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The transbronchial lung cryobiopsy is a new, minimally invasive technique for obtaining lung tissue to diagnose ILD. In order to determine the place of cryobiopsy in ILD diagnostic algorithms and international guidelines, it is crucial that this procedure is validated against the current gold-standard practice, the VATS biopsy. This study brings together a team of leading proceduralists, ILD specialists and histopathologists from across Australia, with consultative input from international leaders in the field. The main objective of this project is to determine the role of cryobiopsy in the diagnosis of ILD.

Men who have sex with men tested positive for pharyngeal gonorrhoea at Melbourne Sexual Health Centre (MSHC) who volunteer will be randomised to receive an alcohol-containing mouthwash or a saline on the day when they receive treatment for pharyngeal gonorrhoea. The primary outcome is the proportion of cases who test positive for pharyngeal gonorrhoea by culture after gargling an alcohol-containing mouthwash.

to test the feasibility and acceptability of HOW R U, an innovative volunteer-peer telephone-support intervention designed to support older vulnerable people after hospitalisation with the aim of improving their quality of life and reducing their risk of avoidable re-attendance and hospitalisation. Hypothesis: Volunteer-peer telephone-support will help reduce symptoms of social isolation, loneliness and depressive feelings, through an improvement in mood and quality of life.

Up to 80% of Australians experience back pain and 10% have significant disability as a result. There is a critical need for the development and evaluation of innovative treatments that have the capacity to target the multidimensional nature of chronic low back pain. This study will compare the effects and mechanisms of Mindfulness Meditation, Cognitive Therapy, and Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for chronic low back pain. Results will ultimately lead to streamlined interventions designed to efficiently maximise benefit.

The primary objective of this study is demonstrating the performance and safety of EvokeTM spinal cord stimulation with feedback control on neural stimulation in patients with chronic pain with regard to pain relief and stimulation side effects. A new technique has been developed to measure Evoked Compound Action Potentials (ECAPs) or neural responses to neural stimulation, on the same lead that delivers the stimulation. This research will help advance neurostimulation technology.

The study aims to examine the use of printed education materials to support the dissemination of nutrition guidelines in childcare centres. We hypothesise that the use of these materials will increase the cooks intentions to apply such guidelines when planning their menu. This increase in intentions is also likely to be supported by improvements to attitudes and perceptions of whether other people think this is important. We will also ask cooks to report on whether their menus comply to the nutrition guidelines.

The study, RECHARGE is an investigation of a novel 8-week behavioural regulation program targeting circadian rhythm desynchrony and its impact on depressive symptomology in young people with depression. It is the aim of the study to evaluate the 8-week behavioural regulation program and its impact on depression, and identify whether targeting circadian rhythm desynchrony (and its related improvements in circadian rhythm) are associated with improvements in depression.

Coronary artery disease affects around 1.4 million Australians, and represents one of the most significant causes of death and disability in Australia and worldwide. Over the last two decades the focus in the treatment of coronary artery disease has primarily been on blood vessels of large calibre. However, it is becoming increasingly apparent that small vessels within the heart muscles, which are the main determinant of blood supply to the heart, may in fact have an equally important, if not more dominant role to play in patients with heart attacks or angina. It has also been suggested that small vessel problems may also be responsible for injury to the heart muscle during a stenting procedure, a potentially serious problem which remains a common issue despite recent technological advancement. Currently the understanding of these small vessels and treatment options are limited. This project aims to investigate the role of these small vessels in heart muscle injury during a stenting procedure and elucidate the possible mechanisms which predispose to or cause dysfunction within these small vessels. I also hope to find a treatment strategy which may benefit patients with small vessel problems and thus improve their overall outcome. If successful, I believe the results will have a wide reaching effect in patients with heart attacks, as well as in an emerging group of patients with angina secondary to small vessel dysfunction, which is resistant to conventional therapies.

Dry eye symptoms associated with Meibomian Gland Dysfunction (MGD) is a commonly encountered complication in optometric care. MGD refers to the abnormal functioning of the meibomian glands located at the eyelids. Meibomian glands are normally responsible for secreting oils which maintain proper hydration of the eyes. Management and treatment options for the relief of MGD complications such as sensations of dry eyes, grittiness, and discomfort of the eyes, have been widely investigated in the literature. The current mainstay treatment for MGD is an application of heat on to the eyelid surface by the use of a warm compress (usually a face cloth wrung under hot water) which have shown to be effective in the relief of dry eye symptoms and discomfort of the eyes. More recent studies have investigated the efficacy of different heating devices to treat MGD. Our study aims to evaluate the effect of the Bruder Eye Hydrating Compress on symptoms of dry eyes and discomfort, and the presentation of the eye in subjects with dry eye associated with MGD. The Bruder Eye Hydrating Compress is a microwave activated moist heat compress intended to stimulate the meibomian glands, in order to increase lipid secretion and slow tear evaporation to bring relief for dry eye sufferers. It is considered superior to conventional treatments using warm face cloths, as the MediBeads technology incorporated in to the design of the mask eliminates the need for repeated rinsing and wringing out of the face cloth to maintain adequate heat for the required duration. However, no studies to date have evaluated the effect of the Bruder Eye Hydrating Compress on ocular symptoms and signs. This study will utilise questionnaires to evaluate eye symptoms, as well as traditional and advanced diagnostic tools and techniques, to evaluate eye surface characteristics after treatment with the Bruder Eye Hydrating Compress in subjects with MGD

To date, no drugs are approved for the treatment of borderline personality disorder (BPD). Newly published evidence showing that the antipsychotic drug, quetiapine, improves BPD symptoms suggests that quetiapine might facilitate the benefits of psychotherapy – currently the only evidence-based treatment for BPD. We plan to investigate this at Spectrum (Eastern Health), the specialist service for treatment of BPD in Victoria, Australia