Preference versus performance: Investigating the dissociation between objective measures and subjective ratings of usability for schematic metro maps and intuitive theories of design, Journal of Human Computer Studies, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016Studies, http://dx.doi.org/10. /j.ijhcs.2016 This is a PDF file of an unedited manuscript that has been accepted for publication. As a service to our customers we are providing this early version of the manuscript. The manuscript will undergo copyediting, typesetting, and review of the resulting galley proof before it is published in its final citable form. Please note that during the production process errors may be discovered which could affect the content, and all legal disclaimers that apply to the journal pertain. ABSTRACTThree experiments are reported in which objective measures and subjective ratings of schematic metro map usability were investigated. Experiment 1 used a within-subjects design to compare octolinear and curvilinear Paris Metro maps. This replicated and extended Roberts et al. (2013); the curvilinear map was associated with faster journey planning times, and yet preference between the two was unrelated to this measure. In Experiment 2, nine matched versions of the London Underground map were rated for usability and attractiveness, and a clear octolinear bias was displayed. It was also possible to identify individuals who held a simplicity theory of effective design, versus an octolinearity theory. Experiment 3 investigated the relationship between usability ratings and journey planning times for three Berlin network maps, all optimized for simplicity of line trajectories. No differences in times were found, and yet usability ratings after experience at using the maps differed significantly, in line with the findings for the London designs in Experiment 2. Overall, the dissociation between objective measures of performance and subjective ratings of usability is robust, and appears to reflect expectations and prejudices concerning effective design. The octolinearity as a gold standard conjecture for achieving optimum usability continues to be refuted.

Background: A turbulent financial and political climate requires health libraries to be more accountable than ever. Quality improvement systems are widely considered a 'good thing to do', but do they produce useful outcomes that can demonstrate value? Objectives: To undertake a systematic review to identify which aspects of health libraries are being measured for quality, what tools are being used and what outcomes are reported following utilisation of quality improvement systems. Results: Many health libraries utilise quality improvement systems without translating the data into service improvements. Included studies demonstrate that quality improvement systems produce valuable outcomes including a positive impact on strategic planning, promotion, new and improved services and staff development. No impact of quality improvement systems on library users or patients is reported in the literature. Conclusions: The literature in this area is sparse and requires updating. We recommend further primary research is conducted in health libraries focusing upon the outcomes of utilising quality improvement systems. An exploration of quality improvement systems in other library sectors may also provide valuable insight for health libraries.

A new "push/pull" model has been developed to explain synergistic effects observed in a system in which a chiral stationary phase (CSP) is used in combination with its homologous chiral mobile phase additive (CMPA). The model predicts the beneficial CMPA enantiomer and the counterproductive CMPA enantiomer a priori. Thus, an (R)-CSP will obtain positive synergism from a homologous (S)-CMPA and negative synergism from a homologous (R)-CMPA. The reverse is true for an (S)-CSP. The importance of structural homology between the CSP and the CMPA is demonstrated. Furthermore, the analysis time is decreased relative to the use of a CSP alone, because the retention time of the analyte peaks decreases when the CMPAs are used. KEY WORDS: enantiomer, racemates, separations, chiral homology, synergism, push/pull model The separation of enantiomers is of growing concern to modem chemists. Enantiomers of racemic drugs and agricultural chemicals, for example, usually exhibit different degrees of activity and toxicity in biological systems. These differences can be determined once the enantiomers have been isolated on a preparative scale. Analytical enantiomeric separations are also important for applications such as determining the enantiomeric excess of chiral mixtures.Chiral separations are one of the most challenging types of purifications. This is due to the extreme similarity of the two mirror image components in the racemic mixture. Liquid chromatographic chiral separations typically involve the employment of either a chiral stationary phase (CSP) or a chiral mobile phase additive (CMPA).'s2 However, it is possible to improve chiral separations by combining the two techniques in such a way as to produce positive synergistic effects. (Note: Although the combination of CSP and CMPA may have produced results which are not "greater than additive" according to the dictionary definition of "synergism," the term is used here to describe the cooperative interactions, both positive and negative.) Chiral separations have been improved by using a structurally unrelated (D)-(+)-camphorsulphonic acid CMPA with a P-cyclodextrin CSP. However, improvements in the separation, compared to the use of the CSP without the CMPA, could not have been predicted, and the mechanism is not readily decipherable. Pettersson and Gioeli4 used quinine as CMPA to improve separation of naproxen on a diastereomeric-like acetylquinidine CSP. The elution order was reversed and separation decreased when quinidme was used as CMPA. The fact that the elution order was not readily predictable in this system may have been because a true enantiomer CSPICMPA combination was not used, and/or because the double bond of the quinidine was reduced in an intermedi-0 1993 Wiley-Liss, Inc.ate step of the CSP bonding reaction. Fujita et a1.6 have used structurally similar CSPs and CMPAs, but with the CSP functionality altered by immobilization of the chiral discriminator on to the solid support. Specifically, Sephadex cation exchanger was esterified with D-tartrate, f...

Background The BioDriveAFS trial aims to investigate whether a biomarker-based antifungal stewardship strategy is superior to a prophylactic antifungal strategy, including existing standard of care, in reducing antifungal therapy use in patients with acute leukaemia, without impacting health-related quality of life at 12 months. The trial will be commencing in the UK in 2022 and aims to recruit 500 patients across 40 sites. We hypothesized that a biomarker-led monitoring approach would be non-inferior to the standard of care approach utilizing antifungal prophylaxis. Patients and methods Patients diagnosed with acute leukaemia who are planned to have intensive chemotherapy will be randomly allocated to one of two arms. The biomarker arm will consist of twice-weekly galactomannan and β-d-glucan until the end of intensive chemotherapy; positive biomarker results, neutropenic fever non-responsive to broad-spectrum antibacterials, or clinical suspicion will lead to investigation for potential invasive fungal infection as per international guidelines. Patients with proven or probable invasive fungal infection (IFI), as per the consensus definitions, will receive therapeutic antifungals, whereas those with possible or no IFI will have antifungals withheld. The control arm consists of local standard-of-care antifungal prophylaxis, including mould-active, without regular biomarker monitoring. Results Primary outcome measures are exposure to therapeutic antifungal therapy and patient quality of life at 12 months versus baseline. Secondary outcome measures include total antifungal exposure, adverse events and complications, proven and probable IFI and treatment outcome, overall survival, all-cause mortality and IFI-related mortality. Resource use to determine cost-effectiveness and antifungal resistance in fungi will also be measured. Funding The trial is funded by the National Institute for Health Research Health Technological Assessment Programme (NIHR132674) and supported by BSAC.

Most modern academic libraries have physical and virtual spaces—and patrons. Physical users can be hard to miss, but virtual users often leave only traces behind. It’s all too easy, and misleading, to assess library use based on bodies in chairs. While online resources provide statistics documenting use, these numbers may seem unreal to administrators and funding agencies. Western New Mexico University’s Miller Library designed an art installation, “A Year of Virtual Research,” as a large-scale physical data visualization project to make virtual library use more present and real to the university community.