Meta-search Engine Research Articles

A Meta-Analysis of the Effectiveness of Video-Based Instruction on Students’ Academic Performance in Science and Mathematics

Video-based instruction has been a necessary part of teaching and learning in 21st-century education. However, as video-based instruction continues to evolve, evaluating its effectiveness in improving students’ performance in various disciplines is deemed necessary. This study analyzed empirical research on the effectiveness of video-based instruction in improving students' performance in Science and Mathematics. The study filtered 4,874 research articles gathered using various meta-search engines. Using the inclusion and exclusion criteria set, only 14 research articles conducted from 2019 to 2023 qualified for this meta-analysis with a classic fail-safe N analysis value of 2627, p0.001, obtaining non-susceptible to publication bias. The Jamovi software version 2.4 was used in determining the effect size (Hedge’s g), the forest plot, and the funnel plot analysis of the gathered data. The collected studies showed that video-based instructions were utilized in the primary (n=355), secondary (n=611), and tertiary (n=72) level education in various topics of Science and Mathematics subjects. The analysis of the k=14 empirical studies obtained from 2019 to 2023 denotes a large-positive effect of video-based instruction in Science (k=7), g = 2.28, and Mathematics (k=7), g=1.79, subjects with an average effect size of g=2.03 (95% CI: 1.2991 to 2.7657).

Return to Physical Activity in Individuals with Surgical Stomas: A Scoping Review.

In surgically treated individuals with surgical stomas, the return to physical activity is an indicator of quality of life that reflects their well-being. With the aim of synthesizing the available evidence regarding the return to physical activity in individuals with surgical stomas, a scoping review was developed following the methodological approach of the Joanna Briggs Institute and the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses for Scoping Reviews criteria. Searches were conducted in Medline (PubMed), Scopus, Web of Science, Cinahl, and Lilacs, as well as the meta-search engines TripDatabase and Epistemonikos, using MeSH terms. Included studies were written in Spanish, English, Portuguese, and German, without any limitation on the year of publication. A total of n = 15 studies was included (n = 2 qualitative; n = 2 case reports; n = 1 case series; n = 1 cohort; n = 8 cross-sectional; and n = 1 randomized clinical trial), which showed variability in the quality of the designs. The qualitative studies explored themes such as motivation, beliefs about physical activity, and other lifestyle factors. The case reports described physiological, psychological, and functional implications of returning to physical activity for specific individuals after ostomy surgery. Quantitative studies evaluated the effects of different types of physical activity on quality of life and tolerance to physical activity in these individuals, employing various measurement instruments. In conclusion, the evidence on returning to sports and physical activity after stoma surgery is limited and varied. While studies highlight the importance of social support and self-confidence, they generally lack rigor and primarily focus on adults and oncology patients. There is a need for more research to establish clear guidelines on physical activity type, frequency, and intensity to ensure safe and beneficial outcomes for individuals with stomas.

Non-alcoholic fatty liver and periodontal disease in the adult population: Overview of systematic reviews

Introduction: Periodontal disease is a chronic inflammatory condition affecting the periodontal supporting tissues. In addition to dental loss, it has been associated with various metabolic disorders, including obesity, diabetes, dyslipidemia, and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). This study aimed to analyze the effects of periodontal disease on the prevention and treatment of NAFLD in the adult population. Method: An electronic search of systematic reviews published between 2019 and 2024 was conducted in the Medline, Scopus, and Web of Science databases, as well as in the Epistemonikos meta-search engine. The search strategy was "Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease AND Periodontitis". A total of 47 articles were identified, of which three systematic reviews with meta-analyses were analyzed. Results: The results indicated a potential association between periodontal disease and NAFLD, with an odds ratio (OR) of 1.48 (95% CI: 1.15 to 1.89; I² = 92%) and 1.91 (95% CI: 1.21 to 3.02; I² = 95%). However, this link has not been definitively proven, as heterogeneity decreases and the number of patients increases, resulting in an OR of 1.04 (95% CI: 0.97 to 1.12; I² = 58%). Conclusion: It is suggested that systemic inflammation and pro-inflammatory markers may play a significant role in the pathophysiology of both conditions. Nonetheless, further studies are needed to clarify this relationship and explore the common metabolic parameters.

Bioethics in integral training of professionals in the health area

Introduction: The integration of Bioethics in the training of professionals is introduced as a prevailing need today; Bioethics training in Latin America is in an initial stage and is not regular, therefore, the reasons why bioethics should be an integral part of the education of future professionals are explored, highlighting the benefits for both individuals and society in general. Objective: Place Bioethics in the integral training of professionals in the health area.Method: Research was carried out with a qualitative and descriptive approach, the analysis method of bibliographic and regulatory review was applied; the sources of information were: books, databases, meta search engines, repositories of doctoral theses and official government pages that compile documents and regulations. Results: A structure is presented to integrate Bioethics with the substantive functions of Higher Education Institutions; and at the same time, the fundamental contents of the Bioethics competence are proposed so that they are part of the professional training of undergraduate students of health majors in a transversal way throughout their student path, without leaving aside the importance of learning through the hidden curriculum. Conclusions: Institutions must integrate a Bioethics structure with consultative, preventive and decision-making functions that allow them to face problems or risks that are created in institutional dynamics.

Chat Generative Pre-Trained Transformer (ChatGPT): Boon or Bane – A Qualitative Meta-Synthesis

Abstract: Interest in Artificial Intelligence (AI) has increased dramatically since the launch of ChatGPT (Generative Pre-trained Transformer) in November 2022. While ChatGPT has captured the imagination of students and educators alike, several concerns have also emerged (Torrey et al., 2023). In this study, the researcher conducted a qualitative meta-synthesis that focused mainly to the range of ChatGPT by obtaining interrelated data from peer-reviewed publication or journals searched through the academic databases and meta-search engines (Google Scholar, JSTOR, EBSCO, and OVID). With the initial samples of 21 ChatGPT studies, ten (10) were selected based on the inclusion criteria. Conceptual translation was used to express the research findings. The data from each theme were synthesized and integrated to create a synthesis that represented the category as a whole. ChatGPT is here to stay, and individuals would undoubtedly use it for the rest of their lives. Integrating ChatGPT in a variety of settings, including education, particularly in business courses, offers numerous opportunities to improve learning experiences, personalize instruction, and rethink educators' roles. This change, however, poses restrictions classified as intrinsic and usage-related issues that make assessments, digital literacy, and ethical considerations challenging. To realize ChatGPT's full potential in education and overcome these barriers, stakeholders should develop solutions for ethical and equitable adoption in a naturally based and proactive approach.

Towards an evidence-based pretrial risk assessment in Mexican juvenile offenders: A systematic review of relevant instruments using COSMIN guidelines

The Mexican Comprehensive Criminal Justice System for Adolescents (Sistema Integral de Justicia Penal para Adolescentes) is in urgent need of validated tools to help diminish the likelihood of pretrial failure, (that is, when juveniles interfere in one way or another with the course of the criminal process before the trial stage). To this end, this article aims to evaluate the measurement properties of relevant instruments to guide and support pretrial risk assessment in Mexican juvenile offenders. Firstly, a systematic review was conducted in PubMed, metasearch engines (DGB-UNAM and Google Scholar), and databases using the COnsensus-based Standards for the selection of health Measurement Instruments (COSMIN) guidelines. As it was found that no validated pretrial risks assessment instruments had been published earlier in Mexico, we present a proposal based on a preliminary selection of five instruments suitable for pretrial risks assessment taking both analysis and theory into account. Since this is the first systematic review in the field, results provide evidence for developing pretrial risk tools to aid decision-making in the juvenile offenders sector in Mexico.

Federated Search in Libraries: An Overview in Academic Libraries

One essential piece of technology that simplifies the process of finding information across a variety of databases and sources in academic libraries is federated search systems. By using a single query interface, these systems, also known as meta-search engines, allow users to simultaneously search through a variety of resources, such as databases, books, and electronic journals. By combining results from several publishers and platforms into a single format, this feature greatly improves the efficacy and efficiency of academic research while also saving time and streamlining user interactions. An overview of federated search technology is given in this study, with particular attention on how it might be integrated into academic libraries. It talks about how these systems have developed, the technological difficulties they provide, and the advantages they have for educational institutions. The research also looks at case studies from different university libraries to showcase effective implementations. It also discusses the possibility for federated search systems in the future, including the incorporation of machine learning and artificial intelligence to enhance and customize search results. The purpose of this overview is to highlight the value of federated search engines in improving the usability and accessibility of scholarly materials, therefore assisting academic institutions in their larger endeavors to promote research and learning.

Measuring performance of metasearch engines to access information: an exploratory study based on precision metrics

PurposeThis paper evaluates the precision of four metasearch engines (MSEs) – DuckDuckGo, Dogpile, Metacrawler and Startpage, to determine which metasearch engine exhibits the highest level of precision and to identify the metasearch engine that is most likely to return the most relevant search results.Design/methodology/approachThe research is divided into two parts: the first phase involves four queries categorized into two segments (4-Q-2-S), while the second phase includes six queries divided into three segments (6-Q-3-S). These queries vary in complexity, falling into three types: simple, phrase and complex. The precision, average precision and the presence of duplicates across all the evaluated metasearch engines are determined.FindingsThe study clearly demonstrated that Startpage returned the most relevant results and achieved the highest precision (0.98) among the four MSEs. Conversely, DuckDuckGo exhibited consistent performance across both phases of the study.Research limitations/implicationsThe study only evaluated four metasearch engines, which may not be representative of all available metasearch engines. Additionally, a limited number of queries were used, which may not be sufficient to generalize the findings to all types of queries.Practical implicationsThe findings of this study can be valuable for accreditation agencies in managing duplicates, improving their search capabilities and obtaining more relevant and precise results. These findings can also assist users in selecting the best metasearch engine based on precision rather than interface.Originality/valueThe study is the first of its kind which evaluates the four metasearch engines. No similar study has been conducted in the past to measure the performance of metasearch engines.

Systematic review of clinical practice guidelines for the diagnosis and management of retinal vein occlusion.

To assess the methodological quality of Clinical Practice Guidelines (CPG) for the diagnosis and management of Retinal Vein Occlusion (RVO). A systematic review of CPGs for the diagnosis and management of RVO was carried out with a search in databases, metasearch engines, CPG development institutions, ophthalmology associations and CPG repositories until April 2022. Search update was performed on April 2023, with no new record available. Five CPGs published in the last 10 years in English/Spanish were selected, and 5 authors evaluated them independently, using the Appraisal of Guidelines for Research and Evaluation (AGREE-II) instrument. An individual assessment of each CPG by domain (AGREE-II), an overall assessment of the guide, and its use with or without modifications were performed. Additionally, a meta-synthesis of the recommendations for the most relevant outcomes was carried out. The lowest score (mean 18.8%) was for domain 5 'applicability', and the highest score (mean 62%) was for domain 4 'clarity of presentation'. The 2019 American guideline (PPP) presented the best score (40.4%) in domain 3 'rigour of development'. When evaluating the overall quality of the CPGs analysed, all CPGs could be recommended with modifications. In the meta-synthesis, anti-VEGF therapy is the first-choice therapy for macular oedema associated with RVO, but there is no clear recommendation about the type of anti-VEGF therapy to choose. Recommendations for diagnosis and follow-up are similar among the CPGs appraised. Most CPGs for the diagnosis and management of RVO have a low methodological quality assessed according to the AGREE-II. PPP has the higher score in the domain 'rigour of development'. Among the CPGs appraised, there is no clear recommendation on the type of anti-VEGF therapy to choose.

Cellular Automata on GIS Method for Forest Fire Spreading Simulation

A method for prediction and simulation based on the Cell Based Geographic Information System (CBGIS) as Cellular Automata (CA) is proposed together with required data system systems, in particular metasearch engine usage in a unified way. It is confirmed that the proposed CBGIS as CA has flexible usage of the attribute information that is attached to the cell in concern with location information and does work for disaster of forest fire spreading simulation and prediction.

Velopharyngeal Incompetence in Musicians: A State-of-the-Art Review.

The velopalatine sphincter is a muscular valve that creates a hermetic seal between the nasopharynx and the oropharynx. It guarantees phonation, swallowing, and breathing (forces expirations). In wind musicians, sphincter closure must be precise during sound generation. Its failure will cause velopharyngeal incompetence (VPI) and the end of professional success. The objective of this article was to conduct a state-of-art review of VPI in wind musicians with a systematic approach based on the PRISMA Statement. The etiology, epidemiology, clinic, diagnosis, and treatment of VPI in wind musicians were evaluated. The research was carried out in different databases (PubMed/MEDLINE, the Cochrane Library, Scielo) and through the Mergullador metasearch engine. A total of 20 publications were selected. VPI is a pathology that affects around one-third of wind musicians according to studies. It causes pharyngeal noises and nasal air emissions during performance. The main etiology seems to be the fatigue of the velopalatine sphincter muscles. The most used diagnostic techniques consist of clinical history, physical examination, and nasofibroscopy. There is no consensus among authors about therapeutic management. Future investigations are necessary to confirm that fatigue of velopalatine sphincter muscles and other factors that increase it are the main causes of VPI in wind musicians.

Human capital and business growth of the Startups: an approach to the state of the art

This document is a systematic and bibliometric review on the transitory characteristics and research trends in the last 7 years, on human capital and business growth in the field of startups. The exploration was carried out in the bibliographic database Scopus, obtaining 111 documents, including articles, book chapters, books, conferences and abstracts, in the areas of knowledge related to the topic. For this, the Biblioshiny web interface of the Bibliometrix package of the statistical program Rstudio was used, the file was processed in csv format downloaded from the Scopus metasearch engine. The results suggest a higher percentage of scientific articles (79 %), with a higher volume in 2021 (25 works), while the Journal of small business management stands out as having a great impact and one of the authors with the highest H index, was Frid C.J. with an indicator of 2 points, together with Gartner W.B., Nigam N. and Wyman D.M. Regarding the analysis of co-occurrences of words, the terms entrepreneuship and human capital are the most relevant and those that have the strongest relationship in the field of study.

Risk factors in the origin of Down syndrome

Down syndrome (DS) is the most common autosomal aneuploidy and the leading cause of intellectual disability of genetic origin worldwide. It is identified as a syndrome in which the variability of its clinical manifestations and the severity of its phenotype have a multifactorial origin. Worldwide prevalence ranges between 1 per 700 live births and several factors that may be involved in the origin of DS have been proposed. Our objective was to describe updates regarding risk factors in the cytogenetic origin or cause of DS. We conducted a narrative review study in which a literature search was carried out from January to June 2022 in databases such as PubMed, EBSCO, Medigraphic, ClinicalKey, and meta-search engines such as Elsevier and Evidence Alerts. Only articles published in the last 10 years in English and Spanish were included. The search terms used were: Down syndrome, risk factors, prevention. Although DS is a very common chromosomal pathology worldwide, there is no single risk factor at the origin of meiotic or mitotic nondisjunction of chromosome 21, but rather each of the associated risk factors contributes to a greater or lesser degree to a cytogenetic predisposition in the etiology of trisomy 21. During the review it was identified that the main established risk factor associated with DS is still advanced maternal age (≥ 35 years).

Selective Query Processing: A Risk-Sensitive Selection of Search Configurations

In information retrieval systems, search parameters are optimized to ensure high effectiveness based on a set of past searches, and these optimized parameters are then used as the search configuration for all subsequent queries. A better approach, however, would be to adapt the parameters to fit the query at hand. Selective query expansion is one such an approach, in which the system decides automatically whether or not to expand the query, resulting in two possible search configurations. This approach was extended recently to include many other parameters, leading to many possible search configurations where the system automatically selects the best configuration on a per-query basis. One problem with this approach is the system training, which requires evaluation of each training query with every possible configuration. In real-world systems, so many parameters and possible values must be evaluated that this approach is impractical, especially when the system must be updated frequently, as is the case for commercial search engines. In general, the more configurations, the greater the effectiveness when configuration selection is appropriate but also the greater the risk of decreasing effectiveness in the case of an inappropriate configuration selection. To determine the ideal configurations to be used for each query in real-world systems, we have developed a method in which a limited number of possible configurations are pre-selected, then used in a meta-search engine that decides the best search configuration for each query. We define a risk-sensitive approach for configuration pre-selection that considers the risk-reward tradeoff between the number of configurations kept and system effectiveness. We define two alternative risk functions to apply to different goals. For final configuration selection, the decision is based on query feature similarities. We compare two alternative risk functions on two query types (ad hoc and diversity) and compare these to more sophisticated machine learning based methods. We find that a relatively small number of configurations (20) selected by our risk-sensitive model is sufficient to obtain results close to the best achievable results for each query. Effectiveness is increased by about 15% according to the P@10 and nDCG@10 evaluation metrics when compared to traditional grid search using a single configuration and by about 20% when compared to learning to rank documents. Our risk-sensitive approach works for both diversity- and ad hoc oriented searches. Moreover, the similarity-based selection method outperforms the more sophisticated approaches. Thus, we demonstrate the feasibility of developing per-query information retrieval systems, which will guide future research in this direction.

Qualitative assessment of available online patient resources for pulmonary embolism and deep vein thrombosis.

This study seeks to evaluate the quality and readability of freely available online patient information resources for deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE). Internet searches were performed for five DVT and PE search terms in July 2020 across three search engines and two metasearch engines. Qualitative content analysis was performed. Readability was assessed using four validated instruments. Two hundred fifty websites were identified of which 62 websites met inclusion criteria.Website structure and content were satisfactory (>50% overall score), accountability was mixed between DVT (47%) and PE (56%) sites, while interactivity was poor (<30%). On qualitative content analysis, anticoagulation (95.2%) was the most discussed treatment while the most discussed procedures were IVC filter placement for DVT and thrombolysis for PE. Overall readability was difficult with median level suitable for ages 14-18years. Freely available online DVT and PE patient information resources publish appropriate content but have very variable accountability and poor readability for the average patient.

Structure and Functions of Metasearch Engines

The present study systematically examines the structure and functions of metasearch engines (MSEs) viz. Dogpile, Metacrawler, DuckDuckGo and Startpage. Further, it identifies the features and services of four metasearch engines and compares them. A checklist method was used to evaluate the four metasearch engines.These check spots are prepared regarding features and services of metasearch engines. The data were collected between April 1 to June 14, 2021, spending two hours daily. Initially, the data was recorded after accessing each MSE, and later,the data was transferred to MS Excel. The study ascertained that out of 101 check spots, Dogpile scored (66) points, Metacrawler (63), DuckDuckGo (71), and Startpage (59). DuckDuckGo is ranked first among all the four metasearch engines with 70.3 %, followed by Dogpile, Metacrawler, and Startpage respectively. A checklist used in the study contains only 101 check spots to compare the metasearch engines. Further, users’ perception regarding the four metasearch engines is also not covered in the present study. The present study is the first of its kind, which compares four popular metasearch engines using a checklist method. The outcomes of the study shall help research scholars, librarians, information scientists, faculty members, and common masses choose the appropriate metasearch engine. Further, the study shall also help the developers of e-resources in incorporating more features so that users can benefit.

Click prediction boosting via Bayesian hyperparameter optimization-based ensemble learning pipelines

Online travel agencies (OTA's) advertise their website offers on meta-search bidding engines. The problem of predicting the number of clicks a hotel would receive for a given bid amount is an important step in the management of an OTA's advertisement campaign on a meta-search engine because bid times number of clicks defines the cost to be generated. Various regressors are ensembled in this work to improve click prediction performance. After preprocessing, the entire feature set is divided into 5 groups, with the training set preceding the test set in the time domain, and multi-set validation is applied. The training data for each validation set is then subjected to feature elimination, and the selected models are next validated with separate ensemble models based on the mean and weighted average of the test predictions. Additionally, a stacked meta-regressor is designed and tested, along with the complete train set, whose click prediction values are extracted in accordance with the out-of-fold prediction principle. The original feature set and the stacked input data are then combined, and level-1 regressors are trained once again to form blended meta-regressors. All individually trained models are then compared pairwise with their ensemble variations. Adjusted R2 score is chosen as the main evaluation metric. The meta-models with tree-based ensemble level-1 regressors do not provide any performance improvement over the stand-alone versions, whereas the stack and blended ensemble models with all other non-tree-based models as level-1 regressors boost click prediction (0.114 and 0.124) significantly compared to their stand-alone versions. Additionally, statistical evidence is provided to support the importance of Bayesian hyperparameter optimization to the performance-boosting of level-1 regressors.

Compassion fatigue in Nursing professionals Palliative Care Units: literature review

Today, compassion fatigue is a major problem that significantly affects healthcare professionals. Objectives: To analyze whether working in a palliative care service predisposes nursing professionals to the appearance of symptoms related to compassion fatigue. Methods: Non-systematic literature review. A literature search was carried out using different databases of primary and secondary sources and meta-search engines, mainly using the following descriptors: "Nursing", "Palliative care" and "Compassion fatigue". Inclusion and exclusion criteria were established and, finally, the scientific articles were evaluated with their corresponding quality tool (STROBE and qualitative CASPe). Results: Levels of compassion fatigue are high among palliative care nurses. According to studies, work and personal factors show a statistically significant association with compassion fatigue. Conclusions: Nursing professionals develop compassion fatigue to a large extent in the palliative care service. In addition, factors associated with increased compassion fatigue have been established in an attempt to eradicate this phenomenon. Further research is needed to investigate the effectiveness of different intervention programmes for the correct management of compassion fatigue.

International air travel attitude and travel planning lead times across 45 countries in response to the COVID-19 pandemic

This paper explores global differences in travel risk perception based on i) attitudes towards travel abroad, and ii) the time required to plan travel. Baseline data from 2019 is compared with data from 2020, the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. A methodology based on Big Data is developed through the Skyscanner metasearch engine, working with 20,756 million flight searches and 1979 million flight picks worldwide. We conduct an exploratory analysis by region, followed by a cluster analysis of 45 countries. We argue that the findings respond to uncertainty avoidance, with clear differences between Europe, America and Asia-Pacific. This knowledge has marketing implications for tourist destinations in terms of what marketing messages to convey and the best time to introduce marketing campaigns for each country or group of countries, so that the opportunity for reactivation of tourism is maximised.

Facing the Omicron variant-how well do vaccines protect against mild and severe COVID-19? Third interim analysis of a living systematic review.

BackgroundThe severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) Omicron variant is currently the dominant variant globally. This third interim analysis of a living systematic review summarizes evidence on the effectiveness of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccine (vaccine effectiveness, VE) and duration of protection against Omicron.MethodsWe systematically searched literature on COVID-19 for controlled studies, evaluating the effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines approved in the European Union up to 14/01/2022, complemented by hand searches of websites and metasearch engines up to 11/02/2022. We considered the following comparisons: full primary immunization vs. no vaccination, booster immunization vs. no vaccination, and booster vs. full primary immunization. VE against any confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection, symptomatic, and severe COVID-19 (i.e., COVID-19-related hospitalization, ICU admission, or death) was indicated, providing estimate ranges. Meta-analysis was not performed due to high study heterogeneity. The risk of bias was assessed with ROBINS-I, and the certainty of the evidence was evaluated using GRADE.ResultsWe identified 26 studies, including 430 to 2.2 million participants, which evaluated VE estimates against infections with the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant. VE against any confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection ranged between 0–62% after full primary immunization and between 34–66% after a booster dose compared to no vaccination. VE range for booster vs. full primary immunization was 34–54.6%. After full primary immunization VE against symptomatic COVID-19 ranged between 6-76%. After booster immunization VE ranged between 3-84% compared to no vaccination and between 56-69% compared to full primary immunization. VE against severe COVID-19 ranged between 3-84% after full primary immunization and between 12-100% after booster immunization compared to no vaccination, and 100% (95% CI 71.4-100) compared to full primary immunization (data from only one study). VE was characterized by a moderate to strong decline within 3–6 months for SARS-CoV-2 infections and symptomatic COVID-19. Against severe COVID-19, protection remained robust for at least up to 6 months. Waning immunity was more profound after primary than booster immunization. The risk of bias was moderate to critical across studies and outcomes. GRADE certainty was very low for all outcomes.ConclusionsUnder the Omicron variant, the effectiveness of EU-licensed COVID-19 vaccines in preventing any SARS-CoV-2 infection is low and only short-lasting after full primary immunization, but can be improved by booster vaccination. VE against severe COVID-19 remains high and is long-lasting, especially after receiving the booster vaccination.