‘It's a Long Way To the Bottom’: The Insignificance of ‘the Scots’ in Australia

Australian historians have been reluctant to recognize the significance of Scottish immigration and immigrants. And, until relatively recently, Scottish historians were also indifferent, possibly because Canada and New Zealand seemed more Scottish. It is thus worthwhile to ponder the ways in which Australian (and Scottish) historians have approached Scottish migration to and settlement in Australia. Neglected aspects of the Scottish experience in Australia are exposed and overexposed aspects questioned. Some of the former include the twentieth century, radical politics, sport and popular music; the latter include the nineteenth century, God and Mammon. Despite the alleged invisibility of ‘the Scots’ in Australia as a group, Scots have consistently been very visible

First dose of potential new medicines to humans: How animals help

The need for careful testing of new drugs in animal models before study in humans has been recognised by physicians since the First World War. Now, first human studies on new drugs are subject to detailed government guidelines, which in the European Union are presently being reinforced through the wide-ranging Clinical Trials Directive. However, despite their long history and widespread application, these guidelines are empirical and have been formulated with a paucity of critical scientific evidence. Here, we review the principles and the available, albeit limited, evidence that support the design and conduct of preclinical studies in a way that permits effective and safe first-dose studies of potential new medicines in humans