NLM Classification 2006 Edition Now Available

t he NLM Classification, available online at //wwwcf.nlm.nih.gov/class/, incorporates all additions and changes to the schedules and index from April 2005 through March 2006. This edition includes an online tutorial on searching the NLM Classification.

Major Changes

Proteins and bacteria were the major areas revised for the 2006 edition.

• The general class number for proteins, QU 55, was subdivided in order to parallel the arrangement of the MeSH thesaurus and better fit trends in the literature. NLM believes these new numbers for categories of proteins provide a more coherent shelf arrangement of works in this broad topic area and better control the volume of material formerly assigned to this single class number.
• Several class numbers in the bacteria section of the QW schedule were added, modified, or canceled to better reflect the current taxonomy in Bergey's Manual of Systematic Bacteriology, 2nd ed. However, because a major overhaul of this section of the schedule would have been impractical, the extent of the revision for bacteria was necessarily limited.
• New class numbers were added and existing class numbers were canceled as needed to reflect other changes in MeSH and the biomedical and related sciences literature cataloged.

Class Numbers Added and Canceled

Class Numbers Added - 2006

New Number	Class Name	Former Number
	QT Physiology
QT 36.5	Nanotechnology	QT 36
	QU Biochemistry
QU 55.2	Carrier proteins. Intracellular signaling peptides and proteins	QU 55
QU 55.3	Cytoskeletal proteins. Scleroproteins	QU 55
QU 55.4	Dietary proteins	QU 55
QU 55.5	Glycoproteins	QU 55
QU 55.6	Heat-shock proteins. Molecular chaperones	QU 55
QU 55.7	Membrane proteins. Cell surface receptors	QU 55
QU 55.8	Metalloproteins	QU 55
QU 55.9	Protein phenomena	QU 55
	QW Microbiology. Immunology
QW 90	Biofilms	Various numbers
QW 125.5.B4	Bifidobacterium	QW 125.5.A2
QW 125.5.B7	Brevibacterium	QW 118
QW 125.5.C5	Corynebacterium	QW 118
QW 125.5.P7	Propionibacteriaceae	QW 120
	WB Practice of Medicine
WB 112	Osteopathic medicine	WB 940

Class Numbers Canceled - 2006

[Editor's note: A correction was made to "New Number" for Actinobacteria. The corrected number is QW 125.]

Canceled Number	Class Name	New Number
QV 115	Synthetic local anesthetics	QV 113
QW 115	Actinobacteria	QW 125
QW 118	Corynebacterium	QW 125.5.C5
QW 120	Propionibacteriaceae	QW 125.5.P7
QW 153	Sheathed bacteria. Budding or appendaged bacteria	QW 133

Other Changes to the Schedule

• Selected class number captions were augmented to clarify their scope, e.g., at QW 50, the caption was changed to Bacteria (General). Bacteriology. Archaea.
• Selected schedule captions were revised to reflect changes in MeSH, e.g., at QV 55, Drugs was changed to Pharmaceutical preparations.
• Various instructional notes were added or modified to clarify classification practices, e.g., at the beginning of the WY schedule, an example was added to the second note to clarify classification of works on nursing care of a specific disease.

New Table G Numbers

The following Table G numbers were added to the outline of geographic tables used in the NLM Classification. (see //www.nlm.nih.gov/class/TableGOutline.html)

      GA3-Eastern Europe
      GB2-Baltic States¹

Changes to the Index

• Ninety-eight (98) new main index entries were created, fifty-seven (57) of which are from the 2006 MeSH; the remainder are MeSH terms from previous years.
• Numerous main index entries and cross references were modified to reflect changes in the MeSH vocabulary. In particular, major categories of index terms affected by MeSH changes include:
  
  Terms changed to clarify meaning for use in non-medical databases, e.g.:
  
        Fractures to Fractures, Bone
        Labor Complications to Obstetric Labor Complications
  
  Terms replaced by more current or scientific terms, e.g.:
  
        Hay Fever to Rhinitis, Allergic, Seasonal
        Clams to Bivalvia
  
  
• Various instructional notes were added to index entries to clarify classification practices. For example, to more fully account for their medically relevant facets, improved classification guidance has been added to the index for certain headings in the areas of nursing, history (wars and events), pharmacology, and the digestive system (liver and biliary tract).
• All index entries pertaining to the aforementioned schedule additions and changes were modified.

To learn more about the NLM Classification see the Fact Sheet.

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¹ See New Table G Classification Number Added to the NLM Classification in the 2005 May-Jun; (344)NLM Technical Bulletin.

By Sharon R. Willis and Paul DeAnna, Ph.D.
Cataloging Section, Technical Services Division

Willis SR, DeAnna P. NLM Classification 2006 Edition Now Available. NLM Tech Bull. 2006 Mar-Apr;(349):e6.