A library-based bioinformatics services program

Support for molecular biology researchers has been limited to traditional library resources and services in most academic health sciences libraries. The University of Washington Health Sciences Libraries have been providing specialized services to this user community since 1995. The library recruited a Ph.D. biologist to assess the molecular biological information needs of researchers and design strategies to enhance library resources and services. A survey of laboratory research groups identified areas of greatest need and led to the development of a three-pronged program: consultation, education, and resource development. Outcomes of this program include bioinformatics consultation services, library-based and graduate level courses, networking of sequence analysis tools, and a biological research Web site. Bioinformatics clients are drawn from diverse departments and include clinical researchers in need of tools that are not readily available outside of basic sciences laboratories. Evaluation and usage statistics indicate that researchers, regardless of departmental affiliation or position, require support to access molecular biology and genetics resources. Centralizing such services in the library is a natural synergy of interests and enhances the provision of traditional library resources. Successful implementation of a library-based bioinformatics program requires both subject-specific and library and information technology expertise.     

The redemption of thalidomide: standardizing the risk of birth defects

In this paper we examine how a standardized drug distribution system contributed to a therapeutic and symbolic make-over of thalidomide. In the 1960s, thalidomide was seen as a horror drug that caused severe birth defects among over 10,000 babies who were exposed to it in utero. Currently, thalidomide is viewed as a potentially life-saving drug which is being distributed in the USA. We discuss this transformation from a social worlds perspective, showing how the standardized drug distribution system normalized the risk of foetal birth defects, while preserving the autonomy of health care professionals. The distribution system accomplished this transformation by focusing on the risk associated with female reproductive behavior, and by providing close reproductive surveillance of female patients. This standardized system solidified social inequalities and professional power relationships, revealing assumptions about trust, responsibility and risk.     

婴幼儿的符号意识

在学习一种事物可以指代另一种事物的过程中，幼儿常常将真实的事物与它的符号相混淆，这些错误表明，开始用符号思维是多么的困难。     

The emergence of toxicogenomics: a case study of molecularization

This paper described the efforts of scientists at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) and their allies in the National Toxicology Program to molecularize toxicology by fostering the emergence of a new discipline: toxicogenomics. I demonstrate that the molecularization of toxicology at the NIEHS began in a process of 'co-construction'. However, the subsequent emergence of the discipline of toxicogenomics has required the deliberate development of communication across the myriad disciplines necessary to produce toxicogenomic knowledge; articulation of emergent forms, standards, and practices with extant ones; management of the tensions generated by grounding toxicogenomics in traditional toxicological standards and work practices even it transforms those standards and practices; and identification and stabilization of roles for toxicogenomic knowledge in markets and service sites, such as environmental health risk assessment and regulation. This paper describes the technological, institutional, and inter-sectoral strategies that scientists have pursued in order to meet these challenges. In so doing, this analysis offers a vista into both the means and meanings of molecularization.     

Effects of bottom-up and top-down intervention principles in emergent literacy in children at risk of developmental dyslexia: a longitudinal study

This longitudinal study focused on the effects of two different principles of intervention in children at risk of developing dyslexia from 5 to 8 years old. The children were selected on the basis of a background questionnaire given to parents and preschool teachers, with cognitive and functional magnetic resonance imaging results substantiating group differences in neuropsychological processes associated with phonology, orthography, and phoneme-grapheme correspondence (i.e., alphabetic principle). The two principles of intervention were bottom-up (BU), "from sound to meaning", and top-down (TD), "from meaning to sound." Thus, four subgroups were established: risk/BU, risk/TD, control/BU, and control/TD. Computer-based training took place for 2 months every spring, and cognitive assessments were performed each fall of the project period. Measures of preliteracy skills for reading and spelling were phonological awareness, working memory, verbal learning, and letter knowledge. Literacy skills were assessed by word reading and spelling. At project end the control group scored significantly above age norm, whereas the risk group scored within the norm. In the at-risk group, training based on the BU principle had the strongest effects on phonological awareness and working memory scores, whereas training based on the TD principle had the strongest effects on verbal learning, letter knowledge, and literacy scores. It was concluded that appropriate, specific, data-based intervention starting in preschool can mitigate literacy impairment and that interventions should contain BU training for preliteracy skills and TD training for literacy training.     

Effects of three interventions on the reading skills of children with reading disabilities in grade 2

In a longitudinal intervention study, the effects of three intervention strategies on the reading skills of children with reading disabilities in Grade 2 were analyzed. The interventions consisted of computerized training programs: One bottom-up intervention aimed at improving word decoding skills and phonological abilities, the second intervention focused on top-down processing on the word and sentence levels, and the third was a combination of these two training programs (n = 25 in each group). In addition, there were two comparison groups, 25 children with reading disabilities who received ordinary special instruction and 30 age-matched typical readers. All reading disabled participants completed 25 training sessions with special education teachers. All groups improved their reading skills. The group who received combined training showed higher improvements than the ordinary special instruction group and the typical readers. Different cognitive variables were related to treatment gains for different groups. Thus, a treatment combining bottom-up and top-down aspects of reading was the most effective in general, but individual differences among children need to be considered.     

Targeting Interventions: Moderators of the Effects of Expressive Writing and Assertiveness Training on the Adjustment of International University Students

Acculturative stress is a common experience for international students and is associated with psychological and physical problems. In a previous study (Tavakoli et al. Journal of Counseling Psychology 56:590-596, 2009), the authors reported that two stress reduction interventions—expressive writing (EW) and assertiveness training (AT)—had limited overall benefits among international students at an American University. The current analyses of data from that study investigated whether individual differences moderated the effects of EW and AT. Results indicate that greater acculturative stress at baseline predicted greater improvement from both interventions. Additionally, women benefited more from AT than EW, except that EW improved women’s physical symptoms. Men benefited more from EW than AT. Students with limited emotional awareness and expression tended to benefit from both interventions. Finally, nation of origin cultural differences generally did not predict outcomes. It is concluded that the benefits of EW and AT can be enhanced by targeting these interventions to specific subgroups of international students.