Political Cartoonists and the Law

© 2008 Copyright is vested in the authors. Apart from any fair dealing permitted according to the provisions of the Copyright Act, reproduction by any process of any part of the work may not be undertaken without written permission from the copyright holders of Comic Commentators.Political cartoonists feel various forces for ‘censorship’ on and in their work. Often these are informal pressures that are based on moral or commercial interests, or the amorphous notion of ‘good taste’.1 This chapter seeks to focus on the formal legal pressures on cartoonists. We suspect that cartoonists fear (and are led to fear by cautious editorial staff) more legal sanction than is likely to be the case, and that ‘legalling’ of cartoons before publication is often a cover for other sensitivities. But we first need to look at the state of the law.Pert

Law school lemonade - or can you turn external pressures into educational advantages?

In a context of ever-dwindling resources, this article encourages legal academics to seek innovative strategies to safeguard the integrity of our mission. Teaching innovation funding, more effective use of students as a resource and a willingness to be flexible when it comes to content coverage are suggested as means to maintain, or even improve, not just teaching quality but morale among academic staff. The article challenges the notion that smaller class sizes are necessary for higher teaching quality, suggesting the alternative of collaborative learning groups to keep students engaged and to encourage deep and independent approaches to learning. Collaborative learning provides additional benefits in freeing up staff time and engaging us in the educational process at a level more commensurate with our skills and expertise

Insights from a multidisciplinary approach to Indigenous microbiome research

In recent decades, advances in high-throughput DNA sequencing and other techniques have ushered in a marked expansion of research and public interest in microbial communities. Within this trend, studies of the human microbiome – the microorganisms living in and on the human body together with their genes and environment – have shifted our understanding of health and disease, and even of what it means to be human. Research has revealed the fundamental importance of the microbiome in supporting human health and homeostasis through nutrient acquisition, immune training, and protection against infectious disease. Insight has also been gained into links between the microbiome and many chronic diseases and health conditions, as well as the myriad mutable lifestyle and environmental factors that can influence the microbiome. Targeting therapies at these microbial communities therefore appears to hold tremendous medical potential. Indigenous peoples have arguably been underserved by human microbiome research thus far – despite Indigenous people in many countries being disproportionately affected by chronic health conditions that microbiome-based therapies hold promise for treating. What evidence has been collected to date suggests that Indigenous groups may harbour microbiota distinct from those of non-Indigenous counterparts, with the causes and health implications of this distinction being poorly understood. Further research to improve understanding of the roles that microbiomes play in Indigenous health will be important for ensuring that benefits from future microbiome-based therapies and diagnostics accrue to Indigenous people rather than reinforcing existing health inequities. Additional benefits of microbiome research for Indigenous communities could include new microbiome knowledge relevant to community priorities, educational and capacity-building opportunities, and intellectual property generation and commercial benefit. However, many ethical concerns can also arise from microbiome research, particularly in Indigenous contexts. For example, stigmatisation, cultural harm, and exclusion from sovereignty or control over data, samples and intellectual property relating to the microbiome are among the risks that Indigenous people must weigh when considering participation in microbiome research projects. These risks extend outside the sphere of human-associated microbiota into environmental metagenomic research, and are compounded by a general lack of cultural competency training and attention to Indigenous perspectives in the microbiome field as a whole. Multidisciplinary approaches that engage both microbiome science and the ethical, legal and social implications of such research represent a promising way forward. To this end, this thesis presents a multidisciplinary investigation of Indigenous microbiome research, defined as microbiome or metagenomic research that involves Indigenous people as research participants or stakeholders. Chapters include both scientific studies of oral microbiota and oral health in Aboriginal Australians and Torres Strait Islanders, and discussion and analysis of (bio)ethical and social implications of microbiome research for Indigenous peoples. Further integration of microbiome science, bioethics and Indigenous leadership and perspectives holds promise for realising the benefits and minimising the harms of future research.Thesis (Ph.D.) -- University of Adelaide, School of Biological Sciences, 202

Tackling food marketing to children in a digital world: trans-disciplinary perspectives. Children’s rights, evidence of impact, methodological challenges, regulatory options and policy implications for the WHO European Region

There is unequivocal evidence that childhood obesity is influenced by marketing of foods and non-alcoholic beverages high in saturated fat, salt and/or free sugars (HFSS), and a core recommendation of the WHO Commission on Ending Childhood Obesity is to reduce children’s exposure to all such marketing. As a result, WHO has called on Member States to introduce restrictions on marketing of HFSS foods to children, covering all media, including digital, and to close any regulatory loopholes. This publication provides up-to-date information on the marketing of foods and non-alcoholic beverages to children and the changes that have occurred in recent years, focusing in particular on the major shift to digital marketing. It examines trends in media use among children, marketing methods in the new digital media landscape and children’s engagement with such marketing. It also considers the impact on children and their ability to counter marketing as well as the implications for children’s rights and digital privacy. Finally the report discusses the policy implications and some of the recent policy action by WHO European Member States

Media, public health and law: A lawyer's primer on the food advertising debate

Australi

Regulatory approaches to obesity prevention: a systematic overview of current laws addressing diet-related risk factors in the European Union and the United States

Abstract not availableJana Sisnowski, Elizabeth Handsley, Jackie M. Stree

The role of the oral microbiota in chronic non-communicable disease and its relevance to the Indigenous health gap in Australia

Background: Aboriginal Australians and Torres Strait Islanders (hereafter respectfully referred to as Indigenous Australians) experience disproportionately poor health and low life expectancy compared to non-Indigenous Australians. Poor oral health is a critical, but understudied, contributor to this health gap. A considerable body of evidence links poor oral health to increased risks of other chronic non-communicable conditions, such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, chronic kidney disease, and poor emotional wellbeing. Main: The oral microbiota is indisputably associated with several oral diseases that disproportionately affect Indigenous Australians. Furthermore, a growing literature suggests direct and indirect links between the oral microbiota and systemic chronic non-communicable diseases that underpin much of the Indigenous health gap in Australia. Recent research indicates that oral microbial communities are shaped by a combination of cultural and lifestyle factors and are inherited from caregivers to children. Systematic differences in oral microbiota diversity and composition have been identified between Indigenous and non-Indigenous individuals in Australia and elsewhere, suggesting that microbiota-related diseases may be distinct in Indigenous Australians. Conclusion: Oral microbiota research involving Indigenous Australians is a promising new area that could benefit Indigenous communities in numerous ways. These potential benefits include: (1) ensuring equity and access for Indigenous Australians in microbiota-related therapies; (2) opportunities for knowledge-sharing and collaborative research between scientists and Indigenous communities; and (3) using knowledge about the oral microbiota and chronic disease to help close the gaps in Indigenous oral and systemic health.Matilda Handsley‑Davis, Lisa Jamieson, Kostas Kapellas, Joanne Hedges and Laura S. Weyric

Biocultural Drivers of Salivary Microbiota in Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children

Published: 18 March 2021.Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children experience unacceptably high rates of dental caries compared to their non-Indigenous Australian counterparts. Dental caries significantly impacts the quality of life of children and their families, particularly in remote communities. While many socioeconomic and lifestyle factors impact caries risk, the central role of the oral microbiota in mediating dental caries has not been extensively investigated in these communities. Here, we examine factors that shape diversity and composition of the salivary microbiota in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and adolescents living in the remote Northern Peninsula Area (NPA) of Far North Queensland. We employed 16S ribosomal RNA amplicon sequencing to profile bacteria present in saliva collected from 205 individuals aged 4–17 years from the NPA. Higher average microbial diversity was generally linked to increased age and salivary pH, less frequent toothbrushing, and proxies for lower socioeconomic status (SES). Differences inmicrobial composition were significantly related to age, salivary pH, SES proxies, and active dental caries. Notably, a feature classified as Streptococcus sobrinus increased in abundance in children who reported less frequent tooth brushing. A specific Veillonella feature was associated with caries presence, while features classified as Actinobacillus/Haemophilus and Leptotrichia were associated with absence of caries; a Lactobacillus gasseri feature increased in abundance in severe caries. Finally, we statistically assessed the interplay between dental caries and caries risk factors in shaping the oral microbiota. These data provide a detailed understanding of biological, behavioral, and socioeconomic factors that shape the oral microbiota and may underpin caries development in this group. This information can be used in the future to improve tailored caries prevention and management optionsMatilda Handsley-Davis, Emily Skelly, Newell W. Johnson, Kostas Kapellas, Ratilal Lalloo, Jeroen Kroon, and Laura S. Weyric