Journal articles on the topic 'Newcastle Public Library (Ont.)'

This paper is based on findings obtained from a qualitative research on the role of public library service in reducing digital inequalities in disadvantaged neighbourhoods in Newcastle upon Tyne. Semi-structured interviews with four libraries’ staff members, direct observation during ordinary activities and events organised by libraries aimed to explore both the role played by public libraries in reducing digital inequalities and the current challenges that these actors face to promote digital and social equality. On the one hand, it identifies positive impacts produced by the public libraries through digital education and digital infrastructures on disadvantaged neighbourhoods; on the other, it identifies some barriers experienced by public library authorities in providing such services.

Abstract Introduction The objective of this study is review the evidence on the health risks associated with smoking kretek cigarettes compared with not smoking or smoking regular cigarettes. Methods We conducted a systematic literature search in five electronic databases: EMBASE (Ovid), ASSIA, PubMed and Scopus. Since kretek use is largely restricted to Indonesia, we identified additional studies using an online search for grey literature and studies in Indonesian journals and the National Library of Indonesia. We included relevant search terms in English (“kretek” and “clove cigarettes”) and Bahasa (“rokok” and “merokok”). We selected studies which compared any health outcome between smokers of kretek cigarettes and non-smokers or smokers of regular cigarettes. We included studies in any smokers compared to non-smokers in Indonesia, since most Indonesian smokers use kretek, but analysed these separately. Study data were extracted by a single reviewer and checked by two reviewers. Methodological quality was assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa scale. Results We identified 32 studies, all from Indonesia. There were 31 cross-sectional studies and one case control study. This systematic review identified a relatively limited number of studies, and most of these were of poor quality as assessed by the Newcastle Ottawa score. They were generally cross-sectional, small and lacking justification for sample size, had high potential for selection bias because of lack of data on non-respondents or those lost to follow up, and missing information about the statistical analysis. Fourteen studies looked specifically at kretek exposure and eighteen looked at any type of cigarette exposure but were conducted in Indonesia are therefore likely to predominantly reflect kretek exposure. Kretek were found to be associated with oral cancer, cardiovascular disease, chronic health disease, myocardial infarction, asthma, and oral diseases. Conclusions Although existing studies are of poor quality, kretek are likely to be at least as harmful as regular cigarettes.

Abstract Background Wood dust has been confirmed as one kind of human carcinogen. However, there are inconsistent study results of exploring the relationship of exposure to wood dust and occurrence of nasopharyngeal cancer (NPC). For a greater clarification, the authors systemically reviewed the relevant published articles on the relationship of exposure to wood dust and occurrence of NPC. And meta-analysis was conducted. Methods The databases of PubMed, U.S. National Library of Medicine (MEDLINE), Embase and Science Direct were searched for the relevant publications. And Newcastle-Ottawa scale was employed for judging the quality of articles. Random-effect model was utilized for meta-analysis. Results Among a total of 583 retrieved items, 10 case–control studies and 1 cohort study were selected. The ratio of maximal/minimal exposure concentration of wood dust yielded a pooled odd ratio (OR) of 2.18 (95% CI = 1.62–2.93, P = 0.063) with a moderate heterogeneity (I2: 43.0%; P = 0.001). And subgroup analysis was performed for such factors as exposure status, exposure population and geographic region. No publishing bias was noted. Exposing to a high concentration of wood dust was positively proportional to occurring risk of NPC. Conclusion It hints at the contributing effect of wood dust upon NPC. For eliminating the effects of other confounding factors, larger prospective cohort studies are required for further elucidating the relationship of exposure to wood dust and occurrence of NPC.

On a assisté au cours de la dernière décennie à une vague de constructions de bibliothèques parmi lesquelles la Bibliothèque nationale de France, la British Library et la San Francisco Public Library ont particulièrement retenu l’attention en raison de leur taille et de leurs ambitions. La bibliothèque d’Alexandrie renaît sous une forme moderne et, tout près, Vancouver a récemment inauguré un nouvel édifice. Winnipeg et Montréal feront de même bientôt. La construction et le fonctionnement de projets d’une telle ampleur nécessitent des efforts et des investissements tels qu’on peut se poser de sérieuses questions quant à la viabilité de la réalisation de ces mégaprojets. Le texte qui suit va tenter d’apporter des éléments de réponse à la question qui semble revenir le plus fréquemment : « En a-t-on réellement besoin ? ». Le problème de l’importance ou de l’utilité de grands ouvrages pour loger les bibliothèques publiques comporte trois volets. D’entrée de jeu, on peut se demander s’il est justifié, à l’ère du numérique et au moment où l’on a accès de chez soi à un volume toujours croissant d’information, de construire de nouveaux édifices. Les bibliothèques ont-elles fait leur temps et ne devraient-elles pas être considérées comme des musées pour les lecteurs intéressés aux vieilles et poussiéreuses curiosités littéraires ? Deuxièmement, quels avantages y a-t-il à construire du neuf ? Ne serait-il pas plus pratique d’utiliser les établissements déjà existants ? Enfin, en quoi l’architecture de la bibliothèque est-elle si importante ? A-t-on besoin d’autre chose que d’un bâtiment pour abriter les collections et les services idoines ? Dans le cas des projets identifiés plus haut, on a fait de grands efforts de publicité sur le concept et l’allure des nouveaux édifices grâce à des concours d’architecture et à la présentation électronique des maquettes et de l’aménagement. Ne serait-ce pas faire preuve de trop de munificence, à une époque de restrictions budgétaires, que d’allouer tant de ressources à des visées aussi secondaires que celles d’attirer les regards ?

AbstractObjectiveTo investigate whether maternal/caregiver’s age, infant age (0–6 months) and discarding colostrum affects timely initiation of breast-feeding (TIBF) and exclusive breast-feeding (EBF) in Ethiopia.DesignA systematic search of PubMed, SCOPUS, EMBASE, CINHAL, Web of Science and WHO Global Health Library electronic databases was done for all articles published in English from 2000 to January 2018. Two reviewers independently screened, extracted and graded the quality of studies using Newcastle–Ottawa Scale. A weighted inverse-variance random-effects model meta-analysis, cumulative meta-analysis and mixed-effects meta-regression analysis were done.SettingAll observational studies conducted in Ethiopia.ParticipantsMothers of children aged less than 2 years.ResultA total of forty articles (fourteen studies on TIBF and twenty-six on EBF) were included. TIBF was associated with colostrum discarding (OR=0·38; 95 % CI 0·21, 0·68) but not with maternal/caregiver’s age (OR=0·98; 95 % CI 0·83, 1·15). In addition, colostrum discarding (OR=0·53; 95 % CI 0·36, 0·78) and infant age (OR=1·77; 95 % CI 1·38, 2·27) were significantly associated with EBF but not maternal/caregiver’s age (OR=1·09; 95 % CI 0·84, 1·41).ConclusionsThere was no association between maternal/caregiver’s age and breast-feeding practice (EBF and TIBF). Colostrum discarding was associated with both EBF and TIBF. This evidence could be helpful to counsel all mothers of reproductive age and who discard colostrum.

The level of patient satisfaction is a direct or indirect measure of services delivered in healthcare institutions. Different primary studies in Ethiopia showed the proportion of satisfied patients toward health services. Patient satisfaction reflects a wide gap between the current experience and the expected services and pushes clients to go to farther located health care facilities and even to more expensive private health care facilities to find quality healthcare services. Inconsistent findings regarding the proportion of patients that are satisfied with the healthcare services in Ethiopia make generalizations difficult at the national level. We have accessed previous studies through an electronic web-based search strategy using PubMed, Cochrane Library, Google Scholar, Embase, and CINAHL and a combination of search terms. The quality of each included article was assessed using a modified version of the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale for cross-sectional studies. All statistical analyses were done using STATA version 14 software for windows, and meta-analysis was carried out using a random-effects method. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guideline was followed for reporting results. Out of 188 records screened, 41 studies with 17 176 participants fulfilled the inclusion criteria and were included for proportion estimation. The pooled proportion of satisfied patients was 63.7%. Attending a health center (AOR = 2.68; 95% CI = 1.79, 2.85), being literate (AOR = 0.46; 95% CI = 0.28-0.64), being younger than 34 years old (AOR = 2.07; 95% CI = 1.28, 2.85), and being divorced (AOR = 0.58; 95% CI = 0.38, 0.88) were factors identified as being associated with patient satisfaction. The proportion of patient satisfaction in Ethiopia was high based on over 50% satisfaction scale. The Ministry of Health should give more emphasis to improve hospital health care services to further improve patient satisfaction.

Background: The burden and impact of premenstrual syndrome (PMS) and premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) is not well characterised among Indian population. Therefore, we conducted this systematic review and meta-analysis to estimate the prevalence of PMS and PMDD among females of reproductive age group living in India. Methods: We searched PubMed, Cochrane Library, Scopus and IndMed for studies reporting the prevalence of PMS and/ or PMDD from any part of India, published from 2000 up to Aug 2020. We performed random-effects meta-analyses evaluated using I2 statistic, subgroup analyses, sensitivity analyses and assessed study quality. Estimated prevalence along with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were reported for each outcome of interest. The quality of each study was evaluated using modified Newcastle Ottawa Scale (NOS). This review was conducted following the standard of Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) and Meta-Analysis of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (MOOSE) guidelines. The protocol was registered prospectively in PROSPERO (CRD42020199787). Results: Our search identified 524 citations in total, of which 25 studies (22 reported PMS, and 11 reported PMDD) with 8542 participants were finally included. The pooled prevalence of PMS and PMDD were 43% (95% CI: 0.35-0.50) and 8% (95% CI: 0.60-0.10) respectively. The estimated prevalence of PMS in adolescence was higher and account to be 49.6% (95% CI: 0.40-0.59). The heterogeneity for all the estimates was very high and could be explained through several factors involved within and between studies. Conclusion: This study identified a substantially high prevalence of PMS and PMDD in India. To identify potentially related factors, more focused epidemiological research is warranted. However, noticing the fact of significant prevalence and its potential impact on the population, stakeholders and policymakers need to address this problem at the community and individual level.

Background: With ageing world populations, multimorbidity (presence of two or more chronic diseases in the same individual) becomes a major concern in public health. Although multimorbidity is associated with age, its prevalence varies. This systematic review aimed to summarise and meta-analyse the prevalence of multimorbidity in high, low- and middle-income countries (HICs and LMICs). Methods: Studies were identified by searching electronic databases (Medline, Embase, PsycINFO, Global Health, Web of Science and Cochrane Library). The term ‘multimorbidity’ and its various spellings were used, alongside ‘prevalence’ or ‘epidemiology’. Quality assessment employed the Newcastle-Ottawa scale. Overall and stratified analyses according to multimorbidity operational definitions, HICs/LMICs status, gender and age were performed. A random-effects model for meta-analysis was used. Results: Seventy community-based studies (conducted in 18 HICs and 31 LMICs) were included in the final sample. Sample sizes ranged from 264 to 162,464. The overall pooled prevalence of multimorbidity was 33.1% (95% confidence interval (CI): 30.0–36.3%). There was a considerable difference in the pooled estimates between HICs and LMICs, with prevalence being 37.9% (95% CI: 32.5–43.4%) and 29.7% (26.4–33.0%), respectively. Heterogeneity across studies was high for both overall and stratified analyses ( I 2 > 99%). A sensitivity analysis showed that none of the reviewed studies skewed the overall pooled estimates. Conclusion: A large proportion of the global population, especially those aged 65+, is affected by multimorbidity. To allow accurate estimations of disease burden, and effective disease management and resources distribution, a standardised operationalisation of multimorbidity is needed.

IntroductionPrimary biliary cholangitis (CBP) is a rare autoimmune cholestatic liver disease, inflammation and progressive destruction of small and medium-sized interlobular ducts, progressing to fibrosis, cirrhosis, and death. Currently, the Brazilian public health system (SUS) offers treatment of the symptoms of cirrhosis, and has no medication with indication for CBP.MethodsScientific technical opinion with systematic review (SR) of available evidence in the databases MEDLINE (Pubmed), LILACS and Cochrane Library (accessed July 2017) on ursodeoxycholic acid (AUDC). Methodological quality was evaluated with AMSTAR and Newcastle Ottawa tools. Meta-analyses were performed in Review Manager® 5.2 in the random effects model. Analysis of the budget impact calculation deterministic model, from the perspective of five years for the SUS.ResultsTen SRs and three cohorts were included. There was no statistically significant difference between AUDC and placebo in outcome. Overall survival was significantly (P <0.001) higher in the AUDC group compared to that predicted by the Mayo model or placebo. Treatment with UCD showed an increase in the long-term transplant-free survival time from the fifth year of treatment, with statistically significant results for years five, eight and ten (p <0.01). There were no statistically significant differences for safety outcomes. Based on the assumptions adopted, the incremental budgetary impact with the incorporation of the AUDC into SUS would be BRL 11.77 million (EUR 2.68 million) in the first year and BRL 98.52 million (EUR 22.45 million) in the accumulated five years, considering a market share of 10 percent per year.ConclusionsDespite the uncertainties in the evidence of effectiveness of the AUDC and the probably underestimated budgetary impact, AUDC was incorporated into the SUS because it is the only alternative with indication for CBP and in use for more than two decades, allowing everyone access to the medicine

BackgroundEarly onset neonatal sepsis (EOS) accounts for a significant portion of neonatal mortality, which accounts for 46% of global under five child mortality.ObjectiveThis systematic review studies the bacterial aetiology of EOS in the Middle East, susceptibility patterns to recommended empirical antibiotic therapy and whether this differs between high-income and middle-income countries in the region.MethodsArticles were collected from Medline, Web of Science, the Cochrane Library and Index Medicus for the Eastern Mediterranean Region. The articles included in our systematic review met the following criteria: published after January 2000, data relevant to the Middle East, data specific for early onset sepsis, no language restriction. Data on aetiology and susceptibility were extracted from prospective and retrospective studies. Risk of bias was assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. This study focused on EOS but does include data regarding neonatal late-onset sepsis antibiotic susceptibility. The data regarding coagulase-negative Staphylococcus species were excluded from final analysis, as possible contaminants. The protocol for this systematic review was registered on PROSPERO: CRD42017060662.Results33 articles from 10 countries were included in the analysis. There were 2215 cases of culture-positive EOS, excluding coagulase-negative Staphylococcus. In middle-income countries, Klebsiella species (26%), Staphylococcus aureus (17%) and Escherichia coli (16%) were the most common pathogens, in contrast to group B Streptococcus (26%), E. coli (24%) and Klebsiella (9%) in high-income countries. Overall susceptibility to ampicillin/gentamicin and third-generation cephalosporin were 40% and 37%, respectively, in middle-income countries versus 93% and 91%, respectively, in high-income countries.ConclusionsEOS in middle-income countries was more likely to be due to Gram-negative pathogens and less likely to be susceptible to empirical antibiotic therapy. This has important public health implications regarding neonatal mortality in the Middle East region.

IntroductionCognitive impairment is the main clinical manifestation of cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD). However, the mechanism and structural damage in different domains of cognitive disorders are poorly understood. There is an urgent need to quantify the relation between diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) data and impaired cognitive testing in CSVD, which may help to find biomarkers for early diagnosis or treatment evaluation. We aim to summarise the understanding of association between DTI findings and domain-specific cognitive impairment.Methods and analysisPubMed, EMBASE, Web of science, Cochrane library, Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure Databases, Wanfang, SinoMed and VIP will be searched, from 1 January 1994 to 1 August 2021. The ClinicalTrials.gov and Chictr.org.cn records will also be searched to identify further potential studies. The included studies should report fractional anisotropy and/or and mean diffusivity/apparent diffusion coefficient data for one or more individual regions of interest in DTI analysis. Meanwhile, cognitive testing scores are also needed. This systematic review will be reported according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses. The quality of cohort or case–control studies will be evaluated by the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale, and the cross-section studies will be evaluated by Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality scale. Meta-analysis, subgroup and sensitivity analyses, and publication bias will be all performed with Stata.Ethics and disseminationPatients and the public will not be involved in this study. The existing data from published studies will be used. The findings from this research will be relevant information regarding the association of DTI metrics with cognitive disorder, which will be published in a peer-reviewed journal. If we need to amend this protocol, we will give the date of each amendment, describe the change and give the rationale. Changes will not be incorporated into the protocol.PROSPERO registration numberCRD42021226133.

Since 2004, the Calgary office of the Geological Survey of Canada has been holding ‘Rock ‘n’ Fossil Road Shows’ at Calgary Public Library branches, in partnership with the Alberta Science Network and the Alberta Palaeontological Society. These now-annual earth science education outreach events have given more than 3700 people of all ages the opportunity to view, examine, and learn about GSC-Calgary’s collection of rocks, minerals, and fossils (including many museum quality pieces), have their own samples and collections identified by experts, and gain a better understanding of local and regional geology. This article describes what goes into organizing these events, reviews their evolution, and discusses reasons for their enduring success. The ‘Road Show’ approach can be viable in a range of settings and may be a good educational outreach option for research institutes with collections of interesting geological specimens and a critical mass of interested staff.RÉSUMÉDepuis 2004, le bureau de Calgary de la Commission géologique du Canada tient des représentations de son spectacle itinérant « Roche et fossiles » dans les succursales de la bibliothèque publique de Calgary, en partenariat avec l’Alberta Science Network et l’Alberta Palaeontological Society. Ces activités de rayonnement en sciences de la Terre, maintenant annuels, ont déjà offert à plus de 3700 personnes de tous âges la possibilité de voir, d'examiner et d'apprendre à partir de la collection de roches, de minéraux et de fossiles de la CGC-Calgary (certaines pièces de qualité muséale), et de voir leurs propres échantillons et collections identifiés par des experts, et ainsi obtenir une meilleure compréhension de la géologie locale et régionale. Le présent article décrit les détails de l'organisation de ces événements, retrace leur évolution et revoit les raisons de leur succès durable. L'approche du « spectacle itinérant » peut être viable dans différents contextes et peut être une bonne option de sensibilisation éducative pour les instituts de recherche disposant de collections de spécimens géologiques intéressants et d’une masse critique d’employés intéressés.

Missing (MP) and functionally uncharacterized proteins (uPE1) comprise less than 5% of the total number of proteins encoded by human Chr18 genes. Within half a year, since the January 2020 version of NextProt, the number of entries in the MP+uPE1 datasets changed, mainly due to the achievements of antibody-based proteomics. Assuming that the proteome is closely related to the transcriptome scaffold, quantitative PCR, Illumina HiSeq, and Oxford Nanopore Technology were applied to characterize the liver samples of three male donors in comparison with the HepG2 cell line. The data mining of the Expression Atlas (EMBL-EBI) and the profiling of biopsy samples by using orthogonal methods of transcriptome analysis have shown that in HepG2 cells and the liver, the genes encoding functionally uncharacterized proteins (uPE1) are expressed as low as for the missing proteins (less than 1 copy per cell), except the selected cases of HSBP1L1, TMEM241, C18orf21, and KLHL14. The initial expectation that uPE1 genes might be expressed at higher levels than MP genes, was compromised by severe discrepancies in our semi-quantitative gene expression data and in public databanks. Such discrepancy forced us to revisit the transcriptome of Chr18, the target of the Russian C-HPP Consortium. Tanglegram of highly expressed genes and further correlation analysis have shown the severe dependencies on the mRNA extraction method and the analytical platform. Targeted gene expression analysis by quantitative PCR (qPCR) and high-throughput transcriptome profiling (Illumina HiSeq and ONT MinION) for the same set of samples from normal liver tissue and HepG2 cells revealed the detectable expression of 250+ (92%) protein-coding genes of Chr18 (at least one method). The expression of slightly more than 50% protein-coding genes was detected simultaneously by all three methods. Correlation analysis of the gene expression profiles showed that the grouping of the datasets depended almost equally on both the type of biological material and the experimental method, particularly cDNA/mRNA isolation and library preparation.

Background The visually impaired have a higher risk of falling and are likely to avoid activity. Objectives To adapt the existing Falls Management Exercise (FaME) programme, which is delivered in the community, for visually impaired older people (VIOP) and to investigate the feasibility of conducting a definitive randomised controlled trial of this adapted intervention. Design Phase I – consultation with stakeholders to adapt the existing programme. Two focus groups were conducted, each with 10 VIOP across the study sites. Phase II – two-centre randomised pilot trial and economic evaluation of the adapted programme for VIOP versus usual care. Phases III and IV – qualitative interviews with VIOP and Postural Stability Instructors regarding their views and experiences of the research process, undertaking the intervention and its acceptability. Intervention This was adapted from the group-based FaME programme. A 1-hour exercise programme ran weekly over 12 weeks at the study sites (Newcastle upon Tyne and Glasgow) and was delivered by third-sector organisations. Participants were advised to also exercise at home for 2 hours per week. Those randomised to the usual activities group received no intervention. Outcome measures These were completed at baseline, week 12 and week 24. The primary potential outcome measure used was the Short Form Falls Efficacy Scale – International. Secondary outcome assessment measures were activity avoidance, current activity, balance/falls risk, physical activity, loneliness, anxiety and depression, work and social adjustment, quality of life and economic costs. Participants’ compliance was assessed by reviewing attendance records and self-reported compliance with the home exercises. Instructors’ compliance with the course content (fidelity) was assessed by a researcher attending a sample of exercise sessions. Adverse events were collected in a weekly telephone call for all participants in both the intervention and control arm. Findings An adapted exercise programme was devised with stakeholders. In the pilot trial, 82 participants drawn from community-living VIOP were screened, 68 met the inclusion criteria and 64 were randomised, with 33 allocated to the intervention and 31 to the usual activities arm. A total of 94% of participants provided data at week 12 and 92% at week 24. Adherence to the study was high. The intervention was found to be both safe and acceptable to participants, with 76% attending nine or more classes. Median time for home exercise was 50 minutes per week. There was little or no evidence that fear of falling, exercise, attitudinal or quality-of-life outcomes differed between trial arms at follow-up. Thematic analysis of the interviews with VIOP participants identified facilitators of and barriers to exercise, including perceived relevance to health, well-being and lifestyle, social interaction, self-perception and practical assistance. Instructors identified issues regarding level of challenge and assistance from a second person. Limitations The small sample size and low falls risk of the study sample are study limitations. Conclusion Although adaptation, recruitment and delivery were successful, the findings (particularly from qualitative research with instructors and participants) indicated that VIOP with low to moderate falls risk could be integrated into mainstream programmes with some adaptations. A future definitive trial should consider graduated exercises appropriate to ability and falls risk within mainstream provision. Other outcome measures may additionally be considered. Trial registration Current Controlled Trials ISRCTN16949845. Funding This project was funded by the NIHR Public Health Research programme and will be published in full in Public Health Research; Vol. 7, No. 4. See the NIHR Journals Library website for further project information.

Background Evidence on the spectrum of risk factors for infection with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) among front-line healthcare workers (HCWs) has not been well-described. While several studies evaluating the risk factors associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection among patient-facing and non-patient-facing front-line HCWs have been reported since the outbreak of the coronavirus disease in 2019 (COVID-19), and several more are still underway. There is, therefore, an immediate need for an ongoing, rigorous systematic review that continuously assesses the risk factors of SARS-CoV-2 infection among front-line HCWs. Objective Here, we outline a protocol to serve as a guideline for conducting a living systematic review and meta-analysis to examine the burden of COVID-19 on front-line HCWs and identify risk factors for SARS-CoV-2 infection in patient-facing and non-patient-facing front-line HCWs. Methods The protocol was developed and reported following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Protocols (PRISMA-P). The conduct of the proposed living systematic review and meta-analysis will primarily follow the principles recommended in the Centre for Reviews and Dissemination (CRD) guidance for undertaking systematic reviews in healthcare, and the Meta-analysis Of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (MOOSE) guidelines. The systematic literature searches will be performed using the EBSCOhost platform by searching the following databases within the platform: Academic search complete, health source: nursing/academic edition, CINAHL with full text, Embase, PubMed, MEDLINE, Science Direct databases, Google Scholar, and; also a search in the China National Knowledge Infrastructure and the World Health Organization library databases for relevant studies will be performed. The searches will include peer-reviewed articles, published in English and Mandarin language irrespective of publication year, evaluating the risk for testing positive for C0VID-19, the risk of developing symptoms associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection, or both, among front-line HCWs. The initial review period will consider articles published since the onset of COVID-19 disease to the present and then updated monthly. Review Manager (RevMan 5.3) will be used to pool the odds ratios or mean differences for individual risk factors where possible. Results will be presented as relative risks and 95% confidence intervals for dichotomous outcomes and mean differences, or standardised mean differences along with 95% confidence intervals, for continuous outcomes. The Newcastle–Ottawa Scale will be used to rate study quality, and the certainty of the evidence will be assessed by using the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluations (GRADE). The results of the living systematic review and meta-analysis will be reported per the PRISMA guidelines. Discussion Though addressing the needs of front-line HCWs during the COVID-19 pandemic is a high priority, data to inform such initiatives are inadequate, particularly data on the risk factor disparities between patient-facing and non-patient-facing front-line HCWs. The proposed living systematic review and meta-analysis anticipate finding relevant studies reporting risk factors driving the SARS-CoV-2 infection rates among patient-facing and non-patient-facing front-line HCWs, thus providing subsidies for public health interventions and occupational health policies. The study results will be disseminated electronically, in print and through conference presentation, and key stakeholder meetings in the form of policy briefs. Trail registration PROSPERO registration number: CRD42020193508 available for public comments via the link below https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?ID=CRD42020193508).

Sickle cell disease is a multisystem disorder associated with severe complications and premature death. To address the morbidity, disability, and mortality of inherited disorders, the implementation of newborn screening programmes are considered pivotal public health service intervention. Due to ethical consideration there are no RCTs that prove the benefits of comprehensive newborn screening (Lees, Davies and Dezateux, 2000). However, many evidences suggested early diagnosis and treatment can improve outcomes and survival of patients (Gaston et al., 1986; King et al., 2007). As such, an economic analysis reviewed many studies, cited that the pre-clinical diagnosis of SCD had twofold cost-effectiveness compared to symptomatic diagnosis (Grosse, Olney and Baily, 2005). The aim of this study was to assess the impact of the newborn screening program on the morbidity and mortality of disease among the children by assembling results from cohort studies. DESIGN AND METHODS The systematic review was performed in accordance with the PRISMA guidelines. Medline, EMBASE, and Cochrane Library were searched for cohort studies that addressed the sickle cell disease morbidity and mortality of the disease among children will consider eligible. The phenomena of interest were mortality, infection, stroke PICO have been translated to keywords and MeSH terms with search limit under 18 years old and date set until July 2020. Two reviewers assessed the quality of included cohort studies individually using Newcastle-Ottawa scale (NOS). Subsequently, the data were extracted in Microsoft Word. In case of disagreement, were settled by discussion. The incidence rates per 100 patient year and 95% confidence intervals were pooled to random-effects meta-analysis using RevMan5.4. Studies' heterogeneity identified by chi-squared test and the I2 statistic. RESULTS Eight studies included that met inclusion criteria two studies were from USA (Quinn et al., 2008 and Gill et al., 1995) , 1 from UK (Telfer et al., 2007), 1 from Belgium(Lê et al., 2010), 1 from Jamaica (King et al 2007), 1 from Africa (Rahimy et al, 2003), 1 from India (Upadhye et al., 2016) and 1 from Brazil (Rezende et al., 2018). The total number of participants in the 8 cohort studies were 2377 SCD patients (mean 297.1 and SE 73.9), that includes patients with the four common SCD genotypes: HbSS, HbSC, Hb Sβ+ and HbSβ0. The median age was 6.5 year (IQR: 4.95), with 9623 total years of follow up. The pooled incidence rate of SCD associated mortality per 100 patient year was 0.65 (95%CI 0.35-0.94; I2= 89%; p &lt; 0.00001). While the infection incidence rate 17.74 (95%CI; 11.57-23.91; I2= 100%; p&lt; 0.00001), Stroke 1.04(95% CI 0.60-1.47; I2= 78%; p&lt; 0.0001), Acute chest syndrome 12.55(95% CI; 7.70-17.41; I2 =97%; p&lt; 0.00001), Acute splenic sequestration crisis 1.95 (95% CI 1.31-2.59; I2= 69%; p=0.003) and Vaso-occlusive crisis 52.45(95% CI 45.67-59.14; I2= 92%; p&lt; 0.00001). DISCUSSION In this systematic review and meta-analysis combining 8 cohort studies, pooled mortality rate was 0.65 per 100 patient-year, similar to (0.64) meta-analysis of 15 studies reported previously (Wastnedge, 2018). Furthermore, our study reported that the total infection rate was 17.7 per 100 patient-year. However, this result of infection cannot be considered a true gold standard and due to the variation in definitions used and other methodological heterogeneity. For example, Africa-based cohort study reported 23.2 per 100 patient-year attacks of malaria and fatal pneumococcal meningitis despite the use of antimalarial prophylaxis and anti-pneumococcal vaccine (Rahimy et al., 2003). Another notable result, Hemoglobin SC cohort study stated that the incidence of infections was, 62.2 episodes (59.8-64.6) per 100 patient-years. They assumed that might be due to higher impaired splenic function in HbSC patients compared to HbSS (Rezende et al., 2018). CONCLUSION This first systematic review and meta-analysis of cohort studies provided evidence supporting the sickle cell newborn screening program. However, still infection and pain episodes are the highest incidence symptoms. Despite children survival increasingly improved, disease burden remains at a peak in developing countries. One limitation of this study is high heterogeneity and this mainly due to countries disparity of included studies and variance in definition of events, particularly infection. Table Disclosures Inusa: Novartis: Honoraria, Other: Steering committee participation, Research Funding, Speakers Bureau; Global Blood Therapeutics: Honoraria, Other: Steering committee participation, Research Funding, Speakers Bureau; Bluebird bio: Research Funding; AstraZeneca: Honoraria, Other: Steering committee participation, Research Funding, Speakers Bureau; Vertex: Research Funding.

Background Quality of life for children and adolescents living with serious parental mental illness can be impaired, but evidence-based interventions to improve it are scarce. Objective Co-production of a child-centred intervention [called Young Simplifying Mental Illness plus Life Enhancement Skills (SMILES)] to improve the health-related quality of life of children and adolescents living with serious parental mental illness, and evaluating its acceptability and feasibility for delivery in NHS and community settings. Design Qualitative and co-production methods informed the development of the intervention (Phase I). A feasibility randomised controlled trial was designed to compare Young SMILES with treatment as usual (Phase II). Semistructured qualitative interviews were used to explore acceptability among children and adolescents living with their parents, who had serious mental illness, and their parents. A mixture of semistructured qualitative interviews and focus group research was used to examine feasibility among Young SMILES facilitators and referrers/non-referrers. Setting Randomisation was conducted after baseline measures were collected by the study co-ordinator, ensuring that the blinding of the statistician and research team was maintained to reduce detection bias. Participants Phase I: 14 children and adolescents living with serious parental mental illness, seven parents and 31 practitioners from social, educational and health-related sectors. Phase II: 40 children and adolescents living with serious parental mental illness, 33 parents, five referrers/non-referrers and 16 Young SMILES facilitators. Intervention Young SMILES was delivered at two sites: (1) Warrington, supported by the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC), and (2) Newcastle, supported by the NHS and Barnardo’s. An eight-session weekly group programme was delivered, with four to six children and adolescents living with serious parental mental illness per age-appropriate group (6–11 and 12–16 years). At week 4, a five-session parallel weekly programme was offered to the parents/carers. Sessions lasted 2 hours each and focused on improving mental health literacy, child–parent communication and children’s problem-solving skills. Main outcome measures Phase ll children and parents completed questionnaires at randomisation and then again at 4 and 6 months post randomisation. Quality of life was self-reported by children and proxy-reported by parents using the Paediatric Quality of Life questionnaire and KIDSCREEN. Semistructured interviews with parents (n = 14) and children (n = 17) who participated in the Young SMILES groups gathered information about their motivation to sign up to the study, their experiences of participating in the group sessions, and their perceived changes in themselves and their family members following intervention. Further interviews with individual referrers (n = 5) gathered information about challenges to recruitment and randomisation. Two focus groups (n = 16) with practitioners who facilitated the intervention explored their views of the format and content of the Young SMILES manual and their suggestions for changes. Results A total of 35 families were recruited: 20 were randomly allocated to Young SMILES group and 15 to treatment as usual. Of those, 28 families [15/20 (75%) in the intervention group and 13/15 (87%) in the control group] gave follow-up data at the primary end point (4 months post baseline). Participating children had high adherence to the intervention and high completion rates of the questionnaires. Children and adolescents living with their parents, who had serious mental illness, and their parents were mainly very positive and enthusiastic about Young SMILES, both of whom invoked the benefits of peer support and insight into parental difficulties. Although facilitators regarded Young SMILES as a meaningful and distinctive intervention having great potential, referrers identified several barriers to referring families to the study. One harm was reported by a parent, which was dealt with by the research team and the NSPCC in accordance with the standard operating procedures. Limitations The findings from our feasibility study are not sufficient to recommend a fully powered trial of Young SMILES in the near future. Although it was feasible to randomise children and adolescents living with serious parental mental illness of different ages to standardised, time-limited groups in both NHS and non-NHS settings, an intervention like Young SMILES is unlikely to address underlying core components of the vulnerability that children and adolescents living with serious parental mental illness express as a population over time. Conclusions Young SMILES was widely valued as unique in filling a recognised gap in need. Outcome measures in future studies of interventions for children and adolescents living with serious parental mental illness are more likely to capture change in individual risk factors for reduced quality of life by considering their unmet need, rather than on an aggregate construct of health-related quality of life overall, which may not reflect these young people’s needs. Future work A public health approach to intervention might be best. Most children and adolescents living with serious parental mental illness remain well most of the time, so, although their absolute risks are low across outcomes (and most will remain resilient most of the time), consistent population estimates find their relative risk to be high compared with unexposed children. A public health approach to intervention needs to be both tailored to the particular needs of children and adolescents living with serious parental mental illness and agile to these needs so that it can respond to fluctuations over time. Trial registration Current Controlled Trials ISRCTN36865046. Funding This project was funded by the National Institute of Health Research (NIHR) Health Technology Assessment programme and will be published in full in Health Technology Assessment; Vol. 24, No. 59. See the NIHR Journals Library website for further project information.

International Standard Bibliographic Description elements were used to evaluate the contents of 16 social cataloguing sites’ records. The heuristics Communication, Identity, and Perception were applied to the sites’ social features. While record content was poor, the social features create a community of interest where people can share their reading interests with one another.Des éléments de la description bibliographique internationale normalisée (ISBD) ont été utilisés pour évaluer le contenu de fiches de 16 sites de catalogage social. Les règles heuristiques Communication, Identité et Perception ont été appliquées aux caractéristiques des sites sociaux. Bien que le contenu des fiches était de mauvaise qualité, les fonctions sociales ont créé une communauté d'intérêt où les gens peuvent partager leurs intérêts de lecture.

This doctoral dissertation research examines the historical development of public library services to newcomers in the context of immigration related policies such as settlement and multiculturalism (1945-2011). The analysis focuses on the ways that immigrants have been constituted in government and library policies and on the nature of services provided to them.Cette thèse de doctorat porte sur le développement des services en bibliothèque publique s’adressant aux nouveaux arrivants dans le contexte de politiques liées à l’immigration, notamment l’établissement et le multiculturalisme (1945-2011). L’analyse porte sur les façons dont les immigrants ont été constitués dans les politiques du gouvernement des bibliothèques et sur la nature des services qui leur étaient offerts.

Boston (BPL) and Los Angeles Public Libraries (LAPL) have dealt with and are still facing, recessionary budget pressures that began in 2007. The level of community support provided and the manner in which it was provided differed. The cases describe the organizational reactions and community support and advocacy.Depuis 2007, les bibliothèques publiques de Boston (BPL) et de Los Angeles (LAPL) ont dû composer et doivent toujours composer avec des pressions budgétaires en raison de la récession. Le niveau d’appui communautaire offert et la façon de l’offrir différent dans les deux villes. Les cas décrivent les réactions organisationnelles, l’appui communautaire et la conscientisation des intervenants.

Taking an actor-network approach, this study explores the social catalogue from the perspectives of the designer, library organization and users. Findings indicate that the library and their users have been enrolled into the vendor's blackbox of design structures and templates and that there has been limited use of social media functions.Au moyen de l’approche acteur–réseau, cette étude explore le catalogue social du point de vue du concepteur, de la bibliothèque et de l’usager. Les résultats montrent que la bibliothèque et ses usagers ont accepté les arguments des fournisseurs en matière de design et de gabarits, mais que l’utilisation des fonctions sociales demeure limitée.

Urban public library systems have been the primary focus of study for community engagement and community-led approaches. Nova Scotia is largely rural and sparsely populated, with a dwindling and aging rural population. This presentation examines how community engagement can connect Nova Scotia’s rural public libraries with their communities. Les systèmes de bibliothèques publiques urbaines ont été le principal objet d’investigation pour l'étude de l'engagement communautaire et des approches à visée communautaire. La Nouvelle-Écosse est essentiellement rurale et peu peuplée, avec une population rurale en déclin et vieillissante. Cet article examine comment l'engagement communautaire peut établir la connexion entre les bibliothèques publiques rurales de la Nouvelle-Écosse et leurs communautés.

“Dismantling our fortress that was the reference desk and our citadel known as the circulation desk” these are some of the steps public libraries are taking in the name of customer service. The purpose of this research is to answer the question: “if the public library blossomed in the era of Fordism, what are the identifying features of the post-Fordest library?Au nom du service à la clientèle, certaines bibliothèques publiques ont entreprise de « démanteler la forteresse que constitue le poste de référence et la citadelle que constitue le bureau de prêt ». L'objectif de cette recherche est de répondre à la question: « Si la bibliothèque publique s'est développée à l'ère du fordisme, quelle sont les caractéristiques distinctives de la bibliothèque post-fordiste? »

Interviews with Canadian children’s public librarians reveal that they believe fiction and non-fiction scatological content has an important place in library collections, that children have an intellectual freedom right to access this material, and that adults have many misconceptions about the role of library collections and the development of juvenile humour.Des entrevues auprès de bibliothécaires jeunesses au Canada révèlent qu’ils croient que le contenu scatologique dans les documents de fiction et de non-fiction a sa place dans les collections en bibliothèque, que les enfants ont un droit intellectuel d’accès à ce type de matériel et que les adultes ont de nombreuses fausses idées quant au rôle des collections en bibliothèque et au développement d’un sens de l’humour juvénile.

Field study discovered some information needs of homeless people visiting public libraries in New York. During summer 2006, reference areas of New York public libraries were observed unobtrusively to track homeless patrons’ use of library resources and services. Findings include the use of resources and services by homeless patrons groups.Une étude de terrain révèle certains besoins informationnels des itinérants visitant les bibliothèques publiques de New York. Pendant l’été 2006, les services de références des bibliothèques publiques de New York ont été observés de manière non obstructive afin de connaître les ressources et les services des bibliothèques utilisés par les itinérants. Les résultats incluent l’utilisation des ressources et des services par les groupes d’usagers itinérants.

Using Weick's sensemaking theory within a KM framework, and storytelling methodology, this study deconstructs a recent public Internet access policy crisis at the Ottawa Public Library (Canada). As the Library's Manager of Virtual Library Services, the author retrospectively enacts the story of how the Library Board and management resolved a public controversy led by the staff and the community newspaper. At issue were the Library staff's right to be protected from viewing Internet pornography, the community's reaction to the issue of protecting children's Internet access, and the Library's commitment to intellectual freedom online. Plausible meanings are presented, the public library's identity and beliefs are reinterpreted, organizational vocabularies are challenged and tacit and cultural knowledge are created and shared.Narration d'entrevue, cette étude décompose une récente politique de crise sur l'accès public à Internet à la bibliothèque publique d'Ottawa (Canada). En tant que gestionnaire du service de bibliothèque numérique, l'auteur relate rétrospectivement comment le Comité de la bibliothèque et les gestionnaires ont solutionné une controverse publique menée par le personnel et la communauté journalistique. Cette controverse concernait le droit du personnel à être protégé contre la visualisation de pornographie sur Internet, la réaction de la communauté au sujet de la protection de l'accès des enfants à Internet, et l’engagement de la bibliothèque envers la liberté intellectuelle virtuelle. Des hypothèses plausibles sont présentées, l'identité et les croyances de la bibliothèque publique sont réinterprétées, les vocabulaires organisationnels sont remis en question et des connaissances tacites et culturelles sont créées et partagées.

The objective of this study is to compare the retrieval effectiveness of using tag as an access point as against subject heading or keyword in a public library OPAC. Thirty queries were searched in Oakville Public Library, and tag retrieved a fewer number of items per query than keyword or subject. However, there was no significant difference in the average precision values.L’objectif de cette étude est de comparer l’efficacité du repérage à l’aide des étiquettes comme point d’accès à celui des vedettes matières ou des mots-clés d’un OPAC de bibliothèque publique. Trente requêtes ont été analysées à la bibliothèque publique d’Oakville et le repérage par étiquette a retourné moins de résultats par requête que les mots-clés ou les vedettes matières. Cependant, aucune différence significative n’a été notée pour les valeurs de précision moyenne.

AbstractEfficient and accurate identification of microorganisms throughout the food chain can potentially allow the identification of sources of contamination and the timely implementation of control measures. High throughput DNA sequencing represents a potential means through which microbial monitoring can be enhanced. While Illumina sequencing platforms are most typically used, newer portable platforms, such as the Oxford Nanopore Technologies (ONT) MinION, offer the potential for rapid analysis of food chain microbiomes. Initial assessment of the ability of rapid MinION-based sequencing to identify microbes within a simple mock metagenomic mixture is performed. Subsequently, we compare the performance of both ONT and Illumina sequencing for environmental monitoring of an active food processing facility. Overall, ONT MinION sequencing provides accurate classification to species level, comparable to Illumina-derived outputs. However, while the MinION-based approach provides a means of easy library preparations and portability, the high concentrations of DNA needed is a limiting factor.

This paper reports a study of information literacy practices in Canadian public libraries. The project explored the actual and potential role of public libraries in developing the public’s information literacy skills, and included a national survey of instruction and visits to public libraries where staff and library customers were interviewed.Cet article présente une étude sur les pratiques de la culture de l’information dans les bibliothèques publiques canadiennes. Le projet a exploré le rôle actuel et potentiel des bibliothèques publiques dans le développement de la compétence en matière de culture de l’information, et inclus un sondage national sur l’enseignement et les visites dans les bibliothèques publiques où le personnel et les usagers des bibliothèques ont été interviewés.

Leisure reading collections were once as integral to academic libraries as they currently are to public libraries. This article examines the results of a partnership between an academic and a public library to provide access to leisure reading materials to a university community through a one-year pilot project. Data were collected using circulation statistics, gate counts, and comment cards in the form of book inserts. During the pilot, gate counts increased by 6%, and 91% of participants indicated that they would continue to use the collection often or sometimes. The pilot was officially adopted as a new service at the end of the one-year trial period. Auparavant, les collections de livres de détente faisaient partie intégrante des bibliothèques académiques tout comme elles font présentement partie des bibliothèques publiques. Cet article présente les résultats d’un partenariat entre une bibliothèque académique et une bibliothèque publique cherchant à donner accès à du matériel de lecture de détente à une communauté universitaire par le biais d’un projet pilote d’un an. Les données ont été recueillies en utilisant des statistiques de prêt, le nombre d’entrées et des commentaires reçus sur des formulaires insérés dans les livres. Durant le projet pilote, le nombre d’entrées a augmenté de 6% et 91% des participants ont indiqué qu’ils continueraient d’utiliser la collection souvent ou à l’occasion. Le projet a été adopté officiellement comme nouveau service suite au pilote d’un an.

This paper reports preliminary results of a survey of 458 US public library staff members regarding their perceptions of drag queen storytimes (DQS) and the ways in which these storytimes influence child development. The majority of respondents from libraries that have hosted at least one DQS agreed that DQS support healthy child development and positively influence children’s understanding of gender and/or sexuality, while respondents from libraries that have not hosted DQS were more likely to disagree or report being undecided. Specific ways in which respondents perceive DQS to influence child development are also analyzed. Cet article présente les résultats préliminaires d'une enquête menée auprès de 458 membres du personnel de la bibliothèque publique concernant leurs perceptions des heures du conte de drag queen (HCDQ) et la manière dont ces heures du conte influencent le développement de l'enfant. La majorité des répondants des bibliothèques qui ont hébergé au moins une HCDQ ont convenu que l'activité soutient le développement sain de l'enfant et influence positivement la compréhension des enfants du genre et/ou de la sexualité, tandis que les répondants des bibliothèques qui n'ont pas hébergé de HCDQ étaient plus susceptibles d'être en désaccord ou de déclarer être indécis. Les manières spécifiques dont les répondants perçoivent l'HCDQ comme influençant le développement de l'enfant sont également analysées.

The purpose of this research was to understand how young people interact with information at a public library makerspace as well as the opportunities and challenges emerged in their participation. Dervin’s Sense-Making theory and methodology were employed in framing the research questions, data collection and analysis. Findings highlighted the informal learning opportunities of a makerspace, challenges that occurred during the making phase, information and help seeking from iterative trial and error as well as interpersonal resources. Implications for information professionals at public library makerspaces are discussed. Le but de cette recherche était de comprendre comment les jeunes interagissent avec l’information dans une bibliothèque publique équipée d’un atelier partagé, ainsi que les opportunités et les défis ayant émergé au cours de leur participation. La théorie et la méthodologie du sense-making de Dervin a été utilisée dans la formulation des questions de recherche, la collecte et l'analyse des données. Les résultats ont mis en évidence les opportunités d’apprentissage informel de l’atelier partagé; les défis ayant surgi lors de l’utilisation de l’atelier; les recherches d’information et d’aide apparues lors des phases d’essais et erreurs itératifs ainsi que des ressources interpersonnelles. Nous discutons les implications des ateliers partagés en bibliotjèques publiques pour les professionnels de l'information.

This paper presents the findings of the community consultation and research conducted as part of the Digital Exhibits Intern Librarian Project at the Edmonton Public Library in 2016. The research project aimed to understand the local context for a new technology service in Edmonton, including the capacity for content creation and partnership among community organizations aligned with the Library’s mission. The study consisted of a survey and a series of semi-structured interviews. Findings include identification of various audiences and topics for digital projects, prioritization of Library and community partner roles in digital project collaborations, and identification of major components of digital exhibits as areas of project management workflows. Cet article présente les résultats d'une recherche et d'une consultation communautaire menées dans le cadre du Digital Exhibits Intern Librarian Project de la bibliothèque publique d'Edmonton en 2016. Ce projet de recherche visait à mieux comprendre le contexte local pour un nouveau service technologique à Edmonton qui comprend la capacité de créer du contenu et d'établir des partenariats avec des organismes communautaires alignés à la mission de la bibliothèque. Un sondage et une série d'entrevues semi-dirigées ont été utilisés lors de cette étude. Les résultats incluent l'identification de divers auditoires et sujets pour des projets numériques, la priorisation des rôles de la bibliothèques et des partenaires communautaires au sein des projets numériques collaboratifs, et l'identification de principales composantes des expositions numériques en tant que déroulement de projet.

Abstract: To support the use of the Diabetes Population Risk Tool (DPoRT) in public health settings, a knowledge brokering (KB) team used and evaluated the Population Health Planning Knowledge-to-Action model. Participants (n = 24) were from four health-related organizations. Data sources included document reviews, surveys, fo-cus groups, interviews, and observational notes. Site-specific data were analyzed and then triangulated across sites using an evaluation matrix. The KB team facilitated DPoRT use through planned and iterative strategies. Outcomes included changes in skill, knowledge, and organizational practices. The Population Health Planning Knowledge-to-Action model and team-based KB strategy supported DPoRT use in public health settings.Résumé: Pour appuyer l’utilisation de l’outil Diabetes Population Risk Tool (DPoRT) dans les milieux de santé publique, une équipe de courtage de connaissances (KB) a utilisé et évalué le modèle Population Health Planning Knowledge-to-Action. Les sources de données comprenaient des documents, des sondages, des groupes de dis-cussion, des entrevues et des notes d’observation. L’équipe de KB a facilité l’utilisation de DPoRT. Les résultats comprenaient les changements dans les compétences, les connaissances et les pratiques organisationnelles. Le modèle Population Health Planning Knowledge-to-Action et la stratégie KB basée sur l’équipe ont appuyé l’utilisation de DPoRT.

BackgroundSeveral observational studies have been conducted to investigate the link between anaemia and adult depression but have shown inconsistent results. This systematic review and meta-analysis was performed to investigate this association.MethodsA comprehensive search of four electronic databases (PubMed, EMBASE, PsycINFO and the Cochrane Library) was conducted to identify relevant papers published up to November 2019 for the systematic review and meta-analysis. The Newcastle-Ottawa Scale was used to assess the methodological quality of selected studies. A random-effects model was used to draw metaestimates of the relationship between anaemia and adult depression.ResultsA total of 9706 papers were retrieved, and 14 observational epidemiological studies (9 case–control studies and 5 prospective cohort studies) comprising 10 764 cases of depression were finally included in this meta-analysis. The mean age of the participants ranged from 38.4 to 75.0 years. A significant association was identified between low haemoglobin levels and adult depression (OR or relative risk 1.43; 95% CI 1.23 to 1.65). Subgroup analyses according to study design, mean age, diagnostic criteria of anaemia, geographical region, number of participants, methodological quality and adjustment for various confounding factors such as education, smoking, comorbid disorders, physical activity, alcohol intake and medication use showed similar results.ConclusionsThe current study showed that anaemia was related to an increased risk of adult depression. One of the important limitations of our study was a moderate degree of heterogeneity due to the variety of assessment tools used to identify depression and the existence of publication bias. Another limitation of this meta-analysis was the lack of prospective cohort studies.

DOI: 10.12685/027.7-3-3-73Die Bücherhallen Hamburg betreiben seit 2013 ein systematisches Ideen- und Innovationsmanagement. Zu diesem Zweck wurde ein Innovationszirkel gegründet, der sich aus Mitgliedern unterschiedlicher Unternehmensbereiche zusammensetzt. Das Gremium bewertet in monatlich stattfindenden Sitzungen Ideen und Vorschläge von Mitarbeiterinnen und Mitarbeitern. Der Arbeitsauftrag lautet, innovative Ideen aus dem gesamten System an einer zentralen Stelle zu sammeln, zu besprechen und zu kanalisieren.Since 2013, a systematic idea and innovation management has been operated at the public library system of Hamburg (Bücherhallen Hamburg). For this purpose, an innovation circle, whose members belong to different business sectors, has been established. In monthly meetings, the panel evaluates ideas and suggestions from employees. Its goal is to collect, discuss, and canalize innovative ideas from the entire system at one central point.Les bibliothèques publiques de la ville de Hambourg (Bücherhallen Hamburg) ont mis en place une gestion systématique des idées et de l’innovation en 2013. Dans ce contexte, un « cercle de l’innovation » a été fondé qui est constitué de représentants de différents secteurs de l’institution. Au cours de réunions mensuelles, ce groupe évalue les idées et propositions venant du personnel. L’objectif fixé est de disposer d’une unité centrale qui rassemble, discute et canalise les idées innovantes générées par l’ensemble de l’institution.

Abstract Background In Ethiopia, there are different pocket studies that assessed adolescent undernutrition which came up with inconsistent and inconclusive findings. Therefore, estimating the pooled prevalence and associated factors of the adolescent undernutrition using meta-analysis is crucial in Ethiopia. Methods A systematic review of eligible articles was conducted using preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analysis (PRISMA) guidelines. A comprehensive searching of the literature was made in Pub Med, Scopus, Google, Google Scholar, Cochrane Library and CINAHL. The quality of the articles included in the review was assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS) for non-randomized studies in meta-analyses. The pooled prevalence and odds ratio of the associated factors with their 95% confidence interval was computed using STATA version 14 software. Results Twenty-two studies were included in the meta-analysis with a total of 17,854 adolescents. Using the random-effects model analysis, the pooled prevalence of stunting and underweight was 20.7% (95% CI: 16.08, 25.33) and 27.5% (95% CI: 17.9, 57.14), respectively. Rural residence, having family size≥5, households with an unprotected water source for drinking and food-insecure household were significant associated factors for adolescent stunting. Early adolescent age (10–14 years), family size≥5, food-insecure household, lack of latrine, WHO diet diversity score < 4, mother educational status (with no formal education) were significant associated factors for adolescent underweight. Conclusion Adolescent undernutrition remains one of the most important public health problems in Ethiopia. Almost a quarter of Ethiopian adolescents were affected by stunting and underweight. Large family size, rural residence and unprotected source of drinking water were the associated factors for adolescent stunting. Similarly, large family size, early age of adolescent, lack of latrine, low dietary diversity score, mother illiteracy, and food insecure household were the associated factors for adolescent underweight. It would be good to give high emphasis on adolescent undernutrition and it is important to address the above mentioned associated factors during adolescent nutritional interventions in Ethiopia.

Abstract Background 1. Despite early revascularization, the mortality of patients with acute myocardial infarction complicated by cardiogenic shock (AMI-CS) remains high. 2. Mechanical circulation support devices (MCS) are widely utilized in clinical due to unloading left ventricle and augmenting cardiac output. 3. Whether left ventricular assist device (LVAD) including TandemHeart and Impella is superior to Intra-aortic balloon pump (IABP) for AMI-CS remains unclear. Aim To investigate the efficacy and safety of LVAD versus IABP for AMI-CS. Methods 1. We searched the relevant literature on PUBMED, EMBASE and Cochrane Library. 2. The primary endpoint was 30-day mortality. The secondary endpoints were in-hospital myocardial infarction (MI), stent thrombosis (ST), stroke, sepsis, major bleeding and limb ischemia. 3. Two investigators performed the studies selection and data extraction independently. 4. The quality of randomized controlled trials and observational studies was assessed by using the Cochrane Collaboration's tool and Newcastle-Ottawa Scale respectively. 5. Results were analyzed by computing pooled risk ratios (RR) with 95% Confidence Intervals (CIs). Results 1. The process of literature search strategy is shown in Figure 1. 2. Main characteristics of the included studies can be seen in Table 1. 3. There was no significant difference in 30-day mortality (RR:0.97, 95% CI:0.80–1.17, P=0.76), in-hospital MI (RR:0.64, 95% CI:0.22–1.85, P=0.41), ST (RR:0.74, 95% CI:0.13–4.12, P=0.73), stroke (RR:1.36, 95% CI:0.37–4.94, P=0.64) and sepsis (RR:1.30, 95% CI:0.54–3.13, P=0.56) between LVAD and IABP group. However, the incidences of in-hospital major bleeding (RR:2.61,95% CI:1.61–4.23, P=0.0001) and limb ischemia (RR:4.91, 95% CI:2.07–11.64, P=0.0003) were significantly higher in LVAD than IABP group. Conclusion LVAD was not associated with reduced 30-day mortality but with increased in-hospital major bleeding and limb ischemia for patients with AMI-CS compared with IABP. Figure 1 Funding Acknowledgement Type of funding source: Public Institution(s). Main funding source(s): National 135 Key Research and Development Program in 2016

Abstract Uterine rupture is a serious public health concern that causes high maternal and perinatal morbidity and mortality in the developing world. Few of the studies conducted in Ethiopia show a high discrepancy in the prevalence of uterine rupture, which ranges between 1.6 and 16.7%. There also lacks a national study on this issue in Ethiopia. This systematic and meta-analysis, therefore, was conducted to assess the prevalence and determinants of uterine rupture in Ethiopia. We followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines for systematic review and meta-analysis of studies. All observational published studies were retrieved using relevant search terms in Google scholar, African Journals Online, CINHAL, HINARI, Science Direct, Cochrane Library, EMBASE and PubMed (Medline) databases. Newcastle–Ottawa assessment checklist for observational studies was used for critical appraisal of the included articles. The meta-analysis was done with STATA version 14 software. The I2 test statistics were used to assess heterogeneity among included studies, and publication bias was assessed using Begg's and Egger's tests. Odds ratio (OR) with a 95% confidence interval (CI) was presented using forest plots. A total of twelve studies were included in this study. The pooled prevalence of uterine rupture was 3.98% (95% CI 3.02, 4.95). The highest (7.82%) and lowest (1.53%) prevalence were identified in Amhara and Southern Nations, Nationality and Peoples Region (SNNPR), respectively. Determinants of uterine rupture were urban residence (OR = 0.15 (95% CI 0.09, 0.23)), primipara (OR = 0.12 (95% CI 0.06, 0.27)), previous cesarean section (OR = 3.23 (95% CI 2.12, 4.92)), obstructed labor(OR = 12.21 (95% CI 6.01, 24.82)), and partograph utilization (OR = 0.12 (95% CI 0.09, 0.17)). Almost one in twenty-five mothers had uterine rupture in Ethiopia. Urban residence, primiparity, previous cesarean section, obstructed labor and partograph utilization were significantly associated with uterine rupture. Therefore, intervention programs should address the identified factors to reduce the prevalence of uterine rupture.

Abstract Background Delay in the diagnosis of Tuberculosis (TB) remains a major challenge against achieving effective TB prevention and control. Though a number of studies with inconsistent findings were conducted in Ethiopia; unavailability of a nationwide study determining the median time of patient delays to TB diagnosis is an important research gap. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the pooled median time of the patient delay to TB diagnosis and its determinants in Ethiopia. Methods We followed PRISMA checklist to present this study. We searched from Google Scholar, PubMed, Science Direct, Web of Science, CINAHL, and Cochrane Library databases for studies. The comprehensive search for relevant studies was done by two of the authors (MA and LY) up to the 10th of October 2019. Risk of bias was assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa scale adapted for observational studies. Data were pooled and a random effect meta-analysis model was fitted to provide the overall median time of patient delay and its determinants in Ethiopia. Furthermore, subgroup analyses were conducted to investigate how the median time of patient delay varies across different groups of studies. Results Twenty-four studies that satisfied the eligibility criteria were included. Our meta-analysis showed that the median time of the patient delay was 24.6 (95%CI: 20.8–28.4) days. Living in rural area (OR: 2.19, 95%CI: 1.51–3.18), and poor knowledge about TB (OR: 2.85, 95%CI: 1.49–5.47) were more likely to lead to prolonged delay. Patients who consult non-formal health providers (OR: 5.08, 95%CI: 1.56–16.59) had a prolonged delay in the diagnosis of TB. Moreover, the narrative review of this study showed that age, educational level, financial burden and distance travel to reach the nearest health facility were significantly associated with a patient delay in the diagnosis of TB. Conclusions In conclusion, patients are delayed more-than three weeks in the diagnosis of TB. Lack of awareness about TB, consulting non-formal health provider, and being in the rural area had increased patient delay to TB diagnosis. Increasing public awareness about TB, particularly in rural and disadvantaged areas could help to early diagnosis of TB.

Three short 18th century Persian language letters in the manuscript collection of the Division of Rare Books and Special Collections, McLennan Library, along with the story of how they came to McGill University, provide a fascinating window on the British Empire and the efforts of imperial subjects to obtain employment. The story begins in Bengal where a rising civil servant, Raja Gobind Ram, at a difficult time in his life, petitions his friend David Anderson for assistance. Gobind Ram achieves success, holding eventually posts of considerable responsibility in nascent British India. When, in the late 19th century, the letters come to Canada, the story introduces a young Scottish entrepreneur and immigrant, J. K. Oswald, and his pursuit of employment—first in the financial world of Montreal and later in public service at the then small settlement of Calgary—during the years when the Canadian Pacific Railway was opening up Western Canada, and Louis Riel was leading the Northwest Rebellion of 1885.ResuméUn coup d’œil fascinant sur l’empire britannique et sur les efforts déployés par ses sujets pour trouver du travail est offert par trois courtes lettres en langue perse datant du 18e siècle et par l’histoire du cheminement par lequel elles sont parvenues à l’Université McGill, où elles résident présentement à la Division des livres rares et des collections spéciales de la Bibliothèque McLennan. L’histoire débute au Bengale, avec la demande d’aide adressée par le fonctionnaire Raja Gobind Ram lors d’un moment difficile de sa vie à son ami David Anderson. Gobind Ram accéda éventuellement à des postes d’importance considérable en Inde à l’aube de l’époque d’administration britannique. Ces lettres sont parvenue au Canada vers la fin du 19e siècle, et c’est à cette étape du récit que nous rencontrons James Kidd Oswald, un jeune entrepreneur et immigrant écossais. Nous le suivons alors qu’il cherche du travail—d’abord dans le monde financier de Montréal, puis à titre de fonctionnaire dans ce qui était alors la petite ville de Calgary—au cours des années qui ont vu la compagnie de chemins de fer Canadian Pacific ouvrir les portes de l’ouest canadien et Louis Riel mener la rébellion de 1885.

IntroductionThe walking tour is an enduring feature of cities. Fuelled by a desire to learn more about the hidden and unknown spaces of the city, the walking tour has moved beyond its historical role as tourist attraction to play a key role in the transformation of urban space through gentrification. Conversely, the walking tour has a counter-history as part of a critical urban praxis. This article reflects on historical examples, as well as our own experience of conducting Field Trip, a critical geographical walking tour through an industrial precinct in Marrickville, a suburb of Sydney that is set to undergo rapid change as a result of high-rise residential apartment construction (Gibson et al.). This precinct, known as Carrington Road, is located on the unceded land of the Cadigal and Wangal people of the Eora nation who call the area Bulanaming.Drawing on a long history of philosophical walking, many contemporary writers (Solnit; Gros; Bendiner-Viani) have described walking as a practice that can open different ways of thinking, observing and being in the world. Some have focused on the value of walking to the study of place (Hall; Philips; Heddon), and have underscored its relationship to established research methods, such as sensory ethnography (Springgay and Truman). The work of Michel de Certeau pays particular attention to the relationship between walking and the city. In particular, the concepts of tactics and strategy have been applied in a variety of ways across cultural studies, cultural geography, and urban studies (Morris). In line with de Certeau’s thinking, we view walking as an example of a tactic – a routine and often unconscious practice that can become a form of creative resistance.In this sense, walking can be a way to engage in and design the city by opposing its structures, or strategies. For example, walking in a city such as Sydney that is designed for cars requires choosing alternative paths, redirecting flows of people and traffic, and creating custom shortcuts. Choosing pedestrianism in Sydney can certainly feel like a form of resistance, and we make the argument that Field Trip – and walking tours more generally – can be a way of doing this collectively, firstly by moving in opposite directions, and secondly, at incongruent speeds to those for whom the scale and style of strategic urban development is inevitable. How such tactical walking relates to the design of cities, however, is less clear. Walking is a generally described in the literature as an individual act, while the design of cities is, at its best participatory, and always involving multiple stakeholders. This reveals a tension between the practice of walking as a détournement or appropriation of urban space, and its relationship to existing built form. Field Trip, as an example of collective walking, is one such appropriation of urban space – one designed to lead to more democratic decision making around the planning and design of cities. Given the anti-democratic, “post-political” nature of contemporary “consultation” processes, this is a seemingly huge task (Legacy et al.; Ruming). We make the argument that Field Trip – and walking tours more generally – can be a form of collective resistance to top-down urban planning.By using an open-source wiki in combination with the Internet Archive, Field Trip also seeks to collectively document and make public the local knowledge generated by walking at the frontier of gentrification. We discuss these digital choices as oppositional practice, and consider the idea of tactical media (Lovink and Garcia; Raley) in order to connect knowledge sharing with the practice of walking.This article is structured in four parts. Firstly, we provide a historical introduction to the relationship between walking tours and gentrification of global cities. Secondly, we examine the significance of walking tours in Sydney and then specifically within Marrickville. Thirdly, we discuss the Field Trip project as a citizen-led walking tour and, finally, elaborate on its role as tactical media project and offer some conclusions.The Walking Tour and Gentrification From the outset, people have been walking the city in their own ways and creating their own systems of navigation, often in spite of the plans of officialdom. The rapid expansion of cities following the Industrial Revolution led to the emergence of “imaginative geographies”, where mediated representations of different urban conditions became a stand-in for lived experience (Steinbrink 219). The urban walking tour as mediated political tactic was utilised as far back as Victorian England, for reasons including the celebration of public works like the sewer system (Garrett), and the “othering” of the working class through upper- and middle-class “slum tourism” in London’s East End (Steinbrink 220). The influence of the Situationist theory of dérive has been immense upon those interested in walking the city, and we borrow from the dérive a desire to report on the under-reported spaces of the city, and to articulate alternative voices within the city in this project. It should be noted, however, that as Field Trip was developed for general public participation, and was organised with institutional support, some aspects of the dérive – particularly its disregard for formal structure – were unable to be incorporated into the project. Our responsibility to the participants of Field Trip, moreover, required the imposition of structure and timetable upon the walk. However, our individual and collective preparation for Field Trip, as well as our collective understanding of the area to be examined, has been heavily informed by psychogeographic methods that focus on quotidian and informal urban practices (Crosby and Searle; Iveson et al).In post-war American cities, walking tours were utilised in the service of gentrification. Many tours were organised by real estate agents with the express purpose of selling devalorised inner-city real estate to urban “pioneers” for renovation, including in Boston’s South End (Tissot) and Brooklyn’s Park Slope, among others (Lees et al 25). These tours focused on a symbolic revalorisation of “slum neighbourhoods” through a focus on “high culture”, with architectural and design heritage featuring prominently. At the same time, urban socio-economic and cultural issues – poverty, homelessness, income disparity, displacement – were downplayed or overlooked. These tours contributed to a climate in which property speculation and displacement through gentrification practices were normalised. To this day, “ghetto tours” operate in minority neighbourhoods in Brooklyn, serving as a beachhead for gentrification.Elsewhere in the world, walking tours are often voyeuristic, featuring “locals” guiding well-meaning tourists through the neighbourhoods of some of the world’s most impoverished communities. Examples include the long runningKlong Toei Private Tour, through “Bangkok’s oldest and largest slum”, or the now-ceased Jakarta Hidden Tours, which took tourists to the riverbanks of Jakarta to see the city’s poorest before they were displaced by gentrification.More recently, all over the world activists have engaged in walking tours to provide their own perspective on urban change, attempting to direct the gentrifier’s gaze inward. Whilst the most confrontational of these might be the Yuppie Gazing Tour of Vancouver’s historically marginalised Downtown Eastside, other tours have highlighted the deleterious effects of gentrification in Williamsburg, San Francisco, Oakland, and Surabaya, among others. In smaller towns, walking tours have been utilised to highlight the erasure of marginalised scenes and subcultures, including underground creative spaces, migrant enclaves, alternative and queer spaces. Walking Sydney, Walking Marrickville In many cities, there are now both walking tours that intend to scaffold urban renewal, and those that resist gentrification with alternative narratives. There are also some that unwittingly do both simultaneously. Marrickville is a historically working-class and migrant suburb with sizeable populations of Greek and Vietnamese migrants (Graham and Connell), as well as a strong history of manufacturing (Castles et al.), which has been undergoing gentrification for some time, with the arts playing an often contradictory role in its transformation (Gibson and Homan). More recently, as the suburb experiences rampant, financialised property development driven by global flows of capital, property developers have organised their own self-guided walking tours, deployed to facilitate the familiarisation of potential purchasers of dwellings with local amenities and ‘character’ in precincts where redevelopment is set to occur. Mirvac, Marrickville’s most active developer, has designed its own self-guided walking tour Hit the Marrickville Pavement to “explore what’s on offer” and “chat to locals”: just 7km from the CBD, Marrickville is fast becoming one of Sydney’s most iconic suburbs – a melting pot of cuisines, creative arts and characters founded on a rich multicultural heritage.The perfect introduction, this self-guided walking tour explores Marrickville’s historical architecture at a leisurely pace, finishing up at the pub.So, strap on your walking shoes; you're in for a treat.Other walking tours in the area seek to highlight political, ecological, and architectural dimension of Marrickville. For example, Marrickville Maps: Tropical Imaginaries of Abundance provides a series of plant-led walks in the suburb; The Warren Walk is a tour organised by local Australian Labor Party MP Anthony Albanese highlighting “the influence of early settlers such as the Schwebel family on the area’s history” whilst presenting a “political snapshot” of ALP history in the area. The Australian Ugliness, in contrast, was a walking tour organised by Thomas Lee in 2016 that offered an insight into the relationships between the visual amenity of the streetscape, aesthetic judgments of an ambiguous nature, and the discursive and archival potentialities afforded by camera-equipped smartphones and photo-sharing services like Instagram. Figure 1: Thomas Lee points out canals under the street of Marrickville during The Australian Ugliness, 2016.Sydney is a city adept at erasing its past through poorly designed mega-projects like freeways and office towers, and memorialisation of lost landscapes has tended towards the literary (Berry; Mudie). Resistance to redevelopment, however, has often taken the form of spectacular public intervention, in which public knowledge sharing was a key goal. The Green Bans of the 1970s were partially spurred by redevelopment plans for places like the Rocks and Woolloomooloo (Cook; Iveson), while the remaking of Sydney around the 2000 Olympics led to anti-gentrification actions such as SquatSpace and the Tour of Beauty, an “aesthetic activist” tour of sites in the suburbs of Redfern and Waterloo threatened with “revitalisation.” Figure 2: "Tour of Beauty", Redfern-Waterloo 2016. What marks the Tour of Beauty as significant in this context is the participatory nature of knowledge production: participants in the tours were addressed by representatives of the local community – the Aboriginal Housing Company, the local Indigenous Women’s Centre, REDWatch activist group, architects, designers and more. Each speaker presented their perspective on the rapidly gentrifying suburb, demonstrating how urban space is made an remade through processes of contestation. This differentiation is particularly relevant when considering the basis for Sydney-centric walking tours. Mirvac’s self-guided tour focuses on the easy-to-see historical “high culture” of Marrickville, and encourages participants to “chat to locals” at the pub. It is a highly filtered approach that does not consider broader relations of class, race and gender that constitute Marrickville. A more intense exploration of the social fabric of the city – providing a glimpse of the hidden or unknown spaces – uncovers the layers of social, cultural, and economic history that produce urban space, and fosters a deeper engagement with questions of urban socio-spatial justice.Solnit argues that walking can allow us to encounter “new thoughts and possibilities.” To walk, she writes, is to take a “subversive detour… the scenic route through a half-abandoned landscape of ideas and experiences” (13). In this way, tactical activist walking tours aim to make visible what cannot be seen, in a way that considers the polysemic nature of place, and in doing so, they make visible the hidden relations of power that produce the contemporary city. In contrast, developer-led walking tours are singularly focussed, seeking to attract inflows of capital to neighbourhoods undergoing “renewal.” These tours encourage participants to adopt the position of urban voyeur, whilst activist-led walking tours encourage collaboration and participation in urban struggles to protect and preserve the contested spaces of the city. It is in this context that we sought to devise our own walking tour – Field Trip – to encourage active participation in issues of urban renewal.In organising this walking tour, however, we acknowledge our own entanglements within processes of gentrification. As designers, musicians, writers, academics, researchers, venue managers, artists, and activists, in organising Field Trip, we could easily be identified as “creatives”, implicated in Marrickville’s ongoing transformation. All of us have ongoing and deep-rooted connections to various Sydney subcultures – the same subcultures so routinely splashed across developer advertising material. This project was borne out of Frontyard – a community not-just-art space, and has been supported by the local Inner West Council. As such, Field Trip cannot be divorced from the highly contentious processes of redevelopment and gentrification that are always simmering in the background of discussions about Marrickville. We hope, however, that in this project we have started to highlight alternative voices in those redevelopment processes – and that this may contribute towards a “method of equality” for an ongoing democratisation of those processes (Davidson and Iveson).Field Trip: Urban Geographical Enquiry as Activism Given this context, Field Trip was designed as a public knowledge project that would connect local residents, workers, researchers, and decision-makers to share their experiences living and working in various parts of Sydney that are undergoing rapid change. The site of our project – Carrington Road, Marrickville in Sydney’s inner-west – has been earmarked for major redevelopment in coming years and is quickly becoming a flashpoint for the debates that permeate throughout the whole of Sydney: housing affordability, employment accessibility, gentrification and displacement. To date, public engagement and consultation regarding proposed development at Carrington Road has been limited. A major landholder in the area has engaged a consultancy firm to establish a community reference group (CRG) the help guide the project. The CRG arose after public outcry at an original $1.3 billion proposal to build 2,616 units in twenty towers of up to 105m in height (up to thirty-five storeys) in a predominantly low-rise residential suburb. Save Marrickville, a community group created in response to the proposal, has representatives on this reference group, and has endeavoured to make this process public. Ruming (181) has described these forms of consultation as “post-political,” stating thatin a universe of consensual decision-making among diverse interests, spaces for democratic contest and antagonistic politics are downplayed and technocratic policy development is deployed to support market and development outcomes.Given the notable deficit of spaces for democratic contest, Field Trip was devised as a way to reframe the debate outside of State- and developer-led consultation regimes that guide participants towards accepting the supposed inevitability of redevelopment. We invited a number of people affected by the proposed plans to speak during the walking tour at a location of their choosing, to discuss the work they do, the effect that redevelopment would have on their work, and their hopes and plans for the future. The walking tour was advertised publicly and the talks were recorded, edited and released as freely available podcasts. The proposed redevelopment of Carrington Road provided us with a unique opportunity to develop and operate our own walking tour. The linear street created an obvious “circuit” to the tour – up one side of the road, and down the other. We selected speakers based on pre-existing relationships, some formed during prior rounds of research (Gibson et al.). Speakers included a local Aboriginal elder, a representative from the Marrickville Historical Society, two workers (who also gave tours of their workplaces), the Lead Heritage Adviser at Sydney Water, who gave us a tour of the Carrington Road pumping station, and a representative from the Save Marrickville residents’ group. Whilst this provided a number of perspectives on the day, regrettably some groups were unrepresented, most notably the perspective of migrant groups who have a long-standing association with industrial precincts in Marrickville. It is hoped that further community input and collaboration in future iterations of Field Trip will address these issues of representation in community-led walking tours.A number of new understandings became apparent during the walking tour. For instance, the heritage-listed Carrington Road sewage pumping station, which is of “historic and aesthetic significance”, is unable to cope with the proposed level of residential development. According to Philip Bennett, Lead Heritage Adviser at Sydney Water, the best way to maintain this piece of heritage infrastructure is to keep it running. While this issue had been discussed in private meetings between Sydney Water and the developer, there is no formal mechanism to make this expert knowledge public or accessible. Similarly, through the Acknowledgement of Country for Field Trip, undertaken by Donna Ingram, Cultural Representative and a member of the Metropolitan Local Aboriginal Land Council, it became clear that the local Indigenous community had not been consulted in the development proposals for Carrington Road. This information, while not necessary secret, had also not been made public. Finally, the inclusion of knowledgeable local workers whose businesses are located on Carrington Road provided an insight into the “everyday.” They talked of community and collaboration, of site-specificity, the importance of clustering within their niche industries, and their fears for of displacement should redevelopment proceed.Via a community-led, participatory walking tour like Field Trip, threads of knowledge and new information are uncovered. These help create new spatial stories and readings of the landscape, broadening the scope of possibility for democratic participation in cities. Figure 3: Donna Ingram at Field Trip 2018.Tactical Walking, Tactical Media Stories connected to walking provide an opportunity for people to read the landscape differently (Mitchell). One of the goals of Field Trip was to begin a public knowledge exchange about Carrington Road so that spatial stories could be shared, and new readings of urban development could spread beyond the confines of the self-contained tour. Once shared, this knowledge becomes a story, and once remixed into existing stories and integrated into the way we understand the neighbourhood, a collective spatial practice is generated. “Every story is a travel story – a spatial practice”, says de Certeau in “Spatial Stories”. “In reality, they organise walks” (72). As well as taking a tactical approach to walking, we took a tactical approach to the mediation of the knowledge, by recording and broadcasting the voices on the walk and feeding information to a publicly accessible wiki. The term “tactical media” is an extension of de Certeau’s concept of tactics. David Garcia and Geert Lovink applied de Certeau’s concept of tactics to the field of media activism in their manifesto of tactical media, identifying a class of producers who amplify temporary reversals in the flow of power by exploiting the spaces, channels and platforms necessary for their practices. Tactical media has been used since the late nineties to help explain a range of open-source practices that appropriate technological tools for political purposes. While pointing out the many material distinctions between different types of tactical media projects within the arts, Rita Raley describes them as “forms of critical intervention, dissent and resistance” (6). The term has also been adopted by media activists engaged in a range of practices all over the world, including the Tactical Technology Collective. For Field Trip, tactical media is a way of creating representations that help navigate neighbourhoods as well as alternative political processes that shape them. In this sense, tactical representations do not “offer the omniscient point of view we associate with Cartesian cartographic practice” (Raley 2). Rather these representations are politically subjective systems of navigation that make visible hidden information and connect people to the decisions affecting their lives. Conclusion We have shown that the walking tour can be a tourist attraction, a catalyst to the transformation of urban space through gentrification, and an activist intervention into processes of urban renewal that exclude people and alternative ways of being in the city. This article presents practice-led research through the design of Field Trip. By walking collectively, we have focused on tactical ways of opening up participation in the future of neighbourhoods, and more broadly in designing the city. 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IntroductionIn July 1997, the Mackay campus of Central Queensland University hosted a conference with the theme Regional Australia: Visions of Mackay. It was the first academic conference to be held at the young campus, and its aim was to provide an opportunity for academics, business people, government officials, and other interested parties to discuss their visions for the development of Mackay, a regional community of 75,000 people situated on the Central Queensland coast (Danaher). I delivered a presentation at that conference and authored a chapter in the book that emerged from its proceedings. The chapter entitled “Mackay Online” explored the potential impact that the Internet could have on the Mackay region, particularly in the areas of regional business, education, health, and entertainment (Pace). Two decades later, how does the reality compare with that vision?Broadband BluesAt the time of the Visions of Mackay conference, public commercial use of the Internet was in its infancy. Many Internet services and technologies that users take for granted today were uncommon or non-existent then. Examples include online video, video-conferencing, Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), blogs, social media, peer-to-peer file sharing, payment gateways, content management systems, wireless data communications, smartphones, mobile applications, and tablet computers. In 1997, most users connected to the Internet using slow dial-up modems with speeds ranging from 28.8 Kbps to 33.6 Kbps. 56 Kbps modems had just become available. Lamenting these slow data transmission speeds, I looked forward to a time when widespread availability of high-bandwidth networks would allow the Internet’s services to “expand to include electronic commerce, home entertainment and desktop video-conferencing” (Pace 103). Although that future eventually arrived, I incorrectly anticipated how it would arrive.In 1997, Optus and Telstra were engaged in the rollout of hybrid fibre coaxial (HFC) networks in Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane for the Optus Vision and Foxtel pay TV services (Meredith). These HFC networks had a large amount of unused bandwidth, which both Telstra and Optus planned to use to provide broadband Internet services. Telstra's Big Pond Cable broadband service was already available to approximately one million households in Sydney and Melbourne (Taylor), and Optus was considering extending its cable network into regional Australia through partnerships with smaller regional telecommunications companies (Lewis). These promising developments seemed to point the way forward to a future high-bandwidth network, but that was not the case. A short time after the Visions of Mackay conference, Telstra and Optus ceased the rollout of their HFC networks in response to the invention of Asynchronous Digital Subscriber Line (ADSL), a technology that increases the bandwidth of copper wire and enables Internet connections of up to 6 Mbps over the existing phone network. ADSL was significantly faster than a dial-up service, it was broadly available to homes and businesses across the country, and it did not require enormous investment in infrastructure. However, ADSL could not offer speeds anywhere near the 27 Mbps of the HFC networks. When it came to broadband provision, Australia seemed destined to continue playing catch-up with the rest of the world. According to data from the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), in 2009 Australia ranked 18th in the world for broadband penetration, with 24.1 percent of Australians having a fixed-line broadband subscription. Statistics like these eventually prompted the federal government to commit to the deployment of a National Broadband Network (NBN). In 2009, the Kevin Rudd Government announced that the NBN would combine fibre-to-the-premises (FTTP), fixed wireless, and satellite technologies to deliver Internet speeds of up to 100 Mbps to 90 percent of Australian homes, schools, and workplaces (Rudd).The rollout of the NBN in Mackay commenced in 2013 and continued, suburb by suburb, until its completion in 2017 (Frost, “Mackay”; Garvey). The rollout was anything but smooth. After a change of government in 2013, the NBN was redesigned to reduce costs. A mixed copper/optical technology known as fibre-to-the-node (FTTN) replaced FTTP as the preferred approach for providing most NBN connections. The resulting connection speeds were significantly slower than the 100 Mbps that was originally proposed. Many Mackay premises could only achieve a maximum speed of 40 Mbps, which led to some overcharging by Internet service providers, and subsequent compensation for failing to deliver services they had promised (“Optus”). Some Mackay residents even complained that their new NBN connections were slower than their former ADSL connections. NBN Co representatives claimed that the problems were due to “service providers not buying enough space in the network to provide the service they had promised to customers” (“Telcos”). Unsurprisingly, the number of complaints about the NBN that were lodged with the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman skyrocketed during the last six months of 2017. Queensland complaints increased by approximately 40 percent when compared with the same period during the previous year (“Qld”).Despite the challenges presented by infrastructure limitations, the rollout of the NBN was a boost for the Mackay region. For some rural residents, it meant having reliable Internet access for the first time. Frost, for example, reports on the experiences of a Mackay couple who could not get an ADSL service at their rural home because it was too far away from the nearest telephone exchange. Unreliable 3G mobile broadband was the only option for operating their air-conditioning business. All of that changed with the arrival of the NBN. “It’s so fast we can run a number of things at the same time”, the couple reported (“NBN”).Networking the NationOne factor that contributed to the uptake of Internet services in the Mackay region after the Visions of Mackay conference was the Australian Government’s Networking the Nation (NTN) program. When the national telecommunications carrier Telstra was partially privatised in 1997, and further sold in 1999, proceeds from the sale were used to fund an ambitious communications infrastructure program named Networking the Nation (Department of Communications, Information Technology and the Arts). The program funded projects that improved the availability, accessibility, affordability, and use of communications facilities and services throughout regional Australia. Eligibility for funding was limited to not-for-profit organisations, including local councils, regional development organisations, community groups, local government associations, and state and territory governments.In 1998, the Mackay region received $930,000 in Networking the Nation funding for Mackay Regionlink, a project that aimed to provide equitable community access to online services, skills development for local residents, an affordable online presence for local business and community organisations, and increased external awareness of the Mackay region (Jewell et al.). One element of the project was a training program that provided basic Internet skills to 2,168 people across the region over a period of two years. A second element of the project involved the establishment of 20 public Internet access centres in locations throughout the region, such as libraries, community centres, and tourist information centres. The centres provided free Internet access to users and encouraged local participation and skill development. More than 9,200 users were recorded in these centres during the first year of the project, and the facilities remained active until 2006. A third element of the project was a regional web portal that provided a free easily-updated online presence for community organisations. The project aimed to have every business and community group in the Mackay region represented on the website, with hosting fees for the business web pages funding its ongoing operation and development. More than 6,000 organisations were listed on the site, and the project remained financially viable until 2005.The availability, affordability and use of communications facilities and services in Mackay increased significantly during the period of the Regionlink project. Changes in technology, services, markets, competition, and many other factors contributed to this increase, so it is difficult to ascertain the extent to which Mackay Regionlink fostered those outcomes. However, the large number of people who participated in the Regionlink training program and made use of the public Internet access centres, suggests that the project had a positive influence on digital literacy in the Mackay region.The Impact on BusinessThe Internet has transformed regional business for both consumers and business owners alike since the Visions of Mackay conference. When Mackay residents made a purchase in 1997, their choice of suppliers was limited to a few local businesses. Today they can shop online in a global market. Security concerns were initially a major obstacle to the growth of electronic commerce. Consumers were slow to adopt the Internet as a place for doing business, fearing that their credit card details would be vulnerable to hackers once they were placed online. After observing the efforts that finance and software companies were making to eliminate those obstacles, I anticipated that it would only be a matter of time before online transactions became commonplace:Consumers seeking a particular product will be able to quickly find the names of suitable suppliers around the world, compare their prices, and place an order with the one that can deliver the product at the cheapest price. (Pace 106)This expectation was soon fulfilled by the arrival of online payment systems such as PayPal in 1998, and online shopping services such as eBay in 1997. eBay is a global online auction and shopping website where individuals and businesses buy and sell goods and services worldwide. The eBay service is free to use for buyers, but sellers are charged modest fees when they make a sale. It exemplifies the notion of “friction-free capitalism” articulated by Gates (157).In 1997, regional Australian business owners were largely sceptical about the potential benefits the Internet could bring to their businesses. Only 11 percent of Australian businesses had some form of web presence, and less than 35 percent of those early adopters felt that their website was significant to their business (Department of Industry, Science and Tourism). Anticipating the significant opportunities that the Internet offered Mackay businesses to compete in new markets, I recommended that they work “towards the goal of providing products and services that meet the needs of international consumers as well as local ones” (107). In the two decades that have passed since that time, many Mackay businesses have been doing just that. One prime example is Big on Shoes (bigonshoes.com.au), a retailer of ladies’ shoes from sizes five to fifteen (Plane). Big on Shoes has physical shopfronts in Mackay and Moranbah, an online store that has been operating since 2009, and more than 12,000 followers on Facebook. This speciality store caters for women who have traditionally been unable to find shoes in their size. As the store’s customer base has grown within Australia and internationally, an unexpected transgender market has also emerged. In 2018 Big on Shoes was one of 30 regional businesses featured in the first Facebook and Instagram Annual Gift Guide, and it continues to build on its strengths (Cureton).The Impact on HealthThe growth of the Internet has improved the availability of specialist health services for people in the Mackay region. Traditionally, access to surgical services in Mackay has been much more limited than in metropolitan areas because of the shortage of specialists willing to practise in regional areas (Green). In 2003, a senior informant from the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons bluntly described the Central Queensland region from Mackay to Gladstone as “a black hole in terms of surgery” (Birrell et al. 15). In 1997 I anticipated that, although the Internet would never completely replace a visit to a local doctor or hospital, it would provide tools that improve the availability of specialist medical services for people living in regional areas. Using these tools, doctors would be able to “analyse medical images captured from patients living in remote locations” and “diagnose patients at a distance” (Pace 108).These expectations have been realised in the form of Queensland Health’s Telehealth initiative, which permits medical specialists in Brisbane and Townsville to conduct consultations with patients at the Mackay Base Hospital using video-conference technology. Telehealth reduces the need for patients to travel for specialist advice, and it provides health professionals with access to peer support. Averill (7), for example, reports on the experience of a breast cancer patient at the Mackay Base Hospital who was able to participate in a drug trial with a Townsville oncologist through the Telehealth network. Mackay health professionals organised the patient’s scans, administered blood tests, and checked her lymph nodes, blood pressure and weight. Townsville health professionals then used this information to advise the Mackay team about her ongoing treatment. The patient expressed appreciation that the service allowed her to avoid the lengthy round-trip to Townsville. Prior to being offered the Telehealth option, she had refused to participate in the trial because “the trip was just too much of a stumbling block” (Averill 7).The Impact on Media and EntertainmentThe field of media and entertainment is another aspect of regional life that has been reshaped by the Internet since the Visions of Mackay conference. Most of these changes have been equally apparent in both regional and metropolitan areas. Over the past decade, the way individuals consume media has been transformed by new online services offering user-generated video, video-on-demand, and catch-up TV. These developments were among the changes I anticipated in 1997:The convergence of television and the Internet will stimulate the creation of new services such as video-on-demand. Today television is a synchronous media—programs are usually viewed while they are being broadcast. When high-quality video can be transmitted over the information superhighway, users will be able to watch what they want, when and where they like. […] Newly released movies will continue to be rented, but probably not from stores. Instead, consumers will shop on the information superhighway for movies that can be delivered on demand.In the mid-2000s, free online video-sharing services such as YouTube and Vimeo began to emerge. These websites allow users to freely upload, view, share, comment on, and curate online videos. Subscription-based streaming services such as Netflix and Amazon Prime have also become increasingly popular since that time. These services offer online streaming of a library of films and television programs for a fee of less than 20 dollars per month. Computers, smart TVs, Blu-ray players, game consoles, mobile phones, tablets, and other devices provide a multitude of ways of accessing streaming services. Some of these devices cost less than 100 dollars, while higher-end electronic devices include the capability as a bundled feature. Netflix became available in Mackay at the time of its Australian launch in 2015. The growth of streaming services greatly reduced the demand for video rental shops in the region, and all closed down as a result. The last remaining video rental store in Mackay closed its doors in 2018 after trading for 26 years (“Last”).Some of the most dramatic transformations that have occurred the field of media and entertainment were not anticipated in 1997. The rise of mobile technology, including wireless data communications, smartphones, mobile applications, and tablet computers, was largely unforeseen at that time. Some Internet luminaries such as Vinton Cerf expected that mobile access to the Internet via laptop computers would become commonplace (Lange), but this view did not encompass the evolution of smartphones, and it was not widely held. Similarly, the rise of social media services and the impact they have had on the way people share content and communicate was generally unexpected. In some respects, these phenomena resemble the Black Swan events described by Nassim Nicholas Taleb (xvii)—surprising events with a major effect that are often inappropriately rationalised after the fact. They remind us of how difficult it is to predict the future media landscape by extrapolating from things we know, while failing to take into consideration what we do not know.The Challenge for MackayIn 1997, when exploring the potential impact that the Internet could have on the Mackay region, I identified a special challenge that the community faced if it wanted to be competitive in this new environment:The region has traditionally prospered from industries that control physical resources such as coal, sugar and tourism, but over the last two decades there has been a global ‘shift away from physical assets and towards information as the principal driver of wealth creation’ (Petre and Harrington 1996). The risk for Mackay is that its residents may be inclined to believe that wealth can only be created by means of industries that control physical assets. The community must realise that its value-added information is at least as precious as its abundant natural resources. (110)The Mackay region has not responded well to this challenge, as evidenced by measures such as the Knowledge City Index (KCI), a collection of six indicators that assess how well a city is positioned to grow and advance in today’s technology-driven, knowledge-based economy. A 2017 study used the KCI to conduct a comparative analysis of 25 Australian cities (Pratchett, Hu, Walsh, and Tuli). Mackay rated reasonably well in the areas of Income and Digital Access. But the city’s ratings were “very limited across all the other measures of the KCI”: Knowledge Capacity, Knowledge Mobility, Knowledge Industries and Smart Work (44).The need to be competitive in a technology-driven, knowledge-based economy is likely to become even more pressing in the years ahead. The 2017 World Energy Outlook Report estimated that China’s coal use is likely to have peaked in 2013 amid a rapid shift toward renewable energy, which means that demand for Mackay’s coal will continue to decline (International Energy Agency). The sugar industry is in crisis, finding itself unable to diversify its revenue base or increase production enough to offset falling global sugar prices (Rynne). The region’s biggest tourism drawcard, the Great Barrier Reef, continues to be degraded by mass coral bleaching events and ongoing threats posed by climate change and poor water quality (Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority). All of these developments have disturbing implications for Mackay’s regional economy and its reliance on coal, sugar, and tourism. Diversifying the local economy through the introduction of new knowledge industries would be one way of preparing the Mackay region for the impact of new technologies and the economic challenges that lie ahead.ReferencesAverill, Zizi. “Webcam Consultations.” Daily Mercury 22 Nov. 2018: 7.Birrell, Bob, Lesleyanne Hawthorne, and Virginia Rapson. The Outlook for Surgical Services in Australasia. Melbourne: Monash University Centre for Population and Urban Research, 2003.Cureton, Aidan. “Big Shoes, Big Ideas.” Daily Mercury 8 Dec. 2018: 12.Danaher, Geoff. Ed. Visions of Mackay: Conference Papers. Rockhampton: Central Queensland UP, 1998.Department of Communications, Information Technology and the Arts. Networking the Nation: Evaluation of Outcomes and Impacts. Canberra: Australian Government, 2005.Department of Industry, Science and Tourism. Electronic Commerce in Australia. 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