Project to investigate improving literacy and numeracy outcomes of distance education students in the early years of schooling

The project was commissioned to investigate and analyse the issue of effective support for distance education students in the early years of school to maximise literacy and numeracy outcomes. The scope of this project was limited to students living in rural and remote areas who are undertaking education at home and who are in their early years of schooling. For the purpose of this project, the early years are conceptualised as the first three years of formal compulsory schooling in each of the States and Territories. There were a number of key tasks for the project which included: 1. Examining of the role of home tutors/supervisors This included interviewing personnel from the State and Territory distance education providers as well as the principals, teachers, home tutors and children. 2. Describing literacy and numeracy teaching and learning, and the use of information and communication technologies (ICT) in distance education This aspect of the project involved a critical review and analysis of relevant literature and reports in the last five years, and a consideration of the new initiatives that had been implemented in the States and Territories in the last two years. 3. The development of resources Through examination of the role of home tutors/supervisors, and an examination of literacy and numeracy and the use of technology in distance education, three resources were developed: ● A guide for home tutors/supervisors and schools of distance education about effective intervention and assessment strategies to support students’ learning and to assist the home tutors/supervisors in implementing ICT to support the development of literacy and numeracy in the early years. ● A calendar of activities for literacy and numeracy that would act as a stimulus for integrated and authentic activity for young children. ● An embryonic website of resources for the stakeholders in rural and distance education that might act as a catalyst for future resource building and sharing. In this way the final key task of the project, which was to create a context for a strategic dissemination plan, was realised when a strategy to address effective dissemination of the findings of the project so as to maximise their usefulness for the relevant groups was achieved.

A novel, open access, elliptical cross-section magnet for paediatric MRI

Almost all clinical magnetic resonance imaging systems are based on circular cross-section magnets. Recent advances in elliptical cross-section RF probe and gradient coil hardware raise the question of the possibility of using elliptical cross-section magnet systems, This paper presents a methodology for calculating rapidly the magnetic fields generated by a multi-turn coil of elliptical cross-section and incorporates this in a stochastic optimization method for magnet design, An open magnet system of elliptical cross-section is designed that both reduces the claustrophobia for the patients and allows ready access by attending physicians, The magnet system is optimized for paediatric use, The coil geometry produced by the optimization method has several novel features.

Integrable open-boundary conditions for the q-deformed supersymmetric U model of strongly correlated electrons

A general graded reflection equation algebra is proposed and the corresponding boundary quantum inverse scattering method is formulated. The formalism is applicable to all boundary lattice systems where an invertible R-matrix exists. As an application, the integrable open-boundary conditions for the q-deformed supersymmetric U model of strongly correlated electrons are investigated. The diagonal boundary K-matrices are found and a class of integrable boundary terms are determined. The boundary system is solved by means of the coordinate space Bethe ansatz technique and the Bethe ansatz equations are derived. As a sideline, it is shown that all R-matrices associated with a quantum affine superalgebra enjoy the crossing-unitarity property. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V.

An open-boundary integrable model of three coupled XY spin chains

The integrable open-boundary conditions for the model of three coupled one-dimensional XY spin chains are considered in the framework of the quantum inverse scattering method. The diagonal boundary K-matrices are found and a class of integrable boundary terms is determined. The boundary model Hamiltonian is solved by using the coordinate space Bethe ansatz technique and Bethe ansatz equations are derived. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V.

Changes in estimated coronary risk in the 1980s: data from 38 populations in the WHO MONICA Project

The World Health Organization (WHO) MONICA Project is a 10-year study monitoring trends and determinants of cardiovascular disease in geographically defined populations. Data were collected from over 100 000 randomly selected participants in two risk factor surveys conducted approximately 5 years apart in 38 populations using standardized protocols. The net effects of changes in the risk factor levels were estimated using risk scores derived from longitudinal studies in the Nordic countries. The prevalence of cigarette smoking decreased among men in most populations, but the trends for women varied. The prevalence of hypertension declined in two-thirds of the populations. Changes in the prevalence of raised total cholesterol were small but highly correlated between the genders (r = 0.8). The prevalence of obesity increased in three-quarters of the populations for men and in more than half of the populations for women. In almost half of the populations there were statistically significant declines in the estimated coronary risk for both men and women, although for Beijing the risk score increased significantly for both genders. The net effect of the changes in the risk factor levels in the 1980s in most of the study populations of the WHO MONICA Project is that the rates of coronary disease are predicted to decline in the 1990s.

Quantum open-systems approach to current noise in resonant tunneling junctions

A quantum Markovian master equation is derived to describe the current noise in resonant tunneling devices. This equation includes both incoherent and coherent quantum tunneling processes. We show how to obtain the population master equation by adiabatic elimination of quantum coherences in the presence of elastic scattering. We calculate the noise spectrum for a double well device and predict subshot noise statistics for strong tunneling between the wells. The method is an alternative to Green's function methods and population master equations for very small coherently coupled quantum dots.

Estimation of contribution of changes in classic risk factors to trends in coronary-event rates across the WHO MONICA Project populations

Background From the mid-1980s to mid-1990s, the WHO MONICA Project monitored coronary events and classic risk factors for coronary heart disease (CHD) in 38 populations from 21 countries. We assessed the extent to which changes in these risk factors explain the variation in the trends in coronary-event rates across the populations. Methods In men and women aged 35-64 years, non-fatal myocardial infarction and coronary deaths were registered continuously to assess trends in rates of coronary events. We carried out population surveys to estimate trends in risk factors. Trends in event rates were regressed on trends in risk score and in individual risk factors. Findings Smoking rates decreased in most male populations but trends were mixed in women; mean blood pressures and cholesterol concentrations decreased, body-mass index increased, and overall risk scores and coronary-event rates decreased. The model of trends in 10-year coronary-event rates against risk scores and single risk factors showed a poor fit, but this was improved with a 4-year time lag for coronary events. The explanatory power of the analyses was limited by imprecision of the estimates and homogeneity of trends in the study populations. Interpretation Changes in the classic risk factors seem to partly explain the variation in population trends in CHD. Residual variance is attributable to difficulties in measurement and analysis, including time lag, and to factors that were not included, such as medical interventions. The results support prevention policies based on the classic risk factors but suggest potential for prevention beyond these.

Habitat structure and egg distributions in the processionary caterpillar Ochrogaster lunifer: lessons for conservation and pest management

1. The spatial and temporal distribution of eggs laid by herbivorous insects is a crucial component of herbivore population stability, as it influences overall mortality within the population. Thus an ecologist studying populations of an endangered butterfly can do little to increase its numbers through habitat management without knowledge of its egg-laying patterns across individual host-plants under different habitat management regimes. At the other end of the spectrum, a knowledge of egg-laying behaviour can do much to control pest outbreaks by disrupting egg distributions that lead to rapid population growth. 2. The distribution of egg batches of the processionary caterpillar Ochrogaster lunifer on acacia trees was monitored in 21 habitats during 2 years in coastal Australia. The presence of egg batches on acacias was affected by host-tree 'quality' (tree size and foliar chemistry that led to increased caterpillar survival) and host-tree 'apparency' (the amount of vegetation surrounding host-trees). 3. In open homogeneous habitats, more egg batches were laid on high-quality trees, increasing potential population growth. In diverse mixed-species habitats, more egg batches were laid on low-quality highly apparent trees, reducing population growth and so reducing the potential for unstable population dynamics. The aggregation of batches on small apparent trees in diverse habitats led to outbreaks on these trees year after year, even when population levels were low, while site-wide outbreaks were rare. 4. These results predict that diverse habitats with mixed plant species should increase insect aggregation and increase population stability. In contrast, in open disturbed habitats or in regular plantations, where egg batches are more evenly distributed across high-quality hosts, populations should be more unstable, with site-wide outbreaks and extinctions being more common. 5. Mixed planting should be used on habitat regeneration sites to increase the population stability of immigrating or reintroduced insect species. Mixed planting also increases the diversity of resources, leading to higher herbivore species richness. With regard to the conservation of single species, different practices of habitat management will need to be employed depending on whether a project is concerned with methods of rapidly increasing the abundance of an endangered insect or concerned with the maintenance of a stable, established insect population that is perhaps endemic to an area. Suggestions for habitat management in these different cases are discussed. 6. Finally, intercropping can be highly effective in reducing pest outbreaks, although the economic gains of reduced pest attack may be outweighed by reduced crop yields in mixed-crop systems.