Quality Assurance Through a Continuous Curriculum Review (CCR) Strategy: Reflections on a Pilot Project

Institutional research can be defined as "the activity in which the research effort of an academic institution is directed at the solution of its own problems and to the enhancement of its own performance" (Woodward, 1993, p. 113). This paper describes and reflects on an attempt at the University of Queensland to address the need for course quality appraisal for improvement. The strategy, Continuous Curriculum Review (CCR) is simply an attempt to trial and promote regular comprehensive data collection for developing 'snapshot' views of whole curricula so that decisions about what to change and what to change first can be made in an empirically defensible and timely manner. The strategy and reporting protocols that were developed are described, and the costs and benefits of engaging in this kind of data gathering exercise for quality assurance and quality enhancement purposes are discussed.

Functional assessment tools for paediatric clients with Juvenile Chronic Arthritis: An update and review for occupational therapists

Juvenile chronic arthritis (JCA) is one cause of chronic illness and disability in childhood. Traditional clinical assessment of clients with JCA include objective measures of joint deformity, joint swelling, range of motion, duration of morning stiffness, pain, walking speed, running speed and muscle strength. In many instances, these traditional measures have little or no significance or relevance to paediatric clients and their parents whereas functional skills used in everyday living are more likely to be meaningful. Measures of physical, social, and psychological functioning ensure a comprehensive health assessment. Responsible occupational therapy assessment and management of paediatric clients diagnosed with JCA requires the use of reliable, valid and sensitive measures of function. Several instruments are now available which measure a child's or adolescent's functional abilities. In this paper, JCA and the impact of JCA on functional development are reviewed. As well, seven functional assessment tools designed for use with paediatric clients with JCA which occupational therapists can use in their clinical practice will be appraised. The various characteristics of these tools are discussed in order to assist practitioners and researchers in selecting the functional instrument which best meets their needs.

Microstrip circular phased array design and development using microwave antenna CAD tools

The complex design and development of a planar multilayer phased array antenna in microstrip technology can be simplified using two commercially available design tools 1) Ansoft Ensemble and 2) HP-EEsof Touchstone. In the approach presented here, Touchstone is used to design RF switches and phase shifters whose scattering parameters are incorporated in Ensemble simulations using its black box tool. Using this approach, Ensemble is able to fully analyze the performance of radiating and beamforming layers of a phased array prior to its manufacturing. This strategy is demonstrated in a design example of a 12-element linearly-polarized circular phased array operating at L band. A comparison between theoretical and experimental results of the array is demonstrated.

CDT, GGT, and AST as markers of alcohol use: The WHO/ISBRA Collaborative Project

Background: Estimates of the performance of carbohydrate deficient transferrin (CDT) and gamma glutamyltransferase (GGT) as markers of alcohol consumption have varied widely. Studies have differed in design and subject characteristics. The WHO/ISBRA Collaborative Study allows assessment and comparison of CDT, GGT, and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) as markers of drinking in a large, well-characterized, multicenter sample. Methods: A total of 1863 subjects were recruited from five countries (Australia, Brazil, Canada, Finland, and Japan). Recruitment was stratified by alcohol use, age, and sex. Demographic characteristics, alcohol consumption, and presence of ICD-10 dependence were recorded using an interview schedule based on the AUDADIS, CDT was assayed using CDTect(TM) and GGT and AST by standard methods. Statistical techniques included receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis. Multiple regression was used to measure the impact of factors other than alcohol on test performance. Results: CDT and GGT had comparable performance on ROC analysis, with AST performing slightly less well. CDT was a slightly but significantly better marker of high-risk consumption in men. All were more effective for detection of high-risk rather than intermediate-risk drinking. CDT and GGT levels were influenced by body mass index, sex, age, and smoking status. Conclusions: CDT was little better than GGT in detecting high- or intermediate-risk alcohol consumption in this large, multicenter, predominantly community-based sample. As the two tests are relatively independent of each other, their combination is likely to provide better performance than either test alone, Test interpretation should take account sex, age. and body mass index.

As estatais e as PPPs: o project finance como estrat??gia de garantia de investimentos em infra-estrutura

Este trabalho discute o papel das estatais nas PPPs, de modo a garantir investimentos em infraestrutura pelo financiamento via project finance. Partindo de um contexto de privatiza????es desse setor, que, no Brasil, efetivou-se na d??cada de 1990, buscou-se mostrar como surgiu espa??o para o estabelecimento de PPPs, advindas de novas institui????es resultantes do processo de reforma do Estado. O project finance ?? colocado como uma forma de garantir o financiamento desses investimentos. Sua estrutura financeira, baseada na cria????o de uma pessoa jur??dica para a gest??o do empreendimento, busca dirimir os riscos pela eleva????o do n??mero de participantes e pela securitiza????o de receitas futuras, tornando-as l??quidas em curto prazo. A discuss??o sobre o papel do project finance revela que essa ?? uma estrat??gia vi??vel para a garantia de investimentos por parte das estatais, em parceria com o governo e com outras empresas, que levem ao desenvolvimento socioecon??mico sustent??vel do Pa??s.

O plano plurianual: resultados da mais recente reforma do planejamento e or??amento no Brasil

O artigo visa apresentar o debate acerca das transforma????es oriundas da ??ltima reforma do planejamento e or??amento no Brasil, a qual introduziu o novo desenho do Plano Plurianual (PPA). Inicialmente, os princ??pios do modelo de or??amento por resultados ou desempenho que balizaram a formula????o do novo PPA s??o discutidos. Com base nos planos de gest??o das experi??ncias recentes do Plano e na proposta do pr??ximo PPA (2008-2011), s??o apresentadas as inova????es da configura????o do processo or??ament??rio no pa??s. Por fim, o artigo aborda os avan??os e restri????es da implementa????o do novo desenho do PPA e conclui que, apesar de formalmente institu??dos, os instrumentos do or??amento por resultados n??o atingem a finalidade prec??pua do modelo: melhoria da efetividade e efici??ncia nos gastos p??blicos.