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Month: August 2022

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With the 2023 NIH Data Management and Sharing Policy going into effect on January 25, 2023, there’s no better time to explore data management resources! This post explores resources that can help you with your data management needs.

What is data management? 

Data management involves the process of collecting or producing, cleaning and analyzing, preserving, and sharing data from a research project. Data management takes place throughout the entire research life cycle, from deciding on consistent file naming conventions to depositing the data in a repository for long-term archiving. 

Why Data Management?

Data management is vital for transparency (showing your work promotes reproducibility of work), compliance (funding organizations and journals often require making data available), and personal and organizational benefit (using data within your own lab is easier with proper management).

I Think It’s FAIR to Say…

Understanding data management best practices is important to make well-informed decisions when selecting data management resources and tools. The FAIR Principles, first published in 2016, provide a set of guidelines for data management. FAIR stands for Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable. You can learn more about the FAIR Principles on our Data Management Guide. Another great resource to help guide your data management is Cornell University’s Research Data Management Service Group’s Comprehensive Data Management Planning and Services Best Practices which provides extensive information related to best practices for: 

Broad Data Management Resources

Himmelfarb’s Data Management Guide provides a wealth of information and resources related to data management. In addition to some basic information about data management, you’ll find information about NIH and NSF funder requirements. Data management plans (DMPs) are also covered in detail. The documentation and metadata page explains what metadata is, what should be included in your metadata, metadata schemas, controlled vocabularies, file naming conventions, and electronic lab notebooks. The data storage and security page includes data storage, storage formats, creating a backup plan, and data security. You’ll also learn about data sharing, including GW’s policy on regulated information, and data repositories.

I might need to make a plan for this… 

Creating a data management plan (DMP) is often part of the grant writing process required by funding institutions. A comprehensive data management plan should address:

  • Data Collection: Must be reliable and valid.
  • Data Storage: Appropriate amount of data so research can be reproduced.
  • Data Analysis: Interpretation of data from which conclusions can be derived.
  • Data Protection: Ensuring sensitive data is safe and secure, preventing tampering or loss of data.
  • Data Ownership: Addresses legal rights associated with data.
  • Data Retention: Addresses how long data should be kept and proper disposal of sensitive data.
  • Data Reporting: Publication of data.
  • Data Sharing: Addresses what data can be shared with others and how.

When it comes to creating a DMP, there are a number of tools available to help! The DMPTool is a free, open-source tool that helps researchers create DMPs that comply with funder requirements. DMPTool also provides links to funder websites, and best practices resources to help guide your data management efforts. Since GW is affiliated with DMPTool, GW users can create a personalized dashboard that allows them to see and organize the DMPs created through the tool. From the DMPTool’s website, simply click “sign in” and use Option 1 to search for George Washington University. Then log in with your GW UserID and password and create your data management plan! 

The Framework for Creating a Data Management Plan, created by ICPSR, is a great outline that will help you create a DMP for your grant application. The framework includes a list of elements to be included, explains why each element is important and provides examples for each element. Michener’s article Ten Simple Rules for Creating a Good Data Management Plan is another great starting point to gain an understanding of the principles and practices of creating a DMP and ensuring your data are safe and shareable. For more DMP resources and to see examples and templates, check out the Data Management Plan page of the data management guide.

What’s Next?

Stay tuned for future posts on best practices for writing a data management plan, data storage, file naming conventions, creating “readme” metadata, and other data management topics. In the meantime, check out the lists of GW resources and additional resources below to learn more!

Additional GW Resources:

Additional Data Management Resources:

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Image of a woman using a laptop from Women of Color in Tech stock images
Image from Women of Color in Tech stock images on Flickr (CC by 2.0)

The volume of new research being released can be overwhelming. You may need to keep up with new findings, developments, or guidelines to deliver quality patient care, pursue research, or teach and you may have multiple, disparate topics to follow. Scanning table of contents from your favorite journals won’t do the job. Twitter, ResearchGate and LinkedIn can help if you’re plugged into the right networks. We have some other tools to recommend to bring the latest relevant research to your attention.

Last spring Himmelfarb became an institutional member of Read by QxMD. Read is a personal awareness service for health sciences professionals. You can choose to follow curated collections or put in keywords to deliver relevant articles to your feed. The more you read, like, and save on Read, the more tailored your feed becomes. Check our article on Read to learn how to set up your free account and link directly to full-text articles. The Read app is available for Apple and Android devices and can be accessed via a web browser.

Browzine is a journal browsing and reading app that allows you to follow publications and receive alerts when new articles are published. You can set up a personal library of titles or search by subject. The Browzine mobile app allows you to download articles and read them offline. Set up a free account by accessing Browzine and selecting My Bookshelf. 

Several of Himmelfarb’s database services allow you to set up automated searches and search alerts. These include PubMed, Scopus and EBSCOhost databases like CINAHL. You can access any of these databases on Himmelfarb’s web page under Popular Resources. 

Additionally, Health Information @ Himmelfarb, the library’s search box, allows users to save searches that can be re-run later. After you’ve run your search, Sign In with your University UserID and password:

Screen shot of the Sign in option in Health Information @ Himmelfarb

Then use the Save Query button to save your search.

Screen shot of the Save Query option in Health Information @ Himmelfarb

You can access the saved search later under My Favorites while signed in by clicking your name at upper right.

Screen shot of the menu selection for My Favorites in Health Information @ Himmelfarb

Want to know what research has been retracted in your topics of interest? Retraction Watch is now integrated into Health Information @ Himmelfarb and Browzine via LibKey to alert you to retracted content.

For other tips on keeping up with the literature, check our Research Guide on How to Keep Up with Health Sciences Information.

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Did you know that August is nationally recognized as National Breastfeeding Month? This year’s theme is Together, we do great things! A thriving community is something that cannot be achieved without the daily effort of all. What better time to recognize those who give effort and service to growing infants, and provide support to new mothers. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends that infants be exclusively breastfed for the first 6 months, yet many mothers struggle to reach these goals, and sixty percent do not breastfeed as long as they intend to. 

AAP’s  Policy Statement on Breastfeeding and the Use of Human Milk includes survey data from mothers of different cultural backgrounds. As much as we stand together in this common need, statistics show that initiation rates differ greatly between racial groups with the highest breastfeeding initiation rates occurring within non-Hispanic White and Hispanic populations. 

Advocacy is important and help is available for those struggling with breastfeeding. The Office of Women’s Health offers a helpline that is staffed with breastfeeding counselors who are ready to assist. The Women, Infants and Children’s program (commonly called WIC) also offers food, care packages, peer counselor support and healthcare benefits to new mothers who have low incomes. 

The final week of August is Black Breastfeeding week with the theme “BBW2022: 10 Years, A New Foundation”. Nasheeda Pollard, author and International Board Certified Lactation Consultant, talks about her personal breastfeeding experiences, her thoughts on Black Breastfeeding week, inher recently published children's book, Magical Milk. Similar stories that reflect on personal experiences and why Black Breastfeeding week is important can be found on La Leche League USA’s website. 

Last but not least, Himmelfarb Library has resources available on breastfeeding that may assist you in further reading & research:
The Ethics and Politics of Breastfeeding : Power, Pleasure, Poetics
The International Breastfeeding Journal (2006 - Present) 
The Journal of Human Lactation (1999 - Present) 
Breastfeeding basics for moms : your breastfeeding questions answered.
Breastfeeding answers : a guide for helping families
Breastfeeding management for the clinician : using the evidence
Breastfeeding and human lactation
Core curriculum for interdisciplinary lactation care

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Brain inflammation illustration from Alzheimer's disease image from NIH Image Gallery
Image credit National Institute on Aging, NIH: Brain Inflammation from Alzheimer’s Disease (CC BY-NC2.0)

Last month, Science published a story describing how images used in some highly cited Alzheimer’s research papers were discovered to be manipulated.1 These publications supported the amyloid beta (Aβ) hypothesis of Alzheimers which links the disease to protein deposits forming plaques in brain tissue. The research spurred drug development targeting Aβ oligomers. Many of the manipulated images were the work of a neuroscientist named Sylvain Lesné who discovered the Aβ*56 oligomer and claimed that it caused dementia in transgenic mice in a landmark Nature study published in 2006.2

The Nature paper has been cited in about 2300 scholarly articles—more than all but four other Alzheimer’s basic research reports published since 2006, according to the Web of Science database. Since then, annual NIH support for studies labeled “amyloid, oligomer, and Alzheimer’s” has risen from near zero to $287 million in 2021.

Piller, C. Blots on a field? Science 377:6604, 360 (2022).

The image manipulation was first discovered by a fellow Alzheimer’s researcher named Matthew Schrag who was hired by an attorney investigating possible fraud in the development of Simufilam, an experimental Alzheimer’s therapy. Schrag found altered or duplicated Western blot images in dozens of research articles on the drug and its underlying science, including the Nature study. He stopped short of calling the manipulations deliberate misconduct, saying he would need the original unpublished images to prove that. Shrag reported his findings to the NIH which had funded much of this research, and the journals that published the works. 

Schrag also reached out to Science Magazine, fearing that the NIH and the journals would not conduct their investigations fast enough to prevent more potentially wasted grant funding and research. Science conducted a 6 month investigation led by independent image analysts and several Alzheimer's researchers who concurred with Schrag’s findings. They describe “shockingly blatant” instances of image tampering, including piecing together images from different experiments.

More than 20 suspect Lesné papers have been identified. Lesné submitted corrected images for a few, but even those corrections have shown signs of manipulation. 13 papers including the Nature study are now under investigation by the journals they were published in. Schrag and others have been critical of Karen Ashe, the head researcher where Lesné did his initial work on Aβ*56, saying she did not do enough to ensure the integrity of the research coming out of her lab.

Journal publishers do not typically use sophisticated image analysis to determine if images have been tampered with. The Materials Design Analysis Framework was developed by several publishers in 2021 to improve data transparency and help prevent image manipulation. The Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) provides standards for publishers to follow on data and reproducibility and how to handle allegations of misconduct, but it does not sanction members who don’t follow guidance, as outlined in this Scholarly Kitchen editorial. The new NIH Data Management and Sharing policy which goes into effect in January 2023 should improve access to data and original images in NIH grant funded research, encouraging further scrutiny and reproducibility.

Retraction Watch can help you identify papers that have been flagged as retracted or under investigation. Our article on Searching for Retractions outlines sources and methods for finding retracted or corrected works so flawed findings are not included in future research or systematic reviews. Schrag used PubPeer in his investigations, a discussion space where researchers can report suspected issues with publications.

You can listen to an interview with Charles Pillar, the author of the Science article, detailing the magazine’s and Schrag’s investigations on the Science Magazine July 21 podcast.

  1. Piller, C. Blots on a field? Science 377:6604, 358-363 (2022).  https://doi.org/10.1126/science.add9993
  2. Lesné, S., Koh, M., Kotilinek, L. et al. A specific amyloid-β protein assembly in the brain impairs memory. Nature 440, 352–357 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1038/nature04533

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“Crime Scene Do Not Cross” Signage

Photo by kat wilcox from Pexels: https://www.pexels.com/photo/crime-scene-do-not-cross-signage-923681/

Warning: This post contains discussion of murder and sexual abuse.

Vince Gilmer was a kind, well-liked doctor in his small town of Cane Creek, North Carolina – that is, until July 2004, when he was arrested for the vicious murder of his father. How could this beloved man turn into a violent criminal?

In court, Vince defended his actions by explaining that he had been a victim of his father’s sexual abuse since childhood and that his father had assaulted him on the day of the murder. Despite these claims, Vince was found guilty of the murder.

Five years later, another Dr. Gilmer arrived in Cane Creek. Benjamin Gilmer was not related to Vince, but because of the similarities between the two men (surname, profession, age), the case grabbed Benjamin’s interest. Sarah Koenig, a reporter with the program This American Life, got in contact with Benjamin and they decided to investigate Vince’s story together.

People described Vince’s behavior in the months leading up to the murder as unstable. He had gotten into a serious car accident (possibly intentionally) in which he hit his head; had started drinking heavily following his divorce; and had stopped taking his prescribed antidepressant (Lexapro, an SSRI). When Benjamin and Koenig visited Vince in prison, he told them that he had heard voices on the day he committed the murder. Vince theorized that he might have been suffering from SSRI withdrawal.

Benjamin thought SSRI withdrawal was a plausible diagnosis, and he also wondered if perhaps Vince had gotten a traumatic brain injury from his car accident. To get a psychiatrist’s perspective, Benjamin invited a friend of his to meet Vince. Noticing Vince’s odd gait and wide gesticulations, the psychiatrist had a different suggestion: Vince might have Huntington’s disease. 

Huntington’s is a neurodegenerative disease that can cause motor impairment as well as cognitive/emotional issues like confusion, anxiety, and impulsivity (Novak & Tabrizi, 2010). Koenig describes it as “a cruel trifecta of Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and Lou Gehrig’s disease, rolled into one.” The average age of onset is 40 years, and life expectancy after diagnosis is only 10-25 years. Huntington’s is a genetic disease – offspring of affected parents have a 50% chance of getting it too (Novak & Tabrizi, 2010). It’s possible Vince’s father had it, as he had exhibited some symptoms but was never diagnosed. There is no cure for Huntington’s and no way to halt the progression of the disease, although some drugs such as Tetrabenazine have been shown to reduce symptoms of chorea (the sudden jerking movements characteristic of the disease) (Novak & Tabrizi, 2010). 

Symptoms of Huntington’s include hallucinations, irritability, moodiness, paranoia, hyperkinesia, confusion, memory loss, and anxiety. Vince basically checked every box. To diagnose Huntington’s, a DNA test is required to detect CAG trinucleotide expansion in the HTT gene (DynaMed). A normal HTT gene will have fewer than 36 CAG repeats, while a gene with 40+ repeats is strongly indicative of Huntington’s. Imaging can also be useful for diagnosis, as Huntington’s is characterized by cerebral atrophy (Novak & Tabrizi, 2010). Vince’s DNA test confirmed that he had Huntington’s. 

But does Huntington’s create murderers? People with Huntington’s are actually much more likely to be the victims of violence than to commit violence (Finan, 2022). But perhaps the combination of Huntington’s, antidepressant withdrawal, stress, and years of abuse could cause somebody to “snap”. That’s what Dr. Mary Edmonson suggests happened in Vince’s case (Finan, 2022). What do you think?

After many years, Benjamin succeeded in his mission to get Vince’s conviction overturned. In January 2022, the Virginia governor granted Vince a pardon. Vince is now in late-stage Huntington’s and has become more physically disabled; he has extreme difficulty with talking and swallowing, and though he can still walk, he falls often. As of March of this year, Benjamin was in the process of becoming Vince’s legal guardian and was making plans for Vince to go to a medical care facility where he will receive appropriate treatment. 

Do you know of another interesting true crime case with medical connections? Email Rachel Brill at rgbrill@gwu.edu.

References and Further Reading:

DynaMed. Huntington Disease. EBSCO Information Services. Accessed August 11, 2022.  https://proxygw.wrlc.org/login?url=https://www.dynamed.com/condition/huntington-disease 

Finan E. After a Beloved Small-Town Doctor Murdered His Own Father, the Clinic's New Doc Solved the Mystery of Why. People. March 3, 2022. https://people.com/crime/after-a-beloved-small-town-doctor-murdered-his-own-father-the-clinics-new-doc-solved-the-mystery-of-why/

Gilmer, Benjamin. The Other Dr. Gilmer. Ballantine Books; 2022.

Koenig, S. Dr. Gilmer and Mr. Hyde. This American Life. April 12, 2013. https://www.thisamericanlife.org/492/dr-gilmer-and-mr-hyde  

Novak MJ, Tabrizi SJ. Huntington's disease. BMJ. 2010 Jun 30;340:c3109. doi: 10.1136/bmj.c3109. PMID: 20591965. https://proxygw.wrlc.org/login?url=https://www.bmj.com/content/340/bmj.c3109.long 

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Infographic with images of book covers for Himmelfarb's top geriatric titles.

August 21st is National Senior Citizens Day! Help us celebrate and honor our senior citizens by taking a look at Himmelfarb Library’s top geriatric e-books! 

  • Hazard’s Geriatric Medicine and Gerontology: This definitive comprehensive text combines gerontology principles with clinical geriatrics, offering a holistic approach to this ever-expanding area of medicine. This 7th edition is divided into five parts: principles of gerontology, principles of geriatrics, geriatric syndromes, principles of palliative medicine, and organ systems and diseases.
  • Integrative Geriatric Medicine: This work, authored by GW SMHS faculty member Mikhail Kogan, summarizes a patient-centered, holistic approach to the medical care of the elderly. This text is deeply rooted in lifestyle interventions such as nutrition, movement therapies, and mind-body and spirituality approaches to geriatric patient care.
  • Geriatric Physical Therapy: This book offers a comprehensive presentation of geriatric physical therapy science and practice. Topics covered include age-related changes in function, the impact of these changes on patient examination and evaluation, and intervention approaches that maximize optimal aging. A print copy is also available in our basement level stacks (call number: RC953.8 .P58 G47 2012). 
  • Geriatrics at Your Fingertips: This reference book provides quick and easy to access information needed to make decisions about the care of older adults. New sections added to this edition include radiological imaging, sleep disturbances in dementia, and chronic urinary retention. We also have a 2019 print edition available in our stacks.
  • Brocklehurst’s Textbook of Geriatric Medicine and Gerontology: This leading reference text in the field of geriatric care offers a contemporary, global perspective for today’s gerontologists, internal medicine physicians, and family doctors. This edition includes an increased focus on frailty, coverage of key issues in gerontology, disease-specific geriatrics, and complex syndromes specific to the elderly. A print edition is also available in our stacks.
  • Adult-Gerontology Practice Guidelines: This comprehensive resource for health care practitioners presents adult-gerontology practice guidelines for primary care. Structured in three sections, section one provides current guidelines, section two discusses 18 procedures, and section three presents 140 patient teaching guides on a variety of topics. A 2016 print edition is also available in our stacks.
  • Essentials of Clinical Geriatrics: This engagingly written, up-to-date introductory guide to the core topics in geriatric medicine aims to help clinicians do a better job of caring for their older patients. This classic text features a strong focus on must-know concepts and provides the most current updates on the assessment and management of geriatric care. A print edition is also available in our stacks.
  • Current Diagnosis and Treatment - Geriatrics: This text provides a framework for using a person’s functional and cognitive status, prognosis, and social context to guide the diagnosis and treatment of medical conditions. This edition applies the principles of geriatric medicine in different care settings to address common conditions and diseases and manage common symptoms and concerns encountered by clinicians in the care of older patients. A 2014 print edition is also available in our stacks.

In addition to the great titles listed above, Himmelfarb also provides access to Geriatrics Review Syllabus and Geriatric Nursing Review Syllabus. Geriatrics Review Syllabus is a comprehensive geriatric medicine reference with prevailing evaluation and management strategies in geriatrics medicine and includes 400 case-oriented, multiple-choice questions with answers, critiques, and references. Geriatric Nursing Review Syllabus provides the same great material but has been adapted for advanced practice geriatric nurses. 

Accessing these e-books from anywhere is easy! Check out our Off-Campus Access Guide for tips and instructions on accessing these books from off-campus. Or reach out to our reference staff with off-campus access questions.

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In recent years, clinical calculators have faced criticism for their treatment of race and ethnicity. The datasets on which these calculators were based, drawn from cohort studies and other longitudinal trials, are frequently homogeneous populations or of limited diversity. Reports of research methods have often been opaque. The data categories used for race and ethnicity, based on those created by the Office of Management and Budget, are limited and do not reflect the diversity of participants’ identities (see AMA Manual, 11th edition, Chapter 11.12.3). Furthermore, the data behind the calculators reflects existing disparities, which are perpetuated in their continued use (Vyas et al., 2020).

As the medical community confronts how the variable race serves a proxy for systemic racism in these calculations (Davidson et al., 2021), conversations have even risen to more mainstream media (e.g. Should Black People Get Race Adjustments In Kidney Medicine?, Racial bias in widely used hospital algorithm, study finds). As we reckon with the racism and discrimination that has been part of medicine; we advocate for, and work towards, change. 

Time and research is needed to identify predictive variables, develop algorithms, and validate calculators (Hamad et al., 2022 video abstract, Rodriguez et al., 2019, Cardiovascular Risk Assessment [DynaMed]). For ASCVD risk estimation, for instance, we often use the Pooled Cohort Equations (PCE). The 2019 ACC/AHA Guideline on the Primary Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease notes, “The PCE are best validated among non-Hispanic whites and non-Hispanic blacks living in the United States. In other racial/ethnic groups or in some non-US populations, the PCE may overestimate or underestimate risk. Therefore, clinicians may consider the use of another risk prediction tool as an alternative to the PCE if the tool was validated in a population with characteristics similar to those of the evaluated patient” (Arnett et al., 2019, emphasis added). Fortunately, there are alternatives, which are listed in practice guidelines and in DynaMed, and work to develop and validate tools continues, e.g. Weale et al., 2021. 

Over years, we see new calculators developed and guidelines begin to include them. More immediately, we see a statement on Race in Medical Calculators and Risk Estimates describing MDCalc’s efforts to provide additional context and signposting. Going back to ASCVD risk estimation, the ASCVD Risk Estimator+ now notes that “estimates may underestimate the 10-year and lifetime risk for persons from some race/ethnic groups, especially American Indians, some Asian Americans (e.g., of south Asian ancestry), and some Hispanics (e.g., Puerto Ricans), and may overestimate the risk for others, including some Asian Americans (e.g., of east Asian ancestry) and some Hispanics (e.g., Mexican Americans)”. 

We can be advocates for changes. Medical students in a February 2022 informatics session questioned why one particular tool only had Black and White as options for race. (Other calculators offer Black | White | Other; the AMA manual of style notes that “The nonspecific group label "other"... is uninformative and may be considered pejorative" (AMA Manual of Style, Chapter 11.12.3).) Their librarian instructor contacted the tool developer, who responded by adding the option ‘Neither of these’. While the display changes are imperfect, they highlight the importance of continuing the discussion of how race is used in clinical calculators, and the  importance of highlighting where we need to adopt additional tools, develop new tools, reconsider what we are trying to measure, and invite more people to plan and participate in our studies to ensure that we have data that reflects our population. 

Research to improve these calculators continues. We have seen a reevaluation of the use of race as a variable at all in calculations like eGFR. Calculators are being developed and validated using data and variables that reflect more diverse populations. Researchers are being asked to consider how race as a social construct impacts their research questions, whether to use race as a variable, and, if so, what categories are appropriate. In the informatics session, we discuss how practitioners need to consider the data from which the calculators were derived, how that data does (not) reflect their patients, and what alternative tools they might use. Himmelfarb’s point-of-care tools highlight practice guidelines and recommended calculators. Our librarians are here to help you access and navigate these resources.  

For more on this topic, see:

Awareness in Writing and Publishing, for information on collecting and reporting on race and ethnicity in research [Additional Resources - Cultural Competency] 

Critical Data Literacy: Addressing Race as a Variable in a Preclinical Medical Education Session [poster; Research Guide]

Race Correction in the UTI Guidelines - The Curbsiders [podcast]

References

Vyas D. A., Eisenstein L. G., Jones D. S. Hidden in Plain Sight — Reconsidering the Use of Race Correction in Clinical Algorithms. The New England jJournal of medicine. 2020;383(9):874-882. https://doi.org/doi:10.1056/NEJMms2004740

Davidson, K. W., Krist, A. H., Tseng, C.-W., Simon, M., Doubeni, C. A., Kemper, A. R., Kubik, M., Ngo-Metzger, Q., Mills, J., & Borsky, A. (2021). Incorporation of Social Risk in US Preventive Services Task Force Recommendations and Identification of Key Challenges for Primary Care. JAMA. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2021.12833

Hamad, R., Glymour, M. M., Calmasini, C., Nguyen, T. T., Walter, S., & Rehkopf, D. H. (2022). Explaining the variance in cardiovascular disease risk factors: A comparison of demographic, socioeconomic, and genetic predictors. Epidemiology (Cambridge, Mass.), 33(1), 25–33. https://doi.org/10.1097/EDE.0000000000001425

Rodriguez, F., Chung, S., Blum, M. R., Coulet, A., Basu, S., & Palaniappan, L. P. (2019). Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease risk prediction in disaggregated asian and hispanic subgroups using electronic health records. Journal of the American Heart Association, 8(14), e011874. https://doi.org/10.1161/JAHA.118.011874 

Arnett D. K., Blumenthal R. S., Albert M. A., et al. 2019 ACC/AHA Guideline on the Primary Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease: A Report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Task Force on Clinical Practice Guidelines [published correction appears in Circulation. 2019 Sep 10;140(11):e649-e650] [published correction appears in Circulation. 2020 Jan 28;141(4):e60] [published correction appears in Circulation. 2020 Apr 21;141(16):e774]. Circulation. 2019;140(11):e596-e646. https://doi.org:/10.1161/CIR.0000000000000678

Weale, M. E., Riveros-Mckay, F., Selzam, S., Seth, P., Moore, R., Tarran, W. A., Gradovich, E., Giner-Delgado, C., Palmer, D., Wells, D., Saffari, A., Sivley, R. M., Lachapelle, A. S., Wand, H., Clarke, S. L., Knowles, J. W., O’Sullivan, J. W., Ashley, E. A., McVean, G., … Donnelly, P. (2021). Validation of an Integrated Risk Tool, Including Polygenic Risk Score, for Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease in Multiple Ethnicities and Ancestries. The American Journal of Cardiology. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amjcard.2021.02.032

AMA Manual of Style Committee. (2020). Correct and Preferred Usage. In AMA Manual of Style: A Guide for Authors and Editors (11th ed.). Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/jama/9780190246556.001.0001

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Monkeypox, COVID, the seasonal flu, shingles, tetanus, HPV. Now it is a critical time to be vaccinated. If you are not sure where to start on the topic, a good question to ask yourself is: “which vaccinations do my patients need?” 

The CDC has a vaccine index that clearly outlines recommended vaccines based on age group, co-existing conditions, healthcare workers, international travel, and immigrants and refugees.. The CDCalso provides details on who should not be vaccinated. 

The CDC includes a clinical & professional practice resource which provides insights on talking with patients about the importance of vaccines, provider requirements and support, interim clinical considerations, and Covid tracking and reporting systems. It also includes articles and guidelines for children as young as six months and older. 

If you are feeling wary or overwhelmed with the number of sources and information about vaccinations, there are a few simple ways to spread the word about the importance of vaccinations. In addition to educating others, be transparent about the life cycle of a vaccine. The National Foundation for Infectious Diseases has an article on Evaluating Vaccine Safety, which might assist in easing any fears of the unknown about vaccines. Let your patients know that each vaccine has to undergo a series of clinical trials and reviews before it can be approved. 

Are you interested in becoming a provider of the COVID-19 vaccine? Find more information and see if you qualify on the CDC’s How to Enroll page.


Last but not least, if you have been recently vaccinated take the time to document the date, and the type of vaccine you receive. If you are uncertain where such information should be kept, a spreadsheet or notebook should suffice just fine depending on if you prefer print or electronic format. For your patients, make sure their records are up to date in their file. If you are uncertain of your own previous vaccination records, check with your current or previous health care provider for records.  

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Cabells Logo.

Selecting a journal in which to publish your research is an important decision. With so many journals from which to choose, it can be daunting to compare journals and avoid publishing in a predatory or questionable journal, all while trying to find submission requirements, peer review information, and author guidelines to inform your decision making process. GW users now have access to Cabells Directory of Publishing Opportunities which can help you compare journals and identify predatory journals to avoid!

GW’s access to Cabells includes access to Journalytics and Predatory Reports. The Journalytics portion provides information on reputable journal titles including manuscript and submission guidelines, discipline, intended audience, peer review information, and acceptance rates. This information can help authors compare journals and make an informed decision regarding where to submit a manuscript for publication. Inclusion in Cabells Journalytics is by invitation only and criteria for inclusion can be found in the Journalytics Selection Policy.

The screenshot below is an example of the submission and review information listed for the Journal of Advanced Nursing found in Cabells Journalytics:

Screenshot of submission and review information.

Journalytics also allows you to compare up to 5 journals by selecting the titles you wish to compare, and clicking on the “Compare 5” button at the top of the search results. The screenshot below shows a side-by-side comparison of 5 emergency medicine journals:

Screenshot of journal comparisons.

The Predatory Reports portion of Cabells tracks journal titles that have been associated with predatory journal publishers based on violations of scholarly publishing standards and best practices. Cabells has established criteria for identifying deceptive, fraudulent, and/or predatory journals and provides a list of violations for each title listed in Predatory Reports. Examples of severe violations include: false qualifications or credential claims; fake ISSNs; fake, non-existent, or deceased editors; false peer review claims; publication of non-academic or pseudo-science papers; false indexing claims; lack of published articles or archives; misleading metrics; and misleading or false fee information. Cabells provides access to the complete list of Predatory Reports Criteria on their website.

The screenshot below shows an example of a list of violations from a title listed on Cabells Predatory Reports:

Screenshot of predatory violoations.

If you’d like a second opinion, or are unable to find a title you are suspicious of listed on Cabells Predatory Reports, don’t hesitate to use Himmelfarb’s Predatory Journal Check-Up Service by contacting Ruth Bueter (rbueter@gwu.edu). 

Whether you want to check to see if a journal in which you are interested in publishing could be a predatory journal, or you want more information about potential journals to which you might want to consider submitting your manuscript, Cabells Directory of Publishing Opportunities can provide you with the concise information you need all from a single, easy-to-use interface! To learn more, or if you have questions about this resource, contact Ruth Bueter (rbueter@gwu.edu). 

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A person prepares to put a virtual reality headset on. Across from the person is an open laptop on a desk.

Did you know that Himmelfarb Library has two tools that allow you to interact with 3D anatomical models? Would you like to manipulate virtual anatomical models? Are you interested in performing ‘dissections’ with anatomical models?  BodyViz and the new Quest VR Headsets are two resources available to you!

BodyViz is an interactive anatomy visualization tool that allows you to view, study and manipulate 3D anatomical models. The BodyViz suite  is located on the 3rd floor near the Bloedorn Technology Center. Along with the large screen, the BodyViz toolkit includes a wireless mouse, keyboard, remote control and game controller. These tools will assist you in navigating the software and models. To use the BodyViz suite, you must reserve a time slot. You may reserve the suite for up to four hours and time slots are available in hour long increments. When using the BodyViz suite, please visit the Circulation Desk to check out the wireless keyboard and additional equipment. Make sure all items are returned at the end of your session. The BodyViz Research Guide provides additional information including a Quick Start Guide which provides step-by-step instruction on how to use the software and wireless devices. There is also a Troubleshooting guide in case you encounter issues with the software or devices. 

Himmelfarb Library recently acquired two Quest VR devices which are equipped with Medicalholodeck, a medical virtual reality platform. Medicalholodeck comes with three different educational features: Anatomy Master XR, Dissection Master XR and Medical Imaging XR. With Anatomy Master and Medical Imaging XR, you can view models with another Quest VR headset user. There is a new VR Headsets Research Guide that provides additional information about the capabilities of the headsets, information on how to use the headsets and the accompanying software and an overview on how to navigate the user interface in Medicalholodeck. Visit the Circulation Desk on the library’s first floor if you’re interested in checking out the VR headsets. Also, be sure to reserve a study room so you’re able to use the headsets without obstruction. 
BodyViz and Quest VR headsets with Medicalholodeck are two excellent educational tools available for use. If you encounter any issues while using one of these resources, please contact Brian McDonald at bmcdonald@gwu.edu, Ian Roberts at imroberts@gwu.edu or the library at himmelfarb@gwu.edu.

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