The human XPG gene: gene architecture, alternative splicing and single nucleotide polymorphisms

Defects in the XPG DNA repair endonuclease gene can result in the cancer-prone disorders xeroderma pigmentosum (XP) or the XP–Cockayne syndrome complex. While the XPG cDNA sequence was known, determination of the genomic sequence was required to understand its different functions. In cells from normal donors, we found that the genomic sequence of the human XPG gene spans 30 kb, contains 15 exons that range from 61 to 1074 bp and 14 introns that range from 250 to 5763 bp. Analysis of the splice donor and acceptor sites using an information theory-based approach revealed three splice sites with low information content, which are components of the minor (U12) spliceosome. We identified six alternatively spliced XPG mRNA isoforms in cells from normal donors and from XPG patients: partial deletion of exon 8, partial retention of intron 8, two with alternative exons (in introns 1 and 6) and two that retained complete introns (introns 3 and 9). The amount of alternatively spliced XPG mRNA isoforms varied in different tissues. Most alternative splice donor and acceptor sites had a relatively high information content, but one has the U12 spliceosome sequence. A single nucleotide polymorphism has allele frequencies of 0.74 for 3507G and 0.26 for 3507C in 91 donors. The human XPG gene contains multiple splice sites with low information content in association with multiple alternatively spliced isoforms of XPG mRNA.

Health care, information needs, and outreach: reaching Ohio's rural citizens

As a rural state, Ohio has a vital interest in addressing rural health and information needs. NetWellness is a Web-based consumer health information service that focuses on the needs of the residents of Ohio. Health sciences faculty from the state's three Carnegie Research I universities—University of Cincinnati, Case Western Reserve University, and The Ohio State University—create and evaluate content and provide Ask an Expert service to all visitors. Through partnerships at the state and local levels, involving public, private, commercial, and noncommercial organizations, NetWellness has grown from a regional demonstration project in 1995 to a key statewide service. Collaboration with public libraries, complemented by alliances with kindergarten through twelfth grade agencies, makes NetWellness Ohio's essential health information resource.

Organismal duplication, inclusive fitness theory, and altruism: understanding the evolution of endosperm and the angiosperm reproductive syndrome.

For almost a century, events relating to the evolutionary origin of endosperm, a unique embryo-nourishing tissue that is essential to the reproductive process in flowering plants, have remained a mystery. Integration of recent advances in phylogenetic reconstruction, comparative reproductive biology, and genetic theory can be used to elucidate the evolutionary events and forces associated with the establishment of endosperm. Endosperm is shown to be derived from one of two embryos formed during a rudimentary process of "double fertilization" that evolved in the ancestors of angiosperms. Acquisition of embryo-nourishing behavior (with accompanying loss of individual fitness) by this supernumerary fertilization product was dependent upon compensatory gains in the inclusive fitness of related embryos. The result of the loss of individual fitness by one of the two original products of double fertilization was the establishment of endosperm, a highly modified embryo/organism that reproduces cryptically through behavior that enhances the fitness of its associated embryo within a seed. Finally, although triploid endosperm remains a synapomorphy of angiosperms, inclusive fitness analysis demonstrates that the embryo-nourishing properties of endosperm initially evolved in a diploid condition.

What We Are Learning About the Diverse Backgrounds of Academic Library Users: An Overview of Research Designs and Methods in Information Behaviour Studies

Academic libraries increasingly serve a more diverse population of users not only in regard to race and ethnicity, but also to age, gender, language, sexual orientation, and national and cultural backgrounds. This papers reports the findings of the study that explored information behaviour research as a potential source of information about diversity of academic library users and examined the relationship between the use of different research designs and data collection methods and the information gathered about users’ diverse backgrounds. The study found that information behaviour research offers limited insight into the diversity of academic library users. The choice of a research design was not critical but the use of multiple data collection played a role in gathering information about culturally diverse users.

Educating a New Cadre of Experts Specializing in Digital Collections and Digital Curation: Experiential Learning in Digital Library Curriculum

Integration of experiential learning into the library and information science (LIS) courses has been a theme in LIS education, but the topic deserves renewed attention with an increasing demand for professionals in the digital library field and in light of the new initiative announced by the Library of Congress (LC) and the Institution of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) for national residency program in digital curation. The balance between theory and practice in digital library curricula, the challenges of incorporating practical projects into LIS coursework, and the current practice of teaching with hands on activities represent the primary areas of this panel discussion.

Restaurant Health and Hygiene: A Model Program with Theory-Based Guidelines for Implementation

Poor hygienic practices and illness of restaurant employees are major contributors to the contamination of food and the occurrence of food-borne illness in the United States, costing the food industry and society billions of dollars each year. Risk factors associated with this problem include lack of proper handwashing; food handlers reporting to work sick; poor personal hygiene; and bare hand contact with ready-to-eat foods. However, traditional efforts to control these causes of food-borne illness by public health authorities have had limited impact, and have revealed the need for comprehensive and innovative programs that provide active managerial control over employee health and hygiene in restaurant establishments. Further, the introduction and eventual adoption by the food industry of such programs can be facilitated through the use of behavior-change theory. This Capstone Project develops a model program to assist restaurant owners and operators in exerting active control over health and hygiene in their establishments and provides theory-based recommendations for the introduction of the program to the food industry.

Acceptability of pandemic A(H1N1) influenza vaccination by Essential Community Workers in 2010 Alicante (Spain), perceived seriousness and sources of information

Objective. Describe acceptability of pandemic A(H1N1) influenza vaccination by Essential Community Workers (ECWs) from Alicante province (Spain) in January 2010. Evaluate the correlation with attitudes, beliefs, professional advice and information broadcasted by media. Method. In this cross-sectional study, face-to-face interviews were conducted with 742 ECWs to assess their attitudes towards vaccination against the pandemic influenza strain. A multivariable regression model was made to adjust the Odds Ratios (ORs). Results. Some ECWs reported having been vaccinated with seasonal vaccine, 21.5% (95%IC 18.6–24.9); only 15.4% (95%IC 12.8–18.4) with the pandemic one. ECWs vaccinated regularly against seasonal flu (OR 5.1; 95%IC 2.9–9.1), those who considered pandemic influenza as a severe or more serious disease than seasonal flu (OR 3.8; 95%IC 2.1–6.7) and those who never had doubts about vaccine safety (OR 3.7; 95%IC2.1–6.7) had a better acceptance of pandemic vaccine. Finally, 78.7% (95%IC 75.1–81.4) had doubts about pandemic vaccine's effectiveness. Conclusion. The vast amount of information provided by the media did not seem to be decisive to prevent doubts or to improve the acceptability of the vaccine in ECWs. Professional advice should be the focus of interest in future influenza vaccination campaigns. These results should be taken into account by health authorities.

Implementation Feasibility of a Digital Nervous System for the Construction Industry: For Efficient and Effective Information Management across the Project Lifecycle

The construction industry has long been considered as highly fragmented and non-collaborative industry. This fragmentation sprouted from complex and unstructured traditional coordination processes and information exchanges amongst all parties involved in a construction project. This nature coupled with risk and uncertainty has pushed clients and their supply chain to search for new ways of improving their business process to deliver better quality and high performing product. This research will closely investigate the need to implement a Digital Nervous System (DNS), analogous to a biological nervous system, on the flow and management of digital information across the project lifecycle. This will be through direct examination of the key processes and information produced in a construction project and how a DNS can provide a well-integrated flow of digital information throughout the project lifecycle. This research will also investigate how a DNS can create a tight digital feedback loop that enables the organisation to sense, react and adapt to changing project conditions. A Digital Nervous System is a digital infrastructure that provides a well-integrated flow of digital information to the right part of the organisation at the right time. It provides the organisation with the relevant and up-to-date information it needs, for critical project issues, to aid in near real-time decision-making. Previous literature review and survey questionnaires were used in this research to collect and analyse data about information management problems of the industry – e.g. disruption and discontinuity of digital information flow due to interoperability issues, disintegration/fragmentation of the adopted digital solutions and paper-based transactions. Results analysis revealed efficient and effective information management requires the creation and implementation of a DNS.

The utilitarian and hedonic outcomes of music information seeking in everyday life

This qualitative study focuses on what contributes to making a music information-seeking experience satisfying in the context of everyday life. Data were collected through in-depth interviews conducted with 15 younger adults (18 to 29 years old). The analysis revealed that satisfaction could depend on both hedonic (i.e., experiencing pleasure) and utilitarian outcomes. It was found that two types of utilitarian outcomes contributed to satisfaction: (1) the acquisition of music, and (2) the acquisition of information about music. Information about music was gathered to (1) enrich the listening experience, (2) increase one's music knowledge, and/or (3) optimize future acquisition. This study contributes to a better understanding of music information-seeking behavior in recreational contexts. It also has implications for music information retrieval systems design: results suggest that these systems should be engaging, include a wealth of extra-musical information, allow users to navigate among music items, and encourage serendipitous encountering of music.

The utilitarian and hedonic outcomes of music information seeking in everyday life

This qualitative study focuses on what contributes to making a music information-seeking experience satisfying in the context of everyday life. Data were collected through in-depth interviews conducted with 15 younger adults (18 to 29 years old). The analysis revealed that satisfaction could depend on both hedonic (i.e., experiencing pleasure) and utilitarian outcomes. It was found that two types of utilitarian outcomes contributed to satisfaction: (1) the acquisition of music, and (2) the acquisition of information about music. Information about music was gathered to (1) enrich the listening experience, (2) increase one's music knowledge, and/or (3) optimize future acquisition. This study contributes to a better understanding of music information-seeking behavior in recreational contexts. It also has implications for music information retrieval systems design: results suggest that these systems should be engaging, include a wealth of extra-musical information, allow users to navigate among music items, and encourage serendipitous encountering of music.

Managers and missionaries : library services to children and young adults in the information age /

"Papers presented at the Allerton Park Institute, sponsored by University of Illinois, Graduate School of Library and Information Science, cosponsored by the Youth Divisions of the American Library Association: American Association of School Librarians (AASL), Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC), Young Adult Services Division (YASD); held November 14-16, 1986, Chancellor Hotel & Conference Center ... Champaign, Illinois."

Principles of knowledge representation and reasoning : proceedings of the fourth international conference (KR'94), Bonn, Germany, May 24-27, 1994 /

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Principles of knowledge representation and reasoning : proceedings of the Seventh International Conference (KR2000), Breckenridge, Colorado, April 12-15 2000 /

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Error detection and correction in binary parallel digital computers /

"Retyped October, 1964"

Problems in information transmission.

Photocopy.