Ethical Theory
Ferns
Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA-Reductases, NADP-dependent
Mushroom Bodies
Nut Hypersensitivity
Open Bite
Pseudotsuga
Sandfly fever Naples virusDo you know what these all have in common?
They're new subject headings in the 2002 edition of Medical Subject Headings (MeSH), the controlled vocabulary used for indexing MEDLINE articles. Experts at the National Library of Medicine update MeSH annually to reflect changes in the biomedical literature. For 2002 they've added 847 "new" headings, replaced 185 others with more "up-to-date terminology", and declared 47 obsolete.
It usually takes awhile for "touchy-feely" concepts to creep into the (generally conservative) MeSH vocabulary. In 2002 they've added Faith Healing, Laughter Therapy, Mind-Body Relaxation Techniques and Spirituality to the list of new headings.
Still, you have to wonder why this is the year that NLM decided to recognize Asparagus, Dinosaurs and Professional Misconduct.
It can also be fun imagining the logic behind some of the replaced headings.
| Simplicity? Not likely, based on these: |
| 2001: | | 2002: |
| FLA 63 | to | Bis(4-Methyl-1-Homopiperazinylthiocarbonyl)disulfide |
| Herbs | to | Angiosperms, Medicine |
| Hog Cholera | to | Classical Swine Fever |
Browsing through the MeSH changes can be entertaining as well as informative. To view the full lists for 2002, go to: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/mesh/changes2002.html
Take the 2002 MeSH challenge!
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