Talk About Talking About New Models of Scholarly Communication

Although many new forms of scholarly exchange have reached an advanced state of adoption, scholars and researchers generally remain remarkably naïve and uninformed about many issues involved with change in scholarly publishing and scholarly communication broadly. It is increasingly important that dialogue at research institutions involve a much wider group of researchers and scholars. Only active engagement by those undertaking research and scholarship can ensure that the advancement of research and scholarship takes priority in the development and adoption of new models. Research libraries have led in educating stakeholders about new models and are expanding their outreach to campus communities. In considering the effects of recent change, and looking to emerging trends and concerns, six dangers of the current moment are considered along with six topics ripe for campus dialogue.No embarg

SERU (Shared Electronic Resource Understanding): Opening Up New Possibilities for Electronic Resource Transactions

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Two New Policies Widen the Path to Balanced Copyright Management

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Supporting E-science and Data Curation: Progress at Research Institutions and Their Libraries

Presentation to science librarians about the progress of ARL (Association of Research Libraries) libraries in developing e-science and data services

Tiered Pricing: Implications for Library Collections

Final proofed manuscript of the article.In recent years an increasing number of publishers have adopted tiered pricing of journals. The design and implications of tiered-pricing models, however, are poorly understood. Tiered pricing can be modeled using several variables. A survey of current tiered-pricing models documents the range of key variables used. A sensitivity analysis identified two main variables: the distribution of the subscriber base across tiers and the price differential between the highest and lowest tiers. Scenarios illustrating the effects of these two variables are presented and analyzed. The results suggest that institutions falling into the highest tiers can experience substantial price increases, particularly if the subscriber distribution is weighted toward the lower tiers of the model. The implications for collection management at institutions of all sizes are considere

Small force metrology for AFM, stylus instruments, CMM and nanoindenter via reference springs and sensors

With the increasing spread of soft polymer products the calibration of probing forces of atomic force microscopes, stylus instruments, coordinate measuring machines and nanoindenters becomes more and more important in order not to scratch the surface of these products during quality control. New sensors and reference springs for force calibration and new calibration methods for these devices will be presented along with some comparison measurements revealing the status of force and stiffness calibration. The contribution closes with an outlook on the current status of probing force standardization

Acquiring Articles through Unmediated, User-Initiated Pay-Per-View Transactions: An Assessment of Current Practices

Depressed economic times often lead libraries to consider new practices, including alternatives to the traditional subscription model. This column discusses a pay-per-view (PPV) model for acquiring journal articles whereby a library creates an account with a content provider through which authenticated users can purchase articles at the library’s expense. To gain insight into the current use of this model, the paper draws on both a literature review and the results of a survey assessing the practices of academic libraries with experience acquiring articles through unmediated, user-initiated pay-per-view transactions. The future of the PPV model as well as issues and challenges that it raises are also considered

Aspirin vs Placebo as Adjuvant Therapy for Breast Cancer

Importance: Observational studies of survivors of breast cancer and prospective trials of aspirin for cardiovascular disease suggest improved breast cancer survival among aspirin users, but prospective studies of aspirin to prevent breast cancer recurrence are lacking. Objective: To determine whether aspirin decreases the risk of invasive cancer events among survivors of breast cancer. Design, Setting, and Participants: A011502, a phase 3, randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind trial conducted in the United States and Canada with 3020 participants who had high-risk nonmetastatic breast cancer, enrolled participants from 534 sites from January 6, 2017, through December 4, 2020, with follow-up to March 4, 2023. Interventions: Participants were randomized (stratified for hormone receptor status [positive vs negative], body mass index [≤30 vs >30], stage II vs III, and time since diagnosis [<18 vs ≥18 months]) to receive 300 mg of aspirin (n = 1510) or placebo once daily (n = 1510) for 5 years. Main Outcomes and Measures: The primary outcome was invasive disease-free survival. Overall survival was a key secondary outcome. Results: A total of 3020 participants were randomized when the data and safety monitoring committee recommended suspending the study at the first interim analysis because the hazard ratio had crossed the prespecified futility bound. By median follow-up of 33.8 months (range, 0.1-72.6 months), 253 invasive disease-free survival events were observed (141 in the aspirin group and 112 in the placebo group), yielding a hazard ratio of 1.27 (95% CI, 0.99-1.63; P = .06). All invasive disease-free survival events, including death, invasive progression (both distant and locoregional), and new primary events, were numerically higher in the aspirin group, although the differences were not statistically significant. There was no difference in overall survival (hazard ratio, 1.19; 95% CI, 0.82-1.72). Rates of grades 3 and 4 adverse events were similar in both groups. Conclusion and Relevance: Among participants with high-risk nonmetastatic breast cancer, daily aspirin therapy did not improve risk of breast cancer recurrence or survival in early follow-up. Despite its promise and wide availability, aspirin should not be recommended as an adjuvant breast cancer treatment. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02927249

5-Hydroxymethylation marks a class of neuronal gene regulated by intragenic methylcytosine levels.

AbstractWe recently identified a class of neuronal gene inheriting high levels of intragenic methylation from the mother and maintaining this through later development. We show here that these genes are implicated in basic neuronal functions such as post-synaptic signalling, rather than neuronal development and inherit high levels of 5mC, but not 5hmC, from the mother. 5mC is distributed across the gene body and appears to facilitate transcription, as transcription is reduced in DNA methyltransferase I (Dnmt1) knockout embryonic stem cells as well as in fibroblasts treated with a methyltransferase inhibitor. However in adult brain, transcription is more closely associated with a gain in 5hmC, which occurs without a measurable loss of 5mC. These findings add to growing evidence that there may be a role for 5mC in promoting transcription as well as its classical role in gene silencing