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A high salt diet is associated with an increased risk of hypertension. By contrast, in patients with type 2 diabetes, a low salt diet is associated with an increased risk for cardiovascular and total mortality. As a low salt intake may increase sympathetic nervous system (SNS) activity, we aim to determine baseline SNS activity and endothelial function in patients with diabetes consuming a habitual low salt diet and determine whether salt loading reduces SNS activity and enhances endothelial function.

Prior to general anaesthesia the standard of care is to pre-oxygenation all patients. This involves the patient breathing 100% oxygen via a face mask. The 3 most common methods of pre oxygenation involve 4 deep breaths over 30 seconds, 8 deep breaths over 60 seconds or 3 minutes of tidal volume breathing (normal breathing) using high flow 100% oxygen (15L per minute via the anaesthesia machine with a face mask). The most common reasons for poor preoxygenation is an inadequate face mask seal resulting in the patient breathing room air (low oxygen content) through the leak. Nasal oxygen and the anaesthesia machine oxygen flush delivery higher flow rates than the standard method by the the anaesthesia machine so may reduce the amount of inspired air from the leak. Study Hypothesis - High flow oxygen with nasal oxygen or anaesthesia machine oxygen flush produces higher end tidal oxygen levels (better pre oxygenation) in the simulated mask leak scenario.

Gestational Diabetes Mellitus (GDM) has well recognised adverse health implications for the mother and her newborn that are both short and long term. Obesity is a significant risk factor for developing GDM and the prevalence of obesity is increasing globally. It is a matter of public health importance that clinicians have evidence based strategies to inform practice and currently there is insufficient evidence regarding the impact of dietary and lifestyle interventions on improving maternal and newborn outcomes. The primary aim of this study is to measure the impact of a telephone based intervention that promotes positive lifestyle modifications on the incidence of GDM. Secondary aims include: the impact on gestational weight gain; large for gestational age babies; differences in blood glucose levels taken at the Oral Glucose Tolerance Test (OGTT) and selected factors relating to self-efficacy and psychological wellbeing. A randomised controlled trial (RCT) will be conducted involving pregnant women who are overweight (BMI >25 to 29.9 kg/m^2) or obese (BMI >30kg/m^2), less than 14 weeks gestation and recruited from the Barwon South West region of Victoria, Australia. From recruitment until birth, women in the intervention group will receive a program informed by the Theory of Self-efficacy and employing Motivational Interviewing. Brief (less than 5 minute) phone contact will alternate each week with a text message/email and will involve goal setting, behaviour change reinforcement with weekly weighing and charting, and the provision of health information. Those in the control group will receive usual care. Data for primary and secondary outcomes will be collected from medical record review and a questionnaire at 36 weeks gestation. Evidence based strategies that reduce the incidence of GDM are a priority for contemporary maternity care. Changing health behaviours is a complex undertaking and trialling a composite intervention that can be adopted in various primary health settings is required so women can be accessed as early in pregnancy as possible. Using a sound theoretical base to inform such an intervention will add depth to our understanding of this approach and to the interpretation of results, contributing to the evidence base for practice and policy.

Apnoea of prematurity (AOP), where an infant stops breathing for more than 20seconds, is found in over half of babies born very prematurely. AOP may be accompanied by slowing of the heart rate as well as drop in the blood oxygen levels. Another form of breathing disorder called periodic breathing, is found primarily in premature infants where there is a repetitive pattern of breathing efforts alternating with pauses. Most preterm infants exhibit periodic breathing and it can continue until the infant reaches 4-6 months of age. Apart from breathing control disorderm preterm babies are also at risk of developing bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) or chronic lung disease of prematurity, where there the injured premature lung develops in an abnormal way. There is still some debate about the best way of classifying this disease with the NICHD in the United States dividing this into three levels (mild, moderate and severe) based on the need for oxygen or respiratory support. Infants with BPD experience periods of low blood oxygen that may be severe, especially during sleep and these infants are thought to be at risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) or cot death. The major cause of oxygenation problems in BPD is due to the severity of the lung disease. The level of the lung disease will determine how much oxygen gets absorbed into the blood of the baby with every breath. A reliable way of determing the severity is by measuring how much the blood gets "oxygenated", i.e. the less severe the lung disease the better the oxygenation and vice versa. This measure is also called the right-to-left shunting and the ventilation: perfusion (V:Q )ratio. A nonivasive way of measuring the shunt will involve making stepwise reductions in oxygen that the baby breathes while ensuring that the oxygen level (that is constantly monitored) remains within intended range. The aim of this study is to investigate 1) firstly breathing patterns (or disorders) and develop tools for classifying breathing patterns and 2) secondly lung disease severity (right-left shunts) and develop quantitative measures of these in preterm infants with bronchopulmonary dysplasia or chronic lung disease.

The main aim of this study is to assess the ability of a new test to detect endometrial cancer in post-menopausal women. The diagnostic test being evaluated involves performing a wash of the uterus and collecting this wash fluid for analysis of markers that are shed from cancer cells. Two different laboratory testing methods will be used to obtain information that will enable us to develop a more cost-effective, sensitive and specific test for detecting early stages of endometrial cancer. Who is it for? This studyis open to peri- and post-menopausal women aged 45-80 years with endometrial cancer and who are currently undergoing a hystrectomy procedure. Trial details In this study you will undergo a uterine wash procedure while under general anesthetic prior to hysterectomy procedure. The wash sample is then tested for specific MMPs.

This study aims to determine whether ginger can reduce chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting. Who is it for? You may be eligible to join this study if you are aged 18 years or more, and you are scheduled to undergo chemotherapy for the first time. Trial details Participants in this trial will be randomly (by chance) allocated to one of two groups. Participants in one group will take 4 ginger capsules per day, commencing 1 hour before chemotherapy and then every 3-5 hours for 4 days directly after. This will be repeated for 3 chemotherapy cycles. Participants in the other group will take an identical-looking sham tablet, i.e. one that has no active ingredients. Participants will not know whether they are taking the ginger or sham tablets until the end of the trial. All participants will be assessed over the 4 days post each chemotherapy session in order to determine: 1) the effect of ginger on chemotherapy-induced nausea; 2) the tolerability of ginger to chemotherapy patients when used alongside standard anti-nausea medication; and 3) the feasibility of introducing it in our clinical setting.

This study is comparing the treatment response to pre-operative chemotherapy with nab-paclitaxel versus paclitaxel in women with breast cancer. Who is it for? You may be eligible to join this study if you are aged over 18 years and have been diagnosed with HER-2 negative, invasive unilateral breast cancer with known hormone receptor status and tumour grade. Trial details Participants in this trial will be randomly (by chance) allocated to receive either 4 cycles of nab-paclitaxel (abraxane) or 4 cycles of paclitaxel, followed by 4 cycles of chemotherapy containing anthracyclines. Approximately 2-4 weeks following chemotherapy the patients will undergo breast surgery as part of local regional treatment. All patients will be followed for 10 years after the date of randomisation in order to evaluate treatment response and safety.

Comparing haemodynamic stability between commencing phenylephrine infusion five minutes prior to insertion of spinal anaesthetic compared with at time of insertion

There is now consistent and convincing evidence that dietary inorganic nitrate plays an important role in the physiological control of blood pressure. Clinical trials have established that an increase in nitrate intake, either from supplements or vegetables, results in a dose-related decrease in blood pressure in healthy normotensive individuals. This trial will address the question: "Can ingestion of a diet high in nitrate lower blood pressure in treated hypertensive individuals?"

The aim of the proposed study is to determine whether a home-based individually tailored education program has a positive effect on 1) dietary and exercise behaviours and 2) anthropometric measures (weight, Body Mass Index, body composition) of people with severe and enduring mental health issues who live in a CCU. If successful, the outcome of this project is the potential to improve the quality of life and long term physical health prognosis of not just the participants in this study and but also to improve usual care procedures for people with severe and enduring mental health conditions. It is hypothesised that the individuals with severe and enduring mental health issues that participate in a home-based exercise/nutrition education program will exhibit improved dietary and exercise behaviours at six months compared to their usual care.