A study of the characteristics of libraries participating in a multi-state reciprocal interlibrary loan consortia using DOCLINE routing tables

The utilization of intellectual assets has emerged as a vital strategic tool for companies to remain competitive in today's global, information-centered economy. Knowledge management is one method corporations are adopting to improve the distribution and use of information. Implementing knowledge management into an organization often requires changes to the organization's corporate culture, as traditional corporate structures can hinder the flow of information. Knowledge management is a versatile tool which can be adapted to an organization's goals and objectives. No one approach, therefore, is the "right" one. This research describes the findings of interviews with knowledge workers at three organizations. The knowledge workers discuss the strategies used in each organization to create an environment conducive to knowledge management and ways to encourage employees to participate in knowledge sharing

Effect of major school playground reconstruction on physical activity and sedentary behaviour: Camden active spaces.

BACKGROUND: The physical school environment is a promising setting to increase children's physical activity although robust evidence is sparse. We examined the effects of major playground reconstruction on physical activity and sedentary time in primary schools using a quasi-experimental design (comparison group pre-test/post-test design). METHODS: Five experimental and two control schools from deprived areas of inner city London were recruited at baseline. Main outcome was physical activity and sedentary time measured from objective monitoring (Actigraph accelerometer) at one year follow up. Pupils' impressions of the new playground were qualitatively assessed post construction. RESULTS: A total of 347 pupils (mean age = 8 years, 55% boys; 36% Caucasian) were recruited into the study at baseline; 303 provided valid baseline Actigraph data. Of those, 231 (76%) completed follow-up (n = 169 intervention; n = 62 control) and 77.4% of the sample recorded at least 4 days of Actigraph wear. In mixed models adjusted for age, sex, ethnicity, ratio activity or sedentary/wear time at baseline, wear time at follow up, and school, no differences were observed in total moderate - vigorous activity (B = -1.4, 95% CI, -7.1, 4.2 min/d), light activity (B = 4.1, 95% CI, -17.9, 26.1), or sedentary time (B = -3.8, 95% CI, -29.2, 21.6 min/d) between groups. There were significant age interactions for sedentary (p = 0.002) and light intensity physical activity (p = 0.008). We observed significant reductions in total sedentary (-28.0, 95% CI, -1.9, -54.1 min/d, p = 0.037) and increases in total light intensity activity (24.6, 95% CI, 0.3, 48.9 min/d, p = 0.047) for children aged under 9 yrs. old in the intervention. CONCLUSION: Major playground reconstruction had limited effects on physical activity, but reduced sedentary time was observed in younger children. Qualitative data suggested that the children enjoyed the new playgrounds and experienced a perceived positive change in well-being and social interactions

Chemical Studies on the Stability of Soil Aggregates : Change in Permeability of Soil Aggregate Column Induced bu Percolating with Neutral and Alkaline Solution

既報の結果に基づいて推論した粒団生成に関与する成分が, 果して土粒子の耐水性連結にいかなる役割を演じているかを明らかにする研究の一環として, 静置状態で土壌粒団に中性ならびにアルカリ性の溶液を透過させて土壌から特定の成分の離脱を試み, その場合に起こる粒団の崩壊と土壌の持つ透液性の変移をしらべた。1. 主として水溶性と置換性の成分を土壌から溶脱する機能のある0.05N塩化ナトリウム溶液を土壌粒団に透過させると土壌粒団の崩壊ならびに透液性の低下は極めて少なかった。したがって, 置換性塩基類は粒団の安定性に対し大きな役割を果していないことが明らかになった。2. アルカリ性の腐植抽出剤である0.5%水酸化ナトリウム溶液を土壌粒団に透過させると, 粒団の崩壊が著しく, それに応じて土壌の持つ透液性も低下した。しかし, 土壌からの腐植の離脱量と透液性の低下との間に認められた相関は高くないので粒団の安定性は腐植の単独作用によって律せられるものでないことがわかった。この際同時にアルミニウムがかなり多量に離脱され, これが粒団の安定性に関与することが類推された。3. 中性の腐植抽出剤である0.1Mピロ燐酸ナトリウム溶液を土壌粒団に透過させると, 土壌の種類によってその程度はかなり異なるが概して粒団崩壊と透液比の低下は大きかった。ところが, 土壌から離脱した腐植量と透液比の低下との間には相関が見出せなかった。ピロ燐酸ナトリウム溶液は土壌から腐植と同時に鉄, アルミニウム, カルシウムなどの無機成分を溶脱し, これらの正電荷を抑えて土粒の分散を促がす機能が高いから, この場合の粒団の崩壊はとくに同時に離脱する鉄やアルミニウムによるところが大きいと考えられる。 / With the object to determine the kinds of binding materials in soil aggregates and the part played by each of them, experiments were made on the effect of percolation with neutral or alkaline solution on the aggregate stability. The results obtained are as follows : 1) Aggregates were not greatly affected by the treatment with 0.05N sodium chloride solution. Hence, the part played by exchangeable bases appeared not large in the stabilization of aggregates. 2) When 0.5% sodium hydroxide solution was passed through the column to remove humus from aggregates, the permeability was remarkably lowered. But since the amount of humus removed was not so closely related to the degree of lowering in permeability, the aggregate stability did not seem attributable to the function of humus alone. It was suggested that aluminum removed from aggregates in a large amount in addition to humus participates in their stability. 3) When treated with 0.1M sodium pyrophosphate solution, neutral reagent for humus extraction, the aggregates were markedly broken down and their permeability was greatly lowered, though not without some differences in the extent of effect among the kinds of soil. On the other hand, no distinct correlation was found between the amount of humus removed and the degree of lowering in permeability ratio (the ratio of the permeability at any given time after treatment, Pt, to the initial permeability, Pi). In this case, inorganic components such as aluminum and iron, which were removed by sodium pyrophosphate solution in addition to humus, were considered to be intimately concerned with the result. 4) From these results, it may be indicated that the part played by the combined action of humus and aluminum or iron is important for the stability of soil aggregates

Simulations of Electron Acceleration at Collisionless Shocks: The Effects of Surface Fluctuations

Energetic electrons are a common feature of interplanetary shocks and planetary bow shocks, and they are invoked as a key component of models of nonthermal radio emission, such as solar radio bursts. A simulation study is carried out of electron acceleration for high Mach number, quasi-perpendicular shocks, typical of the shocks in the solar wind. Two dimensional self-consistent hybrid shock simulations provide the electric and magnetic fields in which test particle electrons are followed. A range of different shock types, shock normal angles, and injection energies are studied. When the Mach number is low, or the simulation configuration suppresses fluctuations along the magnetic field direction, the results agree with theory assuming magnetic moment conserving reflection (or Fast Fermi acceleration), with electron energy gains of a factor only 2 - 3. For high Mach number, with a realistic simulation configuration, the shock front has a dynamic rippled character. The corresponding electron energization is radically different: Energy spectra display: (1) considerably higher maximum energies than Fast Fermi acceleration; (2) a plateau, or shallow sloped region, at intermediate energies 2 - 5 times the injection energy; (3) power law fall off with increasing energy, for both upstream and downstream particles, with a slope decreasing as the shock normal angle approaches perpendicular; (4) sustained flux levels over a broader region of shock normal angle than for adiabatic reflection. All these features are in good qualitative agreement with observations, and show that dynamic structure in the shock surface at ion scales produces effective scattering and can be responsible for making high Mach number shocks effective sites for electron acceleration.Comment: 26 pages, 12 figure

Concurrent sodium channelopathies and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis supports shared pathogenesis

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is an invariably fatal adult-onset neurodegenerative disorder; approximately 10% of ALS is monogenic but all ALS exhibits significant heritability. The skeletal muscle sodium channelopathies are a group of inherited, non-dystrophic ion channel disorders caused by heterozygous point mutations in the SCN4A gene, leading to clinical manifestations of congenital myotonia, paramyotonia, and periodic paralysis syndromes. We provide clinical and genetic evidence of concurrence of these two rare disorders which implies a possible shared underlying pathophysiology in two patients. We then identify an enrichment of ALS-associated mutations in another sodium channel, SCN7A, from whole genome sequencing data of 4495 ALS patients and 1925 controls passing multiple testing correction (67 variants, p = 0.0002, Firth logistic regression). These findings suggest dysfunctional sodium channels may play a role upstream in the pathogenesis of ALS in a subset of patients, potentially opening the door to novel personalized medicine approaches

The nature of nursing practice in rural and remote Canada

© Canadian Nurses Association. Reproduced with permission. Further reproduction is prohibitedThese approaches complement one another while adding to our overall understanding of rural nursing practice. For example, the RNDB had not previously been analysed with rural nurses in mind. The demographic profile of rural RNs was generated for the first time for Canada as a whole and for the individual provinces and territories.(18) The documentary analysis takes a critical view of the policy context within which rural nurses practise.(19) The national survey has collected an abundance of information about rural nurses' work, quality of work life and degree of work satisfaction. And the experiences that nurses relate in the narrative approach bring to life the challenges and rewards of working in a variety of rural settings. A national survey of RNs working in rural and remote areas has been completed using a mailed questionnaire and followup based on Dillman's tailored design method.(29) The 3,933 eligible respondents represent all provinces and territories and an overall response rate of 68 per cent after correcting for duplicate registrations, address problems, and ineligibility (e.g., living rural, working urban). Sampling was done in collaboration with the professional nursing associations of each province and territory, using the databases of all RNs with active registration, while maintaining anonymity and confidentiality. The sampling strategy was twofold. First, a stratified random sample was selected from RNs with rural addresses(30) in each of the 10 provinces. Second, the questionnaire was mailed to the total population of Canadian RNs who indicated on their registration forms that their primary workplace was a nursing station or outpost setting and to all RNs registered in the territories (as an attempt to capture "remote" areas). Based on a total population of 229,813 RNs in Canada,(31) with stratification by province and assuming that the ratio of rural/urban nurses was similar to the rural/urban population proportions in the provinces,(32) we determined that 3,500 rural nurses would provide estimates that are statistically significant (p <.05) nationally, with a 90 per cent confidence level provincially. Rural nurses have many reasons to celebrate: they provide care to individuals and families of all ages, for a variety of conditions, in a range of rural and remote settings. Although they work in environments that are primarily governed by urban-centric policies and in workplaces where the quality of work life is often limited, the nurses reveal their passion and dedication to their communities and to practising in rural and remote areas through their stories and their survey comments. The nature of rural and remote nursing is deceiving; its complexity is seen during the nurses' interactions, first as community members and then as professionals. Rural nurses are often charting new courses in their communities and workplaces. Muriel Strode said, "Do not follow where the path may lead. Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail."(33) Discovering the nature of nursing practice in rural and remote Canada through this national study is the first step on such a path, and hopefully the first of many trails.Ye

C9ORF72 hexanucleotide repeat exerts toxicity in a stable, inducible motor neuronal cell model, which is rescued by partial depletion of Pten.

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a devastating and incurable neurodegenerative disease, characterised by progressive failure of the neuromuscular system. A (G4C2)n repeat expansion in C9ORF72 is the most common genetic cause of ALS and frontotemporal dementia (FTD). To date, the balance of evidence indicates that the (G4C2)n repeat causes toxicity and neurodegeneration via a gain-of-toxic function mechanism; either through direct RNA toxicity or through the production of toxic aggregating dipeptide repeat proteins. Here, we have generated a stable and isogenic motor neuronal NSC34 cell model with inducible expression of a (G4C2)102 repeat, to investigate the gain-of-toxic function mechanisms. The expression of the (G4C2)102 repeat produces RNA foci and also undergoes RAN translation. In addition, the expression of the (G4C2)102 repeat shows cellular toxicity. Through comparison of transcriptomic data from the cellular model with laser-captured spinal motor neurons from C9ORF72-ALS cases, we also demonstrate that the PI3K/Akt cell survival signalling pathway is dysregulated in both systems. Furthermore, partial knockdown of Pten rescues the toxicity observed in the NSC34 (G4C2)102 cellular gain-of-toxic function model of C9ORF72-ALS. Our data indicate that PTEN may provide a potential therapeutic target to ameliorate toxic effects of the (G4C2)n repeat

Faculty experiences and motivations in design thinking teaching and learning

Introduction: Design thinking (DT) is a creative, iterative approach to generating solutions that are desirable, feasible, and viable. Given its role in fostering creativity and innovation, a growing number of higher education instructors are teaching DT. Exploring how and what instructors know about DT and why they might teach it could provide critical insight into the ways in which DT is operationalized in higher education teaching and learning. Materials and methods: A convergent parallel mixed methods design was used for data collected from online surveys administered to faculty teaching DT. The survey included items about DT practices, outcomes from DT, demographic characteristics, and course characteristics. Five open-text survey items queried participants about their definition of DT, why they teach DT, and what additional outcomes they observed. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze quantitative items and thematic analysis was used to analyze qualitative items. Results: Participants (n = 49) represented various academic ranks, disciplines, types of institutions, and geographic locations. Analyses indicated clear congruence between quantitative and qualitative data. Definitions of DT aligned with well-known models of DT. Motivations for teaching DT included the promotion of personal development, DT proficiency, impact, and interpersonal skill development. Other positive student outcomes observed included increases in enthusiasm, self-awareness, empowerment, optimism, and a sense of belonging. Negative student outcomes included time constraints, teamwork conflicts, and student frustration. Conclusion: Faculty believe that DT leads to highly valuable social innovation skill sets for students. This cross-institutional, multi-disciplinary study provides critical insight into faculty experiences and motivations for teaching DT, offering various strategies for instructors and institutions interested in fostering the uptake of DT within higher education

Report 36: Modelling ICU capacity under different epidemiological scenarios of the COVID-19 pandemic in three western European countries

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has placed enormous strain on healthcare systems, particularly intensive care units (ICUs), with COVID-19 patient care being a key concern of healthcare system planning for winter 2020/21. Ensuring that all patients who require intensive care, irrespective of COVID-19 status, can access it during this time is essential. This study uses an integrated model of hospital capacity planning and epidemiological projections of COVID-19 patients to estimate the spare capacity of key ICU resources under different epidemic scenarios in France, Germany and Italy across the winter period of 2020/21. In particular, we examine the effect of implementing suppression strategies of varying effectiveness, triggered by different numbers of COVID-19 patients in ICU. The use of a ‘dual-demand’ (COVID-19 and non-COVID-19) patient model and the consideration of multiple ICU resources that determine capacity (beds, doctors, nurses and ventilators) and the interdependencies between them, provides a detailed insight into potential capacity constraints this winter. Without sufficient mitigation, we estimate that COVID-19 ICU patient numbers will exceed those seen in the first peak, resulting in substantial capacity deficits, with beds being consistently found to be the most constrained resource across countries. Lockdowns triggered based on ICU capacity could lead to large improvements in spare capacity during the winter season, with pressure being most effectively alleviated when lockdown is triggered early and implemented at a higher level of suppression. In many cases, maximum deficits are reduced to lower levels which can then be managed by expanding supply-side hospital capacity, to ensure that all patients can receive treatment. The success of such interventions also depends on baseline ICU bed numbers and average non-COVID-19 patient occupancy. We find that lockdowns of longer duration reduce the total number of days in deficit, but triggering lockdown earlier when COVID-19 ICU occupancy is lower is more effective in minimising deficits. Our results highlight the dependencies between different metrics, suggesting that absolute benefits of different strategies must be weighed against the feasibility and drawbacks of different amounts of time spent in lockdown

Transcriptomic Analysis of Age-Associated Periventricular Lesions Reveals Dysregulation of the Immune Response.

White matter lesions (WML) are a common feature of the ageing brain associated with cognitive impairment. The gene expression profiles of periventricular lesions (PVL, n = 7) and radiologically-normal-appearing (control) periventricular white matter cases (n = 11) obtained from the Cognitive Function and Ageing Study (CFAS) neuropathology cohort were interrogated using microarray analysis and NanoString to identify novel mechanisms potentially underlying their formation. Histological characterisation of control white matter cases identified a subgroup (n = 4) which contained high levels of MHC-II immunoreactive microglia, and were classified as "pre-lesional." Microarray analysis identified 2256 significantly differentially-expressed genes (p ≤ 0.05, FC ≥ 1.2) in PVL compared to non-lesional control white matter (1378 upregulated and 878 downregulated); 2649 significantly differentially-expressed genes in "pre-lesional" cases compared to PVL (1390 upregulated and 1259 downregulated); and 2398 significantly differentially-expressed genes in "pre-lesional" versus non-lesional control cases (1527 upregulated and 871 downregulated). Whilst histological evaluation of a single marker (MHC-II) implicates immune-activated microglia in lesion pathology, transcriptomic analysis indicates significant downregulation of a number of activated microglial markers and suggests established PVL are part of a continuous spectrum of white matter injury. The gene expression profile of "pre-lesional" periventricular white matter suggests upregulation of several signalling pathways may be a neuroprotective response to prevent the pathogenesis of PVL