Federalism and Constitutional Hyper-Rigidity: A Comparative Analysis of the Federalist Amendment Mechanisms Within the Australian and United States Constitutions

The amendment mechanisms contained within the Australian and United States Constitutions, being Section 128 and Article V respectively, have many structural similarities. Both amendment mechanisms are purposed towards protecting federalism insofar as they require the achievement of more than just a simple constituent majority before a referendum proposal will succeed. In fact, the entrenchment of the Australian and United States ‘double’ and ‘super’ majority requirements respectively were specifically included as a protection for the federal distribution of power originally mandated within the Constitutions of each. Building upon that framework, if the Australian and American constitutional amendment mechanisms are purposed towards protecting federalism, what happens if neither can achieve their purpose and, thus, are ‘hyper-rigid’? The consequence of hyper-rigidity within an amendment mechanism itself often is that Courts will step in to make decisions about fundamental constitutional matters, such as those with respect to the division of federal power, which would otherwise be put to the people of a constituency. This article explores claims about amendment mechanism hyper-rigidity before addressing the issue of how the Australian and United States amendment mechanisms can be reformed to afford these Constitutions the degree of amendability necessary for the respective countries to act within an increasingly centralised world, without altering the nature and distribution of federal power allocated within each

Airborne Multidrug-Resistant Bacteria Isolated from a Concentrated Swine Feeding Operation

The use of nontherapeutic levels of antibiotics in swine production can select for antibiotic resistance in commensal and pathogenic bacteria in swine. As a result, retail pork products, as well as surface and groundwaters contaminated with swine waste, have been shown to be sources of human exposure to antibiotic-resistant bacteria. However, it is unclear whether the air within swine operations also serves as a source of exposure to antibiotic-resistant bacterial pathogens. To investigate this issue, we sampled the air within a concentrated swine feeding operation with an all-glass impinger. Samples were analyzed using a method for the isolation of Enterococcus. A total of 137 presumptive Enterococcus isolates were identified to species level using standard biochemical tests and analyzed for resistance to erythromycin, clindamycin, virginiamycin, tetracycline, and vancomycin using the agar dilution method. Thirty-four percent of the isolates were confirmed as Enterococcus, 32% were identified as coagulase-negative staphylococci, and 33% were identified as viridans group streptococci. Regardless of bacterial species, 98% of the isolates expressed high-level resistance to at least two antibiotics commonly used in swine production. None of the isolates were resistant to vancomycin, an antibiotic that has never been approved for use in livestock in the United States. In conclusion, high-level multidrug-resistant Enterococcus, coagulase-negative staphylococci, and viridans group streptococci were detected in the air of a concentrated swine feeding operation. These findings suggest that the inhalation of air from these facilities may serve as an exposure pathway for the transfer of multidrug-resistant bacterial pathogens from swine to humans

Theory usage in empirical research in ISIC conference papers (1996-2020)

Measuring the use of theory that informs empirical research demonstrates the rigour of research in a discipline. It also identifies key theories and connections to other disciplines. This study focuses on use of theory, broadly defined, in information behaviour. Full-length empirical papers from ISIC conference proceedings were analysed. Kumasi et al.’s (2013) theory talk framework was adapted for determining the level of theory use. Content analysis was used to identify theories, level of theory use, and discipline of origin for theories in the papers.Results. Most ISIC empirical papers include theory and more than half of them use theory substantially. Most theories are drawn from information science and other social sciences. Kuhlthau’s information search process is the most frequently mentioned framework. ISIC empirical papers continue to set a high standard for quality, demonstrating consistent theoretical rigour throughout the years studied. Their authors draw mainly on key information behaviour theories and models, as well as some lesser known and non-information science theories.Peer Reviewe

The Role of Sister Cities’ Staff Exchanges in Developing “Learning Cities”: Exploring Necessary and Sufficient Conditions in Social Capital Development Utilizing Proportional Odds Modeling

In the last half century former international adversaries have become cooperators through networking and knowledge sharing for decision making aimed at improving quality of life and sustainability; nowhere has this been more striking then at the urban level where such activity is seen as a key component in building “learning cities” through the development of social capital. Although mega-cities have been leaders in such efforts, mid-sized cities with lesser resource endowments have striven to follow by focusing on more frugal sister city type exchanges. The underlying thesis of our research is that great value can be derived from city-to-city exchanges through social capital development. However, such a study must differentiate between necessary and sufficient conditions. Past studies assumed necessary conditions were met and immediately jumped to demonstrating the existence of structural relationships by measuring networking while further assuming that the existence of such demonstrated a parallel development of cognitive social capital. Our research addresses this lacuna by stepping back and critically examining these assumptions. To accomplish this goal we use a Proportional Odds Modeling with a Cumulative Logit Link approach to demonstrate the existence of a common latent structure, hence asserting that necessary conditions are met

Motorcycle Safety Research Project: Interim Summary Report Research Deliverable 1: Investigate and Develop a Pre-Learner Motorcycle Licensing Package

Motorcycle trauma is a serious road safety issue in Queensland and throughout Australia. In 2009, Queensland Transport (later Transport and Main Roads or TMR) appointed CARRS-Q to provide a three-year program of Road Safety Research Services for Motorcycle Rider Safety. Funding for this research originated from the Motor Accident Insurance Commission. This program of research was undertaken to produce knowledge to assist TMR to improve motorcycle safety by further strengthening the licensing and training system to make learner riders safer by developing a pre-learner package (Deliverable 1 which is the focus of this report), and by evaluating the Q-Ride CAP program to ensure that it is maximally effective and contributes to the best possible training for new riders (Deliverable 2), which is the focus of this report. Deliverable 3 of the program identified potential new licensing components that will reduce the incidence of risky riding and improve higher-order cognitive skills in new riders. While fatality and injury rates for learner car drivers are typically lower than for those with intermediate licences, this pattern is not found for learner motorcycle riders. Learner riders cannot be supervised as effectively as learner car drivers and errors are more likely to result in injury for learner riders than learner drivers. It is therefore imperative to improve safety for learner riders. Deliverable 1 examines the potential for improving the motorcycle learner and licence scheme by introducing a pre-learner motorcycle licensing and training scheme within Queensland. The tasks undertaken for Deliverable 1 were a literature review, analysis of learner motorcyclist crash and licensing data, and the development of a potential pre-learner motorcycle rider program

Opioid use and harms associated with a sustained-release tapentadol formulation: a postmarketing study protocol

Introduction It has been argued that tapentadol may pharmacologically have lower abuse potential than other pharmaceutical opioids currently available. However, there has been no comprehensive triangulation of data regarding use and harms associated with this formulation. A sustained-release formulation (SRF) of tapentadol (Palexia) was released in Australia in 2011 and listed for public subsidy in 2013. We summarise here the methods of a postmarketing study which will measure postintroduction: (1) population level availability, (2) extramedical use and diversion, (3) attractiveness for extramedical use and (4) associated harms, of tapentadol compared against other pharmaceutical opioids. Methods and analysis We evaluated key sources on pharmaceutical use and harms in Australia. This review indicateddata from four sources that disaggregate pharmaceutical opioid formulations and capture tapentadol SRF could be triangulated. These data sources comprised: (1) national pharmaceutical opioid community sales data from 2011 to 2017, (2) national pharmaceutical opioid poisonings reported to Poison Information Centres (PICs) from 2011 to 2017, (3) number of vendors on online marketplaces listing pharmaceutical opioids for sale and (4) data on pharmaceutical opioid extramedical use, attractiveness and harms from interviews with people who regularly inject drugs in Australia. Ethics and dissemination Ethics approval is not required for use of pharmaceutical sales data. Ethics approval has been obtained for use of national pharmaceutical opioid poisonings reported to PICs (LNR/16/SCHN/44) and for use of online marketplace data and interview data from people who inject drugs (HC12086). Key findings will be published mid-2018 in a peer-reviewed academic journal, and presented at various conferences and professional meetings.This work was supported by investigator-initiated untied educational funding from Seqirus Pty Ltd (the marketer of tapentadol SRF in Australia) granted to AP, BL, MF, RC, and LD. BL, AP and LD are supported by NHMRC research fellowships (#1073858, #1109366 and #1041472). The National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre at UNSW Australia is supported by funding from the Australian Government under the Substance Misuse Prevention and Service Improvements Grant Fund

SPR Perspectives: scientific opportunities in the Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes Program

Drawing upon extant data from existing pediatric cohorts and new follow-up of a diverse set of pediatric cohorts from across the United States, the Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) Program creates the opportunity for novel and innovative investigations of many previously inaccessible scientific questions in the area of child health. We describe how the large sample size, diversity of participants, emphasis on team science, and infrastructure for improving research methodology make the ECHO Program a major research resource for improving our understanding of early life determinants of childhood health and well-being. Pediatric researchers leverage the unique features of the ECHO Program to address research questions with the potential to yield far-reaching and long-term impacts on child health. IMPACT: The ECHO Program unites pediatric cohorts from across the United States, allowing for investigations of compelling research questions that were previously infeasible due to limited sample sizes or lack of participant diversity. The focus of the ECHO Program on team science, solution-oriented research, and methodological innovation propels novel scientific investigations that are responsive to the needs of a wide range of stakeholders. Features of the ECHO program\u27s infrastructure poise its investigators to rapidly launch research endeavors that are responsive to time-sensitive and critical needs within the realm of pediatric research