Search PubMed⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search PubMed

Results for “Library Materials”

Search indexed PubMed citations on genomics, clinical trials, systematic reviews and public health. Explore titles, authors and supplied subject terms, then open the PubMed record.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources

Active finite element analysis of skeletal muscle-tendon complex during isometric, shortening and lengthening contraction.

An active finite element model was developed to predict the mechanical behaviors of skeletal muscle-tendon complex during isometric, shortening and lengthening contraction. The active finite element was created through incorporation of a user-defined material property into ABAQUS finite element code. The active finite element is controlled by a motor element that is activated by a mathematical function. The nonlinear passive behavior of the muscle was defined by the viscoelastic elements and can be easily altered to other properties by using other elements in the material library without the need of re-defining the constitutive relation of the muscle. The isometric force-length relationship, force-strain relations of the muscle-tendon complex during both shortening and lengthening contraction and muscle relaxation response were predicted using the proposed finite element model. The predicted results were found to be in good agreement with available experimental data. In addition, the stress distribution in the muscle-tendon complex during isometric, shortening and lengthening contractions was simulated. The location of the maximum stress may provide useful information for studying muscle damage and fatigue in the future.

Algorithms↗

Assessment of the National Library of Medicine's health disparities plan: a focus on Native American outreach.

OBJECTIVES: Overcoming health disparities between majority and minority populations is a significant national challenge. This paper assesses outreach to Native Americans (American Indians, Alaska Natives, and Native Hawaiians) by the National Library of Medicine (NLM). A companion paper details NLM's portfolio of Native American outreach projects. METHOD: NLM's Native American outreach is assessed in light of the presentations at a community-based health information outreach symposium and the goals set by NLM's plan to reduce health disparities. RESULTS: NLM's current portfolio of Native American outreach projects appears most advanced in meeting the goal set in area 1 of the health disparities plan, "Promote use of health information by health professionals and the public." NLM's portfolio also shows significant strength and good progress regarding area 2 of the plan, "Expand partnerships among various types of libraries and community-based organizations." The portfolio is weaker in area 3, "Conduct and support informatics research." More knowledge-building efforts would benefit NLM, the National Network of Libraries of Medicine, and Native American and community-based organizations. IMPLICATIONS: The current Native American outreach portfolio should be continued, but new approaches are needed for evaluating Native American outreach and for forging collaborations with Native American groups, approaches grounded in consultation and mutual understanding of needs and perspectives.

Community-Institutional Relations↗

The National Library of Medicine's Native American outreach portfolio: a descriptive overview.

OBJECTIVES: This paper provides the most complete accounting of the National Library of Medicine's (NLM's) Native outreach since 1995, when there were only a few scattered projects. METHOD: The descriptive overview is based on a review of project reports, inventories, and databases and input from the NLM Specialized Information Services Division, National Network Office of the Library Operations Division, National Network of Libraries of Medicine, and Office of Health Information Programs Development of the Office of the NLM Director. The overview focuses on NLM-supported or sponsored outreach initiatives involving Native peoples: American Indians, Alaska Natives, and Native Hawaiians. RESULTS: The review of NLM's relevant activities resulted in a portfolio of projects that clustered naturally into the following areas: major multisite projects: Tribal Connections and related, Native American Information Internship Project: Sacred Root, tribal college outreach and tribal librarianship projects, collaboration with inter-tribal and national organizations, participation in Native American Powwows, Native American Listening Circle Project, Native American Health Information, and other Native American outreach projects. IMPLICATIONS: NLM's Native American Outreach reached programmatic status as of late 2004. The companion paper identifies several areas of possible new or enhanced Native outreach activities. Both papers highlight the importance of solid reporting and evaluation to optimize project results and programmatic balance and priorities.

Community-Institutional Relations↗

Community-based organizations' perspective on health information outreach: a panel discussion.

OBJECTIVE: A panel was convened to elicit guidance for librarians in initiating and implementing community-based health information outreach. PARTICIPANTS: Participants included a panel of individuals from communities or community organizations who represented the types of groups with which librarians or information specialists need to interact and an audience who represented health sciences libraries, public libraries, academic institutions, government agencies, funding agencies, and community-based organizations and could contribute to a discussion on community-based health information outreach. PROGRAM: The panel was presented with a hypothetical community setting and asked to respond to a series of questions: What do librarians need to learn about the community before they make their visits? What methods of outreach have been successful in your work? How would you implement and sustain a health information program in your community? How would health information interventions reduce racial and ethnic disparities in health? MAIN RESULTS: The panel helped to frame many of the issues that may confront librarians as they initiate information-related programs in communities. CONCLUSION: There is clear consensus on the need for librarians to make the effort to reach out into the community, to make the contacts, to seek to understand the community, to talk with leaders, and to respect the community as they promote and teach the use of health information resources. It was confirmed that librarians and libraries have an important role in diminishing health disparities by improving access to health information.

Community-Institutional Relations↗

"Smallball" evaluation: a prescription for studying community-based information interventions.

OBJECTIVES: This paper argues that focused evaluation studies of community-based informational interventions conducted over the life-cycle of the project ("smallball" studies) are more informative and useful than randomized experiments conducted only at the project's conclusion ("powerball" studies). METHOD: Based on two contrasting strategies in baseball, smallball and powerball studies are compared and contrasted, emphasizing how the distinctive features of community-based interventions lend advantage to smallball approaches. RESULTS: Smallball evaluations have several important advantages over powerball evaluations: before system development, they ensure that information resources address real community needs; during deployment, they ensure that the systems are suited to the capabilities of the users and to community constraints; and, after deployment, they enable as much as possible to be learned about the effects of the intervention in environments where randomized studies are usually impossible. IMPLICATIONS: Many in informatics see powerball studies as the only legitimate form of evaluation and so expect powerball studies to be done. These expectations should be revised in favor of smallball studies.

Community Health Planning↗

Community outreach: from measuring the difference to making a difference with health information.

BACKGROUND: Community-based outreach seeks to move libraries beyond their traditional institutional boundaries to improve both access to and effectiveness of health information. The evaluation of such outreach needs to involve the community in assessing the program's process and outcomes. PURPOSE: Evaluation of community-based library outreach programs benefits from a participatory approach. To explain this premise of the paper, three components of evaluation theory are paired with relevant participatory strategies. CONCEPTS: The first component of evaluation theory is also a standard of program evaluation: use. Evaluation is intended to be useful for stakeholders to make decisions. A useful evaluation is credible, timely, and of adequate scope. Participatory approaches to increase use of evaluation findings include engaging end users early in planning the program itself and in deciding on the outcomes of the evaluation. A second component of evaluation theory seeks to understand what is being evaluated, such as specific aspects of outreach programs. A transparent understanding of the ways outreach achieves intended goals, its activities and linkages, and the context in which it operates precedes any attempt to measure it. Participatory approaches to evaluating outreach include having end users, such as health practitioners in other community-based organizations, identify what components of the outreach program are most important to their work. A third component of evaluation theory is concerned with the process by which value is placed on outreach. What will count as outreach success or failure? Who decides? Participatory approaches to valuing include assuring end-user representation in the formulation of evaluation questions and in the interpretation of evaluation results. CONCLUSIONS: The evaluation of community-based outreach is a complex process that is not made easier by a participatory approach. Nevertheless, a participatory approach is more likely to make the evaluation findings useful, ensure that program knowledge is shared, and make outreach valuing transparent.

Community Health Planning↗

Using evaluation to adapt health information outreach to the complex environments of community-based organizations.

OBJECTIVE: After arguing that most community-based organizations (CBOs) function as complex adaptive systems, this white paper describes the evaluation goals, questions, indicators, and methods most important at different stages of community-based health information outreach. MAIN POINTS: This paper presents the basic characteristics of complex adaptive systems and argues that the typical CBO can be considered this type of system. It then presents evaluation as a tool for helping outreach teams adapt their outreach efforts to the CBO environment and thus maximize success. Finally, it describes the goals, questions, indicators, and methods most important or helpful at each stage of evaluation (community assessment, needs assessment and planning, process evaluation, and outcomes assessment). LITERATURE: Literature from complex adaptive systems as applied to health care, business, and evaluation settings is presented. Evaluation models and applications, particularly those based on participatory approaches, are presented as methods for maximizing the effectiveness of evaluation in dynamic CBO environments. CONCLUSION: If one accepts that CBOs function as complex adaptive systems-characterized by dynamic relationships among many agents, influences, and forces-then effective evaluation at the stages of community assessment, needs assessment and planning, process evaluation, and outcomes assessment is critical to outreach success.

Community Health Planning↗

Disseminating relevant health information to underserved audiences: implications of the Digital Divide Pilot Projects.

OBJECTIVE: This paper examines the influence of the digital divide on disparities in health outcomes for vulnerable populations, identifying implications for medical and public libraries. METHOD: The paper describes the results of the Digital Divide Pilot Projects demonstration research programs funded by the National Cancer Institute to test new strategies for disseminating relevant health information to underserved and at-risk audiences. RESULTS: The Digital Divide Pilot Projects field-tested innovative systemic strategies for helping underserved populations access and utilize relevant health information to make informed health-related decisions about seeking appropriate health care and support, resisting avoidable and significant health risks, and promoting their own health. IMPLICATIONS: The paper builds on the Digital Divide Pilot Projects by identifying implications for developing health communication strategies that libraries can adopt to provide digital health information to vulnerable populations.

Community-Institutional Relations↗

Libraries reaching out with health information to vulnerable populations: guidance from research on information seeking and use.

OBJECTIVE: Two branches of applied social science have devoted substantial attention to researching information seeking and use. One branch is the field of communication, with its emphasis on the design of messages to effectively transmit expert information. The second is the field of library and information science, with its emphasis on meeting user needs. This paper is an overview and comparison of what is known about information seeking and use based on these two bodies of research, particularly as it applies to serving the needs of racial and ethnic minorities. DATA SOURCE: This paper is informed by three in-depth literature reviews of the two fields and of the difficulties of bringing findings from disparate fields to bear on the same phenomena. CONCLUSIONS: Twenty-five broad brushstroke propositions are extracted in a way that allows both commonalities and contradictions to be informative, particularly as they relate to how the flexibilities offered by electronic technologies may allow experts to serve user needs more effectively and efficiently. Remarkably, while both fields have approached their studies from separate viewpoints without much overlap, both have struggled with the baggage imposed on their research by information-as-transmission assumptions and both have moved toward approaches that focus on information-as-communication.

Community-Institutional Relations↗

Library outreach: overcoming health literacy challenges.

OBJECTIVE: This paper examines the powerful influences of consumer health literacy on access to and use of relevant health information. METHOD: The paper describes how widespread problems with health literacy significantly limit effective dissemination of relevant health information in society, especially to many vulnerable populations where health literacy challenges are especially pervasive. RESULTS: The paper examines strengths and weaknesses of different programs for addressing health literacy problems, including educational programs, message design programs, and strategic communication training and intervention programs. IMPLICATIONS: The paper evaluates strategies that can be implemented throughout the modern health care system to address problems of health literacy by improving health information access, processing, and understanding. It concludes by examining several strategies that libraries can adopt to overcome many health literacy challenges.

Community-Institutional Relations↗

Ecologies, outreach, and the evolution of medical libraries.

QUESTION: What are some of the forces shaping the evolution of medical libraries, and where might they lead? DATA SOURCES: Published literature in the fields of library and information sciences, technology, health services research, and business was consulted. MAIN RESULTS: Medical libraries currently have a modest footprint in most consumers' personal health ecologies, the network of resources and activities they use to improve their health. They also occupy a relatively small space in the health care, information, and business ecologies of which they are a part. Several trends in knowledge discovery, technology, and social organizations point to ways in which the roles of medical libraries might grow and become more complex. CONCLUSION: As medical libraries evolve and reach out to previously underserved communities, an ecological approach can serve as a useful organizing framework for the forces shaping this evolution.

Community-Institutional Relations↗

Assessing the scientific strength of Chile.

We use analysis of co-citation and relative citation rates to assess the scientific strength of Chile as compared with other developing countries and to evaluate the potential for increased international collaboration between Chile and the United States in science and engineering. Co-citation is the citation of two scientific papers by a third paper. By examining frequency and patterns of co-citation, the intellectual structure and evolution of scientific disciplines and research specialties can be traced. Chile is especially "strong", as defined by the co-citation model we employ, in biomedicine and clinical medicine, and in astronomy. A relative citation rate is the ratio of the number of citations a paper receives to the average number of citations for all papers published in the same journal over time. Analysis of relative citation rates of papers published by authors with Chilean addresses show that Chilean physics, including earth and space sciences, is of unusually high quality, considerably higher than any other developing country and comparable to several industrialized countries. We conclude that Chile's scientific capacity is advanced enough to absorb and benefit significantly from strategic additions to the country's resources and capabilities for research. These would include increases in: exchanges of researchers in specific fields with U.S. and other Latin American academic, industrial, and government scientists and engineers; training at outstanding U.S. and Latin American institutions; laboratory equipment, computer time, communications links, and library materials; and funding from U.S. and international organizations. It is also apparent that Chile is strong enough in certain fields to cooperate with the U.S. in mutually beneficial international efforts.

Authorship↗

SOURCE MATERIALS AND THE LIBRARY: THE DISPERSION OF THE BEAUMONT PAPERS.

The author discusses the confusion, attributable to misleading references, which long obscured the location of the main portion of the William Beaumont papers. The collection was previously thought to be in the National Library of Medicine, but it is actually housed in the Washington University School of Medicine Library. This has been clarified by the discovery of a series of previously unpublished letters of Sir William Osler, as well as by other newly found materials. The history of the Washington University School of Medicine Library is reviewed, and the facts relating to the disposition of the Beaumont collection in that library rather than the National Library of Medicine are told. Also considered are some of the problems which the dispersion of documentary source materials creates for the scholar. With the Beaumont papers as a case in point, various locations of such materials are cited, and their contents briefly noted.

Gene Library↗