Objectives: Although antimicrobial resistance (AMR) disproportionately affects low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), primary clinical data on AMR burden from LMICs are lacking, particularly from the Pacific Islands. We adapted recent World Health Organization methodology to measure the impact of third-generation cephalosporin (3GC) resistance on mortality and excess length of hospital stay among inpatients with Enterobacterales bloodstream infection (BSI) in Fiji. Methods: We conducted a prospective cohort study of inpatients with Enterobacterales BSIs at Colonial War Memorial Hospital in Suva. We collected demographic, clinical, and microbiological data, and we stored bacterial isolates for confirmatory testing and molecular genomics in Melbourne, Australia. We employed cause-specific Cox proportional hazards models to estimate the effect of 3GC-resistance on hazard of in-hospital mortality and discharge alive (competing outcomes), and we used multistate modelling to estimate the excess length of hospital stay associated with 3GCR. Results: From July 2020 to February 2021, we identified 162 consecutive Enterobacterales BSIs, and 66 (40.7%) were 3GC resistant. The crude mortality rates for patients with 3GC-susecptible and 3GC-resistant BSIs were 16.7% (16 of 96) and 30.3% (20 of 66), respectively. Also, 3GC resistance was not associated with either in-hospital mortality (aHR, 1.67; 95% CI, 0.80–3.49) or discharge alive (aHR, 0.75; 95% CI, 0.50–1.12). However, patient comorbidities and acuity of illness were associated with in-hospital mortality. Furthermore, 3GC-resistance was associated with an increased length of stay of 2.6 days (95% CI, 2.5–2.8). Overall, 3GC-resistance was more common among patients with hospital-associated than community-acquired infection, but genomics did not identify clonal transmission. Conclusions: Among patients with Enterobacterales BSIs, mortality was relatively high, and 3GC resistance was common. Also, 3GC resistance was associated with increased hospital length of stay but not with in-hospital mortality after adjusting for potential confounders. Accurate estimates of the burden of AMR are important, especially from LMICs. Such knowledge can inform policy decisions, guide allocation of limited resources, and assist the evaluation of future interventions to address AMR.

Demonstrating the equivalence of constructs is a key requirement for cross-cultural empirical research. The major purpose of this paper is to demonstrate how to assess measurement and functional equivalence or invariance using the 9-item, 3-factor Love of Money Scale (LOMS, a second-order factor model) and the 4-item, 1-factor Pay Level Satisfaction Scale (PLSS, a first-order factor model) across 29 samples in six continents (N = 5973). In step 1, we tested the configural, metric and scalar invariance of the LOMS and 17 samples achieved measurement invariance. In step 2, we applied the same procedures to the PLSS and nine samples achieved measurement invariance. Five samples (Brazil, China, South Africa, Spain and the USA) passed the measurement invariance criteria for both measures. In step 3, we found that for these two measures, common method variance was non-significant. In step 4, we tested the functional equivalence between the Love of Money Scale and Pay Level Satisfaction Scale. We achieved functional equivalence for these two scales in all five samples. The results of this study suggest the critical importance of evaluating and establishing measurement equivalence in cross-cultural studies. Suggestions for remedying measurement non-equivalence are offered.

This paper describes the system architecture of a newly constructed radio telescope – the Boolardy engineering test array, which is a prototype of the Australian square kilometre array pathfinder telescope. Phased array feed technology is used to form multiple simultaneous beams per antenna, providing astronomers with unprecedented survey speed. The test array described here is a six-antenna interferometer, fitted with prototype signal processing hardware capable of forming at least nine dual-polarisation beams simultaneously, allowing several square degrees to be imaged in a single pointed observation. The main purpose of the test array is to develop beamforming and wide-field calibration methods for use with the full telescope, but it will also be capable of limited early science demonstrations.

In this report we present results comparing lateral MOSFET properties of devices fabricated on Si-face (0001) and A-face (11-20) 4H-SiC, with nitric oxide passivation anneals. We observe a field-effect mobility of 33 cm2/V.s on p-type 5×1015 doped Si-face. These devices have a peak field-effect mobility which increases with temperature, indicative of a channel mobility limited by coulomb scattering. On 1×1016 p-type A-face SiC, the peak channel mobility is observed to be 80 cm2/V.s, with a negative temperature dependence, indicating that phonon-scattering effects dominate, with a much lower density of shallow acceptor traps. This > 2x higher channel mobility would result in a substantial decrease in on-resistance, hence lower power losses, for 4H-SiC power MOSFETs with voltage ratings below 2 kV. However, MOS C-V and gate leakage measurements indicate very different oxide and interface quality on each SiC face. For example, the Fowler-Nordheim (FN) conduction-band (CB) barrier height for electron tunneling at the SiO2/SiC interface is 2.8 eV on Si-face SiC, while it is 2.5 eV or less on A-face SiC. For the valence-band side, the effective FN barrier height at the valence-band (VB) side of only 1.6 eV on A-face SiC, while the VB barrier height is about 3.1 eV on Si-face SiC. Moreover, C-V of the MOS gate on A-face indicates the presence of a high-density of deep hole traps. It is apparent that oxides on alternative crystal faces, very promising in terms of channel mobility, require further study for complete understanding and control of the interface properties.

Contact precautions (CPs) may lead to adverse psychological effects, delays in access to services, and compromises in the quality of care and patient safety. These need to be balanced with the benefits in preventing transmission of resistant microorganisms. In this study, we aimed to quantify the effect of CPs on reported patient safety incidents.

The Alfred hospital is a tertiary referral hospital in Melbourne, Australia. Previous studies have shown that colonization with vancomycin-resistant enterococcus (VRE) is endemic in our hospital. Patients found to be colonized with VRE are placed in CPs immediately and during each subsequent admission. At our facility, modified CPs practiced during the study period include isolation in single rooms with a dedicated toilet, use of gloves when entering the room, and gloves and gown if contact with body fluids is anticipated. The hospital has a computerized risk management system where relevant patient safety incidents are reported to facilitate institutional review and response. We conducted a retrospective cohort study using these routinely collected data, comparing the incidence rate of documented adverse events in patients prior and subsequent to initiation of CPs among patients colonized or infected with VRE. Patients with incident VRE detection between January 2009 and October 2010 were included.

There are few Australian data on the incidence of catheter-associated bloodstream infection (BSI) among patients in hematology-oncology units. We found an increase in catheter-associated BSI rates coincident with the introduction of a mechanical valve connector (2.6 infections vs 5.8 infections per 1,000 catheter-days; incidence rate ratio, 2.2; P = .031).

Nanocrystalline silicon is a candidate material for fabricating thin film transistors with high carrier mobilities on plastic substrates. A major issue in the processing of nanocrystalline silicon thin film transistors (nc-Si:H TFTs) at ultralow temperatures is the quality of the SiO2 gate dielectric. SiO2 deposited at less than 250°C by radio frequency plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (rf-PECVD), and not annealed at high temperature after deposition, exhibits high leakage current and voltage shifts when incorporated into TFT's. Secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) measurements show that the hydrogen concentration (NH) in PECVD oxide deposited at 150°C on crystalline silicon (x-Si) is ∼ 0.8 at. %. This is much higher than in thermal oxides on x-Si, which display concentrations of less than 0.003 at. %. The leakage current density for thermal oxides on x-Si at a bias of 10 V is ∼9×10−6 A/cm2 whereas for 200°C PECVD oxides on nc-Si:H the current is ∼1×10−4 A/cm2. As the temperature of the SiO2 deposition is reduced to 150°C the current density rises by up to two orders of magnitude more. The H which is suspected to cause the leakage current across the PECVD oxide originates from the nc-Si:H substrate and the SiH4 source gas. We analyzed the 300-nm gate oxide in capacitor structures of Al / SiO2 /n+ nc-Si:H / Cr / glass, Al / SiO2 / n+ nc-Si:H / x-Si, and Al / SiO2 / x-Si. Vacuum annealing the nc-Si:H prior to PECVD of the oxide drives H out of the nc-Si:H film and reduces the amount of H incorporated into the oxide that is deposited on top. SiO2 film deposition from SiH4 and N2O at high He dilution has a still greater effect on lowering NH. The leakage current at a 10 V bias dropped from ∼1×10−4 A/cm2 to about ∼2×10−6 A/cm2 using He dilution at 250°C, and the vacuum anneal of the nc-Si:H lowered it by an additional factor of two. Thus we observe that both the nc-Si:H anneal and the SiO2 deposition at high He dilution lessen the gate leakage current.

Thin film transistors of nanocrystalline silicon (nc-Si:H) are made in the staggered topgate, bottom-source/drain geometry. To achieve both high carrier mobility and low off current, the nc-Si:H channel material must be kept thin but comprise a contiguous 10-nm thick crystalline layer at its top. We study this electrically most interesting top layer of the nc-Si:H channel film by AFM and SEM. Introducing an nc-Si:H seed layer underneath the TFT promotes the structural evolution of the nc-Si:H channel layer and raises the electron field effect mobility up to 40 cm2V-1s-1.