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Evidence syntheses that engage librarians as co-authors produce higher-quality results than those that do not. Trained as teachers, researchers, and information managers, librarians possess expert knowledge on research methodologies and information retrieval approaches that are critical for evidence synthesis. Researchers are under increasing pressure to produce evidence syntheses to inform practice and policymaking. Many fields outside of health science and medicine, however, do not have established guidelines, processes, or methodologies. This article describes how librarians led the creation of an interdisciplinary toolkit for researchers new to evidence synthesis. The implementation of the tools, including a protocol, supported eight evidence syntheses focused on effective agricultural interventions published in a special collection in Nature Research in October 2020. This article is a step-by-step overview of the tools and process. We advocate that librarian collaboration in evidence synthesis must become the norm, not the exception. Evidence synthesis project leads without access to a qualified librarian may use this toolkit as a point of entry for production of transparent, reproducible reviews.

Genetic counseling outcomes are influenced by the processes and strategies used by counselors, yet little is known about how these strategies directly impact patients and populations. In particular, tailoring genetic counseling consultations to best meet the needs of cultural, racial, and ethnically diverse populations has been explored. This review aims to identify genetic counseling strategies tailored for a diversity of racial and ethnic populations with the goal to find ways to improve genetic counseling outcomes. Medline, Cochrane CENTRAL, Embase, PsychInfo, and CINAHL databases were searched for original research articles published in English that employed genetic counseling processes and strategies to improve genetic counseling outcomes, specifically for participants from ethnically or racially diverse populations. A review of 5300 titles and abstracts resulted in the identification of 36 articles that met the inclusion criteria. Three themes emerged: (1) community involvement in culturally tailoring genetic counseling, (2) creation and use of culturally tailored resources, and (3) modifications to the genetic counseling process. The effectiveness of genetic counseling strategies could not be evaluated due to lack of consistent outcome measures in the articles. The involvement of diverse ethnic and racial populations in developing inclusive genetic counseling tools and practices will help the profession provide better patient care in the future. More research connecting genetic counseling processes and outcomes will help to assess how well these modified approaches meet the needs of diverse populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study involved a thorough examination of attitudes and opinions of agricultural researchers toward open access publishing and data sharing. Utilizing the results of the Ithaka S+R Agriculture Research Support Services project, we reanalyzed our institutional interview transcripts and synthesized information from the project's publicly available reports. For comparison, we also searched and coded scientific and library literature. Our findings reveal common attitudes related to open access publishing and data sharing and point to potential roles for libraries to help address common impediments, such as lack of trust, time, and money. Overall, this study provides disciplinary context that can inform how librarians approach agricultural researchers about open access publishing and data sharing.

Background: Congenital hydrocephalus (CH) is a life‐threatening neurological condition that results from an imbalance in production, flow, or absorption of cerebrospinal fluid. Predicted outcomes from in utero diagnosis are frequently unclear. Moreover, conventional treatments consisting primarily of antenatal and postnatal surgeries are often unsuccessful, leading to high mortality rates. Causes of CH can range from secondary insults to germline pathogenic variants, complicating diagnostic processes and treatment outcomes. Currently, an updated summary of CH genetic etiologies in conjunction with clinical testing methodologies is lacking. This review addresses this need by generating a centralized survey of known genetic causes and available molecular tests for CH. Methods: The scoping review protocol was registered with the Open Science Framework and followed the Arksey and O'Malley framework and the Joanna Briggs Institute methodology. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta‐Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA‐ScR) was utilized to define search guidelines and screening criteria. Results: Our survey revealed a high number of genetic etiologies associated with CH, ranging from single gene variants to multifactorial birth defects, and additionally uncovered diagnostic challenges that are further complicated by changes in testing approaches over the years. Furthermore, we discovered that most of the existing literature consists of case reports, underscoring the need for studies that utilize CH patient research cohorts as well as more mechanistic studies. Conclusions: The pursuit of such studies will facilitate novel gene discovery while recognizing phenotypic complexity. Addressing these research gaps could ultimately inform evidence‐based diagnostic guidelines to improve patient care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Support for systematic reviews and meta-analyses in the social sciences is an innovative service that makes advanced use of the expert skills of reference librarians and subject specialists. This column [...]

Food security is researched and dealt with on local, regional, national, and global levels with solutions ranging from local farmers' market initiatives to increasing crop yields through genetically modified plants to streamlining global supply chains. Because of its broad, interdisciplinary nature, it is necessary to narrow the focus of this webliography by limiting resources to those specifically addressing food security. Tangentially-related resources, such as those focused solely on water resources, were excluded; broader related concepts such as "food sovereignty" were also excluded. This webliography focuses specifically on sources that address food security in the United States or at the global scale. This guide is intended to be useful to a broad audience including: academic and public librarians, educators, researchers, graduate students, and nonprofit organizations.

Aims and Objectives: We aimed to identify postpartum depression (PPD) trajectories and examine relevant predictors amongst smoking women. Background: PPD can adversely affect families. Predictors of PPD trajectories amongst smoking women are understudied. Design: Longitudinal cohort study. Methods: A cohort of 49 U.S. women (current or ex‐smoking) completed the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale from birth to 24 months postpartum. Latent class growth modelling was used to identify PPD trajectories. Predictors of PPD trajectories were identified, adjusting for confounders. Effect modification by prenatal Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ) depression score was also assessed. STROBE guidelines were followed in reporting results. Results: Three PPD trajectories were identified: non‐PPD, transient PPD and chronic PPD. In multinomial logistic regression, social support was associated with lower odds of membership in the chronic PPD trajectory compared to non‐PPD trajectory: being married or having a partner sharing resources (odds ratio OR =.14 [.02,.85], p‐value =.03), greater partner support (OR =.87 [.77,.98], p‐value =.02) and greater family/friends support (OR =.53 [.34,.82], p‐value =.004). Transient PPD showed no differences with non‐PPD on any predictors. In ordinal logistic regression models, social support was associated with lower odds of membership in a more severe PPD depression trajectory when prenatal PHQ depression score was in the low range (being married or having a partner sharing resources: p for effect modification =.06; partner support: p for effect modification =.05; and family/friends support: p for effect modification =.005). Relevance to Clinical Practice: Compared to the general population, chronic PPD trajectories were more common amongst smoking women. Social support was an important predictor of more severe PPD trajectories, especially when prenatal depression is low. Conclusion: Our findings indicated that social support might decrease likelihood of severe PPD trajectories, especially when prenatal depression was low. Relevant predictors of transient PPD remained elusive. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Evidence syntheses that engage librarians as co‐authors produce higher‐quality results than those that do not. Trained as teachers, researchers, and information managers, librarians possess expert knowledge on research methodologies and information retrieval approaches that are critical for evidence synthesis. Researchers are under increasing pressure to produce evidence syntheses to inform practice and policymaking. Many fields outside of health science and medicine, however, do not have established guidelines, processes, or methodologies. This article describes how librarians led the creation of an interdisciplinary toolkit for researchers new to evidence synthesis. The implementation of the tools, including a protocol, supported eight evidence syntheses focused on effective agricultural interventions published in a special collection in Nature Research in October 2020. This article is a step‐by‐step overview of the tools and process. We advocate that librarian collaboration in evidence synthesis must become the norm, not the exception. Evidence synthesis project leads without access to a qualified librarian may use this toolkit as a point of entry for production of transparent, reproducible reviews. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oats are uniquely nutritious, owing to their composition of bioactive compounds, lipids, and β-glucan. Scientific research has established that oats can improve diet quality, reduce cholesterol, regulate satiety, and protect against carcinogenesis in the colon; however, determining the effects of oats on gastrointestinal health and the gut microbiome is a newer, evolving area of research. To better understand the effects of oats on gastrointestinal health in humans, a literature review with predefined search criteria was conducted using the PubMed database and keywords for common gastrointestinal health outcomes. Moreover, to examine the gastrointestinal effects of oats across the scientific spectrum, a similar search strategy was executed to identify animal studies. In vitro studies were identified from the reference lists of human and animal studies. A total of 8 human studies, 19 animal studies, and 5 in vitro studies met the inclusion criteria for this review. The evidence in humans shows beneficial effects of oats on gastrointestinal health, with supportive evidence provided by in vitro and animal studies. The effective dose of oats varies by type, although an amount providing 2.5 to 2.9 g of β-glucan per day was shown to decrease fecal pH and alter fecal bacteria. For oat bran, 40 to 100 g/d was shown to increase fecal bacterial mass and short-chain fatty acids in humans. Differences in study design, methodology, and type of oats tested make valid comparisons difficult. The identification of best practices for the design of oat studies should be a priority in future research, as the findings will be useful for determining how oats influence specific indices of gastrointestinal health, including the composition of the human gut microbiome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]