Salifluor (5-n-octanoyl-3'-trifluoromethyl-salicylanilide), a broad spectrum antimicrobial agent, was investigated for its ability to inhibit dental plaque formation. A combination of salifluor with PVM/MA copolymer and NaF was optimized for its antiplaque effect in mouthrinse and dentifrice formulations based on a series of both laboratory and clinical studies. It was found that salifluor, a highly hydrophobic compound, could not be adequately solubilized with the conventional amount of sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS), the most commonly used anionic surfactant in oral hygiene products. However, it was possible to prepare stable mouthrinse formulations using a mixed surfactant system containing both anionic and nonionic surfactants. The most suitable mixture was found to be a combination of SLS, Pluronic and Tauranol in a proportion of 1:1:1. This combination provided adequate stability and high antimicrobial activity as determined by in vitro microbiological tests. Addition of a PVM/MA copolymer to the formulation improved the adsorption and retention of salifluor on stimulated tooth surfaces in vitro (saliva coated hydroxyapatite disks) by almost two-fold and also increased the antiplaque efficacy in both laboratory and human clinical studies. It was also found that a non fluoride dentifrice containing a combination of salifluor and PVM/MA copolymer with a dicalcium phosphate dihydrate abrasive, was highly effective in reducing smooth surface and fissure caries in rats. The results of the present studies demonstrated that salifluor is an effective antiplaque agent in mouthrinse and dentifrice when carefully formulated to maximize its delivery and bioavailability on oral surfaces. They also illustrated the difficulties encountered in exploiting the antimicrobial efficacy of highly hydrophobic, nonionic antimicrobial agents such as salifluor in commonly used oral hygiene vehicles.

This quasiexperimental study examined the effectiveness of library instruction in a junior level mechanical engineering design process course during the Spring 2013 and Fall 2013 semesters. In the Spring of 2013 librarians delivered an active learning session to students, placing heavy emphasis on the breadth of information resources available for engineering design research beyond what can be found through Google. The session was designed to build on university general education information literacy outcomes. Student research assignments completed after the library session were analyzed using an information literacy rubric. Based on the results, librarians collaborated with the course instructor to modify the Fall 2013 library session to place the heaviest emphasis on search strategy development, rather than the breadth of information resources, and adapt the research assignment requirements. The revised session also aligned with the Searching as Strategic Exploration frame of the ACRL Framework for Information Literacy . Student assignments were again analyzed after the Fall 2013 session. The results showed a positive association between the revised instruction and assignment and rubric scores. Making changes to the library instruction and assignment based on assessment results helped to ensure that librarian and course instructor time spent preparing course assignments and delivering the session material was being spent most efficiently.

The library education team at Michigan Technological University, an engineering-focused university, is developing a multifaceted process for assessment of our information literacy instruction program in order to continuously improve our teaching and related activities. The majority of library instruction sessions are 50-minute, one-shot classes with little or no follow-up from the faculty or students involved; as such, the efficacy of library instruction programs can be difficult to measure. In addition to already existing rubric-based information literacy assessments of student work, the education team is establishing a suite of accompanying methods for gathering both quantitative and qualitative data about our instructional activities. In summer 2015, the team participated in a retreat at which a number of methods of data collection were proposed. Four areas were selected for further development. A formal method for soliciting faculty feedback via a post-instruction survey has already been deployed and will collect responses throughout the fall 2015 and spring 2016 semesters. Three additional data collection methods will be launched in January 2016: a peer observation system, a rubric-based selfassessment, and analysis of student work products generated in the library instruction sessions. Collectively, these feedback mechanisms provide actionable information about the teaching effectiveness of individual librarians as well as the effectiveness of our education program as a whole. Information gathered from these assessment processes will be used in a variety of ways, including individual goal-setting for the following academic year, changing lesson plans to more closely align with students' needs and abilities, and generating specific and concrete recommendations for improving teaching and pedagogy for each instruction librarian. This paper reports on the process of developing each of these data collection methods, the information that has been gathered, and how that information has been applied to the improvement of our library instruction program. Background/Rationale