Global research output on HIV/AIDS-related medication adherence from 1980 to 2017

An Exploratory Bibliometric Analysis of African Pharmacovigilance Research Output Using SCOPUS

Most global pharmacovigilance (PV) data is derived from developed countries. However, the determinants of the differences in PV research output between developing and developed countries contributing to this discrepancy still need to be explored. The objective of the current study is to describe the publication trends and characteristics of pharmacovigilance-related research stemming out of Africa in comparison to that emanating from developed countries. A bibliometric analysis was carried out using the SCOPUS literature index for published global pharmacovigilance-related articles or documents pre-COVID-19. Data on annual publication trends, citations, author affiliations, and other study characteristics such as study funding were extracted and descriptively analyzed. Author co-citation and keyword co-occurrence analyses were also conducted and presented using VOSviewer software program version 1.6.15 (CWTS, Universiteit Leiden, Netherlands). During the period under review, a total of 27,516 documents were retrieved globally. Out of these, 588 (2.1 %), 9,438 (34.3 %), and 17,829 (64.8 %) were from Africa, Europe, and the International Council for Harmonisation of Technical Requirements for Pharmaceuticals for Human Use (ICH) founder member countries respectively. Annual publications have steadily increased, but at a slower rate in Africa compared to Europe. The mean annual publications and number of citations are significantly lower in Africa compared to Europe, p < 0.0001 for both parameters. The top 10 funders of African PV activities are European and American organizations. In conclusion, improved PV activity driven by international funders has been notable on the African continent. However, there is an increased need for local funding, government involvement, and legislation to improve PV activities on the African continent.

Characterizing the Development of Research Landscapes in Substance Use and HIV/AIDS During 1990 to 2021

Mitigating the impacts of Human Immunodeficiency Virus/Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (HIV/AIDS) and substance use requires comprehensive and systematic thinking in designing interventions and developing policies. This study describes the growth of research publications from 1991 to 2021 in the Web of Science database and points out current research landscapes in the fields of HIV/AIDS and substance use. Latent Dirichlet Allocation was used for classifying 21 359 papers into corresponding topics. The most common topics were HIV transmission, HIV infection, quality of life and mental health of substance users, and the biomedical effect of substance use. Emerging research landscapes include vulnerabilities of people who inject drugs to HIV transmission and related health problems. This study found a lack of research on health services, interdisciplinary and inter-sectoral in combination with clinical evaluation and treatment services. Future investment and implementation of HIV/AIDS and substance use programs should focus on research of health services and clinical evaluation, especially context-specific interventions.

Global trends in depression among patients living with HIV: A bibliometric analysis

Background

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) related depression has seriously affected the quality of life and treatment outcomes of patients living with HIV (PLWH), which has become a hot topic in recent years. This study aims to discover the main keywords, predict frontier topics, and give meaningful suggestions for researchers by bibliometric analysis.

Methods

Publications between 1999 and 2022 on depression in HIV/AIDS were searched in the Web of Science core collection. Microsoft Excel 2010 and VOSviewer were utilized to key contributors (e.g., authors, journals, institutions, and countries). VOSviewer and CiteSpace were used to analyze the knowledge evolution, collaborative maps, hot topics, and keywords trends in this field.

Results

In total, 8,190 publications were included in the final analysis. From 1999 to 2021, the number of published articles roughly presents a steadily increasing trend. The United States, South Africa, and the United Kingdom were three key contributing countries/regions to this field. University Calif San Francisco (United States), University Calif Los Angeles (United States), and Johns Hopkins University (United States) were three key contributing institutions. Safren, Steven A. was the most productive and highest cited author. AIDS Care was the top prolific journal. Antiretroviral therapy and adherence, men has sex with men, mental health, substance abuse, stigma, and Sub-Saharan Africa were the central topics regarding the depression-related research in HIV/AIDS.

Conclusion

This bibliometric analysis reported the publication trend, major contributing countries/regions, institutions, authors, journals and mapped the knowledge network of depression-related research on HIV/AIDS. In this field, topics such as “adherence,” “mental health,” “substance abuse,” “stigma,” “men who have sex with men” and “South Africa” have attracted considerable attention.

A bibliometric analysis of global research performance on tuberculosis (2011-2020): Time for a global approach to support high-burden countries

BACKGROUND:

Tuberculosis (TB) is a persistent public health issue requiring consistent global effort for its eradication and control. Research on the subject plays a vital role in combatting the disease, giving future directions, and meeting the sustainable development goals (SDGs). This study aimed to evaluate the global TB research trends and performance from 2011 to 2020.

MATERIALS AND METHODS:

All the data for TB-related research publications from 2011 to 2020 were extracted from the Web of Science database and a comprehensive analysis was performed on the R-bibliometrix package.

RESULTS:

An increasing number of publications with an annual growth rate of 6.32% and a plateau in production from 2015 to 2018 was observed. Of 145 countries, the United States of America (USA), China, India, the United Kingdom, and South Africa led and made up half of the global contribution. Out of 91,862 authors, Zhang Y was the most productive with 205 articles and Barry CE had the highest H-index of 45. Only seven of the top 20 authors were from high-burden countries. The University of Cape Town was the leading institutional affiliation, followed by Stellenbosch University and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. The most frequent international collaboration was between the USA and South Africa, occurring on 1203 instances. Only five of the top 30 high-burden countries were present in the top 30 collaborations. PLOS ONE, disseminating 2271 articles, was the most productive out of 3500 sources.

CONCLUSION:

The past decade has seen a steady increase in global TB research. Prominent authors, affiliations, and countries showed collaborative trends, but publications were found to be mostly from developed, low-burden countries except China, India, and South Africa. To meet the goals set by the SDGs and the WHO End TB Strategy, high-burden countries need to explore feasible opportunities and global support to enhance their expected TB-related research contributions.

Post-exposure prophylaxis against blood-borne viral infections among health care workers: A bibliometric analysis

BACKGROUND

Health care workers face a wide range of chemical, physical, and biological occupational hazards in their jobs.

OBJECTIVE

The present study aimed to investigate research trends on post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) against blood-borne viral infections among health care workers.

METHOD

Keywords related to health care workers, PEP, and blood-borne viruses were entered in the Scopus database for the period from 1950 to 27 January 2022.

RESULTS

The search query returned 271 papers. The earliest publication was in 1984. The Pan African Medical Journal ranked first (n = 8, 3.0%), followed by the Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology and Journal of Hospital Infection with 6 (2.2%) papers for each. One hundred ninety-one journals took part in publishing the retrieved papers. Authors from 63 different countries took part in publishing the retrieved papers. The United States (US) ranked first (n = 53, 19.6%) followed by India (n = 26, 9.6%). The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention contributed the most (n = 9, 3.3%) and ranked first in the top active institutions. The mean number of authors per paper was 4.4 and the mean number of citations per paper was 17.0. The most frequent author keywords focused on PEP, health care workers, occupational exposure, HIV, hepatitis B, anti-retroviral and needle-stick injuries. Research themes in the retrieved papers focused on knowledge/attitude/practice and management and epidemiology of occupational exposure and PEP. There was a limited number of research publications in this field.

CONCLUSION

Research activity in this field needs to be strengthened in low- and middle-income countries through reporting and training of HCWs.

Global research activity on mathematical modeling of transmission and control of 23 selected infectious disease outbreak

BACKGROUND

Mathematical analysis and modeling allow policymakers to understand and predict the dynamics of an infectious disease under several different scenarios. The current study aimed to analyze global research activity on mathematical modeling of transmission and control of several infectious diseases with a known history of serious outbreaks.

METHODS

Relevant publications were retrieved using a comprehensive validated search query. The database used was SciVerse Scopus. Indicators related to evolution, growth of publications, infectious diseases encountered, key players, citations, and international research collaboration were presented.

RESULTS

The search strategy found 5606. The growth of publications started in 1967 and showed a sharp rise in 2020 and 2021. The retrieved articles received relatively high citations (h-index = 158). Despite being multidisciplinary, Plos One journal made the highest contribution to the field. The main findings of the study are summarized as follows: (a) COVID-19 had a strong impact on the number of publications in the field, specifically during the years 2020 and 2021; (b) research in the field was published in a wide range of journals, mainly those in the field of infectious diseases and mathematical sciences; (c) research in the field was mainly published by scholars in the United States and the United Kingdom; (d) international research collaboration between active countries and less developed countries was poor; (e) research activity relied on research groups with a large number of researchers per group indicative of good author-author collaboration; (f) HIV/AIDS, coronavirus disease, influenza, and malaria were the most frequently researched diseases; (g) recently published articles on COVID-19 received the highest number of citations; and (h) researchers in the Eastern Mediterranian and South-East Asian regions made the least contribution to the retrieved articles.

CONCLUSION

Mathematical modeling is gaining popularity as a tool for understanding the dynamics of infectious diseases. The application of mathematical modeling on new emerging infectious disease outbreaks is a priority. Research collaboration with less developed countries in the field of mathematical epidemiology is needed and should be prioritized and funded.

Effects of cognitive behavioral therapy on improving depressive symptoms and increasing adherence to antiretroviral medication in people with HIV

The incidence of depression is higher in PLWH (people living with HIV) than in the general population. It is of clinical significance to explore effective measures to improve depression in patients. But the available evidence is still quite limited. CBT (cognitive behavioral therapy) is considered to be one of the effective methods to improve depression, medication adherence and quality of life in PLWH. Therefore, this study aimed to systematically evaluate the effect of cognitive behavioral therapy on improving depressive symptoms and increasing adherence to antiretroviral therapy (ART) in people living with HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus). The Cochrane Library, Embase, PubMed, and Web of Science databases were searched by computer to collect randomized controlled trials on the effects of cognitive behavioral therapy on improving depression and increasing ART medication adherence in PLWH, and the retrieval time was from the inception of each database to January 10, 2022. Meta-analysis was performed by two researchers using Stata 15.0 software after screening the literature, extracting data and evaluating quality according to inclusion and exclusion criteria. A total of 16 studies with 1,998 patients were included. Meta-analysis results showed that CBT improved depressive symptoms in PLWH (SMD = -0.09, 95% CI [-0.13 to -0.04], P < 0.001) with better long-term (<6 months) depression improvement (SMD = -0.09, 95% CI [-0.15 to -0.02], P = 0.006) than short-term (0-6 months); the difference in improved ART medication adherence in the CBT group compared to the control group was not statistically significant (SMD = 0.04, 95% CI [-0.06 to 0.13], P = 0.490). There may be publication bias due to incomplete inclusion of literature as only published literature was searched. Cognitive behavioral therapy is effective in improving depressive symptoms in people living with HIV, with better long-term (>6 months) results than short-term (0-6 months).

Bibliometric Analysis on Geriatric Nursing Research in Web of Science (1900-2020)

Objective

Aging is a growing public health concern for people, organizations, and governments. The current study was undertaken to provide insights into the global research output on geriatric nursing.

Methods

A bibliometric study was implemented using the WoS database for the period from 1900 to 2020. Various tools and measures were used to analyze and visualized.

Results

The search strategy found 4923 papers. The oldest paper was written by Beverly C. Andre in 1953. As team size increases, so does the number of citations. The USA was the active country and the highest number of coauthors. New York University was an active institution. Stig Karlsson was the most active author in Geriatric Nursing with 28 articles from Sweden, followed by Koen Milisen and Sandman, with 26 articles each from Sweden and Belgium. The most frequent words in this field were depression, malnutrition, education, Alzheimer's disease, and dementia. The latest research themes in this field were COVID-19, interprofessional locomotive syndrome, emergency nursing, and public health. The most influential papers were specified. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society was the most active journal.

Conclusions

Geriatric nursing is a rooted field and has received special attention in the last decade. Policymakers, especially in developing countries, should pay attention to geriatric nursing as a specialty of nursing to solve aging issues they would face considering the increasing elderly population.

Global research activity on mental health literacy

Background

Evidence showed that mental health literacy reduces stigma and promotes help-seeking intentions. This study provides a bibliometric analysis of global research activity on mental health literacy. A bibliometric method was applied using Scopus. The term “mental health literacy” was searched in the title, abstract, and author keywords for the study period from 1900 to 2019. Conventional bibliometric indicators and mapping were generated.

Results

The search query found 945 documents. The earliest documents were published in 1997. The retrieved documents received an average of 25.3 citations per document and an h-index of 67. Authors from 68 different countries participated in publishing the retrieved documents. Australia ranked first (n=354, 37.5%) followed distantly by the USA (n=172, 18.2%). In total, 362 different journals participated in publishing the retrieved documents. The Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry (n=43, 11.8%) ranked first followed by the BMC Psychiatry (n=40, 11.0%). Documents published in the BMC Psychiatry journal received the highest number (60.4) of citations per document. In total, 3906 authors participated in publishing the retrieved documents. The average number of authors per document was 4.1. Jorm, A.F ranked first (n=96, 10.2%). Data analysis indicated that the University of Melbourne (n=136, 14.1%) ranked first in the number of publications.

Conclusions

Literature on “mental health literacy” is growing rapidly mainly in high-income countries. Research collaboration between active countries and low- and middle-income countries is important since many developing countries lack expertise and the infrastructure for mental health literacy research.

Illness perceptions, social support and antiretroviral medication adherence in people living with HIV in the greater Accra region, Ghana

AIM

To assess how illness perceptions and social support influence antiretroviral medication adherence in a HIV patient population in Ghana.

DESIGN

This study used a correlational research design with cross-sectional data.

METHOD

A total of 235 people living with HIV at two general hospitals in the Greater Accra Region of Ghana provided data on illness perceptions, social support and medication adherence. Hierarchical multiple regression test was used to analyse the data.

RESULTS

Illness perceptions' facets of timeline, personal control and treatment control were negatively associated with medication adherence, whereas emotional response was positively associated with adherence. Further, significant other support was negatively associated with adherence. Family and friend support were not associated with adherence. The findings offer preliminary evidence that illness perceptions may have utility for medication adherence in a HIV patient population in Ghana.

A Bibliometric Meta-Analysis of Colistin Resistance in Klebsiella pneumoniae

Colistin is a last resort antibiotic medication for the treatment of infections caused by carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae. In recent years, various mechanisms have been reported to mediate colistin resistance in K. pneumoniae. This study reports a bibliometric analysis of published articles retrieved from the Scopus database relating to colistin resistance in K. pneumoniae. The research trends in colistin resistance and mechanisms of resistance were considered. A total of 1819 research articles published between 1995 and 2019 were retrieved, and the results indicated that 50.19% of the documents were published within 2017–2019. The USA had the highest participation with 340 (14.31%) articles and 14087 (17.61%) citations. Classification based on the WHO global epidemiological regions showed that the European Region contributed 42% of the articles while the American Region contributed 21%. The result further indicated that 45 countries had published at least 10 documents with strong international collaborations amounting to 272 links and a total linkage strength of 735. A total of 2282 keywords were retrieved; however, 57 keywords had ≥15 occurrences with 764 links and a total linkage strength of 2388. Furthermore, mcr-1, colistin resistance, NDM, mgrB, ceftazidime-avibactam, MDR, combination therapy, and carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae were the trending keywords. Concerning funders, the USA National Institute of Health funded 9.1% of the total research articles, topping the list. The analysis indicated poor research output, collaboration, and funding from Africa and South-East Asia and demands for improvement in international research collaboration.

Immunoproteasome Activity and Content Determine Hematopoietic Cell Sensitivity to ONX-0914 and to the Infection of Cells with Lentiviruses

Proteasomes are intracellular structures responsible for protein degradation. The 20S proteasome is a core catalytic element of the proteasome assembly. Variations of catalytic subunits generate different forms of 20S proteasomes including immunoproteasomes (iPs), which are present mostly in the immune cells. Certain cells of the immune system are primary targets of retroviruses. It has been shown that several viral proteins directly affect proteasome functionality, while inhibition of proteasome activity with broad specificity proteasome inhibitors stimulates viral transduction. Here we specifically addressed the role of the immunoproteasomes during early stages of viral transduction and investigated the effects of specific immunoproteasome inhibition and activation prior to infection using a panel of cell lines. Inhibition of iPs in hematopoietic cells with immunoproteasome-specific inhibitor ONX-0914 resulted in increased infection by VSV-G pseudotyped lentiviruses. Moreover, a tendency for increased infection of cloned cells with endogenously decreased proteasome activity was revealed. Conversely, activation of iPs by IFN-γ markedly reduced the viral infectivity, which was rescued upon simultaneous immunoproteasome inhibition. Our results indicate that immunoproteasome activity might be determinative for the cellular antiretroviral resistance at least for the cells with high iP content. Finally, therapeutic application of immunoproteasome inhibitors might promote retroviral infection of cells in vivo.

Assessment of the population coverage of an HIV-1 vaccine targeting sequences surrounding the viral protease cleavage sites in Gag, Pol, or all 12 protease cleavage sites

Development of an effective HIV-1 vaccine has been a great challenge faced by the research community. Recently a novel strategy targeting the viral protease cleavage sites (PCSs) has been tested and shown promising results. This T cell-based vaccine strategy depends on individuals expressing certain HLA class I molecules and since each population has unique distributions of HLA class I alleles, population coverage analysis is required to assess feasibility. Utilizing the validated CD8 T cell epitope data from previous studies we conducted coverage analysis of an HIV-1 vaccine targeting the sequences surrounding all 12-PCSs, Gag-PCSs, and Pol-PCSs. The population coverage, average epitope hit, and minimum number of epitopes recognized by 90% of the population (PC90) was compiled for 66 countries and 16 geographical regions using the web tool provided by "Immune Epitope Database and Analysis Resource". Our analysis shows that the coverage for an HIV-1 vaccine targeting sequences surrounding all 12 PCSs, 5 PCSs in Gag or 6 PCSs in Pol can cover ~ 70% to ~ 100% of the populations analyzed. There was no statistical difference in population coverages for the majority of populations examined when comparing the CD8 T cell epitope sets (12-PCSs, Gag-PCSs, and Pol-PCSs). As expected, vaccines targeting more sequences will have more CD8 T cell epitopes, as the mean average epitope hit for the 12-PCSs, Gag-PCSs, and Pol-PCSs across all countries studied was 9.45, 4.76, and 4.74, respectively, and across all geographical regions was 9.76, 4.99, and 4.92, respectively. The average PC90 for the 12-PCSs, Gag-PCSs, and Pol-PCSs across all countries studied was 2.53, 1.31, and 1.41, respectively, and across all geographical regions was 2.24, 1.23, and 1.29, respectively. Thus, vaccines targeting sequences surrounding the HIV-1 PCSs can cover broad populations; however, whether targeting a subset of the PCSs is sufficient to prevent acquisition requires further preclinical investigation.

The Arab region's contribution to global COVID-19 research: Bibliometric and visualization analysis

BACKGROUND

At the global level and in the Arab world, particularly in low-income countries, COVID-19 remains a major public health issue. As demonstrated by an incredible number of COVID-19-related publications, the research science community responded rapidly. Therefore, this study was intended to assess the growing contribution of the Arab world to global research on COVID-19.

METHODS

For the period between December 2019 and March 2021, the search for publications was conducted via the Scopus database using terms linked to COVID-19. VOSviewer 1.6.16 software was applied to generate a network map to assess hot topics in this area and determine the collaboration patterns between different countries. Furthermore, the research output of Arab countries was adjusted in relation to population size and gross domestic product (GDP).

RESULTS

A total of 143,975 publications reflecting the global overall COVID-19 research output were retrieved. By restricting analysis to the publications published by the Arab countries, the research production was 6131 documents, representing 4.26% of the global research output regarding COVID-19. Of all these publications, 3990 (65.08%) were original journal articles, 980 (15.98%) were review articles, 514 (8.38%) were letters and 647 (10.55%) were others, such as editorials or notes. The highest number of COVID-19 publications was published by Saudi Arabia (n = 2186, 35.65%), followed by Egypt (n = 1281, 20.78%) and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), (n = 719, 11.73%). After standardization by population size and GDP, Saudi Arabia, UAE and Lebanon had the highest publication productivity. The collaborations were mostly with researchers from the United States (n = 968), followed by the United Kingdom (n = 661). The main research lines identified in COVID-19 from the Arab world are related to: public health and epidemiology; immunological and pharmaceutical research; signs, symptoms and clinical diagnosis; and virus detection.

CONCLUSIONS

A novel analysis of the latest Arab COVID-19-related studies is discussed in the current study and how these findings are connected to global production. Continuing and improving future collaboration between developing and developed countries will also help to facilitate the sharing of responsibilities for COVID-19 in research results and the implementation of policies for COVID-19.

Scientific HIV research in Africa and the Middle East: a socio-economic demographic analysis

Background: In Africa, HIV/AIDS research is concentrated in certain countries, particularly South Africa. This distribution may not accurately reflect the disease prevalence or the true research efforts of countries.Objectives: To identify HIV/AIDS research productivity of countries in Africa and the Middle East, in absolute terms and adjusted for people living with HIV, population size and economic development.Methods: We identified all the articles and reviews on HIV and AIDS in the Web of Science Core Collection in which African or Middle Eastern countries had participated. After determining the number of documents produced by each country, we adjusted the findings for the number of people living with HIV, number of inhabitants, gross domestic product and gross national income per capita.Results: African and Middle Eastern countries participated in 21.52% (n = 14 808) of all 68 808 documents analysed. East and Southern Africa produced 17.8% of all documents (n = 12 249), West and Central Africa accounted for only 3.34% (n = 2300), and the Middle East and North Africa, 1.18% (n = 814). South Africa produced 40.94% (n = 6 063) of all publications. Only two other African countries - Uganda (12.97%; n = 1 921) and Kenya (10.71%; n = 1 586) - produced more than 10% of these publications. The indices used for adjusting research productivity revealed the effort and contribution of other countries.Conclusion: Our study confirmed the leading role of South Africa in driving HIV/AIDS research, but also highlighted the contribution of countries such as Uganda, Malawi, Botswana, Zimbabwe and Mozambique.

Bibliometric analysis of peer-reviewed literature on antimicrobial stewardship from 1990 to 2019

BACKGROUND

The World Health Organization recommended the implementation of antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) in the clinical settings to minimize the development and spread of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). The current study aimed to assess global research activity on AMS as one measure for efforts dedicated to contain AMR.

METHOD

A bibliometric method was applied using Scopus. A validated search query was implemented. Bibliometric indicators and mapping were generated. The study period was from 1990 to 2019. The search query utilized the keywords "antimicrobial stewardship" or "antibiotic stewardship" in the titles or abstracts. In addition, documents with the term "restrict" or "restriction" if used with the terms "antimicrobial" or "antibiotic" were retrieved.

RESULTS

The search query returned 4402 documents. The keyword "antimicrobial stewardship" returned 2849 documents while the keyword "antibiotic stewardship" returned 1718 documents. The terms restrict/restriction and antimicrobial/antibiotics returned 209 documents. The number of publications and cumulative citations showed a steep and parallel increase in the last decade. The region of the Americas returned the most while the Eastern Mediterranean region returned the least. The United States (n = 1834, 41.7%) ranked first. Main research themes in the retrieved literature were the (1) impact of AMS on hospital length stay, (2) role of pharmacists, and (3) development of resistance of various pathogens. Clostridium difficile (n = 94) and Staphylococcus aureus (n = 76) were among the most frequently encountered author keywords. The Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology journal ranked first (n = 245, 5.6%, h-index = 134) while documents published in the Clinical Infectious Diseases journal (h-index = 321) received the highest number of citations per document (70.7). At the institutional level, the US Centers for Disease Prevention and Control (n = 93, 2.1%) ranked first followed by the Imperial College London (n = 86, 2.0%). The main funding sponsors were the National Institute of Health. Pfizer, Merck, and Bayer pharmaceutical companies played a key role in funding AMS research. International research collaboration between developed (n = 3693, 83.9%) and developing countries (n = 759, 17.2%).

CONCLUSION

The fight against AMR is a global responsibility and implementation of AMS need to be carried out across the globe. International research collaboration between developing and developed countries should be encouraged.

A Combined approach of Pharmacophore Modeling, QSAR Study, Molecular Docking and in silico ADME/Tox prediction of 4-Arylthio & 4- Aryloxy-3- Iodopyridine-2(1H)-one analogs to identify potential Reverse Transcriptase inhibitor: Anti-HIV agents

BACKGROUND

Reverse transcriptase is an important therapeutic target to treat AIDS caused by the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). Despite many effective anti-HIV drugs, reverse transcriptase (RT) inhibitors remain the cornerstone of the drug regimen to treat AIDS. In the present work, we have expedited the use of different computational modules and presented an easy, cost-effective and high throughput screening method to identify potential reverse transcriptase inhibitors.

METHODS

A congeneric series of 4-Arylthio & 4-Aryloxy-3- Iodopyridine-2(1H)-one analogs having anti-HIV activity were subjected to structure-based 2D, 3D QSAR, Pharmacophore Modeling, and Molecular Docking to elucidate the structural properties required for the design of potent HIV-RT inhibitors. Prediction of preliminary Pharmacokinetic and the Drug Likeliness profile was performed for these compounds by in silico ADME study.

RESULTS

The 2D and 3D- QSAR models were developed by correlating two and three-dimensional descriptors with activity (pIC50) by sphere exclusion method and k-nearest neighbor molecular field analysis approach, respectively. The significant 2D- QSAR model developed by Partial Least Square associated with the Sphere Exclusion method (PLS-SE) having r2 and q2 values 0.9509 and 0.8038 respectively. The 3D-QSAR model by Step Wise variable selection method (SW-kNN MFA) is more significant which has a cross-validated squared correlation coefficient q2= 0.8509 and a non-cross-validated correlation coefficient pred_r2= 0.8102. The pharmacophore hypothesis was developed which comprised 5 features includes 3 aliphatic regions (Ala), 1 H-bond donor (HDr) and 1 H-bond acceptor (HAc). Docking studies of the selected inhibitors with the active site of reverse transcriptase enzyme showed hydrogen bond and π - π interaction with LYS-101, LYS-103, TYR- 181, TYR-188 and TRP-229 residues present at the active site. All the candidates with good bioavailability and ADMET drug likeliness properties.

CONCLUSION

The results of the present work provide more useful information and important structural insights for the discovery, design of novel and potent reverse transcriptase inhibitors with high therapeutic windows in the future.

Cognitive behavioral therapy for persons living with HIV in China: A randomized pilot trial

BACKGROUND

Chinese persons living with HIV (PLWH) suffer from prevalent mental health issues. We aimed to develop a tailored cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), test its feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary effects (depression, anxiety, and medication adherence) for Chinese PLWH.

METHODS

Twenty PLWH were assigned randomly. Intervention participants learned skills in CBT and relaxation training in a tailored group-based weekly 10-session project. Each session lasted for two hours and was delivered by nurses and volunteers. Control participants only received laboratory tests and free antiretroviral therapy (ART) medication. Feasibility and acceptability were descriptively summarized. Depression, anxiety, and ART medication adherence data were collected at the baseline (T0), after the intervention (T1) and after 6 months of follow-up (T2).

RESULTS

The average CBT attendance rate for all sessions was 60%. No participants in the intervention group dropped out of the study. All participants in the intervention group agreed that they could benefit from the CBT. Participants in the intervention group showed a greater improvement in anxiety and self-reported ART medication adherence than those in the control group at T1. However, no preliminary intervention effect was found at T2.

LIMITATIONS

The small sample size leads to a lack of representativeness in the study sample. We excluded participants with severe comorbidities, which may lead to an underestimate of the intervention effect of CBT among Chinese PLWH.

CONCLUSIONS

CBT is feasible and acceptable, demonstrating promising preliminary effects on anxiety and ART medication adherence among Chinese PLWH. Additional research is needed to test the effectiveness of this approach.

Rational in silico drug design of HIV-RT inhibitors through G-QSAR and molecular docking study of 4-arylthio and 4-aryloxy-3-iodopyridine-2(1-H)-one derivative

Background

Human immunodeficiency virus infection and acquired immune deficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) is a spectrum of conditions caused by infection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Antiretroviral therapy (ART) against HIV infection offers the promise of controlling disease progression and prolonging the survival of HIV-infected patients. Reverse transcriptase (RT) inhibitors remain the cornerstone of the drug regimen to treat AIDS. In this direction, by using group-based QSAR study (G-QSAR), identification of the structural need for the development of lead structure with reverse transcriptase inhibition on 97 reported structures was carried out. Docking analysis was performed further and suggested the structural properties required for binding affinity with the receptor. The molecules in the data set were fragmented into six (R1, R2, R3, R4, R5, and R6) by applying the fragmentation pattern. Three G-QSAR models were selected based on the statistical significance of the model. The molecular docking study was performed to explain the structural properties required for the design of potent HIV-RT inhibitors.

Results

The statistically validated QSAR models reveal the presence of higher hydrophobic groups containing single-bonded –Br atom, 2 aromatic bonded –NH group with less electronegativity, and entropic interaction fields at R2 essential for better anti-HIV activity. The presence of a lipophilic group at R3, oxygen and sulfur connected with two aromatic bonds at R4, and –CH3 group at R5 was fruitful for reverse transcriptase inhibition. Docking studies of the selected inhibitors with the active site of reverse transcriptase enzyme showed hydrogen bond, Van der Waal’s, charge, aromatic, and π–π interactions with residues present at the active site.

Conclusion

The results of the generated models provide significant site-specific insight into the structural requirements for reverse transcriptase inhibition during the design and development of novel anti-HIV compounds. Molecular docking study revealed the binding interaction between the ligand and the receptor which gave insight towards the structure-based design for the discovery of more potent compounds with better activity against HIV infection.

Tailored Interventions to Improve Medication Adherence for Cardiovascular Diseases

Over the past half-century, medical research on cardiovascular disease (CVD) has achieved a great deal; however, medication adherence is unsatisfactory. Nearly 50% of patients do not follow prescriptions when taking medications, which limits the ability to maximize their therapeutic effects and results in adverse clinical outcomes and high healthcare costs. Furthermore, the effects of medication adherence interventions are disappointing, and tailored interventions have been proposed as an appropriate way to improve medication adherence. To rethink and reconstruct methods of improving medication adherence for CVD, the literature on tailored interventions for medication adherence focusing on CVD within the last 5 years is retrieved and reviewed. Focusing on identifying nonadherent patients, detecting barriers to medication adherence, delivering clinical interventions, and constructing theories, this article reviews the present state of tailored interventions for medication adherence in CVD and also rethinks the present difficulties and suggests avenues for future development.

Effectiveness of interventions for adherence to antiretroviral therapy in adults with HIV: a systematic review

OBJECTIVE

To identify the best available evidence of intervention effectiveness for adherence to antiretroviral therapy for HIV in adults.

METHOD

The methodology proposed by the Cochrane Collaboration was used, with search in the databases: PubMed, Embase, LILACS, CINAHL, Web of Science and SCOPUS. Randomized clinical trials of interventions to promote adherence to antiretroviral therapy for HIV, in the ≥ 18-year-old population, published from 2010 onward, were considered. The eligibility, inclusion and extraction of results were developed by two independent researchers.

RESULTS

The five studies included in the quantitative analysis were effective interventions that developed educational actions with the patient, especially mediated by software, the use of medication schedule reminders and the inclusion of treatment supporters that also received educational actions to develop such role.

CONCLUSION

The combination of interventions strengthens the promotion of adherence. There is a need for investment in the implementation of educational actions with patients, such as the inclusion of supporters, in addition to counseling and electronic devices for reminders, which must be offered in the services in an articulated and continuous manner.

Prevalence and correlates of depressive symptoms among people living with HIV attending tertiary care hospitals in Oman

INTRODUCTION

depressive symptoms have been widely reported among people living with HIV (PLHIV) around the world. The extent of this on PLHIV in the Arabian Peninsula is unclear. This study aims to examine the prevalence of depressive symptoms using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) in adult Omani patients with HIV attending a tertiary care hospital. It also aims to investigate the relationship between clinical and socio-demographic variables and depressive symptoms.

METHODS

LHIV, age >18 (n=101), participated in the study who were followed up at a teaching hospital in Muscat, Oman. Participants were identified by a convenient and consecutive sampling of eligible patients who came for consultation on the days that the investigator conducted recruitment. The presence of depressive symptoms was quantified by the Patient Healthcare Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9). Various socio-demographic backgrounds and risk factors will be also sought as well as activities of daily living (ADL). Chi-square test, Fisher´s exact test, t-test and logistic regression were used to explore which variables were associated with patients having depressive symptoms.

RESULTS

the prevalence rate of depressive symptoms in this cohort was 41.6%. Depression among PLHIV was found to be significantly associated with age (p <0.001), HIV disease duration (p <0.001), total dependency for ADL (p <0.001) and comorbid hypertension (p <0.001).

CONCLUSION

depressive symptoms are common in Omani patients living with HIV. HIV care providers are urged to be vigilant to recognize depressive symptoms in these mood-vulnerable populations and to call for a multidisciplinary team with mental health professionals, for the prevention and treatment of depressive symptoms among PLHIV in Oman.

Bibliometric analysis of global scientific literature on vaccine hesitancy in peer-reviewed journals (1990-2019)

BACKGROUND

Vaccine hesitancy is a growing threat to national and global health security. The current study was undertaken to provide insights into the global scientific literature on vaccine hesitancy in peer-reviewed journals.

METHOD

The current study was a descriptive bibliometric study. A validated search strategy on vaccine hesitancy was implemented using SciVerse Scopus. Bibliometric indicators such as (1) annual growth of publications, (2) key players, (3) research themes, (4) pathogens/diseases encountered, (5) top-cited documents, and (6) annual growth of publications stratified by world region and by age category were presented. The study period was from 1990 to 2019.

RESULTS

Search strategy found 2791 documents. The h-index of the retrieved literature was 89. The leading journal was Vaccine (369; 13.2%%) followed by Human Vaccines and Immunotherapeutics (129; 4.6%). Authors from the USA led with 1125 (40.3%) followed by authors from Italy (234; 8.4%) and the UK (204; 7.3%). The US CDC led with 140 (5.0%) documents followed by Emory University (USA) (81, 2.9%). The list of active authors included six from the USA while the remaining were from France, Australia, and Canada. Research themes in the retrieved literature focused on influenza, human papillomavirus, and the role of parents in immunization of their children. The region of the Americas and the European region had the greatest share of publications and showed steep growth of publications lately. Vaccine hesitancy research on adolescents was most noticed after 2007 while that on children was present all the time but escalated lately. Titles/abstracts analysis indicated that 621(22.3%) documents focused on influenza, 392 (14.0%) focused on Human papillomavirus, and 292 (10.5%) focused on measles. The top-cited documents in literature published after 2015 focused on the definition and strategies to overcome vaccine hesitancy.

CONCLUSION

The last decade witnessed a noticeable increase in the number of publications. Influenza vaccine and parental concerns about the human papillomavirus vaccine were the main focus of the retrieved literature. Information on vaccine hesitancy needs to be collected from all countries to build a better coalition against the anti-vaccination groups. Re-building trust in vaccines requires targeting parents by providing adequate information on the vaccines.

Bibliometric analysis of global research output on antimicrobial resistance in the environment (2000-2019)

Background

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a global health threat that requires a "One Health" approach. Of the One Health triad, the environmental component is the most dynamic and most neglected. Therefore, the objective of the current study was to assess and analyze global research activity on AMR in the environment.

Methods

This was a bibliometric descriptive study of publications on AMR in the environment. Publications were retrieved using SciVerse Scopus for the study period from 2000 to 2019. The search query was developed using terms and phrases related to the topic. The retrieved publications were analyzed for specific bibliometric indicators including annual growth, citation analysis, key players, research output for each world regions, research themes, and occurrences of different drug classes of antimicrobials. Visualization maps including research collaboration were created using VOSviewer program. The Hirsch (h) index was used to assess scientific impact.

Results

There were 2611 research articles based on the implemented research query. The retrieved documents had an average of 22 citations per document and an h-index of 122. The annual number of publications showed a steep increase from 2011 to 2019. The major research themes in the field were (1) dissemination and abundance of antibiotic-resistant genes and (2) detection of bacterial strains or antibiotic residues in various environmental isolates. The bulk of the retrieved articles (n = 899; 34.4%) originated from the European region. China led with 598 (22.9%) documents. Four of the top 10 active institutions were in China. The top 10 active countries had relatively inadequate international research collaboration. The most commonly encountered antibiotic drug classes in the retrieved articles were penicillin/cephalosporin (n = 1152 occurrences). The most frequently encountered pathogen in the retrieved publications was E. coli (n = 666). The Science of the Total Environment journal was the most prolific journal with 139 (5.3%) publications.

Conclusion

Scientific literature on the AMR in the environment has witnessed a steep growth lately with a leading role of China and Chinese institutions. Data on AMR in the environment need to be collected from all world regions including the Eastern Mediterranean and African regions through research collaboration and funding of research in this field.

Mapping the situation of research on coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19): a preliminary bibliometric analysis during the early stage of the outbreak

BACKGROUND

The novel coronavirus, named as 2019-nCoV or coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), has recently appeared in China and has spread worldwide, presenting a health threat to the global community. Therefore, it is important to understand the global scientific output of COVID-19 research during the early stage of the outbreak. Thus, to track the current hotspots, and highlight future directions, we performed a bibliometric analysis to obtain an approximate scenario of COVID-19 to date.

METHODS

Relevant studies to COVID-19 were obtained from the Scopus database during the early stage of the outbreak. We then analysed the data by using well-established bibliometric indices: document type, country, collaboration patterns, affiliation, journal name, and citation patterns. VOSviewer was applied to map and determine hot topics in this field.

RESULTS

The bibliometric analysis indicated that there were 19,044 publications on Scopus published on COVID-19 during the early stage of the outbreak (December 2019 up until June 19, 2020). Of all these publications, 9140 (48.0%) were articles; 4192 (22.0%) were letters; 1797 (9.4%) were reviews; 1754 (9.2%) were editorials; 1728 (9.1%) were notes; and 433 (2.3%) were others. The USA published the largest number of publications on COVID-19 (4479; 23.4%), followed by China (3310; 17.4%), Italy, (2314; 12.2%), and the UK (1981; 10.4%). British Medical Journal was the most productive. The Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Tongji Medical, and Harvard Medical School were the institutions that published the largest number of COVID-19 research. The most prevalent topics of research in COVID-19 include "clinical features studies", "pathological findings and therapeutic design", "care facilities preparation and infection control", and "maternal, perinatal and neonatal outcomes".

CONCLUSIONS

This bibliometric study may reflect rapidly emerging topics on COVID-19 research, where substantial research activity has already begun extensively during the early stage of the outbreak. The findings reported here shed new light on the major progress in the near future for hot topics on COVID-19 research including clinical features studies, pathological findings and therapeutic design, care facilities preparation and infection control, and maternal, perinatal and neonatal outcomes.

Bibliometric analysis of scientific publications on "sustainable development goals" with emphasis on "good health and well-being" goal (2015-2019)

BACKGROUND

Global progress in the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) requires significant national and international research efforts and collaboration. The current study aimed to provide policymakers, academics, and researchers with a snapshot of global SDGs-related research activity.

METHOD

This was a cross-sectional descriptive bibliometric study. SciVerse Scopus was used to retrieve SDGs-related research publications for the period from 2015 to 2019.

RESULTS

In total, 18,696 documents were found. The Sustainability journal ranked first (n = 1008; 5.4%) in the number of SDGs-related publications. The World Health Organization was the most active institution in publishing SDGs-related documents (n = 581; 1.3%). Most of the retrieved documents belonged to SDG 17 (partnership) followed by SDG 13 (climate action), and SDG 12 (responsible consumption and production), while SDG 7 (affordable and clean energy) had the least number of publications. The European region (n = 9756; 52.2%) had the highest research contribution while the Eastern Mediterranean region (n = 1052; 5.6%) had the least contribution. After exclusion of SDG 17, the SDG 3 (good health and well-being) was the top researched SDG for the African region, the Eastern Mediterranean regions, and the South-Eastern Asian region. For the region of the Americas, European region, and the Western Pacific region, the SDG 13 (climate action) was the most researched. The SDG 7 (affordable and clean energy) was the least researched in the African region, the region of the Americas, the European region, and the South-East Asian region. In the Eastern Mediterranean region, SDG 10 (reduced inequality) was the least researched while in the Western Pacific region, SDG 5 (gender inequality) was the least researched. The most researched targets of SDG 3 were targets 7 (sexual and reproductive health services) and 8 (universal health coverage) while the least researched targets were 5 (substance use disorders) and 9 (death from hazardous materials). International research collaboration within SDG 3 between high- and low-income countries was inadequate.

CONCLUSION

The analysis presented in the current study are useful for researchers, institutes, governments, funding agencies, and policy-makers. Countries in Africa, the Middle East, and South-East Asia need to increase their funding and research collaboration in the field of SDGs.

Research trends and scientific analysis of publications on burnout and compassion fatigue among healthcare providers

Background

Burnout and compassion fatigue are closely related concepts. Burnout is thought to develop from occupational stress while compassion fatigue results from being in a caregiver role leading to inability to get engaged in a caring relation. The objective of the current study was to investigate research trends, themes, citations, and key players of publications on burnout and compassion fatigue among healthcare providers.

Methods

A validated search query was developed and implemented in the Scopus database. The study period was all times up to 2019.

Results

Research query found 4416 publications. Publications started in 1978. Steep growth in the number of publications was observed in the last decade. There were seven research themes in the retrieved publications; six for burnout and one for compassion fatigue. Approximately 36% of the retrieved publications were about nurses; 36% were about physicians, 10% were about medical residents and the remaining did not include a specific profession. The retrieved publications received an average of 22.2 citations per article. Four of the top 10 active journals were in the field of nursing and two in the field of general medicine, one in public health, one in neurology, one in psychology, and one was multidisciplinary. The USA ranked first with 1292 (29.3%) articles followed by Spain (n = 248; 5.6%) and the UK (n = 247; 5.6%). Mayo Clinic was the most active institution (n = 93; 2.1%) followed by Harvard University (n = 46; 1.0%) and University of Washington, Seattle (n = 45; 1.0%). A total of 16,108 authors participated in publishing the retrieved documents, an average of 3.6 authors per article. Shanafelt, T.D. was the most active author (n = 78; 1.8%) followed by Dyrbye, L.N. (n = 43; 1.0%), and West, C.P. (n = 37; 0.8%). A total of 472 (10.7%) articles declared funding.

Conclusion

The current study was carried out to draw attention to the wellbeing of healthcare providers. Retrieved literature was dominated by high-income countries. Lack of information from low- and middle-income countries will hinder planning for interventional strategies and will negatively affect the health system and the patients. Health researchers in low- and middle-income countries need to focus on burn out and compassion fatigue.

Co-production in health policy and management: a comprehensive bibliometric review

Background

Due to an increasingly elderly population, a higher incidence of chronic diseases and higher expectations regarding public service provision, healthcare services are under increasing strain to cut costs while maintaining quality. The importance of promoting systems of co-produced health between stakeholders has gained considerable traction both in the literature and in public sector policy debates. This study provides a comprehensive map of the extant literature and identifies the main themes and future research needs.

Methods

A quantitative bibliometric analysis was carried out consisting of a performance analysis, science mapping, and a scientific collaboration analysis. Web of Science (WoS) was chosen to extract the dataset; the search was refined by language, i.e. English, and type of publication, i.e. journal academic articles and reviews. No time limitation was selected.

Results

The dataset is made up of 295 papers ranging from 1994 to May 2019. The analysis highlighted an annual percentage growth rate in the topic of co-production of about 25%. The articles retrieved are split between 1225 authors and 148 sources. This fragmentation was confirmed by the collaboration analysis, which revealed very few long-lasting collaborations. The scientific production is geographically polarised within the EU and Anglo-Saxon countries, with the United Kingdom playing a central role. The intellectual structure consists of three main areas: public administration and management, service management and knowledge translation literature. The co-word analysis confirms the relatively low scientific maturity of co-production applied to health services. It shows few well-developed and central terms, which refer to traditional areas of co-production (e.g. public health, social care), and some emerging themes related to social and health phenomena (e.g. the elderly and chronic diseases), the use of technologies, and the recent patient-centred approach to care (patient involvement/engagement).

Conclusions

The field is still far from being mature. Empirical practices, especially regarding co-delivery and co-management as well as the evaluation of their real impacts on providers and on patients are lacking and should be more widely investigated.

Global Research Output on Sleep Research in Athletes from 1966 to 2019: A Bibliometric Analysis

This study examined sleep research in athletes published between 1966 and 2019, through a bibliometric analysis of research output in the Scopus database. Following a robust assessment of titles, the bibliometric indicators of productivity for studies included in the final analysis were: Distribution of publications and citations (excluding self-citations), top ten active journals, countries, institutions and authors, single- and multi-country collaboration, and 25 top-cited papers. Out of the 1015 papers, 313 were included in the final analysis. The majority of the papers were research articles (n = 259; 82.8%) and published in English (n = 295; 94.3%). From 2011, there was a dramatic increase in papers published (n = 257; 82.1%) and citations (n = 3538; 91.0%). The number of collaborations increased after 2001, with papers published through international (n = 81; 25.9%) and national (n = 192; 61.3%) collaboration. Australia was the most prolific country in terms of number of publications (n = 97; 31.0%), and citations (n = 1529; 15.8%). In conclusion, after the beginning of the twenty-first century, the scientific production on sleep research in athletes has seen significant growth in publication and citation output. Future research should focus on interventions to improve sleep in athletes.

A bibliometric analysis of human strongyloidiasis research (1968 to 2017)

Background

Strongyloidiasis is a neglected tropical disease (NTD). It is commonly associated with poverty and poor hygiene. Strongyloidiasis poses an unseen global public health problem. The aim of this study was to assess and analyze peer-reviewed literature on human strongyloidiasis to shed light on the evolution, volume, important topics, and key players in the field of human strongyloidiasis.

Methods

A validated bibliometric method was implemented using Scopus database for the study period from 1968 to 2017. The search strategy was developed based on keywords related to strongyloidiasis. Bibliometric indicators and visualization maps were presented.

Results

In total, 1947 documents were found. Retrieved documents received 32,382 citations, an average of approximately 16.6 per document, and an h-index of 76. The most frequently encountered keywords in the retrieved literature focused on hyperinfection, diagnosis, prevalence, and ivermectin. The USA led with 540 (27.7%) documents followed by Brazil (139; 7.1%) and Japan (137; 7.0%). When research output was standardized by income and population size, India ranked first (12.4 documents per GDP/capita) followed by the USA (9.1 documents per GDP/capita). The most active journal involved in publishing articles was the American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (95; 4.8%). In terms of institutions, the University of Ryukyus (Japan) was the most active with 62 (3.2%) publications, followed by the University of Pennsylvania with 54 (2.8%) publications.

Conclusion

The volume, growth, and international research collaboration in human strongyloidiasis were inadequate given the long history of the disease, the large number of affected people, and the results obtained for other NTDs. Research in human strongyloidiasis needs to be strengthened and encouraged in endemic regions in Southeast Asia and Latin America. International research networking needs to be established to achieve the goals of Sustainable Development Goals in fighting and eradicating NTDs by 2030.

Research Combining Physical Activity and Sleep: A Bibliometric Analysis

This study used a bibliometric analysis through the Scopus database to examine papers that combined physical activity and sleep, published between 1979 and 2018. Bibliometric indicators of productivity included publication volume and citation distribution, top 10 authors, average authors per paper, single- and multicountry collaboration, collaborative index, top 10 countries, leading journals, highly cited papers and network visualization for coauthorship, international collaboration, and co-occurrence of author keywords. The initial search identified 1,509 papers, of which 607 passed through comprehensive screening and were included in the final analysis. Most of the papers were research articles (90.8%) and published in English (90.8%). Most papers (81.4%) were published within the past decade, 2009–2018. The mean number of papers published per year was 15.2, the mean number of citations per paper was 257.3, and the mean number of authors per paper was 5.5. International collaboration was evident for 21.6% of the papers, and 95.6% of papers were multiauthored. The most prolific publishing institutions and authors were from the United States, Canada, Australia, Switzerland, and Brazil. Keyword analysis suggested that almost all age groups and study designs were covered, but most papers focus on noncommunicable diseases. Although there has been a rise in scientific production on combined physical activity and sleep research in recent years, future work in this area should include researchers from developing countries.

Nursing and midwifery research activity in Arab countries from 1950 to 2017

BACKGROUND

Nursing and midwifery research activity is an important indicator of the quality of healthcare services and the status of nursing profession. The main aim of this study was to assess the research activity in nursing and midwifery field in Arab countries.

METHOD

The current study implemented bibliometric method using Scopus database. The search strategy used country affiliation or journal name or keywords as a strategy to retrieve the required documents. The study period was from 1950 to2017. Analysis included a presentation of bibliometric indicators and VOSviewer mapping of the retrieved data.

RESULT

2935 documents were retrieved making up less than 1% of global nursing and midwifery research output. Of the retrieved documents, 25% were published in high rank (first quartile = Q1) journals. The majority (56.7%) of the retrieved documents were published in the last five years of the study period. The retrieved documents received an average of 6.9 citations per document with an h-index of 47. The total number of authors who took part in publishing the retrieved documents was 10,572, giving an average of 3.6 authors per article. Jordan ranked first in research output. Researchers from Jordan took part in over than one third (1023; 34.9%) of the retrieved documents. Lebanon (35.5%) ranked first in the percentage of documents published in Q1 journals. The United Arab Emirates ranked first in the percentage (67.4%) of publications with international authors. The most active journal involved in publishing nursing research from Arab countries was Life Science Journal (158; 5.4%). The University of Jordan was the most productive institution while the American University of Beirut ranked first in the percentage (36.9%) of documents published in Q1 journals. Author keyword analysis and10 most cited articles showed that non-communicable diseases and nursing education were the focus of nursing research in Arab countries.

CONCLUSIONS

Nursing and midwifery research activity in Arab countries has dramatically increased especially over the past five years. Despite this, nursing research is still in its infancy, lagging in quantity and quality compared to developed countries.

Research trends on human trafficking: a bibliometric analysis using Scopus database

BACKGROUND

Human trafficking is a crime against humanity. It is also a serious threat to global health and security. Globalization has made human trafficking an easier task for the criminal organizations. No data are available on the volume, research trends, and key players in this field. Therefore, the aim of this study was to assess the research activity and research trends on human trafficking.

METHODS

A bibliometric method was adopted. Literature published in academic journals indexed in Scopus database was retrieved. The study period was set from 2000 to 2017.

RESULTS

Two thousand forty-four documents were retrieved. The average number of authors per document was 1.9. Over one third (n = 771; 37.7%) of the retrieved documents were about sex trafficking, 616 (30.1%) were about labor trafficking/forced labor, 199 (9.7%) were about child trafficking, and 138 (6.8%) were about organ trafficking. One third (n = 707; 34.6%) of the documents were in health-related fields while 1526 (74.7%) were in social sciences and humanities. The USA ranked first (n = 735; 36.0%) regarding the number of published documents. Geographic distribution of the retrieved document showed that world regions with a high prevalence of human trafficking had the least research contribution. International research collaboration has a limited contribution to the retrieved literature. The Harvard University (USA) was the most active institution (n = 39; 1.9%). International Migration (n = 35; 1.7%) was the most active journal in publishing documents on HT. Documents published in Transplantation journal received the highest number of citations per document (25.5) and two of the most cited documents were about organ trafficking.

CONCLUSION

There was an under-representation of health-related literature on human trafficking. Literature on sex trafficking dominated the field of human trafficking. Research networks and research collaboration between the source and destination countries is important. Future research plans need to focus on health issues and on exploited/trafficked laborers.