What Explains Successful or Unsuccessful Postural Adaptations to Repeated Surface Perturbations among Older Adults?

As we age there are natural physiological deteriorations that decrease the accuracy and flexibility of the postural control system, which increases the risk of falling. Studies have found that there are individual differences in the ability to learn to manage repeated postural threats. The aim of this study was to investigate which factors explain why some individuals are less proficient at adapting to recurrent postural perturbations. Thirty-five community dwelling older adults performed substantial sensory and motor testing and answered surveys regarding fall-related concerns and cognitive function. They were also subjected to three identical surface perturbations where both kinematics and electromyography was captured. Those that were able to adapt to the third perturbation were assigned to the group “Non-fallers” whereas those that fell during all perturbations were assigned to the group “Fallers”. The group designation dichotomized the sample in a hierarchical orthogonal projection of latent structures— the discriminant analysis model. We found that those who fell were older, had poorer physical performance, poorer strength and longer reaction times. The Fallers’ postural control strategies were more reliant on the stiffening strategy along with a more extended posture and they were less skillful at making appropriate feedforward adaptations prior to the third perturbation.

Predictors of HbA1c among Adipocytokine Biomarkers in African-American Men with Varied Glucose Tolerance

This study explored adipocytokine associations with acute and chronic hyperglycemia in African-American men (AAM). Fourteen adipocytokines were measured from men with normal glucose tolerance (NGT) or type 2 diabetes (T2D, drug-naïve MF(−) or using metformin MF(+)). Acute and chronic hyperglycemia were evaluated by 120 min oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) and glycohemoglobin A1c (HbA1c). AAM with T2D (n = 21) compared to NGT (n = 20) were older, had higher BMI and slightly higher glucose and insulin. In the fasted state, TNF-α, IL-6, PAI-1, IL-13, adiponectin, adipsin, and lipocalin were lower in T2D vs. NGT. At 120 min post-glucose load, TNF-α, IL-6, IL-13, IL-8, PAI-1, adiponectin, adipsin, lipocalin, and resistin were lower in T2D vs. NGT. There were no statistical differences for GM-CSF, IL-7, IL-10, IP-10, and MCP-1. Regression analysis showed that fasting IL-8, TNF-α, adiponectin, lipocalin, resistin, adipsin, and PAI-1 were associated with HbA1c. After adjusting for age, BMI, glucose tolerance, and metformin use, only adipsin remained significantly associated with HbA1c (p = 0.021). The model including adipsin, TNF-α, age, BMI, and group designation (i.e., NGT, MF(−), MF(+)) explained 86% of HbA1c variability. The data suggested that adipsin could be associated with HbA1c in AAM with varied glucose tolerance.

Predictors of HbA1c among adipocytokine biomarkers in African American men with varied glucose tolerance

Background: Adipocytokines are important in type 2 diabetes (T2D). This study explored adipocytokine associations with acute and chronic hyperglycemia in African American Men (AAM). Methods: Fourteen adipocytokines were measured (multiplex assay) in blood samples from men with normal glucose tolerance (NGT) or T2D (drug-naïve MF(-) or using metformin MF(+)). Acute and chronic hyperglycemia were evaluated at 120-minute of OGTT and by HbA1c, respectively. Results: AAM with T2D (N=21) compared to NGT (N=20) were significantly older (59 vs. 54 years) and had higher body mass index (BMI 35 vs. 27 kg/m2) (p<0.01 for both). Fasting and 120-minute OGTT glucose and insulin were higher in T2D than NGT, however, differences did not reach statistical significance after adjusting for age and BMI. In the fasted state, TNF-a, IL-6, PAI-1 (p<0.01 for all) and IL-13, adiponectin, adipsin, lipocalin (p<0.05 for all) were lower in T2D compared to NGT. At 120-minute post-glucose load (acute hyperglycemia) TNF-a, IL-6, IL-13, IL-8, PAI-1, adiponectin, adipsin (p<0.01 for all) and lipocalin, resistin (p<0.05 for both) were lower in T2D than in NGT group. There were no statistical differences for the other adipocytokines including GM-CSF, IL-7, IL-10, IP-10, and MCP-1. Regression analysis (adjusted for age and BMI) showed that fasting IL-8, TNF-a, adiponectin, lipocalin, resistin, adipsin, and PAI-1 were all associated with HbA1c (p<0.05 for all). Further modeling revealed that after adjusting for age, BMI, glucose tolerance status and metformin use, only adipsin remained significantly associated with HbA1c (p=0.004). The model including adipsin, TNF-a, age, BMI, and group designation (i.e. NGT, MF(-), MF(+)) explained 86% of HbA1c variability. Conclusions: The study suggested that adipsin could be independently associated with HbA1c in AAM with varied glucose tolerance. Additional studies should corroborate these data and provide mechanistic insights for enabling adipsin-related discoveries of novel T2D treatment.

Interviews with Practitioners in the United Kingdom Reveal Effective Strategies for Open Access Outreach to Researchers

A Review of: Dawson, D. (2018). Effective practices and strategies for open access outreach: A qualitative study. Journal of Librarianship and Scholarly Communication, 6(1), eP2216. https://doi.org/10.7710/2162-3309.2216 Abstract Objective – To discover effective outreach methods used by academic libraries to promote open access (OA) publishing to researchers. Design – Semi-structured interviews Setting – 7 large research universities in the United Kingdom (UK) Subjects – 14 individuals responsible for OA outreach at their institution, including librarians and other OA practitioners Methods – Purposive sampling was used to select universities based on their membership in the UK’s Russell Group, designation in the top 20 of the Research Council UK’s OA grant-size ranking, and suggestions from other professionals. The author contacted individuals responsible for OA at these institutions by email to inform them of the study and solicit their participation. The subsequent semi-structured interviews occurred in person. Areas of focus in the interview included: job responsibilities and overview of offered scholarly communications services; sources of OA services at the institution; evolution and effectiveness of OA outreach activities; support and scholarly communication knowledge needed by researchers; and advice for fellow practitioners conducting OA outreach. Interviews were recorded, transcribed, and coded using the qualitative software NVivo. Inductive analysis was conducted to identify key themes. Main Results – The author identifies four primary themes in the coded interviews: “The Message”; “Key Contacts and Relationships”; “Qualities of the OA Practitioner”; and “Advocacy versus Compliance” (p. 1). Participants advocated for straightforward, frequent messaging tailored to the audience. The author identifies relationships as important to outreach – especially support from influential administrators and buy-in from key researchers – highlighting that face-to-face interaction is helpful when cultivating these types of relationships. Participants emphasized important qualities for OA practitioners to possess, including expertise, diplomacy, and perseverance. Establishing credibility as an expert was identified as important to generating buy-in from researchers. Finally, the author discusses the library’s role in OA advocacy vs. compliance. Some participants suggested an overemphasis on compliance to meet funder requirements may overshadow promotion of the inherent value of OA in academic publishing. Conclusions – The author suggests that because UK open access efforts are robust and have been in progress for many years, OA practitioners from the UK may possess useful insights for North American librarians with growing initiatives. The study highlights implications for practice including the identification of effective outreach strategies, evidence of the need for balanced messaging, and observations on why faculty may be resistant to outreach from librarians. The author recommends further research to determine what type of messaging is most valuable and when, suggesting less complex policies in North America may allow for more focus on the public good of OA. Successful outreach is predicated upon having enough time to gain the necessary depth of knowledge, and the study acknowledges that librarians with diverse job responsibilities may have less time to invest in this way. The author also suggests more research is needed to evaluate the impact of the dynamics between librarians and classroom faculty. The article posits that librarians who participate in research and tenure processes may find communication easier and have opportunities to promote OA through participation in university governance. Finally, the author observes that librarians are poised to have a positive impact on the scholarly publishing system through outreach to researchers who can drive systemic change.

Printed and Electronic Resource Preferences among Ophthalmologists: A Study in India

The Ophthalmologists – Eye Doctors continuously seek and use information for their evidence-based practice, career advancements and quality patient care. The study aims to examine and explore the ophthalmologists’ preference towards print vs. electronic information resources. The study design is cross-sectional and convenience sampling method is adopted. A structured questionnaire was used to collect data. SPSS 18 PASW Statistical package was used for statistical analysis. Frequencies, percentages, Chi-square and Fishers’ exact test were used in the study. Around 633 ophthalmologists, working in 47 academic eye hospitals from 16 states of India were included in the study. The ophthalmologists prefer electronic resources more than the printed resources as a venue for access and publish. They consider both printed & electronic resources as more authenticated resources than electronic resources. They recognize electronic resources as easy to manage, use, economical, time savvy. They prefer electronic resources more than printed resources to improve their professional competency. The Ophthalmologists’ preference on resource choice doesn’t have any association with gender, age group, designation, experience, institution type. The study results revealed the ophthalmologists’ preferences on print and electronic resources. This will help the ophthalmic librarians to understand the resource choices of the ophthalmologists and manage information resources in libraries effectively. The study results will help the ophthalmic institutions and information providers for future planning

Suicidal Ideation and Related Factors Among Korean High School Students

The purpose of the study was to explore the association among suicidal ideation, cyber addiction, and school bullying of Korean high school students. This descriptive cross-sectional study included 416 students. The data were collected using structured questionnaires on suicidal ideation, Internet and smartphone addiction, experiences of school bullying, impulsiveness, and depression. Students who were bullied (odds ratio [ OR] = 3.0, 95% CI [1.1, 8.4]) and more depressed ( OR = 10.8, 95% CI [2.4, 48.2]) were more likely to have higher scores for suicidal ideation; however, when a lower stringency was used, female gender ( OR = 2.3, 95% CI [1.3, 4.0]) and addiction to smartphones ( OR = 2.4, 95% CI [1.1, 5.4]) were also statistically significant contributors to the presence of suicidal ideation. Students with suicidal ideation that is higher than average, but lower than the classical thresholds for risk group designation, should also be carefully assessed for early detection and intervention. Cyber addiction may be a particularly significant contributor to suicidal ideation, in addition to bullying and depressive mood, among Korean adolescents.

Interactions between natural-occurring landscape conditions and land use influencing the abundance of riverine smallmouth bass, Micropterus dolomieu

This study examined how interactions between natural landscape features and land use influenced the abundance of smallmouth bass, Micropterus dolomieu , in Missouri, USA, streams. Stream segments were placed into one of four groups based on natural-occurring watershed characteristics (soil texture and soil permeability) predicted to relate to smallmouth bass abundance. Within each group, stream segments were assigned forest (n = 3), pasture (n = 3), or urban (n = 3) designations based on the percentages of land use within each watershed. Analyses of variance indicated smallmouth bass densities differed between land use and natural conditions. Decision tree models indicated abundance was highest in forested stream segments and lowest in urban stream segments, regardless of group designation. Land use explained the most variation in decision tree models, but in-channel features of temperature, flow, and sediment also contributed significantly. These results are unique and indicate the importance of natural-occurring watershed conditions in defining the potential of populations and how finer-scale filters interact with land use to further alter population potential. Smallmouth bass has differing vulnerabilities to land-use attributes, and the better the natural watershed conditions are for population success, the more resilient these populations will be when land conversion occurs.