Pilbara steer growth evaluation : 1994 - 1996

Growth potential of steers in the Pilbara - a summary. The trial was conducted over a range of conditions on three locations. The pasture type at Wyloo, the Ashburton River frontage, which is regarded as one of the most productive pasture types in the area, combined with conservative stocking, a fresh paddock and excellent seasonal conditions during 1995, gives us an indication of the District\u27s potential. In extrapolating any of these data to other cases, consideration must be given to adjustment bas

Developing an online direct-assessment competency-based Masters of Healthcare Administration: Insights, challenges, and lessons learned

In response to the increasing complexity in healthcare delivery environments, there is evidence from literature and the healthcare industry to indicate healthcare employers are seeking graduates in healthcare administration programs who have strong core competencies and proven problem solving skills. The purpose of this article is to describe the unique challenges and opportunities related to developing a direct-assessment, competency-based online Master’s in Healthcare Administration program. The United States Department of Education (2013) provided general guidelines for direct-assessment programs noting that, instead of measuring student learning via credit hours, learning is measured via direct assessment measures like “projects, papers, examinations, presentations, performances, and portfolios” (para. 4). In this model, credit hour or seat-time measurements are no longer used as proxies for learning. Instead, a single proxy is used: demonstration of competence through direct assessments. Direct assessments are not directly linked with course material or credit hour. Instead, learners demonstrate competency or mastery at their own pace, and progress through the academic program when they have demonstrated the ability to do so. The authors collaborated with employers, university faculty, and subject matter experts to develop a direct-assessment, competency-based Master’s in Healthcare Administration program for an online university that utilizes direct-assessment—allowing students to learn at their own pace and progress forward upon demonstrated mastery. The new program is aligned with healthcare employers’ need for graduates who have core professional competencies in the healthcare field, the educational requirements of the Association of University Programs in Health Administration (AUPHA) and the National Center for Healthcare Leadership (NCHL), and core professional competencies promoted by the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE). This program will seek accreditation from the Commission of Accreditation of Healthcare Management Education (CAHME) once all criteria for accrediting online programs are evaluated and assessed by Walden University. Within this article, the authors have summarized the history of competency-based education in healthcare administration and shared their insights regarding the future of this direct-assessment model

Correction to: Sol–Gel Synthesis of High-Density Zeolitic Imidazolate Framework Monoliths via Ligand Assisted Methods: Exceptional Porosity, Hydrophobicity, and Applications in Vapor Adsorption (Advanced Functional Materials, (2021), 31, 5, (2008357), 10.1002/adfm.202008357)

In the original published version of this article, the bulk densities of the powder ZIF-8 and ZIF-67 were quoted as 0.96 g/cm3 and 0.94 g/cm3 respectively. However, the values for the powder samples’ true density were quoted in error. The correct bulk densities, used for calculating volume-relative capacities and surface areas, were 0.39 g/cm3 and 0.38 g/cm3 for ZIF-8 and ZIF-67, respectively. As this affects the calculated ‘volume-relative’ quantities, corrected tables and graphs are included below. The authors apologise for any inconvenience or confusion this error may have caused. Corrected tables Corrected values will be written and underlined in red. 1 Table Physical characteristics of ZIF samples. Surface areas and porosities expressed in mass-relative and volume-relative terms. Tpycometry = 25 °C. Tgas adsorption = -196 °C (Table presented.) a) Volume-relative quantities calculated by multiplying bulk density by mass-relative quantity b) Due to lack of micropores within sample, micropore volume could not be determined. 3 Table Summary of low concentration dynamic adsorption experiments. All measurements carried out at a toluene partial pressure of 0.00026, and a temperature of 25 °C (Table presented.) a) Calculated by dividing capacity when toluene is first detected by the capacity when the inlet and outlet concentrations of toluene are equal. 4 Table Estimated mass-relative and volume-relative toluene vapour capture productivities for adsorbents. Calculated using gravimetric toluene adsorption data at a partial pressure of 0.1 and a temperature of 25 °C (Table presented.) a) Time taken to reach a mass gradient value of 0.00075% dry mass per minute. Corrected main text figures 6 Figure (Figure presented.) Co-sorption volume-relative toluene vapour capacities as a function of process humidity, for zinc (left) and cobalt (right) ZIF samples. Partial pressure of toluene in all measurements, P/P0 = 0.005, while water vapour partial pressure varied. All measurements carried out at 25 °C. Corrected supplementary information figures S4 Figure (Figure presented.) Volume-relative nitrogen adsorption isotherms for zinc (left) and cobalt (right) samples. Temperature in all experiments is -196 °C. S5 Figure (Figure presented.) Volume-relative adsorption isotherms for zinc (left) and cobalt (right) samples: water (top), toluene (middle), methanol (bottom). Temperature in all experiments is 25 °C

Addressing Inequity to Achieve the Maternal and Child Health Millennium Development Goals: Looking Beyond Averages.

Inequity in access to and use of child and maternal health interventions is impeding progress towards the maternal and child health Millennium Development Goals. This study explores the potential health gains and equity impact if a set of priority interventions for mothers and under fives were scaled up to reach national universal coverage targets for MDGs in Tanzania. We used the Lives Saved Tool (LiST) to estimate potential reductions in maternal and child mortality and the number of lives saved across wealth quintiles and between rural and urban settings. High impact maternal and child health interventions were modelled for a five-year scale up, by linking intervention coverage, effectiveness and cause of mortality using data from Tanzania. Concentration curves were drawn and the concentration index estimated to measure the equity impact of the scale up. In the poorest population quintiles in Tanzania, the lives of more than twice as many mothers and under-fives were likely to be saved, compared to the richest quintile. Scaling up coverage to equal levels across quintiles would reduce inequality in maternal and child mortality from a pro rich concentration index of -0.11 (maternal) and -0.12 (children) to a more equitable concentration index of -0,03 and -0.03 respectively. In rural areas, there would likely be an eight times greater reduction in maternal deaths than in urban areas and a five times greater reduction in child deaths than in urban areas. Scaling up priority maternal and child health interventions to equal levels would potentially save far more lives in the poorest populations, and would accelerate equitable progress towards maternal and child health MDGs

Surviving Sepsis Campaign: International Guidelines for Management of Sepsis and Septic Shock: 2016.

OBJECTIVE: To provide an update to "Surviving Sepsis Campaign Guidelines for Management of Sepsis and Septic Shock: 2012." DESIGN: A consensus committee of 55 international experts representing 25 international organizations was convened. Nominal groups were assembled at key international meetings (for those committee members attending the conference). A formal conflict-of-interest (COI) policy was developed at the onset of the process and enforced throughout. A stand-alone meeting was held for all panel members in December 2015. Teleconferences and electronic-based discussion among subgroups and among the entire committee served as an integral part of the development. METHODS: The panel consisted of five sections: hemodynamics, infection, adjunctive therapies, metabolic, and ventilation. Population, intervention, comparison, and outcomes (PICO) questions were reviewed and updated as needed, and evidence profiles were generated. Each subgroup generated a list of questions, searched for best available evidence, and then followed the principles of the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) system to assess the quality of evidence from high to very low, and to formulate recommendations as strong or weak, or best practice statement when applicable. RESULTS: The Surviving Sepsis Guideline panel provided 93 statements on early management and resuscitation of patients with sepsis or septic shock. Overall, 32 were strong recommendations, 39 were weak recommendations, and 18 were best-practice statements. No recommendation was provided for four questions. CONCLUSIONS: Substantial agreement exists among a large cohort of international experts regarding many strong recommendations for the best care of patients with sepsis. Although a significant number of aspects of care have relatively weak support, evidence-based recommendations regarding the acute management of sepsis and septic shock are the foundation of improved outcomes for these critically ill patients with high mortality

Cytological analysis of hybrids among triticales and trigopiros

We studied three different tricepiros: (Don Santiago x Don Noé), (Cumé x Horovitz) and (Cumé x Don Noé). The tricepiro (Don Santiago x Don Noé) was obtained by crossing the triticale Don Santiago INTA (AABBRR, 2n = 6x = 42) with the trigopiro Don Noé INTA (AABBDDJJ, 2n = 8x = 56). The number of chromosomes for the F1 was 2n = 49, the most frequent meiotic configuration being 14 bivalents and 21 univalents. The univalents were situated in the periphery of the equatorial plane, whereas the bivalents were located in the central zone. The chromatids in some of the univalents split when bivalents underwent reductional division in anaphase I. There were few laggard chromosomes or chromatids at this phase. The number of chromosomes (2n = 48-58) was high and variable, and the number of bivalents per cell (18-23) also high in F 3 individuals. In all F 8 tricepiros (Don Santiago x Don Noé), F 12 tricepiros (Cumé x Horovitz) and F 12 tricepiros (Cumé x Don Noé), the number of chromosomes (2n = 42) was the same, these retaining the rye genome, as demonstrated by GISH and FISH. These new synthesized allopolyploids constitute interesting models for investigating the evolutionary changes responsible for diploidization, and the chromosomal and genomic re-ordering that cannot be revealed in natural allopolyploids

Suboptimal asthma care for immigrant children: results of an audit study

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Little is known on the scope and nature of ethnic inequalities in suboptimal asthma care for children. This study aimed to assess (1) ethnic differences in suboptimal asthma care for children with an asthma exacerbation who consulted a physician, and (2) ethnic differences in the nature of suboptimal care.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>All children aged 6–16 years who during a period of six months consulted the paediatric department of the Academic Medical Centre-University of Amsterdam or one of the six regional primary care centres with an asthma exacerbation were included. Clinical guidelines were systematically converted to review criteria following the strategy as proposed by the Agency for Health Care Policy and Research. Based upon these review criteria and their experience experts of two multidisciplinary panels retrospectively assessed the quality of care and its (possible) failure to prevent the occurrence of asthma exacerbation.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Only a small number of children (n = 35) were included in the analysis as a result of which the ethnic differences in suboptimal care were not significant. However, the results do indicate immigrant children, in particular 'other non-Western' children (n = 11), more frequently to receive suboptimal care related to the asthma exacerbation when compared to ethnic Dutch children. Furthermore, we found the nature of suboptimal care to differ with under-prescribing in the 'other non-Western' group (n = 11), lack of information exchange between physicians in the Surinamese/Antillean group (n = 12) and lack of education, and counselling of patients and parents in the ethnic Dutch (n = 12) as the most relevant factor.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Ethnic inequalities in the scope and nature of suboptimal asthma care for children in the Netherlands seem to exist. For the non-western immigrant groups the results indicate the importance of the prescription behaviour of the medical doctor, as well as the supervision by one health care provider.</p

The effectiveness of interventions to change six health behaviours: a review of reviews

Background: Several World Health Organisation reports over recent years have highlighted the high incidence of chronic diseases such as diabetes, coronary heart disease and cancer. Contributory factors include unhealthy diets, alcohol and tobacco use and sedentary lifestyles. This paper reports the findings of a review of reviews of behavioural change interventions to reduce unhealthy behaviours or promote healthy behaviours. We included six different health-related behaviours in the review: healthy eating, physical exercise, smoking, alcohol misuse, sexual risk taking (in young people) and illicit drug use. We excluded reviews which focussed on pharmacological treatments or those which required intensive treatments (e. g. for drug or alcohol dependency). Methods: The Cochrane Library, Database of Abstracts of Reviews of Effectiveness (DARE) and several Ovid databases were searched for systematic reviews of interventions for the six behaviours (updated search 2008). Two reviewers applied the inclusion criteria, extracted data and assessed the quality of the reviews. The results were discussed in a narrative synthesis. Results: We included 103 reviews published between 1995 and 2008. The focus of interventions varied, but those targeting specific individuals were generally designed to change an existing behaviour (e. g. cigarette smoking, alcohol misuse), whilst those aimed at the general population or groups such as school children were designed to promote positive behaviours (e. g. healthy eating). Almost 50% (n = 48) of the reviews focussed on smoking (either prevention or cessation). Interventions that were most effective across a range of health behaviours included physician advice or individual counselling, and workplace- and school-based activities. Mass media campaigns and legislative interventions also showed small to moderate effects in changing health behaviours. Generally, the evidence related to short-term effects rather than sustained/longer-term impact and there was a relative lack of evidence on how best to address inequalities. Conclusions: Despite limitations of the review of reviews approach, it is encouraging that there are interventions that are effective in achieving behavioural change. Further emphasis in both primary studies and secondary analysis (e.g. systematic reviews) should be placed on assessing the differential effectiveness of interventions across different population subgroups to ensure that health inequalities are addressed.</p

PCR Primers for Metazoan Mitochondrial 12S Ribosomal DNA Sequences

Background: Assessment of the biodiversity of communities of small organisms is most readily done using PCR-based analysis of environmental samples consisting of mixtures of individuals. Known as metagenetics, this approach has transformed understanding of microbial communities and is beginning to be applied to metazoans as well. Unlike microbial studies, where analysis of the 16S ribosomal DNA sequence is standard, the best gene for metazoan metagenetics is less clear. In this study we designed a set of PCR primers for the mitochondrial 12S ribosomal DNA sequence based on 64 complete mitochondrial genomes and then tested their efficacy. Methodology/Principal Findings: A total of the 64 complete mitochondrial genome sequences representing all metazoan classes available in GenBank were downloaded using the NCBI Taxonomy Browser. Alignment of sequences was performed for the excised mitochondrial 12S ribosomal DNA sequences, and conserved regions were identified for all 64 mitochondrial genomes. These regions were used to design a primer pair that flanks a more variable region in the gene. Then all of the complete metazoan mitochondrial genomes available in NCBI’s Organelle Genome Resources database were used to determine the percentage of taxa that would likely be amplified using these primers. Results suggest that these primers will amplify target sequences for many metazoans. Conclusions/Significance: Newly designed 12S ribosomal DNA primers have considerable potential for metazoa

The deuteron: structure and form factors

A brief review of the history of the discovery of the deuteron in provided. The current status of both experiment and theory for the elastic electron scattering is then presented.Comment: 80 pages, 33 figures, submited to Advances in Nuclear Physic