Purpose The purpose of this paper is to develop a performance measurement (PM) framework for Australasian nonprofit organisations (NPOs) involved in healthcare, and operational descriptions for each PM dimension within this framework. Design/methodology/approach Literature relating to the balanced scorecard and other PM frameworks was examined to develop an initial conceptual model, and this model was substantially improved by collecting qualitative data from nine Australian and New Zealand healthcare NPOs using a case study approach. Findings The study identifies nine causally related PM dimensions: mission, strategy, organisational capabilities, infrastructure and people development (people and information), financial health, processes, and stakeholder satisfaction (clients, people, and donors). The study also recognised that “Mission” and “Strategy” should be PM dimensions and that healthcare NPOs should focus on satisfying its people, not only donors and clients. Additionally, 41 operational descriptions are developed for each of these dimensions and can enable detailed PM items to be derived by organisations. Originality/value The study is the first study that has been undertaken to develop a PM framework for the Australasian NPOs to a level that it can be readily used by the practitioners (following customisation to their own specific context). The developed model also serves as a basis for future quantitative academic research aimed at testing and empirical validation of the conceptual model.

Local anesthesia provides the backbone of pain control in dentistry.Local anesthetics give rise to a reversible loss of sensation in a circumscribed area when injected or topically applied, without causing loss of consciousness. Local anesthetics are commonly administered in injectable form in dentistry as a supraperiosteal/infiltration, a field block, or a nerve block. 1 Because of the porous nature of the maxilla, infiltration anesthesia is commonly employed in maxillary injections. The infiltration technique is easy and simple, and causes less discomfort to the patient compared to that of a block. The understanding of clinicians is that mandibular infiltration does not guarantee successful pulpal anesthesia of the teeth because of the thick cortical bone, making it necessary to perform block injections, such as the Halsted technique, and higher blocks, such as the Gow-Gates and Vazirani-Akinosi techniques. Block injection techniques are relatively difficult than the infiltration technique, and have added disadvantages, such as possible nerve damage, positive aspiration, and anesthetic failure due to accessory nerve supply. Most importantly, the success rates of an inferior alveolar nerve block (IANB) AbstractThe aim of the present systematic review and meta-analysis was to address the following Population, Intervention, Comparison, and Outcome question: Is the efficacy of articaine better than lignocaine in adults requiring dental treatment? Four percent articaine was compared with 2% lignocaine for maxillary and mandibular infiltrations and block anesthesia, and with the principal outcome measures of anesthetic success. Using RevMan software, the weighted anesthesia success rates and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated and compared using a random-effects model.For combined studies, articaine was more likely to achieve successful anesthesia than lignocaine (N = 18, odds ratio [OR]: 1.92, 95% CI: 1.45-2.56, P < 0.00001, I 2 = 32%).Maxillary and mandibular infiltration studies showed obvious superiority of articaine to lignocaine (N = 8, OR: 2.50, 95% CI: 1.51-4.15, P = 0.0004, I 2 = 41%). Maxillary infiltration subgroup analysis showed no significant difference between articaine and lignocaine (N = 5, OR: 1.69, 95% CI: 0.88-3.23, P = 0.11, I 2 = 19%). For combined mandibular anesthesia studies, articaine was superior to lignocaine (N = 14, OR: 1.99, 95% CI: 1.45-2.72, P < 0.0001, I 2 = 32%), with further subgroup analysis showing significant differences in both mandibular block anesthesia (N = 11, OR: 1.55, 95% CI:1.19-2.03, P = 0.001), I 2 = 0%) and mandibular infiltration (N = 3, OR: 3.87, 95% CI: 2.62-5.72, P < 0.00001, I 2 = 0%), indicating that articaine is more effective than lignocaine in providing anesthetic success in routine dental procedures. K E Y W O R D Sarticaine, lignocaine, local anesthesia, mandibular infiltration

Purpose Using the BSC as the starting point, the purpose of this paper is to present a theory on nonprofit performance management and describes how an overall performance index (OPI) was empirically developed to assess the strategic performance of a nonprofit organisation (NPO). Design/methodology/approach A conceptual model was developed from the literature. This was refined into a testable theoretical model using case studies. Thereafter, the theoretical model and an accompanying measurement model on OPI were validated using quantitative data (n=223) collected from a sample of healthcare NPOs in Australasia. Findings The measurement model was found to be a good fit to data. The model parameters (weights) pertaining to the OPI represent six PM dimensions (Mission; Strategy; Organisational Capabilities, Infrastructure and People Development; Financial Health; Processes; and Stakeholder Satisfaction) and 13 sub-dimensions. These parameters provide a tenable scoring system to assess the strategic performance of a NPO. Research limitations/implications The parameters (hence the scoring system) were estimated from data collected from a particular sector (healthcare) and a region (Australasia). Practical implications The findings can be used for comparative benchmarking (e.g. by managers and major donors) of NPOs, better governance and to initiate major performance improvement initiatives. Originality/value This study is the first empirical study that has been undertaken to develop an OPI for NPOs. The findings can be readily used by the practitioners.

No abstract

The representation of women in the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education and professions fall far short of their representation in other various disciplines. Finding ways to increase underrepresented populations in STEM fields continues to be a major initiative in education. Outreach programs that demonstrate the social benefits of engineering are an effective way to engage students' interest and enhance their understanding of the theory and practice of science and engineering. This paper describes the design of an outreach program that provided a learning experience on the nature of engineering (via community service activities) to school girls aged 10 to 13 years in New Zealand. The objective of the program was to raise aspirations of young girls to pursue a career in engineering, by demonstrating the social benefits of engineering and thus develop enthusiasm for STEM subjects applied in the context of humanitarian engineering. The strategies for improving similar outreach programs and the lessons learned are also discussed.Index Terms -Humanitarian Engineering, Outreach programs, Women in STEM 2 profession where a study carried out by the Institution of Professional Engineers New Zealand 7 showed that just 13% of professional engineers and 16% of engineering technicians were female. The stereotype of engineering being male-dominated has been shown to be a key barrier to girls and young women taking up careers in the engineering profession 8 . As Fadigan and Hammrich 9 pointed out, As a group, women are minorities in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). When compounded with other risk factors, such as being labelled as a racial or ethnic minority, low socio-economic status and non-traditional family structure, women are placed in a position which does not favor their success in traditionally white, male-dominated fields (pg. 836) 9 .