Collaborating with library staff: opportunities for technical communicators

Poster session presented at the International Professional Communication Conference, October 1-3, 2007, Seattle, Washington

Usability evaluation of Colorado State University Libraries' digital collections and the Western Waters Digital Library web sites, A

Unreviewed manuscript.To assess ease of use, 18 participants completed 11 usability tasks for each Web site and then a Web site perception questionnaire. Participants rated both Web sites positively, but 25% and 36% could not complete all tasks; doing so required more than a minute to complete

Investigating the Relationship Between Professional Development and Student-Centered Learning Environments in Qatari Math and Science Elementary Classrooms

While considerable study of the organizational structures and outcomes of Qatari educational reform in Education for a New Era initiatives has been planned and implemented (see Rand, 2007), little attention has been placed on the study of what is occurring in the site where learning actually takes place – the classroom. Little research in Qatari or other Arab classrooms has been conducted to examine the relationship between the learning environment and either attainment of the student-centered standards or professional development related to standards or even to determine whether the classroom teaching and learning elements associated with student-centered learning environments exist (see e.g., Knight et al., 2011). Since the reform focuses on creating learning environments that foster attainment of the student-centered curriculum standards, research on classroom learning environments in schools targeted for reform provides valuable information. In particular, the role of professional development in creating appropriate learning environments needs to be investigated.Qatar National Research Foundation, National Priorities Research Program, Grant # 13-6-7-

The Art of Inclusion: Marketing Toward Social Good

The theme of this research emerges from a pedagogical philosophy that it is essential to learn the significance that business has upon society while working with a neighborhood non-profit. Undergraduate Business students from Molloy College pitch their business and marketing recommendations to a local non-profit supporting the mission of the College through transformative learning. Having students enter into the business world where profit is a healthy by-product, but acquiring the proper disposition in the process is critical toward today’s career development. The Capstone project helps develop tomorrow’s sought out ethical and social leaders. The learning activity leading to this learning outcome requires the undergraduate business students to experience this type of real-world project. The students are presented with an opportunity to study the most prevalent issues their assigned non-profit is facing and they are to collectively make a set of turnkey recommendations that will ultimately lead to social good

Financial burden among US households affected by cancer at the end of life: Financial burden

Economic burden on families coping with end-stage cancer remains poorly understood. Advanced malignancy threatens financial stability of families and interventions are needed to buffer them from impoverishment. This study examined the relationship between subjective and objective assessments of financial burden on families (financial strain and stress, respectively); and identified potentially modifiable factors to inform intervention efforts

Clinical and Epidemiologic Research Case-Control Pilot Study of Soft Contact Lens Wearers With Corneal Infiltrative Events and Healthy Controls

PURPOSE. The purpose of this study was to assess risk factors associated with soft contact lens (SCL)-related corneal infiltrative events (CIEs). METHODS. This was a single-visit, case-control study conducted at five academic centers in North America. Cases were defined as current SCL wearers with a symptomatic CIE. For each case, three age-and sex-matched controls were enrolled. Subjects completed the Contact Lens Risk Survey (CLRS), a standardized scripted medical interview, supplied a recent health history, and underwent an ocular examination. Microbial culturing of the ocular surface, SCL, and lens storage case was conducted for all cases and one of the three matched controls. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression modeling were used to assess the risk of developing a CIE. RESULTS. Thirty cases and 90 controls 13 to 31 years of age completed the study. Corneal infiltrative event diagnosis included contact lens-associated red eye, infiltrative keratitis, and contact lens peripheral ulcer. Subjects with symptomatic CIEs were more likely to harbor substantial levels of gram-negative bioburden on the ocular surface and contact lens. Significant risk factors for developing a CIE were overnight wear of SCLs, use of multipurpose solution, rinsing SCLs with water, lens storage case older than 6 months, previous ''red eye'' event, use of ocular drops in the past week, and illness during the past week. CONCLUSIONS. This pilot study demonstrated feasibility of enrolling a representative pool of SCL wearers with an untreated, symptomatic CIE and assessing CIE risk factors by using standardized methods. A larger sample size is needed to determine relationships between patient-reported behaviors and exposures, microbial bioburden, and CIE development. Keywords: adverse events, contact lenses, corneal infiltrative events, microbial culturing A recent report from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) called to light the substantial burden associated with contact lens-related complications. 1 The CDC report estimated that contact lens-related keratitis results in nearly 1 million doctor visits each year and carries an associated cost of $175 million. 1 This estimate does not include the additional ''costs'' to the patient such as pain or discomfort, missed school or work, and potential for permanent loss of vision. Approximately 37 million people in the United States currently wear contact lenses and, due to the increasing prevalence of myopia, more and younger patients are expected to begin wearing contact lenses to aid in its management

Design and implementation of the canadian kidney disease cohort study (CKDCS): A prospective observational study of incident hemodialysis patients

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Many nephrology observational studies use renal registries, which have well known limitations. The Canadian Kidney Disease Cohort Study (CKDCS) is a large prospective observational study of patients commencing hemodialysis in five Canadian centers. This study focuses on delineating potentially reversible determinants of adverse outcomes that occur in patients receiving dialysis for end-stage renal disease (ESRD).</p> <p>Methods/Design</p> <p>The CKDCS collects information on risk factors and outcomes, and stores specimens (blood, dialysate, hair and fingernails) at baseline and in long-term follow-up. Such specimens will permit measurements of biochemical markers, proteomic and genetic parameters (proteins and DNA) not measured in routine care. To avoid selection bias, all consenting incident hemodialysis patients at participating centers are enrolled, the large sample size (target of 1500 patients), large number of exposures, and high event rates will permit the exploration of multiple potential research questions.</p> <p>Preliminary Results</p> <p>Data on the baseline characteristics from the first 1074 subjects showed that the average age of patients was 62 (range; 50-73) years. The leading cause of ESRD was diabetic nephropathy (41.9%), and the majority of the patients were white (80.0%). Only 18.7% of the subjects received dialysis in a satellite unit, and over 80% lived within a 50 km radius of the nearest nephrologist's practice.</p> <p>Discussion</p> <p>The prospective design, detailed clinical information, and stored biological specimens provide a wealth of information with potential to greatly enhance our understanding of risk factors for adverse outcomes in dialysis patients. The scientific value of the stored patient tissue will grow as new genetic and biochemical markers are discovered in the future.</p

TXS 0506+056 with Updated IceCube Data

Past results from the IceCube Collaboration have suggested that the blazar TXS 0506+056 is a potential source of astrophysical neutrinos. However, in the years since there have been numerous updates to event processing and reconstruction, as well as improvements to the statistical methods used to search for astrophysical neutrino sources. These improvements in combination with additional years of data have resulted in the identification of NGC 1068 as a second neutrino source candidate. This talk will re-examine time-dependent neutrino emission from TXS 0506+056 using the most recent northern-sky data sample that was used in the analysis of NGC 1068. The results of using this updated data sample to obtain a significance and flux fit for the 2014 TXS 0506+056 "untriggered" neutrino flare are reported