The Role Of Respiratory And Upper Airway Neural Control In Sleep Disordered Breathing
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$346,018.00
Summary
Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) is a disorder associated with snoring. It affects 4% of adult men and causes excessive daytime sleepiness leading to increased accidents, high blood pressure and premature cardiovascular disease eg. heart attacks and strokes. Patients with OSA obstruct the floppy portion of the upper airway (UA) during sleep and consequently experience frequent episodes of oxygen deprivation as well as sleep fragmentation. OSA is at least 2-3 times more common in men than women. Whi ....Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) is a disorder associated with snoring. It affects 4% of adult men and causes excessive daytime sleepiness leading to increased accidents, high blood pressure and premature cardiovascular disease eg. heart attacks and strokes. Patients with OSA obstruct the floppy portion of the upper airway (UA) during sleep and consequently experience frequent episodes of oxygen deprivation as well as sleep fragmentation. OSA is at least 2-3 times more common in men than women. While OSA patients seem, on average, to have smaller upper airways than normal subjects, the cause of OSA cannot be attributed to this factor alone. For example, a small UA cannot explain the male tendency for OSA. Abnormalities in breathing control or the control of upper airway muscles that normally hold the airway open might also be important in OSA. Men have previously been shown to have a greater increase in UA resistance during sleep than women, consistent with the idea that a gender difference in UA muscle control partly explains why more men than women have OSA. We aim to investigate how changes in breathing and UA dilator muscle control might lead to unstable patterns of breathing and to OSA. We propose that protective UA muscle reflexes are reduced during sleep more in men than women, and are reduced by low blood oxygen levels and alcohol (a known aggravator of sleep apnea). We further propose that low blood oxygen levels not only result from OSA but may also aggravate OSA by preferentially reducing the activity of UA dilating muscles, by making breathing patterns overall less stable and by depressing the ability of subjects to arouse from sleep to an airway blockage. We believe that this tendency to decrease UA activity may be exaggerated in OSA patients. We also propose that men are more vulnerable to the deleterious effects of low oxygen than women. We will also examine if men and snorers have exaggerated breathing responses on arousal from sleep.Read moreRead less
The Role Of Arousal And Respiratory Control Factors In The Pathogenesis Of Obstructive Sleep Apnoea
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$567,924.00
Summary
Sleep apnoea (OSA) is a very common breathing disorder in sleep characterized by repetitive closure of the collapsible portion of the throat with serious effects on sleep quality and health. Basic causes of OSA are still largely unknown. We will investigate waking responses to breathing load and related respiratory control factors that we believe may be fundamental causes of OSA, and potentially explain many features of OSA including worsening in light sleep and with increasing age.
Novel vibro-acoustic technologies for detecting bearing and wheel defects in rail vehicles. Research will be conducted to provide the basis for the development of a novel automatic system that detects bearing and wheel defects in under-way railway wagons, thus helping to prevent catastrophic derailments and minimise fuel consumption. It will also maintain Australian industry at the forefront of the global track-side monitoring industry.
How The Lateral Habenula Integrates Behavioral And Autonomic Functions: The VTA Dopamine Connection
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$819,904.00
Summary
When adverse events occur, the lateral habenula, an old brain nucleus, helps calculate the wisest corrective action by contributing to the “brake” that controls the brain’s dopamine reward system. Our research will show how the lateral habenula links corrective changes in behavior with coordinated changes in temperature. Understanding this link will greatly contribute to understanding the brain mechanisms that regulate our physiology during stressful situations and as part of mental illness.
Reducing Blackout Risk through Live Modelling and Monitoring. This project aims to reduce the risk of blackouts through the development of on-line systems for modelling and monitoring of loads and power system controllers. This project is a collaboration with Transgrid, Powerlink, Vencorp and ElectraNetSA, four Transmission companies renowned for innovation in the area of system stability. The project proposes to develop innovative algorithms and to implement these algorithms using advanced hard ....Reducing Blackout Risk through Live Modelling and Monitoring. This project aims to reduce the risk of blackouts through the development of on-line systems for modelling and monitoring of loads and power system controllers. This project is a collaboration with Transgrid, Powerlink, Vencorp and ElectraNetSA, four Transmission companies renowned for innovation in the area of system stability. The project proposes to develop innovative algorithms and to implement these algorithms using advanced hardware, software and communication systems to dynamically generate decision tools for safe and efficient power system operating conditions. These systems will also generate alarms if any risky operational situations arise.Read moreRead less
Quantifying the impact of wind farm noise on rural communities. This project is directed at quantifying the level and character of wind farm noise experienced by rural communities, to gain an understanding of the likelihood of the emitted sound causing the medical symptoms experienced by these communities. The outcome will be an accurate prediction model that covers infrasound, the audio range and modulation.
Condition monitoring and process control of injection molding. Injection molding has been widely used in automotive industry and improvement of the productivity and quality of the products is very important for the injection molding production to be internationally competitive. The aim of this project is to develop a condition monitoring and process control system to monitor the key parameters of the injection molding processes, to optimise the design and process conditions, and consequently, to ....Condition monitoring and process control of injection molding. Injection molding has been widely used in automotive industry and improvement of the productivity and quality of the products is very important for the injection molding production to be internationally competitive. The aim of this project is to develop a condition monitoring and process control system to monitor the key parameters of the injection molding processes, to optimise the design and process conditions, and consequently, to more actively control the processes. This will lead to an more reliable process, improved productivity and production of higher quality of moldings.Read moreRead less
G-expectation and its applications to nonlinear risk management. This project will develop novel theories and methods for nonlinear risk management based on nonlinear expectations and Backward Stochastic Differential Equations. The expected outcomes of the project will place Australia in the forefront and the leading position of these fields.
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE200100175
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$475,000.00
Summary
A high-payload, high-fidelity haptically-enabled motion simulation facility. An Australian-first motion simulation facility consisting of a high-payload, high-fidelity Stewart platform mounted on a dual-axis linear track is proposed. The facility will allow high acceleration and high vibration manoeuvres, and large displacements through an eight-degrees-of-freedom range of motion. It can carry the entire control compartment of a heavy vehicle, a truck, an ambulance, a train, or a multi-operator ....A high-payload, high-fidelity haptically-enabled motion simulation facility. An Australian-first motion simulation facility consisting of a high-payload, high-fidelity Stewart platform mounted on a dual-axis linear track is proposed. The facility will allow high acceleration and high vibration manoeuvres, and large displacements through an eight-degrees-of-freedom range of motion. It can carry the entire control compartment of a heavy vehicle, a truck, an ambulance, a train, or a multi-operator cockpit of a mining vehicle for simulation. The outcome will provide significant benefits for virtual vehicle prototyping and testing, driver training and behaviour modelling, motion perception and motion sickness research; therefore advancing Australia as the global leader in motion simulation and vehicular technologies.Read moreRead less
Special Research Initiatives - Grant ID: SR0566924
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$52,825.00
Summary
Develop and pilot an e-cohort research technique for longitudinal studies using multiple international cohorts. The aim of this project is to develop and pilot an e-cohort research methodology suitable for longitudinal studies with multiple international cohorts. Historically, studies of this nature are expensive as they are conducted in traditional paper-based mode and the studies are therefore confined to one country. Population-based epidemiological studies of this type have led to major scie ....Develop and pilot an e-cohort research technique for longitudinal studies using multiple international cohorts. The aim of this project is to develop and pilot an e-cohort research methodology suitable for longitudinal studies with multiple international cohorts. Historically, studies of this nature are expensive as they are conducted in traditional paper-based mode and the studies are therefore confined to one country. Population-based epidemiological studies of this type have led to major scientific advances in global health for the last sixty years. Developing and employing e-research techniques in longitudinal studies will significantly reduce the costs of this important research and enable multi-national cohorts of participants that will result in high quality research.Read moreRead less