March 2018 – HSLS Update

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ORCID iD and Automated Altmetrics Reports

ORCID ID logo An ORCID iD is your lifetime author identifier that connects all aspects of your research career, no matter how often or where you move, or if your name changes for any reason. Database searchers worldwide will find your complete body of work, connecting you to potential co-authors, new opportunities, award nominations, or speaking invitations. Once your ORCID iD is registered, use Scopus to perform an author search and export all your publications to your ORCID account using these instructions. This will also connect the two systems for automatic updates.

ORCID’s coordination of all your associated works makes it easier to analyze the immediate impact of your ‘science communication’ with society. Altmetrics cover both academic and public or community engagement with publications, books, news stories, blogs, YouTube videos, Twitter, Facebook, slide presentations, workshops, data, software, and other shared work. Recognition of your work can be tracked through Altmetrics reporting, which tracks your scholarly activities throughout online media, and which depends on your ORCID iD. Altmetrics reports can:

be used in grant applications to demonstrate real-world applications and science communication or public engagement skills.

be helpful in annual assessments to display enhanced research dissemination.

encourage new research relationships and global collaborations.

As an example of the value to a funding agency, the National Science Foundation (NSF) evaluates these activities, among other options, as evidence of Broader Impacts, the second half of the merit review process.

Pitt uses altmetrics leader PlumX to analyze publications deposited in Pitt’s repository, D-Scholarship@Pitt. Browse or search the repository without logging in to view examples of a PlumX analysis.

For faculty, another option is to view your record in Pitt’s Faculty Information System (FIS), accessible via my.pitt.edu. On the far right side, scroll down to the FIS link and press enter. In your record, scroll to your “Claimed Publications.” Click on a publication title. In the upper right, under the citation, click on the D-Scholarship link. This will take you to the publication record in D-Scholarship@Pitt, where you can view the PlumX analysis at the bottom of the page.

For more information, see the HSLS guides: Scholarly Communication and Research Impact-Enhance Your Impact. You can also contact Andrea Ketchum at ketchum@pitt.edu or call 412-648-9757.

~Andrea Ketchum

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Get Some OOMF for Your Tech with New Charging Packs

Oomf charger Finding a power outlet can be tough, so why not bring a power source with you? Falk Library now has two Oomf Omnicharge stations in the library. This is a free technology loan program that works with the Oomf app to borrow a charging pack for 24 hours.

If you are new to Oomf, get started by downloading the app, available for iPhone and Android. You will need to set up an account; although borrowing is free, your credit card information is collected for any applicable late fees if the device is not returned after 24 hours. Visit one of the charging stations, either at the library Main Desk or at the upper floor Technology Help Desk. When your phone is near the charging station, it will connect via Bluetooth and unlock one of the available charging packs. Take the pack with you, and use your device’s charging cord. The Technology Help Desk also lends charging cords for phones and laptops that are compatible with the charging packs. Multiple devices can be connected to one Oomf charger, via two USB slots and one AC outlet.

Oomf is available to support any issues at support@theoomf.com.

~Julia Dahm

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National Library of Medicine Team Visits HSLS

Photo of Kate Flewelling — Kate Flewelling
Executive Director, NNLM MAR

On February 1-2, 2018, four visitors from the National Library of Medicine conducted a site visit with staff from the National Network of Libraries of Medicine, Middle Atlantic Region (NNLM MAR), and the NNLM Web Services Office (NWSO). Both NNLM MAR and NWSO are based at HSLS and are funded from 2016-2021 as part of a cooperative agreement with the National Library of Medicine.

The site visit team included Amanda Wilson, head, National Network Coordinating Office; Alan Vanbiervliet, program officer, Extramural Programs; and Franda Liu and Nichelle Midon, project scientists, National Network Coordinating Office. Continue reading →

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Director’s Reflections…THANK YOU to our Generous Donors

Barbara Epstein
HSLS Director
bepstein@pitt.edu

Below is a list of those generous people who have made donations to the library in 2017. With the support of these thoughtful people, HSLS can continue to provide essential resources to enhance the quality of health care in western Pennsylvania and beyond.

Ms. Patricia W. Bookamyer

Dr. Nancy Breslen

Mr. Arnold and Mrs. Barbara Epstein

Dr. Carol E. Roach Mattes

Ms. Maureen K. Perrino

Dr. Elizabeth A. Schlenk

Dr. John B. Schumann and Mrs. Maria Pimentel-Schumann

Dr. Frederick J. and Mrs. Nancy Tannery Continue reading →

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Novel Guidelines Address Fatigue in the Ambulance

Fatigue is a persistent problem for EMS providers. Over half report work-related fatigue, creating potential hazards for their patients as well as drivers who share the road with them. But there have never been any credible recommendations to mitigate risk.

Until now. In January, the Fatigue in EMS Project issued first-ever evidence-based guidelines for EMS professionals and those who manage their schedules:

Use fatigue/sleepiness survey instruments to measure and monitor fatigue.
Limit work shifts to less than 24 hours.
Provide access to caffeine.
Provide the opportunity to nap while on duty.
Provide education and training to mitigate fatigue and fatigue-related risks.

From this librarian’s perspective, what distinguished this project from others were its blitz-like pace and output. Within 21 months of my first meeting with lead investigator Daniel Patterson, assistant professor of emergency medicine, his project team had published the five guidelines and the seven systematic reviews on which they were based. These publications will be the basis for a special supplement of Prehospital Emergency Care.

Full disclosure: Things did not start from scratch at the point when I joined the team. By then, Patterson’s multidisciplinary expert panel had already completed a structured, iterative process to select seven research questions. These were in PICO format (Population, Intervention, Comparison, Outcome) and had been registered in PROSPERO, an international database of systematic reviews.

My search strategies concentrated on the population and intervention concepts. Population was constant, defined as people at least 18 years old working in EMS and other extended shift professions, including firefighters, police, pilots, truckers, nurses, physicians, and military personnel. Interventions evaluated are reflected in the five guidelines above. Evidence for two additional interventions was not strong enough to warrant recommendations.

The seven literature searches covered six databases, included thousands of search terms, and retrieved over 38,000 items, all of which the team reviewed for relevant evidence that was distilled into the guidelines.

The National Association of State EMS Officials (NASEMO) partnered with Patterson’s research team. Funding from the National Highway Safety Administration supported the project.

Patterson, currently a paramedic for Parkview EMS in O’Hara, says that he has a healthy respect and fear of fatigue when on duty. “It is that fear of what could happen when fatigued that drives me to do my best to use the strategies I know to work for me and supported by the evidence.”

~Pat Weiss

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Treasures from the Rare Book Room: Golgi’s Investigations on the Finer Structure of the Central and Peripheral Nervous System

Camillo Golgi (1843-1926) was an Italian pathologist associated with the University of Pavia, where he studied and worked as professor of histology, chair of pathology, and dean and rector of the University. He is known for his work on the central nervous system, for which he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1906, and which he shared with Santiago Ramón y Cajal.

While studying at the University of Pavia, under the influence of Cesare Lombroso, Golgi started his scientific career researching mental diseases, but quickly abandoned psychiatry in order to study the structure of the nervous system. Though tissue staining techniques in histological research were introduced in the mid-19th century, they were not sophisticated enough for investigating the nervous system. Golgi started his search for a better technique and ultimately discovered staining using potassium dichromate and silver nitrate (mentioned by him in 1873). This revolutionary technique of “black reaction,” later named after him (Golgi staining or Golgi impregnation), allowed for the first time a clear visualization and description of nerve cells. This discovery was a critical point in the development of modern neurology. Though Golgi himself could not see beyond the “reticular theory” (the belief that the nervous system consists of nervous fibers forming an intricate but continuous network), his work led to the establishment of neurons as a basic cell unit of the nervous system. He will be remembered as a man who pushed neurological research forward. Continue reading →

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HSLS Staff News

The HSLS Staff News section includes recent HSLS presentations, publications, staff changes, staff promotions, degrees earned, etc.

News

Donna Perkins has been promoted to Web Editor and will continue assisting at the Main Desk. She previously was working nights and weekends, but will now be working Monday through Friday during the day.

Brendan Vaughan has joined the HSLS staff as a library specialist. In his new position, he will be working at the Main Desk and will provide customer service. Continue reading →

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