Estimating marginal treatment effects from observational studies and indirect treatment comparisons: When are standardization-based methods preferable to those based on propensity score weighting?

In light of newly developed standardization methods, we evaluate, via simulation study, how propensity score weighting and standardization -based approaches compare for obtaining estimates of the marginal odds ratio and the marginal hazard ratio. Specifically, we consider how the two approaches compare in two different scenarios: (1) in a single observational study, and (2) in an anchored indirect treatment comparison (ITC) of randomized controlled trials. We present the material in such a way so that the matching-adjusted indirect comparison (MAIC) and the (novel) simulated treatment comparison (STC) methods in the ITC setting may be viewed as analogous to the propensity score weighting and standardization methods in the single observational study setting. Our results suggest that current recommendations for conducting ITCs can be improved and underscore the importance of adjusting for purely prognostic factors.Comment: 33 page

Texts on Repeat: Examining the Persistence of Assigned Course Materials

Many academic libraries’ collection development policies have discouraged the acquisition of assigned textbooks, but recent trends to support textbook affordability, student success, and online learning have caused some library personnel to rethink this approach. Through recent efforts at our library to purchase available e-copies for assigned course textbooks, we became curious about title persistence, or the frequency with which a unique title is assigned across multiple semesters and within a single semester across multiple sections. In this presentation we provide some background and context for our textbook affordability efforts and examine several years of assigned textbook data at Illinois State University for title persistence, prevalence within fields of study, and the relationship between title persistence and specific publishers

On the Same Team: Technical Services and Student Success Tackle Textbook Affordability

During the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, student textbook access and affordability have emerged as areas of focus for academic libraries to support student success. Librarians across departments at a public four-year institution developed a program to leverage campus information about textbook selection to inform library e-book purchases. The resulting eTextbook collection became an invaluable resource for students during the pandemic and created a direct connection between the work of Technical Services and Student Success. This presentation provides an overview of the project, discusses assessment elements, and highlights the vital aspects of collaboration within an academic library for student success

Exploring Faculty Perspectives on Text Selection and Textbook Affordability

This paper reports the results of a pilot project conducted Spring 2021 in which Milner Library licensed 75 assigned texts to 52 courses at Illinois State University. The authors used the pilot as a springboard to explore faculty perspectives on textbook selection, textbook affordability, and the role of the academic library in addressing the rising cost of textbooks. The results highlight the strong, and often deeply personal, beliefs faculty hold about textbook selection and textbook affordability, reveal several obstacles to achieving affordable access to course readings, and demonstrate the willingness of some faculty to partner with librarians and other institutional stakeholders to explore more affordable access to assigned resources

Library-Provided e-Textbooks Boost Student Success: Summer 2021 Campus Report

This report describes the first year of a textbook affordability project by several Milner librarians in which the library purchased electronic copies of assigned textbooks for the Fall 2020 and Spring 2021 semesters. The report provides an overview of the project and includes key findings related to student savings, enhancing equity in access to course materials, implications for student success, and the library\u27s return on investment.https://ir.library.illinoisstate.edu/mlp/1029/thumbnail.jp

Workflow and Timelines for eTextbook Project

This document was created in 2021 as part of a textbook affordability project at Illinois State University’s Milner Library, in which the project team licensed available e-book copies of course textbooks. This modified version of our workflow and timeline has been generalized so library personnel at other institutions might easily adapt it for their own use. This timeline is built in part around when the textbook list for the upcoming semester is made available (at Illinois State University, our Office of the University Registrar makes textbook information publicly available online midway through the previous semester). The timings listed do not account for semester breaks. The target end date for the timeline is one week prior to the start of the semester.https://ir.library.illinoisstate.edu/mlp/1031/thumbnail.jp

Incorporating Student Voices: Assessing Library Collections to Support Student Success

Several studies have noted that students who engage with library collections also demonstrate high indicators of success, but these studies do not frequently highlight student voices in their assessment. Can librarians impact student success through strategic collection development, and if so, how can they measure it? This presentation outlines a project that leveraged quantitative and qualitative methods to study the effect of library-provided course texts on students and their success. In spring 2021, librarians across multiple library units piloted a program to license assigned e-books. The primary goal was to reduce textbook costs and support student success, however, the project team built in additional assessments to better understand the full impact. Student and faculty participants were separately invited to share their feedback through both surveys and focus groups, which featured questions about their perceived benefits, challenges, and preferences for using the library-provided e-books in place of a traditional textbook. Usage statistics provided insight into how students used the e-books compared to other library-licensed e-books purchased in the same period. Both the qualitative and quantitative data provide evidence to support the expansion of this project moving forward. This poster shares results from our assessments and provides ideas for participants trying to draw a connection between their library collections and student success

Supporting an Inclusive and Equitable Classroom: Student Perspectives on a Textbook Affordability Initiative

As academic librarians become aware of the challenges expensive textbooks pose to student success, they increasingly collaborate to provide zero-cost access to required course materials. Librarians at Illinois State University initiated a program to license e-books assigned in courses, surveying students and faculty in participating courses regarding their perspectives on textbook affordability and their experiences with the provided e-books. Student participants reported overwhelmingly positive responses and identified several ways in which the e-books enhanced their experience in the course. The findings suggest that providing assigned materials as e-books contributes to students’ engagement as learners and their academic success within courses

Near-Field Electrospinning of a Polymer/Bioactive Glass Composite to Fabricate 3D Biomimetic Structures

Bioactive glasses have recently gained attention in tissue engineering and three-dimensional (3D) bioprinting because of their ability to enhance angiogenesis. Some challenges for developing biological tissues with bioactive glasses include incorporation of glass particles and achieving a 3D architecture mimicking natural tissues. In this study, we investigate the fabrication of scaffolds with a polymer/bioactive glass composite using near-field electrospinning (NFES). An overall controlled 3D scaffold with pores, containing random fibers, is created and aimed to provide superior cell proliferation. Highly angiogenic borate bioactive glass (13-93B3) in 20 wt.% is added to polycaprolactone (PCL) to fabricate scaffolds using the NFES technique. Scaffolds measuring 5 mm x 5 mm x 0.2 mm 3 in overall dimensions were seeded with human adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells to investigate the cell viability. The cell viability on PCL and PCL+glass scaffolds fabricated using NFES technique and 3D printing is compared and discussed. The results indicated higher cell proliferation on 3D biomimetic scaffolds fabricated by NFES technique

Dried fruit and public health – what does the evidence tell us?

A scientific workshop held in the UK explored the potential contribution of traditional dried fruits to public health, identified gaps in the evidence and addressed priorities for research. Presentations considered the categorisation and composition of dried fruits; dried fruit and gastrointestinal health; the polyphenol content of dried fruits and their potential contribution to health; dried fruit and appetite in relation to the psychology of snacking and obesity; dried fruit and dental health including its role as a snack; and conflicts in public health advice for dried fruits. A round table discussion explored the contribution of dried fruit to “five a day” fruit and vegetable intake and fibre intake, whether dried fruits have equivalence with fresh in terms of dietary advice, advice on snacking in relation to dental health and appetite control, informing the public about different types of dried fruits and avoiding consumer confusion, and future research requirements