Letting Go & Starting Over: The Transformation of an Information Literacy Tutorial

In 1995, an interactive, multimedia tutorial called CLUE was developed to assist in teaching basic information literacy skills to University of Wisconsin-Madison students enrolled in a general education course that is required for graduation. CLUE has been updated periodically over the years and by 2003, as the result of formal assessment, discussion among instruction librarians, and a review of Web statistics, it became clear that major revisions were needed. The presenters will share how this process of revision became a process of transformation. They will look at the pedagogical, technological, and administrative issues that emerged. They will also explore how the adoption of a new planning process unexpectedly forced us to rethink the objectives and to develop new structures and strategies for CLUE. Content demands resulting from emerging e-resources such as federated searching and Google Scholar led to major changes, not just in content, but in the entire structure of the tutorial. Getting students to buy in to the need to expand their information horizons to include resources in addition to Google has been an ongoing challenge. Two modules that address this affective issue head-on were developed. A new generation of tutorial-authoring tools (e.g. Macromedia\u27s Captivate) gave the librarians innovative design options, but also presented them with new problems. Finally, the assessment process for CLUE will be discussed along with what they learned from students and faculty alike

Minimal Informationally Complete Measurements for Pure States

We consider measurements, described by a positive-operator-valued measure (POVM), whose outcome probabilities determine an arbitrary pure state of a D-dimensional quantum system. We call such a measurement a pure-state informationally complete (PSI-complete) POVM. We show that a measurement with 2D-1 outcomes cannot be PSI-complete, and then we construct a POVM with 2D outcomes that suffices, thus showing that a minimal PSI-complete POVM has 2D outcomes. We also consider PSI-complete POVMs that have only rank-one POVM elements and construct an example with 3D-2 outcomes, which is a generalization of the tetrahedral measurement for a qubit. The question of the minimal number of elements in a rank-one PSI-complete POVM is left open.Comment: 2 figures, submitted for the Asher Peres festschrif

Effector memory differentiation increases detection of replication-competent HIV-l in resting CD4+ T cells from virally suppressed individuals.

Studies have demonstrated that intensive ART alone is not capable of eradicating HIV-1, as the virus rebounds within a few weeks upon treatment interruption. Viral rebound may be induced from several cellular subsets; however, the majority of proviral DNA has been found in antigen experienced resting CD4+ T cells. To achieve a cure for HIV-1, eradication strategies depend upon both understanding mechanisms that drive HIV-1 persistence as well as sensitive assays to measure the frequency of infected cells after therapeutic interventions. Assays such as the quantitative viral outgrowth assay (QVOA) measure HIV-1 persistence during ART by ex vivo activation of resting CD4+ T cells to induce latency reversal; however, recent studies have shown that only a fraction of replication-competent viruses are inducible by primary mitogen stimulation. Previous studies have shown a correlation between the acquisition of effector memory phenotype and HIV-1 latency reversal in quiescent CD4+ T cell subsets that harbor the reservoir. Here, we apply our mechanistic understanding that differentiation into effector memory CD4+ T cells more effectively promotes HIV-1 latency reversal to significantly improve proviral measurements in the QVOA, termed differentiation QVOA (dQVOA), which reveals a significantly higher frequency of the inducible HIV-1 replication-competent reservoir in resting CD4+ T cells

Systemic lobar shunting induces advanced pulmonary vasculopathy

AbstractObjectives: We characterized the morphology and vasomotor responses of a localized, high-flow model of pulmonary hypertension. Methods: An end-to-side anastomosis was created between the left lower lobe pulmonary artery and the aorta in 23 piglets. Control animals had a thoracotomy alone or did not have an operation. Eight weeks later, hemodynamic measurements were made. Then shunted and/or nonshunted lobes were removed for determination of vascular resistance and compliance by occlusion techniques under conditions of normoxia, hypoxia (FIO2 = 0.03), and inspired nitric oxide administration. Quantitative histologic studies of vessel morphology were performed. Results: Eighty-three percent of animals having a shunt survived to final study. Aortic pressure, main pulmonary artery and wedge pressures, cardiac output, blood gases, and weight gain were not different between control pigs and those receiving a shunt. Six of 9 shunted lobes demonstrated systemic levels of pulmonary hypertension in vivo. Arterial resistance was higher (24.3 ± 12.0 vs 1.3 ± 0.2 mm Hg · mL–1 · s–1, P =.04) and arterial compliance was lower (0.05 ± 0.01 vs 0.16 ± 0.03 mL/mm Hg, P =.02) in shunted compared with nonshunted lobes. Hypoxic vasoconstriction was blunted in shunted lobes compared with nonshunted lobes (31% ± 13% vs 452% ± 107% change in arterial resistance, during hypoxia, P <.001). Vasodilation to inspired nitric oxide was evident only in shunted lobes (34% ± 6% vs 1.8% ± 8.2% change in arterial resistance during administration of inspired nitric oxide, P =.008). Neointimal and medial proliferation was found in shunted lobes with approximately a 10-fold increase in wall/luminal area ratio. Conclusions: An aorta–lobar pulmonary artery shunt produces striking vasculopathy. The development of severe pulmonary hypertension within a short time frame, low mortality, and localized nature of the vasculopathy make this model highly attractive for investigation of mechanisms that underlie pulmonary hypertension. (J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 2000; 120:88-98

Revisiting a Water Conflict in Southeastern Oklahoma 6 Years Later: A New Valuation of the Willingness to Pay for Ecosystem Services

In recent years, researchers have begun to adopt a perspective evaluating “winners and losers” regarding the consumption and value of ecosystem services. “Winners” tend to benefit from the ecosystem service and “losers” absorb most associated costs. Our study focuses on water use in Oklahoma (USA) and a plan to divert water from the Kiamichi River in southeastern Oklahoma for consumption at residences in the Oklahoma City metropolitan area. Our study is, in part, a follow-up from an initial 2013 survey of Oklahoma City residents and residents of the Kiamichi. For this paper, a survey was distributed within the state of Oklahoma to evaluate changes to ecosystem service willingness to pay and valuation. This survey also included an experimental element assessing if exposure to additional information about ecosystem services influenced respondents on ecosystem service valuation, or willingness to pay. Our results generally aligned with those found in the 2013 survey. Oklahoma City residents are not aware of where their water is coming from and are not willing to pay to protect ecosystem services, despite an overall increase in activism. Our results indicate that a smaller number of significant factors determining willingness to pay for ecosystem service maintenance were identified than the study in 2013. Exposure to additional information had no effect on peoples’ preferences. We found that public opinion surrounding environmental support is context-specific, political conservatism may not always impede valuation of environmental protections. We conclude that cultural, moral, and political values interact in their influence on expressions of valuation and willingness to pay for ecosystem services.This manuscript was supported by funding from the US National Science Foundation (NSF DGE-1545261). Open Access fees paid for in whole or in part by the University of Oklahoma Libraries.Ye

Determining asteroid spin states using radar speckles

Knowing the shapes and spin states of near-Earth asteroids is essential to understanding their dynamical evolution because of the Yarkovsky and YORP effects. Delay-Doppler radar imaging is the most powerful ground-based technique for imaging near-Earth asteroids and can obtain spatial resolution of <10 m, but frequently produces ambiguous pole direction solutions. A radar echo from an asteroid consists of a pattern of speckles caused by the interference of reflections from different parts of the surface. It is possible to determine an asteroid’s pole direction by tracking the motion of the radar speckle pattern. Speckle tracking can potentially measure the poles of at least several radar targets each year, rapidly increasing the available sample of NEA pole directions. We observed the near-Earth asteroid 2008 EV5 with the Arecibo planetary radar and the Very Long Baseline Array in December 2008. By tracking the speckles moving from the Pie Town to Los Alamos VLBA stations, we have shown that EV5 rotates retrograde. This is the first speckle detection of a near-Earth asteroid

Adipose Concentrations of Organochlorine Compounds and Breast Cancer Recurrence in Long Island, New York

Several studies have measured the association between blood or adipose concentrations of organochlorinated compounds (OCs), such as pesticides and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and breast cancer. The estrogenic effects of OCs might adversely affect breast cancer recurrence. The participants were 224 women with nonmetastatic breast cancer enrolled in a New York-based case-control study. Supercritical fluid extraction followed by gas chromatography was conducted on adipose surgical specimens to determine OC concentrations. The mean follow-up time from surgery was 3.6 years. Thirty women (13.4%) were diagnosed with a recurrence. The concentration of pesticides and PCBs was correlated with baseline age and body mass index, but not with cancer stage. The highest tertile of total PCB concentration was associated with an increased risk of recurrence [relative risk (RR), 2.9; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.02-8.2 versus the lowest tertile]. The risk for the highest tertile of the PCB congener Ballschmiter and Zell 118 was 4.0 (95% CI, 1.3-4.9). There was an increased risk for the middle level of the most abundant pesticide, 1,1-dichloro-2,2-di(4-chlorophenyl)ethylene (RR, 2.3; 95% CI, 0.9-5.7), and for beta-hexachlorocyclohexane, but not for their highest levels. Self-reported home termiticide exposure, alcohol consumption (> or = 1 drink/day), and race were not associated with prognosis. The RR for current cigarette smoking at diagnosis was 2.1 (95% CI, 0.9-5.1). In contrast to previous data showing no relationship between OC exposure and risk of breast cancer in these women, adipose PCB concentrations were associated with tumor recurrence. Pesticide levels were not related to recurrence

Breast cancer risk in relation to adipose concentrations of organochlorine pesticides and polychlorinated biphenyls in Long Island, New York

To assess a possible etiological role of organochlorine compounds in breast cancer development on Long Island, a high-risk region of New York State, concentrations of organochlorine pesticides and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) were measured in the adipose tissue of 232 women with breast cancer and 323 hospital controls admitted to surgery for benign breast disease or non-breast-related conditions. Seven pesticide residues and 14 PCB congeners were assayed via a supercritical fluid extraction method followed by gas chromatography with electron capture detection. After adjustment for age and body mass index, which were strongly correlated with organochlorine levels, adipose concentrations of 1,1- dichloro-2,2-di(4-chlorophenyl)ethylene, total pesticides, and total polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) did not differ significantly between cases and controls. The relative abundance of individual pesticide species and PCB congeners was similar in cases and controls. Odds ratios adjusted for age, BMI, hospital, and race gave no evidence of a dose-response for 1,1-dichloro-2,2-di(4- chlorophenyl)ethylene, total pesticides, or total PCBs, whether stratified by estrogen receptor status or not. Breast cancer risk among Long Island residents was not elevated compared with residents of the adjacent New York City borough of Queens. We did not confirm a previously reported association between breast cancer risk and levels of PCB congener 118 (2,3',4,4',5- pentachlorobiphenyl), nor did we observe an association with the most abundant congener 153 (2,2',4,4',5,5'- hexachlorobiphenyl), a strong inducer of phase I enzymes that was reported recently to have estrogenic properties. Only PCB congener 183 (2,2',3,4,4',5',6- heptachlorobiphenyl), which is also an inducer, was significantly associated with risk, with an adjusted odds ratio of 2.0 (95% confidence interval, 1.2–3.4) in women with adipose levels >5.67 ng/g; the biological importance of this observation is unclear without confirmation in additional studies. Although neither the present nor other studies have provided convincing evidence of an association between body burden of 1,1,1-trichloro-2,2- bis(4-chlorophenyl)ethane and PCBs with cancer of the breast, these compounds are rated as “possible” and “probable” human carcinogens, respectively, by the International Agency for Research on Cancer. Investigations of associations with cancer at other sites should be carried out

Relative abundance of organochlorine pesticides and polychlorinated biphenyls in adipose tissue and serum of women

Some organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) and PCBs are under investigation as possible risk factors for breast cancer because of their estrogenic properties and widespread presence in the environment. It is important to know whether adipose tissue used by some investigators and serum assays used by others can provide comparable information on body burden. Concentrations of seven OCPs or their breakdown products as well as 14 PCB congeners were measured in the adipose tissue and serum of 293 women enrolled as controls in a case-control study of environmental factors for breast cancer in Long Island, New York, a high-risk region. Adipose OCP/PCB levels were measured using a supercritical fluid extraction method developed by the authors. 1,1-Dichloro-2,2-di(4-chlorophenyl)ethylene (p,p’- DDE) was detected in all adipose and serum samples; two chlordane derivatives, β-hexachlorocyclohexane (a lindane isomer) and hexachlorobenzene, were detected in at least 92% of adipose samples. The di-ortho hexachlorinated PCB congeners 2,4,5,2’,4’,5’- hexachlorobiphenyl and 2,3,4,2’,4’,5’-hexachlorobiphenyl were detected in all adipose and over 98% of serum samples. 1,1-Dichloro-2,2-di(4-chlorophenyl)ethylene comprised 77% of total pesticide residues in adipose and 71% in serum. 2,4,5,2’,4’,5’-Hexachlorobiphenyl comprised 24% of adipose and 21 % of serum PCBs. The relative concentration patterns of the 14 PCB congeners were similar to those reported in other human studies and were also typical of patterns reported in environmental samples from various biota, including mammals and birds, but differed substantially from patterns reported in occupationally exposed workers. All adipose-serum correlations for pesticides and most PCBs were statistically significant. Either serum or adipose OCP/PCB levels of a variety of environmental organochlorine compounds may serve as useful biomarkers of body burden