Nature Chemical Biology, available through the Libraries’ e-journal collections, has added some very useful new features and enhancements.

• Enhanced online functionality: Nature Chemical Biology has already integrated several online resources to enable readers to better access and use chemical information in published papers. Readers will now see further enhancements to the online chemistry functionality of Nature Chemical Biology papers, including:
  • two-dimensional structure and reference pop-ups on the article page
  • a richer database of information on each compound
  • enhanced rendering of three-dimensional compound structures
  • more file formats for chemical information

• More research highlights: On the basis of positive feedback from our readers, we are expanding our monthly research highlights section, which will provide more space to highlight a wider range of chemical biology papers each month.
• Primers: Starting this year, we will be publishing a series of peer-reviewed “Primers”, which are one-page summaries of chemical or biological topics designed to jump-start your user’s ability to comprehend research in a particular area. Available as a tear-out sheet in print issues and also as a PDF download, these primers can be posted on bulletin boards or used as bookmarks for easy reference. The first primer, which will feature green fluorescent protein, will be published in the February issue.

Pauline W. Chen, M.D. writes in the 1/8/2009 issue of the New York Times on web sites valued by physicians for comparing hospitals, for identifying specialists, and for gathering information on medical conditions.  The article highlights DHHS’s “Hospital Compare” website which allows the user to select three hospitals (by name, proximity to their home or other criteria, and view data on treatment benchmarks, patient satisfaction and other indicators that may help in choosing where to seek treatment.

Other web sites mentioned include the Medical Library Association, for their guide to finding consumer health information, as well as the National Library of Medicine’s MEDLINE Plus.