Beyond Business as Usual: A 21st Century Culture of Manufacturing in Australia

This report summarizes the findings of the ARC discovery project, Reconfiguring the enterprise: shifting manufacturing culture in Australia (DP # DP160101674). Research conducted between 2016 and 2019 collected data from 10 manufacturing enterprises, across diverse sectors, scales and organisational forms through in-depth interviews, site visits and workshops. The project’s main finding is that there is a culture of manufacturing that is beyond business as usual in Australia. This report counters ill-founded fears that manufacturing in Australia is dead by presenting convincing evidence of dynamic companies that are committed to just and sustainable manufacturing practices. It demonstrates how there is a viable future for manufacturing in Australia in the 21st century that is being shaped by a culture that is beyond business as usual. Through the case examples we uncovered how this new manufacturing culture: a) maintains firm viability and thereby safeguards manufacturing in Australia; b) provides decent jobs in an inclusive society and thereby builds a more just manufacturing sector; and c) produces with a smaller ecological footprint and thereby builds a more environmentally sustainable manufacturing sector. These economic, social and ecological goods are realised in these firms through practical commitments expressed in the daily enterprise operations and over time. The findings are significant for Australia. Manufacturing supports 1.27 million jobs in Australia. It plays a major role in social inclusion, nurturing the productive capacity of people from many different backgrounds and experiences. It is a point of concentration for innovation and investment in R&D. However, the current business as usual model is no longer viable. Growth without regard for a social licence to produce is no longer acceptable. Nor is growth with disregard for the environmental impacts of production and consumption. The new culture of manufacturing rewrites the social licence for enterprises. It is building viable firms with the capacity to withstand threats that might undermine the sector. At the same time, their ongoing commitments and practices are helping Australia address the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)—SDG 8 Decent Work and Economic Growth, SDG 9 Industry Innovation and Infrastructure, and SDG 12 Responsible Consumption and Production

Use of ‘Elf Bar’ among youth and young adults who currently vape in England:cross-sectional associations with demographics, dependence indicators and reasons for use

Background and aims: Elf Bar is currently the leading e-cigarette (vape) brand in Great Britain. This study examined youth and young adults’ use of Elf Bar, socio-demographic characteristics and dependence indicators and reasons for use over other brands. Design: Cross-sectional survey. Setting and participants: Online 2022 International Tobacco Control Project Youth Tobacco and Vaping Survey (N = 1355 16-29-year-olds in England who had vaped in the past 30 days). Measurements: Currently using Elf Bar most often (versus other brands) and associations with: socio-demographics, owning a vaping device, dependence indicators and reasons for brand choice. Logistic regressions were used. Findings: Among 16–29-year-olds who vaped in the past 30 days, 48.4% (n = 732) reported Elf Bar as the brand they used most often. Among 16–17-year-olds, 40.7% used Elf Bar over other brands; this was lower than among 18–19-year-olds (60.1%) and 20–29-year-olds (47.4%) (P ≤ 0.002). Using Elf Bar over other brands was higher among those who were female (55.2 versus 41.5% male), identified as White (53.1 versus 30.9% other/mixed), a student (54.5 versus 44.3% not), did not own a vape (66.7 versus 44.4% who did) and typically vaped 5–8 hours after waking (62.7 versus 36.8% within 5 min) (P ≤ 0.044). Most who vaped but had never smoked used Elf Bar (64.3%), although use did not significantly differ from those who currently (45.4%), formerly (42.3%) or experimentally (48.7%) smoked (all P ≥ 0.060). Popular reasons for choosing Elf Bar over other brands were better flavour/taste (47.5%), less expensive (28.7%), easier to get (26.1%), smoother to inhale (24.0%) and popularity (23.1%). ‘Better for quitting smoking’ (10.1%) was least frequently selected reason for choosing Elf Bar over other brands. Conclusions: Elf Bar brand e-cigarettes were used by approximately half of 16–29-year-olds who vaped in England in 2022 and was mainly chosen over other brands for subjective responses (e.g. flavour/taste), rather than for quitting smoking.</p

One and Two Dimensional Pulsed Electron Paramagnetic Resonance Studies of in vivo Vanadyl Coordination in Rat Kidney

The biological fate of a chelated vanadium source is investigated by/n vivo spectroscopic methods to elucidate the chemical form in which the metal ion is accumulated. A pulsed electron paramagnetic resonance study of vanadyl ions in kidney tissue, taken from rats previously treated with bis(ethylmaltolato)oxovanadium(IV) (BEOV) in drinking water, is presented. A combined approach using stimulated echo (3-pulse) electron spin echo envelope modulation (ESEEM) and the two dimensional 4-pulse hyperfine sublevel correlation (HYSCORE) spectroscopies has shown that at least some of the VO2+ ions are involved in the coordination with nitrogen-containing ligands. From the experimental spectra, a 4N hyperfine coupling constant of 4.9 MHz and a quadrupole coupling constant of 0.6 + 0.04 MHz were determined, consistent with amine coordination of the vanadyl ions. Study of VO-histidine model complexes allowed for a determination of the percentage of nitrogen-coordinated VO2+ ions in the tissue sample that is found nitrogen-coordinated. By taking into account the bidentate nature of histidine coordination to VO2+ ions, a more accurate determination of this value is reported. The biological fate of chelated versus free (i.e. salts) vanadyl ion sources has been deduced by comparison to earlier reports. In contrast to its superior pharmacological efficacy over VOSO4, BEOV shares a remarkably similar biological fate after uptake into kidney tissue

Unpacking dimensions of evidentiary knowledge and reasoning in the teaching and learning of science

https://repository.isls.org/bitstream/1/601/1/273.pdfPublished versio

Noticing education campaigns or public health messages about vaping among youth in the US, Canada, and England from 2018 to 2022

Purpose: Public health campaigns have the potential to correct vaping misperceptions. However, campaigns highlighting vaping harms to youth may increase misperceptions that vaping is equally/more harmful than smoking. Vaping campaigns have been implemented in the US and Canada since 2018, and in England since 2017, but with differing focus: youth vaping prevention (US/Canada) and smoking cessation (England). We therefore examined country differences and trends in noticing vaping campaigns among youth and, using 2022 data only, perceived valence of campaigns and associations with harm perceptions. Methods: Seven repeated cross-sectional surveys of 16–19-year-olds in US, Canada, England (2018-2022, N=92,339). Results: Over half of youth reported noticing vaping campaigns, and noticing increased from Aug’18-Feb’20 (US:55.2-74.6%,AOR=1.21,95%CI=1.18-1.24; Canada:52.6-64.5%,AOR=1.13,1.11-1.16; England:48.0-53.0%,AOR=1.05,1.02-1.08) before decreasing (Canada) or plateauing (England/US) to Aug’22. Increases were most pronounced in the US, then Canada. Noticing was most common on websites/social media, school, and television/radio. In 2022 only, most campaigns were perceived to negatively portray vaping and this was associated with accurately perceiving vaping as less harmful than smoking among youth who exclusively vaped (AOR=1.46,1.09-1.97). Conclusion: Consistent with implementation of youth vaping prevention campaigns in the US and Canada, most youth reported noticing vaping campaigns/messages, and most were perceived to negatively portray vaping

Impact of Enquiry Based Learning (EBL) on student midwife praxis.

Midwifery training in Ireland moved to Higher Education in 2006. This shift established a physical and educational separation of theory and practice. The adoption of Enquiry Based Learning (EBL) by one Irish midwifery education institution attempted to address this division. Enquiry Based Learning (EBL) has the potential to develop student reflexivity and evidence assimilation across the career-span and may therefore enhance student praxis. EBL has been championed as an example of an educational model that supports praxis, helping to create competent practitioners through the use of authentic learning scenarios that address the theory practice divide. The current research study represents the first formal evaluation of EBL in undergraduate midwifery education in the South of Ireland. The study was a mixed-methods design that utilised focus groups, interviews and survey to ascertain the opinions of first exposure to EBL amongst a cohort of first year student midwives. Findings demonstrate the value of EBL in enhancing student midwife praxis