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Andersen MZ, Zeinert P, Rosenberg J, Fonnes S. Comparative analysis of Cochrane and non-Cochrane reviews over three decades. Syst Rev 2024; 13:120. [PMID: 38698429 PMCID: PMC11064235 DOI: 10.1186/s13643-024-02531-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2023] [Accepted: 04/13/2024] [Indexed: 05/05/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Systematic reviews are viewed as the best study design to guide clinical decision-making as they are the least biased publications assuming they are well-conducted and include well-designed studies. Cochrane was initiated in 1993 with an aim of conducting high-quality systematic reviews. We aimed to examine the publication rates of non-Cochrane systematic reviews (henceforth referred to simply as "systematic reviews") and Cochrane reviews produced throughout Cochrane's existence and characterize changes throughout the period. METHODS This observational study collected data on systematic reviews published between 1993 and 2022 in PubMed. Identified Cochrane reviews were linked to data from the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews via their Digital Object Identifier. Systematic reviews and Cochrane reviews were analyzed separately. Two authors screened a random sample of records to validate the overall sample, providing a precision of 98%. RESULTS We identified 231,602 (94%) systematic reviews and 15,038 (6%) Cochrane reviews. Publication of systematic reviews has continuously increased with a median yearly increase rate of 26%, while publication of Cochrane reviews has decreased since 2015. From 1993 to 2002, Cochrane reviews constituted 35% of all systematic reviews in PubMed compared with 3.5% in 2013-2022. Systematic reviews consistently had fewer authors than Cochrane reviews, but the number of authors increased over time for both. Chinese first authors conducted 15% and 4% of systematic reviews published from 2013-2022 and 2003-2012, respectively. Most Cochrane reviews had first authors from the UK (36%). The native English-speaking countries the USA, the UK, Canada, and Australia produced a large share of systematic reviews (42%) and Cochrane reviews (62%). The largest publishers of systematic reviews in the last 10 years were gold open access journals. CONCLUSIONS Publication of systematic reviews is increasing rapidly, while fewer Cochrane reviews have been published through the last decade. Native English-speaking countries produced a large proportion of both types of systematic reviews. Gold open access journals and Chinese first authors dominated the publication of systematic reviews for the past 10 years. More research is warranted examining why fewer Cochrane reviews are being published. Additionally, examining these systematic reviews for research waste metrics may provide a clearer picture of their utility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mikkel Zola Andersen
- Center for Perioperative Optimization, Department of Surgery, Herlev and Gentofte Hospitals, University of Copenhagen, Borgmester Ib Juuls Vej 1, Herlev, 2730, Denmark.
- Cochrane Colorectal Group, Herlev and Gentofte Hospitals, University of Copenhagen, Borgmester Ib Juuls Vej 1, Herlev, 2730, Denmark.
| | - Philine Zeinert
- Copenhagen University Library, Royal Danish Library, Søren Kierkegaards Plads 1, Copenhagen K, 1221, Denmark
| | - Jacob Rosenberg
- Center for Perioperative Optimization, Department of Surgery, Herlev and Gentofte Hospitals, University of Copenhagen, Borgmester Ib Juuls Vej 1, Herlev, 2730, Denmark
- Cochrane Colorectal Group, Herlev and Gentofte Hospitals, University of Copenhagen, Borgmester Ib Juuls Vej 1, Herlev, 2730, Denmark
| | - Siv Fonnes
- Center for Perioperative Optimization, Department of Surgery, Herlev and Gentofte Hospitals, University of Copenhagen, Borgmester Ib Juuls Vej 1, Herlev, 2730, Denmark
- Cochrane Colorectal Group, Herlev and Gentofte Hospitals, University of Copenhagen, Borgmester Ib Juuls Vej 1, Herlev, 2730, Denmark
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Baumgart A, Beck G, Ghezel-Ahmadi D. [Artificial intelligence in intensive care medicine]. Med Klin Intensivmed Notfmed 2024; 119:189-198. [PMID: 38546864 DOI: 10.1007/s00063-024-01117-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2024] [Revised: 01/29/2024] [Accepted: 02/05/2024] [Indexed: 04/05/2024]
Abstract
The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into intensive care medicine has made considerable progress in recent studies, particularly in the areas of predictive analytics, early detection of complications, and the development of decision support systems. The main challenges remain availability and quality of data, reduction of bias and the need for explainable results from algorithms and models. Methods to explain these systems are essential to increase trust, understanding, and ethical considerations among healthcare professionals and patients. Proper training of healthcare professionals in AI principles, terminology, ethical considerations, and practical application is crucial for the successful use of AI. Careful assessment of the impact of AI on patient autonomy and data protection is essential for its responsible use in intensive care medicine. A balance between ethical and practical considerations must be maintained to ensure patient-centered care while complying with data protection regulations. Synergistic collaboration between clinicians, AI engineers, and regulators is critical to realizing the full potential of AI in intensive care medicine and maximizing its positive impact on patient care. Future research and development efforts should focus on improving AI models for real-time predictions, increasing the accuracy and utility of AI-based closed-loop systems, and overcoming ethical, technical, and regulatory challenges, especially in generative AI systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- André Baumgart
- Zentrum für Präventivmedizin und Digitale Gesundheit, Medizinische Fakultät Mannheim der Universität Heidelberg, Theodor-Kutzer-Ufer 1-3, 68167, Mannheim, Deutschland.
| | - Grietje Beck
- Abteilung für Anästhesiologie, Intensivmedizin und Schmerzmedizin, Universitätsmedizin Mannheim gGmbH, Medizinische Fakultät Mannheim der Universität Heidelberg, Mannheim, Deutschland
| | - David Ghezel-Ahmadi
- Abteilung für Anästhesiologie, Intensivmedizin und Schmerzmedizin, Universitätsmedizin Mannheim gGmbH, Medizinische Fakultät Mannheim der Universität Heidelberg, Mannheim, Deutschland
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Yeung H, Li Y, Swerlick RA. The Changing Tasks of Medicine and Dermatology in the Twenty-First Century: The Need for Improved Information Capture Tools and Processes. Dermatol Ther (Heidelb) 2023; 13:2479-2486. [PMID: 37831296 PMCID: PMC10613166 DOI: 10.1007/s13555-023-01046-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2023] [Accepted: 09/22/2023] [Indexed: 10/14/2023] Open
Abstract
The delivery of dermatology services has undergone dramatic changes in the past century. The goals and timelines of care have evolved as have the diagnostic and therapeutic tools, resulting in the need to capture and manage information differently, both qualitatively and quantitatively. The predominant and basic office-based ambulatory care model has remained relatively unchanged. Patients and providers interact with minimal pre-visit preparation using the "agenda-less" meeting model. This care model is ill-suited to manage the vastly expanded data capture and processing requirement of twenty-first century dermatology. We have developed novel tools to automate pre-visit data collection which allows for more robust information capture which moves data capture outside of the time-constrained clinic visit. These tools capture structured data, integrate into electronic health records, and create summary reports in real time to assist decision-making. These tools, if scaled, can facilitate the information management needs of dermatology care.
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Affiliation(s)
- Howa Yeung
- Department of Dermatology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Yin Li
- Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Robert A Swerlick
- Department of Dermatology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA.
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Panayi A, Ward K, Benhadji-Schaff A, Ibanez-Lopez AS, Xia A, Barzilay R. Evaluation of a prototype machine learning tool to semi-automate data extraction for systematic literature reviews. Syst Rev 2023; 12:187. [PMID: 37803451 PMCID: PMC10557215 DOI: 10.1186/s13643-023-02351-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2023] [Accepted: 09/13/2023] [Indexed: 10/08/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Evidence-based medicine requires synthesis of research through rigorous and time-intensive systematic literature reviews (SLRs), with significant resource expenditure for data extraction from scientific publications. Machine learning may enable the timely completion of SLRs and reduce errors by automating data identification and extraction. METHODS We evaluated the use of machine learning to extract data from publications related to SLRs in oncology (SLR 1) and Fabry disease (SLR 2). SLR 1 predominantly contained interventional studies and SLR 2 observational studies. Predefined key terms and data were manually annotated to train and test bidirectional encoder representations from transformers (BERT) and bidirectional long-short-term memory machine learning models. Using human annotation as a reference, we assessed the ability of the models to identify biomedical terms of interest (entities) and their relations. We also pretrained BERT on a corpus of 100,000 open access clinical publications and/or enhanced context-dependent entity classification with a conditional random field (CRF) model. Performance was measured using the F1 score, a metric that combines precision and recall. We defined successful matches as partial overlap of entities of the same type. RESULTS For entity recognition, the pretrained BERT+CRF model had the best performance, with an F1 score of 73% in SLR 1 and 70% in SLR 2. Entity types identified with the highest accuracy were metrics for progression-free survival (SLR 1, F1 score 88%) or for patient age (SLR 2, F1 score 82%). Treatment arm dosage was identified less successfully (F1 scores 60% [SLR 1] and 49% [SLR 2]). The best-performing model for relation extraction, pretrained BERT relation classification, exhibited F1 scores higher than 90% in cases with at least 80 relation examples for a pair of related entity types. CONCLUSIONS The performance of BERT is enhanced by pretraining with biomedical literature and by combining with a CRF model. With refinement, machine learning may assist with manual data extraction for SLRs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonia Panayi
- Takeda Pharmaceuticals International AG, Thurgauerstrasse 130, 8152, Glattpark-Opfikon, Zurich, Switzerland.
| | | | | | | | - Andrew Xia
- Takeda Pharmaceuticals International AG, Thurgauerstrasse 130, 8152, Glattpark-Opfikon, Zurich, Switzerland
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Carvalho M, Martins S, Pinto C. Landscape and cultural heritage: Object and information. Heliyon 2023; 9:e20395. [PMID: 37810812 PMCID: PMC10550612 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e20395] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2023] [Revised: 09/20/2023] [Accepted: 09/21/2023] [Indexed: 10/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Culture and Museology use information and communication technologies as mediating communication tools, enhancing the conservation and "socialisation" of museum collections, promoting access to cultural information, through the interdisciplinarity required between the museologist and other professionals who, together, organize and disseminate the collections. In the age of digital transformation, we live in, this reality is even more evident. The museum transforms objects into perceptible information as it is a repository of information. The common link between Museology and Information Science involves valuing the human action of creating, interpreting, using, selecting and distributing knowledge products and records, thus creating a connection with the concept of information. Information is central to the process of cultural development. This communication clarifies the relationship between Information Science, Heritage and Museology, presenting the information professional as a partner of Museology, working the object as a document with communicative properties, as a message intended for a specific audience and as information that impacts that audience.
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Al-Hail M, Zguir MF, Koç M. University students' and educators' perceptions on the use of digital and social media platforms: A sentiment analysis and a multi-country review. iScience 2023; 26:107322. [PMID: 37554466 PMCID: PMC10405262 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.107322] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2022] [Revised: 05/18/2023] [Accepted: 07/05/2023] [Indexed: 08/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Due to Covid-19, an inevitable restructuring of higher education teaching and learning pedagogies ensuring the continuous and effective learning of students is deemed important. Despite such vitality, a prevalent disparity worldwide on the usages and gains of digital and social media integration is still noticeable. Following a Scoping Literature Review and using the Atlas.ti software for a Grounded Theory qualitative analysis, this study aims to ascertain the significance of digital and social media tools during and after the Covid-19 pandemic. The study explains the common challenges and opportunities both students and educators faced in thirty countries. Drawing on the sentiment analysis of these stakeholders, results indicate that despite the acceleration of digital education into a flexible, and student-centered didactic approach, various barriers in effectively fulfilling online learning still exist. Findings also revealed the lack of, and therefore need for, proper teaching and learning material and strategies suitable for digital education.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maryam Al-Hail
- Division of Sustainable Development, College of Science and Engineering, Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Qatar Foundation, Education City, Doha 34110, Qatar
| | - Mariem Fekih Zguir
- Division of Sustainable Development, College of Science and Engineering, Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Qatar Foundation, Education City, Doha 34110, Qatar
| | - Muammer Koç
- Division of Sustainable Development, College of Science and Engineering, Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Qatar Foundation, Education City, Doha 34110, Qatar
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7
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Kitta A, Ecker F, Zeilinger EL, Kum L, Adamidis F, Masel EK. Statements of Austrian hospices and palliative care units after the implementation of the law on assisted suicide : A qualitative study of web-based publications. Wien Klin Wochenschr 2023. [PMID: 36894787 DOI: 10.1007/s00508-023-02157-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2022] [Accepted: 01/27/2023] [Indexed: 03/11/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Since January 2022, assisted suicide (AS) in Austria is legal under certain conditions. One of these conditions is informative consultations with two physicians, one of whom must be qualified in palliative medicine. Patients who are thinking about AS can approach palliative care institutions. This study aims to assess the availability and nature of Austrian palliative care institutions' web-based statements about AS. METHODS In this qualitative study, the websites of all Austrian palliative care units (n = 43) and all Austrian inpatient hospices (n = 14) were searched for possible statements on AS once in February 2022 and once in August 2022 using the three search terms "suicide", "assisted", and "euthanasia". The findings were subsequently evaluated using thematic analysis and NVivo software. RESULTS Statements or texts that included positions on AS were found on the websites of 11 institutions (19%). The results covered three main themes 1) demarcation: denial of involvement and judgment about AS, 2) duty: handling of requests and describing the target group of care recipients, and 3) explanation: experience, values, concerns, and demands. CONCLUSION The results of this study indicate that people in Austria who wish to have AS and who may use the internet as their first source of information largely find no relevant information. There is no online statement of a palliative care or hospice institution that endorses AS. Positions on AS are mostly lacking, while reluctant attitudes of Christian institutions are predominant.
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8
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Hou L, Pan X, Liu K, Yang Z, Liu J, Zhou T. Information cocoons in online navigation. iScience 2022; 26:105893. [PMID: 36654864 PMCID: PMC9840977 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2022.105893] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2022] [Revised: 12/05/2022] [Accepted: 12/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Social media and online navigation bring us enjoyable experiences in accessing information, and simultaneously create information cocoons (ICs) in which we are unconsciously trapped with limited and biased information. We provide a formal definition of IC in the scenario of online navigation. Subsequently, by analyzing real recommendation networks extracted from Science, PNAS, and Amazon websites, and testing mainstream algorithms in disparate recommender systems, we demonstrate that similarity-based recommendation techniques result in ICs, which suppress the system navigability by hundreds of times. We further propose a flexible recommendation strategy that addresses the IC-induced problem and improves retrieval accuracy in navigation, which are demonstrated by simulations on real data and online experiments on the largest video website in China. This paper quantifies the challenge of ICs in recommender systems and presents a viable solution, which offer insights into the industrial design of algorithms, future scientific studies, as well as policy making.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lei Hou
- School of Management Science and Engineering, Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology, Nanjing 210044, China,Informatics Research Centre, University of Reading, Reading RG66UD, UK
| | - Xue Pan
- School of Management Science and Engineering, Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology, Nanjing 210044, China,Informatics Research Centre, University of Reading, Reading RG66UD, UK
| | - Kecheng Liu
- Informatics Research Centre, University of Reading, Reading RG66UD, UK,Institute of Accounting and Finance, Shanghai University of Finance and Economics, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Zimo Yang
- Beijing AiQiYi Science & Technology Co. Ltd., Beijing 100080, China
| | - Jianguo Liu
- Institute of Accounting and Finance, Shanghai University of Finance and Economics, Shanghai 200433, China,Research Group of Computational and AI Communication at Institute for Global Communications and Integrated Media, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China,Corresponding author
| | - Tao Zhou
- Big Data Research Center, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, China,Corresponding author
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Martins J, Bandiera-Paiva P, Neto ARB, de Carvalho LRB, Padrini-Andrade L, Machado VT, da Silva Junior AC, Sun SY. Development and validation of a health information system for assistance and research in gestational trophoblast disease. BMC Med Inform Decis Mak 2022; 22:173. [PMID: 35778727 PMCID: PMC9247895 DOI: 10.1186/s12911-022-01916-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2022] [Accepted: 06/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Gestational Trophoblastic Disease (GTD) comprises pathological forms of placental trophoblastic tissue proliferation. When benign, they present with hydatidiform moles, and when malignant, they are called Gestational Trophoblastic Neoplasia. With the growth of the practice of digital health, allied to updated therapeutic approaches, the Outpatient Clinic for Gestational Trophoblastic Disease has built a Health Information System (HIS), contributing to the teaching-learning binomial, as well as to self-care. METHODS This is a cross-sectional and blind technological assessment research for developing SIS-Mola (Website for the medical team and the Application "MolaApp" aimed at patients with GTD). We used the Praxis management approach to manage the application creation project. In the tasks involving real-time chat, a WebSocket layer was created and hosted together with the project's web services, which use the Arch Linux operating system. For the evaluations, we provided questionnaires developed based on the System Usability Scale (SUS), to determine the degree of user satisfaction, with objective questions on the Likert scale. We invited 28 participants for the evaluations, among ABDTG specialist physicians, doctors from the DTG Outpatient Clinic team, and the patients. The study was systematized according to the rules of treatment and follow-up in treating the disease. RESULTS The tests were conducted from November 2021 to February 2022. The responses obtained on a Likert scale indicated reliability and credibility to the HIS, since the total usability score, measured by the ten questions of the SUS instrument, had a mean of 81.1 (clinicians), 80 (patients) and median of 77.5 for both groups. The sample was characterized according to the variables: age, gender, education, computer knowledge, and profession. CONCLUSION Developing a HIS in the GTD Outpatient Clinic met the objectives regarding the rules of treatment and follow-up of patients. With these digital tools, it is possible to obtain data about the patient's health, sending information through exams performed and appropriate treatments. The connectivity capacity allows agile care, saving time, costs and solving the displacement problem. The TICs generate natural efficiency for the organization in the flow of service and the formation of a database, improving the quality of the assistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jaqueline Martins
- Department of Obstetrics, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Paulo Bandiera-Paiva
- Department of Health Informatics, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
| | | | | | | | - Vitor Tonini Machado
- Department of Health Informatics, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | | | - Sue Yazaki Sun
- Department of Obstetrics, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
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Ninkov A, Frank JR, Maggio LA. Bibliometrics: Methods for studying academic publishing. Perspect Med Educ 2022; 11:173-176. [PMID: 34914027 PMCID: PMC9240160 DOI: 10.1007/s40037-021-00695-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 100] [Impact Index Per Article: 50.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2021] [Revised: 10/15/2021] [Accepted: 10/19/2021] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
Bibliometrics is the study of academic publishing that uses statistics to describe publishing trends and to highlight relationships between published works. Likened to epidemiology, researchers seek to answer questions about a field based on data about publications (e.g., authors, topics, funding) in the same way that an epidemiologist queries patient data to understand the health of a population. In this Eye Opener, the authors introduce bibliometrics and define its key terminology and concepts, including relational and evaluative bibliometrics. Readers are introduced to common bibliometric methods and their related strengths and weaknesses. The authors provide examples of bibliometrics applied in health professions education and propose potential future research directions. Health professions educators are consumers of bibliometric reports and can adopt its methodologies for future studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anton Ninkov
- School of Information Studies, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
| | - Jason R Frank
- Specialty Education, Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Lauren A Maggio
- Center for Health Professions Education and Department of Medicine, Uniformed Services University, Bethesda, MD, USA
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Zare S, Meidani Z, Ouhadian M, Akbari H, Zand F, Fakharian E, Sharifian R. Identification of data elements for blood gas analysis dataset: a base for developing registries and artificial intelligence-based systems. BMC Health Serv Res 2022; 22:317. [PMID: 35260155 PMCID: PMC8902269 DOI: 10.1186/s12913-022-07706-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2021] [Accepted: 03/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Background One of the challenging decision-making tasks in healthcare centers is the interpretation of blood gas tests. One of the most effective assisting approaches for the interpretation of blood gas analysis (BGA) can be artificial intelligence (AI)-based decision support systems. A primary step to develop intelligent systems is to determine information requirements and automated data input for the secondary analyses. Datasets can help the automated data input from dispersed information systems. Therefore, the current study aimed to identify the data elements required for supporting BGA as a dataset. Materials and methods This cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted in Nemazee Hospital, Shiraz, Iran. A combination of literature review, experts’ consensus, and the Delphi technique was used to develop the dataset. A review of the literature was performed on electronic databases to find the dataset for BGA. An expert panel was formed to discuss on, add, or remove the data elements extracted through searching the literature. Delphi technique was used to reach consensus and validate the draft dataset. Results The data elements of the BGA dataset were categorized into ten categories, namely personal information, admission details, present illnesses, past medical history, social status, physical examination, paraclinical investigation, blood gas parameter, sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA) score, and sampling technique errors. Overall, 313 data elements, including 172 mandatory and 141 optional data elements were confirmed by the experts for being included in the dataset. Conclusions We proposed a dataset as a base for registries and AI-based systems to assist BGA. It helps the storage of accurate and comprehensive data, as well as integrating them with other information systems. As a result, high-quality care is provided and clinical decision-making is improved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sahar Zare
- Health Information Management Research Center (HIMRC), Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Kashan, Iran
| | - Zahra Meidani
- Health Information Management Research Center (HIMRC), Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Kashan, Iran.,Department of Health Information Management & Technology, School of Allied Health Professions, Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Kashan, Iran
| | - Maryam Ouhadian
- Anesthesiology and Critical Care Research Center, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Hosein Akbari
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Health, Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Kashan, Iran
| | - Farid Zand
- Anesthesiology and Critical Care Research Center, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran. .,Department of Anesthesia and Critical Care Medicine, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
| | - Esmaeil Fakharian
- Department of Neurosurgery, Trauma Research Center, Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Kashan, Iran
| | - Roxana Sharifian
- Health Human Resources Research Center, Department of Health Information Management and Technology, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
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Hitzl W, Stamm T, Kloppenburg M, Ritter M, Gaisberger M, van der Zee-Neuen A. Projected number of osteoarthritis patients in Austria for the next decades - quantifying the necessity of treatment and prevention strategies in Europe. BMC Musculoskelet Disord 2022; 23:133. [PMID: 35139829 PMCID: PMC8830022 DOI: 10.1186/s12891-022-05091-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2021] [Accepted: 02/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The present study aimed to predict the expected number of patients with osteoarthritis (OA) in Austria up to the year 2080. METHODS Demographic data and population projections between 2019 and 2080 were obtained from European authorities. Information about recent age- and sex-stratified prevalence of patients with self-reported physician-diagnosed OA was obtained from the Austrian Health Interview Survey (n = 15,771). Projections were stratified by age and sex; sensitivity analyses were performed based on aging, main (most likely), and growth scenarios of the population. RESULTS Based on the projection, the overall increase in the total number of patients with OA from 2019 to 2080 will be 38% for men and women. In 2019, the highest number of OA-patients nested in the groups of persons aged 70-79 (n = 238,749) and 60-69 (n = 237,729) years. In 2080, the 80+ age group is predicted to have the highest number of OA with 421,548 individuals (i.e. factor 3.45 and factor 2.48 increase in the male and female group, respectively, compared to 2019), followed by the group aged 70-79 with 314,617 individuals (factor 1.45 and factor 1.28 increase in the male and female group, respectively, compared to 2019). Similar trends were found in the ageing and growing scenarios. CONCLUSIONS The projected increase in the occurrence of OA will likely lead to a substantial socioeconomic burden for the Austrian healthcare system in the near and far future. The current findings plead for the development of sustainable concepts for the treatment and prevention of OA by European authorities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wolfgang Hitzl
- Research and Innovation Management (RIM), Biostatistics, Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria.,Department of Ophthalmology and Optometry, Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria.,Research Program Experimental Ophthalmology and Glaucoma Research, Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Tanja Stamm
- Section for Outcomes Research, Center for Medical Statistics, Informatics and Intelligent Systems, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.,Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Arthritis and Rehabilitation, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Margreet Kloppenburg
- Department of Rheumatology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Markus Ritter
- Center for Physiology, Pathophysiology and Biophysics, Institute for Physiology and Pathophysiology, Salzburg, Austria.,Center for Physiology, Pathophysiology and Biophysics, Institute for Physiology, Pathophysiology and Biophysics, Nuremberg, Germany.,Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Arthritis and Rehabilitation, Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria.,Gastein Research Institute, Paracelsus Medical University, Strubergasse 22, A-5020, Salzburg, Austria.,Kathmandu University School of Medical Sciences, Dhulikhel, Nepal
| | - Martin Gaisberger
- Center for Physiology, Pathophysiology and Biophysics, Institute for Physiology and Pathophysiology, Salzburg, Austria.,Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Arthritis and Rehabilitation, Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria.,Gastein Research Institute, Paracelsus Medical University, Strubergasse 22, A-5020, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Antje van der Zee-Neuen
- Center for Physiology, Pathophysiology and Biophysics, Institute for Physiology and Pathophysiology, Salzburg, Austria. .,Gastein Research Institute, Paracelsus Medical University, Strubergasse 22, A-5020, Salzburg, Austria. .,Institute of Nursing Science and Practice, Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria. .,Centre for Public Health and Health Services Research, Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria.
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13
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Nunes GS, Adami SL, Pellenz MM, Rigo D, Estivalet RA, Diel AP, Benincá IL, Haupenthal A. Toward scientific dissemination of undergraduate thesis in physical therapy programs - a cross-sectional study. BMC Med Educ 2022; 22:32. [PMID: 35016663 PMCID: PMC8753828 DOI: 10.1186/s12909-021-03087-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2021] [Accepted: 12/16/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The execution of undergraduate thesis is a period in which students have an opportunity to develop their scientific knowledge. However, many barriers could prevent the learning process. This cross-sectional study aimed to analyze the scientific dissemination of results from undergraduate theses in physical therapy programs and verify the existence of barriers and challenges in the preparation of undergraduate thesis. Second, to investigate whether project characteristics and thesis development barriers were associated with the dissemination of undergraduate thesis results. METHODS Physical therapists who graduated as of 2015, from 50 different educational institutions, answered an online questionnaire about barriers faced during the execution of undergraduate thesis and about scientific dissemination of their results. RESULTS Of 324 participants, 43% (n = 138) of participants disseminated their results, and the main form of dissemination was publishing in national journals (18%, n = 58). Regarding the barriers, 76% (n = 246) of participants reported facing some difficulties, and the main challenge highlighted was the lack of scientific knowledge (28%, n = 91). Chances of dissemination were associated with barriers related to scientific understanding and operational factors, such as the type of institution, institutional facilities, and involvement with other projects. CONCLUSION Scientific knowledge seems to be a determining factor for the good development of undergraduate theses. In addition, it is clear the need to stimulate more qualified dissemination that reaches a larger audience. Changes in operational and teaching factors may improve the undergraduate thesis quality. However, the importance of rethinking scientific education within physical therapy programs draws attention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guilherme S Nunes
- Department of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation, Federal University of Santa Maria, Av. Roraima, 1000, Santa Maria, RS, Postal Code97105-900, Brazil.
| | - Samantha L Adami
- Department of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation, Federal University of Santa Maria, Av. Roraima, 1000, Santa Maria, RS, Postal Code97105-900, Brazil
| | - Maitê M Pellenz
- Department of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation, Federal University of Santa Maria, Av. Roraima, 1000, Santa Maria, RS, Postal Code97105-900, Brazil
| | - Daniela Rigo
- Department of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation, Federal University of Santa Maria, Av. Roraima, 1000, Santa Maria, RS, Postal Code97105-900, Brazil
| | - Rafael A Estivalet
- Department of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation, Federal University of Santa Maria, Av. Roraima, 1000, Santa Maria, RS, Postal Code97105-900, Brazil
| | - Ane Priscila Diel
- Department of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation, Federal University of Santa Maria, Av. Roraima, 1000, Santa Maria, RS, Postal Code97105-900, Brazil
| | | | - Alessandro Haupenthal
- Department of Health Sciences, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Araranguá, SC, Brazil
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14
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Rodriguez-Esteban R. The speed of information propagation in the scientific network distorts biomedical research. PeerJ 2022; 10:e12764. [PMID: 35070506 PMCID: PMC8759377 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.12764] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2021] [Accepted: 12/17/2021] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Delays in the propagation of scientific discoveries across scientific communities have been an oft-maligned feature of scientific research for introducing a bias towards knowledge that is produced within a scientist's closest community. The vastness of the scientific literature has been commonly blamed for this phenomenon, despite recent improvements in information retrieval and text mining. Its actual negative impact on scientific progress, however, has never been quantified. This analysis attempts to do so by exploring its effects on biomedical discovery, particularly in the discovery of relations between diseases, genes and chemical compounds. Results indicate that the probability that two scientific facts will enable the discovery of a new fact depends on how far apart these two facts were originally within the scientific landscape. In particular, the probability decreases exponentially with the citation distance. Thus, the direction of scientific progress is distorted based on the location in which each scientific fact is published, representing a path-dependent bias in which originally closely-located discoveries drive the sequence of future discoveries. To counter this bias, scientists should open the scope of their scientific work with modern information retrieval and extraction approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raul Rodriguez-Esteban
- Roche Pharmaceutical Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, Basel, Switzerland
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15
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Adam GP, Wallace BC, Trikalinos TA. Semi-automated Tools for Systematic Searches. Methods Mol Biol 2022; 2345:17-40. [PMID: 34550582 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-1566-9_2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/24/2023]
Abstract
Traditionally, literature identification for systematic reviews has relied on a two-step process: first, searching databases to identify potentially relevant citations, and then manually screening those citations. A number of tools have been developed to streamline and semi-automate this process, including tools to generate terms; to visualize and evaluate search queries; to trace citation linkages; to deduplicate, limit, or translate searches across databases; and to prioritize relevant abstracts for screening. Research is ongoing into tools that can unify searching and screening into a single step, and several protype tools have been developed. As this field grows, it is becoming increasingly important to develop and codify methods for evaluating the extent to which these tools fulfill their purpose.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gaelen P Adam
- Center for Evidence Synthesis in Health, Brown University School of Public Health, Providence, RI, USA.
| | - Byron C Wallace
- Khoury College of Computer Sciences, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Thomas A Trikalinos
- Center for Evidence Synthesis in Health, Brown University School of Public Health, Providence, RI, USA
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16
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Abstract
Background Data quality assessment is important but complex and task dependent. Identifying suitable measurement methods and reference ranges for assessing their results is challenging. Manually inspecting the measurement results and current data driven approaches for learning which results indicate data quality issues have considerable limitations, e.g. to identify task dependent thresholds for measurement results that indicate data quality issues. Objectives To explore the applicability and potential benefits of a data driven approach to learn task dependent knowledge about suitable measurement methods and assessment of their results. Such knowledge could be useful for others to determine whether a local data stock is suitable for a given task. Methods We started by creating artificial data with previously defined data quality issues and applied a set of generic measurement methods on this data (e.g. a method to count the number of values in a certain variable or the mean value of the values). We trained decision trees on exported measurement methods’ results and corresponding outcome data (data that indicated the data’s suitability for a use case). For evaluation, we derived rules for potential measurement methods and reference values from the decision trees and compared these regarding their coverage of the true data quality issues artificially created in the dataset. Three researchers independently derived these rules. One with knowledge about present data quality issues and two without. Results Our self-trained decision trees were able to indicate rules for 12 of 19 previously defined data quality issues. Learned knowledge about measurement methods and their assessment was complementary to manual interpretation of measurement methods’ results. Conclusions Our data driven approach derives sensible knowledge for task dependent data quality assessment and complements other current approaches. Based on labeled measurement methods’ results as training data, our approach successfully suggested applicable rules for checking data quality characteristics that determine whether a dataset is suitable for a given task. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12911-021-01656-x.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erik Tute
- Peter L. Reichertz Institute for Medical Informatics of TU Braunschweig and Hannover Medical School, Carl-Neuberg-Str. 1, 30625, Hannover, Germany.
| | - Nagarajan Ganapathy
- Peter L. Reichertz Institute for Medical Informatics of TU Braunschweig and Hannover Medical School, Carl-Neuberg-Str. 1, 30625, Hannover, Germany
| | - Antje Wulff
- Peter L. Reichertz Institute for Medical Informatics of TU Braunschweig and Hannover Medical School, Carl-Neuberg-Str. 1, 30625, Hannover, Germany
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17
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Jahn HK, Jahn IHJ, Behringer W, Lyttle MD, Roland D. A survey of mHealth use from a physician perspective in paediatric emergency care in the UK and Ireland. Eur J Pediatr 2021; 180:2409-2418. [PMID: 33763717 PMCID: PMC8285308 DOI: 10.1007/s00431-021-04023-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2020] [Revised: 03/05/2021] [Accepted: 03/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
There has been a drive towards increased digitalisation in healthcare. The aim was to provide a snapshot of current apps, instant messaging, and smartphone photography use in paediatric emergency care. A web-based self-report questionnaire was performed. Individual physicians working in paediatric emergency care recorded their personal practice. One hundred ninety-eight medical doctors completed the survey. Eight percent of respondents had access to institutional mobile devices to run medical apps. Eighty-six percent of respondents used medical apps on their personal mobile device, with 78% using Apple iOS devices. Forty-seven percent of respondents used formulary apps daily. Forty-nine percent of respondents had between 1-5 medical apps on their personal mobile device. Respondents who used medical apps had a total of 845 medical apps installed on their personal device, accounted for by 56 specific apps. The British National Formulary (BNF/BNFc) app was installed on the personal mobile device of 96% of respondents that use medical apps. Forty percent of respondents had patient confidentiality concerns when using medical apps. Thirty-eight percent of respondents have used consumer instant messaging services, 6% secure specialist messaging services, and 29% smartphone photography when seeking patient management advice. CONCLUSION: App use on the personal mobile devices, in the absence of access to institutional devices, was widespread, especially the use of a national formulary app. Instant messaging and smartphone photography were less common. A strategic decision has to be made to either provide staff with institutional devices or use software solutions to address data governance concerns when using personal devices. What is Known: • mHealth use by junior doctors and medical students is widespread. • Clinicians' use of instant messaging apps such as WhatsApp is the widespread in the UK and Ireland, in the absence of alternatives. What is New: • Personal mobile device use was widespread in the absence of alternatives, with the British National Formulary nearly universally downloaded to physicians' personal mobile devices. • A third of respondents used instant messaging and smartphone photography on their personal mobile device when seeking patient management advice from other teams in the absence of alternatives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haiko Kurt Jahn
- Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena, Jena, Thüringen Germany
- Children’s Emergency Department, Royal Belfast Hospital for Sick Children, 274 Grosvenor Rd, Belfast, BT12 6BA UK
| | - Ingo Henry Johannes Jahn
- School of Mechanical and Mining Engineering, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072 Australia
| | - Wilhelm Behringer
- Faculty of Medicine, Center of Emergency Medicine, Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena, Jena, Thüringen Germany
| | - Mark D. Lyttle
- Emergency Department, Bristol Royal Hospital for Children, Upper Maudlin Street, Bristol, BS2 8BJ UK
- Academic Department of Emergency Care, University of the West of England, Blackberry Hill, Avon, Bristol, BS16 1DD UK
| | - Damian Roland
- SAPPHIRE Group, Health Sciences, University of Leicester, Leicester, LE1 6TP UK
- Children’s Emergency Department, Royal Infirmary, Paediatric Emergency Medicine Leicester Academic (PEMLA) Group, Leicester, LE1 5WW UK
| | - On behalf of Paediatric Emergency Research United Kingdom and Ireland (PERUKI)
- Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena, Jena, Thüringen Germany
- Children’s Emergency Department, Royal Belfast Hospital for Sick Children, 274 Grosvenor Rd, Belfast, BT12 6BA UK
- School of Mechanical and Mining Engineering, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072 Australia
- Faculty of Medicine, Center of Emergency Medicine, Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena, Jena, Thüringen Germany
- Emergency Department, Bristol Royal Hospital for Children, Upper Maudlin Street, Bristol, BS2 8BJ UK
- Academic Department of Emergency Care, University of the West of England, Blackberry Hill, Avon, Bristol, BS16 1DD UK
- SAPPHIRE Group, Health Sciences, University of Leicester, Leicester, LE1 6TP UK
- Children’s Emergency Department, Royal Infirmary, Paediatric Emergency Medicine Leicester Academic (PEMLA) Group, Leicester, LE1 5WW UK
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18
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Abstract
Objective To determine publication trends, gaps, and predictors of citation of chiropractic case reports (CRs). Methods A bibliometric review was conducted by searching PubMed, Index to Chiropractic Literature (ICL), and Google Scholar to identify PubMed-indexed CRs, which were screened according to selection criteria. Case reports were categorized by International Classification of Disease (ICD-10) code, patient age, topic describing case management or adverse effects of care, focus being spinal or non-spinal, journal type, integrative authorship, title metrics, and citation metrics. Binary logistic regression was used to identify independent predictors of citations per year and total citations greater than the median values. Results The search identified 1176 chiropractic CRs meeting selection criteria. There was an increasing trend of CRs having a case management topic, non-spinal focus, non-chiropractic journal, neuromusculoskeletal-focus, diagnosis of vascular pathology, and a decreasing trend of adverse effect vascular pathology CRs. Independent predictors of greater total citations (or citation rate) included ICD-10 categories of perinatal conditions, infections, “case” in title, case management topic, and physical therapy, integrative, and dental journal type. Predictors of fewer citations included diseases of the blood, neoplasms, other findings not elsewhere classified, a title > 11 words, and multidisciplinary authorship. ICD-10 categories describing non-musculoskeletal diseases and special populations such as pediatrics, pregnancy, and perinatal conditions had few CRs. Conclusion Chiropractic CRs are diversifying from spine-related topics. Chiropractors are encouraged to publish objective, structured CRs within defined research gaps. Published CRs can inform the design of future research studies with a higher level of clinical relevance and evidence. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12998-021-00374-5.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert J Trager
- Connor Integrative Health Network, Cleveland Medical Center, 11000 Euclid Ave, Cleveland, OH, 44106, USA.
| | - Jeffery A Dusek
- Connor Integrative Health Network, Cleveland Medical Center, 11000 Euclid Ave, Cleveland, OH, 44106, USA
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Abstract
BACKGROUND Assessing the quality of healthcare data is a complex task including the selection of suitable measurement methods (MM) and adequately assessing their results. OBJECTIVES To present an interoperable data quality (DQ) assessment method that formalizes MMs based on standardized data definitions and intends to support collaborative governance of DQ-assessment knowledge, e.g. which MMs to apply and how to assess their results in different situations. METHODS We describe and explain central concepts of our method using the example of its first real world application in a study on predictive biomarkers for rejection and other injuries of kidney transplants. We applied our open source tool-openCQA-that implements our method utilizing the openEHR specifications. Means to support collaborative governance of DQ-assessment knowledge are the version-control system git and openEHR clinical information models. RESULTS Applying the method on the study's dataset showed satisfactory practicability of the described concepts and produced useful results for DQ-assessment. CONCLUSIONS The main contribution of our work is to provide applicable concepts and a tested exemplary open source implementation for interoperable and knowledge-based DQ-assessment in healthcare that considers the need for flexible task and domain specific requirements.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erik Tute
- Peter L. Reichertz Institute for Medical Informatics of TU Braunschweig and Hannover Medical School, Hannover Medical School, Carl-Neuberg-Str. 1, 30625 Hannover, Germany
| | - Irina Scheffner
- Department of Nephrology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Michael Marschollek
- Peter L. Reichertz Institute for Medical Informatics of TU Braunschweig and Hannover Medical School, Hannover Medical School, Carl-Neuberg-Str. 1, 30625 Hannover, Germany
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20
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Acharya KP, Phuyal S, Chand R, Kaphle K. Current scenario of and future perspective for scientific research in Nepal. Heliyon 2021; 7:e05751. [PMID: 33458438 PMCID: PMC7797519 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2020.e05751] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2019] [Revised: 08/16/2020] [Accepted: 12/14/2020] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Scientific research can act as the 'bedrock for development' which can provide a solid foundation for the overall socioeconomic transformation in a country through invention and innovation. The inclusion of seven groups of Nepalese monuments in the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)'s world heritage sites provides evidence of the richness in architecture and civil engineering in the country, which also show how Nepal was influenced by arts and religious philosophy. The government of Nepal (GoN) has established different scientific departments, universities, and research institutions, and has tried to emphasize the application of science and research for the development of the nation. These institutions, however, have inadequate resources, exist in a poor academic and research environment and are subject to overt political influence. Despite these various problems, a variety of pioneer research and development activities have been conducted, which show positive rays of hope. This review presents history, current situation, progress and future perspective for scientific research and development in Nepal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Krishna Prasad Acharya
- Animal Quarantine Office (AQO)-Kathmandu, Department of Livestock Services (DLS), Kathmandu, Nepal
| | - Sarita Phuyal
- Central Referral Veterinary Hospital, Department of Livestock Services (DLS), Kathmandu, Nepal
| | - Rakesh Chand
- Center for One Health Research & Promotion (COHRP), Kathmandu, Nepal
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Cambridge, Madingley Road Cambridge, CB3 0ES, UK
| | - Krishna Kaphle
- Institute of Agriculture and Animal Science (IAAS), Tribhuvan University (TU), Rupandehi, Nepal
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21
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Zelianskaia NL, Belousov KI, Galinskaia TN, Ichkineeva DA. Naive geography: geoconceptology and topology of geomental maps. Heliyon 2020; 6:e05644. [PMID: 33364476 PMCID: PMC7750314 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2020.e05644] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2020] [Revised: 10/03/2020] [Accepted: 11/27/2020] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The article presents the study of the geospace mental representations and their variability depending on the regional point of view. The research material comprises about 500 naive maps of Russia, created by informants of seven Russian regions: Moscow, St. Petersburg (capitals), Siberia (Barnaul, Biysk), Southern, Mid- and Northern Ural (Orenburg, Ufa, Perm) and Kaliningrad. A geoconcept, as a set of collective ideas about a geographic object, synthesizes images of a geographic location (topos), its name (toponym), ideas about it and its spatial parameters (length, coordinates, location relative to other geolocations). The paper raises the problem of the topology of the mental space, and describes the method and results of constructing computable metric models of geomental spaces. The use of modern means of processing and analyzing naive maps allowed to detect spatial dependencies between geoconcepts, their probable localization zones, and position relative to each other on the geomental map space. Modeling of geoconcepts was carried out on the example of the analysis of the collective regional representations associated with the capital (Moscow). Noticeable differences were found in the regional geoconcepts of Moscow, which makes it relevant to conduct research on the regional variability of the geoconcept systems of the country's common space.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalia L. Zelianskaia
- Perm State University, The Laboratory of Applied and Experimental Linguistic Research, 15, ulitsa Bukireva, Perm, 614990, Russian Federation
- Department of Journalism and Mass Communication, Perm State University, Russian Federation
| | - Konstantin I. Belousov
- Perm State University, The Laboratory of Applied and Experimental Linguistic Research, 15, ulitsa Bukireva, Perm, 614990, Russian Federation
- Department of Theoretical and Applied Linguistics, Perm State University, Russian Federation
| | - Tatiana N. Galinskaia
- Perm State University, The Laboratory of Applied and Experimental Linguistic Research, 15, ulitsa Bukireva, Perm, 614990, Russian Federation
- Department of Romance and Germanic Philology and Methods of Language Teaching, Orenburg State Pedagogical University, Russian Federation
- Corresponding author.
| | - Dilara A. Ichkineeva
- Perm State University, The Laboratory of Applied and Experimental Linguistic Research, 15, ulitsa Bukireva, Perm, 614990, Russian Federation
- Department of the Foreign Languages, Bashkir State University, Russian Federation
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Abstract
This paper examines the influence of personal and game factors on gamers' perceived values, drawing from the Theory of Consumption Value (TCV), explores the impacts of values on the Pokémon Go (PG) adoption, and identifies differences between two consumer groups. A sample of 474 (215 PG non-players and 259 PG players) was collected and analysed. Game aesthetics increase all perceived values of both groups. Game aesthetics and innovativeness have no direct impact on gamers' intention to play. Emotional value and functional value are crucial for their behavioural intention. Social value is important for non-players, while conditional value influences players' intentions. This study contributes to the expansion of the TCV in mobile location-based AR game adoption and reveals the insights of players' and non-players’ value perceptions. It is one of the first studies investigating the TCV factors, antecedents, and consequence in the mobile AR game literature.
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Uzir MUH, Jerin I, Al Halbusi H, Hamid ABA, Latiff ASA. Does quality stimulate customer satisfaction where perceived value mediates and the usage of social media moderates? Heliyon 2020; 6:e05710. [PMID: 33367128 PMCID: PMC7749382 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2020.e05710] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2019] [Revised: 06/06/2020] [Accepted: 12/09/2020] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Customer is considered as the king in the world of business. The issue of customer satisfaction in electronics home appliances has received greater attention from academics and practitioners. In other words, customer satisfaction is a vital consideration in marketing. With the development of technology, new and innovative electronic home appliances are available in the market. Customers purchase and use the costly electronic home appliances where the satisfaction issue is an important concern. In Bangladesh, working families find the electronic home appliance very necessary. Companies offer state-of- the-art appliances for customers' household works. Therefore, the study intends to investigate the effect of product quality (PQ), quality of service (SQ) and perceived value on customer satisfaction (CS). In addition, this study also seeks this relationship shaped by customer's perceived value (CPV) as a key mechanism and interacted by social media usage. A total of 300 households were selected on a judgmental basis from Dhaka city in Bangladesh using a structured questionnaire. Collected data were CB-SEM (AMOS-v24) and SPSS. The findings showed PQ and SQ have positive effects on CS; SQ affects, but PQ does not affect CPV. CPV has a mixing mediating effect on SQ and CS relationship and PQ and CS relationship. Importantly, the positive impact of PQ, SQ and CPV is greater on customers who exhibit higher social media use. The conceptual framework was buttressed by EDT theory. The study contributed to contextual and theoretical knowledge in regards to home appliances. The practicing managers can collect an insight of customer satisfaction for their business.
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Affiliation(s)
- Md Uzir Hossain Uzir
- Putra Business School (PBS), Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), 43400, Seri Kembangan, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Ishraq Jerin
- Putra Business School (PBS), Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), 43400, Seri Kembangan, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Hussam Al Halbusi
- Department of Management, College of Economics and Political Science, Sultan Qaboos University, P.O. Box 20, Al Khoud 123, Oman
| | - Abu Bakar Abdul Hamid
- Putra Business School (PBS), Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), 43400, Seri Kembangan, Selangor, Malaysia
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Rajendran S, Pagel E. Recommendations for emerging air taxi network operations based on online review analysis of helicopter services. Heliyon 2020; 6:e05581. [PMID: 33305048 PMCID: PMC7718454 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2020.e05581] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2020] [Revised: 08/06/2020] [Accepted: 11/19/2020] [Indexed: 10/29/2022] Open
Abstract
The effects of traffic congestion are adverse, primarily including air pollution, commuter stress, an increase in vehicle operating costs, and accidents on road. In efforts to alleviate these problems in metropolitan cities, logistics companies plan to introduce a new Urban Air Mobility (UAM) service called air taxis. These are electric-powered vehicles that would be tested and operated in the forthcoming years by international transportation companies like Airbus, Uber, and Kitty Hawk. Since these flying taxis are an emerging mode of transportation, it is necessary to provide recommendations for initial design, implementation, and operation. This study proposes managerial insights for these upcoming UAM services by analyzing online customer reviews and conducting an internal assessment of helicopter operations. Helicopters are similar to air taxis in regards to their vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) operations, and therefore, customer reviews pertaining to the former can enable us to obtain insights into the strengths and weaknesses of the short-distance aviation service, in general. A four-stage sequential approach is used in this research, wherein online reviews are mined in Stage 1, analyzed using bigram and trigram models in Stage 2, 7S internal assessment is conducted for helicopter services in Stage 3, and managerial recommendations for air taxis are proposed in Stage 4. The insights obtained in this paper could assist any air taxi company in providing better customer service when they venture into the market.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suchithra Rajendran
- Department of Industrial and Manufacturing Systems Engineering, University of Missouri Columbia, MO 65211, USA.,Department of Marketing, University of Missouri Columbia, MO 65211, USA
| | - Emily Pagel
- Department of Industrial and Manufacturing Systems Engineering, University of Missouri Columbia, MO 65211, USA
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Salisu JB. Entrepreneurial training effectiveness, government entrepreneurial supports and venturing of TVET students into IT related entrepreneurship - An indirect-path effects analysis. Heliyon 2020; 6:e05504. [PMID: 33294663 PMCID: PMC7695956 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2020.e05504] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2020] [Revised: 10/06/2020] [Accepted: 11/10/2020] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Over the periods of 2015–2018 there have been declining trends for Nigeria in Global Entrepreneurship Index (GEI) signifying a major challenge to its entrepreneurship development. To understand some of the explanatory variables for this phenomenon Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) was deployed and extended to examine indirect effects of entrepreneurial training effectiveness and government entrepreneurial supports on the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) students venturing intention into IT related entrepreneurship through attitude and perceived behavioral control for gaining insights to address the aforesaid challenge. Quantitative approach was employed through data collected from sampled TVET students which was analyzed using Partial Least Squares-Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). The result supports all the hypothesized indirect-path effects. It implied that naturally built attitude and behavioral control alone cannot influence TVET students venturing intention; it needs enhancement through effective entrepreneurial training and government entrepreneurial supports. The research opens new research paradigm for studying the antecedents of the original determinants of intention through indirect path analyses. Applying these findings can reduce the reliance on public sector for employment. It could equally create jobs that could reduce societal crisis through employment into privately owned businesses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jamilu Bappa Salisu
- Department of Business Administration and Management, College of Business and Management Studies, Jigawa State Polytechnic, PMB 7040, Dutse, Jigawa State, Nigeria
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Gurtuev A, Derkach E, Makhosheva S, Ivanov Z. A Bayesian approach to investment in innovation projects with the presence of fake innovators. Heliyon 2020; 6:e05603. [PMID: 33294719 PMCID: PMC7701340 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2020.e05603] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2019] [Revised: 02/14/2020] [Accepted: 11/20/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The paper proposes a game-theoretic model of interaction between investors and innovators, taking into account the existence of so-called “fake” innovators offering knowingly unprofitable projects. The model is a Bayesian non-cooperative, repetitive game with recalculated payments and partly unobservable ex interim player types. It allows quantifying the parameters of the strategy for all player types to find equilibrium solutions. The model describes rational modes for screening “fake” innovators based on adjusting players' probabilistic estimates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alim Gurtuev
- Kabardino-Balkarian Scientific Center of Russian Academy of Sciences, Institute for Computer Science and Problems of Regional Management, 37a I.Armand st., Nalchik, Russia
| | - Elena Derkach
- Kabardino-Balkarian Scientific Center of Russian Academy of Sciences, Institute for Computer Science and Problems of Regional Management, 37a I.Armand st., Nalchik, Russia
| | - Salima Makhosheva
- Kabardino-Balkarian Scientific Center of Russian Academy of Sciences, Institute for Computer Science and Problems of Regional Management, 37a I.Armand st., Nalchik, Russia
| | - Zaur Ivanov
- Kabardino-Balkarian Scientific Center of Russian Academy of Sciences, Institute for Computer Science and Problems of Regional Management, 37a I.Armand st., Nalchik, Russia
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Siddik MNA. Economic stimulus for COVID-19 pandemic and its determinants: evidence from cross-country analysis. Heliyon 2020; 6:e05634. [PMID: 33319096 PMCID: PMC7724168 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2020.e05634] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2020] [Revised: 10/06/2020] [Accepted: 11/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Countries around the world are announcing stimulus packages in response to the COVID 19 pandemic. This research attempts to measure the extent and progress of stimulus packages by proposing a multidimensional index that standardizes governments' economic responses and allows us to examine the differences in economic policies from country to country. We apply the Euclidean distance formula to develop the new index and then identify the determinants of the economic stimulation of COVID-19 through beta-regression. The results show that Chile, Switzerland, Croatia, Sweden and the Netherlands responded more strongly to the COVID-19 pandemic, while the remaining countries responded slightly to the pandemic. Empirical results also indicate that most countries increased COVID-19 economic support, although not significantly. Finally, the results of the beta regression show that the median age of the population, the number of hospitals, beds per capita, the number of total COVID-19 cases, GDP, health care expenditure and the index of the severity of the government's response is significantly related to the level of the countries' stimulus packages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Md. Nur Alam Siddik
- Department of Finance and Banking, Begum Rokeya University, Rangpur 5404, Bangladesh
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Sun X, Hou S, Cai N, Ma W. Product information diffusion model and reasoning process in consumer behavior. Heliyon 2020; 6:e05636. [PMID: 33319097 PMCID: PMC7726669 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2020.e05636] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2020] [Revised: 10/05/2020] [Accepted: 11/27/2020] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Information diffusion on social media has become a major approach in people's daily communication, and the value contained therein holds great interest for both academic and industrial communities. However, the process of information diffusion is affected by many factors, and the complexity of that process has not been fully explored. Most previous studies have concentrated on the strategies and driving forces in social media operations, as well as the identification of influential seed nodes, yet analyses of consumer behavior choice in the process of information diffusion are rare. Thus, This study proposes a multipoint cross-diffusion model based on MapReduce, which improves the single-point model and can better describe the product information diffusion process. On that basis, a Bayesian network model of product information diffusion was constructed to analyze the associations between factors and consumer behaviors. Moreover, the posterior probability of consumer behavior choice affected by a series of factors in the information forwarding process was considered and analyzed. This study's findings can be used to estimate the posterior probability that users will purchase, forward, or stay silent, thereby predicting the effect of product diffusion and obtaining the quantitative relationships between factors and consumer behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuehua Sun
- School of Information Technology, HeBei University of Economics and Business, HeBei 050061, PR China
| | - Shaojie Hou
- School of Information Technology, HeBei University of Economics and Business, HeBei 050061, PR China
| | - Ning Cai
- School of Culture and Communication, HeBei University of Economics and Business, HeBei 050061, PR China
| | - Wenxiu Ma
- School of Information Technology, HeBei University of Economics and Business, HeBei 050061, PR China
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29
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Morán-Mariños C, Pacheco-Mendoza J, Metcalf T, De la Cruz Ramirez W, Alva-Diaz C. Collaborative scientific production of epilepsy in Latin America from 1989 to 2018: A bibliometric analysis. Heliyon 2020; 6:e05493. [PMID: 33241154 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2020.e05493] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2020] [Revised: 09/28/2020] [Accepted: 11/09/2020] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Socioeconomic and cultural factors coupled with an inability to control many endemic and emerging diseases have resulted in a growing incidence of epilepsy cases in Latin America. This study aimed to analyze and describe scientific research output trends in epilepsy research for the period 1989-2018. Publications were extracted from Scopus indexed journals. Bibliometric analysis was used to analyze scientific output including number of annual publications, documents, and publication characteristics. A mapping analysis using VOSviewer software visualized collaborative network analysis, co-citation analysis, and keyword co-occurrence analysis. SciVal quantitatively analyzed distribution of countries, institutions, citation counts, H-index, and research collaborative partnerships. A total of 176507 records were initially retrieved after which 5636 were analyzed. Overall, an increasing trend for publication output was observed from 19 articles in 1989 to 342 in 2018; the number of publications significantly increased over the past 20 years (p = 0.0065). The majority of publications were original articles (74.4%). Brazil had the most scientific production (55.2%), followed by Mexico (15.4%) and Argentina (10%). Extra-regional collaboration was primarily with the United States, United Kingdom, and Canada; intraregional collaboration was low. The most common area of investigation by co-occurrences was "diagnostic research" (37.2%), with studies based on electroencephalography and nuclear magnetic resonance. Epilepsy research in Latin America has seen a steady growth with significant increases over the past 20 years. Brazil, Mexico, and Argentina are the most productive countries in the field collaborating primarily with extra-regional countries of high-income.
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Ali N, Ullah A, Shah M, Ali A, Khan SA, Shakoor A, Begum A, Ahmad S. School role in improving parenting skills and academic performance of secondary schools students in Pakistan. Heliyon 2020; 6:e05443. [PMID: 33225093 PMCID: PMC7662842 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2020.e05443] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2020] [Revised: 01/23/2020] [Accepted: 11/03/2020] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Background This research investigated the association between school role in improving parenting skills and the academic performance of secondary school students. And to examine the role of student gender, literacy status of the parents and parental importance to children education in the association between school role in improving parenting skills and students' academic performance. Methods A multistage stratified random sampling technique was adopted to portray information from 448 students on a Likert scale. Chi-square, Kendall's Tau-c tests were used to determine the direction and strength of association among variables. Results The results depicted that the association of children's academic performance was found significant (P = 0.000) and positive (Tau-c = 0.215) with school capacitating parents how to monitor and discuss schoolwork at home with children, assisting parents in setting academic goals for children (P = 0.000, Tau-c = 0.225). Moreover, the respondent's gender, parent literacy status and parental importance to children's education explained variation in the association between school role in improving parenting skills and children's academic performance. Conclusions The school role in improving parenting skills significantly and positively contributed to children's academic performance. Moreover, boys, children of literate parents and children whose parents give more importance to their education with school active role in improving parenting skills were more liable to score higher grades.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nayab Ali
- Department of Rural Sociology, Agriculture University Peshawar, Pakistan
| | - Asad Ullah
- Department of Rural Sociology, Agriculture University Peshawar, Pakistan
| | - Mussawar Shah
- Department of Rural Sociology, Agriculture University Peshawar, Pakistan
| | - Ahmad Ali
- Department of Sociology, Abdul Wali Khan University Mardan, Pakistan
| | - Sajjad Ali Khan
- Department of International Relation, Abdul Wali Khan University Mardan, Pakistan
| | - Abdul Shakoor
- Department of International Relation, Abdul Wali Khan University Mardan, Pakistan
| | - Amreena Begum
- Department of Sociology, Abdul Wali Khan University Mardan, Pakistan
| | - Shakeel Ahmad
- Department of Rural Sociology, Agriculture University Peshawar, Pakistan
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Alolayyan MN, Alyahya MS, Alalawin AH, Shoukat A, Nusairat FT. Health information technology and hospital performance the role of health information quality in teaching hospitals. Heliyon 2020; 6:e05040. [PMID: 33088935 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2020.e05040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2020] [Revised: 05/29/2020] [Accepted: 09/21/2020] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
The research purposed in this paper is to investigate the impact of the health information technology on hospital performance through the health information quality as mediating variable, as new evidence from the teaching hospitals in the north of Jordan. Research design and methodology approach based on a survey that is conducted to collect the requested data to develop a model connect between the health information technologies, health information quality and hospital performance by using the Structural Equation Modeling approach. The research findings show that there is an intertwined and reciprocal relation between Health Information Technologies (HITs), hospital performance, and health information quality. HITs have direct positive impacts on both hospital performance and health information quality. Health information quality has also a direct impact on hospital performance. Besides, health information quality functioned as a partial mediator between HITs and hospital performance. The study did not examine the factors that influence the relationship between HITs, hospital performance and health information quality. This paper is evidence for the investor in the healthcare sector to invest more in HITs and health information quality, where the expected results are productivity improvement, performance leveraging and error reduction. The research originality is to introduce new evidence support literature form the Middle East countries is the main contribution of this paper.
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Durczak K, Ekielski A, Kozłowski R, Żelaziński T, Pilarski K. A computer system supporting agricultural machinery and farm tractor purchase decisions. Heliyon 2020; 6:e05039. [PMID: 33072901 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2020.e05039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2018] [Revised: 04/16/2019] [Accepted: 09/21/2020] [Indexed: 11/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Operational research, i.e. searching for optimal solutions in a situation of uncertainty and risk, can also be used to support decisions to purchase expensive agricultural machinery. Although Polish farmers receive subsidies from the EU, it does not mean they do not need to make well-thought-out purchases, because wrong purchase decisions will have long-term consequences while using machinery. The article presents the results of the IFOP - the system which has been available on the Internet for several years. It collects data on farming machinery and vehicles based on users' voluntary but subjective opinions. The authors of this article developed an original multi-criteria method of evaluating the quality of these specific products, which enabled them to make relevant rankings of brands. It is an algorithmic-heuristic method, which uses pairwise comparison tools to determine the significance ratios of the criteria. This article presents the results of the 1st and 2nd IFOP edition (Race Ranking), which included several dozen brands of tractors registered in Poland. More than fifty qualitative (Q) and non-qualitative (C) traits of farm tractors were taken into account. According to Polish farmers, Valtra - a Finnish brand of farm tractors, part of the AGCO concern, was the most versatile (Q = 4.39 and Q&C = 4.23). These tractors received the best opinions for their functionality, durability, ergonomics and safety.
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Abstract
The “problem of e-books” is defined as the difficulty improving the adoption rates of e-books by students. The adoption rates of e-books for academic use remain low, and research into the reasons for this have resulted in inconclusive findings. Factors such as student perception, and variations in experimental methodology and technology, contribute to difficulties in generalising findings and establishing conclusive causes for this problem. To better understand the causal factors for low adoption rates and the student's experience with ereaders and digital text, an investigation was conducted by the lead researcher as a student enrolled in a postgraduate course. The experiment was designed using e-book and digital text documents on an ereader for academic study and the results analysed with the framework of Activity Theory. This methodology allowed exploration of the problem within the authentic experience of a student to examine the effects of this social environment on ereader and e-book use. Analysis of the work domain was conducted and a comparative assessment of the observed effect of using the digital documents on an ereader compared with the paper book. Findings show that attempts to apply self-regulation and metacognitive learning techniques within the activity using the ereader were abandoned due to breakdowns in operations, and that this resulted in a perceived lower quality of achievement. The effect on the processes used by the student were extreme and were observed to be highly dependent on the student's use of specific learning strategies. The experimental methodology employed in this investigation enabled identification of the role of the social environment in the use of course documents on an ereader for academic study. The functionality of the ereader was such an extremely poor fit with the observed academic processes that a redesign approach for ereader and e-book technology is proposed as a solution to the low adoption rates of e-books.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karen Kirby
- Department of Computer and Information Sciences, Northumbria University, UK
| | - Muhammad N Anwar
- Department of Computer and Information Sciences, Northumbria University, UK
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González-Alcaide G, Llorente P, Ramos-Rincón JM. Systematic analysis of the scientific literature on population surveillance. Heliyon 2020; 6:e05141. [PMID: 33029562 PMCID: PMC7528878 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2020.e05141] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2020] [Revised: 09/01/2020] [Accepted: 09/29/2020] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Population surveillance provides data on the health status of the population through continuous scrutiny of different indicators. Identifying risk factors is essential for the quickly detecting and controlling of epidemic outbreaks and reducing the incidence of cross-infections and non-communicable diseases. The objective of the present study is to analyze research on population surveillance, identifying the main topics of interest for investigators in the area. Methodology We included documents indexed in the Web of Science Core Collection in the period from 2000 to 2019 and assigned with the generic Medical Subject Heading (MeSH) “population surveillance” or its related terms (“public health surveillance,” “sentinel surveillance” or “biosurveillance”). A co-occurrence analysis was undertaken to identify the document clusters comprising the main research topics. Scientific production, collaboration, and citation patterns in each of the clusters were characterized bibliometrically. We also analyzed research on coronaviruses, relating the results obtained to the management of the COVID-19 pandemic. Results We included 39,184 documents, which reflected a steady growth in scientific output driven by papers on “Public, Environmental & Occupational Health” (21.62% of the documents) and “Infectious Diseases” (10.49%). Research activity was concentrated in North America (36.41%) and Europe (32.09%). The USA led research in the area (40.14% of documents). Ten topic clusters were identified, including “Disease Outbreaks,” which is closely related to two other clusters (“Genetics” and “Influenza”). Other clusters of note were “Cross Infections” as well as one that brought together general public health concepts and topics related to non-communicable diseases (cardiovascular and coronary diseases, mental diseases, diabetes, wound and injuries, stroke, and asthma). The rest of the clusters addressed “Neoplasms,” “HIV,” “Pregnancy,” “Substance Abuse/Obesity,” and “Tuberculosis.” Although research on coronavirus has focused on population surveillance only occasionally, some papers have analyzed and collated guidelines whose relevance to the dissemination and management of the COVID-19 pandemic has become obvious. Topics include tracing the spread of the virus, limiting mass gatherings that would facilitate its propagation, and the imposition of quarantines. There were important differences in the scientific production and citation of different clusters: the documents on mental illnesses, stroke, substance abuse/obesity, and cross-infections had much higher citations than the clusters on disease outbreaks, tuberculosis, and especially coronavirus, where these values are substantially lower. Conclusions The role of population surveillance should be strengthened, promoting research and the development of public health surveillance systems in countries whose contribution to the area is limited.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Pedro Llorente
- Denia Public Health Center, Conselleria de Sanitat i Salut Publica, Alicante, Spain.,Defence Institute of Preventive Medicine, Ministry of Defence, Madrid, Spain
| | - José-Manuel Ramos-Rincón
- Department of Internal Medicine, General University Hospital of Alicante, Alicante, Spain.,Department of Clinical Medicine, Miguel Hernandez University of Elche, Alicante, Spain
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MacGregor S, Cooper A, Coombs A, DeLuca C. A scoping review of co-production between researchers and journalists in research communication. Heliyon 2020; 6:e04836. [PMID: 32954030 PMCID: PMC7484548 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2020.e04836] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2020] [Revised: 06/27/2020] [Accepted: 08/28/2020] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Co-production is rapidly gaining purchase as an approach to making research matter more to diverse audiences. There exists a wealth of information about co-production in areas such as public administration and sustainability science, but comparatively little within the specific area of research communication. In particular, little is known about the harnessing the potential of researchers and journalists engaging in co-production to generate evidence-based knowledge, foster an informed public, and achieve societal impacts. This review aimed to address that gap in the knowledge base by systematically mapping the theoretical and empirical literature related to co-production between researchers and journalists in research communication. Given the paucity of study in this area, we advanced this aim by synthesizing the extant literature that has explored the more general concept of interactions between researchers and journalists. Following a scoping review methodology, a total of 60 articles were selected for inclusion in this review. We analyzed the included articles following a systematic method of using a data extraction framework to synthesize and interpret contextual (country of the study or author [s], publication type, sector, and methods) and thematic (objectives, theoretical framework, findings) information. Three cross-cutting themes were identified that help to elucidate important considerations for researchers and journalists engaged in or considering engaging in co-production in research communication: (a) the roles of researchers and journalists; (b) the pitfalls and promises of co-production; and (c) the barriers and facilitators of co-production. Following an in-depth examination of these themes, we conclude with a synopsis of the literature along with identifying two major topics for progressing current knowledge and practice.
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Ige OA. What we do on social media! Social representations of schoolchildren's activities on electronic communication platforms. Heliyon 2020; 6:e04584. [PMID: 32904226 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2020.e04584] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2019] [Revised: 09/17/2019] [Accepted: 07/28/2020] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Researchers might be wondering whether the use of social media by students raises any ethical issues? It is my opinion that with the astronomical increase in the use of social networking websites or platforms by students, ethical issues are progressively important. The astronomical increase in the use of social networking platforms by minors raises ethical questions in school ecologies. This study investigated the ethical issues in social media usage among secondary school students in a developing context. A semi-structured questionnaire that elicited information on the school children's home background, social media operated, and mode of connection to the social media was used to collect data. The questionnaire gave the students the opportunity to write their responses to the interview questions freely. Mixed methods such as constant comparative techniques and descriptive statistical methods were used to analyze data from the one hundred and thirty school children that participated in this research. The results indicated that Facebook is the most operated social networking website by the selected schoolchildren. Most of the schoolchildren operating the popular social networking accounts signed up before the age of thirteen with the help of their biological sisters and brothers. Themes such as cyber pornography, sexting, cyber stalking, cyber bullying, cyber hacking, and abusive language emanated from the individual qualitative interviews. The concluding part of this article answers questions on the impact of new communication technologies on psycho-social adjustment of school children in developing countries.
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Prakofjewa J, Kalle R, Belichenko O, Kolosova V, Sõukand R. Re-written narrative: transformation of the image of Ivan-chaj in Eastern Europe. Heliyon 2020; 6:e04632. [PMID: 32904257 PMCID: PMC7452402 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2020.e04632] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2020] [Revised: 07/03/2020] [Accepted: 07/31/2020] [Indexed: 10/26/2022] Open
Abstract
The aim of this study was to understand the role of viral narratives and the involvement of social media into the invention of tradition. We took as an example the recently highly promoted Ivan-chaj, a tea made from the fermented leaves of willowherb, a plant little known and used in Europe until a few years ago. Relying on a wide variety of sources circulating on the Internet (videos, various texts and visuals) and robust empirical field research results, we used mixed methods to analyze this specific case in order to understand if people adopt new teachings and if their acceptance leads to practical output. The results showed that the new teachings spread quickly, supported by narratives based on a wide variety of interaction points that viralized the message, also causing an economic impact. It is clear that the change of status and the economic success that Ivan-chaj now enjoys is due to the virality of the narrative, which has reshaped the image of Ivan-chaj from an "outcast" imitation and tea substitute into the national healthy drink. Having appeared in Russia, mostly as a Russian cultural marker, the narrative went viral and spread beyond its borders where neighbors have tried in turn to embrace Ivan-chaj as their own cultural marker by proclaiming it a local tradition. Indeed, narratives regarding Ivan-chaj spread easily in countries sharing some linguistic, historical and/or cultural elements with Russia (via the nexus of the Soviet Union).
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Raivo Kalle
- University of Gastronomic Sciences of Pollenzo, Italy
| | | | - Valeria Kolosova
- Ca' Foscari University of Venice, Italy.,Institute for Linguistic Studies, Russian Academy of Sciences, Russia
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Abstract
In the era of evidence-based policy, framing and assessing the core evidence is fundamental to our ability to use research in support of public policy. In a world of almost exponentially expanding scholarly publication, it is becoming harder to define what is known. This article reviews the basic theories of knowledge, the context for sorting through and summarizing that knowledge and a number of options available, and used, to assemble the knowledge base for research and policy work. The authors undertook a summative process in the domain of biotechnology, agriculture and development and offer insights into the comparative methods and their impacts on the outcome. A population sample of 421 articles was gathered. Four methods-expert Delphi, citation analysis, social network analysis and peer evaluation-were used to select the 51 pieces for inclusion and analysis in the core literature. That analysis shows that each process delivered a different set of evidence. The potential for bias in knowledge assessment can challenge policy makers in their process of reviewing evidence that rationalizes policy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter W B Phillips
- Johnson-Shoyama Graduate School of Public Policy, University of Saskatchewan, 101 Diefenbaker Place, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, S7N 5B5, Canada
| | - David Castle
- University of Victoria, PO Box 1700 STN CSC, Victoria, BC, V8W 2Y2, Canada
| | - Stuart J Smyth
- Department Agricultural and Resource Economics, University of Saskatchewan, 51 Campus Drive, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, S7N 5A8, Canada
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Parsafar S, Nayeri Z, Aliakbari F, Shahi F, Mohammadi M, Morshedi D. Multiple neuroprotective features of Scutellaria pinnatifida-derived small molecule. Heliyon 2020; 6:e04737. [PMID: 32913905 PMCID: PMC7472859 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2020.e04737] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2020] [Revised: 06/29/2020] [Accepted: 08/12/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Parkinson's disease (PD) is one of the most prevalent neurodegenerative disorders with no precise etiology. Multiple lines of evidence support that environmental factors, either neurotoxins or neuroinflammation, can induce Parkinsonism. In this study, we purified an active compound, neobaicalein (Skullcapflavone II), from the roots of Scutellaria pinnatifida (S. pinnatifida). Neobaicalein not only had protective impacts on rotenone-induced neurotoxicity but in glial cultures, it dampened the inflammatory response when stimulated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Neobaicalein had high antioxidant activity without any obvious toxicity. In addition, it could raise the cell viability, decrease early apoptosis, reduce the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), and keep the neurite's length normal in the treated SH-SY5Y cells. Pathway enrichment analysis (PEA) and target prediction provided insights into the PD related genes, protein-protein interaction (PPI) network, and the key proteins enriched in the signaling pathways. Furthermore, docking simulation (DS) on the proteins of the PD-PPI network revealed that neobaicalein might interact with the key proteins involved in PD pathology, including MAPK14, MAPK8, and CASP3. It also blocks the destructive processes, such as cell death, inflammation, and oxidative stress pathways. Our results demonstrate that neobaicalein alleviates pathological effects of factors related to PD, and may provide new insight into PD therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Soha Parsafar
- Department of Bioprocess Engineering, Institute of Industrial and Environmental Biotechnology, National Institute of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Tehran, Iran
| | - Zahra Nayeri
- Department of Bioprocess Engineering, Institute of Industrial and Environmental Biotechnology, National Institute of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Tehran, Iran
| | - Farhang Aliakbari
- Department of Bioprocess Engineering, Institute of Industrial and Environmental Biotechnology, National Institute of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Tehran, Iran
| | - Farshad Shahi
- Department of Bioprocess Engineering, Institute of Industrial and Environmental Biotechnology, National Institute of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mehdi Mohammadi
- Department of Bioprocess Engineering, Institute of Industrial and Environmental Biotechnology, National Institute of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Tehran, Iran
| | - Dina Morshedi
- Department of Bioprocess Engineering, Institute of Industrial and Environmental Biotechnology, National Institute of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Tehran, Iran
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Spitale G. Making sense in the flood. How to cope with the massive flow of digital information in medical ethics. Heliyon 2020; 6:e04426. [PMID: 32743090 PMCID: PMC7385457 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2020.e04426] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2019] [Revised: 01/20/2020] [Accepted: 07/08/2020] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Scientific publications have become the currency of Academia, hence the concept of 'publish or perish'. But there are consequences: the amount of existing literature and its proliferation rate have reached the point where keeping pace is just impossible. If this is true in general, it becomes a huge issue in interdisciplinary fields such as bioethics where knowing the state of the art in more than one single discipline is a concrete necessity. If we accept the idea of building new science on an exhaustive comprehension of existing knowledge, a radical change is needed. Smart iterative search strategies, frequency analysis and text mining, techniques described in this paper, can't be a long run solution. But they might serve as a useful coping strategy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giovanni Spitale
- Institute of Biomedical Ethics and History of Medicine, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 30, 8006, Zurich, Switzerland
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Ogwu S, Sice P, Keogh S, Goodlet C. An exploratory study of the application of mindsight in email communication. Heliyon 2020; 6:e04305. [PMID: 32695897 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2020.e04305] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2019] [Revised: 10/21/2019] [Accepted: 06/22/2020] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Research problem Email communication is a type of virtual communication with specific characteristics: - it is a form of written communication; it is asynchronous, i.e. not occurring at the same time for the sender and recipients. Email does not include face to face communication and thus the capacity to develop a sense of connection, shared knowledge and trust are distorted due to the lack of interpersonal cues and may become a problem. Communication is a process where one mind affects another, and it is through the process of communication that individuals develop shared perceptions and coordinate their behaviours. This implies creating social worlds rather than disseminating information between people. The fact that communication is not a mere means of disseminating information but also a means of developing social entities for co-creation of understanding requires that individuals approach communication with a sense of awareness of themselves and others. Proposed solutions In this article the theory of Mindsight is proposed as an approach of mindful observation of the act of communication resulting in deeper awareness, reflection and potential impact on behaviour. Although Mindsight has been extensively used in addressing self-awareness and communication in real spaces, there is a gap in the existing relevant literature about the application of Mindsight in virtual/email communication. Methods A Mindsight Utility for Virtual Communication (MUVC) was developed for use in engaging with email. The MUVC is a set of exercises enabling users to identify and manage their email habits over a period of time. The utility was developed to engage users in experiencing self-awareness and awareness of others and provides an aid to formulate personal guidelines in email communication. It was implemented with nineteen participants as part of action research allowing each individual to develop their own guidelines grounded in the experience of using the observation practice. Data Qualitative data was collected in the form of diaries for a period of 6 days from two group of participants: -university students; - employees of a social enterprise. Ethics approval was granted from Northumbria University prior to data collection. Thematic analysis was used. Results The study uncovered potential problems and solution strategies, inhibitors and facilitators of communication. Problems with email were perceived as: not knowing one another, difficulties in connecting, lack of trust, lack of interpersonal clues, reduction in communication quality, emotional and psychological discomfort. Solution strategies included: open-mindedness, empathy, compassion, attention focus, clear language, awareness practice, addressing physical and emotional discomfort.
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Vuong TT, Ho MT, Nguyen MH, Nguyen THT, Nguyen TD, Nguyen TL, Luong AP, Vuong QH. Adopting open access in the social sciences and humanities: evidence from a developing nation. Heliyon 2020; 6:e04522. [PMID: 32743103 PMCID: PMC7387825 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2020.e04522] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2020] [Revised: 04/24/2020] [Accepted: 07/17/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Open Access (OA) publishing, with ambitious movements such as Plan S, is engendering radical changes among academic publishers. Emerging countries need to keep publishing as well as adopt open access to catch up with the changes. Using exclusive data from the Social Sciences & Humanities Peer Awards (SSHPA) database, the study employed both descriptive statistics and a Bayesian linear regression model to examine the journals and publishers in which Vietnamese social scientists published during the period 2008–2019, and the potential of pursuing the OA movement in Vietnam. We found an increasing diversification in the publishing sources of Vietnamese social science researchers with growth rates of 9.8% and 14.1% per annum in the number of publishers and journals, respectively. Given that the proportion of Gold OA articles had a fourfold increase over the examined period, it seems that the Vietnamese academic community is adopting OA. Furthermore, Bayesian analysis results hint at positive associations of internal and external collaborative power (number of domestic and foreign authors, respectively) with the decision to publish in OA (βb_TotalVN_OpenAccess = 0.22; βb_TotalForeign_OpenAccess = 0.15). The results and its implications suggest that Vietnamese policymakers and university director boards should facilitate as well as control the quality of the scientific publishing and the OA movement.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Manh-Toan Ho
- Centre for Interdisciplinary Social Research, Phenikaa University, Yen Nghia Ward, Ha Dong District, Hanoi, 100803, Viet Nam
- A.I. for Social Data Lab, Vuong & Associates, 3/161 Thinh Quang, Dong Da District, Hanoi, 100000, Viet Nam
- Corresponding author.
| | - Minh-Hoang Nguyen
- Centre for Interdisciplinary Social Research, Phenikaa University, Yen Nghia Ward, Ha Dong District, Hanoi, 100803, Viet Nam
- A.I. for Social Data Lab, Vuong & Associates, 3/161 Thinh Quang, Dong Da District, Hanoi, 100000, Viet Nam
| | - Thanh-Huyen T. Nguyen
- A.I. for Social Data Lab, Vuong & Associates, 3/161 Thinh Quang, Dong Da District, Hanoi, 100000, Viet Nam
- Foreign Trade University, 91 Chua Lang Street, Dong Da District, Hanoi 100000, Viet Nam
| | - Thanh-Dung Nguyen
- A.I. for Social Data Lab, Vuong & Associates, 3/161 Thinh Quang, Dong Da District, Hanoi, 100000, Viet Nam
- Foreign Trade University, 91 Chua Lang Street, Dong Da District, Hanoi 100000, Viet Nam
| | - Thi-Linh Nguyen
- A.I. for Social Data Lab, Vuong & Associates, 3/161 Thinh Quang, Dong Da District, Hanoi, 100000, Viet Nam
- Foreign Trade University, 91 Chua Lang Street, Dong Da District, Hanoi 100000, Viet Nam
| | - Anh-Phuong Luong
- A.I. for Social Data Lab, Vuong & Associates, 3/161 Thinh Quang, Dong Da District, Hanoi, 100000, Viet Nam
- Foreign Trade University, 91 Chua Lang Street, Dong Da District, Hanoi 100000, Viet Nam
| | - Quan-Hoang Vuong
- Centre for Interdisciplinary Social Research, Phenikaa University, Yen Nghia Ward, Ha Dong District, Hanoi, 100803, Viet Nam
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Kaptay G. The k-index is introduced to replace the h-index to evaluate better the scientific excellence of individuals. Heliyon 2020; 6:e04415. [PMID: 32685733 PMCID: PMC7358733 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2020.e04415] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2020] [Revised: 05/24/2020] [Accepted: 07/08/2020] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
Abstract
The best possible methods are needed to evaluate the scientific excellence of individuals and research groups in order to award positions and distribute research grants with higher efficiency. It is shown here that for the symmetrical distribution of citations of an individual the currently used h-index is approximately half of the square root of the total number of citations, according to the rule of Hirsch. It is also shown that deviations from this "ideal" h-index are common and they are due to deviations in the citation distributions of different individuals. However, those deviations are not characteristic for the scientific excellence of an individual and therefore they lead only to confusion in scientific evaluation. Therefore the h-index is suggested here to be replaced by the k-index. The k-index of an individual is calculated from his/her all independent citations as self-citations cannot be considered as an indication of the excellence of any paper or its authors (the citation is independent if there is no overlap in the lists of authors of the citing and the cited paper). The k-index takes into account only partial citations for each author of multi-authored papers. In ideal case the shares of the authors in a paper are published in the same paper similarly as shares of the inventors are published in patents. If not, the share of each co-author is taken equal to the inverse of the number of authors of the given paper. The k-index of an individual is defined as the square root from the sum of his/her independent partial citations. The value of the k-index is dependent on the databank used for the citations and on the time of the measurement. If scientists of similar age working in similar fields are compared using the same databank, their personal scientific excellence will be proportional to their k-index. When the k-index is divided by the number of active scientific years, a correction can be made for different ages of different applicants. In average, the k-index has similar values, but a wider range compared to the h-index. More importantly the k-index is not biased by this or that type of citation distribution of an individual, not biased by the self-citations and not biased by the results of the co-authors. The squares of k-indexes of smaller units are additive, and so the k-index is extended to journals, publishing houses, departments, institutions, countries, continents and to the mankind.
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Affiliation(s)
- George Kaptay
- University of Miskolc, Egyetemvaros, Miskolc, Hungary 3525
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Arnaboldi M, Azzone G. Data science in the design of public policies: dispelling the obscurity in matching policy demand and data offer. Heliyon 2020; 6:e04300. [PMID: 32637693 PMCID: PMC7327742 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2020.e04300] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2020] [Revised: 05/28/2020] [Accepted: 06/21/2020] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Data Science (DS) is expected to deliver value for public governance. In a number of studies, strong claims have been made about the potential of big data and data analytics and there are now several cases showing their application in areas such as service delivery and organizational administration. The role of DS in policy-making has, on the contrary, still been explored only marginally, but it is clear that there is the need for greater investigation because of its greater complexity and its distinctive inter-organizational boundaries. In this paper, we have investigated how DS can contribute to the policy definition process, endorsing a socio-technical perspective. This exploration has addressed the technical elements of DS - data and processes - as well as the social aspects surrounding the actors' interaction within the definition process. Three action research cases are presented in the paper, lifting the veil of obscurity from how DS can support policy-making in practice. The findings highlight the importance of a new role, here defined as that of a translator, who can provide clarity and understanding of policy needs, assess whether data-driven results fit the legislative setting to be addressed, and become the junction point between data scientists and policy-makers. The three cases and their different achievements make it possible to draw attention to the enabling and inhibiting factors in the application of DS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michela Arnaboldi
- Department of Management, Economics and Industrial Engineering, Politecnico di Milano, Italy
| | - Giovanni Azzone
- Department of Management, Economics and Industrial Engineering, Politecnico di Milano, Italy
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Espinoza H, Kling G, McGroarty F, O'Mahony M, Ziouvelou X. Estimating the impact of the Internet of Things on productivity in Europe. Heliyon 2020; 6:e03935. [PMID: 32435711 PMCID: PMC7229494 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2020.e03935] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2018] [Revised: 02/01/2020] [Accepted: 05/04/2020] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
The Internet of Things (IoT) refers to interconnected devices and objects that collect and transmit data via the Internet. The IoT is an evolving technology, promising to revolutionise industries, but also demanding far-reaching policy changes (e.g. in terms of data security and privacy), which involve significant resources. This paper reviews the evidence on uptake and the economic impact of the IoT during its early years of inception. It uses a growth accounting framework to evaluate the likely impact of the IoT on productivity. Estimating the effect of new technologies on productivity is an essential step in evaluating the ‘economic value-added’, justifying resources dedicated to facilitating the adoption of innovations. We find a positive impact of the IoT on productivity, however relatively small, given that the IoT is still at an early stage of development. We present projections on the impact of the IoT under a number of scenarios.
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Affiliation(s)
- Héctor Espinoza
- Centre for Economic Performance, London School of Economics, London, United Kingdom
| | - Gerhard Kling
- University of Aberdeen, Business School, Aberdeen, United Kingdom
| | - Frank McGroarty
- Centre for Digital Finance, University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom
| | - Mary O'Mahony
- King's College London, Business School, London, United Kingdom
| | - Xenia Ziouvelou
- Centre for Digital Finance, University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom
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Di Dio S, Massa F, Nucara A, Peri G, Rizzo G, Schillaci D. Pursuing softer urban mobility behaviors through game-based apps. Heliyon 2020; 6:e03930. [PMID: 32426542 PMCID: PMC7226654 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2020.e03930] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2019] [Revised: 02/05/2020] [Accepted: 05/04/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Cities are currently engaged through their urban policies in pushing people towards less environmentally impacting mobility modalities: therefore, cycling and walking are strongly promoted, especially by means of new and wider limited traffic and no-cars zones. In this paper, the effectiveness of the new smartphones and apps-based technologies in modifying the mobility behaviors of citizens towards more sustainable choices has been investigated. Specifically, the potential of a smartphone app, directly involving citizens by means of a game rewarding the most sustainable trips, has been tested on a university commuters' group. These latter, starting from their current mobility situation, were challenged by an enhanced scenario characterized by more restrictive and sustainable targets. Promising results have been obtained suggesting that game–based tools could be effectively used as urban policy interventions intended to obtain a more sustainable mobility.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Antonino Nucara
- Department of Civil, Energy, Environmental and Material Engineering (DICEAM), "Mediterranea" University of Reggio Calabria, Italy
| | - Giorgia Peri
- Dipartimento di Ingegneria (DIING), Università degli Studi di Palermo, Italy
| | - Gianfranco Rizzo
- Dipartimento di Ingegneria (DIING), Università degli Studi di Palermo, Italy
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Rettig EM, Fick SE, Hijmans RJ. The Female Empowerment Index (FEMI): spatial and temporal variation in women's empowerment in Nigeria. Heliyon 2020; 6:e03829. [PMID: 32426532 PMCID: PMC7226653 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2020.e03829] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/26/2018] [Revised: 11/21/2019] [Accepted: 04/20/2020] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Improving female empowerment is an important human rights and development goal that needs better monitoring. A number of indices have been developed to track female empowerment at the national level, but these are incomplete and may obscure important sub-national variation. We developed the Female Empowerment Index (FEMI) to track multiple domains of women's empowerment at the sub-national level. The index is based on six categories of empowerment: violence against women, employment, education, reproductive healthcare, decision making, and access to contraceptives. The FEMI has a range of zero to one (low to high empowerment), and it is calculated as the mean proportion of positive outcomes in the six categories. To provide a proof of concept, we computed the FEMI for Nigeria and its 36 states from five Demographic and Health Surveys between the years of 1990 and 2013, using questions asked to 98,542 women between 15 and 49 years old. At the national level, the FEMI increased from 0.34 to 0.48. However, there was substantial sub-national variation, with state-level values ranging from 0.16-0.60 in 1990 to 0.19–0.73 in 2013. Our findings thus illustrate the importance of considering sub-national variation in female empowerment. The FEMI can be readily computed for other countries, and its ability to track spatial and temporal variation in woman's empowerment across a broad set of categories may make it more useful than existing approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erica M Rettig
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Stephen E Fick
- Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM 88003, USA
| | - Robert J Hijmans
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA
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Gangadharbatla H. Biohacking: An exploratory study to understand the factors influencing the adoption of embedded technologies within the human body. Heliyon 2020; 6:e03931. [PMID: 32426543 PMCID: PMC7226663 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2020.e03931] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2019] [Revised: 01/15/2020] [Accepted: 05/04/2020] [Indexed: 10/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Wearable tech is leading way to embedded tech, i.e., implants inside the body designed to track and enhance human health and productivity among other things. Researchers have used Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) extensively to explain the factors influencing adoption of almost all technological innovations to date. Embedded tech, often referred to as biohacking, presents a unique set of factors that call for yet another revision of the model. Using diffusion of innovations, self-efficacy, and social exchange theory, a revision to the technology acceptance model is proposed with additional factors such as age and gender, embedded technology self-efficacy, perceived risk and privacy concerns to explain the adoption of embedded technologies within the human body. Data was collected through an online survey (N = 1063) using a Qualtrics panel and results suggest that age, gender, perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, embedded technology self-efficacy, risk and privacy concerns all impact the adoption of embedded tech. Implications for the implant industry, policy makers, and researchers interested in such tech are drawn.
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Affiliation(s)
- Harsha Gangadharbatla
- College of Media, Communication and Information, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309-0478, USA
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Joshua U, Adedoyin FF, Sarkodie SA. Examining the external-factors-led growth hypothesis for the South African economy. Heliyon 2020; 6:e04009. [PMID: 32490235 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2020.e04009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2020] [Revised: 04/24/2020] [Accepted: 05/14/2020] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Reducing unemployment rate and achieving a sustainable economic growth underscore the Sustainable Development Goal 8. Our study investigates a new model that specifies the external-factors-led growth hypothesis for the South African economy. The independent variables include trade openness, external debt, FDI and exchange rate against GDP as the targeted variable. The ARDL approach was adopted after achieving a mixed order of integration from the stationarity test using traditional unit root tests. All external factors were found to exert a positive influence on economic expansion. Trade openness and exchange rate specifically, exert significant influence on economic growth, which means that an improvement in these factors will proportionately favour economic expansion. In essence, a 1% improvement in trade openness and exchange rate will generate an equivalent of 0.30% and 0.19% increase in GDP in the long-run. On average, trade openness, exchange rate and external loan are beneficial to the economy of South Africa. Thus, recommend the need for the authority concern to open more line of bilateral trade to enable the economy to fully tap from the benefits accrued from indulging in economic openness.
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Abstract
Previous studies on the use of Social Networking Sites (SNS) in personnel selection generally focus on examining this phenomenon in the selection process as a whole. However, personnel selection is a macro-process composed of several activities. This paper aims to investigate how human resource professionals use SNS in hiring decisions during the different stages of the selection process. The research uses an explanatory sequential mixed-methods approach. The first study consisted of a questionnaire-based survey of hiring professionals with the intent to describe various aspects of current practice (n = 429). Survey data was analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The second study comprised semi-structured interviews with hiring professionals to provide a more in-depth, richer analysis (n = 24). Interview data was analyzed via qualitative thematic analysis. Results uncovered two types of users. Single-stage users emphasized efficiency concerns, whereas multiple-stage users mentioned to access profiles on an as needed-basis. Participants reported that the patterns of use could be quite complex and dynamic, with selectors revisiting the profile of the same applicant several times for different purposes, or examining profiles of the same applicant in different SNS. The assessment of SNS information is typically non-systematic, but some employers reported using scales, mainly in pre-selection. Evidence emerged of potential adverse effects during the selection process. Overall, this paper contributes to theory and practice by providing a better understanding of the use of SNS across the different stages of personnel selection. To our best knowledge, this is the first mixed-methods study of its kind.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nuno Melão
- CISeD - Research Centre in Digital Services, Polytechnic of Viseu, Viseu, Portugal
| | - João Reis
- Department of Economics, Management, Industrial Engineering and Tourism, GOVCOPP, Aveiro University, Aveiro, Portugal
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