The Lockhart Review: where now for Australia?

In 2005 a Legislation Review Committee, known as the Lockhart Review, undertook a review of the Commonwealth legislation regulating human embryo research. The report that emanated from the review was released in December 2005. If the report recommendations are implemented by the Federal Government, Australian scientists will be permitted to create human embryo entities currently known as "human embryo clones" by the process known as somatic cell nuclear transfer to develop stem cell lines for research purposes. Many argue that stem cells have the potential to be developed into valuable medical therapies that could assist with, or cure, serious diseases such as Type 1 diabetes and Parkinson's disease. This article analyses the evidence presented to the Lockhart Review and the report recommendations. It assesses where the Lockhart recommendations would place Australia in terms of worldwide embryo research. It is argued that the Federal Government should fully embrace the recommendations so that Australia can progress stem cell research to its fullest potential.     

Forensic analysis of bicomponent fibers using infrared chemical imaging

The application of infrared chemical imaging to the analysis of bicomponent fibers was evaluated. Eleven nominally bicomponent fibers were examined either side-on or in cross-section. In six of the 11 samples, infrared chemical imaging was able to spatially resolve two spectroscopically distinct regions when the fibers were examined side-on. As well as yielding characteristic infrared spectra of each component, the technique also provided images that clearly illustrated the side-by-side configuration of these components in the fiber. In one case it was possible to prepare and image a cross-section of the fiber, but in general the preparation of fiber cross-sections proved very difficult. In five of the 11 samples, the infrared spectra could be used to identify the overall chemical composition of the fibers, according to a published classification scheme, but the fiber components could not be spatially resolved. Difficulties that are inherent to conventional "single-point" infrared spectroscopy, such as interference fringing and sloping baselines, particularly when analyzing acrylic type fibers, were also encountered in the infrared chemical image analysis of bicomponent fibers. A number of infrared sampling techniques were investigated to overcome these problems, and recommendations for the best sampling technique are given. Chemical imaging results were compared with those obtained using conventional fiber microscopy techniques.     

Validation of the Cozart Amphetamine Microplate EIA for the analysis of amphetamines in oral fluid

The purpose of this study was to determine the performance characteristics of the Cozart Amphetamine Microplate EIA for detecting amphetamine in oral fluid. Oral fluid samples were collected using the Cozart RapiScan Collection System from 135 volunteer donors from drug treatment clinics. A further 35 oral fluid samples were collected from volunteer donors who were not drug users. The samples were analyzed in the laboratory using the Cozart Amphetamine Microplate EIA and confirmed using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The samples were stored frozen until analysis by GC-MS. The intra-assay precision for the Cozart Amphetamine Microplate EIA for amphetamine in oral fluid over forty assays was 2.74-7.1% CV (within assay) and 3.4-7.0% CV (within day). A total of 78 samples were positive for various amphetamines and related designer drugs. The Cozart Amphetamine Microplate EIA, using a cutoff of 45 ng/ml amphetamine equivalents in neat oral fluid, had a sensitivity of 91.7+/-3.3% and a specificity of 95.9+/-1.9% versus GC-MS using a cutoff of 30 ng/ml. A series of potential adulterants of oral fluid were evaluated and shown not to alter the outcome of the test result.     

Procedural justice and parents' satisfaction in a field study of child custody dispute resolution

The relative importance of procedural and distributive factors for satisfaction was tested in a field study of 71 couples who were randomly assigned to mediate or litigate their child custody dispute. Multiple regression analyses showed that procedural factors (decision control and respect) and distributive factors (feeling of winning what one wanted) were equally influential for parents' satisfaction as a group. However, the relative importance of procedural fairness and outcome favorability differed depending on disputant gender, favorability of outcomes, and level of conflict in the relationship. Support was found for Tyler's (1989) assertion that the specific procedural factor of decision control is especially important in dispute resolution settings. However, contrary to expectation, decision control was relatively more important to satisfaction in mediation than in litigation. It is suggested that the type of allocation setting may not be as influential for satisfaction as participants' status in the proceedings and their perceptions of the level of conflict.     

EDA for HLM: Visualization when Probabilistic Inference Fails

e-mail: jwbowers{at}umich.edu (corresponding author) e-mail: kwdrake{at}umich.edu Nearly all hierarchical linear models presented to politicalscience audiences are estimated using maximum likelihood undera repeated sampling interpretation of the results of hypothesistests. Maximum likelihood estimators have excellent asymptoticproperties but less than ideal small sample properties. Multilevelmodels common in political science have relatively large samplesof units like individuals nested within relatively small samplesof units like countries. Often these level-2 samples will beso small as to make inference about level-2 effects uninterpretablein the likelihood framework from which they were estimated.When analysts do not have enough data to make a compelling argumentfor repeated sampling based probabilistic inference, we showhow visualization can be a useful way of allowing scientificprogress to continue despite lack of fit between research designand asymptotic properties of maximum likelihood estimators.     

The uncritical enthusiasts versus the uninformed sceptics: regulation of complementary and alternative medicines

The introduction of a treaty between Australia and New Zealand to regulate complementary and alternative medicines (CAM) has revived the age-old debate between advocates of conventional medicine and those of CAM, particularly with regard to the standards of regulation that should be applied. Currently, the systems for regulating CAM products in Australia and New Zealand are very different, making harmonisation contentious, as the proposed treaty follows the Australian system very closely. New Zealand and Australian principles of good regulatory practice stipulate that only minimum necessary standards should be imposed, and should be transparent, understandable and equitable. It is argued that the proposed treaty does not adhere to good regulatory standards, and that other forms of harmonisation should be sought to avoid adopting a regulatory regime in New Zealand that is overly restrictive and harmful to the New Zealand CAM industry.     

Brothers’ Keepers?

Relying on rarely analyzed public opinion data from the 1930s and early 1940s, we take issue with the notion popular in contemporary liberal circles that the New Deal era represented a period of expansive commitment to the security and well-being of the poor and politically disenfranchised. At least where the public is concerned—as opposed to the progressive policy makers in the Roosevelt administration—the jobless were regarded with suspicion, immigrants should be forced to “go home,” women belong in the kitchen not on the shop floor. The harsher the economic conditions (by state), the more conservative were the public attitudes. Hence New Deal legislative victories accrued despite rather than because of public support.

What do Australian consumers think about current advertising standards?

The concept of community standards is the cornerstone of advertising self‐regulation in Australia. However, there is a dearth of research on current attitudes towards advertising and a virtual absence of such data in an Australian context. A questionnaire was developed to assess consumer attitudes towards advertising; respondents were 872 adults residing in New South Wales. We found high levels of concern regarding advertising standards in general and a consistent perception that advertising should not, for example, use coarse language or violent images, portray women or men as sex objects or show nudity, stereotype or make fun of groups of people, or convey messages that undermine parental authority. In relation to specific appeals and executional elements, although we identified numerous statistically significant demographic differences, there was a clear majority view as to what elements are unacceptable. That is, rather than the posited vocal ‘moral minority’, there is a consistency of views across the community on key issues of advertising standards. The finding that only a very small proportion of community‐based respondents knew how to make a complaint to the correct organisation suggests that studies utilising complainant samples are unlikely to be representative of those who are concerned about advertising. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.