Molecular Characterization Of Human Caliciviruses Causing Gastroenteritis
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$173,380.00
Summary
A common cause of outbreaks of vomiting and diarrhoea in the community are small viruses approximately 30 nm in diameter. During outbreaks of such viral gastroenteritis, large numbers of people may become ill. The viruses may be transmitted in contaminated food or drink, or passed from person to person. Outbreaks have been associated with hospital wards, nursing homes, school camps, cruise ships and airline flights. The viruses causing these outbreaks are human caliciviruses. They have a structu ....A common cause of outbreaks of vomiting and diarrhoea in the community are small viruses approximately 30 nm in diameter. During outbreaks of such viral gastroenteritis, large numbers of people may become ill. The viruses may be transmitted in contaminated food or drink, or passed from person to person. Outbreaks have been associated with hospital wards, nursing homes, school camps, cruise ships and airline flights. The viruses causing these outbreaks are human caliciviruses. They have a structural resemblance to the rabbit virus recently released in Australia, but possess an alternative host range, and they produce different symptoms in the infected host. The human caliciviruses are difficult to study in the laboratory. They do not replicate in cell culture systems and no animal is known to show symptoms of infection. In this project, the techniques of genetic engineering are being used to develop diagnostic reagents for the viruses, and to study the functions of the proteins encoded by the viral genes. In the longer term, it may be feasible to develop vaccines and drugs against these viruses, but first it is necessary to discover how many types are circulating world-wide and in Australia, and to identify potential targets for antiviral drugs during virus replication.Read moreRead less
A Multicentre Randomised Clinical Trial Of Physical Activity For The Treatment Of Patients With Alzheimers Disease
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$773,752.00
Summary
The number of older adults living with Alzheimer's disease (AD) will increase from 26.6 million to 106.2 million by 2050. In the absence of curative treatment options it is important to focus on non-pharmacological interventions such as physical activity. We propose to investigate whether a home-based physical activity program of 24 weeks for patients with AD can successfully decrease the rate of cognitive and functional declince and improve quality of life and psychological well-being.
Eco-RESIDE: An Economic Evaluation Of Urban Design As A Means Of Promoting Physical Activity
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$422,612.00
Summary
The significance of this project lies in the health problem that it seeks to address and the intervention that is being evaluated. Physical inactivity ranks second only to tobacco use in terms of the costs of diseases associated with behavioural risk factors. Declining rates of physical activity have been associated with increasing rates of obesity and overweight in Australian children and adults. The association that one sees between features of the urban environment and physical activity level ....The significance of this project lies in the health problem that it seeks to address and the intervention that is being evaluated. Physical inactivity ranks second only to tobacco use in terms of the costs of diseases associated with behavioural risk factors. Declining rates of physical activity have been associated with increasing rates of obesity and overweight in Australian children and adults. The association that one sees between features of the urban environment and physical activity levels suggests that urban planning guidelines may be a cost-effective means of promoting health and achieving other social objectives such as sustainable use of natural resources. Furthermore, not enough is known about the economic value of investing in health promoting interventions and this project is among the first to measure the costs and benefits of intervening at the environmental level. The information that it provides will be highly useful for local government and health service planners alike.Read moreRead less
A Randomised Clinical Trial Of Physical Activity For The Treatment Of Older Adults With Mild Cognitive Impairment
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$280,250.00
Summary
Australia's population is aging rapidly and so is the frequency of age-related diseases. Dementia and depression are the most frequent mental health disorders of older people. They are also the leading causes of years of life lost due to disability in Australia. The results of recent studies have shown that memory difficulties and dementia are associated with potentially modifiable risk factors, such as physical activity. The purpose of this study is to investigate whether a physical activity pr ....Australia's population is aging rapidly and so is the frequency of age-related diseases. Dementia and depression are the most frequent mental health disorders of older people. They are also the leading causes of years of life lost due to disability in Australia. The results of recent studies have shown that memory difficulties and dementia are associated with potentially modifiable risk factors, such as physical activity. The purpose of this study is to investigate whether a physical activity program for older adults decreases cognitive decline and conversion to dementia in a population at risk: mild cognitive impairment (MCI). 168 subjects with MCI will be randomised (by chance, like the flip of a coin) to either the intervention program of physical activity or usual care - their cognitive (such as memory) performance will be compared at the end of 24 months.Read moreRead less
Predictors And Correlates Of Health-related Quality Of Life And Morbidity In Overweight/obese Adolescents: Cohort Study
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$512,525.00
Summary
There is now no doubting the size and long-term risks to health of the childhood obesity epidemic. However, very little research has examined at population level its immediate consequences for mental health and physical functioning, what pathways confer risk and protection for these consequences, and their likely healthcare consequences. This study will utilise an existing cohort of approximately 1500 Victorian adolescents followed since childhood to examine neglected aspects of the genesis and ....There is now no doubting the size and long-term risks to health of the childhood obesity epidemic. However, very little research has examined at population level its immediate consequences for mental health and physical functioning, what pathways confer risk and protection for these consequences, and their likely healthcare consequences. This study will utilise an existing cohort of approximately 1500 Victorian adolescents followed since childhood to examine neglected aspects of the genesis and impacts of overweight and obesity. The Health of Young Victorians Study was originally assembled in 1997 when the children were in Grades Prep-3. In addition to information on putative risk and protective factors for overweight-obesity and direct measures of height and weight, it is unique in having collected data on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) since children were first recruited during the early primary school years. Eight years after the first wave, the children will be adolescents in Grades 8-11. This third wave will retain a focus on HRQoL. Innovations include study of potential emotional, behavioural and physical consequences of childhood obesity that may in turn affect the natural history of obesity. This large, population-based longitudinal study will redress neglected aspects of child and adolescent overweight-obesity specifically identified in 2003 by the NH and MRC. As well as establishing whether a range of common problems are related to overweight-obesity, it will be able to shed light on mechanisms of adverse outcomes associated with adolescent overweight-obesity, and study protective factors predicting remitting overweight from childhood to adolescence that may inform preventive activities. The study will make an international contribution to knowledge about pathways, prevalence and preventive opportunities for child and adolescent overweight-obesity.Read moreRead less