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Improving the quality of water for release from land-based aquaculture in northern Australia (Old ID 26373)
Effluent from land-based aquaculture farms is problematic because of its nutrient content. This project will be the first in Australia and the tropics to assess the ability of 'denitrification bioreactors' (woodchip-filled trenches) to remove suspended solids and nitrogen from effluent leaving an aquaculture farm. It will be carried out on a barramundi farm the Great Barrier Reef catchment in North Queensland. Changes in quality of water flowing through bioreactors will be measured under a range of likely operating conditions, including differences in salinity and effluent retention rate. The results will be applicable to aquaculture farms throughout the tropics, enabling a reduction in negative environmental impacts, and facilitating intensification and expansion of fish production without increasing nutrient export.
Discovery of novel biomarkers for Epstein Barr Virus (EBV) infection related cancers – PTLD and cross-pathogen (Old ID 26525)
There is a large body of evidence indicating that Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) actively contributes to the pathogenesis of multiple tumours. We hypothesize that the antibody response to EBV is altered in infection-related cancers. We are comprehensively assessing the antibody response to EBV in individuals with and without cancer (cases and controls) using our proprietary EBV proteome array, to identify an antibody signature which predicts cancer risk. The ultimate goal is an immunodiagnostic test to identify individuals in the general population who are at high risk of developing infection-related cancers. Extending previous studies, we will probe defined samples from PTLD and other EBV-infection related cancer studies provided by colleagues at Moffitt Cancer Center and Baylor College of Medicine to define IgA and IgG antibody repertoires
Exploring the Long-Term Effects of Probiotic Supplementation in Premature Infants (Old ID 27031)
Probiotic supplementation is now standard care for pre-term infants in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU); significantly reducing the risk of Necrotising Enterocolitis (NEC) and mortality. What is not known is the long-term impact of this probiotic treatment on the developing infant gut microbiome. Evidence from a previous study shows positive effects, however, two important questions remain. 1. Microbes from probiotic supplementation appear to colonize the infant gut, cause positive modulation and reduce the incidence of disease, does this effect persist over the first year of life? 2. Should the criteria for probiotic supplementation be expanded to include all infants?
Low-cost Sensing Methods and Hybrid Learning Approaches for Water Quality Monitoring (Old ID 27164)
This project aims to investigate innovative solutions for low-cost water quality monitoring by utilising state-of-the-art Internet of Things and Artificial Intelligence technologies. This project expects to generate new knowledge in the area of artificial intelligent Internet of Things using interdisciplinary approaches. Expected outcomes of this project include novel low-cost alternative sensing methods and new hybrid learning network models for sensory data predictive analytics. This should provide significant national benefits, such as substantially reduced costs and improved accuracy for real-time monitoring of the Great Barrier Reef.
Threatened frog surveys Kuranda (Old ID 23141)
Perform frog surveys on the KUR-World site and provide a report on threatened stream-associated frogs to NRA Environmental Consultants. Surveys will target threatened stream-breeding frogs after wet weather. The report will outline frog presence and abundance and recommendations on required habitat, stream buffers and ways to minimise ecological impacts.
Detection of scalloped hammerhead sharks in Apra Harbor and adjacent waters, Guam using Environmental DNA (Old ID 23578)
Scalloped hammerhead sharks (Sphyrna lewini) are anecdotally reported in Apra Harbor, Guam, but their spatial and temporal patterns of occurrence are not well understood. Lack of knowledge of population abundance, distribution, and habitat use also extends across the geographic range of the Indo-West Pacific subpopulation. All S. lewini are nationally protected under the Endangered Species Act, and their occurrence within Apra Harbor is of concern to management and conservation strategies and mission-essential operations of the U.S. Department of Navy. This project will determine the temporal and spatial distribution and habitat use of the scalloped hammerhead shark within Apra Harbor and Orote Peninsula nearshore waters.
Irradiation of Polymer Thin Films to Develop Carbon Nano-Clusters (Old ID 22094)
Using a 2014 AINSE grant we have substantiated that polymer thin film material properties can be tailored using I+ ion irradiation. Significant modification of the atomic and electronic structure of polymer films will occur as a result of high energy (MeV) ion irradiation. This project aims to improve typical polymer properties, such as glass transition temperature, interfacial bonding and elastic modulus. These properties will be altered especially if nanotube or carbon clusters are formed as a result of the high energy ion irradiation. At high energy densities (fluences of 1x10^14 and 1x10^156 ions/cm^2) the irradiated polymer will change its structure to hydrogenated amorphous carbon and can also lead to the formation of graphitic clusters. This research will assist in understanding the material's electronic and physical structures and can lead to the development of novel environmentally friendly electronic products.
Mental Health Among Medical Professionals in Foshan City, China (Old ID 22511)
This project aims to investigate mental health among medical professionals in Foshan City, China. The mental health of physicians is now recognised as a serious issue in China after a number of high profile incidences in which doctors have been attacked by patients. Of course, being a high stress occupation, mental health issues caused by professional stress and burnout have always been present among medical professionals. This study seeks to use a mix-methods approach to explore such issues.
Improved productivity and efficiency of the culture based fishery for giant freshwater prawn in Sri Lankan reservoirs. (Old ID 26163)
Productivity of the fisheries resources of Sri Lankan reservoirs has been improved through application of culture based fishery (CFB) practices. In addition to a variety of finfish that serve to provide protein to local communities, the addition of stocked giant freshwater prawn (GFP)-Macrobrachium rosenbergii, has added significant value, due to high market price, 10 times higher than that of finfish. Currently, the GFP are captured as a bycatch to finfish and the stocking practices are ad-hoc, resulting in very low yield per seed prawn stocked. The fishery is managed as a single multi-species fishery, and although the project will focus on research of GFP, some aspects of the research will involve the entire fishery, particularly modelling of stocking and yields. This will provide benefits for production of all species, with an emphasis on enhancement of GFP production through specific research of stocking practices, production dynamics, harvest and socio-economic aspects 0of the fishery and the supply chain.
Review of Tokelau's Clinical Health Services and Patient Referrals Sceme (Old ID 26397)
The Tokelau Government has asked for an independent review of the Tokelau Patient Referrals Scheme (TPRS) and clinical health services. In partnership with the Tokelau Government, the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT) has engaged a Massey University-led team to do the review. Our proposal is distinguished by three features in particular: the team is Pacific-led, the review design is bottom up, participatory and solutions-focussed, and our approach is grounded in a Tokelauan world view of health and wellbeing. This approach will allow for the co-creation of knowledge, will ensure that the review is inclusive of a diversity of views, including marginalised groups, and will enable us to undertake an in-depth review which reflects the social, economic, cultural and spiritual context. Methodological innovations such as use of the Systems Assessment Tool and particpatory co-design workshops will enable us to generate robust findings combining quantitative and qualitative data.