A Systematic Approach to Graduate Writing Groups: Facilitator, First Meeting, and Feedback Structure

Scholarship on writing groups has long documented the benefits that grow from writers meeting regularly to share feedback, gain accountability, and encourage one another. However, some groups flounder and some flourish, and little research exists on the reasons for such failures or successes. This leaves few resources for writing group facilitators attempting to create bonds among group members, keep members on task, create accountability, counter absenteeism, and the like. The present article explains how the author, a graduate writing group facilitator struggling with these issues, drew from survey data taken from group participants and interviews with facilitators to create a systematic approach to writing group facilitation in order to improve group functioning. This new approach revealed three main factors upon which graduate groups’ success hinges: 1) the role of the group’s facilitator 2) the group’s first meeting, and 3) the group’s workshopping/feedback structure. All three factors are explored and recommendations are given for improving in each area.University Writing Cente

Writing Groups: An Analysis of Participants’ Expectations and Activities

Writing groups are a valuable way for writers to improve their writing, receive feedback, gain accountability, and increase their motivation. However, groups are only beneficial if participants decide to join one, stay in it, and are satisfied with the outcome. Much of what guides these decisions is based on what participants initially expect from a group. Little is known about what potential writing group members believe they will do in a group. The current study offers data about writing group expectations and satisfaction rates gathered from surveys and interviews with writing group participants. Findings suggest that expected writing group activities fell into four separate categories: skill-based, draft-based, timebased, and emotion-based activities. Recommendations for writing groups are offered based on these trends.University Writing Cente

The importance of ‘goodness of fit’ between organizational culture and climate in the management of change: a case study in the development of online learning

This paper explores the nexus between organizational culture and organizational climate in the management of change by presenting a case study wherein an Australian regional university is currently undertaking the development of online courses. Important consideration is given to the complementary roles of culture and climate in managing organizational change. The single most important determinant of success is strong, committed senior management whose task is to articulate the organization's new vision and the manner in which it reshapes the organization's culture. At another level the climate of the organization as reflected in the systems that facilitate people's work (including policies, procedures, rewards and communication) must mesh with the new culture if organizational change is to proceed smoothly. This paper discusses the interactive nature of these two powerful organizational variables. The case study draws on the experiences of a school of academics acting as developers and deliverers of online initiatives and a number of concerns are raised that threaten the goodness of fit between the culture and climate of the organization. Policy issues requisite to the successful delivery of online courses are identified and discussed. The most contentious issue revolves around the question of ownership. Many academics, accustomed to exercising autonomy with respect to determining appropriate learning strategies, openly resisted the role the Information Technology department of the university assumed in making decisions that are often seen as having pedagogical overtones. To the extent that transactional issues such as these detract from the climate of the organization, they prevent academics from performing to their full potential. It is concluded that the climate of the organization, if properly managed, contributes to an enduring organizational culture which in turn is better able to deal with the inevitability of change and face the challenges that initiatives such as online education bring

The ICD in heart failure - time for a rethink?

No abstract available

Effect of sacubitril/valsartan on recurrent events in the prospective comparison of ARNI with ACEI to determine impact on global mortality and morbidity in heart failure trial (PARADIGM-HF)

Aims: Recurrent hospitalizations are a major part of the disease burden in heart failure (HF), but conventional analyses consider only the first event. We compared the effect of sacubitril/valsartan vs. enalapril on recurrent events, incorporating all HF hospitalizations and cardiovascular (CV) deaths in PARADIGM-HF, using a variety of statistical approaches advocated for this type of analysis. Methods and results: In PARADIGM-HF, a total of 8399 patients were randomized and followed for a median of 27 months. We applied various recurrent event analyses, including a negative binomial model, the Wei, Lin and Weissfeld (WLW), and Lin, Wei, Ying and Yang (LWYY) methods, and a joint frailty model, all adjusted for treatment and region. Among a total of 3181 primary endpoint events (including 1251 CV deaths) during the trial, only 2031 (63.8%) were first events (836 CV deaths). Among a total of 1195 patients with at least one HF hospitalization, 410 (34%) had at least one further HF hospitalization. Sacubitril/valsartan compared with enalapril reduced the risk of recurrent HF hospitalization using the negative binomial model [rate ratio (RR) 0.77, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.67–0.89], the WLW method [hazard ratio (HR) 0.79, 95% CI 0.71–0.89], the LWYY method (RR 0.78, 95% CI 0.68–0.90), and the joint frailty model (HR 0.75, 95% CI 0.66–0.86) (all P < 0.001). The effect of sacubitril/valsartan vs. enalapril on recurrent HF hospitalizations/CV death was similar. Conclusions: In PARADIGM-HF, approximately one third of patients with a primary endpoint (time-to-first) experienced a further event. Compared with enalapril, sacubitril/valsartan reduced both first and recurrent events. The treatment effect size was similar, regardless of the statistical approach applied

Determinants of the Closing Probability of Residential Mortgage Applications

After allowing applicants to "lock" the interest rate, mortgage originators are concerned with protecting themselves from adverse outcomes due to interest-rate changes. One may expect applicants would strive to close applications when rates rose, while letting themselves fall out when rates decline. Our results show that applicant response to interest-rate changes and volatility are modest. The most important predictor of closing probability is the length of the lock period, with shorter locks being more likely to close. Applications for single-family are more likely to close than are those for multiunit dwellings. Applications for owner-occupied properties are more likely to close than are those for investment properties. Applicant characteristics such as loan affordability, education and age have a small influence on closing rate. Gender has an effect for some loan programs, and marital status appears to be irrelevant. Discount points affect refinance mortgages more than purchase mortgages. Conventional applications are more likely to close than FHA and VA, and applications for refinance, in general, are less likely to close. Results are mixed for ARM and fifteen-year applications, as well as for whether it was the original application, or a relock.

Three legged walking mobile platform: Kinematic and dynamic analysis and simulation

The three legged walker is proposed as a mobile work platform for numerous tasks associated with lunar base site preparation and construction. It is seen as one of several forms of surface transportation, each of which will be best suited for its respective tasks. Utilizing the principle of dynamic stability and taking advantage of the Moon's gravity, it appears to be capable of walking in any radial direction and rotating about a point. Typical curved path walking could involve some combination of the radial and rotational movements. Comprised mainly of a body, six actuators, and six moving parts, it is mechanically quite simple. Each leg connects to the body at a hip joint and has a femur, a knee joint, and a tibia that terminates at a foot. Also capable of enabling or enhancing the dexterity of a series of implements, the walker concept provides a mechanically simple and weight efficient means of drilling, digging, mining, and transporting cargo, and performing other like tasks. A proof of principle machine demonstrated the feasibility of the walking concept

Do patients with suspected heart failure and preserved left ventricular systolic function suffer from "diastolic heart failure" or from misdiagnosis? A prospective descriptive study

OBJECTIVES: To characterise the clinical features of patients with suspected heart failure but preserved left ventricular systolic function to determine if they have other potential causes for their symptoms rather than being diagnosed with 'diastolic heart failure.' DESIGN: Prospective descriptive study. SETTING: Outpatient based direct access echocardiography service. PARTICIPANTS: 159 consecutive patients with suspected heart failure referred by general practitioners. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Symptoms (including shortness of breath, ankle oedema, and paroxysmal nocturnal dyspnoea) and history of coronary heart disease and chronic pulmonary disease. Transthoracic echocardiography, body mass index, pulmonary function tests, and electrocardiography. RESULTS: 109 of 159 participants had suspected heart failure in the absence of left ventricular systolic dysfunction, valvular heart disease, or atrial fibrillation. Of these 109, 40 were either obese or very obese, 54 had a reduction in forced expiratory volume in 1 second to </=70%, and 97 had a peak expiratory flow rate </=70% of normal. Thirty one patients had a history of angina, 12 had had a myocardial infarction, and seven had undergone a coronary artery bypass graft. Only seven patients lacked a recognised explanation for their symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: For most patients with a diagnosis of heart failure but preserved left ventricular systolic function there is an alternative explanation for their symptoms-for example, obesity, lung disease, and myocardial ischaemia-and the diagnosis of diastolic heart failure is rarely needed. These alternative diagnoses should be rigorously sought and managed accordingly