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At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1993

Crossover comparison of drug information online database vendors: Dialog and MEDLARS.

OBJECTIVE: To compare Dialog EMBASE with the National Library of Medicine's (NLM's) MEDLARS MEDLINE, TOXLINE, and TOXLIT to evaluate differences among the databases and vendors in a method consistent with routine drug information practice. DESIGN: Crossover comparison. METHODS: NLM MEDLARS databases MEDLINE, TOXLINE, and TOXLIT were searched directly. EMBASE was searched via Dialog Information Services. MEDLINE was searched back to 1980; TOXLINE and TOXLIT were searched back to 1981, reflecting the different database structures. EMBASE was searched back to 1980. To control bias, searches were randomized; identical strategies were used during the same session and were performed by the same trained searcher. RESULTS: Twenty-six drug information requests were compared. The MEDLARS and Dialog databases were generally similar, with no significant differences in the number of potentially relevant references, English references, clinically relevant references, available abstracts, unique citations, time online, and number of questions answered. EMBASE searches were more costly (p = 0.0005). TOXLIT was costlier than TOXLINE and MEDLINE (p = 0.0018). CONCLUSIONS: NLM MEDLARS databases were comparable to Dialog EMBASE. Although MEDLARS provided more total and English-language citations, the differences were small and did not influence the proportion of questions answered. The greatest difference between the vendors was the significantly lower cost of searching on MEDLARS. Although this difference may be partially offset by the significantly shorter search times on EMBASE, the mean 1.9 minutes saved would not recoup the mean $7.89 difference in cost. MEDLARS databases are less expensive for routine drug information requests.

Costs and Cost Analysis↗
PubMed1988

The retrieval of randomized clinical trials in liver diseases from the medical literature: manual versus MEDLARS searches.

Recently, the usefulness of MEDLARS computer searches in biomedical research was questioned; the conclusion was drawn that to completely capture a specific population of articles, the MEDLARS system was inadequate. This conclusion was based on a comparison of MEDLARS and manual searches for articles on random clinical trials in liver disease for the period 1966-1982. The present study re-evaluated the validity of this conclusion. In the initial revised search strategy, the recall of valid articles was not significantly improved, as compared with the original MEDLARS search strategy, but precision of this revised search was significantly increased. The number of valid articles recalled was significantly increased by broadening the MEDLARS search strategy criteria, but not without a simultaneous and significant decrease in precision. A limiting capture rate of about 79% of the population of articles on random clinical trials was reached when all logical expansions of the search strategy were exhausted. Strategies for increasing the efficiency of MEDLARS searches in general are discussed citing limitations specific to the population of random clinical trial articles.

Clinical Trials as Topic↗
PubMed1985

The retrieval of randomized clinical trials in liver disease from the medical literature. A comparison of MEDLARS and manual methods.

Randomized clinical trials (RCTs) provide the most reliable therapeutic information available. Unfortunately, there are no systemic listing of RCTs. We compared a MEDLARS search of 3686 biomedical journals for RCTs with a manual search of the medical literature for the period 1966-1982. For the former search we used subject headings (1) liver disease or (2) biliary tract disease and subheadings (1) drug therapy, (2) surgery, (3) radiotherapy, or (4) therapy, and check tags (1) comparative study or (2) clinical research. For the manual search, the contents of 34 arbitrarily selected, gastroenterologic, hepatologic, surgical, or general journals were perused. The MEDLARS search identified 160 RCTs and 29 others were found in the references of the 160. One hundred fifty-four RCTs were identified by both methods. The manual search identified 208 RCTs and an additional 34 were found in the references of the 208. The MEDLARS search identified only 107 of 208 RCTs found in the references of the 208. The MEDLARS search identified only 107 of 208 RCTs found manually in the 36 journals, an efficiency rate of 51%. We estimate that 330 hepatobiliary RCTs had been published during this 17-year period. Sixty percent of the RCTs found by MEDLARS used the key word "randomized," "double blind," or "controlled" in the title, compared to 36% in those found by the manual search. In order to retrieve RCTs, it is essential that editors require that RCTs be identified in their titles or key words by specific terms such as "controlled," "randomized," and "double blind," that papers be so catalogued and indexed, and that searchers be instructed in appropriate search strategies.

Clinical Trials as Topic↗
PubMed1973

MEDLARS II: a review.

The MEDLARS II effort, as it was developed until June 1971, is reviewed in terms of the overall planning process. How MEDLARS I was approached by NLM is discussed first and its objectives used for comparison. Certain technical, managerial, and intellectual aspects are outlined as types of problems encountered in designing MEDLARS II. While improvement upon the MEDLARS I seemed to be the main reason for planning a MEDLARS II, objectives became blurred and divergent as the project went along. The complexities of creating a central computerized data base of health sciences bibliographic information and library functional activities for nationwide use were underappreciated and remain a challenge to NLM.

Computers↗
PubMed1970

Comparative analysis of epilepsy abstracts and a MEDLARS bibliography.

Bibliographic retrievals on epilepsy prepared by MEDLARS and Excerpta Medica Foundation (EMF) monthly during 1968 were comparatively analyzed. EMF retrieved 1,116 citations with an average delay of 5.41 months, compared to 1,006 citations retrieved by MEDLARS with an average delay of 6.45 months. Differences in size of retrieval and delay between the systems were not significant. A total of 365 journals were represented, but a smaller group of ninety-one journals with citations in both retrievals formed a "core" of productive journals yielding over half the output of both systems. About 300 articles were cited in both searches, leaving 800 citations retrieved by EMF but not by MEDLARS and 700 citations retrieved by MEDLARS but not by EMF. Thus neither system was felt to provide comprehensive coverage of the epilepsy literature. Discrepancies in retrieval were found to be due primarily to indexing and retrieval procedures and not to coverage of different journals by the two systems.

Abstracting and Indexing↗
PubMed1966

The recurring bibliographies program of MEDLARS.

Recurring bibliographies are by-products of the MEDLARS system which are prepared by the National Library of Medicine in collaboration with nonprofit scientific and professional societies and institutions and government agencies that represent a specialty area of biomedical research or practice. The sponsor generally assumes responsibility for the costs of publication and distribution. At present MEDLARS has a planned capacity of fifty such recurring bibliographies. The subject parameters and format are defined by the representatives of the sponsoring organization and the NLM Search, MeSH, and Index staffs. As citations are regularly put into the MEDLARS store, each one that qualifies for a recurring bibliography is identified and tagged by the computer with the number assigned to the pertinent RB. The MEDLARS store is searched for citations for a particular recurring bibliography according to the schedule specified by the sponsoring organization, and the output is printed from a GRACE tape.

Abstracting and Indexing↗
PubMed1984

MEDLARS utilization profile in New England.

The Northeastern Consortium for Health Information's Ad Hoc Committee on Online Statistics conducted a three-month MEDLARS utilization study in New England. Mailing lists from the New England Regional Medical Library Service and the New England Online Users Group were used to solicit participants. Seventy-four libraries submitted data on 8,899 MEDLARS searches. Each search was described by (1) type of institution; (2) occupation of requester; (3) purpose of search; (4) whether requester was a new or repeat user; (5) if the requester was from inside or outside the online center's institution; (6) fees-for-service; and (7) choice of vendor or vendors for accessing MEDLARS. Overall, patient care and research were the most frequently stated purposes of search; 44% of the searches were initiated by physicians.

Fees and Charges↗
PubMed1996

Persistent viability of the Medlar body.

BACKGROUND: The Medlar body represents an adaptive tissue form of the fungi known to cause cutaneous chromomycosis. This study was designed to determine the in vitro viability of Medlar bodies that are found in profusion within lesional epidermis. METHODS: Epidermal scrapings of three indigenous cases from Texas of chromomycosis due to Fonsecaea pedrosoi were collected and periodically cultured to determine the duration of fungal viability. RESULTS: The causative organism could be recovered 11, 15, and 18 months, respectively, after epidermal scrapings were obtained from the three patients. CONCLUSIONS: This simple but important experiment indicates that Medlar bodies are quite hardy. Thus, clinical lesions may appear after long incubation periods subsequent to traumatic implantation of etiologic fungi. The robust adaptability of the tissue form may also account for the difficulty in achieving a "cure" in cases of chromomycosis.

Aged↗
PubMed1964

THE DEVELOPMENT OF MEDLARS.

The MEDLARS (Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System) Project grew out of the National Library of Medicine Index Mechanization Project of 1958-60, previously reported. Work on MEDLARS has been in progress for over two years, and the system should be operational at the beginning of 1964. MEDLARS is a computerized information retrieval system with three major types of products: (1) one-shot demand searches on questions of great complexity, (2) recurring bibliographies in special fields of the medical sciences, and (3) composition of a comprehensive periodical index, the Index Medicus.

Abstracting and Indexing↗
PubMed1966

The MEDLARS project at the UCLA Biomedical Library.

The National Library of Medicine has established at the Biomedical Library, UCLA, a remote MEDLARS search station. The agreement between the libraries provided that the Biomedical Library in cooperation with the UCLA Health Sciences Computing Facility would reprogram MEDLARS for the IBM 7094 computer, provide personnel to be trained in machine searching at NLM, and engage in a pilot demonstration of search service to the medical staff of UCLA. This paper describes the place of the search section in the organization of the Biomedical Library and the training of personnel at NLM (the article by Garvis in this issue of the Bulletin relates the problems encountered in making two different computer systems compatible). Search service had not begun when this paper was written; it was scheduled to begin late in 1965. Plans for the future include the enlargement of the UCLA MEDLARS staff and extension of search service to a larger geographical area.

California↗
PubMed1966

The UCLA MEDLARS computer system.

Under a subcontract with UCLA the Planning Research Corporation has changed the MEDLARS system to make it possible to use the IBM 7094/7040 direct-couple computer instead of the Honeywell 800 for demand searches. The major tasks were the rewriting of the programs in COBOL and copying of the stored information on the narrower tapes that IBM computers require. (In the future NLM will copy the tapes for IBM computer users.) The differences in the software required by the two computers are noted. Major and costly revisions would be needed to adapt the large MEDLARS system to the smaller IBM 1401 and 1410 computers. In general, MEDLARS is transferrable to other computers of the IBM 7000 class, the new IBM 360, and those of like size, such as the CDC 1604 or UNIVAC 1108, although additional changes are necessary. Potential future improvements are suggested.

California↗
PubMed1966

The MEDLARS regional center at UCLA: a progress report.

This paper supplements information given in earlier papers on the UCLA MEDLARS Search Station. Four major machine problem areas in the operation of a decentralized station are identified: adjustments required to run a large information retrieval type program in an academic computing facility serving many users; handicap in running time for COBOL programs; advent of the third generation of computers with attendant preparation; and need for constant current communication among all members of a decentralized network system. Statistics are given for the initial operating period, January-May 1966: 119 search requests received, 109 formulated, and 60 fully processed. Parallel searches with other MEDLARS installations, comparisons of MEDLARS and manual Index Medicus searches, and other search activities are reported.

California↗
PubMed1964

DATA PROCESSING ASPECTS OF MEDLARS.

The speed and volume requirements of MEDLARS necessitate the use of high-speed data processing equipment, including paper-tape typewriters, a digital computer, and a special device for producing photo-composed output. Input to the system is of three types: variable source data, including citations from the literature and search requests; changes to such master files as the medical subject headings list and the journal record file; and operating instructions such as computer programs and procedures for machine operators. MEDLARS builds two major stores of data on magnetic tape. The Processed Citation File includes bibliographic citations in expanded form for high-quality printing at periodic intervals. The Compressed Citation File is a coded, time-sequential citation store which is used for high-speed searching against demand request input. Major design considerations include converting variable-length, alphanumeric data to mechanical form quickly and accurately; serial searching by the computer within a reasonable period of time; high-speed printing that must be of graphic quality; and efficient maintenance of various complex computer files.

Abstracting and Indexing↗
PubMed1964

MEDLARS AND THE LIBRARY COMMUNITY.

The intention of the National Library of Medicine is to share with other libraries the products and the capabilities developed by the MEDLARS system. MEDLARS will provide bibliographic services of use to other libraries from the central system. The decentralization of the central system to permit libraries with access to computers to establish local machine retrieval systems is also indicated. The implications of such decentralization for the American medical library network and its effect on library evolution are suggested, as are the implications for international development of mechanized storage and retrieval systems.

Abstracting and Indexing↗
PubMed1965

MEDLARS: PERFORMANCE, PROBLEMS, POSSIBILITIES.

Operational experience during the first year of MEDLARS is described in relation to the Library's primary objectives of index publication, recurring bibliographies, and demand search services. Progress toward the implementation of two secondary objectives-the input of cataloging copy and the decentralization of the system-is also reported. MEDLARS has been intensively tested during its first operational year, its strengths and weaknesses have been identified, and it is now prepared to develop its service potential.

Bibliographies as Topic↗
PubMed1988

Analysis of the use of MEDLARS in Mexico.

A statistical analysis of MEDLARS usage by Mexico's National Health Information and Documentation Center (CENIDS) is described. A total of 13,029 connect hours was registered during the period 1977-1986. MEDLINE was the MEDLARS database most frequently used, representing 82.83% of total use. Some 41,563 online searches, requested by 30,775 users, were performed by CENIDS' headquarters staff during this period. Findings from this study will be used to further research on information services in order to maximize the effectiveness of existing resources.

MEDLARS↗
PubMed2005

Longitudinal melanonychia of the toenails with presence of Medlar bodies on biopsy.

A 9-year-old girl presented with a 2-year history of pigmented streaks on her second right toenail as well as on her fourth and fifth left toenails. The patient was otherwise asymptomatic with no other physical findings. Owing to parental concern, a biopsy was performed, which revealed numerous bacteria as well as Medlar bodies overlying the nail bed with no evidence of a nevomelanocytic lesion. To our knowledge, this is the first report of Medlar bodies causing pigmented streaks in the toenails.

Biopsy↗