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Copyright of Vascular Access is the property of Canadian Vascular Access Association and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Purpose: While a number of universities in Australia have embraced concepts such as project/problem-based learning and design of innovative learning environments for engineering education, there has been a lack of national guidance on including sustainability as a "critical literacy" into all engineering streams. This paper was presented at the 2004 International Conference on Engineering Education in Sustainable Development (EESD) in Barcelona, Spain, outlining a current initiative that is seeking to address the "critical literacy" dilemma. Design/methodology/approach: The paper presents the positive steps taken by Australia's peak engineering body, the Institution of Engineers Australia (EA), in considering accreditation requirements for university engineering courses and its responsibility to ensure the inclusion of sustainability education material. It then describes a current initiative called the "Engineering Sustainable Solutions Program--Critical Literacies for Engineers Portfolio" (ESSP-CL), which is being developed by The Natural Edge Project (TNEP) in partnership with EA and Unesco. Findings: Content for the module was gathered from around the world, drawing on research from the publication The Natural Advantage of Nations: Business Opportunities, Innovation, and Governance in the Twenty-first Century. Parts of the first draft of the ESSP-CL have been trialled at Griffith University, Queensland, Australia with first year environmental engineering students, in May 2004. Further trials are now proceeding with a number of other universities and organisations nationally and internationally. Practical implications: It is intended that ESSP-CL will be a valuable resource to universities, professional development activities or other education facilities nationally and internationally. Originality/value: This paper fulfils an identified information/resources need. (Contains 4 figures, 14 notes and 1 table.)

Objective: This study aimed to investigate COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy, acceptance, and unmet informational needs in a cancer population during the first phase of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination rollout in Australia. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted in a large tertiary hospital in Queensland, Australia, between 10 May and 31 July 2021. The survey assessed health beliefs, experiences of the COVID-19 pandemic, COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy and informational needs. Results: COVID-19 was perceived to be a significant threat to both physical and mental health. While 57.9% (n = 110) of respondents believed the COVID-19 vaccines were safe and 64.2% (n = 122) believed they were effective, more than half (52.6%; n = 100) agreed that they worried about vaccine side effects. Most respondents (84.2%; n = 160) planned to receive the COVID-19 vaccine; however, feelings of hesitancy remained. There was a statistically significant association between those aged under 60 years (P = 0.003), those with previous vaccine hesitancy (P = 0.000), those who felt they had not received adequate information (P = 0.000) and vaccine hesitancy. Requested information pertained to interactions with cancer treatments, those with a history of blood clotting and information for those undergoing bone marrow transplantation. Conclusions: There is a need for tailored COVID-19 vaccine communication that is responsive to the concerns of people with cancer. This will be beneficial during current and future vaccination rollouts. What is known about topic? People with cancer are a COVID-19 vaccine priority group, as they are at increased risk of morbidity and mortality from this disease. There is currently a dearth of information regarding COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy, acceptance, or informational needs for this population. What does this paper add? This paper has shown that although vaccine refusal rates were low in this population, feelings of hesitancy remained. Women, those in younger age categories, those with previous vaccine hesitancy and those who felt they had not received adequate information had stronger vaccine hesitancy and higher refusal rates. What are the implications for practitioners? There is a need for tailored information and open communication regarding COVID-19 vaccines and people with cancer. There is an opportunity to build upon established relationships of trust between cancer patients and their clinicians. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mass mortalities in flying-foxes occur in summers that reach extremely hot temperatures. In this study, we examine the spatiotemporal distributions of mortality from pup abandonments and extreme heat events in Australian flying-fox camps during the 2019–20 summer. We recorded data on flying-fox mortality in known affected camps and applied a standard method to estimate the number of deaths. Pup mortalities from abandonments were recorded in 10 camps in New South Wales. A minimum estimate of 2612 flying-foxes died in pup abandonments, the majority of which occurred in one camp in Bomaderry. Die-offs from extreme heat events were recorded in 40 camps associated with eight separate heat events in south-eastern Australia. A minimum estimate of 72 175 flying-foxes died during these heat events, which all occurred within the range of the threatened grey-headed flying-fox (Pteropus poliocephalus). Further, 409 and 2251 live flying-foxes were taken into care from pup abandonments and heat events respectively. The minimum mortality estimated represents the highest recorded mortality of Australian flying-foxes within a single summer. This highlights a need to restore vegetation in flying-fox foraging areas and camps, address anthropogenic climate change and gather more empirical data to inform heat stress interventions to minimise flying-fox mortalities. Mass mortality events have important implications for wildlife conservation management. We estimated that at least 74 787 flying-foxes were killed from pup abandonments and extreme heat events during the austral summer of 2019–20. This was potentially the largest flying-fox die-off recorded to date, highlighting an urgent need to address casual factors and enhance intervention management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Many cancer care services (CCS) provide pragmatic models of emergent care for their patients as part of 'business as usual' without understanding the scope of this work. We aimed to describe an Australian CCS-led model of emergent care and quantify and profile emergent care provided over a 6-month period to understand scope and demand. Methods: This prospective cohort study was performed at a large tertiary hospital on the eastern coast of Australia in 2016. The study explored emergent care provided during business hour and after-hours, including telephone advice, unplanned care and unplanned admissions. Data were collected via electronic hospital records and clinical nurses regarding who accessed care, why care was accessed, what care was provided and how the episode of care ended. Results: Between March and September 2016, 1412 episodes of unplanned care were provided in the CCS-led model of care, including 307 episodes of telephone advice (237 patients; min max 1–4 episodes per patient; 825 episodes of unplanned care (484 patients; min max 1–9 episodes per patient) and 280 unplanned admissions (233 patients; min max 1–6 episodes per patient). During the same time, an additional 459 unplanned admissions (361 patients) occurred via the emergency department (ED), of which 125 (27.2%) occurred during business hours which could have been managed by the CCS. Most people who received care experienced issues associated with disease or treatment and had received systemic anticancer therapy in the past 30 days. Conclusions: The data demonstrate that a significant volume of emergent care was provided within the CCS over the study period, in addition to planned cancer treatment. Due to the ever-increasing demands on EDs and the significant need for emergent care for people with cancer, there is need for CCS-led models of care to provide specialist emergent care specifically for people who are receiving systemic anticancer therapy. Such models must be adequately resourced to meet the needs of patients, carers and healthcare professionals. What is known about the topic?: There is increasing focus on innovative models of emergent care for people with cancer in the out-patient setting to relieve pressure on EDs and improve patient experiences. Limited literature has focused on such models in the Australian context. What does this paper add?: This paper describes, quantifies and profiles care provided in a pragmatic CCS-led model of emergent care in a large tertiary hospital in Australia over 6 months. The data demonstrate significant demand for emergent care within business hours, as well as out of hours, predominantly for people undergoing systemic anticancer therapy. What are the implications for practitioners?: The findings of this study highlight the need for CCS to develop pragmatic models of emergent care. Appropriate resources, infrastructure, policies and procedures are required to adequate meet the needs of patients and carers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Early childhood is an important time to establish eating behaviours and taste preferences, and there is strong evidence of the association between the early introduction of sugar‐sweetened beverages and obesity and dental caries (tooth decay). Dental caries early in life predicts lifetime caries experience, and worldwide expenditure for dental caries is high. Methods: Questionnaire data from the Splash! longitudinal birth cohort study of young children in Victoria, Australia was used to examine beverage consumption and parental feeding behaviours of young children, aiming to provide contemporary dietary data and assess consistency with the Australian dietary guidelines. Results: From 12 months of age, the proportion of children drinking sugar‐sweetened beverages consistently increased with age (e.g. fruit juice consumed by 21.8% at 12 months and 76.7% at 4 years of age). However, the most common beverages for young children are milk and water, consistent with Australian dietary guidelines. In relation to other risk factors for dental caries, at 6 months of age children were sharing utensils, and at 12 months three quarters of carers tasted the child's food before feeding. Conclusions: The increasing consumption of sugar‐sweetened beverages and prevalence of other risk factors for dental caries and obesity through early childhood continues to be a problem despite efforts to raise awareness of these issues with parents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Measuring and monitoring population size and growth are critical to assessing the progress and ultimately the success (or failure) of a reintroduction. The Woylie (Bettongia penicillata ogilbyi) is one of Australia's threatened critical weight range mammals. To increase the species' area of occupancy, extent of occurrence, number of sub‐populations and global population size, in addition to creating a source population for future reintroductions, a new population has been re‐established into a safe haven located within the species' former range – Mt Gibson Wildlife Sanctuary. In this paper, we document the first 3 years of the reintroduction programme, over which time 162 individuals were translocated to Mt Gibson. Specifically, we (i) provide information on survivorship, (ii) estimate changes in critical population metrics (density, population size and distribution) and (iii) look for any major habitat preferences. Survivorship of collared animals was complete (i.e. zero mortality). The most recent population estimate was in the order of 750 individuals, reflecting strong growth in population size and density. The woylie has occupied the majority of the safe haven and is well represented in all major vegetation communities. The translocation is on track to meeting the key success criteria: a self‐sustaining population of woylies with a minimum of 300 individuals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduced predators are a serious threat to Australian vertebrates. However, the consequences of predation for an area's avifauna have rarely been quantified. We took advantage of the establishment of a 7,832 ha fox‐ and cat‐free safe haven at Mt Gibson, in Western Australia, to assess the consequences of excluding introduced mammal predators on the bird fauna. Bird surveys were conducted over 6 years, before and after the establishment of the introduced predator‐free safe haven. After 3 years, half the sites were enclosed by the fence that excluded introduced predators, while the remainder of sites remained outside the fence and were exposed to fox and cat activity. The sites were stratified by four major vegetation types. A total of 91 bird species were variously detectable with the survey approach, but were typically more detectable during morning surveys. Site occupancy varied considerably among species, but overall, occupancy by all species was most likely to be either not impacted or positively impacted by the safe haven. The most notable change was that avifaunal richness appeared to increase in woodland and shrubland habitats within, as compared to outside, the safe haven. We conclude that: (1) the safe haven had an overall positive impact on bird occupancy; and (2) there were no consistent trends with respect to the kinds of species whose occupancy was positively impacted, beyond them all being small‐ to medium‐sized birds and mostly insectivorous. However, these conclusions must be tempered by the poor detection probability of many species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses ideas for nation building initiatives in regions around Australia. Discussion of definitions of nation-building and its application in Papua New Guinea (Bougainville), Timor-Leste, and the Solomon Islands is included. Other topics include military intervention, effective and ineffective nation-building, and the benefits of intervening for prevention of conflict. It is suggested that Australia should consider nation building with civil-military intervention in the South-East Asia and south-west Pacific regions to prevent conflict, expand economic progress, promote its own national security, and balance the power of the U.S. and China in the region.

The Yalgorup lakes, a groundwater-fed system in south-western Australia recognized as a Ramsar wetland, hold significant scientific and conservation value due to the presence of a unique range of lake systems, resident waterfowl and, on the eastern shore of Lake Clifton, the presence of the only thrombolite reef in the southern hemisphere. Recent concern over changing physico-chemical conditions in the lakes, particularly an increase in salinity, prompted this study: the current status of the inherent thrombolite community is unknown. Salinity, total phosphorous (TP), phosphate, total nitrogen (TN), nitrate, chlorophyll- a and relative abundance of the thrombolite microflora were measured in Lake Clifton to analyse changing conditions in this lake and to determine the effect of these water parameters on the thrombolite community. Comparisons with historical data revealed a significant increase in salinity since 1985 and a possible increase in phosphorus concentrations in the lake in the recent decade, although historical nutrient data are rather sparse. The increased salinity may be due to concentration of lake water through a combination of high evaporation, long-term reduction in rainfall and increased groundwater abstraction. Comparison of the composition of the thrombolite community with historical data indicates a large reduction in relative abundance of Scytonema sp. and other filamentous cyanobacterial species, which are believed to be fundamental for the thrombolite structure. It is concluded the changing physico-chemical environment of the Yalgorup Lakes may have led to the decline in important genera in the thrombolite community; however, the mechanisms underlying this change remain unknown. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An immature male Malayan Night-Heron Gorsachius melanolophus found as road-kill on Christmas Island in 2011 represents the first specimen of this species from Australian territory to be retained (although other individuals have been seen and one was trapped, measured and released). The specimen is now preserved in the bird collection of the Australian Museum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses military intervention and humanitarian assistance programs in the Asia-Pacific region. The author explains that an effort to assist those suffering from human rights issues is only successful if that community is able to continue rebuilding after the intervention has been completed and the military forces have left. The author outlines four main themes in the article, including strengthening civil-military relations, creating a human security program, Australia's renewed support of the United Nations and a change in how the reception of aid is seen.

A major obstacle to reliable population assessment and monitoring programs is the fact that the detectability of populations or individuals is usually imperfect, meaning that estimates of area of occupancy or abundance will be biased low unless methods are used which can account for imperfect detection. We surveyed water bodies in three parts of the historical distribution of the Alpine Tree Frog (Litoria verreauxii alpina) in southeastern Australia to determine probabilities of detection for adults and tadpoles. Combined static call surveys and spotlight surveys were used to detect adult frogs, and combined visual surveys and funnel trapping surveys were used for detection of tadpoles. A very high estimated probability of detection (>0.9) was obtained during the tadpole surveys, whereas the estimated probability of detection during surveys for adults was considerably lower (<0.7) and varied between observers. Due to their high probability of detection, we recommend the use of tadpole surveys as a survey and monitoring technique for L. v. alpina. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

1. The secondary salinisation of wetlands is a global problem that poses a great threat to most freshwater biodiversity, including amphibians. We examined tadpole diversity in relation to wetland conductivity (our proxy for salinity) in wetlands in south-eastern Australia to better understand (i) how salinity and amphibian diversity interact and (ii) the threat posed by secondary salinisation. 2. Six tadpole species were trapped in 56 wetlands that reflected a typical salinity gradient for the study region. We developed Bayesian models to examine the relationships between conductivity and both the probability of species occupancy and expected number of species with the imperfect detection probability of species accounted for in the models. 3. The probability of occupancy for all species and expected species number was negatively associated with wetland conductivity. Our results predict that conductivity should not limit tadpole presence below about 3000 μS cm−1 at 25 °C (approximately 6% seawater) in the region, but will largely exclude amphibian larvae beyond about 6000 μS cm−1 at 25 °C (approximately 12% seawater). 4. We also detected subtle among-species differences in salinity tolerance. The results reported here show that tadpoles in the study region are likely to be negatively affected by projected future increases in salinisation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A letter to the editor on cancer patients accessing emergency care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Deficiencies in Australia’s mental health systems persist despite over a decade of mental health reform. Recent developments in e-health provide the opportunity to facilitate health reform and improve services. This paper presents preliminary findings from the implementation of a comprehensive e-health system, called RecoveryRoad , which was designed to augment the routine clinical treatment of depression. Methods: Depressed patients (n = 144) were referred to RecoveryRoad from a public hospital and public and private clinics in Perth, Western Australia. Online features included secure e-consultations, progress monitoring questionnaires, psychoeducation and evidence-based therapy. Treating clinicians had online access to patients’ progress monitoring outcomes and e-consultations. There were two types of adherence reminders: automated email reminders and personalized case management delivered by email and telephone. Results: Adherence to the system was high (from 53% to 84%, depending on the modality of reminder), and self-reported medication adherence was over 90%. Average depression severity declined from severe to mild by the eighth session, a large effect (d = 1.0). Both clinicians and patients were generally satisfied with the programme and reported that it improved clinician–patient relationships. Clinicians also reported that it helped patients to better manage depression. Conclusions: Preliminary findings support the feasibility of comprehensive e-health systems in enhancing the delivery of mental health care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Monoclonal antibodies are widely used anticancer therapies. Increasing demand for ambulatory care necessitates exploration of efficiency measures. OBJECTIVES: The primary objective was to evaluate the impacts on chair time and associated cost of priming IV administration sets with a bolus of the prescribed monoclonal antibody drugs. A secondary objective was to assess the associated incidence of hypersensitivity reactions. METHODS: A large tertiary hospital in Brisbane, Australia, conducted a randomized controlled trial (N = 128) with a two-arm design. Included monoclonal antibodies were daratumumab, obinutuzumab, pembrolizumab, and nivolumab. FINDINGS: There was a statistically significant reduction in chair time for obinutuzumab, pembrolizumab, and nivolumab compared with the control. Findings suggest that this priming intervention reduces chair time and cost for some monoclonal antibody drugs. Future research could assess this practice in other oncology therapies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the launch of the Australian Legal Advisory Service, which is a service for those wanting to make reports to the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Assault.