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ObjectiveMal de debarquement syndrome (MdDS) is a balance disorder that typically starts after an extended exposure to passive motion, such as a boat or plane ride. Management is typically supportive (e.g. physical therapy), and symptoms that persist beyond 6 months have been described as unlikely to remit. This study was conducted to evaluate the response of patients with MdDS to management with migraine prophylaxis, including lifestyle changes and medical therapy.Study designProspective review.SettingAmbulatory setting at a tertiary care medical center.MethodsClinical history, detailed questionnaires, and audiograms were used to diagnose patients with MdDS. Those patients with the diagnosis of the MdDS were placed on our institutional vestibular migraine management protocol. Treatment response was assessed with a quality-of-life (QOL) survey and visual analog scale.ResultsFifteen patients were diagnosed with MdDS, with a predominance of females (73%) and a mean age of 50 ± 13 years. Eleven patients (73%) responded well to management with a vestibular migraine protocol, which included lifestyle changes, as well as pharmacotherapy with verapamil, nortriptyline, topiramate, or a combination thereof. In comparison, a retrospective control group of 17 patients demonstrated a lower rate of improvement when treated with vestibular rehabilitation and physical therapy.ConclusionManagement of MdDS as vestibular migraine can improve patients' symptoms and increase the QOL. Nearly all the patients suffering from MdDS had a personal or family history of migraine headaches or had signs or symptoms suggestive of atypical migraine.Level of evidence4 Laryngoscope, 127:1670-1675, 2017.

The engineering library plays a critical role in initiating and maintaining the conduit between vendors of engineering information and the users of that information—faculty, students, and researchers. Likewise, vendors play a key role in supporting library and faculty efforts to promote engineering information resources, beyond just supplying content and interface. Engineering libraries and vendors can effectively work together to get the most from electronic engineering resources for both large and small institutions. The case studies here show how Knovel Corporation, a sci-tech e-book vendor, has worked with engineering librarians at large and small institutions and with faculty members to promote awareness and usage of Knovel’s interactive library of electronic books for engineering education.

Last year, researchers and librarians at both Drexel University and the University of Maryland initiated similar collaborative projects in their respective institutions to contribute to the development of life-long learning skills among the select participants. One joint finding was the importance of linking advances in knowledge, not just as hypothetical learning that benefits an elite few, but rather for the advancement of our society as a whole. Drexel University has two NSF-supported programs, Research Experience for Teachers (RET) and the Research Experience for Undergraduates Site (REU) DREAM (Drexel Research Experience in Advanced Materials). RET’s primary goal is to provide experiential engineering education to K-12 teachers in the Delaware Valley. DREAM hosts undergraduates from around the country to work closely with faculty and graduate students in cutting-edge research areas, such as biomaterials, nanomaterials, and the design and processing of advanced materials. In both these programs, the participants learned different skills. For example, in the RET program, participating teachers developed skills that would help them to find, apply for, and secure funding for their schools to improve their classrooms and laboratories. RET participants also worked with their faculty mentors on research projects in emerging technologies, such as nanotechnology, biotechnology, and information technology. The library staff played a key role in helping participants in both programs develop crucial information seeking skills to obtain, evaluate, and use needed research material through a variety of information sources. The RET program helps teachers create opportunities to enhance the delivery of science and math education at their schools by helping their students and colleagues learn about science and technology careers and academic opportunities. It is projected that such awareness will motivate more high school students to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Participants from the DREAM project may, with the research skills gained, continue with more sophisticated research in new and emerging technology areas after going back to their respective institutions. The program provides possibilities for further collaboration with Drexel researchers. With similar goals, the University of Maryland’s (UM) NSF-funded Gemstone Program focuses on teams of Undergraduate Honors Students that “conduct significant research exploring the interdependence of science and technology with society.” This unique, four year, multidisciplinary research program has received significant assistance since 1996 from many UM Librarians in teaching these students critical information-seeking skills for their topical projects and in their senior theses. Moreover, three UM faculty members created the ESTEEM (Engineering Science and Technology to Energize and Expand Young Minds) Research Mentoring Program that offers high school seniors a chance to be directly involved in university engineering research. Additionally, there are other programs such as Exploring Engineering, Women in Engineering, Stepping Stones to Your Future, and a Girl Scout Engineering Saturday where Girl Scout troops (ages 7-12) engage in fun, hands-on engineering related activities. This paper describes how faculty, engineering librarians, and organizers from the two universities work together to enhance the success of programs for a diverse user population. The long-term goal is to have knowledge as we know it used for the overall betterment of society in general. This paper describes how faculty and engineering librarians at both Drexel University and the University of Maryland developed similar collaborative projects in their respective institutions to contribute to the development of life-long learning skills among their diverse user groups.

A management issue of increasing importance is the need to provide distance learners the same library services as students who take courses on-site. Remote access to library-provided electronic resources has gone a long way to equalizing access for these students and for others who, because of work or family commitments, find coming to the library difficult. However, we have found that just making the resources available is insufficient; we must also teach the students how to use them effectively. The Drexel Libraries have assumed responsibility for information literacy instruction and have an extensive on-campus instruction program. The logical way too extend the critical component of library service off-campus is through online tutorials. Drexel’s Engineering Librarian is currently working with Elsevier Engineering Information and Elsevier Advanced Technology Group, University Faculty and Students to develop an online interactive tutorial to support engineering information retrieval needs of Drexel community. We have collected a sample of research questions that students had over a period of two years. Analysis of these questions and the results from several pilot studies to develop better understanding of their information needs, will be used to create FAQ based online interactive modules. We expect to use other professionals such as instructional designer, graphic designer, programmer, and others develop the content for the Web in ways that are attractive, functional, pedagogically sound, and appropriate to the audience. Once developed, it will be tested and reviewed by selected universities with engineering programs for their feedback and further refinement. We also expect that the tutorial can be effectively integrated into learning management systems such as WebCT and Blackboard. Library’s visionary management perspectives coupled with dynamic collaboration with the Faculty, Students, Engineering Librarians, and Elsevier Engineering Information and Elsevier Advanced Technology Group will help evolve the anticipated engineering information retrieval tutorial. We envision that it will provide enhanced instructional tools to many technical institutions worldwide and in the process provide much needed help to faculty, students and distance learners in their effective use of seemingly ever-increasing library subscribed electronic resources and other information services.