Outreach to Addiction-A Month of Investing in Ability: A Case Study.

Coordinated and organized by a disabilities librarian, the University of Michigan's Council for Disability Concerns provides annual outreach programs with biomedical themes through a series of educational events known as Investing in Ability. Every effort is made to reach the campus and the surrounding community to promote the council's goals of increased accessibility for all individuals with physical or developmental challenges, to de-stigmatize such conditions, and to educate the audience about disability-related topics. In 2014, Investing in Ability focused on the pressing and pervasive topic of addiction. Because audience attendance and interest were the highest that they have ever been for previous Investing in Ability events, the project will serve as a model in the future, possibly as one for other committees to emulate.

Collaboration between the University of Michigan Taubman Health Sciences library and the University of Michigan Medical School Office of Research.

Librarians have traditionally facilitated research development resulting in grants through performing biomedical literature searches for researchers. The librarians at the Taubman Health Sciences Library of the University of Michigan have taken additional steps forward by instituting a proactive approach to assisting investigators. To accomplish this, the librarians have taken part in a collaborative effort with the University of Michigan Medical School Office of Research. Through this partnership, both units have created and adopted various techniques intended to facilitate the submission of grants, thus allowing researchers more time to conduct their primary activities.

Gut permeability is related to body weight, fatty liver disease, and insulin resistance in obese individuals undergoing weight reduction.

BACKGROUND: Obesity and associated metabolic disorders are related to impairments of the intestinal barrier. OBJECTIVE: We examined lactulose:mannitol (Lac:Man) permeability in obese individuals with and without liver steatosis undergoing a weight-reduction program to test whether an effective weight-loss program improves gut barrier function and whether obese patients with or without liver steatosis differ in this function. DESIGN: Twenty-seven adult, nondiabetic individuals [mean ± SD body mass index (BMI; in kg/m2): 43.7 ± 5.2; 78% with moderate or severe liver steatosis] were included in the follow-up intervention study (n = 13 by month 12). All patients reduced their weight to a mean ± SD BMI of 36.4 ± 5.1 within 12 mo. We assessed barrier functions by the oral Lac:Man and the fecal zonulin tests. Insulin resistance was assessed by the homeostatic model assessment index (HOMA), and liver steatosis by sonography and the fatty liver index (FLI). RESULTS: The Lac:Man ratio and circulating interleukin (IL) 6 concentration decreased during intervention from 0.080 (95% CI: 0.073, 0.093) to 0.027 (95% CI: 0.024, 0.034; P < 0.001) and from 4.2 ± 1.4 to 2.8 ± 1.6 pg/mL (P < 0.01), respectively. At study start, the Lac:Man ratio was higher in patients with moderate or severe steatosis than in those without any steatosis (P < 0.001). The Lac:Man ratio tended to correlate with HOMA (ρ = 0.55, P = 0.052), which correlated with FLI (ρ = 0.75, P < 0.01). A multiple-regression analysis led to a final model explaining FLI best through BMI, waist circumference, and the Lac:Man ratio. CONCLUSIONS: Intestinal permeability is increased in obese patients with steatosis compared with obese patients without. The increased permeability fell to within the previously reported normal range after weight reduction. The data suggest that a leaky gut barrier is linked with liver steatosis and could be a new target for future steatosis therapies. This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT01344525.