Abstract. OzFlux is the regional Australian and New Zealand flux tower network that aims to provide a continental-scale national research facility to monitor and assess trends, and improve predictions, of Australia's terrestrial biosphere and climate. This paper describes the evolution, design, and current status of OzFlux as well as provides an overview of data processing. We analyse measurements from all sites within the Australian portion of the OzFlux network and two sites from New Zealand. The response of the Australian biomes to climate was largely consistent with global studies except that Australian systems had a lower ecosystem water-use efficiency. Australian semi-arid/arid ecosystems are important because of their huge extent (70 %) and they have evolved with common moisture limitations. We also found that Australian ecosystems had a similar radiation-use efficiency per unit leaf area compared to global values that indicates a convergence toward a similar biochemical efficiency. The two New Zealand sites represented extremes in productivity for a moist temperate climate zone, with the grazed dairy farm site having the highest GPP of any OzFlux site (2620 gC m−2 yr−1) and the natural raised peat bog site having a very low GPP (820 gC m−2 yr−1). The paper discusses the utility of the flux data and the synergies between flux, remote sensing, and modelling. Lastly, the paper looks ahead at the future direction of the network and concludes that there has been a substantial contribution by OzFlux, and considerable opportunities remain to further advance our understanding of ecosystem response to disturbances, including drought, fire, land-use and land-cover change, land management, and climate change, which are relevant both nationally and internationally. It is suggested that a synergistic approach is required to address all of the spatial, ecological, human, and cultural challenges of managing the delicately balanced ecosystems in Australasia.
Background Clinically significant deterioration of patients admitted to general wards is a recognized complication of hospital care. Rapid Response Systems (RRS) aim to reduce the number of avoidable adverse events. The authors aimed to develop a core quality metric for the evaluation of RRS. Methods We conducted an international consensus process. Participants included patients, carers, clinicians, research scientists, and members of the International Society for Rapid Response Systems with representatives from Europe, Australia, Africa, Asia and the US. Scoping reviews of the literature identified potential metrics. We used a modified Delphi methodology to arrive at a list of candidate indicators that were reviewed for feasibility and applicability across a broad range of healthcare systems including low and middle-income countries. The writing group refined recommendations and further characterized measurement tools. Results Consensus emerged that core outcomes for reporting for quality improvement should include ten metrics related to structure, process and outcome for RRS with outcomes following the domains of the quadruple aim. The conference recommended that hospitals should collect data on cardiac arrests and their potential preventability, timeliness of escalation, critical care interventions and presence of written treatment plans for patients remaining on general wards. Unit level reporting should include the presence of patient activated rapid response and metrics of organizational culture. We suggest two exploratory cost metrics to underpin urgently needed research in this area. Conclusion A consensus process was used to develop ten metrics for better understanding the course and care of deteriorating ward patients. Others are proposed for further development. Results Consensus was achieved for ten RRS quality metrics, of which four were related to improving population health, three to enhancing the patient experience of care, two to cost and one to enhancing provider well-being. Level of recommendations were graded as "essential," "recommended", "optional" and "experimental". Terms used in the formulation of recommendations are described in Table 1. Table 2 provides a summary of specific numerators, denominators and inclusion and exclusion criteria to be used when tracking each entity. We are aware that many hospitals use a multi level activation system; for these institutions, we provide guidance in Table 2 as to which warning level should be used for a given metric. Recommendation 1: Hospitals should measure and track cardiac arrests of regular ward patients Type of metric: Clinical outcome, essential Description of metric: A cardiac arrest is defined as an event in which a patient receives chest compression and/or defibrillation for a non-perfusing rhythm. The definitions of terms used in this and other metrics are presented in Table 1. Rationale: Retrospective reviews of in-hospital cardiac arrests (IHCA) consistently show that signs of deterioration are present for several hours before the even...
<p><strong>Abstract.</strong> OzFlux is the regional Australian and New Zealand flux tower network that aims to provide a continental-scale national research facility to monitor and assess trends, and improve predictions, of Australia&#8217;s terrestrial biosphere and climate. This paper describes the evolution, design and current status of OzFlux as well as an overview of data processing. We analyse measurements from the Australian portion of the OzFlux network and found that the response of Australian biomes to climate was largely consistent with global studies but that Australian systems had a lower ecosystem water-use efficiency. Australian semi-arid/arid ecosystems are important because of their huge extent (70 %) and they have evolved with common moisture limitations. We also found that Australian ecosystems had similar radiation use efficiency per unit leaf area compared to global values that indicates a convergence toward a similar biochemical efficiency. The paper discusses the utility of the flux data and the synergies between flux, remote sensing and modelling. Lastly, the paper looks ahead at the future direction of the network and concludes that there has been a substantial contribution by OzFlux and considerable opportunities remain to further advance our understanding of ecosystem response to disturbances including drought, fire, land use and land cover change, land management and climate change that are relevant both nationally and internationally. It is suggested that a synergistic approach is required to address all of the spatial, ecological, human and cultural challenges of managing the delicately balanced ecosystems in Australia.</p>
The purpose of this study was to develop, scale, and validate assessments in engineering, science, and mathematics with grade appropriate items that were sensitive to the curriculum developed by teachers. The use of item response theory to assess item functioning was a focus of the study. The work is part of a larger project focused on increasing student learning in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM)-related areas in grades 4-8 through an engineering design-based, integrated approach to STEM instruction and assessment. The fact that the assessments are available to school districts at no cost, and represent psychometrically sound instruments that are sensitive to STEM-oriented curriculum, offers schools an important tool for gauging students' understanding of engineering, science, and mathematics concepts.
Thiasilacyclopentane (TSCP) and azasilacyclopentane (ASCP) heteroatom cyclics have proven capable of rapidly converting hydroxylated surfaces to functionalized surfaces in inorganic click reactions. In this work, we demonstrate that the use of these reagents can be extended to "simultaneous doubleclicking" when both inorganic and organic substrates are present at the onset of the reaction. The simultaneous double-click depends on a first ring-opening click with an inorganic substrate that is complete in ∼1 s at 30 °C and results in the reveal of a cryptic mercaptan or secondary amine group, which can then participate in a second click with an organic substrate. TSCPs and ASCPs can take part in tandem double-click reactions in which the organic substrate is added to the reaction mixture after the initial inorganic click reaction is completed. Additionally, ASCPs with exocyclic functionality, specifically N-alkenyl-, N-aminoalkyl, and N-alkynyl-ASCPs, are shown to be options for tandem double-clicking in which functionalization proceeds in two independent steps and the sequence of the double-click reaction can be reversed.
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