University of the Sunshine Coast
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The Efficacy of the Continua Model as an Alternative Grading Tool: Student Voices
No full textDespite significant reforms in the past decade in relation to criteria- and standards-based assessment in tertiary education contexts, assessment remains the most significantly criticised aspect of the student tertiary experience and a major driver of student engagement. The key tool in this experience is the rubric, also known as the criteria sheet or the ‘Guide to Making Judgments’. This book discusses the significance of assessment rubrics in tertiary education. Assessment rubrics impact the student experience in multiple ways: as a guide to students and assessors prior to grading; at the point of grading by the assessor; when moderating during the post-grading process; in providing an additional guide to students in the assessment planning stage; and as a feedback mechanism to students once results are released. This book explains how the rubric reflects key principles of assessment. It explores different models of rubrics used in tertiary contexts, and provides data from students and academics on the efficacy of these various models as the key tool when marking, moderating and providing feedback. It also details exemplars of rubrics used in academic disciplines, and discusses how higher education teachers use exemplars and how they integrate exemplars with criteria and rubrics. It captures the student voice by explaining how students use rubrics for self-assessment and self-regulation purposes. A key inclusion is the importance of sessional staff input into the creation of assessment rubrics prior to the grading, moderating and feedback processes. [Book Synopsis
NCTDDL Newsletter, Volume 2, No. 3, Autumn 2020
No full textNewsletter of the National Centre for Timber Durability and Design Life
Misreading Injectable Medications—Causes and Solutions: An Integrative Literature Review
No full textBackground: This integrative review examines research identifying the misreading of injectable medications as a cause of medication error in hospitals, factors affecting injectable medication visibility leading to medication errors, and interventions to increase the readability of injectable medications. Signal detection theory (SDT) is applied to explain why visual enhancement of injectable medications may improve accuracy of administration. Methods: Academic health databases were searched for articles published between 2000 and 2019. An integrative review methodology permitted exploration and critique of both theoretical and empirical literature. Results: Fifteen studies reported that misreading injectable medications contributed to medication errors. Five studies investigated interventions to improve visualization of injectable medications. SDT suggested three factors may contribute to misreading injectable medications: (1) environmental light levels, (2) medication labels, and (3) clinician factors. Conclusion: Although the literature on this topic was limited and not definitive, results of this review indicated possible ways to improve practice and targets for future research to reduce medication errors due to misreading injectable medication labels
In silico Analysis of Genetic Diversity of Human Hepatitis B Virus in Southeast Asia, Australia and New Zealand
No full textThe extent of whole genome diversity amongst hepatitis B virus (HBV) genotypes is not well described. This study aimed to update the current distribution of HBV types and to investigate mutation rates and nucleotide diversity between genotypes in Southeast Asia, Australia and New Zealand. We retrieved 930 human HBV complete genomes from these regions from the NCBI nucleotide database for genotyping, detection of potential recombination, serotype prediction, mutation identification and comparative genome analyses. Overall, HBV genotypes B (44.1%) and C (46.2%) together with predicted serotypes adr (36%), adw2 (29%) and ayw1 (19.9%) were the most commonly circulating HBV types in the studied region. The three HBV variants identified most frequently were p.V5L, c.1896G>A and double mutation c.1762A>T/c.1764G>A, while genotypes B and C had the widest range of mutation types. The study also highlighted the distinct nucleotide diversity of HBV genotypes for whole genome and along the genome length. Therefore, this study provided a robust update to HBV currently circulating in Southeast Asia, Australia and New Zealand as well as an insight into the association of HBV genetic hypervariability and prevalence of well reported mutations
Predictors of change in left-ventricular structure and function in a trial of extended hours hemodialysis
No full textBackground:
Myocardial pathology is common in hemodialysis patients. To explore the effects of different aspects of dialysis treatment on its evolution, we examined the impact of change in markers of volume status, hemodynamics and solute clearance on left ventricular (LV) parameters in a randomized trial of extended dialysis hours.
Methods:
ACTIVE Dialysis randomized 200 hemodialysis patients to extended dialysis hours (≥ 24 hours/week) or standard hours (12-18 hours/week) for 12 months. In a pre-specified substudy, 95 participants underwent cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) at baseline and study end. Generalized linear regression was used to model the relationship between changes LV parameters and markers of volume status (normalized ultrafiltration [UF] rate and total weekly interdialytic weight gain [IDWG]), hemodynamic changes (systolic and diastolic blood pressure [BP]) and solute control (Kt/V, dialysis hours and phosphate).
Results:
Randomization to extended hours dialysis was not associated with change in any CMR parameter. Reduction in UF rate was associated with reduction in LV mass index (LVMI) (P=0.049) and improved ejection fraction (EF) (P=0.024); reduction in systolic BP was also associated with improvement in EF (P=0.045); reduction in IDWG was associated with reduced stroke volume (SV) (P=0.038). There were no associations between change in Kt/V, phosphate or total hours per week, and CMR parameters.
Conclusions:
Reduction in ultrafiltration rate and blood pressure are associated with improved myocardial parameters in hemodialysis recipients independently of solute clearance or dialysis time. These findings underscore the importance of fluid status and related parameters as potential treatment targets in this population
Investigating age appropriate coagulation reference intervals to support patient blood management in the elderly: A verification study
No full textReference intervals are vital for interpreting coagulation results. Current interval ranges have no upper age limit, although there is evidence that coagulation function changes with age. This study compared coagulation results from healthy people aged >60 years against adult reference intervals for routine clotting assays and thromboelastography (TEG), to determine if reference intervals are relevant to older adults.
Samples from healthy blood donors aged >60 years (n=30 male, n=30 female) were tested by TEG ® 6s, prothrombin time (PT), activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT) and derived fibrinogen. All older donor derived fibrinogen results were within the adult reference intervals however, levels were significantly higher in females. A proportion of TEG ® 6s and aPTT results were not within the reference intervals. As populations around the world live longer, these findings question whether older adults require age specific coagulation reference intervals
Beyond slash-and-burn: The roles of human activities, altered hydrology and fuels in peat fires in Central Kalimantan, Indonesia
No full textNear‐annual landscape‐scale fires in Indonesia's peatlands have caused severe air pollution, economic losses, and health impacts for millions of Southeast Asia residents. While the extent of fires across the peatland surface has been widely attributed to widespread peatland drainage for plantation agriculture, fires that transition from surface into sub‐surface soil‐based fires are the source of the most dangerous air pollution. Yet the mechanisms by which this transition occurs have rarely been considered, particularly in diversely managed landscapes. Integrating physical geography methods, including active fire scene evaluations and hydrological monitoring, with qualitative methods such as retrospective fire scene evaluations and semi‐structured interviews, this article discusses how and why sub‐surface peat fire transition occurs in an intensively altered peatland ecosystem in Indonesia's Central Kalimantan province. We demonstrate that variable water table levels and flammable surface vegetation (fire fuels) are co‐produced socio‐political and biophysical phenomena that enable the conditions in which surface fire is likely to transition into peat fire and increase landscape vulnerability to ongoing, uncontrollable annual fires. This localized understanding of peat fire transition counters normative causal narratives of tropical fire such as ‘slash‐and‐burn’, with implications for the management of new fire regimes in inhabited landscapes
Community Engagement: what is it?
No full textDeep and real community engagement is critical for placemaking and can take an array of forms. The process requires a continuum of activation and focusses on the higher levels of participation such as empowerment and true involvement. This chapter presents the process of community engagement in the context of placemaking and covers who the users or communities are, the process and products arising from community engagement and how to ensure the place remains activated and relevant via continuous evaluation. The chapter presents citizen science, an engagement process particularly suited to placemaking. How to navigate conflict and engage different cultures is also discussed. The chapter presents an overview of engagement practice for placemaking and offers insights into how to create effective places, independent of its setting
Significance of LL-37 on Immunomodulation and Disease Outcome
No full textLL-37, also called cathelicidin, is an important part of the human immune system, which can resist various pathogens. A plethora of experiments have demonstrated that it has the multifunctional effects of immune regulation, in addition to antimicrobial activity. Recently, there have been increasing interest in its immune function. It was found that LL-37 can have two distinct functions in different tissues and different microenvironments. Thus, it is necessary to investigate LL-37 immune functions from the two sides of the same coin. On the one side, LL-37 promotes inflammation and immune response and exerts its anti-infective and antitumor effects; on the other side, it has the ability to inhibit inflammation and promote carcinogenesis. This review presents a brief summary of its expression, structure, and immunomodulatory effects as well as brief discussions on the role of this small peptide as a key factor in the development and treatment of various inflammation-related diseases and cancers
The situation awareness of young drivers, middle-aged drivers, and older drivers: Same but different?
No full textExtensive driving experience is essential for developing vital situation awareness skills. Young (‘inexperienced’) drivers have poor situation awareness (SA) skills compared to middle-aged (experienced) drivers, and driving abilities have been found to deteriorate with increasing age. Much remains unknown regarding similarities and differences in the SA of these driver cohorts. Data and Methodology: Using verbal commentary protocol, 36 persons with a valid driver’s licence (12 young, 12 middle-aged, 12 older) observed a 16-minute day-time driving scenario. Results: Similarities in SA were found, with all participants commenting on driving hazards in the immediate environment (eg., vehicle immediately in front). Differences in SA across groups were found, particularly the structure of the SA network. SA information is vital for effective intervention in the road safety of all drivers, improving the learning of young drivers, teaching by middle-aged drivers, and optimising road safety for older drivers