The devolution of public services requires better governance systems than currently proposed

The Government is doing deals with combined authorities in England which will see responsibility for services costing billions of pounds devolved to a more local level. But what governance systems are being put in place to manage this transfer of power? Ed Hammond explores some of the issues surrounding the Cities and Local Government Devolution Bill, currently progressing through Parliament, and the implications for meaningful local accountability and transparency

Invitation to the Meier\u27s

An invitation from President Hammond, asking for the Meier\u27s to attend the dedication and dinner planned for June 14th.https://scholars.fhsu.edu/buildings/1281/thumbnail.jp

The work-study innovative teaching programme : report of an innovative teacher education project

This report concerns the Work-Study Innovative Teaching Programme (hereafter referred to as WSITP), which was developed during 1975-1977 at Churchlands College, Western Australia. WSITP proposes a developmental approach to continuous long-term practice teaching and concurrent related lecture experiences as a means of assisting student teachers in their search for personal meanings about teaching and about themselves, and poses an alternative to the traditional teacher education model (such as the one at Churchlands) which tends to consist of compartmentalised college courses in prescribed areas of personal and professional development on the one hand, and distinctly separate periods of practice teaching on the other. The main focus of the report is on the planning, implementation and evaluation of a pilot study of WSITP which was conducted during the 1977 academic year by Churchlands College and three co-operating primary schools in the Perth metropolitan region

Involve’s ‘Room for a View’ is an exciting contribution to the debate on the shape of democracy’s future

Simon Burall of Involve, a think tank specialising in democracy and public engagement, recently authored a new report entitled ‘Room for a View’, which focusses on the idea of UK democracy as a deliberative process. Here, Ed Hammond from the Centre for Public Scrutiny and Temi Ogunye of Citizens Advice respond to the piece

Smokers' recall of Australian graphic cigarette packet warnings & awareness of associated health effects, 2005-2008

Extent: 11p.Background: In 2006, Australia introduced graphic cigarette packet warnings. The new warnings include one of 14 pictures, many depicting tobacco-related pathology. The warnings were introduced in two sets; Set A in March and Set B from November. This study explores their impact on smokers’ beliefs about smoking related illnesses. This study also examines the varying impact of different warnings, to see whether warnings with visceral images have greater impact on smokers’ beliefs than other images. Methods: Representative samples of South Australian smokers were interviewed in four independent cross-sectional omnibus surveys; in 2005 (n = 504), 2006 (n = 525), 2007 (n = 414) and 2008 (n = 464). Results: Unprompted recall of new graphic cigarette warnings was high in the months following their introduction, demonstrating that smokers’ had been exposed to them. Smokers also demonstrated an increase in awareness about smoking-related diseases specific to the warning messages. Warnings that conveyed new information and had emotive images demonstrated greater impact on recall and smokers’ beliefs than more familiar information and less emotive images. Conclusions: Overall graphic pack warnings have had the intended impact on smokers. Some have greater impact than others. The implications for policy makers in countries introducing similar warnings are that fresh messaging and visceral images have the greatest impact.Caroline L Miller, Pascale G Quester, David J Hill and Janet E Hille

Electron-topological, energetic and π-electron delocalization analysis of ketoenamine-enolimine tautomeric equilibrium

The ketoenamine-enolimine tautometic equilibrium has been studied by the analysis of aromaticity and electron-topological parameters. The influence of substituents on the energy of the transition state and of the tautomeric forms has been investigated for different positions of chelate chain. The quantum theory of atoms in molecules method (QTAIM) has been applied to study changes in the electron-topological parameters of the molecule with respect to the tautomeric equilibrium in intramolecular hydrogen bond. Dependencies of the HOMA aromaticity index and electron density at the critical points defining aromaticity and electronic state of the chelate chain on the transition state (TS), OH and HN tautomeric forms have been obtained

Tau Reduction Does Not Prevent Motor Deficits in Two Mouse Models of Parkinson's Disease

Many neurodegenerative diseases are increasing in prevalence and cannot be prevented or cured. If they shared common pathogenic mechanisms, treatments targeting such mechanisms might be of benefit in multiple conditions. The tau protein has been implicated in the pathogenesis of diverse neurodegenerative disorders, including Alzheimer's disease (AD) and Parkinson's disease (PD). Tau reduction prevents cognitive deficits, behavioral abnormalities and other pathological changes in multiple AD mouse models. Here we examined whether tau reduction also prevents motor deficits and pathological alterations in two mouse models of PD, generated by unilateral striatal injection of 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) or transgene-mediated neuronal expression of human wildtype α-synuclein. Both models were evaluated on Tau+/+, Tau+/– and Tau–/– backgrounds in a variety of motor tests. Tau reduction did not prevent motor deficits caused by 6-OHDA and slightly worsened one of them. Tau reduction also did not prevent 6-OHDA-induced loss of dopaminergic terminals in the striatum. Similarly, tau reduction did not prevent motor deficits in α-synuclein transgenic mice. Our results suggest that tau has distinct roles in the pathogeneses of AD and PD and that tau reduction may not be of benefit in the latter condition

A comparison of responses to raised extracellular potassium and endothelium-derived hyperpolarizing factor (EDHF) in rat pressurised mesenteric arteries

The present study examined the hypothesis that potassium ions act as an endothelium-derived hyperpolarizing factor (EDHF) released in response to ACh in small mesenteric arteries displaying myogenic tone. Small mesenteric arteries isolated from rats were set up in a pressure myograph at either 60 or 90 mmHg. After developing myogenic tone, responses to raising extracellular potassium were compared to those obtained with ACh (in the presence of nitric oxide synthase and cyclo- oxygenase inhibitors). The effects of barium and ouabain, or capsaicin, on responses to raised extracellular potassium or ACh were also determined. The effects of raised extracellular potassium levels and ACh on membrane potential, were measured using sharp microelectrodes in pressurised arteries. Rat small mesenteric arteries developed myogenic tone when pressurised. On the background of vascular tone set by a physiological stimulus (i.e pressure), ACh fully dilated the small arteries in a concentration-dependent manner. This response was relatively insensitive to the combination of barium and ouabain, and insensitive to capsaicin. Raising extracellular potassium produced a more inconsistent and modest vasodilator response in pressurised small mesenteric arteries. Responses to raising extracellular potassium were sensitive to capsaicin, and the combination of barium and ouabain. ACh caused a substantial hyperpolarisation in pressurized arteries, while raising extracellular potassium did not. These data indicate that K+ is not the EDHF released in response to ACh in myogenically active rat mesenteric small arteries. Since the hyperpolarization produced by ACh was sensitive to carbenoxolone, gap junctions are the likely mediator of EDH responses under physiological conditions