Remembering Hedley

Remembering Hedley commemorates the life of Hedley Bull (1932–85), a pivotal figure in the fields of international relations and strategic studies. Its publication coincides with the official opening on 6 August 2008 of the Hedley Bull Centre at The Australian National University in Canberra

Remembering Hedley

Remembering Hedley commemorates the life of Hedley Bull (1932–85), a pivotal figure in the fields of international relations and strategic studies. Its publication coincides with the official opening on 6 August 2008 of the Hedley Bull Centre at The Australian National University in Canberra

Crises and Australian diplomacy

Crises and their management, delivered 3rd July 1972 -- Australia and crises, delivered 4th July 197

Cigarette smoking and e-cigarette use among university students in Queensland, Australia and New Zealand: results of two cross-sectional surveys

Objectives: Examine the patterns of cigarette smoking and e-cigarette use (vaping), the perceived harm of e-cigarettes compared with tobacco cigarettes, and associations between smoking and vaping with student characteristics. Design: Cross-sectional studies. Setting: The University of Queensland (UQ), Australia and eight New Zealand (NZ) universities. Participants: Students at UQ: 4957 (70.8% aged <25 years, 63.0% women) and NZ: 1854 (82.5% aged <25 years, 60.1% women). Methods: Χ2 tests compared smoking by age and gender, and vaping by age, gender and smoking status. Two-sided p<0.05 was considered significant and 95% CIs reported where appropriate. Multinomial logistic regression examined associations between smoking and vaping (exclusive smoking, exclusive vaping, dual use and non-use) with age, gender and student type (domestic vs international). Results: Smoking (UQ vs NZ, 95% CI): ever 45.2% (43.8% to 46.6%) vs 50.0% (47.7% to 52.3%), current 8.9% (8.1% to 9.7%) vs 10.4% (9.1% to 11.9%) and daily 5.2% (4.6% to 5.8%) vs 5.6% (4.6% to 6.7%), and not smoking in indoor 98.3% vs 87.7% or outdoor smoke-free spaces 83.8% vs 65.3%. Vaping (UQ vs NZ, 95% CI): ever 20.9% (19.8% to 22.1%) vs 37.6% (35.4% to 39.9%), current 1.8% (1.5% to 2.2%) vs 6.5% (5.4% to 7.7%) and daily 0.7% (0.5% to 1.0%) vs 2.5% (1.9% to 3.4%), and not vaping in indoor 91.4% vs 79.6% or outdoor smoke-free spaces 84.4% vs 71.3%. Of respondents, 71.7% (70.3% to 73.2%) vs 75.3% (72.9% to 77.6%) perceived e-cigarettes as less harmful than tobacco cigarettes. Men were more likely than women to smoke and vape, and to believe that e-cigarettes are less harmful. Regression models containing all predictors for smoking and vaping were significant and the effect of gender was significant for dual use, exclusive smoking and exclusive vaping (all p<0.01). Men had higher odds for smoking, vaping or dual use. Conclusions: Results suggest significant differences in patterns of smoking and vaping of university students in Australia and NZ, and a strong influence of gender on smoking and vaping

Australian mental health care practitioners’ practices and attitudes for encouraging smoking cessation and tobacco harm reduction in smokers with severe mental illness

Reducing the burden of physical illness among people living with severe mental illnesses (SMI) is a key priority. Smoking is strongly associated with SMIs resulting in excessive smoking related morbidity and mortality in smokers with SMI. Smoking cessation advice and assistance from mental health practitioners would assist with reducing smoking and smoking-related harms in this group. This study examined the attitudes and practices of Australian mental health practitioners towards smoking cessation and tobacco harm reduction for smokers with SMI, including adherence to the 5As (ask, assess, advise, assist and arrange follow up) of smoking cessation. We surveyed 267 Australian mental health practitioners using a cross-sectional, online survey. Most practitioners (77.5%) asked their clients about smoking and provided health education (66.7%) but fewer provided direct assistance (31.1–39.7%). Most believed that tobacco harm reduction strategies are effective for reducing smoking related risks (88.4%) and that abstinence from all nicotine should not be the only goal discussed with smokers with SMI (77.9%). Many respondents were unsure about the safety (56.9%) and efficacy (39.3%) of e-cigarettes. Practitioners trained in smoking cessation were more likely (OR: 2.9, CI: 1.5–5.9) to help their clients to stop smoking. Community mental health practitioners (OR: 0.3, CI: 0.1–0.9) and practitioners who were current smokers (OR: 0.3, CI: 0.1–0.9) were less likely to adhere to the 5As of smoking cessation intervention. The results of this study emphasize the importance and need for providing smoking cessation training to mental health practitioners especially community mental health practitioners

Understanding leisure centre-based physical activity after physical activity referral: evidence from scheme participants and completers in Northumberland UK

Physical activity referral schemes (PARS) are a popular physical activity (PA) intervention in the UK. Little is known about the type, intensity and duration of PA undertaken during and post PARS. We calculated weekly leisure centre-based moderate/vigorous PA for PARS participants (n = 448) and PARS completers (n = 746) in Northumberland, UK, between March 2019–February 2020 using administrative data. We categorised activity levels (< 30 min/week, 30–149 min/week and ≥ 150 min/week) and used ordinal regression to examine predictors for activity category achieved. PARS participants took part in a median of 57.0 min (IQR 26.0–90.0) and PARS completers a median of 68.0 min (IQR 42.0–100.0) moderate/vigorous leisure centre-based PA per week. Being a PARS completer (OR: 2.14, 95% CI: 1.61–2.82) was a positive predictor of achieving a higher level of physical activity category compared to PARS participants. Female PARS participants were less likely (OR: 0.65, 95% CI: 0.43–0.97) to achieve ≥ 30 min of moderate/vigorous LCPA per week compared to male PARS participants. PARS participants achieved 38.0% and PARS completers 45.3% of the World Health Organisation recommended ≥ 150 min of moderate/vigorous weekly PA through leisure centre use. Strategies integrated within PARS to promote PA outside of leisure centre-based activity may help participants achieve PA guidelines

The Contribution of Leisure Center Usage to Physical Activity in the United Kingdom: Evidence From a Large Population-Based Cohort

Background: Physical activity (PA) levels vary across specific population groups, contributing to health inequalities. Little is known about how local authority leisure centres contribute to population PA, and whether this differs by age, sex or socioeconomic group.Methods: We calculated weekly leisure centre-based moderate/vigorous PA for 20,904 registered adult users of local authority leisure facilities in Northumberland, U.K., between July 2018-June 2019, using administrative data. We categorised activity levels (< 30 minutes/week, 30-149 minutes/week and 150+ minutes/week) and used ordinal regression to examine predictors for activity category achieved. Results: Registered users were mainly female (58.7%), younger (23.9% aged 18-29 years versus 10.1% aged 70+ years) and from the two most affluent socio-economic quintiles (53.7%). Median weekly moderate/vigorous leisure centre-based activity was 55 (IQR 30-99) minutes/week. Being female (OR: 2.09, 95% CI: 1.95-2.35), older (OR: 1.14, 95% CI: 1.11-1.16), and using a large facility (OR: 1.21, 95% CI: 1.03-1.42) were positive predictors of leisure centre-based PA.Conclusion: Older adults and females were more likely to be active and achieve recommended PA levels through centre usage. Widespread use of this novel measure of leisure centre-based activity would improve understanding of how local authority leisure centres can address physical inactivity and associated inequalities

Countering terror: new directions post '911'

The essays in this book were originally presented as speeches to the SDSC conference "Post 11 September - New Directions, held on 11 September 2002. They assess where counter-terrorism efforts are, and should be, headed as a consequence of the attacks on the US homeland and the initiation of the "war on terror. Several interesting themes emerge, including the prospects for the American-led campaign against global terrorism, security threats in Southeast Asia, and the strategic implications for Australia. Contributors include the Secretary of the Commonwealth Attorney General's Department, Robert Cornall; Executive Director of the Australian Bureau of Criminal Intelligence, Dr Grant Wardlaw; four members of the SDSC, Professor Paul Dibb AM, Professor Desmond Ball, Dr Coral Bell and Dr Ron Huisken; as well as two leading authorities on Southeast Asia, Dr Greg Fealy and Dr John Funston. The book is edited by Clive Williams MG, and Dr Brendan Taylor

Making Madlab : a creative space for innovation and creating prototypes

This paper presents Manchester Digital Laboratory (MadLab) as an “organisation as prototype” in terms of its innovation; emphasising its permeability to external collaboration and internal structure. We present the accumulation of experience and inspiration found in this organisational prototype as a significant development with as much social impact as any single material invention. Few organisations are held up as examples of organisational prototypes although notable exceptions such as Apple Computers and Factory Records do exist. Few of these examples offer a systematic accounting for the basis of organisational innovation and its application elsewhere. This work sets out to understand how inspirations drawn from sources such as literature and popular media and seemingly disparate personal ideas and skills, through processes of invention and innovation can become the basis for a sustainable organisation capable of creating value. In this manner we present MadLab as a prototype that is the product of the personal interests and motivations of the directors and their influences — including science fiction. Whilst the directors did not consciously engage in Science Fiction Prototyping we present their actions, organisational structure and collaboration as a model for the realisation of organisational Science Fiction Prototyping. This empirical study focusses on MadLab; its short history, its people, its activities and the intersecting creative influences on the different groups that make up the organisation. The understanding gained of this organisational prototype is then considered within a more generalised view of organisation types and their potential to create value and achieve long-term viability