50 Years of the Macedonian Academy of Sciences and Arts 1967-2017 and 48 Years of Publishing the Journal Prilozi (Contributions) of MASA.

PubMed

Polenakovic, Momir; Pop-Jordanova, Nada; Gucev, Zoran

2017-12-01

Papers on medical subjects have been published since the first issue of the journal Prilozi in 1969, totalling a number of of 957 (nine hundred and fifty seven) papers have been published in Prilozi. Two hundred and twenty nine cover subjects on natural sciences and mathematics, and 728 (seven hundred and twenty eight) subjects on medical sciences. So far, 2017 No. XXXVIII-2, 622 (six hundred and twenty two) papers published in Prilozi are in Pubmed. Prilozi is published three times a year and it is covered by the following services: Baidu Scholar, Case, Celdes, CNKI Scholar (China National Knowledge Infrastructure), CNPIEC, DOAJ (Directory of Open Access Journals), EBSCO (relevant databases), EBSCO Discovery Service, Elsevier - SCOPUS, Google Scholar, J-Gate, JournalTOCs, KESLI-NDSL (Korean National Discovery for Science Leaders), Naviga (Softweco), Primo Central (ExLibris), Publons, PubMed, ReadCube, ResearchGate, SCImago (SJR), Summon (Serials Solutions/ProQuest), TDNet, Ulrich's Periodicals Directory/ulrichsweb WanFang Data, WorldCat (OCLC).

Measuring Meaningful Outcomes in Consequential Contexts: Searching for a Happy Medium in Educational Technology Research (Phase II)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ross, Steven M.; Morrison, Jennifer R.

2014-01-01

In a paper published 25 years ago, Ross and Morrison ("Educ Technol Res Dev" 37(1):19-33, 1989) called for a "happy medium" in educational technology research, to be achieved by balancing high rigor of studies (internal validity) with relevance to real-world applications (external validity). In this paper, we argue that,…

Response to the Council of Europe Human Rights Commissioner's Issue Paper on Human Rights and Intersex People.

PubMed

Cools, Martine; Simmonds, Margaret; Elford, Sue; Gorter, Joke; Ahmed, S Faisal; D'Alberton, Franco; Springer, Alex; Hiort, Olaf

2016-09-01

Intersex/disorders of sex development advocacy groups and associated health care professionals question the legitimacy of the Council of Europe issue paper, express their worries about its potentially harmful consequences, and urge the Council of Europe to consult more widely with relevant stakeholders. Copyright © 2016 European Association of Urology. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

What do I need to know about penicillin antibiotics?

PubMed

Barker, Charlotte I; Germovsek, Eva; Sharland, Mike

2017-02-01

The penicillins remain the class of antibiotics most commonly prescribed to children worldwide. In an era when the risks posed by antimicrobial resistance are growing, an understanding of antibiotic pharmacology and how to apply these principles in clinical practice is increasingly important. This paper provides an overview of the pharmacology of penicillins, focusing on those aspects of pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics and toxicity that are clinically relevant in paediatric prescribing. Penicillin allergy is frequently reported but a detailed history of suspected adverse reactions is essential to identify whether a clinically relevant hypersensitivity reaction is likely or not. The importance of additional factors such as antibiotic palatability, concordance and stewardship are also discussed, highlighting their relevance to optimal prescribing of the penicillins for children. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/.

Ask Not Only "What Can Problem-Based Learning Do for Psychology?" but "What Can Psychology Do for Problem-Based Learning?" A Review of the Relevance of Problem-Based Learning for Psychology Teaching and Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wiggins, Sally; Chiriac, Eva Hammar; Abbad, Gunvor Larsson; Pauli, Regina; Worrell, Marcia

2016-01-01

Problem-based learning (PBL) is an internationally recognised pedagogical approach that is implemented within a number of disciplines. The relevance and uptake of PBL in psychology has to date, however, received very limited attention. The aim of this paper is therefore to review published accounts of how PBL is being used to deliver psychology…

Child Malnutrition in Pakistan: Evidence from Literature

PubMed Central

Asim, Muhammad; Nawaz, Yasir

2018-01-01

Pakistan has one of the highest prevalences of child malnutrition as compared to other developing countries. This narrative review was accomplished to examine the published empirical literature on children’s nutritional status in Pakistan. The objectives of this review were to know about the methodological approaches used in previous studies, to assess the overall situation of childhood malnutrition, and to identify the areas that have not yet been studied. This study was carried out to collect and synthesize the relevant data from previously published papers through different scholarly database search engines. The most relevant and current published papers between 2000–2016 were included in this study. The research papers that contain the data related to child malnutrition in Pakistan were assessed. A total of 28 articles was reviewed and almost similar methodologies were used in all of them. Most of the researchers conducted the cross sectional quantitative and descriptive studies, through structured interviews for identifying the causes of child malnutrition. Only one study used the mix method technique for acquiring data from the respondents. For the assessment of malnutrition among children, out of 28 papers, 20 used the World Health Organization (WHO) weight for age, age for height, and height for weight Z-score method. Early marriages, large family size, high fertility rates with a lack of birth spacing, low income, the lack of breast feeding, and exclusive breastfeeding were found to be the themes that repeatedly emerged in the reviewed literature. There is a dire need of qualitative and mixed method researches to understand and have an insight into the underlying factors of child malnutrition in Pakistan. PMID:29734703

Book review: Current perspectives on zinc deposits

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kelley, Karen D.

2016-01-01

This book, published in 2015 by the Irish Association for Economic Geology (IAEG), is a compilation of papers and abstracts written by selected authors who attended the ZINC 2010 Conference in Cork, Ireland. Unlike most books produced each decade by the IAEG, which are focused primarily on achievements of the Irish and European mineral sectors, this book has a global perspective of a single commodity—zinc. As stated in the Preface, the theme of the conference and book was quite relevant for the IAEG because Ireland has the highest concentration of zinc per square kilometer on the planet. The book contains 7 full papers and 5 extended abstracts by keynote speakers, followed by 17 extended abstracts by other presenters, plus an Appendix (reprint) of a previously published paper.

A Brief Introduction to Foreign Languages Education Policy in China

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zhang, Weiwen

2012-01-01

Based on a series of official published documents and relevant research reports, the paper make a brief introduction to foreign languages education policies in China, which included national English teaching guidance, national English language textbooks, national English curriculum standard and the massive English teachers training program, etc.…

Third Stream, Fourth Mission: Perspectives on University Engagement with Economic Relevance

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kretz, Andrew; Sa, Creso

2013-01-01

Over the past three decades, university research activities have increasingly become organized towards external economic and social worlds. In this essay, we reflect on the observations and explanations made in papers published in Higher Education Policy on this topic, and discuss their contributions towards understanding university third stream…

Environmental Studies, Conference Report, Secondary Schools Science Committee.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Victoria Education Dept. (Australia).

In addition to complete texts or summaries of a number of papers considering the scope and relevance of "environmental studies" to the secondary and elementary school programs in Victoria (Australia), many teaching techniques are described. Techniques for measuring carrying capacity of roadways, examining published air pollution data,…

Teaching Adult Vocational Education Learners. Annotated and Selected Bibliography. Final Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Warner, Larry S.; Humburg, Renae

This selected annotated bibliography contains eighty-three entries (includes books, reports, guides, papers, and articles) relevant to teaching adult vocational education learners. The citations are organized alphabetically by author and each one includes some or all of the following: source, title, sponsoring agency, publisher, city, state, date,…

A Review of Neurofeedback Treatment for Pediatric ADHD

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lofthouse, Nicholas; Arnold, L. Eugene; Hersch, Sarah; Hurt, Elizabeth; DeBeus, Roger

2012-01-01

Objective: The aim of this paper was to review all randomized published trials and unpublished conference presentations on the neurofeedback (NF) treatment of pediatric ADHD, and their relevance, strengths, and limitations. Method: Via PsychInfo and Medline searches and contacts with NF researchers 14 studies were identified and reviewed. Results:…

Is cardiac toxicity a relevant issue in the radiation treatment of esophageal cancer?

PubMed

Beukema, Jannet C; van Luijk, Peter; Widder, Joachim; Langendijk, Johannes A; Muijs, Christina T

2015-01-01

In recent years several papers have been published on radiation-induced cardiac toxicity, especially in breast cancer patients. However, in esophageal cancer patients the radiation dose to the heart is usually markedly higher. To determine whether radiation-induced cardiac toxicity is also a relevant issue for this group, we conducted a review of the current literature. A literature search was performed in Medline for papers concerning cardiac toxicity in esophageal cancer patients treated with radiotherapy with or without chemotherapy. The overall crude incidence of symptomatic cardiac toxicity was as high as 10.8%. Toxicities corresponded with several dose-volume parameters of the heart. The most frequently reported complications were pericardial effusion, ischemic heart disease and heart failure. Cardiac toxicity is a relevant issue in the treatment of esophageal cancer. However, valid Normal Tissue Complication Probability models for esophageal cancer are not available at present. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Ethics of Ironic Science in Its Search for Spoof.

PubMed

Ronagh, Maryam; Souder, Lawrence

2015-12-01

The goal of most scientific research published in peer-review journals is to discover and report the truth. However, the research record includes tongue-in-cheek papers written in the conventional form and style of a research paper. Although these papers were intended to be taken ironically, bibliographic database searches show that many have been subsequently cited as valid research, some in prestigious journals. We attempt to understand why so many readers cited such ironic science seriously. We draw from the literature on error propagation in research publication for ways categorize citations. We adopt the concept of irony from the fields of literary and rhetorical criticism to detect, characterize, and analyze the interpretations in the more than 60 published research papers that cite an instance of ironic science. We find a variety of interpretations: some citing authors interpret the research as valid and accept it, some contradict or reject it, and some acknowledge its ironic nature. We conclude that publishing ironic science in a research journal can lead to the same troubles posed by retracted research, and we recommend relevant changes to publication guidelines.

Bibliotherapy and information prescriptions: a summary of the published evidence-base and recommendations from past and ongoing Books on Prescription projects.

PubMed

Chamberlain, D; Heaps, D; Robert, I

2008-01-01

This paper summarizes the published evidence and reports from ongoing and completed projects that used Bibliotherapy and Information Prescription to deliver patient care. A literature search was conducted and relevant papers were summarized into: type of study, type of Bibliotherapy, client group and recommendations. In total, 65 papers were considered with 57 reviewed. A survey was also sent to Library Authorities subscribing to national survey standards asking for details about delivery of Information Prescription projects. There were 21 returned surveys. The experiences and recommendations were then summarized. The aim of the paper is to collate the evidence-base of written research and the experience and recommendations of projects into an easy format so that practitioners interested in using Bibliotherapy/Information Prescription/Books on Prescription have an understanding what they are, the extent of the evidence-base to inform practice, and highlight gaps in the research.

Assessing the relevance of ecotoxicological studies for regulatory decision making.

PubMed

Rudén, Christina; Adams, Julie; Ågerstrand, Marlene; Brock, Theo Cm; Poulsen, Veronique; Schlekat, Christian E; Wheeler, James R; Henry, Tala R

2017-07-01

Regulatory policies in many parts of the world recognize either the utility of or the mandate that all available studies be considered in environmental or ecological hazard and risk assessment (ERA) of chemicals, including studies from the peer-reviewed literature. Consequently, a vast array of different studies and data types need to be considered. The first steps in the evaluation process involve determining whether the study is relevant to the ERA and sufficiently reliable. Relevance evaluation is typically performed using existing guidance but involves application of "expert judgment" by risk assessors. In the present paper, we review published guidance for relevance evaluation and, on the basis of the practical experience within the group of authors, we identify additional aspects and further develop already proposed aspects that should be considered when conducting a relevance assessment for ecotoxicological studies. From a regulatory point of view, the overarching key aspect of relevance concerns the ability to directly or indirectly use the study in ERA with the purpose of addressing specific protection goals and ultimately regulatory decision making. Because ERA schemes are based on the appropriate linking of exposure and effect estimates, important features of ecotoxicological studies relate to exposure relevance and biological relevance. Exposure relevance addresses the representativeness of the test substance, environmental exposure media, and exposure regime. Biological relevance deals with the environmental significance of the test organism and the endpoints selected, the ecological realism of the test conditions simulated in the study, as well as a mechanistic link of treatment-related effects for endpoints to the protection goal identified in the ERA. In addition, uncertainties associated with relevance should be considered in the assessment. A systematic and transparent assessment of relevance is needed for regulatory decision making. The relevance aspects also need to be considered by scientists when designing, performing, and reporting ecotoxicological studies to facilitate their use in ERA. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2017;13:652-663. © 2016 The Authors. Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of Society of Environmental Toxicology & Chemistry (SETAC). © 2016 The Authors. Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of Society of Environmental Toxicology & Chemistry (SETAC).

Cortical thickness in bipolar disorder: a systematic review.

PubMed

Hanford, Lindsay C; Nazarov, Anthony; Hall, Geoffrey B; Sassi, Roberto B

2016-02-01

Bipolar disorder (BD) is a debilitating illness, the psychopathology of which is associated with aberrant structural and functional differences in the brain. Despite the many advances in psychiatric research, our understanding of the complex neurobiological underpinnings of BD remains incomplete. The aim of this review was to critically examine all available published magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) research reporting cortical thickness in BD with respect to a healthy population and/or other psychiatric samples. The systematic search encompassed all relevant studies published until November 2014. Relevant papers were identified through an online search of select databases (MEDLINE and EMBASE) using key terms bipolar disorder or mania, and cortical thickness. Two independent raters determined the eligibility of papers and performed separate data extraction to ensure quality and accuracy of reporting. A total of 17 papers met the criteria and were included in this review. Compared to a healthy population, the majority of studies reported decreased cortical thickness in the left anterior cingulate/paracingulate and the left superior temporal gyrus, as well as several prefrontal regions bilaterally in patients with BD. Studies also show consistency of cortical thinning in individuals with BD and schizophrenia in frontal and temporal regions, suggesting some common neuropathology. This systematic review further supports a link between specific structural brain abnormalities and BD. Future studies should investigate cortical thickness with respect to at-risk populations to determine whether these neuropathologies develop before or after the onset of BD. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

BET 1: use of glucagon for oesophageal food bolus impaction.

PubMed

2015-01-01

A shortcut review was carried out to establish whether intravenous glucagon is a safe and effective treatment for patients with suspected lower oesophageal food bolus impaction. Seven studies were directly relevant to the question. The author, date and country of publication, patient group studied, study type, relevant outcomes, results and study weaknesses of these papers are tabulated. The clinical bottom line is that there is no evidence for the effectiveness of glucagon in this situation. Its use may be associated with adverse effects such as vomiting, with the potential risk of oesophageal perforation. Intravenous glucagon should therefore be avoided. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

Genome-wide analytical approaches for reverse metabolic engineering of industrially relevant phenotypes in yeast.

PubMed

Oud, Bart; van Maris, Antonius J A; Daran, Jean-Marc; Pronk, Jack T

2012-03-01

Successful reverse engineering of mutants that have been obtained by nontargeted strain improvement has long presented a major challenge in yeast biotechnology. This paper reviews the use of genome-wide approaches for analysis of Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains originating from evolutionary engineering or random mutagenesis. On the basis of an evaluation of the strengths and weaknesses of different methods, we conclude that for the initial identification of relevant genetic changes, whole genome sequencing is superior to other analytical techniques, such as transcriptome, metabolome, proteome, or array-based genome analysis. Key advantages of this technique over gene expression analysis include the independency of genome sequences on experimental context and the possibility to directly and precisely reproduce the identified changes in naive strains. The predictive value of genome-wide analysis of strains with industrially relevant characteristics can be further improved by classical genetics or simultaneous analysis of strains derived from parallel, independent strain improvement lineages. © 2011 Federation of European Microbiological Societies. Published by Blackwell Publishing Ltd. All rights reserved.

A Scientometric Study of Iranian Scientific Productions in the Field of Substance Use and Addiction Research in the Years 2008 to 2012.

PubMed

Rahimi-Movaghar, Afarin; Amin-Esmaeili, Masoumeh; Safarcherati, Anousheh; Sarami, Hamid; Rafiey, Hassan

2015-01-01

We aimed to evaluate the current status of scientific production in the field of substance use and addiction in Iran, to determine its trend and pattern during a 5 years period (2008-2012). Using relevant keywords, we searched three international databases (Web of Science, Medline, and Scopus) and two local databases (SID and Iranmedex) to locate the papers published in the field of addiction by Iranian researchers during 2008-2012. The results indicated a significant increase in the number of studies published in the field during the 5 years study period, with more than half of the papers published in the last 2 years. Results also indicated that over half (53.5%) of the papers were published in Persian-language Iranian Journals, but the rate of increase in the number of papers published in English was slightly higher than that of Persian ones. Opioid substances were found to be the topic of approximately 75% of the papers. Studies on key topics, including national surveys, evaluation of current programs, addiction in women and children, and so forth, were found to be highly lacking. Results suggested a significant growth in the scientific production of Iran in the field of substance use and addiction. However, considering the significance of substance use and dependence in the country, and compared to the scientific production of developed countries, the amount of research conducted in the field of addiction in Iran is still limited.

Climate Change Research in View of Bibliometrics

PubMed Central

Haunschild, Robin; Bornmann, Lutz; Marx, Werner

2016-01-01

This bibliometric study of a large publication set dealing with research on climate change aims at mapping the relevant literature from a bibliometric perspective and presents a multitude of quantitative data: (1) The growth of the overall publication output as well as (2) of some major subfields, (3) the contributing journals and countries as well as their citation impact, and (4) a title word analysis aiming to illustrate the time evolution and relative importance of specific research topics. The study is based on 222,060 papers (articles and reviews only) published between 1980 and 2014. The total number of papers shows a strong increase with a doubling every 5–6 years. Continental biomass related research is the major subfield, closely followed by climate modeling. Research dealing with adaptation, mitigation, risks, and vulnerability of global warming is comparatively small, but their share of papers increased exponentially since 2005. Research on vulnerability and on adaptation published the largest proportion of very important papers (in terms of citation impact). Climate change research has become an issue also for disciplines beyond the natural sciences. The categories Engineering and Social Sciences show the strongest field-specific relative increase. The Journal of Geophysical Research, the Journal of Climate, the Geophysical Research Letters, and Climatic Change appear at the top positions in terms of the total number of papers published. Research on climate change is quantitatively dominated by the USA, followed by the UK, Germany, and Canada. The citation-based indicators exhibit consistently that the UK has produced the largest proportion of high impact papers compared to the other countries (having published more than 10,000 papers). Also, Switzerland, Denmark and also The Netherlands (with a publication output between around 3,000 and 6,000 papers) perform top—the impact of their contributions is on a high level. The title word analysis shows that the term climate change comes forward with time. Furthermore, the term impact arises and points to research dealing with the various effects of climate change. The discussion of the question of human induced climate change towards a clear fact (for the majority of the scientific community) stimulated research on future pathways for adaptation and mitigation. Finally, the term model and related terms prominently appear independent of time, indicating the high relevance of climate modeling. PMID:27472663

Climate Change Research in View of Bibliometrics.

PubMed

Haunschild, Robin; Bornmann, Lutz; Marx, Werner

2016-01-01

This bibliometric study of a large publication set dealing with research on climate change aims at mapping the relevant literature from a bibliometric perspective and presents a multitude of quantitative data: (1) The growth of the overall publication output as well as (2) of some major subfields, (3) the contributing journals and countries as well as their citation impact, and (4) a title word analysis aiming to illustrate the time evolution and relative importance of specific research topics. The study is based on 222,060 papers (articles and reviews only) published between 1980 and 2014. The total number of papers shows a strong increase with a doubling every 5-6 years. Continental biomass related research is the major subfield, closely followed by climate modeling. Research dealing with adaptation, mitigation, risks, and vulnerability of global warming is comparatively small, but their share of papers increased exponentially since 2005. Research on vulnerability and on adaptation published the largest proportion of very important papers (in terms of citation impact). Climate change research has become an issue also for disciplines beyond the natural sciences. The categories Engineering and Social Sciences show the strongest field-specific relative increase. The Journal of Geophysical Research, the Journal of Climate, the Geophysical Research Letters, and Climatic Change appear at the top positions in terms of the total number of papers published. Research on climate change is quantitatively dominated by the USA, followed by the UK, Germany, and Canada. The citation-based indicators exhibit consistently that the UK has produced the largest proportion of high impact papers compared to the other countries (having published more than 10,000 papers). Also, Switzerland, Denmark and also The Netherlands (with a publication output between around 3,000 and 6,000 papers) perform top-the impact of their contributions is on a high level. The title word analysis shows that the term climate change comes forward with time. Furthermore, the term impact arises and points to research dealing with the various effects of climate change. The discussion of the question of human induced climate change towards a clear fact (for the majority of the scientific community) stimulated research on future pathways for adaptation and mitigation. Finally, the term model and related terms prominently appear independent of time, indicating the high relevance of climate modeling.

Provision of Pre-Primary Education as a Basic Right in Tanzania: Reflections from Policy Documents

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mtahabwa, Lyabwene

2010-01-01

This study sought to assess provision of pre-primary education in Tanzania as a basic right through analyses of relevant policy documents. Documents which were published over the past decade were considered, including educational policies, action plans, national papers, the "Basic Education Statistics in Tanzania" documents, strategy…

Design, fiction and the medical humanities.

PubMed

Strachan, Christopher Gordon

2016-12-01

This paper sets out to explore the similarities between the developing discipline of speculative and critical design (SCD) and science fiction, and their relevance to the medical humanities. SCD looks beyond 'commercial design' to consider what sort of things we should, or should not, be designing in order to create preferable futures. It does so by extrapolating from current social, economic, political and scientific knowledge, designing artefacts, experiences and scenarios which communicate futures and alternative realities in tangible ways. By first outlying the relevance of SCD to the medical humanities, through its ability to imagine and visualise preferable healthcare futures, the paper will then discuss several recent design projects which focus on current and future ethical issues raised by emerging biotechnology. Through these projects, the paper will look at SCD's ability to provoke, engage and critique science and society, while also critically reflecting on the limitations of the evolving design discipline. Through the paper it is hoped that there can be an increased understanding of SCD and its ambitions, as well as its limitations, in order for SCD to better approach issues relating to health and wellbeing, along with other difficult and challenging issues which will affect all us today and into the (sci-fi) future. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/.

Treatment modalities in children with teeth affected by molar-incisor enamel hypomineralisation (MIH): A systematic review.

PubMed

Lygidakis, N A

2010-04-01

This was to review the literature concerning the treatment of permanent teeth with molar-incisor hypomineralised enamel (MIH), comment about possible shortcomings and propose areas of future research. A search of MedLine, Scopus, ResearchGate, Isis and Google Scholar databases was conducted using all terms relevant to the subject. Relevant papers published in English were identified after a review of their titles, abstracts or full reading of the papers. Of 189 references initially found, 66 papers were included; 34 directly relevant to the subject. From the latter, only 14 concerned laboratory or clinical studies dealing with treatment for MIH. Since 2000 11 reviews evaluated, to a certain extent, treatment options for affected teeth. Analysis of the proposed treatment modalities indicated options for prevention, restorations, and adhesion to hypomineralised enamel, full coronal coverage and extraction followed by orthodontics. Based on these findings, a treatment decision plan is proposed. Although treatment approaches for MIH have started to be clearer, long-term clinical trials, supported by laboratory studies, should be conducted to further facilitate the clinical management of this dental defect.

Text-based plagiarism in scientific publishing: issues, developments and education.

PubMed

Li, Yongyan

2013-09-01

Text-based plagiarism, or copying language from sources, has recently become an issue of growing concern in scientific publishing. Use of CrossCheck (a computational text-matching tool) by journals has sometimes exposed an unexpected amount of textual similarity between submissions and databases of scholarly literature. In this paper I provide an overview of the relevant literature, to examine how journal gatekeepers perceive textual appropriation, and how automated plagiarism-screening tools have been developed to detect text matching, with the technique now available for self-check of manuscripts before submission; I also discuss issues around English as an additional language (EAL) authors and in particular EAL novices being the typical offenders of textual borrowing. The final section of the paper proposes a few educational directions to take in tackling text-based plagiarism, highlighting the roles of the publishing industry, senior authors and English for academic purposes professionals.

A Journey with Elie Metchnikoff: From Innate Cell Mechanisms in Infectious Diseases to Quantum Biology

PubMed Central

Merien, Fabrice

2016-01-01

Many reviews of Elie Metchnikoff’s work have been published, all unanimously acknowledging the significant contributions of his cellular theory to the fields of immunology and infectious diseases. In 1883, he published a key paper describing phagocytic cells in frogs. His descriptions were not just about phagocytes involved in host defense, he also described how these specialized cells eliminated degenerating or dying cells of the host. This perspective focuses on key concepts developed by Metchnikoff by presenting relevant excerpts of his 1883 paper and matching these concepts with challenges of modern immunology. A new approach to macrophage polarization is included to introduce some creative thinking about the exciting emerging area of quantum biology. PMID:27379227

How to prepare a systematic review of economic evaluations for clinical practice guidelines: database selection and search strategy development (part 2/3).

PubMed

Thielen, F W; Van Mastrigt, Gapg; Burgers, L T; Bramer, W M; Majoie, Hjm; Evers, Smaa; Kleijnen, J

2016-12-01

This article is part of the series "How to prepare a systematic review of economic evaluations (EES) for informing evidence-based healthcare decisions", in which a five-step approach is proposed. Areas covered: This paper focuses on the selection of relevant databases and developing a search strategy for detecting EEs, as well as on how to perform the search and how to extract relevant data from retrieved records. Expert commentary: Thus far, little has been published on how to conduct systematic review EEs. Moreover, reliable sources of information, such as the Health Economic Evaluation Database, have ceased to publish updates. Researchers are thus left without authoritative guidance on how to conduct SR-EEs. Together with van Mastrigt et al. we seek to fill this gap.

The O2-O3 Stars Presaged in the Boletín de los Observatorios de Tonantzintla y Tacubaya

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Walborn, N. R.

2011-04-01

Following an irrelevant, mildly humorous personal anecdote involving the Boletín, two papers published there that are relevant to the discovery of the most massive hot stars, of spectral types O2-O3, are noted and related to subsequent developments in that field.

Realizing the Educational Rights of Children with Disabilities: An Overview of Inclusive Education in Cameroon

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cockburn, Lynn; Hashemi, Goli; Noumi, Christian; Ritchie, Allison; Skead, Kimberly

2017-01-01

All children deserve access to education, including those in low income countries. Educators and teachers share a desire to promote inclusive education, and can came together, such as the current group of authors did, to educate themselves about current developments. This paper examines published research relevant to inclusive education in…

The Influence of Academic Values on Scholarly Publication and Communication Practices. Research and Occasional Paper Series: CSHE.13.06

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Harley, Diane; Earl-Novell, Sarah; Arter, Jennifer; Lawrence, Shannon; King, C. Judson

2006-01-01

This study reports on five disciplinary case studies that explore academic value systems as they influence publishing behavior and attitudes of University of California, Berkeley faculty. The case studies are based on direct interviews with relevant stakeholders--faculty, advancement reviewers, librarians, and editors--in five fields: chemical…

Priority issues, study designs and geographical distribution in nutrition journals.

PubMed

Ortiz-Moncada, R; González-Zapata, L; Ruiz-Cantero, M T; Clemente-Gómez, V

2011-01-01

The increased number of articles published in nutrition is a reflection of the relevance to scientific community. The characteristics and quality of nutritional studies determine whether readers can obtain valid conclusions from them, as well as their usefulness for evidence-based strategic policies. To determine the characteristics of papers published in nutrition journals. Descriptive study design. We reviewed 330 original papers published between January-June 2007. From: American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (AJCN), Journal of Nutrition, European Journal Nutrition, European Journal of Clinical Nutrition and Public Health Nutrition. We classified them according to the subjects studied; risk factors, study design and country of origin. Almost half the papers studied healthy people (53.3%). The most frequent illness was obesity (13.9%). Food consumption is the most frequent risk factor (63.3%). Social factors appear exclusively only in 3.6% of the papers. Clinical trials were the most common analytical design (31.8%), mainly in the AJCN (45.6%). Cross-sectional studies were the most frequent type of observational design (37.9%). Ten countries produced over half of the papers (51.3%). The US publishes the highest number of papers (20.6%), whilst developing countries make only scarce contributions to scientific literature on nutrition. Most of the papers had inferential power. They generally studied both healthy and sick subjects, coinciding with the aims of international scientific policies. However, the topics covered reflect a clear bias, prioritizing problems pertaining to developed countries. Social determinants of health should also be considered, along with behavioral and biological risk factors.

Directly e-mailing authors of newly published papers encourages community curation

PubMed Central

Bunt, Stephanie M.; Grumbling, Gary B.; Field, Helen I.; Marygold, Steven J.; Brown, Nicholas H.; Millburn, Gillian H.

2012-01-01

Much of the data within Model Organism Databases (MODs) comes from manual curation of the primary research literature. Given limited funding and an increasing density of published material, a significant challenge facing all MODs is how to efficiently and effectively prioritize the most relevant research papers for detailed curation. Here, we report recent improvements to the triaging process used by FlyBase. We describe an automated method to directly e-mail corresponding authors of new papers, requesting that they list the genes studied and indicate (‘flag’) the types of data described in the paper using an online tool. Based on the author-assigned flags, papers are then prioritized for detailed curation and channelled to appropriate curator teams for full data extraction. The overall response rate has been 44% and the flagging of data types by authors is sufficiently accurate for effective prioritization of papers. In summary, we have established a sustainable community curation program, with the result that FlyBase curators now spend less time triaging and can devote more effort to the specialized task of detailed data extraction. Database URL: http://flybase.org/ PMID:22554788

A Scientometric Study of Iranian Scientific Productions in the Field of Substance Use and Addiction Research in the Years 2008 to 2012

PubMed Central

Rahimi-Movaghar, Afarin; Amin-Esmaeili, Masoumeh; Safarcherati, Anousheh; Sarami, Hamid; Rafiey, Hassan

2015-01-01

Background We aimed to evaluate the current status of scientific production in the field of substance use and addiction in Iran, to determine its trend and pattern during a 5 years period (2008-2012). Methods Using relevant keywords, we searched three international databases (Web of Science, Medline, and Scopus) and two local databases (SID and Iranmedex) to locate the papers published in the field of addiction by Iranian researchers during 2008-2012. Findings The results indicated a significant increase in the number of studies published in the field during the 5 years study period, with more than half of the papers published in the last 2 years. Results also indicated that over half (53.5%) of the papers were published in Persian-language Iranian Journals, but the rate of increase in the number of papers published in English was slightly higher than that of Persian ones. Opioid substances were found to be the topic of approximately 75% of the papers. Studies on key topics, including national surveys, evaluation of current programs, addiction in women and children, and so forth, were found to be highly lacking. Conclusion Results suggested a significant growth in the scientific production of Iran in the field of substance use and addiction. However, considering the significance of substance use and dependence in the country, and compared to the scientific production of developed countries, the amount of research conducted in the field of addiction in Iran is still limited. PMID:26885346

Exploring leadership in the context of dentistry in the UK.

PubMed

Willcocks, Stephen George

2016-05-03

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore selective leadership approaches in the context of dentistry in the UK. Design/methodology/approach This is a conceptual paper utilising published sources from relevant literature about leadership theory and practice and the policy background to dentistry in the UK. Findings This paper suggests that there is merit in identifying and applying an eclectic mix of leadership theory to the case of dentistry. It offers insight into individual aspects of the leadership role for dentists and applies this to the dental context. It also contrasts these individual approaches with shared leadership and suggests this may also be relevant to dentistry. It highlights the fact that leadership will be of growing concern for dentistry in the light of recent policy changes. Research limitations/implications This paper points out that there are developmental implications depending on the particular approach taken. It argues that leadership development will become increasingly important in dentistry in the UK. Originality/value This paper addresses a topic that has so far received limited attention in the literature.

A critical comparison of Davis' Principles of Plastic Surgery with Gillies' Plastic Surgery of the face.

PubMed

Freshwater, M Felix

2011-01-01

The second decade of the 20th century saw the publication of two landmark books - John Staige Davis' Plastic Surgery its Principles and Practice published in Philadelphia in 1919 and Major Harold Gillies' Plastic Surgery of the Face published in the United Kingdom early 1920. The aim of this paper is to compare the books critically as scholarly achievements in their time and note their present day relevance. Copies of both books are available online having been scanned by Google and Microsoft. They were analyzed with Acrobat software for key words. A senior plastic surgeon with over 30 years of clinical experience reviewed both books for current relevance. Davis' book was more comprehensive as it encompassed reconstructive plastic surgery from head to toe while Gillies' book focused on the face. Davis' book contained a bibliography over 2000 references, while Gillies' book had one reference. Despite Davis's title containing the word 'Principles', Gillies' book not only mentioned principles almost five times as often, but almost all of Gillies' principles remain relevant 90 years later. Furthermore, the quality of Gillies' post-operative results are far outshines to Davis'. While Davis' book demonstrates his honesty and scholarship, now it is as interesting as a historical curiosity. Gillies' book remains valuable as it shows his originality and the continued relevance of his principles. Copyright © 2010 British Association of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Prevalence and Diagnosis of Molar-Incisor- Hypomineralisation (MIH): A systematic review.

PubMed

Jälevik, B

2010-04-01

This was to review the literature published, to point out shortcomings and to suggest areas in need of improvement concerning the diagnosis and prevalence of MIH. A broad search of the PubMed database was conducted. Relevant papers published in English were identified after a review of their titles, abstracts or full reading of the papers. Papers were selected if the number of children with at least one first permanent molar affected by demarcated opacities could be deciphered. Targeted publications were critically assessed by the author concerning examination criteria, selection and character of the study groups, examiners' calibration and result presentation. The initial search revealed 414 papers of which 24 met the inclusion criteria. A wide variation in defect prevalence (2.4 - 40.2 %) was reported. Cross comparison of the results of the various studies were difficult because of use of different indices and criteria, examination variability, methods of recording and different age groups. Further standardization of study design and methods is needed to make the results comparable.

Building Global Capacity for Conducting Operational Research Using the SORT IT Model: Where and Who?

PubMed

Zachariah, Rony; Rust, Stefanie; Berger, Selma Dar; Guillerm, Nathalie; Bissell, Karen; Delaunois, Paul; Reid, Anthony J; Kumar, Ajay M V; Olliaro, Piero L; Reeder, John C; Harries, Anthony D; Ramsay, Andrew

2016-01-01

Research capacity is weakest in low and middle-income countries (LMICs) where operational research is highly relevant and needed. Structured Operational Research and Training Initiative (SORT IT) courses have been developed to train participants to conduct and publish operational research and influence policy and practice. Twenty courses were completed in Asia, Africa, Europe and the South Pacific between 2009 and 2014. In the 20 completed SORT IT courses, to assess where the research was conducted, who was trained, who became facilitators in subsequent courses and course outcomes. A cohort study of completed SORT IT courses. There were 236 participants (41% female) including 64 nationalities who conducted research in 59 countries, mostly from Asia and Africa (mean course duration = 9.7 months). Most participants (68%) were from government health programs and non-governmental agencies. A total of 213(90%) participants completed all milestones successfully with 41(19%) becoming subsequent course facilitators, 88% of whom were from LMICs. Of 228 manuscripts submitted to scientific journals, 197(86%) were either published or in press; in 86%, the principal investigator (first author) was a LMIC national. Papers were published in 23 scientific journals (impact factor 0.5-4.4) and covered 21 disease categories (median publication time = 5.7 months). Published papers (186) had 94,794 cumulative article views/downloads. Article views/downloads for immediate open access articles were double those from closed access journals. The SORT IT model has been effective in training personnel to produce relevant operational research in LMICs. It merits continued commitment and support for further scale-up and development.

Allergens in veterinary medicine.

PubMed

Mueller, R S; Janda, J; Jensen-Jarolim, E; Rhyner, C; Marti, E

2016-01-01

Allergic diseases in animals are increasingly gaining importance in veterinary practice and as research models. For intradermal testing and allergen immunotherapy, a good knowledge of relevant allergens for the individual species is of great importance. Currently, the knowledge about relevant veterinary allergens is based on sensitization rates identified by intradermal testing or serum testing for allergen-specific IgE; crude extracts are the basis for most evaluations. Only a few studies provide evidence about the molecular structure of (particularly) dust mite, insect and mould allergens in dogs and horses, respectively. In those species, some major allergens differ from those in humans. This position paper summarizes the current knowledge about relevant allergens in dogs, cats and horses. © 2015 The Authors Allergy Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Chiral drug analysis using mass spectrometric detection relevant to research and practice in clinical and forensic toxicology.

PubMed

Schwaninger, Andrea E; Meyer, Markus R; Maurer, Hans H

2012-12-21

This paper reviews analytical approaches published in 2002-2012 for chiral drug analysis and their relevance in research and practice in the field of clinical and forensic toxicology. Separation systems such as gas chromatography, high performance liquid chromatography, capillary electromigration, and supercritical fluid chromatography, all coupled to mass spectrometry, are discussed. Typical applications are reviewed for relevant chiral analytes such as amphetamines and amphetamine-derived designer drugs, methadone, tramadol, psychotropic and other CNS acting drugs, anticoagulants, cardiovascular drugs, and some other drugs. Usefulness of chiral drug analysis in the interpretation of analytical results in clinical and forensic toxicology is discussed as well. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A Century of Gestalt Psychology in Visual Perception: I. Perceptual Grouping and Figure-Ground Organization

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wagemans, Johan; Elder, James H.; Kubovy, Michael; Palmer, Stephen E.; Peterson, Mary A.; Singh, Manish; von der Heydt, Rudiger

2012-01-01

In 1912, Max Wertheimer published his paper on phi motion, widely recognized as the start of Gestalt psychology. Because of its continued relevance in modern psychology, this centennial anniversary is an excellent opportunity to take stock of what Gestalt psychology has offered and how it has changed since its inception. We first introduce the key…

Approaches by School Counselors To Enhance the Self-Concept of High School Students: A Review of Related Literature.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Easterling, Kathleen G.

This paper reviews the relevant literature on approaches by school counselors to enhance the self-concept of high school students. Seventeen journal articles and five microfiche articles published over a period of five years, between 1991 and 1996, were examined. These reviewed sources were identified through an ERIC search. In an attempt to…

Telescope Bibliography Cookbook: Creating a Database of Scientific Papers that Use Observational Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kitt, S.; Grothkopf, U.

2010-10-01

This paper explains the procedures involved in creating a database of scientific papers that use observational data and linking the records to the observations residing in a data archive. Based on our experiences with the ESO Telescope Bibliography, we describe the workflow we apply in order to retrieve relevant articles, assign tags to describe the observing facilities that generated the data, and identify the correct program identification numbers (IDs). These program identifiers are particularly important as they link the published papers and the underlying data and enable scientists to access the data for new studies. With the understanding that the difficulty of compiling correct and complete data varies, depending on the information readily provided in the published literature, this paper proposes an evolution of search options for finding appropriate ID numbers. To explore the process and its various stages, we use the analogy of the "cookbook." These search methodologies might be labeled fast, medium, and slow heat recipes within our culinary theme. We provide a step-by-step guide in order to assist other bibliography compilers, in particular those who are new to the field.

Pacific Island publications in the reproductive health literature 2000-2011: with New Zealand as a reference.

PubMed

Ekeroma, Alec J; Pollock, Terina; Kenealy, Tim; Shulruf, Boaz; Shurulf, Boaz; Sopoaga, Faafetai; Montorzi, Gabriela; McCowan, Lesley M E; Hill, Andrew

2013-04-01

There is a keen interest to develop research systems and increase research output in the 14 Pacific Island Forum Countries (PIFC) to support development of policies and practice based on locally relevant research evidence. To assess the quantity and characteristics of reproductive health research output by each country (14 PIFC) from 2000 to 2011 using New Zealand's reproductive research outputs as the reference. A systematic search of the literature using a broad definition of reproductive health. There were 174 papers published in the PIFC from 2000 to 2011 compared with 628 papers published in New Zealand (NZ). Most (57%) of the PIFC papers were from Papua New Guinea (PNG), although Samoa had the most papers by population (10/100,000). Five of the countries did not have a single publication. The majority of papers from both the PIFC and NZ were observational studies (72 vs 36%). Authors from Australia were responsible for 34% of PIFC publications followed by 25% from PNG. Sixty-three per cent of papers by PIFC sole and first authors were published in local journals, whereas 86% of non-PIFC authors published in international journals. There is a need for reproductive research in PIFC. PNG had the most publications on the back of a well-funded dedicated research institute and a significant collaboration with Australian researchers. The large number of papers in PIFC countries without PIFC authors raises the question about the need to require non-PIFC researchers to enter into genuine research partnerships in order to build research capacity in the PIFC. © 2013 The Authors ANZJOG © 2013 The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists.

A review of domestic animal diseases within the Pacific Islands region.

PubMed

Brioudes, Aurélie; Warner, Jeffrey; Hedlefs, Robert; Gummow, Bruce

2014-04-01

The Pacific Island countries and territories (PICTs) are reported to be free of the most serious infectious livestock diseases which are prevalent in other parts of the globe, such as Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza, Foot and Mouth Disease or Rabies. Yet there is a lack of scientifically based evidence to confirm this animal health status. This paper reviews what has been published on diseases of domestic animals in the Pacific Islands region with a particular focus on data from the last 20 years (1992-2012). Relevant published papers were identified by a computerized literature search of two electronic databases (PubMed and Web of Knowledge). The latest reports on the animal health situation submitted by the PICTs to the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) were accessed on the World Animal Health Information Database (WAHID) interface and included in this review. Additionally, paper searches of resources were undertaken at the library of the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC) in Fiji to retrieve any relevant grey literature for this review. The study eligibility criteria included qualitative or quantitative information on any disease (bacterial, viral, parasitic and other health disorders) affecting domestic terrestrial animals (mammals, reptiles, birds and bees) in any of the 22 PICTs members of the SPC. A total of 158 eligible references were retrieved of which only 77 (48.7%) were published since 1992 and analysed in more details. One hundred and one diseases and pathogens were reported on for bee, bird, carabao, cat, cattle, crocodile, deer, dog, donkey, goat, horse, pig, pigeon, poultry and sheep in the Oceania region and in 17 PICTs in particular. The paper gives information about known animal diseases, their reported prevalence and diseases not reported within the Pacific Islands region. The study found retrieved literature on animal diseases in PICTs was scarce and no longer up to date. There is a need to improve the published knowledge on the current animal disease status in the region. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The GOME-2 instrument on the Metop series of satellites: instrument design, calibration, and level 1 data processing - an overview

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Munro, Rosemary; Lang, Rüdiger; Klaes, Dieter; Poli, Gabriele; Retscher, Christian; Lindstrot, Rasmus; Huckle, Roger; Lacan, Antoine; Grzegorski, Michael; Holdak, Andriy; Kokhanovsky, Alexander; Livschitz, Jakob; Eisinger, Michael

2016-03-01

The Global Ozone Monitoring Experiment-2 (GOME-2) flies on the Metop series of satellites, the space component of the EUMETSAT Polar System. In this paper we will provide an overview of the instrument design, the on-ground calibration and characterization activities, in-flight calibration, and level 0 to 1 data processing. The current status of the level 1 data is presented and points of specific relevance to users are highlighted. Long-term level 1 data consistency is also discussed and plans for future work are outlined. The information contained in this paper summarizes a large number of technical reports and related documents containing information that is not currently available in the published literature. These reports and documents are however made available on the EUMETSAT web pages and readers requiring more details than can be provided in this overview paper will find appropriate references at relevant points in the text.

The GOME-2 instrument on the Metop series of satellites: instrument design, calibration, and level 1 data processing - an overview

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Munro, R.; Lang, R.; Klaes, D.; Poli, G.; Retscher, C.; Lindstrot, R.; Huckle, R.; Lacan, A.; Grzegorski, M.; Holdak, A.; Kokhanovsky, A.; Livschitz, J.; Eisinger, M.

2015-08-01

The Global Ozone Monitoring Experiment-2 (GOME-2) flies on the Metop series of satellites, the space component of the EUMETSAT Polar System. In this paper we will provide an overview of the instrument design, the on-ground calibration and characterisation activities, in-flight calibration, and level 0 to 1 data processing. The quality of the level 1 data is presented and points of specific relevance to users are highlighted. Long-term level 1 data consistency is also discussed and plans for future work are outlined. The information contained in this paper summarises a large number of technical reports and related documents containing information that is not currently available in the published literature. These reports and documents are however made available on the EUMETSAT web pages (http://www.eumetsat.int) and readers requiring more details than can be provided in this overview paper will find appropriate references at relevant points in the text.

The impact factor of a journal is a poor measure of the clinical relevance of its papers.

PubMed

Kodumuri, P; Ollivere, B; Holley, J; Moran, C G

2014-03-01

We evaluated the top 13 journals in trauma and orthopaedics by impact factor and looked at the longer-term effect regarding citations of their papers. All 4951 papers published in these journals during 2007 and 2008 were reviewed and categorised by their type, subspecialty and super-specialty. All citations indexed through Google Scholar were reviewed to establish the rate of citation per paper at two, four and five years post-publication. The top five journals published a total of 1986 papers. Only three (0.15%) were on operative orthopaedic surgery and none were on trauma. Most (n = 1084, 54.5%) were about experimental basic science. Surgical papers had a lower rate of citation (2.18) at two years than basic science or clinical medical papers (4.68). However, by four years the rates were similar (26.57 for surgery, 30.35 for basic science/medical), which suggests that there is a considerable time lag before clinical surgical research has an impact. We conclude that high impact journals do not address clinical research in surgery and when they do, there is a delay before such papers are cited. We suggest that a rate of citation at five years post-publication might be a more appropriate indicator of importance for papers in our specialty.

Fatal river drowning: the identification of research gaps through a systematic literature review.

PubMed

Peden, Amy E; Franklin, Richard C; Leggat, Peter A

2016-06-01

Drowning is a leading cause of unintentional death. Rivers are a common location for drowning. Unlike other location-specific prevention efforts (home swimming pools and beaches), little is known about prevention targeting river drowning deaths. A systematic literature review was undertaken using English language papers published between 1980 and 2014, exploring gaps in the literature, with a focus on epidemiology, risk factors and prevention strategies for river drowning. Twenty-nine papers were deemed relevant to the study design including 21 (72.4%) on epidemiology, 18 (62.1%) on risk factors and 10 (34.5%) that proposed strategies for prevention. Risk factors identified included age, falls into water, swimming, using watercraft, sex and alcohol. Gaps were identified in the published literature. These included a lack of an agreed definition for rivers, rates for fatal river drowning (however, crude rates were calculated for 12 papers, ranging from 0.20 to 1.89 per 100 000 people per annum), and consensus around risk factors, especially age. There was only one paper that explored a prevention programme; the remaining nine outlined proposed prevention activities. There is a need for studies into exposure patterns for rivers and an agreed definition (with consistent coding). This systematic review has identified that river drowning deaths are an issue in many regions and countries around the world. Further work to address gaps in the published research to date would benefit prevention efforts. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/

The mandible and its foramen: anatomy, anthropology, embryology and resulting clinical implications.

PubMed

Lipski, M; Tomaszewska, I M; Lipska, W; Lis, G J; Tomaszewski, K A

2013-11-01

The aim of this paper is to summarise the knowledge about the anatomy, embryology and anthropology of the mandible and the mandibular foramen and also to highlight the most important clinical implications of the current studies regarding anaesthesia performed in the region of the mandible. An electronic journal search was undertaken to identify all the relevant studies published in English. The search included MEDLINE and EMBASE databases and years from 1950 to 2012. The subject search used a combination of controlled vocabulary and free text based on the search strategy for MEDLINE using key words: 'mandible', 'mandibular', 'foramen', 'anatomy', 'embryology', 'anthropology', and 'mental'. The reference lists of all the relevant studies and existing reviews were screened for additional relevant publications. Basing on relevant manuscripts, this short review about the anatomy, embryology and anthropology of the mandible and the mandibular foramen was written.

Systematic screening for unsafe driving due to medical conditions: Still debatable

PubMed Central

Leproust, Sandy; Lagarde, Emmanuel; Salmi, L Rachid

2008-01-01

Background Assessing people's ability to drive has become a public health concern in most industrialized countries. Although age itself is not a predictive factor of an increased risk for dangerous driving, the prevalence of medical conditions that may impair driving increases with age. Because the implementation of a screening for unsafe driving due to medical conditions is a public health issue, its usefulness should be judged using standardised criteria already proposed for screening for chronic disease. The aim of this paper is to propose standardised criteria suitable to assess the scientific validity of screening for unsafe driving due to medical conditions, and identify potential issues to be clarified before screening can be implemented and effective. Discussion Using criteria developed for screening for chronic diseases and published studies on driving with medical conditions, we specify six criteria to judge the opportunity of screening for unsafe driving due to medical conditions. This adaptation was needed because of the complexity of the natural history of medical conditions and their potential consequences on driving and road safety. We then illustrate that published studies pleading for or against screening for unsafe driving due to medical conditions fail to provide the needed documentation. Individual criteria were mentioned in 3 to 72% of 36 papers pleading for or against screening. Quantitative estimates of relevant indicators were provided in at most 42% of papers, and some data, such as the definition of an appropriate unsafe driving period were never provided. Summary The standardised framework described in this paper provides a template for assessing the effectiveness (or lack of effectiveness) of proposed measures for screening for unsafe driving due to medical conditions. Even if most criteria were mentioned in the published literature pleading for or against such a screening, the failure to find quantitative and evidence-based estimates of relevant indicators provides useful insight for further research. PMID:18215269

Ethical publishing in intensive care medicine: A narrative review

PubMed Central

Wiedermann, Christian J

2016-01-01

Ethical standards in the context of scientific publications are increasingly gaining attention. A narrative review of the literature concerning publication ethics was conducted as found in PubMed, Google Scholar, relevant news articles, position papers, websites and other sources. The Committee on Publication Ethics has produced guidelines and schedules for the handling of problem situations that have been adopted by professional journals and publishers worldwide as guidelines to authors. The defined requirements go beyond the disclosure of conflicts of interest or the prior registration of clinical trials. Recommendations to authors, editors and publishers of journals and research institutions were formulated with regard to issues of authorship, double publications, plagiarism, and conflicts of interest, with special attention being paid to unethical research behavior and data falsification. This narrative review focusses on ethical publishing in intensive care medicine. As scientific misconduct with data falsification damage patients and society, especially if fraudulent studies are considered important or favor certain therapies and downplay their side effects, it is important to ensure that only studies are published that have been carried out with highest integrity according to predefined criteria. For that also the peer review process has to be conducted in accordance with the highest possible scientific standards and making use of available modern information technology. The review provides the current state of recommendations that are considered to be most relevant particularly in the field of intensive care medicine. PMID:27652208

Health Social Media and Patient-Centered Care: Buzz or Evidence? Findings from the Section "Education and Consumer Health Informatics" of the 2015 Edition of the IMIA Yearbook.

PubMed

Staccini, P; Fernandez-Luque, L

2015-08-13

To summarize the 2014 state of the art in the areas related to consumer health informatics and social media. We conducted a systematic review of articles published in 2014 in PubMed with a predefined set of queries. We identified 439 articles relevant for the review. The two section editors independently screened those papers taking into account their relevance to the topics covered by the section. In a second step, they jointly selected the 20 most representative papers as candidate best papers. Candidate best papers were then submitted for full review and scoring by external reviewers. Based on the scoring, section editors together with the IMIA Yearbook editorial board selected the four best papers published in 2014 in consumer health informatics. Helping patients acquire a healthier lifestyle is a crucial part of patient empowerment. In this line of work, new studies are exploring the efficacy of online health interventions for patient behavioral change. The special case of smoking cessation for consumers with low socio-economic status is particularly noticeable. Another study has explored how an online intervention can reduce the anxiety of women who experience an abnormal mammography. The team of PatientsLikeMe has studied how online support groups could play a role in the quality of life of organ transplant recipients. The patient perspective of online forums' users is also analyzed in the domain of anticoagulation therapy. Online health interventions, many of them using social media, have confirmed their potential to impact consumer behavioral change. However, there are still many methodological issues that need to be addressed in order to prove cost-effectiveness.

Building Global Capacity for Conducting Operational Research Using the SORT IT Model: Where and Who?

PubMed Central

Zachariah, Rony; Rust, Stefanie; Berger, Selma Dar; Guillerm, Nathalie; Bissell, Karen; Delaunois, Paul; Reid, Anthony J.; Kumar, Ajay M. V.; Olliaro, Piero L.; Reeder, John C.; Harries, Anthony D.; Ramsay, Andrew

2016-01-01

Setting Research capacity is weakest in low and middle-income countries (LMICs) where operational research is highly relevant and needed. Structured Operational Research and Training Initiative (SORT IT) courses have been developed to train participants to conduct and publish operational research and influence policy and practice. Twenty courses were completed in Asia, Africa, Europe and the South Pacific between 2009 and 2014. Objectives In the 20 completed SORT IT courses, to assess where the research was conducted, who was trained, who became facilitators in subsequent courses and course outcomes. Design A cohort study of completed SORT IT courses Results There were 236 participants (41% female) including 64 nationalities who conducted research in 59 countries, mostly from Asia and Africa (mean course duration = 9.7 months). Most participants (68%) were from government health programs and non-governmental agencies. A total of 213(90%) participants completed all milestones successfully with 41(19%) becoming subsequent course facilitators, 88% of whom were from LMICs. Of 228 manuscripts submitted to scientific journals, 197(86%) were either published or in press; in 86%, the principal investigator (first author) was a LMIC national. Papers were published in 23 scientific journals (impact factor 0.5–4.4) and covered 21 disease categories (median publication time = 5.7 months). Published papers (186) had 94,794 cumulative article views/downloads. Article views/downloads for immediate open access articles were double those from closed access journals. Conclusion The SORT IT model has been effective in training personnel to produce relevant operational research in LMICs. It merits continued commitment and support for further scale-up and development. PMID:27505253

Sublingual immunotherapy: World Allergy Organization position paper 2013 update.

PubMed

Canonica, Giorgio Walter; Cox, Linda; Pawankar, Ruby; Baena-Cagnani, Carlos E; Blaiss, Michael; Bonini, Sergio; Bousquet, Jean; Calderón, Moises; Compalati, Enrico; Durham, Stephen R; van Wijk, Roy Gerth; Larenas-Linnemann, Désirée; Nelson, Harold; Passalacqua, Giovanni; Pfaar, Oliver; Rosário, Nelson; Ryan, Dermot; Rosenwasser, Lanny; Schmid-Grendelmeier, Peter; Senna, Gianenrico; Valovirta, Erkka; Van Bever, Hugo; Vichyanond, Pakit; Wahn, Ulrich; Yusuf, Osman

2014-03-28

We have prepared this document, "Sublingual Immunotherapy: World Allergy Organization Position Paper 2013 Update", according to the evidence-based criteria, revising and updating chapters of the originally published paper, "Sublingual Immunotherapy: World Allergy Organization Position Paper 2009", available at http://www.waojournal.org. Namely, these comprise: "Mechanisms of sublingual immunotherapy;" "Clinical efficacy of sublingual immunotherapy" - reporting all the data of all controlled trials published after 2009; "Safety of sublingual immunotherapy" - with the recently published Grading System for adverse reactions; "Impact of sublingual immunotherapy on the natural history of respiratory allergy" - with the relevant evidences published since 2009; "Efficacy of SLIT in children" - with detailed analysis of all the studies; "Definition of SLIT patient selection" - reporting the criteria for eligibility to sublingual immunotherapy; "The future of immunotherapy in the community care setting"; "Methodology of clinical trials according to the current scientific and regulatory standards"; and "Guideline development: from evidence-based medicine to patients' views" - including the evolution of the methods to make clinical recommendations.Additionally, we have added new chapters to cover a few emerging crucial topics: "Practical aspects of schedules and dosages and counseling for adherence" - which is crucial in clinical practice for all treatments; "Perspectives and new approaches" - including recombinant allergens, adjuvants, modified allergens, and the concept of validity of the single products. Furthermore, "Raising public awareness about sublingual immunotherapy", as a need for our patients, and strategies to increase awareness of allergen immunotherapy (AIT) among patients, the medical community, all healthcare stakeholders, and public opinion, are also reported in detail.

Eye health programs within remote Aboriginal communities in Australia: a review of the literature.

PubMed

Durkin, Shane R

2008-11-01

To review the literature regarding the most sustainable and culturally appropriate ways in which to implement eye health care programs within remote Aboriginal communities in Australia from a primary health care perspective. The search included letters, editorials and papers (published and unpublished) from January 1955 to April 2006. The search revealed 1,106,758 papers, books and other related material. The relevancy of this material was determined by abstract and 378 relevant articles were reviewed in their entirety. After reading the relevant articles and the interview transcripts the themes that emerged from each source were extracted. The ten areas to consider include: clinical practice and access, sustainability, regional-based programs, information technology systems, health worker training, self-determination, cultural and language barriers, funding body responsibilities, embedding specialist programs in primary care services, and other considerations. Further research needs to be undertaken within Aboriginal communities in the area of primary eye health care and barriers to the acceptance of treatment. This may be undertaken using more interactive research methods such as cooperative and narrative inquiry.

Is There a Role for Publication Consultants and How Should Their Contribution be Recognized?

PubMed

Kendall, Graham; Yee, Angelina; McCollum, Barry

2016-10-01

When a scientific paper, dissertation or thesis is published the author(s) have a duty to report who has contributed to the work. This recognition can take several forms such as authorship, relevant acknowledgments and by citing previous work. There is a growing industry where publication consultants will work with authors, research groups or even institutions to help get their work published, or help submit their dissertation/thesis. This help can range from proof reading, data collection, analysis (including statistics), helping with the literature review and identifying suitable journals/conferences. In this opinion article we question whether these external services are required, given that institutions should provide this support and that experienced researchers should be qualified to carry out these activities. If these services are used, we argue that their use should at least be made transparent either by the consultant being an author on the paper, or by being acknowledged on the paper, dissertation or thesis. We also argue that publication consultants should provide an annual return that details the papers, dissertations and thesis that they have consulted on.

The top 100 classic papers in lumbar spine surgery.

PubMed

Steinberger, Jeremy; Skovrlj, Branko; Caridi, John M; Cho, Samuel K

2015-05-15

Bibliometric review of the literature. To analyze and quantify the most frequently cited papers in lumbar spine surgery and to measure their impact on the entire lumbar spine literature. Lumbar spine surgery is a dynamic and complex field. Basic science and clinical research remain paramount in understanding and advancing the field. While new literature is published at increasing rates, few studies make long-lasting impacts. The Thomson Reuters Web of Knowledge was searched for citations of all papers relevant to lumbar spine surgery. The number of citations, authorship, year of publication, journal of publication, country of publication, and institution were recorded for each paper. The most cited paper was found to be the classic paper from 1990 by Boden et al that described magnetic resonance imaging findings in individuals without back pain, sciatica, and neurogenic claudication showing that spinal stenosis and herniated discs can be incidentally found when scanning patients. The second most cited study similarly showed that asymptomatic patients who underwent lumbar spine magnetic resonance imaging frequently had lumbar pathology. The third most cited paper was the 2000 publication of Fairbank and Pynsent reviewing the Oswestry Disability Index, the outcome-measure questionnaire most commonly used to evaluate low back pain. The majority of the papers originate in the United States (n=58), and most were published in Spine (n=63). Most papers were published in the 1990s (n=49), and the 3 most common topics were low back pain, biomechanics, and disc degeneration. This report identifies the top 100 papers in lumbar spine surgery and acknowledges those individuals who have contributed the most to the advancement of the study of the lumbar spine and the body of knowledge used to guide evidence-based clinical decision making in lumbar spine surgery today. 3.

The 100 most-cited papers in general thoracic surgery: A bibliography analysis.

PubMed

Ding, Hongdou; Song, Xiao; Chen, Linsong; Zheng, Xinlin; Jiang, Gening

2018-05-01

The status of citations can reflect the impact of a paper and its contribution to surgical practice. The aim of our study was to identify and review the 100 most-cited papers in general thoracic surgery. Relevant papers on general thoracic surgery were searched through Thomson Reuters Web of Science in the last week of November 2017. Results were returned in descending order of total citations. Their titles and abstracts were reviewed to identify whether they met our inclusion criteria by two thoracic surgeons independently. Characteristics of the first 100 papers, including title, journal name, country, first author, year of publication, total citations, citations in latest 5 years and average citation per year (ACY) were extracted and analyzed. Of the 100 papers, the mean number of citations was 322 with a range from 184 to 921. 19 journals published the papers from 1956 to 2012. Annals of Surgery had the largest number (29), followed by Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery (22) and Annals of Thoracic Surgery (21). The majority of the papers were published in 2000s (48) and originated from United States of America (62). There were 65 retrospective studies, 13 RCTs and 11 prospective studies. Orringer MB and Grillo HC contributed 4 first-author articles respectively. There were 53 papers on esophagus, 36 on lung, 6 on pleura and 5 on trachea. Our study identified the most-cited papers in the past several decades and offered insights into the development and advances of general thoracic surgery. It can help us understand the evidential basis of clinical decision-making today in the area. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Artificial Intelligence in Cardiology.

PubMed

Johnson, Kipp W; Torres Soto, Jessica; Glicksberg, Benjamin S; Shameer, Khader; Miotto, Riccardo; Ali, Mohsin; Ashley, Euan; Dudley, Joel T

2018-06-12

Artificial intelligence and machine learning are poised to influence nearly every aspect of the human condition, and cardiology is not an exception to this trend. This paper provides a guide for clinicians on relevant aspects of artificial intelligence and machine learning, reviews selected applications of these methods in cardiology to date, and identifies how cardiovascular medicine could incorporate artificial intelligence in the future. In particular, the paper first reviews predictive modeling concepts relevant to cardiology such as feature selection and frequent pitfalls such as improper dichotomization. Second, it discusses common algorithms used in supervised learning and reviews selected applications in cardiology and related disciplines. Third, it describes the advent of deep learning and related methods collectively called unsupervised learning, provides contextual examples both in general medicine and in cardiovascular medicine, and then explains how these methods could be applied to enable precision cardiology and improve patient outcomes. Copyright © 2018 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A demonstration of the application of the new paradigm for the evaluation of forensic evidence under conditions reflecting those of a real forensic-voice-comparison case.

PubMed

Enzinger, Ewald; Morrison, Geoffrey Stewart; Ochoa, Felipe

2016-01-01

The new paradigm for the evaluation of the strength of forensic evidence includes: The use of the likelihood-ratio framework. The use of relevant data, quantitative measurements, and statistical models. Empirical testing of validity and reliability under conditions reflecting those of the case under investigation. Transparency as to decisions made and procedures employed. The present paper illustrates the use of the new paradigm to evaluate strength of evidence under conditions reflecting those of a real forensic-voice-comparison case. The offender recording was from a landline telephone system, had background office noise, and was saved in a compressed format. The suspect recording included substantial reverberation and ventilation system noise, and was saved in a different compressed format. The present paper includes descriptions of the selection of the relevant hypotheses, sampling of data from the relevant population, simulation of suspect and offender recording conditions, and acoustic measurement and statistical modelling procedures. The present paper also explores the use of different techniques to compensate for the mismatch in recording conditions. It also examines how system performance would have differed had the suspect recording been of better quality. Copyright © 2015 The Chartered Society of Forensic Sciences. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

The cardiac muscle duplex as a method to study myocardial heterogeneity

PubMed Central

Solovyova, O.; Katsnelson, L.B.; Konovalov, P.V.; Kursanov, A.G.; Vikulova, N.A.; Kohl, P.; Markhasin, V.S.

2014-01-01

This paper reviews the development and application of paired muscle preparations, called duplex, for the investigation of mechanisms and consequences of intra-myocardial electro-mechanical heterogeneity. We illustrate the utility of the underlying combined experimental and computational approach for conceptual development and integration of basic science insight with clinically relevant settings, using previously published and new data. Directions for further study are identified. PMID:25106702

The first optical convention (in English): the 1905 Optical Convention in London, England

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thompson, Kevin P.

2006-06-01

One hundred years ago, optical workers of London assembled to discuss a variety of topics in optics. This paper provides an overview of The 1905 Proceedings, a discussion of the state of optical design in this period based on relevant books of the period, and an introduction to a self-published autobiography of a worker active in the period that was found on The Internet.

Phase Aberrations And Beam Cleanup Techniques In Carbon-Dioxide Laser Fusion Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Viswanathan, V. K.

1981-12-01

This paper describes the various carbon dioxide laser fusion systems at Los Alamos from the point of view of an optical designer. The types of phase aberrations present in these systems, as well as the beam cleanup techniques that can be used to improve the beam optical quality, are discussed. As this is a review article, some previously published results are also used where relevant.

Shaping Air Mobility Forces for Future Relevance

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-01-01

Published by Air University Press in January 2017 Disclaimer Opinions, conclusions, and recommendations expressed or implied within are solely those of the...other decision makers. Each paper can also be a valuable tool for defining further research. These studies are available elec- tronically or in...CRAF, 415 of which were large and mostly wide-body aircraft suited to international operations.3 The military compo- nents of the NAMS are twofold and

Research advances made in the avian brain and their relevance to poultry scientists.

PubMed

Kuenzel, Wayne J

2014-12-01

The year 2014 marked the tenth anniversary since the sequence of the chicken genome was published. Two other publications occurred during that time frame in different disciplines, and all 3 have affected poultry scientists. The purpose of this paper is to briefly review 2 publications that are better known to those in animal agriculture. The third paper will be addressed in more detail because it is one that many in poultry science probably have not read. The subject matter involves the avian brain and its future impact and is related to an announcement made by the president of the United States in April 2013. Due to the recent, rapid advances in the understanding of the vertebrate brain and behavior, a national goal was announced by President Obama to map the human brain in more detail than ever before to accelerate the understanding of brain function in health and disease. The main objective is to review the third paper published a decade ago to show that it laid the foundation for the chicken and other avian species to serve as relevant animal models to advance the understanding of the human brain. Emphasis will be placed on the forebrain. The overall goal is to show that the brain of birds is not that different from the mammalian brain and therefore can serve as an excellent comparative biomodel to understand fundamental principles of brain structure and function. ©2014 Poultry Science Association Inc.

Economic evaluation of mental health interventions: an introduction to cost-utility analysis.

PubMed

Luyten, Jeroen; Naci, Huseyin; Knapp, Martin

2016-05-01

Finite resources need to be allocated over an ever-increasing range of competing health policies and interventions. Economic evaluation has been developed as a methodology to inform decision makers on the efficiency of particular resource allocations. In this paper we summarize cost-utility analysis, one of the most widely-used forms of economic evaluation in healthcare. We discuss its main elements, interpretation, limitations and relevance to the domain of mental health. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/

The research evidence published in high impact nursing journals between 2000 and 2006: a quantitative content analysis.

PubMed

Mantzoukas, Stefanos

2009-04-01

Evidence-based practice has become an imperative for efficient, effective and safe practice. Furthermore, evidences emerging from published research are considered as valid knowledge sources to guiding practice. The aim of this paper is to review all research articles published in the top 10 general nursing journals for the years 2000-2006 to identify the methodologies used, the types of evidence these studies produced and the issues upon which they endeavored. Quantitative content analysis was implemented to study all published research papers of the top 10 general nursing journals for the years 2000-2006. The top 10 general nursing journals were included in the study. The abstracts of all research articles were analysed with regards the methodologies of enquiry, the types of evidence produced and the issues of study they endeavored upon. Percentages were developed as to enable conclusions to be drawn. The results for the category methodologies used were 7% experimental, 6% quasi-experimental, 39% non-experimental, 2% ethnographical studies, 7% phenomenological, 4% grounded theory, 1% action research, 1% case study, 15% unspecified, 5.5% other, 0.5% meta-synthesis, 2% meta-analysis, 5% literature reviews and 3% secondary analysis. For the category types of evidence were 4% hypothesis/theory testing, 11% evaluative, 5% comparative, 2% correlational, 46% descriptive, 5% interpretative and 27% exploratory. For the category issues of study were 45% practice/clinical, 8% educational, 11% professional, 3% spiritual/ethical/metaphysical, 26% health promotion and 7% managerial/policy. Published studies can provide adequate evidences for practice if nursing journals conceptualise evidence emerging from non-experimental and qualitative studies as relevant types of evidences for practice and develop appropriate mechanisms for assessing their validity. Also, nursing journals need to increase and encourage the publication of studies that implement RCT methodology, systematic reviews, meta-synthesis and meta-analysis methodologies. Finally, nursing journals need to encourage more high quality research evidence that derive from interpretative, theory testing and evaluative types of studies that are practice relevant.

An appraisal of the quality of published qualitative dental research.

PubMed

Masood, Mohd; Thaliath, Ebin T; Bower, Elizabeth J; Newton, J Timothy

2011-06-01

To appraise the quality of published qualitative research in dentistry and identify aspects of quality, which require attention in future research. Qualitative research studies on dental topics were appraised using the critical appraisal skills programme (CASP) appraisal framework for qualitative research. The percentage of CASP criteria fully met during the assessment was used as an indication of the quality of each paper. Individual criteria were not weighted. Forty-three qualitative studies were identified for appraisal of which 48% had a dental public health focus. Deficiencies in detail of reporting, research design, methodological rigour, presentation of findings, reflexivity, credibility of findings and relevance of study were identified. Problems with quality were apparent irrespective of journal impact factor, although papers from low impact factor journals exhibited the most deficiencies. Journals with the highest impact factors published the least qualitative research. The quality of much of the qualitative research published on dental topics is mediocre. Qualitative methods are underutilized in oral health research. If quality guidelines such as the CASP framework are used in the context of a thorough understanding of qualitative research design and data analysis, they can promote good practice and the systematic assessment of qualitative research. © 2010 John Wiley & Sons A/S.

Recommendations for research design of telehealth studies.

PubMed

Chumbler, Neale R; Kobb, Rita; Brennan, David M; Rabinowitz, Terry

2008-11-01

Properly designed randomized controlled trials (RCTs) are the gold standard to use when examining the effectiveness of telehealth interventions on clinical outcomes. Some published telehealth studies have employed well-designed RCTs. However, such methods are not always feasible and practical in particular settings. This white paper addresses not only the need for properly designed RCTs, but also offers alternative research designs, such as quasi-experimental designs, and statistical techniques that can be employed to rigorously assess the effectiveness of telehealth studies. This paper further offers design and measurement recommendations aimed at and relevant to administrative decision-makers, policymakers, and practicing clinicians.

The scatter of research: cross sectional comparison of randomised trials and systematic reviews across specialties

PubMed Central

Erueti, Chrissy; Thorning, Sarah; Glasziou, Paul

2012-01-01

Objective To estimate the degree of scatter of reports of randomised trials and systematic reviews, and how the scatter differs among medical specialties and subspecialties. Design Cross sectional analysis. Data source PubMed for all disease relevant randomised trials and systematic reviews published in 2009. Study selection Randomised trials and systematic reviews of the nine diseases or disorders with the highest burden of disease, and the broader category of disease to which each belonged. Results The scatter across journals varied considerably among specialties and subspecialties: otolaryngology had the least scatter (363 trials across 167 journals) and neurology the most (2770 trials across 896 journals). In only three subspecialties (lung cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, hearing loss) were 10 or fewer journals needed to locate 50% of trials. The scatter was less for systematic reviews: hearing loss had the least scatter (10 reviews across nine journals) and cancer the most (670 reviews across 279 journals). For some specialties and subspecialties the papers were concentrated in specialty journals; whereas for others, few of the top 10 journals were a specialty journal for that area. Generally, little overlap occurred between the top 10 journals publishing trials and those publishing systematic reviews. The number of journals required to find all trials or reviews was highly correlated (r=0.97) with the number of papers for each specialty/subspecialty. Conclusions Publication rates of speciality relevant trials vary widely, from one to seven trials per day, and are scattered across hundreds of general and specialty journals. Although systematic reviews reduce the extent of scatter, they are still widely scattered and mostly in different journals to those of randomised trials. Personal subscriptions to journals, which are insufficient for keeping up to date with knowledge, need to be supplemented by other methods such as journal scanning services or systems that cover sufficient journals and filter articles for quality and relevance. Few current systems seem adequate. PMID:22597353

Quality of the written radiology report: a review of the literature.

PubMed

Pool, Felicity; Goergen, Stacy

2010-08-01

A literature review was carried out, guided by the question, What are the important elements of a high-quality radiology written report? Two papers known to the authors were used as a basis for 5 PubMed search strategies. Exclusion criteria were applied to retrieved citations. Reference lists of retrieved citations were scanned for additional relevant papers and exclusion criteria applied to these. Web sites of professional radiology organizations were scanned for guidelines relating to the written radiology report. Retrieved guidelines were appraised using the Appraisal of Guidelines for Research & Evaluation instrument. Methodologies of retrieved papers were not suitable for conventional appraisal, and an evidence table was constructed. The search strategy identified 25 published papers and 4 guidelines. Published study methodologies included 1 randomized controlled trial; 1 before-and-after study of interventions; 10 observational studies, audits, or analyses; 12 surveys; and 1 narrative review of the literature. Existing guidelines have a number of weaknesses with regard to scope and purpose, methods of development, stakeholder consultation, and editorial independence and applicability. There is a major gap in published studies relating to testing of interventions to improve report quality using conventional randomized controlled trial methods. Published studies and guidelines generally support report content, including clinical history, examination quality, description of findings, comparison, and diagnosis. Important report attributes include accuracy, clarity, and certainty. There is wide variation in the language used to describe imaging findings and diagnostic certainty. Survey participants strongly preferred reports with structured or itemized formats, but few studies exist regarding the effect of report structure on quality. Copyright 2010 American College of Radiology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Technologies to measure and modify physical activity and eating environments.

PubMed

King, Abby C; Glanz, Karen; Patrick, Kevin

2015-05-01

The explosion of technologic advances in information capture and delivery offers unparalleled opportunities to assess and modify built and social environments in ways that can positively impact health behaviors. This paper highlights some potentially transformative current and emerging trends in the technology arena applicable to environmental context-based assessment and intervention relevant to physical activity and dietary behaviors. A team of experts convened in 2013 to discuss the main issues related to technology use in assessing and changing built environments for health behaviors particularly relevant to obesity prevention. Each expert was assigned a specific domain to describe, commensurate with their research and expertise in the field, along with examples of specific applications. This activity was accompanied by selective examination of published literature to cover the main issues and elucidate relevant applications of technologic tools and innovations in this field. Decisions concerning which technology examples to highlight were reached through discussion and consensus-building among the team of experts. Two levels of impact are highlighted: the "me" domain, which primarily targets measurement and intervention activities aimed at individual-level behaviors and their surrounding environments; and the "we" domain, which generally focuses on aggregated data aimed at groups and larger population segments and locales. The paper ends with a set of challenges and opportunities for significantly advancing the field. Key areas for progress include data collection and expansion, managing technologic considerations, and working across sectors to maximize the population potential of behavioral health technologies. Copyright © 2015 American Journal of Preventive Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Transesophageal NOTES--a critical analysis of relevant problems.

PubMed

Grund, Karl E; Lehmann, Thorsten G

2010-10-01

The transesophageal access route has not become a principal topic in the discussion about NOTES up to now. Analyzing the problems in this new field of surgery, however, the transesophageal route shows high relevance. Here, all possibilities, limitations, and problems of NOTES become obvious. This paper contains a critical analysis of the literature published to date (nine full papers, five abstracts). Nearly all publications represent experimental studies in living pigs. In most cases a submucosal tunnel technique is performed as access route to mediastinum, pleural cavity, and heart. Interventions and operations include simple mediastinoscopies as well as epicardial operations after exposition of the heart. For access and manipulation, conventional flexible endoscopes and instruments are used. Clips, T-bars, or a combination of both achieve the closure. Some studies rely on spontaneous closure of the incision without any suturing or approximation. In such experimental settings, the following results are presented: Access is achieved in 90% of cases, the aim of the operation is met in 92%, technical success in closure is achieved in 90%, healing of incision assessed as good in two of five studies, satisfactory in three of five studies. Mortality, ranging from 6 to 25%, and complication rates were (surprisingly) high. It has to be stressed that analyzing these papers published to date, no adequate attention is paid to basic facts and problems of general and thoracic surgery (e.g. different forms, prevention, diagnosis and therapy of pneumothorax or differentiated forms of ventilation). Relevant differences in the anatomy and physiology of the esophagus and mediastinum between humans and pigs should additionally be taken into account to choose optimal experimental parameters when transferring results to human settings. Moreover, requirements regarding sterility and hygiene in a structure like the mediastinum, which is at high risk from the point of view of infection biology, have not yet been respected. These factors should be taken into account in further studies--as well as clinically relevant disease patterns in humans--to be able to realize possible advantages of this NOTES access in a clinical setting.

Laser Propulsion Standardization Issues

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Scharring, Stefan; Eckel, Hans-Albert; Roeser, Hans-Peter

It is a relevant issue in the research on laser propulsion that experimental results are treated seriously and that meaningful scientific comparison is possible between groups using different equipment and measurement techniques. However, critical aspects of experimental measurements are sparsely addressed in the literature. In addition, few studies so far have the benefit of independent confirmation by other laser propulsion groups. In this paper, we recommend several approaches towards standardization of published laser propulsion experiments. Such standards are particularly important for the measurement of laser ablation pulse energy, laser spot area, imparted impulse or thrust, and mass removal during ablation.more » Related examples are presented from experiences of an actual scientific cooperation between NU and DLR. On the basis of a given standardization, researchers may better understand and contribute their findings more clearly in the future, and compare those findings confidently with those already published in the laser propulsion literature. Relevant ISO standards are analyzed, and revised formats are recommended for application to laser propulsion studies.« less

Severe community-acquired pneumonia: timely management measures in the first 24 hours.

PubMed

Phua, Jason; Dean, Nathan C; Guo, Qi; Kuan, Win Sen; Lim, Hui Fang; Lim, Tow Keang

2016-08-28

Mortality rates for severe community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) range from 17 to 48 % in published studies.In this review, we searched PubMed for relevant papers published between 1981 and June 2016 and relevant files. We explored how early and aggressive management measures, implemented within 24 hours of recognition of severe CAP and carried out both in the emergency department and in the ICU, decrease mortality in severe CAP.These measures begin with the use of severity assessment tools and the application of care bundles via clinical decision support tools. The bundles include early guideline-concordant antibiotics including macrolides, early haemodynamic support (lactate measurement, intravenous fluids, and vasopressors), and early respiratory support (high-flow nasal cannulae, lung-protective ventilation, prone positioning, and neuromuscular blockade for acute respiratory distress syndrome).While the proposed interventions appear straightforward, multiple barriers to their implementation exist. To successfully decrease mortality for severe CAP, early and close collaboration between emergency medicine and respiratory and critical care medicine teams is required. We propose a workflow incorporating these interventions.

Contemporary sample stacking in analytical electrophoresis.

PubMed

Malá, Zdena; Gebauer, Petr; Boček, Petr

2011-01-01

Sample stacking is of vital importance for analytical CE since it may bring the required sensitivity of analyses. A lot of new relevant papers are published every year and regular surveys seem to be very helpful for experts and practitioners. The contribution presented here is a continuation of a series of regularly published reviews on the topic and covers the last two years. It brings a survey of related literature organized, in accord with the main principle used in the procedure published, in the following mainstream sections: Kohlrausch adjustment of concentrations, pH step, micellar systems and combined techniques. Each part covers literature sorted according to the field of application as, e.g. clinical, pharmaceutical, food, environmental, etc. Copyright © 2011 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Can research that is not intended or unlikely to be published be considered ethical?

PubMed

Barton, Christopher; Tam, Chun Wah Michael; Abbott, Penelope; Hall, Sally; Liaw, Siaw-Teng

2017-06-01

For research to be ethically acceptable, the potential benefits must justify any risks involved for participants. Dissemination of research findings through publication is one way of creating benefit, but not all researchers intend to publish their research. Other factors, such as lack of size or representativeness, generalisability or innovativeness, or negative findings mean the research is unlikely to be published in a peer-reviewed medical journal. This paper discusses ethical considerations in research where peer-reviewed publication is not intended or unlikely. Proposing research that is not intended or unlikely to be published in a peer-reviewed journal does not preclude it from being considered ethical. Additional benefits of such projects may include professional development of investigators, pilot data collection leading to more definitive studies, or developing collaborations with research users that increase relevance and improve utility of findings.

BET 2: Low-dose ketamine for acute pain in the ED.

PubMed

Duncan, Colby; Riley, Brad

2016-12-01

A short cut review was carried out to establish whether low-dose ketamine is better than morphine at safely and effectively reducing pain scores in ED patients with acute pain who do not respond to conventional therapies. One hundred and thirty-two papers were found using the reported searches, of these three presented the best evidence to answer the clinical question. The author, date and country of publication, patient group studied, study type, relevant outcomes, results and study weaknesses of these best papers are tabulated. It is concluded that the evidence is limited, but that ketamine can be an effective alternative or adjunct to intravenous opioid pain medications and in some instances may provide more effective pain relief when compared with opioids. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/.

Most Cited Publications in Cervical Spine Surgery

PubMed Central

Brooks, Francis; Sandler, Simon; Yau, Yun-Hom; Selby, Michael; Freeman, Brian

2017-01-01

Purpose The purpose of this study is to perform a citation analysis on the most frequently cited articles in the topic of cervical spine surgery and report on the top 100 most cited publication in this topic. Methods We used the Thomson Reuters Web of Science to search citations of all articles from 1945 to 2015 relevant to cervical spine surgery and ranked them according to the number of citations. The 100 most cited articles that matched the search criteria were further analyzed by number of citations, first author, journal, year of publication, country and institution of origin. Results The top 100 cited articles in the topic of cervical spine surgery were published from 1952-2011. The number of citations ranged from 106 times for the 100th paper to 1206 times for the top paper. The decade of 1990-1999 saw the most publications. The Journal of Spine published the most articles, followed by Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery America. Investigators from America authored the most papers and The University of California contributed the most publications. Cervical spine fusion was the most common topic published with 36 papers, followed by surgical technique and trauma. Conclusion This article identifies the 100 most cited articles in cervical spine surgery. It has provided insight to the history and development in cervical spine surgery and many of which have shaped the way we practice today. PMID:28765803

Data2Paper: A stakeholder-driven solution to data publication and citation challenges

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Murphy, Fiona; Jefferies, Neil; Ingraham, Thomas; Murray, Hollydawn; Ranganathan, Anusha

2017-04-01

Data, and especially open data, are valuable to the community but can also be valuable to the researcher. Data papers are a clear and open way to publicize and contextualize your data in a way that is citable and aids both reproducibility and efficiency in scholarly endeavour. However, this is not yet a format that is well understood or proliferating amongst the mainstream research community. Part of the Jisc Data Spring Initiative, a team of stakeholders (publishers, data repository managers, coders) have been developing a simple 'one-click' process where data, metadata and methods detail are transferred from a data repository (via a SWORD-based API and a cloud-based helper app based on the Fedora/Hydra platform) to a relevant publisher platform for publication as a data paper. Relying on automated processes: using ORCIDs to authenticate and pre-populate article templates and building on the DOI infrastructure to encourage provenance and citation, the app seeks to drive the deposit of data in repositories and encourage the growth of data papers by simplifying the process through the removal of redundant metadata entry and streamlining publisher submissions into a single consistent workflow. This poster will explain the underlying rationale and evidence gathering, development, partnerships, governance and other progress that this project has so far achieved. It will outline some key learning opportunities, challenges and drivers and explore the next steps.

The 100 most influential papers about cataract surgery: a bibliometric analysis.

PubMed

Lin, Ze-Nan; Chen, Jie; Zhang, Qi; Li, Qian; Cai, Min-Yun; Yang, Hai; Cui, Hong-Ping

2017-01-01

To identify the 100 most cited papers in cataract surgery, we performed a comprehensive bibliometric analysis basing on the literature search on the Thomson Reuters Web of Knowledge. The number of citations, including the total citations, latest 5y citations and average citation number per year (ACY), authorship, year of publication, major topics, journal of publication, country and institution of origin of each paper were recorded and then analyzed. Pearson's correlation analysis was conducted to evaluate the correlation between the published year and the number of citations. The correlation between journal's impact factor (IF) and number of citations was assessed as well. The most cited paper was the classic paper done by the European Society of Cataract & Refractive Surgeons (ESCRS) group. This paper focused on the topic of endophthalmitis. Not only the most cited papers originated from the USA, but also some American institutions like Johns Hopkins University, Harvard Medical School, etc. had the most citations. Pearson's correlation analysis indicated that the latest 5y citations and ACY were significantly related with the published year (5y citations: r =0.615, P <0.001; ACY: r =0.657, P <0.001), whereas no association between the total number of citations and published year was found ( r =0.045). Moreover, the IFs of journals were found to have no significant effect on the number of total citations. To our knowledge, this is the first study on the most influential papers in cataract surgery after a comprehensive research of relevant literatures. The present work may provide us concise information concerning the development history of cataract surgery over the past 66y.

The 100 most influential papers about cataract surgery: a bibliometric analysis

PubMed Central

Lin, Ze-Nan; Chen, Jie; Zhang, Qi; Li, Qian; Cai, Min-Yun; Yang, Hai; Cui, Hong-Ping

2017-01-01

AIM To identify the 100 most cited papers in cataract surgery, we performed a comprehensive bibliometric analysis basing on the literature search on the Thomson Reuters Web of Knowledge. METHODS The number of citations, including the total citations, latest 5y citations and average citation number per year (ACY), authorship, year of publication, major topics, journal of publication, country and institution of origin of each paper were recorded and then analyzed. Pearson's correlation analysis was conducted to evaluate the correlation between the published year and the number of citations. The correlation between journal's impact factor (IF) and number of citations was assessed as well. RESULTS The most cited paper was the classic paper done by the European Society of Cataract & Refractive Surgeons (ESCRS) group. This paper focused on the topic of endophthalmitis. Not only the most cited papers originated from the USA, but also some American institutions like Johns Hopkins University, Harvard Medical School, etc. had the most citations. Pearson's correlation analysis indicated that the latest 5y citations and ACY were significantly related with the published year (5y citations: r=0.615, P<0.001; ACY: r=0.657, P<0.001), whereas no association between the total number of citations and published year was found (r=0.045). Moreover, the IFs of journals were found to have no significant effect on the number of total citations. CONCLUSION To our knowledge, this is the first study on the most influential papers in cataract surgery after a comprehensive research of relevant literatures. The present work may provide us concise information concerning the development history of cataract surgery over the past 66y. PMID:29062780

The PLOS ONE Synthetic Biology Collection: Six Years and Counting

PubMed Central

Peccoud, Jean; Isalan, Mark

2012-01-01

Since it was launched in 2006, PLOS ONE has published over fifty articles illustrating the many facets of the emerging field of synthetic biology. This article reviews these publications by organizing them into broad categories focused on DNA synthesis and assembly techniques, the development of libraries of biological parts, the use of synthetic biology in protein engineering applications, and the engineering of gene regulatory networks and metabolic pathways. Finally, we review articles that describe enabling technologies such as software and modeling, along with new instrumentation. In order to increase the visibility of this body of work, the papers have been assembled into the PLOS ONE Synthetic Biology Collection (www.ploscollections.org/synbio). Many of the innovative features of the PLOS ONE web site will help make this collection a resource that will support a lively dialogue between readers and authors of PLOS ONE synthetic biology papers. The content of the collection will be updated periodically by including relevant articles as they are published by the journal. Thus, we hope that this collection will continue to meet the publishing needs of the synthetic biology community. PMID:22916228

The PLOS ONE synthetic biology collection: six years and counting.

PubMed

Peccoud, Jean; Isalan, Mark

2012-01-01

Since it was launched in 2006, PLOS ONE has published over fifty articles illustrating the many facets of the emerging field of synthetic biology. This article reviews these publications by organizing them into broad categories focused on DNA synthesis and assembly techniques, the development of libraries of biological parts, the use of synthetic biology in protein engineering applications, and the engineering of gene regulatory networks and metabolic pathways. Finally, we review articles that describe enabling technologies such as software and modeling, along with new instrumentation. In order to increase the visibility of this body of work, the papers have been assembled into the PLOS ONE Synthetic Biology Collection (www.ploscollections.org/synbio). Many of the innovative features of the PLOS ONE web site will help make this collection a resource that will support a lively dialogue between readers and authors of PLOS ONE synthetic biology papers. The content of the collection will be updated periodically by including relevant articles as they are published by the journal. Thus, we hope that this collection will continue to meet the publishing needs of the synthetic biology community.

A Critical Appraisal of and Recommendations for Faculty Development

PubMed Central

Guglielmo, B. Joseph; Edwards, David J.; Franks, Andrea S.; Naughton, Cynthia A.; Schonder, Kristine S.; Stamm, Pamela L.; Thornton, Phillip; Popovich, Nicholas G.

2011-01-01

The 2009-2010 American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP) Council of Faculties Faculty Affairs Committee reviewed published literature assessing the scope and outcomes of faculty development for tenure and promotion. Relevant articles were identified via a PubMed search, review of pharmacy education journals, and identification of position papers from major healthcare professions academic organizations. While programs intended to enhance faculty development were described by some healthcare professions, relatively little specific to pharmacy has been published and none of the healthcare professions have adequately evaluated the impact of various faculty-development programs on associated outcomes. The paucity of published information strongly suggests a lack of outcomes-oriented faculty-development programs in colleges and schools of pharmacy. Substantial steps are required toward the development and scholarly evaluation of faculty-development programs. As these programs are developed and assessed, evaluations must encompass all faculty subgroups, including tenure- and nontenure track faculty members, volunteer faculty members, women, and underrepresented minorities. This paper proposes AACP, college and school, and department-level recommendations intended to ensure faculty success in achieving tenure and promotion. PMID:21931460

Karl Andrée (1880-1959) sedimentologist and marine geologist

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dullo, Wolf-Christian; Pfaffl, Fritz A.

2017-09-01

Karl Andrée began studying questions of sedimentology and oceanography in 1908 when working as an assistant at the University of Marburg and he remained faithful to these subjects until his death in 1959. The vast majority of his scientific contributions, however, were published during his time at the University of Königsberg (1915-1945). There he published his fundamental papers on marine geology, all of which adhered strictly to the principles of uniformitarianism, and helped improve our understanding of sedimentary processes and the stratigraphic record. His scientific work has enormous breadth. In the course of 55 years, he published 124 individual papers and books, some of which became classic textbooks. His versatility is particularly evident in his book "Geology of the Seafloor", which contains many pertinent observations and descriptions still relevant today, even if it has fallen out of fashion. This scientist and university teacher was the first to successfully present the huge field of marine geology in all its facet and to consider the deposition of marine sediments as a function of their geographical distribution.

Bayesian Kernel Methods for Non-Gaussian Distributions: Binary and Multi-class Classification Problems

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-05-28

those of the support vector machine and relevance vector machine, and the model runs more quickly than the other algorithms . When one class occurs...incremental support vector machine algorithm for online learning when fewer than 50 data points are available. (a) Papers published in peer-reviewed journals...learning environments, where data processing occurs one observation at a time and the classification algorithm improves over time with new

Solar System Observations with the James Webb Space Telescope

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Norwood, James; Hammel, Heidi; Milam, Stefanie; Stansberry, John; Lunine, Jonathan; Chanover, Nancy; Hines, Dean; Sonneborn, George; Tiscareno, Matthew; Brown, Michael;

Solar System Observations with JWST

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Norwood, James; Hammel, Heidi; Milam, Stefanie; Stansberry, John; Lunine, Jonathan; Chanover, Nancy; Hines, Dean; Sonneborn, George; Tiscareno, Matthew; Brown, Michael;

Work Environment-Related Factors in Obtaining and Maintaining Work in a Competitive Employment Setting for Employees with Intellectual Disabilities: A Systematic Review.

PubMed

Ellenkamp, Joke J H; Brouwers, Evelien P M; Embregts, Petri J C M; Joosen, Margot C W; van Weeghel, Jaap

2016-03-01

People with an intellectual disability value work as a significant part of their lives, and many of them want to participate in regular paid employment.Current estimates show that the number of people with ID who have some form of paid employment are very low, ranging from 9 to 40% across different countries,despite legislations. This review examines papers published in the past 20 years in an attempt to answer the following research question: ‘What work environment-related factors contribute to obtaining or maintaining work in competitive employment for people with an intellectual disability?’ The databases of PubMed, PsycINFO,CINAHL, Embase and Web of Science were searched for relevant papers published between 1993 and 2013. All papers were independently screened by two researchers.Methodological quality of the studies was evaluated, and data on work environment-related factors stimulating employment for people with intellectual disabilities were extracted and grouped into categories. A total of 1932 articles were retrieved. After extensive screening for relevance and quality, 26 articles were included in this review. Four themes/categories with work environment related factors that could influence work participation were distinguished. Five studies were conducted on employers’ decisions and opinions. Eight focused on job content and performance, and eight on workplace interaction and culture. Five studies evaluated support by job coaches. Despite ongoing legislation to promote participation of people with intellectual disabilities in the paid workforce, research in this area is still extremely scarce. In the past 20 years, very few studies have focused on work environment-related factors that can enhance competitive work for people with intellectual disabilities.This review shows that relevant work environment-related factors for obtaining and maintaining work in competitive employment include supporting the employers by paying specific attention to: employer’s decisions, job content, integration and work culture and job coaches.

Scientific progress regarding neural regeneration in the Web of Science: A 10-year bibliometric analysis.

PubMed

Pan, Yuntao; Zhang, Yuhua; Gao, Xiaopei; Jia, Jia; Gao, Jiping; Ma, Zheng

2013-12-25

Neural regeneration following nerve injury is an emerging field that attracts extending interests all over the world. To use bibliometric indexes to track studies focusing on neural regeneration, and to investigate the relationships among geographic origin, countries and institutes, keywords in the published articles, and especially focus on the region distribution, institution distribution, as well as collaborations in Chinese papers indexed in the Web of Science. A list of neural regeneration studies was generated by searching the database of the Web of Science-Expanded using the term "Neural Regenera*". Inclusive criteria: (1) articles in the field of neural regeneration; (2) fundamental research on animals, clinical trials and case reports; (3) article types: article, review, proceedings paper, note, letter, editorial material, discussion, book chapter; (4) year of publication: 2003-2012; and (5) citation database: Science Citation Index-Expanded. Exclusive criteria: (1) articles requiring manual searching or with access only by telephone; (2) unpublished articles; and (3) corrections. A total of 4 893 papers were retrieved from the Web of Science published between 2003 and 2012. The papers covered 65 countries or regions, of which the United States ranked first with 1 691 papers. The most relevant papers were in the neurosciences and cell biology, and the keyword "stem cell" was the most frequent. In recent years, China showed a great increase in the number of papers. Over the entire 10 years, there were 922 Chinese papers, with Jilin University ranking first with 58 articles. Chinese papers were published in connection with many countries, including the United States, Japan, and the United Kingdom. Among the connections, the papers published by the Chinese and the American are 107, with the highest rate. With regard to funding, 689 articles were funded from various projects, occupying 74.72% of the total amount. In these projects, National Foundation and Science and Technology programs were the majority. Our bibliometric analysis provides a historical perspective on the progress of neural regeneration research. At present, the number of articles addressing neural regeneration is increasing rapidly; however, through analysis of citations it is clear that there is a long way to go to improve the academic quality.

"The Art of Successful Publication" ECCO 13 workshop report.

PubMed

Smyth, John; Verweij, Jaap; D'Incalci, Maurizio; Balakrishnan, Lekshmy

2006-03-01

Having your work published in a good journal is the life-blood of research. Publications are the key element in scientific communication and influence future funding and cancer development for the authors. Every year more and more manuscripts are submitted and competition for acceptance is fierce. The editors of EJC recently held a workshop to discuss ways to improve manuscript writing, and this paper summarises their recommendations. Choose a title carefully, keep the introduction short, avoid confusing methods with results, and use figures wherever possible. Discuss only the relevance of new findings to published literature. Above all read the specific "instructions to authors" -- it is surprising how often this is ignored -- at peril!

Promise and progress in environmental genomics: a status report on the applications of gene expression-based microarray studies in ecologically relevant fish species.

PubMed

Hook, S E

2010-12-01

The advent of any new technology is typically met with great excitement. So it was a few years ago, when the combination of advances in sequencing technology and the development of microarray technology made measurements of global gene expression in ecologically relevant species possible. Many of the review papers published around that time promised that these new technologies would revolutionize environmental biology as they had revolutionized medicine and related fields. A few years have passed since these technological advancements have been made, and the use of microarray studies in non-model fish species has been adopted in many laboratories internationally. Has the relatively widespread adoption of this technology really revolutionized the fields of environmental biology, including ecotoxicology, aquaculture and ecology, as promised? Or have these studies merely become a novelty and a potential distraction for scientists addressing environmentally relevant questions? In this review, the promises made in early review papers, in particular about the advances that the use of microarrays would enable, are summarized; these claims are compared to the results of recent studies to determine whether the forecasted changes have materialized. Some applications, as discussed in the paper, have been realized and have led to advances in their field, others are still under development. © 2010 CSIRO. Journal of Fish Biology © 2010 The Fisheries Society of the British Isles.

Smartphone Apps for Mindfulness Interventions for Suicidality in Asian Youths: Literature Review.

PubMed

Choo, Carol C; Burton, André Ad

2018-06-07

The advent of mobile technology has ushered in an era in which smartphone apps can be used as interventions for suicidality. We aimed to review recent research that is relevant to smartphone apps that can be used for mindfulness interventions for suicidality in Asian youths. The inclusion criteria for this review were: papers published in peer-reviewed journals from 2007 to 2017 with usage of search terms (namely "smartphone application" and "mindfulness") and screened by an experienced Asian clinician to be of clinical utility for mindfulness interventions for suicidality with Asian youths. The initial search of databases yielded 375 results. Fourteen full text papers that fit the inclusion criteria were assessed for eligibility and 10 papers were included in the current review. This review highlighted the paucity of evidence-based and empirically validated research into effective smartphone apps that can be used for mindfulness interventions for suicidality with Asian youths. ©Carol C Choo, André AD Burton. Originally published in JMIR Mhealth and Uhealth (http://mhealth.jmir.org), 07.06.2018.

The Use of Electronic Mail in Biomedical Communication

PubMed Central

Costello, Richard; Shaw, Anthony; Cheetham, Roz; Moots, Robert J.

2000-01-01

Objectives: To determine whether there are statistically significant differences in the content of electronic mail (e-mail) and conventional mail sent to authors of papers published in medical journals. Design: Prospective study by postal questionnaire. Over two one-month periods, corresponding authors of papers published in medical journals were asked to record details of the correspondence prompted by their publications. Measurements: Conventional and e-mail correspondence received. Reprint requests. Content of correspondence. Quality of correspondence. Results: Eighty-two of 96 authors replied. Fifty received e-mail (mean, 5.7 ± 8.8 e-mails per author) and 72 received conventional mail (15.5 ± 32.8 letters per author) (p ≪ 0.05). Seventy percent of e-mails and only 53% of correspondence sent by conventional mail (p ≪ 0.05) referred to the content of the paper. Conclusions: Publication in general medical journals stimulates more conventional than electronic mail. However, the content of e-mail may be of greater scientific relevance. Electronic mail can be encouraged without fear of diminishing the quality of the communications received. PMID:10641967

Facilitators and barriers to non-medical prescribing - A systematic review and thematic synthesis.

PubMed

Graham-Clarke, Emma; Rushton, Alison; Noblet, Timothy; Marriott, John

2018-01-01

Non-medical prescribing has the potential to deliver innovative healthcare within limited finances. However, uptake has been slow, and a proportion of non-medical prescribers do not use the qualification. This systematic review aimed to describe the facilitators and barriers to non-medical prescribing in the United Kingdom. The systematic review and thematic analysis included qualitative and mixed methods papers reporting facilitators and barriers to independent non-medical prescribing in the United Kingdom. The following databases were searched to identify relevant papers: AMED, ASSIA, BNI, CINAHL, EMBASE, ERIC, MEDLINE, Open Grey, Open access theses and dissertations, and Web of Science. Papers published between 2006 and March 2017 were included. Studies were quality assessed using a validated tool (QATSDD), then underwent thematic analysis. The protocol was registered with PROSPERO (CRD42015019786). Of 3991 potentially relevant identified studies, 42 were eligible for inclusion. The studies were generally of moderate quality (83%), and most (71%) were published 2007-2012. The nursing profession dominated the studies (30/42). Thematic analysis identified three overarching themes: non-medical prescriber, human factors, and organisational aspects. Each theme consisted of several sub-themes; the four most highly mentioned were 'medical professionals', 'area of competence', 'impact on time' and 'service'. Sub-themes were frequently interdependent on each other, having the potential to act as a barrier or facilitator depending on circumstances. Addressing the identified themes and subthemes enables strategies to be developed to support and optimise non-medical prescribing. Further research is required to identify if similar themes are encountered by other non-medical prescribing groups than nurses and pharmacists.

Research output on primary care in Australia, Canada, Germany, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and the United States: bibliometric analysis

PubMed Central

Glanville, Julie; Kendrick, Tony; McNally, Rosalind; Campbell, John

2011-01-01

Objective To compare the volume and quality of original research in primary care published by researchers from primary care in the United Kingdom against five countries with well established academic primary care. Design Bibliometric analysis. Setting United Kingdom, United States, Australia, Canada, Germany, and the Netherlands. Studies reviewed Research publications relevant to comprehensive primary care and authored by researchers from primary care, recorded in Medline and Embase, with publication dates 2001-7 inclusive. Main outcome measures Volume of published activity of generalist primary care researchers and the quality of the research output by those publishing the most using citation metrics: numbers of cited papers, proportion of cited papers, and mean citation scores. Results 82 169 papers published between 2001 and 2007 in the six countries were classified as research on primary care. In a 15% pragmatic random sample of these records, 40% of research on primary care from the United Kingdom and 46% from the Netherlands was authored by researchers employed in a primary care setting or employed in academic departments of primary care. The 141 researchers with the highest volume of publications reporting research findings published between 2001 and 2007 (inclusive) authored or part authored 8.3% of the total sample of papers. For authors with the highest proportion of publications cited at least five times, the best performers came from the United States (n=5), United Kingdom (n=4), and the Netherlands (n=2). In the top 10 of authors with the highest proportions of publications achieving 20 or more citations, six were from the United Kingdom and four from the United States. The mean Hirsch index (measure of a researcher’s productivity and impact of the published work) was 14 for the Netherlands, 13 for the United Kingdom, 12 for the United States, 7 for Canada, 4 for Australia, and 3 for Germany. Conclusion This international comparison of the volume and citation rates of papers by researchers from primary care consistently placed UK researchers among the best performers internationally. PMID:21385804

Digest of Russian Space Life Sciences, issue 33

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stone, Lydia Razran (Editor); Teeter, Ronald (Editor); Rowe, Joseph (Editor)

1993-01-01

This is the thirty-third issue of NASA's USSR Space Life Sciences Digest. It contains abstracts of 55 papers published in Russian journals. The abstracts in this issue have been identified as relevant to the following areas of space biology and medicine: biological rhythms, body fluids, botany, cardiovascular and respiratory systems, developmental biology, endocrinology, equipment and instrumentation, gastrointestinal system, genetics, hematology, human performance, metabolism, microbiology, musculoskeletal system, neurophysiology, nutrition, operational medicine, psychology, radiobiology, and reproductive system.

Corrigendum

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lemons, Don S.; Gary, S. Peter; Winske, D.

1980-02-01

It has been called to our attention that our paper on the nonlinear evolution of a temperature anisotropic plasma (T > T¶) in the absence of an external magnetic field (Lemons, Winske & Gary 1979) did not make reference to several relevant and previously published works. Specifically, the linear theory of this unstable plasma has been explored by Kalman, Montes & Quemada (1968), the quasi-linear theory by Smith (1969) and Montes, Coste & Diener (1970) while additional thermodynamic considerations were given by Montes & Peyraud (1972). We regret this oversight.

Evaluation of email alerts in practice: Part 2. Validation of the information assessment method.

PubMed

Pluye, Pierre; Grad, Roland M; Johnson-Lafleur, Janique; Bambrick, Tara; Burnand, Bernard; Mercer, Jay; Marlow, Bernard; Campbell, Craig

2010-12-01

The information assessment method (IAM) permits health professionals to systematically document the relevance, cognitive impact, use and health outcomes of information objects delivered by or retrieved from electronic knowledge resources. The companion review paper (Part 1) critically examined the literature, and proposed a 'Push-Pull-Acquisition-Cognition-Application' evaluation framework, which is operationalized by IAM. The purpose of the present paper (Part 2) is to examine the content validity of the IAM cognitive checklist when linked to email alerts. A qualitative component of a mixed methods study was conducted with 46 doctors reading and rating research-based synopses sent on email. The unit of analysis was a doctor's explanation of a rating of one item regarding one synopsis. Interviews with participants provided 253 units that were analysed to assess concordance with item definitions. The content relevance of seven items was supported. For three items, revisions were needed. Interviews suggested one new item. This study has yielded a 2008 version of IAM. © 2010 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Comprehensive risk reduction in patients with atrial fibrillation: emerging diagnostic and therapeutic options—a report from the 3rd Atrial Fibrillation Competence NETwork/European Heart Rhythm Association consensus conference

PubMed Central

Kirchhof, Paulus; Lip, Gregory Y.H.; Van Gelder, Isabelle C.; Bax, Jeroen; Hylek, Elaine; Kaab, Stefan; Schotten, Ulrich; Wegscheider, Karl; Boriani, Giuseppe; Brandes, Axel; Ezekowitz, Michael; Diener, Hans; Haegeli, Laurent; Heidbuchel, Hein; Lane, Deirdre; Mont, Luis; Willems, Stephan; Dorian, Paul; Aunes-Jansson, Maria; Blomstrom-Lundqvist, Carina; Borentain, Maria; Breitenstein, Stefanie; Brueckmann, Martina; Cater, Nilo; Clemens, Andreas; Dobrev, Dobromir; Dubner, Sergio; Edvardsson, Nils G.; Friberg, Leif; Goette, Andreas; Gulizia, Michele; Hatala, Robert; Horwood, Jenny; Szumowski, Lukas; Kappenberger, Lukas; Kautzner, Josef; Leute, Angelika; Lobban, Trudie; Meyer, Ralf; Millerhagen, Jay; Morgan, John; Muenzel, Felix; Nabauer, Michael; Baertels, Christoph; Oeff, Michael; Paar, Dieter; Polifka, Juergen; Ravens, Ursula; Rosin, Ludger; Stegink, W.; Steinbeck, Gerhard; Vardas, Panos; Vincent, Alphons; Walter, Maureen; Breithardt, Günter; Camm, A. John

2012-01-01

While management of atrial fibrillation (AF) patients is improved by guideline-conform application of anticoagulant therapy, rate control, rhythm control, and therapy of accompanying heart disease, the morbidity and mortality associated with AF remain unacceptably high. This paper describes the proceedings of the 3rd Atrial Fibrillation NETwork (AFNET)/European Heart Rhythm Association (EHRA) consensus conference that convened over 60 scientists and representatives from industry to jointly discuss emerging therapeutic and diagnostic improvements to achieve better management of AF patients. The paper covers four chapters: (i) risk factors and risk markers for AF; (ii) pathophysiological classification of AF; (iii) relevance of monitored AF duration for AF-related outcomes; and (iv) perspectives and needs for implementing better antithrombotic therapy. Relevant published literature for each section is covered, and suggestions for the improvement of management in each area are put forward. Combined, the propositions formulate a perspective to implement comprehensive management in AF. PMID:21791573

Using Watershed Boundaries to Map Adverse Health Outcomes: Examples From Nebraska, USA

PubMed Central

Corley, Brittany; Bartelt-Hunt, Shannon; Rogan, Eleanor; Coulter, Donald; Sparks, John; Baccaglini, Lorena; Howell, Madeline; Liaquat, Sidra; Commack, Rex; Kolok, Alan S

2018-01-01

In 2009, a paper was published suggesting that watersheds provide a geospatial platform for establishing linkages between aquatic contaminants, the health of the environment, and human health. This article is a follow-up to that original article. From an environmental perspective, watersheds segregate landscapes into geospatial units that may be relevant to human health outcomes. From an epidemiologic perspective, the watershed concept places anthropogenic health data into a geospatial framework that has environmental relevance. Research discussed in this article includes information gathered from the literature, as well as recent data collected and analyzed by this research group. It is our contention that the use of watersheds to stratify geospatial information may be both environmentally and epidemiologically valuable. PMID:29398918

The evolution of juvenile animal testing for small and large molecules.

PubMed

Baldrick, Paul

2013-11-01

Recent formalised regulatory requirements for ensuring safe use of new drugs in children has increased the requirement, when considered relevant, to perform juvenile animal testing before commencing paediatric clinical trials. A key goal of this work is to identify or examine for a developmental or toxicity finding not seen in other toxicology testing. With our current knowledge, this paper examines what types of testing are occurring, what novel findings are being seen and their relevance in the safety evaluation process. Furthermore, trends for now and the future in the type of juvenile animal testing will be described including a need for more focused study designs and more published data on modern cross-species postnatal development. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Gastric lymphoma: the histology report.

PubMed

Doglioni, Claudio; Ponzoni, Maurilio; Ferreri, Andrés J M; Savio, Antonella

2011-03-01

The diagnosis of gastric MALT lymphoma is frequently difficult for the general histopathologist. During recent years there have been relevant changes in the therapeutic approach to gastric MALT lymphoma and our knowledge about its pathogenesis has greatly improved. The management of this disease actually requires a close cooperation between the histopathologist and the clinicians. The histology report of biopsies of a newly diagnosed or of an already treated case implies information of clinical and therapeutical relevance. This paper aims at giving the histopathologist a general knowledge about the state of art of this disease and its management. The diagnostic process leading to a complete and competent report is then described step by step. Copyright © 2011 Editrice Gastroenterologica Italiana S.r.l. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Towards evidence-based emergency medicine: best BETs from the Manchester Royal Infirmary. BET 3: In a penetrating chest wound is a three-sided dressing or a one-way chest seal better at preventing respiratory complications?

PubMed

Walthall, Kirsten

2012-04-01

A short-cut review was carried out to establish whether the traditional three-sided dressing is better than a one-way chest seal at preventing the respiratory complications from penetrating chest trauma. Only one animal study, two guidelines and two case reports provided published evidence relevant to the question. The author, date and country of publication, patient group studied, study type, relevant outcomes, results and study weaknesses of these papers are tabulated. The clinical bottom line is that there is very little evidence, but that the one-way seals may have practical advantages, particularly in the out-of-hospital setting.

Application of a new methodology for coastal multi-hazard-assessment & management on the state of Karnataka, India.

PubMed

Rosendahl Appelquist, Lars; Balstrøm, Thomas

2015-04-01

This paper presents the application of a new methodology for coastal multi-hazard assessment & management under a changing global climate on the state of Karnataka, India. The recently published methodology termed the Coastal Hazard Wheel (CHW) is designed for local, regional and national hazard screening in areas with limited data availability, and covers the hazards of ecosystem disruption, gradual inundation, salt water intrusion, erosion and flooding. The application makes use of published geophysical data and remote sensing information and is showcasing how the CHW framework can be applied at a scale relevant for regional planning purposes. It uses a GIS approach to develop regional and sub-regional hazard maps as well as to produce relevant hazard risk data, and includes a discussion of uncertainties, limitations and management perspectives. The hazard assessment shows that 61 percent of Karnataka's coastline has a high or very high inherent hazard of erosion, making erosion the most prevalent coastal hazard. The hazards of flooding and salt water intrusion are also relatively widespread as 39 percent of Karnataka's coastline has a high or very high inherent hazard for both of these hazard types. Copyright © 2014 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Fatal river drowning: the identification of research gaps through a systematic literature review

PubMed Central

Leggat, Peter A

2016-01-01

Introduction Drowning is a leading cause of unintentional death. Rivers are a common location for drowning. Unlike other location-specific prevention efforts (home swimming pools and beaches), little is known about prevention targeting river drowning deaths. Methods A systematic literature review was undertaken using English language papers published between 1980 and 2014, exploring gaps in the literature, with a focus on epidemiology, risk factors and prevention strategies for river drowning. Results Twenty-nine papers were deemed relevant to the study design including 21 (72.4%) on epidemiology, 18 (62.1%) on risk factors and 10 (34.5%) that proposed strategies for prevention. Risk factors identified included age, falls into water, swimming, using watercraft, sex and alcohol. Discussion Gaps were identified in the published literature. These included a lack of an agreed definition for rivers, rates for fatal river drowning (however, crude rates were calculated for 12 papers, ranging from 0.20 to 1.89 per 100 000 people per annum), and consensus around risk factors, especially age. There was only one paper that explored a prevention programme; the remaining nine outlined proposed prevention activities. There is a need for studies into exposure patterns for rivers and an agreed definition (with consistent coding). Conclusions This systematic review has identified that river drowning deaths are an issue in many regions and countries around the world. Further work to address gaps in the published research to date would benefit prevention efforts. PMID:26728005

Sublingual immunotherapy: World Allergy Organization position paper 2013 update

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

We have prepared this document, “Sublingual Immunotherapy: World Allergy Organization Position Paper 2013 Update”, according to the evidence-based criteria, revising and updating chapters of the originally published paper, “Sublingual Immunotherapy: World Allergy Organization Position Paper 2009”, available at http://www.waojournal.org. Namely, these comprise: “Mechanisms of sublingual immunotherapy;” “Clinical efficacy of sublingual immunotherapy” – reporting all the data of all controlled trials published after 2009; “Safety of sublingual immunotherapy” – with the recently published Grading System for adverse reactions; “Impact of sublingual immunotherapy on the natural history of respiratory allergy” – with the relevant evidences published since 2009; “Efficacy of SLIT in children” – with detailed analysis of all the studies; “Definition of SLIT patient selection” – reporting the criteria for eligibility to sublingual immunotherapy; “The future of immunotherapy in the community care setting”; “Methodology of clinical trials according to the current scientific and regulatory standards”; and “Guideline development: from evidence-based medicine to patients' views” – including the evolution of the methods to make clinical recommendations. Additionally, we have added new chapters to cover a few emerging crucial topics: “Practical aspects of schedules and dosages and counseling for adherence” – which is crucial in clinical practice for all treatments; “Perspectives and new approaches” – including recombinant allergens, adjuvants, modified allergens, and the concept of validity of the single products. Furthermore, “Raising public awareness about sublingual immunotherapy”, as a need for our patients, and strategies to increase awareness of allergen immunotherapy (AIT) among patients, the medical community, all healthcare stakeholders, and public opinion, are also reported in detail. PMID:24679069

Big data - smart health strategies. Findings from the yearbook 2014 special theme.

PubMed

Koutkias, V; Thiessard, F

2014-08-15

To select best papers published in 2013 in the field of big data and smart health strategies, and summarize outstanding research efforts. A systematic search was performed using two major bibliographic databases for relevant journal papers. The references obtained were reviewed in a two-stage process, starting with a blinded review performed by the two section editors, and followed by a peer review process operated by external reviewers recognized as experts in the field. The complete review process selected four best papers, illustrating various aspects of the special theme, among them: (a) using large volumes of unstructured data and, specifically, clinical notes from Electronic Health Records (EHRs) for pharmacovigilance; (b) knowledge discovery via querying large volumes of complex (both structured and unstructured) biological data using big data technologies and relevant tools; (c) methodologies for applying cloud computing and big data technologies in the field of genomics, and (d) system architectures enabling high-performance access to and processing of large datasets extracted from EHRs. The potential of big data in biomedicine has been pinpointed in various viewpoint papers and editorials. The review of current scientific literature illustrated a variety of interesting methods and applications in the field, but still the promises exceed the current outcomes. As we are getting closer towards a solid foundation with respect to common understanding of relevant concepts and technical aspects, and the use of standardized technologies and tools, we can anticipate to reach the potential that big data offer for personalized medicine and smart health strategies in the near future.

Big Data - Smart Health Strategies

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Summary Objectives To select best papers published in 2013 in the field of big data and smart health strategies, and summarize outstanding research efforts. Methods A systematic search was performed using two major bibliographic databases for relevant journal papers. The references obtained were reviewed in a two-stage process, starting with a blinded review performed by the two section editors, and followed by a peer review process operated by external reviewers recognized as experts in the field. Results The complete review process selected four best papers, illustrating various aspects of the special theme, among them: (a) using large volumes of unstructured data and, specifically, clinical notes from Electronic Health Records (EHRs) for pharmacovigilance; (b) knowledge discovery via querying large volumes of complex (both structured and unstructured) biological data using big data technologies and relevant tools; (c) methodologies for applying cloud computing and big data technologies in the field of genomics, and (d) system architectures enabling high-performance access to and processing of large datasets extracted from EHRs. Conclusions The potential of big data in biomedicine has been pinpointed in various viewpoint papers and editorials. The review of current scientific literature illustrated a variety of interesting methods and applications in the field, but still the promises exceed the current outcomes. As we are getting closer towards a solid foundation with respect to common understanding of relevant concepts and technical aspects, and the use of standardized technologies and tools, we can anticipate to reach the potential that big data offer for personalized medicine and smart health strategies in the near future. PMID:25123721

Clinical studies of fiber posts: a literature review.

PubMed

Cagidiaco, Maria C; Goracci, Cecilia; Garcia-Godoy, Franklin; Ferrari, Marco

2008-01-01

This literature review aimed to find answers to relevant questions regarding the clinical outcome of endontically treated teeth restored with fiber posts. All clinical studies published since 1990 in journals indexed in MEDLINE were retrieved by searching PubMed with the query terms "fiber posts and clinical studies." The reference list of the collected articles was also screened for further relevant citations. The strength of the evidence provided by the reviewed papers was assessed according to the criteria of evidence-based dentistry. Five randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on fiber posts have been published in peer-reviewed journals. A meta-analysis is not applicable to these studies since they do not address the same specific clinical question. Retrospective and prospective trials without controls are also available. Two RCTs indicate that fiber-reinforced composite posts outperform metal posts in the restoration of endontically treated teeth. However, this evidence cannot be considered as conclusive. Longer-term RCTs would be desirable. The placement of a fiber-reinforced composite post protects against failure, especially under conditions of extensive coronal destruction. The most common type of failure with fiber-reinforced composite posts is debonding.

Evolution of health web certification through the HONcode experience.

PubMed

Boyer, Célia; Baujard, Vincent; Geissbuhler, Antoine

2011-01-01

Today, the Web is a media with increasing pervasiveness around the world. Its use is constantly growing and the medical field is no exception. With this large amount of information, the problem is no longer about finding information but assessing the credibility of the publishers as well as the relevance and accuracy of the documents retrieved from the web. This problem is particularly relevant in the medical area which has a direct impact on the well-being of citizens and in the Web 2.0 context where information publishing is easier than ever. To address the quality of the medical Internet, the HONcode certification proposed by the Health On the Net Foundation (HON) is certainly the most successful initiative. The aims of this paper are to present certification activity through the HONcode experience and to show that certification is more complex than a simple code of conduct. Therefore, we first present the HONcode, its application and its current evolutions. Following that, we give some quantitative results and describe how the final user can access the certified information.

Prevalence and incidence of dyslipidaemia among adults in Africa: a systematic review and meta-analysis protocol.

PubMed

Noubiap, Jean Jacques N; Nansseu, Jobert Richie N; Bigna, Jean Joel R; Jingi, Ahmadou M; Kengne, André Pascal

2015-03-17

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death globally and disproportionately affects low-income and middle-income countries. Dyslipidaemia is an important modifiable risk factor for CVD. There are important knowledge gaps regarding the population levels of lipid variables and frequency of non-optimal levels in populations within Africa. We propose to conduct a systematic review to determine the prevalence and occurrence of dyslipidaemia in adult populations within countries in Africa. We will perform a comprehensive search to identify all possible published and unpublished studies on the prevalence or incidence of dyslipidaemia in Africa reported from 1 January 1980, without language restriction. The scientific databases PubMed MEDLINE, EMBASE and ISI Web of Science will be searched, as well as Grey literature. Following study selection, full-text papers acquisition, and data extraction and synthesis, we will appraise the quality of studies and risk of bias, and assess heterogeneity. Prevalence/incidence data will be summarised by country and geographic regions and a meta-analysis will be conducted for variables defined identically across studies. Variance stabilising transformations will be applied as appropriate to the row data before meta-analysis. This systematic review will be reported according to the MOOSE Guidelines for Meta-Analyses and Systematic Reviews of Observational Studies. The current study is based on published data and as such ethics consideration is not a requirement. This review is expected to provide relevant data to help in quantifying the magnitude of dyslipidaemia in African populations, to emphasise the need for appropriate prevention and control strategies, and to identify research gaps and remaining challenges. The final report of the systematic review in the form of a scientific paper will be published in peer-reviewed journals. Findings will further be presented at conferences and submitted to relevant health authorities. PROSPERO CRD42014015376. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

A comprehensive bibliography of linguistic steganography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bergmair, Richard

2007-02-01

In this paper, we will attempt to give a comprehensive bibliographic account of the work in linguistic steganography published up to date. As the field is still in its infancy there is no widely accepted publication venue. Relevant work on the subject is scattered throughout the literature on information security, information hiding, imaging and watermarking, cryptology, and natural language processing. Bibliographic references within the field are very sparse. This makes literature research on linguistic steganography a tedious task and a comprehensive bibliography a valuable aid to the researcher.

Correction to: Lifetime stress accelerates epigenetic aging in an urban, African American cohort: relevance of glucocorticoid signaling.

PubMed

Zannas, Anthony S; Arloth, Janine; Carrillo-Roa, Tania; Iurato, Stella; Röh, Simone; Ressler, Kerry J; Nemeroff, Charles B; Smith, Alicia K; Bradley, Bekh; Heim, Christine; Menke, Andreas; Lange, Jennifer F; Brückl, Tanja; Ising, Marcus; Wray, Naomi R; Erhardt, Angelika; Binder, Elisabeth B; Mehta, Divya

2018-05-23

Upon publication of the original article [1] it was highlighted by the authors that a transposition error affected Additional file 1, causing the misplacement of several columns and rendering the table difficult to read. This transposition does not influence any of the results nor analyses presented in the paper and has since been formally noted in this correction article; the corrected file is available here as an Additional File. The publisher apologizes for this error.

Effect of eslicarbazepine acetate and oxcarbazepine on cognition and psychomotor function in healthy volunteers.

PubMed

Milovan, Denise; Almeida, Luis; Romach, Myroslava K; Nunes, Teresa; Rocha, José Francisco; Sokowloska, Marta; Sellers, Edward M; Soares-da-Silva, Patrício

2010-08-01

The results of two single-blind studies conducted to evaluate the cognitive and psychomotor effects of eslicarbazepine acetate and oxcarbazepine following single and repeated administration in healthy volunteers are reported. The cognitive and psychomotor evaluation consisted of several computerized and paper-and-pencil measures. Eslicarbazepine acetate and oxcarbazepine had similar overall cognitive profiles and did not cause clinically relevant cognitive impairment. The incidence of adverse events was lower with eslicarbazepine acetate than with oxcarbazepine. Copyright 2010. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Studies in neuroendocrine pharmacology

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Maickel, R. P.

1976-01-01

The expertise and facilities available within the Medical Sciences Program section on Pharmacology were used along with informational input from various NASA sources to study areas relevant to the manned space effort. Topics discussed include effects of drugs on deprivation-induced fluid consumption, brain biogenic amines, biochemical responses to stressful stimuli, biochemical and behavioral pharmacology of amphetamines, biochemical and pharmacological studies of analogues to biologically active indole compounds, chemical pharmacology: drug metabolism and disposition, toxicology, and chemical methodology. Appendices include a bibliography, and papers submitted for publication or already published.

Liver Biochemistry During the Course of Influenza A/H1N1 Infection.

PubMed

Seretis, Charalampos; Lagoudianakis, Emmanuel; Salemis, Nikolaos; Pappas, Apostolos; Gemenetzis, George; Seretis, Fotios; Gourgiotis, Stavros

2013-06-01

Despite the multi-systemic effects of influenza A/H1N1 virus, the occurrence of hepatic injury during the natural course of the infection remains a matter of debate. We performed a review of the published clinical studies which assess the above mentioned relationship, reviewing the studies published in PubMed database (English literature), using the key words "H1N1", "influenza A" and "liver". We excluded case reports and clinical studies that referred to pediatric and transplanted patients, pregnants and patients with known history of chronic liver diseases. From a total of 96 results, a total of 78 papers met one or more of the exclusion criteria set. Evaluating the remaining 18 published papers, 14 more were excluded as they did not provide any sufficient data, relevant to the subject of our review. Although the analysis of the remaining studies revealed the existence of conflicting results concerning the exact degree and the potential mechanisms of liver injury in H1N1 positive patients, it can be assumed that influenza A/H1N1 virus is -or at least could be- a hepatotropic virus.

Liver Biochemistry During the Course of Influenza A/H1N1 Infection

PubMed Central

Seretis, Charalampos; Lagoudianakis, Emmanuel; Salemis, Nikolaos; Pappas, Apostolos; Gemenetzis, George; Seretis, Fotios; Gourgiotis, Stavros

2013-01-01

Despite the multi-systemic effects of influenza A/H1N1 virus, the occurrence of hepatic injury during the natural course of the infection remains a matter of debate. We performed a review of the published clinical studies which assess the above mentioned relationship, reviewing the studies published in PubMed database (English literature), using the key words “H1N1”, “influenza A” and “liver”. We excluded case reports and clinical studies that referred to pediatric and transplanted patients, pregnants and patients with known history of chronic liver diseases. From a total of 96 results, a total of 78 papers met one or more of the exclusion criteria set. Evaluating the remaining 18 published papers, 14 more were excluded as they did not provide any sufficient data, relevant to the subject of our review. Although the analysis of the remaining studies revealed the existence of conflicting results concerning the exact degree and the potential mechanisms of liver injury in H1N1 positive patients, it can be assumed that influenza A/H1N1 virus is -or at least could be- a hepatotropic virus. PMID:27785237

Reporting recommendations for tumor marker prognostic studies (REMARK): explanation and elaboration

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background The Reporting Recommendations for Tumor Marker Prognostic Studies (REMARK) checklist consists of 20 items to report for published tumor marker prognostic studies. It was developed to address widespread deficiencies in the reporting of such studies. In this paper we expand on the REMARK checklist to enhance its use and effectiveness through better understanding of the intent of each item and why the information is important to report. Methods REMARK recommends including a transparent and full description of research goals and hypotheses, subject selection, specimen and assay considerations, marker measurement methods, statistical design and analysis, and study results. Each checklist item is explained and accompanied by published examples of good reporting, and relevant empirical evidence of the quality of reporting. We give prominence to discussion of the 'REMARK profile', a suggested tabular format for summarizing key study details. Summary The paper provides a comprehensive overview to educate on good reporting and provide a valuable reference for the many issues to consider when designing, conducting, and analyzing tumor marker studies and prognostic studies in medicine in general. To encourage dissemination of the Reporting Recommendations for Tumor Marker Prognostic Studies (REMARK): Explanation and Elaboration, this article has also been published in PLoS Medicine. PMID:22642691

The Importance of Cholesterol in Psychopathology: A Review of Recent Contributions.

PubMed

Pereira, Henrique

2017-01-01

The aim of this study was to describe systematically recent studies that show the importance of cholesterol in psychopathology. This study was a review. The following databases were searched for relevant published articles on human studies: MEDLINE, Web of Science, EBSCOhost Academic Search Complete, and Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection (papers from January 2012 to March 2016). Eighteen recent papers were selected, and thematic dimensions showing correlations between cholesterol and behavioral and psychopathological variables were depression, suicide, personality, and aggression. This paper demonstrates that recent research corroborates the idea that cholesterol plays an important role in governing behavior and psychopathology in humans. Deepening the studies in this field could be a promising avenue for future research, with implications for treating people with behavior or mental health problems.

A framework for biodynamic feedthrough analysis--part I: theoretical foundations.

PubMed

Venrooij, Joost; van Paassen, Marinus M; Mulder, Mark; Abbink, David A; Mulder, Max; van der Helm, Frans C T; Bulthoff, Heinrich H

2014-09-01

Biodynamic feedthrough (BDFT) is a complex phenomenon, which has been studied for several decades. However, there is little consensus on how to approach the BDFT problem in terms of definitions, nomenclature, and mathematical descriptions. In this paper, a framework for biodynamic feedthrough analysis is presented. The goal of this framework is two-fold. First, it provides some common ground between the seemingly large range of different approaches existing in the BDFT literature. Second, the framework itself allows for gaining new insights into BDFT phenomena. It will be shown how relevant signals can be obtained from measurement, how different BDFT dynamics can be derived from them, and how these different dynamics are related. Using the framework, BDFT can be dissected into several dynamical relationships, each relevant in understanding BDFT phenomena in more detail. The presentation of the BDFT framework is divided into two parts. This paper, Part I, addresses the theoretical foundations of the framework. Part II, which is also published in this issue, addresses the validation of the framework. The work is presented in two separate papers to allow for a detailed discussion of both the framework's theoretical background and its validation.

Biological Web Service Repositories Review.

PubMed

Urdidiales-Nieto, David; Navas-Delgado, Ismael; Aldana-Montes, José F

2017-05-01

Web services play a key role in bioinformatics enabling the integration of database access and analysis of algorithms. However, Web service repositories do not usually publish information on the changes made to their registered Web services. Dynamism is directly related to the changes in the repositories (services registered or unregistered) and at service level (annotation changes). Thus, users, software clients or workflow based approaches lack enough relevant information to decide when they should review or re-execute a Web service or workflow to get updated or improved results. The dynamism of the repository could be a measure for workflow developers to re-check service availability and annotation changes in the services of interest to them. This paper presents a review on the most well-known Web service repositories in the life sciences including an analysis of their dynamism. Freshness is introduced in this paper, and has been used as the measure for the dynamism of these repositories. © 2017 The Authors. Published by Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA.

The decade 1989-1998 in Spanish psychology: an analysis of research in basic psychological processes, history of psychology, and other related topics.

PubMed

Igoa, J M

2001-11-01

This article presents a review of research published by Spanish Faculty from the area of basic psychology in the decade 1989-1998. It provides information about research on basic psychological processes commonly studied under the labels of experimental and cognitive psychology, plus a number of topics from other research areas, including some applied psychology issues. The review analyzes the work of 241 faculty members from 27 different Spanish universities, as reflected in 1,882 published papers, book chapters, and books. The analyses carried out in this report include a description of the main research trends found in each area, with some representative references of the published materials, and statistics showing the distribution of this research work in various relevant publications (both Spanish and foreign), with figures that reveal the impact of this work both at a national and international scale.

Prevalence, incidence and aetiologies of pulmonary hypertension in Africa: a systematic review and meta-analysis protocol.

PubMed

Bigna, Jean Joel; Noubiap, Jean Jacques; Nansseu, Jobert Richie; Aminde, Leopold Ndemnge

2017-06-16

There are no data summarising the epidemiology of pulmonary hypertension (PH) among adults residing in Africa. Establishment of accurate epidemiological data on PH in this region may guide decision-making toward interventions to curb the burden of PH in Africa. The aim of this systematic review is to determine the prevalence, incidence and aetiologies of PH among people residing in Africa. This systematic review and meta-analysis will follow the MOOSE guidelines for reporting. Relevant abstracts published until 30 September 2016 will be searched in PubMed/Medline, EMBASE (Excerpta Medica Database), African Journals Online and Africa Index Medicus. Full texts of eligible studies will then be accessed through PubMed, Google Scholar, HINARI and the respective journals' websites. Relevant unpublished papers and conference proceedings will also be checked. Data will be analysed using STATA version 13 software. The study-specific estimates will be pooled through a random-effects meta-analysis model to obtain an overall summary estimate of the prevalence/incidence and aetiologies of PH across studies. Heterogeneity of studies will be evaluated by the χ 2 test on Cochrane's Q statistic. Funnel plot analysis and Egger's test will be done to detect publication bias. Results will be presented by geographical region (central, eastern, northern, southern and western Africa). The current study is based on published data; ethical approval is, therefore, not required. This review will guide policy, practice and research by providing information on the magnitude of PH among people residing in Africa. Findings will be presented in evidence tables of individual studies as well as in summary tables. The final report of this systematic review, in the form of a scientific paper, will be published in a peer-reviewed journal. Furthermore, findings will be presented at conferences and submitted to relevant health authorities. PROSPERO CRD42016049351. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2017. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

Prevalence and associated factors of active smoking among individuals living with hypertension and/or diabetes in Africa: a systematic review and meta-analysis protocol.

PubMed

Wafeu, Guy S; Tankeu, Aurel T; Endomba, Francky Teddy A; Nansseu, Jobert Richie; Kaze, Arnaud D; Bigna, Jean Joel; Noubiap, Jean Jacques

2017-10-10

Tobacco use significantly increases cardiovascular complications in people living with hypertension and/or diabetes. We aim to summarise data on the prevalence and factors associated with active smoking in these conditions in Africa. We will search PubMed, Embase, Google Scholar and African Journals Online for relevant abstracts of studies on active smoking in individuals living with diabetes and/or hypertension published from 1 January 2000 to 31 December 2016, with no language restriction. Additionally, relevant unpublished papers and conference proceedings will be checked, as well as references of included articles. Two investigators will independently screen, select studies, extract data and assess the risk of bias in each study. Data will be analysed using Stata software (Stata V.14, Texas, USA). The study-specific estimates will be pooled through a random-effects meta-analysis model to obtain an overall summary estimate of the prevalence of smoking across studies. Also, we will assess factors associated to smoking. Heterogeneity of studies will be evaluated by the χ2 test on Cochrane's Q statistic. Funnel plots analysis and Egger's test will be done to detect publication bias. Results will be presented by geographic region (central, eastern, northern, southern and western Africa). A p value less than 0.05 will be considered significant for factors associated to smoking. This study is based on published data, and therefore ethical approval is not a requirement. This systematic review and meta-analysis is expected to serve as a basis for designing cost-effective interventions to reduce and prevent smoking in patients with diabetes and/or hypertension, and as a guide for future research based on the remaining gaps. The final report of this study in the form of a scientific paper will be published in peer-reviewed journals. Findings will further be presented at conferences and submitted to relevant health authorities. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2017. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

Publication in a Brazilian journal by Brazilian scientists whose papers have international impact.

PubMed

Meneghini, R

2010-09-01

Nine Brazilian scientists with an outstanding profile of international publications were invited to publish an original article in the same issue of a Brazilian Journal (Anais da Academia Brasileira de Ciências). The objective was to measure the impact of the papers on the number of citations to the articles, the assumption being that these authors would carry their international prestige to the Brazilian periodical. In a 2-year period there was a larger number of citations of these articles compared to others published in the same journal. Nevertheless, the number of citations in Brazilian journals did not equal the number of citations obtained by the other papers by the same authors in their international publications within the same 2-year period. The reasons for this difference in the number of citations could be either that less significant invited articles were submitted or that it was due to the intrinsic lack of visibility of the Brazilian journals, but this could not be fully determined with the present data. Also relevant was a comparison between the citations of Brazilian journals and the publication in Brazilian journals by these selected authors. A clear imbalance due to a remarkable under-citation of Brazilian authors by authors publishing in Brazilian journals raises the possibility that psychological factors may affect the decision of citing Brazilian journals.

ICRP special radiation protection issues in interventional radiology, digital and cardiac imaging.

PubMed

Vano, E; Faulkner, K

2005-01-01

The International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) has published two reports giving recommendations dealing with the avoidance of deterministic injuries in interventional radiology and the management of patient dose in digital radiology in 2001 and 2004, respectively. Another document, on radiation protection for cardiologists performing fluoroscopically guided procedures, will be produced during 2005. This paper highlights some of the topics of the published reports, their relevance to European legislation on medical exposures and the importance of radiation protection research in underpinning the ICRP task groups' work in to producing these documents. It is also anticipated that the results, obtained in the cardiology work package of the European research project, will be used in the new document on radiation protection for cardiologists.

Interpersonal psychotherapy for depressed adolescents (IPT-A).

PubMed

Brunstein-Klomek, Anat; Zalsman, Gil; Mufson, Laura

2007-01-01

Recently the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) published a black box warning on the use of serotonin receptor reuptake inhibitors for adolescent depression. This situation makes the non-pharmacological therapeutic alternatives more relevant than ever before. The aim of this review is to introduce the theoretical formulation, practical application and efficacy studies of Interpersonal Psychotherapy for depressed adolescents (IPT-A). A review is offered of published papers in peer-reviewed journals, books and edited chapters using Medline and PsychInfo publications between 1966 and February 2005. IPT-A is an evidence-based psychotherapy for depressed adolescents in both hospital-based and community outpatient settings. IPT-A is a brief and efficient therapy for adolescent depression. Training programs for child psychologists and psychiatrists are recommended.

The top 100 cited neurorehabilitation papers.

PubMed

Kreutzer, Jeffrey S; Agyemang, Amma A; Weedon, David; Zasler, Nathan; Oliver, Melissa; Sorensen, Aaron A; van Wijngaarden, Saskia; Leahy, Eileen

2017-01-01

Neurorehabilitation covers a large range of disorders, assessment approaches and treatment methods. There have been previous citation analyses of rehabilitation and of its subfields. However, there has never been a comprehensive citation analysis in neurorehabilitation. The present study reports findings from a citation analysis of the top 100 most cited neurorehabilitation papers to describe the research trends in the field. A de-novo keyword search of papers indexed in the Web of Science Core Collection database yielded 52,581 papers. A candidate pool of the 200 most-cited papers published between 2005 and 2016 was reviewed by the clinician authors. The papers in the top 100 deemed to be irrelevant were discarded and replaced by the most highly-cited articles in the second tier deemed to be clinically relevant. The most frequently cited neurorehablitation papers appeared in Stroke, Movement Disorders, and Neurology. Papers tended to focus on treatments, especially for stroke. Authorship trends suggest that top cited papers result from group endeavors, with 90% of the papers involving a collaboration among 3 or more authors. Treatment studies, often focused on stroke, appear to have the highest impact in the field of neurorehabilitation.

["Is it an animal inside? "Melanie Klein's unpublished Don Juan Paper (1939)].

PubMed

Frank, Claudia

2008-01-01

Klein had been asked to contribute an article to the birthday number of the International Journal for Jones. The author outlines how she hurriedly wrote a text about Don Juan which, however, was rejected by the editor. Essential parts of it are presented in German translation. The manuscript is discussed in the context of Klein's published work as well as of the relevant contemporary literature. In Klein's view, Don Juan's genitality is determined by oral impulses and fears. By his manic acting out he attempts to ward off a depressive break-down. The paper ends with some reflections about why Klein--ontrary to her intention--failed to revise her manuscript for later publication.

The 100 most cited papers in spinal deformity surgery: a bibliometric analysis.

PubMed

O'Neill, Shane C; Butler, Joseph S; McGoldrick, Niall; O'Leary, Robert; Synnott, Keith

2014-10-27

Spinal deformity is a condition that has been recognized for many millennia. There have been major advances in the treatment of spinal deformity in recent years and studies outlining new ideas can inspire others to further advance the speciality. The number of citations a paper receives may indicate the influence of that paper. It is therefore important that we evaluate and analyze the most cited works in our field. The aim of this study is to identify the 100 most cited papers relevant to spinal deformity surgery in the literature. A search through the Thomson Reuters Web of Science™ for citations related to spinal deformity surgery was performed. The number of citations, mean citation number (total number citations/years since publication), journal, authors, year of publication and country of origin of the top 100 papers was recorded. The top 100 papers were cited a combined 17,646 times, ranging from 453 to 112. The majority of papers originated from the United States (71) and were published in 20 different journals. The decade 1990-1999 was the most prolific, with 36 of the 100 papers published during this time. Papers pertaining to the management of scoliosis (49) were the most common. This study identifies the top 100 most cited papers in the field of spinal deformity surgery. While citation is not a specific marker of the scientific quality of a paper, it is a surrogate for the influence a paper has had on the orthopedic community. This list of papers provides an invaluable resource for both those in training and those actively practicing and involved in the further development of spinal deformity surgery.

The 100 Most Cited Papers in Spinal Deformity Surgery: A Bibliometric Analysis

PubMed Central

O’Neill, Shane C.; Butler, Joseph S.; McGoldrick, Niall; O’Leary, Robert; Synnott, Keith

2014-01-01

Spinal deformity is a condition that has been recognized for many millennia. There have been major advances in the treatment of spinal deformity in recent years and studies outlining new ideas can inspire others to further advance the speciality. The number of citations a paper receives may indicate the influence of that paper. It is therefore important that we evaluate and analyze the most cited works in our field. The aim of this study is to identify the 100 most cited papers relevant to spinal deformity surgery in the literature. A search through the Thomson Reuters Web of Science™ for citations related to spinal deformity surgery was performed. The number of citations, mean citation number (total number citations/years since publication), journal, authors, year of publication and country of origin of the top 100 papers was recorded. The top 100 papers were cited a combined 17,646 times, ranging from 453 to 112. The majority of papers originated from the United States (71) and were published in 20 different journals. The decade 1990-1999 was the most prolific, with 36 of the 100 papers published during this time. Papers pertaining to the management of scoliosis (49) were the most common. This study identifies the top 100 most cited papers in the field of spinal deformity surgery. While citation is not a specific marker of the scientific quality of a paper, it is a surrogate for the influence a paper has had on the orthopedic community. This list of papers provides an invaluable resource for both those in training and those actively practicing and involved in the further development of spinal deformity surgery. PMID:25568731

Mechanical Properties and Simulated Aging of Silicone Maxillofacial Elastomers: Advancements in the Past 45 Years.

PubMed

Hatamleh, Muhanad M; Polyzois, Gregory L; Nuseir, Amjad; Hatamleh, Khaldoun; Alnazzawi, Ahmad

2016-07-01

To identify and discuss the findings of publications on mechanical behavior of maxillofacial prosthetic materials published since 1969. Original experimental articles reporting on mechanical properties of maxillofacial prosthetic materials were included. A two-stage search of the literature, electronic and hand search, identified relevant published studies up to May 2015. An extensive electronic search was conducted of databases including PubMed, Embase, Scopus, and Google Scholar. Included primary studies (n = 63) reported on tensile strength, tear strength, and hardness of maxillofacial prosthetic materials at baseline and after aging. The search revealed 63 papers, with more than 28 papers being published in the past 10 years, which shows an increased number of publications when compared to only 6 papers published in the 1970s. The increase is linear with significant correlation (r = 0.85). Such an increase reflects great awareness and continued developments and warrants more research in the field of maxillofacial prosthetic materials properties; however, it is difficult to directly compare results, as studies varied in maxillofacial prosthetic materials tested with various silicone elastomers being heavily investigated, standards followed in preparing test specimens, experimental testing protocols, and parameters used in setting simulated aging conditionings. It is imperative to overcome the existing variability by establishing unified national or international standards/specifications for maxillofacial prosthetic materials. Standardization organizations or bodies, the scientific community, and academia need to be coordinated to achieve this goal. In the meantime and despite all of these theoretically significant alternatives, clinical practice still faces problems with serviceability of maxillofacial prostheses. © 2016 by the American College of Prosthodontists.

Pre-Operative Lugol's Iodine Treatment in the Management of Patients Undergoing Thyroidectomy for Graves' Disease: A Review of the Literature.

PubMed

Hope, Nicholas; Kelly, Andrew

2017-02-01

To undertake a review of the relevant English literature published on the pre-operative use of Lugol's iodine in the management of patients undergoing thyroidectomy for Graves' disease. We reviewed all relevant papers found through Ovid Medline, PubMed, EMBASE and the American Thyroid Association website. Searches were limited to the English language only. The critical appraisal tool CASP was used to help analyse the papers. Following this, the evidence was ranked using the Harbour and Miller classification of hierarchy. Four papers were deemed appropriate for analysis. The evidence contained within the review is considered weak. The literature available in the public domain regarding the use of iodinated solutions in the pre-operative period for those patients about to undergo thyroidectomy for Graves' disease is scant. Having undertaken an extensive literature review, we are of the opinion that the evidence on which the American Thyroid Association's guidance on the use of preoperative Lugol's iodine is based is tenuous. There appears to be little in the way of sound clinical evidence that post-operative outcomes are any different following a course of Lugol's iodine. Given the lack of robust clinical evidence regarding the clinical need for iodine solution in the pre-operative period, it appears clear that a larger, prospective, randomised controlled trial of all relevant outcomes - clinical and scientific - is required to answer whether or not patient preparation with Lugol's iodine is in fact necessary prior to operative intervention for Graves' disease.

Social contact patterns relevant to the spread of respiratory infectious diseases in Hong Kong.

PubMed

Leung, Kathy; Jit, Mark; Lau, Eric H Y; Wu, Joseph T

2017-08-11

The spread of many respiratory infections is determined by contact patterns between infectious and susceptible individuals in the population. There are no published data for quantifying social contact patterns relevant to the spread of respiratory infectious diseases in Hong Kong which is a hotspot for emerging infectious diseases due to its high population density and connectivity in the air transportation network. We adopted a commonly used diary-based design to conduct a social contact survey in Hong Kong in 2015/16 using both paper and online questionnaires. Participants using paper questionnaires reported more contacts and longer contact duration than those using online questionnaires. Participants reported 13 person-hours of contact and 8 contacts per day on average, which decreased over age but increased with household size, years of education and income level. Prolonged and frequent contacts, and contacts at home, school and work were more likely to involve physical contacts. Strong age-assortativity was observed in all age groups. We evaluated the characteristics of social contact patterns relevant to the spread of respiratory infectious diseases in Hong Kong. Our findings could help to improve the design of future social contact surveys, parameterize transmission models of respiratory infectious diseases, and inform intervention strategies based on model outputs.

The fifty highest cited papers in anterior cruciate ligament injury.

PubMed

Vielgut, Ines; Dauwe, Jan; Leithner, Andreas; Holzer, Lukas A

2017-07-01

The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is one of the most common injured knee ligaments and at the same time, one of the most frequent injuries seen in the sport orthopaedic practice. Due to the clinical relevance of ACL injuries, numerous papers focussing on this topic including biomechanical-, basic science-, clinical- or animal studies, were published. The purpose of this study was to determine the most frequently cited scientific articles which address this subject, establish a ranking of the 50 highest cited papers and analyse them according to their characteristics. The 50 highest cited articles related to Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injury were searched in Thomson ISI Web of Science® by the use of defined search terms. All types of scientific papers with reference to our topic were ranked according to the absolute number of citations and analyzed for the following characteristics: journal title, year of publication, number of citations, citation density, geographic origin, article type and level of evidence. The 50 highest cited articles had up to 1624 citations. The top ten papers on this topic were cited 600 times at least. Most papers were published in the American Journal of Sports Medicine. The publication years spanned from 1941 to 2007, with the 1990s and 2000s accounting for half of the articles (n = 25). Seven countries contributed to the top 50 list, with the USA having by far the most contribution (n = 40). The majority of articles could be attributed to the category "Clinical Science & Outcome". Most of them represent a high level of evidence. Scientific articles in the field of ACL injury are highly cited. The majority of these articles are clinical studies that have a high level of evidence. Although most of the articles were published between 1990 and 2007, the highest cited articles in absolute and relative numbers were published in the early 1980s. These articles contain well established scoring- or classification systems. The identification of important papers will help current clinicians and scientists to get an overview on past and current trends in that special field of ACL injury and provides a basis for both further discussion as well as future research.

Effectiveness of capacity building interventions relevant to public health practice: a systematic review.

PubMed

DeCorby-Watson, Kara; Mensah, Gloria; Bergeron, Kim; Abdi, Samiya; Rempel, Benjamin; Manson, Heather

2018-06-01

This systematic review assessed the effectiveness of capacity building interventions relevant to public health practice. The aim is to inform and improve capacity building interventions. Four strategies were used: 1) electronic database searching; 2) reference lists of included papers; 3) key informant consultation; and 4) grey literature searching. Inclusion (e.g., published in English) and exclusion criteria (e.g., non-English language papers published earlier than 2005) are outlined with included papers focusing on capacity building, learning plans, or professional development plans within public health and related settings, such as non-governmental organizations, government, or community-based organizations relating to public health or healthcare. Outcomes of interest included changes in knowledge, skill or confidence (self-efficacy), changes in practice (application or intent), and perceived support or supportive environments, with outcomes reported at the individual, organizational or systems level(s). Quality assessment of all included papers was completed. Fourteen papers were included in this review. These papers reported on six intervention types: 1) internet-based instruction, 2) training and workshops, 3) technical assistance, 4) education using self-directed learning, 5) communities of practice, and 6) multi-strategy interventions. The available literature showed improvements in one or more capacity-building outcomes of interest, mainly in terms of individual-level outcomes. The available literature was moderate in quality and showed a range of methodological issues. There is evidence to inform capacity building programming and how interventions can be selected to optimize impact. Organizations should carefully consider methods for analysis of capacity building interventions offered; specifically, through which mechanisms, to whom, and for which purpose. Capacity-building interventions can enhance knowledge, skill, self-efficacy (including confidence), changes in practice or policies, behaviour change, application, and system-level capacity. However in applying available evidence, organizations should consider the outcomes of highest priority, selecting intervention(s) effective for the outcome(s) of interest. Examples are given for selecting intervention(s) to match priorities and context, knowing effectiveness evidence is only one consideration in decision making. Future evaluations should: extend beyond the individual level, assess outcomes at organizational and systems levels, include objective measures of effect, assess baseline conditions, and evaluate features most critical to the success of interventions.

EDITORIAL: The FDR Prize The FDR Prize

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Funakoshi, Mitsuaki

2011-08-01

From the 56 papers published in 2010 in Fluid Dynamics Research the following paper has been selected for the fourth FDR prize: 'Baroclinic multipole formation from heton interaction' by M A Sokolovskiy and X J Carton, published in volume 42 (August 2010) 045501. Coherent vortices are a universal feature of fluids at moderate and large Reynolds number, and have particular relevance to the quasi-two-dimensional flows used to model phenomena in the atmosphere and ocean. The structure and interaction of such vortices have proved a fascinating area for the researchers of fluid dynamics, including thoreticians, observers and experimentalists, together with related problems of how they mix fluids and how they transport scalars such as temperature and salinity. In this paper 'hetons' are considered; they are vortices of dipolar structures in a multilayer rotating fluid, carry thermal anomalies, and are relevant to transport in flows such as the Gulf Stream. The paper is a comprehensive study of the structure, invariants and interactions of two opposite-signed hetons in a two-layer fluid for several initial configurations and for several values of the Rossby radius of deformation, using models based on point vortex dynamics and contour dynamics of finite-area vortex regions. Different types of coupling and interactions are isolated and discussed. Depending on the initial configuration and the value of the radius of deformation, the time evolutions toward horizonal dipoles, vertically tilted dipoles, L-shaped dipoles, and Z-shaped tripoles are observed in the case of finite-area vortices. Using point vortex dynamics a rigorous analysis based on trilinear coordinates is performed, and the appearance of similar structures is shown analytically, except for the L-shaped dipoles. The contribution of this paper to the important problem of heton interaction is both profound and substantial. The study will be of great interest to a wide variety of readers and is likely to inspire further numerical and experimental work, as well being helpful in the interpretation and analysis of observations. Overall, the paper will undoubtedly have a large impact on the fluid dynamics community.

All that Glitters Is not Gold: Consumer Health Informatics and Education in the Era of Social Media and Health Apps. Findings from the Yearbook 2016 Section on Consumer Health Informatics.

PubMed

Fernandez-Luque, L; Staccini, P

2016-11-10

To summarize the state of the art published during the year 2015 in the areas related to consumer health informatics and education with a special emphasis on unintended consequences of applying mobile and social media technologies in that domain. We conducted a systematic review of articles published in PubMed with a predefined set of queries, which lead to the selection of over 700 potential relevant articles. Section editors screened those papers on the title, abstract, and finally complete paper basis, taking into account the papers' relevance for the section topic. The 15 most representative papers were finally selected by consensus between the two section editors and submitted for full review and scoring to external reviewers and the yearbook editors. Based on the final scoring, section editors selected the best five papers. The five best papers can be grouped in two major areas: 1) Digital health literacy and 2) Quality and safety concerns. Regarding health literacy issues of patients with chronic conditions such as asthma, online interventions should rather focus on changing patient beliefs about the disease than on supporting them in the management of their pathology since personally controlled health management systems do not show expected benefits,. Nevertheless, encouraging and training chronic patients for an active online health information-seeking behaviour substantially decreases state anxiety level. Regarding safety and privacy issues, even recommended health-related apps available on mobile phones do not guarantee personal data protection. Furthermore, the analysis indicated that patients undergoing Internet interventions experienced at least one adverse event that might be related to treatment. At least, predictive factors have been identified in order to credit or not a health rumour. Trusting digital and connected health can be achieved if patients, health care professionals, and industrials build a shared model of health data management integrating ethics rules. Only increasing efforts in education with regards of digital health would help reach this goal., This would not resolve all frauds and security issues but at least improve their detection.

Public health co-benefits of greenhouse gas emissions reduction: A systematic review.

PubMed

Gao, Jinghong; Kovats, Sari; Vardoulakis, Sotiris; Wilkinson, Paul; Woodward, Alistair; Li, Jing; Gu, Shaohua; Liu, Xiaobo; Wu, Haixia; Wang, Jun; Song, Xiaoqin; Zhai, Yunkai; Zhao, Jie; Liu, Qiyong

2018-06-15

Public health co-benefits from curbing climate change can make greenhouse gas (GHG) mitigation strategies more attractive and increase their implementation. The purpose of this systematic review is to summarize the evidence of these health co-benefits to improve our understanding of the mitigation measures involved, potential mechanisms, and relevant uncertainties. A comprehensive search for peer-reviewed studies published in English was conducted using the primary electronic databases. Reference lists from these articles were reviewed and manual searches were performed to supplement relevant studies. The identified records were screened based on inclusion criteria. We extracted data from the final retrieved papers using a pre-designed data extraction form and a quality assessment was conducted. The studies were heterogeneities, so meta-analysis was not possible and instead evidence was synthesized using narrative summaries. Thirty-six studies were identified. We identified GHG mitigation strategies in five domains - energy generation, transportation, food and agriculture, households, and industry and economy - which usually, although not always, bring co-benefits for public health. These health gains are likely to be multiplied by comprehensive measures that include more than one sectors. GHG mitigation strategies can bring about substantial and possibly cost-effective public health co-benefits. These findings are highly relevant to policy makers and other stakeholders since they point to the compounding value of taking concerted action against climate change and air pollution. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier B.V.

The feasibility and appropriateness of introducing nursing curricula from developed countries into developing countries: a comprehensive systematic review.

PubMed

Jayasekara, Rasika; Schultz, Tim

The objective of this review was to appraise and synthesise the best available evidence on the feasibility and appropriateness of introducing nursing curricula from developed countries into developing countries. This review considered quantitative and qualitative research papers that addressed the feasibility and appropriateness of introducing developed countries' nursing curricula into developing countries. Papers of the highest level of evidence rating were given priority. Participants of interest were all levels of nursing staff, nursing students, healthcare consumers and healthcare administrators. Outcomes of interest that are relevant to the evaluation of undergraduate nursing curricula were considered in the review including cost-effectiveness, cultural relevancy, adaptability, consumer satisfaction and student satisfaction. The search strategy sought to find both published and unpublished studies and papers, limited to the English language. An initial limited search of MEDLINE and CINAHL was undertaken followed by an analysis of the text words contained in the title and abstract, and of the index terms used to describe the article. A second extensive search was then undertaken using all identified key words and index terms. Finally, the reference list of all identified reports and articles was searched, the contents pages of a few relevant journals were hand searched and experts in the field were contacted to find any relevant studies missed from the first two searches. Each paper was assessed by two independent reviewers for methodological quality before inclusion in the review using an appropriate critical appraisal instrument from the System for the Unified Management, Assessment and Review of Information (SUMARI) package. A total of four papers, including one descriptive study and three textual papers, were included in the review. Because of the diverse nature of these papers, meta-synthesis of the results was not possible. For this reason, this section of the review is presented in narrative form. In this review, a descriptive study and a textual opinion paper examined the cultural relevancy of borrowed curriculum models, and the global influence of American nursing. Another two opinion papers evaluated the adaptability of another country curriculum models in their countries. The evidence regarding the feasibility and appropriateness of introducing developed countries' nursing curricula into developing countries is weak because of the paucity of high-quality studies. However, some lower-level evidence suggesting that direct transfer of the curriculum model from one country to another is not appropriate without first assessing the cultural context of both countries. Second, the approach of considering international, regional and local experiences more feasible and presumably a more effective strategy for adapting of a country's curriculum into a culturally or economically different country.

The feasibility and appropriateness of introducing nursing curricula from developed countries into developing countries: a comprehensive systematic review.

PubMed

Jayasekara, Rasika; Schultz, Tim

2006-09-01

Objectives  The objective of this review was to appraise and synthesise the best available evidence on the feasibility and appropriateness of introducing nursing curricula from developed countries into developing countries. Inclusion criteria  This review considered quantitative and qualitative research papers that addressed the feasibility and appropriateness of introducing developed countries' nursing curricula into developing countries. Papers of the highest level of evidence rating were given priority. Participants of interest were all levels of nursing staff, nursing students, healthcare consumers and healthcare administrators. Outcomes of interest that are relevant to the evaluation of undergraduate nursing curricula were considered in the review including cost-effectiveness, cultural relevancy, adaptability, consumer satisfaction and student satisfaction. Search strategy  The search strategy sought to find both published and unpublished studies and papers, limited to the English language. An initial limited search of MEDLINE and CINAHL was undertaken followed by an analysis of the text words contained in the title and abstract, and of the index terms used to describe the article. A second extensive search was then undertaken using all identified key words and index terms. Finally, the reference list of all identified reports and articles was searched, the contents pages of a few relevant journals were hand searched and experts in the field were contacted to find any relevant studies missed from the first two searches. Methodological quality  Each paper was assessed by two independent reviewers for methodological quality before inclusion in the review using an appropriate critical appraisal instrument from the System for the Unified Management, Assessment and Review of Information (SUMARI) package. Results  A total of four papers, including one descriptive study and three textual papers, were included in the review. Because of the diverse nature of these papers, meta-synthesis of the results was not possible. For this reason, this section of the review is presented in narrative form. In this review, a descriptive study and a textual opinion paper examined the cultural relevancy of borrowed curriculum models, and the global influence of American nursing. Another two opinion papers evaluated the adaptability of another country curriculum models in their countries. Conclusion  The evidence regarding the feasibility and appropriateness of introducing developed countries' nursing curricula into developing countries is weak because of the paucity of high-quality studies. However, some lower-level evidence suggesting that direct transfer of the curriculum model from one country to another is not appropriate without first assessing the cultural context of both countries. Second, the approach of considering international, regional and local experiences more feasible and presumably a more effective strategy for adapting of a country's curriculum into a culturally or economically different country.

[Voice Self-Concept (FESS) in Medical Students].

PubMed

Lehnert, B

2016-10-01

Introduction: The questionnaire "Fragebogen zur Erfassung des stimmlichen Selbstkonzepts (FESS)" was published in 2015 by Nusseck et al. It consists of 17 items measuring 3 scales on voice related self-concept. This paper examines the distribution of scale values in young adults by examination of medical students. Material and Methods: 96 FESS questionnaires were filled in by medical students. An additional item was added, stating whether it felt easy to answer the questionnaire. The distribution of the scales as well as percentile ranks are given in the paper. Results: In all 3 scales there were no significant differences between females and males, therefore they were analysed as one group. The distributions of all 3 scales show no relevant ceiling nor floor effects. Probands with lower scores in 2 of the three scales found it less easy to answer the questions. Discussion: The results encourage the use of the questionnaire in patients. There was no indication of relevant floor or ceiling effects and there was enough variance in each scale. If used in patients further investigation is needed on the result that patients with lower scores tend to find it more difficult to fill in the questionnaire. The percentile ranks published herein are valid for medical students at this stage. Until bigger normative data on more diverse populations are conducted we will use these data as an orientation to judge other young adults' scores, too. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

Nurses' decision-making in ethically relevant clinical situations using the example of breathlessness: study protocol of a reflexive grounded theory integrating Goffman's framework analysis.

PubMed

Dunger, Christine; Schnell, Martin W; Bausewein, Claudia

2017-02-22

Decision-making (DM) in healthcare can be understood as an interactive process addressing decision makers' reasoning as well as their visible behaviour after the decision is made. Other key elements of DM are ethical aspects and the role as well as the treatment options of the examined professions. Nurses' DM to choose interventions in situations of severe breathlessness is such interactions. They are also ethically relevant regarding the vulnerability of affected patients and possible restrictions or treatment options. The study aims to explore which factors influence nurses' DM to use nursing interventions in situations where patients suffer from severe breathlessness. Qualitative study including nurses in German hospital wards and hospices. A triangulation of different methods of data collection-participant observation and qualitative expert interviews-and analysis merge in a reflexive grounded theory approach which integrates Goffman's framework analysis. It allows an analysis of nurses' self-statements about DM, their behaviour in relevant clinical situations and its influences. Data collection and analysis will be examined simultaneously. Informed consent will be gained from all participants and the institutional stakeholders. Ongoing consent has to be ensured since observations will take place in healthcare institutions and many patients will be highly vulnerable. The study has been evaluated and approved by the Witten/Herdecke University Ethics Committee, Witten, Germany. Results of the study will be published at congresses and in journal papers. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/.

Dissemination of research into clinical nursing literature.

PubMed

Oermann, Marilyn H; Shaw-Kokot, Julia; Knafl, George J; Dowell, Jo

2010-12-01

The purpose of our study was to describe the dissemination of research into the clinical nursing literature. The literature provides a means of transferring knowledge from a research study through citations of the work by other authors. This was a citation analysis study to explore the dissemination of research into the clinical nursing literature, beginning with the publication of an original research study and including all of the citations to that article through 2009. The authors searched five academic nursing research journal titles, using CINAHL, for original research reports that had clinical relevance and were published between 1990-1999. The search process yielded a final data set of 28 research articles. For each of the articles, the authors searched three databases, CINAHL, Web of Science(®) and Google Scholar, to determine the citation patterns from the date of publication to August 2009. All of the research studies were cited in articles published in clinical journals although there was a wide range in the number of citations, from 3-80. The 28 research articles had a total of 759 citations; 717 (94.5%) of those citations were in articles published in clinical nursing journals. The median length of time between publication of the original study and the first citation was 1.5 years. Some of the studies were still being cited for 18 years after publication of the original work. All of the original research reports examined in this study were cited in articles in clinical journals, disseminating the research beyond the original work to reach clinicians. Clinical nursing journals keep readers up-to-date and informed about new practices in nursing and serve another important role: they disseminate research that is clinically relevant by publishing original studies and papers that cite research reports. © 2010 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) for indexing and retrieving open-source healthcare data.

PubMed

Marc, David T; Khairat, Saif S

2014-01-01

The US federal government initiated the Open Government Directive where federal agencies are required to publish high value datasets so that they are available to the public. Data.gov and the community site Healthdata.gov were initiated to disperse such datasets. However, data searches and retrieval for these sites are keyword driven and severely limited in performance. The purpose of this paper is to address the issue of extracting relevant open-source data by proposing a method of adopting the MeSH framework for indexing and data retrieval. A pilot study was conducted to compare the performance of traditional keywords to MeSH terms for retrieving relevant open-source datasets related to "mortality". The MeSH framework resulted in greater sensitivity with comparable specificity to the keyword search. MeSH showed promise as a method for indexing and retrieving data, yet future research should conduct a larger scale evaluation of the performance of the MeSH framework for retrieving relevant open-source healthcare datasets.

RELEVANCE OF WHOLE BODY VIBRATION EXERCISE IN SPORT: A SHORT REVIEW WITH SOCCER, DIVER AND COMBAT SPORT.

PubMed

Morel, Danielle Soares; Dionello, Carla da Fontoura; Moreira-Marconi, Eloá; Brandão-Sobrinho-Neto, Samuel; Paineiras-Domingos, Laisa Liane; Souza, Patrícia Lopes; Sá-Caputo, Danúbia da Cunha; Dias, Glenda; Figueiredo, Claudia; Carmo, Roberto Carlos Resende; Paiva, Patrícia de Castro; Sousa-Gonçalves, Cintia Renata; Kütter, Cristiane Ribeiro; Guedes-Aguiar, Eliane de Oliveira; Cloak, Ross; Bernardo-Filho, Mario

2017-01-01

Whole body vibration exercise (WBVE) has been used as a safe and accessible exercise and important reviews have been published about the use of this exercise to manage diseases and to improve physical conditions of athletes The aim of this paper is to highlight the relevance of WBVE to soccer players, divers and combat athletes. This study was made through a systematic review of publications involving WBVE and the selected sports in two databases (Pubmed and PEDRo). It were identified 10 studies involving WBVE and sports (6 of soccer, 2 of diving and 2 of sport combat) with 156 subjects (80 soccer players, 32 divers and 44 combat athletes), with age from 17 to 44 years old. The use of WBVE has proven to be a safe and useful strategy to improve the physical conditions of players of different sports. These findings may have clinical relevance and should be considered as a strategy to be used to try improve the physical conditions of players.

Evaluating UK research in speech and language therapy.

PubMed

Lewison, Grant; Carding, Paul

2003-01-01

There has been a steady growth in recent years in British higher-degree training in speech and language therapy. But what is the standing of UK research in the subject and its component areas which should underpin and inform such training? How can such research be evaluated? The intention was to compare UK publications relevant to speech and language therapy with those of other countries, both quantitatively and qualitatively. We sought then to examine the UK papers in more detail to analyse their sources of funding, their geographical distribution and the ways in which they could appropriately be evaluated. Papers were selectively retrieved from the Science Citation Index and the Social Sciences Citation Index for 1991-2000 by means of a filter based on journal names and paper title words. They were subsequently checked to remove many false positives. The papers were classified into one of seven subject areas and by their research level (from clinical to basic). Their importance was estimated through their potential impact on other researchers, as determined by the citation score of their journals, by the numbers of citations they actually received and by the subjective esteem in which the various journals were held by UK speech and language researchers. World output of speech and language therapy papers has averaged 1000 papers per year during the 1990s, and has grown by half over the period. UK output has been about 12% of the total, compared with 10% in biomedicine, and is published in high impact journals relative to the norm for the field, which is quite a low rate compared with biomedicine overall. Almost half the UK papers had no funding acknowledgements, with the private-non-profit and industrial sectors playing less of a role than in other biomedical areas. Papers in seven subject areas showed substantial differences in their performance on the four criteria selected. The state of British speech and language research appears to be satisfactory, with an above average output in both quantity and quality. However, it is not attracting funding from some types of sponsors and is not being published in general medical journals where it might have a wider influence on general clinical practice. It is also not clear how best such research can be evaluated, although conventional citation counts may be relevant for some subject areas.

Automated annotation of functional imaging experiments via multi-label classification

PubMed Central

Turner, Matthew D.; Chakrabarti, Chayan; Jones, Thomas B.; Xu, Jiawei F.; Fox, Peter T.; Luger, George F.; Laird, Angela R.; Turner, Jessica A.

2013-01-01

Identifying the experimental methods in human neuroimaging papers is important for grouping meaningfully similar experiments for meta-analyses. Currently, this can only be done by human readers. We present the performance of common machine learning (text mining) methods applied to the problem of automatically classifying or labeling this literature. Labeling terms are from the Cognitive Paradigm Ontology (CogPO), the text corpora are abstracts of published functional neuroimaging papers, and the methods use the performance of a human expert as training data. We aim to replicate the expert's annotation of multiple labels per abstract identifying the experimental stimuli, cognitive paradigms, response types, and other relevant dimensions of the experiments. We use several standard machine learning methods: naive Bayes (NB), k-nearest neighbor, and support vector machines (specifically SMO or sequential minimal optimization). Exact match performance ranged from only 15% in the worst cases to 78% in the best cases. NB methods combined with binary relevance transformations performed strongly and were robust to overfitting. This collection of results demonstrates what can be achieved with off-the-shelf software components and little to no pre-processing of raw text. PMID:24409112

Filling in memory gaps through emotional communication; promising pathways in caring for persons with dementia.

PubMed

van Dulmen, Sandra; Smits, Lies; Eide, Hilde

2017-11-01

To explore in what way emotional communication can enhance the memory of people with (different types of) dementia. Relevant studies published after 2000 were searched using the terms: dementia, positive, words, communication, recall, and memory. Papers were included that reported results of studies with people with dementia that investigated memory effects of communication with either an emotionally valent content or context. Twelve papers grouped under four prevailing themes (pictures, facial emotions, stories and words) are described. The studies provide mixed results: in some studies negative emotional information enhances memory in older people with dementia, in other studies positive emotional information is helpful or hardly any effect is found. Emotional communication seems to enhance memory in people with dementia. None of the studies described focused on the association between personally relevant, emotionally valent information and memory, so further research is needed. Caregivers in dementia care should realize that 1) the information they provide might carry an emotional valence, and 2) this valence might influence the extent to which people with dementia remember information. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

I consensus for the management and treatment of hepatitis B carried out by the Brazilian society of infectious diseases.

PubMed

Araújo, Evaldo Stanislau Affonso de; Barone, Antonio Alci; Junior, Fernando Lopes G; Ferreira, João Silva Mendonça Simão; Focaccia, Roberto

2007-02-01

This paper reports on the conclusions reached by the Hepatitis Committee of the Brazilian Society of Infectious Diseases in their I Consensus for the Management and Treatment of Hepatitis B. The subjects considered most relevant or controversial among those discussed by the Consensus Group, which met in the city of São Roque on July 21-23, 2006, are summarized in this report. A systematic review on topics related to hepatitis B was carried out and published in the Brazilian Journal of Infectious Diseases. We strongly recommend that readers consult the Proceedings of the Consensus Meeting in which a full, detailed report on the topics discussed is published, whereas in the Consensus, these topics are concisely and objectively summarized.

Reduction of Family Violence in Aboriginal Communities: A Systematic Review of Interventions and Approaches1

PubMed Central

Shea, Beverley; Nahwegahbow, Amy; Andersson, Neil

2010-01-01

Many efforts to reduce family violence are documented in the published literature. We conducted a systematic review of interventions intended to prevent family violence in Aboriginal communities. We retrieved studies published up to October 2009; 506 papers included one systematic review, two randomized controlled trials, and fourteen nonrandomized studies or reviews. Two reviews discussed interventions relevant to primary prevention (reducing the risk factors for family violence), including parenting, role modelling, and active participation. More studies addressed secondary prevention (where risk factors exist, reducing outbreaks of violence) such as restriction on the trading hours for take away alcohol and home visiting programs for high risk families. Examples of tertiary prevention (preventing recurrence) include traditional healing circles and group counselling. Most studies contributed a low level of evidence. PMID:21052554

The DSM diagnostic criteria for pedophilia.

PubMed

Blanchard, Ray

2010-04-01

This paper contains the author's report on pedophilia, submitted on June 2, 2008, to the work group charged with revising the diagnoses concerning sexual and gender identity disorders for the fifth edition of the American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM). The author reviews the previously published criticisms and empirical research concerning the diagnostic criteria for pedophilia and presents criticism and relevant research of his own. The review shows that the DSM diagnostic criteria for pedophilia have repeatedly been criticized as unsatisfactory on logical or conceptual grounds, and that published empirical studies on the reliability and validity of these criteria have produced ambiguous results. It therefore seems that the current (i.e., DSM-IV-TR) diagnostic criteria need to be examined with an openness to major changes in the DSM-V.

Nurses' pressure ulcer related judgements and decisions in clinical practice: a systematic review.

PubMed

Samuriwo, Ray; Dowding, Dawn

2014-12-01

Pressure ulcers are considered to be an adverse outcome of care that should never occur in clinical practice. The formation of a pressure ulcer is also perceived to be an indicator of poor quality nursing care. Therefore, pressure ulcer prevention is a priority for nurses, healthcare professionals and healthcare organisations throughout the world. A key factor in pressure ulcer prevention and management is individual nurse decision making. To synthesise the literature on the judgement and decision making of nurses in relation to the assessment, prevention, grading and management of pressure ulcers in all care settings (hospital and community). A systematic search of published literature relating to judgement and decision making in nurses, with a focus on the prevention and management of pressure ulcers. A search of electronic databases from 1992 to present, together with hand searching of the reference lists of retrieved publications, to identify published papers that reported results of studies evaluating the decision making of nurses in relation to the prevention and management of pressure ulcers. Abstracts were independently reviewed by two authors and full text of potentially relevant articles retrieved. Each paper included in this systematic review was evaluated using recognised appraisal criteria relevant to the specific study design. Included papers provided empirical data on key aspects of nurses' pressure ulcer related judgements and decision making. Data were synthesised into themes using narrative analysis. Sixteen studies and one systematic review were included in the review, focusing on pressure ulcer risk assessment, pressure ulcer prevention, grading of pressure ulcers and treatment decisions. The results indicated that assessment tools were not routinely used to identify pressure ulcer risk, and that nurses rely on their own knowledge and experience rather than research evidence to decide what skin care to deliver. Emphasising pressure ulcer risk assessment and pressure ulcer grading in clinical practice is unlikely to deliver improved outcomes. Further research into nurses' pressure ulcer related judgements and decision making is needed and clinicians must focus on the consistent delivery of high quality care to prevent and mange pressure ulcers to all patients in clinical practice. Crown Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A decision theory perspective on why women do or do not decide to have cancer screening: systematic review.

PubMed

Ackerson, Kelly; Preston, Stephanie D

2009-06-01

This paper is a report of a review in which decision theory from economics and psychology was applied to understand why some women with access to care do not seek cancer screening. Mammography and cervical smear testing are effective modes of cancer screening, yet many women choose not to be screened. Nurses need to understand the reasons behind women's choices to improve adherence. Research papers published between January 1994 and November 2008 were identified using the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, MEDLINE and PsycINFO data bases. The search was performed using the following terms: cervical cancer screening, breast cancer screening, decision, choice, adherence and framing. Forty-seven papers were identified and reviewed for relevance to the search criteria. Nineteen papers met the search criteria. For each paper, reasons for obtaining or not obtaining cancer screening were recorded, and organized into four relevant decision theory principles: emotions, Prospect Theory, optimism bias and framing. All women have fears and uncertainty, but the sources of their fears differ, producing two main decision scenarios. Non-adherence results when women fear medical examinations, providers, tests and procedures, do not have/seek knowledge about risk and frame their current health as the status quo. Adherence is achieved when women fear cancer, but trust care providers, seek knowledge, understand risk and frame routine care as the status quo. Nurses need to address proactively women's perceptions and knowledge about screening by openly and uniformly discussing the importance and benefits.

Management of Patient Care in Hemodialysis While Focusing on Cardiovascular Disease Events and the Atypical Role of Hyper- and/or Hypotension: A Systematic Review

PubMed Central

Khan, Amer Hayat; Syed Sulaiman, Syed Azhar; Khan, Irfanullah

2016-01-01

Background. Hemodialysis related hemodynamic instability is a major but an underestimated issue. Moreover, cardiovascular events are the leading cause of morbidity and mortality associated with blood pressure in hemodialysis patients. However, there have been many controversies regarding the role and management of hyper- and/or hypotension during hemodialysis that needs to be addressed. Objective. To critically review the available published data on the atypical role of hyper- and/or hypotension in cardiovascular associated morbidity and mortality in patients on hemodialysis and to understand the discrepancies in this context. Methods. A comprehensive search of literature employing electronic as well as manual sources and screening 2783 papers published between Jan 1980 and Oct 2015 was conducted to collect, identify, and analyze relevant information through peer-reviewed research articles, systematic reviews, and other published works. The cardiovascular events, including accelerated atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD), stroke, heart failure, myocardial infarction, myocardial ischemia, and stress induced myocardial dysfunction, leading to death were considered relevant. Results. A total of 23 published articles met the inclusion criteria and were included for in-depth review and analysis to finalize a comprehensive systematic review article. All the studies showed a significant association between the blood pressure and cardiovascular disease events in hemodialysis patients. Conclusions. Both intradialytic hypertension/hypotension episodes are major risk factors for cardiovascular mortality with a high percentage of probable causality; however, clinicians are faced with a dilemma on how to evaluate blood pressure and treat this condition. PMID:27833921

Theoretical and experimental investigations of upper atmosphere dynamics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Roper, R. G.; Edwards, H. D.

1980-01-01

A brief overview of the significant contributions made to the understanding of the dynamics of the Earth's upper atmosphere is presented, including the addition of winds and diffusion to the semi-empirical Global Reference Atmospheric Model developed for the design phase of the Space Shuttle, reviews of turbulence in the lower thermosphere, the dynamics of the equatorial mesopause, stratospheric warming effects on mesopause level dynamics, and the relevance of these studies to the proposed Middle Atmosphere Program (1982-85). A chronological bibliography, with abstracts of all papers published, is also included.

Genetic polymorphisms associated with heart failure: A literature review.

PubMed

Guo, Mengqi; Guo, Guanlun; Ji, Xiaoping

2016-02-01

To review possible associations reported between genetic variants and the risk, therapeutic response and prognosis of heart failure. Electronic databases (PubMed, Web of Science and CNKI) were systematically searched for relevant papers, published between January 1995 and February 2015. Eighty-two articles covering 29 genes and 39 polymorphisms were identified. Genetic association studies of heart failure have been highly controversial. There may be interaction or synergism of several genetic variants that together result in the ultimate pathological phenotype for heart failure. © The Author(s) 2016.

USSR Space Life Sciences Digest, issue 32

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stone, Lydia Razran (Editor); Rowe, Joseph (Editor)

1992-01-01

This is the thirty-second issue of NASA's USSR Space Life Sciences Digest. It contains abstracts of 34 journal or conference papers published in Russian and of 4 Soviet monographs. Selected abstracts are illustrated with figures and tables from the original. The abstracts in this issue have been identified as relevant to 18 areas of space biology and medicine. These areas include: adaptation, aviation medicine, biological rhythms, biospherics, cardiovascular and respiratory systems, developmental biology, exobiology, habitability and environmental effects, human performance, hematology, mathematical models, metabolism, microbiology, musculoskeletal system, neurophysiology, operational medicine, and reproductive system.

Technology Investments in the NASA Entry Systems Modeling Project

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Barnhardt, Michael; Wright, Michael; Hughes, Monica

2017-01-01

The Entry Systems Modeling (ESM) technology development project, initiated in 2012 under NASAs Game Changing Development (GCD) Program, is engaged in maturation of fundamental research developing aerosciences, materials, and integrated systems products for entry, descent, and landing(EDL)technologies [1]. To date, the ESM project has published over 200 papers in these areas, comprising the bulk of NASAs research program for EDL modeling. This presentation will provide an overview of the projects successes and challenges, and an assessment of future investments in EDL modeling and simulation relevant to NASAs mission

From Gauß to Biermann: Highlights from the first 117 years of publications in Astronomische Nachrichten/Astronomical Notes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

von Berlepsch, R.; Strassmeier, K. G.

2009-06-01

We present facsimiles of some of the scientifically and historically most relevant papers published in Astronomische Nachrichten/Astronomical Notes (AN) between 1821 and 1938. Almost all of these papers were written and printed in German and it is sometimes not completely straightforward to find these original works and then to cite the historically correct version, e.g. in case of a series of articles or editorial letters. It was common during the early years that many contributions were made in form of letters to the editor. We present a summary for these original works with an English translation of their titles. Among the highlights are the originals of the discovery of stellar parallaxes by Friedrich Wilhelm Bessel, the discovery of the solar cycle by Heinrich Schwabe, the discovery of the planet Neptune by Johann Gottfried Galle, the first ever measured stellar radial velocity by Hermann Vogel, the discovery of radio emission from the Sun by Wilsing and Scheiner, the first ever conducted photoelectric photometry of stars by Paul Guthnick and up to the pioneering work by Karl Schwarzschild, Ejnar Hertzsprung, Erwin Finlay Freundlich and others. As a particular gimmick we present the still world record holding shortest paper ever published; by Johannes Hartmann in AN 226, 63 (1926) on Nova Pictoris. Our focus is on contributions in the early years and published until 1938 near the verge of the second world war.

The influence of organic production on food quality - research findings, gaps and future challenges.

PubMed

Załęcka, Aneta; Bügel, Susanne; Paoletti, Flavio; Kahl, Johannes; Bonanno, Adriana; Dostalova, Anne; Rahmann, Gerold

2014-10-01

Although several meta-analysis studies have been published comparing the quality of food derived from organic and non-organic origin, it is still not clear if food from organic production per se can guarantee product-related added value to consumers. This paper aims to summarize the status quo in order to identify research gaps and suggest future research challenges. Organic food is described according to a quality model already published. The influence of organic production on food quality is structured in primary production and processing. Furthermore, organic food authentication is discussed. Organic food seems to contain fewer pesticide residues and statistically more selected health-related compounds such as polyphenols in plant products and polyunsaturated fatty acids in milk and meat products, but the health relevance for consumers is not clear yet. Comparing food from organic origin with so called 'conventional' food seems not to be appropriate, because 'conventional' is not defined. In organic food quality research a system approach is needed from which systemic markers can be selected. Research on the impact of processing technologies on the quality according to organic principles seems of high relevance, since most of the food is processed. © 2014 Society of Chemical Industry.

MortalityPredictors.org: a manually-curated database of published biomarkers of human all-cause mortality

PubMed Central

Winslow, Ksenia; Ho, Andrew; Fortney, Kristen; Morgen, Eric

2017-01-01

Biomarkers of all-cause mortality are of tremendous clinical and research interest. Because of the long potential duration of prospective human lifespan studies, such biomarkers can play a key role in quantifying human aging and quickly evaluating any potential therapies. Decades of research into mortality biomarkers have resulted in numerous associations documented across hundreds of publications. Here, we present MortalityPredictors.org, a manually-curated, publicly accessible database, housing published, statistically-significant relationships between biomarkers and all-cause mortality in population-based or generally healthy samples. To gather the information for this database, we searched PubMed for appropriate research papers and then manually curated relevant data from each paper. We manually curated 1,576 biomarker associations, involving 471 distinct biomarkers. Biomarkers ranged in type from hematologic (red blood cell distribution width) to molecular (DNA methylation changes) to physical (grip strength). Via the web interface, the resulting data can be easily browsed, searched, and downloaded for further analysis. MortalityPredictors.org provides comprehensive results on published biomarkers of human all-cause mortality that can be used to compare biomarkers, facilitate meta-analysis, assist with the experimental design of aging studies, and serve as a central resource for analysis. We hope that it will facilitate future research into human mortality and aging. PMID:28858850

MortalityPredictors.org: a manually-curated database of published biomarkers of human all-cause mortality.

PubMed

Peto, Maximus V; De la Guardia, Carlos; Winslow, Ksenia; Ho, Andrew; Fortney, Kristen; Morgen, Eric

2017-08-31

Biomarkers of all-cause mortality are of tremendous clinical and research interest. Because of the long potential duration of prospective human lifespan studies, such biomarkers can play a key role in quantifying human aging and quickly evaluating any potential therapies. Decades of research into mortality biomarkers have resulted in numerous associations documented across hundreds of publications. Here, we present MortalityPredictors.org , a manually-curated, publicly accessible database, housing published, statistically-significant relationships between biomarkers and all-cause mortality in population-based or generally healthy samples. To gather the information for this database, we searched PubMed for appropriate research papers and then manually curated relevant data from each paper. We manually curated 1,576 biomarker associations, involving 471 distinct biomarkers. Biomarkers ranged in type from hematologic (red blood cell distribution width) to molecular (DNA methylation changes) to physical (grip strength). Via the web interface, the resulting data can be easily browsed, searched, and downloaded for further analysis. MortalityPredictors.org provides comprehensive results on published biomarkers of human all-cause mortality that can be used to compare biomarkers, facilitate meta-analysis, assist with the experimental design of aging studies, and serve as a central resource for analysis. We hope that it will facilitate future research into human mortality and aging.

Quantifying the costs and benefits of privacy-preserving health data publishing.

PubMed

Khokhar, Rashid Hussain; Chen, Rui; Fung, Benjamin C M; Lui, Siu Man

2014-08-01

Cost-benefit analysis is a prerequisite for making good business decisions. In the business environment, companies intend to make profit from maximizing information utility of published data while having an obligation to protect individual privacy. In this paper, we quantify the trade-off between privacy and data utility in health data publishing in terms of monetary value. We propose an analytical cost model that can help health information custodians (HICs) make better decisions about sharing person-specific health data with other parties. We examine relevant cost factors associated with the value of anonymized data and the possible damage cost due to potential privacy breaches. Our model guides an HIC to find the optimal value of publishing health data and could be utilized for both perturbative and non-perturbative anonymization techniques. We show that our approach can identify the optimal value for different privacy models, including K-anonymity, LKC-privacy, and ∊-differential privacy, under various anonymization algorithms and privacy parameters through extensive experiments on real-life data. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A review of methods used for studying the molecular epidemiology of Brachyspira hyodysenteriae.

PubMed

Zeeh, Friederike; Nathues, Heiko; Frey, Joachim; Muellner, Petra; Fellström, Claes

2017-08-01

Brachyspira (B.) spp. are intestinal spirochaetes isolated from pigs, other mammals, birds and humans. In pigs, seven Brachyspira spp. have been described, i.e. B. hyodysenteriae, B. pilosicoli, B. intermedia, B. murdochii, B. innocens, B. suanatina and B. hampsonii. Brachyspira hyodysenteriae is especially relevant in pigs as it causes swine dysentery and hence considerable economic losses to the pig industry. Furthermore, reduced susceptibility of B. hyodysenteriae to antimicrobials is of increasing concern. The epidemiology of B. hyodysenteriae infections is only partially understood, but different methods for detection, identification and typing have supported recent improvements in knowledge and understanding. In the last years, molecular methods have been increasingly used. Molecular epidemiology links molecular biology with epidemiology, offering unique opportunities to advance the study of diseases. This review is based on papers published in the field of epidemiology and molecular epidemiology of B. hyodysenteriae in pigs. Electronic databases were screened for potentially relevant papers using title and abstract and finally, Barcellos et al. papers were systemically selected and assessed. The review summarises briefly the current knowledge on B. hyodysenteriae epidemiology and elaborates on molecular typing techniques available. Results of the studies are compared and gaps in the knowledge are addressed. Finally, potential areas for future research are proposed. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Infectious disease profiles of Syrian and Eritrean migrants presenting in Europe: A systematic review.

PubMed

Isenring, Egon; Fehr, Jan; Gültekin, Nejla; Schlagenhauf, Patricia

2018-04-24

In the past decade, a large influx of migrants presented in Europe. Their country of origin was mainly either Syria or Eritrea. Public health institutions in host countries in Europe are challenged to screen and care for migrant populations with regard to infectious diseases. We performed a systematic literature review (according to PRISMA guidelines) to define the infectious disease profile of migrants originating in Syria and Eritrea. The search resulted in 825 papers of possible relevance for infectious diseases in migrants from Syria, of which, after screening, we included 35 in the systematic review. A further 265 papers of possible relevance for infectious diseases in Eritrean migrants were screened, of which we included 27 in the systematic review. In migrants from Syria, leishmaniasis was the most frequently reported infectious disease. In addition, colonisation with drug resistant, Gram-negativ bacteria was reported. In the Eritrean migrants the infectious disease most described in the selected papers was louse-borne relapsing fever. Other frequently reported infectious diseases were scabies and Plasmodium vivax malaria. Our systematic analysis defines the profiles of infectious diseases for migrants from Syria and Eritrea and serves as an evidence base for public health screening and care of presenting migrants. Copyright © 2018 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Nagel on reduction.

PubMed

Sarkar, Sahotra

2015-10-01

This paper attempts a critical reappraisal of Nagel's (1961, 1970) model of reduction taking into account both traditional criticisms and recent defenses. This model treats reduction as a type of explanation in which a reduced theory is explained by a reducing theory after their relevant representational items have been suitably connected. In accordance with the deductive-nomological model, the explanation is supposed to consist of a logical deduction. Nagel was a pluralist about both the logical form of the connections between the reduced and reducing theories (which could be conditionals or biconditionals) and their epistemological status (as analytic connections, conventions, or synthetic claims). This paper defends Nagel's pluralism on both counts and, in the process, argues that the multiple realizability objection to reductionism is misplaced. It also argues that the Nagel model correctly characterizes reduction as a type of explanation. However, it notes that logical deduction must be replaced by a broader class of inferential techniques that allow for different types of approximation. Whereas Nagel (1970), in contrast to his earlier position (1961), recognized the relevance of approximation, he did not realize its full import for the model. Throughout the paper two case studies are used to illustrate the arguments: the putative reduction of classical thermodynamics to the kinetic theory of matter and that of classical genetics to molecular biology. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Learning disabilities, dyslexia, and vision: a subject review--a rebuttal, literature review, and commentary.

PubMed

Bowan, Merrill D

2002-09-01

In 1998, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Academy of Ophthalmology, and the American Association of Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus (AAP/AAO/AAPOS) published a position paper entitled "Learning Disabilities, Dyslexia And Vision: A Subject Review," intended to support their assertion that there is no relationship between learning disabilities, dyslexia, and vision. The paper presents an unsupported opinion that optometrists (by implication) have said that vision problems cause learning disabilities and/or dyslexia and that visual therapy cures the conditions. The 1998 position paper follows two very similar and discredited papers published in 1972 and 1981. This article critically reviews and comments on the many problems of scholarship, the inconsistencies, and the false allegations the position paper presents. Perhaps the foremost problem is that the authoring committee has ignored a veritable mountain of relevant literature that strongly argues against their assertion that vision does not relate to academic performance. It is for this reason that an overview, drawn from more than 1,400 identified references from Medline and other database sources and pertinent texts that were reviewed, is incorporated into this current article. The AAP/AAO/AAPOS paper is also examined for the Levels of Evidence that their references offer in support of their position. The AAP/AAO/AAPOS paper contains errors and internal inconsistencies. Through highly selective reference choices, it misrepresents the great body of evidence from the literature that supports a relationship between visual and perceptual problems as they contribute to classroom difficulties. The 1998 paper should be retracted because of the errors, bias, and disinformation it presents. The public assigns great trust to authorities for accurate, intellectually honest guidance, which is lacking in this AAP/AAO/AAPOS position paper.

Mathematical modeling relevant to closed artificial ecosystems

USGS Publications Warehouse

DeAngelis, D.L.

2003-01-01

The mathematical modeling of ecosystems has contributed much to the understanding of the dynamics of such systems. Ecosystems can include not only the natural variety, but also artificial systems designed and controlled by humans. These can range from agricultural systems and activated sludge plants, down to mesocosms, microcosms, and aquaria, which may have practical or research applications. Some purposes may require the design of systems that are completely closed, as far as material cycling is concerned. In all cases, mathematical modeling can help not only to understand the dynamics of the system, but also to design methods of control to keep the system operating in desired ranges. This paper reviews mathematical modeling relevant to the simulation and control of closed or semi-closed artificial ecosystems designed for biological production and recycling in applications in space. Published by Elsevier Science Ltd on behalf of COSPAR.

All That Glitters Is not Gold: Consumer Health Informatics and Education in the Era of Social Media and Health Apps

PubMed Central

Staccini, P.

2016-01-01

Summary Objective To summarize the state of the art published during the year 2015 in the areas related to consumer health informatics and education with a special emphasis on unintended consequences of applying mobile and social media technologies in that domain. Methods We conducted a systematic review of articles published in PubMed with a predefined set of queries, which lead to the selection of over 700 potential relevant articles. Section editors screened those papers on the title, abstract, and finally complete paper basis, taking into account the papers’ relevance for the section topic. The 15 most representative papers were finally selected by consensus between the two section editors and submitted for full review and scoring to external reviewers and the yearbook editors. Based on the final scoring, section editors selected the best five papers. Results The five best papers can be grouped in two major areas: 1) Digital health literacy and 2) Quality and safety concerns. Regarding health literacy issues of patients with chronic conditions such as asthma, online interventions should rather focus on changing patient beliefs about the disease than on supporting them in the management of their pathology since personally controlled health management systems do not show expected benefits,. Nevertheless, encouraging and training chronic patients for an active online health information–seeking behaviour substantially decreases state anxiety level. Regarding safety and privacy issues, even recommended health-related apps available on mobile phones do not guarantee personal data protection. Furthermore, the analysis indicated that patients undergoing Internet interventions experienced at least one adverse event that might be related to treatment. At least, predictive factors have been identified in order to credit or not a health rumour. Conclusions Trusting digital and connected health can be achieved if patients, health care professionals, and industrials build a shared model of health data management integrating ethics rules. Only increasing efforts in education with regards of digital health would help reach this goal., This would not resolve all frauds and security issues but at least improve their detection. PMID:27830250

Academic Primer Series: Key Papers About Peer Review.

PubMed

Yarris, Lalena M; Gottlieb, Michael; Scott, Kevin; Sampson, Christopher; Rose, Emily; Chan, Teresa M; Ilgen, Jonathan

2017-06-01

Peer review, a cornerstone of academia, promotes rigor and relevance in scientific publishing. As educators are encouraged to adopt a more scholarly approach to medical education, peer review is becoming increasingly important. Junior educators both receive the reviews of their peers, and are also asked to participate as reviewers themselves. As such, it is imperative for junior clinician educators to be well-versed in the art of peer reviewing their colleagues' work. In this article, our goal was to identify and summarize key papers that may be helpful for faculty members interested in learning more about the peer-review process and how to improve their reviewing skills. The online discussions of the 2016-17 Academic Life in Emergency Medicine (ALiEM) Faculty Incubator program included a robust discussion about peer review, which highlighted a number of papers on that topic. We sought to augment this list with further suggestions by guest experts and by an open call on Twitter for other important papers. Via this process, we created a list of 24 total papers on the topic of peer review. After gathering these papers, our authorship group engaged in a consensus-building process incorporating Delphi methods to identify the papers that best described peer review, and also highlighted important tips for new reviewers. We found and reviewed 24 papers. In our results section, we present our authorship group's top five most highly rated papers on the topic of peer review. We also summarize these papers with respect to their relevance to junior faculty members and to faculty developers. We present five key papers on peer review that can be used for faculty development for novice writers and reviewers. These papers represent a mix of foundational and explanatory papers that may provide some basis from which junior faculty members might build upon as they both undergo the peer-review process and act as reviewers in turn.

Academic Primer Series: Key Papers About Peer Review

PubMed Central

Yarris, Lalena M.; Gottlieb, Michael; Scott, Kevin; Sampson, Christopher; Rose, Emily; Chan, Teresa M.; Ilgen, Jonathan

2017-01-01

Introduction Peer review, a cornerstone of academia, promotes rigor and relevance in scientific publishing. As educators are encouraged to adopt a more scholarly approach to medical education, peer review is becoming increasingly important. Junior educators both receive the reviews of their peers, and are also asked to participate as reviewers themselves. As such, it is imperative for junior clinician educators to be well-versed in the art of peer reviewing their colleagues’ work. In this article, our goal was to identify and summarize key papers that may be helpful for faculty members interested in learning more about the peer-review process and how to improve their reviewing skills. Methods The online discussions of the 2016–17 Academic Life in Emergency Medicine (ALiEM) Faculty Incubator program included a robust discussion about peer review, which highlighted a number of papers on that topic. We sought to augment this list with further suggestions by guest experts and by an open call on Twitter for other important papers. Via this process, we created a list of 24 total papers on the topic of peer review. After gathering these papers, our authorship group engaged in a consensus-building process incorporating Delphi methods to identify the papers that best described peer review, and also highlighted important tips for new reviewers. Results We found and reviewed 24 papers. In our results section, we present our authorship group’s top five most highly rated papers on the topic of peer review. We also summarize these papers with respect to their relevance to junior faculty members and to faculty developers. Conclusion We present five key papers on peer review that can be used for faculty development for novice writers and reviewers. These papers represent a mix of foundational and explanatory papers that may provide some basis from which junior faculty members might build upon as they both undergo the peer-review process and act as reviewers in turn. PMID:28611894

Geographic trends of scientific output and citation practices in psychiatry.

PubMed

Igoumenou, Artemis; Ebmeier, Klaus; Roberts, Nia; Fazel, Seena

2014-12-06

Measures of research productivity are increasingly used to determine how research should be evaluated and funding decisions made. In psychiatry, citation patterns within and between countries are not known, and whether these differ by choice of citation metric. In this study, we examined publication characteristics and citation practices in articles published in 50 Web of Science indexed psychiatric and relevant clinical neurosciences journals, between January 2004 and December 2009 comprising 51,072 records that produced 375,962 citations. We compared citation patterns, including self-citations, between countries using standard x(2) tests. We found that most publications came from the USA, with Germany being second and UK third in productivity. USA articles received most citations and the highest citation rate with an average 11.5 citations per article. The UK received the second highest absolute number of citations, but came fourth by citation rate (9.7 citations/article), after the Netherlands (11.4 citations/article) and Canada (9.8 citations/article). Within the USA, Harvard University published most articles and these articles were the most cited, on average 20.0 citations per paper. In Europe, UK institutions published and were cited most often. The Institute of Psychiatry/Kings College London was the leading institution in terms of number of published records and overall citations, while Oxford University had the highest citation rate (18.5 citations/record). There were no differences between the self-citation practices of American and European researchers. Articles that examined some aspect of treatment in psychiatry were the most published. In terms of diagnosis, papers about schizophrenia-spectrum disorders were the most published and the most cited. We found large differences between and within countries in terms of their research productivity in psychiatry and clinical neuroscience. In addition, the ranking of countries and institutions differed widely by whether productivity was assessed by total research records published, overall citations these received, or citations per paper. The choice of measures of scientific output could be important in determining how research output translates into decisions about resource allocation.

Mapping Rwanda public health research (1975-2014).

PubMed

Poreau, Brice

2014-12-01

Since the genocide occurred in 1994, Rwanda has faced up to the challenge of rebuilding. Public health is a main field to understand this rebuilding. In this paper, the aim was to map the scientific research on public health in Rwanda after the genocide and to present the links between different financing systems. We used bibliographic analyses with Web of Science of papers published during the period 1975-2014. We performed analyses on journals, most cited articles, authors, publication years, organizations, funding companies, countries, and keywords. We obtained 86 articles between 1975 and 2014. Most articles were published after 2007. The main countries of research laboratories were the United States of America, Rwanda, England and Belgium and represented the main network collaboration. The relevant keywords were: HIV, woman, child, program, rural and violence. Public health research on Rwanda appeared 14 years after the genocide. A main field was emerging: the spread of HIV with mother-child transmission, and the policies to take this subject into account in rural zones. The network of institutions developing these studies was USA-Rwanda.

Dimensional approaches to psychiatric classification: refining the research agenda for DSM-V: an introduction.

PubMed

Regier, Darrel A

2007-01-01

The American Psychiatric Association (APA) will publish the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-V), in 2012. This paper reviews the extended, multi-faceted research planning preparations that APA has undertaken, several in collaboration with the World Health Organization and the U.S. National Institutes of Health, to assess the current state of diagnosis-relevant research and to generate short- and long-term recommendations for research needed to enrich DSM-V and future psychiatric classifications. This research review and planning process has underscored widespread interest among nosologists in the US and globally regarding the potential benefits for research and clinical practice of incorporating a dimensional component into the existing categorical, or binary, classification system in the DSM. Toward this end, the APA and its partners convened an international conference in July 2006 to critically appraise the use of dimensional constructs in psychiatric diagnostic systems. Resultant papers appear in this issue of International Journal of Methods in Psychiatric Research and in a forthcoming monograph to be published by APA. Copyright (c) 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

The job of 'ethics committees'.

PubMed

Moore, Andrew; Donnelly, Andrew

2015-11-13

What should authorities establish as the job of ethics committees and review boards? Two answers are: (1) review of proposals for consistency with the duly established and applicable code and (2) review of proposals for ethical acceptability. The present paper argues that these two jobs come apart in principle and in practice. On grounds of practicality, publicity and separation of powers, it argues that the relevant authorities do better to establish code-consistency review and not ethics-consistency review. It also rebuts bad code and independence arguments for the opposite view. It then argues that authorities at present variously specify both code-consistency and ethics-consistency jobs, but most are also unclear on this issue. The paper then argues that they should reform the job of review boards and ethics committees, by clearly establishing code-consistency review and disestablishing ethics-consistency review, and through related reform of the basic orientation, focus, name, and expertise profile of these bodies and their actions. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/

AGU journals should ask authors to publish results

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Agnew, Duncan Carr

2012-07-01

The title of this Forum is meant to sound paradoxical: Isn't the publication of results what AGU journals are for? I argue that in some ways they aren't, and suggest how to fix this. Explaining this apparent paradox requires that we look at the structure of a published paper and of the research project that produced it. Any project involves many steps; for those using data to examine some problem the first step (step A) is for researchers to collect the relevant raw data. Next (step B), they analyze these data to learn about some phenomenon of interest; this analysis is very often purely computational. Then (step C), the researchers (we can now call them "the authors") arrange the results of this analysis in a way that shows the reader the evidence for the conclusions of the paper. Sometimes these results appear as a table, but more often they are shown pictorially, as, for example, a plot of a time series, a map, a correlation plot, or a cross-section. Finally (step D), the authors state the conclusions to be drawn from the results presented.

Disorders of Sex Development: Pediatric Psychology and the Genital Exam.

PubMed

Tishelman, Amy C; Shumer, Daniel E; Nahata, Leena

2017-06-01

To provide suggestions for clinical care of youth with disorders of sex development (DSD) and their families, by drawing on preexisting pediatric psychology literature with a particular focus on child sexual abuse (CSA) genital exams. Relevant peer-reviewed papers published since 1990 in the CSA literature were systematically reviewed, as well as an illustrative sample of general pediatric psychology papers. Empirical research from the CSA literature provided information on prevalence of distress and the impact of provider behavior, the importance of preparation, and proposed interventions. Expert recommendations from CSA literature and general findings gleaned from pediatric psychology also address these issues. Psychological findings in the CSA pediatric population suggest that fears and anxieties are not universal and can be linked to a number of variables. Based on this review, we make a number of recommendations for potential interventions for youth with DSD and their families, emphasizing the need for further clinical research. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society of Pediatric Psychology. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com

Indicators of undergraduate nursing students' satisfaction with their learning journey: An integrative review.

PubMed

Walker, Sandra; Rossi, Dolene; Anastasi, Jennifer; Gray-Ganter, Gillian; Tennent, Rebeka

2016-08-01

In Australia Bachelor of Nursing programmes are delivered via both internal and distance modes yet there is little knowledge of the indicators of undergraduate nursing students' satisfaction with the learning journey. This integrative review was undertaken to uncover the indicators of undergraduate nursing students' satisfaction with their learning journey. Integrative review. A review of key papers was undertaken. Only peer-reviewed papers published in scholarly journals from 2008 onwards were included in this integrative review. Pubmed, CINAHL, Google Scholar, Cochrane, Wiley Online and ProQuest Central databases were searched for relevant papers. 49 papers were appraised, by a minimum of two team members. CASP tools were used when evaluating qualitative research, systematic and integrated reviews while survey research was evaluated using a tool specifically developed for this purpose by the research team. All tools used to assess the quality of the research studies contained comprehensive checklists and questions relevant for the particular type of study. Data related to these checklists was extracted and the research team appraised the quality of each article based on its relevance to the topic, internal and external validity, appropriateness of data analysis technique(s), and whether ethical considerations were addressed. Seventeen papers were included in the final analysis. Data analysis involved a systematic approach using content analysis techniques. This integrative review sought to identify indicators of nursing students' satisfaction with their learning journey. Authentic learning, motivation, resilience, support, and collaborative learning were identified by this integrative review as being key to nursing students' satisfaction with their learning journey. Sub themes were identified within each of these themes that assist in explaining nursing students' views of their learning journey. The findings showed that higher satisfaction levels are attained when nursing students feel included and supported during their learning journey. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Open Evaluation: A Vision for Entirely Transparent Post-Publication Peer Review and Rating for Science

PubMed Central

Kriegeskorte, Nikolaus

2012-01-01

The two major functions of a scientific publishing system are to provide access to and evaluation of scientific papers. While open access (OA) is becoming a reality, open evaluation (OE), the other side of the coin, has received less attention. Evaluation steers the attention of the scientific community and thus the very course of science. It also influences the use of scientific findings in public policy. The current system of scientific publishing provides only journal prestige as an indication of the quality of new papers and relies on a non-transparent and noisy pre-publication peer-review process, which delays publication by many months on average. Here I propose an OE system, in which papers are evaluated post-publication in an ongoing fashion by means of open peer review and rating. Through signed ratings and reviews, scientists steer the attention of their field and build their reputation. Reviewers are motivated to be objective, because low-quality or self-serving signed evaluations will negatively impact their reputation. A core feature of this proposal is a division of powers between the accumulation of evaluative evidence and the analysis of this evidence by paper evaluation functions (PEFs). PEFs can be freely defined by individuals or groups (e.g., scientific societies) and provide a plurality of perspectives on the scientific literature. Simple PEFs will use averages of ratings, weighting reviewers (e.g., by H-index), and rating scales (e.g., by relevance to a decision process) in different ways. Complex PEFs will use advanced statistical techniques to infer the quality of a paper. Papers with initially promising ratings will be more deeply evaluated. The continual refinement of PEFs in response to attempts by individuals to influence evaluations in their own favor will make the system ungameable. OA and OE together have the power to revolutionize scientific publishing and usher in a new culture of transparency, constructive criticism, and collaboration. PMID:23087639

Effective biomedical document classification for identifying publications relevant to the mouse Gene Expression Database (GXD).

PubMed

Jiang, Xiangying; Ringwald, Martin; Blake, Judith; Shatkay, Hagit

2017-01-01

The Gene Expression Database (GXD) is a comprehensive online database within the Mouse Genome Informatics resource, aiming to provide available information about endogenous gene expression during mouse development. The information stems primarily from many thousands of biomedical publications that database curators must go through and read. Given the very large number of biomedical papers published each year, automatic document classification plays an important role in biomedical research. Specifically, an effective and efficient document classifier is needed for supporting the GXD annotation workflow. We present here an effective yet relatively simple classification scheme, which uses readily available tools while employing feature selection, aiming to assist curators in identifying publications relevant to GXD. We examine the performance of our method over a large manually curated dataset, consisting of more than 25 000 PubMed abstracts, of which about half are curated as relevant to GXD while the other half as irrelevant to GXD. In addition to text from title-and-abstract, we also consider image captions, an important information source that we integrate into our method. We apply a captions-based classifier to a subset of about 3300 documents, for which the full text of the curated articles is available. The results demonstrate that our proposed approach is robust and effectively addresses the GXD document classification. Moreover, using information obtained from image captions clearly improves performance, compared to title and abstract alone, affirming the utility of image captions as a substantial evidence source for automatically determining the relevance of biomedical publications to a specific subject area. www.informatics.jax.org. © The Author(s) 2017. Published by Oxford University Press.

Environmental health impacts of unconventional natural gas development: a review of the current strength of evidence.

PubMed

Werner, Angela K; Vink, Sue; Watt, Kerrianne; Jagals, Paul

2015-02-01

Rapid global expansion of unconventional natural gas development (UNGD) raises environmental health concerns. Many studies present information on these concerns, yet the strength of epidemiological evidence remains tenuous. This paper is a review of the strength of evidence in scientific reporting of environmental hazards from UNGD activities associated with adverse human health outcomes. Studies were drawn from peer-reviewed and grey literature following a systematic search. Five databases were searched for studies published from January 1995 through March 2014 using key search terms relevant to environmental health. Studies were screened, ranked and then reviewed according to the strength of the evidence presented on adverse environmental health outcomes associated with UNGD. The initial searches yielded >1000 studies, but this was reduced to 109 relevant studies after the ranking process. Only seven studies were considered highly relevant based on strength of evidence. Articles spanned several relevant topics, but most focussed on impacts on typical environmental media, such as water and air, with much of the health impacts inferred rather than evidenced. Additionally, the majority of studies focussed on short-term, rather than long-term, health impacts, which is expected considering the timeframe of UNGD; therefore, very few studies examined health outcomes with longer latencies such as cancer or developmental outcomes. Current scientific evidence for UNGD that demonstrates associations between adverse health outcomes directly with environmental health hazards resulting from UNGD activities generally lacks methodological rigour. Importantly, however, there is also no evidence to rule out such health impacts. While the current evidence in the scientific research reporting leaves questions unanswered about the actual environmental health impacts, public health concerns remain intense. This is a clear gap in the scientific knowledge that requires urgent attention. Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Cognitive theory in anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa: progress, development and future directions.

PubMed

Cooper, Myra J

2005-06-01

Important developments have taken place in cognitive theory of eating disorders (EDs) (and also in other disorders) since the review paper published by M.J. Cooper in 1997. The relevant empirical database has also expanded. Nevertheless, cognitive therapy for anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa, although helpful to many patients, leaves much to be desired. The current paper reviews the relevant empirical evidence collected, and the theoretical revisions that have been made to cognitive models of eating disorders, since 1997. The status and limitations of these developments are considered, including whether or not they meet the criteria for "good" theory. New theoretical developments relevant to cognitive explanations of eating disorders (second generation theories) are then presented, and the preliminary evidence that supports these is briefly reviewed. The lack of integration between cognitive theories of EDs and risk (vulnerability) factor research is noted, and a potential model that unites the two is noted. The implications of the review for future research and the development of cognitive theory in eating disorders are then discussed. These include the need for study of cognitive constructs not yet fully integrated (or indeed not yet applied clinically) into current theories and the need for cognitive theories of eating disorders to continue to evolve (as they have indeed done since 1997) in order to fully integrate such constructs. Treatment studies incorporating these new developments also urgently need to be undertaken.

Caries and periodontal disease in Indigenous adults in Australia: a case of limited and non-contemporary data.

PubMed

de Silva, Andrea M; Martin-Kerry, Jacqueline M; McKee, Katherine; Cole, Deborah

2017-08-01

Objective The aim of the present study was to identify all evidence about the prevalence and severity of clinically measured caries and periodontal disease in Indigenous adults in Australia published in peer-reviewed journals and to summarise trends over time. In addition, we examined whether the studies investigated associations between putative risk factors and levels of caries and periodontal disease. Methods PubMed was searched in September 2014, with no date limitations, for published peer-reviewed articles reporting the prevalence rates and/or severity of caries and periodontal disease in Indigenous adults living in Australia. Articles were excluded if measurement was not based on clinical assessment and if oral disease was reported only in a specific or targeted sample, and not the general population. Results The search identified 18 papers (reporting on 10 primary studies) that met the inclusion criteria. The studies published clinical data about dental caries and/or periodontal disease in Australian Indigenous adults. The studies reported on oral health for Indigenous adults living in rural (40%), urban (10%) and both urban and rural (50%) locations. Included studies showed that virtually all Indigenous adults living in rural locations had periodontal disease. The data also showed caries prevalence ranged from 46% to 93%. Although 10 studies were identified, the peer-reviewed literature was extremely limited and no published studies were identified that provided statistics for a significant proportion of Australia (Victoria, Tasmania, Queensland or the Australian Capital Territory). There were also inconsistencies in how the data were reported between studies, making comparisons difficult. Conclusions This review highlights a lack of robust and contemporary data to inform the development of policies and programs to address the disparities in oral health in Indigenous populations living in many parts of Australia. What is known about the topic? Many studies report that Indigenous people in Australia have poorer general health compared with non-Indigenous people. What does this paper add? This paper documents the available caries and periodontal disease prevalence and experience for Indigenous adults in Australia published in peer-reviewed journals. It demonstrates significant limitations in the data, including no data in several large Australian jurisdictions, inconsistency with reporting methods and most data available being for Indigenous adults living in rural locations. Therefore, the oral health data available in the peer-reviewed literature do not reflect the situation of all Indigenous people living in Australia. What are the implications for practitioners? It is important for oral health practitioners to have access to current and relevant statistics on the oral health of Indigenous Australians. However, we have highlighted significant evidence gaps for this population group within the peer-reviewed literature and identified the limitations of the available data upon which decisions are currently being made. This paper also identifies ways to capture and report oral health data in the future to enable more meaningful comparisons and relevance for use in policy development.

Bibliographical database of radiation biological dosimetry and risk assessment: Part 1, through June 1988

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Straume, T.; Ricker, Y.; Thut, M.

1988-08-29

This database was constructed to support research in radiation biological dosimetry and risk assessment. Relevant publications were identified through detailed searches of national and international electronic databases and through our personal knowledge of the subject. Publications were numbered and key worded, and referenced in an electronic data-retrieval system that permits quick access through computerized searches on publication number, authors, key words, title, year, and journal name. Photocopies of all publications contained in the database are maintained in a file that is numerically arranged by citation number. This report of the database is provided as a useful reference and overview. Itmore » should be emphasized that the database will grow as new citations are added to it. With that in mind, we arranged this report in order of ascending citation number so that follow-up reports will simply extend this document. The database cite 1212 publications. Publications are from 119 different scientific journals, 27 of these journals are cited at least 5 times. It also contains reference to 42 books and published symposia, and 129 reports. Information relevant to radiation biological dosimetry and risk assessment is widely distributed among the scientific literature, although a few journals clearly dominate. The four journals publishing the largest number of relevant papers are Health Physics, Mutation Research, Radiation Research, and International Journal of Radiation Biology. Publications in Health Physics make up almost 10% of the current database.« less

How to Recognize and Avoid Potential, Possible, or Probable Predatory Open-Access Publishers, Standalone, and Hijacked Journals.

PubMed

Danevska, Lenche; Spiroski, Mirko; Donev, Doncho; Pop-Jordanova, Nada; Polenakovic, Momir

2016-11-01

The Internet has enabled an easy method to search through the vast majority of publications and has improved the impact of scholarly journals. However, it can also pose threats to the quality of published articles. New publishers and journals have emerged so-called open-access potential, possible, or probable predatory publishers and journals, and so-called hijacked journals. It was our aim to increase the awareness and warn scholars, especially young researchers, how to recognize these journals and how to avoid submission of their papers to these journals. Review and critical analysis of the relevant published literature, Internet sources and personal experience, thoughts, and observations of the authors. The web blog of Jeffrey Beall, University of Colorado, was greatly consulted. Jeffrey Beall is a Denver academic librarian who regularly maintains two lists: the first one, of potential, possible, or probable predatory publishers and the second one, of potential, possible, or probable predatory standalone journals. Aspects related to this topic presented by other authors have been discussed as well. Academics should bear in mind how to differentiate between trustworthy and reliable journals and predatory ones, considering: publication ethics, peer-review process, international academic standards, indexing and abstracting, preservation in digital repositories, metrics, sustainability, etc.

The book, the stories, the people: an ongoing dialogic narrative inquiry study combining a practice development project. Part 2: the practice development context.

PubMed

Grant, A; Biley, F C; Leigh-Phippard, H; Walker, H

2012-12-01

This paper is the second part of a two-article practice development report. It builds on the first part by introducing and discussing a Writing for Recovery practice development project, conducted at two UK sites. The paper begins by briefly describing the project within the context of helping mental health users, carers and survivors develop skills in creative writing in order to engage in the process of narrative re-storying in line with preferred identity. A selective overview of broad and focal background literature relevant to the project is then provided in order to position it within a values-based mental health nursing practice. Following this, the specific plan for running the project is briefly summarized, covering actual and anticipated ethical issues. The paper ends with a discussion of dissemination aims. © 2012 Blackwell Publishing.

Social support in pregnancy: the 'soft' way to increase birthweight?

PubMed

Oakley, A

1985-01-01

This paper examines the thesis that social support in pregnancy is capable of affecting birthweight as one easily measurable aspect of pregnancy outcome. The focus of the paper is on birthweight, since low birthweight is a relatively stable and important factor in social inequalities in perinatal health. The paper reviews the published literature on social support in pregnancy including simple observational and nonrandomized intervention studies and also randomized controlled trials of 'social' interventions. The methodological problems associated with some of these studies are discussed. However, it is concluded that there is considerable evidence to suggest that intervention programmes aimed at improving the 'social' side of antenatal care are capable of affecting birthweight and other 'hard' measures of pregnancy outcome. It is suggested that traditional professional approaches to pregnancy which divide the medical from the social perspective, have acted to prevent recognition of this evidence and its relevance to maternity care policy.

Forty-two years of Revista Mexicana de Astronomía y Astrofísica: Some history and musings on the future

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Allen, C.; Torres-Peimbert, S.

2017-07-01

After 42 years of continuously publishing the Revista Mexicana de Astronomía y Astrofísica, we cast a short retrospective view on its history and we share our plans for the future. RMxAA was founded in 1974. Founding editors were P. Pishmish, E. Mendoza and S. Torres-Peimbert. RMxAA has published original research papers in all areas of astronomy, astrophysics and related fields. Until 1994 RMxAA also published the proceedings of astronomical conferences held in México and Latin America. Since 1995 a Series devoted exclusively to such proceedings was founded, RMxAC, Revista Mexicana de Astronomía y Astrofísica (Serie de Conferencias). All papers submitted to RMxAA are sent to internationally recognized experts to be strictly refereed. RMxAA is included in Current Contents, Science Citation Index and other relevant international indexes. Both publications are fully integrated into the ADS. Their contents have always been freely available to the general public. All this ensures a wide international visibility, comparable to that of the best astronomical journals. The impact factor of RMxAA has varied over the years, mostly as a consequence of small number statistics. The average impact factor is about 2.4, far larger than that of all but a few Latin American scientific journals. The editorial independence of RMxAA, the fact that there are no page charges for authors, and that the printed version is distributed free of charge to astronomical libraries all over the world motivate us to look forward with optimism to many more years of publication. In view of recent developments in the scientific publishing field, we have applied to obtain the DOI for the published papers, and are in the process of becoming an all-electronic publication.

Management of disasters and complex emergencies in Africa: The challenges and constraints.

PubMed

Aliyu, Alhaji

2015-01-01

Natural and man-made catastrophes have caused significant destruction and loss of lives throughout human history. Disasters accompany a wide variety of events with multiple causes and consequences often leading to a cascade of related events. African continent has not been spared of these events. A new phenomenon in the continent is terrorism that is fuelled by globalization of arms trade and has contributed significantly to escalation of conflicts in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) resulting in complex emergencies and destruction of socioeconomic structures. The aim of this paper is to review relevant papers on management of disasters and complex emergencies in Africa and the challenges and constraints against the background of a weakened health system. Systematic search of published literature was conducted between 1990 and 2013. Grey literature (technical reports, government documents), published peer review journals, abstracts, relevant books and internet articles were reviewed. The review revealed that the frequency of both natural and man-made disasters in Africa is escalating. Complex emergencies are also on the increase since the Rwandan crisis in 1994. The impact of these events has overstretched and overwhelmed the health care system that is least prepared to handle and cope with the surge capacity and also render normal services. In conclusion, there is an urgent need for national emergency agencies/departments across Africa to develop a robust emergency preparedness and response plan. Every hospital most have a disaster management committee with flexible disaster management plan to respond to these catastrophes. There is a need for curriculum review in tertiary institutions across SSA to introduce and or expand training in disaster management.

Series: Practical guidance to qualitative research. Part 4: Trustworthiness and publishing.

PubMed

Korstjens, Irene; Moser, Albine

2018-12-01

In the course of our supervisory work over the years we have noticed that qualitative research tends to evoke a lot of questions and worries, so-called frequently asked questions (FAQs). This series of four articles intends to provide novice researchers with practical guidance for conducting high-quality qualitative research in primary care. By 'novice' we mean Master's students and junior researchers, as well as experienced quantitative researchers who are engaging in qualitative research for the first time. This series addresses their questions and provides researchers, readers, reviewers and editors with references to criteria and tools for judging the quality of qualitative research papers. The first article provides an introduction to this series. The second article focused on context, research questions and designs. The third article focused on sampling, data collection and analysis. This fourth article addresses FAQs about trustworthiness and publishing. Quality criteria for all qualitative research are credibility, transferability, dependability, and confirmability. Reflexivity is an integral part of ensuring the transparency and quality of qualitative research. Writing a qualitative research article reflects the iterative nature of the qualitative research process: data analysis continues while writing. A qualitative research article is mostly narrative and tends to be longer than a quantitative paper, and sometimes requires a different structure. Editors essentially use the criteria: is it new, is it true, is it relevant? An effective cover letter enhances confidence in the newness, trueness and relevance, and explains why your study required a qualitative design. It provides information about the way you applied quality criteria or a checklist, and you can attach the checklist to the manuscript.

Are UK undergraduate Forensic Science degrees fit for purpose?

PubMed

Welsh, Charles; Hannis, Marc

2011-09-01

In October 2009 Skills for Justice published the social research paper 'Fit for purpose?: Research into the provision of Forensic Science degree programmes in UK Higher Education Institutions.' The research engaged employers representing 95% of UK Forensic Science providers and 79% of UK universities offering Forensic Science or Crime Scene degree programmes. In addition to this, the research collected the views of 430 students studying these degrees. In 2008 there were approximately 9000 people working in the Forensic Science sector in the UK. The research found that the numbers of students studying Forensic Science or Crime Scene degrees in the UK have more than doubled since 2002-03, from 2191 in to 5664 in 2007-08. Over the same period there were twice as many females as males studying for these degrees. The research concluded that Forensic Science degree programmes offered by UK universities were of a good quality and they provided the student with a positive learning experience but the content was not relevant for Forensic Science employers. This echoed similar research by the former Government Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills on graduates from wider science, technology, engineering and mathematics degree programmes. The research also found that 75% of students studying Forensic Science or Crime Scene degrees expected to have a career in the Forensic Science sector, meaning that ensuring these courses are relevant for employers is a key challenge for universities. This paper reflects on the original research and discusses the implications in light of recent government policy. Copyright © 2011 Forensic Science Society. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Facilitating access to pre-processed research evidence in public health

PubMed Central

2010-01-01

Background Evidence-informed decision making is accepted in Canada and worldwide as necessary for the provision of effective health services. This process involves: 1) clearly articulating a practice-based issue; 2) searching for and accessing relevant evidence; 3) appraising methodological rigor and choosing the most synthesized evidence of the highest quality and relevance to the practice issue and setting that is available; and 4) extracting, interpreting, and translating knowledge, in light of the local context and resources, into practice, program and policy decisions. While the public health sector in Canada is working toward evidence-informed decision making, considerable barriers, including efficient access to synthesized resources, exist. Methods In this paper we map to a previously developed 6 level pyramid of pre-processed research evidence, relevant resources that include public health-related effectiveness evidence. The resources were identified through extensive searches of both the published and unpublished domains. Results Many resources with public health-related evidence were identified. While there were very few resources dedicated solely to public health evidence, many clinically focused resources include public health-related evidence, making tools such as the pyramid, that identify these resources, particularly helpful for public health decisions makers. A practical example illustrates the application of this model and highlights its potential to reduce the time and effort that would be required by public health decision makers to address their practice-based issues. Conclusions This paper describes an existing hierarchy of pre-processed evidence and its adaptation to the public health setting. A number of resources with public health-relevant content that are either freely accessible or requiring a subscription are identified. This will facilitate easier and faster access to pre-processed, public health-relevant evidence, with the intent of promoting evidence-informed decision making. Access to such resources addresses several barriers identified by public health decision makers to evidence-informed decision making, most importantly time, as well as lack of knowledge of resources that house public health-relevant evidence. PMID:20181270

Velopharyngeal insufficiency: diagnosis and management

PubMed Central

Shprintzen, Robert J.; Marrinan, Eileen

2009-01-01

Purpose of Review Journal articles relevant to the diagnosis and treatment of velopharyngeal insufficiency (VPI) were reviewed. All articles ascertained by PubMed search were included. Recent Findings Articles reported on the application of magnetic resonance scanning, reliability tests of the International Working Group diagnostic protocol, the use of nasometry, and techniques designed to assess the function of the velopharyngeal mechanism. Treatment papers focused on outcomes in small samples of cases and complication rates from pharyngeal flap. One paper discussed ineffective speech therapy procedures. Summary There were relatively few papers this past year. Those that were published were hindered by small and heterogeneous sample sizes, and occasionally by inappropriate methods for assessing outcomes. None of the findings will have a major impact on the current state-of-the-art for diagnosis of VPI. The speech therapy paper has a very important message that should be taken to heart by all clinicians involved in the management of children with clefts and craniofacial disorders. PMID:19448542

Predatory journals: una amenaza emergente para autores y editores de publicaciones biomédicas.

PubMed

Delgado-López, Pedro David; Corrales-García, Eva María

So-called predatory publishing is a new and rising phenomenon presenting as an intellectual fraud that jeopardises the quality of scientific contribution, compromises the activity of authors, reviewers and editors of legitimate journals, damages the image of open access publications and is a very profitable business. In this paper, we review the concept and relevance of predatory journals and the characteristics that differentiate them from legitimate publications. Neurosurgical and general neuroscience journals are not immune to this problem. Academic institutions and ethics committees have a duty to raise awareness of this phenomenon and provide information and support to authors and the whole scientific community to avoid its propagation and potential control of biomedical publishing. Copyright © 2017 Sociedad Española de Neurocirugía. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

Sources of bias in clinical ethics case deliberation.

PubMed

Magelssen, Morten; Pedersen, Reidar; Førde, Reidun

2014-10-01

A central task for clinical ethics consultants and committees (CEC) is providing analysis of, and advice on, prospective or retrospective clinical cases. However, several kinds of biases may threaten the integrity, relevance or quality of the CEC's deliberation. Bias should be identified and, if possible, reduced or counteracted. This paper provides a systematic classification of kinds of bias that may be present in a CEC's case deliberation. Six kinds of bias are discussed, with examples, as to their significance and risk factors. Possible remedies are suggested. The potential for bias is greater when the case deliberation is performed by an individual ethics consultant than when an entire clinical ethics committee is involved. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

Insights into defibrotide: an updated review.

PubMed

Morabito, F; Gentile, M; Gay, F; Bringhen, S; Mazzone, C; Vigna, E; Musto, P; Di Raimondo, F; Palumbo, A

2009-06-01

Defibrotide is a polydisperse oligonucleotide with antiatherosclerotic, anti-inflammatory, anti-ischaemic, pro-fibrinolytic and antithrombotic actions without significant systemic anticoagulant effects. It has been used in the treatment of various cardiovascular disorders, and especially in endothelial complications of allogeneic stem-cell transplantation. We reviewed the published work for the mechanism of action and clinical use of defibrotide to consolidate data and to describe new applications of this drug. We reviewed the most relevant papers on defibrotide published from November 1982 to January 2008. (selected through PubMed), and used recent meeting abstracts as sources for this review. Reports have suggested that defibrotide has clinical efficacy for treatment and prophylaxis of hepatic sinusoidal obstruction syndrome occurring after stem-cell transplantation. Animal models have clearly shown the potential antineoplastic effect of this drug. Further clinical investigations are needed to clarify this new application.

Unintended Consequences of Sensor, Signal, and Imaging Informatics: New Problems and New Solutions.

PubMed

Hughes, C; Voros, S; Moreau-Gaudry, A

2016-11-10

This synopsis presents a selection for the IMIA (International Medical Informatics Association) Yearbook 2016 of excellent research in the broad field of Sensor, Signal and Imaging Informatics published in the year 2015, with a focus on Unintended consequences: new problems and new solutions. We performed a systematic initial selection and a double blind peer review process to find the best papers in this domain published in 2015, from the PubMed and Web of Science databases. The set of MesH keywords used was provided by experts. The constant advances in medical technology allow ever more relevant diagnostic and therapeutic approaches to be designed. Nevertheless, there is a need to acquire expert knowledge of these innovations in order to identify precociously new associated problems for which new solutions need to be designed and developed.

The Scottish Structural Proteomics Facility: targets, methods and outputs.

PubMed

Oke, Muse; Carter, Lester G; Johnson, Kenneth A; Liu, Huanting; McMahon, Stephen A; Yan, Xuan; Kerou, Melina; Weikart, Nadine D; Kadi, Nadia; Sheikh, Md Arif; Schmelz, Stefan; Dorward, Mark; Zawadzki, Michal; Cozens, Christopher; Falconer, Helen; Powers, Helen; Overton, Ian M; van Niekerk, C A Johannes; Peng, Xu; Patel, Prakash; Garrett, Roger A; Prangishvili, David; Botting, Catherine H; Coote, Peter J; Dryden, David T F; Barton, Geoffrey J; Schwarz-Linek, Ulrich; Challis, Gregory L; Taylor, Garry L; White, Malcolm F; Naismith, James H

2010-06-01

The Scottish Structural Proteomics Facility was funded to develop a laboratory scale approach to high throughput structure determination. The effort was successful in that over 40 structures were determined. These structures and the methods harnessed to obtain them are reported here. This report reflects on the value of automation but also on the continued requirement for a high degree of scientific and technical expertise. The efficiency of the process poses challenges to the current paradigm of structural analysis and publication. In the 5 year period we published ten peer-reviewed papers reporting structural data arising from the pipeline. Nevertheless, the number of structures solved exceeded our ability to analyse and publish each new finding. By reporting the experimental details and depositing the structures we hope to maximize the impact of the project by allowing others to follow up the relevant biology.

Sir William Herschel's notebooks - Abstracts of solar observations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hoyt, Douglas V.; Schatten, Kenneth H.

1992-01-01

An introduction to the background of Sir William Herschel's notebooks and the historical context within which his observations were made are provided. The observations have relevance in reconstructing solar behavior, as discussed in a separate analysis paper by Hoyt and Schatten (1992), and in understanding active features on the sun such as faculae. The text of Herschel's notebooks with modern terms used throughout forms the body of this paper. The complete text has not previously been published and is not easily accessible to scholars. Herschel used different words for solar features than are used today, and thus, for clarity, his terminology is changed on two occasions. A glossary explains the terminology changed. In the text of the notebooks, several contemporaries are mentioned; a brief description of Herschel's colleagues is provided.

[What's new in clinical dermatology?

PubMed

Petit, A

2017-12-01

In addition to continuous medical education, medical journals offer to dermatologists a huge variety of news that differ by their content, validity, originality and clinical relevance. I collected here various articles relative to clinical dermatology that have been published between September, 2016 and September, 2017. These papers have been chosen in the aim of reflecting such diversity. I just excluded, as far as possible, articles dealing with other issues that the reader will find further in this booklet (such as research, pediatric, instrumental, oncologic or therapeutic dermatology, or dermatology and internal medicine). Space restriction required to skip some commentaries while keeping the references to the selected papers, which the reader will be able to read carefully in its original form. © 2017 Elsevier Masson SAS. Tous droits réservés.

RELEVANCE OF WHOLE BODY VIBRATION EXERCISE IN SPORT: A SHORT REVIEW WITH SOCCER, DIVER AND COMBAT SPORT

PubMed Central

Morel, Danielle Soares; Dionello, Carla da Fontoura; Moreira-Marconi, Eloá; Brandão-Sobrinho-Neto, Samuel; Paineiras-Domingos, Laisa Liane; Souza, Patrícia Lopes; Sá-Caputo, Danúbia da Cunha; Dias, Glenda; Figueiredo, Claudia; Carmo, Roberto Carlos Resende; Paiva, Patrícia de Castro; Sousa-Gonçalves, Cintia Renata; Kütter, Cristiane Ribeiro; Guedes-Aguiar, Eliane de Oliveira; Cloak, Ross; Bernardo-Filho, Mario

2017-01-01

Background: Whole body vibration exercise (WBVE) has been used as a safe and accessible exercise and important reviews have been published about the use of this exercise to manage diseases and to improve physical conditions of athletes The aim of this paper is to highlight the relevance of WBVE to soccer players, divers and combat athletes. Material and methods: This study was made through a systematic review of publications involving WBVE and the selected sports in two databases (Pubmed and PEDRo). Results: It were identified 10 studies involving WBVE and sports (6 of soccer, 2 of diving and 2 of sport combat) with 156 subjects (80 soccer players, 32 divers and 44 combat athletes), with age from 17 to 44 years old. Conclusion: The use of WBVE has proven to be a safe and useful strategy to improve the physical conditions of players of different sports. These findings may have clinical relevance and should be considered as a strategy to be used to try improve the physical conditions of players. PMID:28740940

Bioactive Compounds Produced by Strains of Penicillium and Talaromyces of Marine Origin

PubMed Central

Nicoletti, Rosario; Trincone, Antonio

2016-01-01

In recent years, the search for novel natural compounds with bioactive properties has received a remarkable boost in view of their possible pharmaceutical exploitation. In this respect the sea is entitled to hold a prominent place, considering the potential of the manifold animals and plants interacting in this ecological context, which becomes even greater when their associated microbes are considered for bioprospecting. This is the case particularly of fungi, which have only recently started to be considered for their fundamental contribution to the biosynthetic potential of other more valued marine organisms. Also in this regard, strains of species which were previously considered typical terrestrial fungi, such as Penicillium and Talaromyces, disclose foreground relevance. This paper offers an overview of data published over the past 25 years concerning the production and biological activities of secondary metabolites of marine strains belonging to these genera, and their relevance as prospective drugs. PMID:26901206

The relevance of the Goudge inquiry to the practice of child protection/forensic paediatrics.

PubMed

Skellern, Catherine; Donald, Terence

2014-10-01

In 2008 Ontario, Canada the Goudge Inquiry arose following increasing concerns about practices surrounding forensic pathology and the investigation of paediatric deaths. Some of the considerations and recommendations have relevance to child protection/forensic paediatricians, particularly in relation to their responsibilities in opinion formulation and as expert witnesses. By examining the Inquiry recommendations, this paper applies them in relation to child protection/forensic paediatrics by discussing forensic medicine and its legal context, how interpretation of published reports and data should be used in opinion formulation; issues of 'diagnosis' versus 'opinion'; issues specific to child protection paediatrics; quality control; aspects of report writing and terminological considerations. It concludes with an adaptation of key recommendations directly from those of Goudge, applied to the context of paediatric forensic medicine undertaken in child protection assessments. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd and Faculty of Forensic and Legal Medicine. All rights reserved.

Health on the Net Foundation: assessing the quality of health web pages all over the world.

PubMed

Boyer, Célia; Gaudinat, Arnaud; Baujard, Vincent; Geissbühler, Antoine

2007-01-01

The Internet provides a great amount of information and has become one of the communication media which is most widely used [1]. However, the problem is no longer finding information but assessing the credibility of the publishers as well as the relevance and accuracy of the documents retrieved from the web. This problem is particularly relevant in the medical area which has a direct impact on the well-being of citizens. In this paper, we assume that the quality of web pages can be controlled, even when a huge amount of documents has to be reviewed. But this must be supported by both specific automatic tools and human expertise. In this context, we present various initiatives of the Health on the Net Foundation informing the citizens about the reliability of the medical content on the web.

Characterisation of vibration input to flywheel used on urban bus

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, L.; Kanarachos, S.; Christensen, J.

2016-09-01

Vibration induced from road surface has an impact on the durability and reliability of electrical and mechanical components attached on the vehicle. There is little research published relevant to the durability assessment of a flywheel energy recovery system installed on city and district buses. Relevant international standards and legislations were reviewed and large discrepancy was found among them, in addition, there are no standards exclusively developed for kinetic energy recovery systems on vehicles. This paper describes the experimentation of assessment of road surface vibration input to the flywheel on a bus as obtained at the MIRA Proving Ground. Power density spectra have been developed based on the raw data obtained during the experimentation. Validation of this model will be carried out using accelerated life time tests that will be carried out on a shaker rig using an accumulated profile based on the theory of fatigue damage equivalence in time and frequency domain aligned with the model predictions.

Setting a research question, aim and objective.

PubMed

Doody, Owen; Bailey, Maria E

2016-03-01

To describe the development of a research question, aim and objective. The first steps of any study are developing the research question, aim and objective. Subsequent steps develop from these and they govern the researchers' choice of population, setting, data to be collected and time period for the study. Clear, succinctly posed research questions, aims and objectives are essential if studies are to be successful. Researchers developing their research questions, aims and objectives generally experience difficulties. They are often overwhelmed trying to convert what they see as a relevant issue from practice into research. This necessitates engaging with the relevant published literature and knowledgeable people. This paper identifies the issues to be considered when developing a research question, aim and objective. Understanding these considerations will enable researchers to effectively present their research question, aim and objective. To conduct successful studies, researchers should develop clear research questions, aims and objectives.

Application of Electrocoagulation In Various Wastewater And Leachate Treatment-A Review

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zailani, L. W. M.; Zin, N. S. M.

2018-04-01

Electrocoagulation is a method that has a great ability on various wastewater and leachate treatment. It has a potential in removing various pollutants such as chemical oxygen demand, turbidity, ammonia, color, and suspended solid. The effectiveness of electrocoagulation method depends on several factors such as electrode, current density, operation time and pH. The aim of this paper is to review the relevant literature that publishes from 2000 to 2015 on the factor that influence Electrocoagulation (EC). The review describes, discussing and compare the factors that influence the EC process in various wastewater and leachate treatment.

USSR Space Life Sciences Digest, issue 28

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stone, Lydia Razran (Editor); Teeter, Ronald (Editor); Rowe, Joseph (Editor)

1990-01-01

This is the twenty-eighth issue of NASA's Space Life Sciences Digest. It contains abstracts of 60 journal papers or book chapters published in Russian and of 3 Soviet monographs. Selected abstracts are illustrated with figures and tables from the original. The abstracts in this issue have been identified as relevant to 20 areas of space biology and medicine. These areas include: adaptation, aviation medicine, botany, cardiovascular and respiratory systems, developmental biology, endocrinology, enzymology, equipment and instrumentation, hematology, human performance, immunology, life support systems, mathematical modeling, musculoskeletal system, neurophysiology, personnel selection, psychology, radiobiology, reproductive system, and space medicine.

Chemical warfare in termites.

PubMed

Sobotník, Jan; Jirosová, Anna; Hanus, Robert

2010-09-01

The rapid development of analytical methods in the last four decades has led to the discovery of a fascinating diversity of defensive chemicals used by termites. The last exhaustive review on termite defensive chemicals was published by G.D. Prestwich in 1984. In this text, we aim to fill the gap of the past 25 years and overview all of the relevant primary sources about the chemistry of termite defense (126 original papers, see Fig. 1 and online supplementary material) along with related biological aspects, such as the anatomy of defensive glands and their functional mechanisms, alarm communication, and the evolutionary significance of these defensive elements.

Art, the visual imagination and neuroscience: The Chauvet Cave, Mona Lisa's smile and Michelangelo's terribilitá.

PubMed

Onians, John

2017-10-23

This paper considers several types of imagination relevant to art historical enquiry. These are exemplified in artistic expressions ranging from palaeolithic paintings in the Chauvet Cave, to drawings, sculptures and buildings designed by Michelangelo and drawings and paintings by Leonardo, and are related to recent neuroscientific discoveries. From this it emerges that important types of imagination cannot be understood without an appreciation of the neural processes that underlie them and especially without an acknowledgement of the importance of neurochemistry. Crown Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

USSR Space Life Sciences Digest, issue 30

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stone, Lydia Razran (Editor); Teeter, Ronald (Editor); Rowe, Joseph (Editor)

1991-01-01

This is the thirtieth issue of NASA's Space Life Sciences Digest. It contains abstracts of 47 journal papers or book chapters published in Russian and of three Soviet monographs. Selected abstracts are illustrated with figures and tables from the original. The abstracts in this issue have been identified as relevant to 20 areas of space biology and medicine. These areas include: adaptation, biospheric research, cardiovascular and respiratory systems, endocrinology, equipment and instrumentation, gastrointestinal system, group dynamics, habitability and environmental effects, hematology, human performance, immunology, life support systems, mathematical modeling, metabolism, musculoskeletal system, neurophysiology, nutrition, psychology, radiobiology, and space biology and medicine.

Geometric integration for particle accelerators

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Forest, Étienne

2006-05-01

This paper is a very personal view of the field of geometric integration in accelerator physics—a field where often work of the highest quality is buried in lost technical notes or even not published; one has only to think of Simon van der Meer Nobel prize work on stochastic cooling—unpublished in any refereed journal. So I reconstructed the relevant history of geometrical integration in accelerator physics as much as I could by talking to collaborators and using my own understanding of the field. The reader should not be too surprised if this account is somewhere between history, science and perhaps even fiction.

Solar activity influences on atmospheric electricity and on some structures in the middle atmosphere

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Reiter, Reinhold

1989-01-01

Only processes in the troposphere and the lower stratosphere are reviewed. General aspects of global atmospheric electricity are summarized in Chapter 3 of NCR (1986); Volland (1984) has outlined the overall problems of atmospheric electrodynamics; and Roble and Hays (1982) published a summary of solar effects on the global circuit. The solar variability and its atmospheric effects (overview by Donelly et al, 1987) and the solar-planetary relationships (survey by James et al. 1983) are so extremely complex that only particular results and selected papers of direct relevance or historical importance are compiled herein.

Division B Commission 14 Working Group: Collision Processes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peach, Gillian; Dimitrijevic, Milan S.; Barklem, Paul S.

2016-04-01

Since our last report (Peach & Dimitrijević 2012), a large number of new publications on the results of research in atomic and molecular collision processes and spectral line broadening have been published. Due to the limited space available, we have only included work of importance for astrophysics. Additional relevant papers, not included in this report, can be found in the databases at the web addresses provided in Section 6. Elastic and inelastic collisions between electrons, atoms, ions, and molecules are included, as well as charge transfer in collisions between heavy particles which can be very important.

USSR Space Life Sciences Digest, issue 31

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hooke, Lydia Razran (Editor); Teeter, Ronald (Editor); Garshnek, Victoria (Editor); Rowe, Joseph (Editor)

1990-01-01

This is the thirty first issue of NASA's Space Life Sciences Digest. It contains abstracts of 55 journal papers or book chapters published in Russian and of 5 Soviet monographs. Selected abstracts are illustrated with figures and tables from the original. The abstracts in this issue have been identified as relevant to 18 areas of space biology and medicine. These areas include: adaptation, biological rhythms, cardiovascular and respiratory systems, endocrinology, enzymology, genetics, group dynamics, habitability and environmental effects, hematology, life support systems, metabolism, microbiology, musculoskeletal system, neurophysiology, nutrition, operational medicine, psychology, radiobiology, and space biology and medicine.

The Development of Sensor Applications in the Sectors of Energy and Environment in Italy, 1976–2015

PubMed Central

Di Francia, Girolamo

2017-01-01

Although sensor technologies have been developing quite similarly all over the world, the investigation of their applications has been more affected by the specific industrial and economic characteristics of each country. This paper aims to investigate the development of applications based on sensor devices in the sectors of energy and the environment, in Italy, throughout the last forty years (1976–2015), examining the most relevant papers published by Italian R & D groups working in this field. Italy depends on foreign imports for more than 80% of its primary energy needs, and this has directed the research effort on the development of sensor applications both to improve load shaping and consumers’ awareness and to develop specific equipment to maximize renewable energy production. Similarly, for the environment sector, there are increasing efforts to develop solutions to support a more and more capillary control of the environment itself using a cooperative approach. In both the sectors it seems that the solutions proposed can help to relieve the structural problems that Italy suffers and that the scientific and technical results obtained so far also have significant international relevance. PMID:28387739

Systematic Review of Adverse Effects: A Further Step towards Modernization of Acupuncture in China

PubMed Central

Wu, Junyi; Hu, Yanmei; Zhu, Yin; Yin, Ping; Xu, Shifen

2015-01-01

As a further step towards the modernization of acupuncture, the objective of this review was to figure out the frequency and severity of adverse complications and events in acupuncture treatment reported from 1980 to 2013 in China. All first-hand case reports of acupuncture-related complications and adverse events that could be identified in the scientific literature were reviewed and classified according to the type of complication and adverse event, circumstance of the event, and long-term patient outcome. The selected case reports were published between 1980 and 2013 in 3 databases. Relevant papers were collected and analyzed by 2 reviewers. Over the 33 years, 182 incidents were identified in 133 relevant papers. Internal organ, tissue, or nerve injury is the main complications of acupuncture especially for pneumothorax and central nervous system injury. Adverse effects also included syncope, infections, hemorrhage, allergy, burn, aphonia, hysteria, cough, thirst, fever, somnolence, and broken needles. Qualifying training of acupuncturists should be systemized and the clinical acupuncture operations should be standardized in order to effectively prevent the occurrence of acupuncture accidents, enhance the influence of acupuncture, and further popularize acupuncture to the rest of the world. PMID:26339265

Evidence to inform resource allocation for tuberculosis control in Myanmar: a systematic review based on the SYSRA framework.

PubMed

Khan, Mishal S; Schwanke Khilji, Sara U; Saw, Saw; Coker, Richard J

2017-02-01

Myanmar represents an extreme example of the difficulties in optimally allocating resources for maximum public health benefit, on the basis of limited information. At the recent Myanmar Health Forum 'Investing in Health' much of the discussion revolved around what to invest in, how health systems could be strengthened, and what research and capacity building areas the international donor community should prioritise for support. Funding for infectious disease control, particularly HIV and tuberculosis, is being channelled to the country at an unprecedented rate, but very little research has been conducted in recent years, and existing information has not yet been synthesised. This paper presents findings of the first systematic literature review on tuberculosis control and the health system in Myanmar, with the aim of informing the development of optimal research priorities and strategies. Medline and grey literature were searched for relevant papers. Inclusion criteria and analyses were structured to capture data on the Myanmar health system, healthcare delivery, financing, tuberculosis control indicators and information systems. A total of 77 papers were included in the analysis. The results indicate that there has been a large increase in the number of peer-reviewed articles published on tuberculosis in Myanmar over the past decade, although the absolute number of studies remains small. We identified several areas in which evidence to inform policy and resource allocation decisions is lacking, including research focused on rural and/or vulnerable populations, analyses of risk factors for TB and drug resistance that can inform prevention strategies and economic analyses for optimising resource allocation. The gaps in research to inform policy identified through this study may be relevant to other low resource settings with extremely limited research capacity. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press in association with The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

[Bibliometric analysis of scientific articles on rehabilitation nursing for adult burn patients in China].

PubMed

Ying, Sun; Jie, Cao; Ping, Feng; Lingjuan, Zhang

2015-06-01

To analyze the current research status of rehabilitation nursing for adult burn patients in China, and to disuss the related strategies. Chinese scientific articles on adult burn patients' rehabilitation nursing published from January 2003 to December 2013 were retrieved from 3 databases namely China Biology Medicine disc, Chinese Journals Full-text Database , and Chinese Science and Technology Journals Database . From the results retrieved, data with regard to publication year, journal distribution, research type, region of affiliation of the first author, and the main research content were collected. Data were processed with Microsoft Excel software. A total of 417 articles conforming with the criteria were retrieved. During the 11 years, the number of the relevant articles per year was on the rise, and the increasing rates in 2005, 2008, 2009, and 2013 were all above 30% . Regarding the distribution among journals, these 417 articles were published in 151 journals, with 188 articles in Source Journal for Chinese Scientific and Technical Papers , accounting for 45.08%. Regarding the research type, 173 out of the 417 articles were dealing with clinical experiences, accounting for 41.49% ; 172 out of the 417 articles were dealing with experimental studies, accounting for 41.25% . The regions of affiliation of the first author were mainly situated in Guangdong province, Shandong province, Hunan province, and Jiangsu province, with Guangdong province contributing 58 articles, accounting for 13.91%. The research content of these articles was mainly focused on psychological nursing, nursing model, and health education, respectively 188,101, and 85 articles, accounting for 45.08%, 24.22%, and 20.38%. The research on rehabilitation nursing for adult burn patients in China has been carried out nationwide. Although the number of relevant papers is on the rise, the quality of these papers needs to be further improved. There is an urgent need for the guideline on rehabilitation nursing for adult burn patients in China so as to standardize the content and procedure of rehabilitation nursing.

Risk of vicarious trauma in nursing research: a focused mapping review and synthesis.

PubMed

Taylor, Julie; Bradbury-Jones, Caroline; Breckenridge, Jenna P; Jones, Christine; Herber, Oliver Rudolf

2016-10-01

To provide a snapshot of how vicarious trauma is considered within the published nursing research literature. Vicarious trauma (secondary traumatic stress) has been the focus of attention in nursing practice for many years. The most pertinent areas to invoke vicarious trauma in research have been suggested as abuse/violence and death/dying. What is not known is how researchers account for the risks of vicarious trauma in research. Focused mapping review and synthesis. Empirical studies meeting criteria for abuse/violence or death/dying in relevant Scopus ranked top nursing journals (n = 6) January 2009 to December 2014. Relevant papers were scrutinised for the extent to which researchers discussed the risk of vicarious trauma. Aspects of the studies were mapped systematically to a pre-defined template, allowing patterns and gaps in authors' reporting to be determined. These were synthesised into a coherent profile of current reporting practices and from this, a new conceptualisation seeking to anticipate and address the risk of vicarious trauma was developed. Two thousand five hundred and three papers were published during the review period, of which 104 met the inclusion criteria. Studies were distributed evenly by method (52 qualitative; 51 quantitative; one mixed methods) and by focus (54 abuse/violence; 50 death/dying). The majority of studies (98) were carried out in adult populations. Only two papers reported on vicarious trauma. The conceptualisation of vicarious trauma takes account of both sensitivity of the substantive data collected, and closeness of those involved with the research. This might assist researchers in designing ethical and protective research and foreground the importance of managing risks of vicarious trauma. Vicarious trauma is not well considered in research into clinically important topics. Our proposed framework allows for consideration of these so that precautionary measures can be put in place to minimise harm to staff. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Group processes in medical education: learning from social identity theory.

PubMed

Burford, Bryan

2012-02-01

The clinical workplace in which doctors learn involves many social groups, including representatives of different professions, clinical specialties and workplace teams. This paper suggests that medical education research does not currently take full account of the effects of group membership, and describes a theoretical approach from social psychology, the social identity approach, which allows those effects to be explored. The social identity approach has a long history in social psychology and provides an integrated account of group processes, from the adoption of group identity through a process of self-categorisation, to the biases and conflicts between groups. This paper outlines key elements of this theoretical approach and illustrates their relevance to medical education. The relevance of the social identity approach is illustrated with reference to a number of areas of medical education. The paper shows how research questions in medical education may be usefully reframed in terms of social identity in ways that allow a deeper exploration of the psychological processes involved. Professional identity and professionalism may be viewed in terms of self-categorisation rather than simply attainment; the salience of different identities may be considered as influences on teamwork and interprofessional learning, and issues in communication and assessment may be considered in terms of intergroup biases. Social identity theory provides a powerful framework with which to consider many areas of medical education. It allows disparate influences on, and consequences of, group membership to be considered as part of an integrated system, and allows assumptions, such as about the nature of professional identity and interprofessional tensions, to be made explicit in the design of research studies. This power to question assumptions and develop deeper and more meaningful research questions may be increasingly relevant as the nature and role of the medical profession change. © Blackwell Publishing Ltd 2012.

Downsides of robot-assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy: limitations and complications.

PubMed

Murphy, Declan G; Bjartell, Anders; Ficarra, Vincenzo; Graefen, Markus; Haese, Alexander; Montironi, Rodolfo; Montorsi, Francesco; Moul, Judd W; Novara, Giacomo; Sauter, Guido; Sulser, Tullio; van der Poel, Henk

2010-05-01

Robot-assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy (RALP) using the da Vinci Surgical System (Intuitive Surgical, Sunnyvale, CA, USA) is now in widespread use for the management of localised prostate cancer (PCa). Many reports of the safety and efficacy of this procedure have been published. However, there are few specific reports of the limitations and complications of RALP. The primary purpose of this review is to ascertain the downsides of RALP by focusing on complications and limitations of this approach. A Medline search of the English-language literature was performed to identify all papers published since 2001 relating to RALP. Papers providing data on technical failures, complications, learning curve, or other downsides of RALP were considered. Of 412 papers identified, 68 were selected for review based on their relevance to the objective of this paper. RALP has the following principal downsides: (1) device failure occurs in 0.2-0.4% of cases; (2) assessment of functional outcome is unsatisfactory because of nonstandardised assessment techniques; (3) overall complication rates of RALP are low, although higher rates are noted when complications are reported using a standardised system; (4) long-term oncologic data and data on high-risk PCa are limited; (5) a steep learning curve exists, and although acceptable operative times can be achieved in <20 cases, positive surgical margin (PSM) rates may require experience with >80 cases before a plateau is achieved; (6) robotic assistance does not reduce the difficulty associated with obese patients and those with large prostates, middle lobes, or previous surgery, in whom outcomes are less satisfactory than in patients without such factors; (7) economic barriers prevent uniform dissemination of robotic technology. Many of the downsides of RALP identified in this paper can be addressed with longer-term data and more widespread adoption of standardised reporting measures. The significant learning curve should not be understated, and the expense of this technology continues to restrict access for many patients. Copyright © 2009 European Association of Urology. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The 100 most cited manuscripts in emergency abdominal surgery: A bibliometric analysis.

PubMed

Ellul, Thomas; Bullock, Nicholas; Abdelrahman, Tarig; Powell, Arfon G M T; Witherspoon, Jolene; Lewis, Wyn G

2017-01-01

The number of citations a scientific article receives provides a good indication of its impact within any given field. This bibliometric analysis aimed to identify the 100 most cited articles in Emergency Abdominal Surgery (EAS), to highlight key areas of interest and identify those that have most significantly shaped contemporary clinical practice in this newly evolving surgical specialty. This is of increasing relevance as concerns grow regarding the variable and suboptimal outcomes in Emergency General Surgery. The Thomson Reuters Web of Science database was used to search using the terms [Emergency AND Abdom* AND Surg*] to identify all English language, full manuscripts. Results were ranked according to citation number. The top 100 articles were further analysed by subject, author, journal, year of publication, institution, and country of origin. The median (range) citation number of the top 100 out of 7433 eligible papers was 131 (1569-97). The most cited paper (by Goldman et al., Massachusetts General Hospital, New England Journal of Medicine; 1569 citations) focused on cardiac risk stratification in non-cardiac surgery. The Journal of Trauma, Injury, Infection and Critical Care published the most papers and received most citations (n = 19; 2954 citations. The majority of papers were published by centres in the USA (n = 52; 9422 citations), followed by the UK (n = 13; 1816 citations). The most common topics of publication concerned abdominal aneurysm management (n = 26) and emergency gastrointestinal surgery (n = 26). Vascular surgery, risk assessment and gastrointestinal surgery were the areas of focus for 59% of the contemporary most cited emergency abdominal surgery manuscripts. By providing the most influential references this work serves as a guide to what makes a citable emergency surgery paper. Crown Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The state of the art in non-pharmacological interventions for developmental stuttering. Part 2: qualitative evidence synthesis of views and experiences.

PubMed

Johnson, Maxine; Baxter, Susan; Blank, Lindsay; Cantrell, Anna; Brumfitt, Shelagh; Enderby, Pam; Goyder, Elizabeth

2016-01-01

A range of interventions have been developed to treat stuttering in recent years. The effectiveness of these interventions has largely been assessed in studies focusing on the impact of specific types of therapy on patient outcomes. Relatively little is known about the factors that influence how the delivery and impact of different types of intervention may be experienced from the perspective of both people who deliver as well as those who receive interventions. To synthesize the available evidence in relation to factors that might enhance or mitigate against successful outcomes following interventions for stuttering by identifying and synthesizing relevant qualitative research that explored the experiences of people delivering and receiving interventions that aim to improve fluency. We carried out a systematic review including research that had used in-depth interviews and focus groups and conducted a substantive qualitative analysis of the data collected. Included study populations were either adults or children affected by a diagnosed stutter and/or providers of therapy for stuttering. An iterative approach was used to search for published qualitative evidence in relevant databases from 1990 to 2014. Retrieved citations were sifted for relevance and the data from articles that met the inclusion criteria were extracted. Each included paper was assessed for quality and a thematic analysis and synthesis of findings was carried out. Synthesized qualitative evidence highlights the changing experiences for people who stutter both historically and, for individuals, over the life course. Barriers and facilitators to the implementation of interventions for stuttering are encountered at the individual, intervention, interpersonal and social levels. Interventions may be particularly pertinent at certain transition points in the life course. Attention to emotional as well as practical aspects of stuttering is valued by people receiving therapy. The client-therapist relationship and support from others are also key factors in achieving successful outcomes. A synthesis of qualitative findings from published papers has added to the effectiveness data reported in an accompanying paper in understanding how stuttering impacts on people across the life course. Evidence suggests that a client-centred and individually tailored approach enhances the likelihood of successful intervention outcomes through attention to emotional, situational and practical needs. © 2015 Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists.

Transversal Traits in Science Education Research Relevant for Teaching and Research: A Meta-Interpretative Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lopes, J. Bernardino; Silva, Antonio Alberto; Cravino, Jose P.; Costa, Nilza; Marques, Luis; Campos, Carlos

2008-01-01

This study is a meta-interpretative analysis that focuses on research conducted and published by other researchers. Concepts central to this study include global practical relevance, curriculum design, and formative situation. We analyzed 35 studies selected from 374 published studies in the years 2000 and 2001 in three journals referenced in the…

Osteoarthritis 2012 year in review: rehabilitation and outcomes.

PubMed

Roos, E M; Juhl, C B

2012-12-01

Recent scientific advances in the treatment of hip and knee osteoarthritis (OA) relating to education, exercise, weight control and passive non-pharmacological and non-surgical treatments such as manual therapy, orthoses/orthotics and other aids are described. A systematic literature search was performed in Medline from July 2011 to 10 April 2012 using the terms 'osteoarthritis, knee', 'osteoarthritis, hip' rehabilitation, physical therapy, exercise therapy and preoperative intervention; both as text words and as MeSH terms where possible. Trials evaluating rehabilitation interventions were included if they were randomized controlled trials (RCTs) or systematic reviews. Outcome papers were identified by combining the initial search with the terms 'outcome', 'measure*', 'valid*', 'reliabil*' or 'responsiveness'. Outcome studies were included if they contributed methodologically to advancing outcome measurement. The literature search identified 550 potentially relevant papers. Seventeen RCTs on rehabilitation were selected and the results from these were supported by six systematic reviews. Sixteen outcomes papers were considered relevant, but did not add significantly to current knowledge about outcome measures in OA and so, were not included. The current research focus on non-pharmacological and non-surgical treatments for hip and/or knee OA, when combined in systematic reviews, is improving the available evidence to identify best practice treatment. Education, exercise and weight loss are effective in the long term and supported as cost-effective first-line treatments. Copyright © 2012 Osteoarthritis Research Society International. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Synthetic Cannabinoids: Psychopharmacology, Clinical Aspects, Psychotic Onset.

PubMed

Martinotti, Giovanni; Santacroce, Rita; Papanti, Duccio; Elgharably, Yasmine; Prilutskaya, Mariya; Corazza, Ornella

2017-01-01

Synthetic Cannabinoids (SC) are the widest and most diffused class of Novel Psychoactive Substances. The short- and long- term health risks associated with the consumption of SC are often unknown to both users and health professionals. This review aims to provide a synthesis of the most recent and relevant insights on the pharmacology, clinical and psychopathological aspects of SC. A structured search of two bibliographic databases (PubMed and Scopus) was undertaken according to inclusion/exclusion criteria. The following terms "synthetic cannabinoid*", "synthetic cannabimimetic*", "synthetic cannabis", "synthetic marijuana" and "Spice AND cannabinoid*" were used as search strings. 162 relevant results, mainly published in the past two years were revealed. Most results emerged for the keyword "synthetic cannabinoid*", followed by the combination "Spice* AND "cannabinoid*". Most papers were epidemiological, forensic, toxicologic, or analytical. The results of studies were systematized according their contribution to the comprehension of pharmacological, clinical and psychopathological effects of SC. Fifteen SC-related fatality cases were reviewed according to their histories, pathology and toxicology findings. The findings of this review confirm the importance of prompt and reliable information available for health professionals More specific analytic techniques and designed preventive strategies are required to face unprecedented SC challenge. Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.org.

State of the art: public health and passenger ships.

PubMed

Mouchtouri, Varvara A; Nichols, Gordon; Rachiotis, George; Kremastinou, Jenny; Arvanitoyannis, Ioannis S; Riemer, Tobias; Jaremin, Bogdan; Hadjichristodoulou, Christos

2010-01-01

The purpose of this report is to describe issues relevant to public health and to review all passenger ship associated diseases and outbreaks. Moreover, legislation and practices on sanitation and diseases surveillance related to ships internationally were also reviewed. Some relevant historical information about infections on merchant ships is provided as well. The methods used to develop the state-of-the-art report included a scientific literature review and an extensive and thorough search of the websites of organisations and government departments. A considerable effort was made to capitalise on previous experience in the field. In particular, for the literature review, a total of 158 scientific articles were used including 91 full papers and 67 abstracts, 7 guidelines published by the WHO, and 13 guideline documents published by other organisations. Moreover, 5 international conventions relevant to passenger ships were identified. At the international level, public health issues related to ships are regulated by the revised International Health Regulations (2005). Other conventions of the International Maritime Organization regulate safety on board ships and waste and ballast water management, while conventions of the International Labour Organization regulates issues related to working conditions on board ships. Guidelines for preventing and controlling public health threats on board ships can be found in seven Guidelines published by the World Health Organization, including the WHO Guide to Ship Sanitation, which provides a framework for policy making and local decision making. The literature review results revealed that the infections/outbreaks that occur on passenger ships include Norovirus, Legionella spp., Salmonella spp., E. coli, Vibrio spp., and influenza A and B virus. The modes of transmission include person to person, waterborne, foodborne, airborne, and vector-borne, and shore excursions are responsible for some outbreaks. The industry (especially the ferry industry) and sanitary organisations can enhance collaboration in order to implement integrated hygiene programmes and prevent the occurrence of communicable diseases aboard passenger ships.

Clinical relevance of diagnosing COPD by fixed ratio or lower limit of normal: a systematic review.

PubMed

van Dijk, Wouter D; Gupta, Nisha; Tan, Wan C; Bourbeau, Jean

2014-02-01

Different spirometric criteria in diagnosing COPD have been advocated by different groups, debilitating adequate diagnosis and treatment of COPD. We reviewed the clinical relevance of fixed ratio and lower limit of normal (LLN) in diagnosing COPD and explored if modifying factors may affect their clinical relevance. Two reviewers independently searched PubMed and Embase for papers that compared both criteria on any clinically relevant outcome, published before June 1st, 2012, without any language restriction. Two reviewers independently extracted the study characteristics, including study design, population characteristics and diagnostic criteria used, and summarized the results of clinical relevance. Study quality was assessed by scoring forms for bias and level of evidence. Of 394 studies retrieved, 11 studies were included, with a median of 1,258 participants. Although both criteria appeared related with various clinically relevant outcomes, we were unable to prefer one criterion over the other, with various performances of the criteria for different outcomes. Should the criteria disagree on diagnosis, an alternative diagnosis should be suspected, in particular in those (elderly) with less severe airflow limitation for whom the LLN appears a better criterion. The fixed ratio appears to perform better in subjects with more severe airflow limitation. In diagnosing COPD, severity of airflow limitation appears an important factor for choosing whether the fixed ratio or LLN. Disagreement between the criteria is suggestive for an alternative diagnosis. Future studies on clinical relevance should further reveal the criterion of choice, in order to improve adequate diagnosis and consequent treatments.

Nurse practitioner caseload in primary health care: Scoping review.

PubMed

Martin-Misener, Ruth; Kilpatrick, Kelley; Donald, Faith; Bryant-Lukosius, Denise; Rayner, Jennifer; Valaitis, Ruta; Carter, Nancy; Miller, Patricia A; Landry, Véronique; Harbman, Patricia; Charbonneau-Smith, Renee; McKinlay, R James; Ziegler, Erin; Boesveld, Sarah; Lamb, Alyson

2016-10-01

To identify recommendations for determining patient panel/caseload size for nurse practitioners in community-based primary health care settings. Scoping review of the international published and grey literature. The search included electronic databases, international professional and governmental websites, contact with experts, and hand searches of reference lists. Eligible papers had to (a) address caseload or patient panels for nurse practitioners in community-based primary health care settings serving an all-ages population; and (b) be published in English or French between January 2000 and July 2014. Level one testing included title and abstract screening by two team members. Relevant papers were retained for full text review in level two testing, and reviewed by two team members. A third reviewer acted as a tiebreaker. Data were extracted using a structured extraction form by one team member and verified by a second member. Descriptive statistics were estimated. Content analysis was used for qualitative data. We identified 111 peer-reviewed articles and grey literature documents. Most of the papers were published in Canada and the United States after 2010. Current methods to determine panel/caseload size use large administrative databases, provider work hours and the average number of patient visits. Most of the papers addressing the topic of patient panel/caseload size in community-based primary health care were descriptive. The average number of patients seen by nurse practitioners per day varied considerably within and between countries; an average of 9-15 patients per day was common. Patient characteristics (e.g., age, gender) and health conditions (e.g., multiple chronic conditions) appear to influence patient panel/caseload size. Very few studies used validated tools to classify patient acuity levels or disease burden scores. The measurement of productivity and the determination of panel/caseload size is complex. Current metrics may not capture activities relevant to community-based primary health care nurse practitioners. Tools to measure all the components of these role are needed when determining panel/caseload size. Outcomes research is absent in the determination of panel/caseload size. There are few systems in place to track and measure community-based primary health care nurse practitioner activities. The development of such mechanisms is an important next step to assess community-based primary health care nurse practitioner productivity and determine patient panel/caseload size. Decisions about panel/caseload size must take into account the effects of nurse practitioner activities on outcomes of care. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Classification of patients with low back-related leg pain: a systematic review.

PubMed

Stynes, Siobhán; Konstantinou, Kika; Dunn, Kate M

2016-05-23

The identification of clinically relevant subgroups of low back pain (LBP) is considered the number one LBP research priority in primary care. One subgroup of LBP patients are those with back related leg pain. Leg pain frequently accompanies LBP and is associated with increased levels of disability and higher health costs than simple low back pain. Distinguishing between different types of low back-related leg pain (LBLP) is important for clinical management and research applications, but there is currently no clear agreement on how to define and identify LBLP due to nerve root involvement. The aim of this systematic review was to identify, describe and appraise papers that classify or subgroup populations with LBLP, and summarise how leg pain due to nerve root involvement is described and diagnosed in the various systems. The search strategy involved nine electronic databases including Medline and Embase, reference lists of eligible studies and relevant reviews. Selected papers were appraised independently by two reviewers using a standardised scoring tool. Of 13,358 initial potential eligible citations, 50 relevant papers were identified that reported on 22 classification systems. Papers were grouped according to purpose and criteria of the classification systems. Five themes emerged: (i) clinical features (ii) pathoanatomy (iii) treatment-based approach (iv) screening tools and prediction rules and (v) pain mechanisms. Three of the twenty two systems focused specifically on LBLP populations. Systems that scored highest following quality appraisal were ones where authors generally included statistical methods to develop their classifications, and supporting work had been published on the systems' validity, reliability and generalisability. There was lack of consistency in how LBLP due to nerve root involvement was described and diagnosed within the systems. Numerous classification systems exist that include patients with leg pain, a minority of them focus specifically on distinguishing between different presentations of leg pain. Further work is needed to identify clinically meaningful subgroups of LBLP patients, ideally based on large primary care cohort populations and using recommended methods for classification system development.

A systematic review of the literature reveals trends and gaps in integrated pest management studies conducted in the United States.

PubMed

Young, Stephen L

2017-08-01

Integrated pest management (IPM) is a broad-based approach for addressing pests that negatively affect human and environmental health and economic profitability. Weeds, insects and disease-causing pathogens (diseases) are the pests most often associated with IPM. A systematic review, widely used in other scientific disciplines, was employed to determine the most commonly studied IPM topics and summarize the reasons for these trends and the gaps. In a field synopsis of the literature, 1679 relevant published papers were identified and categorized into one of the following five broad areas: IPM and organic (organic), climate change and pests (climate), rural and urban IPM (rural and urban), next-generation education (education) and advanced production systems (technology). Papers were examined in greater detail for at least one of the three main pests in a systematic review. A majority (85%) of IPM papers have been in the area of rural and urban IPM, primarily addressing agriculture (78%). Professionals, landowners and the general public were the focus of a majority (95%) of IPM papers on education. Technology is an increasing area of focus in the literature. Over the past 40 years, IPM papers have primarily (75%) addressed insects and been limited mostly to rural and urban settings. Climate change, technology and education specific to pest management studies are increasingly being published and will help broaden the focus that could result in increased adoption and development of IPM. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry.

An historical look at the Binghamton Geomorphology Symposium

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sawyer, Carol F.; Butler, David R.; O'Rourke, Tela

2014-10-01

The Binghamton Geomorphology Symposium (BGS) is an annual meeting held since 1970, usually in the U.S.A., on timely topics in the field of geomorphology. A special issue of this journal presents the papers from each meeting and provides an opportunity to disseminate to the international community research relevant to that year's theme written by key people in that field. In this paper, we review the history of the BGS, examine the academic disciplines of each year's organizers, compile a list of the researchers who have made multiple contributions to BGS, note the citation impact of papers published in the annual proceedings, map the spatial distribution of the meeting locations, and categorize the gender distribution of the contributors to the symposium. Contributions from female authors to the BGS have steadily increased since the 1970s; however, from 2003 to 2013, females still only accounted for 23.6% of the proceeding's papers, an increase of 16.4% from the 1970s. These numbers are not surprising when compared to the gender distribution of the top positions in specialty groups in the U.S. Between 1989 and 2010, over 7000 citations were from articles published in BGS special issues, indicating their contributions to the geomorphology field. When normalized by the number of years the articles have been available, papers from BGS whose themes combined geomorphology with other fields (i.e., natural hazards and geomorphology), rated higher numbers of citations. The dispersion of the location of BGS meetings illustrates how the series is maturing by moving away from its origin in the U.S. northeast.

Review article: Emergency department models of care in the context of care quality and cost: a systematic review.

PubMed

Wylie, Kate; Crilly, Julia; Toloo, Ghasem Sam; FitzGerald, Gerry; Burke, John; Williams, Ged; Bell, Anthony

2015-04-01

To identify current ED models of care and their impact on care quality, care effectiveness, and cost. A systematic search of key health databases (Medline, CINAHL, Cochrane, EMbase) was conducted to identify literature on ED models of care. Additionally, a focused review of the contents of 11 international and national emergency medicine, nursing and health economic journals (published between 2010 and 2013) was undertaken with snowball identification of references of the most recent and relevant papers. Articles published between 1998 and 2013 in the English language were included for initial review by three of the authors. Studies in underdeveloped countries and not addressing the objectives of the present study were excluded. Relevant details were extracted from the retrieved literature, and analysed for relevance and impact. The literature was synthesised around the study's main themes. Models described within the literature mainly focused on addressing issues at the input, throughput or output stages of ED care delivery. Models often varied to account for site specific characteristics (e.g. onsite inpatient units) or to suit staffing profiles (e.g. extended scope physiotherapist), ED geographical location (e.g. metropolitan or rural site), and patient demographic profile (e.g. paediatrics, older persons, ethnicity). Only a few studies conducted cost-effectiveness analysis of service models. Although various models of delivering emergency healthcare exist, further research is required in order to make accurate and reliable assessments of their safety, clinical effectiveness and cost-effectiveness. © 2015 Australasian College for Emergency Medicine and Australasian Society for Emergency Medicine.

Researching the impact of oral health on diet and nutritional status: methodological issues.

PubMed

Moynihan, Paula; Thomason, Mark; Walls, Angus; Gray-Donald, Katherine; Morais, Jose A; Ghanem, Henry; Wollin, Stephanie; Ellis, Janice; Steele, Jimmy; Lund, James; Feine, Jocelyne

2009-04-01

Assessment of the impact of dental function on diet and nutritional status requires robust methodologies and a standardised approach to increase accuracy of results and to facilitate cross study comparisons. The objectives of this paper are: to report the outcomes of a consensus workshop that critically reviewed publications reporting on dietary methodologies in relation to the impact of oral health on nutrition; to highlight future directions for research and; to make recommendations for appropriate use of methodologies for future research. Data relevant to nutrition and dental status published from 1980 to 2005 in English were presented at the consensus workshop for discussion and appraisal. Relevant papers were retrieved through PubMed. Relevant texts were obtained from the library at Newcastle University, UK. A purposive sample of original articles that illustrated the application of a range of nutritional methodologies to the study of oral health impacts was identified. Original flagship texts on nutritional methodologies were reviewed. Numerous studies have shown an association between loss of teeth and inferior diet. Further research is required to elucidate the impact of novel approaches to prosthetic rehabilitation and the impact of contemporaneous dietary and dental intervention on diet, nutritional status, disease progression and quality of life. The recommendation of the consensus workshop was that future studies should adopt a comprehensive approach to the assessment of nutrition that encompasses measurement of diet, body composition, biochemical indices of intake and levels of nutrients, and functional biomarkers of disease.

Lesbians in China's mainland: a brief introduction.

PubMed

Chen, Yaya; Chen, Yiquin

2006-01-01

This paper describes and introduces lesbians' lives and the relevant research in China's Mainland. The first part shows the slow development of lesbian culture in the form of literature, films and documentaries. Although lesbians' lives were reflected more or less in modern literature, the "true" lesbian novel was published only recently. Relevant films and documentaries were never shown to the public in China. Lesbian culture is still unevenly developed and remains negligible. The first part also describes lesbian research in the field of literature, psychiatry and sociology. The relevant research in literature is relatively systematic and rich, while that in psychiatry is fraught with discrimination and that in sociology is relatively weak. The second part presents the observation and analysis of lesbian Internet communities. It deals with lesbians' self-identity, role differentiation, sentiments and sexuality. Among them, role differentiation plays an important part in lesbians' lives though few researchers have studied it. Most lesbian organizations founded on the strength of Internet communication lack experience and resources and have little influence on the masses. Some lesbians are accepted by the public, but in return, they compromise to some popular values. This is extremely disadvantageous to those who are unwilling to give in. At the end of the paper, the first author expresses her future plan that she will continue her study on lesbian culture under the help of Internet observation and various activities. doi:10.1300/J155v10n03_08.

Team-based efforts to improve quality of care, the fundamental role of ethics, and the responsibility of health managers: monitoring and management strategies to enhance teamwork.

PubMed

Kossaify, A; Hleihel, W; Lahoud, J-C

2017-12-01

Highlight the importance of teamwork in health care institutions by performing a review and discussion of the relevant literature. Review paper. A MEDLINE/Pubmed search was performed starting from 1990, and the terms 'team, teamwork, managers, healthcare, and cooperation' were searched in titles, abstracts, keywords, and conclusions; other terms 'patient safety, ethics, audits and quality of care' were specifically searched in abstracts and were used as additional filters criteria to select relevant articles. Thirty-three papers were found relevant; factors affecting the quality of care in health care institutions are multiple and varied, including issues related to individual profile, to administrative structure and to team-based effort. Issues affecting teamwork include mainly self-awareness, work environment, leadership, ethics, cooperation, communication, and competition. Moreover, quality improvement plans aiming to enhance and expand teams are essential in this context. Team monitoring and management are vital to achieve efficient teamwork with all the required qualities for a safer health system. In all cases, health managers' responsibility plays a fundamental role in creating and sustaining a teamwork atmosphere. Teamwork is known to improve outcomes in medicine, whether at the clinical, organizational, or scientific level. Teamwork in health care institutions must increasingly be encouraged, given that individual effort is often insufficient for optimal clinical outcome. Copyright © 2017 The Royal Society for Public Health. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Recent Worldwide Developments in eHealth and mHealth to more Effectively Manage Cancer and other Chronic Diseases – A Systematic Review

PubMed Central

Ray, P.; Liaw, S.-T.

2016-01-01

Summary Objectives This paper is a systematic literature review intended to gain an understanding of the most original, excellent, state-of-the-art research in the application of eHealth (including mHealth) in the management of chronic diseases with a focus on cancer over the past two years. Method This review looks at peer-reviewed papers published between 2013 and 2015 and examines the background and trends in this area. It systematically searched peer-reviewed journals in databases PubMed, Proquest, Cochrane Library, Elsevier, Sage and the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE Digital Library) using a set of pre-defined keywords. It then employed an iterative process to filter out less relevant publications. Results From an initial search return of 1,519,682 results returned, twenty nine of the most relevant peer reviewed articles were identified as most relevant. Conclusions Based on the results we conclude that innovative eHealth and its subset mHealth initiatives are rapidly emerging as an important means of managing cancer and other chronic diseases. The adoption is following different paths in the developed and developing worlds. Besides governance and regulatory issues, barriers still exist around information management, interoperability and integration. These include medical records available online information for clinicians and consumers on cancer and other chronic diseases, mobile app bundles that can help manage co-morbidities and the capacity of supporting communication technologies. PMID:27830236

Environmental effects of ozone depletion and its interactions with climate change: progress report, 2015.

PubMed

2016-02-01

The Environmental Effects Assessment Panel (EEAP) is one of three Panels that regularly informs the Parties (countries) to the Montreal Protocol on the effects of ozone depletion and the consequences of climate change interactions with respect to human health, animals, plants, biogeochemistry, air quality, and materials. The Panels provide a detailed assessment report every four years. The most recent 2014 Quadrennial Assessment by the EEAP was published as a special issue of seven papers in 2015 (Photochem. Photobiol. Sci., 2015, 14, 1-184). The next Quadrennial Assessment will be published in 2018/2019. In the interim, the EEAP generally produces an annual update or progress report of the relevant scientific findings. The present progress report for 2015 assesses some of the highlights and new insights with regard to the interactive nature of the effects of UV radiation, atmospheric processes, and climate change.

Galectin-3: One Molecule for an Alphabet of Diseases, from A to Z

PubMed Central

Sciacchitano, Salvatore; Lavra, Luca; Morgante, Alessandra; Ulivieri, Alessandra; Magi, Fiorenza; De Francesco, Gian Paolo; Bellotti, Carlo; Salehi, Leila B.; Ricci, Alberto

2018-01-01

Galectin-3 (Gal-3) regulates basic cellular functions such as cell–cell and cell–matrix interactions, growth, proliferation, differentiation, and inflammation. It is not surprising, therefore, that this protein is involved in the pathogenesis of many relevant human diseases, including cancer, fibrosis, chronic inflammation and scarring affecting many different tissues. The papers published in the literature have progressively increased in number during the last decades, testifying the great interest given to this protein by numerous researchers involved in many different clinical contexts. Considering the crucial role exerted by Gal-3 in many different clinical conditions, Gal-3 is emerging as a new diagnostic, prognostic biomarker and as a new promising therapeutic target. The current review aims to extensively examine the studies published so far on the role of Gal-3 in all the clinical conditions and diseases, listed in alphabetical order, where it was analyzed. PMID:29373564

Sports Biostatistician: a critical member of all sports science and medicine teams for injury prevention.

PubMed

Casals, Martí; Finch, Caroline F

2017-12-01

Sports science and medicine need specialists to solve the challenges that arise with injury data. In the sports injury field, it is important to be able to optimise injury data to quantify injury occurrences, understand their aetiology and most importantly, prevent them. One of these specialty professions is that of Sports Biostatistician. The aim of this paper is to describe the emergent field of Sports Biostatistics and its relevance to injury prevention. A number of important issues regarding this profession and the science of sports injury prevention are highlighted. There is a clear need for more multidisciplinary teams that incorporate biostatistics, epidemiology and public health in the sports injury area. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/.

Florence Nightingale and Mary Seacole on nursing and health care.

PubMed

McDonald, Lynn

2014-06-01

The purpose of this article is to correct inaccurate information about both Mary Seacole and Florence Nightingale, material that promotes Seacole as a pioneer nurse and heroine, while either ignoring Nightingale or trivializing her contribution. Nursing journals have been prominent in promoting inaccurate accounts of the contribution of Seacole to nursing. Some have intermittently published positive material about Nightingale, but none has published redress. Discussion paper. Primary sources from 1855-2012 were found, which contradict some key claims made about Seacole. Further sources - not included here - are identified, with a website reference. It is argued that Nightingale remains relevant as a model for nurses, with the many crises in patient care and continuing challenges of hospital safety. Greater accuracy and honesty are required in reporting about nursing heroes. Without these, great ideas and examples can be lost to nursing and health care. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Robotics as a new surgical minimally invasive approach to treatment of endometriosis: a systematic review.

PubMed

Carvalho, Luiz; Abrão, Mauricio Simões; Deshpande, Abhishek; Falcone, Tommaso

2012-06-01

This systematic review evaluates the role of robotics in the surgical treatment of endometriosis. Electronic database searches were conducted in MEDLINE, Scopus, and ISI Web of Knowledge for relevant studies over the past 10 years. Four published articles were found that used robotic assisted laparoscopy to perform endometriosis surgery. All four studies used the da Vinci Surgical System (Intuitive Surgical Inc., Sunnyvale, CA, USA). Three studies were case reports, and one was a cohort study. Robotics appears to be as effective as conventional laparoscopy in the management of endometriosis. There were no reports of any major complications. Few studies have been published and show us that robotic endometriosis surgery is feasible even in severe endometriosis cases without conversion. There is a lack of long-term outcome papers in the literature. Randomized controlled trials are necessary. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

A Systematic Review and Quantitative Meta-Analysis of Oxytocin's Effects on Feeding.

PubMed

Leslie, Monica; Silva, Paulo; Paloyelis, Yannis; Blevins, James; Treasure, Janet

2018-02-26

Oxytocin's anorexigenic effects have been widely documented and accepted; however, no paper has yet used the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines to compile previous findings in a single systematic review and quantitative meta-analysis. The current paper aimed to identify published and unpublished studies examining the effects of oxytocin on energy intake in animals and humans, and the factors that moderate this effect. Web of Science, Pub Med, and Ovid were searched for published and unpublished studies reporting the effects of oxytocin on energy intake in wild-type animals and in humans, when administered in the absence of other active drugs or surgery. 2049 articles were identified through the original systematic literature search, from which 54 articles were identified as relevant for inclusion in this review. An additional 3 relevant articles were identified in a later update of the literature search. Overall, a single-dose of oxytocin was found to reduce feeding in animals. Despite several individual studies which found that this effect persists to the end of the third week of chronic administration in rodent models, overall, this anorexigenic effect did not hold in the meta-analyses testing the effects of chronic administration. There was no overall effect of oxytocin on energy intake in humans, although a trend was identified for oxytocin to reduce consumption of solid foods. Oxytocin reduces energy intake when administered as a single dose. Oxytocin can inhibit feeding over two- to three-week periods in rodent models. These effects typically do not persist beyond the third week of treatment. The anorexigenic effect of oxytocin is moderated by pregnant status, dose, method of administration, and diet composition. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Technological Solutions for Older People with Alzheimer's Disease: Review.

PubMed

Maresova, Petra; Tomsone, Signe; Lameski, Petre; Madureira, Joana; Mendes, Ana; Zdravevski, Eftim; Chorbev, Ivan; Trajkovik, Vladimir; Ellen, Moriah; Rodile, Kasper

2018-04-27

In the nineties, numerous studies began to highlight the problem of the increasing number of people with Alzheimer's disease in developed countries, especially in the context of demographic progress. At the same time, the 21st century is typical of the development of advanced technologies that penetrate all areas of human life. Digital devices, sensors, and intelligent applications are tools that can help seniors and allow better communication and control of their caregivers. The aim of the paper is to provide an up-to-date summary of the use of technological solutions for improving health and safety for people with Alzheimer's disease. Firstly, the problems and needs of senior citizens with Alzheimer's disease (AD) and their caregivers are specified. Secondly, a scoping review is performed regarding the technological solutions suggested to assist this specific group of patients. Works obtained from the following libraries used in this scoping review: Web of Science, PubMed, Springer, ACM and IEEE Xplore. Four independent reviewers screened the identified records and selected relevant articles which were published in the period from 2007 to 2018. A total of 6,705 publications were selected. In all, 128 full papers were screened. Results obtained from the relevant studies were furthermore divided into the following categories according to the type and use of technologies: devices, processing, and activity recognition. The leading technological solution in the category of devices are wearables and ambient non-invasive sensors. The introduction and utilization of these technologies however brings about challenges in acceptability, durability, ease of use, communication, and power requirements. Furthermore, in needs to be pointed out that these technological solutions should be based on open standards. Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.org.

Health-Enabling and Ambient Assistive Technologies: Past, Present, Future.

PubMed

Haux, R; Koch, S; Lovell, N H; Marschollek, M; Nakashima, N; Wolf, K-H

2016-06-30

During the last decades, health-enabling and ambient assistive technologies became of considerable relevance for new informatics-based forms of diagnosis, prevention, and therapy. To describe the state of the art of health-enabling and ambient assistive technologies in 1992 and today, and its evolution over the last 25 years as well as to project where the field is expected to be in the next 25 years. In the context of this review, we define health-enabling and ambient assistive technologies as ambiently used sensor-based information and communication technologies, aiming at contributing to a person's health and health care as well as to her or his quality of life. Systematic review of all original articles with research focus in all volumes of the IMIA Yearbook of Medical Informatics. Surveying authors independently on key projects and visions as well as on their lessons learned in the context of health-enabling and ambient assistive technologies and summarizing their answers. Surveying authors independently on their expectations for the future and summarizing their answers. IMIA Yearbook papers containing statements on health-enabling and ambient assistive technologies appear first in 2002. These papers form a minor part of published research articles in medical informatics. However, during recent years the number of articles published has increased significantly. Key projects were identified. There was a clear progress on the use of technologies. However proof of diagnostic relevance and therapeutic efficacy remains still limited. Reforming health care processes and focussing more on patient needs are required. Health-enabling and ambient assistive technologies remain an important field for future health care and for interdisciplinary research. More and more publications assume that a person's home and their interaction therein, are becoming important components in health care provision, assessment, and management.

A review of bias flow liners for acoustic damping in gas turbine combustors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lahiri, C.; Bake, F.

2017-07-01

The optimized design of bias flow liner is a key element for the development of low emission combustion systems in modern gas turbines and aero-engines. The research of bias flow liners has a fairly long history concerning both the parameter dependencies as well as the methods to model the acoustic behaviour of bias flow liners under the variety of different bias and grazing flow conditions. In order to establish an overview over the state of the art, this paper provides a comprehensive review about the published research on bias flow liners and modelling approaches with an extensive study of the most relevant parameters determining the acoustic behaviour of these liners. The paper starts with a historical description of available investigations aiming on the characterization of the bias flow absorption principle. This chronological compendium is extended by the recent and ongoing developments in this field. In a next step the fundamental acoustic property of bias flow liner in terms of the wall impedance is introduced and the different derivations and formulations of this impedance yielding the different published model descriptions are explained and compared. Finally, a parametric study reveals the most relevant parameters for the acoustic damping behaviour of bias flow liners and how this is reflected by the various model representations. Although the general trend of the investigated acoustic behaviour is captured by the different models fairly well for a certain range of parameters, in the transition region between the resonance dominated and the purely bias flow related regime all models lack the correct damping prediction. This seems to be connected to the proper implementation of the reactance as a function of bias flow Mach number.

Health-Enabling and Ambient Assistive Technologies: Past, Present, Future

PubMed Central

2016-01-01

Summary Background During the last decades, health-enabling and ambient assistive technologies became of considerable relevance for new informatics-based forms of diagnosis, prevention, and therapy. Objectives To describe the state of the art of health-enabling and ambient assistive technologies in 1992 and today, and its evolution over the last 25 years as well as to project where the field is expected to be in the next 25 years. In the context of this review, we define health-enabling and ambient assistive technologies as ambiently used sensor-based information and communication technologies, aiming at contributing to a person’s health and health care as well as to her or his quality of life. Methods Systematic review of all original articles with research focus in all volumes of the IMIA Yearbook of Medical Informatics. Surveying authors independently on key projects and visions as well as on their lessons learned in the context of health-enabling and ambient assistive technologies and summarizing their answers. Surveying authors independently on their expectations for the future and summarizing their answers. Results IMIA Yearbook papers containing statements on health-enabling and ambient assistive technologies appear first in 2002. These papers form a minor part of published research articles in medical informatics. However, during recent years the number of articles published has increased significantly. Key projects were identified. There was a clear progress on the use of technologies. However proof of diagnostic relevance and therapeutic efficacy remains still limited. Reforming health care processes and focussing more on patient needs are required. Conclusions Health-enabling and ambient assistive technologies remain an important field for future health care and for interdisciplinary research. More and more publications assume that a person‘s home and their interaction therein, are becoming important components in health care provision, assessment, and management. PMID:27362588

[Gone with the wind or... Fate of scientific articles presented at large anesthesia congresses--an update].

PubMed

Meininger, D; Bück, M; Bohlmann, S; Weber, C F; Strouhal, U; Ihlow, K; Zacharowski, K; Byhahn, C

2011-02-01

The goal of the present study was to evaluate the publication rate of abstracts presented during the German Anesthesia Congress (Deutscher Anästhesiecongress, DAC) and the meeting of the European Society of Anesthesiologists (ESA) in the years 2000 and 2005 in Medline listed journals (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed). In addition, the respective impact factors of the journals in which the articles were published were evaluated (http://www.isiknowledge.com). All abstracts of free papers and posters presented at the DAC and ESA from the years 2000 and 2005 were included into the study. The presence of authors and the topics of abstracts in the literature were analyzed by a Medline based inquiry over a time period of 5 years. The search was based on the last name and initials of authors and when these could not be identified in Medline the search was extended by keywords of relevant topics of the abstract. Umlauts "ä/ö/ü" were replaced by "ae/oe/ue" and "ß" was replaced by "ss". Only original papers were included in this analysis. Once an original paper was found the impact factor of the journal in that year was identified. A total of 465 abstracts from the DAC 2000, 378 abstracts from the DAC 2005, 644 abstracts from the ESA 2000 and 720 abstracts from the ESA 2005 were included. Of the abstracts from the DAC 2000, 183 (39%) were published in Medline listed journals, 179 (47%) from DAC 2005, 218 (34%) from ESA 2000 and 233 (32%) from ESA 2005. The ESA abstracts were published in English more often than the DAC abstracts (ESA 2000: 95%; ESA 2005: 95%; DAC 2000: 78%; DAC 2005: 86%). While the publication rate after the ESA remained nearly unchanged between 2000 and 2005, the publication rate after the DAC increased by about 7%. The average impact factors of the publications were 1.777 (DAC 2000), 2.836 (DAC 2005), 1.825 (ESA 2000) and 2.36 (ESA 2005). Independent of the congress (DAC or ESA) where the abstract was presented, most articles were published in the journal Anesthesia & Analgesia. In the year 2005 more abstracts of the DAC were published in Medline listed papers than in 2000. When comparing the number of abstracts published in Medline listed journals, more abstracts of the DAC were published compared to abstracts of the ESA. The increase in papers written in English after abstract presentation on the DAC is mostly due to the wider readership which can be reached with manuscripts in the English language. Besides a larger readership, English journals often also have a higher ranked impact factor. This analysis does not claim to be a complete registration of all published abstracts due to the limitation on Medline listed journals and publications in other journals were not rated. Medline was selected because of the widespread and international use of this database.

Natural language processing in pathology: a scoping review.

PubMed

Burger, Gerard; Abu-Hanna, Ameen; de Keizer, Nicolette; Cornet, Ronald

2016-07-22

Encoded pathology data are key for medical registries and analyses, but pathology information is often expressed as free text. We reviewed and assessed the use of NLP (natural language processing) for encoding pathology documents. Papers addressing NLP in pathology were retrieved from PubMed, Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) Digital Library and Association for Computational Linguistics (ACL) Anthology. We reviewed and summarised the study objectives; NLP methods used and their validation; software implementations; the performance on the dataset used and any reported use in practice. The main objectives of the 38 included papers were encoding and extraction of clinically relevant information from pathology reports. Common approaches were word/phrase matching, probabilistic machine learning and rule-based systems. Five papers (13%) compared different methods on the same dataset. Four papers did not specify the method(s) used. 18 of the 26 studies that reported F-measure, recall or precision reported values of over 0.9. Proprietary software was the most frequently mentioned category (14 studies); General Architecture for Text Engineering (GATE) was the most applied architecture overall. Practical system use was reported in four papers. Most papers used expert annotation validation. Different methods are used in NLP research in pathology, and good performances, that is, high precision and recall, high retrieval/removal rates, are reported for all of these. Lack of validation and of shared datasets precludes performance comparison. More comparative analysis and validation are needed to provide better insight into the performance and merits of these methods. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/

Current Levels of Conflict of Interest Disclosure in Medical Publications from Korea

PubMed Central

Kang, Bo Hyoung; Moon, Jae Young; Chang, Youjin; Koo, Young-Mo

2013-01-01

Medical research should be fully transparent. The aims of this study were to determine the prevalence of author-related conflict of interest (COI) policies and evaluate the actual state of COI disclosure in Korean medical journals. To determine the prevalence of author-related COI policies, we examined the 198 medical journals listed in the KoreaMed database. To investigate the actual state of COI disclosures in published papers, we analyzed the publications in a representative medical journal, the Journal of the Korean Medical Science, from the perspective of the relevance of the ethics of COI disclosure. A total of 164 (82.8%) journals required an author's statement of COI as a criterion for publication. Of these 164, most of them focused on financial COI, with 101 (61.6%) presenting the information related to COI disclosures as a separate paragraph with a clear title. We identified 114 articles published by the Journal of the Korean Medical Science over a seven-year period, from January, 2006 to December, 2012. Of these, 65 papers (57%) included an author's statement of COI. We found that the policies of Korean medical journals regarding the disclosure of author COIs are still behind the internationally suggested level. PMID:23853478

"Publish or Perish" as citation metrics used to analyze scientific output in the humanities: International case studies in economics, geography, social sciences, philosophy, and history.

PubMed

Baneyx, Audrey

2008-01-01

Traditionally, the most commonly used source of bibliometric data is the Thomson ISI Web of Knowledge, in particular the (Social) Science Citation Index and the Journal Citation Reports, which provide the yearly Journal Impact Factors. This database used for the evaluation of researchers is not advantageous in the humanities, mainly because books, conference papers, and non-English journals, which are an important part of scientific activity, are not (well) covered. This paper presents the use of an alternative source of data, Google Scholar, and its benefits in calculating citation metrics in the humanities. Because of its broader range of data sources, the use of Google Scholar generally results in more comprehensive citation coverage in the humanities. This presentation compares and analyzes some international case studies with ISI Web of Knowledge and Google Scholar. The fields of economics, geography, social sciences, philosophy, and history are focused on to illustrate the differences of results between these two databases. To search for relevant publications in the Google Scholar database, the use of "Publish or Perish" and of CleanPoP, which the author developed to clean the results, are compared.

The indications for polysomnography and related procedures.

PubMed

Chesson, A L; Ferber, R A; Fry, J M; Grigg-Damberger, M; Hartse, K M; Hurwitz, T D; Johnson, S; Kader, G A; Littner, M; Rosen, G; Sangal, R B; Schmidt-Nowara, W; Sher, A

1997-06-01

This paper is a review of the literature on the use of polysomnography in the diagnosis of sleep disorders in the adult. It is based on a search of MEDLINE from January 1966 through April 1996. It has been reviewed and approved by the Board of Directors of the American Sleep Disorders Association and provides the background for the accompanying ASDA Standards of Practice Committee's Parameters for the Practice of Sleep Medicine in North America. The diagnostic categories reviewed are: sleep-related breathing disorders; other respiratory disorders; narcolepsy; parasomnias and sleep-related epilepsy; restless legs syndrome and periodic limb movement disorders: insomnia; and circadian rhythm sleep disorders. Where appropriate, previously published practice parameters papers are cited and discussed. The relevant published peer-reviewed literature used as the basis for critical decisions was compiled into accompanying evidence tables and is analyzed in the text. In the section on the assessment of sleep apnea syndrome, options for estimating pretest probability to select high risk patients are also reviewed. Sleep-testing procedures other than standard polysomnography are also addressed (daytime polysomnography, split-night studies, oximetry, limited full respiratory recordings, and less-than-full respiratory recording) and treatment-related follow-up studies are discussed.

The Impact of System Factors on Quality and Safety in Arterial Surgery: A Systematic Review.

PubMed

Lear, R; Godfrey, A D; Riga, C; Norton, C; Vincent, C; Bicknell, C D

2017-07-01

A systems approach to patient safety proposes that a wide range of factors contribute to surgical outcome, yet the impact of team, work environment, and organisational factors, is not fully understood in arterial surgery. The aim of this systematic review is to summarize and discuss what is already known about the impact of system factors on quality and safety in arterial surgery. A systematic review of original research papers in English using MEDLINE, Embase, PsycINFO, and Cochrane databases, was performed according to PRISMA guidelines. Independent reviewers selected papers according to strict inclusion and exclusion criteria, and using predefined data fields, extracted relevant data on team, work environment, and organisational factors, and measures of quality and/or safety, in arterial procedures. Twelve papers met the selection criteria. Study endpoints were not consistent between papers, and most failed to report their clinical significance. A variety of tools were used to measure team skills in five papers; only one paper measured the relationship between team factors and patient outcomes. Two papers reported that equipment failures were common and had a significant impact on operating room efficiency. The influence of hospital characteristics on failure-to-rescue rates was tested in one large study, although their conclusions were limited to the American Medicare population. Five papers implemented changes in the patient pathway, but most studies failed to account for potential confounding variables. A small number of heterogenous studies have evaluated the relationship between system factors and quality or safety in arterial surgery. There is some evidence of an association between system factors and patient outcomes, but there is more work to be done to fully understand this relationship. Future research would benefit from consistency in definitions, the use of validated assessment tools, measurement of clinically relevant endpoints, and adherence to national reporting guidelines. Crown Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Improving Scientific Research and Writing Skills through Peer Review and Empirical Group Learning †

PubMed Central

Senkevitch, Emilee; Smith, Ann C.; Marbach-Ad, Gili; Song, Wenxia

2011-01-01

Here we describe a semester-long, multipart activity called “Read and wRite to reveal the Research process” (R3) that was designed to teach students the elements of a scientific research paper. We implemented R3 in an advanced immunology course. In R3, we paralleled the activities of reading, discussion, and presentation of relevant immunology work from primary research papers with student writing, discussion, and presentation of their own lab findings. We used reading, discussing, and writing activities to introduce students to the rationale for basic components of a scientific research paper, the method of composing a scientific paper, and the applications of course content to scientific research. As a final part of R3, students worked collaboratively to construct a Group Research Paper that reported on a hypothesis-driven research project, followed by a peer review activity that mimicked the last stage of the scientific publishing process. Assessment of student learning revealed a statistically significant gain in student performance on writing in the style of a research paper from the start of the semester to the end of the semester. PMID:23653760

Clinical studies in restorative dentistry: New directions and new demands.

PubMed

Opdam, N J M; Collares, K; Hickel, R; Bayne, S C; Loomans, B A; Cenci, M S; Lynch, C D; Correa, M B; Demarco, F; Schwendicke, F; Wilson, N H F

2018-01-01

Clinical research of restorative materials is confounded by problems of study designs, length of trials, type of information collected, and costs for trials, despite increasing numbers and considerable development of trials during the past 50 years. This opinion paper aims to discuss advantages and disadvantages of different study designs and outcomes for evaluating survival of dental restorations and to make recommendations for future study designs. Advantages and disadvantages of randomized trials, prospective and retrospective longitudinal studies, practice-based, pragmatic and cohort studies are addressed and discussed. The recommendations of the paper are that clinical trials should have rational control groups, include confounders such as patient risk factors in the data and analysis and should use outcome parameters relevant for profession and patients. Copyright © 2017 The Academy of Dental Materials. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Discrimination and racial disparities in health: evidence and needed research

PubMed Central

Mohammed, Selina A.

2010-01-01

This paper provides a review and critique of empirical research on perceived discrimination and health. The patterns of racial disparities in health suggest that there are multiple ways by which racism can affect health. Perceived discrimination is one such pathway and the paper reviews the published research on discrimination and health that appeared in PubMed between 2005 and 2007. This recent research continues to document an inverse association between discrimination and health. This pattern is now evident in a wider range of contexts and for a broader array of outcomes. Advancing our understanding of the relationship between perceived discrimination and health will require more attention to situating discrimination within the context of other health-relevant aspects of racism, measuring it comprehensively and accurately, assessing its stressful dimensions, and identifying the mechanisms that link discrimination to health. PMID:19030981

[Publications on hypertension in the last year].

PubMed

Vinyoles, E

2017-01-01

We review and comment original articles published in the main peer reviewed journals between September 2015 and September 2016 on hypertension, with relevance and potential impact in clinical practice. The selection of the original papers has been necessarily limited and subjective, given the extremely high volume of publications over the period. Some large clinical trials such as SPRINT, HOPE3 or PATHWAY-2, epidemiological studies, cohort studies or studies about ambulatory blood pressure evaluation are discussed. Aspects of the target blood pressure level and treatment are also discussed. In all cases, we present the new evidences on the diagnosis, evaluation and therapeutic management of hypertension published in the last year. Our goal is to motivate thorough reading of the originals that can only be commented briefy here. © 2017 SEHLELHA. Published by Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved. Copyright © 2017 Sociedad Española de Hipertension-Liga Española para la Lucha de la Hipertensión Arterial (SEH-LELHA). Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

Systematic review: factors contributing to burnout in dentistry.

PubMed

Singh, P; Aulak, D S; Mangat, S S; Aulak, M S

2016-01-01

Dentists and dental students have been reported to be at high risk of burnout and risk factors have been identified. Despite research into burnout in dentists, only a few papers have identified significantly associated factors. To identify the most significant factors associated with burnout in dentists and dental students in published literature. We systematically searched MEDLINE, EMBASE and HMIC electronic databases to source literature on the factors associated with burnout in dentists. We critically appraised and themed papers using the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme to find the most significant factors. From 115 studies identified by the search string, we deemed 33 papers to be relevant for review. The most prevalent and significant factors associated with burnout were: younger age, male gender, student status, high job-strain/working hours, those enrolled in clinical degree programmes and certain personality types. However, only a limited amount of literature explored the directional relationship between these factors and burnout. This review identified several significant factors contributing to burnout in dentists and dental students. Further longitudinal and prospective studies are required to assess causation. Burnout should be considered a multifactorial phenomenon that can develop early in a dental career. Screening programmes and coping strategies might help to identify and prevent it. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society of Occupational Medicine. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

[Would you mind a little bit less? Methodological and ethical challenges posed by the reduction of overtreatment].

PubMed

Strech, Daniel

2013-01-01

The present paper outlines two central challenges that should be taken into account when making a concerted effort to reduce excessive medical care (overdiagnosis and overtreatment): first, the inevitability of value judgements in the risk-benefit assessment of medical treatment measures in conjunction with the need to go beyond the individual doctor-patient relationship and make these value judgements while, at least in part, assuming the role of acting deputy; and second, the need for a sufficient level of competence and trust in evidence-based medicine on the part of both physicians and patients. The paper will explain how one can say in a methodologically reasonable and ethically acceptable manner that a certain medical measure - in the context of the regular care setting - will objectively cause a "net harm" to the patient. Relevant institutions in the German healthcare system will be described that are currently conducting risk-benefit assessments (by different means and with different purposes). Taking the known entity of clinical guidelines as an example, the paper will demonstrate that the subjects of overdiagnosis and overtreatment as well as shortage of medical care can be more explicitly communicated by employing certain additional methodological tools. Finally, some central implementation barriers to a successful application of "Less is more!" will be presented and critically discussed. (As supplied by publisher). Copyright © 2013. Published by Elsevier GmbH.

A systematic review of first trimester biochemical and molecular predictive tests for preeclampsia.

PubMed

Abdi, Fatemeh; Aghaie, Zohreh; Rahnemaie, Fatemeh Sadat; Alimoradi, Zainab

2018-04-16

Preeclampsia is a multisystem disorder affecting 5%-8% of pregnant women. Considering the ongoing debate over the predicting value of some commercial first trimester tests, the aim of this study was to compare the existing first trimester screening tests for preeclampsia. In this systematic review, relevant articles published during 2000-2017 were extracted from PubMed, Science Direct, Scopus, Cochrane Library, ISI Web of Science, and ProQuest databases. After thorough evaluation of the 412 potentially eligible papers, only 26 papers were selected based on the inclusion criteria. From a total of 412 retrieved studies, 28 papers were found eligible. Most studies had case-control or nested case-control designs. A total of 15164 pregnant women were evaluated in the reviewed studies. Various tests were applied in the first trimester of pregnancy to predict the development of preeclampsia. The most commonly used biomarkers were uterine artery pulsatility index, pregnancy-associated plasma protein A (PAPP-A), adiponectin, human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) hormone and inhibin-A. Other tests were used in only one or two studies. Based on this review, a combination of markers should be evaluated for the identification of high risk women. Novel methods measuring multiple markers will hopefully facilitate the development of clinically effective screening programs in the future. Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.org.

The art and science of publishing: reflections from editors of surgery journals.

PubMed

Kibbe, Melina R; Sarr, Michael G; Livingston, Edward H; Freischlag, Julie A; Lillemoe, Keith D; McFadden, David W

2014-01-01

During the 8th Annual Academic Surgical Congress held in New Orleans, Louisiana, on February 5-7, 2013, the Association for Academic Surgery (AAS) Presidential Session was dedicated to the topic of publishing. A survey consisting of 37 questions on issues related to publishing was administered to the AAS membership 1 mo before the meeting. The results of the survey were then presented during the 2013 AAS Presidential Session. In addition, a panel of five editors from surgery journals relevant to the membership of the AAS was convened to discuss topics addressed in the results of the survey. These topics included: (1) how to publish in high-impact factor journals; (2) top five reasons why manuscripts get rejected; (3) the do's and don'ts of publishing (i.e., ethics of publishing); (4) how to get on an editorial board; and (5) the future of publishing. This review summarizes the contents of this AAS Presidential Session and provides information relevant for any academician, investigator, or scientist. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Analysis of scientific papers in the field of radiology and medical imaging included in Science Citation Index expanded and published by Turkish authors.

PubMed

Akpinar, Erhan; Karçaaltincaba, Muşturay

2010-09-01

We aimed to analyze scientific papers published by Turkish authors in "radiology, nuclear medicine and medical imaging" journals included in the Science Citation Index Expanded and compared the number of published scientific papers from Turkey and other countries. We retrospectively searched all papers published by Turkish authors between 1945 and 2008 by using Web of Science software. We performed the analysis by typing "Turkey" in the address section and all radiology and medical imaging journals in the source title section using the general search function of the software. We further analyzed these results by using "analyze" function of the software according to the number of publications per year, journals, institution and type of papers. We also calculated total number of citations to published scientific papers using citation report function. We analyzed the rank of Turkey among other countries in terms of the number of published papers. Overall, 4,532 papers were published between 1945 and 2008. The first paper was published in 1976. Number of publications increased dramatically from 1976 (n = 1) to 2008 (n = 383). The top 5 journals publishing papers from Turkish authors were European Journal of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (n = 328), Clinical Nuclear Medicine (n = 296), European Journal of Radiology (n = 289), European Radiology (n = 207) and Journal of Clinical Ultrasound (n = 186). All published papers received 18,419 citations and citation to paper ratio was 4.06. The rank of Turkey among other countries in terms of published papers improved during the last 25 years. Number of papers from Turkey published in radiology and medical imaging journals has increased at the start of the new millennium. Currently, Turkey is among the top 12 countries when the number of scientific papers published in radiology journals is taken into consideration.

Criteria for assessing the quality of mHealth apps: a systematic review.

PubMed

Nouri, Rasool; R Niakan Kalhori, Sharareh; Ghazisaeedi, Marjan; Marchand, Guillaume; Yasini, Mobin

2018-05-16

Review the existing studies including an assessment tool/method to assess the quality of mHealth apps; extract their criteria; and provide a classification of the collected criteria. In accordance with the PRISMA statement, a literature search was conducted in MEDLINE, EMBase, ISI and Scopus for English language citations published from January 1, 2008 to December 22, 2016 for studies including tools or methods for quality assessment of mHealth apps. Two researchers screened the titles and abstracts of all retrieved citations against the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The full text of relevant papers was then individually examined by the same researchers. A senior researcher resolved eventual disagreements and confirmed the relevance of all included papers. The authors, date of publication, subject fields of target mHealth apps, development method, and assessment criteria were extracted from each paper. The extracted assessment criteria were then reviewed, compared, and classified by an expert panel of two medical informatics specialists and two health information management specialists. Twenty-three papers were included in the review. Thirty-eight main classes of assessment criteria were identified. These were reorganized by expert panel into 7 main classes (Design, Information/Content, Usability, Functionality, Ethical Issues, Security and Privacy, and User-perceived value) with 37 sub-classes of criteria. There is a wide heterogeneity in assessment criteria for mHealth apps. It is necessary to define the exact meanings and degree of distinctness of each criterion. This will help to improve the existing tools and may lead to achieve a better comprehensive mHealth app assessment tool.

Intelligent medical information filtering.

PubMed

Quintana, Y

1998-01-01

This paper describes an intelligent information filtering system to assist users to be notified of updates to new and relevant medical information. Among the major problems users face is the large volume of medical information that is generated each day, and the need to filter and retrieve relevant information. The Internet has dramatically increased the amount of electronically accessible medical information and reduced the cost and time needed to publish. The opportunity of the Internet for the medical profession and consumers is to have more information to make decisions and this could potentially lead to better medical decisions and outcomes. However, without the assistance from professional medical librarians, retrieving new and relevant information from databases and the Internet remains a challenge. Many physicians do not have access to the services of a medical librarian. Most physicians indicate on surveys that they do not prefer to retrieve the literature themselves, or visit libraries because of the lack of recent materials, poor organisation and indexing of materials, lack of appropriate and available material, and lack of time. The information filtering system described in this paper records the online web browsing behaviour of each user and creates a user profile of the index terms found on the web pages visited by the user. A relevance-ranking algorithm then matches the user profiles to the index terms of new health care web pages that are added each day. The system creates customised summaries of new information for each user. A user can then connect to the web site to read the new information. Relevance feedback buttons on each page ask the user to rate the usefulness of the page to their immediate information needs. Errors in relevance ranking are reduced in this system by having both the user profile and medical information represented in the same representation language using a controlled vocabulary. This system also updates the user profiles, automatically relieving this burden from the user, but also allowing the user to explicitly state preferences. An initial evaluation of this system was done with health consumers using a web site on consumer health. It was found that users often modified their criteria for what they considered relevant not only between browsing sessions but also during a session. A user's criteria for what is relevant is constantly changing as they interact with the information. New revised metrics of recall and precision are needed to account for the partially relevant judgements and the dynamically changing criteria of users. Future research, development, and evaluation of interactive information retrieval systems will need to take into account the users' dynamically changing criteria of relevance.

The top 50 cited articles on chordomas.

PubMed

Ikpeze, Tochukwu; Mesfin, Addisu

2018-03-01

Chordomas are rare malignant primary tumors of the spine. In the mobile spine and sacrum an en-bloc resection is associated with decreased rates of recurrence. Our objective was to identify the top cited articles in chordoma research and to further analyze characteristics of these articles. In March 2017, we used ISI Web of Science (v5.11, Thomas Reuter, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA) to search for the following key word: "chordoma". Articles were searched from 1900 to 2017. Articles were ranked based on number of citations. The results were evaluated to determine articles most clinically relevant to the management of chordomas. The top 50 articles that met the search criteria were further characterized on the basis of: title, author, citation density, journal of publication, year (and decade) of publication, institution and country of origin and paper topic. A total of 1,043 articles matched the search criteria. The most influential 50 articles were cited 65 to 290 times. The articles were published between 1926 and 2012, and all articles were published in English. Thirty-three publications (66%) originated from the United States and seven (14%) from Italy. Cancer accounted for the most frequent (n=9) destination journal followed by Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery (n=4). A total of 41 institutions contributed to the top 50 articles. The most common article types were: clinical 44% (n=22), papers that combined clinical and pathology findings 18% (n=9) and basic science research 14% (n=7). The top 50 cited articles on chordomas are predominantly clinical papers, arising from the United States and most frequently published in Cancer and Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery .

Periodontal disease and diabetes mellitus.

PubMed

Negrato, Carlos Antonio; Tarzia, Olinda; Jovanovič, Lois; Chinellato, Luiz Eduardo Montenegro

2013-01-01

Periodontal disease (PD) is one of the most commonly known human chronic disorders. The relationship between PD and several systemic diseases such as diabetes mellitus (DM) has been increasingly recognized over the past decades. The purpose of this review is to provide the reader with knowledge concerning the relationship between PD and DM. Many articles have been published in the English and Portuguese literature over the last 50 years examining the relationship between these two chronic diseases. Data interpretation is often confounded by varying definitions of DM, PD and different clinical criteria were applied to determine the prevalence, extent and severity of PD, levels of glycemic control and diabetes-related complications. This paper provides a broad overview of the predominant findings from research conducted using the BBO (Bibliografia Brasileira de Odontologia), MEDLINE, LILACS and PubMed for Controlled Trials databases, in English and Portuguese languages published from 1960 to October 2012. Primary research reports on investigations of relationships between DM/DM control, PD/periodontal treatment and PD/DM/diabetes-related complications identified relevant papers and meta-analyses published in this period. This paper describes the relationship between PD and DM and answers the following questions: 1- The effect of DM on PD, 2- The effects of glycemic control on PD and 3- The effects of PD on glycemic control and on diabetes-related complications. The scientific evidence reviewed supports diabetes having an adverse effect on periodontal health and PD having an adverse effect on glycemic control and on diabetes-related complications. Further research is needed to clarify these relationships and larger, prospective, controlled trials with ethnically diverse populations are warranted to establish that treating PD can positively influence glycemic control and possibly reduce the burden of diabetes-related complications.

Periodontal disease and diabetes mellitus

PubMed Central

NEGRATO, Carlos Antonio; TARZIA, Olinda; JOVANOVIČ, Lois; CHINELLATO, Luiz Eduardo Montenegro

2013-01-01

Periodontal disease (PD) is one of the most commonly known human chronic disorders. The relationship between PD and several systemic diseases such as diabetes mellitus (DM) has been increasingly recognized over the past decades. Objective: The purpose of this review is to provide the reader with knowledge concerning the relationship between PD and DM. Many articles have been published in the english and Portuguese literature over the last 50 years examining the relationship between these two chronic diseases. Data interpretation is often confounded by varying definitions of DM, PD and different clinical criteria were applied to determine the prevalence, extent and severity of PD, levels of glycemic control and diabetes-related complications. Methods: This paper provides a broad overview of the predominant findings from research conducted using the BBO (Bibliografia Brasileira de Odontologia), MEDLINE, LILACS and PubMed for Controlled Trials databases, in english and Portuguese languages published from 1960 to October 2012. Primary research reports on investigations of relationships between DM/DM control, PD/periodontal treatment and PD/DM/diabetes-related complications identified relevant papers and meta-analyses published in this period. Results: This paper describes the relationship between PD and DM and answers the following questions: 1- The effect of DM on PD, 2- The effects of glycemic control on PD and 3- The effects of PD on glycemic control and on diabetes-related complications. Conclusions: The scientific evidence reviewed supports diabetes having an adverse effect on periodontal health and PD having an adverse effect on glycemic control and on diabetes-related complications. Further research is needed to clarify these relationships and larger, prospective, controlled trials with ethnically diverse populations are warranted to establish that treating PD can positively influence glycemic control and possibly reduce the burden of diabetes-related complications. PMID:23559105

Global Practices of Interprofessional Education (IPE) and Relevant International Activities.

PubMed

Arakawa, Naoko

2017-01-01

Activities related to interprofessional education (IPE) vary between countries according to local and national health needs and systems. The International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP) Education Initiative endeavors to provide a global vision in IPE by the sharing of experiences and gathering of evidence collaboratively to facilitate country-level initiatives. The purpose of this paper is to contribute to the further development of IPE activities in pharmacy in Japan through sharing global perspectives and activities related to IPE. FIP Education Initiative published the Interprofessional Education in a Pharmacy Context: Global Report in September 2015, which marked a milestone in the growing recognition of IPE in pharmacy globally. The paper shared global and regional perspectives and experiences in IPE in pharmacy, both from the report and FIP activities. This paper can be seen as a snapshot of IPE-related international activities, which enables gaps and challenges in implementing IPE activities in Japan to be identified. This paper provides an opportunity to explore global trends and initiatives regarding IPE, and to consider how to form and implement IPE specifically based on Japanese health needs and systems.

Sociology, environment and health: a materialist approach.

PubMed

Fox, N J; Alldred, P

2016-12-01

This paper reviews the sociology of environment and health and makes the case for a postanthropocentric approach based on new materialist theory. This perspective fully incorporates humans and their health into 'the environment', and in place of human-centred concerns considers the forces that constrain or enhance environmental capacities. This is not an empirical study. The paper uses a hypothetical vignette concerning child health and air pollution to explore the new materialist model advocated in the paper. This paper used sociological analysis. A new materialist and postanthropocentric sociology of environment and health are possible. This radically reconfigures both sociological theory and its application to research and associated policies on health and the environment. Theoretically, human health is rethought as one among a number of capacities emerging from humans interactions with the social and natural world. Practically, the focus of intervention and policy shifts towards fostering social and natural interactions that enhance environmental (and in the process, human) potentiality. This approach to research and policy development has relevance for public health practice and policy. Copyright © 2016 The Royal Society for Public Health. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Glyconanoparticles: types, synthesis and applications in glycoscience, biomedicine and material science.

PubMed

de la Fuente, Jesús M; Penadés, Soledad

2006-04-01

Nanoparticles are the subject of numerous papers and reports and are full of promises for electronic, optical, magnetic and biomedical applications. Although metallic nanoparticles have been functionalized with peptides, proteins and DNA during the last 20 years, carbohydrates have not been used with this purpose until 2001. Since the first synthesis of gold nanoparticles functionalized with carbohydrates (glyconanoparticles) was reported, the number of published articles has considerably increased. This article reviews progress in the development of nanoparticles functionalized with biological relevant oligosaccharides. The glyconanoparticles constitute a good bio-mimetic model of carbohydrate presentation at the cell surface, and maybe, excellent tools for Glycobiology, Biomedicine and Material Science investigations.

Java implementation of Class Association Rule algorithms

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Tamura, Makio

2007-08-30

Java implementation of three Class Association Rule mining algorithms, NETCAR, CARapriori, and clustering based rule mining. NETCAR algorithm is a novel algorithm developed by Makio Tamura. The algorithm is discussed in a paper: UCRL-JRNL-232466-DRAFT, and would be published in a peer review scientific journal. The software is used to extract combinations of genes relevant with a phenotype from a phylogenetic profile and a phenotype profile. The phylogenetic profiles is represented by a binary matrix and a phenotype profile is represented by a binary vector. The present application of this software will be in genome analysis, however, it could be appliedmore » more generally.« less

USSR Space Life Sciences Digest, issue 25

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hooke, Lydia Razran (Editor); Teeter, Ronald (Editor); Garshnek, Victoria (Editor); Rowe, Joseph (Editor)

1990-01-01

This is the twenty-fifth issue of NASA's Space Life Sciences Digest. It contains abstracts of 42 journal papers or book chapters published in Russian and of 3 Soviet monographs. Selected abstracts are illustrated with figures and tables from the original. The abstracts in this issue have been identified as relevant to 26 areas of space biology and medicine. These areas include: adaptation, body fluids, botany, cardiovascular and respiratory systems, developmental biology, endocrinology, enzymology, equipment and instrumentation, exobiology, gravitational biology, habitability and environmental effects, human performance, immunology, life support systems, man-machine systems, mathematical modeling, metabolism, microbiology, musculoskeletal system, neurophysiology, nutrition, operational medicine, psychology, radiobiology, reproductive system, and space biology and medicine.

Definition of performance specifications for automated Analytical Electrophoresis Facility (AAEF)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brooks, D. E.

1976-01-01

In order to provide specifications for the automated Analytical Electrophoresis Facility (AAEF) that would satisfy the broadest variety of demands of a future user community, a survey was carried out of all those people who were identified as having published papers on cell electrophoresis in the past four years. A computer search was conducted of the relevant literature from which a list of 87 investigators was derived and defined as the user community for purposes of the mailing. A questionnaire was developed covering the areas of performance which required definition which was subsequently circulated to the user community. Based on the response to this survey performance specifications were assembled.

Love and/in psychoanalysis: a commentary on Lacan's reading of Plato's Symposium in Seminar VIII: Transference.

PubMed

Fink, Bruce

2015-02-01

What is love and what part does it play in psychoanalysis? Where are the analyst and the analysand situated in relation to the roles defined as those of the "lover" and the "beloved"? Jacques Lacan explores these and other questions in his soon-to-be-published Seminar VIII: Transference by providing an extensive commentary on Plato's most famous dialogue on love, the Symposium. This paper outlines some of the major points about love that grow out of Lacan's reading of the dialogue and examines their relevance to the analytic setting. Can the analyst be characterized as a sort of modern-day Socrates?

Data Grid Management Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Moore, Reagan W.; Jagatheesan, Arun; Rajasekar, Arcot; Wan, Michael; Schroeder, Wayne

2004-01-01

The "Grid" is an emerging infrastructure for coordinating access across autonomous organizations to distributed, heterogeneous computation and data resources. Data grids are being built around the world as the next generation data handling systems for sharing, publishing, and preserving data residing on storage systems located in multiple administrative domains. A data grid provides logical namespaces for users, digital entities and storage resources to create persistent identifiers for controlling access, enabling discovery, and managing wide area latencies. This paper introduces data grids and describes data grid use cases. The relevance of data grids to digital libraries and persistent archives is demonstrated, and research issues in data grids and grid dataflow management systems are discussed.

Aerospace Environmental Technology Conference: Exectutive summary

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Whitaker, A. F. (Editor)

1995-01-01

The mandated elimination of CFC's, Halons, TCA, and other ozone depleting chemicals and specific hazardous materials has required changes and new developments in aerospace materials and processes. The aerospace industry has been involved for several years in providing product substitutions, redesigning entire production processes, and developing new materials that minimize or eliminate damage to the environment. These activities emphasize replacement cleaning solvents and their application verifications, compliant coatings including corrosion protection systems, and removal techniques, chemical propulsion effects on the environment, and the initiation of modifications to relevant processing and manufacturing specifications and standards. The papers from this conference are being published in a separate volume as NASA CP-3298.

Using the Time-Driven Activity-Based Costing Model in the Eye Clinic at The Hospital for Sick Children: A Case Study and Lessons Learned.

PubMed

Gulati, Sanchita; During, David; Mainland, Jeff; Wong, Agnes M F

2018-01-01

One of the key challenges to healthcare organizations is the development of relevant and accurate cost information. In this paper, we used time-driven activity-based costing (TDABC) method to calculate the costs of treating individual patients with specific medical conditions over their full cycle of care. We discussed how TDABC provides a critical, systematic and data-driven approach to estimate costs accurately and dynamically, as well as its potential to enable structural and rational cost reduction to bring about a sustainable healthcare system. © 2018 Longwoods Publishing.

Multiple stage MS in analysis of plasma, serum, urine and in vitro samples relevant to clinical and forensic toxicology.

PubMed

Meyer, Golo M; Maurer, Hans H; Meyer, Markus R

2016-01-01

This paper reviews MS approaches applied to metabolism studies, structure elucidation and qualitative or quantitative screening of drugs (of abuse) and/or their metabolites. Applications in clinical and forensic toxicology were included using blood plasma or serum, urine, in vitro samples, liquids, solids or plant material. Techniques covered are liquid chromatography coupled to low-resolution and high-resolution multiple stage mass analyzers. Only PubMed listed studies published in English between January 2008 and January 2015 were considered. Approaches are discussed focusing on sample preparation and mass spectral settings. Comments on advantages and limitations of these techniques complete the review.

The G3 Experience with Electronic Publishing: An Editor's Perspective

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

White, W. M.

2003-12-01

G3 (Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems) is an all-electronic journal published jointly by the AGU, the Geochemical Society, and the European Association of Geochemistry. G3 publishes original scientific contributions pertaining to understanding the Earth as a system, including relevant observational, experimental, and theoretical investigations of the solid Earth, hydrosphere, atmosphere, and biosphere. The journal was initiated as a result of a grass roots effort with the following goals in mind: a copyright policy designed to enhance, rather than inhibit, the dissemination of scientific information (for example, allowing authors to post electronic reprints on their web sites), provide a means of publishing, in immediately useable formats, large data sets, provide a means for ready dissemination of computer modeling and analysis tools, and provide a forum where authors could use novel ways of illustrating both data and models (e.g., formats such as movies, virtual reality images, sound, mathematical models, etc.), and finally to reduce costs and speed publication. In most respects, G3 has been enormously successful and has met most of its goals. G3 began publishing in December of 1999; in the subsequent 3 1/2 years 625 papers have been submitted to it and 325 have been published. It currently has over 600 institutional and personal subscribers. Papers are submitted through the web (a variety of formats are accepted, however, Microsoft Word is most common) and are converted to Adobe pdf format for peer review. Except that it is fully electronic using the web and e-mail, the peer review process is traditional, which insures the quality of the papers published. Accepted papers are copyedited and converted to SGML for archival purposes. HTML and Acrobat pdf versions are then generated from the SGML and published as they are ready on the G3 web site (www.g-cubed.org). Large data sets are routinely published in digital formats that can be readily downloaded by readers and immediately imported into programs such as Excel. Numerous animations and movies have been published in animated GIF, Apple Quicktime, Macromedia Flash, and Wolfram Research Mathreader formats. Computer models and tools have been published as Excel Macros and MATLAB Scripts. Full color, high resolution images allow superior publication of detailed maps and photographs. While G3 is a success by most measures, the process of pioneering electronic publication has at times been painful and frustrating. Early on, there were problems and delays in converting files, particularly graphics, to pdf format for both review and final publication. Costs have been higher than anticipated - primarily due to the cost of file conversion and formatting. The time from acceptance to publication (currently 10 weeks), although improving, it still longer than the goal, again because of the time required for copy-editing and formatting. Automation of this process in the future is the primary opportunity to both reduce cost and further speed publication. Authors have been slow to take advantage of the new illustration formats, with most relying on tradition figures instead. This will likely change slowly in the future, as these new formats, and the software tools to create them, become more familiar.

Clinical effectiveness of garlic (Allium sativum).

PubMed

Pittler, Max H; Ernst, Edzard

2007-11-01

The objective of this review is to update and assess the clinical evidence based on rigorous trials of the effectiveness of garlic (A. sativum). Systematic searches were carried out in Medline, Embase, Amed, the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, Natural Standard, and the Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database (search date December 2006). Our own files, the bibliographies of relevant papers and the contents pages of all issues of the review journal FACT were searched for further studies. No language restrictions were imposed. To be included, trials were required to state that they were randomized and double blind. Systematic reviews and meta-analyses of garlic were included if based on the results of randomized, double-blind trials. The literature searches identified six relevant systematic reviews and meta-analysis and double-blind randomized trials (RCT) that were published subsequently. These relate to cancer, common cold, hypercholesterolemia, hypertension, peripheral arterial disease and pre-eclampsia. The evidence based on rigorous clinical trials of garlic is not convincing. For hypercholesterolemia, the reported effects are small and may therefore not be of clinical relevance. For reducing blood pressure, few studies are available and the reported effects are too small to be clinically meaningful. For all other conditions not enough data are available for clinical recommendations.

Prioritisation of allergenic foods with respect to public health relevance: Report from an ILSI Europe Food Allergy Task Force Expert Group.

PubMed

Houben, Geert; Burney, Peter; Chan, Chun-Han; Crevel, René; Dubois, Anthony; Faludi, Roland; Klein Entink, Rinke; Knulst, André; Taylor, Steve; Ronsmans, Stefan

2016-03-01

Regulators and risk managers in general need to decide whether an allergenic food or ingredient is of such public health importance that it needs to be actively managed. There is therefore a need to scale the relative allergenicity of foods and ingredients according to the hazards they pose. Objective criteria increase transparency and trust in this decision-making process and its conclusions. This paper proposes a framework that allows categorisation and prioritisation of allergenic foods according to their public health importance. The challenge is to find a basis on which the allergenicity of foods can best be described and a method to combine the relevant measures of allergenicity into a scoring system that prioritises allergenic foods on the basis of their public health relevance. The framework is designed in accordance with the generic risk analysis principles used in food safety and can be used by regulators to decide whether or not a specific allergenic food or ingredient is of sufficient public health importance that it warrants regulation (i.e. mandatory labelling) when used in the production of food products. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

What is strategic management?

PubMed

Jasper, Melanie; Crossan, Frank

2012-10-01

To discuss the theoretical concept of strategic management and explore its relevance for healthcare organisations and nursing management. Despite being a relatively new approach, the growth of strategic management within organisations has been consistently and increasingly promoted. However, comprehensive definitions are scarce and commonalities of interpretation are limited. This paper presents an exploratory discussion of the construct of strategic management, drawing on the literature and questioning its relevance within health-care organisations. Literature relating to strategic management across a number of fields was accessed, drawing primarily on meta-studies within management literature, to identify key concepts and attempt to present a consistent definition. The concept within health care is explored in relation to nursing management. Inconsistency in definitions and utilisation of key concepts within this management approach results in the term being loosely applied in health-care organisations without recourse to foundational principles and a deep understanding of the approach as a theory as opposed to an applied term. Nurse managers are increasingly asked to adopt the 'next-best-thing' in managerial theories, yet caution needs to be taken in nurses agreeing to use systems that lack an evidence base in terms of both efficacy and relevance of context. © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

37 CFR 1.99 - Third-party submission in published application.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... published application. 1.99 Section 1.99 Patents, Trademarks, and Copyrights UNITED STATES PATENT AND... Provisions Information Disclosure Statement § 1.99 Third-party submission in published application. (a) A submission by a member of the public of patents or publications relevant to a pending published application...

27 CFR 478.24 - Compilation of State laws and published ordinances.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... and published ordinances. 478.24 Section 478.24 Alcohol, Tobacco Products, and Firearms BUREAU OF... published ordinances. (a) The Director shall annually revise and furnish Federal firearms licensees with a compilation of State laws and published ordinances which are relevant to the enforcement of this part. The...

Alexithymia in eating disorders: therapeutic implications

PubMed Central

Pinna, Federica; Sanna, Lucia; Carpiniello, Bernardo

2015-01-01

A high percentage of individuals affected by eating disorders (ED) achieve incomplete recovery following treatment. In an attempt to improve treatment outcome, it is crucial that predictors of outcome are identified, and personalized care approaches established in line with new treatment targets, thus facilitating patient access to evidence-based treatments. Among the psychological factors proposed as predictors of outcome in ED, alexithymia is of outstanding interest. The objective of this paper is to undertake a systematic review of the literature relating to alexithymia, specifically in terms of the implications for treatment of ED. In particular, issues concerning the role of alexithymia as a predictor of outcome and as a factor to be taken into account in the choice of treatment will be addressed. The effect of treatments on alexithymia will also be considered. A search of all relevant literature published in English using PubMed, PsycINFO, and Scopus databases was carried out on the basis of the following keywords: alexithymia, anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, eating disorders, and treatment; no time limits were imposed. Despite the clinical relevance of alexithymia, the number of studies published on the above cited aspects is somewhat limited, and these studies are largely heterogeneous and feature significant methodological weaknesses. Overall, data currently available mostly correlate higher levels of alexithymia with a less favorable outcome in ED. Accordingly, alexithymia is seen as a relevant treatment target with the aim of achieving recovery of these patients. Treatments focusing on improving alexithymic traits, and specifically those targeting emotions, seem to show greater efficacy, although alexithymia levels often remain high even after specific treatment. Further investigations are needed to overcome the methodological limitations of previous studies, to understand the actual impact of alexithymia on ED outcome, and to allow more precise implications for treatment to be drawn. Additional research should also be undertaken to specify which of the alexithymic dimensions are specifically relevant to the course and outcome of ED, and to identify treatment protocols producing a significantly greater efficacy in ED patients with relevant alexithymic traits. PMID:25565909

Research to policy and practice change: is capacity building in operational research delivering the goods?

PubMed

Zachariah, Rony; Guillerm, Nathalie; Berger, Selma; Kumar, Ajay M V; Satyanarayana, Srinath; Bissell, Karen; Edginton, Mary; Hinderaker, Sven Gudmund; Tayler-Smith, Katie; Van den Bergh, Rafael; Khogali, Mohammed; Manzi, Marcel; Reid, Anthony J; Ramsay, Andrew; Reeder, John C; Harries, Anthony D

2014-09-01

Between 2009 and 2012, eight operational research capacity building courses were completed in Paris (3), Luxembourg (1), India (1), Nepal (1), Kenya (1) and Fiji (1). Courses had strict milestones that were subsequently adopted by the Structured Operational Research and Training InitiaTive (SORT IT) of the World Health Organization. We report on the numbers of enrolled participants who successfully completed courses, the number of papers published and their reported effect on policy and/or practice. Retrospective cohort study including a survey. Participant selection criteria ensured that only those proposing specific programme-related and relevant operational research questions were selected. Effects on policy and/or practice were assessed in a standardised manner by two independent reviewers. Of 93 enrolled participants from 31 countries (14 in Africa, 13 in Asia, two in Latin America and two in South Pacific), 83 (89%) completed their courses. A total of 96 papers were submitted to scientific journals of which 89 (93%) were published and 88 assessed for effect on policy and practice. There was a reported effect in 65 (74%) studies including changes to programme implementation (27), adaptation of monitoring tools (24) and changes to existing guidelines (20). Three quarters of published operational research studies from these structured courses had reported effects on policy and/or practice. It is important that this type of tracking becomes a standard component of operational research and research in general. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

The barriers, benefits and facilitators of leisure time physical activity among people with spinal cord injury: a meta-synthesis of qualitative findings.

PubMed

Williams, Toni Louise; Smith, Brett; Papathomas, Anthony

2014-01-01

Physical activity (PA) can have a positive impact upon health and well-being for people with spinal cord injury (SCI). Despite these benefits, people with SCI are within the most physically inactive segment of society that comprises disabled people. This original meta-synthesis of qualitative research was undertaken to explore the barriers, benefits and facilitators of leisure time physical activity (LTPA) among people with SCI. Articles published since 2000 were identified through a rigorous search of electronic databases, supported with a hand search of relevant journals and papers. In total, 64 papers were read in full, and based on inclusion criteria, 18 were relevant for review. The key themes constructed from the data were summarised, compared and synthesised. Eight interrelated concepts were identified as barriers, benefits and/or facilitators of LTPA: (i) well-being (WB); (ii) environment; (iii) physical body; (iv) body-self relationship; (v) physically active identity; (vi) knowledge; (vii) restitution narrative; (viii) perceived absences. Based on the synthesised evidence, healthcare professionals need to appreciate the relationships between the barriers, benefits and facilitators of LTPA in order to successfully promote a physically active lifestyle. Equally, a more critical attitude to PA promotion is called for in terms of possible adverse consequences.

Defining pollen exposure times for clinical trials of allergen immunotherapy for pollen-induced rhinoconjunctivitis - an EAACI position paper.

PubMed

Pfaar, O; Bastl, K; Berger, U; Buters, J; Calderon, M A; Clot, B; Darsow, U; Demoly, P; Durham, S R; Galán, C; Gehrig, R; Gerth van Wijk, R; Jacobsen, L; Klimek, L; Sofiev, M; Thibaudon, M; Bergmann, K C

2017-05-01

Clinical efficacy of pollen allergen immunotherapy (AIT) has been broadly documented in randomized controlled trials. The underlying clinical endpoints are analysed in seasonal time periods predefined based on the background pollen concentration. However, any validated or generally accepted definition from academia or regulatory authorities for this relevant pollen exposure intensity or period of time (season) is currently not available. Therefore, this Task Force initiative of the European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (EAACI) aimed to propose definitions based on expert consensus. A Task Force of the Immunotherapy and Aerobiology and Pollution Interest Groups of the EAACI reviewed the literature on pollen exposure in the context of defining relevant time intervals for evaluation of efficacy in AIT trials. Underlying principles in measuring pollen exposure and associated methodological problems and limitations were considered to achieve a consensus. The Task Force achieved a comprehensive position in defining pollen exposure times for different pollen types. Definitions are presented for 'pollen season', 'high pollen season' (or 'peak pollen period') and 'high pollen days'. This EAACI position paper provides definitions of pollen exposures for different pollen types for use in AIT trials. Their validity as standards remains to be tested in future studies. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Utility of proteomics in obstetric disorders: a review

PubMed Central

Hernández-Núñez, Jónathan; Valdés-Yong, Magel

2015-01-01

The study of proteomics could explain many aspects of obstetric disorders. We undertook this review with the aim of assessing the utility of proteomics in the specialty of obstetrics. We searched the electronic databases of MEDLINE, EBSCOhost, BVS Bireme, and SciELO, using various search terms with the assistance of a librarian. We considered cohort studies, case-control studies, case series, and systematic review articles published until October 2014 in the English or Spanish language, and evaluated their quality and the internal validity of the evidence provided. Two reviewers extracted the data independently, then both researchers simultaneously revised the data later, to arrive at a consensus. The search retrieved 1,158 papers, of which 965 were excluded for being duplicates, not relevant, or unrelated studies. A further 86 papers were excluded for being guidelines, protocols, or case reports, along with another 64 that did not contain relevant information, leaving 43 studies for inclusion. Many of these studies showed the utility of proteomic techniques for prediction, pathophysiology, diagnosis, management, monitoring, and prognosis of pre-eclampsia, perinatal infection, premature rupture of membranes, preterm birth, intrauterine growth restriction, and ectopic pregnancy. Proteomic techniques have enormous clinical significance and constitute an invaluable weapon in the management of obstetric disorders that increase maternal and perinatal morbidity and mortality. PMID:25926758

Assessing the body image: relevance, application and instruments for oncological settings.

PubMed

Annunziata, Maria Antonietta; Giovannini, Lorena; Muzzatti, Barbara

2012-05-01

Body image is the sum of physical, cognitive, emotional, and relational elements that, when integrated, allow the development of a whole, healthy self-identity. Even though body image is normally studied in relation to eating disorders, it can also be influenced by other pathologies, including cancer. In oncology, an effective body image assessment is fundamental. The physical effects of cancer and cancer treatments are important and frequently irreversible also on a functional and emotional level; however, only few surveys have investigated body image in this peculiar context. An extensive literature review was carried out in PubMed and PsycINFO. We considered articles published from 1990 to 2010. Two hundred sixty-three papers matched the search criteria. Assessment methodologies included clinical interviews, self-report measures, questionnaires, symptom check lists, and graphic tests and projective techniques. After excluding the instruments that referred to eating disorders, validated only for adolescents, and/or projective and graphic tests, we found 81 articles with six questionnaires specifically dedicated to body image assessment in oncology. From our systematic review, we could identify six instruments specifically designed for assessing body image in the oncological area. In this paper, we discuss their general characteristics, psychometrics properties and the clinical implications, and body image relevance on the quality of life in cancer patients.

Relevance and reliability of experimental data in human health risk assessment of pesticides.

PubMed

Kaltenhäuser, Johanna; Kneuer, Carsten; Marx-Stoelting, Philip; Niemann, Lars; Schubert, Jens; Stein, Bernd; Solecki, Roland

2017-08-01

Evaluation of data relevance, reliability and contribution to uncertainty is crucial in regulatory health risk assessment if robust conclusions are to be drawn. Whether a specific study is used as key study, as additional information or not accepted depends in part on the criteria according to which its relevance and reliability are judged. In addition to GLP-compliant regulatory studies following OECD Test Guidelines, data from peer-reviewed scientific literature have to be evaluated in regulatory risk assessment of pesticide active substances. Publications should be taken into account if they are of acceptable relevance and reliability. Their contribution to the overall weight of evidence is influenced by factors including test organism, study design and statistical methods, as well as test item identification, documentation and reporting of results. Various reports make recommendations for improving the quality of risk assessments and different criteria catalogues have been published to support evaluation of data relevance and reliability. Their intention was to guide transparent decision making on the integration of the respective information into the regulatory process. This article describes an approach to assess the relevance and reliability of experimental data from guideline-compliant studies as well as from non-guideline studies published in the scientific literature in the specific context of uncertainty and risk assessment of pesticides. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Electronic nicotine delivery devices, and their impact on health and patterns of tobacco use: a systematic review protocol.

PubMed

Glasser, Allison M; Cobb, Caroline O; Teplitskaya, Lyubov; Ganz, Ollie; Katz, Lauren; Rose, Shyanika W; Feirman, Shari; Villanti, Andrea C

2015-04-29

E-cigarettes or electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) have recently attracted considerable attention. Among some individuals there is strong debate and a polarisation of views about the public health benefits versus harms of ENDS. With little regulation, the ENDS market is evolving, and new products are introduced and marketed constantly. Rapid developments in manufacturing, marketing and consumer domains related to ENDS will warrant frequent re-evaluation, based on the state of the evolving science. The purpose of this article is to describe a protocol for an ongoing comprehensive review of the published scientific literature on ENDS. We will undertake a systematic review of published empirical research literature on ENDS using the National Library of Medicine's PubMed electronic database to search for relevant articles. Data from included studies will be extracted into a standardised form, tables with study details and key outcomes for each article will be created, and studies will be synthesised qualitatively. This review synthesises published literature and presents no primary data. Therefore, no ethical approval is required for this study. Subsequent papers will provide greater detail on results, within select categories, that represent gaps in the literature base. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

Adapting the design of Anesthesia Information Management Systems to innovations depicted in Industrial Property documents.

PubMed

Spyropoulos, B; Tzavaras, A; Zogogianni, D; Botsivaly, M

2013-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to present the design and the current development status of an Anesthesia Information Management System (AIMS). For this system, the physical and technical advances, depicted in relevant, recently published Industrial Property documents, have been taken into account. Additional innovative sensors create further data-load to be managed. Novel wireless data-transmission modes demand eventually compliance to further proper standards, so that interoperability between AIMS and the existing Hospital Information Systems is being sustained. We attempted to define, the state-of-the-art concerning the functions, the design-prerequisites and the relevant standards and of an "emerging" AIMS that is combining hardware innovation, real-time data acquisition, processing and displaying and lastly enabling the necessary interoperability with the other components of the existing Hospital Information Systems. Finally, we report based on this approach, about the design and implementation status, of our "real-world" system under development and discuss the multifarious obstacles encountered during this still on-going project.

Relating results from earthworm toxicity tests to agricultural soil

USGS Publications Warehouse

Beyer, W.N.; Greig-Smith, P.W.

1992-01-01

The artificial soil tests of the European Economic Community and of the Organization for Economic Cooperation produce data relating earthworm mortality to pesticide concentrations in soil under laboratory conditions. To apply these results to agricultural soils it is necessary to relate these concentrations to amounts of pesticide applied per area. This paper reviews the relevant published literature and suggests a simple relation for regulatory use. Hazards to earthworms from pesticides are suggested to be greatest soon after application, when the pesticides may be concentrated in a soil layer a few millimeters thick. For estimating exposure of earthworms, however, a thicker soil layer should be considered, to account for their movement through soil. During favorable weather conditions, earthworms belonging to species appropriate to the artificial soil test have been reported to confine their activity to a layer about 5 cm. If a 5-cm layer is accepted as relevant for regulatory purposes, then an application of 1 kg/ha would be equivalent to 1-67 ppm (dry) in the artificial soil test.

Recent developments in computer vision-based analytical chemistry: A tutorial review.

PubMed

Capitán-Vallvey, Luis Fermín; López-Ruiz, Nuria; Martínez-Olmos, Antonio; Erenas, Miguel M; Palma, Alberto J

2015-10-29

Chemical analysis based on colour changes recorded with imaging devices is gaining increasing interest. This is due to its several significant advantages, such as simplicity of use, and the fact that it is easily combinable with portable and widely distributed imaging devices, resulting in friendly analytical procedures in many areas that demand out-of-lab applications for in situ and real-time monitoring. This tutorial review covers computer vision-based analytical (CVAC) procedures and systems from 2005 to 2015, a period of time when 87.5% of the papers on this topic were published. The background regarding colour spaces and recent analytical system architectures of interest in analytical chemistry is presented in the form of a tutorial. Moreover, issues regarding images, such as the influence of illuminants, and the most relevant techniques for processing and analysing digital images are addressed. Some of the most relevant applications are then detailed, highlighting their main characteristics. Finally, our opinion about future perspectives is discussed. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

ADVISORY ON UPDATED METHODOLOGY FOR ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

The National Academy of Sciences (NAS) published the Biological Effects of Ionizing Radiation (BEIR) committee's report (BEIR VII) on risks from ionizing radiation exposures in 2006. The Committee analyzed the most recent epidemiology from the important exposed cohorts and factored in changes resulting from the updated analysis of dosimetry for the Japanese atomic bomb survivors. To the extent practical, the Committee also considered relevant radiobiological data, including that from the Department of Energy's low dose effects research program. Based on the review of this information, the Committee proposed a set of models for estimating risks from low-dose ionizing radiation. ORIA then prepared a white paper revising the Agency's methodology for estimating cancer risks from exposure to ionizing radiation in light of this report and other relevant information. This is the first product to be developed as a result of the BEIR VII report. We requested that the SAB conduct an advisory during the development of this methodology. The second product to be prepared will be a revised version of the document,

Kefir and Cancer: A Systematic Review of Literatures.

PubMed

Rafie, Nahid; Golpour Hamedani, Sahar; Ghiasvand, Reza; Miraghajani, Maryam

2015-12-01

Some studies have suggested chemopreventive effects of kefir, a fermented milk product, on carcinogenesis. The aim of this review study was to evaluate the scientific evidence for effects of kefir on cancer prevention and treatment. We systematically searched for all relevant studies published before June 2015, using PubMed, Google scholar, Cochrane and Science Direct, SID, MedLib and Srlst databases. Relevant studies were reviewed based on systematic review (PRISMA) guidelines. From a total of 2208 papers obtained at the initial database search, 11 publications including 7 in vitro and 4 experimental studies were eligible. In vitro studies on breast, colon, skin and gastric cancers and leukemia cell lines and experimental studies on different sarcomas consistently showed beneficial effects of kefir on cancer prevention and treatment. The results of this systematic review suggest that kefir may be associated with cancer prevention and it also has beneficial effects in cancer treatment. This protection may be associated with kefir bioactive components including peptides, polysaccharides and sphingolipids.

Enterprise systems' life cycle in pursuit of resilient smart factory for emerging aircraft industry: a synthesis of Critical Success Factors'(CSFs), theory, knowledge gaps, and implications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rashid, Asif; Masood, Tariq; Erkoyuncu, John Ahmet; Tjahjono, Benny; Khan, Nawar; Shami, Muiz-ud-din

2018-02-01

The research aims to investigate business value critical success factors (CSFs) of enterprise systems (ES) through their life cycle in pursuit of resilient smart factory for emerging aircraft industry. This article provides an extensive literature analysis of past 22 years based on conscientious criteria of authors: (i) who have published strategic content relevant to CSFs, (ii) received more than 300 citations and (iii) concurrently published two or more papers relevant to ES CSFs. The most cited strategic CSFs were termed as classical CSFs. The 22 CSFs were identified, validated and synthesised for better understanding of success across life cycle by aircraft industry experts. The top 10 empirically verified CSFs have numerous differences with past generic classical CSFs. This article canvases real insights of two distinct views: process and variance approaches of the ES CSFs. The process approach, which is a neglected research area, facilitates the researchers for identification of ES life cycle process coupled with a view of resource deployment when it is needed the most. While the variance approach facilitates practitioners and researchers in finding out which resource (CSF) is relatively more important. The significant findings for ES life cycle can help the practitioners and researchers to make rational decisions throughout the ES life cycle.

Clinically assisted hydration and the Liverpool Care Pathway: Catholic ethics and clinical evidence.

PubMed

Nowarska, Anna

2015-08-01

The Liverpool Care Pathway for the Dying Patient (LCP), a framework introduced for providing comfortable care at the last stage of life, has recently become highly contentious. Among the most serious allegations levelled against it, has been that the LCP may be used as a covert form of euthanasia by withdrawal of clinically assisted hydration (CAH). This concern has been raised, in particular by a number of Catholic medical professionals, who have asserted that the LCP is incompatible with Catholic ethics. This paper examines the key Catholic ethical principles relevant to treatment and care towards the end of life (the sanctity/inviolability of life principle, the distinction between ordinary and extraordinary means). Relevant current clinical evidence regarding CAH in relation to terminal thirst, dehydration, prolongation of life and possible negative impacts on the dying is also scrutinised. It is argued that for some patients at the very end of life it may be permissible and even desirable to withhold or withdraw it. Thus, as administration of CAH may become extraordinary, forgoing it in some situations is fully compatible with Catholic ethics. The article therefore concludes that the stance of the LCP in respect of provision of CAH is fully in alignment with Catholic teaching. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

Does playing video games improve laparoscopic skills?

PubMed

Ou, Yanwen; McGlone, Emma Rose; Camm, Christian Fielder; Khan, Omar A

2013-01-01

A best evidence topic in surgery was written according to a structured protocol. The question addressed was whether playing video games improves surgical performance in laparoscopic procedures. Altogether 142 papers were found using the reported search, of which seven represented the best evidence to answer the clinical question. The details of the papers were tabulated including relevant outcomes and study weaknesses. We conclude that medical students and experienced laparoscopic surgeons with ongoing video game experience have superior laparoscopic skills for simulated tasks in terms of time to completion, improved efficiency and fewer errors when compared to non-gaming counterparts. There is some evidence that this may be due to better psycho-motor skills in gamers, however further research would be useful to demonstrate whether there is a direct transfer of skills from laparoscopic simulators to the operating table. Copyright © 2013 Surgical Associates Ltd. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Adverse outcome pathways: a concise introduction for toxicologists

PubMed Central

Vergauwen, Lucia; Hengstler, Jan G.; Angrish, Michelle; Whelan, Maurice

2018-01-01

Adverse outcome pathways are designed to provide a clear-cut mechanistic representation of critical toxicological effects that propagate over different layers of biological organization from the initial interaction of a chemical with a molecular target to an adverse outcome at the individual or population level. Adverse outcome pathways are currently gaining momentum, especially in view of their many potential applications as pragmatic tools in the fields of human toxicology, ecotoxicology and risk assessment. A number of guidance documents, issued by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, as well as landmark papers, outlining best practices to develop, assess and use adverse outcome pathways, have been published in the last few years. The present paper provides a synopsis of the main principles related to the adverse outcome pathway framework for the toxicologist less familiar with this area, followed by two case studies relevant for human toxicology and ecotoxicology. PMID:28660287

A nonlinear control scheme based on dynamic evolution path theory for improved dynamic performance of boost PFC converter working on nonlinear features.

PubMed

Mohanty, Pratap Ranjan; Panda, Anup Kumar

2016-11-01

This paper is concerned to performance improvement of boost PFC converter under large random load fluctuation, ensuring unity power factor (UPF) at source end and regulated voltage at load side. To obtain such performance, a nonlinear controller based on dynamic evolution path theory is designed and its robustness is examined under both heavy and light loading condition. In this paper, %THD and zero-cross-over dead-zone of input current is significantly reduced. Also, very less response time of input current and output voltage to that of load and reference variation is remarked. A simulation model of proposed system is designed and it is realized using dSPACE 1104 signal processor for a 390V DC , 500W prototype. The relevant experimental and simulation waveforms are presented. Copyright © 2016 ISA. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The influence of suggestibility on memory.

PubMed

Nicolas, Serge; Collins, Thérèse; Gounden, Yannick; Roediger, Henry L

2011-06-01

We provide a translation of Binet and Henri's pioneering 1894 paper on the influence of suggestibility on memory. Alfred Binet (1857-1911) is famous as the author who created the IQ test that bears his name, but he is almost unknown as the psychological investigator who generated numerous original experiments and fascinating results in the study of memory. His experiments published in 1894 manipulated suggestibility in several ways to determine effects on remembering. Three particular modes of suggestion were employed to induce false recognitions: (1) indirect suggestion by a preconceived idea; (2) direct suggestion; and (3) collective suggestion. In the commentary we suggest that Binet and Henri's (1894) paper written over 115 years ago is still highly relevant even today. In particular, Binet's legacy lives on in modern research on misinformation effects in memory, in studies of conformity, and in experiments on the social contagion of memory. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Science and Society: The Case of Acceptance of Newtonian Optics in the Eighteenth Century

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Silva, Cibelle Celestino; Moura, Breno Arsioli

2012-09-01

The present paper presents a historical study on the acceptance of Newton's corpuscular theory of light in the early eighteenth century. Isaac Newton first published his famous book Opticks in 1704. After its publication, it became quite popular and was an almost mandatory presence in cultural life of Enlightenment societies. However, Newton's optics did not become popular only via his own words and hands, but also via public lectures and short books with scientific contents devoted to general public (including women) that emerged in the period as a sort of entertainment business. Lectures and writers stressed the inductivist approach to the study of nature and presented Newton's ideas about optics as they were consensual among natural philosophers in the period. The historical case study presented in this paper illustrates relevant aspects of nature of science, which can be explored by students of physics on undergraduate level or in physics teacher training programs.

USSR Space Life Sciences Digest, issue 29

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stone, Lydia Razran (Editor); Teeter, Ronald (Editor); Rowe, Joseph (Editor)

1991-01-01

This is the twenty-ninth issue of NASA's Space Life Sciences Digest. It is a double issue covering two issues of the Soviet Space Biology and Aerospace Medicine Journal. Issue 29 contains abstracts of 60 journal papers or book chapters published in Russian and of three Soviet monographs. Selected abstracts are illustrated with figures and tables from the original. A review of a book on environmental hygiene and a list of papers presented at a Soviet conference on space biology and medicine are also included. The materials in this issue were identified as relevant to 28 areas of space biology and medicine. The areas are: adaptation, aviation medicine, biological rhythms, body fluids, botany, cardiovascular and respiratory systems, developmental biology, digestive system, endocrinology, equipment and instrumentation, genetics, habitability and environment effects, hematology, human performance, immunology, life support systems, mathematical modeling, metabolism, musculoskeletal system, neurophysiology, nutrition, personnel selection, psychology, radiobiology, reproductive system, space biology and medicine, and the economics of space flight.

Biological Web Service Repositories Review

PubMed Central

Urdidiales‐Nieto, David; Navas‐Delgado, Ismael

2016-01-01

Abstract Web services play a key role in bioinformatics enabling the integration of database access and analysis of algorithms. However, Web service repositories do not usually publish information on the changes made to their registered Web services. Dynamism is directly related to the changes in the repositories (services registered or unregistered) and at service level (annotation changes). Thus, users, software clients or workflow based approaches lack enough relevant information to decide when they should review or re‐execute a Web service or workflow to get updated or improved results. The dynamism of the repository could be a measure for workflow developers to re‐check service availability and annotation changes in the services of interest to them. This paper presents a review on the most well‐known Web service repositories in the life sciences including an analysis of their dynamism. Freshness is introduced in this paper, and has been used as the measure for the dynamism of these repositories. PMID:27783459

USSR Space Life Sciences Digest, issue 11

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hooke, Lydia Razran (Editor); Radtke, Mike (Editor); Radtke, Mike (Editor); Radtke, Mike (Editor); Radtke, Mike (Editor); Radtke, Mike (Editor)

1987-01-01

This is the eleventh issue of NASA's USSR Space Life Sciences Digest. It contains abstracts of 54 papers recently published in Russian language periodicals and bound collections and of four new Soviet monographs. Selected abstracts are illustrated. Additional features include the translation of a paper presented in Russian to the United Nations, a review of a book on space ecology, and report of a conference on evaluating human functional capacities and predicting health. Current Soviet Life Sciences titles available in English are cited. The materials included in this issue have been identified as relevant to 30 areas of aerospace medicine and space biology. These areas are: adaptation, aviation physiology, biological rhythms, biospherics, body fluids, botany, cardiovascular and respiratory systems, cosmonaut training, developmental biology, endocrinology, enzymology, equipment and instrumentation, gastrointestinal systems, group dynamics, genetics, hematology, human performance, immunology, life support systems, mathematical modeling, metabolism, microbiology, musculoskeletal system, neurophysiology, nutrition, operational medicine, perception, personnel selection, psychology, and radiobiology.

Is the LINX reflux management system an effective treatment for gastro-oesophageal reflux disease?

PubMed

Loh, Yiwen; McGlone, Emma Rose; Reddy, Marcus; Khan, Omar A

2014-01-01

A best evidence topic in surgery was written according to a structured protocol. The question addressed whether LINX™ Reflux management system is an efficacious treatment for patients with symptoms of gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GORD) not controlled by proton pump inhibitors (PPI). Forty-eight LINX-related papers were identified using the reported search, of which three represented the best evidence to answer the clinical question. The authors, journal, date and country of publication, patient group, study type, relevant outcomes and results of these papers are tabulated. All three studies were prospective case studies. They demonstrated that LINX is an efficacious treatment for GORD patients with good short and medium term outcomes and an acceptable safety profile. Further studies are required to determine its long term outcomes and its relative efficacy as compared to other established treatments. Copyright © 2014 Surgical Associates Ltd. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A pilot study of nursing student's perceptions of academic dishonesty: a generation Y perspective.

PubMed

Arhin, Afua O

2009-01-01

As a result of the proliferation of technology, academic dishonesty in colleges and universities is becoming a major global problem of higher education. Unfortunately, it is documented in published research that today's student appears to normalize academic dishonest behaviors. This paper reports on a pilot study that tested an instrument that explored the perceptions of cheating in undergraduate nursing students. The instrument explored scenarios that represented dishonest behaviors in examination situations; dishonest behaviors relevant to classroom assignments; and scenarios that represented dishonest behaviors towards practical laboratory experiences. The participants in this study were quite clear on the definition of academic dishonesty in examination situations but had difficulty identifying academic dishonest behaviors during classroom and laboratory assignments. This paper further discusses these findings from the unique point of view of the characteristics of Generation Yers and the resulting implications for successful strategies that may curtail academic dishonesty.

USSR Space Life Sciences Digest, issue 13

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hooke, Lydia Razran (Editor); Teeter, Ronald (Editor); Teeter, Ronald (Editor); Teeter, Ronald (Editor); Teeter, Ronald (Editor)

1987-01-01

This is the thirteenth issue of NASA's USSR Space Life Sciences Digest. It contains abstracts of 39 papers recently published in Russian-language periodicals and bound collections, two papers delivered at an international life sciences symposium, and three new Soviet monographs. Selected abstracts are illustrated with figures and tables from the original. Also included is a review of a recent Soviet-French symposium on Space Cytology. Current Soviet Life Sciences titles available in English are cited. The materials included in this issue have been identified as relevant to 31 areas of aerospace medicine and space biology. These areas are: adaptation, biological rhythms, body fluids, botany, cardiovascular and respiratory systems, cosmonaut training, cytology, developmental biology, endocrinology, enzymology, equipment and instrumentation, gastrointestinal systems, genetics, habitability and environment effects, hematology, human performance, immunology, life support systems, mathematical modeling, metabolism, microbiology, musculoskeletal system, neurophysiology, nutrition, operational medicine, perception, personnel selection, psychology, radiobiology, space biology, and space medicine.

Reflections on relevance: Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics in 2004.

PubMed

Balon, Richard

2005-01-01

Relevance of an article is a highly desirable yet hardly predictable quality at the time of its publication. Article relevance is frequently measured by the impact factor of the journal where the article is published. Furthermore, impact factor, citation index and citation analysis are used as a measure of research progress and scientific wealth of a nation. The wisdom and significance of this approach to relevance is debatable and thus discussed here. In 2004, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics published a variety of articles which, in the author's view, are clinically relevant. Several selected clinically relevant issues reviewed in this article include: the conceptualization of fibromyalgia as a stress disorder; the psychosocial impact and psychosocial interventions in cancer; the impact of alexithymia on patient care; the possible relationship between depression and nutrition (namely intake of folate and pyridoxal phosphate); the significance of hypercoagulability in panic-like anxiety; the questionable value of single isomer drugs, and the relevance and adequacy of clinimetrics versus psychometrics in clinical research. The reviewed issues seem to be relevant to clinical practice, research or both, but also to our critical thinking, and the critical review of the developments in psychiatry and psychology. Copyright 2005 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Physico-chemical properties of manufactured nanomaterials - Characterisation and relevant methods. An outlook based on the OECD Testing Programme.

PubMed

Rasmussen, Kirsten; Rauscher, Hubert; Mech, Agnieszka; Riego Sintes, Juan; Gilliland, Douglas; González, Mar; Kearns, Peter; Moss, Kenneth; Visser, Maaike; Groenewold, Monique; Bleeker, Eric A J

2018-02-01

Identifying and characterising nanomaterials require additional information on physico-chemical properties and test methods, compared to chemicals in general. Furthermore, regulatory decisions for chemicals are usually based upon certain toxicological properties, and these effects may not be equivalent to those for nanomaterials. However, regulatory agencies lack an authoritative decision framework for nanomaterials that links the relevance of certain physico-chemical endpoints to toxicological effects. This paper investigates various physico-chemical endpoints and available test methods that could be used to produce such a decision framework for nanomaterials. It presents an overview of regulatory relevance and methods used for testing fifteen proposed physico-chemical properties of eleven nanomaterials in the OECD Working Party on Manufactured Nanomaterials' Testing Programme, complemented with methods from literature, and assesses the methods' adequacy and applications limits. Most endpoints are of regulatory relevance, though the specific parameters depend on the nanomaterial and type of assessment. Size (distribution) is the common characteristic of all nanomaterials and is decisive information for classifying a material as a nanomaterial. Shape is an important particle descriptor. The octanol-water partitioning coefficient is undefined for particulate nanomaterials. Methods, including sample preparation, need to be further standardised, and some new methods are needed. The current work of OECD's Test Guidelines Programme regarding physico-chemical properties is highlighted. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Understanding the processes of writing papers reflectively.

PubMed

Regmi, Krishna; Naidoo, Jennie

2013-07-01

This paper explores the writing of research papers using reflective frameworks. Reflective practice is integral to professional education and development. However, healthcare students, academics and practitioners have given limited attention to how to write reflectively. In addition, there are limited resources on the practical aspects of writing papers reflectively. The following major databases were searched: PubMed, Medline, King's Library, Excerpta Medica Database, Department of Health database, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature. The searches were conducted using 'free text' and 'index' terms. Only relevant papers published in English were reviewed and scrutinised. Unpublished reports, internal publications, snowballing from the reference lists and personal contacts were also included in the search. This is a review paper that critiques the frameworks used for reflective practice. Writing papers reflectively is a complex task. Healthcare professionals and researchers need to understand the meaning of reflection and make appropriate use of reflective frameworks. Demystifying the process of reflectively writing papers will help professionals develop skills and competencies. IMPLICATION FOR RESEARCH/PRACTICE: This article provides a practical guide to reflection and how nursing and allied healthcare students, academics and practitioners can practise it. The paper identifies four generic stages in frameworks: description, assessment, evaluation and action, which are illustrated by annotated 'skeletal' examples. It is hoped that this will assist the process of reflective practice, writing and learning.

How Twitter Is Studied in the Medical Professions: A Classification of Twitter Papers Indexed in PubMed.

PubMed

Williams, Shirley Ann; Terras, Melissa; Warwick, Claire

2013-01-01

Since their inception, Twitter and related microblogging systems have provided a rich source of information for researchers and have attracted interest in their affordances and use. Since 2009 PubMed has included 123 journal articles on medicine and Twitter, but no overview exists as to how the field uses Twitter in research. This paper aims to identify published work relating to Twitter within the fields indexed by PubMed, and then to classify it. This classification will provide a framework in which future researchers will be able to position their work, and to provide an understanding of the current reach of research using Twitter in medical disciplines. Papers on Twitter and related topics were identified and reviewed. The papers were then qualitatively classified based on the paper's title and abstract to determine their focus. The work that was Twitter focused was studied in detail to determine what data, if any, it was based on, and from this a categorization of the data set size used in the studies was developed. Using open coded content analysis additional important categories were also identified, relating to the primary methodology, domain, and aspect. As of 2012, PubMed comprises more than 21 million citations from biomedical literature, and from these a corpus of 134 potentially Twitter related papers were identified, eleven of which were subsequently found not to be relevant. There were no papers prior to 2009 relating to microblogging, a term first used in 2006. Of the remaining 123 papers which mentioned Twitter, thirty were focused on Twitter (the others referring to it tangentially). The early Twitter focused papers introduced the topic and highlighted the potential, not carrying out any form of data analysis. The majority of published papers used analytic techniques to sort through thousands, if not millions, of individual tweets, often depending on automated tools to do so. Our analysis demonstrates that researchers are starting to use knowledge discovery methods and data mining techniques to understand vast quantities of tweets: the study of Twitter is becoming quantitative research. This work is to the best of our knowledge the first overview study of medical related research based on Twitter and related microblogging. We have used 5 dimensions to categorize published medical related research on Twitter. This classification provides a framework within which researchers studying development and use of Twitter within medical related research, and those undertaking comparative studies of research, relating to Twitter in the area of medicine and beyond, can position and ground their work.

Assessing the Spread and Uptake of a Framework for Introducing and Evaluating Advanced Practice Nursing Roles.

PubMed

Boyko, Jennifer A; Carter, Nancy; Bryant-Lukosius, Denise

2016-08-01

Health system researchers must ensure that the products of their work meet the needs of various stakeholder groups (e.g., patients, practitioners, and policy makers). Evidence-based frameworks can support the uptake and spread of research evidence; however, their existence as knowledge translation tools does not ensure their uptake and it is difficult to ascertain their spread into research, practice, and policy using existing methods. The purpose of this article is to report results of a study on the spread and uptake of an evidence-based framework (i.e., the participatory, evidence-based, patient-focused process for advanced practice nursing [PEPPA] framework) into research, practice, and policies relevant to the introduction and evaluation of advanced practice nursing roles. We also reflect on the utility of using a modified citation methodology to evaluate knowledge translation efforts. We searched four databases for literature published between 2004 and 2014 citing the original paper in which the PEPPA framework was published, and carried out an Internet search for grey literature using keywords. Relevant data were extracted from sources and organized using NVivo software. We analysed results descriptively. Our search yielded 164 unique sources of which 69.5% were from published literature and the majority (83.4%) of these were published in nursing journals. Most frequently (71.5%), the framework was used by researchers and students in research studies. A smaller number of citations (11.3%) reflected use of the PEPPA framework in practice settings with a focus on role development, implementation, evaluation, or a combination of these. This study demonstrates that the PEPPA framework has been used to varying degrees as intended, and provides guidance on how to evaluate the spread and uptake of research outputs (e.g., theoretical frameworks). Further research is needed about ways to determine whether evidence-informed research tools such as frameworks have been taken up successfully into practice and policy contexts. © 2016 Sigma Theta Tau International.

Advancing knowledge in work-related rehabilitation - review of research published in the journal of WORK.

PubMed

Prodinger, Birgit; Magalhães, Lilian

2010-01-01

Many studies published in the journal WORK in the recent decades have discussed work and employment trends. However, the dimensions of these contributions over time have not been reviewed. The main objective of this study was to investigate the knowledge development in regard to work-related rehabilitation in WORK over the last two decades. A scoping review was conducted using the following five stages: (i) identifying research question, (ii) identifying relevant studies, (iii) study selection, (iv) charting, summarizing, and collating the data, and (v) reporting the results. Studies were selected from the WORK ARTicle Database. Seventy-five relevant studies were identified. The findings reflect that WORK has published papers from across the world, with most of the studies from the United States, Sweden, Canada, and Hong Kong. The complexity and multi-factorial nature of work-related rehabilitation was reflected in the application of quantitative, qualitative, and mixed method research approaches, as well as case studies. Study participants were characterized by work, and non-work related injuries, systematic diseases/chronic illness, fulfilled certain socio-demographic characteristic, and represented various stakeholders. Fewer studies drew on secondary resources. In the findings one re-occurring theme has been noted: 'maintaining/obtaining/returning to secure and stable employment/work'. Four key-reflections evolved from this scoping review that provide potential avenues for future research. These key-reflections include (i) the national, transnational and international dimension of the reviewed studies, (ii) the various societal levels informing work-related rehabilitation practices, (iii) the diversity of methodologies applied in current research, and (iv) the variability of terminology used within the reviewed studies. The journal WORK has published a variety of research over the last two decades and contributed significantly to our current understanding of work-related rehabilitation. However, further research in these reflective areas would expand the current knowledge base.

Investigation of Financial Conflict of Interest among Published Ventral Hernia Research.

PubMed

Cherla, Deepa V; Olavarria, Oscar A; Bernardi, Karla; Viso, Cristina P; Moses, Maya L; Holihan, Julie L; Ko, Tien C; Kao, Lillian S; Liang, Mike K

2018-03-01

Discordance exists between author self-disclosure and the Open Payments Database in various surgical fields, but the effects of this discordance on study design and presentation are unknown. We hypothesized that, among ventral hernia publications, discordance exists between industry and physician self-reported conflicts of interest (COIs); authors disclose relevant COIs; and disclosure and relevant COIs affect study favorability. We conducted a double-blinded, prospective, observational study of published articles. PubMed was searched in reverse chronological order for clinical articles pertaining to ventral hernias. Authors' self-disclosed conflicts were compared with those on the Open Payments Database. Two reviewers blinded to article disclosure status determined jointly whether the COIs were relevant to the article. Three blinded referees independently voted whether each article was favorable to discussed subject matter. The primary end point was study favorability. Secondary outcomes included disclosure status and relevance. One hundred articles were included. Compared with authors with no COIs, authors with a COI, self-disclosed or not, were twice as likely to write results favorable to industry. Of those with a COI, most of the articles had a relevant COI (37 of 45 [82.2%]), and 25% of relevant COIs were not disclosed by authors. Among authors with a relevant COI, study favorability remained unchanged at 68.5% (control: no COI 33.3%; p < 0.001). Within the ventral hernia literature, 70% of articles have a COI. Self-reporting of COI is discordant in 63% of articles. Twenty-five percent of relevant COI are not disclosed. Having a COI increases the chances that an article will cast a favorable impression on the company paying the authors by 200%. Copyright © 2017 American College of Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Electronic Journal Publishers: A Reference Librarian's Guide.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Huber, Charles F.

2000-01-01

Discusses problems that the lack of standardization in electronic journal publishing creates for reference or bibliographic instruction librarians and describes a study that examined science, technology, and medicine journals publishers' Web sites, focusing on those features most relevant to end users. (Author/LRW)

Knowledge and attitudes regarding influenza vaccination among nurses: a research review.

PubMed

Zhang, Jing; While, Alison E; Norman, Ian J

2010-10-18

Influenza vaccination rates among nurses remain suboptimal despite health authority recommendations in many countries and several vaccination campaign programmes to encourage nurses to be vaccinated in many institutions. We reviewed published studies investigating nurses' knowledge and attitudes towards influenza vaccination to establish what is known about the determinants of nurses' influenza vaccination practices. Relevant articles published up to July 2010 were identified through multiple databases (CINAHL, MEDLINE, PubMed, EMBASE, BNI, HMIC, PsycINFO, CMAC, and CNJ) using predetermined search strategies. Review of the titles and abstracts revealed 182 of 254 references were not relevant. Of 45 full papers reviewed, 32 did not report nurse data separately and one was a duplicate report of a study. We included 12 research studies which had investigated the relationship between knowledge and attitudes towards influenza vaccination and nurses' vaccination practices published between 2003 and 2010. All the studies were descriptive and relied upon self-report data. The findings of this review indicate a relationship between knowledge, attitudes and vaccination practices of nurses. There were three main findings: first, there was a strong association between nurses' knowledge of influenza and vaccination and their vaccination status; second, the surveys showed a positive relationship between perceptions of influenza as a serious illness and vaccination as effective and safe and a positive vaccination status; and third, there was a relationship between nurses' vaccination status and their reported promotion of vaccination to their patients. This review indicates that higher knowledge and positive attitudes towards influenza vaccination have a significantly positive association with vaccination coverage among nurses. Further studies are needed to identify influences on nurses' attitudes and practices regarding influenza vaccination and the personal, organizational, and situational factors that influence the uptake of influenza vaccine by nurses. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

International Conference in Computational Cell Biology: From the Past to the Future

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-09-12

24061 -0001 ABSTRACT Number of Papers published in peer -reviewed journals: Number of Papers published in non peer -reviewed journals: Final Report...present their latest research and discussed challenges in computational cell biology research and education. (a) Papers published in peer -reviewed...List the papers, including journal references, in the following categories: (b) Papers published in non- peer -reviewed journals (N/A for none) (c

Electro-Thermo-Mechanical Homogenization of Ferroelectric Atomistic Medium

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-03-23

design new electroactive materials and devices. (a) Papers published in peer-reviewed journals (N/A for none) List of papers submitted or published...that acknowledge ARO support during this reporting period. List the papers, including journal references, in the following categories: (b) Papers...published in non-peer-reviewed journals or in conference proceedings (N/A for none) 0.00Number of Papers published in peer-reviewed journals : Number of

PREFACE: International Symposium on Molecular Conductors: Novel Functions of Molecular Conductors under Extreme Conditions (ISMC 2008)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Takahashi, Toshihiro; Suzumura, Yoshikazu

2008-02-01

The International Symposium on Molecular Conductors 2008 (ISMC2008) was held as the second international symposium of the project entitled `Novel Functions of Molecular Conductors under Extreme Conditions', which was supported by the Grant-in-aid for Scientific Research on Priority Areas from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology in Japan. The project lasted from September 2003 to March 2008, and was completed by this symposium held at Okazaki Conference Center, Institute for Molecular Science, Okazaki, Japan (23-25 July 2008), which about 100 scientists attended. During the symposium, five project teams gave summary talks and exciting talks were given on the topics developed recently not only by the members of the project but also by other scientists including invited speakers from abroad, who are doing active research on molecular conductors. It is expected that papers presented in the symposium will give valuable hints for the next step in the research of this field. Therefore the organizers of this symposium decided to publish this proceedings in order to demonstrate these activities, not only for the local community of the project, but also for the broad society of international scientists who are interested in molecular conductors. The editors, who are also the organizers of this symposium, believe that this proceedings provides a significant and relevant contribution to the field of molecular conductors since it is the first time we have published such a proceedings as an electronic journal. We note that all papers published in this volume of Journal of Physics: Conference Series have been peer reviewed by expert referees. Editors made every effort to satisfy the criterion of a proceedings journal published by IOP Publishing. Toshihiro Takahashi and Yoshikazu Suzumura Editors: Toshihiro Takahashi (Gakushuin University) (Chairman) Kazushi Kanoda (University of Tokyo) Seiichi Kagoshima (University of Tokyo) Takehiko Mori (Tokyo Institute of Technology) Yohji Misaki (Ehime University) Yoshikazu Suzumura (Nagoya University) (Chief editor) Conference photograph

CAAT Altex workshop paper entitled "Towards Good Read ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Grouping of substances and utilizing read-across within those groups represents an important data gap filling technique for chemical safety assessments. Categories/analogue groups are typically developed based on structural similarity, and increasingly often, also on mechanistic similarity. While read-across can play a key role in complying with legislations such as the European REACH legislation, the lack of consensus regarding the extent and type of evidence necessary to support it often hampers it’s successful application and acceptance by regulatory authorities. Despite a potentially broad user community, expertise is still concentrated across a handful of organizations and individuals. In order to facilitate the effective use of read-across, this document aims to summarize the state-of-the-art, summarise insights learned from reviewing ECHA published decisions as far as the relative successes/pitfalls surrounding read-across under the REACH and compile the relevant activities and guidance documents. Special emphasis is given to the available existing tools and approaches, the consideration and expression of uncertainty, the use of biological support data and the potential impact of the ECHA Read-Across Assessment Framework (RAAF) which was published in 2015. This is a paper that summarises different activities and research needs for read-across for regulatory purposes that has been compiled as a result of a CAAT initiative led by Thomas Hartung.

Profile and scientific production of Brazilian National Council of Technological and Scientific Development researchers in Pediatrics.

PubMed

Oliveira, Maria Christina L; Martelli, Daniella Reis B; Pinheiro, Sergio Veloso; Miranda, Debora Marques; Quirino, Isabel Gomes; Leite, Barbara Gusmão L; Colosimo, Enrico Antonio; e Silva, Ana Cristina S; Martelli-Júnior, Hercílio; Oliveira, Eduardo Araujo

2013-09-01

To evaluate the profile and the scientific production of researchers in Pediatrics with scholarship from the National Counsel of Technological and Scientific Development. The Lattes curricula of 34 researchers in Pediatrics with active scholarships, from 2006 to 2008 were included in the analysis. The variables of interest were: gender, affiliation, time since PHD, tutoring of undergraduate students, mentorship of masters and doctors, scientific production and the papers' impact. In a total of 411 researchers in Medicine, 34 (8%) belonged to Pediatrics. Males (77%) and scholars in the category 2 of productivity (62%) prevailed. Three states of Brazil were responsible for approximately 90% of the researchers: São Paulo (53%), Minas Gerais (21%), and Rio Grande do Sul (15%). During their academic career, the Pediatrics researchers have published 3,122 articles with a median of 89 articles per researcher (interquartile range - IQ=51-119). Of the total, 40 and 59% articles were indexed in the Web of Science and Scopus databases, respectively. The Pediatrics researchers have published papers in 599 journals with a median impact factor of 2.35 (IQ=1.37-3.73) for the 323 indexed journals. The Pediatrics researchers have a relevant scientific output from the quantity point of the view, but there is a need to improve quality.

Antenatal screening and predicting hypertension in pregnancy for midwives.

PubMed

Peacock, Ann S; Bogossian, Fiona

2010-09-01

The cause of hypertension in pregnancy remains unknown and results in increased risk of complications for mother and baby. Symptoms of developing pre-eclampsia, such as an elevated blood pressure, can be vague and singular. The purpose of this literature review is to evaluate research investigating antenatal screening practices for hypertension which fall within the midwives scope of practice. Inclusion criteria for this literature review were English language, peer reviewed primary research journal articles, published in the previous 20 years where the population under study was pregnant with reported outcomes of prevention, screening or prediction of hypertension in pregnancy. A large number of papers (n=201) were identified and these were screened and subsequently excluded if they addressed diagnostic testing, screening and interpretation that depended solely on a medical practitioner. There was no single predictive factor found, however the relevant papers included in this review (n=33) found evidence of modifiable, non-modifiable and clinical assessment factors for inclusion in a midwifery screening model. Further research should be focused on the factors observed by midwives during history taking and the antenatal course in the second and third trimesters and whether or not these can be synthesised in to a hypertension-specific diagnostic tool for use in midwifery practice. Copyright (c) 2009 Australian College of Midwives. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Postural tachycardia syndrome and other forms of orthostatic intolerance in Ehlers-Danlos syndrome.

PubMed

Roma, Maria; Marden, Colleen L; De Wandele, Inge; Francomano, Clair A; Rowe, Peter C

2018-03-05

To review the association between orthostatic intolerance syndromes and both joint hypermobility and Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, and to propose reasons for identifying hereditary connective tissue disorders in those with orthostatic intolerance in the context of both clinical care and research. We searched the published peer-reviewed medical literature for papers reporting an association between joint hypermobility or Ehlers-Danlos syndrome and orthostatic intolerance. We identified 10 relevant papers. Although methodological variability between studies introduces some limitations, the published literature consistently identifies a significantly higher prevalence of orthostatic intolerance symptoms in patients with joint hypermobility or Ehlers-Danlos syndrome than in healthy controls, and a significantly higher prevalence of cardiovascular and autonomic abnormalities both at rest and during orthostatic challenge. Postural tachycardia syndrome is the most commonly recognized circulatory disorder. The severity of orthostatic symptoms in those with EDS correlates with impairments in quality of life. There is a strong association between several forms of cardiovascular dysfunction, most notably postural tachycardia syndrome, and joint hypermobility or Ehlers-Danlos syndrome. We propose that recognition of joint hypermobility and Ehlers-Danlos syndrome among those with orthostatic intolerance syndromes has the potential to improve clinical care and the validity of research findings. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A trend analysis of ergonomic research themes in Taiwan.

PubMed

Lin, Chih-Long

2015-01-01

This paper examines the development of ergonomics in Taiwan by analysing 1404 scientific articles published by 113 permanent members of the Ergonomics Society of Taiwan (EST). Each article was classified by key words and abstract content. Each article was also coded by period of publication (1971-1992 (first period), 1993-1997 (second period), 1998-2002 (third period), 2003-2007 (fourth period), and 2008-2012 (fifth period), and against 13 topic categories. The results show that rate of publication has increased by approximately 100 articles every five years since 1993.The most popular topic was ergonomics assessment and analysis techniques in the first period, force exertion-related research in the second period, product design and evaluation in the third period, occupational safety and health in the fourth period and human-computer interface in the fifth period. Each of these is highly relevant to current contemporary issues around the world. Finally, potential areas for future ergonomics research in Taiwan are discussed. This study investigates the trends in academic papers published by members of the EST. Over time, topics have shifted from ergonomics evaluation methods to occupational safety and health, and human–computer interaction. The findings should be considered as important references for planning the future of ergonomics in Taiwan.

Contemporary cosmetic surgery: the potential risks and relevance for practice.

PubMed

Gilmartin, Jo

2011-07-01

To examine and critique the risks of cosmetic surgery and consider implications for practice. Cosmetic surgery is a growing industry with a significant global phenomenon. Feminists have been critical of aesthetic surgery practice, offering a range of representations in regard to 'identity', 'normality', 'cultural and social pressures', 'agency' and 'self-enhancement'. Discourses around minimising risk information acknowledge deficits in not supplying patients with full risk information. The results are usually devastating and lead to serious health complications that incisively diminish well-being for patients and increase health costs. Critical review. This paper represents a critical review of risks associated with cosmetic surgery. A Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System online (Medline) and British Nursing Index (BNI) search with relevant key words were undertaken and selected exemplary articles and research describing and/or evaluating cosmetic surgery risk. Only papers in the English language from 1982-2009 were reviewed. The papers examined were mainly empirical studies; some opinion papers, policy documents, textbooks and websites were examined too. The literature revealed that several factors influence consumer risks including regulation vagaries, medicalisation processes, fear of ageing discrimination, wanting to avoid ethnic prejudice and media pressure. Government strategies in the United Kingdom (UK) have attempted to improve clinical standards; however, little attempt has been made globally to raise institutional and professional awareness of the huge impact of cultural and social pressures on consumers. Avoiding shattering complications by improving the provision of risk information for patients is a worthwhile goal. Therefore, health professionals need to consider consumer rights and autonomy more carefully, facilitate rigorous screening and develop knowledge in regard to relational autonomy and alternative interventions. © 2010 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Dealing with chaos and complexity: the reality of interviewing children and families in their own homes.

PubMed

MacDonald, Kath; Greggans, Alison

2008-12-01

The aim of this paper is to share our experiences of dealing with chaos and complexity in interview situations in the home with children and young people. We highlight dilemmas relevant to dealing with multiple interruptions, building a rapport, consent and confidentiality. Furthermore, we discuss issues regarding the locus of power and control and offer some solutions based on our experiences. Creating a safe environment is essential for qualitative research. Participants are more likely to open up and communicate if they feel safe, comfortable and relaxed. We conclude that interviewing parents and their children with cystic fibrosis in their own homes, is chaotic and appears to threaten the rigour of data collection processes. Limited attention or print space is paid to this issue, with published articles frequently sanitising the messiness of real world qualitative research. Position paper. In this position paper, we use two case studies to illustrate ethical and pragmatic challenges of interviewing out in the field. These case studies, typical of families we encountered, help emphasise the concerns we had in balancing researcher-participant rapport with the quality of the research process. Dealing with perceived chaos is hard in reality, but capturing it is part of the complexity of qualitative enquiry. The context is interdependent with children's perceived reality, because they communicate with others through their environment. This paper gives researchers an insight into the tensions of operating out in the field and helps raise the importance of the environmental 'chaos' in revealing significant issues relevant to peoples daily lives. Knowing that unexpected chaos is part and parcel of qualitative research, will equip researchers with skills fundamental for balancing the well being of all those involved with the quality of the research process.

The International College of Neuro-Psychopharmacology (CINP) Treatment Guidelines for Bipolar Disorder in Adults (CINP-BD-2017), Part 2: Review, Grading of the Evidence, and a Precise Algorithm

PubMed Central

Yatham, Lakshmi; Grunze, Heinz; Vieta, Eduard; Young, Allan; Blier, Pierre; Kasper, Siegfried; Moeller, Hans Jurgen

2017-01-01

Abstract Background: The current paper includes a systematic search of the literature, a detailed presentation of the results, and a grading of treatment options in terms of efficacy and tolerability/safety. Material and Methods: The PRISMA method was used in the literature search with the combination of the words ‘bipolar,’ ‘manic,’ ‘mania,’ ‘manic depression,’ and ‘manic depressive’ with ‘randomized,’ and ‘algorithms’ with ‘mania,’ ‘manic,’ ‘bipolar,’ ‘manic-depressive,’ or ‘manic depression.’ Relevant web pages and review articles were also reviewed. Results: The current report is based on the analysis of 57 guideline papers and 531 published papers related to RCTs, reviews, posthoc, or meta-analysis papers to March 25, 2016. The specific treatment options for acute mania, mixed episodes, acute bipolar depression, maintenance phase, psychotic and mixed features, anxiety, and rapid cycling were evaluated with regards to efficacy. Existing treatment guidelines were also reviewed. Finally, Tables reflecting efficacy and recommendation levels were created that led to the development of a precise algorithm that still has to prove its feasibility in everyday clinical practice. Conclusions: A systematic literature search was conducted on the pharmacological treatment of bipolar disorder to identify all relevant random controlled trials pertaining to all aspects of bipolar disorder and graded the data according to a predetermined method to develop a precise treatment algorithm for management of various phases of bipolar disorder. It is important to note that the some of the recommendations in the treatment algorithm were based on the secondary outcome data from posthoc analyses. PMID:27816941

Transgender health care: improving medical students' and residents' training and awareness.

PubMed

Dubin, Samuel N; Nolan, Ian T; Streed, Carl G; Greene, Richard E; Radix, Asa E; Morrison, Shane D

2018-01-01

A growing body of research continues to elucidate health inequities experienced by transgender individuals and further underscores the need for medical providers to be appropriately trained to deliver care to this population. Medical education in transgender health can empower physicians to identify and change the systemic barriers to care that cause transgender health inequities as well as improve knowledge about transgender-specific care. We conducted structured searches of five databases to identify literature related to medical education and transgender health. Of the 1272 papers reviewed, 119 papers were deemed relevant to predefined criteria, medical education, and transgender health topics. Citation tracking was conducted on the 119 papers using Scopus to identify an additional 12 relevant citations (a total of 131 papers). Searches were completed on October 15, 2017 and updated on December 11, 2017. Transgender health has yet to gain widespread curricular exposure, but efforts toward incorporating transgender health into both undergraduate and graduate medical educations are nascent. There is no consensus on the exact educational interventions that should be used to address transgender health. Barriers to increased transgender health exposure include limited curricular time, lack of topic-specific competency among faculty, and underwhelming institutional support. All published interventions proved effective in improving attitudes, knowledge, and/or skills necessary to achieve clinical competency with transgender patients. Transgender populations experience health inequities in part due to the exclusion of transgender-specific health needs from medical school and residency curricula. Currently, transgender medical education is largely composed of one-time attitude and awareness-based interventions that show significant short-term improvements but suffer methodologically. Consensus in the existing literature supports educational efforts to shift toward pedagogical interventions that are longitudinally integrated and clinical skills based, and we include a series of recommendations to affirm and guide such an undertaking.

Development of a National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cancer Framework: A Shared Process to Guide Effective Policy and Practice

PubMed Central

Brands, Jenny; Garvey, Gail; Anderson, Kate; Cunningham, Joan; Chynoweth, Jennifer; Wallington, Isabella; Morris, Bronwyn; Knott, Vikki; Webster, Samantha; Kinsella, Lauren; Zorbas, Helen

2018-01-01

Indigenous Australians experience a substantially higher cancer mortality rate than non-Indigenous Australians. While cancer outcomes are improving for non-Indigenous Australians, they are worsening for Indigenous Australians. Reducing this disparity requires evidence-based and culturally-appropriate guidance. The purpose of this paper is to describe an initiative by Cancer Australia and Menzies School of Health Research (Menzies) to develop Australia’s first National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cancer Framework using a process of co-design with relevant stakeholders. The initiative was guided by three core principles: achieving policy-relevant evidence-based outcomes; engaging and maintaining trust with Indigenous Australians at every phase; and employing best-practice and appropriate research methods. Four components of research comprised the Framework development: evidence review; multifaceted stakeholder consultation and input; triangulation of findings; and direct stakeholder input in drafting and refining the Framework. The evidence review confirmed the increasing burden of cancer on Indigenous Australians, while stakeholder consultations facilitated comprehensive input from those with lived experience. The consultations revealed issues not identified in existing literature, and gave different emphases of priority, thus reinforcing the value of including stakeholder perspectives. This paper focuses primarily on documenting the methods used; findings are presented only in order to illustrate the results of the process. The published Framework is available at www.canceraustralia.gov.au; further description and analyses of findings from the consultations will be published elsewhere. The logistics inherent in large-scale consultation are considerable. However, the quality of data and the foundation for sustained partnership with stakeholders and knowledge translation vastly outweighed the challenges. The process of wide-ranging stakeholder consultation described in this paper offers a model for other areas of national and international Indigenous priority setting and policy and practice development that meets the needs of those most affected. The Framework, through the establishment of an agreed, shared and evidence-based agenda, provides guidance for jurisdictional cancer plans, optimal care pathways, and program and service planning for the multiple players across all levels of the health system. PMID:29747405

Person-centred rehabilitation: what exactly does it mean? Protocol for a scoping review with thematic analysis towards framing the concept and practice of person-centred rehabilitation.

PubMed

Jesus, Tiago S; Bright, Felicity; Kayes, Nicola; Cott, Cheryl A

2016-07-19

Person-centredness is a philosophy for organising and delivering healthcare based on patients' needs, preferences and experiences. Although widely endorsed, the concept suffers from a lack of detail and clarification, in turn accounting for ambiguous implementation and outcomes. While a conceptual framework based on a systematic review defines person/patient-centred care components (Scholl et al, 2014), it applies across healthcare contexts and may not be sensitive to the nuances of the rehabilitation of adults with physical impairments. Accordingly, this study aims to build a conceptual framework, based on existing literature, of what person-centredness means in the rehabilitation of adults with physical impairments in the clinical encounter and broader health service delivery. We will use a scoping review methodology. Searches on relevant databases will be conducted first, combining keywords for 'rehabilitation', 'person-centered' and associated terms (including patient preferences/experiences). Next, snowball searches (citation tracking, references lists) will be performed. Papers will be included if they fall within predefined selection categories (seen as most likely informative on elements pertaining to person-centred rehabilitation) and are written in English, regardless of design (conceptual, qualitative, quantitative). Two reviewers will independently screen titles and abstracts, followed by screening of the full text to determine inclusion. Experts will then be consulted to identify relevant missing papers. This can include elements other than the peer-reviewed literature (eg, book chapters, policy/legal papers). Finally, information that helps to build the concept and practice of person-centred rehabilitation will be abstracted independently by two reviewers and analysed by inductive thematic analysis to build the conceptual framework. The resulting framework will aid clarification regarding person-centred rehabilitation, which in turn is expected to conceptually ground and inform its operationalisation (eg, measurement, implementation, improvement). Findings will be disseminated through local, national and international stakeholders, both at the clinical and service organisation levels. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/

Bibliometric mapping and clustering analysis of Iranian papers on reproductive medicine in Scopus database (2010-2014).

PubMed

Bazm, Soheila; Kalantar, Seyyed Mehdi; Mirzaei, Masoud

2016-06-01

To meet the future challenges in the field of reproductive medicine in Iran, better understanding of published studies is needed. Bibliometric methods and social network analysis have been used to measure the scope and illustrate scientific output of researchers in this field. This study provides insight into the structure of the network of Iranian papers published in the field of reproductive medicine through 2010-2014. In this cross-sectional study, all relevant scientific publications were retrieved from Scopus database and were analyzed according to document type, journal of publication, hot topics, authors and institutions. The results were mapped and clustered by VosViewer software. In total, 3141 papers from Iranian researchers were identified in Scopus database between 2010-2014. The numbers of publications per year have been increased from 461 in 2010 to 749 in 2014. Tehran University of Medical Sciences and "Soleimani M" are occupied the top position based on Productivity indicator. Likewise "Soleimani M" was obtained the first rank among authors according to degree centrality, betweenness centrality and collaboration criteria. In addition, among institutions, Iranian Academic Center for Education, Culture and Research (ACECR) was leader based on degree centrality, betweenness centrality and collaboration indicators. Publications of Iranian researchers in the field of reproductive medicine showed steadily growth during 2010-2014. It seems that in addition to quantity, Iranian authors have to promote quality of articles and collaboration. It will help them to advance their efforts.

Bibliometric mapping and clustering analysis of Iranian papers on reproductive medicine in Scopus database (2010-2014)

PubMed Central

Bazm, Soheila; Kalantar, Seyyed Mehdi; Mirzaei, Masoud

2016-01-01

Background: To meet the future challenges in the field of reproductive medicine in Iran, better understanding of published studies is needed. Bibliometric methods and social network analysis have been used to measure the scope and illustrate scientific output of researchers in this field. Objective: This study provides insight into the structure of the network of Iranian papers published in the field of reproductive medicine through 2010-2014. Materials and Methods: In this cross-sectional study, all relevant scientific publications were retrieved from Scopus database and were analyzed according to document type, journal of publication, hot topics, authors and institutions. The results were mapped and clustered by VosViewer software. Results: In total, 3141 papers from Iranian researchers were identified in Scopus database between 2010-2014. The numbers of publications per year have been increased from 461 in 2010 to 749 in 2014. Tehran University of Medical Sciences and "Soleimani M" are occupied the top position based on Productivity indicator. Likewise "Soleimani M" was obtained the first rank among authors according to degree centrality, betweenness centrality and collaboration criteria. In addition, among institutions, Iranian Academic Center for Education, Culture and Research (ACECR) was leader based on degree centrality, betweenness centrality and collaboration indicators. Conclusion: Publications of Iranian researchers in the field of reproductive medicine showed steadily growth during 2010-2014. It seems that in addition to quantity, Iranian authors have to promote quality of articles and collaboration. It will help them to advance their efforts. PMID:27525320

Ethnographic research into nursing in acute adult mental health units: a review.

PubMed

Cleary, Michelle; Hunt, Glenn E; Horsfall, Jan; Deacon, Maureen

2011-01-01

Acute inpatient mental health units are busy and sometimes chaotic settings, with high bed occupancy rates. These settings include acutely unwell patients, busy staff, and a milieu characterised by unpredictable interactions and events. This paper is a report of a literature review conducted to identify, analyse, and synthesize ethnographic research in adult acute inpatient mental health units. Several electronic databases were searched using relevant keywords to identify studies published from 1990-present. Additional searches were conducted using reference lists. Ethnographic studies published in English were included if they investigated acute inpatient care in adult settings. Papers were excluded if the unit under study was not exclusively for patients in the acute phase of their mental illness, or where the original study was not fully ethnographic. Ten research studies meeting our criteria were found (21 papers). Findings were grouped into the following overarching categories: (1) Micro-skills; (2) Collectivity; (3) Pragmatism; and (4) Reframing of nursing activities. The results of this ethnographic review reveal the complexity, patient-orientation, and productivity of some nursing interventions that may not have been observed or understood without the use of this research method. Additional quality research should focus on redefining clinical priorities and philosophies to ensure everyday care is aligned constructively with the expectations of stakeholders and is consistent with policy and the realities of the organisational setting. We have more to learn from each other with regard to the effective nursing care of inpatients who are acutely disturbed.

Guest authorship and ghostwriting in publications related to rofecoxib: a case study of industry documents from rofecoxib litigation.

PubMed

Ross, Joseph S; Hill, Kevin P; Egilman, David S; Krumholz, Harlan M

2008-04-16

Authorship in biomedical publication provides recognition and establishes accountability and responsibility. Recent litigation related to rofecoxib provided a unique opportunity to examine guest authorship and ghostwriting, practices that have been suspected in biomedical publication but for which there is little documentation. To characterize different types and the extent of guest authorship and ghostwriting in 1 case study. Court documents originally obtained during litigation related to rofecoxib against Merck & Co Inc. Documents were created predominantly between 1996 and 2004. In addition, publicly available articles related to rofecoxib identified via MEDLINE. All documents were reviewed by one author, with selected review by coauthors, using an iterative process of review, discussion, and rereview of documents to identify information related to guest authorship or ghostwriting. Approximately 250 documents were relevant to our review. For the publication of clinical trials, documents were found describing Merck employees working either independently or in collaboration with medical publishing companies to prepare manuscripts and subsequently recruiting external, academically affiliated investigators to be authors. Recruited authors were frequently placed in the first and second positions of the authorship list. For the publication of scientific review papers, documents were found describing Merck marketing employees developing plans for manuscripts, contracting with medical publishing companies to ghostwrite manuscripts, and recruiting external, academically affiliated investigators to be authors. Recruited authors were commonly the sole author on the manuscript and offered honoraria for their participation. Among 96 relevant published articles, we found that 92% (22 of 24) of clinical trial articles published a disclosure of Merck's financial support, but only 50% (36 of 72) of review articles published either a disclosure of Merck sponsorship or a disclosure of whether the author had received any financial compensation from the company. This case-study review of industry documents demonstrates that clinical trial manuscripts related to rofecoxib were authored by sponsor employees but often attributed first authorship to academically affiliated investigators who did not always disclose industry financial support. Review manuscripts were often prepared by unacknowledged authors and subsequently attributed authorship to academically affiliated investigators who often did not disclose industry financial support.

How Twitter Is Studied in the Medical Professions: A Classification of Twitter Papers Indexed in PubMed

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Since their inception, Twitter and related microblogging systems have provided a rich source of information for researchers and have attracted interest in their affordances and use. Since 2009 PubMed has included 123 journal articles on medicine and Twitter, but no overview exists as to how the field uses Twitter in research. Objective This paper aims to identify published work relating to Twitter within the fields indexed by PubMed, and then to classify it. This classification will provide a framework in which future researchers will be able to position their work, and to provide an understanding of the current reach of research using Twitter in medical disciplines. Methods Papers on Twitter and related topics were identified and reviewed. The papers were then qualitatively classified based on the paper’s title and abstract to determine their focus. The work that was Twitter focused was studied in detail to determine what data, if any, it was based on, and from this a categorization of the data set size used in the studies was developed. Using open coded content analysis additional important categories were also identified, relating to the primary methodology, domain, and aspect. Results As of 2012, PubMed comprises more than 21 million citations from biomedical literature, and from these a corpus of 134 potentially Twitter related papers were identified, eleven of which were subsequently found not to be relevant. There were no papers prior to 2009 relating to microblogging, a term first used in 2006. Of the remaining 123 papers which mentioned Twitter, thirty were focused on Twitter (the others referring to it tangentially). The early Twitter focused papers introduced the topic and highlighted the potential, not carrying out any form of data analysis. The majority of published papers used analytic techniques to sort through thousands, if not millions, of individual tweets, often depending on automated tools to do so. Our analysis demonstrates that researchers are starting to use knowledge discovery methods and data mining techniques to understand vast quantities of tweets: the study of Twitter is becoming quantitative research. Conclusions This work is to the best of our knowledge the first overview study of medical related research based on Twitter and related microblogging. We have used 5 dimensions to categorize published medical related research on Twitter. This classification provides a framework within which researchers studying development and use of Twitter within medical related research, and those undertaking comparative studies of research, relating to Twitter in the area of medicine and beyond, can position and ground their work. PMID:25075237

Applications of the Schur Basis to Quantum Algorithms

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-01-10

superpolynomial speedups based on quantum circuits. (a) Papers published in peer -reviewed journals (N/A for none) 1. D.A.Bacon, I.L. Chuang, A.W...reporting period. List the papers, including journal references, in the following categories: (b) Papers published in non- peer -reviewed journals or in...MIT, Department of EECS, 2008 7.00Number of Papers published in peer -reviewed journals: Number of Papers published in non peer -reviewed journals: (c

Microsatellite markers: what they mean and why they are so useful

PubMed Central

Vieira, Maria Lucia Carneiro; Santini, Luciane; Diniz, Augusto Lima; Munhoz, Carla de Freitas

2016-01-01

Abstract Microsatellites or Single Sequence Repeats (SSRs) are extensively employed in plant genetics studies, using both low and high throughput genotyping approaches. Motivated by the importance of these sequences over the last decades this review aims to address some theoretical aspects of SSRs, including definition, characterization and biological function. The methodologies for the development of SSR loci, genotyping and their applications as molecular markers are also reviewed. Finally, two data surveys are presented. The first was conducted using the main database of Web of Science, prospecting for articles published over the period from 2010 to 2015, resulting in approximately 930 records. The second survey was focused on papers that aimed at SSR marker development, published in the American Journal of Botany's Primer Notes and Protocols in Plant Sciences (over 2013 up to 2015), resulting in a total of 87 publications. This scenario confirms the current relevance of SSRs and indicates their continuous utilization in plant science. PMID:27561112

The Scottish Structural Proteomics Facility: targets, methods and outputs

PubMed Central

Oke, Muse; Carter, Lester G.; Johnson, Kenneth A.; Liu, Huanting; McMahon, Stephen A.; Yan, Xuan; Kerou, Melina; Weikart, Nadine D.; Kadi, Nadia; Sheikh, Md. Arif; Schmelz, Stefan; Dorward, Mark; Zawadzki, Michal; Cozens, Christopher; Falconer, Helen; Powers, Helen; Overton, Ian M.; van Niekerk, C. A. Johannes; Peng, Xu; Patel, Prakash; Garrett, Roger A.; Prangishvili, David; Botting, Catherine H.; Coote, Peter J.; Dryden, David T. F.; Barton, Geoffrey J.; Schwarz-Linek, Ulrich; Challis, Gregory L.; Taylor, Garry L.; White, Malcolm F.

2010-01-01

The Scottish Structural Proteomics Facility was funded to develop a laboratory scale approach to high throughput structure determination. The effort was successful in that over 40 structures were determined. These structures and the methods harnessed to obtain them are reported here. This report reflects on the value of automation but also on the continued requirement for a high degree of scientific and technical expertise. The efficiency of the process poses challenges to the current paradigm of structural analysis and publication. In the 5 year period we published ten peer-reviewed papers reporting structural data arising from the pipeline. Nevertheless, the number of structures solved exceeded our ability to analyse and publish each new finding. By reporting the experimental details and depositing the structures we hope to maximize the impact of the project by allowing others to follow up the relevant biology. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s10969-010-9090-y) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users. PMID:20419351

Does language matter? A case study of epidemiological and public health journals, databases and professional education in French, German and Italian

PubMed Central

Baussano, Iacopo; Brzoska, Patrick; Fedeli, Ugo; Larouche, Claudia; Razum, Oliver; Fung, Isaac C-H

2008-01-01

Epidemiology and public health are usually context-specific. Journals published in different languages and countries play a role both as sources of data and as channels through which evidence is incorporated into local public health practice. Databases in these languages facilitate access to relevant journals, and professional education in these languages facilitates the growth of native expertise in epidemiology and public health. However, as English has become the lingua franca of scientific communication in the era of globalisation, many journals published in non-English languages face the difficult dilemma of either switching to English and competing internationally, or sticking to the native tongue and having a restricted circulation among a local readership. This paper discusses the historical development of epidemiology and the current scene of epidemiological and public health journals, databases and professional education in three Western European languages: French, German and Italian, and examines the dynamics and struggles they have today. PMID:18826570

Approaches to culture and diversity: A critical synthesis of occupational therapy literature.

PubMed

Beagan, Brenda L

2015-12-01

The 2007 position statement on diversity for the Canadian occupational therapy profession argued discussion was needed to determine the implications of approaches to working with cultural differences and other forms of diversity. In 2014, a new position statement on diversity was published, emphasizing the importance of social power relations and power relations between client and therapist, and supporting two particular approaches: cultural safety and cultural humility with critical reflexivity This paper reviews and critically synthesizes the literature concerning culture and diversity published in occupational therapy between 2007 and 2014, tracing the major discourses and mapping the implications of four differing approaches: cultural competence, cultural relevance, cultural safety, and cultural humility. Approaches differ in where they situate the "problem," how they envision change, the end goal, and the application to a range of types of diversity. The latter two are preferred approaches for their attention to power relations and potential to encompass a range of types of social and cultural diversity. © CAOT 2015.

The risk/safety assessment of transgenic crops: the transportability of data.

PubMed

Kearns, Peter; Dagallier, Bertrand; Suwabe, Kazuyuki

2014-12-01

This paper presents the activities and publications of Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Developments (OECD's) Working Group on Harmonisation of Regulatory Oversight in Biotechnology and the Task Force for the Safety of Novel Foods and Feeds. The main outputs of the work are the Series of "consensus documents" of the respective groups. These documents compile information which is intended to be used by those involved in the business of risk/safety assessment. These documents are one means of ensuring the transportability of data amongst authorities. An increasing trend in both the Working Group and Task Force is to consider crop species which are relevant to tropical regions and therefore to countries that are not necessarily members of the OECD. For example, the Working Group has recently published a consensus document on bananas and plantains while the Task Force has published a document on cassava. This trend towards crops of greater interest in the tropics is likely to continue into the future.

Overview of reviews in child health: evidence synthesis and the knowledge base for a specific population.

PubMed

Thomson, Denise; Foisy, Michelle; Oleszczuk, Marta; Wingert, Aireen; Chisholm, Annabritt; Hartling, Lisa

2013-01-01

Overviews of reviews are an evolving form of evidence synthesis. The Cochrane Child Health Field has been producing overviews since 2006, during which time the methods that have been used have changed, both due to the development of guidance within The Cochrane Collaboration and to the decisions made by individual author teams. This paper studies the first 29 overviews published in EBCH. To describe some aspects of the approaches taken in EBCH overviews to producing evidence syntheses relevant to the healthcare needs of children; to highlight the contribution that overviews can make to the knowledge base for treatment for a particular population. Data was extracted on: whether the overview included systematic review (SR) data only, or also data from individual trials not present in the included SRs; name(s) of the Cochrane Review Group (CRG) that prepared the included SRs; topics of the overviews as compared to the topics of the included reviews; age-subgroup analyses presented in the overviews. In 23 overviews, all published in 2012, the authors included trial data as well as SR data; two overviews addressed conditions not explicitly addressed by the included reviews; three overviews included pre-specified age-subgroup analyses. The aim of clinical relevance has been achieved by means such as: drawing from reviews produced by multiple CRGs; using SR evidence to explore clinically relevant topics that may not match exactly with the topics covered by the SRs; ensuring that the evidence in overviews is as up to date as possible by redoing searches and including trials not incorporated in the included SRs; and, where permitted by the data, using age-subgroup analyses to present the data in a way which matches the stages of childhood development. Overview authors are dependent on the nature of the data and methods reported in the included SRs. This suggests a need for further study about how SRs could be conducted in order to facilitate the conduct of overviews. Copyright © 2013 The Cochrane Collaboration. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Public Experiments and their Analysis with the Replication Method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Heering, Peter

2007-06-01

One of those who failed to establish himself as a natural philosopher in 18th century Paris was the future revolutionary Jean Paul Marat. He did not only publish several monographs on heat, optics and electricity in which he attempted to characterise his work as being purely empirical but he also tried to establish himself as a public lecturer. From the analysis of his experiments using the replication method it became obvious that the written description is missing several relevant aspects of the experiments. In my paper, I am going to discuss the experiences made in analysing these experiments and will suggest possible relations between these publications and the public demonstrations.

Root canal irrigants

PubMed Central

Kandaswamy, Deivanayagam; Venkateshbabu, Nagendrababu

2010-01-01

Successful root canal therapy relies on the combination of proper instrumentation, irrigation, and obturation of the root canal. Of these three essential steps of root canal therapy, irrigation of the root canal is the most important determinant in the healing of the periapical tissues. The primary endodontic treatment goal must thus be to optimize root canal disinfection and to prevent reinfection. In this review of the literature, various irrigants and the interactions between irrigants are discussed. We performed a Medline search for English-language papers published untill July 2010. The keywords used were ‘root canal irrigants’ and ‘endodontic irrigants.’ The reference lists of each article were manually checked for additional articles of relevance. PMID:21217955

Factors Influencing Suicide Behaviours in Immigrant and Ethno-Cultural Minority Groups: A Systematic Review.

PubMed

Lai, Daniel W L; Li, Lun; Daoust, Gabrielle D

2017-06-01

This paper reviews recent literature on factors influencing suicide behaviours, including thoughts, plans, and attempts, in immigrant and ethno-cultural minority groups, to inform a more comprehensive understanding of suicide behaviours in increasingly culturally diverse populations. Thirty-three studies published between 2002 and 2013 were identified through digital databases searches and included in this review. Analysis of study findings focused on impacts of ethno-cultural identity and acculturation, other cultural and immigration influences, and family and community supports on suicide behaviours. Policy, practice, and research recommendations are identified, to inform relevant suicide prevention efforts and enhance mental health supports for immigrant and ethno-cultural minority populations.

[Advances in bone dysplasias].

PubMed

Borrego, E; Farrington, D M; Downey, F J

2014-01-01

The prevalence of bone dysplasias is estimated to be one case per 1,000 inhabitants, which suggests that, at some point in the career of an orthopaedic surgeon, he will face with one of these patients. The aim of this paper is to review the general aspects of bone dysplasias and focus on those, which due to their frequency and importance, we consider most relevant (achondroplasia, multiple epiphyseal dysplasia, spondyloepiphyseal dysplasia, osteogenesis imperfecta), reviewing their fundamental features and the latest therapeutic advances. There is no cure for these diseases, so early diagnosis and appropriate therapeutic management, becomes the key to improving quality of life of these patients. Copyright © 2013 SECOT. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.

A systematic review of novel technology for monitoring infant and newborn heart rate.

PubMed

Kevat, Ajay C; Bullen, Denise V R; Davis, Peter G; Kamlin, C Omar F

2017-05-01

Heart rate (HR) is a vital sign for assessing the need for resuscitation. We performed a systematic review of studies assessing novel methods of measuring HR in newborns and infants in the neonatal unit. Two investigators completed independent literature searches. Identified papers were independently evaluated, and relevant data were extracted and analysed. This systematic review identified seven new technologies, including camera-based photoplethysmography, reflectance pulse oximetry, laser Doppler methods, capacitive sensors, piezoelectric sensors, electromyography and a digital stethoscope. Clinicians should be aware of several of these, which may become available for clinical use in the near future. ©2017 Foundation Acta Paediatrica. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

The rites of writing papers: steps to successful publishing for psychiatrists.

PubMed

Brakoulias, Vlasios; Macfarlane, Matthew D; Looi, Jeffrey C

2015-02-01

To encourage psychiatrists to publish high-quality articles in peer-reviewed journals by demystifying the publishing process. This paper will describe the publishing process and outline key factors that ensure that publishing is an achievable goal for psychiatrists. The publishing process can be long and often this is related to delays associated with obtaining reviewers and their comments. Negative reviewer comments often relate to grammatical and typographical errors, an insufficient literature review, failure to adequately discuss limitations and conclusions that are not adequately supported by the results. Authors who systematically respond to their paper's reviewer comments are usually successful in having their papers accepted. Success in publishing is usually determined by a topic that appeals to the readership of a journal, a credible methodology and a paper that is well-written. Publishing is achievable for all psychiatrists providing they can write a paper that delivers a clear and concise message, are willing to address reviewer comments and that their paper is tailored to the readership of the journal. © The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists 2014.

Patterns of citations of open access and non-open access conservation biology journal papers and book chapters.

PubMed

Calver, Michael C; Bradley, J Stuart

2010-06-01

Open access (OA) publishing, whereby authors, their institutions, or their granting bodies pay or provide a repository through which peer-reviewed work is available online for free, is championed as a model to increase the number of citations per paper and disseminate results widely, especially to researchers in developing countries. We compared the number of citations of OA and non-OA papers in six journals and four books published since 2000 to test whether OA increases number of citations overall and increases citations made by authors in developing countries. After controlling for type of paper (e.g., review or research paper), length of paper, authors' citation profiles, number of authors per paper, and whether the author or the publisher released the paper in OA, OA had no statistically significant influence on the overall number of citations per journal paper. Journal papers were cited more frequently if the authors had published highly cited papers previously, were members of large teams of authors, or published relatively long papers, but papers were not cited more frequently if they were published in an OA source. Nevertheless, author-archived OA book chapters accrued up to eight times more citations than chapters in the same book that were not available through OA, perhaps because there is no online abstracting service for book chapters. There was also little evidence that journal papers or book chapters published in OA received more citations from authors in developing countries relative to those journal papers or book chapters not published in OA. For scholarly publications in conservation biology, only book chapters had an OA citation advantage, and OA did not increase the number of citations papers or chapters received from authors in developing countries.

Updates in venous thromboembolism management: evidence published in 2017.

PubMed

Bartlett, Matthew A; Bierle, Dennis M; Saadiq, Rayya A; Mauck, Karen F; Daniels, Paul R

2018-06-20

Venous thromboembolism (VTE) management is rapidly evolving and staying up-to-date is challenging. We identified the most practice-informing articles published in 2017 relevant to the nonspecialist provider managing VTE. We performed a systematic search of the literature (Appendix A), limiting the search to a publication date of 2017. Two reviewers screened the 2735 resulting abstracts to identify high-quality, clinically relevant publications related to VTE management. One-hundred and six full-text articles were considered for inclusion. The five authors used a modified Delphi method to reach consensus on inclusion of seven articles for in-depth appraisal, following predetermined criteria of clinical relevance to nonspecialist providers, potential for practice change, and strength of the evidence.

Acquisition of a Scanning Tunneling Microscope to Enhance Research and Education in Stress-Controlled Catalysis

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-01-14

Feb-2014 ABSTRACT Number of Papers published in peer-reviewed journals: Number of Papers published in non peer-reviewed journals: Final Report...educational impact of the STM/AFM. (a) Papers published in peer-reviewed journals (N/A for none) Enter List of papers submitted or published that acknowledge...ARO support from the start of the project to the date of this printing. List the papers , including journal references, in the following categories

New conducted electrical weapons: Electrical safety relative to relevant standards.

PubMed

Panescu, Dorin; Nerheim, Max; Kroll, Mark W; Brave, Michael A

2017-07-01

We have previously published about TASER ® conducted electrical weapons (CEW) compliance with international standards. CEWs deliver electrical pulses that can inhibit a person's neuromuscular control or temporarily incapacitate. An eXperimental Rotating-Field (XRF) waveform CEW and the X2 CEW are new 2-shot electrical weapon models designed to target a precise amount of delivered charge per pulse. They both can deploy 1 or 2 dart pairs, delivered by 2 separate cartridges. Additionally, the XRF controls delivery of incapacitating pulses over 4 field vectors, in a rotating sequence. As in our previous study, we were motivated by the need to understand the cardiac safety profile of these new CEWs. The goal of this paper is to analyze the nominal electrical outputs of TASER XRF and X2 CEWs in reference to provisions of all relevant international standards that specify safety requirements for electrical medical devices and electrical fences. Although these standards do not specifically mention CEWs, they are the closest electrical safety standards and hence give very relevant guidance. The outputs of several TASER XRF and X2 CEWs were measured under normal operating conditions. The measurements were compared against manufacturer specifications. CEWs electrical output parameters were reviewed against relevant safety requirements of UL 69, IEC 60335-2-76 Ed 2.1, IEC 60479-1, IEC 60479-2, AS/NZS 60479.1, AS/NZS 60479.2, IEC 60601-1 and BS EN 60601-1. Our study confirmed that the nominal electrical outputs of TASER XRF and X2 CEWs lie within safety bounds specified by relevant standards.

Improving health in prisons - from evidence to policy to implementation - experiences from the UK.

PubMed

Leaman, Jane; Richards, Anna Amelia; Emslie, Lynn; O'Moore, Eamonn Joseph

2017-09-11

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to understand the components of a high-quality prison healthcare system and the impact, ten-years on, of the transfer of accountability in England, from a justice ministry to a health ministry. Design/methodology/approach A rapid the evidence review was undertaken, which included a review of 82 papers and qualitative interviews with key informants. The concepts and themes identified were summarised and analysed through a framework analysis, designed to improve population outcomes and address health inequalities. The use of a rapid evidence assessment, rather than a systematic review methodology, the use of abstracts (rather than full-text articles) to extract the data, and limiting the search strategy to articles published in the English language only might mean that some relevant research papers and themes were not identified. The need for the evidence to be produced within a limited time frame and with limited resources determined these pragmatic approaches. Findings The review found that English prison healthcare has undergone "transformation" during this period, leading to increased quality of care through organisational engagement, professionalisation of the healthcare workforce, transparency, use of evidence-based guidance and responsiveness of services. The review also highlighted that there is still room for improvement, for example, relating to the prison regime and the lack of focus on early/preventive interventions, as well as specific challenges from limited resources. Research limitations/implications Time and resource constraints meant a rapid evidence review of papers in the English language was undertaken, rather than a systematic review. This might mean relevant papers have been missed. The review also only covered small number of countries, which may limit the transferability of findings. The lack of qualitative data necessitated the use of quantitative data gathered from key informants. However, this enabled a good understanding of current practice. Practical implications The review findings support the World Health Organisation position on the value of integrated prison and public health systems in improving quality of healthcare. It also recommends future policy needs to take account of the "whole prison approach" recognising that healthcare in prisons cannot operate in isolation from the prison regime or the community. Originality/value This is unique research which has great value in supporting prison reform in England. It will also be of interest internationally due to the paucity of data in the published peer-reviewed literature on the impact of commissioning models on healthcare or health outcomes.

Conflicts of Interest in Clinical Guidelines: Lack of Authors and Disclosures in the AAOMS White Papers.

PubMed

Ji, Yisi D; Lahey, Edward T

2018-03-02

The purpose of this study was to evaluate current state of authorship, financial disclosures, and conflicts of interest in position papers published by the American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons (AAOMS). This is a cross-sectional review of the position papers published by the AAOMS from 2013 to 2017. Primary outcome variables include position papers published by the AAOMS. Secondary outcome variables include declaration of authorship, financial disclosures, and financial payments. The Open Payments Database for financial disclosures was reviewed for the year the position paper was published and the immediate preceding year. Ten position papers were published by the AAOMS from 2013 to 2017. Of the 10 papers, authorship was listed in 3, and none explicitly addressed the presence or absence of financial disclosures or conflicts of interest. Contributors to 3 of the 3 authored papers were found at review of the Open Payments Database to have received industry funding in the year the position paper was published and the immediate preceding year. The remuneration ranged from less than $1,000 to $554,006.02. Position papers published by the AAOMS lack standardization for authorship and statements on potential financial disclosure. The authors suggest full disclosures of authorship and authors' conflicts of interest should be stated on all position papers to provide transparency to the process. Copyright © 2018 American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Wearable Therapy - Detecting Information from Wearables and Mobiles that are Relevant to Clinical and Self-directed Therapy.

PubMed

Arnrich, Bert; Ersoy, Cem; Mayora, Oscar; Dey, Anind; Berthouze, Nadia; Kunze, Kai

2017-01-09

This accompanying editorial provides a brief introduction into the focus theme "Wearable Therapy". The focus theme "Wearable Therapy" aims to present contributions which target wearable and mobile technologies to support clinical and self-directed therapy. A call for papers was announced to all participants of the "9th International Conference on Pervasive Computing Technologies for Healthcare" and was published in November 2015. A peer review process was conducted to select the papers for the focus theme. Six papers were selected to be included in this focus theme. The paper topics cover a broad range including an approach to build a health informatics research program, a comprehensive literature review of self-quantification for health self-management, methods for affective state detection of informal care givers, social-aware handling of falls, smart shoes for supporting self-directed therapy of alcohol addicts, and reference information model for pervasive health systems. More empirical evidence is needed that confirms sustainable effects of employing wearable and mobile technology for clinical and self-directed therapy. Inconsistencies between different conceptual approaches need to be revealed in order to enable more systematic investigations and comparisons.

Plutonium immobilization in glass and ceramics

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Knecht, D.A.; Murphy, W.M.

1996-05-01

The Materials Research Society Nineteenth Annual Symposium on the Scientific Basis for Nuclear Waste Management was held in Boston on November 27 to December 1, 1995. Over 150 papers were presented at the Symposium dealing with all aspects of nuclear waste management and disposal. Fourteen oral sessions and on poster session included a Plenary session on surplus plutonium dispositioning and waste forms. The proceedings, to be published in April, 1996, will provide a highly respected, referred compilation of the state of scientific development in the field of nuclear waste management. This paper provides a brief overview of the selected Symposiummore » papers that are applicable to plutonium immobilization and plutonium waste form performance. Waste forms that were described at the Symposium cover most of the candidate Pu immobilization options under consideration, including borosilicate glass with a melting temperature of 1150 {degrees}C, a higher temperature (1450 {degrees}C) lanthanide glass, single phase ceramics, multi-phase ceramics, and multi-phase crystal-glass composites (glass-ceramics or slags). These Symposium papers selected for this overview provide the current status of the technology in these areas and give references to the relevant literature.« less

Characteristics of retractions related to faked peer reviews: an overview.

PubMed

Qi, Xingshun; Deng, Han; Guo, Xiaozhong

2017-08-01

A faked peer review is a novel cause for retraction. We reviewed the characteristics of papers retracted due to a faked peer review. All papers retracted due to faked peer reviews were identified by searching the Retraction Watch website and by conducting a manual search. All identified papers were confirmed in published journals. The information of retracted papers was collected, which primarily included publisher, journal, journal impact factor, country, as well as publication and retraction year. Overall, 250 retracted papers were identified. They were published in 48 journals by six publishers. The top 5 journals included the Journal of Vibration and Control (24.8%), Molecular Biology Reports (11.6%), Immunopharmacology and Immunotoxicology (8.0%), Tumour Biology (6.8%) and European Journal of Medical Research (6.4%). The publishers included SAGE (31%), Springer (26%), BioMed Central (18%), Elsevier (13%), Informa (11%) and LWW (1%). A minority (4%) of retracted papers were published in Science Citation Index (SCI) journals with an impact factor of >5. A majority (74.8%) of retracted papers were written by Chinese researchers. In terms of the publication year, the retracted papers were published since 2010, and the number of retracted papers peaked in 2014 (40.8%). In terms of the retraction year, the retractions started in 2012, and the number of retractions peaked in 2015 (59.6%). The number of papers retracted due to faked peer reviews differs largely among journals and countries. With the improvement of the peer review mechanism and increased education about publishing ethics, such academic misconduct may gradually disappear in future. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/.

International or national publication of case reports.

PubMed

Lundh, Andreas; Christensen, Mikkel; Jørgensen, Anders W

2011-02-01

Case reports are often regarded as second-class research, but are an important part of medical science as they often present first evidence of new discoveries. We here describe the type of case reports published in a Danish general medical journal. We included all case reports published in Ugeskrift for Laeger in 2009. For each report, two authors extracted information on study characteristics and classified the relevance and the role of the report. We included 139 case reports written in Danish. Thirty-nine (28%) were of general relevance and 100 (72%) of speciality relevance. The median number of authors was three (range: 1-7). The first author was a non-specialist physician in 119 (86%) of the reports and the last author a specialist in 103 (78%). A total of 124 (89%) reports had an educational role, six (4%) dealt with new diseases, two (1%) with new side effects, three (2%) with new mechanisms and four (3%) were curiosities. A total of 59 (42%) reports were surgical, 64 (46%) non-surgical and 16 (12%) paraclinical. We found that most case reports published in Ugeskrift for Laeger were of speciality relevance and had an educational perspective. The journal may consider focusing on cases of more general educational relevance and should also consider whether the current form and language suit the aim and role of the various types of case reports.

Antibiotics versus appendectomy in the management of acute appendicitis: a review of the current evidence

PubMed Central

Fitzmaurice, Gerard J.; McWilliams, Billy; Hurreiz, Hisham; Epanomeritakis, Emanuel

2011-01-01

Background Acute appendicitis remains the most common cause of the acute abdomen in young adults, and the mainstay of treatment in most centres is an appendectomy. However, treatment for other intra-abdominal inflammatory processes, such as diverticulitis, consists initially of conservative management with antibiotics. The aim of this study was to determine the role of antibiotics in the management of acute appendicitis and to assess if appendectomy remains the gold standard of care. Methods A literature search using MEDLINE and the Cochrane Library identified studies published between 1999 and 2009, and we reviewed all relevant articles. The articles were critiqued using the Public Health Resource Unit (2006) appraisal tools. Results Our search yielded 41 papers, and we identified a total of 13 papers within the criteria specified. All of these papers, while posing pertinent questions and demonstrating the role of antibiotics as a bridge to surgery, failed to adequately justify their findings that antibiotics could be used as a definitive treatment of acute appendicitis. Conclusion Appendectomy remains the gold standard of treatment for acute appendicitis based on the current evidence. PMID:21651835

Antibiotics versus appendectomy in the management of acute appendicitis: a review of the current evidence.

PubMed

Fitzmaurice, Gerard J; McWilliams, Billy; Hurreiz, Hisham; Epanomeritakis, Emanuel

2011-10-01

Acute appendicitis remains the most common cause of the acute abdomen in young adults, and the mainstay of treatment in most centres is an appendectomy. However, treatment for other intra-abdominal inflammatory processes, such as diverticulitis, consists initially of conservative management with antibiotics. The aim of this study was to determine the role of antibiotics in the management of acute appendicitis and to assess if appendectomy remains the gold standard of care. A literature search using MEDLINE and the Cochrane Library identified studies published between 1999 and 2009, and we reviewed all relevant articles. The articles were critiqued using the Public Health Resource Unit (2006) appraisal tools. Our search yielded 41 papers, and we identified a total of 13 papers within the criteria specified. All of these papers, while posing pertinent questions and demonstrating the role of antibiotics as a bridge to surgery, failed to adequately justify their findings that antibiotics could be used as a definitive treatment of acute appendicitis. Appendectomy remains the gold standard of treatment for acute appendicitis based on the current evidence.

A comprehensive review on the quasi-induced exposure technique.

PubMed

Jiang, Xinguo; Lyles, Richard W; Guo, Runhua

2014-04-01

The goal is to comprehensively examine the state-of-the-art applications and methodological development of quasi-induced exposure and consequently pinpoint the future research directions in terms of implementation guidelines, limitations, and validity tests. The paper conducts a comprehensive review on approximately 45 published papers relevant to quasi-induced exposure regarding four key topics of interest: applications, responsibility assignment, validation of assumptions, and methodological development. Specific findings include that: (1) there is no systematic data screening procedure in place and how the eliminated crash data will impact the responsibility assignment is generally unknown; (2) there is a lack of necessary efforts to assess the validity of assumptions prior to its application and the validation efforts are mostly restricted to the aggregated levels due to the limited availability of exposure truth; and (3) there is a deficiency of quantitative analyses to evaluate the magnitude and directions of bias as a result of injury risks and crash avoidance ability. The paper points out the future research directions and insights in terms of the validity tests and implementation guidelines. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Clinical Information Systems as the Backbone of a Complex Information Logistics Process: Findings from the Clinical Information Systems Perspective for 2016.

PubMed

Hackl, W O; Ganslandt, T

2017-08-01

Objective: To summarize recent research and to propose a selection of best papers published in 2016 in the field of Clinical Information Systems (CIS). Method: The query used to retrieve the articles for the CIS section of the 2016 edition of the IMIA Yearbook of Medical Informatics was reused. It again aimed at identifying relevant publications in the field of CIS from PubMed and Web of Science and comprised search terms from the Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) catalog as well as additional free text search terms. The retrieved articles were categorized in a multi-pass review carried out by the two section editors. The final selection of candidate papers was then peer-reviewed by Yearbook editors and external reviewers. Based on the review results, the best papers were then chosen at the selection meeting with the IMIA Yearbook editorial board. Text mining, term co-occurrence mapping, and topic modelling techniques were used to get an overview on the content of the retrieved articles. Results: The query was carried out in mid-January 2017, yielding a consolidated result set of 2,190 articles published in 921 different journals. Out of them, 14 papers were nominated as candidate best papers and three of them were finally selected as the best papers of the CIS field. The content analysis of the articles revealed the broad spectrum of topics covered by CIS research. Conclusions: The CIS field is multi-dimensional and complex. It is hard to draw a well-defined outline between CIS and other domains or other sections of the IMIA Yearbook. The trends observed in the previous years are progressing. Clinical information systems are more than just sociotechnical systems for data collection, processing, exchange, presentation, and archiving. They are the backbone of a complex, trans-institutional information logistics process. Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart.

Publication analysis of the contact lens field: what are the current topics of interest?

PubMed

Cardona, Genís; Sanz, Joan P

2015-01-01

To determine the main current research interests of scientists working in the contact lens field. All articles published in the 2011 issues of all journals included in the Journal Citation Reports subject category Ophthalmology were inspected to expose those papers related to the contact lens field. Information regarding source journal was obtained and authorship details were recorded to determine the top most prolific authors, institutions and countries. A comprehensive list of key words was compiled to generate a two-dimensional term map in which the frequency of occurrence of a particular term is defined by label size and the distance between two terms is an indication of the relatedness of these terms, based on their co-occurrences within groups of key words. Clusters of related terms were also identified. Visual examination of all articles uncovered a total of 156 papers, published in 28 different journals. Contact Lens & Anterior Eye, Eye & Contact Lens and Optometry and Vision Science had 27 articles each. The most prolific authors and institutions revealed the predominance of countries with long research tradition in the contact lens field. Ten different word clusters or areas of interest were identified, including both traditional, yet unresolved issues (e.g., comfort or dry eye), and the latest research efforts (e.g., myopia control). These findings, which revealed contact lenses to be a fertile area of research, may be of relevance to new researchers as well as to those interested in exploring the latest research trends in this scientific discipline. Copyright © 2013 Spanish General Council of Optometry. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.

IHE cross-enterprise document sharing for imaging: design challenges

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Noumeir, Rita

2006-03-01

Integrating the Healthcare Enterprise (IHE) has recently published a new integration profile for sharing documents between multiple enterprises. The Cross-Enterprise Document Sharing Integration Profile (XDS) lays the basic framework for deploying regional and national Electronic Health Record (EHR). This profile proposes an architecture based on a central Registry that holds metadata information describing published Documents residing in one or multiple Documents Repositories. As medical images constitute important information of the patient health record, it is logical to extend the XDS Integration Profile to include images. However, including images in the EHR presents many challenges. The complete image set is very large; it is useful for radiologists and other specialists such as surgeons and orthopedists. The imaging report, on the other hand, is widely needed and its broad accessibility is vital for achieving optimal patient care. Moreover, a subset of relevant images may also be of wide interest along with the report. Therefore, IHE recently published a new integration profile for sharing images and imaging reports between multiple enterprises. This new profile, the Cross-Enterprise Document Sharing for Imaging (XDS-I), is based on the XDS architecture. The XDS-I integration solution that is published as part of the IHE Technical Framework is the result of an extensive investigation effort of several design solutions. This paper presents and discusses the design challenges and the rationales behind the design decisions of the IHE XDS-I Integration Profile, for a better understanding and appreciation of the final published solution.

Relevans og intention. To analyser af en massemedietekst om okonomisk politik. ROLIG-papir 33 (Relevance and Intention. Two Analyses of a Mass Media Text on Economic Politics. ROLIG-paper 33).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Heltoft, Lars; Geist, Uwe

The three papers in this publication analyze a newspaper article on "economic politics," or more specifically, the devaluing of the Danish kroner. The papers all examine some linguistic or structural feature of the language used in writing the article. Specific focus is on relevance theory and relevance in the article, the use of text…

Estimation of Japanese international financial assistance for HIV/AIDS control for 2003-2007: difficulties and limitations of data collection.

PubMed

Mori, Koichiro; Yonemoto, Kiyoshi; Takei, Teiji; Izazola-Licea, Jose; Gobet, Benjamin

2010-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to: (1) collect relevant data and estimate Japanese international financial assistance for HIV/AIDS control; (2) discuss the difficulties in collecting relevant data and the limitations of the collected data; and (3) conduct a comparative analysis on the estimated data with OECD and Kaiser Family Foundation aggregate data. The point is that we have comprehensively collected and estimated the data on Japanese international expenditures for HIV/AIDS control while there is no reliable data that is totally managed and published. In addition, we discuss the difficulties and limitations of data collection: unpublished data; insufficient data; inseparable data; problems of exchange rates; gaps between disbursement and commitment; and difference in year period among calendar, fiscal and organization-specific years. Furthermore, we show the risk of underestimating the Japanese international contribution to HIV/AIDS control on the basis of OECD and Kaiser data. In this respect, it is significant to comprehensively collect and estimate the data on Japanese international assistance for HIV/AIDS control. Finally, we derive the implication that it is crucial for a relevant international organization and/or individual countries to comprehensively collect and administer data for international cooperation in the development of health policies for HIV/AIDS.

A narrative review of recent developments in knowledge translation and implications for mental health care providers.

PubMed

Goldner, Elliot M; Jenkins, Emily K; Fischer, Benedikt

2014-03-01

Attention to knowledge translation (KT) has increased in the health care field in an effort to improve uptake and implementation of potentially beneficial knowledge. We provide an overview of the current state of KT literature and discuss the relevance of KT for health care professionals working in mental health. A systematic search was conducted using MEDLINE, PsycINFO, and CINAHL databases to identify review articles published in journals from 2007 to 2012. We selected articles on the basis of eligibility criteria and then added further articles deemed pertinent to the focus of ourpaper. After removing duplicates, we scanned 214 review articles for relevance and, subsequently, we added 46 articles identified through hand searches of reference lists or from other sources. A total of 61 papers were retained for full review. Qualitative synthesis identified 5 main themes: defining KT and development of KT science; effective KT strategies; factors influencing the effectiveness of KT; KT frameworks and guides; and relevance of KT to health care providers. Despite limitations in existing evidence, the concept and practice of KT holds potential value for mental health care providers. Understanding of, and familiarity with, effective approaches to KT holds the potential to enhance providers' treatment approaches and to promote the use of new knowledge in practice to enhance outcomes.

Health Care Financing In Iran; Is Privatization A Good Solution?

PubMed Central

Davari, M; Haycox, A; Walley, T

2012-01-01

Background: This paper considers a range of issues related to the financing of health care system and relevant government policies in Iran. Methods: This study used mixed methods. A systematic literature review was undertaken to identify relevant publications. This was supplemented by hand searching in books and journals, including government publications. The issues and uncertainties identified in the literature were explored in detail through semi-structured interviews with key informants. These were triangulated with empirical evidence in the form of the literature, government statistics and independent expert opinions to validate the views expressed in the interviews. Results: The systematic review of published literature showed that no previous publication has addressed issues relating to the financing of healthcare services in Iran. However, a range of opinion pieces outlined issues to be explored further in the interviews. Such issues summarised into four main categories. Conclusion: The health care market in Iran has faced a period in which financial issues have enhanced managerial complexity. Privatization of health care services would appear to be a step too far in assisting the system to confront its challenges at the current time. The most important step toward solving such challenges is to focus on a feasible, relevant and comprehensive policy, which optimises the use of health care resources in Iran. PMID:23113205

Health care financing in iran; is privatization a good solution?

PubMed

Davari, M; Haycox, A; Walley, T

2012-01-01

This paper considers a range of issues related to the financing of health care system and relevant government policies in Iran. This study used mixed methods. A systematic literature review was undertaken to identify relevant publications. This was supplemented by hand searching in books and journals, including government publications. The issues and uncertainties identified in the literature were explored in detail through semi-structured interviews with key informants. These were triangulated with empirical evidence in the form of the literature, government statistics and independent expert opinions to validate the views expressed in the interviews. The systematic review of published literature showed that no previous publication has addressed issues relating to the financing of healthcare services in Iran. However, a range of opinion pieces outlined issues to be explored further in the interviews. Such issues summarised into four main categories. The health care market in Iran has faced a period in which financial issues have enhanced managerial complexity. Privatization of health care services would appear to be a step too far in assisting the system to confront its challenges at the current time. The most important step toward solving such challenges is to focus on a feasible, relevant and comprehensive policy, which optimises the use of health care resources in Iran.

A Bibliometric Analysis of U.S.-Based Research on the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System

PubMed Central

Khalil, George M.; Gotway Crawford, Carol A.

2017-01-01

Background Since Alan Pritchard defined bibliometrics as “the application of statistical methods to media of communication” in 1969, bibliometric analyses have become widespread. To date, however, bibliometrics has not been used to analyze publications related to the U.S. Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS). Purpose To determine the most frequently cited BRFSS-related topical areas, institutions, and journals. Methods A search of the Web of Knowledge database in 2013 identified U.S.-published studies related to BRFSS, from its start in 1984 through 2012. Search terms were BRFSS, Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, or Behavioral Risk Survey. The resulting 1,387 articles were analyzed descriptively and produced data for VOSviewer, a computer program that plotted a relevance distance–based map and clustered keywords from text in titles and abstracts. Results Topics, journals, and publishing institutions ranged widely. Most research was clustered by content area, such as cancer screening, access to care, heart health, and quality of life. The American Journal of Preventive Medicine and American Journal of Public Health published the most BRFSS-related papers (95 and 70, respectively). Conclusions Bibliometrics can help identify the most frequently published BRFSS-related topics, publishing journals, and publishing institutions. BRFSS data are widely used, particularly by CDC and academic institutions such as the University of Washington and other universities hosting top-ranked schools of public health. Bibliometric analysis and mapping provides an innovative way of quantifying and visualizing the plethora of research conducted using BRFSS data and summarizing the contribution of this surveillance system to public health. PMID:25442231

A literature review of anthropometric studies of school students for ergonomics purposes: Are accuracy, precision and reliability being considered?

PubMed

Bravo, G; Bragança, S; Arezes, P M; Molenbroek, J F M; Castellucci, H I

2018-05-22

Despite offering many benefits, direct manual anthropometric measurement method can be problematic due to their vulnerability to measurement errors. The purpose of this literature review was to determine, whether or not the currently published anthropometric studies of school children, related to ergonomics, mentioned or evaluated the variables precision, reliability or accuracy in the direct manual measurement method. Two bibliographic databases, and the bibliographic references of all the selected papers were used for finding relevant published papers in the fields considered in this study. Forty-six (46) studies met the criteria previously defined for this literature review. However, only ten (10) studies mentioned at least one of the analyzed variables, and none has evaluated all of them. Only reliability was assessed by three papers. Moreover, in what regards the factors that affect precision, reliability and accuracy, the reviewed papers presented large differences. This was particularly clear in the instruments used for the measurements, which were not consistent throughout the studies. Additionally, it was also clear that there was a lack of information regarding the evaluators' training and procedures for anthropometric data collection, which are assumed to be the most important issues that affect precision, reliability and accuracy. Based on the review of the literature, it was possible to conclude that the considered anthropometric studies had not focused their attention to the analysis of precision, reliability and accuracy of the manual measurement methods. Hence, and with the aim of avoiding measurement errors and misleading data, anthropometric studies should put more efforts and care on testing measurement error and defining the procedures used to collect anthropometric data.

Viewing benefit sharing in global health research through the lens of Aristotelian justice.

PubMed

Dauda, Bege; Dierickx, Kris

2017-06-01

The ethics of benefit sharing has been a topical issue in global health research in resource-limited countries. It pertains to the distribution of goods, benefits and advantages to the research participants, communities and countries that are involved in research. One of the nuances in benefit sharing is the ethical justification on which the concept should be based. Extensive literature outlining the different principles underlying benefit sharing is available. The purpose of this paper is to examine the proposed principles using Aristotelian principles of justice. The paper assesses the central idea of Aristotelian justice and applies and evaluates this idea to benefit sharing in research, especially when commercial research sponsors conduct research in resource-limited countries. Two categories of Aristotelian justice-universal and particular-were examined and their contribution to the benefit-sharing discourse assessed. On the one hand, benefit sharing in accordance with universal justice requires that for-profit research sponsors obey the legal regulations and international standards set for benefit sharing. On the other hand, benefit sharing in accordance with particular justice transcends obeying legal requirements and standards to a realm of acting in an ethically accepted manner. Accordingly, the paper further examines three perspectives of particular justice and develops ethical justification for benefit sharing in global health research. As Aristotelian justice is still relevant to the contemporary discourse on justice, this paper broadens the ethical justifications of benefit sharing in global health research. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/.

A critical analysis of the implementation of service user involvement in primary care research and health service development using normalization process theory.

PubMed

Tierney, Edel; McEvoy, Rachel; O'Reilly-de Brún, Mary; de Brún, Tomas; Okonkwo, Ekaterina; Rooney, Michelle; Dowrick, Chris; Rogers, Anne; MacFarlane, Anne

2016-06-01

There have been recent important advances in conceptualizing and operationalizing involvement in health research and health-care service development. However, problems persist in the field that impact on the scope for meaningful involvement to become a routine - normalized - way of working in primary care. In this review, we focus on current practice to critically interrogate factors known to be relevant for normalization - definition, enrolment, enactment and appraisal. Ours was a multidisciplinary, interagency team, with community representation. We searched EBSCO host for papers from 2007 to 2011 and engaged in an iterative, reflexive approach to sampling, appraising and analysing the literature following the principles of a critical interpretive synthesis approach and using Normalization Process Theory. Twenty-six papers were chosen from 289 papers, as a purposeful sample of work that is reported as service user involvement in the field. Few papers provided a clear working definition of service user involvement. The dominant identified rationale for enrolling service users in primary care projects was linked with policy imperatives for co-governance and emancipatory ideals. The majority of methodologies employed were standard health services research methods that do not qualify as research with service users. This indicates a lack of congruence between the stated aims and methods. Most studies only reported positive outcomes, raising questions about the balance or completeness of the published appraisals. To improve normalization of meaningful involvement in primary care, it is necessary to encourage explicit reporting of definitions, methodological innovation to enhance co-governance and dissemination of research processes and findings. © 2014 The Authors Health Expectations Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Concentration of the Most-Cited Papers in the Scientific Literature: Analysis of Journal Ecosystems

PubMed Central

Ioannidis, John P. A.

2006-01-01

Background A minority of scientific journals publishes the majority of scientific papers and receives the majority of citations. The extent of concentration of the most influential articles is less well known. Methods/Principal Findings The 100 most-cited papers in the last decade in each of 21 scientific fields were analyzed; fields were considered as ecosystems and their “species” (journal) diversity was evaluated. Only 9% of journals in Journal Citation Reports had published at least one such paper. Among this 9%, half of them had published only one such paper. The number of journals that had published a larger number of most-cited papers decreased exponentially according to a Lotka law. Except for three scientific fields, six journals accounted for 53 to 94 of the 100 most-cited papers in their field. With increasing average number of citations per paper (citation density) in a scientific field, concentration of the most-cited papers in a few journals became even more prominent (p<0.001). Concentration was unrelated to the number of papers published or number of journals available in a scientific field. Multidisciplinary journals accounted for 24% of all most-cited papers, with large variability across fields. The concentration of most-cited papers in multidisciplinary journals was most prominent in fields with high citation density (correlation coefficient 0.70, p<0.001). Multidisciplinary journals had published fewer than eight of the 100 most-cited papers in eight scientific fields (none in two fields). Journals concentrating most-cited original articles often differed from those concentrating most-cited reviews. The concentration of the most-influential papers was stronger than the already prominent concentration of papers published and citations received. Conclusions Despite a plethora of available journals, the most influential papers are extremely concentrated in few journals, especially in fields with high citation density. Existing multidisciplinary journals publish selectively most-cited papers from fields with high citation density. PMID:17183679

Genetics education in the nursing profession: literature review.

PubMed

Burke, Sarah; Kirk, Maggie

2006-04-01

This paper reports a literature review exploring genetics education for nursing professionals. The aim was to contribute to the debate about the future direction of such education. Advances in genetics science and technology have profound implications for health care and the growing importance and relevance of genetics for everyday nursing practice is increasingly recognized. A search was conducted in February 2005 using the CINAHL and Google Scholar databases and the keywords nurse, midwife, health visitor, education and genetics. Papers were included if they were published in English between 1994 and 2005 and included empirical data about genetics education in nursing. In addition, attempts were made to access the grey literature, with requests for information on research, for example, to members of the Association of Genetic Nurses and Counsellors and searches of relevant websites. Agreement on the relevance of genetics for nursing practice is extensive. Empirical evidence of the learning needs of practitioners highlights widespread deficits in knowledge and skills, and low confidence levels. Provision of nursing education in genetics is patchy and insubstantial across a number of countries, further hampered by lack of strategic development. Significant progress has been made in the identification of learning outcomes for nurses. Research on the delivery of genetics education is limited, but the role of skills-based training, use of clinical scenarios, and importance of assessment have all been identified as factors that can promote learning. Whilst areas of good performance were revealed, many studies identified gaps in professional competence and/or education. New initiatives are underway to support genetics education and its integration into professional practice, but further research is needed on the most effective forms of educational delivery, and an international collaborative approach to this should be considered.

Effectiveness of interventions to reduce ordering of thyroid function tests: a systematic review.

PubMed

Zhelev, Zhivko; Abbott, Rebecca; Rogers, Morwenna; Fleming, Simon; Patterson, Anthea; Hamilton, William Trevor; Heaton, Janet; Thompson Coon, Jo; Vaidya, Bijay; Hyde, Christopher

2016-06-03

To evaluate the effectiveness of behaviour changing interventions targeting ordering of thyroid function tests. Systematic review. MEDLINE, EMBASE and the Cochrane Database up to May 2015. We included studies evaluating the effectiveness of behaviour change interventions aiming to reduce ordering of thyroid function tests. Randomised controlled trials (RCTs), non-randomised controlled studies and before and after studies were included. There were no language restrictions. 2 reviewers independently screened all records identified by the electronic searches and reviewed the full text of any deemed potentially relevant. Study details were extracted from the included papers and their methodological quality assessed independently using a validated tool. Disagreements were resolved through discussion and arbitration by a third reviewer. Meta-analysis was not used. 27 studies (28 papers) were included. They evaluated a range of interventions including guidelines/protocols, changes to funding policy, education, decision aids, reminders and audit/feedback; often intervention types were combined. The most common outcome measured was the rate of test ordering, but the effect on appropriateness, test ordering patterns and cost were also measured. 4 studies were RCTs. The majority of the studies were of poor or moderate methodological quality. The interventions were variable and poorly reported. Only 4 studies reported unsuccessful interventions but there was no clear pattern to link effect and intervention type or other characteristics. The results suggest that behaviour change interventions are effective particularly in reducing the volume of thyroid function tests. However, due to the poor methodological quality and reporting of the studies, the likely presence of publication bias and the questionable relevance of some interventions to current day practice, we are unable to draw strong conclusions or recommend the implementation of specific intervention types. Further research is thus justified. CRD42014006192. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/

Highlighting impact: Do editors' selections identify influential papers?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Antonoyiannakis, Manolis

A recent trend in scientific publishing is that journal editors highlight each week a select set among the papers published (usually) in their respective journals. The highlighted papers are deemed of higher quality, importance, or interest than the 'average' paper and feature prominently in the publishers' websites. We perform a citation analysis of the highlighted papers for a number of journals from various publishers in physics. By comparing the performance of highlighted papers relative to (a) typical papers and (b) highly cited papers in their source journals and in other journals in the field, we explore whether, and to what extent, the selection process at the time of publication identifies papers that will turn out to be influential. We discuss the broader implications for research assessment.

Progress in Magnetospheric Physics: 1983-86 (Paper 7R0217)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schulz, Michael

1987-04-01

It has been a distinct pleasure, as well as an educational experience, to have served as associate editor for magnetospheric physics on this quadrennial report to IUGG. Fourteen authors and eighteen referees have done their utmost, despite the pressure of firm deadlines and the constraint of severe page limits, to make the magnetospheric report (consisting of the ten papers that follow) a valuable resource for the international space-research community. Users of this report are encouraged to cite not only the original references found pertinent to their research but also the IUGG review article(s) in which those original references were compiled. Authors of the ten review articles that follow were asked to compile fairly complete lists of relevant papers based on work performed at institutions in the United States and published between late 1982 and late 1986. Additional papers could be cited in the interest of providing context or perspective. Review authors were not required to mention in text every article included in their reference lists. The reader should attach no stigma, however, to the omission of any paper from either the text or the reference list of an IUGG review article. Any omission may have been an oversight, or it may have been necessary for the flow or balance of a particular review.

The full spectrum of ethical issues in the care of patients with ALS: a systematic qualitative review.

PubMed

Seitzer, F; Kahrass, H; Neitzke, G; Strech, D

2016-02-01

Dealing systematically with ethical issues in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) care requires an unbiased awareness of all the relevant ethical issues. The aim of the study was to determine systematically and transparently the full spectrum of ethical issues in ALS care. We conducted a systematic review in Medline and Google Books (restricted to English and German literature published between 1993 and 2014). We applied qualitative text analysis and normative analysis to categorise the spectrum of ethical issues in ALS care. The literature review retrieved 56 references that together mentioned a spectrum of 103 ethical issues in ALS care. The spectrum was structured into six major categories that consist of first and second-order categories of ethical issues. The systematically derived spectrum of ethical issues in ALS care presented in this paper raises awareness and understanding of the complexity of ethical issues in ALS care. It also offers a basis for the systematic development of informational and training materials for health professionals, patients and their relatives, and society as a whole. Finally, it supports a rational and fair selection of all those ethical issues that should be addressed in health policies, position papers and clinical practice guidelines. Further research is needed to identify ways to systematically select the most relevant ethical issues not only in the clinical environment, but also for the development of clinical practice guidelines.

2016 Lush Science Prize.

PubMed

McCann, Jenny; McCann, Terry

2017-11-01

The Lush Prize supports animal-free testing by awarding monetary prizes totalling £250,000 to the most effective projects and individuals who have been working toward the goal of replacing animals in product or ingredient safety testing. Prizes are awarded for developments in five strategic areas: Science; Lobbying; Training; Public Awareness; and Young Researchers. In the event of a major breakthrough leading to the replacement of animal tests in the area of 21st Century Toxicology, a Black Box Prize (equivalent to the entire annual fund of £250,000) is awarded. The Science Prize is awarded to the researchers whose work the judging panel believe has made the most significant contribution to the replacement of animal testing in the preceding year. This Background Paper outlines the research projects that were shortlisted and presented to the judging panel as potential candidates for the 2016 Lush Science Prize. This process involved reviewing recent work of the relevant scientific institutions and projects in this area, such as the OECD, CAAT, The Hamner Institutes, ECVAM, UK NC3Rs, and the US Tox21 Programme. Recent developments in toxicity testing research were also identified by searching for relevant published papers in the literature, and analysing abstracts from conferences focusing on animal replacement in toxicity testing that had been held in the preceding 12 months - for example the EUSAAT-Linz, Society of Toxicology, and SEURAT-1 conferences. 2017 FRAME.

Antioxidant Nanoplatforms for Dermal Delivery: Melatonin.

PubMed

Milan, Aroha Sanchez; Campmany, Ana Cristina Calpena; Naveros, Beatriz Clares

2017-01-01

Melatonin is emerging as a promising therapeutic agent, mainly due to its role as antioxidant. Substantial evidences show that melatonin is potentially effective in a variety of diseases as cancer, inflammation and neurodegenerative diseases. The excellent antioxidant capacity with pharmacokinetics characteristics and the emerging search for new pharmaceutical nanotechnology based systems, make it particularly attractive to elaborate nanoplatforms based on melatonin for biomedical or cosmetic dermal applications. Different nanosystems for dermal delivery have been investigated. This review focuses on nanocarrier production strategies, dermal melatonin application and delivery advances in vivo and in vitro. Equally, future perspectives of this assisted melatonin delivery have also been discussed. In the current review, we have revised relevant articles of the available literature using the major scientific databases. One hundred and thirteen papers were included in the review, the majority of which represent latest researches in nanosized platforms for the dermal delivery of melatonin including liposomes, ethosomes, niosomes, polymeric nanoparticles, solid lipid nanoparticles and cyclodextrins. Furthermore, relevant papers reporting in vitro and in vivo application studies of these nano-based melatonin platforms were also discussed. The use of nanoplatforms for the dermal melatonin delivery as antioxidant agent could improve the efficacy of conventional melatonin administration due to the preservation of the drug from premature oxidation and the enhancement of drug permeation through the skin providing greater exposure times. Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.org.

A review of factors explaining variability in fentanyl pharmacokinetics; focus on implications for cancer patients

PubMed Central

Zandvliet, Maarten L.; Koolen, Stijn L. W.; Mathijssen, Ron H. J.; van der Rijt, Carin C. D.

2016-01-01

Fentanyl is a strong opioid that is available for various administration routes, and which is widely used to treat cancer‐related pain. Many factors influence the fentanyl pharmacokinetics leading to a wide inter‐ and intrapatient variability. This systematic review summarizes multiple studied factors that potentially influence fentanyl pharmacokinetics with a focus on implications for cancer patients. The use of CYP3A4 inhibitors and inducers, impaired liver function, and heating of the patch potentially influence fentanyl pharmacokinetics in a clinically relevant way. In elderly patients, current data suggest that we should carefully dose fentanyl due to alterations in absorption and metabolism. The influence of BMI and gender on fentanyl pharmacokinetics is questionable, most probably due to a large heterogeneity in the published studies. Pharmacogenetics, e.g. the CYP3A5*3 gene polymorphism, may influence fentanyl pharmacokinetics as well, although further study is warranted. Several other factors have been studied but did not show significant and clinically relevant effects on fentanyl pharmacokinetics. Unfortunately, most of the published papers that studied factors influencing fentanyl pharmacokinetics describe healthy volunteers instead of cancer patients. Results from the studies in volunteers may not be simply extrapolated to cancer patients because of multiple confounding factors. To handle fentanyl treatment in a population of cancer patients, it is essential that physicians recognize factors that influence fentanyl pharmacokinetics, thereby preventing potential side‐effects and increasing its efficacy. PMID:27619152

Enhancing transparency in reporting the synthesis of qualitative research: ENTREQ

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background The syntheses of multiple qualitative studies can pull together data across different contexts, generate new theoretical or conceptual models, identify research gaps, and provide evidence for the development, implementation and evaluation of health interventions. This study aims to develop a framework for reporting the synthesis of qualitative health research. Methods We conducted a comprehensive search for guidance and reviews relevant to the synthesis of qualitative research, methodology papers, and published syntheses of qualitative health research in MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL and relevant organisational websites to May 2011. Initial items were generated inductively from guides to synthesizing qualitative health research. The preliminary checklist was piloted against forty published syntheses of qualitative research, purposively selected to capture a range of year of publication, methods and methodologies, and health topics. We removed items that were duplicated, impractical to assess, and rephrased items for clarity. Results The Enhancing transparency in reporting the synthesis of qualitative research (ENTREQ) statement consists of 21 items grouped into five main domains: introduction, methods and methodology, literature search and selection, appraisal, and synthesis of findings. Conclusions The ENTREQ statement can help researchers to report the stages most commonly associated with the synthesis of qualitative health research: searching and selecting qualitative research, quality appraisal, and methods for synthesising qualitative findings. The synthesis of qualitative research is an expanding and evolving methodological area and we would value feedback from all stakeholders for the continued development and extension of the ENTREQ statement. PMID:23185978

Older residents' perspectives on aged sexuality in institutionalized elderly care: a systematic literature review.

PubMed

Mahieu, Lieslot; Gastmans, Chris

2015-12-01

The aim of this systematic literature review is to investigate older residents' thoughts on, experiences of and engagement in sexual behavior and aged sexuality within institutionalized elderly care. Systematic literature review. We conducted an extensive search of the electronic databases Cinahl, Medline, Pubmed, Embase, Web of Science and Invert for papers published between January 1980 and October 2014 when the searches were closed. Additional papers were identified through forward and backward citation chasing. Data from relevant studies were extracted by means of a data extraction form. Relevant data were isolated, summarized, compared, related and categorized according to theme. Quality assessment of the included studies focused on their adequacy of reporting the study's research aim, sampling, collection, and analysis procedures, ethical considerations and results. Twenty-five appropriate studies were identified. These studies varied in research design (using surveys, vignettes, focus groups, interviews, or observation), objectives, quality of reporting, and sample characteristics (i.e. male and/or female long-term care residents with and/or without dementia). Yet, they all point to the relevance of sex and sexuality in old age and emphasize the highly individual character of both sexual interest and expression. Older residents who wish to sexually express themselves, might do this in a wide variety of ways, including, but not limited to, daydreaming, dressing-up, looking for emotional and intellectual intimacy, stroking, caressing, kissing, and engaging in sexual intercourse. Overall, residents appear to have a rather positive attitude toward aged sexuality as such. When it comes to specific sexual behaviors or homosexuality, however, attitudes tend to be more negative. The perceived appropriateness of the displayed behavior is a predominant factor in determining older people's reactions to the sexual behavior of co-residents, rather than the potential emotional discomfort brought on by witnessing this behavior. Relatively little work has been published on older residents' perspectives regarding aged sexuality in institutionalized elderly care. If, however, we wish to devote ourselves to individualized or person-centered nursing care, we will have to gain more insight into the patient's perspective and take notice of the needs, expectations, attitudes, experiences and behaviors of residents with regard to (aged) sexuality. Hence more research is needed that depicts the issue of aged sexuality in institutionalized elderly care from a patient's and thus resident oriented perspective. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

What is the enduring value of research publications in clinical epilepsy? An assessment of papers published in 1981, 1991, and 2001.

PubMed

Gregoris, Nattanit; Shorvon, Simon

2013-09-01

There has been a rapid expansion in the number of research papers published on clinical epilepsy topics and the number of journals in the medical field. In this expanding publishing environment, the question arises as to how much of the published medical literature has 'enduring value' in terms of advancing knowledge in any significant way. We developed a methodology to assess the enduring value of papers published in the field of clinical epilepsy and established its internal validity. We studied 300 research papers published in 1981, 1991, and 2001 (100 in each year) and assessed their enduring value in four domains: citations in the last year, citations in the last 10years, citations in the standard epilepsy textbook, and a subjective assessment by an experienced epileptologist. Of the 300 papers, 214 (71%) were categorized as having 'no enduring value', and only 11 (4%) were identified as having 'high enduring value'. The 'high enduring value' papers could generally be identified immediately on publication, by high initial citation values, and were also more likely to be published in journals with a high impact factor. The commonest characteristics of a paper with no enduring value were that they reported research that was inherently unimportant (55.6%), not novel (38.8%), or had significant methodological flaws (22.0%). Although there are other reasons for publishing papers, the fact that the great majority of published papers lack enduring value in terms of advancing knowledge should be a concern to the medical and scientific community. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Applying GRADE-CERQual to qualitative evidence synthesis findings-paper 6: how to assess relevance of the data.

PubMed

Noyes, Jane; Booth, Andrew; Lewin, Simon; Carlsen, Benedicte; Glenton, Claire; Colvin, Christopher J; Garside, Ruth; Bohren, Meghan A; Rashidian, Arash; Wainwright, Megan; Tunςalp, Özge; Chandler, Jacqueline; Flottorp, Signe; Pantoja, Tomas; Tucker, Joseph D; Munthe-Kaas, Heather

2018-01-25

The GRADE-CERQual (Confidence in Evidence from Reviews of Qualitative research) approach has been developed by the GRADE (Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation) Working Group. The approach has been developed to support the use of findings from qualitative evidence syntheses in decision-making, including guideline development and policy formulation. CERQual includes four components for assessing how much confidence to place in findings from reviews of qualitative research (also referred to as qualitative evidence syntheses): (1) methodological limitations, (2) coherence, (3) adequacy of data and (4) relevance. This paper is part of a series providing guidance on how to apply CERQual and focuses on CERQual's relevance component. We developed the relevance component by searching the literature for definitions, gathering feedback from relevant research communities and developing consensus through project group meetings. We tested the CERQual relevance component within several qualitative evidence syntheses before agreeing on the current definition and principles for application. When applying CERQual, we define relevance as the extent to which the body of data from the primary studies supporting a review finding is applicable to the context (perspective or population, phenomenon of interest, setting) specified in the review question. In this paper, we describe the relevance component and its rationale and offer guidance on how to assess relevance in the context of a review finding. This guidance outlines the information required to assess relevance, the steps that need to be taken to assess relevance and examples of relevance assessments. This paper provides guidance for review authors and others on undertaking an assessment of relevance in the context of the CERQual approach. Assessing the relevance component requires consideration of potentially important contextual factors at an early stage in the review process. We expect the CERQual approach, and its individual components, to develop further as our experiences with the practical implementation of the approach increase.

Differences in citation rates by country of origin for papers published in top-ranked medical journals: do they reflect inequalities in access to publication?

PubMed

Akre, Olof; Barone-Adesi, Francesco; Pettersson, Andreas; Pearce, Neil; Merletti, Franco; Richiardi, Lorenzo

2011-02-01

The acceptance of a paper in a top-ranked journal depends on the importance of the study, and should not depend on its country of origin. If the papers' citation rate is a proxy for their importance, and the threshold for acceptance is unrelated to the country of origin, papers from different countries published in the same journal should have a similar number of citations. Conversely, if the threshold is lowered for some countries, their papers will have a lower mean citation rate. The number of citations and the corresponding author's country were obtained for 4724 papers published between 1998 and 2002 in the British Medical Journal, the Lancet, Journal of the American Medical Association and New England Journal of Medicine. Countries were grouped according to the World Bank classification and geographical location: low-middle income countries; high-income European countries; high-income non-European countries; UK and USA. The probability of papers being poorly cited by country of origin was estimated, using domestic papers (British papers published in British journals and US papers published in US journals) as the reference. Compared with domestic papers, the OR of being poorly cited was 0.67 (95% CI 0.55 to 0.81) for papers from high-income European countries, 0.97 (0.76 to 1.24) for papers from high-income non-European countries and 1.93 (1.28 to 2.89) for papers from low-middle income countries. Papers from different countries published in the same journal have different citation rates. This may reflect difficulties for researchers from some countries to publish their research in leading medical journals.

35Year Research History of Cytotoxicity and Cancer: a Quantitative and Qualitative Analysis.

PubMed

Farghadani, Reyhaneh; Haerian, Batoul Sadat; Ebrahim, Nader Ale; Muniandy, Sekaran

2016-01-01

Cancer is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, characterized by irregular cell growth. Cytotoxicity or killing tumor cells that divide rapidly is the basic function of chemotherapeutic drugs. However, these agents can damage normal dividing cells, leading to adverse effects in the body. In view of great advances in cancer therapy, which are increasingly reported each year, we quantitatively and qualitatively evaluated the papers published between 1981 and December 2015, with a closer look at the highly cited papers (HCPs), for a better understanding of literature related to cytotoxicity in cancer therapy. Online documents in the Web of Science (WOS) database were analyzed based on the publication year, the number of times they were cited, research area, source, language, document type, countries, organizationenhanced and funding agencies. A total of 3,473 publications relevant to the target key words were found in the WOS database over 35 years and 86% of them (n=2,993) were published between 20002015. These papers had been cited 54,330 times without self citation from 1981 to 2015. Of the 3,473 publications, 17 (3,557citations) were the most frequently cited ones between 2005 and 2015. The topmost HCP was about generating a comprehensive preclinical database (CCLE) with 825 (23.2%) citations. One third of the remaining HCPs had focused on drug discovery through improving conventional therapeutic agents such as metformin and ginseng. Another 33% of the HCPs concerned engineered nanoparticles (NPs) such as polyamidoamine (PAMAM) dendritic polymers, PTX/SPIOloaded PLGAs and cell derived NPs to increase drug effectiveness and decrease drug toxicity in cancer therapy. The remaining HCPs reported novel factors such as miR205, Nrf2 and p27 suggesting their interference with development of cancer in targeted cancer therapy. In conclusion, analysis of 35year publications and HCPs on cytotoxicity in cancer in the present report provides opportunities for a better understanding the extent of topics published and may help future research in this area.

Identifying the Factors Affecting Papers' Citability in the Field of Medicine: an Evidence-based Approach Using 200 Highly and Lowly-cited Papers.

PubMed

Yaminfirooz, Mousa; Ardali, Farzaneh Raeesi

2018-01-01

Nowadays, publishing highly-cited papers is important for researchers and editors. In this evidence-based study, the factors influencing the citability of published papers in the field of medicine have been identified. 200 papers indexed in Scopus (in two groups: highly-cited and lowly-cited) with 100 papers in each were studied. Needed data were manually collected with a researcher-made checklist. Data analysis was done in SPSS using descriptive and inferential statistics. Variables such as journal IF, journal rank, journal subject quartile, the first/corresponding author's h-index, the number of documents produced by the first/corresponding author, SJR and SNIP had significantly positive correlation with paper citability (p< .05). Other variables, including among others, paper age, paper type, the number of references, the number of authors, indexing institute and journal kind had not any relationship with paper citability (p> .05). the factors affecting the citability are among indicators relating to authors, publishing journals and published papers. Determining the extent to which these factors influence the citability of a paper needs further large-scaled research. Authors and editors searching for high-citedness should consider these factors when authoring and publishing papers.

The data paper: a mechanism to incentivize data publishing in biodiversity science.

PubMed

Chavan, Vishwas; Penev, Lyubomir

2011-01-01

Free and open access to primary biodiversity data is essential for informed decision-making to achieve conservation of biodiversity and sustainable development. However, primary biodiversity data are neither easily accessible nor discoverable. Among several impediments, one is a lack of incentives to data publishers for publishing of their data resources. One such mechanism currently lacking is recognition through conventional scholarly publication of enriched metadata, which should ensure rapid discovery of 'fit-for-use' biodiversity data resources. We review the state of the art of data discovery options and the mechanisms in place for incentivizing data publishers efforts towards easy, efficient and enhanced publishing, dissemination, sharing and re-use of biodiversity data. We propose the establishment of the 'biodiversity data paper' as one possible mechanism to offer scholarly recognition for efforts and investment by data publishers in authoring rich metadata and publishing them as citable academic papers. While detailing the benefits to data publishers, we describe the objectives, work flow and outcomes of the pilot project commissioned by the Global Biodiversity Information Facility in collaboration with scholarly publishers and pioneered by Pensoft Publishers through its journals Zookeys, PhytoKeys, MycoKeys, BioRisk, NeoBiota, Nature Conservation and the forthcoming Biodiversity Data Journal. We then debate further enhancements of the data paper beyond the pilot project and attempt to forecast the future uptake of data papers as an incentivization mechanism by the stakeholder communities. We believe that in addition to recognition for those involved in the data publishing enterprise, data papers will also expedite publishing of fit-for-use biodiversity data resources. However, uptake and establishment of the data paper as a potential mechanism of scholarly recognition requires a high degree of commitment and investment by the cross-sectional stakeholder communities.

The data paper: a mechanism to incentivize data publishing in biodiversity science

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background Free and open access to primary biodiversity data is essential for informed decision-making to achieve conservation of biodiversity and sustainable development. However, primary biodiversity data are neither easily accessible nor discoverable. Among several impediments, one is a lack of incentives to data publishers for publishing of their data resources. One such mechanism currently lacking is recognition through conventional scholarly publication of enriched metadata, which should ensure rapid discovery of 'fit-for-use' biodiversity data resources. Discussion We review the state of the art of data discovery options and the mechanisms in place for incentivizing data publishers efforts towards easy, efficient and enhanced publishing, dissemination, sharing and re-use of biodiversity data. We propose the establishment of the 'biodiversity data paper' as one possible mechanism to offer scholarly recognition for efforts and investment by data publishers in authoring rich metadata and publishing them as citable academic papers. While detailing the benefits to data publishers, we describe the objectives, work flow and outcomes of the pilot project commissioned by the Global Biodiversity Information Facility in collaboration with scholarly publishers and pioneered by Pensoft Publishers through its journals Zookeys, PhytoKeys, MycoKeys, BioRisk, NeoBiota, Nature Conservation and the forthcoming Biodiversity Data Journal. We then debate further enhancements of the data paper beyond the pilot project and attempt to forecast the future uptake of data papers as an incentivization mechanism by the stakeholder communities. Conclusions We believe that in addition to recognition for those involved in the data publishing enterprise, data papers will also expedite publishing of fit-for-use biodiversity data resources. However, uptake and establishment of the data paper as a potential mechanism of scholarly recognition requires a high degree of commitment and investment by the cross-sectional stakeholder communities. PMID:22373175

Conceptualizing belonging.

PubMed

Mahar, Alyson L; Cobigo, Virginie; Stuart, Heather

2013-06-01

To develop a transdisciplinary conceptualization of social belonging that could be used to guide measurement approaches aimed at evaluating the effectiveness of community-based programs for people with disabilities. We conducted a narrative, scoping review of peer reviewed English language literature published between 1990 and July 2011 using multiple databases, with "sense of belonging" as a key search term. The search engine ranked articles for relevance to the search strategy. Articles were searched in order until theoretical saturation was reached. We augmented this search strategy by reviewing reference lists of relevant papers. Theoretical saturation was reached after 40 articles; 22 of which were qualitative accounts. We identified five intersecting themes: subjectivity; groundedness to an external referent; reciprocity; dynamism and self-determination. We define a sense of belonging as a subjective feeling of value and respect derived from a reciprocal relationship to an external referent that is built on a foundation of shared experiences, beliefs or personal characteristics. These feelings of external connectedness are grounded to the context or referent group, to whom one chooses, wants and feels permission to belong. This dynamic phenomenon may be either hindered or promoted by complex interactions between environmental and personal factors.

Identifying knowledge gaps between practice and research for implementation components of sustainable interventions to improve the working environment - A rapid review.

PubMed

Rasmussen, Charlotte Diana Nørregaard; Højberg, Helene; Bengtsen, Elizabeth; Jørgensen, Marie Birk

2018-02-01

In a recent study, we involved all relevant stakeholders to identify practice-based implementation components for successful implementation and sustainability in work environment interventions. To understand possible knowledge gaps between evidence and practice, the aim of this paper is to investigate if effectiveness studies of the 11 practice-based implementation components can be identified in existing scientific literature. PubMed/MEDLINE, PsycINFO, and Web of Science were searched for relevant studies. After screening, 38 articles met the inclusion criteria. Since some of the studies describe more than one practice-based implementation concept a total of 125 quality criteria assessments were made. The overall result is that 10 of the 11 practice-based implementation components can be found in the scientific literature, but the evaluation of them is poor. From this review it is clear that there are knowledge gaps between evidence and practice with respect to the effectiveness of implementation concepts. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Diagnostic Features of Common Oral Ulcerative Lesions: An Updated Decision Tree

PubMed Central

Safi, Yaser

2016-01-01

Diagnosis of oral ulcerative lesions might be quite challenging. This narrative review article aims to introduce an updated decision tree for diagnosing oral ulcerative lesions on the basis of their diagnostic features. Various general search engines and specialized databases including PubMed, PubMed Central, Medline Plus, EBSCO, Science Direct, Scopus, Embase, and authenticated textbooks were used to find relevant topics by means of MeSH keywords such as “oral ulcer,” “stomatitis,” and “mouth diseases.” Thereafter, English-language articles published since 1983 to 2015 in both medical and dental journals including reviews, meta-analyses, original papers, and case reports were appraised. Upon compilation of the relevant data, oral ulcerative lesions were categorized into three major groups: acute, chronic, and recurrent ulcers and into five subgroups: solitary acute, multiple acute, solitary chronic, multiple chronic, and solitary/multiple recurrent, based on the number and duration of lesions. In total, 29 entities were organized in the form of a decision tree in order to help clinicians establish a logical diagnosis by stepwise progression. PMID:27781066

National Institutes of Health Consensus Development Project on Criteria for Clinical Trials in Chronic Graft-versus-Host Disease: V. The 2014 Ancillary Therapy and Supportive Care Working Group Report.

PubMed

Carpenter, Paul A; Kitko, Carrie L; Elad, Sharon; Flowers, Mary E D; Gea-Banacloche, Juan C; Halter, Jörg P; Hoodin, Flora; Johnston, Laura; Lawitschka, Anita; McDonald, George B; Opipari, Anthony W; Savani, Bipin N; Schultz, Kirk R; Smith, Sean R; Syrjala, Karen L; Treister, Nathaniel; Vogelsang, Georgia B; Williams, Kirsten M; Pavletic, Steven Z; Martin, Paul J; Lee, Stephanie J; Couriel, Daniel R

2015-07-01

The 2006 National Institutes of Health (NIH) Consensus paper presented recommendations by the Ancillary Therapy and Supportive Care Working Group to support clinical research trials in chronic graft-versus-host disease (GVHD). Topics covered in that inaugural effort included the prevention and management of infections and common complications of chronic GVHD, as well as recommendations for patient education and appropriate follow-up. Given the new literature that has emerged during the past 8 years, we made further organ-specific refinements to these guidelines. Minimum frequencies are suggested for monitoring key parameters relevant to chronic GVHD during systemic immunosuppressive therapy and, thereafter, referral to existing late effects consensus guidelines is advised. Using the framework of the prior consensus, the 2014 NIH recommendations are organized by organ or other relevant systems and graded according to the strength and quality of supporting evidence. Copyright © 2015 American Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Accelerometer-measured daily physical activity related to aerobic fitness in children and adolescents.

PubMed

Dencker, Magnus; Andersen, Lars B

2011-06-01

Maximum oxygen uptake (VO(2PEAK)) is generally considered to be the best single marker for aerobic fitness. While a positive relationship between daily physical activity and aerobic fitness has been established in adults, the relationship appears less clear in children and adolescents. The purpose of this paper is to summarise recently published data on the relationship between daily physical activity, as measured by accelerometers, and VO(2PEAK) in children and adolescents. A PubMed search was performed on 29 October 2010 to identify relevant articles. Studies were considered relevant if they included measurement of daily physical activity by accelerometry and related to a VO(2PEAK) either measured directly at a maximal exercise test or estimated from maximal power output. A total of nine studies were identified, with a total number of 6116 children and adolescents investigated. Most studies reported a low-to-moderate relationship (r = 0.10-0.45) between objectively measured daily physical activity and VO(2PEAK). No conclusive evidence exists that physical activity of higher intensities are more closely related to VO(2PEAK), than lower intensities.

Prioritization of Companion Animal Transmissible Diseases for Policy Intervention in Europe.

PubMed

Cito, F; Rijks, J; Rantsios, A T; Cunningham, A A; Baneth, G; Guardabassi, L; Kuiken, T; Giovannini, A

2016-07-01

A number of papers have been published on the prioritization of transmissible diseases in farm animals and wildlife, based either on semiquantitative or truly quantitative methods, but there is no published literature on the prioritization of transmissible diseases in companion animals. In this study, available epidemiological data for diseases transmissible from companion animals to man were analysed with the aim of developing a procedure suitable for their prioritization within a European framework. A new method and its associated questionnaire and scoring system were designed based on methods described by the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE). Modifications were applied to allow for the paucity of specific information on companion animal transmissible diseases. The OIE method was also adapted to the subject and to the regional scope of the interprofessional network addressing zoonotic diseases transmitted via companion animals in Europe: the Companion Animals multisectoriaL interprofessionaL Interdisciplinary Strategic Think tank On zoonoses (CALLISTO). Adaptations were made based on information collected from expert groups on viral, bacterial and parasitic diseases using a structured questionnaire, in which all questions were closed-ended. The expert groups were asked to select the most appropriate answer for each question taking into account the relevance and reliability of the data available in the scientific literature. Subsequently, the scoring of the answers obtained for each disease covered by the questionnaire was analysed to obtain two final overall scores, one for human health impact and one for agricultural economic impact. The adapted method was then applied to select the 15 most important pathogens (five for each pathogen group: viral, bacterial and parasitic) on the basis of their overall impact on public health and agriculture. The result of the prioritization exercise was a joint priority list (available at www.callistoproject.eu) of relevant pathogens according to these two criteria. As the scope of CALLISTO was comprehensive in terms of geographical area, animal species involved and impact of the diseases, the list of prioritized diseases had to accommodate the realities in different European countries and the differences in biology and animal-human relationships in a wide range of species including cats and dogs, pet pigs and sheep as well as captive reptiles. The methodology presented in this paper can be used to generate accurate priority lists according to narrower and more specific objectives. Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Policy challenges and reforms in small EU member state health systems: a narrative literature review.

PubMed

Azzopardi-Muscat, Natasha; Funk, Tjede; Buttigieg, Sandra C; Grech, Kenneth E; Brand, Helmut

2016-12-01

The EU directive on patients' rights and cross-border care is of particular interest to small states as it reinforces the concept of health system cooperation. An analysis of the challenges faced by small states, as well as a deep evaluation of their health system reform characteristics is timely and justified. This paper identifies areas in which EU level cooperation may bring added value to these countries' health systems. Literature search is based primarily on PUBMED and is limited to English-language papers published between January 2000 and September 2014. Results of 76 original research papers appearing in peer-reviewed journals are summarised in a literature map and narrative review. Primary care, health workforce and medicines emerge as the salient themes in the review. Lack of capacity and small market size are found to be the frequently encountered challenges in governance and delivery of services. These constraints appear to also impinge on the ability of small states to effectively implement health system reforms. The EU appears to play a marginal role in supporting small state health systems, albeit the stimulus for reform associated with EU accession. Small states face common health system challenges which could potentially be addressed through enhanced health system cooperation at EU level. The lessons learned from research on small states may be of relevance to health systems organized at regional level in larger European states. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Public Health Association. All rights reserved.

Extended roles for allied health professionals: an updated systematic review of the evidence

PubMed Central

Saxon, Robyn L; Gray, Marion A; Oprescu, Florin I

2014-01-01

Background Internationally, health care services are under increasing pressure to provide high quality, accessible, timely interventions to an ever increasing aging population, with finite resources. Extended scope roles for allied health professionals is one strategy that could be undertaken by health care services to meet this demand. This review builds upon an earlier paper published in 2006 on the evidence relating to the impact extended scope roles have on health care services. Methods A systematic review of the literature focused on extended scope roles in three allied health professional groups, ie, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, and speech pathology, was conducted. The search strategy mirrored an earlier systematic review methodology and was designed to include articles from 2005 onwards. All peer-reviewed published papers with evidence relating to effects on patients, other professionals, or the health service were included. All papers were critically appraised prior to data extraction. Results A total of 1,000 articles were identified by the search strategy; 254 articles were screened for relevance and 21 progressed to data extraction for inclusion in the systematic review. Conclusion Literature supporting extended scope roles exists; however, despite the earlier review calling for more robust evaluations regarding the impact on patient outcomes, cost-effectiveness, training requirements, niche identification, or sustainability, there appears to be limited research reported on the topic in the last 7 years. The evidence available suggests that extended scope practice allied health practitioners could be a cost-effective and consumer-accepted investment that health services can make to improve patient outcomes. PMID:25342909

Codigestion of solid wastes: a review of its uses and perspectives including modeling.

PubMed

Mata-Alvarez, Joan; Dosta, Joan; Macé, Sandra; Astals, Sergi

2011-06-01

The last two years have witnessed a dramatic increase in the number of papers published on the subject of codigestion, highlighting the relevance of this topic within anaerobic digestion research. Consequently, it seems appropriate to undertake a review of codigestion practices starting from the late 1970s, when the first papers related to this concept were published, and continuing to the present day, demonstrating the exponential growth in the interest shown in this approach in recent years. Following a general analysis of the situation, state-of-the-art codigestion is described, focusing on the two most important areas as regards publication: codigestion involving sewage sludge and the organic fraction of municipal solid waste (including a review of the secondary advantages for wastewater treatment plant related to biological nutrient removal), and codigestion in the agricultural sector, that is, including agricultural - farm wastes, and energy crops. Within these areas, a large number of oversized digesters appear which can be used to codigest other substrates, resulting in economic and environmental advantages. Although the situation may be changing, there is still a need for good examples on an industrial scale, particularly with regard to wastewater treatment plants, in order to extend this beneficial practice. In the last section, a detailed analysis of papers addressing the important aspect of modelisation is included. This analysis includes the first codigestion models to be developed as well as recent applications of the standardised anaerobic digestion model ADM1 to codigestion. (This review includes studies ranging from laboratory to industrial scale.).

Cretaceous paleoceanography of the western North Atlantic Ocean

USGS Publications Warehouse

Arthur, Michael A.; Dean, Walter E.

1986-01-01

In this paper we summarize available information on the Cretaceous lithostratigraphy and paleoceanography of the western North Atlantic. The data and some of our interpretations draw in large part on papers published in the Deep Sea Drilling Project (DSDP) volumes. We have attempted to cite relevant references when possible, but space limitations make it difficult to give proper credit to all sources; we apologize for any omissions.Organic carbon (Corg) and carbonate (CaCO3) analyses were tabulated for each site from papers in the DSDP Initial Report volumes and other published works (e.g., Summerhayes,1981). Corg, CaCO3, and non-CaCO3 mass accumulation rates (MARS) were calculated using core by core averages of component percentages for the more continuously cored sites; core averages for wet bulk density and porosity (from DSDP data files); biostratigraphies of de Graciansky and others (1982), Roth and Bowdler (1981), and Cool (1982); and the time scales of the Decade of North American Geology (Palmer, 1983; Kent and Gradstein, this volume) or Harland and others (1982; see Plate 1).Backtracked paleodepths for western North Atlantic DSDP Sites from Tucholke and Vogt (1979) with the revised stratigraphy of de Graciansky and others (1982) were used in plotting Corg and CaCO3 in Figures 2, 3, 4 and 5 (see also Thierstein, 1979).Backtracking curves of seafloor paleodepth versus age (Sclater and others, 1977; Tucholke and Vogt, 1979) for selected western North Atlantic DSDP sites. Average CaCO3 concentrations per core are shown by code number

An Evaluation of Magazines Suitable for Public Libraries for the Presence of Alkaline Paper.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gambrill, Linda

Conservation of library materials is becoming an increasing concern, and there has been some effort by publishers to avert the problems created by acidic paper by switching to acid-free alkaline paper. University publishers, responded to this concern by committing themselves to using acid-free paper; however, most commercial publishers, who…

Highest cited papers published in Neurology India: An analysis for the years 1993-2014.

PubMed

Pandey, Paritosh; Subeikshanan, V; Madhugiri, Venkatesh S

2016-01-01

The highest cited papers published in a journal provide a snapshot of the clinical practice and research in that specialty and/or region. The aim of this study was to determine the highest cited papers published in Neurology India and analyze their attributes. This study was a citation analysis of all papers published in Neurology India since online archiving commenced in 1993. All papers published in Neurology India between the years 1993-2014 were listed. The number of times each paper had been cited up till the time of performing this study was determined by performing a Google Scholar search. Published papers were then ranked on the basis of total times cited since publication and the annual citation rate. Statistical Techniques: Simple counts and percentages were used to report most results. The mean citations received by papers in various categories were compared using the Student's t-test or a one-way analysis of variance, as appropriate. All analyses were carried out on SAS University Edition (SAS/STAT®, SAS Institute Inc, NC, USA) and graphs were generated on MS Excel 2016. The top papers on the total citations and annual citation rate rank lists pertained to basic neuroscience research. The highest cited paper overall had received 139 citations. About a quarter of the papers published had never been cited at all. The major themes represented were vascular diseases and infections. The highest cited papers reflect the diseases that are of major concern in India. Certain domains such as trauma, allied neurosciences, and basic neuroscience research were underrepresented.

Applications of airborne ultrasound in human-computer interaction.

PubMed

Dahl, Tobias; Ealo, Joao L; Bang, Hans J; Holm, Sverre; Khuri-Yakub, Pierre

2014-09-01

Airborne ultrasound is a rapidly developing subfield within human-computer interaction (HCI). Touchless ultrasonic interfaces and pen tracking systems are part of recent trends in HCI and are gaining industry momentum. This paper aims to provide the background and overview necessary to understand the capabilities of ultrasound and its potential future in human-computer interaction. The latest developments on the ultrasound transducer side are presented, focusing on capacitive micro-machined ultrasonic transducers, or CMUTs. Their introduction is an important step toward providing real, low-cost multi-sensor array and beam-forming options. We also provide a unified mathematical framework for understanding and analyzing algorithms used for ultrasound detection and tracking for some of the most relevant applications. Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Tools for evidence-based vascular nursing practice: Achieving information literacy for lifelong learning.

PubMed

Jameson, Jodi; Walsh, M Eileen

2017-12-01

Information literacy is essential in facilitating evidence-based practice (EBP) activities. In vascular nursing, the implementation of EBP is of utmost importance. Best practice grounded in research evidence can contribute to improved patient care outcomes for individuals with vascular disease. The following paper discusses information literacy competencies for nurses to develop in the context of EBP, with an emphasis on formulating a clinical question and searching for evidence. Relevant health science information resources are described, including their value and purpose in the 6S model of evidence. Also discussed are practical and supportive solutions with proven effectiveness in ensuring nurses' success with EBP. Copyright © 2017 Society for Vascular Nursing, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

[The analysis of publications in the journal "Sudebno-meditsinskaya ekspertiza (Forensic Medical Expertise)" for the period from 2000 till 2014].

PubMed

Fetisov, V A; Gusarov, A A; Khabova, Z S

2015-01-01

This paper presents the result of the analysis of the scientometric characteristics of the materials concerning the main aspects of research carried out in the framework of the speciality 14.03.05 (Forensic medicine published in the journal "Sudebno-meditsinskaya ekspertiza (Forensic Medical Expertise)" during a long period. The objective of the analysis was to establish the priorities in this field, reveal the lines of research of the highest interest for domestic and foreign authors, and estimate the value of the relevant scientific publications. It is concluded that the scientometric analysis of the scientific literature on the problems of forensic medical examination is indispensable for the further improvement of its quality.

How Neighborhoods Influence Health: Lessons to be learned from the application of political ecology.

PubMed

Chitewere, Tendai; Shim, Janet K; Barker, Judith C; Yen, Irene H

2017-05-01

This paper articulates how political ecology can be a useful tool for asking fundamental questions and applying relevant methods to investigate structures that impact relationship between neighborhood and health. Through a narrative analysis, we identify how political ecology can develop our future agendas for neighborhood-health research as it relates to social, political, environmental, and economic structures. Political ecology makes clear the connection between political economy and neighborhood by highlighting the historical and structural processes that produce and maintain social inequality, which affect health and well-being. These concepts encourage researchers to examine how people construct neighborhood and health in different ways that, in turn, can influence different health outcomes and, thus, efforts to address solutions. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Commission 45: Spectral Classification

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Giridhar, Sunetra; Gray, Richard O.; Corbally, Christopher J.; Bailer-Jones, Coryn A. L.; Eyer, Laurent; Irwin, Michael J.; Kirkpatrick, J. Davy; Majewski, Steven; Minniti, Dante; Nordström, Birgitta

This report gives an update of developments (since the last General Assembly at Prague) in the areas that are of relevance to the commission. In addition to numerous papers, a new monograph entitled Stellar Spectral Classification with Richard Gray and Chris Corbally as leading authors will be published by Princeton University Press as part of their Princeton Series in Astrophysics in April 2009. This book is an up-to-date and encyclopedic review of stellar spectral classification across the H-R diagram, including the traditional MK system in the blue-violet, recent extensions into the ultraviolet and infrared, the newly defined L-type and T-type spectral classes, as well as spectral classification of carbon stars, S-type stars, white dwarfs, novae, supernovae and Wolf-Rayet stars.

Neurobiological Basis of Language Learning Difficulties.

PubMed

Krishnan, Saloni; Watkins, Kate E; Bishop, Dorothy V M

2016-09-01

In this paper we highlight why there is a need to examine subcortical learning systems in children with language impairment and dyslexia, rather than focusing solely on cortical areas relevant for language. First, behavioural studies find that children with these neurodevelopmental disorders perform less well than peers on procedural learning tasks that depend on corticostriatal learning circuits. Second, fMRI studies in neurotypical adults implicate corticostriatal and hippocampal systems in language learning. Finally, structural and functional abnormalities are seen in the striatum in children with language disorders. Studying corticostriatal networks in developmental language disorders could offer us insights into their neurobiological basis and elucidate possible modes of compensation for intervention. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Media analysis of the representations of fusion and other future energy technologies

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Delicado, Ana; Schmidt, Luisa; Pereira, Sergio

2015-07-01

Media representations of energy have a relevant impact on public opinion and public support for investment in new energy sources. Fusion energy is one among several emerging energy technologies that requires a strong public investment on its research and development. This paper aims to characterise and compare the media representations of fusion and other emerging energy technologies in Portugal and in Spain. The emerging energy technologies selected for analysis are wave and tidal power, hydrogen, deep sea offshore wind power, energy applications of nanotechnology, bio-fuels from microalgae and IV generation nuclear fission. This work covered the news published in amore » selection of newspapers in Portugal and Spain between January 2007 and June 2013. (authors)« less

Finite-time stabilization of uncertain nonholonomic systems in feedforward-like form by output feedback.

PubMed

Gao, Fangzheng; Wu, Yuqiang; Zhang, Zhongcai

2015-11-01

This paper investigates the problem of finite-time stabilization by output feedback for a class of nonholonomic systems in chained form with uncertainties. Comparing with the existing relevant literature, a distinguishing feature of the systems under investigation is that the x-subsystem is a feedforward-like rather than feedback-like system. This renders the existing control methods inapplicable to the control problems of the systems. A constructive design procedure for output feedback control is given. The designed controller renders that the states of closed-loop system are regulated to zero in a finite time. Two simulation examples are provided to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach. Copyright © 2015 ISA. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Organizational Strategies for Building Capacity in Evidence-Based Oncology Nursing Practice: A Case Report of an Australian Tertiary Cancer Center.

PubMed

Chan, Raymond Javan; Bowers, Alison; Barton-Burke, Margaret

2017-03-01

The ever-increasing cancer care demand has posed a challenge for oncology nurses to deliver evidence-based, innovative care. Despite efforts to promote evidence-based practice, barriers remain and executives find it difficult to implement evidence-based practice efficiently. Using the successful experience of an Australian tertiary cancer center, this paper depicts 4 effective strategies for facilitating evidence-based practice at the organizational level-the Embedded Scholar: Enabler, Enactor, and Engagement (4 Es) Model-includes a 12-week evidence-based practice program that prioritizes relevant research proposed by clinical staff and endorses high-quality, evidence-based point-of-care resources. Crown Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

USSR space life sciences digest, issue 27

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stone, Lydia Razran (Editor); Teeter, Ronald (Editor); Garshnek, Victoria (Editor); Rowe, Joseph (Editor)

1990-01-01

This is the twenty-fifth issue of NASA's Space Life Sciences Digest. It contains abstracts of 30 journal papers or book chapters published in Russian and of 2 Soviet monographs. Selected abstracts are illustrated with figures and tables from the original. The abstracts in this issue have been identified as relevant to 18 areas of space biology and medicine. These areas include: adaptation, aviation medicine, biological rhythms, biospherics, botany, cardiovascular and respiratory systems, endocrinology, enzymology, exobiology, habitability and environmental effects, hematology, immunology, metabolism, musculoskeletal system, neurophysiology, radiobiology, and space medicine. A Soviet book review of a British handbook of aviation medicine and a description of the work of the division on aviation and space medicine of the Moscow Physiological Society are also included.

Potential Benefits of Non-Pharmacological Therapies in Fibromyalgia

PubMed Central

Sueiro Blanco, F.; Estévez Schwarz, I.; Ayán, C.; Cancela, JM.; Martín, V.

2008-01-01

Fibromyalgia (FM) is an incurable common syndrome of non-articular origin, and with no effective treatment by now. A great deal of research has sought to assess the efficacy of different therapies, especially non-pharmacological and low-cost ones, in the reduction of the intensity of symptoms. Despite the availability of a wide range of alternative therapies nowadays, there is little scientific evidence of the potential benefits of most of them, with results being contradictories. The purpose of this paper is to review some of the less well known alternative therapies in FM treatment, to describe the more relevant clinical studies published in this matter, and to analyze the potential effects of the main alternative therapies, in order to verify their efficacy. PMID:19088863

Development of a data reduction expert assistant

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Miller, Glenn E.

1994-01-01

This report documents the development and deployment of the Data Reduction Expert Assistant (DRACO). The system was successfully applied to two astronomical research projects. The first was the removal of cosmic ray artifacts from Hubble Space Telescope (HST) Wide Field Planetary Camera data. The second was the reduction and calibration of low-dispersion CCD spectra taken from a ground-based telescope. This has validated our basic approach and demonstrated the applicability of this technology. This work has been made available to the scientific community in two ways. First, we have published the work in the scientific literature and presented papers at relevant conferences. Secondly, we have made the entire system (including documentation and source code) available to the community via the World Wide Web.

Scientific research on animal biodiversity is systematically biased towards vertebrates and temperate regions.

PubMed

Titley, Mark A; Snaddon, Jake L; Turner, Edgar C

2017-01-01

Over the last 25 years, research on biodiversity has expanded dramatically, fuelled by increasing threats to the natural world. However, the number of published studies is heavily weighted towards certain taxa, perhaps influencing conservation awareness of and funding for less-popular groups. Few studies have systematically quantified these biases, although information on this topic is important for informing future research and conservation priorities. We investigated: i) which animal taxa are being studied; ii) if any taxonomic biases are the same in temperate and tropical regions; iii) whether the taxon studied is named in the title of papers on biodiversity, perhaps reflecting a perception of what biodiversity is; iv) the geographical distribution of biodiversity research, compared with the distribution of biodiversity and threatened species; and v) the geographical distribution of authors' countries of origin. To do this, we used the search engine Web of Science to systematically sample a subset of the published literature with 'biodiversity' in the title. In total 526 research papers were screened-5% of all papers in Web of Science with biodiversity in the title. For each paper, details on taxonomic group, title phrasing, number of citations, study location, and author locations were recorded. Compared to the proportions of described species, we identified a considerable taxonomic weighting towards vertebrates and an under-representation of invertebrates (particularly arachnids and insects) in the published literature. This discrepancy is more pronounced in highly cited papers, and in tropical regions, with only 43% of biodiversity research in the tropics including invertebrates. Furthermore, while papers on vertebrate taxa typically did not specify the taxonomic group in the title, the converse was true for invertebrate papers. Biodiversity research is also biased geographically: studies are more frequently carried out in developed countries with larger economies, and for a given level of species or threatened species, tropical countries were understudied relative to temperate countries. Finally, biodiversity research is disproportionately authored by researchers from wealthier countries, with studies less likely to be carried out by scientists in lower-GDP nations. Our results highlight the need for a more systematic and directed evaluation of biodiversity studies, perhaps informing more targeted research towards those areas and taxa most depauperate in research. Only by doing so can we ensure that biodiversity research yields results that are relevant and applicable to all regions and that the information necessary for the conservation of threatened species is available to conservation practitioners.

Cumulative trauma disorders: A review.

PubMed

Iqbal, Zaheen A; Alghadir, Ahmad H

2017-08-03

Cumulative trauma disorder (CTD) is a term for various injuries of the musculoskeletal and nervous systems that are caused by repetitive tasks, forceful exertions, vibrations, mechanical compression or sustained postures. Although there are many studies citing incidence of CTDs, there are fewer articles about its etiology, pathology and management. The aim of our study was to discuss the etiology, pathogenesis, prevention and management of CTDs. A literature search was performed using various electronic databases. The search was limited to articles in English language pertaining to randomized clinical trials, cohort studies and systematic reviews of CTDs. A total of 180 papers were identified to be relevant published since 1959. Out of these, 125 papers reported about its incidence and 50 about its conservative treatment. Workplace environment, same task repeatability and little variability, decreased time for rest, increase in expectations are major factors for developing CTDs. Prevention of its etiology and early diagnosis can be the best to decrease its incidence and severity. For effective management of CTDs, its treatment should be divided into Primordial, Primary, Secondary and Tertiary prevention.

A biosphere assessment of high-level radioactive waste disposal in Sweden.

PubMed

Kautsky, Ulrik; Lindborg, Tobias; Valentin, Jack

2015-04-01

Licence applications to build a repository for the disposal of Swedish spent nuclear fuel have been lodged, underpinned by myriad reports and several broader reviews. This paper sketches out the technical and administrative aspects and highlights a recent review of the biosphere effects of a potential release from the repository. A comprehensive database and an understanding of major fluxes and pools of water and organic matter in the landscape let one envisage the future by looking at older parts of the site. Thus, today's biosphere is used as a natural analogue of possible future landscapes. It is concluded that the planned repository can meet the safety criteria and will have no detectable radiological impact on plants and animals. This paper also briefly describes biosphere work undertaken after the review. The multidisciplinary approach used is relevant in a much wider context and may prove beneficial across many environmental contexts. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Thomas Young's contribution to visual optics: the Bakerian Lecture "on the mechanism of the eye".

PubMed

Atchison, David A; Charman, W Neil

2010-10-15

Thomas Young (1773-1829) carried out major pioneering work in many different subjects. In 1800 he gave the Bakerian Lecture of the Royal Society on the topic of the "mechanism of the eye": this was published in the following year (T. Young, 1801). Young used his own design of optometer to measure refraction and accommodation, and discovered his own astigmatism. He considered the different possible origins of accommodation and confirmed that it was due to change in shape of the lens rather than to change in shape of the cornea or an increase in axial length. However, the paper also dealt with many other aspects of visual and ophthalmic optics, such as biometric parameters, peripheral refraction, longitudinal chromatic aberration, depth-of-focus and instrument myopia. These aspects of the paper have previously received little attention. We now give detailed consideration to these and other less-familiar features of Young's work and conclude that his studies remain relevant to many of the topics which currently engage visual scientists.

Using UMLS to construct a generalized hierarchical concept-based dictionary of brain functions for information extraction from the fMRI literature.

PubMed

Hsiao, Mei-Yu; Chen, Chien-Chung; Chen, Jyh-Horng

2009-10-01

With a rapid progress in the field, a great many fMRI studies are published every year, to the extent that it is now becoming difficult for researchers to keep up with the literature, since reading papers is extremely time-consuming and labor-intensive. Thus, automatic information extraction has become an important issue. In this study, we used the Unified Medical Language System (UMLS) to construct a hierarchical concept-based dictionary of brain functions. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first generalized dictionary of this kind. We also developed an information extraction system for recognizing, mapping and classifying terms relevant to human brain study. The precision and recall of our system was on a par with that of human experts in term recognition, term mapping and term classification. Our approach presented in this paper presents an alternative to the more laborious, manual entry approach to information extraction.

Pharmacy school survey standards revisited.

PubMed

Mészáros, Károly; Barnett, Mitchell J; Lenth, Russell V; Knapp, Katherine K

2013-02-12

In a series of 3 papers on survey practices published from 2008 to 2009, the editors of the American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education presented guidelines for reporting survey research, and these criteria are reflected in the Author Instructions provided on the Journal's Web site. This paper discusses the relevance of these criteria for publication of survey research regarding pharmacy colleges and schools. In addition, observations are offered about surveying of small "universes" like that comprised of US colleges and schools of pharmacy. The reason for revisiting this issue is the authors' concern that, despite the best of intentions, overly constraining publication standards might discourage research on US colleges and schools of pharmacy at a time when the interest in the growth of colleges and schools, curricular content, clinical education, competence at graduation, and other areas is historically high. In the best traditions of academia, the authors share these observations with the community of pharmacy educators in the hope that the publication standards for survey research about US pharmacy schools will encourage investigators to collect and disseminate valuable information.

Justice in international clinical research.

PubMed

Pratt, Bridget; Loff, Bebe

2011-08-01

Debates about justice in international clinical research problematically conflate two quite different forms of obligation. International research ethics guidelines were intended to describe how to conduct biomedical research in a just manner at the micro or clinical level (within the researcher-participant interaction) but have come to include requirements that are clearly intended to promote justice at the global level. Ethicists have also made a variety of claims regarding what international research should contribute to global justice. This paper argues that the conflation of debates about justice at the micro and macro-levels has not only resulted in the placement of obligations upon the wrong actors but has also served to exclude relevant actors from the ethical picture. Suggestions for who should properly bear macro-level obligations of justice in international clinical research are offered. The paper further contends that, unlike researchers who violate informed consent requirements, no similar type of accountability exists for obligations of global justice, even for those obligation-bearers (incorrectly) identified by current ethics guidelines. © 2010 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Protection from radon exposure at home and at work in the directive 2013/59/Euratom.

PubMed

Bochicchio, F

2014-07-01

In recent years, international organisations involved in radiation protection and public health have produced new guidance, recommendations and requirements aiming better protection from radon exposure. These organisations have often worked in close collaboration in order to facilitate the establishment of harmonised standards. This paper deals with such standards and specifically with the new European Council Directive of 5 December 2013 on basic safety standards for protection against the dangers arising from exposure to ionising radiation (2013/59/Euratom). This new Directive has established a harmonised framework for the protection against ionising radiations, including protection from radon exposure. Requirements for radon in workplace are much more tightening than in previous Directive, and exposures to radon in dwellings are regulated for the first time in a Directive. Radon-related articles of this Directive are presented and discussed in this paper, along with some comparisons with other relevant international standards. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

The association of sexual interest and sexual behaviors among adolescent women: A daily diary perspective

PubMed Central

Fortenberry, J. Dennis; Hensel, Devon J.

2011-01-01

Theoretical and empirical linkages of adult women’s sexual interest and sexual behaviors are relatively well-established, but few data address similar issues in adolescent women. This paper reviews data from published reports of associations of adolescent women’s sexual interest and various sexual behaviors. All of the papers reported data collected from a single longitudinal cohort of young women. The primary source of data collection was daily diaries, allowing close temporal pairing of sexual interest with sexual behaviors. Young women’s sexual interest on a given day was consistently and independently associated with sexual activity on that day, whether the behavior was first lifetime coitus, coitus, fellatio, cunnilingus, anal intercourse, or coitus during menses. We also found no evidence of influence of hormonal contraceptives on young women’s sexual interest. Taken together, these data demonstrate the relevance of sexual interest as a key factor in young women’s sexuality and sexual behavior. PMID:21397605

USSR Space Life Sciences Digest, issue 9

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hooke, Lydia Razran; Radtke, Mike; Teeter, Ronald; Rowe, Joseph E.

1987-01-01

This is the ninth issue of NASA's USSR Space Lifes Sciences Digest. It contains abstracts of 46 papers recently published in Russian language periodicals and bound collections and of a new Soviet monograph. Selected abstracts are illustrated with figures and tables from the original. Additional features include reviews of a Russian book on biological rhythms and a description of the papers presented at a conference on space biology and medicine. A special feature describes two paradigms frequently cited in Soviet space life sciences literature. Information about English translations of Soviet materials available to readers is provided. The abstracts included in this issue have been identified as relevant to 28 areas of aerospace medicine and space biology. These areas are: adaptation, biological rhythms, body fluids, botany, cardiovascular and respiratory systems, developmental biology, endocrinology, enzymology, equipment and instrumentation, gastrointestinal system, genetics, habitability and environment effects, hematology, human performance, immunology, life support systems, mathematical modeling, metabolism, microbiology, morphology and cytology, musculoskeletal system, nutrition, neurophysiology, operational medicine, perception, personnel selection, psychology, radiobiology, and space biology and medicine.

Taking leave from work: the impact of culture on Japanese female nurses.

PubMed

Mizuno-Lewis, Satomi; McAllister, Margaret

2008-01-01

This paper provides an overview of nurses' working conditions in Japan, exploring tensions between nurses' rights to take leave from work to fulfil family and personal needs and their actual ability to take such leave. It also considers possible effects of being restricted from taking such leave. Little has been written on the specific needs of nurses who are mothers in the Japanese work environment. Research has focussed on the effects of heavy, stressful workloads and long working hours leading to burnout, death from overwork and suicides in Japanese culture. However, research that considers unique cultural and female issues in Japan affecting nursing work has not been published. Discursive. The paper shows that there are many overlapping, complex issues affecting nurses working in Japan and their needs need to be considered and addressed in order to promote a healthier work environment, as well as a more humanistic environment. Workplace issues are relevant to recruitment and retention and better conditions are likely to improve hospital functioning.

Vicious circles of gender bias, lower positions, and lower performance: Gender differences in scholarly productivity and impact

PubMed Central

Sandström, Ulf

2017-01-01

It is often argued that female researchers publish on average less than male researchers do, but male and female authored papers have an equal impact. In this paper we try to better understand this phenomenon by (i) comparing the share of male and female researchers within different productivity classes, and (ii) by comparing productivity whereas controlling for a series of relevant covariates. The study is based on a disambiguated Swedish author dataset, consisting of 47,000 researchers and their WoS-publications during the period of 2008-2011 with citations until 2015. As the analysis shows, in order to have impact quantity does make a difference for male and female researchers alike—but women are vastly underrepresented in the group of most productive researchers. We discuss and test several possible explanations of this finding, using a data on personal characteristics from several Swedish universities. Gender differences in age, authorship position, and academic rank do explain quite a part of the productivity differences. PMID:28841666

Vicious circles of gender bias, lower positions, and lower performance: Gender differences in scholarly productivity and impact.

PubMed

van den Besselaar, Peter; Sandström, Ulf

2017-01-01

It is often argued that female researchers publish on average less than male researchers do, but male and female authored papers have an equal impact. In this paper we try to better understand this phenomenon by (i) comparing the share of male and female researchers within different productivity classes, and (ii) by comparing productivity whereas controlling for a series of relevant covariates. The study is based on a disambiguated Swedish author dataset, consisting of 47,000 researchers and their WoS-publications during the period of 2008-2011 with citations until 2015. As the analysis shows, in order to have impact quantity does make a difference for male and female researchers alike-but women are vastly underrepresented in the group of most productive researchers. We discuss and test several possible explanations of this finding, using a data on personal characteristics from several Swedish universities. Gender differences in age, authorship position, and academic rank do explain quite a part of the productivity differences.

Intracellular conversion and in vivo dose response of favipiravir (T-705) in rodents infected with Ebola virus.

PubMed

Bixler, Sandra L; Bocan, Thomas M; Wells, Jay; Wetzel, Kelly S; Van Tongeren, Sean A; Garza, Nicole L; Donnelly, Ginger; Cazares, Lisa H; Soloveva, Veronica; Welch, Lisa; Epstein, Carol; Liang, Li-Fang; Giesing, Dennis; Lenk, Robert; Bavari, Sina; Warren, Travis K

2018-03-01

During the 2013-2016 Ebola virus (EBOV) outbreak in West Africa, our team at USAMRIID evaluated the antiviral activity of a number of compounds, including favipiravir (T-705), in vitro and in mouse and nonhuman primate (NHP) models of Ebola virus disease. In this short communication, we present our findings for favipiravir in cell culture and in mice, while an accompanying paper presents the results of NHP studies. We confirmed previous reports that favipiravir has anti-EBOV activity in mice. Additionally, we found that the active form of favipiravir is generated in mice in tissues relevant for the pathogenesis of EBOV infection. Finally, we observed that protection can be achieved in mice down to 8 mg/kg/day, which is lower than the dosing regimens previously reported. An accompanying paper reports the results of treating nonhuman primates infected with EBOV or with Marburg virus with oral or intravenous favipiravir. Copyright © 2018 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Enantiomeric Profiling of Chiral Pharmacologically Active Compounds in the Environment with the Usage of Chiral Liquid Chromatography 
Coupled with Tandem Mass Spectrometry

PubMed Central

Camacho-Muñoz, Dolores; Petrie, Bruce; Castrignanò, Erika; Kasprzyk-Hordern, Barbara

2016-01-01

The issue of drug chirality is attracting increasing attention among the scientific community. The phenomenon of chirality has been overlooked in environmental research (environmental occurrence, fate and toxicity) despite the great impact that chiral pharmacologically active compounds (cPACs) can provoke on ecosystems. The aim of this paper is to introduce the topic of chirality and its implications in environmental contamination. Special attention has been paid to the most recent advances in chiral analysis based on liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry and the most popular protein based chiral stationary phases. Several groups of cPACs of environmental relevance, such as illicit drugs, human and veterinary medicines were discussed. The increase in the number of papers published in the area of chiral environmental analysis indicates that researchers are actively pursuing new opportunities to provide better understanding of environmental impacts resulting from the enantiomerism of cPACs. PMID:27713682

Physics, Techniques and Review of Neuroradiological Applications of Diffusion Kurtosis Imaging (DKI).

PubMed

Marrale, M; Collura, G; Brai, M; Toschi, N; Midiri, F; La Tona, G; Lo Casto, A; Gagliardo, C

2016-12-01

In recent years many papers about diagnostic applications of diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) have been published. This is because DTI allows to evaluate in vivo and in a non-invasive way the process of diffusion of water molecules in biological tissues. However, the simplified description of the diffusion process assumed in DTI does not permit to completely map the complex underlying cellular components and structures, which hinder and restrict the diffusion of water molecules. These limitations can be partially overcome by means of diffusion kurtosis imaging (DKI). The aim of this paper is the description of the theory of DKI, a new topic of growing interest in radiology. DKI is a higher order diffusion model that is a straightforward extension of the DTI model. Here, we analyze the physics underlying this method, we report our MRI acquisition protocol with the preprocessing pipeline used and the DKI parametric maps obtained on a 1.5 T scanner, and we review the most relevant clinical applications of this technique in various neurological diseases.

Cognitive neuroscience in forensic science: understanding and utilizing the human element.

PubMed

Dror, Itiel E

2015-08-05

The human element plays a critical role in forensic science. It is not limited only to issues relating to forensic decision-making, such as bias, but also relates to most aspects of forensic work (some of which even take place before a crime is ever committed or long after the verification of the forensic conclusion). In this paper, I explicate many aspects of forensic work that involve the human element and therefore show the relevance (and potential contribution) of cognitive neuroscience to forensic science. The 10 aspects covered in this paper are proactive forensic science, selection during recruitment, training, crime scene investigation, forensic decision-making, verification and conflict resolution, reporting, the role of the forensic examiner, presentation in court and judicial decisions. As the forensic community is taking on the challenges introduced by the realization that the human element is critical for forensic work, new opportunities emerge that allow for considerable improvement and enhancement of the forensic science endeavour. © 2015 The Author(s) Published by the Royal Society. All rights reserved.

The chronic mild stress (CMS) model of depression: History, evaluation and usage.

PubMed

Willner, Paul

2017-02-01

Now 30 years old, the chronic mild stress (CMS) model of depression has been used in >1300 published studies, with a year-on-year increase rising to >200 papers in 2015. Data from a survey of users show that while a variety of names are in use (chronic mild/unpredictable/varied stress), these describe essentially the same procedure. This paper provides an update on the validity and reliability of the CMS model, and reviews recent data on the neurobiological basis of CMS effects and the mechanisms of antidepressant action: the volume of this research may be unique in providing a comprehensive account of antidepressant action within a single model. Also discussed is the use of CMS in drug discovery, with particular reference to hippocampal and extra-hippocampal targets. The high translational potential of the CMS model means that the neurobiological mechanisms described may be of particular relevance to human depression and mechanisms of clinical antidepressant action.

Building community resilience to climate change through public health planning.

PubMed

Bajayo, Rachael

2012-04-01

Nillumbik Shire Council, in partnership with La Trobe University, used the Municipal Public Health Planning process to develop an approach for building the resilience of local communities to climate-related stressors. The objective was to define an approach for building community resilience to climate change and to integrate this approach with the 'Environments for Health' framework. Key published papers and reports by leading experts the field were reviewed. Literature was selected based on its relevance to the subjects of community resilience and climate change and was derived from local and international publications, the vast majority published within the past two decades. Review of literature on community resilience revealed that four principal resource sets contribute to the capacity of communities to adapt in times of stress, these being: economic development; social capital; information and communication; and community competence. On the strength of findings, a framework for building each resilience resource set within each of the Environments for Health was constructed. This paper introduces the newly constructed 'Community Resilience Framework', which describes how each one of the four resilience resource sets can be developed within social, built, natural and economic environments. The Community Resilience Framework defines an approach for simultaneously creating supportive environments for health and increasing community capacity for adaptation to climate-related stressors. As such, it can be used by Municipal Public Health Planners as a guide in building community resilience to climate change.

A writer's guide to education scholarship: Qualitative education scholarship (part 2).

PubMed

Chan, Teresa M; Ting, Daniel K; Hall, Andrew Koch; Murnaghan, Aleisha; Thoma, Brent; McEwen, Jill; Yarris, Lalena M

2018-03-01

Education scholarship can be conducted using a variety of methods, from quantitative experiments to qualitative studies. Qualitative methods are less commonly used in emergency medicine (EM) education research but are well-suited to explore complex educational problems and generate hypotheses. We aimed to review the literature to provide resources to guide educators who wish to conduct qualitative research in EM education. We conducted a scoping review to outline: 1) a list of journals that regularly publish qualitative educational papers; 2) an aggregate set of quality markers for qualitative educational research and scholarship; and 3) a list of quality checklists for qualitative educational research and scholarship. We found nine journals that have published more than one qualitative educational research paper in EM. From the literature, we identified 39 quality markers that were grouped into 10 themes: Initial Grounding Work (preparation, background); Goals, Problem Statement, or Question; Methods (general considerations); Sampling Techniques; Data Collection Techniques; Data Interpretation and Theory Generation; Measures to Optimize Rigour and Trustworthiness; Relevance to the Field; Evidence of Reflective Practice; Dissemination and Reporting. Lastly, five quality checklists were found for guiding educators in reporting their qualitative work. Many problems that EM educators face are well-suited to exploration using qualitative methods. The results of our scoping review provide publication venues, quality indicators, and checklists that may be useful to EM educators embarking on qualitative projects.

Malaria epidemiological research in the Republic of Congo.

PubMed

Koukouikila-Koussounda, Felix; Ntoumi, Francine

2016-12-23

Reliable and comprehensive information on the burden of malaria is critical for guiding national and international efforts in malaria control. The purpose of this review is to provide an overview of published data and available information on malaria resulting from field studies/investigations conducted in the Republic of Congo (RoC) from 1992 to 2015, as baseline for assisting public health authorities and researchers to define future research priorities as well as interventions. This review considers data from peer-reviewed articles and information from the National Malaria Control Programme reports, based on field investigations or samples collected from 1992 to 2015. Peer-reviewed papers were searched throughout online bibliographic databases PubMed, HINARI and Google Scholar using the following terms: "malaria", "Congo", "Brazzaville", "prevalence", "antimalarial", "efficacy", "falciparum", "genetic", "diversity". Original articles and reviews were included and selection of relevant papers was made. Twenty-eight published articles were included in this review and two additional records from the National Malaria Control Programme were also considered. The majority of studies were conducted in Brazzaville and Pointe-Noire. The present systematic review reveals that number of studies have been conducted in the RoC with regard to malaria. However, their results cannot formally be generalized at the country level. This suggests a need for implementing regular multisite investigations and surveys that may be representative of the country, calling for the support and lead of the Ministry of Health.

Situational awareness within objective structured clinical examination stations in undergraduate medical training - a literature search.

PubMed

Fischer, Markus A; Kennedy, Kieran M; Durning, Steven; Schijven, Marlies P; Ker, Jean; O'Connor, Paul; Doherty, Eva; Kropmans, Thomas J B

2017-12-21

Medical students may not be able to identify the essential elements of situational awareness (SA) necessary for clinical reasoning. Recent studies suggest that students have little insight into cognitive processing and SA in clinical scenarios. Objective Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCEs) could be used to assess certain elements of situational awareness. The purpose of this paper is to review the literature with a view to identifying whether levels of SA based on Endsley's model can be assessed utilising OSCEs during undergraduate medical training. A systematic search was performed pertaining to SA and OSCEs, to identify studies published between January 1975 (first paper describing an OSCE) and February 2017, in peer reviewed international journals published in English. PUBMED, EMBASE, PsycINFO Ovid and SCOPUS were searched for papers that described the assessment of SA using OSCEs among undergraduate medical students. Key search terms included "objective structured clinical examination", "objective structured clinical assessment" or "OSCE" and "non-technical skills", "sense-making", "clinical reasoning", "perception", "comprehension", "projection", "situation awareness", "situational awareness" and "situation assessment". Boolean operators (AND, OR) were used as conjunctions to narrow the search strategy, resulting in the limitation of papers relevant to the research interest. Areas of interest were elements of SA that can be assessed by these examinations. The initial search of the literature retrieved 1127 publications. Upon removal of duplicates and papers relating to nursing, paramedical disciplines, pharmacy and veterinary education by title, abstract or full text, 11 articles were eligible for inclusion as related to the assessment of elements of SA in undergraduate medical students. Review of the literature suggests that whole-task OSCEs enable the evaluation of SA associated with clinical reasoning skills. If they address the levels of SA, these OSCEs can provide supportive feedback and strengthen educational measures associated with higher diagnostic accuracy and reasoning abilities. Based on the findings, the early exposure of medical students to SA is recommended, utilising OSCEs to evaluate and facilitate SA in dynamic environments.

Author disclosure of conflict of interest in vascular surgery journals.

PubMed

Forbes, Thomas L

2011-09-01

Advances in vascular surgery are increasingly technology-driven, and the relationships between surgeons and the medical device industry can be complex. This study reviewed conflict of interest (COI) disclosure in the vascular surgery journals regarding several selected technology-driven topics, including endovascular stent grafts (EV), carotid artery stenting (CAS), and peripheral arterial interventions (PI), to suggest further directions. Authors' COI disclosures were reviewed from all clinical papers published in 2008 and 2009 in each of six vascular surgery journals, and pertaining to three selected topics (EV, CAS, and PI). Rate of COI disclosure was evaluated as a function of journal, topic, article type (randomized trial, case series, case report, review, or meta-analysis), and authors' region of origin. Secondarily, consistency of authors' disclosure was evaluated by reviewing papers by the same author and of the same topic. Six hundred thirty-five papers were reviewed from the six journals. A COI was declared in 125 (19.7%) of these papers. This rate differed between journals (range, 3.2%-34.1%; P < .0001). Rate of disclosure did not differ between topics (range, 12.8%-21.2%; P = .12), article type (range, 14.7%-30%; P = .28), or region of origin (range, 0%-33.3%; P = .09). There were 116 instances of the same author writing papers describing the same general topic. COI disclosure was consistent in the majority of these instances (72.4%), but inconsistent in 32 cases (27.6%). The most common (P = .006) inconsistencies involved the same type of article in different journals (46.9%), or in the same journal (25%). Rates of disclosure of COI, and inconsistencies in disclosure in the vascular surgery literature are at least partially due to differences in journals' reporting policies, while a smaller proportion of these inconsistencies are due to individual author behavior. Journals should adopt a consistent requirement for a separate COI declaration where all relevant financial arrangements are disclosed. Copyright © 2011 Society for Vascular Surgery. Published by Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

Health risk behaviours among adolescents in the English-speaking Caribbean: a review

PubMed Central

Maharaj, Rohan G; Nunes, Paula; Renwick, Shamin

2009-01-01

Background The aim of this paper was to review and summarize research on prevalence of health risk behaviours, their outcomes as well as risk and protective factors among adolescents in the English-speaking Caribbean. Methods Searching of online databases and the World Wide Web as well as hand searching of the West Indian Medical Journal were conducted. Papers on research done on adolescents aged 10 – 19 years old and published during the period 1980 – 2005 were included. Results Ninety-five relevant papers were located. Five papers were published in the 1980s, 47 in the 1990s, and from 2000–2005, 43 papers. Health risk behaviours and outcomes were divided into seven themes. Prevalence data obtained for these, included lifetime prevalence of substance use: cigarettes-24% and marijuana-17%; high risk sexual behaviour: initiation of sexual activity ≤ 10 years old-19% and those having more than six partners-19%; teenage pregnancy: teens account for 15–20% of all pregnancies and one-fifth of these teens were in their second pregnancy; Sexually-Transmitted Infections (STIs): population prevalence of gonorrhoea and/or chlamydia in 18–21 year-olds was 26%; mental health: severe depression in the adolescent age group was 9%, and attempted suicide-12%; violence and juvenile delinquency: carrying a weapon to school in the last 30 days-10% and almost always wanting to kill or injure someone-5%; eating disorders and obesity: overweight-11%, and obesity-7%. Many of the risk behaviours in adolescents were shown to be related to the adolescent's family of origin, home environment and parent-child relationships. Also, the protective effects of family and school connectedness as well as increased religiosity noted in studies from the United States were also applicable in the Caribbean. Conclusion There is a substantial body of literature on Caribbean adolescents documenting prevalence and correlates of health risk behaviours. Future research should emphasize the designing and testing of interventions to alleviate this burden. PMID:19292922

EDITORIAL: New developments for Nanotechnology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Welland, Mark

2007-01-01

In this first issue of Nanotechnology for 2007 the journal has taken another step forward in its extraordinary growth and development of the past 5 years. The reader will notice two important changes that have been introduced primarily in response to the exponential rise in submissions to the journal: the contents have been restructured into sections and publication will now be weekly. These latest changes, however, are not the only ones that have been made to the journal and its service to authors and readers. A modern journal has many tools at its disposal that journals of even 10 years ago simply did not. Electronic submission and refereeing, web-based publication, author services such as free electronic reprints and an email alerting service, to name but a few. Published by a learned society, Nanotechnology has constantly responded to the needs of authors and readers alike drawing upon the extensive experience and tools of IOP Publishing. Nanotechnology is of course an exploding field and it is therefore perhaps unsurprising to see a growth in the number of submissions to the journal. However, an inspection of the data surrounding submissions over the past 4 years reveals a disproportionate growth in the success of the journal itself. In 2002 there were 419 submitted papers of which 208 were accepted and published in 6 issues. In 2005 we received 75% more submissions over 2002, had a reduced acceptance rate of 44% and published 12 issues. 2006 showed, in just one year, a growth over 2005 of greater than 50% in the number of submissions. This growth of course does present challenges. The paper issues of the journal have been increasing in mass, hence a move to weekly publishing, and the sheer number of papers means that finding an article on a specific topic can be difficult for readers and authors, hence the move to sections. Sections will also help the Editorial Board in ensuring that the journal has a balanced portfolio of papers reflecting the broad relevance and impact of nanotechnology in general. With all this growth and change there are always some constant factors that specifically concern authors. Prominent amongst these is the speed of publication. Remarkably, our current publication times are among the most competitive internationally with current receipt to publication times of less than three months. Although this time will be shortened by weekly publication, it will be further reduced by the introduction of an article numbering system as opposed to page numbering. Here, an accepted article is assigned a number and published immediately; there is no need to wait for other articles to form a complete issue. Articles will be published on the web as soon as they are available. The number of nano-related journals continues to grow, making for a highly congested and competitive market. The fact that Nanotechnology, the longest established journal in the field, continues to grow in size, is able to dynamically change in response to authors and readers alike, and can draw on the renowned academic publishing capabilities of IOP Publishing, means that we look forward to an exciting and productive future. As we strive to deliver the best possible service to our authors and readers we aim to attract the very best of international nanoscience and nanotechnology so that Nanotechnology becomes the pre-eminent journal for reporting research in the field.

PREFACE: Processing, Microstructure and Performance of Materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chiu, Yu Lung; Chen, John J. J.; Hodgson, Michael A.; Thambyah, Ashvin

2009-07-01

A workshop on Processing, Microstructure and Performance of Materials was held at the University of Auckland, School of Engineering, on 8-9 April 2009. Organised by the Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, University of Auckland, this meeting consisted of international participants and aimed at addressing the state-of-the-art research activities in processing, microstructure characterization and performance integrity investigation of materials. This two-day conference brought together scientists and engineers from New Zealand, Australia, Hong Kong, France, and the United Kingdom. Undoubtedly, this diverse group of participants brought a very international flair to the proceedings which also featured original research papers on areas such as Materials processing; Microstructure characterisation and microanalysis; Mechanical response at different length scales, Biomaterials and Material Structural integrity. There were a total of 10 invited speakers, 16 paper presentations, and 14 poster presentations. Consequently, the presentations were carefully considered by the scientific committee and participants were invited to submit full papers for this volume. All the invited paper submissions for this volume have been peer reviewed by experts in the various fields represented in this conference, this in accordance to the expected standards of the journal's Peer review policy for IOP Conference Series: Materials Science and Engineering. The works in this publication consists of new and original research as well as several expert reviews of current state-of-the art technologies and scientific developments. Knowing some of the real constraints on hard-copy publishing of high quality, high resolution images, the editors are grateful to IOP Publishing for this opportunity to have the papers from this conference published on the online open-access platform. Listed in this volume are papers on a range of topics on materials research, including Ferguson's high strain rate deformation studies of wood, Nebosky et al's manufacturing methods of tantalum metal implant material, Tan et al's self-healing materials, Gabbitas et al's work on titanium alloys and others. Also among the review papers, topics include that on small-scale plasticity by Ng and Ngan showing how distinct plasticity between micro- and macro-specimens can be interpreted by size-dependent dislocation activities; and the latest advancements in electron microscopy, with a special emphasis on its application to materials engineering. Niche areas such as cartilage, dental and biomineralisation research are also included in several of the papers, as a recognition of the rapidly growing interest in biological materials research and its clinical relevance. Decidedly a resounding success, the conference and this volume owes much to all the individuals, organising committee, helpers and participants, who have taken time out to put in the effort of organising the meeting, preparing the presentations and writing the papers.

On the future contents of a small journal of histochemistry.

PubMed

Pellicciari, C

2012-12-10

In the last three years, more than 70,000 scientific articles have been published in peer reviewed journals on the application of histochemistry in the biomedical field: most of them did not appear in strictly histochemical journals, but in others dealing with cell and molecular biology, medicine or biotechnology. This proves that histochemistry is still an active and innovative discipline with relevance in basic and applied biological research, but also demonstrates that especially the small histochemical Journals should likely reconsider their scopes and strategies to preserve their authorship. A review of the last three years volumes of the European Journal of Histochemistry, taken as an example of a long-time established small Journal, confirmed that the published articles were widely heterogeneous in their topics and experimental models, as in this Journal's tradition. This strongly suggests that a Journal of histochemistry should keep its role as a forum open to an audience as broad as possible, publishing papers on cell and tissue biology in a wide variety of models. This will improve knowledge of the basic mechanisms of development and differentiation, while helping to increase the number of potential authors since scientists who generally do not use histochemistry in their research will find hints for the applications of histochemical techniques to novel still unexplored subjects.

Two-thirds of methodological research remained unpublished after presentation at Cochrane Colloquia: an empirical analysis.

PubMed

Chapman, Sarah; Eisinga, Anne; Hopewell, Sally; Clarke, Mike

2012-05-01

To determine the extent to which abstracts of methodology research, initially presented at annual meetings of The Cochrane Collaboration, have been published as full reports and over what period of time. A secondary aim was to explore whether full publication varied in different methodological subject areas. The Cochrane Methodology Register (CMR) was searched for all abstracts reporting methodology research, presented at the 11 Cochrane Colloquia from 1997 to 2007. EMBASE, PubMed, and CMR were searched for full publications of the same research. We identified 908 eligible conference abstracts and found full publications for 312 (34.4%) of these, almost half of which (47.1%) had appeared by the end of the first year after the relevant Colloquium. The proportion of abstracts that had not been published by 3 years was 69.7%, falling to 66.2% at 5 years. Publication varied considerably between different methodological areas. Approximately two-thirds of methodological research studies presented at Cochrane Colloquia remain unpublished as full papers at least 5 years later. This highlights the importance of searching conference abstracts if one wishes to find as comprehensive and complete a sample of methodological research as possible. Crown Copyright © 2012. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

On the future contents of a small journal of histochemistry

PubMed Central

Pellicciari, C.

2012-01-01

In the last three years, more than 70,000 scientific articles have been published in peer reviewed journals on the application of histochemistry in the biomedical field: most of them did not appear in strictly histochemical journals, but in others dealing with cell and molecular biology, medicine or biotechnology. This proves that histochemistry is still an active and innovative discipline with relevance in basic and applied biological research, but also demonstrates that especially the small histochemical journals should likely reconsider their scopes and strategies to preserve their authorship. A review of the last three years volumes of the European Journal of Histochemistry, taken as an example of a long-time established small journal, confirmed that the published articles were widely heterogeneous in their topics and experimental models, as in this journal's tradition. This strongly suggests that a journal of histochemistry should keep its role as a forum open to an audience as broad as possible, publishing papers on cell and tissue biology in a wide variety of models. This will improve knowledge of the basic mechanisms of development and differentiation, while helping to increase the number of potential authors since scientists who generally do not use histochemistry in their research will find hints for the applications of histochemical techniques to novel still unexplored subjects. PMID:23361247

Electronic nicotine delivery devices, and their impact on health and patterns of tobacco use: a systematic review protocol

PubMed Central

Glasser, Allison M; Cobb, Caroline O; Teplitskaya, Lyubov; Ganz, Ollie; Katz, Lauren; Rose, Shyanika W; Feirman, Shari; Villanti, Andrea C

2015-01-01

Introduction E-cigarettes or electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) have recently attracted considerable attention. Among some individuals there is strong debate and a polarisation of views about the public health benefits versus harms of ENDS. With little regulation, the ENDS market is evolving, and new products are introduced and marketed constantly. Rapid developments in manufacturing, marketing and consumer domains related to ENDS will warrant frequent re-evaluation, based on the state of the evolving science. The purpose of this article is to describe a protocol for an ongoing comprehensive review of the published scientific literature on ENDS. Methods and analysis We will undertake a systematic review of published empirical research literature on ENDS using the National Library of Medicine's PubMed electronic database to search for relevant articles. Data from included studies will be extracted into a standardised form, tables with study details and key outcomes for each article will be created, and studies will be synthesised qualitatively. Ethics and dissemination This review synthesises published literature and presents no primary data. Therefore, no ethical approval is required for this study. Subsequent papers will provide greater detail on results, within select categories, that represent gaps in the literature base. PMID:25926149

Tuberculosis control in prisons: current situation and research gaps.

PubMed

Dara, Masoud; Acosta, Colleen D; Melchers, Natalie V S Vinkeles; Al-Darraji, Haider A A; Chorgoliani, Dato; Reyes, Hernan; Centis, Rosella; Sotgiu, Giovanni; D'Ambrosio, Lia; Chadha, Sarabjit S; Migliori, Giovanni Battista

2015-03-01

Tuberculosis (TB) in penitentiary services (prisons) is a major challenge to TB control. This review article describes the challenges that prison systems encounter in TB control and provides solutions for the more efficient use of limited resources based on the three pillars of the post-2015 End TB Strategy. This paper also proposes research priorities for TB control in prisons based on current challenges. Articles (published up to 2011) included in a recent systematic review on TB control in prisons were further reviewed. In addition, relevant articles in English (published 1990 to May 2014) were identified by searching keywords in PubMed and Google Scholar. Article bibliographies and conference abstracts were also hand-searched. Despite being a serious cause of morbidity and mortality among incarcerated populations, many prison systems encounter a variety of challenges that hinder TB control. These include, but are not limited to, insufficient laboratory capacity and diagnostic tools, interrupted supply of medicines, weak integration between civilian and prison TB services, inadequate infection control measures, and low policy priority for prison healthcare. Governmental commitment, partnerships, and sustained financing are needed in order to facilitate improvements in TB control in prisons, which will translate to the wider community. Copyright © 2015 World Health Organization. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Astrobiological and Geological Implications of Convective Transport in Icy Outer Planet Satellites

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pappalardo, Robert T.; Zhong, Shi-Jie; Barr, Amy

2005-01-01

The oceans of large icy outer planet satellites are prime targets in the search for extraterrestrial life in our solar system. The goal of our project has been to develop models of ice convection in order to understand convection as an astrobiologically relevant transport mechanism within icy satellites, especially Europa. These models provide valuable constraints on modes of surface deformation and thus the implications of satellite surface geology for astrobiology, and for planetary protection. Over the term of this project, significant progress has been made in three areas: (1) the initiation of convection in large icy satellites, which we find probably requires tidal heating; (2) the relationship of surface features on Europa to internal ice convection, including the likely role of low-melting-temperature impurities; and (3) the effectiveness of convection as an agent of icy satellite surface-ocean material exchange, which seems most plausible if tidal heating, compositional buoyancy, and solid-state convection work in combination. Descriptions of associated publications include: 3 published papers (including contributions to 1 review chapter), 1 manuscript in revision, 1 manuscript in preparation (currently being completed under separate funding), and 1 published popular article. A myriad of conference abstracts have also been published, and only those from the past year are listed.

[Good practice guidelines for health information].

PubMed

2016-01-01

Evidence-based health information is distinguished by the provision of an unbiased and trustworthy description of the current state of medical knowledge. It enables people to learn more about health and disease, and to make health-related decisions - on their own or together with others - reflecting their attitudes and lifestyle. To adequately serve this purpose, health information must be evidence-based. A working group from the German Network for Evidence-based Medicine (Deutsches Netzwerk Evidenzbasierte Medizin) has developed a first draft of good practice guidelines for health information (Gute Praxis Gesundheitsinformation) with the aim of providing support for authors and publishers of evidence-based health information. The group included researchers, patient representatives, journalists and developers of health information. The criteria for evidence-based health information were developed and agreed upon within this author group, and then made available for public comment. All submitted comments were documented and assessed regarding the need to revise or amend the draft. Changes were subsequently implemented following approval by the author group. Gute Praxis Gesundheitsinformation calls for a transparent methodological approach in the development of health information. To achieve this, evidence-based information must be based on (a) a systematic literature search, (b) a justified selection of evidence, (c) unbiased reporting of relevant results, (d) appropriate factual and linguistic communication of uncertainties, (e) either avoidance of any direct recommendations or a strict division between the reporting of results and the derivation of recommendations, (f) the consideration of current evidence on the communication of figures, risks and probabilities, and (g) transparent information about the authors and publishers of the health information, including their funding sources. Gute Praxis Gesundheitsinformation lists a total of 16 aspects to be addressed in methods papers. Gute Praxis Gesundheitsinformation is a tool that puts forward methodological aspects to be considered when developing health information. In order to be transparent, descriptions of the underlying methods and processes need to be published in easily accessible methods papers describing the general procedure. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier GmbH.

[The 100 Most Often Articles on Glaucoma Research: a Bibliometric Analysis].

PubMed

Frings, Andreas; Kromer, Robert; Ueberschaar, Julian; Druchkiv, Vasyl; Schargus, Marc

2017-10-25

Background Bibliometric science employs statistical and quantitative analyses to analyse the scholarly impact and characteristics of publications within a research field. The present study was initiated to analyse and quantify the 100 most often cited papers in glaucoma research. Materials and Methods The databases of the Institute for Scientific Information were utilised for the identification of articles published from 1900 to December 2016. All glaucoma articles were identified that had been published in 109 relevant journals and which had been cited at least 200 times. The top 100 articles were selected for further analysis of authorship, source journal, number of citations, citation rate, geographic origin, article type, and level of evidence. Results The publication dates of the 100 most often cited articles ranged from 1966 to 2011, with the greatest number of articles published in the 1990s. Citations per article ranged from 258 to 1908. All articles were published in 18 of the 109 journals. The leading countries of origin were the U. S. A., followed by the U. K. The study focussed on two main clinical articles (diagnostics; epidemiology) and basic research articles. The number of citations per article was greatest for articles published in the 2000s. Most articles provided level III evidence, followed by levels I and II. Conclusion The majority of the most cited articles were published in three of the top-ranked journals. Most clinical articles dealt with epidemiology and diagnostics. Individuals who authored multiple articles in the list often focussed on one of these two areas. Most studies were conducted in the U. S. A. and presented level III clinical outcomes. This indicates that even studies with small case series or cohort studies can attract attention. Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

The effect of tuning ankle foot orthoses-footwear combination on the gait parameters of children with cerebral palsy.

PubMed

Eddison, Nicola; Chockalingam, Nachiappan

2013-04-01

There are a wide variety of ankle foot orthoses used in clinical practice which are characterised by their design, the material used and the stiffness of that material. Changing any of these three components will alter the effect of the ankle foot orthosis on gait. The purpose of this article is to provide an overview on the available research on ankle foot orthosis-footwear combination tuning on the gait characteristics of children with cerebral palsy through a structured review. Literature review. A thorough search of previous studies published in English was conducted within all major databases using relevant phrases without any limits for the dates. These searches were then supplemented by tracking all key references from the appropriate articles identified including hand searching of published books where relevant. To date, there are 947 papers in the literature pertaining to the study of ankle foot orthosis. Of these, 153 investigated the use of ankle foot orthosis for children with cerebral palsy. All the studies included in this review were of a within-subjects design and the evidence levels were generally low. The overall results suggested that ankle foot orthosis-footwear combination tuning has the potential to improve the kinematics and kinetics of gait in children with cerebral palsy. However, the review highlights a lack of well-designed and adequately powered studies. Clinical relevance While the research described in this article indicates an improvement in the gait of children with cerebral palsy following tuning of their ankle foot orthosis-footwear combination, there is still a paucity of research with quantitative data on the effects of kinematics and kinetics of ankle foot orthosis-footwear combination tuning, comparing untuned ankle foot orthosis-footwear combinations with tuned ankle foot orthosis-footwear combination. Furthermore, current research does not identify the effect of tuning on energy efficiency.

Gender Research in the National Institute on Drug Abuse National Treatment Clinical Trials Network: A Summary of Findings

PubMed Central

Greenfield, Shelly F.; Rosa, Carmen; Putnins, Susan I.; Green, Carla A.; Brooks, Audrey J.; Calsyn, Donald A.; Cohen, Lisa R.; Erickson, Sarah; Gordon, Susan M.; Haynes, Louise; Killeen, Therese; Miele, Gloria; Tross, Susan; Winhusen, Theresa

2011-01-01

Background The NIDA National Drug Abuse Treatment Clinical Trials Network (CTN) was established to foster translation of research into practice in substance abuse treatment settings. The CTN provides a unique opportunity to examine in multi-site, translational clinical trials, the outcomes of treatment interventions targeting vulnerable sub-groups of women; the comparative effectiveness of gender-specific protocols to reduce risk behaviors; and gender differences in clinical outcomes. Objectives To review gender-related findings from published CTN clinical trials and related studies from January, 2000 through March, 2010. Methods CTN studies were selected for review if they focused on treatment outcomes or services for special populations of women with substance use disorders (SUDs) including those with trauma histories, pregnancy, co-occurring eating and other psychiatric disorders and HIV risk behaviors; or implemented gender-specific protocols. Results The CTN has randomized 11,500 participants (41% women) across 200 clinics in 24 randomized clinical trials in community settings, of which 4 have been gender-specific. This paper summarizes gender-related findings from CTN clinical trials and related studies, focusing on trauma histories, pregnancy, co-occurring eating and other psychiatric disorders, and HIV risk behaviors. Conclusions These published studies have expanded the evidence base regarding interventions for vulnerable groups of women with SUDs as well as gender-specific interventions to reduce HIV risk behaviors in substance using men and women. The results also underscore the complexity of accounting for gender in the design of clinical trials and analysis of results. Scientific Relevance To fully understand the relevance of gender-specific moderators and mediators of outcome, it is essential that future translational studies adopt more sophisticated approaches to understanding and measuring gender-relevant factors and plan sample sizes that are adequate to support more nuanced analytic methods. PMID:21854272

Time to publication for publicly funded clinical trials in Australia: an observational study.

PubMed

Strand, Linn Beate; Clarke, Philip; Graves, Nicholas; Barnett, Adrian G

2017-03-22

To examine the length of time between receiving funding and publishing the protocol and main paper for randomised controlled trials. An observational study using survival analysis. Publicly funded health and medical research in Australia. Randomised controlled trials funded by the National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia between 2008 and 2010. Time from funding to the protocol paper and main results paper. Multiple variable survival models examining whether study characteristics predicted publication times. We found 77 studies with a total funding of $A59 million. The median time to publication of the protocol paper was 6.4 years after funding (95% CI 4.1 to 8.1). The proportion with a published protocol paper 8 years after funding was 0.61 (95% CI 0.48 to 0.74). The median time to publication of the main results paper was 7.1 years after funding (95% CI 6.3 to 7.6). The proportion with a published main results paper 8 years after funding was 0.72 (95% CI 0.56 to 0.87). The HRs for how study characteristics might influence timing were generally close to one with narrow CIs, the notable exception was that a longer study length lengthened the time to the main paper (HR=0.62 per extra study year, 95% CI 0.43 to 0.89). Despite the widespread registration of clinical trials, there remain serious concerns of trial results not being published or being published with a long delay. We have found that these same concerns apply to protocol papers, which should be publishable soon after funding. Funding agencies could set a target of publishing the protocol paper within 18 months of funding. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/.

Critical appraisal of emergency medicine education research: the best publications of 2012.

PubMed

Lin, Michelle; Fisher, Jonathan; Coates, Wendy C; Farrell, Susan E; Shayne, Philip; Maggio, Lauren; Kuhn, Gloria

2014-03-01

The objective was to critically appraise and highlight medical education research published in 2012 that was methodologically superior and whose outcomes were pertinent to teaching and education in emergency medicine (EM). A search of the English language literature in 2012 querying Education Resources Information Center (ERIC), PsychInfo, PubMed, and Scopus identified EM studies using hypothesis-testing or observational investigations of educational interventions. Two reviewers independently screened all of the publications and removed articles using established exclusion criteria. This year, publications limited to a single-site survey design that measured satisfaction or self-assessment on unvalidated instruments were not formally reviewed. Six reviewers then independently ranked all remaining publications using one of two scoring systems depending on whether the study methodology was primarily qualitative or quantitative. Each scoring system had nine criteria, including four related to methodology, that were chosen a priori, to standardize evaluation by reviewers. The quantitative study scoring system was used previously to appraise medical education published annually in 2008 through 2011, while a separate, new qualitative study scoring system was derived and implemented consisting of parallel metrics. Forty-eight medical education research papers met the a priori criteria for inclusion, and 33 (30 quantitative and three qualitative studies) were reviewed. Seven quantitative and two qualitative studies met the criteria for inclusion as exemplary and are summarized in this article. This critical appraisal series aims to promote superior education research by reviewing and highlighting nine of the 48 major education research studies with relevance to EM published in 2012. Current trends and common methodologic pitfalls in the 2012 papers are noted. © 2014 by the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine.

Clinical information modeling processes for semantic interoperability of electronic health records: systematic review and inductive analysis.

PubMed

Moreno-Conde, Alberto; Moner, David; Cruz, Wellington Dimas da; Santos, Marcelo R; Maldonado, José Alberto; Robles, Montserrat; Kalra, Dipak

2015-07-01

This systematic review aims to identify and compare the existing processes and methodologies that have been published in the literature for defining clinical information models (CIMs) that support the semantic interoperability of electronic health record (EHR) systems. Following the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses systematic review methodology, the authors reviewed published papers between 2000 and 2013 that covered that semantic interoperability of EHRs, found by searching the PubMed, IEEE Xplore, and ScienceDirect databases. Additionally, after selection of a final group of articles, an inductive content analysis was done to summarize the steps and methodologies followed in order to build CIMs described in those articles. Three hundred and seventy-eight articles were screened and thirty six were selected for full review. The articles selected for full review were analyzed to extract relevant information for the analysis and characterized according to the steps the authors had followed for clinical information modeling. Most of the reviewed papers lack a detailed description of the modeling methodologies used to create CIMs. A representative example is the lack of description related to the definition of terminology bindings and the publication of the generated models. However, this systematic review confirms that most clinical information modeling activities follow very similar steps for the definition of CIMs. Having a robust and shared methodology could improve their correctness, reliability, and quality. Independently of implementation technologies and standards, it is possible to find common patterns in methods for developing CIMs, suggesting the viability of defining a unified good practice methodology to be used by any clinical information modeler. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the American Medical Informatics Association. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Informal caregivers' views on the division of responsibilities between themselves and professionals: A scoping review.

PubMed

Wittenberg, Yvette; Kwekkeboom, Rick; Staaks, Janneke; Verhoeff, Arnoud; de Boer, Alice

2017-12-18

This scoping review focuses on the views of informal caregivers regarding the division of care responsibilities between citizens, governments and professionals and the question of to what extent professionals take these views into account during collaboration with them. In Europe, the normative discourse on informal care has changed. Retreating governments and decreasing residential care increase the need to enhance the collaboration between informal caregivers and professionals. Professionals are assumed to adequately address the needs and wishes of informal caregivers, but little is known about informal caregivers' views on the division of care responsibilities. We performed a scoping review and searched for relevant studies published between 2000 and September 1, 2016 in seven databases. Thirteen papers were included, all published in Western countries. Most included papers described research with a qualitative research design. Based on the opinion of informal caregivers, we conclude that professionals do not seem to explicitly take into account the views of informal caregivers about the division of responsibilities during their collaboration with them. Roles of the informal caregivers and professionals are not always discussed and the division of responsibilities sometimes seems unclear. Acknowledging the role and expertise of informal caregivers seems to facilitate good collaboration, as well as attitudes such as professionals being open and honest, proactive and compassionate. Inflexible structures and services hinder good collaboration. Asking informal caregivers what their opinion is about the division of responsibilities could improve clarity about the care that is given by both informal caregivers and professionals and could improve their collaboration. Educational programs in social work, health and allied health professions should put more emphasis on this specific characteristic of collaboration. © 2017 The Authors. Health and Social Care in the Community Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

From course assignment paper to publishable manuscript.

PubMed

Rew, Lynn

2012-12-01

Both undergraduate and graduate nursing students are expected to write numerous papers in their educational programs; however, most of these papers are never published. Many students and faculty lack the skills needed to convert a course assignment paper to a publishable manuscript. The purpose of this article is to describe 10 steps that can transform a course assignment paper into a publishable manuscript. These steps include outlining, clarifying the topic, clearly stating the purpose, identifying an appropriate audience, revising with faculty's feedback, querying journal editors, revising to conform to journal's author guidelines, requesting and responding to peer feedback, and finally editing and proofreading prior to submitting the manuscript. Faculty members are encouraged to make writing assignments that students can then convert to publishable manuscripts. Such publications form an essential cornerstone of professional holistic nursing.

Exercise-based treatments for substance use disorders: evidence, theory, and practicality

PubMed Central

Linke, Sarah E.; Ussher, Michael

2016-01-01

Background Epidemiological studies reveal that individuals who report risky substance use are generally less likely to meet physical activity guidelines (with the exception of certain population segments, such as adolescents and athletes). A growing body of evidence suggests that individuals with substance use disorders (SUDs) are interested in exercising and that they may derive benefits from regular exercise, in terms of both general health/fitness and SUD recovery. Objectives The aims of this paper were to: (i) summarize the research examining the effects of exercise-based treatments for SUDs; (ii) discuss the theoretical mechanisms and practical reasons for investigating this topic; (iii) identify the outstanding relevant research questions that warrant further inquiry; and (iv) describe potential implications for practice. Methods The following databases were searched for peer-reviewed original and review papers on the topic of substance use and exercise: PubMed Central, MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycINFO, and CINAHL Plus. Reference lists of these publications were subsequently searched for any missed but relevant manuscripts. Identified papers were reviewed and summarized by both authors. Results The limited research conducted suggests that exercise may be an effective adjunctive treatment for SUDs. In contrast to the scarce intervention trials to date, a relative abundance of literature on the theoretical and practical reasons supporting the investigation of this topic has been published. Conclusions Definitive conclusions are difficult to draw due to diverse study protocols and low adherence to exercise programs, among other problems. Despite the currently limited and inconsistent evidence, numerous theoretical and practical reasons support exercise-based treatments for SUDs, including psychological, behavioral, neurobiological, nearly universal safety profile, and overall positive health effects. PMID:25397661

Health policy making for street children: challenges and strategies.

PubMed

Abdi, Fatemeh; Saeieh, Sara Esmaelzadeh; Roozbeh, Nasibeh; Yazdkhasti, Mansoureh

2017-08-17

Background The phenomenon of street children is a bio-psychological and social issue that not only harms children, but also endangers the health of a society. In line with the national programs for the development and promotion of street children's health in Iran, health policy making and essential strategies for this group of children will be presented in this paper. This paper will discuss the main issues and challenges of street children's health and, also, health policy and guidelines for this population. Methods In this review study, the keywords; street children, health, challenges, policy, and health policy making were searched through PubMed, SID, Iranmedex, World Health Organization (WHO), Emro, the Cochran Library, Medline and Google scholar to collect data. The search resulted in 84 related resources from which 48 cases that were more relevant to this research and covered the issue more comprehensively, were used. All data published during 2002-2015 have been included in this paper. Results Key concepts including street children and their health, health policy, strategies to improve the health of street children, health policy approaches for street children, the WHO's strategies, and social support program for street children must be considered in the health policy making processes for street children, as precise identification of the relevant information makes planning more effective in health policy making for this group of children. Conclusion The phenomenon of street children is a growing problem in the world and it has turned into a serious concern in many countries including Iran. The findings of this study can be used for identifying necessary measures in order to use research outcomes more effectively in policy making processes and reforming street children's health policies in Iran.

Florence Nightingale and Irish nursing.

PubMed

McDonald, Lynn

2014-09-01

To challenge statements made about 'Careful Nursing' as a 'distinctive system' of nursing established by the Irish Sisters of Mercy, prior to Florence Nightingale, and which is said to have influenced her. Numerous publications have appeared claiming the emergence of a 'distinctive system' of nursing as 'Ireland's legacy to nursing', which, it is claimed, influenced Nightingale's system. One paper argues that the Irish system has its philosophical roots in Thomist philosophy. Several papers argue the ongoing relevance of the Irish system, not Nightingale's, for contemporary nursing theory and practice. Nightingale's influence on and legacy to Irish nursing are not acknowledged. A Discursive paper. Archival and published sources were used to compare the nursing systems of Florence Nightingale and the Irish Sisters of Mercy, with particular attention to nursing during the Crimean War. Claims were challenged of a 'distinctive system' of nursing established by the Irish Sisters of Mercy in the early nineteenth century, and of its stated influence on the nursing system of Florence Nightingale. The contention of great medical satisfaction with the 'distinctive' system is refuted with data showing that the death rate at the Koulali Hospital, where the Irish sisters nursed, was the highest of all the British war hospitals during the Crimean War. Profound differences between the two systems are outlined. Claims for a 'distinctive' Irish system of nursing fail for lack of evidence. Nightingale's principles and methods, as they evolved over the first decade of her school's work, remain central to nursing theory and practice. Nightingale's insistence on respect for patients and high ethical standards remains relevant to practice no less so as specific practices change with advances in medical knowledge and practice. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Evaluating the Labour Government's English NHS health system reforms: the 2008 Darzi reforms.

PubMed

Mays, Nicholas

2013-10-01

Starting in 2002, the UK Labour Government of 1997-2010 introduced a series of changes to the National Health Service (NHS) in England designed to increase patients' choices of the place of elective hospital care and encourage competition among public and private providers of elective hospital services for NHS-funded patients. In 2006, the Department of Health initiated the Health Reform Evaluation Programme (HREP) to assess the impact of the changes. In June 2008, the White Paper, High quality care for all, was published. It represented the government's desire to focus the next phase of health care system reform in England as much on the quality of care as on improving its responsiveness and efficiency. The 2008 White Paper led to the commissioning of a further wave of evaluative research under the auspices of HREP, as follows: an evaluation of the implementation and outcomes of care planning for people with long-term conditions; an evaluation of the personal health budget pilots; an evaluation of the implementation and outcomes of the Commissioning for Quality and Innovation (CQUIN) framework; and an evaluation of cultural and behavioural change in the NHS focused on ensuring high quality care for all. This Supplement includes papers from each project. The evaluations present a mixed picture of the impact and success of the 2008 reforms. All the studies identify some limitations of the policies in the White Paper. The introduction of personal health budgets appears to have been the least problematic and, depending on assumptions, likely to be cost-effective for the sorts of patients involved in the pilot. For the rest of the changes, impacts ranged from little or none (CQUIN and care planning for people with chronic conditions) to patchy and highly variable (instilling a culture of quality in acute hospitals) in the three years following the publication of the White Paper. On the other hand, each of the studies identifies important insights relevant to modifying and improving the policies. These findings have continuing relevance since both the 2008 White Paper's policies, and the issues they were focused on remedying, remain central to the current Coalition Government's reform agenda.

Subgroup analyses in confirmatory clinical trials: time to be specific about their purposes.

PubMed

Tanniou, Julien; van der Tweel, Ingeborg; Teerenstra, Steven; Roes, Kit C B

2016-02-18

It is well recognized that treatment effects may not be homogeneous across the study population. Subgroup analyses constitute a fundamental step in the assessment of evidence from confirmatory (Phase III) clinical trials, where conclusions for the overall study population might not hold. Subgroup analyses can have different and distinct purposes, requiring specific design and analysis solutions. It is relevant to evaluate methodological developments in subgroup analyses against these purposes to guide health care professionals and regulators as well as to identify gaps in current methodology. We defined four purposes for subgroup analyses: (1) Investigate the consistency of treatment effects across subgroups of clinical importance, (2) Explore the treatment effect across different subgroups within an overall non-significant trial, (3) Evaluate safety profiles limited to one or a few subgroup(s), (4) Establish efficacy in the targeted subgroup when included in a confirmatory testing strategy of a single trial. We reviewed the methodology in line with this "purpose-based" framework. The review covered papers published between January 2005 and April 2015 and aimed to classify them in none, one or more of the aforementioned purposes. In total 1857 potentially eligible papers were identified. Forty-eight papers were selected and 20 additional relevant papers were identified from their references, leading to 68 papers in total. Nineteen were dedicated to purpose 1, 16 to purpose 4, one to purpose 2 and none to purpose 3. Seven papers were dedicated to more than one purpose, the 25 remaining could not be classified unambiguously. Purposes of the methods were often not specifically indicated, methods for subgroup analysis for safety purposes were almost absent and a multitude of diverse methods were developed for purpose (1). It is important that researchers developing methodology for subgroup analysis explicitly clarify the objectives of their methods in terms that can be understood from a patient's, health care provider's and/or regulator's perspective. A clear operational definition for consistency of treatment effects across subgroups is lacking, but is needed to improve the usability of subgroup analyses in this setting. Finally, methods to particularly explore benefit-risk systematically across subgroups need more research.

Corporate corruption of science-Another asbestos example.

PubMed

Egilman, David; Monárrez, Rubén

2017-02-01

Kelsh et al. [2007]: Occup Med (Lond) 57:581-589 published a paper reanalyzing one of the few data sources publicly available on mesothelioma amongst brake workers, the Australian Mesothelioma Surveillance Registry (AMSR). This reanalysis was commissioned by lawyers representing the automobile manufacturing companies and did not align with an independent analysis published by Leigh and Driscoll [2003]: Occup Environ Health 9:206-217. We sought to reevaluate the AMSR data ourselves to understand how the company-sponsored research categorized the data. In our re-analysis of the 78 brake-related folios in the AMSR, we determined that 57 were employed brake mechanics, 35 were employed brake mechanics with no other asbestos exposure besides brake work or repair, and 41 of these cases had no other asbestos exposure besides brake work or repair. Our classifications differed significantly from Kelsh et al. We discuss how Kelsh et al. methodically reduced the relevant cases by following overly stringent criteria for inclusion. Am. J. Ind. Med. 60:152-162, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

A two-stage broadcast message propagation model in social networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Dan; Cheng, Shun-Jun

2016-11-01

Message propagation in social networks is becoming a popular topic in complex networks. One of the message types in social networks is called broadcast message. It refers to a type of message which has a unique and unknown destination for the publisher, such as 'lost and found'. Its propagation always has two stages. Due to this feature, rumor propagation model and epidemic propagation model have difficulty in describing this message's propagation accurately. In this paper, an improved two-stage susceptible-infected-removed model is proposed. We come up with the concept of the first forwarding probability and the second forwarding probability. Another part of our work is figuring out the influence to the successful message transmission chance in each level resulting from multiple reasons, including the topology of the network, the receiving probability, the first stage forwarding probability, the second stage forwarding probability as well as the length of the shortest path between the publisher and the relevant destination. The proposed model has been simulated on real networks and the results proved the model's effectiveness.

Implementation science: a reappraisal of our journal mission and scope.

PubMed

Foy, Robbie; Sales, Anne; Wensing, Michel; Aarons, Gregory A; Flottorp, Signe; Kent, Bridie; Michie, Susan; O'Connor, Denise; Rogers, Anne; Sevdalis, Nick; Straus, Sharon; Wilson, Paul

2015-04-17

The implementation of research findings into healthcare practice has become increasingly recognised as a major priority for researchers, service providers, research funders and policymakers over the past decade. Nine years after its establishment, Implementation Science, an international online open access journal, currently publishes over 150 articles each year. This is fewer than 30% of those submitted for publication. The majority of manuscript rejections occur at the point of initial editorial screening, frequently because we judge them to fall outside of journal scope. There are a number of common reasons as to why manuscripts are rejected on grounds of scope. Furthermore, as the field of implementation research has evolved and our journal submissions have risen, we have, out of necessity, had to become more selective in what we publish. We have also expanded our scope, particularly around patient-mediated and population health interventions, and will monitor the impact of such changes. We hope this editorial on our evolving priorities and common reasons for rejection without peer review will help authors to better judge the relevance of their papers to Implementation Science.

Identifying the Factors Affecting Papers’ Citability in the Field of Medicine: an Evidence-based Approach Using 200 Highly and Lowly-cited Papers

PubMed Central

Yaminfirooz, Mousa; Ardali, Farzaneh Raeesi

2018-01-01

Introduction: Nowadays, publishing highly-cited papers is important for researchers and editors. In this evidence-based study, the factors influencing the citability of published papers in the field of medicine have been identified. Material and Methods: 200 papers indexed in Scopus (in two groups: highly-cited and lowly-cited) with 100 papers in each were studied. Needed data were manually collected with a researcher-made checklist. Data analysis was done in SPSS using descriptive and inferential statistics. Results: Variables such as journal IF, journal rank, journal subject quartile, the first/corresponding author’s h-index, the number of documents produced by the first/corresponding author, SJR and SNIP had significantly positive correlation with paper citability (p< .05). Other variables, including among others, paper age, paper type, the number of references, the number of authors, indexing institute and journal kind had not any relationship with paper citability (p> .05). Conclusion: the factors affecting the citability are among indicators relating to authors, publishing journals and published papers. Determining the extent to which these factors influence the citability of a paper needs further large-scaled research. Authors and editors searching for high-citedness should consider these factors when authoring and publishing papers. PMID:29719306

A descriptive review of qualitative studies in first episode psychosis.

PubMed

Boydell, Katherine M; Stasiulis, Elaine; Volpe, Tiziana; Gladstone, Brenda

2010-02-01

The aim of this paper is to provide a descriptive review of published qualitative research studies on first episode psychosis (FEP). A review was undertaken to describe the findings of qualitative studies in early psychosis. Keyword searches in Medline, CINAHL, ASSIA, PsychINFO databases, as well as manual searches of other relevant journals and reference lists of primary papers, were conducted. Thirty-one qualitative papers (representing 27 discrete studies) were identified. The majority reported research concerning young people based in community settings. The research studies were organized according to the following generic social processes: (i) achieving identity; (ii) acquiring perspectives; (iii) doing activity; and, (iv) experiencing relationships. The papers reviewed are based on first-person accounts obtained from individuals who have experienced FEP, their family members and service providers. This descriptive review contributes to our understanding of the complex social processes of achieving identity, acquiring perspectives, doing activities and developing relationships as experienced by young people and the significant others in their world. The cumulative findings highlight the contextually rich and detailed information made possible through qualitative studies of FEP. They begin to account for the active engagement of individuals affected by psychosis in making sense of their experience and suggest that this experience should be understood from within young people's own framework of meaning.

Patient or treatment centre? Where are efforts invested to improve cancer patients' psychosocial outcomes?

PubMed Central

Carey, ML; Clinton-McHarg, T; Sanson-Fisher, RW; Campbell, S; Douglas, HE

2011-01-01

The psychosocial outcomes of cancer patients may be influenced by individual-level, social and treatment centre predictors. This paper aimed to examine the extent to which individual, social and treatment centre variables have been examined as predictors or targets of intervention for psychosocial outcomes of cancer patients. Medline was searched to find studies in which the psychological outcomes of cancer patient were primary variables. Papers published in English between 1999 and 2009 that reported primary data relevant to psychosocial outcomes for cancer patients were included, with 20% randomly selected for further coding. Descriptive studies were coded for inclusion of individual, social or treatment centre variables. Intervention studies were coded to determine if the unit of intervention was the individual patient, social unit or treatment centre. After random sampling, 412 publications meeting the inclusion criteria were identified, 169 were descriptive and 243 interventions. Of the descriptive papers 95.0% included individual predictors, and 5.0% social predictors. None of the descriptive papers examined treatment centre variables as predictors of psychosocial outcomes. Similarly, none of the interventions evaluated the effectiveness of treatment centre interventions for improving psychosocial outcomes. Potential reasons for the overwhelming dominance of individual predictors and individual-focused interventions in psychosocial literature are discussed. PMID:20646035

Concepts of social inclusion, exclusion and mental health: a review of the international literature.

PubMed

Wright, N; Stickley, T

2013-02-01

Social inclusion and exclusion are concepts which have been widely associated with politics and policy in the first decade of the 2000s. People with mental health problems have become the focus of a range of social inclusion initiatives. A literature review was conducted to explore the peer-reviewed evidence relating social inclusion/exclusion and mental health. In total 36 papers were included in the review from the UK, Canada, Australia and Scandinavia. The papers had used a range of different approaches to research and evaluation. The included papers associated being socially included to: social roles and responsibilities such as employment, participation in social activities, environmental work and voting. Although some papers engaged in a critical discussion of the concept, many offered only simplistic accounts or definitions. Social inclusion is such a widely used term within political and policy discourses that it is surprising so little research is available within the mental health realm. There was a lack of clarity related to the concept of social exclusion and the qualitative studies focused entirely on the experiences of being excluded within an institutional or semi-institutional setting. The relationship between exclusion, inequality and injustice is identified and the relevance of the concept to current and future mental health policy is questioned. © 2012 Blackwell Publishing.

Publishing Qualitative Research in Counseling Journals

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hunt, Brandon

2011-01-01

This article focuses on the essential elements to be included when developing a qualitative study and preparing the findings for publication. Using the sections typically found in a qualitative article, the author describes content relevant to each section, with additional suggestions for publishing qualitative research.

Conditionals and inferential connections: A hypothetical inferential theory.

PubMed

Douven, Igor; Elqayam, Shira; Singmann, Henrik; van Wijnbergen-Huitink, Janneke

2018-03-01

Intuition suggests that for a conditional to be evaluated as true, there must be some kind of connection between its component clauses. In this paper, we formulate and test a new psychological theory to account for this intuition. We combined previous semantic and psychological theorizing to propose that the key to the intuition is a relevance-driven, satisficing-bounded inferential connection between antecedent and consequent. To test our theory, we created a novel experimental paradigm in which participants were presented with a soritical series of objects, notably colored patches (Experiments 1 and 4) and spheres (Experiment 2), or both (Experiment 3), and were asked to evaluate related conditionals embodying non-causal inferential connections (such as "If patch number 5 is blue, then so is patch number 4"). All four experiments displayed a unique response pattern, in which (largely determinate) responses were sensitive to parameters determining inference strength, as well as to consequent position in the series, in a way analogous to belief bias. Experiment 3 showed that this guaranteed relevance can be suppressed, with participants reverting to the defective conditional. Experiment 4 showed that this pattern can be partly explained by a measure of inference strength. This pattern supports our theory's "principle of relevant inference" and "principle of bounded inference," highlighting the dual processing characteristics of the inferential connection. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Evaluation of metrics for benchmarking antimicrobial use in the UK dairy industry.

PubMed

Mills, Harriet L; Turner, Andrea; Morgans, Lisa; Massey, Jonathan; Schubert, Hannah; Rees, Gwen; Barrett, David; Dowsey, Andrew; Reyher, Kristen K

2018-03-31

The issue of antimicrobial resistance is of global concern across human and animal health. In 2016, the UK government committed to new targets for reducing antimicrobial use (AMU) in livestock. Although a number of metrics for quantifying AMU are defined in the literature, all give slightly different interpretations. This paper evaluates a selection of metrics for AMU in the dairy industry: total mg, total mg/kg, daily dose and daily course metrics. Although the focus is on their application to the dairy industry, the metrics and issues discussed are relevant across livestock sectors. In order to be used widely, a metric should be understandable and relevant to the veterinarians and farmers who are prescribing and using antimicrobials. This means that clear methods, assumptions (and possible biases), standardised values and exceptions should be published for all metrics. Particularly relevant are assumptions around the number and weight of cattle at risk of treatment and definitions of dose rates and course lengths; incorrect assumptions can mean metrics over-represent or under-represent AMU. The authors recommend that the UK dairy industry work towards the UK-specific metrics using the UK-specific medicine dose and course regimens as well as cattle weights in order to monitor trends nationally. © British Veterinary Association (unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2018. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

New ways of insulin delivery.

PubMed

Heinemann, L

2011-02-01

The predominant number of papers published from the middle of 2009 to the middle of 2010 about alternative routes of insulin administration (ARIA) were still about inhaled insulin. Long-term experience with Exubera was the topic of a number of publications that are also of relevance for inhaled insulin in general. The clinical trials performed with AIR insulin by Eli Lilly were published in a supplement issue of one diabetes technology journal and most of these will be presented. A number of other publications (also one in a high ranked journal) about their inhaled insulin were from another company: MannKind. The driving force behind Technosphere insulin (TI) - which is the only one still in clinical development - is Al Mann; he has put a lot of his personal fortune in this development. We will know the opinion of the regulatory authorities about TI in the near future; however, I am personally relatively confident that the Food and Drug Administration will provide TI with market approval. The more critical question for me is: will diabetologists and patients jump on this product once it becomes commercially available? Will it become a commercial success? In view of many negative feelings in the scientific community about inhaled insulin, it might be of help that MannKind publish their studies with TI systematically. Acknowledging being a believer in this route of insulin administration myself, one has to state that Exubera and AIR insulin had not offered profound advantages in terms of pharmacokinetic (PK) and pharmacodynamic (PD) properties in comparison with subcutaneously (SC) applied regular human insulin (RHI) and rapid-acting insulin analogues. The time-action profiles of these inhaled insulins were more or less comparable with that of rapid-acting insulin analogues. This is clearly different with TI which exhibits a strong metabolic effect shortly after application and a rapid decline in the metabolic effect thereafter; probably the duration of action is even too short (see postprandial glycaemic excursions with test meals in the publication by Rosenstock et al. in The Lancet (1)). In the end a number of aspects are of relevance for the success of a given product; one key aspect is clearly the price. However, for patients also practical aspects (handling, need for regular pulmonary function test etc.) are of importance. We shall have to see how creatively MannKind will handle all such questions. Until now Al Mann and his colleagues were able to manage a number of challenges during the clinical development process successfully, so one can have hopes for the market success of TI. However, it is clear that at the same time, if TI fails like Exubera did before, this will be the end for pulmonary insulin in general. Not too many original publications presenting data from clinical trials were published in the last year when it comes to oral insulin (OI), nasal insulin or transdermal insulin developments; simply none with transdermal insulin. Also at the last international congresses not many studies about ARIA were presented. At least in part this might be still a reflection of the shockwaves that the failure of Exubera has sent out to pharmaceutical companies and venture capitalists; they are quite reluctant to invest in any of these developments. However, a considerable number of reviews (in some cases more than original papers!) were published about ARIA. These reviews are listed for completeness, but in most cases are not further commented. OI is still the area of research most companies are active in; however, in some cases it is not clear how active they really are (e.g. Diabetology). Nevertheless, at least some companies are quite active and progressed in their clinical development programme close to market approval, e.g. the large Indian company Biocon is in late phase 3 with IN-105 and the small Israel-based company Oramed is in phase 2b. It appears that other interesting OI developments (e.g. Diasome) were not very active in the last year; at least they have not published new study results. It is clear that for companies that produce insulin themselves (e.g. Biocon) the costs of the good are not of such relevance as for companies that have to buy it commercially. For the latter ones a low bioavailability/biopotency compared with SC insulin administration can be a real hurdle when it comes to the price of their product. Despite some publications about nasal insulin, the overall activity with this route of insulin administration appears to be low; the same holds true for transdermal insulin. Insulin pens have gained more scientific interest in recent years, which is also reflected by an increase in publications, starting from practically nil 10 years ago to a solid number of five to 10 papers per year nowadays. Besides ARIA there are also attempts to increase the speed of insulin absorption after injection into the skin by applying it not into the SC tissue but intradermally or by heating up the skin above the SC insulin depot. Reading a number of papers that were not included in this chapter because they do not present any clinical data but are novel developments tested only in animal experiments so far, the clear message is that there is definitely not a lack of creativity/imagination amongst scientists; each year a plethora of new ideas for insulin application show up. Unfortunately not too many make it towards a full clinical development. As long as there is not a single successful product on the market that is based on a given ARIA approach, this area of research will not mature. For many patients, avoiding the need for SC injections is attractive; however, as long as no clear 'advantage' can be demonstrated, reimbursement will be difficult to achieve. Living in the time of evidence-based medicine it is clear that 'relevant' clinical advantages must be proven. The question is what is relevant. Is it just an improvement in metabolic control (= decrease in HbA1c)? Can this also mean that more patients are willing to start insulin therapy earlier than with conventional SC insulin therapy? With TI we have a product that has improved pharmacological properties (also in comparison to Exubera) for coverage of prandial insulin requirements. Subsequently, in the clinical trials performed, postprandial glycaemic excursions were lower than with SC injection of RHI or rapid-acting insulin analogues. This only in part (if at all) results in an improved metabolic control in general (= lower HbA1c) (see below). The outlook for 2011 is that there are chances that we shall have an inhaled insulin product on the market. Probably also the first OI will be submitted to the regulatory authorities for market approval or will even be available in less regulated markets. In order to select all relevant publications about new ways of insulin delivery I performed a PUBMED search and also checked the table of contents of a number of journals that publish heavily in this area of research as well references in the publications I found for additional references. Selection of the manuscripts from all publications was predominately based on the fact whether they presented data from clinical studies or not. The selected studies were critically reviewed for novelty and appropriate study design etc. In some cases also reviews about a given topic were selected if they provide relevant novel insights. © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.