Tool For Comparative Analysis Research Articles

Addressing health workforce shortages as a precursor to attaining universal health coverage: A comparative policy analysis of Nigeria and Ghana

There is a critical shortage of health professionals globally which is affecting the possibility of attaining universal health coverage. Developing countries in sub-Saharan Africa such as Ghana and Nigeria are disproportionately affected and the shortfall in health professionals is envisaged to worsen over the next decade. Countries have responded differently in addressing this shortage. To understand the differing response to the same policy issue in two countries that share similar characteristics in terms of geolocation, socioeconomic indices and disease burden, this paper offers a comparative policy analysis of the two countries using the 3-I framework and punctuated equilibrium theory as comparative policy analysis tools. The analysis identified the ideas, interests, and institutions at play and how they have led to different policy outcomes in both countries. The analysis also shows the interaction between subsystems, policy images and policy venues and how this interaction led to policy change, in the case of Ghana and lag in the case of Nigeria. Our findings show four critical areas in addressing health workforce shortages in both countries – a general approach to addressing the issue, welfare and remuneration, workforce autonomy and career progression, and financing for workforce improvement. For Ghana, there has been significant policy change including implementing strategies for increasing the production of health professionals and addressing remuneration and welfare issues. For Nigeria, there has been seems to be a lag in policy change. While the findings show that Ghana's approach has seemingly put them on a good path toward universal health coverage, applying any lessons should, however, be contextual, considering other country-level and health systems factors that are relevant to addressing health workforce shortages.

Factors of Sustainable Development in the Formation of the Value of Manufacturing Companies

The relevance of the research is justified by the need to search for new factors of business value formation, which are taken into account by stakeholders when making decisions. The purpose of the article is to analyze the influence of S- and G- factors on the value formation of Russian public companies in the manufacturing sector and to substantiate the importance of disclosing the indicators of sustainable development of companies as a factor of business growth. The study uses methods and tools of correlation, causal and comparative analysis. It was found that the position occupied in the RAEX ranking by S- and G- factors and the amount of capitalization are significantly correlated for companies in the extractive and manufacturing industries. There was found no statistically significant relationship between the considered indicators in relation to the companies of the agro-industrial complex. It is confirmed that the influence of sustainable development components on the formation of the companies’ value is different depending on their industry affiliation. The necessity to take into account ESG factors in the methods of comparative and income approaches is substantiated. The directions of ESG factors accounting in the methods of comparative and income approaches are highlighted. The scientific novelty of the research is determined by the substantiation of the necessity of separate accounting of the sustainable development components in the formation and assessment of business value. The practical significance of the study is that the results obtained by the author can be used by investors, owners and practicing appraisers in making managerial decisions and assessing and determining business value.

Universal, Traditional Russian Spiritual and Moral Values in the Information Security System of the Russian Federation

Introduction. The article presents an analysis of the legal and information policy of the state while preserving and strengthening universal and traditional spiritual and moral values, which is a condition for maintaining statehood and strengthening the country's sovereignty, ensuring their information security. The essence of value lies not only in its social, material, moral or spiritual significance, but also in its priority for a person or society. Values determine the order of functioning of the legal system, and traditional spiritual and moral values are their variety. Universal human values, neither the place nor the time of their origin as a concept are known, are today considered as the moral language of centuries of development of world civilization. What makes them universal are their universality, historical stability, constancy, objectivity, universality, universal recognition on a global scale, and a positive connotation with recognition in the format of the general moral principles of humanity. But, unfortunately, in the conditions of globalization, secular-rational values, consumption, and non-traditional self-expression are increasingly opposed to universal human values. Nevertheless, all universal human values necessary for the peaceful coexistence of people, nations, the formation of statehood, still undergo changes along with man, and they require the necessary protection in these processes. Particular attention is focused on the task of Russian society and the state to preserve and strengthen not just any values, but specifically and only traditional Russian spiritual and moral values. They are of key importance for saving the Russian people, preserving the unity of the country, ensuring national interests, state and public security. Spirituality and morality are described in more detail in the article, which influenced the conclusion about the need to consider traditional Russian spiritual and moral values as a legal category. When considering the information security system, the authors propose a new concept: “destructive information impact” with a description of its significance within the framework of the research topic. The main directions of measures of forms and methods of protecting human and traditional Russian spiritual and moral values in the article are called ensuring confidentiality, integrity and accessibility of information. For this purpose, numerous groups of methods are used in practice: organizational, legal and technological, as well as cryptographic, technical, hardware, and software. Since in state policy the list of threats is expanded and specified as much as possible, the article contains measures to counter them. Conclusions are drawn that in Russia, when creating managerial, information, technological, and other systems for protecting various properties of its national values, it is necessary to be a “country of project assembly,” an innovative country. The key tasks in this case for the state-civilization will be: searching and inventing ideas, turning them into achievements; reforming the semantic world of Russian culture; development of new spiritual and moral guidelines. The final part of the article formulates proposals for improving the regulatory legal framework.Materials and methods. The theoretical and methodological basis of the study was made up of both general scientific and specific scientific methods of cognition. The work actively used methods of systemic, comparative legal analysis, special philosophical and legal research tools, drawing on the results of Russian and foreign research on issues of values and value orientations, and the formation of information security systems.Results of the study. Based on the results of the analysis, the exceptional importance of universal and domestic traditional Russian spiritual and moral values was revealed, which remain moral guidelines and are passed on from generation to generation, ensuring civil unity. To preserve and strengthen them, to prevent the main threats of destructive ideologies, systematic and at the same time comprehensive work is required, including the active improvement of forms and methods of information management.Discussion and conclusion. The conclusion is substantiated that ensuring the information security of well–known and newly emerging values for Russia is the concern of many subsequent generations. The main value orientations of Russian culture remain a strong sovereign state, the quality of statehood and a united people.

Panel Comparative Analysis Tool: An Open-Source Comparative Analysis Tool for Next-Generation Sequencing Panel Target Regions

Multi-gene next-generation sequencing (NGS) panels have become a routine diagnostic method in the contemporary practice of personalized medicine. To avoid inadequate test choice or interpretation, a detailed understanding of the precise panel target regions is required. However, the necessary bioinformatic expertise is not always available, and publicly accessible and easily interpretable analyses of target regions are scarce. To address this critical knowledge gap, we present the Panel Comparative Analysis Tool (PanelCAT) an open-source application to analyze, visualize and compare NGS panel DNA target regions. PanelCAT uses RefSeq, ClinVar and COSMIC cancer mutation census databases to quantify the exon and mutation coverage of target regions and provides interactive graphical representations and search functions to inspect the results. We demonstrate the utility of PanelCAT by analyzing two large NGS panels (Illumina TruSight Oncology 500, and Qiagen Human Pan Cancer Panel) to validate the advertised target genes, quantify targeted exons and mutations, and identify differences between panels. PanelCAT will enable institutions and researchers to catalogue and visualize NGS panel target regions independent of the manufacturer, promote transparency of panel limitations, and share this information with employees and requisitioners.

ChatGPT or Bard: Who is a better Certified Ethical Hacker?

In this study, we compare two leading Generative AI (GAI) tools, ChatGPT and Bard, specifically in Cybersecurity, using a robust set of standardized questions from a validated Certified Ethical Hacking (CEH) dataset. In the rapidly evolving domain of Generative AI (GAI) and large language models (LLM), a comparative analysis of tools becomes essential to measure their performance. We determine the Comprehensiveness, Clarity, and Conciseness of the AI-generated responses through a detailed questioning-based framework. The study revealed an overall accuracy rate of 80.8 % for ChatGPT and 82.6 % for Bard, indicating comparable capabilities and specific differences. Bard slightly outperformed ChatGPT in accuracy, while ChatGPT exhibited superiority in Comprehensiveness, Clarity, and Conciseness of responses. Introducing a confirmation query like “Are you sure?” increased accuracy for both generative AI tools, illustrating the potential of iterative query processing in enhancing GAI tools' effectiveness. The readability evaluation placed both tools at a college reading level, with Bard marginally more accessible. While evaluating certain questions, a distinct pattern emerged where Bard provided generic denials of assistance while ChatGPT referenced “ethics.” This discrepancy illustrates the contrasting philosophies of the developers of these tools, with Bard possibly following stricter guidelines, especially in sensitive topics like Cybersecurity. We explore the implications and identify key areas for future research that become increasingly relevant as GAI tools see broader adoption.

Development of a greenhouse gas - air pollution interactions and synergies model for Korea (GAINS-Korea)

This study aimed to create Greenhouse Gas - Air Pollution Interactions and Synergies (GAINS)-Korea, an integrated model for evaluating climate and air quality policies in Korea, modeled after the international GAINS model. GAINS-Korea incorporates specific Korean data and enhances granularity for enabling local government-level analysis. The model includes source-receptor matrices used to simulate pollutant dispersion in Korea, generated through CAMx air quality modeling. GAINS-Korea's performance was evaluated by examining different scenarios for South Korea. The business as usual scenario projected emissions from 2010 to 2030, while the air quality scenario included policies to reduce air pollutants in line with air quality and greenhouse gas control plans. The maximum feasible reduction scenario incorporated more aggressive reduction technologies along with air quality measures. The developed model enabled the assessment of emission reduction effects by both greenhouse gas and air pollutant emission reduction policies across 17 local governments in Korea, including changes in PM2.5 (particulate matter less than 2.5 μm) concentration and associated benefits, such as reduced premature deaths. The model also provides a range of visualization tools for comparative analysis among different scenarios, making it a valuable resource for policy planning and evaluation, and supporting decision-making processes.

Single molecule real-time sequencing data sets of Hypericum perforatum L. plantlets and cell suspension cultures

Hypericum is a large genus that includes more than 500 species of pharmacological, ecological and conservation value. Although latest advances in sequencing technologies were extremely exploited for generating and assembling genomes of many living organisms, annotated whole genome sequence data is not publicly available for any of the Hypericum species so far. Bioavailability of secondary metabolites varies for different tissues and the data derived from different cultures will be a valuable tool for comparative studies. Here, we report the single molecule real-time sequencing (SMRT) data sets of Hypericum perforatum L. plantlets and cell suspension cultures for the first time. Sequencing data from cell suspension cultures yielded more than 33,000 high-quality transcripts from 20 Gb of raw data, while more than 55,000 high-quality transcripts were obtained from 35 Gb of raw data from plantlets. This dataset is a valuable tool for comparative transcriptomic analysis and will help to understand the unknown biosynthetic pathways of high medicinal value in the Hypericum genus.

Phytools 2.0: an updated R ecosystem for phylogenetic comparative methods (and other things).

Phylogenetic comparative methods comprise the general endeavor of using an estimated phylogenetic tree (or set of trees) to make secondary inferences: about trait evolution, diversification dynamics, biogeography, community ecology, and a wide range of other phenomena or processes. Over the past ten years or so, the phytools R package has grown to become an important research tool for phylogenetic comparative analysis. phytools is a diverse contributed R library now consisting of hundreds of different functions covering a variety of methods and purposes in phylogenetic biology. As of the time of writing, phytools included functionality for fitting models of trait evolution, for reconstructing ancestral states, for studying diversification on trees, and for visualizing phylogenies, comparative data, and fitted models, as well numerous other tasks related to phylogenetic biology. Here, I describe some significant features of and recent updates to phytools, while also illustrating several popular workflows of the phytools computational software.

Software-assisted identification of non-native pitch elements for Russian-speaking learners of Spanish

In this paper we present the results of an automatic comparative-contrastive analysis of functional elements of intonational contour (anacrusis, first peak, body, nucleus and final inflection) produced by non-native speakers of Spanish, whose first language is Russian. This analysis was carried out with the Plugin for phonetic-phonological analysis in Spanish (PAFe), a software tool for an instant comparative analysis of a non-native speakers’ pronunciation which takes audio recordings as input and implements multiple intonation comparison algorithms between native and non-native speakers of Spanish to calculate the percentage of similarity in intonation production. We used the intersyllabic analysis function of PAFe in order to identify which functional pitch elements of Russian speaking learners of Spanish -male and female- present more tonal deviations. Our results show that most tonal differences occurred in the body of the f 0 contour for female speakers whereas for male speakers the greatest tonal contrast was in the first peak. The obtained data indicate that these pitch elements are potentially challenging for Russian speaking learners of Spanish in their pursuit of acquiring phonetic-phonological competence. In addition, this study allowed us to identify which parameters of PAFe analysis per syllables require further refinement, such as processing of limited intonational spectrum values.

Систематизация и уточнение индексов эффективности логистики в управлении цепями поставок

Purpose: To clarify the indices of the efficiency of logistics of the Russian Federation in new supply chains formed under the influence of sanctions and other restrictions, in the conditions of new politics and new geoeconomics, which have formed the third crisis situation of the transport and logistics market. Methods: Methods of data analysis and diagnostics (observation, analysis, synthesis) of logistics efficiency indices are used as an interactive tool for comparative analysis of problems and opportunities of the main logistics parameters calculated by Turku School of Economics and supported by a current research of the World Bank. Results: The results of adjusting the logistics efficiency indices in the formed supply chains of the Russian Federation based on operational information from survey results and several types of data are shown; The adjustment of logistics efficiency indices in the formed supply chains by rail is given; the corrective data affecting the values of logistics efficiency indices in the Russian Federation are systematized depending on the conditions affecting the decrease in logistics efficiency indices in the Russian Federation and the possibility of their growth. Practical significance: The results obtained are of an applied nature, since they propose and justify a number of measures that ensure the development of new methodological approaches to the formation of effective business models.

Cultural Aspects of Waste Management in Poland and China

The main aim of this article was to present differences in the social determinants of waste management and environmental protection in Poland and People's Republic of China. A research gap was identified related to the small number of studies comparing China and Poland in the field of waste management. A systematic review of the literature on waste management and society's approach to environmental protection was conducted, with particular emphasis on municipal waste. The article uses data from local databases, i.e. the Central Statistical Office (GUS) in Poland and The Ministry of Ecology and Environment of the People's Republic of China, as well as data from the World Bank and OECD. The method of comparative analysis and Hofstede's tool were used for selected aspects of the social approach to waste management in Poland and the People's Republic of China. Empirical research was conducted in August 2023. Literature review based on key groups of social factors that differ in the analysed countries. These include those related to purity, religious beliefs, respect for nature, responsibility and ecology. Chinese citizens approach the power supply in their environment in a more collective way than in Poland. The European Union's recommendations has positively affected management of municipal waste in Poland, while in People's Republic of China legislation is constantly updated. In the authors' opinion, in subsequent studies it is worth focusing on comparing other countries in terms of their social approach to environmental protection, as well as conducting surveys.

Italian Legislation in Times of Pandemics and International Law: The Way out of the Emergency

Abstract Building upon the practice analysed in the previous issue of this Yearbook, the present inquiry provides a follow-up of the normative framework in force in the Italian legal system in 2022 to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. By enacting a plethora of prescriptive measures, Italy either implemented, derogated, or violated international obligations. In this respect, this contribution pursues a twofold objective. On the one hand, it is aimed at assessing Italy’s attitude towards international law. To this end, rather than reporting entirely new measures, it will attempt to point out what happened to the main policies Italy implemented during the emergency. On the other hand, it intends to provide a useful tool for comparative analysis. The conclusions that will be reached may indeed allow for a comparison with the practice of other countries which have experienced a situation similar to that of Italy, both to draw analogies or differences regarding the stance they have taken towards international law and to assess the latter’s role in global health governance.

Economic-financial performance and value creation in the Brazilian construction industry

PurposeThis paper aims to analyze the economic-financial performance (EFP) and value creation (VC) in the Brazilian construction industry.Design/methodology/approachBased on the theories of strategy and finance, a quantitative-qualitative, descriptive and explanatory and applied study was carried out, contrasting the performance of the Direcional company and the civil construction industry – both listed on the Brazilian Stock Exchange and the Over-the-Counter Market (B3)FindingsThe analysis of the EFP in the Brazilian construction industry shows that EZTEC, Helbor, Trisul and Direcional were the companies with the best EFP in the period. The analysis of the Economic Value Added (EVA®, henceforth EVA), as a VC metric and basis for assessing the relative technical efficiency score by Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA®, henceforth DEA), revealed that the companies Direcional, EZTEC, MRV and CR2 were considered efficient throughout the period covered. The multicriteria methodology for empirical testing of the EFP and VC allowed not only contrasts Direcional's results with the other companies of the construction industry but also offered a complementary tool for comparative analysis of enterprises of different sizes, structures and realities.Research limitations/implicationsRegardless of any contextual limitations, from a theoretical point of view, the research not only helps fill the research gap aforementioned but also expands knowledge on the topic and demonstrates how this multi-criteria methodology (integrating DEA and EVA) can be used to assess EFP and VC in addition to traditional tools. However, this new approach evaluates, at the same time, corporate and sectorial effectiveness by contrasting the efficiency and efficacy (simultaneously) in the generation of performance and value of a company in relation to the industry.Practical implicationsSignificant implications for managerial practice could be noted by offering a tool to improve company performance and creating a competitive benchmarking process for analysts, investors, managers, financing agencies, shareholders, policymakers and business owners, as well as organizations and sectors in similar situations – who need to assess the EFP and VC holistically and improve their decision-making processes.Originality/valueThe uniqueness and innovation of this research come from the original multi-criteria methodology developed, applied and validated for analysis of EFP and VC. This methodology was operationalized through DEA applied to the companies' EVA, making it possible to compare corporate results and those of the whole industry in a balanced way – an unexplored issue in the literature, especially in emerging economies, opening several avenues for future research.

Legal Framework for the Protection of Entrepreneurs’ Rights

Abstract It is difficult to overestimate the importance of protecting the rights and freedoms of entrepreneurs in a market economy – they are necessary “tools” and a driving force in the market relations that expand a country’s gross domestic product, and as such should be directly involved in the socio-economic policy of the state. Due to a historical absence of the specialised legal means and procedural tools required to ensure the effective security and protection of the rights of entrepreneurs, Kazakh legislators have carefully studied examples from other countries to develop their own legislation relating to profit-making entrepreneurial activities during the early stages of the post-independent development of Kazakhstan. In this way, licensing processes, protections for entrepreneurs from unreasonable inspections and abuse of power by the authorities, the creation of special organisations to protect entrepreneur’s rights, and a reduction in the number of administrative barriers in practice were all consolidated and codified into the regulatory structure. All the above allowed the authors to highlight the main purpose of this study – a comprehensive systemic study of the protection of the rights and legitimate interests of entrepreneurs in socio-economic, political, and legal relations (as exemplified by the Republic of Kazakhstan). The main and practically significant results were obtained by employing both theoretical and methodological analysis of scientific publications covering the issues of legal security and the protection of entrpreneurial rights and freedoms at the national and international levels, as well as tools of comparative legal, comparative political, systemic and structural analysis, value-statutory and institutional methods, and content analysis of statistical data and official documents. This paper constitutes a study of a scientific and recommendatory legal and socio-political nature, which has unconditional practical significance, originality in clarifying certain issues, and is aimed at a broad study of the essential aspects of the legal protection of entrepreneurial activity in modern Kazakhstan. We recognize that the subject considered in this paper is promising for further scientific elaboration and detailing of certain points, which have been superficially touched upon in this study.

CEGA: a method for inferring natural selection by comparative population genomic analysis across species

We developed maximum likelihood method for detecting positive selection or balancing selection using multilocus or genomic polymorphism and divergence data from two species. The method is especially useful for investigating natural selection in noncoding regions. Simulations demonstrate that the method outperforms existing methods in detecting both positive and balancing selection. We apply the method to population genomic data from human and chimpanzee. The list of genes identified under selection in the noncoding regions is prominently enriched in pathways related to the brain and nervous system. Therefore, our method will serve as a useful tool for comparative population genomic analysis.

Virtual choir: between technical and aesthetical

The relevance of the article. The relevance of the research topic is determined by the extraordinary popularity of the remote form of joint choral performance in contemporary musical culture. The virtual choir is a fairly new, but already very widespread form of music-making, which is gradually acquiring new characteristics and functions compared to those that were inherent in its early days.
 The main factors of the development of the virtual choir phenomenon can be divided into “evolutionary” (the digitalization of art; the interest of performers in new forms of music making; active development of art therapy and inclusive art practices) and “revolutionary” (the COVID-19 pandemic and the Russian-Ukrainian war, which, although more localized than the pandemic, involves a very large number of choirs that have been unable to work as usual).
 The latter two factors have led to a quantitative explosion of virtual projects, as well as significant changes in their focus, structure, functions, and composition of performers, etc. that require appropriate scientific understanding.
 The purpose of the research is to analyze and systematize existing studies of the virtual choir and to make up a strategy for its comprehensive research.
 The methodology. The study of the available scientific literature on the phenomenon of the virtual choir was carried out using the tools of systematic, textual comparative and comprehensive analysis.
 The results. The main scientific works on the virtual choir are systematized in four main areas: socio-psychological, technical, didactic and historical. It was found that musicology, choral studies and interpretation aspects have been studied very briefly. Most of the works reveal certain inaccuracies in the presentation of the history of virtual choral performance (except for Сayari), as well as some contradictions in the results of previous studies. In addition, the article raises the question of the conformity of the studied phenomenon with the concept of “virtual choir”.
 The scientific novelty. For the first time, the research provides a systematic review of scientific papers about the virtual choir, revealing the current trend towards the study of non-musical aspects.
 The practical significance. The materials of the article can be used in practical activities of conductors and choristers, as well as in the educational process of training conductors, choirmasters and vocalists in conditions of remote work.
 Conclusions. Scientific comprehension of the phenomenon of the virtual choir is active, but rather limited. Most often, it acts as a certain aesthetic phenomenon that should replace (mostly temporarily) the work of “live” choirs during social cataclysms that limit the possibility of creative communication between people. That is why the most relevant areas of research are socio-psychological and technical. At the same time, many works raise the question of the legality of using the term “virtual choir” for this multimedia activity, which, according to experts, has little in common with both the choir and virtuality. As a matter of fact, the lack of musicological, choral, interpretological investigations, typical for traditional choral activity, revealed within the scope of this study indirectly confirms this idea. The first step on the way to further scientific development of this topic should be a multi-faceted analysis of the current activity of virtual choirs.

Leveraging a multivariate approach towards enhanced development of direct compression extended release tablets

Extended release formulations play a crucial role in the pharmaceutical industry by maintaining steady plasma levels, reducing side effects, and improving therapeutic efficiency and compliance. One commonly used method to develop extended release formulations is direct compression, which offers several advantages, such as simplicity, time savings, and cost-effectiveness. However, successful direct compression-based extended release formulations require careful assessment and an understanding of the excipients’ attributes. The scope of this work is the characterization of the compaction behavior of some matrix-forming agents and diluents for the development of extended release tablets. Fifteen excipients commonly used in extended release formulations were evaluated for physical, compaction and tablet properties. Powder properties (e.g., particle size, flow properties, bulk density) were evaluated and linked to the tablet’s mechanical properties in a fully integrated approach, and data were analyzed by constructing a principal component analysis (PCA). Significant variability was observed among the various excipients. The present work successfully demonstrates the applicability of PCA as an effective tool for comparative analysis, pattern and clustering recognition and correlations between excipients and their properties, facilitating the development and manufacturing of direct compressible extended release formulations.

Сonstitutional Regulation of Elections in the Countries of East and South-East Asia: Comparative Analysis of the Coefficient of the Legislator’s Interest

The territorial framework of the study includes the constitutions of the countries of East and South-East Asia. The comparative analysis of articles of constitutions of these countries devoted to elections is presented, the main directions of constitutional and legal regulation of elections are analyzed. The main attention in the article is paid to solving the question of which countries’ constitutions show the greatest and least interest in electoral norms. It is established that a simple comparison of the number of articles of the constitution that are devoted to elections does not accurately reflect the degree of interest of the legislator. The author’s method of calculation is proposed, designated as the «Coefficient of legislator’s interest» (CLI). CLI represents the share of articles on elections in the total number of articles of a specific Constitution. It has been established that the largest CLI in the region characterizes the Constitution of Mongolia. The conclusion is made that the CLI indicator can serve as one of the elements of the characteristics of the Constitution of any state, as well as a tool for comparative analysis of legislative acts of different countries, as well as acts adopted at different times.

A novel approach for analysing environmental sustainability aspects of combine harvesters through telematics data. Part II: an IT tool for comparative analysis

A novel approach for analysing environmental sustainability aspects of combine harvesters through telematics data. Part II: an IT tool for comparative analysis

SOD1-ALS-Browser: a web-utility for investigating the clinical phenotype in SOD1 amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

Objective Variants in the superoxide dismutase (SOD1) gene are among the most common genetic causes of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Reflecting the wide spectrum of putatively deleterious variants that have been reported to date, it has become clear that SOD1-linked ALS presents a highly variable age at symptom onset and disease duration. Methods Here we describe an open access web tool for comparative phenotype analysis in ALS: https://sod1-als-browser.rosalind.kcl.ac.uk/. The tool contains a built-in dataset of clinical information from 1383 people with ALS harboring a SOD1 variant resulting in one of 162 unique amino acid sequence alterations and from a non-SOD1 comparator ALS cohort of 13,469 individuals. We present two examples of analyses possible with this tool, testing how the ALS phenotype relates to SOD1 variants that alter amino acid residue hydrophobicity and to distinct variants at the 94th residue of SOD1, where six are sampled. Results and conclusions The tool provides immediate access to the datasets and enables bespoke analysis of phenotypic trends associated with different protein variants, including the option for users to upload their own datasets for integration with the server data. The tool can be used to study SOD1-ALS and provides an analytical framework to study the differences between other user-uploaded ALS groups and our large reference database of SOD1 and non-SOD1 ALS. The tool is designed to be useful for clinicians and researchers, including those without programming expertise, and is highly flexible in the analyses that can be conducted.