MEDLINE end-user survey: the University of Florida experience

The University of Florida Health Science Center Library (UF-HSCL) surveyed MEDLINE end-user activities of the faculty from the six colleges which the UF-HSCL serves. A questionnaire was developed and sent to all faculty members. The Basic SAS program was used to analyze the collected data. This survey was intended to identify the users, the reasons for faculty members not being end users, the purpose for searching MEDLINE, the information retrieval methods, the level of end-user satisfaction, and the librarian's role in information retrieval activities. Many findings from this survey were in agreement with those of the 1988 study by the National Library of Medicine.     

Online Course Design in Higher Education: A Review of National and Statewide Evaluation Instruments

This research identifies six online course evaluation instruments used nationally or in statewide systems. We examined the characteristics (i.e., number of standards and criteria) and coded the criteria that guide the design of online courses. We discussed the focus of the instruments and their unique features.     

Contemporary dilemmas in american childbirth education: findings from a comparative ethnographic study

In this article, we examine key dilemmas childbirth educators experienced as they made crucial decisions about the content and format of their classes in the current U.S. maternity-care context. This ethnographic study demonstrates that childbirth education is a cultural phenomenon with deeply embedded values regarding the nature and importance of information, scientific evidence, and consumer choice. Articulating how culture shapes the presentation, content, and format of childbirth classes is an important step in understanding and increasing the relevance of this experience for birthing women.     

Print and Image Integration of Science Texts and Reading Comprehension: A Systemic Functional Linguistics Perspective

Systemic functional linguistics (SFL) was the foundation for this study that explored the effect of science text and image integration on grade 9 students’ reading comprehension. Two texts in Chinese on the moon phase with different print and image integration were compared—a traditional textbook (TT) used in Taiwanese junior high schools and a systemic functional linguistics text (SFLT) created by the authors for this study. These two texts contained similar concepts but had major differences in several features: technicality, representational structure, degree of modality, and interaction between print and image. A control-experimental design with pretest, posttest, and semi-structured interviews was used. In total, 132 junior high school students were randomly assigned to two groups: one group (n=69) read the TT and the other group (n=63) read the SFLT. Sixteen students with both high and low performances in the posttest were purposely selected as the subjects of the follow-up interviews. Major findings were: (a) students who read the SFLT demonstrated significantly better achievement than those who read the TT, and (b) students who read the TT generated more misconceptions about the moon phase and had greater difficulty in making sense of the images than the students who read the SFLT. Accordingly, SFL may serve as a useful theoretical framework and tool in the design of textbooks and may have a practical application in the science classroom.     

短葶山麦冬种群分类问题的探讨

The presence of stolons is taxonomically significant in the genus Liriope Linn. However, probably due to a lapse of attention, F. T. Wang and T. Tang failed to re- cognize Ophiopogon muscari Decne., type of Liriope muscari (Decne.) Bailey, a non- stoloniferous taxon, and erroneously referred it as a synonym to the stoloniferous L. spicata Lour.  At the same time, however, they described another  non-stoloniferous species-L. platyphylla Wang et Tang (L. muscari Bailey) as new.      What, then, is the difference between L. platyphylla Wang et Tang and L. mus- cari (Decne.) Bailey?  A comparison of the type photo of Ophiopogon muscari Decne. with specimens of L. platyphylla Wang et Tang shows that the two forms are much alike, but the latter has longer scapes usually overtopping the foliage, as well as longer spikes and broader leaves. L. H. Bailey must had combined the two forms into one species. Furthermore. there are another two non-stoloniferous forms, both having scapes shorter than their foliage, but differing from L. muscari (Decne.)  Bailey in their much nar- rower leaves.  One of them has very short leaves and looks like L. minor Makino.       Finally, what are the correlations among the above four forms? By using methods of quantitative analysis, such as pictorialized scatter diagram and histogram, on her- barium material, it has been found that the L. muscari complex can be separated into two parts: 1) muscari (M), and 2) platyphylla (P).  But since these two parts dis- play a continuous variation pattern as a whole, it seems advisable to treat both as varie- ties of the same species, i. e., L. muscari (Decne.) Bailey var. muscari, and L. muscari var. communis (Maxim.) Hsu et L. C. Li. (Ophiopogon spicatus Ker-Cawl. var. com- munis Maxim.) As to the other two narrow-leaved forms, they can hardly be regarded as sufficient for two distinct infraspecific units, for they are found to be inseparablefrom each other as well as from muscari.     

关于喙果藤的归属问题

 According to Wang and Xie, their recently  published  genus  Trirostellum  is distinguished from its allied genera by a number of characteristics: (1) the stamens with their filaments coherent into a central column; (2) the female flowers possessing rudimentary stamens; (3) the ovary 3-celled, with one ovule in each cell; (4) the fruits dehiscent, 3-rostrated at the apex; (5) the fruits possessing persistent perianth; (6) the seeds tuberculate and winged.  However, upon a careful comparison of Trirostell- um yixingensis Z.P. Wang et Q. Z. Xie, the type species of Trirostellum with Gyno- stemma pentaphyllum (Thunb.) Mak., the type species of Gynostemma Bl.  and some other species of Gynostemma as well,we have found that the representatives of the above two genera are identical in most of the important diagnostic characteristics ex- cept that the fruits of the former genus are dehiscent with three long beaks at  the apex, while the fruits of the latter genus are indehiscent  with  very  short  beaks. Besides, results obtained from chromosome counting haove  shown that the somatic chromosome number of Trirostellum yixingensis is 2n=22, while that of Gynostemma pentaphyllum is 2n=28.Yet these morphological and chromosomal differences seem not sufficient for generic demarcation.  We, therefore, suggest that Trirostellum bereduced to a sectional or subgeneric rank of Gynostemma Bl.     

南京两种半夏群体水平变异式样的比较

 南京东郊灵谷寺山坡有一种半夏属Pinellia植物，它外观上与半夏P.ternata相似，但无珠芽；在形态上则更近似鹞落坪半夏P.yaoluopingensis，但缺少子块茎。本文以两个半夏群体和一个鹞落坪半夏(暂名)群体为对象，从生境的调查、形态性状的测量、花粉粒电镜扫描和显微观察以及染色体的计数人手，对两种半夏的变异式样进行比较。结果表明鹞落坪半夏群体与半夏群体的区别在于：(1)营养器官绝无珠芽，佛焰苞檐部边缘决非紫红色，雄花序长度比半夏短，雌花序和附属器长度均比半夏长；(2)花粉粒比半夏小，虽都呈圆球形，但小刺状纹饰较稀疏；(3)染色体2n=26，与半夏群体2n=72不同；(4)半夏具有一定杂草特性，在不同程度人为干扰的环境中能很好地生长和开花。鹞落坪半夏则常见于落叶阔叶林下层未受人为干扰的环境中。     

我国八种特有植物的染色体观察

 A report of chromosome numbers for eight species endemic to China is made in the paper, including first counts for 4 genera and 4 species and first karyoty- pic analyses of two species. Sinojohnstonia chekiangensis (Migo) W. T. Wang (Boraginaceae) 2n=24*; Coptis chinenis Franch (Ranunculaceae) 2n=18**; Dichocarpum dalzielii (Drumm. et Hutch.) W. T. Wang et Hsiao (Ranunculaceae)      2n=24*;      Eomecon chionantha Hance (Papaveraceae) 2n=18;      Camptotheca acuminata Dcne.  (Nyssaceae) 2n=44;       Calycanthus chinensis Cheng et S. Y. Chang (Calycanthaceae) 2n=22**;      Eucommia ulmoides Oliv. (Eucommiaceae) n=17;      Pinellia pedatisecta Schott (Araceae) 2n=26;      The previous reports of chromosome numbers of the same groups are compared with our own (See Table 1). The vouchers for the present study are preserved in the Herba- rium of Futan University.     

山茱萸属应予重新确认

The genus Macrocarpium has been accepted only by a few scholars since its separation from Cornus L. by T. Nakai in 1909. Bentham,  Hooker,  Hutchinson and the others consider that the ovary of Macrocarpium is 2-celled and the genus should be placed back into Cornus. We have discovered that are generally I-celled.  In addition, Macrocarpium is different from Cornus in basic chromosome number  (X),  flowering physiological character,  inflorescence type and involucral scale. Thus the genus Ma-crocarpium (Spach) Nakai should be reaffirmed.     

Selected plantar pressure characteristics associated with the skating performance of national in-line speed skaters

In order to help coaches analyse the techniques of professional in-line speed skaters for making the required fine adjustments and corrections in their push-off work, this study analysed the specific plantar pressure characteristics during a 300-m time-trial test. Fourteen elite in-line speed skaters from the national team were recruited in this study. The total completion time of the 300-m time-trial test, duration of each skating phase, and plantar pressure distribution were measured. The correlation between plantar pressure distribution and skating performance was assessed using Pearson correlation analyses. The results showed that the contact time of the total foot and force–time integral (FTI) in the medial forefoot were significantly correlated with the duration of the start phase, and the FTIs in the medial forefoot of the gliding (left) leg and lateral forefoot of the pushing (right) leg were significantly correlated with the duration of the turning phase. The maximum force in the medial heel, medial forefoot, and median forefoot and the FTI in the medial heel and medial forefoot were significantly correlated with the duration of the linear acceleration phase. The results suggest that a correct plantar loading area and push-off strategy can enhance the skating performance.