Keeping the Momentum: Moving Ahead with Research Data Support

From June 2011 to early 2012 the NCSU Libraries and the UNC Libraries took part in the ARL/DLF E-Science Institute to frame a strategic agenda for supporting research data management and its broader e-science needs at our universities. We conducted an environmental scan, interviewed key researchers and administrators, and participated in capstone meetings with peer institutions. Our two institutions represent two strategies with varying degrees of divergence and convergence. At the NCSU Libraries, with no repository explicitly designed for research data, we are focusing on developing a portfolio of services and partnerships to create a “campus collaborative” of experts, tools, and training to support research data. With limited or unbalanced domain expertise, we are rethinking how subject specialists can be deployed to serve diverse research needs. At the UNC Libraries, we have an institutional repository, but recognize that it cannot serve all data management needs across campus. We, too, are developing a cooperative network of campus partners to guide researchers to various campus services at their point of need. The Carolina Digital Repository, UNC’s institutional repository, is one option among these services as is helping researchers identify disciplinary repositories where appropriate. Both institutions are particularly interested in exploring the long term possibilities of creating cultural shifts in research data stewardship by educating graduate students and early career researchers, and the ways in which regional library consortia can partner in data management support in the same way we’ve partnered on other issues. Reflecting on these two institutions’ goals, we will discuss the opportunities and challenges centered on supporting data-driven research. We’ll share our plans for next steps and invite discussion on how to respond to those opportunities and challenges in practical, achievable, sustainable, and repurposable ways with limited human, technological, and financial resources

A survey of academic staff attitudes towards the system of academic titles used in New Zealand universities

This report presents the results of a survey of academic staff at New Zealand universities to determine their attitudes towards a change in academic titles from the current British system to the US system. A questionnaire was developed and sent to a stratified random sample of 1340 academic staff selected from the 7 universities in New Zealand. A total of 671 valid responses was received. The responses were analysed statistically by university, faculty, designation, qualifications, gender, age and overseas experience. The comments were also analysed qualitatively. The overall results indicated that 44% of the respondents preferred the current system of titles, 39% preferred the alternative US system and 17% did not have a preference. However, the differences between the preferences for the two systems were not significant at the 95% ( or 90%) confidence level. The analysis by university revealed that although academic staff at Auckland and Victoria Universities generally preferred the alternative US system and academic staff at Canterbury, Lincoln and Otago Universities generally preferred the current system of academic titles, only responses from Massey and Waikato Universities indicated a statistically significant preference for the current system. Staff in the "professional" faculties (eg Agriculture, Commerce and Law) generally preferred the alternative US system, compared with academics from the more "traditional" academic areas (eg Humanities/Arts and Social Sciences) who tended to prefer the current British system. However, the only statistically significant differences were recorded by Medical/Dental academic staff who overwhelmingly indicated a preference for the current system. The results also indicated that staff who were born or had their main overseas academic experiences in Commonwealth countries (eg NZ, Australia and UK) tended to prefer the current British system of academic titles, whereas staff who were born or had their main overseas academic experiences in generally non-Commonwealth countries (eg in Asia, Europe (excl. UK) and North America) preferred the alternative US system. Professors and assistant/junior lecturers showed a statistically significant preference for the current system whereas, overall, senior lecturers tended to prefer the alternative system (although not statistically significant). Generally the results indicate that there is not a majority support for either the British or the US systems of academic titles and there is a considerable level of dissatisfaction with the current system. Consequently it is concluded that more research needs to be undertaken to determine the best system of academic titles and salary scales for academic staff at New Zealand universities

The MtrAB two-component system controls antibiotic production in Streptomyces coelicolor A3(2

MtrAB is a highly conserved two-component system implicated in the regulation of cell division in the Actinobacteria. It coordinates DNA replication with cell division in the unicellular Mycobacterium tuberculosis and links antibiotic production to sporulation in the filamentous Streptomyces venezuelae. Chloramphenicol biosynthesis is directly regulated by MtrA in S. venezuelae and deletion of mtrB constitutively activates MtrA and results in constitutive over-production of chloramphenicol. Here we report that in Streptomyces coelicolor, MtrA binds to sites upstream of developmental genes and the genes encoding ActII-1, ActII-4 and RedZ, which are cluster-situated regulators of the antibiotics actinorhodin (Act) and undecylprodigiosin (Red). Consistent with this, deletion of mtrB switches on the production of Act, Red and streptorubin B, a product of the Red pathway. Thus, we propose that MtrA is a key regulator that links antibiotic production to development and can be used to upregulate antibiotic production in distantly related streptomycetes

Marked variation in newborn resuscitation practice: a national survey in the UK

Abstract Background Although international newborn resuscitation guidance has been in force for some time, there are no UK data on current newborn resuscitation practices. Objective Establish delivery room (DR) resuscitation practices in the UK, and identify any differences between neonatal intensive care units (NICU), and other local neonatal services. Methods We conducted a structured two-stage survey of DR management, among UK neonatal units during 2009–2010 (n = 192). Differences between NICU services (tertiary level) and other local neonatal services (non-tertiary) were analysed using Fisher's exact and Student's t-tests. Results There was an 89% response rate (n = 171). More tertiary NICUs institute DR CPAP than non-tertiary units (43% vs. 16%, P = 0.0001) though there was no significant difference in frequency of elective intubation and surfactant administration for preterm babies. More tertiary units commence DR resuscitation in air (62% vs. 29%, P < 0.0001) and fewer in 100% oxygen (11% vs. 41%, P < 0.0001). Resuscitation of preterm babies in particular, commences with air in 56% of tertiary units. Significantly more tertiary units use DR pulse oximeters (58% vs. 29%, P < 0.01) and titrate oxygen based on saturations. Almost all services use occlusive wrapping to maintain temperature for preterm infants. Conclusions In the UK, there are many areas of good evidence based DR practice. However, there is marked variation in management, including between units of different designation, suggesting a need to review practice to fulfil new resuscitation guidance, which will have training and resource implications

Children’s Agency in Translocal Roma Families

Peer reviewe

Effects of antiplatelet therapy on stroke risk by brain imaging features of intracerebral haemorrhage and cerebral small vessel diseases: subgroup analyses of the RESTART randomised, open-label trial

Background Findings from the RESTART trial suggest that starting antiplatelet therapy might reduce the risk of recurrent symptomatic intracerebral haemorrhage compared with avoiding antiplatelet therapy. Brain imaging features of intracerebral haemorrhage and cerebral small vessel diseases (such as cerebral microbleeds) are associated with greater risks of recurrent intracerebral haemorrhage. We did subgroup analyses of the RESTART trial to explore whether these brain imaging features modify the effects of antiplatelet therapy

A systematic review of studies measuring and reporting hearing aid usage in older adults since 1999: a descriptive summary of measurement tools

Objective: A systematic review was conducted to identify and quality assess how studies published since 1999 have measured and reported the usage of hearing aids in older adults. The relationship between usage and other dimensions of hearing aid outcome, age and hearing loss are summarised. Data sources: Articles were identified through systematic searches in PubMed/MEDLINE, The University of Nottingham Online Catalogue, Web of Science and through reference checking. Study eligibility criteria: (1) participants aged fifty years or over with sensori-neural hearing loss, (2) provision of an air conduction hearing aid, (3) inclusion of hearing aid usage measure(s) and (4) published between 1999 and 2011. Results: Of the initial 1933 papers obtained from the searches, a total of 64 were found eligible for review and were quality assessed on six dimensions: study design, choice of outcome instruments, level of reporting (usage, age, and audiometry) and cross validation of usage measures. Five papers were rated as being of high quality (scoring 10–12), 35 papers were rated as being of moderate quality (scoring 7–9), 22 as low quality (scoring 4–6) and two as very low quality (scoring 0–2). Fifteen different methods were identified for assessing the usage of hearing aids. Conclusions: Generally, the usage data reviewed was not well specified. There was a lack of consistency and robustness in the way that usage of hearing aids was assessed and categorised. There is a need for more standardised level of reporting of hearing aid usage data to further understand the relationship between usage and hearing aid outcomes

More than a century of bathymetric observations and present-day shallow sediment characterization in Belfast Bay, Maine, USA: implications for pockmark field longevity

This paper is not subject to U.S. copyright. The definitive version was published in Geo-Marine Letters 31 (2011): 237-248, doi:10.1007/s00367-011-0228-0.Mechanisms and timescales responsible for pockmark formation and maintenance remain uncertain, especially in areas lacking extensive thermogenic fluid deposits (e.g., previously glaciated estuaries). This study characterizes seafloor activity in the Belfast Bay, Maine nearshore pockmark field using (1) three swath bathymetry datasets collected between 1999 and 2008, complemented by analyses of shallow box-core samples for radionuclide activity and undrained shear strength, and (2) historical bathymetric data (report and smooth sheets from 1872, 1947, 1948). In addition, because repeat swath bathymetry surveys are an emerging data source, we present a selected literature review of recent studies using such datasets for seafloor change analysis. This study is the first to apply the method to a pockmark field, and characterizes macro-scale (>5 m) evolution of tens of square kilometers of highly irregular seafloor. Presence/absence analysis yielded no change in pockmark frequency or distribution over a 9-year period (1999–2008). In that time pockmarks did not detectably enlarge, truncate, elongate, or combine. Historical data indicate that pockmark chains already existed in the 19th century. Despite the lack of macroscopic changes in the field, near-bed undrained shear-strength values of less than 7 kPa and scattered downcore 137Cs signatures indicate a highly disturbed setting. Integrating these findings with independent geophysical and geochemical observations made in the pockmark field, it can be concluded that (1) large-scale sediment resuspension and dispersion related to pockmark formation and failure do not occur frequently within this field, and (2) pockmarks can persevere in a dynamic estuarine setting that exhibits minimal modern fluid venting. Although pockmarks are conventionally thought to be long-lived features maintained by a combination of fluid venting and minimal sediment accumulation, this suggests that other mechanisms may be equally active in maintaining such irregular seafloor morphology. One such mechanism could be upwelling within pockmarks induced by near-bed currents.Graduate support for Brothers came from a Maine Economic Improvement Fund Dissertation Fellowship