September - October 1998 Volume XI Number 6
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IN THIS ISSUE Digital Library: Full-Text Journals NLM Expands Health Info. Access Bonilla Receives Library Award Colloquium to Honor Dr. DeBakey
 Monday-Thursday: 7:00 am-Midnight Friday: 7:00 am-9:00 pm Saturday: 9:00 am-5:00 pm Sunday: 1:00 pm-10:00 pm The Library is closed on Labor Day, Monday, September 7, 1998..
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The Digital Library of the future is here! The Library is pleased to announce a family of full-text journals to facilitate the daily work of faculty, residents, students, and researchers. It is now possible to conduct a library literature search on MEDLINE and then simply find and print the papers directly from your PC! The HAM-TMC Library is working daily to make this dream of full-text online journals a reality. The Library has approximately 300 journals available in full-text (from 1995 to the present). This compliments the over 4,400 subscriptions in the Library's collection and is a strong beginning towards the development of a digital library. Two recent additions to the growing full-text collection are MD Consult and Academic Press/IDEAL (see page 3). You can access the Library Home Page (www.library.tmc.edu) and click on "electronic biomedical journals" for a complete listing of what's available. Most journals are accessible from "tmc.edu" IP addresses, but some may require that you use a library computer. If you have any questions, contact the Reference Desk (713/799-7161 or 7162). See the complete list of electronic full-text journals.
September 1, 1998, marked a turning point for the Library in the number of full-text publications offered to Library users. Two new services were added: MD Consult and Academic Press/IDEAL. These two services provide Library members with over 200 online full-text journals and a wealth of other materials. A list of electronic journals provided by the Library listed above. Access to Academic Press/IDEAL and MD Consult was made possible by cost savings from the switch to PubMed. The MD Consult service includes Mosby's GenRx drug reference; 47 online medical journals, 36 online reference books, over 500 clinical practice guidelines, 2,500 acclaimed patient education handouts, and over 250 modules for on-line Continuing Medical Education credits. Academic Press/IDEAL provides full-text access to 175 biomedical journals and additional Academic Press journals. This service is available through the Library's Home Page. IDEAL brings the journals directly to the desktops of HAM-TMC Library members. IDEAL began in 1996, and now contains over 50,000 articles with 2,000 more added every month. Journal issues are added to the IDEAL library every day.
MD Consult is the most comprehensive online medical information service available. It offers access to: Reference Books: 36 renowned medical texts online can be searched simultaneously. Online Journals: the complete text of articles from 47 trusted medical journals and Clinics of North America online. Practice Guidelines: over 500 peer-reviewed clinical practice guidelines. Patient Education: 2,500 patient education handouts that can be annotated and printed. Mosby's GenRx: prescribing information on over 30,000 medications. Lists alternative medications by category, cost of therapy data, and unspecified uses. Discussion Groups: exchange views with peers around the world. Physician's Web Guide: the best of the medical Web, as reviewed by physicians. Today In Medicine: reviews of new developments from major journals, government agencies, and medical conferences, with links to related information. What Patients Are Reading: articles from the popular press linked to full-text, peer-reviewed material on each topic. In This Week's Journals: presents the key contents of the big-five journals in an easy-to-scan format, including concise article summaries. CME Center: choose from over250 online modules to earn category 1 credit, with instant feedback.
Ferid Murad, M.D., Ph.D., of the University of Texas Houston Health
Science Center, was awarded the Nobel Prize in Medicine on October 12,
1998, along with two of his colleagues. Dr. Murad is Professor and Chairman
of the Department of Integrative Biology, Pharmacology and Physiology at
the University of Texas Medical School.
Since these initial discoveries, further research has identified NO as a signal molecule in the nervous system, a weapon against infection, and a regulator of blood pressure and blood flow to organs. Intensive study of NO has lead to a greater understanding (and sometimes treatment) of heart disease, high blood pressure, tumor growth, impotence, and inflammatory diseases. Dr. Murad described the moment he was notified of the award: "I was called at 4 A.M. by the secretary of the Nobel Committee. He thought he was calling at 5 A.M. They gave me 30 minutes before they posted it on the web. I ran upstairs and took a shower and got dressed. I knew I wouldn't have much time after that."
Noting that "the Internet offers the pubic one of the most cost-effective opportunities for accessing timely and critical health information," Donald A.B. Lindberg, M.D., Director of the National Library of Medicine (NLM), has announced that 37 public libraries will take part in a multi-state pilot project designed to increase public awareness of and access to health information via the Internet. The project will evaluate the degree to which public libraries and the Internet can help meet the health information needs of the public. Dr. Lindberg said, "These 37 public libraries will help us to determine the feasibility of mounting these programs in public libraries nationwide." "Informed consumers are better patients," he added, "and MEDLINE is the world's largest database of peer-reviewed information." He noted that this public education campaign would not be possible without the cooperation of the National Network of Libraries of Medicine in partnership with the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, the Public Library Association, and the Medical Library Association. There are ten public libraries in the South Central Region participating in this pilot project, including the Houston Public Library. During August and September staff from the NN/LM SCR, the University of Texas Health Sciences Center San Antonio Briscoe Library, and the Houston Academy of Medicine-Texas Medical Center Library trained librarians at the public libraries to search PubMed, IGM, and the Internet, in preparation for a nation-wide publicity kick-off which began in October, 1998. This pilot project will last one year. NLM staff is planning extensive project evaluation before beginning similar projects nation-wide. For a list of the 37 participating libraries, please contact the NN/LM SCR office at (800) 338-7657 or NNLMSCR@library.tmc.edu.
Congressman Henry Bonilla (D-TX, 23rd District) has been honored as
the recipient of the 1998 Medical Library Association (MLA) Award for Distinguished
Public Service. The award recognized Congressman Bonilla's contributions
to the health information community, which have made a difference in the
quality of our nation's health care.
Top officials from several national medical organizations will speak at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston November 5 during a scientific colloquium celebrating Dr. Michael E. DeBakey's 50th anniversary at the College. DeBakey, a world-renowned surgeon, educator and medical statesman, is chancellor emeritus and a distinguished professor of surgery at Baylor and director of The DeBakey Heart Center at Baylor and The Methodist Hospital. He joined the Baylor faculty in 1948 as Professor and Chairman of the Department of Surgery. The colloquium, which is open to the public, begins at 8:30 A.M. with opening remarks from Dr. Ralph D. Feigin, Baylor President. Dr. William T. Butler, Chancellor, will moderate the colloquium's three sessions. Session one: "The Future of Biomedical Research," begins at 8:45 A.M. Scheduled to speak are:
Session three: "The Future of Medical Education," begins at 1:15 P.M. after a lunch break. Scheduled to speak are:
The Library now offers Publications Services, an exciting new program designed to assist Texas Medical Center students, staff, and faculty with the writing and preparation of documents for publication. Publications Services includes direct services to users and Library classes for those who want to learn how to improve writing skills and techniques. User services include:
Mary W. Jackson, a native Texan, joined the Library as the Outreach Coordinator in the National Network of Libraries of Medicine, South Central Regional Office on October 12. Mary received her MSLS in 1973 from the University of Illinois, and her BA in Biological Sciences from the University of St. Thomas, Houston. Prior to this position she was the Learning Resource Center Coordinator at Baylor College of Medicine, Department of Surgery. Her past work experiences includes NASA - Johnson Space Center Medical Science Library, Miles Pharmaceuticals, and the HAM-TMC Library. Melissa Sauceda is an assistant at the National Network of Libraries of Medicine (NN/LM), South Central Regional Office. Melissa is responsible for general office duties, mailings, packing RML exhibits, and processing NN/LM InterLibrary Loans. Tracy Timmons has recently joined the Knowledge Network Services division of the library. She holds a B.S. in Health Education from Lamar University in Beaumont, TX and is working on her M.L.S. from the University of North Texas. Previously, she worked in the Lamar University library. Clarence Witson joined the Library on July 20 as the Systems Division Head. As a native Houstonian, he has worked in the computer industry for over 29 years in areas including management, consulting, sales, analysis, support, and training. As the Systems Division head, Mr. Witson oversees the maintenance and improvement of library computer hardware, software, and networks. Mr. Witson's main goal is to develop an information technology infrastructure to help launch the library into the millennium. Farewell and best wishes to Damon Camille, Associate Director of Public Affairs. |
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The three scientists were awarded the prize
for their discoveries concerning "nitric oxide as a signaling molecule
in the cardiovascular system." Dr. Murad discovered that nitroglycerin
and other vasodilating compounds relax smooth muscle cells, such as those
lining blood vessels. Continued efforts revealed that nitric oxide (NO)
could penetrate cell membranes and act as a signal messenger, regulating
important cellular functions.