The WikiProfessional project has launched WikiProteins for beta testing. They are calling on professionals to contribute to the annotation of proteins culled from existing databases, such as PubMed, Swiss-Prot, and the Gene Ontology database.

Read more about the project at Ars Technica and the full paper published on Genome Biology that describes the collaborative nature of the project in more detail.

The National Network of Libraries of Medicine, Middle Atlantic Region (NN/LM MAR) is pleased to announce the awarding of three Small Project Awards and an Exhibit Award to:

PJ Grier; Linda Leonard
Delaware Academy of Medicine, Newark, DE
Exhibit: Delaware State Fair - Healthy Kids Day at the Fair (July 22, 2008)

PJ Grier, Linda Leonard, Patty Hartmannsgruber, Susan LaValley
Delaware Academy of Medicine, Consumer Health Information Services (3 awards for each county: Kent County, New Castle County, Sussex County)
Project: exhibiting at Delaware Library Association Annual meeting (May 9, 2008)

Congratulations!

The Small Project Awards are small awards of up to $1,000 awarded to network members to enhance their services and provide seed money for ongoing or one-time projects through the purchase of displays, brochures, presentations, materials, equipment, supplies, or presentation of small programs.

Small Project Awards are currently available and will be awarded until funds are depleted. Small Project Award applications are reviewed in-house by RML staff, with notification of award given 10 days from receipt of a complete application.

Apply online at: http://nnlm.gov/mar/funding/microawards.html Questions?

Call or email Arpita Bose at 1.800.338.7657 or bose at library.med.nyu.edu

Summary report of the Regional Hearing held on May 14, 2008, New York, NY

On May 14, 2008, almost 300 registrants from throughout the Health and Human Services (HHS) Regions 1 and II participated in a public hearing on the Healthy People 2020. Participants were invited to provide feedback on the draft vision, mission, overarching goals, and framework proposed for the upcoming 2020 national health targets. Healthy People 2020 will be launched by January 2010, with six regional meetings scheduled throughout the United States during 2008, public input and comments solicited through 2009. Reportedly, it will be released in two phases: the framework (vision, mission, goals, focus areas, and criteria for selecting and prioritizing goals) and the final objectives (with criteria for selecting and prioritizing the objectives).

The Healthy People objectives totaled 226 in 1990 and have grown to 467 in 2010, with 1000 sub-objectives. The strengths are the collaboration underlying the process, the wide array of areas included, and the fact that the objectives are data-driven with measurable targets. Recommendations for the 2020 version include the following. First, objectives should be limited to no more than 150 and no more than 15 target areas. Second, the primary focus should be on risk factors and determinants of health, with secondary focus on diseases and disorders. It should also emphasize public health priorities adding a focus on health information technology (IT), preparedness; and primary care emphasis should continue. Finally, all objectives should be scientifically valid and sustainable.

The draft recommendations from the thirteen member advisory committee of the Secretary’s Advisory Committee on National Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Objectives for 2020 are available at: http://www.dhss.mo.gov/fridayfacts/DraftCommitteeRecommendations.pdf

The vision statement for Healthy People 2020 is: A society in which [all] people can live long, healthy lives. One of the first public comments asked why the word all did not appear in the draft vision; participants were assured that this was an inadvertent omission and, in fact, was part of the draft vision. The HP2020 mission includes

• Increase public awareness and understanding of the underlying causes of health, disease and disability;
• Improve results by providing priorities, measurable goals and objectives, and guidance on effective strategies and tactics;
• Catalyze action using best available evidence to improve policy and practice;
• Identify research and measurement priorities for improving the evidence base.

The draft goals are limited to four:

1. Achieve health equity, eliminate disparities and improve health of all groups;

2. Eliminate preventable disease, disability, injury and premature death;

3. Create social and physical environments that promote good health for all;

4. Promote healthy development and healthy behaviors across every stage of life.

Everyone was/is encouraged to submit written comments via the Internet at http://www.healthypeople.gov/hp2020/comments/

Summary report submitted by Diana Cunningham, MLS, MPH, AHIP, Associate Dean and Director, Health Sciences Library, New York Medical College, Valhalla, N.Y. 10595 (Diana_cunningham@nymc.edu).

NIH Launches Undiagnosed Diseases Program

Clinical Researchers to Tackle the Most Puzzling Medical Cases

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) today announced a new clinical research program that will aim to provide answers to patients with mysterious conditions that have long eluded diagnosis. Called the Undiagnosed Diseases Program, the trans-NIH initiative will focus on the most puzzling medical cases referred to the NIH Clinical Center in Bethesda, Md., by physicians across the nation.

“A small number of patients suffer from symptoms that do not correspond to known conditions, making their care and treatment extraordinarily difficult. However, the history of biomedical research has taught us that careful study of baffling cases can provide new insights into the mechanisms of disease — both rare and common,” said NIH Director Elias A. Zerhouni, M.D., who has made a point during his six-year tenure at NIH of encouraging trans-NIH initiatives. “The goal of NIH’s Undiagnosed Diseases Program is two-pronged: to improve disease management for individual patients and to advance medical knowledge in general.”

The new program, which got under way over the past month, is the culmination of efforts by William A. Gahl, M.D., Ph.D., clinical director at the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI), part of the NIH; John I. Gallin, M.D., director of the NIH Clinical Center; and Stephen Groft, Pharm.D., director of the NIH Office of Rare Diseases (ORD). With the program infrastructure now in place, the program is ready to accept patients, the first of which is expected to be seen in July 2008.

“The NIH Clinical Center, the nation’s clinical research hospital, provides an extraordinary environment for excellence in both patient care and collaborative clinical investigation,” said Dr. Gallin. “This new program will capitalize on a rich set of skills already at the Clinical Center to help patients with unusual medical conditions. These patients partner with us in clinical research to identify new diseases or new treatment.”

To evaluate each patient enrolled in the new program, NIH will enlist the expertise of more than 25 of its senior attending physicians, whose specialties include endocrinology, immunology, oncology, dermatology, dentistry, cardiology and genetics. Dr. Gahl, who is an expert on rare genetic diseases, will serve as director of the new program.

“We have developed a stringent referral process to ensure this program deals with those cases that have truly confounded medical experts,” Dr. Gahl said. “We will be very selective when it comes to patient eligibility. Our focus is strictly on conditions that have not been diagnosed.”

To be considered for this NIH pilot program, a patient must be referred by a physician and provide all medical records and diagnostic test results requested by NIH. Patients who meet the program’s criteria — as many as 100 each year — will then be asked to undergo additional evaluation during a visit to the NIH Clinical Center that may take up to a week.

Two nurse practitioners will manage patient recruitment and logistics for the new program, which will utilize existing facilities and staff already at the NIH Clinical Center, NHGRI and ORD. Funding for the program includes $280,000 per year from the ORD.

In organizing the Undiagnosed Diseases Program, NIH has reached out to patient advocacy groups that often serve as a source of information and support for people struggling with mysterious ailments. “We hope to build upon our strong working relationships with many patient advocacy groups. These organizations provide a crucial link in our nation’s efforts to improve human health through biomedical research,” said Dr. Groft. “We hope that this new partnership of NIH researchers, advocacy groups and patients will give hope for many Americans who now face troubling medical symptoms with no clear diagnosis.”

For more information about the Undiagnosed Diseases Program, go to: http://rarediseases.info.nih.gov/Undiagnosed. Physicians and patients with specific inquiries may call the NIH Clinical Center clinical information research line, at 1-866-444-8806.

Leigh Mihlrad
Systems & Technology Librarian
Schaffer Library of Health Sciences
Albany Medical College
Albany, NY

A variety of Internet-based office products, such as Google Docs (http://docs.google.com), Zoho (http://www.zoho.com), and Microsoft Office Live (http://workspace.officelive.com) have popped up to challenge traditional desktop-based office products. While not new, they are developing new features that might pose a threat to more established (and expensive) products like Microsoft Office, as least for some. All are still in beta format, and are works in progress.

The best way to learn is by trying them out. All are free, though require registration. Sampling both desktop and Internet varieties gives you an idea of the pros and cons of each, as well as what kinds of projects each might be good for. Practicing with test files or other non-crucial material is advised. Try setting up margins, adding colors, changing presentation templates, etc. to see how things work.

As an Office 2007 user, the biggest thing I noticed is that most of the Internet products do not yet let you upload Office 2007 documents. In Word 2007, file names end in “docx” (as opposed to “.doc” in previous verstions). Not surprisingly perhaps, Microsoft Office Live permits this. When trying to upload a .docx file in Google Docs, the system tells you that this file extension is not supported. This leaves the only option as saving the file in the older Word file extension, and uploading it that way. Zoho.com lets you export Office 2007 files from their site but not import them.

Internet-based products seem well-suited for collaborative projects, as they allow you to easily add collaborators. This permits easier editing than if doing them in Office, where one might e-mail a file back and forth. In some cases chat windows are also available, so you can talk to collaborators while working on a project. Expect fewer layout bells and whistles though. Fonts are limited, as are things such as bullet types and symbols. When I exported a file from Microsoft Office to Zoho, I found that many of my layout choices did not transfer over. I had to redo some of the bullet points and fonts. However, the content was all still there. The files also save a bit slower than they do when working in Microsoft Office.

Changes are afoot to bring the Internet products even closer to their desktop peers. Not long ago, you had to be logged onto the site to work on your files. Now, you can work on them even while “offline.” The spreadsheet products feature pivot tables. Most of the products also have their own blogs to alert users of new features.

As they offer fewer bells and whistles, I also found many of the Internet products easier to use for a beginner. Whereas PowerPoint might intimidate some, the Internet-based versions are more “click and add.” One could likely prepare a presentation or spreadsheet with very little prior experience.

Being relatively new products, things are not perfect with the Internet suites. Occasionally I experienced bugs, and the Microsoft versions certainly offer more layout choices. If one wants vast layout or customization options, then they might want to stick with the desktop versions. Privacy is also an issue, as desktop files appear safer, being saved on one’s computer or flash drive instead of another company’s server. However, Internet-based office products keep improving and offer more flexibility. They are certainly worth considering.

MedlinePlus has released a multilingual feature, providing access to high quality health information in languages other than English and Spanish. This new service, linked from the MedlinePlus homepage and available directly at http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/languages/languages.html, benefits people who prefer to read consumer health information in their native language. It also helps the information professionals and health care providers who serve them.

The new collection contains over 2,500 links to information in more than 40 languages and covers nearly 250 Health Topics.

Users can navigate the new collection of health information in multiple languages either by language or by topic. In addition, a languages box with a list of language names displays on the English Health Topic pages. The language names link to information on MedlinePlus in multiple languages for that topic

You can also use the MedlinePlus search tool to find these pages. A new collection called Multiple Languages appears in the MedlinePlus search results.  Look for an update to the MedlinePlus Search Tips in the near future.

In addition, an interactive world map teaches users about the number of people who speak nine of the languages in the MedlinePlus collection.

The MedlinePlus collection of health information in multiple languages is not meant to be comprehensive. Instead, as with our English and Spanish collections, MedlinePlus staff selects materials according to our quality guidelines. We also follow quality guidelines that are specific to the new collection.

NLM welcomes your comments and suggestions about MedlinePlus. A “Contact Us” link appears at the top of every MedlinePlus page.

The National Network of Libraries of Medicine, Middle Atlantic Region (NN/LM MAR) is pleased to announce the awarding of MicroAwards to the following network members:

Shelly Warwick
Touro-Harlem Medical Library, New York, NY
Project: Library Branding Design Project

Nancy Glassman
D. Samuel Gottesman Library, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY
Project: Let Me Show You How It’s Done (Glance subscription)

Peter Cole
St. Michael’s Medical Center - Aquinas Medical Library, Newark, NJ
Project: National Evidence-Based Practice Conference (presentation)

The Small Project Awards are small awards of up to $1,000 awarded to network members to enhance their services and provide seed money for ongoing or one-time projects through the purchase of displays, brochures, presentations, materials, equipment, supplies, or presentation of small programs.

Small Project Awards are currently available and will be awarded until funds are depleted. Small Project Award applications are reviewed in-house by RML staff, with notification of award given 10 days from receipt of a complete application.

Apply online at: http://nnlm.gov/mar/funding/microawards.html Questions?
Call or email Arpita Bose at 1.800.338.7657 or bose at library.med.nyu.edu

Mark your MLA calendar for the launch of the Middle Atlantic Region Strategic Plan!

Based on feedback from network member libraries in Delaware, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania, and with the endorsement of the Regional Advisory Committee, the National Network of Libraries of Medicine (NNLM) Middle Atlantic Region (MAR) is pleased to invite MLA attendees to the launch of our Strategic Program Plan for Member Participation. Please join Karen Brewer, Director of NN/LM MAR, and members of the RML staff for this informative and celebratory launch. Attendees will receive a pocket copy of the plan and our brand new MAR eco-friendly bag.

Date: Sunday, May 18/08
Time: 8:00 a.m. -9:00 a.m.
Place: Hyatt Regency Hotel, Hong Kong room, Gold level, West Tower

For those who cannot attend, the full version of the plan is available on the NN/LM MAR website, http://nnlm.gov/mar/about/plansreports.html

Against the Odds: Making a Difference in Global Health.

A new exhibit at the National Library of Medicine

Located on the campus of the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland (just outside of Washington, DC), the exhibit examines the revolution in global health taking place in towns and cities around the world. Communities, in collaboration with scientists, advocates, governments, and international organizations, are working on an international level to investigate complex global health issues, ranging from community health and conflict to disease and discrimination.

Free of charge and open to the public, this exhibition introduces some of the scientists, advocates, communities, and organizations who have made a difference—working together, against the odds, for the benefit of all.

Prior to the public opening on April 17^th, the Library held an opening program featuring a global health panel moderated by CNN medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen featuring young activists and health advocates featured in the exhibit. A webcast of the panel is available for viewing here: http://videocast.nih.gov/Summary.asp?File=14435

The approximately 4,000 square foot exhibit is comprised of six different sections including:

• Food for Life; Brazil and its citizens are featured in this area of the exhibit as the country is currently facing an epidemic of obesity as well as a lingering crisis of hunger and malnutrition.
• Action on AIDS; In the face of discrimination, negligence, stigma, and ignorance, advocates for health and human rights have fought against the spread of the disease.
• An End to Violence; Physicians and campaigners have used evidence gathered by medical personnel and the testimony of witnesses to highlight the terrible toll of warfare. This work has led to treaties banning the use of landmines and agreements against nuclear weapons testing.

Additional information about the exhibit, including directions and docent-led tour information can be found at www.nlm.nih.gov/againsttheodds.

The exhibit web site also contains interactive features for those not able to visit such as:

• Games and instructional resources for middle- and high-school students and educators
• Global health perspective database, where readers can join in the dialogue on global health issues
• Monthly columns from global thought leaders reflecting on current events, key issues, or historical milestones in global health

The May issue of NIH News in Health, the monthly newsletter bringing you practical health news and tips based on the latest NIH research, is now online at http://newsinhealth.nih.gov/. In this issue of NIH News in Health:

Frightened of Food
Living with Food Allergies
Imagine what life would be like if you had to constantly check out the ingredients in your favorite foods to make sure your life wasn’t in danger after eating even a tiny bit. For some people with severe food allergies, that’s become their way of life.

Of Air and Asthma
Air Pollution’s Effects
A growing number of Americans are sniffling and suffering with allergies and asthma. If you’re 1 of the 23 million Americans who suffer from asthma, you might get some relief by taking steps to reduce indoor allergen levels and modifying your lifestyle to avoid the ill effects of air pollution.

Health Capsules:

• Keeping Off Lost Weight
• Older Corneas Can Make Good Transplants
• Featured Web Site: Gear Up!

Click here to download a PDF version for printing.

Subscribe to receive email alerts when new issues of NIH News in Health are posted by going to https://list.nih.gov/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=nihnewsinhealth-l&A=1.