Practice Makes Perfect: Creating Information Literacy Modules for Learning Management Systems

Many institutions now use learning management systems (LMS) such as Blackboard and Canvas to deliver class content for distance learning programs, online-only classes, or to supplement face-to-face courses. Learning management systems offer the librarian a remarkable opportunity to reach students in new and exciting ways. The restraints of the traditional one-shot session in which the instructor expects the librarian to impart all knowledge about the online system, e-journals and databases, and the physical collection no longer need define the limits of information literacy. Music students find that they need to be able to navigate a library’s music collection very early in their college careers. Information literacy skills are necessary for finding scores and recordings as well as for projects and papers. Using best practices for creating short modules in an online learning environment, we will explore developing information literacy units for musicians that can be imbedded in an institution’s LMS. Print and online music resources will be used to develop basic information literacy skills for undergraduate and beginning musicians

Bisphosphonate therapy: When not to monitor BMD

After starting patients on bisphosphonates for osteoporosis, wait at least 3 years before ordering a repeat dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) scan. Stength of recommendation: C: Based on a secondary analysis of a large randomized controlled trial

Vertebroplasty for osteoporotic fracture? Think twice

Think twice before recommending vertebroplasty (VP) for symptomatic osteoporotic compression fractures. New studies suggest that it has little benefit; thus, VP should be considered only after other, more conservative options fail. Stength of recommendation: A: Consistent, high-quality randomized controlled trials (RCTs)

Help smokers quit: Tell them their "lung age"

Perform spirometry on patients who smoke -- even if they're asymptomatic -- and show them their lung age that is, the average age of a nonsmoker with a forced expiratory volume at 1 second (FEV1) equal to theirs. Doing so can help patients kick the habit. Stength of recommendation: B: Based on a single well-done randomized controlled trial (RCT)

Drugs help pass more ureteral stones

Prescribe tamsulosin (typically 0.4 mg daily) or nifedipine (typically 30 mg daily) for patients with lower ureteral calculi, to speed stone passage and to avoid surgical intervention. Stength of recommendation: A: Meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

The potential role of creatine in vascular health

Creatine is an organic compound, consumed exogenously in the diet and synthesized endogenously via an intricate inter-organ process. Functioning in conjunction with creatine kinase, creatine has long been known for its pivotal role in cellular energy provision and energy shuttling. In addition to the abundance of evidence supporting the ergogenic benefits of creatine supplementation, recent evidence suggests a far broader application for creatine within various myopathies, neurodegenerative diseases, and other pathologies. Furthermore, creatine has been found to exhibit non-energy related properties, contributing as a possible direct and in-direct antioxidant and eliciting anti-inflammatory effects. In spite of the new clinical success of supplemental creatine, there is little scientific insight into the potential effects of creatine on cardiovascular disease (CVD), the leading cause of mortality. Taking into consideration the non-energy related actions of creatine, highlighted in this review, it can be speculated that creatine supplementation may serve as an adjuvant therapy for the management of vascular health in at-risk populations. This review, therefore, not only aims to summarize the current literature surrounding creatine and vascular health, but to also shed light onto the potential mechanisms in which creatine may be able to serve as a beneficial supplement capable of imparting vascular-protective properties and promoting vascular health

SULFONATED POLYPHENYLENE POLYMERS

Improved sulfonated polyphenylene compositions, improved polymer electrolyte membranes and nanaocomposites formed there from for use in fuel cells are described herein. The improved compostitions, membranes and nanocomposites formed there from overcome limitations of Nafion membranes

Glucose control: How low should you go with the critically ill?

For hyperglycemic patients admitted to an intensive care unit (ICU), the target blood glucose level should be [less than or equal to] 180 mg/dL, not 81 to 108 mg/dL. More aggressive glucose lowering is associated with a higher mortality rate. Strength of recommendation: B: Based on a single, high-quality randomized clinical trial

Electrocatalyst Design for Direct Borohydride Oxidation Guided by First Principles

© 2017 American Chemical Society. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations are used to propose a Au-Cu binary metal catalyst for the electrochemical borohydride oxidation reaction (BOR), which is evaluated experimentally and observed to show enhanced oxidation activity relative to a pure Au electrode. Our previous work has applied DFT methods to determine the BOR mechanism and elucidate the key reaction steps that dictate catalyst activity and selectivity to complete oxidation. A balanced initial adsorption strength of the borohydride anion is essential for an active and selective catalyst. Adsorption must be strong enough to provide a reasonable coverage of surface species and promote B-H bond dissociation but not so strong as to promote easy dissociation and provide a high coverage of surface H atoms that result in H 2 evolution. Borohydride adsorption energetics were evaluated for a series of close-packed pure metal surfaces. Copper catalysts appear encouraging but are not electrochemically stable under reaction conditions. Gold-copper alloys are predicted to show increased activity compared to a pure gold electrode while maintaining the selectivity to direct oxidation and increasing the stability compared to pure Cu. DFT results suggest an approximately 0.2 V decrease in the overpotential for borohydride oxidation on a Au 2 Cu(111) electrode compared to that on a Au(111) electrode. This DFT-predicted reduction in overpotential is realized experimentally. Electrodeposition was used to prepare AuCu electrodes, and their borohydride oxidation electrokinetics were examined by linear sweep voltammetry. An 88.5% gold and 11.5% copper sample demonstrated an overpotential reduction of 0.17 V compared to a pure Au electrode. The binding energy and adsorption free energy of BH 4- over other surface alloys are also examined to further identify promising BOR electrodes. (Chemical Equation Presented)