118 research outputs found
“To Support the Southern Medical Public”: The Medical College of Georgia as a Southern Information Agency, 1828–1861
A traditional perspective situates nineteenth-century southern academic library culture as a late nineteenth-century phenomenon. This article challenges that assertion and traditional beliefs about the South\u27s indifference to cultural advancement by examining the print culture of one of the South\u27s leading educational institutions, the Medical College of Georgia. An antebellum information agency, the Medical College of Georgia leveraged its medical library, museum, and journal to transform medical information production, dissemination, and consumption in the South and represents an important symbol of southern modernity. This article presents a distinct analysis of early nineteenth-century southern medicoscientific information culture
Historically black colleges and university libraries’ utilization of Twitter for patron engagement: an exploratory study
Historically Black College and University (HBCU) libraries have incorporated the micro-blogging service Twitter into their information services as a strategy to market and inform library users. However, there is little in the literature on assessment; do we know if users are interacting with libraries via social media? This study examined followers of HBCU libraries, and measures their engagement with library-generated content on Twitter. This study utilizes social analytics techniques, specifically propagation and sentiment analysis to measure the state of engagement among library Twitter followers, within a one-year period. Dispute an active presence on Twitter; libraries in this investigation had a relativity small footprint in the Twitter universe. Results indicate little engagement with followers and neutral emotional responses to library-generated tweets
@Houstonpolice: an exploratory case of Twitter during Hurricane Harvey
Abstract Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine the Houston Police Department (HPD)’s public engagement efforts using Twitter during Hurricane Harvey, which was a large-scale urban crisis event. Design/methodology/approach
This study harvested a corpus of over 13,000 tweets using Twitter’s streaming API, across three phases of the Hurricane Harvey event: preparedness, response and recovery. Both text and social network analysis (SNA) techniques were employed including word clouds, n-gram analysis and eigenvector centrality to analyze data. Findings
Findings indicate that departmental tweets coalesced around topics of protocol, reassurance and community resilience. Twitter accounts of governmental agencies, such as regional police departments, local fire departments, municipal offices, and the personal accounts of city’s police and fire chiefs were the most influential actors during the period under review, and Twitter was leveraged as de facto a 9-1-1 dispatch. Practical implications
Emergency management agencies should consider adopting a three-phase strategy to improve communication and narrowcast specific types of information corresponding to relevant periods of a crisis episode. Originality/value
Previous studies on police agencies and social media have largely overlooked discrete periods, or phases, in crisis events. To address this gap, the current study leveraged text and SNA to investigate Twitter communications between HPD and the public. This analysis advances understanding of information flows on law enforcement social media networks during crisis and emergency events
How Institutionalized Are Model License Use Terms? An Analysis of E-Journal License Use Rights Clauses from 2000 to 2009
This paper explored the degree to which use terms proposed by model licenses have become institutionalized across different publishers\u27 licenses. It examined model license use terms in four areas: downloading, scholarly sharing, interlibrary loan, and electronic reserves. Data collection and analysis involved content analysis of 224 electronic journal licenses spanning 2000-2009. Analysis examined how use terms changed over time, differences between consortia and site license use terms and differences between commercial and noncommercial publisher license use terms. Results suggest that some model license use terms have become institutionalized while others have not. Use terms with higher institutionalization included: allowing ILL, permitting secure e-transmission for ILL, allowing e-reserves with no special permissions, and not requiring deletion of e-reserves files. Scholarly sharing showed lower institutionalization with most publishers not including scholarly sharing allowances. Other use terms showing low institutionalization included: recommendations to avoid printing requirements related to ILL and recommendations to allow hyperlinks for e-reserves. The results provide insight into the range of use terms commonly employed in e-journal licenses
Structural and calorimetric studies demonstrate that the hepatocyte nuclear factor 1β (HNF1β) transcription factor is imported into the nucleus via a monopartite NLS sequence.
The transcription factor hepatocyte nuclear factor 1β (HNF1β) is ubiquitously overexpressed in ovarian clear cell carcinoma (CCC) and is a potential therapeutic target. To explore potential approaches that block HNF1β transcription we have identified and characterised extensively the nuclear localisation signal (NLS) for HNF1β and its interactions with the nuclear protein import receptor, Importin-α. Pull-down assays demonstrated that the DNA binding domain of HNF1β interacted with a spectrum of Importin-α isoforms and deletion constructs tagged with eGFP confirmed that the HNF1β (229)KKMRRNR(235) sequence was essential for nuclear localisation. We further characterised the interaction between the NLS and Importin-α using complementary biophysical techniques and have determined the 2.4Å resolution crystal structure of the HNF1β NLS peptide bound to Importin-α. The functional, biochemical, and structural characterisation of the nuclear localisation signal present on HNF1β and its interaction with the nuclear import protein Importin-α provide the basis for the development of compounds targeting transcription factor HNF1β via its nuclear import pathway.We thank our colleagues in Cambridge for their assistance, comments and criticisms. M.W.
is funded by Cancer Research UK, Department of Chemistry at the University of Cambridge,
School of the Physical Sciences and the Cambridge Cancer Centre. Funding in part was also
provided by Medical Research Council Grant U105178939 to M.S. We would like to thank
the Biorepository, Research Instrumentation, and Microscopy facilities at the Cancer
Research UK Cambridge Institute, University of Cambridge, Li Ka Shing Centre, Robinson
Way, Cambridge CB2 0RE, UK for assistance and Matthew Maggiolini for proofreading. We
are grateful for the use of the Diamond Light Source Synchrotron (Harwell Science &
Innovation Campus, Didcot, OX11 0DE, UK) for data collection.This is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available from Elsevier at http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jsb.2016.06.018
Exercise and diet support in breast and prostate cancer survivors: Findings from focus groups
Purpose: Cancer survival is improving, making optimal management of long-term treatment-related adverse effects increasingly important. Exercise and a healthy diet are beneficial and regularly recommended in cancer survivorship guidelines; however, few cancer survivors meet these recommendations so there is a need to explore why. This study aimed to understand experiences receiving exercise and diet support among Australian breast and prostate cancer survivors during and following treatment, and to explore what support they would like to receive. Methods: Adults who completed active treatment for breast or prostate cancer were recruited via a private cancer care centre. Using a qualitative descriptive study design, participants attended in-person focus groups that were recorded, transcribed, then analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. Results: In total, 26 cancer survivors (15 breast, 11 prostate) participated in one of seven focus groups (4 breast, 3 prostate). Two themes were developed: 1) It was just brushed over, and 2) Wanting more. Theme 1 reports that exercise, and especially diet, were rarely discussed. If they were, it was often limited to general recommendations. Theme 2 shows that participants wanted more specific and personalised support, and information about how exercise and/or diet could benefit their cancer treatment. Conclusion: Despite strong interest in receiving personalised exercise and diet support, neither are routinely provided to Western Australian breast and prostate cancer survivors. If support was provided, there was inconsistency in the level and type of support provided. These findings identify important gaps in exercise and diet support provision to cancer survivors and will inform future strategies aiming to improve cancer survivorship care
Clinical prediction for surgical versus nonsurgical interventions in patients with vertebral osteomyelitis and discitis
BACKGROUND: Vertebral osteomyelitis and discitis (VOD), an infection of intervertebral discs, often requires spine surgical intervention and timely management to prevent adverse outcomes. Our study aims to develop a machine learning (ML) model to predict the indication for surgical intervention (during the same hospital stay) versus nonsurgical management in patients with VOD.
METHODS: This retrospective study included adult patients (≥18 years) with VOD (ICD-10 diagnosis codes M46.2,3,4,5) treated at a single institution between 01/01/2015 and 12/31/2019. The primary outcome studied was surgery. Candidate predictors were age, sex, race, Elixhauser comorbidity index, first-recorded lab values, first-recorded vital signs, and admit diagnosis. After splitting the dataset, XGBoost, logistic regression, and K-neighbor classifier algorithms were trained and tested for model development.
RESULTS: A total of 1,111 patients were included in this study, among which 30% (n=339) of patients underwent surgical intervention. Age and sex did not significantly differ between the two groups; however, race did significantly differ (P\u3c0.0001), with the surgical group having a higher percentage of white patients. The top ten model features for the best-performing model (XGBoost) were as follows (in descending order of importance): admit diagnosis of fever, negative culture,
CONCLUSIONS: The XGBoost model reliably predicts the indication for surgical intervention based on several readily available patient demographic information and clinical features. The interpretability of a supervised ML model provides robust insight into patient outcomes. Furthermore, it paves the way for the development of an efficient hospital resource allocation instrument, designed to guide clinical suggestions
Clinical Oncology Society of Australia: Position statement on cancer-related malnutrition and sarcopenia
© 2020 The Authors. Nutrition & Dietetics published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd on behalf of Dietitians Australia. This position statement describes the recommendations of the Clinical Oncology Society of Australia (COSA) regarding management of cancer-related malnutrition and sarcopenia. A multidisciplinary working group completed a review of the literature, focused on evidence-based guidelines, systematic reviews and meta-analyses, to develop recommendations for the position statement. National consultation of the position statement content was undertaken through COSA members. All people with cancer should be screened for malnutrition and sarcopenia in all health settings at diagnosis and as the clinical situation changes throughout treatment and recovery. People identified as “at risk” of malnutrition or with a high-risk cancer diagnosis or treatment plan should have a comprehensive nutrition assessment; people identified as “at risk” of sarcopenia should have a comprehensive evaluation of muscle status using a combination of assessments for muscle mass, muscle strength and function. All people with cancer-related malnutrition and sarcopenia should have access to the core components of treatment, including medical nutrition therapy, targeted exercise prescription and physical and psychological symptom management. Treatment for cancer-related malnutrition and sarcopenia should be individualised, in collaboration with the multidisciplinary team (MDT), and tailored to meet needs at each stage of cancer treatment. Health services should ensure a broad range of health care professionals across the MDT have the skills and confidence to recognise malnutrition and sarcopenia to facilitate timely referrals and treatment. The position statement is expected to provide guidance at a national level to improve the multidisciplinary management of cancer-related malnutrition and sarcopenia
Development of Cell-Permeable, Non-Helical Constrained Peptides to Target a Key Protein-Protein Interaction in Ovarian Cancer.
There is a lack of current treatment options for ovarian clear cell carcinoma (CCC) and the cancer is often resistant to platinum-based chemotherapy. Hence there is an urgent need for novel therapeutics. The transcription factor hepatocyte nuclear factor 1β (HNF1β) is ubiquitously overexpressed in CCC and is seen as an attractive therapeutic target. This was validated through shRNA-mediated knockdown of the target protein, HNF1β, in five high- and low-HNF1β-expressing CCC lines. To inhibit the protein function, cell-permeable, non-helical constrained proteomimetics to target the HNF1β-importin α protein-protein interaction were designed, guided by X-ray crystallographic data and molecular dynamics simulations. In this way, we developed the first reported series of constrained peptide nuclear import inhibitors. Importantly, this general approach may be extended to other transcription factors
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