A Multisite Randomised Controlled Trial Of The Adolescent Cannabis Check-up
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$211,250.00
Summary
Recent Australian surveys cannabis use is more common than tobacco use among 14-19 year old (24.6% vs. 20.2%). More than 200,000 14-19 year olds have used cannabis in the last month and 7.1% report daily use. The population prevalence of cannabis dependence increases throughout adolescence, with a rate of 30% among those who use cannabis more than five times per year. Although experimentation is a normal part of adolescent development, regular cannabis use by young people exposes them to the neg ....Recent Australian surveys cannabis use is more common than tobacco use among 14-19 year old (24.6% vs. 20.2%). More than 200,000 14-19 year olds have used cannabis in the last month and 7.1% report daily use. The population prevalence of cannabis dependence increases throughout adolescence, with a rate of 30% among those who use cannabis more than five times per year. Although experimentation is a normal part of adolescent development, regular cannabis use by young people exposes them to the negative effects of cannabis at a time of rapid development and transitions in life roles. There have been no studies reported of interventions suitable for adolescents with cannabis problems who are not seeking treatment but are causing great concern for their families, schools and communities. The Adolescent Cannabis Check-up (ACCU) fills this serious gap by providing adolescents with an opportunity to objectively assess their cannabis use and develop strategies for change in a non-judgemental environment. The ACCU is a 2 session intervention: assessment and a follow-up session of personalised feed-back and brief skills-based therapy. Recruitment may be either direct or via a concerned family member. This novel approach provides parents with telephone coaching, and supporting booklets, on techniques to encourage their young person to participate. A feasibility study of 80 families has found more than 50% were able to do so. That study of 55 adolescents found a significant reduction in levels of cannabis use and an abstinence rate of 24.2% 3 months following participation in the ACCU. This project wll involve a multi-site RCT to compare the impact of the ACCU with a delayed treatment control group, on levels of cannabis use, dependence, and cannabis-related problems. This project would fill a gap in treatment service models and involve families in an initiative to assist young people to develop motivation and skills to abstain from problematic cannabis use.Read moreRead less
A Randomized Controlled Trial Of Three Treatments For Anorexia Nervosa In Adults
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$606,447.00
Summary
This study will be the first to evaluate three promising new treatments for anorexia nervosa (AN) and anorexic type eating disorders in adults. The first treatment is a new therapy called Enhanced Cognitive Behaviour Therapy. The second treatment, the Maudsley Cognitive Motivational Therapy, was designed specifically to treat AN and the third treatment is called non-specific supportive clinical management. The study will be in the form of a multi-centre randomised treatment trial.
SCRC: PDRS: Use Of Next Generation DNA Technologies For Revealing The Genetic Impact Of Fisheries Restocking And Ranching
Funder
Fisheries Research and Development Corporation
Summary
Several initiatives by the Australian Seafood CRC's Future Harvest theme involve some form of stocking or enhancement of fisheries. In WA, populations of Roe's Abalone are currently being restocked after a catastrophic mortality event, while stock enhancement of Greenlip Abalone is also occurring. The CRC is also supporting translocation of Southern Rocklobster and ranching of Sea Cucumbers. In all such cases there is a need to understand the population genetic dynamics of stocked populations an ....Several initiatives by the Australian Seafood CRC's Future Harvest theme involve some form of stocking or enhancement of fisheries. In WA, populations of Roe's Abalone are currently being restocked after a catastrophic mortality event, while stock enhancement of Greenlip Abalone is also occurring. The CRC is also supporting translocation of Southern Rocklobster and ranching of Sea Cucumbers. In all such cases there is a need to understand the population genetic dynamics of stocked populations and the extent of genetic interactions of stocked with wild populations (Flinders has been conducting his research for sea cucumbers using the traditional microsatellite marker approach in 2008/733). Important considerations are the genetic health of individuals used as breeders, genetic structuring of source populations, effective population size, effects on inbreeding or loss of genetic diversity, recruitment and geographic spread. Molecular markers can be used to investigate these effects and guide the stocking. Genomic technologies such as GBS are rapidly developing and becoming less expensive and more useful to apply than traditional genetic approaches. These new genomic techniques that directly genotype individuals using sequence information are extremely promising as they eliminate the need for species specific marker development and could provide an efficient and comprehensive means of studying genomes at an individual and population level. Importantly, contrary to traditional genetic methods such as microsatellite surveys, new genomic techniques such as GBS might provide ways of disclosing functional genetic variation (variation that is ecologically relevant and related to the fitness of the individual) or facilitating genomic selection. Once GBS data is mapped to areas of the genome with known function, marker assisted selection for traits of importance to aquaculture becomes possible. Here we propose engaging a post-doc that will specialise in this area and assist projects with Flinders involvement on Roe's and Greenlip Abalone in Western Australia.Read moreRead less
Sequence to Sequence: Rigorous Statistical and Mathematical Analysis of Biological Sequence Data. Comparative genomics is fundamental for developing an understanding of genes and their function. For example, using statistical and computational techniques, it was recently demonstrated that 60% of genes are conserved between fly and human. When the human gene that confers susceptibility to Parkinson's disease was transferred into the fly it caused symptoms similar to those seen in humans. The futu ....Sequence to Sequence: Rigorous Statistical and Mathematical Analysis of Biological Sequence Data. Comparative genomics is fundamental for developing an understanding of genes and their function. For example, using statistical and computational techniques, it was recently demonstrated that 60% of genes are conserved between fly and human. When the human gene that confers susceptibility to Parkinson's disease was transferred into the fly it caused symptoms similar to those seen in humans. The future development of 'personalized medicine' will rely upon understanding the function of human genes, as will progress in the agricultural sector. Rigorous statistical analysis and development of appropriate bioinformatic methods are crucial to biological sequence analysis in comparative genomics.Read moreRead less
Proceedings Of The Workshop On The Biology And Resource Potential Of Cephalopods Melbourne Australia, 9-13 March 1981
Funder
Fisheries Research and Development Corporation
Summary
Objectives: 1. Prepare a handbook of information on fisheries management, primarily as a reference for fisheries officers, the fishing industry and tertiary institutions
Field Based Trials And Risk Assessment Of New Species To Enhance The Value Of Tropical And Subtropical Impoundment Fisheries
Funder
Fisheries Research and Development Corporation
Funding Amount
$910,505.00
Summary
This project offers a significant opportunity to enhance tropical and sub-tropical impoundment fisheries in Queensland and other parts of northern Australia, by using new iconic species to diversify the fisheries and attract new anglers to stocked waterways. Accessibility to large pelagic gamefish is not easy for many anglers. Creating access to trevally in impoundments will make such species more accessible to anglers, potentially reduce the pressure on the wild fishery, and offer a unique fres ....This project offers a significant opportunity to enhance tropical and sub-tropical impoundment fisheries in Queensland and other parts of northern Australia, by using new iconic species to diversify the fisheries and attract new anglers to stocked waterways. Accessibility to large pelagic gamefish is not easy for many anglers. Creating access to trevally in impoundments will make such species more accessible to anglers, potentially reduce the pressure on the wild fishery, and offer a unique freshwater impoundment fishing experience in a protected setting. Since trevally will not breed in impoundments, their abundance can be readily managed through stocking rates.
Access to trevally in impoundments is something that anglers want. In 2006, Queensland stocking groups voted trevally as one of the top three ranked new species for development of impoundment fisheries. Published papers indicate trevally are relatively easy to produce, with production methods like those for Barramundi. The other two highly ranked species, Jungle Perch and Mangrove Jack have proved more difficult to produce in large numbers compared to trevallies, and more than 20 years of trying to develop impoundment Mangrove Jack fisheries has achieved only limited success.
Giant and Bigeye Trevally are iconic sportfish, which if stocked, have potential to increase regional tourism. Local governments have already recognised the value of angling tourism in their regions. For example, Rockhampton, Mackay and Cairns Regional Councils have all developed recreational fishing strategies to boost tourist visitation. Townsville City Council is also in the process of opening the Ross River Dam to stocking to develop angling opportunities and attract additional tourists. Trevally will offer an opportunity to create sustained angling tourism to value-add to existing fisheries in the post-pandemic period.
The only way to determine if one or both trevally species can translate into successful impoundment fisheries compatible with existing Barramundi fisheries, is to conduct comprehensive stocking trials using fingerlings and sub-adult fish. The two highest risk factors identified for trevally stocking in large near coastal impoundments are their potential to impact on prey abundance (and therefore carrying capacity) and rare and threatened species. Rare and threatened species are unlikely to be in the impounded waters dominated by Barramundi, but they could exist in impoundment tributary streams. Therefore, knowledge on whether trevally will mostly remain in the impounded waters or will tend to run upstream into tributaries is critical.
This project aims to use stocking trials to evaluate potential stocking risk factors for Bigeye and Giant Trevally, such as relative survival, growth, diet, residency, impacts on prey abundance and rare and threatened species, catchability by anglers at conservative stocking rates, and angler attitudes to and perceptions of the fishery. This project will serve as a useful case study for other diversification options in northern Australia and elsewhere. Without these trials it would be impossible to progress euryhaline trevally species as new fisheries for large, near-coastal impoundments in Australia. This project directly meets the QRAC priority of field-based trials and risk assessment of new species to enhance the value of tropical and sub-tropical impoundment fisheries.
Objectives: 1. Formalise a desk top risk assessment for stocking of Bigeye Trevally and Giant Trevally in tropical and sub-tropical impoundments. 2. Produce Bigeye and Giant Trevally fingerlings for stocking trials 3. Assess the capacity for prey species in a Barramundi dominated impoundment to support conservatively stocked numbers of Bigeye Trevally and Giant Trevally 4. Assess the potential for Bigeye Trevally and Giant Trevally to enter impoundment tributary streams where they could impact on rare and threatened species. 5. Assess relative survival, growth and diets of Bigeye Trevally and Giant Trevally in a Barramundi dominated impoundment. 6. Assess angler attitudes to trevally in Barramundi impoundments 7. Assess angler catch of Bigeye and Giant trevally in an impoundment. 8. Extend trevally fingerling production techniques to hatcheries in Queensland and other parts of northern Australia. Read moreRead less
Investigation Of The Resource Availability Of Juvenile Eels (Anguila Australis) In Tasmania With Respect To Aquaculture Potential.
Funder
Fisheries Research and Development Corporation
Summary
Objectives: 1. To assess the status of the juvenile eel resource in Tasmania 2. To establish protocols for efficient and exologically sustainable exploitation of glass eel and elver stocks 3. To assist in establishing a commercial eel farming insdustry in Tasmania by investigating and developing intensive culture technology for elvers
Statistical Advances in the Post-Genome Era. Biologically relevant statistical foundations for post-genome biology and biotechnology will be developed. Specific goals of the topics include the development of accurate and more efficient algorithms for sequence alignments, improved models to maximise the accuracy of analyses for gene expression data and superior statistical methods for identification of complex gene networks that predispose an organism to disease. The Project will make significant ....Statistical Advances in the Post-Genome Era. Biologically relevant statistical foundations for post-genome biology and biotechnology will be developed. Specific goals of the topics include the development of accurate and more efficient algorithms for sequence alignments, improved models to maximise the accuracy of analyses for gene expression data and superior statistical methods for identification of complex gene networks that predispose an organism to disease. The Project will make significant contributions to the new and evolving priority research area of Bioinformation Science (including bioinformatics). Outcomes will include novel techniques for analysis and mining of post-genome data, with applications to developments in Bio-medicine and Bio-agricultureRead moreRead less