Competitive Usability and the Catalogue: A Process for Justification and Selection of a Next-Generation Catalogue or Web-Scale Discovery System

This case study demonstrates how competitive usability testing informs the selection and purchase of a next-generation catalogue (NGC) or Web-scale discovery system (WSDS) to enhance a current library catalogue. Using competitive usability techniques, the authors explain how different NGCs and WSDSs solve issues that catalogue users may face when searching for materials in the online catalogue. The goal of this study is to provide a framework that identifies concrete evidence in support of purchase recommendations for an effective system that adequately addresses locally identified issues with catalogue searches. The process of selecting live system implementations from peer institutions is outlined. Steps include surveying library staff about their current library catalogue. Survey results and documented reference questions provided the foundation for user tasks created by testers for use in this study. This multifaceted research design resulted in a case study that captures current issues that users encounter in the discovery and access to library materials and shows how to include competitive usability techniques as part of a purchase rationale while assessing how well a variety of next-generation discovery and access systems address users’ issues.published or submitted for publicatio

Caregiver–child verbal interactions in child care: A buffer against poor language outcomes when maternal language input is less

Recent research has suggested that high quality child care can buffer young children against poorer cognitive and language outcomes when they are at risk for poorer language and readiness skills. Most of this research measured the quality of parenting and the quality of the child care with global observational measures or rating scales that did not specify the exact maternal or caregiver behaviors that might be causally implicated in the buffering of these children from poor outcomes. The current study examined the actual language by the mother to her child in the home and the verbal interactions between the caregiver and child in the child care setting that might be implicated in the buffering effect of high quality childcare. The sample included 433 rural children from the Family Life Project who were in child care at 36 months of age. Even after controlling for a variety of covariates, including maternal education, income, race, child previous skill, child care type, the overall quality of the home and quality of the child care environment; observed positive caregiver-child verbal interactions in the child care setting interacted with the maternal language complexity and diversity in predicting children’s language development. Caregiver-child positive verbal interactions appeared to buffer children from poor language outcomes concurrently and two years later if children came from homes where observed maternal language complexity and diversity during a picture book task was less

Partnership for Success: How the HCC OER Task Force came Together to Tackle Soaring Textbook Costs

We will share HCC’s student and faculty experience and how textbook costs are impacting our students and creating barriers for success. HCC faculty came together under the OER Taskforce to review data and create a feasible strategy for OER adoption. We will share our specific approach, planning process, and support systems. Attendees will be provided with implementation guidelines and resources to share at their campuses. Presentation by four members of the HCC OER Taskforce: a faculty member, instructional designer, the dean of the library and the dean of online programs. The presentation is intended for people interested in developing (or in the process of developing) an OER initiative on their campus with a solid structure. Essential elements such as engaging a range of stakeholders, collecting data and creating measurable goals will be discussed. We will dedicate half the time to telling our story and half to engaging attendees to share their stories and ask questions

Magnetic Properties of Metal(II) Schiff Base Complexes

Ligands prepared from various combinations of aldehydes and ketones with the appropriate aminealcohol were complexed with cupric acetate monohydrate. The complexes with O,NO or N,N,O donor atoms were synthesized to study the influences of the ligand on molecular structure, spin-spin interaction, and on the value of the exchange integral. The magnetic data indicated that of the eight Cu(II) complexes discussed, two behaved differently from known analogous compounds. Cu (benzoylacetone :ethanolamine) was compared to Cu(acac:ethanolamine), and Cu(pyrr:oaminophenol) was compared to Cu(acac:o-aminophenol). Each pair of complexes was postulated to have the same molecular structure. The synthesis and characterization of Mn(pyrr:oaminophenol) 2H2 is also discussed. The following physical data were collected and discussed: elemental analysis, melting point, molecular weight, infrared spectra, electronic spectra, and magnetic susceptibility

Death at the Hands of Persons Unknown: The Geography of Lynching in the Deep South, 1882 to 1910.

This research explores the county-level lynching record of four Deep South states--Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, and Mississippi--to discover the spatial and temporal distribution of lynching within the region and its relationship to social and economic conditions. The period of 1882 to 1910 is selected because lynching reached its highest levels in those decades. Demographic and economic variables from the United States censuses characterize Deep South counties as urban or rural and rich or poor. The physiography and historical attributes of counties are also considered. The research objective is to improve understanding of lynching in the postbellum Deep South through geographic analysis. The research methods determine: (1) counties where lynching was endemic and explores the causes; (2) the relationships between demographic, economic, physical and historical characteristics of counties with high rates of lynching; (3) if and when legal execution was substituted for lynching; and (4) that the random and episodic nature of lynching resulted from social disruption and imitative behavior rather than from demographic and economic causes

Outbreak of H7N8 Low Pathogenic Avian Influenza in Commercial Turkeys with Spontaneous Mutation to Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza

Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) subtype H7N8 was detected in commercial turkeys in January 2016. Control zone surveillance discovered a progenitor low pathogenic avian influenza (LPAI) virus in surrounding turkey flocks. Data analysis supports a single LPAI virus introduction followed by spontaneous mutation to HPAI on a single premises

Outbreak of H7N8 Low Pathogenic Avian Influenza in Commercial Turkeys with Spontaneous Mutation to Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza

Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) subtype H7N8 was detected in commercial turkeys in January 2016. Control zone surveillance discovered a progenitor low pathogenic avian influenza (LPAI) virus in surrounding turkey flocks. Data analysis supports a single LPAI virus introduction followed by spontaneous mutation to HPAI on a single premises

eHealth for interdisciplinary practice: is it delivering on its promise?

Our research in brief: Interdisciplinary eHealth The promise: eHealth has the potential to transform interdisciplinary practice by fostering improved collaboration across health providers and consumers. The reality: We heard from health professionals working in traumatic brain injury (TBI) rehabilitation that they face major barriers in their use of information and communication technologies (ICT) in health care. They attempt to make the most of less-than-ideal eHealth systems but successful use is usually constrained to within their own workplace. With modern healthcare requiring collaboration across many providers and sectors, health professionals are often disconnected from achieving the quality that strive for in their work. The future: By addressing sources of disconnection routinely faced by health professionals, we are confident that eHealth can enable interdisciplinary practice that delivers safe, quality healthcare.University of Sydney Faculty of Health Sciences Collaborative Research Scheme gran

Rapid prefractionation of complex protein lysates with centrifugal membrane adsorber units improves the resolving power of 2D-PAGE-based proteome analysis

BACKGROUND: Two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2D-PAGE) has proven over the years to be a reliable and efficient method for separation of hundreds of proteins based on charge and mass. Nevertheless, the complexity of even the simplest proteomes limits the resolving power of 2D-PAGE. This limitation can be partially alleviated by sample prefractionation using a variety of techniques. RESULTS: Here, we have used Vivapure Ion Exchange centrifugal adsorber units to rapidly prefractionate total fission yeast protein lysate based on protein charge. Three fractions were prepared by stepwise elution with increasing sodium chloride concentrations. Each of the fractions, as well as the total lysate, were analyzed by 2D-PAGE. This simple prefractionation procedure considerably increased the resolving power of 2D-PAGE. Whereas 308 spots could be detected by analysing total protein lysate, 910 spots were observed upon prefractionation. Thorough gel image analysis demonstrated that prefractionation visualizes an additional set of 458 unique fission yeast proteins not detected in whole cell lysate. CONCLUSIONS: Prefractionation with Vivapure Q spin columns proved to be a simple, fast, reproducible, and cost-effective means of increasing the resolving power of 2D-PAGE using standard laboratory equipment