Revolutionising The Diagnosis And Monitoring Of CF Lung Disease
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$818,391.00
Summary
Cystic fibrosis (CF) lung disease starts early in childhood and relentlessly progresses, with early death a common outcome. There is currently no method capable of detecting very early disease onset nor directly assessing the effectiveness of putative treatments. This project will apply our globally unique X-ray imaging tools, which are capable of imaging lung function at any point across the entire lung, for the very early detection of CF and assessment of clinically applicable treatments.
Exploiting Increased Autophagy In Bronchial Epithelial Cells: A New Therapeutic Approach For Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$724,161.00
Summary
COPD is incurable, a leading cause of death, and new therapies are urgently needed. Autophagy is a cell response to cell stress conditions, however increased autophagy is harmful. We will investigate the association of increased autophagy with COPD and smoking and evaluate therapies that can reduce autophagy, including zinc-related drugs and novel antibiotics that have been modified to lose their anti-bacterial activity.
Structural Reliability of Engineering Structures in Cyclonic Winds. This project aims to address the challenge of predicting the impact of extreme cyclonic winds on complex engineering structures. By applying advanced computational and experimental techniques the project expects to develop new insight into turbulent flows at a sub-cyclone scale and how these produce aerodynamic loads on closely spaced cylindrical structures and elements. The expected outcomes of this project include enhanced sim ....Structural Reliability of Engineering Structures in Cyclonic Winds. This project aims to address the challenge of predicting the impact of extreme cyclonic winds on complex engineering structures. By applying advanced computational and experimental techniques the project expects to develop new insight into turbulent flows at a sub-cyclone scale and how these produce aerodynamic loads on closely spaced cylindrical structures and elements. The expected outcomes of this project include enhanced simulation techniques leading to better understanding of structural vulnerability to cyclones. This should provide significant benefits, such as improved structural design and cyclone mitigation strategies applicable to both high-value engineering structures and vulnerable communities in cyclone regions.Read moreRead less
Viscous extensional flow and drop breakoff. Honey falling from a spoon is an everyday example of a viscous fluid in a free extensional flow which may eventually break up into drops. Such flows are important in modern technologies including ink-jet printing, welding, soldering and molten metal processing, polymer and glass fibre spinning, and for rheological measurement. We seek to increase understanding of the mechanisms governing such flows, particularly the role of initial conditions and the ....Viscous extensional flow and drop breakoff. Honey falling from a spoon is an everyday example of a viscous fluid in a free extensional flow which may eventually break up into drops. Such flows are important in modern technologies including ink-jet printing, welding, soldering and molten metal processing, polymer and glass fibre spinning, and for rheological measurement. We seek to increase understanding of the mechanisms governing such flows, particularly the role of initial conditions and the geometry of the original containing vessel, together with balances between forces such as inertia, gravity, viscosity, viscoelasticity, and surface tension, through a theoretical, computational and experimental study of the fluid mechanics.Read moreRead less
Management Of Breathlessness. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy For People With Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (BREVE RCT)
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$402,875.00
Summary
For people with chronic lung disease, breathlessness is common, distressing and difficult to relieve. Pulmonary rehabilitation programs have been demonstrated to improve exercise capacity and quality of life. This study will determine whether changing the way people think about the sensation of breathlessness while completing pulmonary rehabilitation, further reduces distress/anxiety and health service use and improve exercise capacity, disability related to breathlessness and quality of life.
Flow structures and transport: predictability and control. Moving flow structures (the boundary of an eddy, the flow interface between two fluids) are crucial in fluid mixing and in the transport of heat, pollutants and nutrients. This project will analyse their roles in improving predictions of spreading extents and rates for geophysical-scale problems, and in controlling transport at the micro-scale. Inaccuracies in currently available numerical diagnostics for transport prediction will be com ....Flow structures and transport: predictability and control. Moving flow structures (the boundary of an eddy, the flow interface between two fluids) are crucial in fluid mixing and in the transport of heat, pollutants and nutrients. This project will analyse their roles in improving predictions of spreading extents and rates for geophysical-scale problems, and in controlling transport at the micro-scale. Inaccuracies in currently available numerical diagnostics for transport prediction will be comprehensively evaluated via comparison with recent exact models. Analytical methods for quantifying transport under unsteady flow protocols will be developed, and used to answer questions on controlling transport in microfluidic applications in conjunction with experimentalists.Read moreRead less
A novel approach to controlling boundary-layer separation. This project will involve fundamental research into the control of the fluid dynamical phenomena of boundary-layer separation and transition to turbulence. The project will be built upon a firm foundation of mathematical modelling of the complex behaviour of fluid flows that are near the onset of flow separation or turbulence. The project will produce results that will permit the development of control strategies that can be implemented ....A novel approach to controlling boundary-layer separation. This project will involve fundamental research into the control of the fluid dynamical phenomena of boundary-layer separation and transition to turbulence. The project will be built upon a firm foundation of mathematical modelling of the complex behaviour of fluid flows that are near the onset of flow separation or turbulence. The project will produce results that will permit the development of control strategies that can be implemented in a wide variety of important technological applications, such as drag reduction in the aerospace and ship industries as well as the control of stall (or loss of lift) in modern aircraft.Read moreRead less
Robust fluid mixing through topological chaos. The Australian chemicals and plastics industry has an annual turnover of over $20 billion and employs over 77,000 people; fluid mixing is fundamental to this industry, yet the industry is recognised as underinvesting in research and development in this essential area. Furthermore, frontier technologies such as biotechnology and the next generation of smart materials also crucially rely on fluid mixing. This project aims to evaluate a new paradigm ( ....Robust fluid mixing through topological chaos. The Australian chemicals and plastics industry has an annual turnover of over $20 billion and employs over 77,000 people; fluid mixing is fundamental to this industry, yet the industry is recognised as underinvesting in research and development in this essential area. Furthermore, frontier technologies such as biotechnology and the next generation of smart materials also crucially rely on fluid mixing. This project aims to evaluate a new paradigm (topological chaos) for the design of mixers, to provide better and more robust mixers that work from microscopic to industrial scales.Read moreRead less
Systematically model the large-scale complexity of turbulent floods and thin film flows. This project continues development of new models, and computer
simulation, of turbulent flood, river and estuarine flow. The models
will be based systematically upon established turbulence models to
resolve accurately the complex physical processes. The development of
new and robust computer models for thin layers of coating fluid will
aid many industrial processes. We also aim to provide correct ini ....Systematically model the large-scale complexity of turbulent floods and thin film flows. This project continues development of new models, and computer
simulation, of turbulent flood, river and estuarine flow. The models
will be based systematically upon established turbulence models to
resolve accurately the complex physical processes. The development of
new and robust computer models for thin layers of coating fluid will
aid many industrial processes. We also aim to provide correct initial
conditions and boundary conditions for simpler cases of the above
flows. The approach leads to a greater understanding of the range of
applicability of the models through better estimating the errors in the
modelling process. The project develops a fundamental enabling
methodology for engineering and the sciences.
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A theoretical investigation into the effect of nonlinear wave interactions in promoting transition-to-turbulence. The problem of transition-to-turbulence remains one of the fundamental unanswered questions in fluid dynamics. An understanding of the processes leading to transition is necessary if the active control of turbulence is to be achieved. This project will focus attention on a new class of waves, which have only recently been described the CI, in order to determine how they are triggered ....A theoretical investigation into the effect of nonlinear wave interactions in promoting transition-to-turbulence. The problem of transition-to-turbulence remains one of the fundamental unanswered questions in fluid dynamics. An understanding of the processes leading to transition is necessary if the active control of turbulence is to be achieved. This project will focus attention on a new class of waves, which have only recently been described the CI, in order to determine how they are triggered and how they may serve to actively promote the early development of turbulence in a broad class of fluid flows.Read moreRead less