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Research design: This will be conducted as a mixed methods study within the psychosocial outpatient clinic setting where patients are seen together by the Nurse Practitioner and Social Worker and then separated so that the patient is seen by the psychosocial nurse alone and the caregiver is seen by the Caregiver Network Facilitator alone. The Caregiver Network Facilitator is a relatively new role introduced into the palliative care team as a support role to assist family caregivers to mobilise their own social networks. Methods: Tape recorded interviews of patients and their caregivers seen both together and separately will be transcribed verbatim, and the content coded to quantify communication variables. The coding will identify the use of open and closed questions, cues that are ignored, who is dominating the conversation and any crying that takes place. Coding will be conducted by the chief investigator with one other investigator coding some of the transcripts to ensure coding reliability. A grounded theory approach is utilised for the qualitative component of the study, as it involves the reading of transcripts, identifying possible themes, comparing and contrasting themes and building theoretical models. NVivo software will be utilised to analyse the qualitative component of the study.

To determine the feasibility and efficacy of a 2 week intervention of specific biofeedback about foot placement during training of standing up in people following stroke.

This study is examining the safety, tolerability and immunogenicity in humans of an inoculum containing tafuramycin-A treated P. falciparum NF54. Participants will receive a single inoculum which consists of human red blood cells containing P. falciparum NF54 malaria parasites that have been attenuated with tafuramycin-A. Following administration of the inoculum, we will monitor participants for adverse events and for any symptoms/signs of a developing malaria infection (which would indicate that attenutation of the malaria parasite was incomplete). We will also be assessing the way the immune system responds.

Lateral epicondylitis (LE) or tennis elbow is a debilitating musculoskeletal condition that can result in significant disability, health care utilisation, lost productivity and costs. Glucocorticoid injection is of proven short-term benefit, but beyond 8 weeks its benefits have not been established and some studies have even suggested a rebound worsening of symptoms. Autologous platelet rich plasma (PRP) appears to be a promising new treatment for LE however strong evidence for its efficacy from high quality randomised placebo-controlled trials is currently lacking. The aim of this study is to compare the effectiveness of ultrasound-guided injection with either autologous platelet rich plasma or glucocorticoid using a three-arm randomised placebo-controlled trial design.

This study is examining the infectivity of different doses of a Plasmodium falciparum NF54 malaria cell bank in humans. Participants will receive a single inoculum of the malaria cell bank, which consists of human red blood cells containing P. falciparum NF54 malaria parasites. Following administration of the inoculum, we will measure the growth of the malaria parasites in the blood-stream and then administer anti-malarial treatment (Riamet) according to specific criteria (based on the number of parasites in the blood as well as clinical signs/symptoms of malaria). We will also be assessing the safety of the inoculum and also the way the immune system responds to it. Determining the infectivity and safety of the malaria cell bank is important as it will form a critical part of future clinical trials investigating the effectivness of a new malaria vaccine that is currently being developed.

Many older people in residential aged care settings receive reduced levels of bright light. Bright light is essential for maintaining the body clock (circadian rhythm). This project is a randomised controlled trial to investigate whether bright light therapy can help reduce depressive symptoms in older people living in residential care. Residents from Vasey RSL Brighton East will be randomised into an intervention or control group. The intervention group will spend time in a lounge room equipped with bright lights (of at least 2,000 lux) for one hour each morning, Monday to Friday for 2 weeks. The control group will spend time in a room equipped with normal lights (300-500 lux) for one hour each morning, Monday to Friday for 2 weeks. Depressive symptoms will be measured using the Geriatric Depression Scale before and after the treatment period. Secondary outcomes to be investigated include cognition, behaviour and quality of life.

Obesity, an increasing health and economic burden in Australia, is associated with lowered circulating testosterone (T) levels in men. While both dietary restriction and T treatment reduce body fat, whether a combination of these two approaches achieves a more pronounced fat mass reduction is unknown. We will conduct a randomised placebo-controlled trial (RCT) of 12 months T treatment in 100 obese men (defined as body mass index (BMI) > 30kg/m2) with a low T level (defined as serum total T < 12 nmol/L). All men will receive structured dietary intervention to induce and maintain weight loss.

Information on comfort levels and incidence of running related pain or injury with each type of footwear will provide valuable evidence on the effect of footwear design, specifically motion control footwear versus barefoot running shoes on injury rates and runner comfort.

Sedative medications are commonly used for ICU patients who require a breathing machine (ventilator). Side effects of the ventilator and sedatives include decreased muscle strength resulting in increased time in ICU and hospital, and decreased functioning on discharge. Recent studies suggest early mobilisation of patients while they are on a ventilator leads to better functioning. However, too much sedative medication makes this difficult. This study investigates the effect of protocols for mobilisation and sedatives on function at hospital discharge in intensive care patients expected to need a breathing machine for more than 2 days. Our hypothesis is that the addition of a nurse led targeted sedation protocol to a targeted mobilisation protocol in critically ill mechanically ventilated patients will lead to improvement in functional status at ICU and hospital discharge. The results will help physiotherapists and intensive care doctors improve the way that they use sedation and mobilisation and will be highly relevant internationally.

There has been a recent surge in the use of video and computer-based interactive exercises in rehabilitation populations. It has now been shown in observational studies and pilot (“phase II”) trials that exergames can increase the dose of repetitive exercise completed in rehabilitation settings. The broad aim of this project is to enhance mobility outcomes for people undergoing aged care and neurological rehabilitation. The specific hypothesis of this trial is that the addition of video and computer-based interactive exercises involving feedback to usual care will lead to better mobility outcomes than usual care alone for people admitted to aged care and neurological rehabilitation wards with mobility impairments.