Buy, Borrow, or Steal: Patterns in Searching for Scholarly Literature

This study examines how individuals at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill engage in certain resource retrieval actions when searching for peer-reviewed scholarly literature. A campus-wide survey was distributed to students, faculty, and staff of various disciplines in order to collect information and opinions on specific retrieval methods. Responses suggest that resource retrieval actions are influenced by the user’s status, their discipline affiliation, and the reason for their information need. The data also shows that the majority of UNC-CH patrons do not know how to request an electronic, peer-reviewed resource through the Library system. This study shows the need for more comprehensive outreach and education regarding electronic resources, especially as the Library continues to navigate new scholarly communication environments.Master of Science in Library Scienc

Alcohol-induced blackouts and other alcohol-related consequences as moderators of brief motivational intervention outcomes

Introduction: Heavy drinking among college students remains an issue within the United States. Past research has found that recent negative experiences with alcohol-related consequences, such as alcohol-induced blackouts, can serve as "teachable moments" and enhance the efficacy of personal feedback interventions (PFIs) in reducing future drinking behaviors (Miller et al., 2018b). Thus, the purpose of the current study was to better understand how the recent experience of an alcohol-induced blackout and other alcohol-related consequences influenced the relationship between receiving a PFI and future drinking behaviors assessed at follow-up.Method: Undergraduate students from two archival samples of heavy drinkers (N = 142 in one study, N = 157 in the second study) from a large, Southern Plains university completed studies assessing the effectiveness of a computer program called the Drinking Assessment and Feedback Tool for College Students (DrAFT-CS). Participants completed measures pertaining to drinks per week, recent experience of alcohol-related consequences and peak drinking episodes within the last month at both baseline and follow-up assessments.Results: Multiple hierarchical linear regression analyses revealed that the recent experience of an alcohol-induced blackout or of six other pertinent alcohol-related consequences (e.g., XX, XX) did not significantly moderate the relationship between receiving a PFI and future drinking behavior assessed at follow-up.Discussion: The current study demonstrated that the recent experience of certain alcohol-related consequences can increase the effectiveness of brief interventions in samples of college students who engage in heavy drinking. Future research should assess whether these same findings hold true for mandated samples, and it should continue to investigate whether heavy drinking college student samples evaluate alcohol-related consequences differently than average and light drinking samples

Evaluation of inter-batch differences in stem-cell derived neurons

AbstractDifferentiated cells retain the genetic information of the donor but the extent to which phenotypic differences between donors or batches of differentiated cells are explained by variation introduced during the differentiation process is not fully understood. In this study, we evaluated four separate batches of commercially available neurons originating from the same iPSCs to investigate whether the differentiation process used in manufacturing iPSCs to neurons affected genome-wide gene expression and modified cytosines, or neuronal sensitivity to drugs. No significant changes in gene expression, as measured by RNA-Seq, or cytosine modification levels, as measured by the Illumina 450K arrays, were observed between batches relative to changes over time. As expected, neurotoxic chemotherapeutics affected neuronal outgrowth, but no inter-batch differences were observed in sensitivity to paclitaxel, vincristine and cisplatin. As a testament to the utility of the model for studies of neuropathy, we observed that genes involved in neuropathy had relatively higher expression levels in these samples across different time points. Our results suggest that the process used to differentiate iPSCs into neurons is consistent, resulting in minimal intra-individual variability across batches. Therefore, this model is reasonable for studies of human neuropathy, druggable targets to prevent neuropathy, and other neurological diseases

Application of Stem Cell Derived Neuronal Cells to Evaluate Neurotoxic Chemotherapy

The generation of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) and differentiation to cells composing major organs has opened up the possibility for a new model system to study adverse toxicities associated with chemotherapy. Therefore, we used human iPSC-derived neurons to study peripheral neuropathy, one of the most common adverse effects of chemotherapy and cause for dose reduction. To determine the utility of these neurons in investigating the effects of neurotoxic chemotherapy, we measured morphological differences in neurite outgrowth, cell viability as determined by ATP levels and apoptosis through measures of caspase 3/7 activation following treatment with clinically relevant concentrations of platinating agents (cisplatin, oxaliplatin and carboplatin), taxanes (paclitaxel, docetaxel and nab-paclitaxel), a targeted proteasome inhibitor (bortezomib), an antiangiogenic compound (thalidomide), and 5-fluorouracil, a chemotherapeutic that does not cause neuropathy. We demonstrate differential sensitivity of neurons to mechanistically distinct classes of chemotherapeutics. We also show a dose-dependent reduction of electrical activity as measured by mean firing rate of the neurons following treatment with paclitaxel. We compared neurite outgrowth and cell viability of iPSC-derived cortical (iCell® Neurons) and peripheral (Peri.4U) neurons to cisplatin, paclitaxel and vincristine. Goshajinkigan, a Japanese herbal neuroprotectant medicine, was protective against paclitaxel-induced neurotoxicity but not oxaliplatin as measured by morphological phenotypes. Thus, we have demonstrated the utility of human iPSC-derived neurons as a useful model to distinguish drug class differences and for studies of a potential neuroprotectant for the prevention of chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy

Creativity and Resiliency in the Archives: Challenges in Uncovering the History of an Allied Health Sciences Division

The Clinical Rehabilitation and Mental Health Counseling (CRMH) division within the Department of Allied Health Sciences (DAHS) requested help from a librarian in researching the history of the division. The CRMH division believes it has an upcoming anniversary to celebrate and wishes to have a timeline of the divison’s development, along with notable historical documents that highlight milestones and key figures in its history. Archive finding aids and other strategies support the discovery of university documents relevant to the history of the division. The project has been underway for more than a year and is still ongoing. It presents several challenges requiring elements of resiliency, flexibility and creativity

Proton radiotherapy for chest wall and regional lymphatic radiation; dose comparisons and treatment delivery

Purpose The delivery of post-mastectomy radiation therapy (PMRT) can be challenging for patients with left sided breast cancer that have undergone mastectomy. This study investigates the use of protons for PMRT in selected patients with unfavorable cardiac anatomy. We also report the first clinical application of protons for these patients. Methods and materials Eleven patients were planned with protons, partially wide tangent photon fields (PWTF), and photon/electron (P/E) fields. Plans were generated with the goal of achieving 95% coverage of target volumes while maximally sparing cardiac and pulmonary structures. In addition, we report on two patients with unfavorable cardiac anatomy and IMN involvement that were treated with a mix of proton and standard radiation. Results: PWTF, P/E, and proton plans were generated and compared. Reasonable target volume coverage was achieved with PWTF and P/E fields, but proton therapy achieved superior coverage with a more homogeneous plan. Substantial cardiac and pulmonary sparing was achieved with proton therapy as compared to PWTF and P/E. In the two clinical cases, the delivery of proton radiation with a 7.2 to 9 Gy photon and electron component was feasible and well tolerated. Akimbo positioning was necessary for gantry clearance for one patient; the other was treated on a breast board with standard positioning (arms above her head). LAO field arrangement was used for both patients. Erythema and fatigue were the only noted side effects. Conclusions: Proton RT enables delivery of radiation to the chest wall and regional lymphatics, including the IMN, without compromise of coverage and with improved sparing of surrounding normal structures. This treatment is feasible, however, optimal patient set up may vary and field size is limited without multiple fields/matching

Dysfunctional Tissue Correlates of Unrelated Naming Errors in Acute Left Hemisphere Stroke

Most naming error lesion-symptom mapping (LSM) studies have focused on semantic and/or phonological errors. Anomic individuals also produce unrelated word errors, which may be linked to semantic or modality-independent lexical deficits. To investigate the neural underpinnings of rarely-studied unrelated errors, we conducted LSM analyses in 100 individuals hospitalised with a left hemisphere stroke who completed imaging protocols and language assessments. We used least absolute shrinkage and selection operator regression to capture relationships between naming errors and dysfunctional brain tissue metrics (regional damage or hypoperfusion in vascular territories) in two groups: participants with and without impaired single-word auditory comprehension. Hypoperfusion—particularly within the parietal lobe—was an important error predictor, especially for the unimpaired group. In both groups, higher unrelated error proportions were associated with primarily ventral stream damage, the language route critical for processing meaning. Nonetheless, brain metrics implicated in unrelated errors were distinct from semantic error correlates

Recovery trajectories for long-term health-related quality of life following a road traffic crash injury: results from the UQ SuPPORT study

Background Diminished physical and mental health-related quality of life (HRQoL) is a common consequence of road traffic crash (RTC) injury. This study aimed to (a) determine the probable recovery trajectories in physical and mental HRQoL; (b) examine the impact of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) on HRQoL scores within these trajectory groups; and (c) examine the influence of predictor covariates on trajectory group membership. Methods 336 (63% female, M =44.72; SD =14.77) injured RTC survivors completed the SF-36v2 at approximately 6, 12, and 24 months after sustaining a RTC injury. Participants also completed telephone interviews to assess prior history of psychological disorder and current PTSD at each wave. Results Three trajectories were identified for SF-36v2 Physical Component Score (PCS): ”gradual recovery” (27.3%);”low but improving” (54.7%); and”severe and chronic” (17.9%). Four trajectories were defined for SF36v2 Mental Component Score (MCS): “unaffected” (19.1%);”severe but improving” (24.1%);”severe and declining” (17.3%); and”low but improving” (39.5%). A PTSD diagnosis significantly reduced SF36v2 component scores only in trajectories associated with poorer outcome. Age was predictive of trajectory group membership for PCS, whereas injury severity was predictive of trajectory group membership for MCS. Limitations Use of a compensation seeking sample affects generalizability to the general RTC population. Conclusions This study identified a concerning subgroup of individuals who have chronic and/or declining physical and mental HRQoL that can be impacted by a diagnosis of PTSD. The development of interventions with a special focus on associated psychological injury is needed to improve the HRQoL of at-risk individuals following RTC injury

Theory- and evidence-based best practices for physical activity counseling for adults with spinal cord injury

This project used a systematic and integrated knowledge translation (IKT) approach to co-create theory- and evidence-based best practices for physical activity counseling for adults with spinal cord injury (SCI). Guided by the IKT Guiding Principles, we meaningfully engaged research users throughout this project. A systematic approach was used. An international, multidisciplinary expert panel (n = 15), including SCI researchers, counselors, and people with SCI, was established. Panel members participated in two online meetings to discuss the best practices by drawing upon new knowledge regarding counselor-client interactions, current evidence, and members’ own experiences. We used concepts from key literature on SCI-specific physical activity counseling and health behavior change theories. An external group of experts completed an online survey to test the clarity, usability and appropriateness of the best practices. The best practices document includes an introduction, the best practices, things to keep in mind, and a glossary. Best practices focused on how to deliver a conversation and what to discuss during a conversation. Examples include: build rapport, use a client-centred approach following the spirit of motivational interviewing, understand your client’s physical activity barriers, and share the SCI physical activity guidelines. External experts (n = 25) rated the best practices on average as clear, useful, and appropriate. We present the first systematically co-developed theory- and evidence-based best practices for SCI physical activity counseling. The implementation of the best practices will be supported by developing training modules. These new best practices can contribute to optimizing SCI physical activity counseling services across settings.</p

Data Analytics on Online Student Engagement Data for Academic Performance Modeling

In large MOOC cohorts, the sheer variance and volume of discussion forum posts can make it difficult to for instructors to distinguish nuanced behaviour in students such as positive engagement or stress. Sentiment analysis has been used to build student behavioural models, however, more recent research suggests that separating sentiment and stress into different measures could improve text analysis in this domain. Detecting stress in a MOOC corpus is challenging as students may use language that does not conform to standard definitions, but new techniques like TensiStrength provide more nuanced measures of stress. In this work, we introduce an ensemble method that extracts features of engagement, semantics and sentiment and stress from an AdelaideX student dataset. Stacked and voting methods are used to compare performance measures on how accurately these features can predict student grades. The stacked method performed best across all measures, with our Random Forest baseline further demonstrating that negative sentiment and stress had little impact on academic results. As a secondary analysis, we explored whether stress among student posts increased in 2020 compared to 2019 due to COVID-19 to understand the impact of major events on online learners, but found no significant change. Importantly, our model indicates that there may be a relationship between features, which warrants future research