Vascular contributions to cognitive impairment and dementia including Alzheimer's disease

AbstractScientific evidence continues to demonstrate the linkage of vascular contributions to cognitive impairment and dementia such as Alzheimer's disease. In December, 2013, the Alzheimer's Association, with scientific input from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke and the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute from the National Institutes of Health, convened scientific experts to discuss the research gaps in our understanding of how vascular factors contribute to Alzheimer's disease and related dementia. This manuscript summarizes the meeting and the resultant discussion, including an outline of next steps needed to move this area of research forward

The androgen receptor can signal through Wnt/β-Catenin in prostate cancer cells as an adaptation mechanism to castration levels of androgens

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>A crucial event in Prostate Cancer progression is the conversion from a hormone-sensitive to a hormone-refractory disease state. Correlating with this transition, androgen receptor (AR) amplification and mutations are often observed in patients failing hormonal ablation therapies. β-Catenin, an essential component of the canonical Wnt signaling pathway, was shown to be a coactivator of the AR signaling in the presence of androgens. However, it is not yet clear what effect the increased levels of the AR could have on the Wnt signaling pathway in these hormone-refractory prostate cells.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Transient transfections of several human prostate cancer cell lines with the AR and multiple components of the Wnt signaling pathway demonstrate that the AR overexpression can potentiate the transcriptional activities of Wnt/β-Catenin signaling. In addition, the simultaneous activation of the Wnt signaling pathway and overexpression of the AR promote prostate cancer cell growth and transformation at castration levels of androgens. Interestingly, the presence of physiological levels of androgen or other AR agonists inhibits these effects. These observations are consistent with the nuclear co-localization of the AR and β-Catenin shown by immunohistochemistry in human prostate cancer samples. Furthermore, chromatin immunoprecipitation assays showed that Wnt3A can recruit the AR to the promoter regions of Myc and Cyclin D1, which are well-characterized downstream targets of the Wnt signalling pathway. The same assays demonstrated that the AR and β-Catenin can be recruited to the promoter and enhancer regions of a known AR target gene PSA upon Wnt signaling. These results suggest that the AR is promoting Wnt signaling at the chromatin level.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Our findings suggest that the AR signaling through the Wnt/β-Catenin pathway should be added to the well established functional interactions between both pathways. Moreover, our data show that via this interaction the AR could promote prostate cell malignancy in a ligand-independent manner.</p

Where Will They Be in the Future? Implementing a Model for Ongoing Career Tracking of Library and Information Science Graduates

This article provides an overview of Workforce Issues in Library and Information Science 2 (WILIS 2), a study aimed at developing a career-tracking and program evaluation system that can potentially be used by all library and information science (LIS) programs. Such a system could enable stakeholders at all levels to collect data on an ongoing basis, informing their planning process and resulting in more effective ways to educate, manage, and retain the LIS workforce. WILIS 2 is informed by the experience of the research team in developing WILIS 1, an in-depth career retrospective study conducted between 2005 and 2009. WILIS 2 is using a community-based participatory research approach that involves members of the LIS community in the major aspects of project design and implementation. Three working groups on survey design, data reporting, and sustainability have been formed to increase the likelihood that the data collection system will meet the needs of a wide range of LIS programs. Members of the working groups are being drawn from the WILIS project advisory committee and representatives of the participating LIS programs as well as stakeholder groups such as the Association for Library and Information Science Education (ALISE), the American Library Association (ALA), and the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). Eight programs are participating in a pilot test of the survey, and an additional thirty-five programs will join in the full launch. Results from a WILIS survey of LIS program administrators regarding their existing alumni-tracking practices as well as key results from the recent graduates section of the WILIS 1 survey are included in this paper. The administrators' survey found a high level of interest in a shared approach to alumni tracking, and the results from the recent graduates section of WILIS 1 serve to illustrate the type of data that programs can gather through a recent graduates' survey.published or submitted for publicatio

Workforce Issues in Library and Information Science 2 (WILIS 2): Implementing a Model for Career Tracking of LIS Graduates

WILIS 2 is a three year project (2007-2010) to create an alumni tracking system that all LIS master???s programs can potentially use. The project builds on WILIS 1, a comprehensive study of career patterns of graduates of LIS programs in North Carolina. LIS programs have generally lacked the time and resources to systematically survey their graduates. As a result, stakeholders lack an adequate understanding of what happens to LIS graduates. LIS educators, in particular, do not have ongoing data about the extent to which their programs meet students??? expectations, prepare them for the workplace or meet continuing learning needs. Such an understanding will assist in educating and managing the LIS workforce more effectively

Assessing iSchool Effectiveness through Alumni Feedback: Preliminary Results from the Workforce Issues in Library and Information Science 2 (WILIS 2) Project

Workforce Issues in Library and Information Science 2 (WILIS 2) is an IMLS funded project designed to implement a career tracking model for Library and Information Science (LIS) graduates. This project was introduced to the iSchool community via a poster session at the 2009 iConference and recruited the participation of 8 iSchools and 36 other LIS programs in the US and Canada to test the career tracking model and program evaluation instrument. Each program was funded to survey up to 250 of its recent graduates. Data are currently being collected and the response rate so far is 45.4%. The aggregated preliminary results will be presented in this poster, and will showcase characteristics of recent graduates and evidence of iSchool program effectiveness. Career results will include such items as length of job search, current job settings and titles, job satisfaction, leadership responsibilities, professional contribution, and continuing education needs. Program evaluation results will include respondents??? overall satisfaction with their program, sense of preparedness for the workplace, and suggestions for LIS program improvement. Project Background: LIS programs have generally lacked the time and resources to systematically survey their graduates; as a result, stakeholders lack an adequate understanding of what happens to their students after they graduate. Educators, in particular, do not have ongoing data about the extent to which their programs meet students??? expectations, prepare them for the workplace or meet continuing learning needs. Such an understanding will assist in educating and managing the LIS workforce more effectively. WILIS 2 builds on WILIS 1, a comprehensive study of career patterns of graduates of LIS programs in North Carolina. Using a Community Based Participatory Research (CBPR) approach, WILIS 2 refined the WILIS 1 career tracking model so that it would be suitable for use by any LIS program. The WILIS 2 implementation has provided an opportunity to experiment with the use of CBPR to create a national career tracking model that will have the best chance of being widely adopted and used by LIS programs. Evidence-based workforce and educational planning are both essential to supporting the successful recruitment, education and retention of the next generation of LIS professionals. The stakeholders who require the information necessary to do such planning include LIS educators, professional associations, LIS employers, practicing professionals, LIS students and the larger library and information community. Each of these groups has somewhat different information needs and interests in the process of workforce and educational planning. Recognizing the importance and perspective of these differences, the study team has utilized elements of CBPR to maximize consensus and buy-in. This process has resulted in the creation of a survey that will create an evidence base from which stakeholders can make important decisions related to the recruitment, education, reentry and retention of future LIS professionals. CBPR is ???a collaborative approach to research that equitably involves all partners in the research process and recognizes the unique strengths that each brings. CBPR begins with a research topic of importance to the community and has the aim of combining knowledge with action and achieving social change (Isrel, et. al., 1998).??? While CBPR is largely used in public health research, it makes sense for WILIS 2 as a way to bridge the education and professional practice worlds of LIS in constructive and mutually beneficial ways. For WILIS 2, the study team has worked side by side with the stakeholders to do all of the following: 1) craft the WILIS 2 survey; 2) finalize methodological tools; 3) implement the launch of the WILIS 2 model; 4) disseminate the findings; and 5) explore sustainability options. A likely side product of this work will be to increase the capacity of the stakeholder partnership created through the formation and experience of a Project Advisory Committee (PAC) to work together on other important research and practice issues in the field. This approach also holds promise for narrowing the gap between researchers, educators and practitioners. The specific research goals of WILIS 2 are to: 1) Refine a career tracking model that is suitable for all LIS programs to use with their recent graduates. Using the CBPR approach and a PAC of 16 members including LIS program directors, library leaders and workforce experts, we have built consensus on the essential elements of a career tracking instrument for use in monitoring and planning both educational programs and LIS workforce needs. 2) Recruit as many LIS programs as possible to participate in a phased national launch of the career tracking model. The study team, in concert with the PAC, recruited LIS programs in the US and Canada to participate in an initial survey launch phase of 8 programs, a second phase of 20 programs, and a third phase of 16 programs. 3) Conduct the surveys and provide access to results for the participating LIS programs. Participating LIS programs will have access to their own datasets, automated reports, analytic tools and analytic benchmarking feedback from the study team. 4) Explore options for sustaining the national career tracking model. The PAC, in conjunction with the study team, will direct and conduct the exploration of avenues for sustainability beyond the grant period. This process will result in a final plan for sustainability generated by the PAC and the study team and systematically presented to other LIS stakeholders not involved in the creation of the plan. 5) Disseminate findings and publicize the availability of the WILIS 2 model. The study team members and the PAC will collaborate to explore avenues for dissemination of this research, such as conferences and a Webcast

Where Are They Now? Results of a Career Survey of Library and Information Science Graduates

This paper provides an overview of Workforce Issues in Library and Information Science 1 (WILIS 1), a large scale retrospective career study of graduates of all library and information science (LIS) programs in North Carolina from 1964???2007. The interdisciplinary research team used a multiple methods approach to data collection consisting of a survey of LIS graduates, a survey of administrators of LIS programs, and key informant interviews. This article presents an overview of the study design and methods followed by key results from the survey of graduates. The specific research goals of WILIS 1 were: (1) to gain a comprehensive understanding of the educational, workplace, career, and retention issues facing LIS graduates; (2) to investigate the way in which LIS programs track their graduates and use these data for educational and workforce planning; (3) to explore possibilities for a career tracking model that could be used by all LIS programs in the future; and (4) to disseminate the study results in a manner that would facilitate LIS workforce planning. WILIS 1 has now been joined by a second study known as WILIS 2, which is further developing the alumni tracking model that all LIS programs can potentially use.published or submitted for publicatio

Improved methods of analysis for betaines in Ascophyllum nodosum and its commercial seaweed extracts

Beneficial effects of seaweeds and their extracts on crop performance have been attributed to a variety of compounds, including the betaines which are quaternary ammonium betaines. Methods of analysis of betaines published thus far suffer from low sensitivity, lack of baseline separation of individual betaines and from interference from other sample constituents. A rapid cleanup protocol and a sensitive LC- MS/MS method of analysis were developed to afford baseline separation of four betaines in the brown alga Ascophyllum nodosum and its commercial seaweed extract. Using this method, the presence of glycine betaine, \u3b4-aminovaleric acid betaine, \u3b3-aminobutyric acid betaine and laminine in A. nodosum, and commercial extracts derived from A. nodosum, were confirmed and quantified. The major betaine present was \u3b3-aminobutyric acid betaine accounting for 0.008-0.014% of the dry weight of the seaweed and 0.014-0.027% of the dry weight of the commercial extracts. Seasonal variation in betaine content was observed. Differences in the total betaine content were observed between A. nodosum of the yellow (0.011-0.017% dry weight) and the olive green (0.017-0.021% dry weight) coloured morphologies.Peer reviewed: YesNRC publication: Ye

Protecting the Privacy of Participants: Lessons Learned from the Workforce Issues in Library and Information Science 3

As presented at IASSIST 2012 conferenc