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This study aimed to improve understanding of graduate students’ digital preferences and perceptions to prepare them for work in the digitally enabled health sector. We surveyed 361 students from five disciplines to create a baseline of their digital capabilities. Results show that students were confident in engaging with day-to-day technologies required for discipline-specific learnings and most were reasonably aware of digital privacy and security. However, only 11% of the students reported having sufficient university support and services to develop their digital skills and competencies, and only 39% of the students believed they have the relevant skills for entering the workforce. To improve their understanding in this area, students attended a digital skills and employability workshop that was developed in partnership with teaching specialists, learning and teaching librarians and career services coordinators. Post-workshop findings show that this learning intervention positively impacted students’ understanding of their own digital capabilities and increased their awareness of the importance of this core skill for both the university and the workforce. Teaching staff can use these findings to improve student digital learning in health professional curricula, which will contribute to knowledge transfer and communication with digital health employers.

Open biomedical repositories, such as PubMed Central (PMC), are a means to make research discoverable and permanently accessible. Assessing the potential interest of key stakeholders in an Australasia PubMed Central was the objective of this research. The investigation is novel, assisting in the development of open science infrastructure through its systematic analysis of the potential interest in, and viability of a biomedical repository for managing openly accessible research outputs for the Australasia region. The research adopted a qualitative approach based on semi-structured interviews and a focus group. Forty-four stakeholders located throughout Australia and New Zealand participated in the research. Participants expanded upon their experience of PubMed, MEDLINE, PMC and their use of information resources for research and clinical practice. The Evidence Based Healthcare (EBHC) pyramid was the theoretical model adopted to explain open biomedical repository processes. A strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT) analysis identified support for exploring membership of an international PMC system, in particular Europe PMC. Lessons learnt from PMC US, Europe PMC and PMC Canada (collectively known as PubMed Central International) informed the investigation. A major strength identified was that PubMed Central International has been able to achieve high levels of compliance way beyond that of most institutional repositories. A great threat faced is overcoming the difficulties of working together with other major world bodies and financially sustaining an Australasia PMC. Improving Australasian biomedical knowledge management processes may be possible from adopting a PMC for retrieving and transferring research, linked to the data underlying the research. This in turn could help put regional research under a brighter spotlight, potentially leading to improvements in research quality. There is an opportunity for a potential Australasia PMC to harvest biome

Thermochemical equilibrium calculations indicate the possibility of significantly lowering the onset temperature of aluminum vapor formation via carbothermal reduction of Al2O3 by decreasing the total pressure, enabling its vacuum distillation while bypassing the formation of undesired by-products Al2O, Al4C3, and Al-oxycarbides. Furthermore, the use of concentrated solar energy as the source of high-temperature process heat offers considerable energy savings and reduced concomitant CO2 emissions. When the reducing agent is derived from a biomass source, the solar-driven carbothermal reduction is CO2 neutral. Exploratory experimental runs using a solar reactor were carried out at temperatures in the range 1300K to 2000K (1027°C to 1727°C) and with total pressures in the range 3.5 to 12 millibar, with reactants Al2O3 and biocharcoal directly exposed to simulated high-flux solar irradiation, yielding up to 19pct Al by the condensation of product gases, accompanied by the formation of Al4C3 and Al4O4C within the crucible. Based on the measured CO generation, integrated over the duration of the experimental run, the reaction extent reached 55pct at 2000K (1727°C)

The X-chromosome gene regulatory process called dosage compensation ensures that males (1X) and females (2X) express equal levels of X-chromosome transcripts. The mechanism in Caenorhabditis elegans has been elusive due to improperly annotated transcription start sites (TSSs). Here we define TSSs and the distribution of transcriptionally engaged RNA polymerase II (Pol II) genome-wide in wild-type and dosage-compensation-defective animals to dissect this regulatory mechanism. Our TSS-mapping strategy integrates GRO-seq, which tracks nascent transcription, with a new derivative of this method, called GRO-cap, which recovers nascent RNAs with 5' caps prior to their removal by co-transcriptional processing. Our analyses reveal that promoter-proximal pausing is rare, unlike in other metazoans, and promoters are unexpectedly far upstream from the 5' ends of mature mRNAs. We find that C. elegans equalizes X-chromosome expression between the sexes, to a level equivalent to autosomes, by reducing Pol II recruitment to promoters of hermaphrodite X-linked genes using a chromosome-restructuring condensin complex. DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.00808.001.

In organisms that determine sex using specialized sex chromosomes, chromosome-wide dosage compensation is required to equalize gene expression between the sexes. In each well-studied dosage compensation system, factors are targeted to the sex chromosomes of only one sex to modulate sex-chromosome expression. In the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, the dosage compensation complex (DCC) binds both X chromosomes of XX hermaphrodites and reduces X-linked transcript levels by approximately half to equal those of the XO male. My research addresses the mechanisms by which the DCC recognizes X chromosomes and controls transcription once bound. Previous studies determined that the DCC is recruited to the X chromosomes through rex sites that recruit the DCC autonomously. rex sites contain high-scoring matches to several DNA sequence elements that are required for full binding of the DCC, including the motif enriched on X (MEX). In addition to binding to rex sites, the DCC binds to dox sites that reside in the promoters of active genes and are bound only when attached to the X chromosome. In this dissertation, I report advances in understanding how the DCC is targeted to the X chromosome and how it regulates transcription of X-linked genes once it is bound. In chapter 2, I describe experiments that redefine our understanding of DCC composition, binding and function, performed in collaboration with another graduate student. The protein DPY-30 is shown to be a component of both the repressive DCC and the activating MLL/COMPASS complex. We define fundamental differences in the molecular requirements for DCC binding to rex and dox sites, and describe the relationship between DCC binding at these two classes of sites. Finally, we show that C. elegans dosage compensation controls X-linked transcript levels by regulating transcription. In chapter 3, I describe work performed in collaboration with John Lis's laboratory at Cornell University using Global Run-On Sequencing (GRO-seq) to

In organisms that determine sex using specialized sex chromosomes, chromosome-wide dosage compensation is required to equalize gene expression between the sexes. In each well-studied dosage compensation system, factors are targeted to the sex chromosomes of only one sex to modulate sex-chromosome expression. In the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, the dosage compensation complex (DCC) binds both X chromosomes of XX hermaphrodites and reduces X-linked transcript levels by approximately half to equal those of the XO male. My research addresses the mechanisms by which the DCC recognizes X chromosomes and controls transcription once bound. Previous studies determined that the DCC is recruited to the X chromosomes through rex sites that recruit the DCC autonomously. rex sites contain high-scoring matches to several DNA sequence elements that are required for full binding of the DCC, including the motif enriched on X (MEX). In addition to binding to rex sites, the DCC binds to dox sites that reside in the promoters of active genes and are bound only when attached to the X chromosome. In this dissertation, I report advances in understanding how the DCC is targeted to the X chromosome and how it regulates transcription of X-linked genes once it is bound. In chapter 2, I describe experiments that redefine our understanding of DCC composition, binding and function, performed in collaboration with another graduate student. The protein DPY-30 is shown to be a component of both the repressive DCC and the activating MLL/COMPASS complex. We define fundamental differences in the molecular requirements for DCC binding to rex and dox sites, and describe the relationship between DCC binding at these two classes of sites. Finally, we show that C. elegans dosage compensation controls X-linked transcript levels by regulating transcription. In chapter 3, I describe work performed in collaboration with John Lis's laboratory at Cornell University using Global Run-On Sequencing (GRO-seq) to

The X-chromosome gene regulatory process called dosage compensation ensures that males (1X) and females (2X) express equal levels of X-chromosome transcripts. The mechanism in Caenorhabditis elegans has been elusive due to improperly annotated transcription start sites (TSSs). Here we define TSSs and the distribution of transcriptionally engaged RNA polymerase II (Pol II) genome-wide in wild-type and dosage-compensation-defective animals to dissect this regulatory mechanism. Our TSS-mapping strategy integrates GRO-seq, which tracks nascent transcription, with a new derivative of this method, called GRO-cap, which recovers nascent RNAs with 5' caps prior to their removal by co-transcriptional processing. Our analyses reveal that promoter-proximal pausing is rare, unlike in other metazoans, and promoters are unexpectedly far upstream from the 5' ends of mature mRNAs. We find that C. elegans equalizes X-chromosome expression between the sexes, to a level equivalent to autosomes, by reducing Pol II recruitment to promoters of hermaphrodite X-linked genes using a chromosome-restructuring condensin complex. DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.00808.001.

Fluctuations in nutrient availability profoundly impact gene expression. Previous work revealed postrecruitment regulation of RNA polymerase II (Pol II) during starvation and recovery in Caenorhabditis elegans, suggesting that promoter-proximal pausing promotes rapid response to feeding. To test this hypothesis, we measured Pol II elongation genome wide by two complementary approaches and analyzed elongation in conjunction with Pol II binding and expression. We confirmed bona fide pausing during starvation and also discovered Pol II docking. Pausing occurs at active stress-response genes that become downregulated in response to feeding. In contrast, "docked" Pol II accumulates without initiating upstream of inactive growth genes that become rapidly upregulated upon feeding. Beyond differences in function and expression, these two sets of genes have different core promoter motifs, suggesting alternative transcriptional machinery. Our work suggests that growth and stress genes are both regulated postrecruitment during starvation but at initiation and elongation, respectively, coordinating gene expression with nutrient availability.

Fluctuations in nutrient availability profoundly impact gene expression. Previous work revealed postrecruitment regulation of RNA polymerase II (Pol II) during starvation and recovery in Caenorhabditis elegans, suggesting that promoter-proximal pausing promotes rapid response to feeding. To test this hypothesis, we measured Pol II elongation genome wide by two complementary approaches and analyzed elongation in conjunction with Pol II binding and expression. We confirmed bona fide pausing during starvation and also discovered Pol II docking. Pausing occurs at active stress-response genes that become downregulated in response to feeding. In contrast, "docked" Pol II accumulates without initiating upstream of inactive growth genes that become rapidly upregulated upon feeding. Beyond differences in function and expression, these two sets of genes have different core promoter motifs, suggesting alternative transcriptional machinery. Our work suggests that growth and stress genes are both regulated postrecruitment during starvation but at initiation and elongation, respectively, coordinating gene expression with nutrient availability.

This was a presentation to the ALIA2013 held at the Brisbane Convention Centre on 12 February 2013. The audience were asked to vote on one of three main topics: 1. Encouraging open access (Complying with mandates, Advocacy for & issues with open access and Support for open access providers) 2. Open access on the world stage (International mandates, Compliance with mandates, Implications for Australian researchers, Implications for editors of Australian journals) 3. Open access in Australia (NHMRC mandate, ARC mandate, Institutional mandates and Compliance with mandates) The presentation included a wide ranging discussion and the summary is included witin the slides.

Here we analyze the essential process of X-chromosome dosage compensation (DC) to elucidate mechanisms that control the assembly, genome-wide binding, and function of gene regulatory complexes that act over large chromosomal territories. We demonstrate that a subunit of Caenorhabditis elegans MLL/COMPASS, a gene activation complex, acts within the DC complex (DCC), a condensin complex, to target the DCC to both X chromosomes of hermaphrodites for chromosome-wide reduction of gene expression. The DCC binds to two categories of sites on X: rex (recruitment element on X) sites that recruit the DCC in an autonomous, sequence-dependent manner, and dox (dependent on X) sites that reside primarily in promoters of expressed genes and bind the DCC robustly only when attached to X. We find that DC mutations that abolish rex site binding greatly reduce dox site binding but do not eliminate it. Instead, binding is diminished to the low level observed at autosomal sites in wild-type animals. Changes in DCC binding to these non-rex sites occur throughout development and correlate directly with transcriptional activity of adjacent genes. Moreover, autosomal DCC binding is enhanced by rex site binding in cis in X-autosome fusion chromosomes. Thus, dox and autosomal sites have similar binding potential but are distinguished by linkage to rex sites. We propose a model for DCC binding in which low-level DCC binding at dox sites is dictated by intrinsic properties correlated with high transcriptional activity. Sex-specific DCC recruitment to rex sites then enhances the magnitude of DCC binding to dox sites in cis, which lack high affinity for the DCC on their own. We also show that the DCC balances X-chromosome gene expression between sexes by controlling transcription.

Here we analyze the essential process of X-chromosome dosage compensation (DC) to elucidate mechanisms that control the assembly, genome-wide binding, and function of gene regulatory complexes that act over large chromosomal territories. We demonstrate that a subunit of Caenorhabditis elegans MLL/COMPASS, a gene activation complex, acts within the DC complex (DCC), a condensin complex, to target the DCC to both X chromosomes of hermaphrodites for chromosome-wide reduction of gene expression. The DCC binds to two categories of sites on X: rex (recruitment element on X) sites that recruit the DCC in an autonomous, sequence-dependent manner, and dox (dependent on X) sites that reside primarily in promoters of expressed genes and bind the DCC robustly only when attached to X. We find that DC mutations that abolish rex site binding greatly reduce dox site binding but do not eliminate it. Instead, binding is diminished to the low level observed at autosomal sites in wild-type animals. Changes in DCC binding to these non-rex sites occur throughout development and correlate directly with transcriptional activity of adjacent genes. Moreover, autosomal DCC binding is enhanced by rex site binding in cis in X-autosome fusion chromosomes. Thus, dox and autosomal sites have similar binding potential but are distinguished by linkage to rex sites. We propose a model for DCC binding in which low-level DCC binding at dox sites is dictated by intrinsic properties correlated with high transcriptional activity. Sex-specific DCC recruitment to rex sites then enhances the magnitude of DCC binding to dox sites in cis, which lack high affinity for the DCC on their own. We also show that the DCC balances X-chromosome gene expression between sexes by controlling transcription.

BACKGROUND: The importance of family health history data in health care is widely acknowledged. Few individuals report having collected this information from their own family. METHODS: This project implemented a community-based approach to design and pilot a linguistically and culturally appropriate family health history collection toolkit for two minority populations in Harrisburg, Pa. RESULTS: The toolkit relied on oral traditions and family stories as a way to successfully introduce genetics education and family health history to these populations. Participants not only found the tool engaging and culturally appropriate, they were also able to obtain information that they were likely to share with their physician. CONCLUSION: While limited in scope, this project provides a model to other communities for the design, pilot testing, and implementation of a community-based public health initiative regarding family health histories.

Phenomena associated with the cults of the saints--petitions for healings, the exchange of gifts or offerings, veneration and uses of relics, and narrating experiences of illness in the hope for cures--have persisted as part of human behavior for most of the history of Christianity, but contemporary accounts of these experiences have received less attention than historical accounts. Using participant observation, interviews, a survey of letters sent to the Shrine of St. John Neumann, and an analysis of printed materials produced by the Shrine, I present the narratives of illness, healing, and miracles told by the predominantly middle-class American clients of St. John Neumann (1811- 1860), canonized in 1977. These narratives are examined in light of the experience-centered theory of spiritual and supernatural events developed by David J. Hufford. Beliefs about spiritual healing are grounded in experience and are an important resource, in addition to conventional medical treatment, in cases of chronic or terminal illness. Symptoms of illness are read or interpreted by the sufferer as signs, and based on this knowledge people may choose to turn to alternative therapies or spiritual healing systems. Experiential descriptions of charismatic healing are compared to other narratives from clients who participate in the more traditional healing services offered daily at the St. John Neumann shrine. An analysis of genre conventions in the discipline of folklore and the relationship of established genres to these types of miracle narratives, usually classified as saints' legends, is offered. These narrative accounts, with their attention to details of the illnesses suffered, and with similar attention to details of encounters with or apparitions of St. John Neumann, should not be classified as legends, but are examined as testimonies of fundamental human experiences, that are important to expanding basic knowledge in the medical sciences.

Letter discussing the effect of Missouri ex rel. Gaines v. Canada for admission to the University of Tennessee's law school for African Americans.

Different metrics are useful for different purposes and at different times in the life cycle of a software development project. For example, project managers need measures to predict resources and schedules, to track costs and to locate potential problem areas. These needs differ from those of a customer or end user who would like some measure of the reliability of the system and proof of the thoroughness of the testing that has been done. Still different are the needs of a programmer who would benefit from feedback about the complexity of a just-compiled module. The problem of defining a unified set of metrics is not simple and straightforward. This paper will describe the software project selected, the data collection effort and the candidate metrics that are being considered.

This report describes the fourth in a series of experiments to evaluate the effects of the format of software documentation on programmer performance. The current experiment examined performance on a modification task. Thirty-six professional programmers were presented with documentation for each of three modular-sized programs. Nine different documentation formats were prepared for each program. These formats varied along two dimensions: type of symbology and spatial arrangement. The type of symbology included normal English, abbreviated English and program design language (PDL). The spatial arrangement included sequential (vertical flow), branching (flowchart), and hierarchical (tree-like). The participants were required to implement a modification to each program. These modifications required a minimum of three to five lines of additional code which the participants inserted using a text editor. The program output was checked automatically and a message informed the participants whether the output was correct or incorrect. The participants were asked to continue working until the modification was completed successfully. The difficulty of the task was measured by the time required to successfully complete the modification and by the number of errors which appeared in the first submission of the modified program. Unlike the previous experiments in this series, the type of symbology did not have a strong effect on performance time. However, the results reflected the trend that appeared in the previous experiments: the more succinct the symbology, the better the performance.

This report describes the third in a series of experiments to evaluate the effects of the format of software specifications on programmer performance. The current experiment examined performance on a debugging task. Thirty-six professional programmers were presented with specifications for each of three modular-sized programs. Nine different specification formats were prepared for each program. These formats varied along two dimensions: type of symbology and spatial arrangement. The type of symbology included natural language, constrained language (PDL), and ideograms (flowchart symbols). The spatial arrangement included sequential (vertical flow), branching (flowchart), and hierarchical (tree-like). The participants compared correct specifications to error-seeded program listings. Their task was to locate the several errors per program and to correct the errors using a text editor. The program output was checked automatically and a message informed the participants whether the output was correct or incorrect. The participants were asked to continue debugging until all errors had been located and corrected. The difficulty of the debugging task was measured by the time required to detect and correct the errors and by the number of submissions required for a correct run.

This report describes the second in a series of experiments to evaluate the effects of the format of software specifications on programmer performance. The current experiment examined performance on a coding task. Thirty-six professional programmers were presented with specifications for each of three modular-sized programs. Nine different specification formats were prepared for each program. These formats varied along two dimensions: type of symbology and spatial arrangement. The type of symbology included natural language, constrained language (PDL), and ideograms (flowchart symbols). The spatial arrangement included sequential (vertical flow), branching (flowchart), and hierarchical (tree-like). Working from the specifications, the participants constructed a section of code at the middle of each program. These sections contained about fifteen lines and included the most complex decision structures present in the programs. The participants were instructed to complete the code, using a text editor. When satisfied that the program would perform correctly, they submitted it for a compilation and run. If the compilation was unsuccessful or the program did not run correctly, the participants were asked to correct the errors and submit the run again.

Seventy-two participants were presented with specifications for each of three modular-sized computer programs. Nine different specification formats were prepared for each program. These formats varied along two dimensions: type of symbology and spatial arrangement. The type of symbology included natural language, constrained language (PDL), and ideograms (flowchart symbols). The spatial arrangement included sequential (vertical flow), branching (flowchart), and hierarchical (tree-like). The participants answered a series of comprehension questions on each program presented interactively on a CRT using only the program specifications. Three types of questions were presented. These included the forward-tracing of conditions to determine the next process to be executed, backward-tracing to determine the conditions which must be satisfied for a process to be executed, and tracing of variable values (input-output). Both forward- and backward-tracing questions were answered more quickly from specifications presented in constrained language or ideograms than in natural language. Forward-tracing questions were answered most quickly from a branching arrangement, and backward-tracing questions were answered more quickly from branching and hierarchical arrangements. Response times to the input-output questions did not vary significantly as a function of they type of symbology or the spatial arrangement. These results extend previous research on presentation formats by demonstrating the separate contributions of symbology and spatial arrangement to comprehension. (Author)

Data were collected over the development cycle of the PAVE PAWS software development project. This project was designed to be a technology demonstration of modern programming practices. The practices studied on this project included: (1) Top-down design and implementation, (2) Structured coding and precompilers, (3) Program support library, (4) Program design language and HIPO charts, (5) Chief programmer teams, (6) Structured walkthroughs, (7) Independent test and quality assurance groups. The data available for evaluating this project included personhours, trouble reports, compiler summaries, code progression and durability charts from the library, management summaries, and personnel profiles. It was concluded from these data and our previous study on the LSDB project that modern programming practices are not miraculous productivity aids. Rather, these practices represent sound management principles which make software development more manageable and the prediction of project outcomes more accurate. Recommendations are also made for methods of collecting software life cycle data in future studies.

Recent research in the area of program documentation has demonstrated a superiority for coding with a detailed design written in a Program Design language (PDL) over other formats such as flowcharts. Because PDL is more code-like than other formats, there is less translation required in mapping from the design to the code. If the amount of translation is a critical underlying factor, the optimal PDL for any given implementation will be one that is tailored toward the particular language being used. This experiment evaluated the effectiveness of using a PDL specifically designed to aid in coding the corresponding programming language. This was done by designing PDLs which reflected the syntax and features of particular programming languages and by examining the performance of programmers coding from these various PDLs in one of two implementation languages. The results showed that (a) it took longer to code programs in MACRO-11 than in FORTRAN, (b) the shortest time to code the programs occurred when the coding language of the PDL matched the actual coding language, and (c) the errors made in coding while the type of problem did. The data suggest that programmers produce code most quickly from a form of documentation that is closest to the code. This research suggests that providing detailed design information in terms of a language-specific PDL will lead to a shorter coding period than when a language-independent PDL is used.

The digitization of this collection was funded by a gift from EBSCO Industries.

The digitization of this collection was funded by a gift from EBSCO Industries.

The digitization of this collection was funded by a gift from EBSCO Industries.

The digitization of this collection was funded by a gift from EBSCO Industries.

The digitization of this collection was funded by a gift from EBSCO Industries.

The digitization of this collection was funded by a gift from EBSCO Industries.

The digitization of this collection was funded by a gift from EBSCO Industries.

The digitization of this collection was funded by a gift from EBSCO Industries.

The digitization of this collection was funded by a gift from EBSCO Industries.

The digitization of this collection was funded by a gift from EBSCO Industries.

The digitization of this collection was funded by a gift from EBSCO Industries.

The digitization of this collection was funded by a gift from EBSCO Industries.

The digitization of this collection was funded by a gift from EBSCO Industries.

The digitization of this collection was funded by a gift from EBSCO Industries.

This item is from the Woodward Family Papers, an extensive collection, including business and personal correspondence, financial records, photographs, and other materials of this Birmingham, Alabama family which operated the Woodward Iron Company.

This item is from the Woodward Family Papers, an extensive collection, including business and personal correspondence, financial records, photographs, and other materials of this Birmingham, Alabama family which operated the Woodward Iron Company.

This item is from the Woodward Family Papers, an extensive collection, including business and personal correspondence, financial records, photographs, and other materials of this Birmingham, Alabama family which operated the Woodward Iron Company.

The digitization of this collection was funded by a gift from EBSCO Industries.

The digitization of this collection was funded by a gift from EBSCO Industries.

The digitization of this collection was funded by a gift from EBSCO Industries.

The digitization of this collection was funded by a gift from EBSCO Industries.

The digitization of this collection was funded by a gift from EBSCO Industries.

The digitization of this collection was funded by a gift from EBSCO Industries.