Targeting RCAN1 To Treat Type 2 Diabetes And Obesity
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$814,468.00
Summary
Obesity and impaired insulin secretion are significant contributors to Type 2 diabetes. In this project we demonstrate that a protein called RCAN1 contributes to both fat mass and insulin secretion and that this contribution is exacerbated in obesity and in Type 2 diabetes. We will identify how RCAN1 controls these major metabolic pathways with outcomes including the development of new therapeutics for obesity and Type 2 diabetes.
Brain Protection: A new therapeutic approach for Multiple Sclerosis In Multiple Sclerosis (MS), the immune system mistakenly attacks the brain. The immune attacks destroy myelin, the protective coat around electrical cables in the brain (demyelination). Current treatments for MS are only partially effective, and work by reducing the number and severity of these attacks. However, MS-related permanent disability in the majority of sufferers is due to the development of progressive MS, and current ....Brain Protection: A new therapeutic approach for Multiple Sclerosis In Multiple Sclerosis (MS), the immune system mistakenly attacks the brain. The immune attacks destroy myelin, the protective coat around electrical cables in the brain (demyelination). Current treatments for MS are only partially effective, and work by reducing the number and severity of these attacks. However, MS-related permanent disability in the majority of sufferers is due to the development of progressive MS, and current therapies do not reduce this progression. It is believed that one major cause of this permanent disability is permanent myelin loss. Interestingly, we have already shown that the growth factor LIF is made by the body during MS-like inflammation, and that it limits damage by directly protecting myelin-producing cells. However, the bodies own LIF production during inflammation is sub-maximal, because myelin protection can be enhanced by giving additional therapeutic LIF. This suggests that (1) The brain produces a defence response to harmful inflammation and that (2) This defence response can be enhanced therapeutically. We therefore want to define exactly how LIF enhances myelin survival. We have measured the response to LIF in myelin-producing cells, and have discovered that it strongly stimulates the production of the small protein galanin. We will now assess if galanin itself protects myelin and myelin-producing cells, and we will test this both in isolated cells and whole animal models. If galanin production is a major mechanism by which the body tries to limit the damage from abnormal inflammation during MS, then medications that mimic the action of galanin (which are already under development for different reasons) could become a major new therapy for Multiple Sclerosis.Read moreRead less
Organisational Motivation as a Predictor of Benefits from the Adoption of Information Technology. IOS are becoming increasingly important for organisations to remain competitive in a global marketplace. By using organisational motivations to better understand how to design and structure the processes for IOS implementation and set more realistic expectation, Australian organisations will be able to develop more effective, evidence-based methods for IOS implementation. The theory being tested is ....Organisational Motivation as a Predictor of Benefits from the Adoption of Information Technology. IOS are becoming increasingly important for organisations to remain competitive in a global marketplace. By using organisational motivations to better understand how to design and structure the processes for IOS implementation and set more realistic expectation, Australian organisations will be able to develop more effective, evidence-based methods for IOS implementation. The theory being tested is an original contribution in a growing area of information technology research. The data and rigorously tested research protocols developed will enhance Australia'a research standing, contribute to university teaching and researcher training, and improve the effectiveness and efficiency of the Australian information technology industry. Read moreRead less
Adoption of electronic commerce-enabled supply chain management: a trans-national comparison study. The framework developed will allow practitioners to identify an appropriate strategy to promote the adoption of EC-enabled SCM in developing countries. By including Indonesia and China as two of Australia's large trading partners in this study, the relationships can be further enhanced, leading to an increase in Australia's export market and improvement in national productivity and growth. Through ....Adoption of electronic commerce-enabled supply chain management: a trans-national comparison study. The framework developed will allow practitioners to identify an appropriate strategy to promote the adoption of EC-enabled SCM in developing countries. By including Indonesia and China as two of Australia's large trading partners in this study, the relationships can be further enhanced, leading to an increase in Australia's export market and improvement in national productivity and growth. Through wider adoption of EC-enabled SCM by Australia's trading partners, Australia can trade with them more efficiently. The empirical data and the research instruments developed will also enhance Australia's research standing and contribute to university teaching and research training. Read moreRead less
Privacy-Preserving Remote Access to Health Information Infrastructure in Ubiquitous Computing Environments. The project's benefits can be summarised as follows. (a) The project will provide new solutions that enable remote access to health-care data in a secure and privacy-preserving manner. (b) This will improve health care services in northern metropolitan Melbourne, and provide shorter medical response time, which is particularly important in emergency scenarios. (c) It will exemplify advance ....Privacy-Preserving Remote Access to Health Information Infrastructure in Ubiquitous Computing Environments. The project's benefits can be summarised as follows. (a) The project will provide new solutions that enable remote access to health-care data in a secure and privacy-preserving manner. (b) This will improve health care services in northern metropolitan Melbourne, and provide shorter medical response time, which is particularly important in emergency scenarios. (c) It will exemplify advanced IT support for health care, which can be utilised by other providers. (d) The project will make a direct link between IT research and its industrial application. (e) The project will also give the opportunity to a postdoctoral researcher and PhD students to perform leading edge research on privacy protection of information in an industrial environment.Read moreRead less
Testing the Big Bets Theory of strategic IT decision making. This project will test a new theory of strategic IT decision making called the Big-Bets theory. If confirmed, senior decision makers will have grounds for requesting more evidence-based decision making for major IT projects such as the Australian Government's IT outsourcing initiative, Telstra's Siebel-based CRM, and Victoria's Myki.
A Model for IT Security Outsourcing of Critical Services. IT security outsourcing is the establishment of a contractual relationship with an outside vendor to assume responsibility for one or more security functions. The decision-making process associated with outsourcing security is complex. To improve the effectiveness of the decision-making process a conceptual model that integrates security benefits, costs and their respective performance measures will be developed. This model will support m ....A Model for IT Security Outsourcing of Critical Services. IT security outsourcing is the establishment of a contractual relationship with an outside vendor to assume responsibility for one or more security functions. The decision-making process associated with outsourcing security is complex. To improve the effectiveness of the decision-making process a conceptual model that integrates security benefits, costs and their respective performance measures will be developed. This model will support management in their aim of overseeing IT security effectively. The research will make a valuable contribution towards determining the impact of IT security outsourcing within Australia.Read moreRead less
Cytokine Signalling And Insulin Resistance In Obesity.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$512,065.00
Summary
Western communities are experiencing an epidemic of obesity that is contributing to diabetes, heart disease, and premature death. This project is investigating why being overweight and obese causes diabetes. Improved understanding about how hormones regulates the body's storage and breakdown of fat and responsiveness to insulin will enable the development of new medicines for the treatment of obesity and the prevention of diabetes.
Industrial Transformation Research Hubs - Grant ID: IH230100013
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$5,000,000.00
Summary
ARC Research Hub for Future Digital Manufacturing. This Hub aims to grow and accelerate Australian digital manufacturing (DM) transformation by devising novel DM technology and commercialisation/adoption pathways. The Hub expects to transform industry by developing novel AI and IoT-powered DM technology that provides for dramatic improvement in manufacturing productivity, resilience and competitiveness. Expected outcomes include novel DM technology for digitally representing, predicting, and imp ....ARC Research Hub for Future Digital Manufacturing. This Hub aims to grow and accelerate Australian digital manufacturing (DM) transformation by devising novel DM technology and commercialisation/adoption pathways. The Hub expects to transform industry by developing novel AI and IoT-powered DM technology that provides for dramatic improvement in manufacturing productivity, resilience and competitiveness. Expected outcomes include novel DM technology for digitally representing, predicting, and improving production and its outcomes via an open platform that supports reusing industry co-created DM solutions. Through supporting advanced manufacturing priorities and Industry 4.0, the Hub should provide significant benefits by increasing Australian manufacturing productivity and resilience by 30%.Read moreRead less
Emergence of modular structure in complex systems. Complex systems pervade our world, but are still poorly understood. Self-contained modules provide the most widespread and effective way of reducing and managing complexity, but the way they form in natural systems remains largely a mystery. This study investigates mechanisms that contribute to module formation in complex networks, including adaptation, clustering, enslavement, feedback, phase change and synchronisation. Outcomes will include in ....Emergence of modular structure in complex systems. Complex systems pervade our world, but are still poorly understood. Self-contained modules provide the most widespread and effective way of reducing and managing complexity, but the way they form in natural systems remains largely a mystery. This study investigates mechanisms that contribute to module formation in complex networks, including adaptation, clustering, enslavement, feedback, phase change and synchronisation. Outcomes will include insights into the organisation and functioning of many complex systems, including the Internet, ecological communities and genetic networks. Practical outcomes will include new modelling tools and applications both to evolutionary computation and the design and control of large information networks.Read moreRead less