Improved electrophoretic analyser for water quality monitoring. This proposal will advance the Australian made Eco Detection portable electrophoretic analyser for autonomous monitoring of water chemistry - the Eco Sensor. We will re-design and miniaturise the fluidic manifold to reduce capital- and per-sample cost, increase the sensitivity of nutrients - nitrate and phospate - by 100-times in both fresh- and sea-waters, and develop new ultra-sensitive reagents for heavy metal detection at enviro ....Improved electrophoretic analyser for water quality monitoring. This proposal will advance the Australian made Eco Detection portable electrophoretic analyser for autonomous monitoring of water chemistry - the Eco Sensor. We will re-design and miniaturise the fluidic manifold to reduce capital- and per-sample cost, increase the sensitivity of nutrients - nitrate and phospate - by 100-times in both fresh- and sea-waters, and develop new ultra-sensitive reagents for heavy metal detection at environmentally regulated levels. This will provide a single platform for at-site near-real-time monitoring of water chemistry for agricultural, mining, water corporations and other industries that use and/or discharge water to the environment. Read moreRead less
Australian labour market adjustment to technology, trade and policy. This project aims to examine how the Australian labour market has adjusted over the past 30 years to several major developments: increased use of computers, growth in international trade and the mining boom, microeconomic reform, and the expansion of higher education. The analysis is designed to encompass the effect on labour market outcomes including workers’ pay, the skill composition of employment, migration flows and indivi ....Australian labour market adjustment to technology, trade and policy. This project aims to examine how the Australian labour market has adjusted over the past 30 years to several major developments: increased use of computers, growth in international trade and the mining boom, microeconomic reform, and the expansion of higher education. The analysis is designed to encompass the effect on labour market outcomes including workers’ pay, the skill composition of employment, migration flows and individuals’ decisions about acquiring education. Having a richer understanding of how the labour market has adjusted in the past may help policy-makers to infer how adjustment will happen in the future. For example, a better understanding of the effects of new technologies would provide a stronger basis for judging trends in job creation and hence the types of skills and training that will be required in Australia in future years.Read moreRead less
The socioeconomic determinants and dynamics of mental health and disorders in Australia and the United Kingdom: evidence from childhood to the elderly years. Poor mental health and specific mental disorders are prevalent in Australia, and have severe consequences for the social and economic functioning of individuals, families and communities. This project will shed new light on the long-term socio-economic determinants and dynamics of mental health, using data that tracks individuals over time.
New Perspectives on the Socioeconomic Determinants and Dynamics of Mental Health and Wellbeing using Panel, Cohort and Internet Search Data. This project will provide new evidence on the determinants and dynamics of mental health and wellbeing using a range of survey data that tracks individuals for up to 50 years, as well as real-time information from internet search data. Mental health problems often start early in life and reoccur throughout adulthood, which makes a better understanding of th ....New Perspectives on the Socioeconomic Determinants and Dynamics of Mental Health and Wellbeing using Panel, Cohort and Internet Search Data. This project will provide new evidence on the determinants and dynamics of mental health and wellbeing using a range of survey data that tracks individuals for up to 50 years, as well as real-time information from internet search data. Mental health problems often start early in life and reoccur throughout adulthood, which makes a better understanding of the relationship between childhood socioeconomic conditions and mental health outcomes throughout the life-course important for designing policies aimed at early prevention, and therefore reducing socioeconomic inequalities.Read moreRead less
Linear and non-linear Price Decentralization. General equilibrium theory provides the conceptual foundation for our understanding of efficiency and welfare economics. However, at present it does not provide for an adequate understanding in many seetings: for instance, in the case of incomplete financial markets and markets with imperfect information. This project is part of the ongoing and broad research program in the Economic Theory Center of The University of Melbourne on general equilibriu ....Linear and non-linear Price Decentralization. General equilibrium theory provides the conceptual foundation for our understanding of efficiency and welfare economics. However, at present it does not provide for an adequate understanding in many seetings: for instance, in the case of incomplete financial markets and markets with imperfect information. This project is part of the ongoing and broad research program in the Economic Theory Center of The University of Melbourne on general equilibrium theory and mathematical economics. It seeks to extend the classical theory of price decentralization and rectify some of the defects of modern general equilibrium theory.Read moreRead less
We will seek to address an important clinical problem in orthpaedics, namely the bone loss that commonly occurs around joint replacement prostheses. Termed peri-prosthetic osteolysis (PO), this bone loss can result in the loosening and ultimate failure and need for revision of the artificial joint components. PO is thought to be caused by the body's reaction to wear particles generated from the articulating surface of the prosthesis. However, it has not previously been possible to accurately exp ....We will seek to address an important clinical problem in orthpaedics, namely the bone loss that commonly occurs around joint replacement prostheses. Termed peri-prosthetic osteolysis (PO), this bone loss can result in the loosening and ultimate failure and need for revision of the artificial joint components. PO is thought to be caused by the body's reaction to wear particles generated from the articulating surface of the prosthesis. However, it has not previously been possible to accurately explore the relationship between prothesis wear and PO, or the progression of PO, because of a lack of techniques to image and measure the volume of PO around metal prosthesis components. We have developed a means to accurately and reproducibly measure the volume of bone loss, using CT, and will do so longitudinally in joint replacement patients to obtain the first information about the progression of PO. New computer based methods will be used concurrently to relate prosthesis wear and migration parameters to PO. Patients who come to surgery for replacement of failed prostheses will be investigated further by analysis of the tissues involved in the bone loss around prostheses. Basic science experiments will seek to understand the underlying causes of PO and the findings will be important in interpreting the clinical results. An animal model will be used to seek approaches to inhibiting the pathological response to wear particles. The significance of these studies is that they will lead to improved outcomes for joint replacement patients, increasing the interval to revision surgery, which is both extremely costly and brings an attendant morbidity and mortality.Read moreRead less
An Exploration Of Functional Decline And The Potential For Rehab In Patients With Advanced Non-small Cell Lung Cancer
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$50,000.00
Summary
Lung cancer is one of the commonest human cancers and the leading cause of cancer deaths. People with advanced cancer experience significant decline in functional capacity as their disease advances and they approach death. This decline is likely to have significant impact on quality of life. In lung cancer this decline can be exacerbated by chronic illnesses such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). While significant clinical benefits have been demonstrated in COPD patients with the ....Lung cancer is one of the commonest human cancers and the leading cause of cancer deaths. People with advanced cancer experience significant decline in functional capacity as their disease advances and they approach death. This decline is likely to have significant impact on quality of life. In lung cancer this decline can be exacerbated by chronic illnesses such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). While significant clinical benefits have been demonstrated in COPD patients with the introduction of pulmonary rehabilitation, little research has been conducted to either map the functional status of lung cancer patients or to explore the application of pulmonary rehabilitation in this setting. This study seeks to begin a program of work in this area through first exploring the characteristics of functional decline in this group and then assessing the feasibility and acceptability of a rehabilitation program specifically addressing the functional status needs identified.Read moreRead less
New Procedures for Multiple Testing of Econometric Models. In discipline areas ranging from biological and medicine sciences to economics and commerce, very important decisions are made on the basis of statistical or econometric models. There is usually a high degree of uncertainty about the exact form the model should take and the data available to help decide on the best form of the model is often limited. The new procedures developed in this project will help statisticians and econometricians ....New Procedures for Multiple Testing of Econometric Models. In discipline areas ranging from biological and medicine sciences to economics and commerce, very important decisions are made on the basis of statistical or econometric models. There is usually a high degree of uncertainty about the exact form the model should take and the data available to help decide on the best form of the model is often limited. The new procedures developed in this project will help statisticians and econometricians make better decisions about the best form of their models. Our approach gives a new method of validating an estimated model before it is put to use to make critical decisions.Read moreRead less
Nonparametric estimation of regression models with unknown error distributions. In discipline areas ranging from bioinformatics to economics and commerce, researchers make important decisions based on regression models, where the error density is often unknown. This project will result in a new sampling procedure that aims to choose bandwidth parameters for estimating the regression function and error density in nonparametric regression models. Our approach is of practical importance and can be ....Nonparametric estimation of regression models with unknown error distributions. In discipline areas ranging from bioinformatics to economics and commerce, researchers make important decisions based on regression models, where the error density is often unknown. This project will result in a new sampling procedure that aims to choose bandwidth parameters for estimating the regression function and error density in nonparametric regression models. Our approach is of practical importance and can be used to investigate relationships between variables that are observable in our economy and community. The nation will benefit from the output of this project by having its own experts in the area of proposed research, raising Australia's academic profile in econometrics and statistics. Read moreRead less
Testing for Age Discrimination in Hiring in the Australian Labour Market. This project will raise awareness in the community of the extent, or lack thereof, of age discrimination in the Australian labour market. This is particularly important as no other investigations of this nature have been made. The findings will provide a valuable and important complement to the surveys of employer's attitudes towards older workers. There will be policy implications for the structure and operation of anti-d ....Testing for Age Discrimination in Hiring in the Australian Labour Market. This project will raise awareness in the community of the extent, or lack thereof, of age discrimination in the Australian labour market. This is particularly important as no other investigations of this nature have been made. The findings will provide a valuable and important complement to the surveys of employer's attitudes towards older workers. There will be policy implications for the structure and operation of anti-discrimination legislation in Australia. The technique of using written applications to apply for jobs can highlight deficiencies in the current legislation and ways in which the legislation can be modified to make it more effective. Read moreRead less