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Freshly isolated ventricular myocytes have been used extensively as an adult cardiac model system. Due to their inability to undergo cytokinesis in vitro and their dedifferentiated properties in long-term culture, they can not be used for extended studies. Recent reports tell of the establishment of fetal and neonatal cardiac cell lines and the development of adult cardiomyocytes from transgenic animals. A recent report by Kirshenbaum [1], is the first to demonstrate insertion of genes in to adult ventricular myocytes using viral infection. This paper discusses the infection of primary adult differentiated cardiomyocytes with the SV40 large T antigen and subsequent proliferation under temperature sensitive control. Upon further characterization, the cells could be used as a model to study muscle differentiation and repair as well as adult cardiac cell physiology.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians (Indigenous Australians) have more than twice the smoking prevalence of non-Indigenous Australians. Anti-smoking campaigns have demonstrated success in the general population but little is known about their impact among Indigenous people. A total of 143 Indigenous and a comparison group of 156 non-Indigenous smokers from South Australia were shown 10 anti-smoking advertisements representing a range of advertisements typically aired in Australia. Participants rated advertisements on a five-point Likert scale assessing factors including message acceptance and personalized effectiveness. On average, Indigenous people rated the mainstream advertisements higher than non-Indigenous people and were more likely to report that they provided new information. Advertisements with strong graphic imagery depicting the health effects of smoking were rated highest by Indigenous smokers. Advertisements featuring real people describing the serious health consequences of smoking received mixed responses. Those featuring an ill person were rated higher by Indigenous people than those featuring the family of the person affected by a smoking-related disease. With limited Indigenous-specific messages available and given the finite resources of most public health campaigns, exposure to mainstream strong graphic and emotive first-person narratives about the health effects of smoking are likely to be highly motivating for Indigenous smokers. Refereed/Peer-reviewed

The ability of food advertising to trigger food consumption and influence social norms relating to food consumption has resulted in increasing attention being given to the prevalence and nature of food advertising. The present study investigated the use of negative themes in food advertisements aired on Australian television to determine the prevalence of depictions of violence/aggression, mocking, nagging, boredom, loneliness, food craving, mood enhancement, and the emotional use of food across 61 days of programming time. The results suggest that advertisers are using negative themes to capture attention and invoke an emotional response in the target audience. Sixteen percent (14,611) of the 93,284 food advertisements contained negative themes, with mood enhancement and food craving being the most commonly depicted negative themes. Advertisements with negative themes were more likely to be for non-core foods and to be aired during children's popular viewing times than at other times. The potential for negative themes in food advertising to promote unhealthy food consumption behaviors among children is likely to be of concern to policy makers. Building on this exploratory study, further research is needed to investigate how nutrition-related decision making is affected by exposure to food advertisements employing negative emotional themes.

Objective: To examine smoking prevalence and smoking behaviour among South Australians with a mental illness and compare findings to those with no mental illness. Method: Data were collected in three cross-sectional representative population surveys of South Australians aged ≥15 years from 2005 to 2007. Merged data yielded a total sample size of 8417. The main outcome measures were: smoking prevalence, measures of tobacco dependence, awareness of the health effects of active and passive smoking, smoke-free homes and cars, awareness of health warnings, and use of cessation aids by two measures of mental illness status. Results: Overall 26.4% of the population with a general mental illness and 51.2% of the population with a severe mental illness smoked, compared to 18.7% of the population without a mental illness. People with a mental illness, particularly severe mental illness displayed higher measures of tobacco dependence. Smokers with a severe mental illness were less likely to have smoke-free homes (OR = 0.29, 95%CI 0.16-0.55). Television was an effective medium to present the health effects of smoking to all groups. Those with a general mental illness were more likely than those with no mental illness to have asked a general practitioner for advice to help them quit in the past year (OR = 2.02, 95%CI 1.07-3.84). Conclusions: Whilst smokers with a mental illness are more dependent on their smoking; they are interested in quitting. There are a number of mainstream tobacco control strategies that could be further utilized (e.g. mass media and health professional referrals to the Quitline) to increase cessation among this disadvantaged group.

In 2006 Australia introduced graphic health warnings (GHW) on cigarette packets, depicting a range of tobacco-related pathology. This intervention, controlling the appearance of a consumer product, was designed to raise consumers’ awareness of the harms of tobacco use, motivate quitting, and discourage uptake of smoking.This study applies the reasoned action approach to assess the relevance of GHW-related beliefs and attitudes to smokers’ behavioural intentions and smoking behaviour.A sample of 587 smokers was recruited through a random representative population survey in 2005, prior to the introduction of new warnings. A subset of 158 was followed up a year later.The results show that GHW-related beliefs and attitudes were predictive of intention to quit smoking. Intentions to quit were, in turn, predictive of quitting behaviour as measured in the follow up stage. New GHW warnings, smokers are presumed to have been exposed to, were also associated with changes in beliefs over time.

Outdoor smoking bans are recommended1 but some are contentious.2–4 Reasons for outdoor smoking bans include providing a supportive environment for ex-smokers, and, reducing the risk of: acute health effects from secondhand smoke; modelling smoking to young people; and litter and fire risk. Conversely, one argument given against outdoor smoking bans is the low and transient long-term health risk. All Australian jurisdictions have, or intend to have, legislation for smoke-free outdoor areas but the legislation is diverse in terms of which outdoor areas are included and who is responsible for implementation and regulation (ie, State or Local Government). On 31 May 2012, the South Australian Government amended the Tobacco Products Regulation Act 2007 5 to include smoking bans in …

Evaluate the impact of an integrated brief intervention to assist antenatal staff in addressing smoking with pregnant women.Three studies were conducted: (a) antenatal staff surveys pre- and post-training to deliver the brief intervention; (b) retrospective audit of pregnancy records; (c) post-intervention follow-up interviews with a cohort of pregnant women who smoked at baseline.South Australia.(a) Antenatal health professionals at two major birthing hospitals (n = 117 pre-survey and n = 62 post-survey); (b) 1,024 pregnancy records; (c) follow-up interviews with women at one month (n = 58), 6 months (n = 40) and 12 months (n = 31) post-intervention.(a) Staff surveys about current practice prior to training (via written questionnaire) and 12 months post-training (by telephone); (b) pregnancy record audit for presence and use of the Smoke-Free AssessmentIntervention Form (SFAIF) conducted at 12 months; (c) telephone surveys assessing smoking behavior.Staff practice change and compliance with the intervention. Cessation rates among pregnant women.At 12 months, 89% of staff reported that the intervention integrated well into their work; The SFAIF was physically present in 80% of pregnancy records and 89% had been completed. Over 65% of current smokers were offered advice about the benefits of quitting; quit rates were highest at 6 months (18, 13% conservative estimate), but women tended to relapse after the birth of their baby.The intervention was well-received and staff compliance was high. Quit rates exceeded spontaneous quit rates in the community. This project has been expanded nationally.

Entrepreneurship in the UK, advanced not least by the British government and other agencies, encourages enterprise and innovation. For example, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) claims to: Promote enterprise, innovation and increased productivity — in particular by encouraging successful business start-ups, and by increasing the capacity of business including SME’s to grow, to invest, to develop skills, to adopt best practice... [it is] UK policy to promote enterprise ... and is seen to be of key importance in terms of employment, and wealth creation, and poverty alleviation. (DTI Website, www.dti.gov.uk).

The Technological Application Programs Office (TAPO) is designing a replacement aircraft occupant ballistic protection system (AOBPS) in conjunction with a group of Systems Engineering cadets at the United States Military Academy (USMA). The cadets are to assist TAPO in recommending and developing a replacement Ballistic system for 160th Special Operation Aviation Regiment (Airborne) (SOAR(A)).

Objectives: To trial an intervention in a real-life setting to motivate low-income smokers to try to quit. The intervention under trial was the addition of subsidised nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) to a standard population quitline service. Design: Participants were low-income smokers, recruited “cold” via either a letter in the mail or a flyer inserted in a local newspaper. The intervention group received the usual service of multisession counselling from the quitline plus access to heavily subsidised NRT. A comparison group received the usual quitline service only. Participants were followed up at 3, 6, and 12 months. Trial participants were also compared with a sample of general callers to the quitline. Results: The offer of subsidised NRT recruited more than twice as many low-income smokers than the offer of the cessation service alone (intervention group n = 1000; comparison group n = 377). 63% were first-time callers to the quitline. Intervention respondents showed higher levels of nicotine dependence than comparison group respondents. Comparisons of quitting data were confounded by the differences in the respondents at baseline. 73.5% of smokers in the intervention group tried to quit compared to 61.0% in the comparison group. Unadjusted quit rates were higher in the intervention group than in the comparison group at 3 months and 6 months but not at 12 months. Conclusions: Disadvantaged smokers were easily engaged to call the quitline, particularly when offered subsidised NRT. Disadvantaged smokers using the quitline, with and without subsidised NRT, achieved cessation outcomes comparable to other studies of “mainstream” smokers.

Findings: At Wave 1, mothers were on average 31-years-old. Over the 8-year period, maternal BMI showed an initial decrease (between Wave 1 and 2), and then significantly increased over time (from Waves 3, 4 and 5). Maternal weight gain was inversely predicted by both daily fruit consumption and SEP. Conclusion: Maternal weight tracks upwardly overtime. Higher fruit intake (which may be a proxy indicator of overall diet quality), appears to be protective factor against maternal weight gain. In contrast, women from a lower socioeconomic background are more at risk of weight gain, suggesting that resources, supports and interventions need to target the needs of this group of women.

Background and significance: Knowledge of obesity and overweight as a cancer risk factor remains at a moderate level in comparison to well known risk factors such as tobacco and sun damage; however, the extent to which knowledge of obesity and overweight as a cancer risk factor is associated with behavioural outcomes has not been commonly assessed or tracked over time. Method: This study tracked community awareness of obesity-related risk factors for cancer and level of overweight and obesity from 2004 to 2012. Data from five South Australian cross-sectional representative population surveys with approximate sample sizes of n = 3000 were analysed (adjusted for age, gender and socio-economic disadvantage) at 2-year intervals from 2004 to 2012. Main findings: While levels of unprompted awareness of maintaining a healthy weight as a cancer prevention strategy increased significantly over time (from 2004, 2006 and 2008 to 2012; OR = 0.32—0.72; p < 0.01), perceptions of being overweight as an important risk factor for cancer decreased significantly (from 2006, 2008 and 2010 to 2012; OR = 1.32—1.76; p < 0.001). Rates of overweight and obesity increased significantly from 2004 to 2012 (54% vs. 60%; p < 0.001). A significant association between unprompted awareness of maintaining a healthy weight and level of overweight/obesity was found only in 2010 such that those who were in the overweight and obese range were more knowledgeable (OR = 0.53; p < 0.01). Conversely, a significant association was observed between prompted awareness of being overweight as an important risk factor for cancer and behaviour in 2010 (OR = 0.85, p < 0.05) and 2012 (OR = 0.82; p < 0.05) such that those in the overweight and obese range were less inclined to perceive overweight and obesity an important risk factor for cancer. Conclusion: While the results indicate some degree of convergence between knowledge and behaviour in recent years, patterns differed according to assessment, i.e., unprompted awareness of maintaining a healthy weight vs. perceived relative importance of being overweight.

Water and the City: Risk, Resilience and Planning for a Sustainable Future, by Iain White, Abingdon, Oxon, Routledge, 2010, 203 pp., $59.95 (paperback), ISBN 13:978-0-415-55333-9 Water and the City...

Background. Macrophage infiltration and cytokine production are important in the pathogenesis of crescentic glomerulonephritis in anti-neutrophil cytoplasm antibody (ANCA)-associated vasculitis. The aim of this study was to investigate whether Urinary levels of chemokines, monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) and fractalkine, were useful tools for non-invasive assessment of renal vasculitis.Methods. In a prospective study, concentrations of chemokines were measured in urine and serum samples using specific enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays, and related to the patients' clinical status. Renal expression of MCP-1 was studied by immuno-histochemical staining of renal biopsies.Results. Urinary levels of MCP-1 were significantly higher in patients with active (P Conclusions. This study shows that measurement of urinary MCP-1, but not fractalkine, is a useful noninvasive technique for the assessment of renal involvement and monitoring the response to therapy in ANCA-associated vasculitis.

This is a revised and updated version of Judith Rubin's book, first published in 1986. It comes with a two-hour DVD, which colourfully illustrates and brings alive the material of the book. The boo...

Background: Despite evidence to the contrary from overseas research, the introduction of smoke-free legislation in South Australia (SA), which required all restaurants to go smoke-free in January 1999, sparked concerns among the hospitality industry about loss of restaurant business. This study aimed to determine whether the law had a detrimental impact on restaurant business in SA. Methods: Using time series analysis, we compared the ratio of monthly restaurant turnover from restaurants and cafes in SA to (a) total retail turnover in SA (minus restaurants) for the years 1991 to 2001 and (b) Australian restaurant turnover (minus SA, Western Australia and the Australian Capital Territory) for the years 1991–2000. Results: There was no decline in the ratio of (a) SA restaurant turnover to SA retail turnover or (b) SA restaurant turnover to Australian restaurant turnover. Conclusion: The introduction of a smoke-free law applying to restaurants in SA did not adversely affect restaurant business in SA.

To evaluate the impact of smoke-free dining legislation introduced in South Australia on 4 January 1999. Specifically, to determine changes in public support and support among the restaurant and cafe industry; to determine changes to self-reported experiences of dining out; and to assess compliance with the legislation.A series of independent, representative, cross-sectional surveys were undertaken over time. Study 1: 3000+ South Australians, aged 15 and over, were interviewed about opinions of the legislation and about dining out, in an annual household survey in October-November in 1997, 1998 and 1999. Study 2: 500+ owners and managers of public dining venues were interviewed about their opinions about and experiences of the legislation in face-to-face surveys in May-June 1999 and July 2000.Study 1: Public support for smoke-free dining increased from 73.4% in 1997 to 84.2% in 1999. In 1999, 60.2% reported the ban had made dining out more enjoyable and 35.1% indicated no difference. Study 2: 88.2-92.3% of restaurants were complying with the legislation at five months and 95.7-99.6% at 18 months. In 2000, 82% of restaurateurs reported that they had spent no money in order to implement the law.Smoke-free dining in South Australia is popular and has resulted in increased perceived enjoyment for patrons. The legislative change has apparently been adhered to by both the majority of restaurateurs and customers, and was inexpensive for restaurateurs to implement. Smoke-free dining legislation can be implemented with confidence.

People with Usher's syndrome type IIa have mutations in a novel gene encoding a protein with domains commonly found in many types of extracellular matrix and cell surface receptor proteins. Here we report that this protein, which we refer to as usherin, is a new basement membrane protein. In the mouse, usherin has a broad, but not ubiquitous, tissue distribution. Usherin is found in all of the capillary and structural basement membranes of the human and mouse retina and in the murine inner ear at both post-natal day 0 and in the adult. High levels of usherin are also observed in tissues not affected in Usher's syndrome type IIa, including spleen, testis, oviduct, epididymis, submaxillary gland, and large and small intestines. Many organs are completely devoid of usherin, including the brain, skin, kidney, lung, liver, and skeletal muscle. Expression was observed in the smooth muscle of the small intestine, colon, and oviduct, however, usherin is not present in cardiac smooth muscle. Usherin is critical for normal development and tissue homeostasis in the inner ear and retina, illustrating yet another example of the importance of basement membranes in the development and function of tissues.

Space, place and mental health, by Sarah Curtis, Ashgate Publishing, 2010, 299 pp., $124.95, (hardback), ISBN 978-0-7546-7331-6 Space, place and mental health sits at the cusp of two strands of geo...

Rural housing, exurbanization, and amenity-driven development: contrasting the ‘haves’ and the ‘have nots’, edited by D. Marcouiller, M. Lapping and O. Furseth, Ashgate, 2011, 280 pp., $95.50 (hard...

Studies in various tissues, including the kidney, have demonstrated that toxins elicit apoptosis under certain conditions and necrosis under others. The nature of the response has important consequences for the injured tissue in that necrotic cells elicit inflammatory responses, whereas apoptotic cells do not. Thus, there has been considerable interest in defining the mode of cell death elicited by known cytotoxins. The present studies examined the response of renal epithelial cells to oxalate, a metabolite excreted by the kidney that produces oxidant stress and death of renal cells at pathophysiological concentrations. These studies employed LLC-PK1 cells, a renal epithelial cell line from pig kidney and NRK-52E (NRK) cells, a line from normal rat kidney, and compared the effects of oxalate with those of known apoptotic agents. Changes in cellular and nuclear morphology, in nuclear size, in ceramide production, and in DNA integrity were assessed. The ability of bcl-2, an anti-apoptotic gene product, to attenuate oxalate toxicity was also assessed. These studies indicated that oxalate-induced death of renal epithelial cells exhibits several features characteristic of apoptotic cell death, including increased production of ceramide, increased abundance of apoptotic bodies, and marked sensitivity to the level of expression of the anti-apoptotic gene bcl-2. Oxalate-induced cell death also exhibits several characteristics of necrotic cell death in that the majority of the cells exhibited cellular and nuclear swelling after oxalate treatment and showed little evidence of DNA cleavage by TUNEL assay. These results suggest that toxic concentrations of oxalate trigger both forms of cell death in renal epithelial cells.

In recognition of the adverse consequences of exposure to environmental tobacco smoke, many countries have called for a ban on smoking in all enclosed public places. In South Australia, there has been an unprecedented increase during the 1990s in the percentage of workplaces which have imposed bans on smoking, and legislation has been passed to ban smoking in restaurants from the beginning of 1999. These moves are important from the point of view of protecting the health of adult non-smokers, but they do little to limit exposure of children.

Background . The introduction of bans on smoking in restaurants is frequently marred by claims that they will lead to a loss of business. Methods . A representative sample of 3,019 South Australians age 15+ years were asked questions about dining-out frequency and perceived effects of the ban on their dining-out enjoyment and restaurant patronage. Results . Sixty-one percent thought the ban would make dining out more enjoyable, 5% thought it would be less enjoyable, and 34% thought it would make no difference. Overall, 82% thought the ban would make no difference to their likelihood of dining out, 14% would be more likely to dine out, and 4% would be less likely. Conclusions . These data suggest that the public expects bans on smoking in restaurants to result in both increased enjoyment and increased patronage of restaurants.

Objectives: To determine community views about the believability and standards of honesty and ethics of tobacco companies, related policy options, and mechanisms for tobacco control funding. Method: A representative population survey of 808 South Australians aged 18 years and older, contacted by telephone, using an electronic white pages sampling frame, with a response rate of 72%. Results: 80% of respondents and 74% of smokers thought tobacco companies mostly did not or never told the truth about smoking and health, children and smoking and addictiveness of tobacco. With regard to perceived standards of honesty and ethics, tobacco company executives were rated the lowest of all professional groups, with 74% of respondents judging them to have low or very low standards. 89% of smokers would support full product information on the pack about chemicals and additives in cigarettes. 77% thought shopkeepers should pay back the amount they gain from children smoking cigarettes and 80% thought tobacco companies should do so, or be fined or taxed accordingly. 53% agreed the government should spend an amount equal to the amount gained from children's smoking and 21% indicated a higher expenditure. Conclusion: Tobacco companies are held in low regard by the public and by smokers who are their customers. There is a high degree of support for tobacco control efforts to be financed by being indexed to the level of children's smoking in the community, through the amount made by shopkeepers, manufacturers and the government from children's cigarette consumption.

The cochleae from a COL4A3-deficient mouse line were examined for defects that might shed light on the molecular mechanism of otopathology observed in humans with Alport syndrome. At the light microscopic level no obvious defects were observed. Immunohistochemical analysis using antibodies specific for the basement membrane collagen chains revealed the absence of the COL4A3 and COL4A4 chains throughout the membranous labyrinth. The COL4A5 chain was absent from all cochlear basement membranes except those in the vessels of the stria vascularis. Expression of the COL4A1 and COL4A2 chains was unchanged in the mutant. Electron microscopic examination of the cochlear basement membranes revealed significant thinning of the basement membrane running from the spiral limbus, down the inner sulcus, across the basilar membrane and up to the spiral prominence. Basement membranes that normally ensheathe the root cells were not detectable. In contrast, the basement membranes surrounding the vessels of the stria vascularis were significantly thickened in the mutant. This was associated with endothelial cell swelling and a marked decrease in internal capillary diameter. In severe cases, pathology was observed in the marginal cells with a loss of basolateral infoldings. Immunohistochemical analysis of the strial vessels revealed an increase in entactin and collagen COL4A1 and COL4A2 chains. Auditory-evoked brainstem response measurements suggest a small increase in thresholds across all frequencies when successive measurements on individual mutant mice were examined between 6 and 8 postnatal weeks. Combined, these results illustrate changes in the basement membranes of the strial vessels that bear resemblance to Alport glomerular basement membrane pathology. A closer look at this compartment in human Alport biopsy specimen may be warranted.

Alport renal disease pathogenesis is characterized by a progressive irregular thickening, thinning, and splitting of the glomerular basement membrane (GBM), which culminates in a focal and segmental glomerulonephritis and progressive loss of glomerular filtration, leading to uremia and death. A mouse model for this disease was produced using a gene targeting approach (Cosgrove et al., 1996). The resulting model displays renal pathology that is very similar to that observed in humans. As matrix accumulation has long been associated with the thickened regions of the GBM, this model provided a means to study the molecular composition and ultrastructural localization of matrix in these rarefied regions of the GBM in the Alport mouse.We examined three matrix molecules based on preliminary data; type IV collagen α l and α2 chains, laminin-1 and fibronectin. Immunohistochemical analysis showed that while all three of these molecules localize primarily to the mesangial matrix of normal mouse glomeruli, in the Alport glomeruli these molecules seem to be heavily deposited in the GBM.

Objective The utilization of the prone position to treat patients with COVID-19 pneumonia who are critically ill and mechanically ventilated is well documented. This case series reports the location, severity, and prevalence of focal peripheral nerve injuries involving the upper limb identified in an acute COVID-19 rehabilitation setting. The purpose of this study was to report observations and to explore the challenges in assessing these patients. Methods Participants were patients with suspected peripheral nerve injuries following discharge from COVID-19 critical care who were referred to the peripheral nerve injury multidisciplinary team. The patients studied had suspected peripheral nerve injuries following discharge from COVID-19 critical care and were referred to the peripheral nerve injury multidisciplinary team. Data were collected retrospectively on what peripheral neuropathies were observed, with reference to relevant investigation findings and proning history. Results During the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom, 256 patients were admitted to COVID-19 critical care of Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Birmingham, United Kingdom. From March to June 2020, a total of 114 patients required prone ventilation. In this subgroup, a total of 15 patients were identified with clinical findings of peripheral nerve injuries within the upper limb. In total, 30 anatomical nerve injuries were recorded. The most commonly affected nerve was the ulnar nerve (12/30) followed by the cords of the brachial plexus (10/30). Neuropathic pain and muscle wasting were identified, signifying a high-grade nerve injury. Conclusion Peripheral nerve injuries may be associated with prone positioning on intensive care units, although other mechanisms, such as those of a neuroinflammatory nature, cannot be excluded. Impact Proning-related upper limb peripheral nerve injuries are not discussed widely in the literature and may be an area of further consideration when critical care units review their proning protocols. Physical therapists treating these patients play a key part in the management of this group of patients by optimizing the positioning of patients during proning, making early identification of peripheral nerve injuries, providing rehabilitation interventions, and referring to specialist services if necessary., During the COVID-19 pandemic, patients who are very ill may be placed for long periods of time on their stomach to improve their chances of survival. The potential consequences of prolonged time in this position are weakness and pain in the arms due to potential nerve damage. There are some recommended treatments to take care of these problems.

Objectives: Since June 1997, Australia has run its first nationally coordinated mass media anti-smoking campaign, with all States collaborating to offer a standard Quitline service. An overview of the Australian national Quitline service is presented as well as two studies describing (a) the relationship between television advertising and call volume and type, and (b) the quit rates of callers over time. Design: Data on extent of advertising, as measured by weekly television target audience rating points (TARPs), is compared with weekly call volume and disposition. A randomly selected sample of callers was followed up at 3 weeks, 6 months and 12 months to assess caller appraisal and quit rates. Setting: The Australian Quitline service, in the context of a nationally coordinated, major anti tobacco campaign. Results: In a one year period from June 1997, 3.6% of adult Australian smokers called the Quitline. Weekly call volume was strongly related to TARPs and increased further when an advertisement specifically promoting the Quitline was broadcast. Calls involving requests for counselling, as opposed to brief calls to request quit materials, were more likely with lower TARPs. Of the cohort who were smoking at baseline, 28% reported they had quit smoking at a one year follow up and 5% had been quit for an entire year. Conclusions: In the context of a national mass media campaign, this study illustrates that it is possible to bring together differing State based services to provide an accessible, acceptable, and effective quit smoking service.

The efficacy of nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) as a smoking cessation aid has been convincingly demonstrated in a large number of studies, including many randomised trials.1 Findings from these studies have prompted suggestions that widespread access to NRT could substantially increase quitting in a population, thereby reducing population smoking prevalence.2 Hence when NRT became available over-the-counter in pharmacies in the USA (rather than by prescription only), a large increase in quitting activity was expected.3 However, Thorndike and colleagues4 found that in Massachusetts the switching of NRT from prescription only to over-the-counter availability did not result in increases in either quitting activity in the population, the use of NRT in quit attempts, or the success of quit attempts overall. The authors argued that there are barriers to NRT use, other than having to visit a doctor to obtain a prescription. …

Background In 2006, Australia introduced graphic cigarette packet warnings. The new warnings include one of 14 pictures, many depicting tobacco-related pathology. The warnings were introduced in two sets; Set A in March and Set B from November. This study explores their impact on smokers' beliefs about smoking related illnesses. This study also examines the varying impact of different warnings, to see whether warnings with visceral images have greater impact on smokers' beliefs than other images. Methods Representative samples of South Australian smokers were interviewed in four independent cross-sectional omnibus surveys; in 2005 (n = 504), 2006 (n = 525), 2007 (n = 414) and 2008 (n = 464). Results Unprompted recall of new graphic cigarette warnings was high in the months following their introduction, demonstrating that smokers' had been exposed to them. Smokers also demonstrated an increase in awareness about smoking-related diseases specific to the warning messages. Warnings that conveyed new information and had emotive images demonstrated greater impact on recall and smokers' beliefs than more familiar information and less emotive images. Conclusions Overall graphic pack warnings have had the intended impact on smokers. Some have greater impact than others. The implications for policy makers in countries introducing similar warnings are that fresh messaging and visceral images have the greatest impact.

Nutrition information is increasingly provided on pre-packaged foods as a public health measure to help consumers make healthier food choices. Many studies have looked at the independent effects of three main sources of nutrition information: the Nutrition Information Panel (NIP), front-of-pack labels and health claims. However, few studies have considered their interactive effects. A better understanding of how these different sources of nutrition information interact with each other is important given they frequently appear together on food packs. There are also policy implications since many countries specifically mandate the provision of an NIP whenever a health claim is made. This paper outlines a protocol for an experimental study assessing how nutrition information (FoPLs, health claims and NIP), in combination with food type, price and product healthiness interact to affect consumers’ product evaluations. Consumers’ global impressions, perceptions of healthiness, purchase intentions and assumptions relating to the amount of the product that is appropriate/desirable to consume will be assessed. The nutrition information presented will include NIPs, front-of-pack labels (Daily Intake Guide, Multiple Traffic Light system, Health Star Rating system) and health claims (nutrient content, general level, higher level). A diverse sample of approximately 2000 Australians will be recruited to complete an online survey that will require them to evaluate a range of hypothetical products with varying nutrition and price attributes. All attribute levels will be fully crossed with each other, resulting in a full factorial design. This design has not been used in past studies and offers a higher level of control than achieved previously due to the ability to explore interactions between all attribute levels. Study results will indicate (1) the independent and combined effects of each attribute on consumer evaluations, (2) which front-of-pack labels are more effective at helping consumers distinguish between healthier and less healthy foods and (3) how health claims affect perceptions of healthiness. The study will also provide crucial information on the effectiveness of the new Health Star Rating system, for which quantitative research is currently lacking. Australian and New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry ACTRN12616000626460 . Retrospectively registered: 16 May, 2016.