The future of VET: A medley of views

This book of essays presents ideas and opinions from leading VET writers and commentators about what the future might hold for VET in Australia. Half a dozen VET researchers and commentators contemplate the future of the VET sector. Their thoughts point to the need for more effort to articulate the role of VET in tertiary education and to streamline its governance. Copies of The future of VET: A medley of views are available from www.ncver.edu.au/publications/2284.html

Fostering enterprise: the innovation and skills nexus - research readings

The main impetus for the interest in innovation is that it is seen to improve productivity at the firm level and therefore improved economic prosperity and living standards. This edited volume was commissioned by the Department of Employment, Education and Workplace Relations. The authors contribute a variety of views on innovation from different perspectives. Some of the main themes running throughout the book are reasons for firms innovating, the skills required for innovation and how innovation and skills development is supported by the training system, the firm and government. Innovation is seen as moving beyond research and development, to include new products, services and operational/organisational processes. This document can only be accessed after registering, which is free of charge

Structures in tertiary education and training: a kaleidoscope or merely fragments?

In this eclectic collection of papers, 13 essayists and four high-profile discussants consider the complexity of the tertiary education system and its underlying structures. The papers are clustered by themes: how educational matters influence the system\u27s structures; who controls the system; how the system is governed in a competitive environment; and how individuals interact with the system to ensure they get quality offerings. Each theme is considered by a leading thinker in the area of education, policy or economics.Although a wide range of perspectives are offered, one key theme emerges — there is no simple \u27market design\u27 which would meet all the objectives of the various elements of Australia\u27s tertiary education system

Genetic variation in vascular endothelial growth factor-A and lung function

Rationale: Given the role of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in lung development, we hypothesized that polymorphisms in VEGF-A may be associated with lung function. Objectives: The current study was designed to assess the role of genetic variants in VEGF-A as determinants of airway function from infancy through early adulthood. Methods: Association between five single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in VEGF-A and lung function were assessed longitudinally in two unselected birth cohorts and cross-sectionally among infants. Replication with two SNPs was conducted in adults and children with asthma. We investigated the functionality of the SNP most consistently associated with lung function (rs3025028) using Western blotting to measure the ratio of plasma VEGF-A(165b)/panVEGF-A(165) among homozygotes. Measurements and Main Results: In two populations in infancy, C-allele homozygotes of rs3025028 had significantly higher VmaxFRC, forced expiratory flow(50), and forced expiratory flow(25–75) compared with other genotype groups. Among preschool children (age 3 yr), C allele of rs3025028 was associated with significantly higher specific airway conductance, with similar findings observed for lung function in school-age children. For FEV(1)/FVC ratio similar findings were observed among adolescents and young adults (birth cohort), and then replicated in adults and schoolchildren with asthma (cross-sectional studies). For rs3025038, plasma VEGF-A(165b)/panVEGF-A(165) was significantly higher among CC versus GG homozygotes (P ≤ 0.02) at birth, in school-age children, and in adults. Conclusions: We report significant associations between VEGF-A SNP rs3025028 and parameters of airway function measured throughout childhood, with the effect persisting into adulthood. We propose that the mechanism may be mediated through the ratios of active and inhibitory isoforms of VEGF-A(165), which may be determined by alternative splicing

Multiancestry association study identifies new asthma risk loci that colocalize with immune-cell enhancer marks.

We examined common variation in asthma risk by conducting a meta-analysis of worldwide asthma genome-wide association studies (23,948 asthma cases, 118,538 controls) of individuals from ethnically diverse populations. We identified five new asthma loci, found two new associations at two known asthma loci, established asthma associations at two loci previously implicated in the comorbidity of asthma plus hay fever, and confirmed nine known loci. Investigation of pleiotropy showed large overlaps in genetic variants with autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. The enrichment in enhancer marks at asthma risk loci, especially in immune cells, suggested a major role of these loci in the regulation of immunologically related mechanisms

Multiancestry association study identifies new asthma risk loci that colocalize with immune-cell enhancer marks

We examined common variation in asthma risk by conducting a meta-analysis of worldwide asthma genome-wide association studies (23,948 asthma cases, 118,538 controls) of individuals from ethnically diverse populations. We identified five new asthma loci, found two new associations at two known asthma loci, established asthma associations at two loci previously implicated in the comorbidity of asthma plus hay fever, and confirmed nine known loci. Investigation of pleiotropy showed large overlaps in genetic variants with autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. The enrichment in enhancer marks at asthma risk loci, especially in immune cells, suggested a major role of these loci in the regulation of immunologically related mechanisms