Poster: Researchers Say the Darndest Things: Using Semi-structured Interviews to Uncover the Unique Information Behaviors of Basic Sciences Researchers in an Academic Health Center

Laura discusses the work she and her colleagues did in a qualitative study of semi-structured interviews examining the unique, information-seeking characteristics of basic sciences researchers. The team\u27s ultimate goal was to then design a suite of library services that would better meet these researchers\u27 needs

Developments and innovations in real estate markets: a conference summary

During the last few years, activity in the U.S. housing market has been brisk, and mortgage credit has reached an ever wider circle of borrowers. A recent conference at the Chicago Fed assembled researchers, regulators, and practitioners to discuss the implications of these developments, both for the housing finance system and for the economy as a whole.Mortgage loans ; Mortgages ; Government-sponsored enterprises

Case studies of clear air turbulence using the diagnostic Richardson Number Tendency formulation

The results of four case studies of clear air turbulence (CAT) using the diagnostic Richardson number tendency (DRT) formulation are highlighted. The performance of this technique in resolving regions of documented CAT encounters is encouraging. Its operational adaptability appears particularly attractive in that input data can be supplied by the currently operational rawinsonde system. Two CAT indices are calculated deterministically, sensing synoptic scale changes in static stability and vertical wind shear conductive for supporting mesoscale CAT layers. These two indices reveal volumes of the troposphere which act as source regions for patches of CAT. The first, the time to reach the critical Richardson number necessary for the initiation of turbulent conditions, was first used by Oard (1974). A second index is devised which is an adaptation of Roach's (1970) work relating synoptic scale and mesoscale energetical coupling and gives more information on the relative intensity of these source regions. The output from the DRT computer module highlights specific regions of the atmosphere which can be interpreted operationally in terms of a CAT encounter probability

Global banking and national regulation: a conference summary

Although banking across national borders has expanded rapidly, banking regulation remains nationally based. As a result, governments and financial institutions face significant challenges when instability arises. At the Chicago Fed’s International Banking Conference, participants explored cross-border banking issues and ways to improve the current system.Banks and banking, International ; Interstate banking

The effects of video compression on acceptability of images for monitoring life sciences experiments

Future manned space operations for Space Station Freedom will call for a variety of carefully planned multimedia digital communications, including full-frame-rate color video, to support remote operations of scientific experiments. This paper presents the results of an investigation to determine if video compression is a viable solution to transmission bandwidth constraints. It reports on the impact of different levels of compression and associated calculational parameters on image acceptability to investigators in life-sciences research at ARC. Three nonhuman life-sciences disciplines (plant, rodent, and primate biology) were selected for this study. A total of 33 subjects viewed experimental scenes in their own scientific disciplines. Ten plant scientists viewed still images of wheat stalks at various stages of growth. Each image was compressed to four different compression levels using the Joint Photographic Expert Group (JPEG) standard algorithm, and the images were presented in random order. Twelve and eleven staffmembers viewed 30-sec videotaped segments showing small rodents and a small primate, respectively. Each segment was repeated at four different compression levels in random order using an inverse cosine transform (ICT) algorithm. Each viewer made a series of subjective image-quality ratings. There was a significant difference in image ratings according to the type of scene viewed within disciplines; thus, ratings were scene dependent. Image (still and motion) acceptability does, in fact, vary according to compression level. The JPEG still-image-compression levels, even with the large range of 5:1 to 120:1 in this study, yielded equally high levels of acceptability. In contrast, the ICT algorithm for motion compression yielded a sharp decline in acceptability below 768 kb/sec. Therefore, if video compression is to be used as a solution for overcoming transmission bandwidth constraints, the effective management of the ratio and compression parameters according to scientific discipline and experiment type is critical to the success of remote experiments

A study of video frame rate on the perception of moving imagery detail

The rate at which each frame of color moving video imagery is displayed was varied in small steps to determine what is the minimal acceptable frame rate for life scientists viewing white rats within a small enclosure. Two, twenty five second-long scenes (slow and fast animal motions) were evaluated by nine NASA principal investigators and animal care technicians. The mean minimum acceptable frame rate across these subjects was 3.9 fps both for the slow and fast moving animal scenes. The highest single trial frame rate averaged across all subjects for the slow and the fast scene was 6.2 and 4.8, respectively. Further research is called for in which frame rate, image size, and color/gray scale depth are covaried during the same observation period

Water detection at the moon, Mars and comets with a combined neutron gamma ray instrument

Measuring the fluxes of thermal and epithermal neutrons at a planetary object in conjunction with gamma-ray spectroscopic observations will provide information about the chemical composition of the surface which is less model dependent than the gamma ray measurements by themselves. Researchers devised a passive neutron detector for this purpose. An experimental model was designed and built. Three variables provided the basis for a set of experiments: thickness of the Sm and B layers, the presence or absence of the ACS, and the position of the source relative to the PND's cylindrical axis. Experimental results are given

Access to Mobile Resources: How Does It Affect the Clerkship Experience?

Objectives: To evaluate the perceived benefits of access to library-licensed mobile clinical decision support resources in clinical medical education. Methods: A cohort of medical students was surveyed midway through the clerkship year. Dana Medical Library offered instruction on clinical mobile resources at the beginning of the year. Students were offered a subject guide and assistance with authentication. Assessment methods included web analytics measuring the utility of the subject guide and a survey. Survey questions gathered data on access to mobile devices, relevance of instruction, use of library-licensed mobile resources, and benefits and barriers to their use in the clinical setting. Students were also asked whether access to mobile resources facilitated comparable educational experiences across clerkship sites. Results: The survey was sent to all 111 students from the University of Vermont College of Medicine class of 2014; 31 completed the survey, with a completion rate of 28%. All respondents owned a mobile device, despite efforts to recruit both users and non-users. Nearly 75% of respondents reported using an iPhone. About 90% of respondents brought their mobile device on rotation. Generally, the wireless access at each clerkship site was rated good or excellent. Of the 60% of respondents who attended the instruction session on mobile resources, 94% found the class helpful. Half of the respondents looked at the Mobile Apps subject guide; 70% of those who did found it helpful. A significant increase in page views was reflected in subject guide usage statistics immediately following the instruction session. Approximately 25% of respondents sought out individual assistance at the library. Conclusions: Respondents suggested improvements to library instruction such as distributing access codes during the class and demonstrating installation of an app. A large number of students did not seek additional assistance from the library, citing they did not have any questions. While that may be because they found the subject guide and/or class sufficiently helpful, a significant number of respondents indicated they were unaware of the subject guide. This suggests a need for further promotion and marketing efforts. Researchers were surprised that nonlibrary licensed apps (ePocrates or Medscape) were valued over resources such as DynaMed, and that the most common barrier cited was not having access to appropriate apps. Finally, almost all of the participants who reported taking a mobile device on a rotation agreed it facilitated access to clinical information and improved the clerkship experience