Application of genomics, proteomics and metabolomics in drug discovery, development and clinic

Genomics, proteomics and metabolomics are three areas that are routinely applied throughout the drug-development process as well as after a product enters the market. This review discusses all three 'omics, reporting on the key applications, techniques, recent advances and expectations of each. Genomics, mainly through the use of novel and next-generation sequencing techniques, has advanced areas of drug discovery and development through the comparative assessment of normal and diseased-state tissues, transcription and/or expression profiling, side-effect profiling, pharmacogenomics and the identification of biomarkers. Proteomics, through techniques including isotope coded affinity tags, stable isotopic labeling by amino acids in cell culture, isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantification, multidirectional protein identification technology, activity-based probes, protein/peptide arrays, phage displays and two-hybrid systems is utilized in multiple areas through the drug development pipeline including target and lead identification, compound optimization, throughout the clinical trials process and after market analysis. Metabolomics, although the most recent and least developed of the three 'omics considered in this review, provides a significant contribution to drug development through systems biology approaches. Already implemented to some degree in the drug-discovery industry and used in applications spanning target identification through to toxicological analysis, metabolic network understanding is essential in generating future discoveries.

Selecting the 'invisible' user interface development tool

Developers of interactive software are confronted by an increasing variety of software tools to help engineer the interactive aspects of software applications. Typically resorting to ad hoc means of tool selection, developers are often dissatisfied with their chosen tool on account of the fact that the tool lacks required functionality or does not fit seamlessly within the context in which it is to be used. This paper describes a system for evaluating the suitability of user interface development tools for use in software development organisations and projects such that the selected tool appears ‘invisible’ within its anticipated context of use. The paper also outlines and presents the results of an informal empirical study and a series of observational case studies of the system.

Agile Case Study Evaluation In Middle Size Project

In the last few years Agile methodologies appeared as a reaction to traditional ways of developing software and acknowledge the need for an alternative to documentation driven, heavyweight software development processes. This paper shortly presents a combination between Rational Uni ed Process and an agile approach for software development of e-business applications. The resulting approach is described stressing on the strong aspects of both combined methodologies. The article provides a case study of the proposed methodology which was developed and executed in a successful e-project in the area of the embedded systems.

The Use of Situation Representation when Searching for Solutions in Computer Aided Design Systems

Projects solutions reuse methodology is offered for software development. The main idea consists in connection of the system objective with the situation using the entities which describe the condition of the system in the process of the objective statement. Every situation is associated with one or several design solutions, which can be used at the development. Based on this connection the situation representing language has been created, it lets to express a problem situation using a natural language describe. The similarity measure has been built to compare situations, it is based on the similarity coefficients with adding the absent part weight.

Quality Assurance in Extreme Programming

Our previous research about possible quality improvements in Extreme Programming (XP) led us to a conclusion that XP supports many good engineering practices but there is still place for refinements. Our proposal was to add dedicated Quality Assurance (QA) measures, which should be sufficiently effective and at the same time simpler enough in the context of XP. This paper intends to analyze the possibilities for an effective way for applying approved quality assurance practices to XP. The last should not affect negatively to the process and in the meantime must lead to better quality assurance. We aim to make changes to XP that even if would slow down a bit the development process, will make it more suitable for widest range of projects including large and very large projects as well as life critical and highly reliable systems.

Semantically Enhanced Software Documentation Processes

High-quality software documentation is a substantial issue for understanding software systems. Shorter time-to-market software cycles increase the importance of automatism for keeping the documentation up to date. In this paper, we describe the automatic support of the software documentation process using semantic technologies. We introduce a software documentation ontology as an underlying knowledge base. The defined ontology is populated automatically by analysing source code, software documentation and code execution. Through selected results we demonstrate that the use of such semantic systems can support software documentation processes efficiently.

Integrating service user and practitioner expertise within a web-based system for collaborative mental-health risk and safety management

Objectives: To develop a decision support system (DSS), myGRaCE, that integrates service user (SU) and practitioner expertise about mental health and associated risks of suicide, self-harm, harm to others, self-neglect, and vulnerability. The intention is to help SUs assess and manage their own mental health collaboratively with practitioners. Methods: An iterative process involving interviews, focus groups, and agile software development with 115 SUs, to elicit and implement myGRaCE requirements. Results: Findings highlight shared understanding of mental health risk between SUs and practitioners that can be integrated within a single model. However, important differences were revealed in SUs' preferred process of assessing risks and safety, which are reflected in the distinctive interface, navigation, tool functionality and language developed for myGRaCE. A challenge was how to provide flexible access without overwhelming and confusing users. Conclusion: The methods show that practitioner expertise can be reformulated in a format that simultaneously captures SU expertise, to provide a tool highly valued by SUs. A stepped process adds necessary structure to the assessment, each step with its own feedback and guidance. Practice Implications: The GRiST web-based DSS (www.egrist.org) links and integrates myGRaCE self-assessments with GRiST practitioner assessments for supporting collaborative and self-managed healthcare.

Majestic Gamification:a case study in the adoption of a service innovation

Purpose: A case study is presented concerning a gamified awards system designed to encourage software users to explore a suite of tools, and to share their expertise level in profile pages. Majestic is a high-tech business based in the West Midlands (UK) w hich offers a Link Intelligence database using a Software as a Service (SaaS) business model. Customers leverage the database for tasks including Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) by using a suite of web-based tools. Getting to know all the tools and how they can be deployed to good effect represents a considerable learning challenge, and Majestic were aware that. Design/methodology/approach: We present the development of Majestic Awards as a case study highlighting the most important design decisions. Then we reflect on the development process as an example of innovation adoption, thereby identifying resources and cu ltura l factors which were critical in ensuring the success of the project. Findings: The gamified awards system makes learning the tools an enjoyable, explorative experience. Success factors included identifying a clear business goal, the process/ project f it, senior management buy in, and identifying the knowledge and resources to resolve t echnical issues. Originality/value: Prior to gamification of the system, only the most expert users regu larly utilized all the tools. The user base is now more knowl edgable about the system and some users choose to use the system to publicize their expertise.

Integrating ERP and enterprise social software

Purpose: This study explores the use of a hybrid ERP system, combining an ERP system with enterprise social software (ESS). The study will provide a critical assessment of the implementation of this process technology. Design/methodology/approach: Multiple case studies of organisations based in China were conducted to understand the use of ERP systems in different contexts. Following an evaluation of the context of each ERP implementation (within-case analysis) the research draws a cross-case conclusion that defines the nature of a hybrid ERP system and then synthesises the propositions related to the benefits and challenges of implementation. Findings We find that a hybrid ERP system is able to support efficiency in business process management and also provide a flexible response to changes in business requirements. It does this by allowing for the continued use of informal processes that cannot be incorporated into the ERP system. Practical implications: This research indicates how ERP systems in conjunction with ESS can provide a flexible response to changing business requirements and increase collaboration within the organisation. Key lessons include the need to perform informal activities under the guidance of managers and provide clear boundaries for the implementation of informal activities. Originality/Value: This study has found that the use of case studies can provide a valuable insight into the use of a hybrid ERP system from the perspective of its use within the organisation as a work system that requires an assessment of the context within which organisational members perform their work

Facing a paradigm shift in professional credentialing: Preparedness of registered dietitians for Professional Development 2001

In the year 2001, the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR) will begin a new process of recertifying Registered Dietitians (RD) using a self-directed lifelong learning portfolio model. The model, entitled Professional Development 2001 (PD 2001), is designed to increase competency through targeted learning. This portfolio consists of five steps: reflection, learning needs assessment, formulation of a learning plan, maintenance of a learning log, and evaluation of the learning plan. By targeting learning, PD 2001 is predicted to foster more up-to-date practitioners than the current method that requires only a quantity of continuing education hours. This is the first major change in the credentialing system since 1975. The success or failure of the new system will impact the future of approximately 60,000 practitioners. The purpose of this study was to determine the readiness of RDs to change to the new system. Since the model is dependent on setting goals and developing learning plans, this study examined the methods dietitians use to determine their five-year goals and direction in practice. It also determined RD's attitudes towards PD 2001 and identified some of the factors that influenced their beliefs. A dual methodological design using focus groups and questionnaires was utilized. Sixteen focus groups were held during state dietetic association meetings. Demographic data was collected on the 132 registered dietitians who participated in the focus groups using a self-administered questionnaire. The audiotaped sessions were transcribed into 643 pages of text and analyzed using Non-numerical Unstructured Data - Indexing Searching and Theorizing (NUD*IST version 4). Thirty-four of the 132 participants (26%) had formal five-year goals. Fifty-four participants (41%) performed annual self-assessments. In general, dietitians did not currently have professional goals nor conduct self-assessments and they claimed they did not have the skills or confidence to perform these tasks. Major barriers to successful implementation of PD 2001 are uncertainty, misinterpretation, and misinformation about the process and purpose, which in turn contribute to negative impressions. Renewed vigor to provide a positive, accurate message along with presenting goal-setting strategies will be necessary for better acceptance of this professional development process. ^

A case study: Perceptions of the induction process of intern principals in Broward County Public Schools

The case study is a qualitative study of the perceptions of a purposeful sample of intern principal participants in Broward County Public School's 2001-2003 principal leadership induction program through survey, interview and document analysis of their experiences concerning their success or failure in achieving the position of principal. The study focused on constructs of professional and organizational socialization and instructional leadership that research suggests are vital and integrated components of the effective development of aspiring instructional leaders. ^ The findings revealed that purposeful mentoring, a variety of site placement, hands on practical experiences, in addition to the quality of experience measured by the number of years prior experience are positively reported to affect the degrees of success perceived by intern principals. The study validated the interrelatedness of the three constructs professional and organizational socialization and instructional leadership as components that are realized in the development process through formal and informal characteristics of socialization. The data gathered would be of benefit to principal leadership program designers to assist in their understanding of participants' successes and failures that influence individual needs based on their experience as perceived by this group. ^ Implications for further study are the need for better understanding of leadership development, continued reinforcement of best practices such as mentoring, site shadowing and coaching, clarification of the administrator's role, data analysis, curriculum implementation and student achievement. Organizations need to implement a common set of expectations, reasoning, attitudes, and understanding of purpose that guide behaviors. Recommendations are to design leadership induction programs to meet individual strengths and weaknesses not a one-size-fits-all program including a constructive and prescriptive two-way feedback system, select and assign mentors based on their expertise and candidate needs, varied site placements, develop skills to build collaborative relationships, and a standards based monitoring and assessment system to document program mastery and completion. ^

Sustainable rural development through alternative economic networks: Redefining relations in the commodity chain for export vegetables in western Guatemala

The current research considers the capacity of a local organic food system for producer and consumer empowerment and sustainable development outcomes in western Guatemala. Many have argued that the forging of local agricultural networks linking farmers, consumers, and supporting institutions is an effective tool for challenging the negative economic, environmental, and sociopolitical impacts associated with industrial models of global food production. But does this work in the context of agrarian development in the developing world? Despite the fact that there is extensive literature concerning local food system formation in the global north, there remains a paucity of research covering how the principles of local food systems are being integrated into agricultural development projects in developing countries. My work critically examines claims to agricultural sustainability and actor empowerment in a local organic food system built around non-traditional agricultural crops in western Guatemala. Employing a mixed methods research design involving twenty months of participant observation, in-depth interviewing, surveying, and a self-administered questionnaire, the project evaluates the sustainability of this NGO-led development initiative and local food movement along several dimensions. Focusing on the unique economic and social networks of actors and institutions at each stage of the commodity chain, this research shows how the growth of an alternative food system continues to be shaped by context specific processes, politics, and structures of conventional food systems. Further, it shows how the specifics of context also produce new relationships of cooperation and power in the development process. Results indicate that structures surrounding agrarian development in the Guatemalan context give rise to a hybrid form of development that at the same time contests and reinforces conventional models of food production and consumption. Therefore, participation entails a host of compromises and tradeoffs that result in mixed successes and setbacks, as actors attempt to refashion conventional commodity chains through local food system formation.^

Adaptive software fault prediction approach using object-oriented metrics

As users continually request additional functionality, software systems will continue to grow in their complexity, as well as in their susceptibility to failures. Particularly for sensitive systems requiring higher levels of reliability, faulty system modules may increase development and maintenance cost. Hence, identifying them early would support the development of reliable systems through improved scheduling and quality control. Research effort to predict software modules likely to contain faults, as a consequence, has been substantial. Although a wide range of fault prediction models have been proposed, we remain far from having reliable tools that can be widely applied to real industrial systems. For projects with known fault histories, numerous research studies show that statistical models can provide reasonable estimates at predicting faulty modules using software metrics. However, as context-specific metrics differ from project to project, the task of predicting across projects is difficult to achieve. Prediction models obtained from one project experience are ineffective in their ability to predict fault-prone modules when applied to other projects. Hence, taking full benefit of the existing work in software development community has been substantially limited. As a step towards solving this problem, in this dissertation we propose a fault prediction approach that exploits existing prediction models, adapting them to improve their ability to predict faulty system modules across different software projects.

Developing a process to create and validate an instrument assessing student attainment of competencies at an intercultural university in Mexico

This study took place at one of the intercultural universities (IUs) of Mexico that serve primarily indigenous students. The IUs are pioneers in higher education despite their numerous challenges (Bertely, 1998; Dietz, 2008; Pineda & Landorf, 2010; Schmelkes, 2009). To overcome educational inequalities among their students (Ahuja, Berumen, Casillas, Crispín, Delgado et al., 2004; Schmelkes, 2009), the IUs have embraced performance-based assessment (PBA; Casillas & Santini, 2006). PBA allows a shared model of power and control related to learning and evaluation (Anderson, 1998). While conducting a review on PBA strategies of the IUs, the researcher did not find a PBA instrument with valid and reliable estimates. The purpose of this study was to develop a process to create a PBA instrument, an analytic general rubric, with acceptable validity and reliability estimates to assess students' attainment of competencies in one of the IU's majors, Intercultural Development Management. The Human Capabilities Approach (HCA) was the theoretical framework and a sequential mixed method (Creswell, 2003; Teddlie & Tashakkori, 2009) was the research design. IU participants created a rubric during two focus groups, and seven Spanish-speaking professors in Mexico and the US piloted using students' research projects. The evidence that demonstrates the attainment of competencies at the IU is a complex set of actual, potential and/or desired performances or achievements, also conceptualized as "functional capabilities" (FCs; Walker, 2008), that can be used to develop a rubric. Results indicate that the rubric's validity and reliability estimates reached acceptable estimates of 80% agreement, surpassing minimum requirements (Newman, Newman, & Newman, 2011). Implications for practice involve the use of PBA within a formative assessment framework, and dynamic inclusion of constituencies. Recommendations for further research include introducing this study's instrument-development process to other IUs, conducting parallel mixed design studies exploring the intersection between HCA and assessment, and conducting a case study exploring assessment in intercultural settings. Education articulated through the HCA empowers students (Unterhalter & Brighouse, 2007; Walker, 2008). This study aimed to contribute to the quality of student learning assessment at the IUs by providing a participatory process to develop a PBA instrument.

Women-led community development organizations (CDOs) in Miami-Dade County: A model of community development efforts impacting the economic security of women

Recent studies on the economic status of women in Miami-Dade County (MDC) reveal an alarming rate of economic insecurity and significant obstacles for women to achieve economic security. Consistent barriers to women's economic security affect not only the health and wellbeing of women and their families, but also economic prospects for the community. A key study reveals in Miami-Dade County, "Thirty-nine percent of single female-headed families with at least one child are living at or below the federal poverty level" and "over half of working women do not earn adequate income to cover their basic necessities" (Brion 2009, 1). Moreover, conventional measures of poverty do not adequately capture women's struggles to support themselves and their families, nor do they document the numbers of women seeking basic self-sufficiency. Even though there is lack of accurate data on women in the county, which is a critical problem, there is also a dearth of social science research on existing efforts to enhance women's economic security in Miami-Dade County. My research contributes to closing the information gap by examining the characteristics and strategies of women-led community development organizations (CDOs) in MDC, working to address women's economic insecurity. The research is informed by a framework developed by Marilyn Gittell, who pioneered an approach to study women-led CDOs in the United States. On the basis of research in nine U.S. cities, she concluded that women-led groups increased community participation and "by creating community networks and civic action, they represent a model for community development efforts" (Gittell, et al. 2000, 123). My study documents the strategies and networks of women-led CDOs in MDC that prioritize women's economic security. Their strategies are especially important during these times of economic recession and government reductions in funding towards social services. The focus of the research is women-led CDOs that work to improve social services access, economic opportunity, civic participation and capacity, and women's rights. Although many women-led CDOs prioritize building social infrastructures that promote change, inequalities in economic and political status for women without economic security remain a challenge (Young 2004). My research supports previous studies by Gittell, et al., finding that women-led CDOs in Miami-Dade County have key characteristics of a model of community development efforts that use networking and collaboration to strengthen their broad, integrated approach. The resulting community partnerships, coupled with participation by constituents in the development process, build a foundation to influence policy decisions for social change. In addition, my findings show that women-led CDOs in Miami-Dade County have a major focus on alleviating poverty and economic insecurity, particularly that of women. Finally, it was found that a majority of the five organizations network transnationally, using lessons learned to inform their work of expanding the agency of their constituents and placing the economic empowerment of women as central in the process of family and community development.