Using a Reflexive Process to Investigate Organizational Change: The Use of the Research Spider Matrix

The primary objective was to assess the research competencies (knowledge, experience, and skills) of librarians at an academic health sciences library using the Research Spider matrix (Smith et al., 2002). This was motivated by the shift from a traditional reference model to a research-centric paradigm

It takes longer than you think: librarian time spent on systematic review tasks

Introduction: The authors examined the time that medical librarians spent on specific tasks for systematic reviews (SRs): interview process, search strategy development, search strategy translation, documentation, deliverables, search methodology writing, and instruction. We also investigated relationships among the time spent on SR tasks, years of experience, and number of completed SRs to gain a better understanding of the time spent on SR tasks from time, staffing, and project management perspectives. Methods: A confidential survey and study description were sent to medical library directors who were members of the Association of Academic Health Sciences Libraries as well as librarians serving members of the Association of American Medical Colleges or American Osteopathic Association. Results: Of the 185 participants, 143 (77%) had worked on an SR within the last 5 years. The number of SRs conducted by participants during their careers ranged from 1 to 500, with a median of 5. The major component of time spent was on search strategy development and translation. Average aggregated time for standard tasks was 26.9 hours, with a median of 18.5 hours. Task time was unrelated to the number of SRs but was positively correlated with years of SR experience. Conclusion: The time required to conduct the librarian’s discrete tasks in an SR varies substantially, and there are no standard time frames. Librarians with more SR experience spent more time on instruction and interviews; time spent on all other tasks varied widely. Librarians also can expect to spend a significant amount of their time on search strategy development, translation, and writing.  This article has been approved for the Medical Library Association’s Independent Reading Program

REAP : Revealing drug tolerant persister cells in cancer using contrast enhanced optical coherence and photoacoustic tomography

Despite chemotherapy, residual tumors often rely on so-called drug tolerant persister (DTP) cells, which evade treatment to give rise to therapy-resistant relapse and refractory disease. Detection of residual tumor cells proves to be challenging because of the rarity and heterogeneity of DTP cells. In the framework of a H2020 project, REAP will gather researchers and engineers from six countries, who will combine their expertise in biology, chemistry, oncology, material sciences, photonics, and electrical and biomedical engineering in the hope of revealing DTPs in cancer using contrast enhanced multimodal optical imaging. Laser sources for photoacoustic microscopy, photoacoustic tomography, and optical coherence tomography will be developed to enable the design of a two-photon laser scanning optical coherence photoacoustic microscopy system and an optical coherence photoacoustic tomography system. Furthermore, novel photoacoustic detectors using micro-ring resonator will be designed and fabricated, granting improved sensitivity and easier integration of multiple optical imaging modalities into a single system. Innovative algorithms will be developed to reconstruct and analyze the images quickly and automatically. With successful implementation of this four-year project, we can not only gain insight into the mechanisms governing DTPs, but also significantly advance the technology readiness level of contrast agents, lasers, sensors, and image analysis software through joint efforts.publishedVersionPeer reviewe

Antibody-Mediated Protection against Mucosal Simian-Human Immunodeficiency Virus Challenge of Macaques Immunized with Alphavirus Replicon Particles and Boosted with Trimeric Envelope Glycoprotein in MF59 Adjuvant▿

We have previously shown that rhesus macaques were partially protected against high-dose intravenous challenge with simian-human immunodeficiency virus SHIVSF162P4 following sequential immunization with alphavirus replicon particles (VRP) of a chimeric recombinant VEE/SIN alphavirus (derived from Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus [VEE] and the Sindbis virus [SIN]) encoding human immunodeficiency virus type 1 HIV-1SF162 gp140ΔV2 envelope (Env) and trimeric Env protein in MF59 adjuvant (R. Xu, I. K. Srivastava, C. E. Greer, I. Zarkikh, Z. Kraft, L. Kuller, J. M. Polo, S. W. Barnett, and L. Stamatatos, AIDS Res. Hum. Retroviruses 22:1022-1030, 2006). The protection did not require T-cell immune responses directed toward simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) Gag. We extend those findings here to demonstrate antibody-mediated protection against mucosal challenge in macaques using prime-boost regimens incorporating both intramuscular and mucosal routes of delivery. The macaques in the vaccination groups were primed with VRP and then boosted with Env protein in MF59 adjuvant, or they were given VRP intramuscular immunizations alone and then challenged with SHIVSF162P4 (intrarectal challenge). The results demonstrated that these vaccines were able to effectively protect the macaques to different degrees against subsequent mucosal SHIV challenge, but most noteworthy, all macaques that received the intramuscular VRP prime plus Env protein boost were completely protected. A statistically significant association was observed between the titer of virus neutralizing and binding antibodies as well as the avidity of anti-Env antibodies measured prechallenge and protection from infection. These results highlight the merit of the alphavirus replicon vector prime plus Env protein boost vaccine approach for the induction of protective antibody responses and are of particular relevance to advancing our understanding of the potential correlates of immune protection against HIV infection at a relevant mucosal portal of entry

Towards a Unified Testing Framework for Single-Sided Deafness Studies: A Consensus Paper

International audienc

Anxious-depression among Hispanic/Latinos from different backgrounds: results from the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos (HCHS/SOL)

BACKGROUND: Anxious-depression is a constellation of symptoms, frequently encountered among patients in primary care centers. There is a need to study how anxious-depression presents among Hispanic/Latinos of different backgrounds. OBJECTIVE: To study the construct of anxious-depression among 16,064 Hispanic/Latinos of different backgrounds participating in the Hispanic Community Health Study/ Study of Latinos (HCHS/SOL). We hypothesized that Hispanic/Latinos will cluster in 3 classes: low anxiety/high depression, high anxiety/low depression and a combined anxious-depression construct. METHODS: Using latent profile analysis, symptoms of depression and anxiety measured by the 10-item Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) and 10-item State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) were evaluated to determine if an anxious-depression typology would result. A multinomial logistic regression analysis explored the association of the 3-class solution with different Hispanic/Latino backgrounds controlling for age, gender, language, education and income. RESULTS: A 3-class mixed anxious-depression structure emerged with 10% of Hispanic/Latinos in the high, 30% in the moderate and 60% in the low anxious-depression category. After adjusting for age, gender, language preference, income and education, individuals of Puerto-Rican background were more likely to experience high (OR=1.79,p<0.05) and moderate (OR=1.36,p<0.05) (vs.low) anxious-depression symptomatology compared to those of Mexican background. Individuals of Central-American and South-American background were less likely to experience high (OR=0.68,p<0.05) and moderate (OR=0.8,p<0.05) (vs.low) anxious-depression compared to those of Mexican background. CONCLUSION: Anxious-depression symptomatology varied among this sample of Hispanic/Latino groups. These classes should be investigated as to their relationship with different health outcomes relevant to the Hispanic/Latino of different backgrounds