Spending time on primary science in integrated units

Examines the amount of time spent on science education in primary schools in Australia. Quality of teaching; Profile of science in the school; Presence of science in the curriculum.

MMSE precoder for unitary space–time codes in correlated time-varying channels

This letter addresses the problem of the design of a precoder for multiple transmit antenna communication systems with spatially and temporally correlated fading channels. By using the asymptotic (high signal-to-noise ratio) mean-square error of the channel estimates, the letter derives a precoder for unitary space-time codes that can exploit the spatiotemporal correlation in the time-varying fading channels. Simulation results illustrate that significant performance gains can be achieved by using the new precoder.

Improving child and family outcomes following complicated births requiring admission to neonatal intensive care units

This paper reviews current research regarding the impact of birth complications, such as preterm labour, on parents and the nuclear family system. Specifically, how parents cope with the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) experience and the associated decision-making tasks required during complicated births will be investigated. Consequences of poor adaptation to prematurity for the parent, family and infant relationships will also be discussed. The importance of informed decision-making, perceived control, self-esteem and the benefits of certain strategies, such as kangaroo care (skin-to-skin contact), in the facilitation of greater levels of attachment and improved relationships, will be highlighted. The paper concludes with suggestions for future research areas to focus on finding better ways to prepare and support parents in these situations, thus improving the quality of relationships between parents and with their child.

Economic evaluation of Australian stroke services: a prospective, multicenter study comparing dedicated stroke units with other care modalities

Background and Purpose: Level I evidence from randomized controlled trials demonstrates that the model of hospital care influences stroke outcomes; however, the economic evaluation of such is limited. An economic appraisal of 3 acute stroke care models was facilitated through the Stroke Care Outcomes: Providing Effective Services (SCOPES) study in Melbourne, Australia. The aim was to describe resource use up to 28 weeks poststroke for each model and examine the cost-effectiveness of stroke care units (SCUs). Methods: A prospective, multicenter, cohort study design was used. Costs and outcomes of stroke patients receiving 100% treatment in 1 of 3 inpatient care models (SCUs, mobile service, conventional care) were compared. Health-sector resource use up to 28 weeks was measured in 1999. Outcomes were thorough adherence to a suite of important clinical processes and the number of severe inpatient complications. Results: The sample comprised 395 participants (mean age 73 [SD 14], 77% first-ever strokes, males 53%). When compared with conventional care (n=84), costs for mobile service (n=209) were significantly higher (P=0.024), but borderline for SCU (n=102, P=0.08; $AUD12 251; $AUD15 903; $AUD15 383 respectively). This was primarily explained by the greater use of specialist medical services. The incremental cost-effectiveness of SCUs over conventional care was $AUD9867 per patient achieving thorough adherence to clinical processes and $AUD16 372 per patient with severe complications avoided, based on costs to 28 weeks. Conclusions: Although acute SCU costs are generally higher, they are more cost-effective than either mobile service or conventional care.

Review of first-year engineering and technology units based on student unit evaluations

There is recognition that the first-year of university study is a critical phase in the preparation, motivation and retention of science, mathematics,  engineering and technology (SMET) students. First-year provides the foundation/generic skills upon which students will base their undergraduate studies and professional practice; first-year is where many poorly prepared/at risk students will drop out and contribute to the poor student retention rate observed in the SMET disciplines; and first-year is when students may lose the motivation to pursue their chosen career direction if they find the studies at the commencement of their undergraduate program appear to bear no relationship to their intended career. In 2003, the Learning Resources Advisory Group of the Deakin University School of Engineering and Technology was requested to undertake a review of first-year units in the School’s programs. The information contained in anonymous unit evaluation questionnaires from the years 2000-2002 was used as the basis for analysing student perceptions of first-year units. In unit evaluations, students reported a wide range of issues that impacted negatively on their perception of the content and conduct of first-year units. It was noted that units service taught by other Schools form a significant element of the first-year of all of the Engineering and Technology undergraduate programs – typically 25 to 50 percent of the content. The significant influence of these units on the perceptions of the first-year of the School’s commencing students means that the School should exercise some control over the content and delivery of these units.

How well do ecosystem-based planning units represent different componenets of biodiversity?

There are many proposals for managing biodiversity by using surrogates, such as umbrella, indicator, focal, and flagship species. We use the term biodiversity management unit for any ecosystem-based classificatory scheme for managing biodiversity. The sufficiency of biodiversity management unit classification schemes depends upon (1) whether different biotic elements (e.g., trees, birds, reptiles) distinguish between biodiversity management units within a classification (i.e., coherence within classes}; and (2) whether different biotic elements agree upon similarities and dissimilarities among biodiversity management unit classes (i.e., conformance among classes). Recent evaluations suggest that biodiversity surrogates based on few or single taxa are not useful. Ecological vegetation classes are an ecosystem-based classification scheme used as one component for biodiversity management in Victoria, Australia. Here we evaluated the potential for ecological vegetation classes to be used as biodiversity management units in the box-ironbark ecosystem of central Victoria, Australia. Eighty sites distributed among 14 ecological vegetation classes were surveyed in the same ways for tree species, birds, mammals, reptiles, terrestrial invertebrates, and nocturnal flying insects. Habitat structure and geographic separations also were measured, which, with the biotic elements, are collectively referred to as variables. Less than half of the biotic element-ecological vegetation class pairings were coherent. Generalized Mantel tests were used to examine conformance among variables with respect to ecological vegetation classes. While most tests were not significant, birds, mammals, tree species, and habitat structure together showed significant agreement on the rating of similarities among ecological vegetation classes. In this system, use of ecological vegetation classes as biodiversity management units may account reasonably well for birds, mammals, and trees; but reptiles and invertebrates would not be accommodated. We conclude that surrogates will usually have to be augmented or developed as hierarchies to provide general representativeness.

ACCCN national nursing workforce survey of intensive care units

A descriptive study was designed and implemented by the Australian College of Critical Care Nurses (ACCCN) Workforce Planning Advisory Committee to capture data pertaining to workforce issues of intensive care nurses. All intensive care units (ICUs) within Australia were mailed a self reporting survey. Despite a low response rate (52 per cent) and difficulty reported by respondents in gaining the appropriate data requested, the results revealed an interesting snapshot of the intensive care nursing workforce.
Types of services offered by units varied considerably; paid overtime hours were low (<2 per cent of total hours worked) and use of both part-time and agency staff was also low (10 per cent of total hours worked). Private hospitals utilised a greater proportion of part-time and agency nursing staff than public hospitals (20:10 per cent). The turnover rate for registered nursing staff was estimated at 18 per cent, with education, skill acquisition and improved communication reported as the major incentives used by managers to attract and retain staff. This study demonstrated that valuable data are currently uncaptured and recommends a more refined process of a national database to record and manage this important information for future workforce planning.