Documentary video of 200 years of medicine in NEJM

Posted on May 15, 2012 by Crerar Science

Screenshot of video frameGetting Better: 200 Years of Medicine
http://nejm200.nejm.org/explore/medical-documentary-video/

The New England Journal of Medicine presents this 45-minute documentary exploring three stories that demonstrate the changes that have taken place in medicine in the last 200 years.  The three stories, “From Rough to Refined:  The Rise of Surgery (Part 1 of 3),” “Targeting Cancer: The Story of Leukemia (Part 2 of 3),” and “The Plague of Our Time: HIV/AIDS Epidemic (Part 3 of 3)” use research reported in NEJM to show the development of knowledge in modern medicine.

Royal Society of Chemistry Roadshow on campus April 26

Posted on April 24, 2012 by Crerar Science

Logo for RSC roadshow events

Faculty, students and research staff are invited join me and  the Royal Society of Chemistry this Thursday, April 26 for a Library hosted RSC Roadshow event.    Join us at the John Crerar Library for one or more events listed below.  No need to register, please just drop in. 

University of Chicago RSC Roadshow schedule
Thursday, April 26, 2012
John Crerar Library

 

10-11:30 am  Kathleen A. Zar Room, 1st Floor Crerar Library

Morning coffee/tea mixer featuring a ChemSpider webinar
Come and learn more about ChemSpider, a free chemical structure database providing fast text and structure search access to over 26 million structures from hundreds of data sources. 

 

12:00-1:30 pm  Crerar Boardroom, 1st Floor Crerar Library

Lunch and a conversation
Come and join us for a free lunch and an opportunity to talk with RSC and myself about how you currently interact with the chemical literature and opportunities for new interactions in the 21st century

 

2:00-3:00pm  Crerar Boardroom, 1st Floor Crerar Library

All about scholarly publishing
Find out more about the process of scholarly publishing from RSC experts, including tips on how to get published in high impact journals.

Persons with disabilities who need an accommodation in order to participate in this event should contact Andrea Twiss-Brooks or 773-702-8777 for assistance.

Informatics for the Physical Sciences

Posted on April 23, 2012 by Jennifer Hart at Crerar Science

Vedana Vaidhyanathan is our new Informatics Librarian.  Below is her take on why informatics is relevant to the physical sciences: 

Informatics is the study and application of information technology to the arts, science and professions, and the study of its use in organizations and society at large. It is both a part of information science and the study of how information science is used. Informatics is a field which has been around over twenty years. It has mainly been attached to the biomedical sciences. It combines the disciplines in the basic sciences with computer science and information science. Informatics came into the forefront of science with the race to decode the human genome.  Now that the genome has been decoded, established fields like biophysics and newer genres like translational science are blossoming.

In the physical sciences, informatics has its place because it is where mathematics and computer science coincide with the medical sciences. The same techniques with large datasets are being applied to chemistry as they were applied to biology and the medical sciences. With this there is a great deal of cross-disciplinary and interdisciplinary work that can be done. Analyzing statistics and designing systems are two ways in which informatics combines with the physical sciences.

Collaboration is the key in advancing sciences. No longer is science thought of purely in disciplines. Cross-disciplinary, interdisciplinary work is the future of research. In my role as informatics specialist, I hope to help the students and faculty in the physical sciences collaborate more with the students and faculty in the biological sciences. This collaboration will lead to more research opportunities. The library can be at the center of these partnerships and I hope that in my position as informatics specialist I will help forge connections and advance research here at the University of Chicago.

An interview with Vedana about informatics is available here.

MATLAB seminars at the University of Chicago

Posted on April 23, 2012 by Crerar Science

Two free seminars on using MATLAB, a programming environment for algorithm development, data analysis, visualization, and numerical computation, will take place on Thursday, May 3, 2012 in the Kathleen A. Zar Room in the John Crerar Library. Join MathWorks engineers as they demonstrate how MATLAB and Simulink can be used as a flexible platform for technical computing and application development in engineering, math, and science curricula and research. The seminars will be led by an application engineer from Mathworks, the parent company of MATLAB.  There is no cost to attend one or both sessions.

Pre-register at http://mathworks.com/seminars/UCHI2012

9:30 – 10:00 a.m.

Registration and sign-in. Walk-ins are welcome. 

10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

Session 1: Optimizing Performance and Memory in MATLAB

This session will focus on techniques for developing efficient MATLAB programs using best coding practices. We will demonstrate simple ways you can improve and optimize your code to boost execution speed by orders of magnitude. We will also address common pitfalls in writing MATLAB code and explore the use of the MATLAB Profiler to find bottlenecks. Other topics include strategies for handling large amounts of data in MATLAB and avoiding “out-of-memory” errors. We will provide you with an understanding of the causes of memory limitations in MATLAB and a set of techniques to increase the available memory in MATLAB. You will gain an understanding of how different MATLAB data types are stored in memory and how you can program in MATLAB to use memory efficiently. We will also show techniques for minimizing memory usage in MATLAB while accessing, storing, processing, and plotting data.

 Highlights include:

  • Leveraging the power of vector and matrix operations in MATLAB
  • Identifying and addressing bottlenecks in your code
  • Understanding memory and its constraints
  • Minimizing your memory footprint in MATLAB 

12:00 – 12:30 p.m.

 A light lunch will be served.

12:30 – 2:30 p.m.

Session 2: Parallel Computing with MATLAB on Multicore Desktops and GPUs

During this session you will learn how to solve computationally and data-intensive problems using multicore processors, GPUs, and computer clusters. We will introduce you to high-level programming constructs that allow you to parallelize MATLAB applications and run them on multiple processors. We will show you how to overcome the memory limits of your desktop computer by distributing your data on a large scale computing resource, such as a cluster. We will also demonstrate how to take advantage of GPUs to speed up computations without low-level programming.

 Highlights include:

  • Toolboxes with built-in support for parallel computing
  • Creating parallel applications to speed up independent tasks
  • Scaling up to computer clusters, grid environments or clouds
  • Employing GPUs to speed up your computations

 –Register now–

Register at http://mathworks.com/seminars/UCHI2012

RCC and the Library announce scientific visualization capabilities in the Kathleen A. Zar Room

Posted on April 3, 2012 by Crerar Science

RCC in the Kathleen Zar roomThe Kathleen A. Zar Room in The John Crerar Library now has scientific visualization capabilities thanks to a partnership between the Research Computing Center and the University of Chicago Library.  The room offers a number of resources for users in need of high quality visualization tools, including a 2D projector, a passive stereoscopic 3D projector, and workstations with a connection to the RCC High Performance Computing cluster.  The room will be available for users with a specific need for these resources; see the RCC’s webpage about the room for more information.

The Kathleen A. Zar room opened in 2007, in memory of The John Crerar Library’s former director Kathleen A. Zar.  

Chalk for TAs: TECHB@R Event

Posted on March 31, 2012 by The University of Chicago Library
When: Thursday, April 5, 1:30 pm – 2:30 pm
Thursday, April 12, 1:30 pm – 2:30 pm
Where: TECHB@R
Regenstein Library, Room 160
Description:
This overview session will focus on familiarizing Teaching Assistants with Chalk. You will learn how to build a course site by uploading course documents and organizing materials. We will also highlight helpful tools and resources used specifically by teaching assistants such as Discussion Boards, the Assignment Manager, and the Grade Center. This session will be held at the IT Services TechB@R on the first floor of Regenstein Library, room 160.

Please RSVP to chalk@uchicago.edu
Contact: Academic Technologies
773-702-9944
Calendars: Academic Technologies, Featured, Seminars, Training, Workshops
 
Persons with disabilities who need an accommodation in order to participate in this event should contact the event sponsor for assistance. Information on Assistive Listening Device

All About Endnote: April 10th 12-1pm

Posted on March 29, 2012 by Jennifer Hart at Crerar Science

Location: Crerar Library Zar Room

Learn how to use the bibliographic software EndNote.  Topics covered include creating and managing libraries, importing references from online databases, and creating formatted bibliographies and citations in Microsoft Word. Registration is required.

Register here:https://training.uchicago.edu/course_detail.cfm?course_id=320

Crerar and Eckhart regular hours resume

Posted on March 26, 2012 by Crerar Science

Hours for the Crerar and Eckhart Libraries can be found at: http://hours.lib.uchicago.edu/index.php?hstr=ehlmrs

Get technology training at Regenstein TECHB@R

Posted on March 26, 2012 by Rebecca Starkey and Jason Edelstein

Library and IT Services collaboration brings technology-related programs to TECHB@R

Staff consult with Library users at TECHB@R

IT Services TECHB@R in Regenstein Library (Photo by Quinn Dombrowski)

The University of Chicago Library and IT Services are partnering to present new, technology-related training programs for the UChicago community at the IT Services TECHB@R in the Regenstein Library. Because IT Services and the Library both provide training and support on information technology resources, it can be challenging for many of our users to identify which unit to turn to for help with specific tools. This collaborative nature of the TECHB@R breaks down such barriers, providing faculty, students, and staff seamless access to the training and assistance they need.

During Spring Quarter, the TECHB@R will host a wide range of programs, which are free and open to the entire University community. Some sample topics include Google Sketch-up, wikis, citation managers (such as Zotero and EndNote), Firefox Add-ons, and the ever popular “Chalk Days,” as well as its other training programs for instructors and students alike.

A new monthly series, entitled “Tech Treats,” offers a more casual learning experience. Individuals can drop by the TECHB@R to enjoy refreshments and learn about new technology tools. Scheduled for Spring Quarter are programs on presentation software (such as PowerPoint, Keynote, Impress and PrezI) and online technology training tools (such as Lynda.com, the IT Services Knowledge Base, and Safari Tech Books online). Last quarter, librarians presented a “Tech Treats” program on the news databases Factiva and LexisNexis Academic and featured a demonstration of different news apps for the iPad.

In addition to presentations and classes, the TECHB@R hosts various “Ask the Expert” office hours. Librarians, training specialists, and Chalk support technologists offer in-depth, individual assistance using a variety of software products and systems including Chalk, Microsoft and Adobe software, citation managers, as well as other tools like WebShare and the campus wiki. The “Ask the Expert” service compliments the drop-in tech support services already offered at the TECHB@R during its regular hours and is available to all faculty, students, and staff.

The TECHB@R training spaces in Room 160 (located behind the TECHB@R counter) are appropriate for a wide variety of programs and teaching styles. These include a configurable conference-style area, a small-group training/consultation space, and small tables for one-on-one assistance. The TECHB@R’s equipment lending program provides presenters and attendees access to laptops and iPads for a hands-on learning experience.

To learn more about the TECHB@R and see a complete schedule of events for Spring Quarter, visit: itservices.uchicago.edu/techbar. We welcome your comments regarding our programs and services.

Rebecca Starkey is Librarian for College Instruction and Outreach.  Jason Edelstein is Senior Support Services Specialist.

Popular Science shows how Mansueto works

Posted on March 22, 2012 by The University of Chicago Library

Underground robot library
Popular Science – April 2012