Neural Coding Of A Cue To Auditory Space, In Noisy Environments
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$180,160.00
Summary
GENERAL BACKGROUND : Our ability to determine where a sound is coming from (localization ability) is severely disrupted when the environment is noisy. This affects our abilities at many ordinary tasks, such as keeping up a conversation in a noisy background, and also in other critical tasks (eg., in following warning signals in a noisy factory environment). In people who have some hearing loss, even if only partial deafness, localization ability is disrupted even when there is no noise in the ba ....GENERAL BACKGROUND : Our ability to determine where a sound is coming from (localization ability) is severely disrupted when the environment is noisy. This affects our abilities at many ordinary tasks, such as keeping up a conversation in a noisy background, and also in other critical tasks (eg., in following warning signals in a noisy factory environment). In people who have some hearing loss, even if only partial deafness, localization ability is disrupted even when there is no noise in the background, and is even more severely disrupted when the environment is noisy. SCIENTIFIC BACKGROUND : Our localization ability depends on the way neurons in the brain code the position of a source of sound we wish to detect. From studies in animals we know a lot about the way in which neurons do this coding in silence. However, we know almost nothing about how this coding is affected by a noisy background. Further, we know absolutely nothing about how this coding, whether in silence or when there is noise, is affected when there is also a hearing loss. SIGNIFICANCE : If we are to understand the effects of hearing losses on coding of the location of a sound signal we need to know first how noise affects the coding in cases of normal hearing. This project aims to gain that information. I will then extend this to studying the detailed basis of these effects, ie., exactly what mechanisms are affected in the neurons. Then I will determine how noise from different positions affects the coding of signal sounds at differnt positions. These data will provide us the essential base from which we can, later, go on to study how noise affects coding by neurons of the location of a signal. I plan to increase the value of the current study by developing, from the data gained in the studies in animals, computer-based models that will allow us to predict how coding of sound signal location is affected by hearing loss, and how this is exacerbated by noisy environments.Read moreRead less
Psychological Morbidity, Unmet Needs And Patterns Of Care In Culturally And Linguistically Diverse Cancer Patients In Au
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$413,405.00
Summary
Australia has one of the most culturally diverse populations in the world. There is evidence that cancer patients from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) groups have poorer outcomes. People from CALD backgrounds may experience difficulties within the Australian health system for a variety of reasons, including langauge barriers, a lack of knowledge of the healthcare system, differing beliefs and attitudes abouit illness and treatment, religious and spiritual differences, communication ....Australia has one of the most culturally diverse populations in the world. There is evidence that cancer patients from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) groups have poorer outcomes. People from CALD backgrounds may experience difficulties within the Australian health system for a variety of reasons, including langauge barriers, a lack of knowledge of the healthcare system, differing beliefs and attitudes abouit illness and treatment, religious and spiritual differences, communication difficulties and social suffering. There is good evidence that English speaking cancer patients suffer high levels of anxiety and depression, and that their needs are not currently adequately met by the current system. Previous research in psycho-oncology has on the whole excluded patients from non-English speaking backgrounds due to a lack of resources and expertise to ensure scientific validity of results. This study aims to discover the prevalence of anxiety, depression, unmet needs and access to care in 1st generation Chinese, Arabic and Greek speaking cancer patients. This study will inform the development of appropriate interventions to reduce the burden of a cancer diagnosis on these groups.Read moreRead less
Currents That Set The Excitability Of Enteric Neurons And Their Roles At Cell And Organ Levels
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$459,014.00
Summary
The intestine is subject to a number of disorders of its normal control by nerves, including diarrhoea, constipation and slow transit disorders. Chronic and debilitating derangement of intestinal function occurs in irritable bowel syndrome, which affects around 10-15% of people in our community, about 1% at any one time. Irritable bowel syndrome can persist for many years, and there is no adequate therapy. For some patients no medication gives relief, and for most the relief is minimal. The refl ....The intestine is subject to a number of disorders of its normal control by nerves, including diarrhoea, constipation and slow transit disorders. Chronic and debilitating derangement of intestinal function occurs in irritable bowel syndrome, which affects around 10-15% of people in our community, about 1% at any one time. Irritable bowel syndrome can persist for many years, and there is no adequate therapy. For some patients no medication gives relief, and for most the relief is minimal. The reflexes in the intestine that control its movements and secretion depend for their initiation on a special type of neuron, known as the intrinsic primary afferent neuron. These neurons have properties that determine how active they are. These properties distinguish them from all other enteric neurons. If the activity of intrinsic primary afferent neurons is controlled, then the intensity and character of enteric reflexes are also controlled. Thus it is feasible to target molecules in these neurons that could be used to treat constipation or diarrhoea, or to accelerate movement of food along the intestine. Our work has identified molecular targets and some of the medicinal compounds that could be useful to patients. The project will further define the molecular targets, determine the specificity of potential treatments and test the effectiveness of the medicinal compounds in an animal model.Read moreRead less
Airfoil Noise Control in Complex Turbulence. This project aims to understand how to control noise created by the interaction of airfoils with complex, real-world turbulence. This project is significant because it will develop novel serrated and porous leading edges tailored for complex turbulence for the first time. Using innovative experimental and theoretical techniques, the project will dramatically advance the science of aeroacoustics. The expected outcomes of the project will be substantial ....Airfoil Noise Control in Complex Turbulence. This project aims to understand how to control noise created by the interaction of airfoils with complex, real-world turbulence. This project is significant because it will develop novel serrated and porous leading edges tailored for complex turbulence for the first time. Using innovative experimental and theoretical techniques, the project will dramatically advance the science of aeroacoustics. The expected outcomes of the project will be substantial reductions in noise from aircraft, wind turbines, submarines and drones. This will provide significant benefits such as a reduction in environmental noise pollution, better public health and submarines with increased stealth.Read moreRead less
Understanding and predicting airfoil noise in real-world turbulence. This project aims to understand and predict the noise produced by turbulence interacting with an airfoil to advance the design of aeroengines, wind turbines, marine vessels, cooling fans and drones. A novel anechoic wind tunnel experiment is proposed to link complex turbulent in-flow with the behaviour of the flow as it interacts with the airfoil and the noise-producing physics. The intended outcomes of this project are new sem ....Understanding and predicting airfoil noise in real-world turbulence. This project aims to understand and predict the noise produced by turbulence interacting with an airfoil to advance the design of aeroengines, wind turbines, marine vessels, cooling fans and drones. A novel anechoic wind tunnel experiment is proposed to link complex turbulent in-flow with the behaviour of the flow as it interacts with the airfoil and the noise-producing physics. The intended outcomes of this project are new semi-analytical noise prediction models and scientific knowledge that can be harnessed for practical noise control. Anticipated benefits include quiet aerospace, naval and renewable energy technologies, reduced environmental noise pollution and better quality of life.Read moreRead less
Mechanisms of sound absorption at the nanoscale. Understanding the interaction of sound with nanoscale structures will guide the creation of novel carbon nanotube materials, optimised for sound absorption, which have potential application anywhere that noise exists and needs to be attenuated. Fuel savings from reduced drag and weight in applications such as jet aircraft engines are also expected.
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE150101528
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$345,000.00
Summary
Resolving the mechanics of wall-mounted finite airfoil noise production. Noise from air transportation and wind turbines is a rapidly growing component of environmental noise pollution that must be reduced to improve public health and well-being. A submarine must also have a low acoustic signature to ensure its stealthiness. The common source of noise generation among these technologies is the airfoil, yet we do not understand how they create noise in real, complex environments. This project aim ....Resolving the mechanics of wall-mounted finite airfoil noise production. Noise from air transportation and wind turbines is a rapidly growing component of environmental noise pollution that must be reduced to improve public health and well-being. A submarine must also have a low acoustic signature to ensure its stealthiness. The common source of noise generation among these technologies is the airfoil, yet we do not understand how they create noise in real, complex environments. This project aims to understand how fluid flow interacts with a wall-mounted finite airfoil to produce sound. The project aims to identify the noise producing physics via a novel wind tunnel experiment and numerical study. This enhanced understanding will create better airfoil noise prediction and control strategies in the future.Read moreRead less
Resolving the mechanics of turbulent noise production. This project aims to dramatically develop our capacity to quieten modern transport, energy and defence technologies through a better understanding of how fluid turbulence creates sound. The outcome of the project will be a quieter modern environment leading to improved public health, an improved environment and a more secure nation.
Hearing Protection Conferred By P2X2 Receptor Signaling In The Cochlea
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$580,019.00
Summary
Hearing loss from noise damage and ageing is the principal sensory disability in our society. This project will determine the contribution of the P2X2 receptor to protection from noise-induced hearing loss. We have found that P2X2 knockout mice have minimal temporary threshold shift. We will investigate the physiological basis for this and determine why this mouse model has greater hearing loss with intense sound and faster age-related hearing loss compared with wildtype controls.