Palliative Care For Aboriginal And Torres Strait Islander People With End-stage Renal Disease: An Action Research Initiati
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$295,554.00
Summary
There are significant gaps in current knowledge for providing culturally appropriate and effective palliative care for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with kidney failure. This project will consider these issues in partnership with the Kowanyama Community and the associated key Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and other agencies. Echoing the recommendations by the �National Indigenous Palliative Care Needs Study� this study will address the absence of a culturally appropriate m ....There are significant gaps in current knowledge for providing culturally appropriate and effective palliative care for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with kidney failure. This project will consider these issues in partnership with the Kowanyama Community and the associated key Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and other agencies. Echoing the recommendations by the �National Indigenous Palliative Care Needs Study� this study will address the absence of a culturally appropriate model of care pathway for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with advanced kidney failure to make effective informed choices for palliative care. Through the use of action research methodology this study will engage with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to consider these issues, taking into consideration their cultural, spiritual and social needs, those of their family, carers, healthcare personnel and the wider community. Subject to discussions and input from the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and other key stakeholders it is anticipated that the key areas of interest will focus on spirituality, quality of life, role of the family, carer and community, understandings and experience of kidney failure, treatment options, patient advocacy systems, the need for relocation, and the potential role of advanced care planning. Intervention strategies will also be conducted and evaluated. Subject to discussions and input from the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander participants and other key stakeholders it is anticipated that these will focus on a community based education program, development of a culturally appropriate quality of life questionnaire, development and piloting of a culturally appropriate mechanism for people to consider advanced care planning and development and piloting of a patient advocacy process for those from remote areas visiting metropolitan renal - palliative care health services.Read moreRead less
Retroviral Expression Cloning Using An Arrayed Full Length CDNA Gene Set
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,841,500.00
Summary
The sequencing of the human genome has revealed the blueprint for life, but the identities and-or functions of the majority of genes remain unknown. Here we propose to establish a radically modified retroviral expression cloning system that will, in principle, allow identification of all genes that confer a particular dominant phenotype. To do this we will establish an arrayed retroviral library of sequence-verified genes covering the entire human transcriptome. This technology will be used to i ....The sequencing of the human genome has revealed the blueprint for life, but the identities and-or functions of the majority of genes remain unknown. Here we propose to establish a radically modified retroviral expression cloning system that will, in principle, allow identification of all genes that confer a particular dominant phenotype. To do this we will establish an arrayed retroviral library of sequence-verified genes covering the entire human transcriptome. This technology will be used to identify genes involved in a wide range of medically-important biological processes.Read moreRead less
Production Of Nasal Filters: Enhanced Prophylactic Protection From Aerosol Exposure
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$147,000.00
Summary
Influenza is a highly contagious disease that is transmitted via infective secretions containing the virus. An infected person produces tiny droplets of these secretions when coughing, sneezing, and talking, and the droplets are disseminated into the air where they are subsequently inhaled by others. A common way of preventing such transmission is to wear a mask to prevent droplet inhalation. While such masks may greatly reduce exposure, they do not eliminate it, as some viruses can pass around ....Influenza is a highly contagious disease that is transmitted via infective secretions containing the virus. An infected person produces tiny droplets of these secretions when coughing, sneezing, and talking, and the droplets are disseminated into the air where they are subsequently inhaled by others. A common way of preventing such transmission is to wear a mask to prevent droplet inhalation. While such masks may greatly reduce exposure, they do not eliminate it, as some viruses can pass around the edges of masks, particularly if it fits poorly, and also a small percentage can pass through the filter material. While influenza is usually not a major health problem in the general community, the emergence of a more hazardous strain will place an additional burden on health care and other facilities, and requires the development and optimization of measures to minimize virus spread and protect those who are exposed. The aim of this project is to build small filters that can be worn in the nose to provide additional filtration of inhaled air. These filters would be worn in combination with a mask in high exposure circumstances, such as by health care workers when treating infected patients or could be used when a mask was not normally worn to provide effective and discreet protection, such as in crowded public places. Developing such filters builds on our experience of making small samplers worn in the nose to measure allergen exposure. This experience is combined with advanced filter materials developed by leading US researchers that permit the efficient filtration of particles as small as viruses. This project will be conducted in collaboration with a leading Australian design group, and we will design and evaluate such filters for their ability to capture virus and thus protect the wearer. The filters should provide an intuitive, effective and inexpensive method to be used in combination with other hygiene measures to increase personal protection from acquiring highly transmissible respiratory diseases, particularly influenza. We expect to have prototypes of the filters available in 6 months so that production can commence.Read moreRead less