enable the Australian Red Cross Blood Service (ARCBS) to optimise its volunteer management through an enhanced understanding of who its volunteers are and why they volunteer for the ?blood bank?. Its operating premise is that knowing one's volunteer workforce is essential to their effective management. It builds on ....Optimising Volunteer Management Strategy at the Australian Red Cross Blood Service (Victoria). This project reconceptualises volunteering as a ?cultural practice? (de Certeau 1984) to enable the Australian Red Cross Blood Service (ARCBS) to optimise its volunteer management through an enhanced understanding of who its volunteers are and why they volunteer for the ?blood bank?. Its operating premise is that knowing one's volunteer workforce is essential to their effective management. It builds on the platform of volunteer studies established by social research and extends it via a critical reconsideration of the work of Michel de Certeau.Read moreRead less
An Exploration Of Functional Decline And The Potential For Rehab In Patients With Advanced Non-small Cell Lung Cancer
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$50,000.00
Summary
Lung cancer is one of the commonest human cancers and the leading cause of cancer deaths. People with advanced cancer experience significant decline in functional capacity as their disease advances and they approach death. This decline is likely to have significant impact on quality of life. In lung cancer this decline can be exacerbated by chronic illnesses such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). While significant clinical benefits have been demonstrated in COPD patients with the ....Lung cancer is one of the commonest human cancers and the leading cause of cancer deaths. People with advanced cancer experience significant decline in functional capacity as their disease advances and they approach death. This decline is likely to have significant impact on quality of life. In lung cancer this decline can be exacerbated by chronic illnesses such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). While significant clinical benefits have been demonstrated in COPD patients with the introduction of pulmonary rehabilitation, little research has been conducted to either map the functional status of lung cancer patients or to explore the application of pulmonary rehabilitation in this setting. This study seeks to begin a program of work in this area through first exploring the characteristics of functional decline in this group and then assessing the feasibility and acceptability of a rehabilitation program specifically addressing the functional status needs identified.Read moreRead less
Understanding marine life-history patterns: an eco-energetics approach. This project aims to determine how temperature affects the energetics of development in marine invertebrates and explain why global distributions of marine organisms show the patterns they do. This project will provide new insights into whether Australia's temperate marine fauna are uniquely vulnerable to future change. Leveraging a new framework, eco-energetics, the project will determine the relative performance of differe ....Understanding marine life-history patterns: an eco-energetics approach. This project aims to determine how temperature affects the energetics of development in marine invertebrates and explain why global distributions of marine organisms show the patterns they do. This project will provide new insights into whether Australia's temperate marine fauna are uniquely vulnerable to future change. Leveraging a new framework, eco-energetics, the project will determine the relative performance of different larval types across every stage of the life history. The project will provide significant benefits such as a new powerful and comprehensive framework for understanding current and predicting future patterns in marine life, providing inferences that extend beyond the species studied in this project.Read moreRead less