New Find

New Ovid Tutorials

Need a little training on the new Ovid SP interface? Head on over to the OvidSP Resource Center and check out their brand new tutorials – all under two minutes and presented on targeted topics, so it’s fast and easy to get a little more training on the new layout.

Tutorial Topics
# Select a Database
# Search Page Overview
# Basic Search Overview
# Advanced Search Overview
# Search Fields Overview
# Find Citation Overview
# Search Tools Overview

Link to Ovid Tutorials: http://resourcecenter.ovidsp.com/onlineTraining.html
Scroll to the bottom for the tutorials. Requires Flash.
DON’T FORGET! The LSUHSC LIbrarians are always happy to give face-to-face training on Ovid SP. Contact a Reference Librarian for details.

Multilingual Feature Debuts on MedlinePlus.gov

MedlinePlus.gov debuted a multilingual feature, providing access to high quality health information in languages other than English and Spanish today (Wednesday, May 7th).

“The new collection contains over 2,500 links to information in more than 40 languages and covers nearly 250 Health Topics. Continuous growth is expected.”

MedlinePlus.gov is a consumer-oriented, free website from the National Library of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health.

National Turnoff Week

Every day, children ages eight to 18 spend more than six hours watching TV, playing video games or using the computer for recreational purposes. The more time youth spend in front of the screen, the more likely they are to be overweight.

Turnoff Week (April 21-27) is a nationwide campaign to raise public awareness about the effects of too much screen time. Sponsored by the NHLBI We Can! program, they offer helpful activities to reduce screen time.

Click here to see current literature on television’s effect on obesity in the US from PubMed.

What will you do for Earth Day ’08?

Conceived by a Wisconsin Senator in 1969, April 22 is known to some as Earth Day, marking the anniversary of the birth of the modern environmental movement in 1970.

Are you doing anything for Earth Day? Planting a tree? Walking instead of driving? Absolutely nothing?

Whether you’re apathetic or animated about the state of our planet, you can let the world know on Google Maps today.

“However you’re planning to honor Earth Day (April 22) and combat climate change, we want to hear all about it ?óÔé¼ÔÇ£ the more unique, the better.”

Who knows? Maybe you’ll even learn how other locals observe Earth Day…or how they do not.

Lovin’ the Earth Lagniappe
Nature Reports: Climate Change

7.2 Million Questions

That’s how many questions reference librarians across America answer in an average week.

Ever wonder what it’s like working the other side of the reference desk? Here’s a short video from our librarian overlords that examines that very question. Why? Because it’s National Library Week!

Relatedly: Monkey Wars!

New Orleans curbside recycling survey – now online!

The City of New Orleans has finally put the survey about reinstatement of curbside recycling online. Please take a minute to fill it out if you are interested in the return of curbside recycling.

http://www.cityofno.com/pg-123-7-sanitation–survey.aspx

Chocolate cures cough, but will it help the smoking pigs?

Researchers at the Imperial College London found that theobromine, a chemical commonly found in cocoa, may help patients with a persistent cough. Theobromine works by suppressing vagus nerve activity, which is responsible for causing coughing. A 2004 study in FASEB journal found that the concentration of capsaicin (a chemical a substance used in clinical research to cause coughing) required to produce a cough in those people given theobromine was around one third higher when compared with the group receiving a placebo.

The team also discovered that unlike standard cough treatments, theobromine caused no adverse effects on either the cardiovascular or central nervous systems.

This is great news for us humans, but I wonder, is it in time to help the smoking pigs?

Happy April Fool’s day, everyone.

Nintendo makes you skinny. April Fools.. no, wait, really.

No, I’m not talking about the Wii. This summer Nintendo will introduce a new program for the DS system. My Weight Loss Coach comes with a pedometer, mini quizzes and challenges designed to motivate and reward users for maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

Legibility, an Important Issue?

The legibility of doctor’s handwriting has been an established source of humor . According to the Annals of Improbable Research, there have been 4 studies on physician handwriting in the last 30 years (really there have been many more). They even go so far as to recommend a penmanship book from 1843. However, according to Quality & Safety in Health Care, physician’s handwriting is as good (or bad) as anyone else’s.

Happy April Fool’s Day!

Anatomy got you down?

Get a leg up on your classmates and check out www.getbodysmart.com. Created by an anatomy teacher, this website is a great resource for learning about the skeletal system, muscle tissue physiology and the nervous system among other subjects. The animated drawings, diagrams and interactive quizzes will help you ace your next exam.

Wriggle your way through medical news with MedWorm

Here’s nifty tool that can help you stay current on medical news and topics. MedWorm is a web-based program that takes thousands of RSS feeds from medical journals, websites, blogs, and more, and sorts them into categories so you can quickly get up to date news on the topic of your choice.

Whether you want to know the latest on Alzeheimers or need to stay up to date with consumer health news, MedWorm wriggles its way through the internet to bring you a comprehensive and current snapshot. You can even subscribe to it through your RSS reader. Now that’s a parasite I don’t mind having on my computer.

LINKS:
MedWorm: http://www.medworm.com/

A fun way to browse your favorite bacterial genomes

From the Institute for Advanced Biosciences, Keio University, Japan comes GENOME PROJECTOR, an awesome new tool for those interested in molecular biology.

Genome Projector, a searchable database browser with zoomable user interface, currently allows 4 different views: Genome map, Plasmid map, Pathway map, and DNA walk. It’s based on the same software concepts that run Google Maps, so the interface is pretty intuitive.

Check it out:
Genome Projector

Women’s Health – New Web Resource from NIH

The National Library of Medicine and the Office of Research on Women’s Health announced a new web resource yesterday. Women’s Health Resources aims to be a one-stop location for “consumers, health care providers, and researchers will be able to more quickly access the latest information available on scientific developments for important issues related to women.”

Sharpen up on your science policy

Curious as to where politicians and political candidates stand on science issues?

The SHARP Network is the first website that tracks where elected officials and candidates stand on science. SHARP, which stands for Science, Health, and Related Policies, currently provides over 600 pages of information on presidential candidates, senators, representatives, and important issues such as stem cell research, science education, and global warming. Simply enter your zip code to find out where your representatives stand on science issues.

The SHARP Network is a project from SEA: Scientists & Engineers for America, a non-profit nonpartisan educational organization with 501(c)(3) status. SEA’s mission is to renew respect for evidence-based debate and decision-making in politics and at all levels of government.

NHLBI Issues First U.S. von Willebrand Disease Clinical Practice Guidelines

The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) of the National Institutes of Health has issued the first clinical guidelines in the United States for the diagnosis and management of von Willebrand Disease (VWD), the most common inherited bleeding disorder.Typically milder but more common than another bleeding disorder, hemophilia, VWD affects 1 out of every 100 to 1,000 people – both males and females.

The guidelines include recommendations on screening, diagnosis, disease management, and directions for future research. An extensive article on the guidelines is available for free in the March 08 issue of the journal Haemophilia.

?óÔé¼?ôThese are the first guidelines on von Willebrand Disease published in the United States and we are pleased to offer clinicians science-based recommendations in the evaluation and treatment of patients,?óÔé¼?Ø said NHLBI Director Elizabeth G. Nabel, M.D. ?óÔé¼?ôThe disease can be difficult to diagnose, especially in women of child-bearing age and in children, and the danger of excessive bleeding is often under-recognized.?óÔé¼?Ø

Read the Full Report from the NHLBI

Pocket Guidelines from the NHLBI