Government Printing Office Research Articles

Distributed Globally, Collected Locally: LOCKSS for Digital Government Information

Introduction Ever since the Government Printing Office (GPO) brought GPO Access online in 1993 in order to make government information accessible on the Web, some librarians and others have dreamt of a system that would extend the mostly successful, 150 year old geographically distributed Federal Depository Library Program (FDLP) model to the digital world. Today, thanks to the efforts of Carl Malamud, the Stanford-based Lots of Copies Keep Stuff Safe (LOCKSS) team, and 15 libraries around the country, a successful model for the digital FDLP has been launched. This paper will describe the LOCKSS model of digital preservation and why that model is beneficial to apply to the realm of digital government information. Next, we will illuminate Carl Malamud’s herculean efforts toward better access to government information. We will then discuss how we’ve built the USDocs Private LOCKSS Network (USDocsPLN) using those documents harvested by Malamud. The paper concludes with a call to action.

The Federal Dopository Library Program: Anachronism or Necessity

The rise of the Internet has had an enormous impact on library collections and services, and nowhere has this impact been more apparent than to the 1,250 libraries that participate in the Federal Depository Library Program (FDLP). The FDLP has provided the public with free access to government information since the nineteenth century, playing a vital role in helping to maintain the informed citizenry that is essential to our democracy. The underlying principle behind the FDLP is relatively simple: documents are distributed by the Government Printing Office (GPO) to participating libraries, on the condition that the public is allowed free access to those materials. Just 10 years ago, the FDLP distributed 100% of its items in tangible format (print, microfiche, and CD-ROMs).

Dr. Ehrlich and Dr. Atomic: Beauty vs. Horror in Science

Dr. Ehrlich and Dr. Atomic: Beauty <i>vs.</i> Horror in Science

Migration Performance for Legacy Data Access

We present performance data relating to the use of migration in a system we are creating to provide web access to heterogeneous document collections in legacy formats. Our goal is to enable sustained access to collections such as these when faced with increasing obsolescence of the necessary supporting applications and operating systems. Our system allows searching and browsing of the original files within their original contexts utilizing binary images of the original media. The system uses static and dynamic file migration to enhance collection browsing, and emulation to support both the use of legacy programs to access data and long-term preservation of the migration software. While we provide an overview of the architectural issues in building such a system, the focus of this paper is an in-depth analysis of file migration using data gathered from testing our software on 1,885 CD-ROMs and DVDs. These media are among the thousands of collections of social and scientific data distributed by the United States Government Printing Office (GPO) on legacy media (CD-ROM, DVD, floppy disk) under the Federal Depository Library Program (FDLP) over the past 20 years.

Is control a viable goal in the treatment of pathological gambling?

According to a report of National Gambling Impact Study Commission (National Gambling Impact Study Commission (1999). Final report. Washington, DC: Government Printing Office.), 97% of problem gamblers in the United States do not seek treatment. Within the small proportion of problem gamblers who enter into treatment, a high percentage drops out. Despite the fact that some researchers argue against abstinence as the only acceptable treatment goal and that regaining control over gambling behaviour appears to be possible for some pathological gamblers (PG), abstinence has been the only gambling intervention treatment goal. The primary goal of this study was to verify whether controlled gambling is a viable goal for pathological gamblers. The second goal was to identify the characteristics that predicted a successful outcome for treatment with a controlled gambling goal. Eighty-nine PGs were enrolled in cognitive-behavioural treatment aimed at controlled gambling. Six and twelve month follow-ups were conducted in order to evaluate the maintenance of therapeutic gains and to identify significant predictors of successful controlled gambling. Results showed that using the intent-to-treat procedure, 63% had a score of 4 or less on the DSM-IV at the end of treatment. That proportion was 56% and 51% at the 6- and 12-month follow-ups. If we retain only those who completed the treatment, these proportions increased to 92%, 80% and 71% at post-treatment, 6- and 12-month follow-ups, respectively. On the majority of the measures, significant improvements were found at post-treatment and the therapeutic gains were maintained at the 6- and 12-month follow-ups. However, few variables were identified to predict who would benefit from control rather than abstinence. The clinical and philosophical implications of these results are discussed in this paper.

Who will be responsible? The authentication and preservation of government digital information

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to discuss the authentication and preservation of government digital information. The Government Printing Office (GPO) has been the official distributor of government information for 147 years and charged with assuring authenticity of all published government documents. Most federal information is now “born digital” and the GPO is evolving into an electronic information repository. Digital technology has made editing and altering documents easy, making authentication a prominent issue. Through the Federal Depository Library Program (FDLP), the federal depository libraries (FDLs) have been providing preservation and access to government information for almost 200 years. In its 2007 Annual Report, the GPO claims its planning on assigning the duties of authenticating and preserving electronic documents to the FDLs.Design/methodology/approachAreas discussed include the GPO and authentication, the FDLP, the depository libraries and preservation, policy and technological changes, and organizational change.FindingsThis paper argues that depository libraries are unprepared for this responsibility and recommends changes before the transition.Originality/valueThe changes could help make the transition successful and encourage continued collaboration between GPO and the depository libraries.

Letter from America: websites for those interested in Geographic Medicine

Clinicians, researchers, public health officials, infection control officers, travel medicine practitioners and many other medical professionals are constantly being bombarded with information about new journals and web sites. The array of new information is overwhelming. The National Library of Medicine catalogs contain approximately 5000 medical journals from the USA alone with another 80 from other countries. In order to provide focus for those interested in and responsible for global public health, this report summarizes some of the more reliable reference resources in these areas. Biomedical, technical, climate, and travel issues are constantly challenging our knowledge, experience, and judgment. Infectious diseases are spreading ever more rapidly; microbes are becoming increasingly resistant to medical interventions. Evidence-based medicine has entered our lexicon and is a work-in-progress. The health professional needs both the best and most timely information available. Freedman [1] in 2004 published a comprehensive list of resources in travel medicine, including international authorities such as the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Centers for Disease Control, USA (CDC), along with a detailed list of journals, textbooks, societies, web sites, listservs, and government resources. These information resources are highly recommended to those interested in travel medicine, especially for those new to the field. This letter gives a brief focus on key resources. New International Health Regulations (IHR’s) came into effect in June 2007 [2]. Their importance to travel medicine practitioners have been discussed by Hardiman and Wilder-Smith [3]. The revised International Certificate of Vaccination can be ordered in packets of 50 or more from WHO (www.who.int , available in English, French, and Arabic) and are also available, but only in English and French from the US Government Printing Office (Tel: 1-202-512-1800; or toll-free at 1-866-512-1800).

CHILDREN IN IMMIGRANT FAMILIES: LOOKING TO AMERICA’S FUTURE

Children in immigrant families account for nearly one-in-four children in the U.S. They are the fastest growing population of children, and they are leading the nation’s racial and ethnic transformation. As a consequence, baby-boomers will depend heavily for economic support during retirement on race-ethnic minorities, many of whom grew up in immigrant families. Because the current circumstances and future prospects of children in immigrant families are important not only to these children themselves, but to all Americans, this report uses data from Census 2000 to portray the lives of children with immigrant parents and highlights policy and program initiatives that will foster the future success of these children. This report begins by discussing the diverse origins and destinations of children in immigrant families. It then highlights substantial evidence that children in immigrant families have deep roots in the U.S. refl ected in their own citizenship, as well as their parents’ citizenship and length of residence in this country, their own and their parents’ English fl uency, and their family commitment to homeownership. Based on a new alternative to the offi cial poverty measure, the report continues by discussing economic challenges confronted by many immigrant families. It also portrays additional immigrant strengths and challenges associated with family composition, parental education and employment, and access for children of immigrants to early education and the later years of schooling. Looking toward fostering a successful future for these children, the report identifi es promising policy and programmatic initiatives for language and literacy training, and for assuring access to education, health, and other essential services, and it identifi es immigrant-related questions that should be asked in all research studies involving children and families.

Risperidone Treatment of Sleep Disturbances in Tourette's Syndrome

Risperidone Treatment of Sleep Disturbances in Tourette's Syndrome

THE POLITICS OF CRIME IN TAIWAN, HONG KONG AND MACAO

THE POLITICS OF CRIME IN TAIWAN, HONG KONG AND MACAO

France and the Partition Plan: 1947–1948

France and the Partition Plan: 1947–1948

Beyond Established and Novel Risk Factors

Dyslipidemia, hypertension, and diabetes mellitus have been appropriately highlighted as established predictors of cardiovascular disease. These risk factors have become preeminent targets for influencing cardiovascular risk; their assessment, treatment, and monitoring are major emphases of clinical care, research investigation, treatment guidelines, organization position papers, and measures of physician and hospital performance. Notably, lifestyle risk factors, including dietary habits, physical inactivity, smoking, and adiposity, strongly influence the established cardiovascular risk factors and also affect novel pathways of risk such as inflammation/oxidative stress, endothelial function, thrombosis/coagulation, and arrhythmia. Furthermore, modest alterations of these lifestyle risk factors are achievable and have substantial effects on cardiovascular risk. Thus, basic lifestyle habits should be considered fundamental risk factors for cardiovascular disease. Although efforts to combat established and novel risk factors with pharmacological treatments are important and should continue, we call for a systematic rebalancing of current research, clinical care, and policy efforts to focus more on lifestyle. The rising costs of healthcare and the epidemics of overweight and obesity highlight the inadequacies of our current strategy. Substantially more resources should be directed toward research on lifestyle risk factors, their determinants, and effective interventions to change them. The clinical evaluation and treatment of dietary, physical activity, and smoking habits must become as routine and familiar as assessment of blood pressure, cholesterol, and glucose levels. Major policy initiatives and reimbursement guidelines must also be rebalanced to emphasize lifestyle risk factors. Cardiovascular diseases are leading causes of death and disability among men and women in nearly all nations.1 Identification of persons at higher or lower risk for cardiovascular events is important to facilitate effective use of resources and interventions to reduce disease burden among individuals and in society. Each of the established risk factors for cardiovascular disease—age, gender, dyslipidemia, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and smoking—have been appropriately highlighted …

Water table is a relevant source for water uptake by a Scots pine ( Pinus sylvestris L.) stand: Evidences from continuous evapotranspiration and water table monitoring

The objective of this study was to quantify the main terms of the water cycle in a Scots pine stand ( Pinus sylvestris L.) growing on a sandy soil and to estimate the contribution of the shallow water table (0.80 m deep in spring) to the forest water use. Continuous monitoring was organized in 2005 to measure climate, throughfall, soil moisture, tree transpiration and water table variations at a half-hourly basis. Leaf area index seasonal dynamic was measured and roots were counted down to the bottom of the soil profile. Forest floor evapotranspiration was modelled with Granier et al. [Granier, A., Bréda, N., Biron, P., Villette, S., 1999. A lumped water balance model to evaluate duration and intensity of drought constraints in forest stands. Ecol. Model. 116, 269–283]. From May to November, pine transpiration never exceeded 1.85 mm d −1 and reached a total of 176.4 mm, which corresponded to 25% of potential evapotranspiration, whereas the understorey evapotranspiration was 130 mm ( i.e. 18–20% of the stand water use). The maximum soil water reserve measured over the soil rooted zone was 250 mm, in which 145 mm was extractable water. A 3.5-week period with no rain was observed in June, which induced a regulation of pine transpiration when the soil extractable water reached 0.25 of its maximum value. We applied the water table fluctuation (WTF) method [White, W., 1932. A method for estimating groundwater supplies based on discharge by plants and evaporation from soil. US Geol. Survey Water Supply Paper 659-A. United States Government Printing Office, Washington, DC] to estimate the water table daily loss of water. A relationship was established with potential evapotranspiration and the actual transpiration fluxes of the stand. Yet, it was not possible to extract from the WTF results the part that was effectively contributing to actual transpiration. We applied then the WTF methodology on longer time intervals, with a focus on periods with no rains. From May to November, the contribution of the water table to forest transpiration reached 61%. During the drought period in June, the water table contributed to 98.5% of the water uptake by vegetation, through its contribution to the capillary rise above the water table. The presence of a groundwater table with a floor down to 180–200 cm allowed this stand to rely upon water that otherwise would have drained deeper.

Genotype-by-diet effects on co-variation in Lp-PLA2 activity and LDL-cholesterol concentration in baboons fed an atherogenic diet

Both lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A(2) (Lp-PLA(2)) activity, a biomarker of inflammation, and concentration of its primary associated lipoprotein, LDL, are correlated with adverse coronary outcomes. We previously reported a quantitative trait locus (QTL) corresponding to HSA2p24.3-p23.2 with pleiotropic effects on Lp-PLA(2) activity and LDL-cholesterol (LDL-C) concentration in baboons fed a basal diet. Here, our goal was to locate pleiotropic QTLs influencing both traits in the same baboons fed a high-cholesterol, high-fat (HCHF) diet, and to assess whether shared genetic effects on these traits differ between diets. We assayed Lp-PLA(2) activity and LDL-C concentration in 683 baboons fed the HCHF diet. We used a bivariate maximum likelihood-based variance components approach in whole-genome linkage screens to locate a QTL [logarithm of odds (LOD) = 3.13, genome-wide P = 0.019] corresponding to HSA19q12-q13.2 with pleiotropic effects on Lp-PLA(2) activity and LDL-C levels in the HCHF diet. We additionally found significant evidence of genetic variance in response to diet for Lp-PLA(2) activity (P = 0.0017) and for LDL-C concentration (P = 0.00001), revealing a contribution of genotype-by-diet interaction to covariation in these two traits. We conclude that the pleiotropic QTLs detected at 2p24.3-p23.2 and 19q12-q13.2 on the basal and HCHF diets, respectively, exert diet-specific effects on covariation in Lp-PLA(2) activity and LDL-C concentration.

Going Out With the Frogs

Journal of Adolescent & Adult LiteracyVolume 51, Issue 8 p. 625-627 Free Access Going Out With the Frogs F. Todd Goodson, F. Todd GoodsonSearch for more papers by this author F. Todd Goodson, F. Todd GoodsonSearch for more papers by this author First published: 09 November 2011 https://doi.org/10.1598/JAAL.51.8.1AboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL No abstract is available for this article. REFERENCE National Commission on Excellence in Education. (1983). A nation at risk: The imperative for educational reform. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office. Volume51, Issue8May 2008Pages 625-627 ReferencesRelatedInformation

New insights into orthostatic hypotension

we are approaching the 50th anniversary of manned spaceflight, which began in 1961 when Yuri Gagarin and Alan Shepard flew into space within a month of each other; much has been learned about the health risks associated with microgravity. One of the first indications that space travel could have

Clinical research: Protection of the “vulnerable”?

In this age of evidence-based medicine, clinical research is critical for developing new therapeutics and determining the best way to use these therapies. To perform appropriate clinical research, researchers must adhere to ethical standards. These standards have developed in large part as a response to egregious violations of ethically appropriate behavior. In this respect certain populations have been identified as at risk of being treated inappropriately in medical research. Current ethical guidelines prohibit or severely limit what types of research can be performed involving these "vulnerable" populations. Although this might protect these populations, the lack of research on them might actually do harm in limiting their access to life-saving therapies. We explore the historical underpinnings of protecting the vulnerable populations and whether a newer ethical paradigm that would allow for protected research on these populations should be adopted by society.

Eco-efficiency and firm value

Eco-efficiency refers to a process that seeks to maximize the effectiveness of business processes while minimizing their impacts on the environment. Fundamental to eco-efficiency is adoption of a management philosophy that stimulates the search for environmental improvements that yield parallel economic benefits [President’s Council on Sustainable Development, 1996a. Sustainable America: A New Consensus for Prosperity, Opportunity, and a Healthy Environment. Government Printing Office, Washington DC; President’s Council on Sustainable Development, 1996b. Eco-efficiency: Task Force Report. Government Printing Office, Washington DC; World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD), 2000. Eco-efficiency: Creating More Value with Less Input. Geneva]. Eco-efficiency is increased by activities that create economic value while continuously reducing ecological impacts and the use of natural resources [DeSimone, L., Popoff, F., 1997. Eco-efficiency: The Business Link To Sustainable Development. MIT Press, Cambridge, MA]. This study empirically examines the proposition that implementation of eco-efficient business strategies is associated with higher firm value. We posit that, firms which adopt eco-efficient business strategies and, as a consequence, achieve reduced costs and increased profits should be more highly valued by the market than similar firms that do not adopt eco-efficient business strategies. Our empirical testing supports this proposition.

Trading Away the Ladder? Trade Politics and Economic Development in the Americas

Over the past two decades there has been a six-fold increase in the number of regional or bilateral trade agreements (RBTAs) in the world economy. Nowhere has this proliferation been more prevalent...

Why Authentication Procedures Matter for US and UK Public Legal Resources on the Web

AbstractOnline legal resources are increasingly the sole official source. Authentication – the means to demonstrate that materials are what they purport to be – is inseparably interrelated with the official status of sources on the web. This article by Richard J. Matthews examines key features of the UK Statute Law Database, the US Government Printing Office future digital system (FDsys), and the Ohio Supreme Court database of judicial decisions that are relevant to assessing appropriate authentication procedures for those resources. Archival and computational authentication methods are reviewed. Overall findings of AALL'sState-by-State Report on Authentication of Online Legal Resourcesand its recent national summit on authentic legal information on the web are analysed.