Shaping the Future of Information Literacy Research by Health Sciences Librarians: A Bibliometric Study

Objectives: Information literacy (IL) publications have been examined in many disciplines, but there is limited published literature to assess health sciences librarians’ productivity on IL research. This study aimed to examine the status and characteristics of IL research authored by health sciences librarians over the period of 2008 to 2018. Methods: Bibliometrics, the statistical analysis of publications, was used to assess the indicators of productivity, collaboration, and visibility on IL research by health sciences librarians. Data was collected from Scopus and Web of Science. EndNote software was used to remove duplicates and Rayyan was used to systematically screen search results for inclusion. Quantitative analysis was performed, examining the number of publications per year, the most prolific authors and their affiliations, most prolific journals, the origin of the first author’s country, etc. Results: Of the 3,387 search results, 479 (14.8%) unique articles met the inclusion criteria of being authored by health sciences librarians. Study results showed that the number of included publications increased 12% each year on average with the peak in 2016 (n=62). Health Information and Libraries Journal was the most prolific journal that published IL studies in the domain of health sciences librarianship. However, the most highly cited article was published in the Journal of the Medical Library Association. In terms of visibility, 373 (78%) articles have been cited at least once. Authors were highly collaborative with a collaboration index of 2.8. Conclusions: Over the ten-year period, the volume of IL literature authored by health sciences librarians has increased. Health sciences librarian researchers tend to publish in health sciences library journals. This study shapes the future for health sciences librarians on IL publication practices. Further research might be needed to examine differences in IL publication characteristics after the implementation of the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) Framework for Information Literacy

Design Simulation and Testing of a Custom CoProcessor for Cubesatellites in LEO

An arms race in the last decade between computing performance and power-reduction has led to accelerated progress in both hardware and software, provisioning fast, efficient algorithms and small, capable, low-power hardware devices. Meanwhile, small satellites have become increasingly important in defense and commercial missions, due to their low resource consumption in terms of power, space, and cost. Improvements in computer vision algorithms and commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) edge computing introduce a means of addressing challenges posed for spacecraft in the realm of autonomy and perception. The University of Georgia’s Small Satellite Research Laboratory has been working to address these obstacles in developing an interface to merge Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) computations into the standard PC104+ satellite stack. This paper presents the Core GPU Interface (CORGI), a hardware solution which integrates the NVIDIA Jetson TX2/TX2i module into the cube satellite stack. The CORGI can be used as a standalone flight computer or as a co-processor with a designated onboard computer (OBC). This board will fly on the Multi-view Onboard Computational Imager (MOCI), a 6U satellite scheduled for launch into low earth orbit (LEO) in 2022, and will serve NASA and the Air Force Research Laboratories’ (AFRL) efforts to demonstrate autonomy and high-performance computing on small satellites. The CORGI provides input/output capability for command and telemetry and development interfaces for increased usability, specifically DisplayPort and two USB 3.0 type-A interfaces. Additionally, a UART umbilical provides an interface between an off-PCB computer through the PC104+ stack, enabling the TX2i to be externally triggered for science data handoff by a radiation-tolerant onboard computer. The CORGI is designed as a payload processor, and thus utilizes the TX2i module’s USB 3.0 hub to connect one or more satellite imagers over USB. The CORGI provides other standard development access points, including general-purpose input-output (GPIOs), from both the designated onboard computer and TX2i module. Standard headers also provide a means of testing the TX2i line voltages for discharge monitoring and power status. An SD card provides flash memory for logging science data and telemetry. This paper presents 1) PCB design and manufacturing specifications to assist teams in designing hardware for space applications. 2) Spice simulations to validate power management circuit design and evaluation for relevant cases. 3) Electrical test results demonstrate the nominal operation of both power management and regulation circuitry and the validation of correct discharge behavior during a power outage. 4) We present tests that demonstrate CORGI’s operation and performance characteristics under load

Compost and Biochar to Promote Soil Biological Activities under Sweet Potatoes Cultivation in a Subtropical Semiarid Region

South Texas is located in a subtropical semiarid climate, and due to high temperature and irregular precipitation, farmers opt to leave their fields fallow during the summer months jeopardizing overall soil health. We evaluated whether sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas) cultivation coupled with drip irrigation could restore soil biological activities compared with bare fallow. Additionally, because sweet potatoes have high demand of soil nutrients, especially potassium (K), we evaluated the nutrient supply of locally sourced soil amendments. Sweet potato was cultivated during summer 2018 in McAllen, Texas, under control (no fertilizer), NPK (synthetic fertilizer), RC (yard-waste compost), and AC (compost produced under an enhanced composting process), and biochar (gasified walnut shell at 900°C), each with three replicates. Soil amendments were applied at different amounts to result in a rate of 80 kg K ha−1. Soil biological indicators were microbial biomass phosphorous, phosphatase activity, and the rate of fluorescein diacetate hydrolysis (FDA). Available nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, and sodium were also quantified. Aboveground biomass and storage root yield estimated sweet potato’s agronomic performance. Cultivation and irrigation stimulated soil enzyme activities and microbial biomass-phosphorous. Sweet potato yields were the highest in NPK treatment but still 2.8 times lower than variety’s potential yield. Storage root yield was inversely related to aboveground biomass, suggesting that growing conditions benefited the production of shoot versus roots. Both biochar and AC treatments stimulated FDA rates and K availability. Soil pH and sodium concentration increased in all treatments over the growing season, possibly due to river-sourced irrigation water. Together, these findings show that crop cultivation promoted soil biological activities and the maintenance of nutrient cycling, compared to bare-fallow conditions. For a better agronomic performance of sweet potato, it would be necessary to identify management practices that minimize increase in soil pH and salinity

Susceptibility to glaucoma: differential comparison of the astrocyte transcriptome from glaucomatous African American and Caucasian American donors

Comparison of gene expression in normal and glaucomatous eyes from Caucasian American and African American donors reveals differences that might reflect different susceptibility to glaucoma

Picosecond Pulsed Laser Ablation for the Surface Preparation of Epoxy Composites

As part of a technical challenge under the Advanced Composites Program, methods for improving pre-bond process control for aerospace composite surface treatments and inspections, in conjunction with Federal Aviation Administration guidelines, are under investigation. The overall goal is to demonstrate high fidelity, rapid and reproducible surface treatment and surface characterization methods to reduce uncertainty associated with the bonding process. The desired outcomes are reliable bonded airframe structure, and reduced timeline to certification. In this work, laser ablation was conducted using a q-switched Nd:YVO4 laser capable of nominal pulse durations of 8 picoseconds (ps). Aerospace structural carbon fiber reinforced composites with an epoxy resin matrix were laser treated, characterized, processed into bonded assemblies and mechanically tested. The characterization of ablated surfaces were conducted using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), water contact angle (WCA) goniometry, micro laser induced breakdown spectroscopy (uLIBS), and electron spin resonance (ESR). The bond performance was assessed using a double cantilever beam (DCB) test with an epoxy adhesive. The surface characteristics and bond performance obtained from picosecond ablated carbon fiber reinforced plastics (CFRPs) are presented herein

Mucus-degrading Bacteroides link carbapenems to aggravated graft-versus-host disease

View full abstracthttps://openworks.mdanderson.org/leading-edge/1009/thumbnail.jp

Gene Expression and Functional Studies of the Optic Nerve Head Astrocyte Transcriptome from Normal African Americans and Caucasian Americans Donors

To determine whether optic nerve head (ONH) astrocytes, a key cellular component of glaucomatous neuropathy, exhibit differential gene expression in primary cultures of astrocytes from normal African American (AA) donors compared to astrocytes from normal Caucasian American (CA) donors.We used oligonucleotide Affymetrix microarray (HG U133A & HG U133A 2.0 chips) to compare gene expression levels in cultured ONH astrocytes from twelve CA and twelve AA normal age matched donor eyes. Chips were normalized with Robust Microarray Analysis (RMA) in R using Bioconductor. Significant differential gene expression levels were detected using mixed effects modeling and Statistical Analysis of Microarray (SAM). Functional analysis and Gene Ontology were used to classify differentially expressed genes. Differential gene expression was validated by quantitative real time RT-PCR. Protein levels were detected by Western blots and ELISA. Cell adhesion and migration assays tested physiological responses. Glutathione (GSH) assay detected levels of intracellular GSH.Multiple analyses selected 87 genes differentially expressed between normal AA and CA (P<0.01). The most relevant genes expressed in AA were categorized by function, including: signal transduction, response to stress, ECM genes, migration and cell adhesion.These data show that normal astrocytes from AA and CA normal donors display distinct expression profiles that impact astrocyte functions in the ONH. Our data suggests that differences in gene expression in ONH astrocytes may be specific to the development and/or progression of glaucoma in AA

Is detection of enteropathogens and human or animal faecal markers in the environment associated with subsequent child enteric infections and growth: an individual participant data meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Quantifying contributions of environmental faecal contamination to child diarrhoea and growth faltering can illuminate causal mechanisms behind modest health benefits in recent water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) trials. We aimed to assess associations between environmental detection of enteropathogens and human or animal microbial source tracking markers (MSTM) and subsequent child health outcomes. METHODS: In this individual participant data meta-analysis we searched we searched PubMed, Embase, CAB Direct Global Health, Agricultural and Environmental Science Database, Web of Science, and Scopus for WASH intervention studies with a prospective design and concurrent control that measured enteropathogens or MSTM in environmental samples, or both, and subsequently measured enteric infections, diarrhoea, or height-for-age Z-scores (HAZ) in children younger than 5 years. We excluded studies that only measured faecal indicator bacteria. The initial search was done on Jan 19, 2021, and updated on March 22, 2023. One reviewer (AM) screened abstracts, and two independent reviewers (AM and RT) examined the full texts of short-listed articles. All included studies include at least one author that also contributed as an author to the present Article. Our primary outcomes were the 7-day prevalence of caregiver-reported diarrhoea and HAZ in children. For specific enteropathogens in the environment, primary outcomes also included subsequent child infection with the same pathogen ascertained by stool testing. We estimated associations using covariate-adjusted regressions and pooled estimates across studies. FINDINGS: Data from nine published reports from five interventions studies, which included 8603 children (4302 girls and 4301 boys), were included in the meta-analysis. Environmental pathogen detection was associated with increased infection prevalence with the same pathogen and lower HAZ (ΔHAZ -0·09 [95% CI -0·17 to -0·01]) but not diarrhoea (prevalence ratio 1·22 [95% CI 0·95 to 1·58]), except during wet seasons. Detection of MSTM was not associated with diarrhoea (no pooled estimate) or HAZ (ΔHAZ -0·01 [-0·13 to 0·11] for human markers and ΔHAZ -0·02 [-0·24 to 0·21] for animal markers). Soil, children's hands, and stored drinking water were major transmission pathways. INTERPRETATION: Our findings support a causal chain from pathogens in the environment to infection to growth faltering, indicating that the lack of WASH intervention effects on child growth might stem from insufficient reductions in environmental pathogen prevalence. Studies measuring enteropathogens in the environment should subsequently measure the same pathogens in stool to further examine theories of change between WASH, faecal contamination, and health. Given that environmental pathogen detection was predictive of infection, programmes targeting specific pathogens (eg, vaccinations and elimination efforts) can environmentally monitor the pathogens of interest for population-level surveillance instead of collecting individual biospecimens. FUNDING: The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Development Office