Chasing the sun: a virtual reference service between SAHSLC (SA) and SWICE (UK)

AIM: In 2002, a discussion in the United Kingdom (UK) between South-west Information for Clinical Effectiveness (SWICE) librarians and a member of the South Australian Department of Human Services Libraries' Consortium (SAHSLC) raised the possibility of developing an after-hours virtual reference service between the two consortium groups. The aim of the service is to put medical practitioners in contact with a librarian when urgent help is required in finding clinical medical information after hours. METHODS: A trial project has begun and has been given the name 'Chasing the Sun'. The service will make use of time-zone differences between the UK and Australia, so that librarians at work in another country will be able to answer urgent patient-related queries that cannot wait until normal office hours. RESULTS: This paper looks at the development of 'Chasing the Sun' from initial concept, funding proposal and trial project stage to implementation. It includes details of the groundwork, software evaluation, trials, outcomes, cost and benefits, future directions and potential problems yet to be experienced or overcome. CONCLUSION: This service is the first of its kind between health libraries in the world and offers potential for future worldwide expansion.     

On repeated measures designs: hierarchical structures and time trends

The basic anatomy of an experimental design is used as an expository introduction to the examination of several repeated measures experiments described in recent pages of this and other journals. This examination reveals problematic issues concerning some common design and analysis features of such experimental designs. In particular, the hierarchical structures and/or presence of time trends is highlighted. These issues are discussed in an attempt to assist researchers to recognize such problems, to avoid the associated difficulties in the future, and to exploit the advantages of sound design with appropriate, efficient and informative analysis. While alternate reanalyses of the data of these experiments might reveal the conclusions to be unaffected by such issues, researchers should still be cautious. In retrospect, such occurrences should be seen as fortuitous, not as justification for inefficient or less informative analyses. More importantly, such reanalyses could reveal more enlightening information, and I argue that if a design permits such information to be discovered, then it behoves researchers to perform such analyses and to make such discoveries.     

Triangulating Clinically Meaningful Change in the Six-minute Walk Test in Individuals with Chronic Heart Failure: A Systematic Review

Purpose

The purpose of the present review was to use existing, published data to provide an estimate of the amount of change in six-minute walk test distance (Δ6MWT) that represents a clinically meaningful change in individuals with chronic heart failure (CHF).

Methods

The present review included two separate literature searches of the CINAHL and Medline databases for articles that: (1) reported the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) of the 6MWT in individuals with CHF, and (2) used the 6MWT along with either aerobic capacity or health-related quality of life (HRQL) as study endpoints in randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of exercise-based intervention for individuals with CHF. The ICCs were used to calculate the minimum detectable difference (MDD) at the 95% confidence interval for each included study. The Δ6MWT associated with aerobic capacity and HRQL within-group effect sizes for the intervention and control groups in each included RCT was analyzed using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves.

Results

Thirteen articles reported the ICC for the 6MWT. The mean (standard deviation) MDD calculated based on these data was 43.1(16.8) m. Eighteen RCTs measured the 6MWT and either aerobic capacity and/or HRQL. A Δ6MWT of 40–45 m was associated with at least moderate aerobic capacity and HRQL effect sizes in the intervention groups. The Δ6MWT thresholds that discriminated between intervention and control groups using ROC curves revealed the following sensitivity/specificity for the respective thresholds: 19 m, 94.4/83.3%, 32 m, 83.3/94.4%, and 48 m 44.4/100% (AUC = .935, p = .009, CI_95% .855, 1.015).

Conclusions

A Δ6MWT of approximately 45 m appears to exceed measurement error and be associated with significant changes in either aerobic capacity and/or HRQL.Key Words: heart failure, six-minute walk test, clinically meaningful change, minimum detectable difference     

Getting Generation Y to attend: Friends,interactivity and half-time entertainment

People from Generation Y, given their number and stage in the family life-cycle, represent a key emerging audience for major sports. The study focussed on the effect of friends and half time enhancements on likely attendance at matches. The sport domain was the Australian Football League (AFL), the elite Australian rules football competition. The enhancements being tested were half-time entertainments based on performers from well-known television talent shows, Australian Idol and It Takes Two. Scenarios with and without interactive participation, based on short messaging service (SMS) messages, were tested. The study used a general population sample of 909 Generation Y people in a traditional AFL market and one where AFL is not the major winter competition. Previous attendance and sport orientation were the major influences on attendance at major sports, including the AFL. Friends influenced likely attendance at a game, but no effects were found for half-time entertainments. People who attended matches with friends typically had social activities before and after the game. This suggested that one promotional strategy to expand existing markets was to find and engage the social networks of existing fans, making sport attendance a broader part of an overall social event.     

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我是精力旺盛的家伙--爬墙和砸冰,小菜一碟.我远近闻名,因为有次我利用午休时间,改造了火车站,提高了候车室保温效果.我为古巴难民逐条翻译骂人的脏话.我写过歌剧,并且还得了奖.我的工作效率很高.有时,我可以连续三天踩水.     

Using the Arts to Raise Awareness and Communicate Environmental Information in the Extension Context

Abstract

Extension services face an increasing challenge as the state of Australia's environment declines. It is, therefore, opportune to explore some innovations in the way extension is traditionally delivered. This paper introduces the concept of the visual and performing arts being useful in extension of natural resources management issues such as land water degradation, biodiversity conservation, catchment protection and vegetation management. The paper surveys how the arts and science have met historically and contemporaneously, focusing on examples from ecology such as wildlife and botanical art. It then examines how extension practitioners view the arts, through an analysis of interviews with 26 extensionists working in natural resources management. Extensionists identified five areas that the arts might be utilized to help increase understanding and knowledge of natural resources issues: improving presentations; improving public campaigns and general awareness-raising; aiding facilitation and community development; reinforcing values and beliefs; and helping build a culture that is environmentally sustainable. Despite the potential value of arts in extension, few practitioners in extension use the arts to any great extent to assist in the communication of their messages. The research points to new opportunities for natural resources agencies and conservation organizations to improve their reach into the community. By building a relationship with the arts community they will be able to improve the efficacy of their extension.     

Teaching about violence prevention: A bridge between public health and criminal justice educators

Public health perspectives on violence-related injuries have become increasingly important over the past two decades, yet they are rarely mentioned in criminal justice educational texts or articles. Here we provide a brief overview of the public health approach to the prevention of violence and related injuries and compare it to an approach to crime prevention commonly associated with the criminal justice approach: deterrence. The prevention of sexual assault on college and university campuses is used as an illustration of the two approaches. Finally, given the similarities between the manner in which these two multi-disciplinary fields approach violence prevention, we explore how and why criminal justice educators might want to teach a bridge between public health and criminal justice.