Topographic Map Acquisition In U.S. Academic Libraries

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Stable Isotope Evidence for Dietary Contrast Between Pictish and Medieval Populations at Portmahomack, Scotland

NoThe Pictish and Medieval site at Portmahomack contained four skeletal populations belonging respectively to the late Iron-Age/early Pictish period (6th/7th century), to a monastery of the late Pictish/early medieval period (8th century), to a Norse and Scottish trading place (9th to 11th century) and to a late medieval parish (15th century). Carbon and nitrogen isotope analyses of bone and tooth root collagen from sample individuals from each period were measured for dietary reconstruction. Faunal bone collagen was also assessed to provide dietary comparisons. The results demonstrate a marked change in diet between the early and late medieval communities at Portmahomack. Faunal data also presented dietary differences between the early and later medieval periods, perhaps related to a change in husbandry practices. Due to the dearth of carbon and nitrogen isotope studies on medieval skeletal collections in many areas of Britain and Ireland, this study provides valuable data to enhance our knowledge of food consumption and subsistence in the medieval period.Historic Scotland provided funding the isotope analysi

Parent–child connectedness and communication in relation to alcohol, tobacco and drug use in adolescence: An integrative review of the literature

Previous reviews have highlighted parent-child connectedness and communication as important protective factors against adolescent substance use. However, these reviews focus on single substances such as alcohol. An integrative review of the literature was conducted to examine which elements of parent-child connectedness and substance-use specific communication are effective across adolescent alcohol, tobacco and drug use. Forty-two English language, peer reviewed articles were reviewed. Open communication occurs within the context of high connectedness between parents and their children. Conversations about health risks are associated with lower levels of substance use while more frequent conversations, those about parents’ own use, permissive messages and consequences of use are associated with higher levels of use. There are disparities regarding conversations about use of each substance: alcohol and tobacco are easier topics of conversation while drug use is rarely discussed. Parental alcohol and tobacco use can influence the credibility of their communication with their child. Parents should be encouraged to have open, constructive, credible, two-sided conversations with their adolescents about substance use. Interventions to improve parents’ communication skills around substance use, particularly drug use, should include the types of approaches and messages highlighted in this review, and, where possible, these interventions should include all family members

HIGH TECH MEETS HIGH TOUCH:COHORT LEARNING ONLINE IN GRADUATE HIGHER EDUCATION

This paper discusses the results of a qualitative participatory action research study where the purpose was to examine the nature of the cohort learning experience in an online master’s program from both faculty and student perspectives. There has been much discussion in higher and adult education circles in the last decade on distance education, web based and web enhanced learning online, and online degree programs. Nearly all institutions of higher education now offer at least some classes online, and many offer entire degree programs. While many have discussed the plusses and minuses of online education, and considered what online pedagogy offers to adult learners, there has been little discussion of what online education looks like specifically in online cohort programs, from the students’ perspectives. Thus, the purpose of this paper is: (1) to discuss the results of a participatory action research project where the purpose was to examine the nature of the cohort learning experience in an online master’s program that began with a residential component from both faculty and student perspectives; and (2) to consider the implications for the ongoing development of both “high tech” and “high touch” and academically sound degree programs in adult education and related areas

A Risk-Factor Guided Approach to Reducing Lactic Acidosis and Hyperlactatemia in Patients on Antiretroviral Therapy

BACKGROUND: Stavudine continues to be used in antiretroviral treatment (ART) regimens in many resource-limited settings. The use of zidovudine instead of stavudine in higher-risk patients to reduce the likelihood of lactic acidosis and hyperlactatemia (LAHL) has not been examined. METHODS: Antiretroviral-naïve, HIV-infected adults initiating ART between 2004 and 2007 were divided into cohorts of those initiated on stavudine- or zidovudine-containing therapy. We evaluated stavudine or zidovudine use, age, sex, body mass index (BMI), baseline CD4 cell count, creatinine, hemoglobin, alanine aminotransferase, and albumin as predictors of time to LAHL with Cox Proportional Hazards (PH) regression models. RESULTS: Among 2062 patients contributing 2747 patient years (PY), the combined incidence of LAHL was 3.2/100 PY in those initiating stavudine- and 0.34/100 PY in those initiating zidovudine-containing ART (RR 9.26, 95% CI: 1.28-66.93). In multivariable Cox PH analysis, stavudine exposure (HR 14.31, 95% CI: 5.79-35.30), female sex (HR 3.41, 95% CI: 1.89-6.19), higher BMI (HR 3.21, 95% CI: 2.16-4.77), higher creatinine (1.63, 95% CI: 1.12-2.36), higher albumin (HR 1.04, 95% CI: 1.01-1.07), and lower CD4 cell count (HR 0.96, 95% CI: 0.92-1.0) at baseline were associated with higher LAHL rates. Among participants who started on stavudine, switching to zidovudine was associated with lower LAHL rates (HR 0.15, 95% CI: 0.06-0.35). Subgroup analysis limited to women with higher BMI≥25 kg/m2 initiated on stavudine also showed that switch to zidovudine was protective when controlling for other risk factors (HR 0.21, 95% CI .07-0.64). CONCLUSIONS: Stavudine exposure, female sex, and higher BMI are strong, independent predictors for developing LAHL. Patients with risk factors for lactic acidosis have less LAHL while on zidovudine- rather than stavudine-containing ART. Switching patients from stavudine to zidovudine is protective. Countries continuing to use stavudine should avoid this drug in women and patients with higher BMI

Sulfation of L-Selectin Ligands by an HEV-Restricted Sulfotransferase Regulates Lymphocyte Homing to Lymph Nodes

AbstractLymphocytes home to lymph nodes, using L-selectin to bind specific ligands on high endothelial venules (HEV). In vitro studies implicate GlcNAc-6-sulfate as an essential posttranslational modification for ligand activity. Here, we show that genetic deletion of HEC-GlcNAc6ST, a sulfotransferase that is highly restricted to HEV, results in the loss of the binding of recombinant L-selectin to the luminal aspect of HEV, elimination of lymphocyte binding in vitro, and markedly reduced in vivo homing. Reactivity with MECA 79, an adhesion-blocking mAb that stains HEV in lymph nodes and vessels in chronic inflammatory sites, is also lost from the luminal aspects of HEV. These results establish a critical role for HEC-GlcNAc6ST in lymphocyte trafficking and suggest it as an important therapeutic target

Plasmodium knowlesi Genome Sequences from Clinical Isolates Reveal Extensive Genomic Dimorphism.

Plasmodium knowlesi is a newly described zoonosis that causes malaria in the human population that can be severe and fatal. The study of P. knowlesi parasites from human clinical isolates is relatively new and, in order to obtain maximum information from patient sample collections, we explored the possibility of generating P. knowlesi genome sequences from archived clinical isolates. Our patient sample collection consisted of frozen whole blood samples that contained excessive human DNA contamination and, in that form, were not suitable for parasite genome sequencing. We developed a method to reduce the amount of human DNA in the thawed blood samples in preparation for high throughput parasite genome sequencing using Illumina HiSeq and MiSeq sequencing platforms. Seven of fifteen samples processed had sufficiently pure P. knowlesi DNA for whole genome sequencing. The reads were mapped to the P. knowlesi H strain reference genome and an average mapping of 90% was obtained. Genes with low coverage were removed leaving 4623 genes for subsequent analyses. Previously we identified a DNA sequence dimorphism on a small fragment of the P. knowlesi normocyte binding protein xa gene on chromosome 14. We used the genome data to assemble full-length Pknbpxa sequences and discovered that the dimorphism extended along the gene. An in-house algorithm was developed to detect SNP sites co-associating with the dimorphism. More than half of the P. knowlesi genome was dimorphic, involving genes on all chromosomes and suggesting that two distinct types of P. knowlesi infect the human population in Sarawak, Malaysian Borneo. We use P. knowlesi clinical samples to demonstrate that Plasmodium DNA from archived patient samples can produce high quality genome data. We show that analyses, of even small numbers of difficult clinical malaria isolates, can generate comprehensive genomic information that will improve our understanding of malaria parasite diversity and pathobiology