The TOME Initiative: Year One

This stopwatch session provided an update on the first year\u27s implementation of the TOME (Toward an Open Monograph Ecosystem) initiative, a collaboration of the Association of American Universities, the Association of Research Libraries, and the Association of University Presses. The initiative is a five-year experiment in an institutional funding model for open access monographs

Of Mouse And Methyl: An Investigation Of Methyl Donors, Methylation And Methyltransferases In The Pfc

Gaining excessive weight during pregnancy occurs in over 50% of pregnancies in the United States. This excessive weight gain can lead to development of Large for Gestational Age (LGA) babies, or babies born in the top 10% for weight class at birth. LGA babies have increased risk for neurological disorders, including autism, schizophrenia and ADHD. Our lab models excessive gestational weight gain and LGA in a mouse model by feeding dams a 60% high fat (HF) diet throughout gestation and lactation. At weaning all offspring are fed control diet for the remainder of life. HF offspring have increased preference for palatable foods, increased learning and motivation deficits, disrupted gene expression in reward system neurocircuitry and both global- and promoter-specific DNA hypomethylation within the prefrontal cortex (PFC). Dietary methyl donor nutrient supplementation (MS) during pregnancy has been shown to ameliorate some of these phenotypes in HF offspring as well as alter DNA methylation patterns. Because the PFC continues developing postnatally, we were interested in understanding whether MS given during early postnatal life (3-6 weeks) would also ameliorate behavioral and molecular phenotypes. Also, because HF offspring exhibit DNA hypomethylation throughout the brain, we were interested in whether DNA methyltransferase (DNMT) function could mediate these changes. Utilizing operant behavior training, gene and protein expression analysis and mass spectrometry we were able to answer these questions. We determined that early life MS can counteract deficits in motivation and learning in female offspring. Also that MS alters the concentrations of folate and methionine intermediates and gene expression directly after supplementation in the PFC tissue of male and female offspring. Finally, we determined that perinatal HF diet alters overall DNMT activity within the PFC without altering DNMT1 or DNMT3a expression in adult male and female offspring. This work adds to our understanding that long-term behavior and disease risk can be influenced by both maternal and early life diet. Therefore, it is important to continue study the mechanistic links between excessive gestational weight gain, perinatal HF diet exposure and MS to make better dietary recommendations that may combat disease risk

Using digital writing tools in supporting student writing

Core Curriculum guides teachers\u27 writing instruction, requiring students to use technology to 1) produce and publish writing, 2) interact with others, and 3) develop skills to strengthen writing. Teachers should explore digital writing tools as a means to do each. This review examines the roles digital writing tools have in meeting Core Curriculum writing standards and facilitating feedback and revision in student writing. The focus of this review is recent research evidence published in the last five years. The research evidence suggests needed changes in writing instruction, based on teachers\u27 and students\u27 perceptions of digital tools – especially to provide feedback and how they may influence revision. Recommendations for writing teachers are provided, as well as for future research on using digital writing tools in the secondary classroom

Correction to: Are industry-funded charities promoting "advocacy-led studies" or "evidence-based science"?: a case study of the International Life Sciences Institute.

Since the publication of this article [1], the journal and the authors have received further context about the position of ILSI on the issue with the ILSI Mexico branch

Girlfriend guide to life: Love, friends, changes and all that awks stuff answered

A special issue of Girlfriend magazine addressing sexual health, targeted at 14-17 year old girl

Timely Linkage of Individuals to Substance Use Disorder Treatment: Development, Implementation, and Evaluation of FindHelpNowKY.org

Background: Substance use disorders (SUD) have steadily increased over the last two decades. Seeking SUD treatment involves searching SUD treatment facility types (inpatient, outpatient and intensive outpatient, residential and family residential, and detoxification facilities) that offer specialized SUD treatment depending on individual needs and preferences. Referrals to SUD treatment require innovative strategies that rapidly link individuals to SUD treatment when they are at the critical stage of readiness. The aim of this study was to develop, implement, and evaluate a user-friendly SUD treatment facility opening availability website called FindHelpNowKY.org. The objectives of the study were to 1) recruit SUD treatment facility and partner participation; 2) develop platform, content, and analytics for the FindHelpNowKY.org website intervention with an information repository; 3) assess barriers and facilitators to implementation; and 4) evaluate the development and implementation of FindHelpNowKY.org. Methods: Website development stakeholders were identified and the website concept was developed. The logic model for FindHelpNowKY.org outlined resources, activities, and outputs as well as the associated short-term, medium-term, and long-term objectives, along with a website evaluation plan. Website usability and focus group testing was conducted. Information repository resource documents were compiled and categorized. An inventory of Kentucky-based SUD treatment facilities was compiled using various state and federal resources. Results: Development/implementation barriers were addressed, facilitators were identified, and the website was implemented; 83% of SUD treatment facilities were indexed on the website, and average website user time was 7 min. From February to October 2018, there were 29,000 visitors, and 30,000 unique searches. The most common website query was a friend or family member seeking long-term residential or outpatient treatment facilities accepting Medicaid or Medicare. Conclusions: FindHelpNowKY.org has the potential to fill a critical need for timely access to available SUD treatment in the state. The website may be a valuable resource for health professionals that can enhance clinical workflow and reduce staff time conducting phone and website searches for available SUD treatment. The website is a promising tool for assessing current SUD treatment capacity vs. SUD treatment need. The FindHelpNow model can be used by other states to increase timely access to SUD treatment

Riverine Bacterial Communities Reveal Environmental Disturbance Signatures within the Betaproteobacteria and Verrucomicrobia

Riverine bacterial communities play an essential role in the biogeochemical coupling of terrestrial and marine environments, transforming elements and organic matter in their journey from land to sea. However, precisely due to the fact that rivers receive significant terrestrial input, the distinction between resident freshwater taxa vs. land-derived microbes can often become ambiguous. Furthermore, ecosystem perturbations could introduce allochthonous microbial groups and reshape riverine bacterial communities. Using full- and partial-length 16S ribosomal RNA gene sequences, we analyzed the composition of bacterial communities in the Tar River of North Carolina from November 2010 to November 2011, during which a natural perturbation occurred: the inundation of the lower reaches of an otherwise drought-stricken river associated with Hurricane Irene, which passed over eastern North Carolina in late August 2011. This event provided the opportunity to examine the microbiological, hydrological, and geochemical impacts of a disturbance, defined here as the large freshwater influx into the Tar River, superimposed on seasonal changes or other ecosystem variability independent of the hurricane. Our findings demonstrate that downstream communities are more taxonomically diverse and temporally variable than their upstream counterparts. More importantly, pre- vs. post-disturbance taxonomic comparison of the freshwater-dominant Betaproteobacteria class and the phylum Verrucomicrobia reveal a disturbance signature of previously undetected taxa of diverse origins. We use known traits of closely-related taxa to interpret the ecological function of disturbance-associated bacteria, and hypothesize that carbon cycling was enhanced post-disturbance in the Tar River, likely due to the flux of organic carbon into the system associated with the large freshwater pulse. Our analyses demonstrate the importance of geochemical and hydrological alterations in structuring bacterial communities, and illustrate the response of temperate riverine bacteria on fine taxonomic scales to a disturbance

“Always read the small print”: a case study of commercial research funding, disclosure and agreements with Coca-Cola

Abstract: Concerns about conflicts of interest in commercially funded research have generated increasing disclosure requirements, but are these enough to assess influence? Using the Coca-Cola Company as an example, we explore its research agreements to understand influence. Freedom of Information requests identified 87,013 pages of documents, including five agreements between Coca-Cola and public institutions in the United States, and Canada. We assess whether they allowed Coca-Cola to exercise control or influence. Provisions gave Coca-Cola the right to review research in advance of publication as well as control over (1) study data, (2) disclosure of results and (3) acknowledgement of Coca-Cola funding. Some agreements specified that Coca-Cola has the ultimate decision about any publication of peer-reviewed papers prior to its approval of the researchers’ final report. If so desired, Coca-Cola can thus prevent publication of unfavourable research, but we found no evidence of this to date in the emails we received. The documents also reveal researchers can negotiate with funders successfully to remove restrictive clauses on their research. We recommend journals supplement funding disclosures and conflict-of-interest statements by requiring authors to attach funder agreements

Untreated hypertension in Russian 35-69 year olds – a cross-sectional study

Background - The Russian Federation has among the highest rates of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in the world and a high rate of untreated hypertension remains an important risk factor. Understanding who is at greatest risk is important to inform approaches to primary prevention. Methods - 2,353 hypertensive 35–69 year olds were selected from a population-based study, Know Your Heart, conducted in Arkhangelsk and Novosibirsk, Russian Federation, 2015–2018. The associations between untreated hypertension and a range of co-variates related to socio-demographics, health, and health behaviours were examined. Results - The age-standardised prevalence of untreated hypertension was 51.1% (95% CI 47.8–54.5) in males, 28.8% (25.4–32.5) in females, and 40.0% (37.5–42.5) overall. The factors associated with untreated hypertension relative to treated hypertension were younger ages, self-rated general health as very good-excellent, not being obese, no history of CVD events, no evidence of diabetes or chronic kidney disease, and not seeing a primary care doctor in the past year as well as problem drinking for women and working full time, lower education, and smoking for men. Conclusion - The study found relatively high prevalence of untreated hypertension, especially, in men. Recent initiatives to strengthen primary care provision and implementation of a general health check programme (dispansarisation) are promising, although further studies should evaluate other, potentially more effective strategies tailored to the particular circumstances of this population