Should we retire the catalog?

As more libraries adopt web-scale discovery services, many now find themselves offering two options for searching their holdings: the new discovery tool and the traditional OPAC. Are both necessary? Or does a discovery system by itself provide an adequate search environment, making the catalog superfluous? In this installment of “Taking Issues,” Dianne Cmor argues that investing in two search tools is an unwise use of limited resources. Rory Litwin counters that the direct control traditional OPACs offer is a necessity for librarians and other advanced researchers.Accepted versio

An analysis of actors participating in the design and implementation of workplace breastfeeding interventions in Mexico using the NetMap analysis approach

IntroductionWhile breastfeeding is recognized as providing optimal nutrition for infants and toddlers, maternal employment is a commonly mentioned barrier to breastfeeding. The goal was to (a) identify key actors participating in the design and implementation of workplace breastfeeding interventions in Mexico, (b) understand the complexity of interactions between the actors, and (c) map the connections and influence between the actors when looking into networks of Advice, Command, Funding, and Information.MethodFollowing the NetMap methodology, a total of 11 semi-structured interviews with 12 interview partners from 10 organizations were conducted. Interview data were analyzed, and networks were analyzed and visualized, using a social network mapping software.ResultsA total of 83 actors from five different actor groups were identified. Four networks were constructed along the four types of connections: Advice, Command, Funding, and Information. The actors were connected by 580 connections with 446 unique links. Based on various network statistics, the Mexican Institute of Social Security, the Mexican Secretary of Labor and Social Welfare, UNICEF, and the Mexican Secretary of Health were identified to be key actors.ConclusionTo increase the likelihood of success of workplace breastfeeding interventions, the role of the actors “Employers” and “Women” needs to expand. They should be actively involved in the decision-making process, together with the identified key actors. It is further recommended to re-introduce a national breastfeeding strategy for Mexico that includes policies for workplace breastfeeding interventions

Enhanced sensitivity to drugs of abuse and palatable foods following maternal overnutrition

Epidemiological studies have shown an association between maternal overnutrition and increased risk of the progeny for the development of obesity as well as psychiatric disorders. Animal studies have shown results regarding maternal high-fat diet (HFD) and a greater risk of the offspring to develop obesity. However, it still remains unknown whether maternal HFD can program the central reward system in such a way that it will imprint long-term changes that will predispose the offspring to addictive-like behaviors that may lead to obesity. We exposed female dams to either laboratory chow or HFD for a period of 9 weeks: 3 weeks before conception, during gestation and lactation. Offspring born to either control or HFD-exposed dams were examined in behavioral, neurochemical, neuroanatomical, metabolic and positron emission tomography (PET) scan tests. Our results demonstrate that HFD offspring compared with controls consume more alcohol, exhibit increased sensitivity to amphetamine and show greater conditioned place preference to cocaine. In addition, maternal HFD leads to increased preference to sucrose as well as to HFD while leaving the general feeding behavior intact. The hedonic behavioral alterations are accompanied by reduction of striatal dopamine and by increased dopamine 2 receptors in the same brain region as evaluated by post-mortem neurochemical, immunohistochemical as well as PET analyses. Taken together, our data suggest that maternal overnutrition predisposes the offspring to develop hedonic-like behaviors to both drugs of abuse as well as palatable foods and that these types of behaviors may share common neuronal underlying mechanisms that can lead to obesity.ISSN:2158-318