Informationista Aimee

High health-care costs: It’s all in the pricing via the Washington Post

Tue, 27 Mar 2012 19:13:01 -0400

High health-care costs: It’s all in the pricing via the Washington Post:

“In 2009, Americans spent $7,960 per person on health care. Our neighbors in Canada spent $4,808. The Germans spent $4,218. The French, $3,978. If we had the per-person costs of any of those countries, America’s deficits would vanish. Workers would have much more money in their pockets. Our economy would grow more quickly, as our exports would be more competitive.”

“On Friday, the International Federation of Health Plans — a global insurance trade association that includes more than 100 insurers in 25 countries — released more direct evidence. It surveyed its members on the prices paid for 23 medical services and products in different countries, asking after everything from a routine doctor’s visit to a dose of Lipitor to coronary bypass surgery. And in 22 of 23 cases, Americans are paying higher prices than residents of other developed countries. ”

“The result is that, unlike in other countries, sellers of health-care services in America have considerable power to set prices, and so they set them quite high. Two of the five most profitable industries in the United States — the pharmaceuticals industry and the medical device industry — sell health care. With margins of almost 20 percent, they beat out even the financial sector for sheer profitability.

The players sitting across the table from them — the health insurers — are not so profitable. In 2009, their profit margins were a mere 2.2 percent. That’s a signal that the sellers have the upper hand over the buyers.”

“But many researchers are skeptical that this is an effective way to fund medical innovation. “We pay twice as much for brand-name drugs as most other industrialized countries,” Anderson says. “But the drug companies spend only 12 percent of their revenues on innovation. So yes, some of that money goes to innovation, but only 12 percent of it.”

“The money we spend on health care is money we don’t spend educating our children, or investing in infrastructure, scientific research and defense spending. So if what this means is we ultimately have overmedicalized, poorly educated Americans competing with China, that’s not a very good investment.”

Washington Post-Late-night care fills a need for parents

Sat, 10 Mar 2012 22:00:55 -0500

Washington Post-Late-night care fills a need for parents:

Many people work odd hours or two or more jobs to survive.

Washington Post-Women's Veterans of the Korean War Honored

Sat, 10 Mar 2012 21:58:11 -0500

Washington Post-Women's Veterans of the Korean War Honored:

Female veterans share their stories and one Korean war couple’s quest to help other amputee soldiers

Postal Closings Would Deepen the Digital Divide in Rural America via the Washington Post

Fri, 02 Mar 2012 13:52:44 -0500

Postal Closings Would Deepen the Digital Divide in Rural America via the Washington Post:

“Nationwide, about 1.7 million people live near post offices slated for closure in areas with limited or no broadband Internet service.” Broadband Internet is still not available where my parents live.

Here’s an idea for the USPS, partner with eCommerce websites like Amazon and eBay.

I personally hate shipping through UPS and Fedex because it costs an arm and a leg. The only reason I do it is because the post office closes early and there aren’t as many post office locations as there are UPS stores and Fedex stores.

poptech: Redesigning Reality: How 3-D Printing Is Shaping the...

Fri, 02 Mar 2012 13:40:29 -0500

poptech:

Redesigning Reality: How 3-D Printing Is Shaping the Future of Art, Engineering, and Everything Else | Artinfo

Two interesting things happened this year. First, doctors in Belgium performed the country’s first face transplant. Second, Asher Levine, a young avant-garde fashion designer for the likes of Lady Gaga, produced a pair of radical sunglasses on-site during his New York Fashion Week show. What do a surgical procedure and a line of shades have in common? Both were made possible by additive manufacturing, also known as 3-D printing or rapid prototyping, a technique whose quickly expanding accessibility may have as much of a revolutionary influence on how we relate to manufactured objects as Ford’s assembly line.

It’s a space-age sounding process: The same way a printer produces a document based on a computer file, additive manufacturing devices create made-to-order objects based on a CAD file. There are a few variations to the technique, but they all operate by building an object layer by individual layer in a single process. Some 3-D printers pipe melted plastic through a nozzle in a process called fused deposition modeling (FDM); higher-tech methods, like stereolithography (SLA) run lasers through a vat of powdered material — metals, nylons, concretes — solidifying anything they touch; and then there’s selective laser sintering (SLS), which similarly runs a laser through a resin and solidifies it into a single object by binding each layer together. All of these allow for the creation of extraordinary complex designs with extraordinary ease for the average person.

Hailing from the 1980s, the technology isn’t exactly new, but it has been making inroads lately in both art and engineering, being used to manufacture prosthetic limbs, car parts, furniture, and jewelry. It’s also subject of “Print/3D,” an exhibition of objects at New York’s Material ConneXion that opened this week. “3-D Printing breaks away barriers in design that are challenged by the constraints of standard manufacturing or manual production,” show curator Susan Towers told ARTINFO. While the process still has some definite kinks to be worked out, it’s already being put to revolutionary use.

To see objects manufactured by Shapeways, Materialise, and MakerBot, click the slide show, or visit Material ConneXion’s ”Print/3D,” on view through May 11.

"OAPEN is pleased to announce a new service for Open Access monographs: the Directory of Open Access..."

Fri, 02 Mar 2012 13:36:36 -0500

“

OAPEN is pleased to announce a new service for Open Access monographs: the Directory of Open Access Books (DOAB). DOAB will provide a searchable index to peer-reviewed monographs and edited volumes published under an Open Access business model, with links to the full texts of the publications at the publisher’s website or repository. The beta version of the service will contain publications of a selected number of academic publishers. The beta version will be made public early spring 2012.

The primary aim of DOAB is to increase discoverability of Open Access books. Academic publishers will be invited to provide the metadata of their Open Access books to the DOAB. Metadata will be harvestable in order to maximize dissemination, visibility and impact. Aggregators can integrate the records in their commercial services and libraries can integrate the directory into their online catalogues, thereby helping scholars, students and the general public to discover the books. The directory will be open to all academic publishers and should contain as many books as possible, provided that these books are peer reviewed and published in Open Access. DOAB will determine requirements for publishers to qualify as Open Access academic book publishers and will maintain a certification procedure.

”

- Read more about the new Open Access Directory plans here! (via nocureforcuriosity)

nypl: STAR TREK: The Musical! OK, not really, but even Mr....

Fri, 02 Mar 2012 13:35:52 -0500

nypl:

STAR TREK: The Musical! OK, not really, but even Mr. Spock would find fascinating what we dug up in the Billy Rose Theatre Division about the original Star Trek actors before they went stellar. Who knew that Nichelle Nichols sizzled in the local cabaret scene before taking up her earpiece on the starship Enterprise? Or that George Takei was an activist, or that William Shatner, of Shatner’s World; We Just Live in It… — first trod the Broadway boards over 50 years ago? Dust off your Klingon dictionary and stay tuned, as we bring you the stage origins of Kirk, Spock, Sulu and crew, and boldly go where few have gone before with rare photos in our Gallery.

ER Doctor Will See You After You Pay A $150 Fee

Fri, 02 Mar 2012 12:55:04 -0500

ER Doctor Will See You After You Pay A $150 Fee:

This story illustrates the growing gap between the haves and the have nots. People are being turned away from emergency care because they don’t have any insurance. Many of these patients are not following up for additional care after being turned away. The United States supposedly has some of the most advanced medicine in the world yet its own citizens don’t have access to it.

Class Pager, text your class

Fri, 02 Mar 2012 12:20:33 -0500

Class Pager, text your class:

Class Pager allows teachers to engage with students and parents in a new way. Granted, these people have to have access to mobile phones, which may not be the case in some areas.

Beyond SATs, Finding Success in Numbers - NYTimes.com

Wed, 15 Feb 2012 21:41:41 -0500

Beyond SATs, Finding Success in Numbers - NYTimes.com:

teachingliteracy:

The Posse Foundation is changing how universities define success.

What an inspiring program and it’s harder to get into than Harvard.

How to build a leadership funnel at your company

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 21:56:32 -0500

I like to read Forbes and this article brings up a good point about succession planning in this age of looming baby boomer retirements. Unfortunately, I believe the author is not in touch with the current practices of the people they are trying to groom. The February issue of Fast Company covers “The Secrets of Generation Flux”. It had an article on “The Four-Year Career”, which is now about the average amount of time people spend in a job.

The Forbes article suggests that you start grooming people at the five-year mark. I’m not sure how many people they will have left who have made it to the five-year mark. People are changing jobs frequently, so how can we still develop them as leaders?

Leaders need to be groomed, but also need time to learn from their experienced colleagues. We need to make sure we don’t lose their institutional knowledge.

SLA Pharmaceutical & Health Technology Division Spring Meetin Travel Award 2012

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 11:19:20 -0500

For those of you who were planning to apply for a Pharmaceutical & Health Technology Division Spring Meeting Travel Award and didn’t get it done, there is some good news: The deadline for applications has been extended until Monday, February 13, 2012.

The PHT Division will award stipends of up to $1,000 for the Spring Meeting (in Baltimore) to qualified students as well as to current PHT Division members based on need.

Complete qualifications and application instructions are available on the PHT Blog–Click here to view.

If you are affiliated with a library science program, please share this announcement with students.

Also, for your convenience, below I have included the Agenda and other key dates (at-a-glance).

Sean Smith

2012 PHT Spring Meeting At-a-Glance

When
Sunday, March 18, 2012 – Tuesday, March 20, 2012

Register Online
www.regonline.com/pht2012

Where
Hilton Baltimore
401 West Pratt Street
Baltimore, Maryland 21201
Phone - 443-573-8700

Other Key Dates

Register by Feb. 15 to be automatically entered in a drawing to WIN a $100 gift card sponsored by The New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM).

Reserve your hotel by Feb. 29 to receive preferred PHT room rates. Make your reservations directly with the Hilton Baltimore (Call 1-800-HILTONS).
Note: You must ask for the group rate for the Special Libraries Association.

Sponsorship deadline is Mar. 8. Please see online vendor and sponsorship details online at bit.ly/AuSo0R or contactSandra.Baker@ubm.com.

Resume/Career Consultations

BST America Executive Search and Recruitment is pleased to offer one-on-one resume feedback and career consultation to Spring Meeting attendees on Monday, March 19th. To schedule a 30-minute appointment, please emaillouann.dinallo@bstamerica.com.

Agenda At-a-Glance

Sunday

CE Course – Applying text mining techniques for scientific literature and patent search and analysis: A Hands-On Workshop. Instructor: David Milward, Chief Technical Officer, Linguamatics
DPHT Board Meeting (Open to all)
Exhibitor Opening Reception (Dinner provided)

Monday

Welcome from DPHT Chair
Keynote – The US Pharmaceutical Market: Trends, Issues and Outlook. Speaker: Doug Long, Vice President, Industry Relations, IMS Health, Inc.
Session – Practical steps to reinvent the Corporate Information Center and demonstrate value. Speakers: Blanca Chou and Eric Stubbs, Otsuka Pharmaceuticals
Session – Managing data and providing competitive insights from clinical trials databases using BizInt Smart Charts. Speakers: Diane Webb (BizInt) and Jennifer Friend-Huizer (J&J)
Session – Mobile Devices & the Information Professional – where do I fit in? Speaker: Andrew Clark, UCB
Session – Librarians as internal consultants. Speaker: Josh Duberman, Partner, Pivotalinfo LLC
Session – KOLs—Who are they, where are they, and how do you find them? Speakers: Ben Weitraub, Wolters Kluwer InThought
Session – Big projects need big solutions – Utilizing OvidSP and QUOSA for AdComm Prep. Speakers: Natalie Rainford, Astellas Pharma Global Development
Social Event – National Aquarium, Baltimore (additional fee for all attendees and guests)

Tuesday

Remarks by DPHT Chair
Session – The Rise of China: Implications for Pharma and Pharma Librarians. Speaker: Josh Berlin, Elsevier Business Intelligence
Session – Biosimilars and Biopharmaceuticals. Speaker: Ronald A. Rader, Biotechnology Information Institute
Vendor Panel – Discovery Services: EBSCO, Ex Libris, and Serials Solution. Moderator: Karin Ross, AstraZeneca
Breakout Sessions:

1. Challenges of globalizing contracts II. Moderator: Robyn Smith, Takeda Pharmaceuticals
2. Managing of copyright – reactive/responsive use. Moderator: John Chu, Gilead
3. Should I know what cloud computing is?
4. What was your library’s role in the BRIC expansion?

Breakout Sessions – Summaries
Closing Remarks

—
Sean Smith, Vice President of Marketing
QUOSA | The ONE Scientific Literature Solution
Direct: 202-365-6832 | seans@quosa.com | Twitter

American Library Association Office for Diversity seeks proposals for its Diversity Research Grants program 2012

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 09:50:42 -0500

The American Library Association (ALA) Office for Diversity seeks proposals for its Diversity Research Grant program. Applications may address any diversity topic, including the recruitment and promotion of diverse individuals within the profession or the provision of library services to diverse populations, that addresses critical gaps in the knowledge of diversityissues within library and information science.

The application deadline is April 30, 2012. Applicants must be current ALA members.

The Diversity Research Grant consists of a one-time $2,000 award for original research and a $500 travel grant to attend and present at the 2013 ALA Annual Conference. A jury of ALA members will evaluate proposals and is encouraged to award a total of three awards. Grant recipients will be announced ahead of the 2012 ALA Annual Conference and will be expected to compile the results of their research into a presentation for the 2013 ALA Annual Conference.

A complete proposal must include the following: a cover letter, a one-page vita for each of the researchers involved, including a current ALA membership number, a concise abstract of the project and a description of the project detailing the justification and needs for the research project, research objectives, expected outcomes and benefits, budget plan and timeline. For a complete list of the criteria, please visit: http://www.ala.org/advocacy/diversity/diversityresearchstatistics/diversityresearch.

ALA’s Office for Diversity offers thanks to the Diversity Research Grants Advisory Committee for their work in planning the 2012 Diversity Research Grants Program: Robert J. Bremer (chair), Eileen K. Bosch, Nicole A. Branch, Elizabeth Jean Brumfield, Denyvetta Davis, Kim L. Eccles, Michael Gutierrez, Sylvia D. Hall-Ellis, Cheryl Knott and R. Niccole Westbrook.

Electronic submissions are preferred and should be submitted in a Word document attachment. Email electronic submissions to diversity@ala.org.

For more information or to inquire about possible research topics, please email diversity@ala.org or call (800) 545-2433, ext. 5048.

"A great teacher can offer an escape from poverty to the child who dreams beyond his circumstance...."

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 23:03:34 -0500

“A great teacher can offer an escape from poverty to the child who dreams beyond his circumstance. Every person in this chamber can point to a teacher who changed the trajectory of their lives. Most teachers work tirelessly, with modest pay, sometimes digging into their own pocket for school supplies - just to make a difference. Teachers matter. So instead of bashing them, or defending the status quo, let’s offer schools a deal. Give them the resources to keep good teachers on the job, and reward the best ones. In return, grant schools flexibility: To teach with creativity and passion; to stop teaching to the test; and to replace teachers who just aren’t helping kids learn.”

- President Obama (via apsies)

Sometimes digging?

(via positivelypersistentteach)

Proposal made for sweeping data protection in EU

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 23:02:16 -0500

Proposal made for sweeping data protection in EU:

infoneer-pulse:

The European Commission proposed sweeping reforms Wednesday to protect the confidentiality of personal data online including a “right to be forgotten,” which would let people have information about themselves deleted if there was no legitimate reason to retain it.

The Commission said the proposal would safeguard people’s privacy and save companies money, but some business interests have already said they will lobby for changes.

If the directive is ultimately adopted, it would update one from 1995, when fewer than 1 percent of Europeans used the internet. To take effect, it needs the approval of the European Council — the 27 European Union heads of government — as well as the European Parliament.

» via Yahoo! News

I love watching my bookmark progress through a book and become particularly excited for it when I see it make a giant leap.

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 22:59:45 -0500

Photo

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 22:58:19 -0500

Some Notes on the Federal Hiring Process

Tue, 17 Jan 2012 22:54:04 -0500

What are KSAs?
From the Veteran’s Administration webpage on KSAs — Knowledge, Skill, Ability

Specific KSAs are needed in performing certain jobs. Individual KSAs are demonstrated through qualifying experience, education, or training. KSAs are defined as:
Knowledge - an organized body of information, usually factual or procedural in nature. For example, having knowledge of human resources’ rules and regulations could be used as a KSA for a Human Resources Specialist position. To respond to this KSA, you should indicate what human resources rules and regulations you are familiar with, discuss how you applied these rules and regulations in the work environment, and describe other significant situations you were involved in where you applied these rules and regulations.

Skill - the proficient manual, verbal, or mental manipulation of data or things. For example, having skill with operating personal computers could be used as a KSA for an Office Automation position. To respond to this KSA, you should indicate what type of personal computers you have operated, discuss the various types of software programs you have used, and describe how these programs were used in your work environment.

Ability - the power or capacity to perform an activity or task. For example, having the ability to use a variety of laboratory instruments could be used towards a Laboratory Technician position. To respond, you should describe the types of laboratory instruments you have used, discuss the types of assignments you completed using the laboratory equipment, and describe the impact using the laboratory equipment had on your work environment.

KSA Toolkit
NARA’s All About KSAOs

What kind of information do I need to include on a federal resume or application?

The information required on OF-306, or Optional Form 206 from the Office of Personnel Management should be included on your federal resume. The Securities and Exchange Commission offers a sample resume here.

What does the background check or security clearance involve?

If you are being considered for a security clearance you will have to fill out the
SF-86 . Once you have filled this form out, print it out and save a copy. During your clearance interview, they will reference it and ask you to explain or give more detail about things you wrote.

Federal Job Application Process for People With Disabilities

Tue, 17 Jan 2012 22:50:00 -0500

Types of disabilities covered under Schedule A hiring

The Office of Personnel Management’s SF-256 form divides disabilities into two categories: targeted/severe and other disabilities. The other disabilities have recently been added under the amendments to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and include medical conditions like heart disease, diabetes, kidney dysfunction, etc.

What is the Schedule A Hiring Authority?
Non Competitive Appointments
• Do not need to be advertised
• Do not need to wait for closing date to fill
• Do not require a formal job announcement
• Required disability documentation
• Agencies can accept resumes without job notice

Certification of Disability
To be considered for an appointment under the Schedule A hiring authority, an applicant must provide a certification of disability to the Federal agency where his or her application is being considered. The certification of disability can be documented in one of several ways; by a counselor at either the State Vocational Rehabilitation Agency or the Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment Service of the Department of Veterans Affairs; by a statement or letter on a physician/medical professionals letterhead stationary; or by statements, records or letters from a Federal Government agency that issues or provides disability benefits. The certification must verify the applicant has a severe disability and is therefore eligible under a Schedule A appointment authority, and he or she is able to perform the essential duties of the position. The certification must also describe any needed reasonable accommodation. You can review additional information at: https://www.opm.gov/disability/appempl.asp.

For more information see the EEOC’s publication on the ABC’s of Schedule A

REQUIREMENTS FOR SCHEDULE A HIRING AUTHORITY

To qualify for employment under Schedule A, a person must have the following:
Proof of Disability: An individual wishing to be hired under the Schedule A (5 C.F.R. 213.3102(u)) hiring authority must provide proof he or she is indeed an individual with mental retardation, severe physical disability, or psychiatric disability. This proof must be provided to the hiring agency before an individual can be hired.

Certification of Job Readiness: An individual hired under this authority must be ready to perform the job for which they are being considered. This certification is a statement that the individual is likely to succeed in the performance of the duties of the position for which he or she is applying. For instance, the certification of job readiness for an individual applying for a position as an Administrative Assistant or an Accountant may state that the “individual is likely to succeed performing work in an office environment.”

Pre-ALA Midwinter 2012

Mon, 16 Jan 2012 19:34:57 -0500

I’m looking forward to ALA Midwinter in Dallas, Texas. I will be meeting my ALA Emerging Leader cohort and team members. My team will be working on the LITA project. The LITA project entails a recommendation and plan for the implementation of an Experts Profile System.

I am also participating in a new program sponsored by the ALA Office for Diversity called Champion Connections. It is a networking program to meet a champion.

“Champions are established and influential leaders who leverage their prominence within the profession for our advancement. Champions recognize potential for future leadership and push us forward, advocating for our involvement in different groups or recommending us for higher levels of leadership.” Each participant is allotted 10 minutes with each of the champions.