Comment on "Toxicological relevance of emerging contaminants for drinking water quality" by M. Schriks, M.B. Heringa, M.M.E. van der Kooi, P. de Voogt and A.P. van Wezel [Water Research 44 (2010) 461-476]

This is the post-print version of the final paper published in Water Research. The published article is available from the link below. Changes resulting from the publishing process, such as peer review, editing, corrections, structural formatting, and other quality control mechanisms may not be reflected in this document. Changes may have been made to this work since it was submitted for publication. Copyright @ 2011 Elsevier B.V.No abstract available

Critical perspectives on ‘consumer involvement’ in health research: epistemological dissonance and the know-do gap

Researchers in the area of health and social care (both in Australia and internationally) are encouraged to involve consumers throughout the research process, often on ethical, political and methodological grounds, or simply as ‘good practice’. This paper presents findings from a qualitative study in the UK of researchers’ experiences and views of consumer involvement in health research. Two main themes are presented in the paper. Firstly, we explore the ‘know-do gap’ which relates to the tensions between researchers’ perceptions of the potential benefits of, and their actual practices in relation to, consumer involvement. Secondly, we focus on one of the reasons for this ‘know-do gap’, namely epistemological dissonance. Findings are linked to issues around consumerism in research, lay/professional knowledges, the (re)production of professional and consumer identities and the maintenance of boundaries between consumers and researchers

Research Report 2008–2009

The NHMRC Clinical Trials Centre at the University of Sydney runs large multicentre investigator-initiated clinical trials, takes part in trials of national and international collaborative trial groups and contributes expertise to trials run by others. It also: • undertakes research into trial methods and is recognised through publications as a leader in trial methodology • reviews and synthesises evidence from completed trials, and is at the forefront of developments in methods, such as prospective meta-analysis • advises on trial design and operation, and randomises patients and analyses data for other groups conducting trials, particularly through its Outreach program • takes a lead in proposing new directions for trial research in Australia, particularly with regard to integrating clinical trials with national policy and clinical practice • offers placements for postgraduate students in all of these areas • runs short courses in the design and conduct of clinical trials as part of its undertaking to train people for Australian medical research. Core funding is provided by the NHMRC, and specific projects are funded by government, public and private institutions and the pharmaceutical industry. The CTC is at two sites in Camperdown in inner Sydney — the Medical Foundation Building on Parramatta Road and on Mallett Street. This report covers the CTC’s achievements for the biennium 2008–200

Research Report 2010

The NHMRC Clinical Trials Centre at the University of Sydney conducts large multicentre investigator-initiated clinical trials, takes part in trials of national and international collaborative trial groups and contributes expertise to trials run by others. It also: • takes a lead in proposing new directions for trial research in Australia, particularly with regard to integrating clinical trials with national policy and clinical practice • undertakes methodological research in relation to clinical trials • reviews and synthesises evidence from completed trials and is at the forefront of developments in methods, such as prospective meta-analysis • advises on trial design and operation, and randomises patients and analyses data for other groups conducting trials • offers postgraduate supervision in all of these areas • offers a postgraduate program in clinical trials research by distance education • runs short courses in the design and conduct of clinical trials as part of its undertaking to train people for Australian medical research Core funding is provided by the NHMRC, and specific projects are funded by government, public and private institutions and the pharmaceutical industry. The CTC is at two sites in Camperdown in inner Sydney — the Medical Foundation Building on Parramatta Road and on Mallett Street. This report covers the CTC’s achievements for 2010

Research Report 2006–2007

The National Health and Medical Research Council Clinical Trials Centre conducts its own clinical trials, provides expertise and infrastructure for trials run by other groups, and undertakes research aiming to improve both the conduct of trials and the resulting clinical evidence. Since 1988, when the CTC was set up as a research centre at the University of Sydney, over 60 000 patients have been randomised into its trials. Currently, around 40 active trials — in cancer, cardiovascular disease and neonatology — are being conducted in collaboration with networks of clinical investigators across Australia and elsewhere. The CTC has played a leading role in establishing some of these investigator groups, most recently the Cooperative Trials Group for Neuro-Oncology and the Australasian Lung Cancer Trials Group. Trial investigators also participate in international collaborations to carry out prospective meta-analysis of data from concurrent clinical trials. For example, the NeOProM collaboration has been formed by five cooperating trial groups, involving over 5000 patients, with leadership from the CTC. Developments such as this increase the effi ciency of research and the validity of its fi ndings, resulting in benefi t to patients throughout the world. The CTC also has strong links and partnerships withgovernment and nongovernment organisations and industry. Projects include capacity building for Australian health and research, reviews of evidence to assist government policy making, and methodological research. The CTC’s past research has served the Australian population well, particularly through reduced cardiovascular disease and deaths from heart disease and improved survival and better quality of life for patients with many types of cancer. This report covers the CTC’s achievements for the biennium, 2006–2007

Research Report 2004–2005

The National Health and Medical Research Council Clinical Trials Centre has the purpose of improving outcomes in health through clinical trials research. It was established by the National Health and Medical Research Council in 1988 as a research centre at the University of Sydney. The CTC provides the knowledge and infrastructure to ensure the quality, timely completion and reporting of clinical trials. It has vast expertise in the design, conduct and analysis of randomised controlled trials, particularly in cancer and cardiovascular disease. Over 100 staff have specialised skills, taking in clinical trials design, biostatistics, database design, randomisation and drug distribution, outcome assessment, quality assurance, and regulatory and ethical issues. In the past 16 years, the CTC has participated in more than 50 investigatorinitiated, collaborative-group clinical trials and coordinated some of the largest randomised trials initiated by Australian investigators (LIPID and FIELD studies, each with over 9000 patients). Over 40 000 patients have been randomised to these trials. All clinical trials undertaken through the CTC are conducted strictly according to guidelines for clinical trials research and conduct, and are audited by sponsors, the CTC itself and regulatory authorities. The CTC has a history of working collaboratively with cooperative groups, clinical trial networks and other organisations, and has played a central role in establishing some of these groups. These activities have been recognised in increased grant funding to enable further collaboration and to increase the number of investigator-initiated trials in Australia. In its research, the CTC has prospered: it has developed strategies for patient recruitment, trial and data management, study coordination, information systems and randomisation in an environment of academic excellence. In addition to trials management, the CTC is a leader in biostatistical methodology and analysis and in systematic review of health evidence. The integrated expertise of the CTC staff is turned to good use in frequent educational activities in Australia and elsewhere. This report covers the CTC’s achievements for the biennium, 2004–2005

A time series analysis of presentations to Queensland health facilities for alcohol-related conditions, following the increase in ‘alcopops’ tax

Objective: In response to concerns about the health consequences of high-risk drinking by young people, the Australian Government increased the tax on pre-mixed alcoholic beverages ('alcopops') favoured by this demographic. We measured changes in admissions for alcohol-related harm to health throughout Queensland, before and after the tax increase in April 2008. Methods: We used data from the Queensland Trauma Register, Hospitals Admitted Patients Data Collection, and the Emergency Department Information System to calculate alcohol-related admission rates per 100,000 people, for 15 - 29 year-olds. We analysed data over 3 years (April 2006 - April 2009), using interrupted time-series analyses. This covered 2 years before, and 1 year after, the tax increase. We investigated both mental and behavioural consequences (via F10 codes), and intentional/unintentional injuries (S and T codes). Results: We fitted an auto-regressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) model, to test for any changes following the increased tax. There was no decrease in alcohol-related admissions in 15 - 29 year-olds. We found similar results for males and females, as well as definitions of alcohol-related harms that were narrow (F10 codes only) and broad (F10, S and T codes). Conclusions: The increased tax on 'alcopops' was not associated with any reduction in hospital admissions for alcohol-related harms in Queensland 15 - 29 year-olds

Research Report 2011

The NHMRC Clinical Trials Centre (CTC) at the University of Sydney runs large multicentre investigator-initiated clinical trials, takes part in trials of national and international collaborative trial groups and contributes expertise to trials run by others. It also: • takes a lead in proposing new directions for trial research in Australia, particularly with regard to integrating clinical trials with national policy and clinical practice • leads, coordinates and participates in national and international research collaborations • undertakes methodological research in relation to clinical trials and biostatistics • reviews and synthesises evidence from completed trials, and is at the forefront of developments in methods, such as prospective meta-analysis • advises on trial design and operation, and randomises patients and analyses data for other groups conducting trials • offers postgraduate supervision in all of these areas • offers a postgraduate program in clinical trials research by distance education • runs short courses in the design and conduct of clinical trials as part of its undertaking to train people for Australian medical research. Core funding is provided by the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC),and specific projects are funded by government, public and private institutions and the pharmaceutical industry. The CTC is at two sites in Camperdown in inner Sydney — the Medical Foundation Building on Parramatta Road and on Mallett Street. This report covers the CTC’s achievements for 2011