Availability, access and affordability across 'digital divides': common experiences amongst minority groups

In understanding commonalities between minority groups in relation to access to and affordability of technology, the paper argues that these can no longer be considered `minority issues as they affect a significant proportion of the Australian population. Rather, affordability needs to be framed as part of a wider discussion about access and accessibility. Furthermore, notions of access and accessibility should be emphasised and clearly distinguished from mere availability

Looking across digital divides: possible interventions in inclusive and accessible service design

Traversing the numerous studies of minority groups and the access to technology highlights the necessity of rethinking the popular notion of ‘digital divides’ by which particular communities are considered disadvantaged in their access to the Internet. The research points to pervasive technological determinism in the ways that services are designed to push users online regardless of the evidence that an array of minority groups prefer and use other means of communicating and seeking information. The ‘digital divide’ is evidence that information services have not been designed to be inclusive of a significant proportion of the wider community. It is also an inadequate model for conceptualising the diversity of technologies that are now used, as well as the literacies required to access them. Instead of dichotomising user groups, with minorities representing those who are disadvantaged and deprived of computers, there are persuasive business, regulatory and legal arguments for compelling service providers to consider their users as part of a spectrum of affordabilities, literacies and technologies through which their services are accessed

Technology and power in immigration detention: Communicating fear in and about detained asylum seekers

The paper examines how fear is communicated to refugees, asylum seekers, and the public through Australias immigration policy and practice. Between 1992 and 1994, Australian law moved from permitting (but not enforcing) limited detention of asylum seekers, to a blanket policy of mandatory detention which, at one point, had up to 12,000 individuals in detention

Hydrostannation of activated alkynes mediated by Stryker's reagent

The treatment of activated alkynes with catalytic amounts of Stryker's reagent and tributylstannane resulted in hydrostannation. The reaction proceeds with high regioselectivity to produce α-stannated vinylstannanes exclusively. ©2006 IUPAC.published_or_final_versio

Email as co-habitat in distributed organisations

Email has now become so ubiquitous that it has surpassed its early role as an asynchronous communication tool. Having contributed to the rise of the distributed organisation, email is being used in diverse ways and for purposes for which it was not intended. It is no longer a technology of individual habitats, but one where members of distributed organisations co-habit. This paper charts the study of email management, from early investigations of personal approaches to handling email overload, through to a review of software applications designed to ameliorate this. It suggests that while email has been appropriated for information and knowledge management, there has been minimal analysis of this beyond the individual. Therefore, it presents a case study of a distributed organisation, detailing the process by which email was leveraged for organisational knowledge through the design of an application that enabled visualisation of email data

E-cigarette use was associated with the intention to smoke in Chinese adolescents

Conference Theme: Tobacco and Non-Communicable DiseasesPoster Discussion 28. E-cigarettes: Evidence and Analysis: no. PD-923-20BACKGROUND: E-cigarette use arguably could reduce cigarette smoking and the intention to smoke, although such studies are few, especially in adolescents. We investigated the association between e-cigarette use and the intention to smoke in Chinese adolescent smokers and never-smokers. DESIGN/METHODS: A total of 45857 secondary 1-6 (US Grade 7-12) students (response rate 96%) from 75 randomly selected schools completed an anonymous questionnaire in 2012/13 in Hong Kong. Students were classified as never-smokers, experimenters (smoked just a few puffs), ex-smokers and current smokers (occasional or daily smoking). E-cigarette use in the past 30 days was …published_or_final_versio

Electronic cigarette use and its association with smoking in Hong Kong Chinese adolescents

BACKGROUND: Electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) are increasingly used in adolescents with unknown impacts on conventional cigarette smoking. We examined the associations of e-cigarette use with smoking intention, nicotine addiction and smoking cessation in Chinese adolescents. METHODS: A total of 45,128 students (age 14.6±1.9; boys 51.4%) from 75 randomly selected schools in Hong Kong reported e-cigarette use (in the past 30days), conventional cigarette use and socio-demographic characteristics in an anonymous questionnaire survey. Adjusted odds ratios (AORs) of intention to smoke, morning smoking urge, intention to quit and quit attempts; and beta-coefficient (β) of cigarette consumption per day were calculated in relation to e-cigarette use. RESULTS: E-cigarette use was associated with intention to smoke with an AOR (95% CI) of 1.74 (1.30-2.31) in all students, 2.18 (1.12-4.23) in never and 2.79 (2.05-3.79) in ever smokers (non-significant interaction by smoking status). The associations were also significant in experimental and former smokers but not in current smokers. In current smokers, e-cigarette use was significantly associated with heavier smoking (β 2.54, 95% CI 1.28-3.81) and morning smoking urge (AOR 2.54, 95% CI 1.50-3.11), and non-significantly associated with lower quit intention (0.76, 0.52-1.09) and attempts (0.80, 0.56-1.23). CONCLUSIONS: E-cigarette use was associated with smoking intention in never, experimental and former smokers in Hong Kong Chinese adolescents. In current smokers, e-cigarette use was associated with nicotine addiction but not quit intention and attempts. Prospective studies with detailed measurements on e-cigarette use are warranted for further studies. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.postprin

E-cigarette use was associated with respiratory symptoms among Chinese adolescents in Hong Kong

Conference Theme: Tobacco and Non-Communicable DiseasesOral Presentation - 05. Innovative Ways for Achieving Tobacco Free Generations: no. OP-229-20BACKGROUND: Adverse effects of e-cigarette use were not clear. Some studies have found harmful effects on respiratory function (respiratory flow resistance and impedance) in adult smokers. We assessed the association between cigarette use and respiratory symptoms in adolescents. DESIGN/METHODS: A school-based smoking survey was conducted on 45857 secondary 1-6 (US Grade 7-12) students (response rate 96%) from 75 randomly selected secondary schools in Hong Kong in 2012/13 …published_or_final_versio

E-cigarette use, nicotine addiction and intention to quit among adolescent smokers in Hong Kong

Conference Theme: Tobacco and Non-Communicable DiseasesPoster Discussion 28. E-cigarettes: Evidence and Analysis: no. PD-924-20BACKGROUND: Although some studies have shown beneficial effects of e-cigarettes on smoking cessation in adults, less is known about e-cigarette use and its association with nicotine addiction and intention to quit smoking in adolescents. DESIGN/METHODS: A school-based smoking survey was conducted on 45857 secondary 1-6 (US Grade 7-12) students (response rate 96%) from 75 randomly selected secondary schools in Hong Kong in 2013/13. A total of 1768 (3.9%) current smokers (occasional or daily) were included in the present analysis. E-cigarette use in the past 30 days, intention to quit smoking (cigarette), and quit attempts in the past 12 months were recorded. Smoking …published_or_final_versio