The origin and development of a concept: the information society

The constructs that underlie a discipline are complex and often times uncertain. It is argued that the ways in which we perceive and conceptualize are influenced by our habits of mind and our view of the world. This paper traces the concept of the "Information Society" from its inception in the discipline of economics through its development and its subsequent diffusion to the field of information science.

Technology at Washington University School of Medicine Library: BACS, PHILSOM, and OCTANET

A brief overview of the Bibliographic Access and Control System developed by the Washington University School of Medicine Library is presented. Because the system has been described in two previous reports, this paper focuses on its relationship to other automated programs (i.e., PHILSOM and OCTANET), education of users, evaluation of the system, and outreach to the medical center. In operation for more than two years, BACS represents the computerization of much of the managerial and operational functions of the library, and marks the completion of stage 1 of the three stages of library evolution described in the AAMC report Academic Information in the Academic Health Sciences Center: Roles for the Library in Information Management.

Health science libraries in the United States: III. Hospital health science libraries, 1969-1979

Health sciences libraries in hospitals were examined from longitudinal data collected in 1969, 1973, and 1979, to derive parameters for the universe and for resources, services, and manpower. The surveys show that during this period, the number of hospitals decreased whereas the number of libraries increased. Growth in the number of community hospital libraries was counterbalanced by changes in federal, psychiatric, tuberculosis, and chronic illness hospitals.

Health sciences libraries in the United States: II. Medical school libraries, 1960-1980

Surveys of medical school libraries made over a twenty-year period (1960-61 through 1980-81) were analyzed. As indicated by growth in both number and support, medical school libraries have evolved from a period of stability through expansive growth and subsequent leveling off. Expenditures and resource development have been affected by historical developments, especially recent massive federal and state aid to medical education.

Health science libraries in the United States: I. Overview of the post-World War II years

Data from three surveys of health sciences libraries in the United States (1969, 1973, and 1979) were analyzed within the context of scientific, technological, and sociopolitical developments. Findings included decrease in the number of separately administered libraries, growth of some, decline or discontinuation of others, and geographic movement. Overall, the aggregate resources are increasing, as is cooperation among libraries.

Evaluation of the macro-vue latex agglutination test for quantitation of gentamicin in human serum

The Macro-Vue Card Test (Hynson, Wescott, and Dunning, Baltimore, Md.) for rapid quantitation of gentamicin in serum was compared with bioassay and radioimmunoassay procedures on sera from 100 patients. Regression analysis of paired results from the bioassay (using Klebsiella pneumoniae ATCC 27799) and the Macro-Vue Card Test indicated a correlation coefficient of 0.89, whereas comparing radioimmunoassay and Card Test results yielded a correlation coefficient of 0.83. The bioassay-radioimmunoassay correlation coefficient was 0.88. The data were further examined by grouping the sera of the patients into three categories based on therapeutic concentration ranges as follows: less than 2 micrograms/ml, subtherapeutic range; 2 to 8 micrograms/ml, therapeutic range; greater than 8 micrograms/ml, potentially toxic range. Of 100 specimen values, 81 fell into the same concentration range when bioassay and Card Test values were compared. Of the 19 disagreements, 12 were considered minor. Of 100 specimen values compared by radioimmunoassay and the Card Test, 88 fell into the same concentration range. Of the 12 disagreements, 6 were considered minor. Therefore, the Macro-Vue Card Test for gentamicin compared favorably with both the bioassay and radioimmunoassay procedures. The minimal time required to perform the Card Test (12 to 15 min) makes it attractive for situations in which immediate results are needed.

Management of preterm premature rupture of membranes: assessing amniotic fluid in the vagina for phosphatidylglycerol

This prospective study evaluates the clinical practicality of assessing free amniotic fluid in instances of premature rupture of the membranes (PROM) before term. The presence of phosphatidylglycerol (PG) provided evidence of fetal pulmonary maturity. Daily aspirations of vaginally pooled amniotic fluid were performed on 55 consecutive patients with preterm PROM and met with a success rate of 80% (79 of 99 attempts). Respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) occurred in none of 28 neonates in whom PG was present prior to delivery, and in four of 19 in whom PG was absent. Evidence of surfactant maturation at the time of initial sampling was noticed in 24% of fetuses at 28 to 34 weeks' gestation. Those who initially lacked PG showed an acceleration of its appearance in the aminotic fluid with time, and almost all required a minimum of 48 to 72 hours. Sampling free amniotic fluid for PG is reliable, noninvasive procedure which can be usefully applied to the management of preterm PROm.

Research in psychiatry: a co-citation analysis

Co-citation analysis provides a methodology for investigating the structure of scientific specialties. The authors did such an analysis for psychiatry by using some 2 million references from the Social Sciences Citation Index to identify 155 clusters of publication that represent psychiatry-related areas. They report on the distribution of publications among research areas, the rate of growth in research activity, and interrelationships among disciplines.

Evaluation of manuscripts in health sciences librarianship

Manuscripts submitted for review and full-length papers and brief communications published in the Bulletin of the Medical Library Association from 1976 through 1978 have been analyzed in order to identify some of the most common problems in the preparation of a paper. The findings point to a need for instructing librarians in (1) understanding the nature of "explanation" in a scientific or historical paper; (2) designing a research project and analyzing the data; (3) preparing data for display; and (4) more effective writing skills.

Congenital absence of the pectoral muscles. A review of twenty-five patients

Twenty-five patients with unilateral partial absence of the pectoral major muscle were reviewed to determine the presence of fetal insult, associated anomalies, neoplasia, and prognosis. Fifteen had ipsilateral synbrachydactyly (the Poland Anomaly) which varied in severity from minimal findings to nearly complete absence of the hand. The pattern of abnormality was remarkably uniform with maximal involvement of the midhand and least involvement of the thumb and small finger. The etiology of this condition remains unknown although fetal insult is suggested in some cases. Although reports in the literature suggest a relationship with childhood leukemia, no malignancies were found in these children. None was found to have serious associated anomalies and all were judged to be of normal intelligence, suggesting a generally good prognosis.

Magdalene Freyder Hodgson, 1894-1974: an important link in biomedical communication

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Health science libraries in the United States: a five-year perspective

Two surveys of the universe of health science libraries in the United States have been completed by the Medical Library Association's Committee on Surveys and Statistics over a five-year period. This paper compares, for 1969 and 1973, summary data on the universe, and the distribution of libraries, resources, personnel, and salaries.