National Consortium Research Articles

Distribution of brain iron accrual in adolescence: Evidence from cross-sectional and longitudinal analysis.

To track iron accumulation and location in the brain across adolescence, we repurposed diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data acquired in 513 adolescents and validated iron estimates with quantitative susceptibility mapping (QSM) in 104 of these subjects. DTI and fMRI data were acquired longitudinally over 1 year in 245 male and 268 female, no-to-low alcohol-consuming adolescents (12-21 years at baseline) from the National Consortium on Alcohol and NeuroDevelopment in Adolescence (NCANDA) study. Brain region average signal values were calculated for susceptibility to nonheme iron deposition: pallidum, putamen, dentate nucleus, red nucleus, and substantia nigra. To estimate nonheme iron, the corpus callosum signal (robust to iron effects) was divided by regional signals to generate estimated R2 (edwR2 for DTI) and R2 * (eR2 * for fMRI). Longitudinal iron deposition was measured using the normalized signal change across time for each subject. Validation using baseline QSM, derived from susceptibility-weighted imaging, was performed on 46 male and 58 female participants. Normalized iron deposition estimates from DTI and fMRI correlated with age in most regions; both estimates indicated less iron in boys than girls. QSM results correlated highly with DTI and fMRI results (adjusted R2 = 0.643 for DTI, 0.578 for fMRI). Cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses indicated an initial rapid increase in iron, notably in the putamen and red nucleus, that slowed with age. DTI and fMRI data can be repurposed for identifying regional brain iron deposition in developing adolescents as validated with high correspondence with QSM.

Regional growth trajectories of cortical myelination in adolescents and young adults: longitudinal validation and functional correlates.

Adolescence is a time of continued cognitive and emotional evolution occurring with continuing brain development involving synaptic pruning and cortical myelination. The hypothesis of this study is that heavy myelination occurs in cortical regions with relatively direct, predetermined circuitry supporting unimodal sensory or motor functions and shows a steep developmental slope during adolescence (12-21years) until young adulthood (22-35years) when further myelination decelerates. By contrast, light myelination occurs in regions with highly plastic circuitry supporting complex functions and follows a delayed developmental trajectory. In support of this hypothesis, cortical myelin content was estimated and harmonized across publicly available datasets provided by the National Consortium on Alcohol and NeuroDevelopment in Adolescence (NCANDA) and the Human Connectome Project (HCP). The cross-sectional analysis of 226 no-to-low alcohol drinking NCANDA adolescents revealed relatively steeper age-dependent trajectories of myelin growth in unimodal primary motor cortex and flatter age-dependent trajectories in multimodal mid/posterior cingulate cortices. This pattern of continued myelination showed smaller gains when the same analyses were performed on 686 young adults of the HCP cohort free of neuropsychiatric diagnoses. Critically, a predicted correlation between a motor task and myelin content in motor or cingulate cortices was found in the NCANDA adolescents, supporting the functional relevance of this imaging neurometric. Furthermore, the regional trajectory slopes were confirmed by performing longitudinally consistent analysis of cortical myelin. In conclusion, coordination of myelin content and circuit complexity continues to develop throughout adolescence, contributes to performance maturation, and may represent active cortical development climaxing in young adulthood.

Indonesian consortium of lithium ion battery for solar street lamp

Indonesia’s renewable energy systems are reducing the world’s dependence on fossil fuels by providing constant energy sources such as lithium ion battery (LIB) for application on solar street lamps. There are advantages of using LIB that will improve its performance and life cycle, and also reduce the maintenance cost. Due to these reasons, a National Consortium on Lithium Ion Battery for Solar Street Lamp was formed in 2016 and supported by the National Innovation System (INSINAS) from the Ministry Research Technology and Higher Education. The project was divided into four work breakdown structures (WBS), with various activities and targets. The goal of this consortium is to produce a lithium ion battery module with the specification 120 Watt hour, so as to run the 10 Watt street lamp. The module consists of 40 cylinder cells 18650. The first year’s target is to produce cylinder cells 18650 with specific output of 3.2 Volt and 1 Ah. This paper will review the activities of the consortium, WBS, and the characteristic of the cylinder cells.

Trends of Modern Terrorism in the Metro Systems of the World

The issue of anti-terrorist protection of metro systems in recent decades has significantly worsened. This is due to the general growth of the terrorist threat in the world. According to the Global Terrorism Database of the National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism (START), a number of terrorist attacks have been committed in metro systems of various countries of the world, including Britain, Russia, USA, Japan and France. For effective measures to counteract such attacks, it is necessary to clearly know the trends of modern terrorism, particularly on the basis of systematization and analysis of statistical data on the terrorist attacks committed in the metro systems with the subsequent formation of a matrix of trends, which in this case was carried out by the authors of the article. The main statistical analysis method is the factor analysis. The proposed matrix helps to assess terrorist threats for metro systems and can be used to develop measures to ensure their security. The Matrix of Trends of Modern Terrorism in the Metro Systems’ main trends are identified: frequency of attacks; object of attacks; tool of attacks; method of attacks.

Descriptive, inferential, functional outcome data on 9,025 torture survivors over six years in the United States

The National Consortium of Torture Treatment Programs conducted a large voluntary research project among torture rehabilitation centers in the United States (US). Its goal is to fill the void in the literature on demographic and diagnostic data of torture survivors across a large country. Twenty-three centers across the US collaborated over six years, utilizing training and making decisions via conference calls and webinars. A data use agreement signed by all the participating centers governed plans and the use of the data. This study reports on torture survivors from 125 countries, 109 of which signed the United Nations Convention against Torture (UNCAT). Of the 9,025 torture survivors represented, most came from Africa and Asia and reported an average of 3.5 types of torture. Asylum seekers have different immigration experiences and show significantly higher rates of major depressive disorder (MDD) and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) than refugees. Torture survivors at high risk of PTSD and MDD in this sample reported three or more types of torture, reported rape, and had the immigration status of asylum seeker. At one and two years after beginning treatment, both asylum seekers and refugees reported increased rates of employment and improvements in their immigration status. This longitudinal project provides basic data on a large number of torture survivors who accessed services in the US, and provides a foundation for long-term follow up on immigration status, employment status, diagnostic status, medical diagnoses, and eventually, the effectiveness of treatment for torture survivors in the US. This article shares demographic and diagnostic findings useful for informing programmatic and policy decisions. However, these findings on refugees and asylum seekers in the US may not reflect the experience in other receiving countries. Collaboration with other researchers across continents is required to provide a much needed, more complete picture of torture survivors seeking rehabilitation across the world.

Library cooperation in Zimbabwe: in search of a suitable model to underpin national development

Purpose The paper explores library cooperation in Zimbabwe and gathers views from librarians on the need for a library consortium model to underpin national development. This study aims to investigate the development of library consortia in Zimbabwe and then propose a model that will both accelerate their development and support the country’s national development agenda. Design/methodology/approach The paper opted for an investigative study using a multi-method research design. Data on existing library consortia, namely, Zimbabwe University Library Consortium (ZULC) and College and Research Library Consortium (CARLC), were collected through questionnaires and interviews. The data were complemented by documentary analysis including primary sources of information, for example, annual reports and brochures. Data were analysed qualitatively and quantitatively. Findings The paper provides empirical insights on how ZULC and CARLC are transforming the provision of library services in several ways, for example, providing for the dynamic needs of users and strategizing on overcoming rising costs of scholarly content through resource sharing. The proposed model effectively elevates the fundamental library consortium principles of cooperation and sharing onto the national development stage, and it is novel and pioneering. The gestures and general remarks made recently by Zimbabwe Library Association and some ZULC members about national development and ZIMASSET are given rigorous and scholarly expression in this model. Research limitations/implications Because of the chosen research approach, the research results may lack generalisability beyond Zimbabwe. It is therefore imperative for researchers to test the proposed propositions further. Practical implications The paper includes implications for the development of a library consortia model to underpin national development in Zimbabwe. The existing academic sector library consortium still excludes other types of libraries from participating in resource sharing and promoting access to information on a national development scale. The proposed library consortium model providing for nation-wide access to information is critical in realising national development goals in Zimbabwe. Currently, academic library consortia are contributing immensely through supporting learning, teaching and research in their respective institutions. Such benefits can also be extended to all institutions through a national library consortium to support development in Zimbabwe. Originality/value This paper fulfils an identified need to study how the development of a nation-wide library consortium model can be realised. There is relatively little researched information on library cooperation and library consortia and national development in Southern Africa with specific reference to Zimbabwe. The paper seeks to close the gap by providing information on library cooperation and library consortia and national development in Zimbabwe.

Impact and Lessons Learned from a National Consortium for Participatory Health Research: PartKommPlus-German Research Consortium for Healthy Communities (2015-2018).

Integrated strategies of health promotion at the municipal level are receiving particular attention in public health policy and practice in Germany. These strategies are intended to provide a coordinated approach to health promotion during the entire lifespan, with a particular focus on vulnerable communities. They are also intended to be participatory in both their design and implementation, involving all sectors of the social welfare, educational and healthcare systems, civil society, and the general public. PartKommPlus—German Research Consortium for Healthy Communities is examining such strategies using participatory forms of research. The goal is to determine how participation can best be planned and implemented and what effects this participation has. In this article the work of PartKommPlus from the first funding phase (2015–2018) will be described with particular attention to the lessons learned and the forms of impact which are being considered as part of the participatory research process.

9-Year Trend in the Management of Acute Heart Failure in Japan: AReport From the National Consortium of Acute Heart Failure Registries.

BackgroundAcute heart failure (AHF) is a heterogeneous condition, and its characteristics and management patterns differ by region. Furthermore, limited evidence is available on AHF outside of Western countries. A project by the National Consortium of Acute Heart Failure Registries was designed to evaluate the trends over time in patient backgrounds, in‐hospital management patterns, and long‐term outcomes of patients with AHF over 9 years in Japan.Methods and ResultsBetween 2007 and 2015, registry data for patients with AHF were collected from 3 large‐scale quality AHF registries (ATTEND/WET‐HF/REALITY‐AHF). Predefined end points were trends over time in age, sex, and clinical outcomes, including short‐ and long‐term mortality and readmission for heart failure. The final data set consisted of 9075 patients with AHF. No significant differences in patient backgrounds and laboratory findings (eg, anemia or renal function) were observed, with the exception of patient age; mean age became substantially higher over 9 years (71.6–77.0 years; P for trend, <0.001). On the contrary, length of hospital stay became shorter (mean, 26–16 days). These changes were not associated with in‐hospital mortality (4.7–7.5%) or 30‐day heart failure readmission rate (4.8–5.4%), as well as 1‐year mortality and heart failure readmission rate (20.1–23.3% and 23.6–26.2%, respectively).ConclusionsLength of hospital stay in patients with AHF shortened over the 9‐year period despite the increasing age of the patients. However, short‐ and long‐term outcomes do not seem to be affected; continuous efforts to monitor clinical outcomes in patients with AHF are needed.

Contemporary prostate cancer radiation therapy in the United States: Patterns of care and compliance with quality measures

PurposeQuality measures represent the standards of appropriate treatment agreed upon by experts in the field and often supported by data. The extent to which providers in the community adhere to quality measures in radiation therapy (RT) is unknown. Methods and materialsThe Comparative Effectiveness Analysis of Surgery and Radiation study enrolled men with clinically localized prostate cancer in 2011 and 2012. Patients completed surveys and medical records were reviewed. Patients were risk-stratified according to D’Amico classification criteria. Patterns of care and compliance with 8 quality measures as endorsed by national consortia as of 2011 were assessed. ResultsOverall, 926 men underwent definitive RT (69% external beam radiation therapy [EBRT]), 17% brachytherapy (BT), and 14% combined EBRT and BT with considerable variation in radiation techniques across risk groups. Most men who received EBRT had dose-escalated EBRT (>75 Gy; 93%) delivered with conventional fractionation (<2 Gy; 95%), intensity modulated RT (76%), and image guided RT (85%). Most men treated with BT received I125 (77%). Overall, 73% of the men received EBRT that was compliant with the quality measures (dose-escalation, image-guidance, appropriate use of androgen deprivation therapy, and appropriate treatment target) but only 60% of men received BT that was compliant with quality measures (postimplant dosimetry and appropriate dose). African-American men (64%) and other minorities (62%) were less likely than white men (77%) to receive EBRT that was compliant with quality measures. ConclusionsMost men who received RT for localized prostate cancer were treated with an appropriately high dose and received image guidance and intensity modulated RT. However, compliance with some nationally recognized quality measures was relatively low and varied by race. There are significant opportunities to improve the delivery of RT and especially for men of a minority race.

Racial variation in receipt of quality radiation therapy for prostate cancer.

Racial disparities are apparent in the management and outcomes for prostate cancer; however, disparities in compliance to quality measures for radiation therapy for prostate cancer have not been previously studied. Therefore, the goal of the study was to characterize disparities in the compliance rates with quality measures. The comparative effectiveness analysis of radiation therapy and surgery study is a population-based, prospective cohort study that enrolled 3708 men with clinically localized prostate cancer from 2011 to 2012. Compliance with 5 radiation-specific quality measures endorsed by national consortia as of 2011 was assessed, and compliance was compared by race using logistic regression. Overall, 604 men received definitive external beam radiation therapy (EBRT) of which 20% were self-reported black, 74% non-Hispanic white, and 6% Hispanic. Less than two-thirds of black and Hispanic men received EBRT that was compliant with all available quality measures (p = 0.012). Compared to white men, black men were less likely to receive dose-escalated EBRT (95% vs. 87%, p = 0.011) and less likely to avoid unnecessary pelvic radiation for low-risk disease (99% vs. 20%, p < 0.001). Compared to white men, Hispanic men were less likely to undergo image guidance (87% vs. 71%, p = 0.04). Black and Hispanic men were more likely to receive EBRT from low-quality providers than white men. Addressing disparities in access to providers that meet quality guidelines, and improving adherence to evidence-based processes of care may decrease racial/ethnic disparities in prostate cancer outcomes.

Current practices of management of online databases at university libraries in Maharashtra state of India

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to know-how the university libraries are managing online databases, especially from the Maharashtra state of India. The focus is to study the difficulties and challenges faced by the university librarians.Design/methodology/approachIn this descriptive research, survey of 15 university libraries was conducted. Seven universities are subscribing online databases apart from databases accessible under national consortia. A comprehensive questionnaire comprised of 16 sections and total 47 questions was designed for data collection. Personal contacts helped to a great extent to get back the questionnaire.FindingsThe study revealed that the university librarians are trying to cope up with the management of electronic resources. Major challenges are unawareness about the life cycle of electronic resources, lack of standard procedures, collection development and preservation policies, failed to conduct user information need surveys, negotiation skills, competencies of staff and so on.Research limitations/implicationsThe scope of the present research was to study the current practices of management of online databases subscribed by the university libraries in Maharashtra. Other types of electronic resources were not considered in the present study. It was found that out of 15 universities only seven universities subscribe the online databases apart from the databases provided by UGC-INFONET. Therefore, the data from these seven libraries were considered for analysis.Practical implicationsThis study will provide the guidelines for managing online databases in academic libraries.Originality/valueVery few studies are conducted to study the management of online databases by university librariesin India.

Reciprocal relations between positive alcohol expectancies and peer use on adolescent drinking: An accelerated autoregressive cross-lagged model using the NCANDA sample.

Positive alcohol expectancies (PAE) and associating with drinking peers are reliable predictors of adolescent alcohol use. Knowledge of when and for whom these risk factors are most influential could enhance intervention effectiveness. Reciprocal relations between PAE and adolescent and peer alcohol use were examined between the ages of 13 and 18 in a sample (N = 566; 50% female) from the National Consortium on Alcohol and NeuroDevelopment in Adolescence (NCANDA), as well as sex differences in these associations. Associating with drinking peers prospectively predicted more frequent alcohol use for both sexes, although peer socialization was evident earlier for girls compared with boys. Higher PAE influenced later drinking in mid-adolescence, from age 14 to 16, for boys only. PAE influenced peer group selection for both sexes, although the influence was evident earlier in boys than girls. The relative impact of environmental risk factors for problematic alcohol use may vary over time and across developmental periods. These results suggest that prevention and treatment efforts for adolescent drinking can be improved by targeting age-appropriate risk factors. Early adolescent interventions may be best served by minimizing involvement with drinking peers and correcting normative beliefs of peer use. Among adolescent girls, early interventions focused on reducing peer influence may be most effective. Prevention and treatment programs aimed at addressing PAE would likely prove more effective for boys in mid- to late adolescence. (PsycINFO Database Record

A Mexican strategy to promote greater ethics in academic communications through nation-wide access to Turnitin

This document explores the challenges and perspectives behind the initiative for enabling Mexican universities and research centers to access the Turnitin software, a strategy for promoting greater ethics in academic and scientific communications. It presents information obtained through documentary research, from the experience of using the software during the last academic semester, from interviews with the coordinator of the National Consortium of Scientific and Technological Resources (CONRICyT), and with the Turnitin company representative for Mexico. Given the emerging nature of this project and the complexity of the issue, the results presented consist of a non-comprehensive list of benefits and challenges that emerged from using the software, as well as recommendations to harness its use and consolidate a culture for the ethical use of information in academic and scientific communications.

Norwegian e-Infrastructure for Life Sciences (NeLS)

The Norwegian e-Infrastructure for Life Sciences (NeLS) has been developed by ELIXIR Norway to provide its users with a system enabling data storage, sharing, and analysis in a project-oriented fashion. The system is available through easy-to-use web interfaces, including the Galaxy workbench for data analysis and workflow execution. Users confident with a command-line interface and programming may also access it through Secure Shell (SSH) and application programming interfaces (APIs). NeLS has been in production since 2015, with training and support provided by the help desk of ELIXIR Norway. Through collaboration with NorSeq, the national consortium for high-throughput sequencing, an integrated service is offered so that sequencing data generated in a research project is provided to the involved researchers through NeLS. Sensitive data, such as individual genomic sequencing data, are handled using the TSD (Services for Sensitive Data) platform provided by Sigma2 and the University of Oslo. NeLS integrates national e-infrastructure storage and computing resources, and is also integrated with the SEEK platform in order to store large data files produced by experiments described in SEEK. In this article, we outline the architecture of NeLS and discuss possible directions for further development.

Russian Scholarly Publications in Anglophone Academic Discourse: The Clash of Tyrannosaurs

The predominance of English in scholarly publications, recently defined as linguistic imperialism, is no longer considered a threat for multilingual scholars, but a shared linguistic code essential in creating and communicating knowledge. A more significant threat for Russian scholars is the Russian tradition of scholarly writing, which originates from the Soviet period and affects the quality of their national and international publications, especially in humanities and social sciences. The solution is seen in developing writing for academic and research publication purposes in both English and Russian within the umbrella framework of academic literacy. The pioneering role in overcoming the resistance of the deeply rooted tradition and promoting academic writing as a discipline, Russian university writing centers, recently united into the National Consortium, play the central role. Explicit bilingual programmes are especially effective in countries with low level of English, and can be applied to various cultural contexts. They can be further developed into trilingual programmes in post-Soviet states, who experience similar difficulties and for whom Russian remains the lingua franca of academic communication.

Norwegian e-Infrastructure for Life Sciences (NeLS).

The Norwegian e-Infrastructure for Life Sciences (NeLS) has been developed by ELIXIR Norway to provide its users with a system enabling data storage, sharing, and analysis in a project-oriented fashion. The system is available through easy-to-use web interfaces, including the Galaxy workbench for data analysis and workflow execution. Users confident with a command-line interface and programming may also access it through Secure Shell (SSH) and application programming interfaces (APIs). NeLS has been in production since 2015, with training and support provided by the help desk of ELIXIR Norway. Through collaboration with NorSeq, the national consortium for high-throughput sequencing, an integrated service is offered so that sequencing data generated in a research project is provided to the involved researchers through NeLS. Sensitive data, such as individual genomic sequencing data, are handled using the TSD (Services for Sensitive Data) platform provided by Sigma2 and the University of Oslo. NeLS integrates national e-infrastructure storage and computing resources, and is also integrated with the SEEK platform in order to store large data files produced by experiments described in SEEK. In this article, we outline the architecture of NeLS and discuss possible directions for further development.

2564 Designing for dissemination: Characteristics of Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA) hubs as adopters of clinical and translational science innovation

OBJECTIVES/SPECIFIC AIMS: The Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA) program is a national consortium of 50+ academic medical research centers charged with accelerating the translation of clinical research. In 2017, the NIH National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences anticipates total CTSA program funding of over $500M. The consortium’s hub-and-spoke structure makes it a natural dissemination network, and the newest funding announcement makes dissemination of innovation across the consortium an explicit goal, but characteristics of CTSA hubs as adopters and transmitters of innovation are unknown. METHODS/STUDY POPULATION: A content analysis was conducted using data from CTSA hub Web sites (n=64) and a structured coding taxonomy based on 6 constructs drawn from literature about diffusion of innovation in service organizations (Greenhalgh et al., 2004): dissemination priority, institutional complexity, communication infrastructure, support for dissemination/implementation functions, cross-institutional collaboration/networking, and leadership composition. RESULTS/ANTICIPATED RESULTS: In total, 52% of hubs will renew under the new PAR in the next few years, providing an incentive to demonstrate dissemination capacity (although hubs will likely lag in operationalizing these activities until they are funded). A third of hubs (34%) represent more than one academic/research institution, and almost 80% of hubs have more than one clinical affiliate. To accommodate these different levels of institutional complexity, broad diffusion will require multi-modal, locally adapted dissemination efforts. Only 25% of hubs have capacity to undertake additional dissemination activities, and only 27% provide formal D&amp;I support, suggesting that additional capacity/support will be needed to operationalize the CTSA dissemination mission. In total, 30% of hubs participate in cross-institutional collaboration/networking, so many may not have existing norms/tools supporting inter-institutional collaboration, but 77% include leadership from outside the School of Medicine, facilitating effective intrainstitutional dissemination. DISCUSSION/SIGNIFICANCE OF IMPACT: Understanding more about CTSA hubs as both adopters and transmitters of innovation can facilitate strategic use of these sites as a built-in dissemination network to amplify the reach and impact of clinical innovation and improve population health. Based on this initial analysis, the CTSA network does not appear to be fully primed for broad, rapid dissemination of innovation across its sites. In-depth interviews are being conducted to investigate CTSA hubs’ perceptions of their dissemination capacity and roles as adopters and transmitters of innovation.

Offsetting: no big deal?

In this paper I will discuss offsetting deals from their impact on accessibility, affordability to research results and on the possible development of scientific communication towards new modes and methods. I will look at the Swedish National Consortia’s offsetting deals as a specific case study.

Alcohol use effects on adolescent brain development revealed by simultaneously removing confounding factors, identifying morphometric patterns, and classifying individuals

Group analysis of brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) metrics frequently employs generalized additive models (GAM) to remove contributions of confounding factors before identifying cohort specific characteristics. For example, the National Consortium on Alcohol and NeuroDevelopment in Adolescence (NCANDA) used such an approach to identify effects of alcohol misuse on the developing brain. Here, we hypothesized that considering confounding factors before group analysis removes information relevant for distinguishing adolescents with drinking history from those without. To test this hypothesis, we introduce a machine-learning model that identifies cohort-specific, neuromorphometric patterns by simultaneously training a GAM and generic classifier on macrostructural MRI and microstructural diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) metrics and compare it to more traditional group analysis and machine-learning approaches. Using a baseline NCANDA MR dataset (N = 705), the proposed machine learning approach identified a pattern of eight brain regions unique to adolescents who misuse alcohol. Classifying high-drinking adolescents was more accurate with that pattern than using regions identified with alternative approaches. The findings of the joint model approach thus were (1) impartial to confounding factors; (2) relevant to drinking behaviors; and (3) in concurrence with the alcohol literature.

A Decade of Expanding Rural Health and Human Services to the Underserved: The National Consortium of Telehealth Resource Centers

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