CCInfo: Electronic news bulletin of The Cochrane Collaboration 24 January 2008 Contents: A. The Cochrane Library – Issue 1, 2008 B. 16th Cochrane Colloquium announcements C. Call from UK Cochrane Centre for training workshop facilitators D. Changes to Anaesthesia Review Group E. Recent Cochrane newsletters F. Cochrane Steering Group Bulletin G. Australasian Cochrane Symposium H. Cancer Specialist Library newsletter I. Training courses - UK J. Job ad – Project Support Officer K. Job ad - Information Manager (Trials Search Co-ordinator) L. Job ad – Lecturer in systematic reviews M. Next Issue of CCInfo XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX A. Sender: Fabienne Reynolds [FReynold@wiley.co.uk] Subject: The Cochrane Library – Issue 1, 2008 Among the Cochrane reviews that were recently updated or appear for the first time in Issue 1, there are three reviews assessing interventions for low back pain. These cover the effects of individual patient education, anti-depressants, and non steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, one of the commonest pain killers for this condition. For chronic heart failure, evidence from randomised placebo controlled trials has been brought together on the extract prepared from the hawthorn bush. An updated review from The Cochrane Renal Group shows how drinking cranberry juice might prevent urinary tract infections. You will also find up-to-date reviews of anti-oxidants to help prevent pre-eclampsia during pregnancy and aledronate to reduce the likelihood of fractures among women with osteoporosis. Another review, bringing together the highest quality evidence on strategies to encourage hand-washing as a means of preventing diarrhoea contains concise summaries of the various strategies that have been shown to work. While, a thorough attempt to identify research into preventing the spread of MRSA in nursing homes shows conclusively that adequate studies have not been done. Look out for reviews about the use of hawthorn extract to treat chronic heart failure and music therapy for depression. Some of these reviews have been highlighted in Evidence Pods that you can now listen to on The Cochrane Collaboration’ website (www.cochrane.org/podcasts). The Library now contains more than 3300 full Cochrane Reviews, and the updated and new reviews cover a wide range of health care. www.thecochranelibrary.com for evidence for healthcare decision-making XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX B. Sender: Bärbel Schätzle [schaetzle@cochrane.de] Subject: 16th Cochrane Colloquium announcements The Colloquium Team would like to announce the 16th Cochrane Colloquium in Freiburg, Germany from 3-7 October 2008. Please keep in mind that registration starts on 15 February and the abstracts submission deadline is on 17 March.(The abstracts for oral sessions, posters, workshops). All the other deadlines are as follows: - Notification of abstract acceptance 21 April - Consumer stipends application deadline 28 April - Developing country stipends application deadline 28 April - Notification of stipends acceptance 26 May - Early registration deadline 30 June - Meeting room request deadline 14 July - Cancellation deadline 03 September - Hotel registration deadline 04 September For further information please see the website: http://www.cochrane.de/colloquium XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX C. Sender: Sarah Moore [SMoore@cochrane.co.uk] Subject: Call from UK Cochrane Centre for training workshop facilitators The UKCC training team is looking to increase the number of people who can occasionally assist with training workshops for Cochrane authors. Workshops focus on providing training and support to authors of Cochrane systematic reviews, primarily through two-day Protocol and Analysis workshops that are run about 8-10 times per year. Protocol workshops are conducted in a small group format to help authors formulate their review questions and methods prior to writing the protocol. On the Analysis day we teach basic applied statistics and methods of a Cochrane systematic review together with practical exercises. Workshops are held in a number of locations throughout the UK and Ireland. Travel and accommodation are provided for facilitators. In addition, an honorarium is offered for each day spent facilitating a workshop. Once we have a number of volunteers we will run a train the trainers session with expenses for travel and accommodation provided. If you think you can help, have editors or authors who you think could use their experience, or for more information, please contact Catherine Baldesari at cbaldesari@cochrane.co.uk or Phil Wiffen at pwiffen@cochrane.co.uk, or telephone the UK Cochrane Centre at 01865 516300 to speak with one of us. XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX D. Sender: Jane Cracknell [jane_cracknell@yahoo.com] Subject: Changes to Anaesthesia Review Group (CARG) Tom Pedersen will no longer act as joint Co-ordinating Editor (with Ann Møller) of CARG. This is because Tom’s clinical duties as Director of the Head and Orthopaedic Center, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen have increased and he no longer has the time to devote to being a Co-ordinating Editor. Tom will however continue as editorial advisor and treasurer to CARG. Ann Møller will now be the sole Co-ordinating Editor of CARG. We'd like to thank Tom for his tremendous contribution to CARG XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX E. Sender: Cheryl Arratoon [cochrane@uottawa.ca] Subject: Recent Cochrane newsletters Recent newsletters from the following entities have been posted at www.cochrane.org/newslett/index.htm - Nordic Cochrane Centre - Breast Cancer Review Group - Oral Health Review Group - Occupational Health Field XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX F. Sender: Claire Allen [CAllen@cochrane.org] Subject: Cochrane Steering Group Bulletin The fifth Steering Group Bulletin is now available at www.cochrane.org/newslett/index.htm. This edition builds on the last bulletin, and in particular flags issues for discussion at the forthcoming Steering Group meeting in Vellore, India. As a representative body, Steering Group members are always pleased to receive feedback and advice on important issues. The Bulletin also details the Steering Group members and their terms of office - you will note that some of these end in 2008. I will be e-mailing you with details about the election in due course. As always, it remains important that good quality candidates, with a commitment to playing their part in shaping the Collaboration's strategic direction, come forward for election. XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX G. Sender: Miranda Cumpston [miranda.cumpston@med.monash.edu.au] Subject: 2008 Australasian Cochrane Symposium The next Australasian Cochrane Symposium will be held from 22-23 May 2008 in Hobart, at the Old Woolstore. A pre-Symposium workshop will be held on 21 May 2008. Please mark these dates in your calendar and pass the information along to others who may be interested in attending. As planning continues, more information will be available on the Australasian Cochrane Centre website at www.cochrane.org.au. We look forward to seeing you there. XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX H. Sender: Sally Hunt [Sally.Hunt@orh.nhs.uk] Subject: Cancer Specialist Library newsletter Our latest newsletter may be of interest to Cochranites working in cancer. There is an article about the number of systematic reviews (not just Cochrane) that are being published - about 3 per day last year and a plea to Cochrane to further develop existing cancer protocols. The Cancer Specialist Library contains a comprehensive collection of all cancer systematic reviews published since 2000. Access the newsletter at www.library.nhs.uk/cancer/viewResource.aspx?resID=276019&code=a44961a959768b256b2d628600cc81f2 XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX I. Sender: Sally Bell-Syer [sembs1@york.ac.uk] Subject: Training courses – UK Workshop: Introduction to Statistics for Clinical Trials Date: 6-7 October 2008 Workshop: Introduction to the Design & Conduct of Clinical Trials Date: 8-10 October 2008 Host: The York Trials Unit at the University of York Location: York, UK Details: The aim of our courses is to equip participants with the basic skills and knowledge for designing, conduct and analysis of randomised controlled trials. The courses should be of interest to nurses, doctors and allied health professionals who are interested in rigorous evaluation of health care interventions. *Registration fees on or before 1 August 2008* Introduction to Statistics for Clinical Trials and Introduction to the Design & Conduct of Clinical Trials - £730 Or Introduction to Statistics for Clinical Trials - £290 Or Introduction to the Design and Conduct of Clinical Trials - £490 Contact: Please contact Course Administrator for more details. Sue Collins 01904 321727 email address sc27@york.ac.uk XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX J. Sender: Jini Hetherington [JHetherington@cochrane.org] Subject: Job ad – Project Support Officer Position: Cochrane Project Support and Business Communications Officer Organisation: The Cochrane Collaboration Location: Oxford, UK Application deadline: 22 February 2008 Details: With multiple projects underway at any time, we need someone to help us manage and co-ordinate these effectively, and ensure that good information flows about core business processes are maintained, allowing management decisions and strategic developments to be evidence-based. Website: www.cochrane.org/jobs. XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX K. Sender: Clare Jess (clare.jess@ruh-bath.swest.nhs.uk) Subject: Job Ad - Information Manager (Trials Search Co-ordinator) Organisation: Cochrane Gynaecological Cancer Review Group Location: Royal United Hospital, Bath, UK Application deadline: Wednesday, 20 February 2008 Contact: Please contact Clare Jess, RGC, on 01225 826347 or Anne Oestmann, TSC, on e-mail anne.oestmann@nhs.net Website: To view the job description or to apply on line, please visit www.jobs.nhs.uk and quote reference number 427-AC4424M or alternatively call 01225 821142. XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX L. Sender: Caroline Rouse [CRouse@cochrane.co.uk] Subject: Job ad – Lecturer in systematic reviews Position: Lecturer in Systematic Reviews Organisation: UK Cochrane Centre Location: Oxford, UK Application deadline: 8 February 2008 Details: We are looking for an enthusiastic and competent new member for the UK Cochrane Centre training team who can assist in the support of authors of Cochrane reviews and other contributors to The Cochrane Collaboration such as editors, peer reviewers and consumers. Contact: For an informal discussion about this post please contact: Phil Wiffen, Training Director on 01865 516300 or by email at pwiffen@cochrane.co.uk. For an application form and job description please visit our website on WWW. MKPCT.ORG.UK or contact the recruitment answerphone on (01908) 243528 quoting the job reference number 542-PHU2073. XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX M. Sender: Cheryl Arratoon [cochrane@uottawa.ca] Subject: Next Issue of CCInfo The next issue of CCInfo will be published 7 February 2008. Please submit your items to cochrane@uottawa.ca and include "CCInfo" in the subject line. Unless you request otherwise, your submissions to the CCInfo may be duplicated in other regular Cochrane Collaboration news channels such as Cochrane News and the Cochrane Collaboration web site, at the discretion of the editors. regards, Cheryl Cheryl Arratoon Knowledge Broker Canadian Cochrane Network and Centre 1 Stewart St, 2nd Floor Ottawa, ON, Canada K1N 6N5 Email: cochrane@uottawa.ca Web: www.ccnc.cochrane.org XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX To subscribe to or unsubscribe from the CCInfo list, please go to http://lists.cochrane.org/mailman/listinfo/ccinfo, or contact the Editor at cochrane@uottawa.ca