Background Critically ill patients commonly experience skeletal muscle wasting that may predict clinical outcome. Ultrasound is a noninvasive method that can measure muscle quadriceps muscle layer thickness (QMLT) and subsequently lean body mass (LBM) at the bedside. However, currently the reliability of these measurements are unknown. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the intra- and interreliability of measuring QMLT using bedside ultrasound. Methods Ultrasound measurements of QMLT were conducted at 7 centers on healthy volunteers. Trainers were instructed to perform measurements twice on each patient, and then a second trainee repeated the measurement. Intrarater reliability measured how consistently the same person measured the subject according to intraclass correlation (ICC). Interrater reliability measured how consistently trainer and trainee agreed when measuring the same subject according to the ICC. Results We collected 42 pairs of within operator measurements with an ICC of .98 and 78 pairs of trainer-to-trainee measurements with an ICC of .95. There were no statistically significant differences between the trainer and trainee results (trainer and trainee mean = −0.028 cm, 95% CI = −0.067 to −0.011, P = .1607). Conclusions Excellent intra- and interrater reliability for ultrasound measurements of QMLT in healthy volunteers was observed when performed by a range of providers with no prior ultrasound experience, including dietitians, nurses, physicians, and research assistants. This technique shows promise as a method to evaluate LBM status in ICU or hospital settings and as a method to assess the effects of nutrition and exercise-based interventions on muscle wasting.

Abstract:This article reports on a study of how scientific knowledge about genetically modified (GM) food flows to the American public, focusing on language and message genres in the scientific literature, newspapers, and popular magazines. A comprehensive search of these literatures from 1992 to 2002 revealed a publishing pattern of scientific communication that contrasted with that found in the lay press. Examination of this difference led researchers to a scientific study on the effect of GM corn pollen on the Monarch butterfly. The case study of the discourse surrounding this event demonstrates how press releases affect what is published in the popular press. The role of this event in generating subtle repercussions in the perceptions of U.S. consumers, similar to the ripple effects found in Kasperson's social amplification of risk theory, is analyzed and reported.

Abstract:Community and technical colleges have long been sites for educating two groups of students: those going on to baccalaureate education and those seeking degrees in vocational-technical fields. If there are specialized programs of information literacy instruction for these divergent groups, they have not been described in the literature. This article examines prior relevant literature and empirical evidence from focus groups and a survey to provide a brief outline of the vocational/technical information literacy programs in community college libraries and makes recommendations for reassessing the priority assigned to these activities.

An essential component of information literacy is the evaluation of information resources. Integral to evaluation are users' judgments about which web sources might prove reliable when learning about a particular topic. Past website quality studies have used research methods that involved asking participants to recall quality factors without the benefit of concurrent web searching. Users in this study evaluated websites during live searching on the "open" web to determine the quality factors they valued and how these relate to gaining knowledge about a particular topic -genetically modified (GM) food. Two weeks later, participants answered questions about the websites they visited and what they had learned via an email survey. The participants then reported factors that allowed them to remember a website or the information contained within it. The effect of the quality evaluation on memory for a particular resource is examined and its relationship to information literacy is explored. [ARTICLE]Bird et al.: Source Evaluation and Information Literacy: Findings from a Study

The value of internship as a form of experiential learning in library and information science education has been debated for many years in North America. To gain a global perspective, the current research examines whether such an experience is required and for what reasons and whether placements can be done internationally or virtually. Participants include national libraries, associations, and academic library and information science programs from 69 different countries around the world. Results indicate that outside of American Library Association accredited institutions, internship is more often required and that when it is not, participation rates are low. Further, there was much stronger support for international experiences. Despite the increasing use of online tools to deliver library and information science education, there is a decided lack of institutional support for virtual internships. Suggestions for further research are proposed that address the interdisciplinary, intentional, interconnected, and international model for an internship in 21st-century library and information science education.