Breaking the Iron Triangle: The Impact of Information Sufficiency on Project Portfolio Decisions

IT project governance is plagued by an inability to stop projects that ultimately fail, resulting in the loss of scarce resourcesand IT departments unable to generate full value for money invested. This study investigates the impact of the measurementinformation framework on information sufficiency, a key factor in reaching effective decisions. Specifically, this researchaddresses the question “Does a Balanced Scorecard (BSC) measurement information framework provide higher informationsufficiency and greater decision making efficacy than the traditional Quality-Cost-Schedule approach in a project governancecontext?” This question is addressed using a randomized counterbalanced experimental design. Results were encouragingwith significant support for two of the three hypotheses positing improved outcomes from use of the Balanced Scorecardframework

In-house polymerase chain reaction for affordable and sustainable Chlamydia trachomatis detection in Trinidad and Tobago

Objectives: To provide a preliminary assessment of in-house polymerase chain reaction (PCR) as an alternative to the more costly commercial test for detection of asymptomatic infection by Chlamydia trachomatis and to provide much needed demographic data on infection indicators within the Trinidad and Tobago public health care system. Methods: An inexpensive in-house nested-PCR with an Internal Amplification Control was used to detect C. trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae in urine samples collected from 273 apparently healthy, pregnant women from March-September 2004 in Trinidad, West Indies. Demographic information on participants was collected and subjected to statistical analyses. Results: C. trachomatis was detected in 57/273 (21%) samples, of which 5 (2%) were also positive for N. gonorrhoeae. Infection correlated well with certain demographic parameters, with the highest incidence of C. trachomatis infection found among pregnant women that were single or of African descent. Conclusions: Given the lack of commercial tests in Trinidad, in-house PCR is an inexpensive alternative that can be used to detect asymptomatic infections of C. trachomatis and to provide demographic information needed for interventions by the public health care system

A synopsis of the MusiQual feasibility study into the effectiveness of music therapy in palliative care inpatient settings

The research team involved in conducting the MusiQual study – carried out in Belfast, Northern Ireland by Queen’s University Belfast, Every Day Harmony Music Therapy, and Marie Curie Northern Ireland – aimed to ascertain the feasibility of carrying out a larger multicentre trial into the effectiveness of music therapy in improving the quality of life of palliative care inpatients. This synoptic paper summarises a number of publications which resulted from developing and implementing the MusiQual study. Those publications include the main findings paper (Porter et al., 2018) and a number of supplementary publications: a systematic review of the literature (McConnell et al., 2016a), a realist review of the literature (McConnell & Porter, 2016), a critical realist evaluation (Porter et al., 2017a), an outline of the theoretical model which resulted from the realist review of the literature (McConnell & Porter, 2016), and the treatment manual for music therapy in palliative care drafted for use in the potential multicentre trial and recently published (Kirkwood et al., 2019). The purpose of this synopsis is to consolidate information in one single, accessible place in order to advance knowledge in this area of work and support the evidence-informed practice of music therapists and others in this field

Statins and risk of thromboembolism:A meta-regression to disentangle the efficacy-to-effectiveness gap using observational and trial evidence

Background and aims Meta-analyses of randomised controlled trials (RCTs) and observational studies indicate a lower risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE) associated with statin treatment. We aimed to compare the effect of statin therapy in these two settings and to identify and quantify potential factors to explain statin efficacy and effectiveness. Methods and results We electronically searched on December 11th, 2018, articles reporting on first VTE events in RCTs (statin vs placebo) and in observational studies (participants exposed vs non-exposed to statin). We performed Knapp-Hartung random-effect meta-analyses to calculate pooled relative risks (RRs) of VTE events associated with statin treatment, separately for RCTs and observational studies; and estimated the ratio of the relative risk (RRR) comparing RCTs and observational studies using meta-regressions, progressively adjusted for study-level characteristics. Twenty-one RCTs (115,107 participants; 959 events) and 8 observational studies (2,898,096 participants; 19,671 events) were included. Pooled RRs for RCTs and observational studies were 0.82 (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.67–1.00; I2 19.2%) and 0.60 (95% CI: 0.42–0.86; I2 86.3%), respectively. In meta-regressions, the unadjusted RRR indicated a nonsignificant 23% smaller benefit in RCTs (RRR 0.77; 95% CI: 0.52–1.13); accounting for age, sex, geographical region, and duration of follow-up, there was a sensible change of the RRR which resulted 0.30 (95% CI: 0.13–0.68). Conclusion Differences in the characteristics between patients included in RCTs and those in observational studies may account for the differential effect of statins in preventing VTE in the two settings

A psychometric analysis of the Caring Assessment Tool version V

Aim The aim of this study was to examine the factor structure and construct validity of the Caring Assessment Tool version V (CAT‐V) for patients in Australian hospitals. Design Secondary analysis of CAT‐V surveys from the Australian Nursing Outcomes Collaborative (AUSNOC) data set was used. The CAT was originally developed in the United States of America. Methods The 27‐item CAT‐V was administered to patients prior to discharge from eight wards in three Australian hospitals in 2016. The psychometric properties of the CAT were evaluated using item analysis and exploratory factor analyses. Results Item analysis of surveys from 476 participants showed high levels of perceived caring behaviours and actions. Exploratory factor analysis revealed a two‐factor structure consisting of: Nurse-patient communication; and Feeling cared for. The CAT‐V is a reliable and valid instrument for measuring patients\u27 perceptions of the attitudes and actions of nurses in Australia

The association between individual counselling and health behaviour change: the See Kidney Disease (SeeKD) targeted screening programme for chronic kidney disease

Background: Health behaviour change is an important component of management for patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD); however, the optimal method to promote health behaviour change for self-management of CKD is unknown. The See Kidney Disease (SeeKD) targeted screening programme screened Canadians at risk for CKD and promoted health behaviour change through individual counselling and goal setting. Objectives: The objectives of this study are to determine the effectiveness of individual counselling sessions for eliciting behaviour change and to describe participant characteristics associated with behaviour change. Design: This is a cross-sectional, descriptive study. Setting: The study setting is the National SeeKD targeted screening programme. Patients: The participants are all ‘at risk’ patients who were screened for CKD and returned a follow-up health behaviour survey ( n = 1129). Measurements: Health behaviour change was defined as a self-reported change in lifestyle, including dietary changes or medication adherence. Methods: An individual counselling session was provided to participants by allied healthcare professionals to promote health behaviour change. A survey was mailed to all participants at risk of CKD within 2-4 weeks following the screening event to determine if behaviour changes had been initiated. Descriptive statistics were used to describe respondent characteristics and self-reported behaviour change following screening events. Results were stratified by estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) (60 mL/min/1.73 m 2 ). Log binomial regression analysis was used to determine the predictors of behaviour change. Results: Of the 1129 respondents, the majority (89.8 %) reported making a health behaviour change after the screening event. Respondents who were overweight (body mass index [BMI] 25-29.9 kg/m 2 ) or obese (BMi ≥ 30.0 kg/m 2 ) were more likely to report a behaviour change (prevalence rate ratio (PRR) 0.66, 95 % confidence interval (CI) 0.44-0.99 and PRR 0.49, 95 % CI 0.30-0.80, respectively). Further, participants with a prior intent to change their behaviour were more likely to make a behaviour change (PRR 0.58, 95 % CI 0.35-0.96). Results did not vary by eGFR category. Limitations: We are unable to determine the effectiveness of the behaviour change intervention given the lack of a control group. Potential response bias and social desirability bias must also be considered when interpreting the study findings. Conclusions: Individual counselling and goal setting provided at screening events may stimulate behaviour change amongst individuals at risk for CKD. However, further research is required to determine if this behaviour change is sustained and the impact on CKD progression and outcomes

Can online students be fully integrated into residential courses via web conferencing? Lessons learned from two pilot courses at Columbia University -- #OLCAccelerate

ABSTRACT: When online students attend on-campus classes via web conferencing, can they be fully integrated into the classroom community? What challenges does offering two modes of attendance introduce, and how might technology and careful course design offer solutions? This session will offer lessons learned from two pilot courses at Columbia University. EXTENDED ABSTRACT: Institutions that offer both residential and online programs can allow residential students to enroll in online courses; the logistics are relatively simple. However, allowing online students to enroll in residential courses, without requiring them to travel to campus, is more complicated. While this can expand student choices regarding course topics, instructors, and scheduling, as well as build connections between online and residential students, enabling online students to attend residential classes via web conferencing creates challenges. In the literature, in addition to the more common phrasing of telepresence or web conferencing to refer to this type of technology-enhanced communication (Tanaka, Nakanishi, & Ishiguro, 2014; Gleason & Greenhow, 2017), this type of course has also been called gxLearning because the classes are geographically extended (Verhaart & Hagen-Hall, 2012; Day & Verhaart, 2015; Day & Verhaart, 2016), hybrid because the classes include a hybrid blend of on-campus and remote students (Henriksen, Mishra, Greenhow, Cain, & Roseth, 2014), and synchromodal because online and residential students share synchronous sessions via different modes of attendance (Cain, Sawaya, & Bell, 2013; Bell, Sawaya, & Cain, 2014; Bell, Cain, Peterson, & Cheng, 2016; Cain & Bell, 2017). During the workshop, the presenters will share their literature review as a resource for participants who would like to learn more about the research in this area. The bulk of the workshop will focus on sharing lessons learned from planning and teaching two Spring 2018 pilot seminar courses at Columbia University in which online social work students joined residential courses via Zoom web conferencing. The presenters will cover challenges and opportunities when planning residential courses that integrate both online and on-campus students, including: - Logistical concerns that must be addressed prior to the start of the semester, such as student messaging, student registration, classroom setup and technology requirements, and instructor selection and training - Considerations for designing activities and classroom materials that fully engage both online and on-campus students, including during small-group breakout activities, group presentations, and whole-class discussions - Techniques for building one cohesive classroom community, rather than two segregated groups of students - Methods for managing the technology in the physical classroom, or when taking online students along on a field trip off campus The session will include the perspectives of the instructors, TAs, and online students involved in the two pilot courses. Interactivity for the session will include informal hand-raise polls to gauge participants’ experiences and interests around the workshop topic, whole-group discussion questions to give the group the chance to share ideas, pair-share discussions to give participants the chance to consider how they might apply the workshop content to their unique work environments, and time for Q&A. By the end of this workshop, participants should be able to: - Describe the benefits, pedagogical challenges, and logistical concerns that accompany a decision about whether to allow online students who do not live near campus to register for residential courses - Discuss ways to design classroom activities and materials that engage online and residential students with the coursework and with each other as one cohesive classroom community - Share their experiences, tips, concerns, and questions around how to plan, manage, and teach this type of course - Describe the existing literature about this type of course modalit

Genome of Mycoplasma haemofelis, unraveling its strategies for survival and persistence

Mycoplasma haemofelis is a mycoplasmal pathogen (hemoplasma) that attaches to the host's erythrocytes. Distributed worldwide, it has a significant impact on the health of cats causing acute disease and, despite treatment, establishing chronic infection. It might also have a role as a zoonotic agent, especially in immunocompromised patients. Whole genome sequencing and analyses of M. haemofelis strain Ohio2 was undertaken as a step toward understanding its survival and persistence. Metabolic pathways are reduced, relying on the host to supply many of the nutrients and metabolites needed for survival. M. haemofelis must import glucose for ATP generation and ribose derivates for RNA/DNA synthesis. Hypoxanthine, adenine, guanine, uracil and CMP are scavenged from the environment to support purine and pyrimidine synthesis. In addition, nicotinamide, amino acids and any vitamins needed for growth, must be acquired from its environment. The core proteome of M. haemofelis contains an abundance of paralogous gene families, corresponding to 70.6% of all the CDSs. This "paralog pool" is a rich source of different antigenic epitopes that can be varied to elude the host's immune system and establish chronic infection. M. haemofelis also appears to be capable of phase variation, which is particularly relevant to the cyclic bacteremia and persistence, characteristics of the infection in the cat. The data generated herein should be of great use for understanding the mechanisms of M. haemofelis infection. Further, it will provide new insights into its pathogenicity and clues needed to formulate media to support the in vitro cultivation of M. haemofelis

Childhood cognitive development in 22q11.2 deletion syndrome: case–control study

Background 22q11.2 deletion syndrome (22q11.2DS) is associated with a high risk of childhood as well as adult psychiatric disorders, in particular schizophrenia. Childhood cognitive deterioration in 22q11.2DS has previously been reported, but only in studies lacking a control sample. Aims To compare cognitive trajectories in children with 22q11.2DS and unaffected control siblings. Method A longitudinal study of neurocognitive functioning (IQ, executive function, processing speed and attention) was conducted in children with 22q11.2DS (n = 75, mean age time 1 (T1) 9.9, time 2 (T2) 12.5) and control siblings (n = 33, mean age T1 10.6, T2 13.4). Results Children with 22q11.2DS exhibited deficits in all cognitive domains. However, mean scores did not indicate deterioration. When individual trajectories were examined, some participants showed significant decline over time, but the prevalence was similar for 22q11.2DS and control siblings. Findings are more likely to reflect normal developmental fluctuation than a 22q11.2DS-specific abnormality. Conclusions Childhood cognitive deterioration is not associated with 22q11.2DS. Contrary to previous suggestions, we believe it is premature to recommend repeated monitoring of cognitive function to identifying individual children with 22q11.2DS at high risk of developing schizophrenia