Planning and budgeting in publishing: The link with marketing

Publishing companies have embraced strategic, business, and market planning, but may not fully grasp its potential. This article describes their applications in a publishing environment, focusing on fundamental information required if the process is to have a beneficial outcome, as well as risks for the organization if planning is poorly conceived. This article is adapted from a presentation at a marketing and fulfillment seminar sponsored by the Society for Scholarly Publishing, April 21, 1988.     

The role of the family history in preventive medicine: an introduction for medical librarians.

Health professionals are collecting and charting data about the family history of their patients in order to determine if a predisposition to heart, stroke, cancer and other debilitating conditions can be detected or alleviated through patient education and preventive medicine. Family history-taking for the purposes of preventive medicine is introduced, along with a brief history of the field. The pedigree chart and the genogram are described and their use by health personnel is discussed. A brief search strategy on MEDLINE and a selected bibliography are presented to aid the health sciences librarian to find information on the family history, genograms or pedigree charts.     

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.     

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     

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.     

Improving indigenous and ethnic minority student success in foundation health study

This study investigates what teaching practices in the ‘non-lecture context of a foundation programme' help or hinder Māori and Pasifika students' success in a New Zealand university. This two-year qualitative project used Kaupapa Māori and Pasifika Research (KM/PR) methodologies conducted in three phases: (1) needs analysis, (2) intervention and (3) evaluation. Twenty-eight Māori or Pasifika students were interviewed using the Critical Incident Technique identifying 798 incidents grouped into four themes for institutional development: (I) use effective practices for teaching and learning, (II) grow independent learners, (III) support the empowerment of the learner and (IV) harness the positive cohort effect. Initially, students reported that intensive support provided by the foundation programme was not preparing students well for success in degree-level study. Following interventions of institutionally-led changes, students reported better preparation for ongoing study. The overall learning environment and provision of Māori and Pasifika academic and pastoral support were important factors for success.     

CRISPR/Cas: a Nobel Prize award-winning precise genome editing technology for gene therapy and crop improvement

Since it was first recognized in bacteria and archaea as a mechanism for innate viral immunity in the early 2010 s,clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats(CRISPR)/CRISPR-associated protein(Cas) has rapidly been developed into a robust, multifunctional genome editing tool with many uses. Following the discovery of the initial CRISPR/Cas-based system, the technology has been advanced to facilitate a multitude of different functions. These include development as a base editor, prime editor, epigenetic editor, and CRISPR interference(CRISPRi) and CRISPR activator(CRISPRa) gene regulators. It can also be used for chromatin and RNA targeting and imaging. Its applications have proved revolutionary across numerous biological fields, especially in biomedical and agricultural improvement. As a diagnostic tool, CRISPR has been developed to aid the detection and screening of both human and plant diseases, and has even been applied during the current coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19) pandemic. CRISPR/Cas is also being trialed as a new form of gene therapy for treating various human diseases, including cancers, and has aided drug development. In terms of agricultural breeding, precise targeting of biological pathways via CRISPR/Cas has been key to regulating molecular biosynthesis and allowing modification of proteins, starch, oil, and other functional components for crop improvement. Adding to this, CRISPR/Cas has been shown capable of significantly enhancing both plant tolerance to environmental stresses and overall crop yield via the targeting of various agronomically important gene regulators. Looking to the future, increasing the efficiency and precision of CRISPR/Cas delivery systems and limiting off-target activity are two major challenges for wider application of the technology. This review provides an in-depth overview of current CRISPR development, including the advantages and disadvantages of the technology,recent applications, and future considerations.     

Cultivating Hope Through Learning for the Common Good

This article examines how an orientation toward hope can guide institutions of higher education in achieving their ultimate purpose of providing education for the common good of society. In today's cultural context, colleges and universities must navigate a multitude of challenges and competing philosophies, many of which question the validity of their inherent value and purpose. As society continues to press questions of market relevance, sustainability, accessibility, quality, and the value of higher education, a basic question remains: How, amid all of these challenges, can today's postsecondary institutions contribute to the cultivation of a better society? In this regard, faith-based colleges and universities can offer guidance. By carrying out their distinctive mandate of infusing their educational mission with the holistic character formation of students, these institutions can promote the common good by coupling the Gospel message of personal hope in Jesus Christ with the call to cultural influence and transformation. To demonstrate this concept, a framework is offered that describes both a starting point—a biblical foundation for understanding humanity and hope—and a pathway through learning. The application of this framework—uncommon learning for the common good—invites implications for curricular design, the facilitation of learning, and institutional leadership that faculty and administrators from across the spectrum of higher education may find timely and relevant to their own learning contexts.     

Large‐scale diagnostic assessment: comparison of eighth graders’ mathematics performance in the United States,Singapore and Israel

A diagnostic model for large‐scale assessment was applied to TIMSS data to compare mathematics performance of eighth graders from three countries—the US, Singapore, and Israel. Compared were attribute mastery probabilities for content, skills and cognitive processes underlying students’ performance on the 1999 TIMSS‐R mathematics test. Also compared were the proportions of students from the three samples in each of eight hierarchically ordered clusters of knowledge states. The results indicated significant differences in favour of the Singaporean sample on most attributes underlying the test. The results were discussed in light of the cultural context of education in the respective countries.