A Sectoral Model of the Australian Economy

We use a structural vector autoregression (SVAR) to examine the effect of unanticipated changes in monetary policy on the expenditure and production components of GDP over the period from 1983 to 2007. We find that dwelling investment and machinery & equipment investment are the most interest-sensitive expenditure components of activity, and that construction and retail trade are the most interest-sensitive production components of activity. We subject our model to a range of sensitivity checks and find that our results are robust to omitted variables, alternative identification schemes and the time period over which our model is estimated.Australian economy; sectoral macroeconomic model; monetary policy

The weather is never neutral: Then and now

Reporting on the weather may seem at first glance to be a very light story, but it can actually be a serious reflection of how we see ourselves and our changing perception of the world. In 1996, the author embarked on a light-hearted survey of 23 daily papers to find what New Zealand newspapers’ weather reports said about their attitudes to the world. In the middle of the 2020 COVID lockdown he re-ran the survey to see what had changed.   &nbsp

Distribution and Debt: How Consumption and Household Debt Can Affect Economic Growth

Over the past 30-40 years, consumer debt has grown substantially faster than income in the United States. As a result, consumption has grown fast relative to national income. The economic growth that we have experienced in the US economy has shown to be unreliable as demonstrated by the Great Recession in 2007-2008. By creating unstable growth, consumer behavior could be an explanation behind the recession as well as the cause of future economic downturns. This paper implements a new theory of consumption practices and tests for the stability of economic growth and sustainability of consumer debt by using a neo-Kaleckian growth model

Training journalists in New Zealand: The industry view of training 1979-2002

Commentary: What skills should student journalists and then working journalists be taught? This paper is an analysis of two decades of reports by editors in the New Zealand media on what they wanted to see. The reports were part of the annual Commonwealth Press Union review of the year. They show a focus by editors on the practical, craft skills of journalism, even as academics and teachers were questioning what was best. The reports cover the years 1979-2002. Many of the same issues then are still being faced; how do you ensure training is up to standard, what do young journalists need to know, how to deliver training to journalists during their careers, and how to ensure that a diverse range of people enters the industry? These questions remain today. &nbsp

The provision of dental implants: current practice among university and hospital specialists in restorative dentistry within the UK and Ireland

Objectives To establish current implant practice among university and hospital restorative dental specialists in the United Kingdom (UK) and Ireland and their opinions relating to criteria for implant treatment.Materials and methods An online questionnaire was distributed to 150 university and hospital restorative dental specialists in the UK and Ireland.Results The response rate was 27%. Twenty-nine (70%) respondents provided implant treatment, of which 76% and 100% placed and restored implants respectively. In addition, 79% worked with oral surgeons or oral and maxillofacial surgeons as part of the implant team. Hypodontia and malignancy were cited as the main groups that qualified for NHS dental implant treatment. Irradiation, smoking and bisphosphonates were considered the most important medical factors in patient selection for implant placement, while untreated periodontitis, poor oral hygiene and uncontrolled caries were the most important dental factors.Conclusions The majority of responding university and hospital restorative dental specialists within the UK and Ireland provide dental implant treatment and undertake a multidisciplinary approach where necessary. There is variation in the number of patients treated with implants by each respondent annually. The main patient groups that receive priority for NHS dental implant treatment are malignancy and hypodontia. Otherwise, there is general agreement about the factors considered important when selecting patients for implant treatment on the NHS and this aligns to the Royal College of Surgeons guidelines on selecting patients for the provision of dental implants

Improving relationship-based practice, practitioner confidence and family engagement skills through restorative approach training

Restorative Approach (RA) is an ethos and process that has been linked to a reduction of interpersonal conflict and improved relationships in various service settings but whose use is little explored in family services. This paper describes the findings of an evaluation of a training programme; The Restorative Approaches Family Engagement Project that was delivered to voluntary sector family practitioners across Wales with the intent of increasing the use of RA amongst practitioners and agencies, raising practitioner confidence when working with vulnerable families, and improving the extent to which and how practitioners engage with families. The study employed mixed methods. Quantitative measures investigated pre- and post- training practitioner perceptions of confidence, levels of family engagement, and organisational attitudes to RA. Post-training focus groups explored practitioner opinion of RAFEP and perceived changes to service delivery and receipt. Findings suggest RAFEP training promoted practitioner understanding of RA and increased perceptions of confidence when working with families in four specific aspects: developing positive relationships with service users, increasing communication, identifying service user needs/goals, and facilitating change. Qualitative data indicated that practitioners attributed the increased confidence to the service delivery framework engendered by the training and associated tools which facilitated its use and improved family engagement. Whilst host organisations were generally supportive of practitioners attending RAFEP training there was little evidence that knowledge and use of RA had been fully integrated into practitioner host agencies unless the organisation had previously used a restorative ethos

I tempi di lavoro e di riposo nel diritto dell'Unione Europea

L\u2019articolo analizza la normativa europea in materia di orario di lavoro (dir. 2003/88/CE) per come interpretata dalla Corte di Giustizia. Pi\uf9 in particolare vengono discusse le nozioni di orario e tempi di lavoro e la regolamentazione di ferie, lavoro notturno, riposi giornalieri e settimanali, e le discipline speciali; specifica attenzione \ue8 dedicata alle deroghe che secondo la direttiva possono essere apportate dall\u2019autonomia collettiva ed individuale (\u201copt-out\u201d) alla disciplina legale, per sottolineare come il diritto dell\u2019Unione abbia determinato una marcata liberalizzazione dei tempi di lavoro.The present work analyses the EU legislative framework on working time (dir. 2003/88/EC) and the related interpretation made by the European Court of Justice. More precisely, the paper focuses on the legal concepts of working time, night work, daily and weekly rests, holidays and special regulations; moreover, a particular attention is given to the waivers that \u2013 in compliance with the directive \u2013 are attributed to collective bargaining and to the individual (\u201copt-out\u201d), in order to highlight that EU law has highly liberalised the regulation of working time.L'article analyse la discipline de l'Union Europ\ue9enne sur le temps de travail (dir. 2003/88/CE) et la relative jurisprudence de la Court de Justice: \ue0 ce propos, l'essai focalise son attention sur les concepts de temps de travail, travail de nuit, r\ue9pos quotidien et hebdomadaire, cong\ue9s annuels et disciplines speciales; en outre, on d\ue9crit toutes les facult\ue9s de d\ue9rogation collective et individuelle (\u201copt-out\u201d) prevues par la directive, qui contribuient \ue0 lib\ue9raliser l'architecture du temps de travail dans le droit europ\ue9en.El ensayo analiza la disciplina de la Uni\uf3n Europea sobre el tiempo de trabajo (dir. 2003/88/CE) y la relativa jurisprudencia del Tribunal de Justica. En particular, el art\uedculo se centra en los conceptos de tiempo de trabajo, trabajo de noche, descansos diarios y semanales, vacaciones anuales y las reglamentaciones especiales; adem\ue1s, analiza todas las posibilidades de derogaci\uf3n colectiva e individual (\u201copt-out\u201d) otorgadas por la directiva, que contribuyen a la liberalizaci\uf3n del tiempo de trabajo en la Uni\uf3n Europea

The effects of flavonoids on cardiovascular health: a review of human intervention trials and implications for cerebrovascular function

Research has suggested a number of beneficial effects arising from the consumption of dietary flavonoids, found in foods such as cocoa, apples, tea, citrus fruits and berries on cardiovascular risk factors such as high blood pressure and endothelial dysfunction. These effects are thought to have a significant impact upon both vascular and cerebrovascular health, ultimately with the potential to prevent cardiovascular and potentially neurodegenerative disease with a vascular component, for example vascular dementia. This review explores the current evidence for the effects of flavonoid supplementation on human endothelial function and both peripheral and cerebral blood flow (CBF). Evidence presented includes their potential to reduce blood pressure in hypertensive individuals, as well as increasing peripheral blood perfusion and promoting CBF in both healthy and at-risk populations. However, there is great variation in the literature due to the heterogeneous nature of the randomised controlled trials conducted. As such, there is a clear need for further research and understanding within this area in order to maximise potential health benefits

Early clinical, radiological and EEG improvement following L-arginine infusion in SMART syndrome

Objectives: To report the clinical, radiological (MRI) and neurophysiological (EEG) changes in a case of SMART (stroke-like migraine attacks after radiation therapy) syndrome following treatment with intravenous L-arginine. Methods: A 60-year-old woman had, ten years prior, been diagnosed with primary CNS diffuse large B cell lymphoma, and was successfully treated with curative chemotherapy and whole brain radiotherapy. She presented acutely with left-sided headache, teichopsia and dysphasia following a chest infection. MRI of the brain showed striking left parieto-occipital gyral swelling, diffusion restriction, leptomeningeal enhancement, and increased cerebral blood volume. Her EEG showed an excess of slow activity diffusely, particularly over the left temporal lobe. A diagnosis of SMART syndrome was made. Intravenous L-arginine (0.5 g/kg) was administered. Results: A few hours post infusion, her migrainous headache subsided and her mentation improved. Her MRI brain performed six days post infusion showed reduced cortical swelling and hyperperfusion, and her EEG showed less temporal slowing. She continued to improve cognitively. Discussion: This is the first report of SMART syndrome with a response to L-arginine, reflected clinically by a measurable improvement in cognition, brain perfusion and EEG parameters, encouraging further clinical studies