Library Faculty Evaluation Handbook: University of Northern Iowa Rod Library

This handbook describes the processes and procedures related to library faculty evaluation at the University of Northern Iowa (UNI). Seven sections cover: (1) overview of the evaluation process; including the role of library faculty; work schedule; purpose of evaluation; role of goals and objectives in evaluation; frequency of evaluation; schedule for application for tenure; and calendar for promotion and tenure; (2) terminal degree requirements for library faculty; (3) qualifications for appointment and promotion to professorial rank and tenure; (4) evaluation procedures; including evaluation of probationary faculty; merit evaluation; promotion and tenure procedures; the Professional Assessment Committee; the Administrative Peer Review Committee; and five-year performance review of the Director of Library Services; (5) evaluation criteria; including librarianship; research/scholarship and creative work; and service; (6) contents and use of the evaluation files and resume; and (7) personnel files. Appendices include: UNI principles and standards for promotion and tenure; conditions of employment; tenure clock statement; sample calendar for promotion and tenure; library faculty annual report form; results of annual evaluation of tenure-track faculty form; promotion and tenure cover sheet; Library Professional Assessment Committee procedures; Administrative Peer Review Committee procedures; sample five-year review instrument for director of library services; evaluation file log; and sample resume. (DLS

Using psychological theory and qualitative methods to develop a new evidence-based website about acupuncture for back pain.

INTRODUCTION: Potential acupuncture patients seek out information about acupuncture from various sources including websites, many of which are unreliable. We aimed to create an informative, scientifically accurate and engaging website to educate patients about acupuncture for back pain and modify their beliefs in a way that might enhance its clinical effects. METHODS: We used psychological theory and techniques to design an evidence-based website, incorporating multimedia elements. We conducted qualitative "think aloud" audio-recorded interviews to elicit user views of the website. A convenience sample of ten participants (4 male; aged 21-64 years from the local community) looked at the website in the presence of a researcher and spoke their thoughts out loud. Comments were categorised by topic. RESULTS: The website comprises 11 main pages and addresses key topics of interest to potential acupuncture patients, including beneficial and adverse effects, mechanisms of action, safety, practicalities, and patients' experiences of acupuncture. It provides information through text, evidence summaries and audio-clips of four patients' stories and two acupuncturists' descriptions of their practice, and three short films. Evidence from the think aloud study was used to identify opportunities to make the website more informative, engaging, and user-friendly. CONCLUSIONS: Using a combination of psychological theory and qualitative interviews enabled us to produce a user-friendly, evidence-based website that is likely to change patients' beliefs about acupuncture for back pain. Before using the website in clinical settings it is necessary to test its effects on key outcomes including patients' beliefs and capacity for making informed choices about acupuncture

Cannabinoids in oral fluid: Limiting potential sources of cannabidiol conversion to Delta 9 - and Delta 8 - tetrahydrocannabinol

In late 2019, the National Laboratory Certification Program (NLCP) published an article reporting on the potential analytical conversion of 7-carboxy-cannabidiol (CBD-COOH) to 11-nor-9-carboxy-Delta9-tetrahydrocannabinol-9-carboxylic acid (THCCOOH) in urine samples. The same conversion is possible in oral fluid with the parent analyte cannabidiol (CBD) converting to Delta 9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Delta 9-THC) and Delta 8- tetrahydrocannabinol (Delta 8-THC) under strong acidic conditions. With the recent rise in states legalizing the use of THC and the availability of products purportedly containing only CBD, unless the analytical in vitro conversions are controlled, the detection of Delta 9- THC or Delta 8-THC in oral fluid may not clarify whether the donor was using a CBD product, licit or illicit THC product. Authentic oral fluid samples submitted for cannabinoid analysis were subjected to multiple sample preparation procedures and extraction methods to determine the conditions that allow CBD to convert to THC. CBD single analyte controls prepared from a certified THC-free source were added to the batch to monitor the rate of conversion. Samples were prepared using a base hydrolysis, solid phase extraction, derivatization, and analysis by liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). The base hydrolysis and derivatization were tested independently and did not contribute to the conversion rate. Adjusting the pH of the sample preparation and extraction from pH 2.0 to pH 5.0 changed the conversion rate from 5% to 1%. A pH of 6.0 was not strong enough to extract the cannabinoids efficiently. Removing the acid component of the preparation and extraction procedure eliminated the conversion to THC; however, this did reduce the analyte recovery depending on which extraction column was used. Processing time also contributed to the conversion rate. With smaller trial runs, conversion was not always seen but with larger validation batches low level conversion of 1-2% was observed. A fully validated LC- MS/MS method utilizing solid-phase extraction was developed for CBD, Delta 9-THC, Delta 8- THC, and cannabinol (CBN). The method specifically targets those analytes found in oral fluid after CBD administration and those that are seen during in vitro CBD conversion

Article Template

This article details the rapid extraction of amphetamines from oral fluid using low specimen volume, low sorbent bed mass, and fast gas chromatography with mass selective detection. The collection of a known amount of sample volume coupled with high percentage recovery of drug from the collection pad has allowed oral fluid to be increasingly employed as the specimen of choice for the detection of drug use in various applications. Additionally, low specimen volume for confirmation is required, so that adequate test volume remains for second analysis in case of batch failure or for testing at a different laboratory facility. The extracts were prepared using low bed mass sorbent, so less conditioning, washing, and elution solvent further reduced the overall cost of sample preparation. The limits of quantitation for the assay were 25 ng/mL; the intraday precision of the assays (n = 5) ranged from 0.3 to 3.99%; interday precision ranged from 0.72 to 4.6% for the amphetamine class. The percentage recovery of the drugs from the collection pads ranged from 85.4 to 89.1% (n = 6). The process lends itself to widely available automated processing instrumentation and significantly increases the efficiency of laboratories providing high-volume oral fluid analysis for drugs of abuse. Introduction Oral fluid is becoming increasingly popular in many areas of drug testing as a diagnostic fluid, partly due to the ease and non-invasiveness of collection (1). Applications for the detection of amphetamines in oral fluid analysis have been reported in clinical areas (2,3) as well as several drugs of abuse in epidemiological studies (4) and in roadside situations (5,6). The presence of measurable drug levels has enhanced the number of laboratories engaged in the analysis of oral fluid, and as the overall number of analyses increase, the rapid, reproducible extraction of drugs from the collection buffer is an essential component. However, because a limited sample volume is generally collected when oral fluid is to be tested, procedures for the use of reduced sample volume along with improved analytical capability are necessary. Most importantly for our application, the amount of specimen required for extraction is significantly reduced. Other advantages of the assays include excellent precision, accuracy, recovery from the collection pad, decreased sample preparation time, and reduced solvent volumes for conditioning, washing, and elution. The analytical procedure employed a gas chromatograph (GC) equipped with fast oven capability coupled to a mass selective detector (MS) with an inert source operating in electron impact mode. In 2004, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service Administration (SAMHSA) proposed the inclusion of oral fluid as a specimen for workplace drug testing (7). The proposed confirmatory cut-off concentration for amphetamine (AMP), methamphetamine (METH), methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), methylenedioxyamphetamine (MDA), and methylenedioxyethylamphetamine (MDEA) was 50 ng/mL. The objective of our study was twofold: to determine the efficiency of recovery of amphetamines from the oral fluid collection system and to achieve proposed regulatory "cut-off concentrations" for amphetamines using 62.5 L of neat oral fluid (0.25 mL of total specimen). Materials and Methods Quantisal™ oral fluid collection devices were obtained from Immunalysis (Pomona, CA). Amphetamine, methamphetamine, MDMA, MDA, MDEA, and their penta-deuterated analogues were obtained from Cerilliant (Round Rock, TX). Mixed-mode solid-phase extraction columns (HCX 130 mg/1 mL capacity; Part # 902-0013-A) were obtained from Biotage (Charlottesville, VA). All reagents were of high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) grade, and chemicals were of ACS grade or better. The derivatizing agent, heptafluorobutyric anhydride (HFBA) was obtained from Pierce Chemical (Rockford, IL). Achieving Proposed Federal Concentrations using Reduced Specimen Volume for the Extraction of Amphetamines from Oral Fluid Reproduction (photocopying) of editorial content of this journal is prohibited without publisher's permission. Journal of Analytical Toxicology, Vol. 31, October 2007 * Author to whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: [email protected]. Christine Moore, Cynthia Coulter, and Katherine Crompton Immunalysis Corporation, 829 Towne Center Drive, Pomona, California 91767 Abstrac