Monthly Archives: July 2009

Try online calculators in DynaMed

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NOTE: DynaMed is no longer a UT Southwestern Library resource. Go to the Library’s Clinical Evidence Resources for current EBM resources.

Online calculators can be great time-savers. DynaMed, a recent addition to the Library collection, offers more than 500 interactive calculators, as well as decision trees for use at point-of-care. Most of the DynaMed calculators include information to help interpret the results, as well as references to relevant literature. To access these calculators, click on the “Calculators” tab in the top menu of the DynaMed interface.
DynaMed calculators are organized into the following categories:

  • Medical Equations
  • Clinical Criteria
  • Decision Trees
  • Statistical Calculators
  • Unit & Dose Converters
  • Search by Specialty
  • Math Calculator

A glossary of acronyms and abbreviations is also available from the same page.
The Library Web site also has a page listing 20 calculators, with links.

Crunch your data at the Library with SAS

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The Library has numerous resources to assist you with managing your statistical data.
SAS (Statistical Analysis Software) is a software system used for data management and basic statistical procedures. SAS 9.2 is available on five computers at the South Campus (main) Library, and – for those who need access 24/7 – SAS 9.2 is also installed on three labeled computers at the North Campus Branch Library.
If you need help with SAS, the SAS Guide on the Library Web site collects many resources about SAS into a single list for your convenience. The guide links to electronic and print books, as well as Web resources.
The guide also links to the online version of the short course of Alan Elliott’s Introduction to SAS offered by the Division of Biostatistics. The South Campus Library has two copies of the course workbook, Research Analysis using SAS for Windows. The call number is QA 276.4 E451 2009; one copy is in the regular book collection, and the other copy is on Academic Reserve at the Information Desk.
Another statistical software program, SPSS (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences), is also available at the South Campus Library. The SPSS Guide can provide you with basic assistance.
If you need additional assistance with SPSS or SAS, please contact the Division of Biostatistics at 214-648-3681 for technical support.

EZProxy simplifies remote ejournal access for Parkland residents & others

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Parkland residents who also have UT Southwestern affiliation can access electronic journals from off-campus through EZProxy when using the Library’s Ejournals A-Z list. For Parkland residents, EZ Proxy is the only way to access the Library’s ejournals remotely.
In addition, UT Southwestern employees who do not have Virtual Private Network (VPN) may also use EZProxy for remote ejournal access through the Ejournals A-Z list. (The remainder of the Library’s electronic resources, such as databases, may only be accessed from off-campus via VPN.) On-campus users and those using VPN from off-campus will continue to access ejournals in the usual way.
EZProxy does not require users to download software of to change their browser’s proxy settings. The EZProxy login screen appears automatically when you click on an ejournal from the Ejournals A-Z list.
You are invited to view the EZProxy tutorial on the Library’s Web site.
At the EZProxy login screen, Parkland residents enter their Novell login user name and password. Residents who do not know their Novell user name and password should contact the Parkland Help Desk at x25999, or from off-site, 214-590-5999.
UT Southwestern employees who do not use VPN should login with their UT Southwestern ID and password.
Parkland residents must have both a UT Southwestern affiliation and a Parkland ID to use EZ Proxy. Parkland employees without a UT Southwestern affiliation will not be able to access journals via EZProxy. Also, residents who are at Children’s Medical Center, VA Medical Center, or other off-campus locations cannot use EZProxy for remote access, unless they also have a UT Southwestern ID and password.
If you have questions, please contact us by phone at 214-648-2001 or by email.

SciFinder Web version available

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SciFinder provides graphical access to the databases of Chemical Abstracts Services as well as MEDLINE. The new, improved SciFinder Web version, now available to UT Southwestern users, offers many new features:

  • “Keep me posted” alerts
  • Access to SciFinder via any UT Southwestern networked computer
  • Ability to explore research topics from “Index Term” links
  • Addtional experimental and calculated substance data
  • Improved “categorize” capabilities

A complete overview of the new SciFinder features can be found on the SciFinder Overview page.
To register for the SciFinder Web version, go to the SciFinder Web Registration page. You will need a GroupWise address ending in “@utsouthwestern.edu”. Additional information is located on the Library’s SciFinder page. Once you have registered, log into SciFinder from the Library SciFinder page, which may be accessed by clicking on the “Quick Links” on the left sidebar of the Library home page.
For technical assistance with the download process, please email Curtis Wright. For other Scifinder questions, please contact Helen Mayo by email or by phone at 214-648-2528.
UT Southwestern users who have previously requested SciFinder Scholar information from the Library will receive an informational brochure about the new SciFinder through interoffice mail during the week of July 6 to 11 from their Library Liaison. Additional brochures are available upon request through “Ask A Librarian” on the Library home page.
We encourage everyone to register and begin using the Web version as soon as possible, though you may continue to use the old SciFinder Scholar client software for now if you wish. Access via the client software will end after December 2009; it is no longer available for downloads.
During the transition phase, when UT Southwestern affiliates are using both the old client software and the new Web version, our pool of “seats” to use the software will be divided between the two. As a result, you may see more busy signals than is normal. Going forward, more seats will be allotted to the Web version and fewer to the client.