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This study will advance our understanding of the appropriate management of patients suffering AMI by quantifying the ability of controlled oxygen therapy to reduce adverse outcomes. Our findings will inform the development of guidelines for the local and international use of oxygen therapy in the treatment of AMI, with the potential to modify current practice. The findings of this study with directly benefit the Tasmanian community by improving health outcomes for AMI patients and reducing the overall burden of coronary heart disease in Tasmania.

The purpose of this study is to explore inpatient psychiatric settings as a platform for initiating smoking cessation treatment to patients smokers. We hypothesise that patients who commence smoking cessation treatment in hospital and receive ongoing support post-hospitalisation will be more likely to quit than smokers who receive standard hospital care only.

Patients with high blood lipid levels are currently treated with dietary modification and lifestyle treatment with the addition of statins in cases where lipid levels remain elevated. Statins are the best lipid-lowering pharmaceuticals currently available; however patients treated with statins remain at high risk of cardiac events despite a marked reduction in low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, and modest effects on triglycerides and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol. In contrast, fish oils increase HDL-cholesterol and markedly reduce triglycerides, with little effect on LDL-cholesterol. They may therefore be ideal for combination therapy with statins to improve vascular health and reduce cardiovascular mortality. Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) are the active ingredient in fish oil. Previous studies have demonstrated that fish oils can have beneficial effects on the vasculature and decrease the risk of coronary heart disease. The cardiac and vascular benefits of dietary omega-3 PUFA could be due to their effects on lipids, blood pressure, thrombosis, endothelial function and/or anti-arrhythmic & anti-inflammatory effects. Omega-6 PUFA are known to compete with omega-3 PUFA for many common metabolic enzymes and during incorporation into lipid fractions and membranes. This has highlighted the potential importance of the dietary ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 PUFA. This ratio may be of more importance than assessing dietary omega-3 PUFA alone. The average dietary omega-6/omega-3 ratio is between 10:1 and 17:1 in Western countries, and as high as 30:1 in certain populations. It has been estimated that the optimal dietary ratio of omega-6/omega-3 PUFA is ~1.7:1. Despite this, there is little evidence regarding the effects of the omega-6/omega-3 PUFA ratio on measures of cardiovascular health. It is important to establish whether decreasing the ratio of dietary omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids can further improve the cardiovascular profile of patients on statins. Hypothesis That altering the dietary ratio of omega-6/omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids will influence vascular health – consistent with a low omega-6/omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid ratio diet being cardio-protective.

Dexamethasone is a drug commonly given to prevent postoperative nausea and vomiting. It also has properties that dampen the body's immune response to infection. In this study, we propose to examine female patients undergoing breast surgery. These patients are at high risk of nausea and vomiting and routinely receive drugs to prevent this. We will give patients one of two drugs, either dolasetron or dexamethasone when they are under anaesthetic. Blood samples will be taken before and after the drugs to determine the effect that they have on the immune system. We hope to determine whether dexathasone has an effect on the body's immune system.

There are currently 2 forms of injectable hCG available in Australia. One is derived from urine (Pregnyl) and the other is genetically engineered (Ovidrel). hCG is used to treat men and women with certain types of infertility. However only Pregnyl is available for use in males. If Pregnyl is withdrawn from the market then there will no alternative form of treatment for infertile men. We aim to compare the action of both forms of hCG in healthy males to determine if Ovidrel has the same pharmacological effects as Pregnyl, when given to men.

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a progressive, fatal lung disease with an unknown cause. Outside of Japan, no drug has been approved so far for the treatment of IPF. The study medication that is tested in this research, macitentan, works by blocking the effect of a substance called endothelin, which has been detected in increased amounts in patients with IPF. By blocking the action of endothelin, macitentan may increase the breathing capacity, improve the quality of life of patients and reduce the progression of the disease. The main purpose of this study is to find out if macitentan is efficient and safe enough to be used for treatment of IPF.

120 participants with stable moderate to severe claudication from PAD as defined by lower extremity ultrasound, will be randomised to 6 months of supervised high intensity PRT, low intensity PRT or control which includes advice to do aerobic exercise. Our primary outcomes include absolute and initial claudication distances and 6-minute walk distance. Our secondary outcomes include resting arterial calf blood flow, resting brachial, hallux, ankle and distal thigh pressures and post exercise ankle, brachial pressures, change in clinical symptoms in relation to location of disease, dynamic muscle strength, power and endurance, vastus lateralis muscle biopsy to determine calf muscle fiber area, intramuscular lipid content, mitochondrial function and local inflammatory factors, arterial stiffness, blood lipids, systemic inflammatory factors, oxygen consumption, functional performance, self-efficacy, depressive symptoms and quality of life. Key outcomes will be measured at baseline and after the 6 month intervention and will be analysed by “intention to treat” with missing 6-month data imputed via the expectation maximisation algorithm.

Individuals with traumatic brain injury (TBI) are prone to experiencing psychological distress, especially anxiety and depression. Cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT) is a promising treatment for anxiety disorders in people with TBI of the mild-moderate spectrum. However, the effectiveness of CBT to treat anxiety disorders in those with moderate-severe TBI is still not well-understood, and this subgroup tends to have longer-lasting cognitive problems such as poor memory and problem solving. Furthermore, there has been very limited research investigating ways of enhancing treatment response in those with moderate-severe TBI. This presents significant challenges to treatment providers, as effective management of anxiety disorders inevitably involves a person to confront some entrenched patterns of fears and worries. The proposed study aims to examine the efficacy of an evidence-based CBT programme as a treatment of anxiety disorders for individuals with moderate-severe TBI. The study will also examine the effects of a brief preparatory intervention on treatment engagement and response rate. In addition, factors which influence participants’ treatment response and experience with therapy will be explored. A number of questionnaires, designed to measure levels of anxiety, psychosocial and community reintegration, self-awareness, and beliefs about one’s ability to control anxiety will be given to participants. Participant’s level of cognitive functioning will also be assessed in order to examine the impact of cognitive problems on their potential to benefit from CBT. The project is designed such that a control component is embedded in the form of treatment-as-usual wait list protocols. This enables all participants to have access to the intervention while also ensuring high quality empirical evidence. Effective interventions are urgently required in order to prevent prolonged psychological distress and to improve the quality of life for individuals who have had sustained TBI. This project is expected to contribute to our understanding of ways of assisting individuals to manage anxiety, hence improving their psychosocial functioning.

Patients presenting to Gold Coast health service requiring Split thickness skin grafting of the lower limb.

This study will assess the effectiveness of nutrition education in changing children's food choices and dietary intake. We expect that brief nutrition education asking parents to switch their children's dairy products from regular to reduced or low fat varieties will significant benefit the healthiness of their children's overall diet.