Preventive medicine: A cure for the healthcare crisis

Introductory Editorial: Few would dispute the premise that prevention, early detection, and early intervention form the first line of defense on the disease management (DM) continuum. That being the case, our national statistics on preventive health should be raising concerns throughout the industry. The US healthcare delivery system continues to fall woefully short of its prevention targets. On the international scene, the United States lags behind countries with less wealth and less technological savvy. Commentaries abound on the problems, but recently I became aware of an organization with an exciting goal and a novel solution for bringing preventive medicine into the mainstream. U.S. Preventive Medicine, Inc. (USPM) was founded by Christopher Fey, a former president and CEO of HealthCare USA, a multistate health maintenance organization, and senior officer of Coventry Health Care Corporation. A number of years ago, Mr. Fey had a life-altering experience. He witnessed his brother-in-law, a 39-year-old man in seemingly excellent physical condition, suffer a massive stroke that resulted in permanent right-sided paralysis, and speech and memory impairment. Following the event, physicians concluded that his brother-in-law’s risk factors could have been identified and his disease state detected by means of available technological screening devices. His was a condition for which effective drug therapy and other interventions were available. This event and its consequences were preventable. Having experienced firsthand the devastating consequences of a broken system that fails to respond until a condition produces symptoms, Mr. Fey became an evangelist for prevention and early detection. In founding USPM, he translated an interesting concept into an innovative model for preventive health in a consumer-driven market. In the following pages we provide a brief history of and current status report on the state of preventive health in the United States, and we present an overview of this company’s solution as one example of the untapped potential for innovation in the delivery of preventive services. I hope that the information contained herein will inspire you and our colleagues to join the conversation about the direction the United States will take with regard to improving access to screening and preventive services and enriching the lives of all citizens. As always, I welcome your comments. I can be reached at [email protected]

McLaren Vale Prescribed Wells Area groundwater monitoring status report 2002

South Australia's natural resources are fundamental to the economic and social wellbeing of the state. One of the state's most precious natural resources, water is a basic requirement of all living organisms and is one of the essential elements ensuring biological diversity of life at all levels. In pristine or undeveloped situations, the condition of water resources reflects the equilibrium between rainfall, vegetation and other physical parameters. Development of these resources changes the natural balance and may cause degradation. If degradation is small, and the resource retains its utility, the community may assess these changes as being acceptable. However, significant stress will impact on the ability of a resource to continue to meet the needs of users and the environment. Understanding the cause and effect relationship between the various stresses imposed on the natural resources is paramount to developing effective management strategies. Reports of investigations into the availability and quality of water supplies throughout the state aim to build upon the existing knowledge base, enabling the community to make informed decisions concerning the future management of the natural resources, thus ensuring conservation of biological diversity.repor

Exploration into the head start fade phenomenon

The Head Start fade effect, documented since the 1970s, finds that students who make gains in I.Q. and social skills in the Head Start program later see those positive effects diminish in the early years of schooling and disappear altogether by the end of third grade. The hypothesis proposed in this study was as follows: Group I Head Start students who experience full-day kindergarten every day in small classes, and continue in small classes through grades one, two, and possibly three, will not demonstrate the Head Start fade effect, or will have less fade, than Group II Head Start students who have half-day kindergarten on alternating days in small classes and who have large classes in grades one, two, and possibly three. This objective of the study was to test a set of previously established theories that when applied would mitigate or eliminate the fade-out effect experienced by Head Start participants in most programs. To accomplish this objective, this study used a used a non-experimental, longitudinal, retrospective explanatory design. The method involved tracking the progress of two groups of children, a treatment group and a control group, from three of school districts in Michigan for a period of seven years, starting with the Head Start program. It also used two formats for yearly assessment, norm-referenced tests (NRT) and criterion-referenced tests (CRT). The results of this study showed no statistically significant fade effect for the participants. It is the conclusion of this researcher that applying the theories used in this study can mitigate the Head Start fade effect for young children and strengthen their opportunities for improved achievement and long-term success

Student responses to vocabulary learning strategies on an ESAP course

Broadening vocabulary in a second language is often a key aim for students on language courses. This is especially the case for students who need to learn subject-specific academic vocabulary. There has been substantial research that focuses on the use of corpora for informing vocabulary instruction and materials development. However, selecting vocabulary from such lists and predicting the vocabulary gaps that students may have can be very challenging, particularly when the students have diverse educational and professional backgrounds. In response to this, the present study proposes and explores attitudes in relation to the use of vocabulary-learning strategies as part of a wider syllabus for students on an ESAP course. The findings of this research are particularly relevant to language teachers and course developers.Peer reviewe

Migrant Youths' Educational Achievement: The Role of Institutions

We use 2009 Programme of International Student Assessment (PISA) data to link institutional arrangements in OECD countries to the disparity in reading, math, and science test scores for migrant and native-born students. We find that achievement gaps are larger for those migrant youths who arrive later and for those who do not speak the test language at home. Institutional arrangements often serve to mitigate the achievement gaps of some migrant students while leaving unaffected or exacerbating those of others. For example, earlier school starting ages help migrant youths in some cases, but by no means in all. Limited tracking on ability appears beneficial for migrants' relative chievement, while complete tracking and a large private school sector appear detrimental. Migrant students' achievement relative to their native-born peers suffers as educational spending and teachers' salaries increase, but is improved when examination is a component of the process for evaluating teachers.

Student experiences of online learning due to Covid-19: The social and educational role of the on-campus learning experience

Background: Five weeks into the start of a new academic year, the University of Canterbury (UC) in Christchurch, New Zealand experienced a rapid transition from traditional on-campus education to online distance learning. On-campus lectures were replaced by a combination of interactive live-streamed Zoom sessions, pre-recorded classes, compiled videos and laboratory sessions, and other activities. It was unknown how students’ learning was impacted by this sudden change to an online environment. Purpose: Our research sought to explore the main challenges perceived by students in the transition to an online learning environment in order to gain an understanding of how teaching staff can best address student needs in future emergency situations. Methods: A two part survey was electronically distributed to students enrolled in a 4-year engineering programme and a 3-year sport coaching programme at the University of Canterbury. Results: Student responses indicated a clear desire for structured, in-person delivery of tertiary education. The ability to gain rapid feedback from lecturers was missed, as was social interaction and informal learning among peers. The use of timetabled tutorials and small-stakes assessment items helped facilitate regular contact with the course material and interaction among students and between students and teaching staff. Assessment practices which constrained time to respond to questions, although useful in limiting opportunities for cheating, was unpopular with students and was associated with increased anxiety. Students preferred untimed assessments, such as written assignments and take-home tests. In addition, it was found to be important to provide practise opportunities for modified-for-online assessments prior to formal testing to help reduce stress in an already stressful environment

How are CSU Advertising students being prepared to be industry-ready graduates?

The need for University graduates to be industry-ready on completion of a tertiary degree is a topic which is being examined with increasing interest (Frawley & Litchfield, 2009). There is concern that Australia is facing a shortage of professional, qualified talent in the advertising industry (Corlette, 2010; Ma, 2012; Hayes Quarterly Report, 2013), thus placing an increasing demand on universities to produce industry-ready graduates who can fulfil advertising jobs and make an immediate and meaningful contribution to their employers. In an effort to successfully prepare graduates to make a meaningful initial workplace contribution, Charles Sturt University (CSU) is adopting strategies that aim to close the gap between the lecture hall and the workplace. One such strategy enables Advertising students at Charles Sturt University to spend their final year in the on-campus student advertising agency, Kajulu Communications. To transition easily into full time employment, students must apply best industry knowledge, practice and skills to a range of authentic situations to develop the abilities employers require of them in order to enter the workforce industry-ready. Whilst much has been written about graduate employability and the skills and attributes students need (Andrews & Higson, 2010; Boden & Nedeva, 2010; Bridgstock, 2009; Lowden, Hall, Elliott & Lewin 2011; Mason, Williams & Cranmer, 2009; Thomson, 2013), this paper examines the students’ perceptions of being industry-ready and identifies the key attributes relevant for course design

Best practices for supporting student experiential learning in an online environment during emergency situations: Lessons from Covid-19 pandemic response

Background: In 2020, nearly four weeks into the first semester of the academic year, the University of Canterbury (UC) in Christchurch, New Zealand, transitioned to online delivery of all teaching in response to the nation-wide lockdown due to Covid-19. With 48 hours’ notice, all on-campus activities ceased and were replaced with lectures delivered live via Zoom or recycled from previous delivery, and simulated, or otherwise facilitated, practical experiences. Assessments were temporarily halted, then resumed over a more compressed timetable with online and “take home” activities largely replacing traditional invigilated assessments. Purpose: Our research explored the challenges and successes of UC’s fast transition to online learning, with a particular emphasis on understanding the impact of the loss of face-to-face delivery on practical experiences normally delivered through laboratory and field activities. Our goal was to develop a set of best practices to improve our response to future emergency situations. Methods: A two-part survey was electronically distributed to students enrolled in a 4-year engineering programme and a 3-year sport coaching programme at the University of Canterbury. Results: While students strongly appreciated efforts of lecturers and tutors to support their learning, differences in communication approaches affected student experience both positively and negatively. A clear need for two-way communication as well as consistency and clarity in messaging were key findings. A general dissatisfaction with replacement practical activities was expressed, demonstrating a need for contingency measures to be in place to mitigate the impact of future disruptive events on practical learning. Efforts to manage online assessment of learning were generally well received, even in a compressed timeframe, though several unhelpful practices were highlighted. Students also identified many positive aspects of their learning experiences, including live tutorials and made-for-purpose video presentations

Best practices for supporting student experiential learning in an online environment during emergency situations: Lessons from Covid-19 pandemic response

Background: In 2020, nearly four weeks into the first semester of the academic year, the University of Canterbury (UC) in Christchurch, New Zealand, transitioned to online delivery of all teaching in response to the nation-wide lockdown due to Covid-19. With 48 hours’ notice, all on-campus activities ceased and were replaced with lectures delivered live via Zoom or recycled from previous delivery, and simulated, or otherwise facilitated, practical experiences. Assessments were temporarily halted, then resumed over a more compressed timetable with online and “take home” activities largely replacing traditional invigilated assessments. Purpose: Our research explored the challenges and successes of UC’s fast transition to online learning, with a particular emphasis on understanding the impact of the loss of face-to-face delivery on practical experiences normally delivered through laboratory and field activities. Our goal was to develop a set of best practices to improve our response to future emergency situations. Methods: A two-part survey was electronically distributed to students enrolled in a 4-year engineering programme and a 3-year sport coaching programme at the University of Canterbury. Results: While students strongly appreciated efforts of lecturers and tutors to support their learning, differences in communication approaches affected student experience both positively and negatively. A clear need for two-way communication as well as consistency and clarity in messaging were key findings. A general dissatisfaction with replacement practical activities was expressed, demonstrating a need for contingency measures to be in place to mitigate the impact of future disruptive events on practical learning. Efforts to manage online assessment of learning were generally well received, even in a compressed timeframe, though several unhelpful practices were highlighted. Students also identified many positive aspects of their learning experiences, including live tutorials and made-for-purpose video presentations