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Librarians support researchers by promoting open science and open data practices. This article explores five freely available tools that support and facilitate open science practices. Open Science Framework provides a platform for project management, data sharing, and data storage. OpenRefine cleans and formats data. DMPTool has templates for data management and sharing plans that comply with funder mandates. The NIH Common Data Elements is a repository for standardized data elements, and finally, the NLM Scrubber is a tool for de-identifying clinical text data. Information professionals can add these tools to their repertoire and share them with researchers at their institution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Population-based information on the extent of perceived need for mental health treatment and clinically significant psychological distress can help inform strategies for responding to the mental health impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: A representative sample of U.S. adults, age 20 and over (N = 1,957), completed surveys in May and June 2020. Potential target populations were distinguished based on perceived need for mental health treatment and psychological distress, assessed by the Kessler-6, among those without perceived need. Populations were characterized with respect to demographic characteristics and prior mental health treatment history using logistic regression models. Results: The prevalence of perceived need for mental health treatment was 21%. Perceived need was strongly associated with pre-pandemic treatment history; compared to those with no treatment history, perceived need was dramatically higher among those in treatment when the pandemic began (OR = 53.8 95% CI 28.2–102.8) and those with pre-pandemic treatment history (OR = 9.3, 95% CI 5.1–16.8). Among the 79% who did not perceive need, moderate or greater distress was reported by 19% and was associated with younger age and Hispanic ethnicity (OR = 2.1, 95% CI 1.2–3.6). Conclusions: In the U.S., where mental health treatment is relatively common, mental health treatment response during the pandemic, and perhaps other crises, should target people with a history of mental health treatment. Outreach to people less likely to seek care on their own despite clinically significant distress should target Hispanic populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chromium(VI) is a toxic and carcinogenic metal that causes the formation of DNA phosphate-based adducts. Cr-DNA adducts are genotoxic in human cells, although they do not block replication in vitro. Here, we report that induction of cytotoxicity in Cr(VI)-treated human colon cells and mouse embryonic fibroblasts requires the presence of all major mismatch repair (MMR) proteins. Cr-DNA adducts lost their ability to block replication of Cr-modified plasmids in human colon cells lacking MLH1 protein. The presence of functional mismatch repair caused induction of p53-independent apoptosis associated with activation of caspases 2 and 7. Processing of Cr-DNA damage by mismatch repair resulted in the extensive formation of γ-H2AX foci in G2 phase, indicating generation of double-stranded breaks as secondary toxic lesions. Induction of γ-H2AX foci was observed at 6 to 12 h postexposure, which was followed by activation of apoptosis in the absence of significant G2 arrest. Our results demonstrate that mismatch repair system triggers toxic responses to Cr-DNA backbone modifications through stress mechanisms that are significantly different from those for other forms of DNA damage. Selection for Cr(VI) resistant, MMR-deficient cells may explain the very high frequency of lung cancers with microsatellite instability among chromate workers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High-quality proofreading is essential to a smooth-running legislature. Currently the Tennessee Office of Legal Services (TOLS) hires proofreaders based on incomplete and unvalidated tests. Rather than develop and verify a new set of tests, an expensive proposition, TOLS decided to adopt a validated examination(s) currently used by another state legislature(s). The present study reports the findings of a forty-nine state survey concerning how state officials test prospective legislative proofreaders for specific job-related skills. Of the forty-four responding states, thirty-nine either did not use such tests or they tested but had no supporting validity studies. The five remaining states declined to send copies of their tests and/or supporting validity scores. Based on these findings, the present study concludes that few if any states use thorough procedures for selecting such employees. The discussion closes by suggesting that TOLS will have to develop and validate its own proofreader examinations if it wants to apply proper employee placement practices. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Analyzes the interpretation of John H. Fisher and Chaucer on the final lines of the poem 'The Wife of Bath's Embarrassing Question,' by Talbot Donaldson. Linguistic difficulties recognized by Fisher in the poem; Conception on the term 'wight.'