Health promotion practice, research ethics and publishing in the Health Promotion Journal of Australia

Article > Contents Vol 26(3) Health promotion practice, research ethics and publishing in the Health Promotion Journal of Australia Stacy M. Carter A D, Annette Braunack-Mayer B and Jonine Jancey C A Centre for Values, Ethics and the Law in Medicine, Sydney School of Public Health, Medical Foundation Building K25, University of Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia. B School of Public Health, University of Adelaide, Mail Drop DX 650207, SA 5005, Australia. C School of Public Health, Curtin University, GPO Box U1987, Perth, WA 6845, Australia. D Corresponding author. Email: [email protected] Abstract PDF (58.8 KB) Export Citation Print ShareThis Health Promotion Journal of Australia 26(3) 167-169 http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/HEv26n3_ED2 Published: 21 December 2015 This special issue of the HPJA focuses on ethics in the context of health promotion practice. This editorial takes a narrower focus: the issue of Human Research Ethics Committee (HREC) approval for health promotion research, evaluation and quality assurance (QA). We will focus on three papers in the special issue: each argue that those working in health promotion should consider ethics from the very beginning of their research, evaluation and/or QA activities. The first paper, by Ainsley Newson and Wendy Lipworth, is entitled ‘Why should ethics approval be required before publication of health promotion research?’ In it they argue that ‘journals should not, in general, publish articles with no ethics approval’, even if the findings are interesting or apparently important.1 The second paper, by Peter Sainsbury, is entitled ‘Development and oversight of ethical health promotion quality assurance and evaluation activities involving human participants’. In it he argues that the boundaries between research, evaluation and QA are not clear, and that all of these activities should be underpinned by research ethics principles and focus on the central issue of potential risk to participants.2 The final paper, a commentary by Judy Allen, reflects on the ethical dimensions of health promotion research and evaluation from the inside of an HREC.3SMC is supported by a National Health and Medical Research Council Career Development Fellowship (1032963)

Effect of Fertilizer and Irrigation on Nitrate-Nitrogen and Total Nitrogen in Potato Tubers

This study was conducted to determine the effect of N fertilizer and irrigation management on potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) tuber NO?-N levels and the relationship to the potential health hazard created by high nitrate levels in food products. 'Russet Burbank' potatoes grown using different N fertilizer rates, methods of application, and irrigation levels were analyzed for NO?-N concentration. The NO?-N concentration in the tubers on a wet weight basis varied from 36 to 131, 34 to 75, and 25 to 50 ppm in the 3 years of this study. The NO?-N concentration for each year of study was found to be directly related to the level of applied N fertilizer. The initial concentration and increase in NO?-N due to N fertilizer varied with the season. The addition of manure did not increase the NO?-N level above those to be expected from similar quantities of inorganic sources of N. Phosphorus fertilizer did not increase the NO?-N level. The NO?-N concentration in the tubers where more water was applied at each irrigation was less than on the lower level of applied water at each N rate. These data indicate that greater NO?-N levels in the tubers will result by increasing N fertilization rates. The levels of NO?-N obtained in this study were not expected to contribute substantially to the methemoglobinemia health hazard

Effect of Irrigation Method and Leaching of Nitrate-Nitrogen on Sucrose Production by Sugarbeets

Factors that influence sugarbeet root yield and sucrose concentration affect sucrose production. Inadequate nitrogen (N) limits root yield; excess N stimulates top growth and reduces sucrose percentage (2, 4). Inadequate irrigation limits root and sucrose yields (3); overirrigation leaches nutrients and affects the sugarbeet response to N application (6)

Sugarbeet Yield and Seasonal Growth Characteristics as Affected by Hail Damage and Nitrogen Level

Sugarbeets (Beta vulgaris L.) grown in the western United States are subject to hailstorms that reduce yield and profits to the grower. A better understanding of growth characteristics before and after hail damage will enable growers to make correct decisions regarding soil and plant treatments to hasten recovery from hail damage and maximize sucrose yields

Determining Nitrogen Fertilizer Needs for Sugarbeets from Residual Soil Nitrate and Mineralizable Nitrogen

Soil nitrate and mineralizable nitrogen are used to predict the root yield potential and N fertilizer needs of sugarbeets. Predicting the required N fertilizer for optimum refined sucrose production based on soil test procedures is needed because inadequate N limits root yield and high levels of N may reduce both extractable sucrose and sucrose yield. Sugarbeets (Beta vulgaris L.) were grown at 14 residual and fertilizer N rates to determine the root yield, sucrose percentage, sucrose yield, and N uptake in relation to the residual, mineralizable, and fertilizer N. A soil test to measure both the mineralizable and NO?-N level of a soil was found to serve as a valuable guide in recommending N fertilizer for sugarbeets. The amount of N supplied from mineralizable sources in a uniformly cropped and fertilized field is expected to remain reasonably constant if adequate but not excess N fertilizer is supplied each year to the crop grown. Therefore, repeating the test for mineralizable N each year may not be necessary. Determining the amount of NO?-N in the root zone, which is now feasible with rapid and accurate methods of soil analysis, combined with the predetermined mineralizable N, would increase the accuracy of N fertilizer recommendations

Interpreting the Rate of Change in Nitrate-Nitrogen in Sugarbeet Petioles

Nitrate-nitrogen in sugarbeet petioles is used to evaluate current N status of sugarbeet crops. Since the NO?-N changes rapidly during the season, better relationships are needed to interpret these data relative to sugarbeet N nutrition. Sugarbeets (Beta vulgaris, L.) were grown at four N fertilization rates and two irrigation levels to determine the root yield, sucrose percentage, sucrose yield, and N uptake in relation to the NO?-N concentration in the petioles. NO?-N in beet petioles increased to a peak concentration and then decreased exponentially during the two growing seasons on all treatments. The exponential decrease after the peak enables prediction of the NO?-N in the petioles during the remainder of the growing season. This rate of change approach can be used to predict N needs when adding supplemental N for sugarbeets and to characterize the N status of soil-crop systems

Computation using Noise-based Logic: Efficient String Verification over a Slow Communication Channel

Utilizing the hyperspace of noise-based logic, we show two string verification methods with low communication complexity. One of them is based on continuum noise-based logic. The other one utilizes noise-based logic with random telegraph signals where a mathematical analysis of the error probability is also given. The last operation can also be interpreted as computing universal hash functions with noise-based logic and using them for string comparison. To find out with 10^-25 error probability that two strings with arbitrary length are different (this value is similar to the error probability of an idealistic gate in today's computer) Alice and Bob need to compare only 83 bits of the noise-based hyperspace.Comment: Accepted for publication in European Journal of Physics B (November 10, 2010

Effect of Row Spacing and Nitrogen Rate on Root and Sucrose Yield of Sugarbeets in Southern Idaho

Research results at other locations in western U.S. indicate that a plant spacing of approximately 12 inches within rows and 20 or 22 inches between rows is necessary to obtain near maximum yields of sugarbeets (Beta vulgaris L.) and yet maintain adequate space for machinery operation (4, 6, 10). Increasing row and plant spacings with corresponding decreases in plant population have reduced root and sucrose yields (1, 9, 11). Decreasing row and plant spacings with consequent increases in plant populations may augment yields (5). The optimum row spacing and plant population for maximum sucrose production by varieties currently used by the Amalgamated Sugar Company under a high fertility level, controlled irrigations, and the climatic conditions of southern Idaho are unknown. In southern Idaho, most sugarbeets are grown in 22- or 24-inch rows with plants thinned to 9- to 12-inch spacings within the row. With these plant spacings, the factory average beet root yield from 1966 to 1969 was 20.9 tons in southwestern, 18.3 in south central and 17.8 tons in southeastern Idaho. Experimental plots and many farm fields during the same period produced 5 to 8 tons more than the average when stand, fertilizer, and irrigation water were optimized. A substantial part of the lower average yield may be due to a poor plant stand at maturity on farmers' sugarbeet fields rather than to fertility or irrigation practices. Narrower rows at optimum fertility and irrigation levels, while maintaining adequate space for modern farm machinery, may improve average yields by increasing yield compensation (when frequent skips occur) and by providing an earlier full leaf canopy. This experiment was conducted to determine the effect of plant population, as varied by row width while maintaining a uniform within-row stand, and N level on beet root and sucrose production under the climatic conditions of southern Idaho

The Effect of Negative-Energy Shells on the Schwarzschild Black Hole

We construct Penrose diagrams for Schwarzschild spacetimes joined by massless shells of matter, in the process correcting minor flaws in the similar diagrams drawn by Dray and 't Hooft, and confirming their result that such shells generate a horizon shift. We then consider shells with negative energy density, showing that the horizon shift in this case allows for travel between the heretofore causally separated exterior regions of the Schwarzschild geometry. These drawing techniques are then used to investigate the properties of successive shells, joining multiple Schwarzschild regions. Again, the presence of negative-energy shells leads to a causal connection between the exterior regions, even in (some) cases with two successive shells of equal but opposite total energy.Comment: 12 pages, 10 figure

Predicting Nitrogen Fertilizer Needs for Sugarbeets from Residual Nitrate and Mineralizable Nitrogen

Nitrogen (N) fertilizer management for sugarbeet (Beta vulgaris L.) production requires more precise information than for most crops. Inadequate N limits plant growth and root yield, but excess N may reduce both sucrose percentage and recoverable sucrose (7). Also, excess N may stimulate more leaf growth than necessary. The rate and timing of N fertilizer applications are not only important in supplying crop N needs, but can influence the amount of N lost by leaching and denitrification. Soil and plant tissue tests can provide essential data For decision-making for efficient and economical use of N fertilizer. Recent studies have shown that the NO?-N level in the soil before planting is closely related to sucrose production when N is limiting (8, 12). Inclusion of the N mineralization capacity of the soils would be expected to improve the relationship. Stanford and Smith (14) showed that the mineralization capacity varies with soil type and location. Therefore, a soil test for N that would have general applicability should include the mineralization capacity of the soil, and the interpretation of these tests should include some knowledge of expected irrigation practices. A soil test for NO?-N may suffice as an index of N fertilizer needs for a given soil and irrigation level. Recently, Carter et al. (5) showed that sucrose production was closely related to available soil N, as indicated by a soil test that included both mineralizable N and NO?-N. The objective of our study was to evaluate the soil test-yield relationship, developed from experimental data at one location in south central Idaho, for predicting N fertilizer needs throughout southern Idaho under various irrigation management practices