Virtual shelves in a digital library: a framework for access to networked information sources.

OBJECTIVE: Develop a framework for collections-based access to networked information sources that addresses the problem of location-dependent access to information sources. DESIGN: This framework uses a metaphor of a virtual shelf. A virtual shelf is a general-purpose server that is dedicated to a particular information subject class. The identifier of one of these servers identifies its subject class. Location-independent call numbers are assigned to information sources. Call numbers are based on standard vocabulary codes. The call numbers are first mapped to the location-independent identifiers of virtual shelves. When access to an information resource is required, a location directory provides a second mapping of these location-independent server identifiers to actual network locations. RESULTS: The framework has been implemented in two different systems. One system is based on the Open System Foundation/Distributed Computing Environment and the other is based on the World Wide Web. CONCLUSIONS: This framework applies in new ways traditional methods of library classification and cataloging. It is compatible with two traditional styles of selecting information searching and browsing. Traditional methods may be combined with new paradigms of information searching that will be able to take advantage of the special properties of digital information. Cooperation between the library-informational science community and the informatics community can provide a means for a continuing application of the knowledge and techniques of library science to the new problems of networked information sources.

Development and validation of an exercise performance support system for people with lower extremity impairment.

OBJECTIVE: To identify innovative strategies to support appropriate, self-directed exercise that increase physical activity levels of people with arthritis. This article reports on one interactive, multimedia exercise performance support system (PSS) for people with lower extremity impairments in strength or flexibility. METHODS: An interdisciplinary team developed the PSS using self-report of lower extremity musculoskeletal impairments (flexibility and strength) to produce an individualized exercise program with video and print educational materials. Initial evaluation has investigated the validity and reliability of program assessments and recommendations. RESULTS: PSS self-report and professional assessments were similar, with more impairments indicated by self-report. PSS exercise recommendations were similar to those made by 3 expert physical therapists using the same exercise data base. Results of PSS impairment assessments were stable over a 1-week period. CONCLUSION: PSS exercise recommendations appear to be reliable and a valid reflection of current exercise knowledge in rheumatology. Furthermore, users were able to complete the computer-based program with minimal assistance and reported it to be enjoyable and informative.

Radiolabeled hypoxic cell sensitizers: tracers for assessment of ischemia.

Hypoxic, non-functional, but viable, tissue may exist in heart and brain following an arterial occlusion. Identification of such tissue in vivo is crucial to the development of effective treatment strategies. It has been suggested that certain compounds capable of sensitizing hypoxic tumor cells to killing by x-rays (i.e., misonidazole) might serve as in vivo markers of hypoxic tissue in ischemic myocardium or brain if properly radiolabeled. To this end we have radiolabeled two fluorinated analogs of nitroimidazole based hypoxic cell sensitizers with the 110 minute half-lived positron-emitting fluorine-18. The ability of these tracers to quantitate the presence of hypoxic tissue has been studied in a gerbil stroke model. The in vivo uptake of one of these tracers [F-18]-fluoronormethyoxymisonidazole is dependent on the extent of tissue hypoxia, and thus, appears to have potential as a diagnostic indicator of non-functional but viable tissue when the tracer is used in conjunction with positron emission tomography.

Enthalpies of hydrogen bonding in psychotropic drugs.

The enthalpy of hydrogen bonding of some antipsychotic, antidepressant, anticonvulsant, and antianxiety agents with phenol, as determined from IR and NMR spectroscopic measurements, was shown not to be responsible for differences in activity within the drug classes. These results support a theoretical prediction advanced for anticonvulsant activity.

Evaluation of controlled vocabulary resources for development of a consumer entry vocabulary for diabetes.

BACKGROUND: Digital information technology can facilitate informed decision making by individuals regarding their personal health care. The digital divide separates those who do and those who do not have access to or otherwise make use of digital information. To close the digital divide, health care communications research must address a fundamental issue, the consumer vocabulary problem: consumers of health care, at least those who are laypersons, are not always familiar with the professional vocabulary and concepts used by providers of health care and by providers of health care information, and, conversely, health care and health care information providers are not always familiar with the vocabulary and concepts used by consumers. One way to address this problem is to develop a consumer entry vocabulary for health care communications. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the potential of controlled vocabulary resources for supporting the development of consumer entry vocabulary for diabetes. METHODS: We used folk medical terms from the Dictionary of American Regional English project to create extended versions of 3 controlled vocabulary resources: the Unified Medical Language System Metathesaurus, the Eurodicautom of the European Commission's Translation Service, and the European Commission Glossary of popular and technical medical terms. We extracted consumer terms from consumer-authored materials, and physician terms from physician-authored materials. We used our extended versions of the vocabulary resources to link diabetes-related terms used by health care consumers to synonymous, nearly-synonymous, or closely-related terms used by family physicians. We also examined whether retrieval of diabetes-related World Wide Web information sites maintained by nonprofit health care professional organizations, academic organizations, or governmental organizations can be improved by substituting a physician term for its related consumer term in the query. RESULTS: The Dictionary of American Regional English extension of the Metathesaurus provided coverage, either direct or indirect, of approximately 23% of the natural language consumer-term-physician-term pairs. The Dictionary of American Regional English extension of the Eurodicautom provided coverage for 16% of the term pairs. Both the Metathesaurus and the Eurodicautom indirectly related more terms than they directly related. A high percentage of covered term pairs, with more indirectly covered pairs than directly covered pairs, might be one way to make the most out of expensive controlled vocabulary resources. We compared retrieval of diabetes-related Web information sites using the physician terms to retrieval using related consumer terms We based the comparison on retrieval of sites maintained by non-profit healthcare professional organizations, academic organizations, or governmental organizations. The number of such sites in the first 20 Results from a search was increased by substituting a physician term for its related consumer term in the query. This suggests that the Dictionary of American Regional English extensions of the Metathesaurus and Eurodicautom may be used to provide useful links from natural language consumer terms to natural language physician terms. CONCLUSIONS: The Dictionary of American Regional English extensions of the Metathesaurus and Eurodicautom should be investigated further for support of consumer entry vocabulary for diabetes.

Consumer reports and health care information: a call for research.

The consumer movement together with the information explosion has a tremendous impact upon all aspects of American life. Health care is a prime example of a vital area of importance that has seen and will continue to see a demand for more timely and appropriate information that consumers can use to assist in decision making about personal health care services. This article proposes that cancer, in particular breast cancer, presents one of the major diagnostic areas that has caused women to seek out such information. We propose needed research including a conceptual framework that may guide that research.

Comparing frequency of content-bearing words in abstracts and texts in articles from four medical journals: an exploratory study.

BACKGROUND: Retrieval tests have assumed that the abstract is a true surrogate of the entire text. However, the frequency of terms in abstracts has never been compared to that of the articles they represent. Even though many sources are now available in full-text, many still rely on the abstract for retrieval. METHODS: 1,138 articles with their abstracts were downloaded from Journal of the American Medical Association, New England Journal of Medicine, Lancet, and the British Medical Journal. Words were extracted from the articles and their abstracts and the frequency of each word was counted in both sources. Each article and its abstract were tested using a chi-squared test to determine if the words in the abstract occurred as frequently as would be expected. RESULTS: 96% of the abstracts tested as samples of the article they represented. CONCLUSION: In these four journals, the abstracts are lexical, as well as intellectual, surrogates for the documents they represent.

Do electronic mail discussion lists act as virtual colleagues?

Anesthesiology Discussion Group (ADG), an electronic mail (email) discussion list, has previously been shown to be a clinically oriented, cost-effective form of telemedicine. ADG is composed of an international collection of anesthesia providers. Discussions with colleagues are generally informal in nature and are examples of types of information-seeking behavior which frequently occur in hallways or lounges of a hospital or clinic. Information-seeking occurs when a health care provider searches for information which will be used to solve or satisfy a patient's problem or need. We surveyed practitioners who had previously submitted non-rhetorical, clinical questions to the group. After analysis of the questionnaire results, we conclude that ADG is a valuable resource used for information-seeking and is a clinically effective form of telemedicine. Many of the respondents indicated that they used ADG to obtain second opinions from the collective expertise of group members. Respondents also indicated that they were generally satisfied with the quality of responses and would not hesitate to use ADG for future clinical questions.

A service-oriented information sources database for the biological sciences.

Researchers in the biological sciences require access to a variety of information sources located in various places on different computer networks. In order to satisfy the information needs of a researcher, appropriate information sources must be selected and access to these information sources and the computing services supporting them must be provided in a way that does not distract the researcher from problems of real interest. At the University of Missouri-Columbia a service-oriented information sources database is being developed as a key component of a layered-model design of an intelligent system which will provide a research environment appropriate to the needs of researchers in the biological sciences.

Classifying and identifying servers for biomedical information retrieval.

Useful retrieval of biomedical information from network information sources requires methods for organized access to those information sources. This access must be organized in terms of the information content of information sources and in terms of the discovery of the network location of those information sources. We have developed an approach to providing organized access to information sources based on a scheme of hierarchical classifiers and identifiers of the servers providing access to those information sources. This approach uses MeSH tree numbers as both classifiers and identifiers of servers. MeSH tree numbers are used to indicate the information content of servers, and also as OSF/DCE server identifiers. This allows the identity and location of a server providing access to a given information source to be determined from the information classification of that information source.

Preparation and 13C NMR characterization of [[epsilon-13C] methionine-192]-alpha-chymotrypsin. The demethylation of [S-[13C] methylmethionine-192]-alpha-chymotrypsin by an active site-directed thiol.

Met-192 forms part of the binding crevice of alpha-chymotrypsin. The aim of this investigation was to find a nucleophile that would displace a methyl group from the sulfonium cation of [S-[13C]methylmethionine-192]-alpha-chymotrypsin without disrupting the five disulfide bridges of the protein, thereby producing [[epsilon-13C]methionine-192]-alpha-chymotrypsin, an isotopically enriched version of the native enzyme desirable for 13C NMR studies. Treatment of [S-methylmethionine-192]-alpha-chymotrypsin with mercaptoethanol and dithiothreitol failed to produce the latter protein, as deduced from elution profiles of reaction mixtures chromatographed on affinity columns of immobilized lima bean trypsin inhibitor. In contrast, when [S-methylmethionine-192]-alpha-chymotrypsin was incubated in a 3.0 mM solution of the active site-directed reagent 2-mercaptoacetyl-4'-methoxyanilide at pH 8.6 and 5 degrees C for 48 h, affinity chromatograms indicated the presence of a protein corresponding to native alpha-chymotrypsin. Upon repeating the experiment with [S-[13C]methylmethionine-192]-alpha chymotrypsin, we isolated in 40% yield a protein which was identified as [[epsilon-13C]methionine-192]-alpha-chymotrypsin by a combination of 13C NMR and chemical criteria. This work represents the first active site-directed demethylation of an S-[13C]methylmethionine residue at the binding site of an enzyme.

An open system network for the biological sciences.

A description of an open system, distributed computing environment for the Biological Sciences is presented. This system utilizes a transparent interface in a computer network using NCS to implement an application system for molecular biologists to perform various processing activities from their local workstation. This system accepts requests for the services of a remote database server, located across the network, to perform all of the database searches needed to support the activities of the user. This database access is totally transparent to the user of the system and it appears, to the user, that all activities are being carried out on the local workstation. This system is a prototype for a much more extensive system being built to support the research efforts in the Biological Sciences at UMC.

The natural history of the use of healthcare information by women with breast cancer: a conceptual model.

The overall goal of our research agenda is to contribute to improved quality of healthcare by identifying factors that foster or inhibit the use of healthcare information by patients to make informed healthcare decisions. We propose to study the natural history of the use of healthcare information by women with breast cancer to support decisions about health care. To do so in this paper we propose a conceptual model developed based on an extensive literature review and critique that describes patients' health information use over the disease course. It will guide our further investigation of the complex relationships among patients' personal circumstances, the progress of their medical treatment, and their satisfaction and empowerment as informed decision-makers. The model will help policy makers and health professionals identify the best means to provide patients with useful information, and help all stakeholders in health care acquire information needed to improve healthcare quality.

Using concept maps on the World-Wide Web to access a curriculum database for problem-based learning.

Development of medical school curriculum databases continues to be challenging. Representation of the instructional unit is becoming increasingly difficult due to characteristics of the problem-based learning (PBL) curricula. Curriculum databases may be used to store materials for the PBL curricula, and also to provide a delivery mechanism for those materials. However, in order to take advantage of the curriculum database as a tool for PBL, methods for accessing the curriculum database that are better suited to the information needs of students, faculty, and administrators must be developed. Concept maps are directed graph representations of conceptual relationships, and may be used to represent the content of a curriculum database. In this paper, we describe a Web application that uses Java-based concept maps was the user interface to a curriculum database.

World Wide Web-based access to heterogenous information resources for cytokine research and education.

Cytokines are currently the focus of intense research efforts, and information related to cytokine biology is expanding at an extremely rapid rate. The primary literature has become insufficient as a source for timely information, and efficient searches of the older literature are complicated by the nature of cytokine nomenclature. A few computer-accessible cytokine-related data sources have recently been developed, but these are typically limited in scope and not integrated with other information resources. We have developed Cytokine Explorer, a World Wide Web (WWW)-based resource to provide access to and guidance in use of information for research and education in cytokine biology. The resource consists of: (1) a searchable thesaurus of cytokine nomenclature; (2) a cytokine reagent database containing information from academic institutions and commercial sources; (3) a set of links to cytokine-related WWW sites; and (4) a database of functional information retrieval maps for guided retrieval of cytokine information from combinations of heterogeneous sources.

Virtual shelves. II: A unified catalog for a heterogeneous collection.

We describe a unified catalog of traditional and digital resources in medical informatics, using standard cataloging principles (AACR2), schemes (LCC), and coding formats (USMARC). The unified catalog integrates the bibliographic records of physical items in the heterogeneous collection with the bibliographic records of network accessible digital items, using prescribed cataloging formats to new effect. The unified catalog is collections-based. We do not use the MARC 856 field to specify the network location of a digital item. The location of a digital item is determined by mapping its call number through a location guide to a network address. This mapping is strictly isomorphic to the way the shelf location of a physical item is determined within the bounds of a controlled collection.

A World Wide Web-based health resource. Survey of Missouri school nurses to determine priority health information resources for SchoolhealthLink.

Two hundred ninety-two school nurses in Missouri participated in a mailed survey to aid in the design of SchoolhealthLink, a World Wide Web (WWW)-based information service for Missouri school nurses and children. The nurses identified specific health information resources likely to benefit school nurses and school children and prioritized these resources. The school nurses assigned high priority to 11 types of health information resources: individualized health care plans, emergency care plans, communicable disease control plans, acute illness, injuries, communicable diseases, hotline numbers, medications in schools, immunization protocols and standards, community-based health care resources, and Department of Elementary and Secondary Education regulations that affect school nurse practice. The four most common health problems school nurses identified were asthma, attention deficit disorder, diabetes, and head lice. SchoolhealthLink will provide a one-stop WWW-based resource for school nurses and school children.

Cost-effective clinical uses of wide-area networks: electronic mail as telemedicine.

Electronic mail (E-mail) is widely used as a means of communication in the medical community. E-mail is clearly inexpensive when compared to two-way, fully interactive, real-time, video telemedicine. By content analysis of 200 consecutive messages, we show E-mail to be a low-cost use of computer networks, supporting a wide range of physician decision-making.