Home Grown Ebooks: North Carolina’s Collaborative Ebook Pilot Project

This article describes how NC LIVE, a large, statewide, multi-type library consortium piloted new models for funding and purchasing a shared ebook collection that concentrated on books published by local publishers. Although the pilot is still being evaluated, the consortium counts the project as a success in that 200 libraries statewide gained unlimited simultaneous user access to more than 1,200 titles not previously available in libraries. NC LIVE is now working with publishers and a platform provider to move the ebook pilot into its next phase as a full-fledged ebook program. The aim of this article is to describe the process used, major decision points, and the challenges and opportunities NC LIVE experienced throughout the development of its Home Grown Ebook Collection in hopes that others interested in similar models might benefit

Nigrostriatal Dopmaine Function and Insulin Resistance

Clinical studies have linked Type 2 Diabetes (T2D) with neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease (PD). Although the link between T2D and AD is relatively well established, the potential link between T2D and PD is less understood. The mechanism by which such a link is mediated is unknown. It is also unclear whether the comorbidity between these diseases is bidirectional: whether T2D predisposes individuals to develop PD, or whether it is actually PD that increases T2D risk. The purpose of this work was to investigate this potential link using preclinical models. We used a high fat feeding regimen to model early stage T2D and analyzed the effects of this model on the basal ganglia, which is affected in Parkinson's disease. We used the 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) lesion model of PD to analyze glucose tolerance and peripheral insulin resistance following dopamine (DA) depletion. Finally, we combined a high fat diet and low dose 6-OHDA model to determine whether a high fat diet can exacerbate DA depletion. We found that high fat diet-induced insulin resistance elicits profound functional effects in the striatum. DA release was severely blunted in high fat-fed animals, and DA uptake was markedly slower. Interestingly, magnetic resonance imaging revealed increased iron content in the substantia nigra of these same animals, and expression of several proteins involved in iron transport was altered. The effects of 6-OHDA mediated dopamine depletion on peripheral glucose tolerance were less impressive. Although severe unilateral DA depletion induced insulin resistance in the striatum in both young and middle aged rats, glucose tolerance and peripheral insulin signaling were not affected. Finally, we observed that a high fat diet significantly increased DA depletion in response to the same dose of 6-OHDA, indicating that high fat feeding may increase the vulnerability of nigrostriatal neurons to toxins. While our studies do not support a role for DA depletion in mediating peripheral glucose tolerance, they do provide evidence that high fat diet-induced insulin resistance may contribute to impaired dopaminergic function and potentially neurodegeneration

Gender and race, online communities, and composition classrooms

As the culmination of a two-year long Internet ethnographic study of three separate sites, I use examples of women and minorities fighting against discrimination online to explore the power structures inherent to networks and how these might affect classroom practice. I will show how our ordinary assumptions in rhetoric and composition as well as computers and writing about the necessity of safe spaces in fostering communication about gender and race and safety for people of color and women online might actually be harming the rhetorical effectiveness of these writings. To focus this discussion, I will develop three case studies and in the concluding chapter I will offer suggestions as to how instructors can use this culture to their advantage and get students involved in techniques for Internet invention in the classroom that they may already participate in outside of it

Collaborating Across Consortial Boundaries

It is nearly a given that most academic library directors feel the need to collaborate with other libraries to contain costs, develop new programs, and accomplish their missions; and historically, many have done so by participating in a library consortium, and sometimes in multiple consortia. In this article, the executive directors of The Pennsylvania Academic Library Consortium, Inc. (PALCI) and the Private Academic Library Network of Indiana (PALNI), two long-standing academic library consortia, share their insights and experiences as they have observed the necessity for broadening consortial collaboration through cross-consortial partnerships, moving from coordinated efforts toward deeper collaboration across consortium boundaries. The authors describe and reflect on several recent examples of cross-consortial initiatives in which their respective consortia are involved, examining why consortia are beginning to collaborate more deeply across boundaries and the challenges and opportunities associated with those collaborations

Translational Research Design: Collaborating with Stakeholders for Program Evaluation

In this article, the authors examine researcher collaboration with stakeholders in the context of a translational research approach used to evaluate an elementary school program. The authors share their experiences as evaluators of this particular program to demonstrate how collaboration with stakeholders evolved when a translational research approach was applied to program evaluation. Beginning with a review of literature regarding stakeholder participation in evaluation and other qualitative research, the article reflects on a method for conceptualizing participant involvement and collaboration within the translational framework. The relationship between researchers and stakeholders is articulated according to this method. We interpose these descriptions with their alignment to Petronio’s (2002, 2007) five types of practical validity for translational research. The paper ends with a consideration of what was learned throughout the evaluation process, including both successes and challenges, by means of the translational model

Effect of Rectal Hygiene on Sexually Transmitted Infections Among HIV-Negative Men Who Have Sex with Men (MSM)

Abstract Background Rectal gonorrhea (NG) and chlamydia (Connecticut) infections are common among men who have sex with men (MSM). Rectal douching/enema (RDE) is a common practice among MSM that can affect the rectal microbiome. It is unclear if this practice is associated with acquiring rectal infections (RI) with either NG or CT. Methods From 2013–2015, 398 adult HIV-negative MSM and transwomen were enrolled in a randomized controlled study on text messaging for adherence to pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). Participants were surveyed on sexual behavior, frequency of RDE, drug use, and nutritional habits in conjunction with routine sexually transmitted infection testing. Pearson’s χ 2 and two sample t-tests were used to measure significance of RDE and other risk factors with RI. Multivariable logistic regression model was used to control for confounding and assess the association of RDE with RIs. Confounders (i.e., age, number anal receptive sex, number sex partners) were selected a priori for inclusion in the final model based on a causal model and statistical significance. Results Of 397 participants, 262 (67%) performed RDE and 132 (33%) had at least one NG or CT rectal infection over 48 weeks. Number of condomless anal receptive sex acts (mean = 19, P < 0.001), condom use for anal receptive sex (P = 0.017), number of male sex partners in past 3 months (mean = 14, P = 0.001), and the use of poppers (P < 0.001) were associated with RI. There was no significant association between nutritional habits, probiotic foods or supplements and RI, with the exception of energy bars (P = 0.029). Controlling for confounders, RI was associated with RDE less than weekly with OR = 1.02 (95% CI 0.52–1.99) while RDE weekly or more had OR = 2.08 (95% CI 1.03–4.17). Stratified by number of partners, MSMs with more than the median (>6) number of partners had OR = 4.96 (95% CI 1.29–19.03) if performing RDE less than weekly, and OR = 6.03 (95% CI 1.55–23.49) if weekly or more. Conclusion Rectal hygiene with douching/enemas is a common practice among MSMs on PrEP, which increases the odds of acquiring rectal NG and/or CT. This finding is suggestive for the use of rectal hygiene products/practices as potential targets for sexually transmitted infection prevention. Disclosures All authors: No reported disclosures

Frame me if you must: PrEP framing and the impact on adherence to HIV Pre-exposure Prophylaxis

Abstract Background “PrEP whore” has been used both as a pejorative by PrEP opponents in the gay community and, reactively, by PrEP advocates as a method to reclaim the label from stigmatization and “slut-shaming.” The actual prevalence and impact of such PrEP-directed stigma on adherence have been insufficiently studied. Methods CCTG 595 was a randomized controlled PrEP demonstration project in 398 HIV-uninfected MSM and transwomen. Intracellular tenofovir-diphosphate (TFV-DP) levels at weeks 12 and 48 were used as a continuous measure of adherence. At study visits, participants were asked to describe how they perceived others’ reactions to them being on PrEP. These perceptions were categorized a priori as either “positively framed,” “negatively framed,” or both. We used Wilcoxon rank-sum to determine the association between positive and negative framing and TFV-DP levels at weeks 12 and 48. Results By week 4, 29% of participants reported perceiving positive reactions from members of their social groups, 5% negative, and 6% both. Reporting decreased over 48 weeks, but positive reactions were consistently reported more than negative. At week 12, no differences in mean TFV-DP levels were observed in participants with positively-framed reactions compared with those reporting no outcome or only negatively-framed (1338 [IQR, 1036-1609] vs. 1281 [946-1489] fmol/punch, P = 0.17). Additionally, no differences were observed in those with negative reactions vs. those without (1209 [977–1427] vs. 1303 [964–1545], P = 0.58). At week 48, mean TFV-DP levels trended toward being higher among those that report any reaction, regardless if positive (1335 [909–1665] vs. 1179 [841–1455], P = 0.09) or negative (1377 [1054–1603] vs. 1192 [838–1486], P = 0.10) than those reporting no reaction. At week 48, 46% of participants reported experiencing some form of PrEP-directed judgment, 23% reported being called “PrEP whore,” and 21% avoiding disclosing PrEP use. Conclusion Over 48 weeks, nearly half of participants reported some form of judgment or stigmatization as a consequence of PrEP use. However, individuals more frequently perceived positively framed reactions to being on PrEP than negative. Importantly, long-term PrEP adherence does not appear to suffer as a result of negative PrEP framing. Disclosures All authors: No reported disclosures

Characterization of blood drawn rapidly for use in blood volume expansion studies: An animal model for simulated weightlessness

It was demonstrated that up to 8ml of blood can be drawn from donar rats without significantly increasing volume and stress sensitive hormones, and thus can be used for volume expansion studies. Infusion of whole blood allows more physiological changes that can be seen with volume expansion by saline or other ionic solutions. The infusion of whole blood to induce hypervolemia may provide an improved model to study the fluid balance and control mechanisms operative in weightlessness. Blood samples were drawn as quickly as possible from femoral artery catheters chronically implanted in Sprague Dawley rats and analyzed for hematocrit, plasma sodium, potassium, osmolality, corticosterone, epinepherine, norepinephrine, and vasopressin. The levels were found to be comparable to those of normal rats

Riding Fences: Anticipatory Governance, Curriculum Policy, and Teacher Subjectivity

In this article we question the discursive deployment of narrowing conceptions of the future in education in three provincial cases: Alberta, British Columbia, and Ontario. Asserting that educational policy in Canada is grounded in the “future-logics” of educational innovation—reflective of an anticipatory orientation to governance—we critique concepts from each province’s curriculum policy documents: “competence,” “personalized learning,” and “professional teacher.” We ask to what extent anticipatory governance is at work in Canadian policies, and if it is, to what degree does an anticipatory strategy occlude or disrupt the objectification of curriculum and the over-determination of teacher subjectivities?Dans cet article, nous nous interrogeons sur le déploiement discursif de conceptions restrictives de l’avenir en éducation dans le cas de trois provinces : l’Alberta, la Colombie-Britannique, et l’Ontario. En affirmant que la politique de l’éducation au Canada est fondée sur les « logiques futures » de l’innovation en éducation — reflétant une orientation anticipative de la gouvernance —, nous critiquons certains concepts utilisés dans les documents de politiques du curriculum : « compétence », « apprentissage personnalisé », et « enseignant professionnel ». Nous nous demandons dans quelle mesure la gouvernance anticipative est à l’œuvre dans les politiques canadiennes et, si c’est le cas, dans quelle mesure une stratégie anticipative occulte ou perturbe l’objectivation du curriculum et la surdétermination de la subjectivité enseignante