Institute For Scientific Information Research Articles

Immunosuppressive therapy for kidney transplantation in children and adolescents: systematic review and economic evaluation.

End-stage renal disease is a long-term irreversible decline in kidney function requiring kidney transplantation, haemodialysis or peritoneal dialysis. The preferred option is kidney transplantation followed by induction and maintenance immunosuppressive therapy to reduce the risk of kidney rejection and prolong graft survival. To systematically review and update the evidence for the clinical effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of basiliximab (BAS) (Simulect,(®) Novartis Pharmaceuticals) and rabbit antihuman thymocyte immunoglobulin (Thymoglobuline,(®) Sanofi) as induction therapy and immediate-release tacrolimus [Adoport(®) (Sandoz); Capexion(®) (Mylan); Modigraf(®) (Astellas Pharma); Perixis(®) (Accord Healthcare); Prograf(®) (Astellas Pharma); Tacni(®) (Teva); Vivadex(®) (Dexcel Pharma)], prolonged-release tacrolimus (Advagraf,(®) Astellas Pharma); belatacept (BEL) (Nulojix,(®) Bristol-Myers Squibb), mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) [Arzip(®) (Zentiva), CellCept(®) (Roche Products), Myfenax(®) (Teva), generic MMF is manufactured by Accord Healthcare, Actavis, Arrow Pharmaceuticals, Dr Reddy's Laboratories, Mylan, Sandoz and Wockhardt], mycophenolate sodium, sirolimus (Rapamune,(®) Pfizer) and everolimus (Certican,(®) Novartis Pharmaceuticals) as maintenance therapy in children and adolescents undergoing renal transplantation. Clinical effectiveness searches were conducted to 7 January 2015 in MEDLINE (via Ovid), EMBASE (via Ovid), Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (via Wiley Online Library) and Web of Science [via Institute for Scientific Information (ISI)], Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, Database of Abstracts of Reviews of Effects and Health Technology Assessment (HTA) (The Cochrane Library via Wiley Online Library) and Health Management Information Consortium (via Ovid). Cost-effectiveness searches were conducted to 15 January 2015 using a costs or economic literature search filter in MEDLINE (via Ovid), EMBASE (via Ovid), NHS Economic Evaluation Databases (via Wiley Online Library), Web of Science (via ISI), Health Economic Evaluations Database (via Wiley Online Library) and EconLit (via EBSCOhost). Titles and abstracts were screened according to predefined inclusion criteria, as were full texts of identified studies. Included studies were extracted and quality appraised. Data were meta-analysed when appropriate. A new discrete time state transition economic model (semi-Markov) was developed; graft function, and incidences of acute rejection and new-onset diabetes mellitus were used to extrapolate graft survival. Recipients were assumed to be in one of three health states: functioning graft, graft loss or death. Three randomised controlled trials (RCTs) and four non-RCTs were included. The RCTs only evaluated BAS and tacrolimus (TAC). No statistically significant differences in key outcomes were found between BAS and placebo/no induction. Statistically significantly higher graft function (p < 0.01) and less biopsy-proven acute rejection (odds ratio 0.29, 95% confidence interval 0.15 to 0.57) was found between TAC and ciclosporin (CSA). Only one cost-effectiveness study was identified, which informed NICE guidance TA99. BAS [with TAC and azathioprine (AZA)] was predicted to be cost-effective at £20,000-30,000 per quality-adjusted life year (QALY) versus no induction (BAS was dominant). BAS (with CSA and MMF) was not predicted to be cost-effective at £20,000-30,000 per QALY versus no induction (BAS was dominated). TAC (with AZA) was predicted to be cost-effective at £20,000-30,000 per QALY versus CSA (TAC was dominant). A model based on adult evidence suggests that at a cost-effectiveness threshold of £20,000-30,000 per QALY, BAS and TAC are cost-effective in all considered combinations; MMF was also cost-effective with CSA but not TAC. The RCT evidence is very limited; analyses comparing all interventions need to rely on adult evidence. TAC is likely to be cost-effective (vs. CSA, in combination with AZA) at £20,000-30,000 per QALY. Analysis based on one RCT found BAS to be dominant, but analysis based on another RCT found BAS to be dominated. BAS plus TAC and AZA was predicted to be cost-effective at £20,000-30,000 per QALY when all regimens were compared using extrapolated adult evidence. High-quality primary effectiveness research is needed. The UK Renal Registry could form the basis for a prospective primary study. This study is registered as PROSPERO CRD42014013544. The National Institute for Health Research HTA programme.

Effects of a nutritional intervention in a fast-track program for a colorectal cancer surgery: systematic review

Introducción: Preoperative nutritional status (NS) has consequences on postoperative (POSTOP) recovery. Our aim was to systematically review the nutritional interventions (NI) in Fast-Track protocols for colorectal cancer surgery and assess morbidity-mortality and patient´s recovery. Systematic review of scientific literature after consulting bibliographic databases: Medline, The Cochrane Library, Scopus, Embase, Web of Science, Institute for Scientific Information, Latin American and Caribbean Health Sciences Literature, The Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature. MeSH Descriptors: "Colorectal Surgery", "Fast-Track", "Perioperative Care", "Nutrition Therapy" and "Enhanced recovery programme". Filters: "Humans", Adult (19+ years) and "Clinical Trial". Variables POSTOP outcomes: bowel recovery (BR), hospital stay (HS), complications and death. Selected studies, 27, had good or excellent methodological quality. From 25 to 597 patients were included. Aged between 16-94years, men were predominant in 66.6%. NS was evaluated in 13 studies; 7 by Body Mass Index while one by Subjective Global Assessment. One presented POSTOP data. Fast-Track groups had solids, liquids or supplements (SS) in prior 2-8 hours. SS were high in carbohydrates, immune-nutrients and non-residue. Free liquids, solids and SS intake was allowed in POSTOP. Half traditional groups fasted between 3-12 hours and resumed POSTOP food intake progressively. Fast-Track groups had early BR (p < 0.01). Traditional groups had more infections episodes, deaths and a longer HS. Great variability between NI but had a common item; early intake. Although was seen patient's recovery. Future studies with detailed NI characteristics are need. Nutritional status must be assessed for a higher acknowledgement of NI impact.

A Bibliometric Analysis on “Fertility Rate” Research Trends

The systematic literature search on the fertility rate was performed on articles from the Web of Science compiled by the Institute of Scientific Information (ISI) to provide major publication characteristics. All articles related to Fertility from year 1980 to 2011 were analyzed with the bibliometric approach using non-parametrics techniques. Total Citation, Citation per year and Cited References were significantly different between the 80’s, 90’s and 2000’s, with more than a 100% increase in the number of publication. The association between number of authors and citation per year were significantly weak. Number of publication in a journal posed a poor negative association with the citation per year. Similarity between Authors Keyword and KeyWords Plus® do not promote the increase in citation per year. The author’s affiliation and country of publication would be an interesting exploration for future fertility research. The bibiliometric analyses on Fertility is rather new and vital, as the key finding will provide researchers guidance in the literature search and future publication.

Exploring social dimensions of municipal solid waste management around the globe – A systematic literature review

Currently, municipal solid waste (MSW) is experiencing a massive increase in both the amount and composition throughout the world. Effective and efficient MSW management has been widely accepted as an emergent factor for future social development, which requires not only technical innovation, but also the involvement of all stakeholders as well as social, economic, and psychological components. On account of this reality, there is an urgent need for research related to the social dimensions of MSW management. In this paper, a systematic literature review was carried out to characterize and critically evaluate the published literature on the social dimensions of MSW management from 1980 to 2014 in terms of vulnerability, public participation, public attitude and behavior, and policy. A keyword search was first performed by using the Institute for Scientific Information (ISI) Web of Science, which retrieves 1843 documents. After removing the papers that were not closely related to the topic, 200 articles were retained for an in-depth review. In each category, major research issues and observations were summarized, and important insights were obtained. Besides compiling a related list of key references, the analysis results indicate that the global distribution of social dimensions reports on MSW management is inequitable and the research on the social dimensions of MSW management is insufficient, which may attract increased research interest and attention.

From initial dissemination to consolidated impact: the concept of crisis in the field of tourism

Bibliometric indicators, used appropriately with other indicators, provide a valuable tool for the evaluation of scientific activity. The article focuses on the review of the scientific literature on crisis and tourism by means of these indicators, using sources provided by the Institute for Scientific Information. The aim is to prove the consolidation of this field by designing a Thematic Level of the Field (TLF) that demonstrates its continuity, collaboration, visibility and impact, while identifying any trends and changes. Bibliographic citations have been obtained by examining information from the Web of Science, using the titles of articles from 1956 to 2013 from the databases of the Social Sciences Citation Index and the Science Citation Index Expanded. The end product is the result of processing this information with different proximity measurements and the application of weighting factors, which lead to the creation of the TLF, classified according to different value-words.

A Bibliometric Study of the Resource-based View (RBV) in International Business Research Using Barney (1991) as a Key Marker

In this study we examine how the RBV has been included in IB research over the past twenty years using Barney's (1991) article as a key marker. Bibliometric techniques analyzing citations, co-citations and research themes delved into, were applied to the articles published between 1991 and 2010 in five leading IB journals. Data was collected from the Social Science Citation Index (SSCI) of the Institute for Scientific Information (ISI). We conclude that the RBV has been having an important impact on most of IB research themes and has been driving a large portion of current thought on the multinational corporations' strategies, location choices and internationalization. Although, we also find areas that have been explored to much lesser extent. In addition to identify the stock of accumulated knowledge, this study contributes to highlight areas for future inquiry on how IB studies may further benefit from an RBV-oriented perspective.

High initial concentration versus low initial concentration sevoflurane for inhalational induction of anaesthesia.

Sevoflurane induction for general anaesthesia has been reported to be safe, reliable and well accepted by patients. Sevoflurane induction uses either low or high initial concentrations. The low initial concentration technique involves initially administering a low concentration of sevoflurane and gradually increasing the concentration of the dose until the patient is anaesthetized. The high initial concentration technique involves administering high concentrations from the beginning, then continuing with those high doses until the patient is anaesthetized. This review was originally published in 2013 and has been updated in 2016. We aimed to compare induction times and complication rates between high and low initial concentration sevoflurane anaesthetic induction techniques in adults and children who received inhalational induction for general anaesthesia. We defined 'high' as greater than or equal to and 'low' as less than a 4% initial concentration. For the updated review, we searched the following databases: Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL; 2016, Issue 2), MEDLINE (1950 to February 2016), EMBASE (1980 to February 2016), Latin American Caribbean Health Sciences Literature (LILACS) (1982 to February 2016) and the Institute for Scientific Information (ISI) Web of Science (1946 to February 2016). We also searched the reference lists of relevant articles and conference proceedings and contacted the authors of included trials. The original search was run in September 2011. We sought all published and unpublished, randomized controlled trials comparing high versus low initial sevoflurane concentration inhalational induction. Our primary outcomes included two measures of anaesthesia (time to loss of the eyelash reflex (LOER) and time until a weighted object held in the patient's hand was dropped), time to successful insertion of a laryngeal mask airway (LMA) and time to endotracheal intubation. Other outcomes were complications of the technique. We used standardized methods for conducting a systematic review as described in the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions. Two review authors independently extracted details of trial methods and outcome data from reports of all trials considered eligible for inclusion. We conducted all analyses on an intention-to-treat basis, when possible. We estimated overall treatment effects by using a fixed-effect model when we found no substantial heterogeneity, whereas we applied the random-effects model in the presence of considerable heterogeneity. We reran the searches and included one new study (100 participants) in this updated review. In total, we included 11 studies with 829 participants, although most analyses were based on data from fewer participants and evidence of low quality. We noted substantial heterogeneity in the included trials. Thus, our results should be read with caution. It was not possible to combine trials for the primary outcome (LOER), but individual trials reported faster induction times (typically 24 to 82 seconds faster, 41 seconds (31.37 to 50.62)) with high initial concentration sevoflurane (six studies, 443 participants, low-quality evidence). Apnoea appeared to be more common in the high initial concentration sevoflurane group (risk ratio (RR) 3.14, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.72 to 5.7, two studies, 160 participants, low-quality evidence). We found no evidence of differences between the two groups in the incidence of cough (odds ratio (OR) 1.23, 95% CI 0.53 to 2.81, eight studies, 589 participants, low-quality evidence), laryngospasm (OR 1.59, 95% CI 0.16 to 15.9, seven studies, 588 participants, low-quality evidence), breath holding (OR 1.16, 95% CI 0.47 to 2.83, five studies, 389 participants, low-quality evidence), patient movement (RR 1.14, 95% CI 0.69 to 1.89, five studies, 445 participants, low-quality evidence) or bradycardia (OR 0.8, 95% CI 0.22 to 2.88, three studies, 199 participants, low-quality evidence), and the overall incidence of complications was low. A high initial concentration sevoflurane technique probably offers more rapid induction of anaesthesia and a similar rate of complications, except for apnoea, which may be more common with a high initial concentration. However, this conclusion is not definitive because the included studies provided evidence of low quality.

Integrated management of childhood illness (IMCI) strategy for children under five.

Integrated management of childhood illness (IMCI) strategy for children under five.

Remote Sensing-Driven Climatic/Environmental Variables for Modelling Malaria Transmission in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Malaria is a serious public health threat in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), and its transmission risk varies geographically. Modelling its geographic characteristics is essential for identifying the spatial and temporal risk of malaria transmission. Remote sensing (RS) has been serving as an important tool in providing and assessing a variety of potential climatic/environmental malaria transmission variables in diverse areas. This review focuses on the utilization of RS-driven climatic/environmental variables in determining malaria transmission in SSA. A systematic search on Google Scholar and the Institute for Scientific Information (ISI) Web of KnowledgeSM databases (PubMed, Web of Science and ScienceDirect) was carried out. We identified thirty-five peer-reviewed articles that studied the relationship between remotely-sensed climatic variable(s) and malaria epidemiological data in the SSA sub-regions. The relationship between malaria disease and different climatic/environmental proxies was examined using different statistical methods. Across the SSA sub-region, the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) derived from either the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) or Moderate-resolution Imaging Spectrometer (MODIS) satellite sensors was most frequently returned as a statistically-significant variable to model both spatial and temporal malaria transmission. Furthermore, generalized linear models (linear regression, logistic regression and Poisson regression) were the most frequently-employed methods of statistical analysis in determining malaria transmission predictors in East, Southern and West Africa. By contrast, multivariate analysis was used in Central Africa. We stress that the utilization of RS in determining reliable malaria transmission predictors and climatic/environmental monitoring variables would require a tailored approach that will have cognizance of the geographical/climatic setting, the stage of malaria elimination continuum, the characteristics of the RS variables and the analytical approach, which in turn, would support the channeling of intervention resources sustainably.

A bibliometric overview of Brazilian LCA research

We bibliometrically evaluated the scientific literature outlined around Brazilian life cycle assessment (LCA). Our aim is twofold: (1) Analyze the Brazilian scientific literature on LCA, forming a current view of how the LCA methodology is applied in the country; (2) within this view, trace the evolution of themes, characterize institution collaboration, and indicate major influences in Brazilian LCA community. Data were outlined around academic production and publications, from 1993 to 2015, indexed by the Institute for Scientific Information (ISI- SCIE and SSCI) through a specific group of keywords. Initially, a temporal evolution and projection of papers, PhD and Master Theses, were performed. In sequence, indexed papers were analyzed through performance indicators (i.e., number of authors, impact factor, among others) and content evaluation (for instance, major addressed themes). Finally, a mapping of science was performed, with the aid of Cite Space software application, where coword (and evolution), cocollaboration (and evolution), and cocitation maps were created. The survey identified 429 documents divided among international and national papers, PhD and Master Theses. From those documents, 165 were indexed. In terms of production and performance, the results indicate an undeniable evolution of the Brazilian LCA research, as affirmed by relations solidified through time. The main research field is “LCA application” with 84 % of papers, whereas “LCA methodology” completes the framework. In LCA applications, 25 % of publications are related to Biofuels—divided into bioethanol and biodiesel—which makes it the current dominant LCA research area in Brazil. The collaboration network demonstrates three main institution groups, whereas evolution through the years indicates that this situation may further improve. Influential authors are linked to LCA of biofuels, general LCA guidelines, and methodological LCA developments. Brazilian LCA research has been growing and more complex relations between themes and institutions denote that further developments can be expected. Cocollaboration indicates three main clusters, led by USP, Unicamp, and UFRJ. “Biofuels” is the main research area where sugarcane ethanol and biodiesel from different sources are the domain product systems. Cocitation analysis solidifies this statement, pointing to Isaias Macedo (and other biofuel researchers) as the main author in Brazilian LCA after ISO and Mark Goedkoop.

‘Publish or perish’: Family life and academic research productivity

Research purpose: The influence of work-to-family and family-to-work spillovers is well documented in the human resources literature. However, little is known of the relationships between the pressures faced by academics to publish and the potential family life consequences of being a highly productive academic.Research design, approach and method: This research sought to investigate these relationships within the context of a large South African university by testing associations between family life variables such as marriage and dependent children against measures of the following specific types of research publication: (1) South African Department of Higher Education and Training–accredited journal publications; (2) Thompson Reuters Institute for Scientific Information (ISI) and ProQuest’s International Bibliography of the Social Sciences (IBSS)– indexed journal article publications; (3) conference proceedings publications; (4) conference paper presentations; (5) book chapter publications; (6) book publications; and (7) gross research productivity, reflecting a volume or quantity measure of research publication.Main findings: ISI and/or IBSS journal article publication is found to be negatively associated with dependent children, but only for male academics, and to be negatively associated with female gender over and above the effect of family life variables in testing.Practical/managerial implications: Human resources managers in universities need to be cognisant of the specific pressures faced by staff that are required to produce ever more research publications, in order to help them achieve work–life balance.Contribution: In a global context of increasing pressures for research publication, and for higher and higher numbers of publications, it is necessary to identify the potential costs involved for high-volume–producing academics, particularly in terms of family versus work.Keywords: research productivity; family-work life balance

Beyond the Impact Factor: measuring the international visibility of Romanian social sciences journals

The purpose of this paper is to assess the degree of international visibility for the Romanian scientific social sciences journals included in the Institute for Scientific Information (ISI) database. By examining the national distribution of authors and the proportion of co-authorship within and outside Romania, the paper proposes the use of the Theil Index and its decomposition as a tool to assess international visibility. Although there are 10 ISI social sciences journals in Romania, the international visibility of these journals is relatively low; the number of foreign authors as a percentage of the total number of authors remains below 30 % for most journals. There is a high degree of geographic concentration for the foreign authors, as most come from two countries. Regression models also indicate that the number of authors from the same institution as the one that issues the journal affects significantly a journal's Impact Factor. The number of articles authored exclusively by mixed teams (including authors from the same institution that issues the journal and authors from abroad or authors from other Romanian institutions) as a percentage of the total number of articles published is extremely low (8 %). This suggests that the Impact Factor, when used as a measure of research quality for the Romanian social sciences journals, may create bias in the judgement of those interpreting the results of the Impact Factor rankings, favoring insularity at the expense of scientific collaboration.

Vapocoolants (cold spray) for pain treatment during intravenous cannulation.

Intravenous cannulation is a painful procedure that can provoke anxiety and stress. Injecting local anaesthetic can provide analgesia at the time of cannulation, but it is a painful procedure. Topical anaesthetic creams take between 30 and 90 minutes to produce an effect. A quicker acting analgesic allows more timely investigation and treatment. Vapocoolants have been used in this setting, but studies have reported mixed results. To determine effects of vapocoolants on pain associated with intravenous cannulation in adults and children. To explore variables that might affect the performance of vapocoolants, including time required for application, distance from the skin when applied and time to cannulation. To look at adverse effects associated with the use of vapocoolants. We searched the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), MEDLINE, EMBASE, Latin American Caribbean Health Sciences Literature (LILACS), the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), the Institute for Scientific Information (ISI) Web of Science and the http://clinicaltrials.gov/, http://www.controlled-trials.com/ and http://www.trialscentral.org/ databases to 1 May 2015. We applied no language restrictions. We also scanned the reference lists of included papers. We included all blinded and unblinded randomized controlled trials (RTCs) comparing any vapocoolant with placebo or control to reduce pain during intravenous cannulation in adults and children. Three review authors independently assessed trial quality and extracted data, contacted study authors for additional information and assessed included studies for risk of bias. We collected and analysed data for the primary outcome of pain during cannulation, and for the secondary outcomes of pain associated with application of the vapocoolant, first attempt success rate of intravenous cannulation, adverse events and participant satisfaction. We performed subgroup analyses for the primary outcome to examine differences based on age of participant, type of vapocoolant used, application time of vapocoolant and clinical situation (emergency vs elective). We used random-effects model meta-analysis in RevMan 5.3 and assessed heterogeneity between trial results by examining forest plots and calculating the I(2) statistic. We found nine suitable studies of 1070 participants and included them in the qualitative analyses. We included eight studies of 848 participants in the meta-analysis for the primary outcome (pain during intravenous cannulation). Use of vapocoolants resulted in a reduction in pain scores as measured by a linear 100 mm visual analogue scale (VAS 100) compared with controls (difference between means -12.5 mm, 95% confidence interval (CI) -18.7 to -6.4 mm; moderate-quality evidence). We could not include in the meta-analysis one study, which showed no effects of the intervention.Use of vapocoolants resulted in increased pain scores at the time of application as measured by a VAS 100 compared with controls (difference between means 6.3 mm, 95% CI 2.2 to 10.3 mm; four studies, 461 participants; high-quality evidence) and led to no difference in first attempt success compared with controls (risk ratio (RR) 1.00, 95% CI 0.94 to 1.06; six studies, 812 participants; moderate-quality evidence). We documented eight minor adverse events reported in 279 vapocoolant participants (risk difference (RD) 0.03, 95% CI 0 to 0.05; five studies, 551 participants; low quality-evidence).The overall risk of bias of individual studies ranged from low to high, with high risk of bias for performance and detection bias in four studies. Sensitivity analysis showed that exclusion of studies at high or unclear risk of bias did not materially alter the results of this review. Moderate-quality evidence indicates that use of a vapocoolant immediately before intravenous cannulation reduces pain during the procedure. Use of vapocoolant does not increase the difficulty of cannulation nor cause serious adverse effects but is associated with mild discomfort during application.

Estado de conhecimento da pesquisa acadêmica sobre o aluno adulto da educação de jovens e adultos (2011-2014)

This bibliographic research aimed to construct the state of knowledge of the academic productions accomplished with adult learners of the Young and Adult Education (EJA), available in the Thesis Bank of CAPES and in the Brazilian Digital Library of Thesis and Dissertations (BDTD) of the Brazilian Institute of Information in Science and Technology (IBICT), between 2011 and 2014, aiming to respond the guiding question “What does the researches has revealed about the adult learners in the Young and Adult Education?”. Has been defined the descriptors “education of young and adult” and “adult” to the initial searches, filtered by year, applied inclusion criteria from the initial reading of the recovered material. The textual corpus selected, composed by 12 publications, was systematized by defense date, title, author, keywords and research line and categorized by themes, causing a particular category. The further content analysis pointed that the majority of the adult public of EJA is from the countryside and suburb of the cities, with an history of subsistence fight, difficulties of access and permanence in school, besides working during childhood and adolescence. The search for transformation and affirmation of their rights in society shows to be one of the motive that boosted them to return to the school seats. Although the limited searches to two databases, we found through this study that the researches focused on he public of educating adult of EJA are still reduced and demands new perspectives that go beyond the understanding of EJA as a compensatory mode of Education.

Tracing the scientific outputs in the field of Ebola research based on publications in the Web of Science.

BackgroundEbola virus disease (hereafter EVD or Ebola) has a high fatality rate. The devastating effects of the current epidemic of Ebola in West Africa have put the global health response in acute focus. In response, the World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the Ebola outbreak in West Africa as a “Public Health Emergency of International Concern”. A small proportion of scientific literature is dedicated to Ebola research.MethodsTo identify global research trends in Ebola research, the Institute for Scientific Information (ISI) Web of Science™ database was used to search for data, which encompassed original articles published from 1900 to 2013. The keyword “Ebola” was used to identify articles for the purposes of this review. In order to include all published items, the database was searched using the Basic Search method.ResultsThe earliest record of literature about Ebola indexed in the Web of Science is from 1977. A total of 2477 publications on Ebola, published between 1977 and 2014 (with the number of publications increasing annually), were retrieved from the database. Original research articles (n = 1623, 65.5 %) were the most common type of publication. Almost all (96.5 %) of the literature in this field was in English. The USA had the highest scientific output and greatest number of funding agencies. Journal of Virology published 239 papers on Ebola, followed by Journal of Infectious Diseases and Virology, which published 113 and 99 papers, respectively. A total of 1911 papers on Ebola were cited 61,477 times.ConclusionThis analysis identified the current state of research and trends in studies about Ebola between 1977 and 2014. Our bibliometric analysis provides a historical perspective on the progress in Ebola research.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13104-016-2026-2) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

The challenges of information retrieval in social sciences and humanities and ways to overcome information barriers

This paper explores the major challenges of access to information that face the consumers of various databases of the Institute of Scientific Information on Social Sciences (INION) of the Russian Academy of Sciences. The key features of different types of information barriers are investigated. The possibilities and means to overcome these barriers are explored in the current context.

Integrating socio‐cultural contexts and location‐based systems for ubiquitous language learning in museums: A state of the art review of 2009–2014

AbstractContext‐dependent learning systems are now becoming more common in museums, as most students are equipped with mobile devices. As there has been little research into context‐aware mobile applications in museums, the present study aims to investigate ubiquitous language learning in socio‐cultural contexts, as well as recent trends in using location‐based systems. Therefore, the following three issues are reviewed in related articles published between 2009 and 2014: system usefulness, activity usefulness and activity playfulness in museum learning. The researchers used keywords to search for relevant articles from the ISI (Institute for Scientific Information) Web of Science and other databases. The abstracts and content of the searched articles were then analyzed. The results show that the location‐aware features (GPS or Google App‐based) embedded in mobile phones, adaptive language learning and socio‐cultural interaction in museums are intertwined in the literature. The literature also shows that in recent years students have transformed from being passive receivers to active learners. Specifically, students tended to rely on system guidance in 2009–2011, and activities were more focused on individual learning with less real‐life social interaction, and this thus reduced the level of playfulness. An important finding in the literature from 2012 to 14 is that many museums adopted ubiquitous location‐based systems using mobile devices, which help to strengthen social ties when students work collaboratively to perform language learning activities. This has also allowed museums to evolve from mobile‐learning to ubiquitous‐learning environments, in various socio‐cultural contexts. The results of this review study have implications for language teachers and museum educators, to help them implement appropriate ubiquitous learning systems in various socio‐cultural contexts.

Trends and biases in the scientific literature on Brazilian watersheds

Brazilian watersheds have a high species and natural resources biodiversity. To know the features of scientific production on these regions is important to adjust study focus and to determine publication biases. This study aims at characterizing the scientific literature about Brazilian watersheds on scientometric grounds. For this purpose, we performed a search of articles in the ISI Web of Science database of the Institute for Scientific Information (ISI). The search returned 2,945 articles: 1,613 on the Amazon basin, 584 on the La Plata basin, 262 on the São Francisco basin, 190 on the Tocantins basin, 117 on the Southeast Coastal basin, 70 on the Eastern Northeast Coastal basin, 48 on the Parnaíba basin, 45 on the South Coastal basin, 14 on the North Coastal basin and two on the Western Northeast Coastal basin. The highest number of articles, journal diversity and impact factor was for the Amazon basin. Generally, the increase of the number of articles on the coastal basins over the years is lower. A keyword analysis shows that the study of most basins deals with similar subjects. However, researches on the Amazon and La Plata basins follow lines that are very different both from each other and from the other basins. In view of such results, incentives for new studies must focus on coastal basins. It is also recommended to submit works to good quality journals.

Bibliometric Analysis Of R&amp;D In The Energy Sector

A bibliometric analysis to evaluate global scientific production on R&D in the Energy sector between 1956 and 2014 was carried out and is based on Journal Citation Reports (JCR) published by the Institute of Scientific Information (ISI). Data were based on the Web of Science (Science Citation Index) database compiled by Thomson Reuters. In total, 229 articles were analyzed. The results showed that 28 countries independently published 166 articles while international cooperation between countries produced 17 articles. The United States, Japan and India are the three countries that published most articles on the subject. The Energy & Fuels research area showed the highest growth in the articles analyzed (19.3%) and in the articles from the USA (16.18%) and this has been an increasing target in the last five years and covers 22.45% of the articles published in this period. The USA is the country that has published most on R&D in energy, including both individual production and international collaboration. Analysis of R&D investments in energy, studies on energy technology, environmental aspects and global climate changes are among the main topics covered in the twenty most cited articles.

The Impact of Melatonin in Research.

Citation indexes represent helpful tools for evaluating the impact of articles on research. The aim of this study was to obtain the top-100 ranking of the most cited papers on melatonin, a relevant neurohormone mainly involved in phase-adjusting the biological clock and with certain sleep-promoting capability. An article search was carried out on the Institute for Scientific Information (ISI) Web of Science platform. Numbers of citations, names of authors, journals and their 2014-impact factor, year of publication, and experimental designs of studies were recorded. The ranking of the 100-most cited articles on melatonin research (up to February 2016) revealed a citation range from 1623 to 310. Narrative reviews/expert opinions were the most frequently cited articles, while the main research topics were oxidative stress, sleep physiology, reproduction, circadian rhythms and melatonin receptors. This study represents the first detailed analysis of the 100 top-cited articles published in the field of melatonin research, showing its impact and relevance in the biomedical field.