Electronic records management criteria and information Security

Records management practices are mandatory in many business and government operations. Records management is a mature discipline with extensive body of knowledge, professional associations and clearly defined Australian and international standards. Records systems encompass the hardware, software and people necessary for operation and include records generated by and for the system. The Australian legal system has clearly defined standards for admissible evidence in the Evidence Act. Relevant records may require substantial preparation for submission and yet be inadmissible in legal proceedings. The records and system may be challenged in both theoretical and practical senses and appropriate practices and associated records are needed. These records may be expensive to acquire, process and store in suitable format and retaining the original data may be necessary. Applying records from a system to problems outside of the initial system requirements and design may expose the system to attack by showing that it fails to meet good practice. Further, validation of the system may demand suitable records from every stage of the system lifecycle including theoretical and operational basis

The Effect of Dark Chocolate on Metabolism and Performance in Trained Cyclists at Simulated Altitude

Dark chocolate (DC) is high in flavonoids, a bioactive micronutrient that increases the synthesis of nitric oxide (NO) and reduces the rate at which NO is removed from the blood. Nitric oxide is a potent vasodilator and its increase has potential to improve blood flow, delivery of oxygen to muscle, and endurance exercise performance, especially in conditions such as altitude, where hypoxia compromises delivery of oxygen to muscle. The purpose of this research was to investigate the effects of DC on cycling performance, metabolism, and blood oxygenation status in trained cyclists at altitude. We hypothesized that DC would result in enhanced muscular oxygenation, more efficient exercise metabolism, and improved performance. Twelve trained cyclists (n=2 females, average VO2 peak=54.6±6.2 ml/kg/min) were randomized to supplement with 60g of DC or an isocaloric placebo twice per day for 14 days in a cross-over study. After the 2-weeks of supplementation, participants attended a lab session in which they cycled 90 minutes at 60% VO2max followed immediately by a 10km time trial (TT) at a simulated altitude of 2500m (15% O2). Plasma levels of blood glucose and lactate were measured before, throughout, and after exercise while muscular and pre-frontal cortex oxygenation were measured continuously throughout exercise by near infrared spectroscopy. DC resulted in improved maintenance of blood glucose throughout the experimental trial (5.9±0.5 vs. 5.6±0.5 mmol/L; p=0.03) and decreased blood lactate following the time trial (7.7 mmol/L vs. 10.0 mmol/L, p=.027). DC had no effect on time trial performance (1142±129 vs. 1152±118 s for placebo) or oxygenation status in either the brain or muscle. There was an increase in total hemoglobin and deoxygenated hemoglobin in the pre-frontal cortex, and an increase in total hemoglobin in the vastus lateralis over time. Consumption of DC for two weeks prior to a bout of cycling at simulated altitude allows for maintenance of blood glucose during exercise and decreased lactate production following intense and prolonged TT but does not improve TT performance. Dark chocolate had no effect on oxygenation status of the pre-frontal cortex or working muscles

Catalysing learning for development and climate change: an exploration of social learning and social differentiation in CGIAR

There is convergence between current theory and practice in global environmental change research and development communities on the importance of approaches that aim to ‘engage and embed’, i.e. engage diverse and relevant actors in knowledge creation and embed scientific information into societal contexts. Social learning has emerged as a way to both approach and characterise innovative ways of doing this. Defined here as “a change in understanding that goes beyond the individual to become situated within wider social units or communities of practice through social interactions between actors within social networks” (Reed et al. 2010), a social learning approach situates scientific research as just one form of specialised knowledge amidst other contextual knowledge. Co-learning – by bringing diverse knowledge and social worlds together to exchange needs, values and norms – is considered necessary for addressing complex, wicked problems and for building decision processes and adaptive structures that help navigate uncertain futures. Including socially differentiated groups into processes of knowledge creation and decision- making may fundamentally alter what questions are asked, how changes in practices are framed and how to break down systemic patterns of vulnerability and marginalisation. This paper investigates the synergies (and trade-offs) associated with integrating socially differentiated stakeholders and/or groups – the poor, women, elderly, youth and indigenous – into social learning processes aimed at addressing poverty reduction, livelihood development and longer term resilience. An exploratory scan of CGIAR identifies projects that engage socially differentiated groups in processes of social learning. Cases were characterised for their treatment of i) the particular context, including rationale for the engagement of socially differentiated groups, ii) the design of engagement interfaces, iii) the type of learning loops occurring, iv) particular channels that contributed to learning across networks and, where applicable, v) the outcomes and lessons from the learning process. The findings suggest that diverse forms of social differentiation and learning are occurring across many of CGIAR’s fifteen research centres. This is in part due to institutional reform that has put an increasing emphasis on gender strategies and monitored development outcomes. A more explicit recognition of the role and ‘added value’ that social learning research approaches have can enhance its visibility and ultimately the effectiveness of CGIAR’s vast research partnerships

Coffee Under Pressure

Describes experiences of: CIAT, Oxfam, Catholic Relief Services with Workshops, NetworksContext: Vulnerability of farmers equals vulnerability of supply chain. Inclusive management involves those that contribute to growing, selling and changing strategies. Crop modelling under different climate conditions requires knowledge of who’s growing, selling and involved in the supply chain. It also requires an analysis of who the beneficiaries of the value chain are and who will be adversely affected by changes in climate and in practice in order to identify appropriate adaptation strategies. Gender analysis is critical. Interface: Researchers and stakeholders such as farmers, extensionists, local governments, and ministers are brought together in workshops to discuss history, crop types and harvesting methods and climate change perceptions. Strategies such as visual questionnaires, maps, and models of 20-year crop/climate projections are used to engage and discuss how resources change over time. Learning: Knowledge and networks from collaborative teams are leveraged in order to mobilize practical tools, systems and practices that build adaptive capacity among the poor and among women. Young people understand much faster about climate change. Youth and women are more engaged in participatory workshops. Interactive approaches feed information back into more relevant crop/climate models. Channel: Working with intermediaries such as Oxfam has contributed to ways of integrating gender-sensitive methods into the research process. The collaboration has provided Oxfam with CIAT’s relevant crop/climate expertise and information, and providing an avenue for research to be disseminated more broadly. Engaging with global food companies has typically included Corporate Social Responsibility departments. There is a recognized need that corporate buyers need to be brought into the collaborations in order to mainstream sustainable supply chains more broadly. A gender expert within CIAT is facilitating learning about the need for differentiated gender components in research. Agronomists are paying attention and using this resource now that the need has been identified within the institution. Outcome: Learning that women play a significant role in the supply chain but do not get shares of revenue leads to new research questions about what varieties and practices contribute to more visible and greater involvement. Oxfam included post-harvest facilities in the supply chain, formalizing women’s involvement in the supply chain and ability to generate income. Funding is viewed as a primary barrier to longer term learning cycles and for building continuous partnerships and trust over time. CIAT is working collaboratively with supply chain stakeholders and making links with large development NGOs, to use one part (approx. 8%) of their funding for relevant scientific research that applies to local development projects. Where possible, it is expected that sampling design and the innovative methodologies developed can then be rolled out across extensive NGO networks, including Oxfam and Catholic Relief Services

Barriers and facilitators to physical activity in second-generation British Indian women:a qualitative study

Aim To understand the barriers to and motivations for physical activity among second-generation British Indian women. Subject Approximately 50% of British South Asians are UK-born, and this group is increasing as the second-generation also have children. Previous research into the barriers to and facilitators for physical activity has focused on migrant, first-generation populations. Qualitative research is needed to understand a) how we might further reduce the gap in physical activity levels between White British women and British Indian women and b) the different approaches that may be required for different generations. Methods Applying a socioecological model to take into account the wider social and physical contexts, we conducted semi-structured interviews with 28 Indian women living in Manchester, England. Interviews with first-generation British Indian women were also included to provide a comparator. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed, thematically coded and analysed using a grounded theory approach. Results Ways of socialising, concerns over appearance while being physically active, safety concerns and prioritising educational attainment in adolescence were all described as barriers to physical activity in second-generation British Indian women. Facilitators for physical activity included acknowledging the importance of taking time out for oneself; religious beliefs and religious groups promoting activity; being prompted by family illness; positive messages in both the media and while at school, and having local facilities to use. Conclusions Barriers to physical activity in second-generation Indian women were very similar to those already reported for White British women. Public health measures aimed at women in the general population may also positively affect second-generation Indian women. First-generation Indian women, second-generation children and Muslim women may respond better to culturally tailored interventions

Closing the Gap

Shipping is a cornerstone of global trade and, as such, the GHG emissions created by shipping are significant and rising, accounting for almost 3% of global anthropogenic emissions (Faber et al. 2020a). Recent projections suggest that by 2050, shipping emissions will increase by between 90-130% of 2008 emissions by 2050 (ibid.). However, in April 2018, the IMO adopted the Initial GHG Strategy which set the ambition to reduce total annual GHG emissions by at least 50% by 2050, while pursuing efforts towards phasing out GHG emissions this century as a matter of urgency, consistent with the Paris Agreement temperature goal. With emissions projected to rise and international targets having been set, the question becomes, how these targets can be met by shipping? // For international shipping to align with the IMO’s Initial GHG Strategy, zero-emission fuels would need to become the dominant fuel source by the 2040s, gradually phasing out current fossil fuels. However, there exists a significant competitiveness gap between incumbent fossil fuels and alternative zero-emission options. This gap is the result of the existence of market barriers and failures, availability issues, a relative lack of information and regulation on safety, as well as the price difference in the fuels, which in turn is driven by R&D, infrastructure, and investment requirements. Projections suggest that across the 2030s and 2040s, zeroemission fuels will be approximately double the price of conventional fuel at best (Lloyd’s Register & UMAS 2020). As a result, there is an urgent need for policy to close the competitiveness gap and ensure shipping meets its decarbonisation commitments. // There is a range of potential measures to promote decarbonisation in shipping, including economic instruments or MBMs, direct regulatory approaches, information policies, voluntary initiatives, and national and regional action. This report provides an overview of different policy measures to address maritime decarbonisation and to close the competitiveness gap while enabling an equitable transition. Fairness and equity aspects are emphasised by e.g. the Initial IMO GHG Strategy. Therefore, the viability of any IMO climate policy instrument depends to a large extent on how these aspects are considered and operationalised. // This report explains which policy options could help close the competitiveness gap and enable an equitable transition