Dynamic Postural Stability And Falls Prediction In Older People During Walking In Real-world Environments.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$680,793.00
Summary
The increased occurrence of falls with advancing age (33-50% of people aged >65 years) is a significant cause of mortality (1014 deaths in 1998), morbidity, and disability, affecting not only the individuals concerned, but the health care system (45,069 fall related hospitalizations in 1998 in Australia) and the broader community (National falls Prevention Initiative, 2004). Although there are a number of falls risk tests, most rely on determination of body sway while standing when the body i ....The increased occurrence of falls with advancing age (33-50% of people aged >65 years) is a significant cause of mortality (1014 deaths in 1998), morbidity, and disability, affecting not only the individuals concerned, but the health care system (45,069 fall related hospitalizations in 1998 in Australia) and the broader community (National falls Prevention Initiative, 2004). Although there are a number of falls risk tests, most rely on determination of body sway while standing when the body is static rather than in motion. Given that up to 70% of falls occur during walking and performing transfers, there is a clear need to develop tests of falls risk prediction that incorporate indices of postural stability measured during more dynamic activities. Test development needs to be underpinned by clear evidence of how age-related sensory and motor deficits affect postural stability during walking. The studies outlined in this application will develop and utilise new accelerometer-based technologies to determine the fundamental mechanisms underlying balance control during walking in older people. Specifically, this project will aim to develop a clear understanding of how changes in factors as vision, neuromuscular function (strength, stiffness) and proprioception contribute to the overall decline in stability and balance during walking in older people. Combined with physiological assessment measures developed by the research team, the research will allow the development of a more definitive predictive test of stability and falls risk. This test will be able to be used by health professionals for assessment of older people to determine the most effective therapeutic and-or exercise interventions to target those individuals at risk. This technology will also be adaptable to a biofeedback device to allow individuals to monitor their own stability.Read moreRead less
Design rules for nutritionally-functional grains. Design rules for nutritionally-functional grains. This project aims to design the most comprehensive specifications yet for nutritionally enhanced and health-modulating starch in grain-based foods. Why starch resists small intestinal digestion is not understood; this limits plant breeders and food (ingredient) manufacturers’ ability to tailor starch structures for optimal human nutritional value. This project will study how resistant starch survi ....Design rules for nutritionally-functional grains. Design rules for nutritionally-functional grains. This project aims to design the most comprehensive specifications yet for nutritionally enhanced and health-modulating starch in grain-based foods. Why starch resists small intestinal digestion is not understood; this limits plant breeders and food (ingredient) manufacturers’ ability to tailor starch structures for optimal human nutritional value. This project will study how resistant starch survives digestion in the small intestine and passed to the large intestine using a model for the large intestine to define the microbial fermentation of resistant starch fractions. This research is expected to improve breeding programmes and food ingredients and promote the nutritional value of grain-based foods.Read moreRead less
Passive biofiltration processes for nitrogen removal from polluted waters. Traditional urban wastewater treatment is energy and resource demanding. By combining principles of Water Sensitive Urban Design (WSUD) with advanced pollutant removal processes, we will create necessary knowledge to underpin development of novel sustainable urban water treatment systems. This project aims to understand and utilise Simultaneous Nitrification, Anammox and Denitrification (SNAD) processes within passive pla ....Passive biofiltration processes for nitrogen removal from polluted waters. Traditional urban wastewater treatment is energy and resource demanding. By combining principles of Water Sensitive Urban Design (WSUD) with advanced pollutant removal processes, we will create necessary knowledge to underpin development of novel sustainable urban water treatment systems. This project aims to understand and utilise Simultaneous Nitrification, Anammox and Denitrification (SNAD) processes within passive plant-soil-based biofilters for cost-effective removal of nitrogen from a range of polluted urban water sources. The project will open a potential for a new technological advancements in urban water management, while simultaneously providing benefits to the environment and community through greening and waterway protection.Read moreRead less
Activating lazy stormwater wetlands through real time monitoring & control. Constructed stormwater wetlands are the last line of defence preventing pollution of urban waterways, but wetlands often fail, with their passive operation unable to adapt to the highly variable climate and hydrology they experience. This project aims to use advances in real-time control technology to turn these lazy wetlands into active wetland systems, optimising their performance. It aims to deliver new-generation tec ....Activating lazy stormwater wetlands through real time monitoring & control. Constructed stormwater wetlands are the last line of defence preventing pollution of urban waterways, but wetlands often fail, with their passive operation unable to adapt to the highly variable climate and hydrology they experience. This project aims to use advances in real-time control technology to turn these lazy wetlands into active wetland systems, optimising their performance. It aims to deliver new-generation technologies to enhance water quality treatment, enhance urban water security and guarantee environmental flows to maintain healthy waterways. Working in partnership with waterway managers and water retailers, this project strives to deliver a nationally and globally relevant technology to change how we manage water in cities.Read moreRead less
Sequencing and assembling microbial community metagenomes in real-time. This project aims to assemble metagenomes directly from environmental samples using nanopore sequencing. Short-read approaches to metagenomics cannot assemble mixed genomes from an environmental sample, so focus on describing which species and genes are present. Long-read nanopore sequencing enables the assembly of full genomes of multiple species in a sample. Assembling complete genomes in important resources such as water ....Sequencing and assembling microbial community metagenomes in real-time. This project aims to assemble metagenomes directly from environmental samples using nanopore sequencing. Short-read approaches to metagenomics cannot assemble mixed genomes from an environmental sample, so focus on describing which species and genes are present. Long-read nanopore sequencing enables the assembly of full genomes of multiple species in a sample. Assembling complete genomes in important resources such as water and soil should lead to deeper understanding of the dynamics, variation and transfer of genetic material within these resources’ microbial communities, strategies to manage microbial diversity, and improved productivity and long-term sustainability for these resources.Read moreRead less
Adaptive ecotyping of the toxic cyanobacterium Cylindrospermopsis raciborskii to predict its invasive capacity. We change the world while other organisms adapt to these new conditions. Cyanobacteria (blue green algae) increasingly dominate water bodies that were previously free of these harmful blooms. To minimise the spread of these algae, this project will study the genetic basis that determines how rapidly they can evolve and adapt to a changing planet.
Disinfection by-products formed during drinking water treatment: reducing the unknowns is managing risk. Disinfection of drinking water is a successful measure to reduce water-borne diseases and protect health. However, epidemiological evidence links bladder cancer to disinfection by-products formed during drinking water treatment. Despite decades of research the causative agents remain to be identified. To fill this knowledge gap, this project will quantify the fraction of toxicity that cannot ....Disinfection by-products formed during drinking water treatment: reducing the unknowns is managing risk. Disinfection of drinking water is a successful measure to reduce water-borne diseases and protect health. However, epidemiological evidence links bladder cancer to disinfection by-products formed during drinking water treatment. Despite decades of research the causative agents remain to be identified. To fill this knowledge gap, this project will quantify the fraction of toxicity that cannot be explained by known chemicals in water samples treated with different disinfectants using a combination of chemical analysis and in-vitro bioassays. Samples with high unexplained effects will then be fractionated to isolate toxicologically relevant disinfection by-products, which will ultimately be identified with non-target chemical analysis.Read moreRead less
A robust integrated streamflow forecasting framework for Australian water information and management agencies. This project aims to deliver an accurate and reliable seasonal streamflow forecasting system for Australian water users by developing a flexible rainfall-runoff modelling approach integrated into a Bayesian inference and prediction framework. These scientific developments aim to significantly advance the operational capabilities of the Australian Bureau of Meteorology to deliver robust ....A robust integrated streamflow forecasting framework for Australian water information and management agencies. This project aims to deliver an accurate and reliable seasonal streamflow forecasting system for Australian water users by developing a flexible rainfall-runoff modelling approach integrated into a Bayesian inference and prediction framework. These scientific developments aim to significantly advance the operational capabilities of the Australian Bureau of Meteorology to deliver robust streamflow forecasts to water agencies such as South East Queensland Water and others across Australia. Accurate predictions of future water flows are of tremendous value to urban and rural Australian communities whose economic prosperity, water security and social well-being depend on reliable estimates of water availability.Read moreRead less
Turbulence and energy dissipation in stepped spillways and urban drainage systems. The economical sustainability of Australia's water resources relies upon an efficient use of its structures. Present water resources are diminishing because of poor engineering design. This issue is critical in both rural and urban Australia. The economical expansions of existing water supplies can be achieved by refurbishing reservoirs, water supply networks and urban water systems. The expertise derived from the ....Turbulence and energy dissipation in stepped spillways and urban drainage systems. The economical sustainability of Australia's water resources relies upon an efficient use of its structures. Present water resources are diminishing because of poor engineering design. This issue is critical in both rural and urban Australia. The economical expansions of existing water supplies can be achieved by refurbishing reservoirs, water supply networks and urban water systems. The expertise derived from the project will spearhead applications in a range of industries dealing with civil and environmental systems.Read moreRead less
Ozone-Enhanced Particle Removal in Water Treatment. Combined ozonation/biologically active carbon filtration provides effective contaminant removal while minimizing disinfection by-product formation. However, the cost of installation in conventional water treatment plants is very high. This project will investigate the beneficial influence of ozonation on the micro-flocculation of small particles, with the aim to optimising particle removal by sedimentation prior to filtration. To do this, requi ....Ozone-Enhanced Particle Removal in Water Treatment. Combined ozonation/biologically active carbon filtration provides effective contaminant removal while minimizing disinfection by-product formation. However, the cost of installation in conventional water treatment plants is very high. This project will investigate the beneficial influence of ozonation on the micro-flocculation of small particles, with the aim to optimising particle removal by sedimentation prior to filtration. To do this, requires a clear understanding of how dissolved ozone interacts with particle surfaces for different water chemistries. The ideal outcome would be to develop a robust water treatment system that required BAC filtration only and eliminated the need for a conventional sand filtration stage as well.Read moreRead less