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Overweight and obesity can result in impaired or high glucose levels and aberrant vascular function, which leads to metabolic syndrome (MetS), pre-diabetic (PD), or type 2 diabetes. Early detection of impaired glucose levels in overweight/obese individuals is desirable to prevent the likelihood of disease progression. Thus, the purpose of this study, is firstly to identify early markers, such as impaired/high glucose level and aberrant vascular function in overweight/obese individuals, and secondly, to examine the acute effect of aerobic exercise on those early markers. It is expected that acute exercise will normalize vascular function aberration in MetS and PD individuals.

The current project will investigate the best dietary pattern when combined with a regular weight training program for improving muscle strength, lean mass and physical function (i.e. tasks of daily living) in older adults. Participants will have to consume diet specific foods containing varying amounts of protein and carbohydrate within 1 hour after their exercise session as this has been shown as an important window for nutrition to stimulate an increase in muscle growth.

This study is to assess the safety and tolerability and how the investigational drug acts in the body. Healthy volunteers are being used for this trial and patients who suffer from Chronic Hepatitis C infection. There will be one dose given to the healthy volunteers first and then the results from that will determine the dose levels of the Investigational product to be given in the second part of the study to healthy volunteers. They will also test a dose given before eating and after eating a meal. In the third part of the study, the results from these two parts will determine dosing for patients who suffer from CHC.

"FluMum” is a study about flu vaccination in pregnancy. We want to find out whether or not you had a flu vaccine in the 12 months before your baby was born and then whether that helps to protect your baby from getting influenza during the first 6 months of infancy. We ask questions and ask for permission to obtain information that may be kept in Government Health Departments. We don’t do any blood tests, give any injections or take any specimens. You don’t even have to have had the influenza vaccine to be in the study. In Australia, flu vaccination is recommended for all pregnant women who will be in their second or third trimester during the flu season. The reason that the vaccine is recommended is to prevent illness during pregnancy, however, there is some evidence that giving the flu vaccine during pregnancy (and potentially in the 12 months prior to a baby being born) may be of benefit in protecting the baby from the flu during the first few months of life. The study is being conducted in Darwin, Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth. We will look at flu vaccine uptake pregnancy in the 12 months prior to the baby being born and the reasons why women do or don’t get vaccinated. Then we will find out whether babies of women vaccinated in the 12 months prior to a baby being born are less likely to get flu in the first few months of life than the babies of women who were not vaccinated.

This project aims to assess the effectiveness of progesterone (as luteal phase support) and amoxycillin (as a cervical mucus enhancer) for pregnancy achievement, in previously anovulatory women currently ovulating on clomiphene citrate (+/- metformin). All women will be instructed in a fertility awareness-based method (the Sympto-Thermal Method). It is hypothesised that: 1. Progesterone given as luteal phase support increases the likelihood of pregnancy in subfertile women receiving clomiphene citrate for anovulation. 2. Amoxycillin (as cervical mucus enhancer) plus progesterone (as luteal phase support) increases the likelihood of pregnancy in subfertile women receiving clomiphene citrate for anovulation.

Egg allergy is the most common food allergy in Australian children. Many children with egg allergy can tolerate baked products, but will fail an oral challenge to raw egg. The primary aim of this study is to determine whether allergy to raw egg is better resolved by regular consumption of baked egg (intervention group, baked egg exposure) compared with the standard practice of an egg free diet (control group, egg avoidance).

Consumption of high fructose diets have been shown to contribute to the rising incidence of obesity worldwide. Increased fructose intake has been associated with many of the components of metabolic syndrome (insulin resistance, elevated waist circumference, dyslipidaemia, and hypertension), a precursor for the development of diabetes and heart disease. It is hypothesized that restricting dietary fructose intake results in reduced circulating blood lipid levels, increased satiety hormones and reduced inflammatory mediators and improved overall cardio-metabolic health.

Obesity is a growing global public health problem in developed nations. It is estimated that half of all Australian women of childbearing age are overweight or obese. Obese pregnant women are more likely to deliver their babies by Caesarean Section and are also more likely to have complications such as Surgical Site Infections after Caesarean Section than non-obese women. Wounds that fail to heal may cause considerable distress to patients and negatively affect the physical, social, emotional and economic aspects of their life. Wound complications also add to the cost of health care. Negative Pressure Wound Therapy has been used to aid healing since it was first developed in the late 1990s. The treatment is based on a closed sealed system that produces negative pressure to the wound surface. The wound is covered and sealed with an occlusive dressing and suction tubes which are connected to a vacuum pump which provides intermittent or continuous suction. Negative Pressure Wound Therapy is being used more frequently as a way to prevent wound complications especially Surgical Site Infections, but it has not been well tested yet. This study will test the effectiveness of two different methods to dress surgical wounds following Caesarean Section. These include Negative Pressure Wound Therapy compared to current care (standard dressing). We are doing this research study to find out the best practice for preventing Surgical Site Infections in obese women. To do this, we need to study women with a Body Mass Index (BMI) greater than or equal to 30 for one month following their surgery, and closely monitor their surgical wound

Wound infections after major surgery on the abdomen are very common. About 20-30 % of patients undergoing major prolonged abdominal surgery experience some form of wound infection. Although most of these infections are minor and often able to be treated by a short period of antibiotics or by release of the infection from the wound by drainage, in some cases it can be very serious resulting in the need for further surgical treatment or prolonged medical and nursing care. Although there have been improvements in surgical techniques to reduce wound infections, there is still room for improvement, in particular after prolonged operations. The purpose of this project is to see if we can reduce the rate of wound infections, by irrigating wounds at the end of procedures using a wound irrigating device with 2 litres of saline. This has been shown to reduce wound infections after major orthopaedic operations, but has not been well tested for major abdominal wounds. Participants will be assigned to having their wounds irrigated with either a pulse irrigator device or having standard treatment of saline poured into the wounds. GROUP 1. (n=64) Pulsed Irrigation Group The Surgilav (Stryker (Registered Trademark) pulse irrigating device (psi <15) is used in this group for wound irrigation. Wounds are wound irrigated with 2 litres of sterile saline solution delivered by the pulse irrigator prior to a routine closure methods. GROUP 2 (n=64) Standard Irrigation Group Patients assigned to this group will have their wounds irrigated with sterile saline solution, poured slowly into the wound, with excess fluid removed at the end of the procedure with a pad in the usual manner. The skin is closed in the usual fashion. Recruiting Hospitals: Austin Health & Warringal Private Hospitals Clinical significance: Significant reductions in wound infections in patients undergoing prolonged major abdominal operations will have a major impact in improving overall outcomes and reducing costs both to patients and hospital.

The ANROTAT Radiation Oncology Register Pilot (ARORP) aims to assess the feasibility of using a practical system to collect accurate and complete treatment and outcome data for patients undergoing radiotherapy treatment for their cancer in the following indications: - Intermediate risk prostate cancer treated with IGRT or non­IGRT - Prostate Cancer ­ Post Prostatectomy treated with IMRT or 3DCRT - Nasopharynx Cancer treated with IMRT or 3DCRT - Anal Cancer treated with IMRT or 3DCRT DESIGN There are two main design components to the ARORP: 1. An observational study in which data are entered into ARORP from a cohort of patients who received radiotherapy treatment for the indications described above 2. A cross­sectional surveys of users of the ARORP at participating centres The opinions of ARORP users will be measured via an evaluation survey that asks for their rating (excellent, good, fair, or poor) of the system in terms of access, data entry, navigation, training, support, and overall ease of use. The proportion of users providing an overall rating of excellent or good will be calculated. Focus group discussions with ARORP users also will be performed at each centre to obtain qualitative feedback on the system (including such things as the burden on the staff collecting the data).