Open Science Research Articles

Barriers and Facilitators Affecting Access to Health Care for People With Syphilis: Protocol for a Scoping Review.

Syphilis is a systemic, preventable, and curable infection caused by the bacterium Treponema pallidum. Despite being treatable, syphilis continues to have a high incidence, with a resurgence observed even in countries with strong health surveillance systems. This highlights the need to understand the various strategies used globally to improve access to care for individuals with syphilis. This scoping review aims to identify and map the barriers and facilitators affecting access to health care for people with syphilis. This scoping review will follow the methodology outlined by the Joanna Briggs Institute. The search will be conducted across several databases, including PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus, Embase, LILACS (Virtual Health Library), and CINAHL (EBSCO). In addition, sources of unpublished studies or gray literature will be explored. Studies focusing on access to health care for individuals with syphilis will be included, regardless of geographic location, country, or language. Two independent reviewers will assess the results, and data will be extracted using a tool specifically developed for this review. The extracted quantitative data will be presented in tables and analyzed using descending hierarchical classification, represented by a class dendrogram. Barriers and facilitators will be categorized into dimensions of access. Database searching began in October 2024. Full-text screening and review are expected to be completed in December 2024. Data extraction and analysis are expected to be completed by February 2025, and the final report will be completed in March 2025. The findings of this scoping review, guided by this protocol, will elucidate the main barriers and facilitators that affect access to syphilis treatment. This study may contribute to the practices of health professionals, managers, and the academic community, and provide relevant information for the population. Open Science Framework Registries osf.io/kpsab; https://osf.io/kpsab. PRR1-10.2196/63561.

The effect of exergame rehabilitation on the quality of life of cancer patients undergoing abdominal surgery: a randomized controlled trial.

Exergames, which combine digital games and physical exercise, have become increasingly popular for rehabilitation in the health domain. This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of exergame rehabilitation on the quality of life of cancer patients undergoing abdominal surgery. This randomized controlled trial evaluated the effectiveness of exergame rehabilitation on the quality of life of cancer patients who had undergone abdominal surgery. Seventy postoperative patients were included, and data collection took place between January 2023 and May 2023. The patients were randomly assigned to either an exergame rehabilitation program (n = 35) or a traditional rehabilitation program (n = 35). The assessed outcome was the quality of life, and data collection occurred at three different time points: upon admission, 48h postoperatively, and on the 7th day after surgery. Quality of life was evaluated using the WHOQOL-BREF Scale. At the third assessment, a statistically significant difference was observed between the two groups (p = 0.016), indicating that the intervention group had a higher quality of life than the control group. The study showed a positive effect of exergames on the population under investigation. By the 7th day after surgery, the intervention group demonstrated an improvement in their quality of life compared to the control group. Center of Open Science OSF https://osf.io/286zb/ , registered in July, 2023.

Review of the target trial methodological approach on treatment effect estimates in kidney failure: protocol for a systematic assessment.

Patients with kidney failure often lack robust evidence because they are excluded from randomized trials. Trial emulation provides an alternative approach to derive treatment effect estimates when randomized trials cannot be conducted. Critical questions about the comparative efficacy and safety of interventions in kidney failure are now being answered using this approach or parts of it. However, variations and inconsistencies in reporting cast doubt on the reliability and validity of effect estimates not derived from randomized trials. The aim of this methodological systematic review is to understand the extent to which the target study approach is used in kidney failure and the appropriateness of this approach. By identifying and evaluating studies that qualify as emulating a target trial, compared with studies that did not apply the principles. We aim to provide more specific methodological guidance to increase the clarity and reliability of reporting treatment effect estimates when running a trial in kidney failure is not feasible. This protocol is developed in accordance with Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses Protocols (PRISMA-P) statement. MEDLINE, Embase, and reference lists (backwards citation chasing) will be searched up until 1st July 2023 and the search updated prior to publication to identify all studies evaluating patient outcomes in late-stage kidney disease and failure that use target trial emulation as the primary approach for analysis. Two authors (A. A., P. K.) will select articles based on title and abstract and then full text, with a third reviewer settling disagreements (J. P.). The prespecified variables will be extracted, and the risk of bias will be assessed by at least two authors (A. A., P. K., A. N.) using prespecified data forms. This will enable the determination of the robustness of the methodological quality of observational studies in using the whole or elements of the target trial approach. We will thereby assess their ability to reliably report treatment effect estimates. We will provide specific methodological recommendations on how to design target trials and model assumptions for emulation to get reliable treatment effect estimates for therapeutic interventions in kidney failure. Open Science Framework:Identifier https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/Z4Y29 .

The Empty Office: protocol for sequential mixed-method study on the impact of telework activities on social relations and well-being

IntroductionTeleworking is one of the most significant legacies of the pandemic. Great attention is now being paid to its effects on workers’ health. One of the arguments that emerged on...

Comparing conventional and action video game training in visual perceptual learning.

Action video game (AVG) playing has been found to transfer to a variety of laboratory tasks in visual cognition. More recently, it has even been found to transfer to low-level visual "psychophysics tasks. This is unexpected since such low-level tasks have traditionally been found to be largely "immune" to transfer from another task, or even from the same task but a different stimulus attribute, e.g., motion direction. In this study, we set out to directly quantify transfer efficiency from AVG training to motion discrimination. Participants (n = 65) trained for 20h on either a first-person active shooting video game, or a motion direction discrimination task with random dots. They were tested before, midway, and after training with the same motion task and an orientation discrimination task that had been shown to receive transfer from AVG training, but not from motion training. A subsequent control group (n = 18) was recruited to rule out any test-retest effect, by taking the same tests with the same time intervals, but without training. We found that improvement in motion discrimination performance was comparable between the AVG training and control groups, and less than the motion discrimination training group. We could not replicate the AVG transfer to orientation discrimination, but this was likely due to the fact that our participants were practically at chance for this task at all test points. Our study found no evidence, in either accuracy or reaction time, that AVG training transferred to motion discrimination. Overall, our results suggest that AVG training transferred little to lower-level visual skills, refining understanding of the mechanisms by which AVGs may affect vision. Protocol registration The accepted stage 1 protocol for this study can be found on the Open Science Framework at https://osf.io/zdv9c/?view_only=5b3b0c161dad448d9d1d8b14ce91ab11 . The stage 1 protocol for this Registered Report was accepted in principle on 01/12/22. The protocol, as accepted by the journal, can be found at: https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/ZDV9C.

International medical graduates' experiences of clinical competency assessment in postgraduate and licensing examinations: A scoping review protocol.

An international medical graduate (IMG) is a doctor who has received their basic medical qualification from a medical school located in a different country from that in which they practice or intend to practice. IMGs are known to face difficulties in their working lives, including differential attainment in assessment. The objective of this review is to map key concepts and types of evidence in academic and gray literature relating to international medical graduates' experiences of clinical competency assessment and to identify knowledge gaps on this topic by systematically searching, selecting, and synthesizing existing knowledge. All studies will relate to IMGs. The concept of interest will be IMGs' experiences of assessment. The context will be postgraduate, licensing or credentialing medical assessments of clinical competence. This review will be conducted in accordance with the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) methodology for scoping reviews. Seven electronic databases will be searched for literature published between 2009 and 2024: the Australian Education Index, British Education Index, ERIC, PubMed, PsycINFO, Scopus, and SocINDEX. Gray literature will be searched using Google, Google Scholar, and published reports from postgraduate training bodies and medical licensing organizations. Documents will be independently screened, selected, and extracted by two researchers using a piloted data-extraction tool. Data will be analyzed and presented in tables and in a narrative format. Trial resgistration: Scoping review registration: Open Science Framework: https://osf.io/8gdm7.

The international nucleotide sequence database collaboration (INSDC): enhancing global participation.

The members of the International Nucleotide Sequence Database Collaboration (INSDC; https://insdc.org) have built systems to collect, archive and disseminate sequence data for more than four decades. The three collaborating organizations, the National Library of Medicine, National Center for Biotechnology Information (NLM-NCBI) in the UnitedStates, Research Organization of Information and Systems, National Institute of Genetics (ROIS-NIG) in Japan; and the European Molecular Biology Laboratory-European Bioinformatics Institute (EMBL-EBI) formalized their relationship through the adoption of an arrangement which documents their commitment to free and open access to genomic sequences. The INSDC is committed to expand the collaboration to be more representative of the global community of sequences and users. Diversifying participation through new membership will advance open science and data sharing and, in turn, drive innovation. This expansion will additionally benefit the INSDC and its broad user base by providing additional diverse perspectives as it explores emerging areas of data management, including federation, attribution and management.

Post-pandemic face-to-face learning environments for undergraduate students: A scoping review protocol.

This scoping review explores the existing literature related to post-pandemic face-to-face learning environments for undergraduate students following their participation in virtual classes during the Covid-19 pandemic. The secondary objectives are focused to identify the cognitive; emotional, or communicative demands that characterize students; changes in pedagogical strategies; and primary recommendations regarding post-pandemic face-to-face education in the context of Covid-19. The global emergency created by the presence of COVID-19 has led to significant change in the daily lives of people worldwide, ranging from lockdowns to the proliferation of virtual channels for social interaction and learning. Interest in its effects remains relevant in various fields including social, economic, health, technological, and educational studies. The transition back to face-to-face studies in university settings requires new adjustment processes for both students and teachers, necessitating pedagogical transformations and addressing cognitive, emotional, communicative, and habituation demands. Studies on the return to face-to-face studies in university settings are relatively scarce and warrant in-depth research. This review will include studies completed and published in calendar years 2022 and 2024 that involve post-pandemic face-to-face learning environments for undergraduate students from any geographical area. This scoping review will follow the JBI methodology for conducting scoping reviews. The following databases will be used: Academic Search Complete, Inter-American Development Bank, CLACSO, and The UNESCO Institute for Higher Education in Latin America and the Caribbean (IESALC), Dimensions, DOAB, DOAJ, ERIC, LILACS, Psicodoc, Redalyc, Redib, Scielo, Scopus, Dialnet, Web Of Science, Latindex, Google Scholar, SocArXiv. The search will aim to locate publications without language restrictions from any geographic location, including peer-reviewed articles, grey literature, preprints, technical notes, and policy reports. Three independent reviewers will screen, retrieve and review full-text studies and extract data. Consensus will be sought in the event of disagreement. The search results will be presented in the PRISMA-ScR flowchart. A narrative summary will also be included (Tricco AC 2018). Registration of systematic reviews: Open Science Framework (https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/6P9QB).

Is This the End of Anthropology as We Know It? Some Implication of FAIR Principles on Tales in Ethnological and Anthropological Qualitative Research

Open science, accessibility and knowledge sharing, especially of articles and monographs stemming from publicly funded research, seem to be moving in quite a positive direction toward scientific development and have received almost unanimous approval from the scientific community. However, when it comes to data sharing, the existing practice reveals a different picture, and not exclusively a discipline-dependent one. FAIR principles are developed and promoted as guiding tools for creating contextualized standards. The fact that data obtained by a qualitative methodology deserve special attention and treatment regarding the accessibility principle is recognized. Although FAIR principles provide ways to anonymize the data and interlocutors, individuals coming from smaller communities or even communities of practice can sometimes be easily recognized by members of the same community if data are openly accessed. Sometimes the interlocutors might agree with these terms, but sometimes they do not. According to the disciplinary code of ethics, a researcher is obliged to thoroughly describe the ways of the raw data management and usage, and in the case of mandatory raw data sharing (e.g., for receiving funding), it can inevitably impact the narratives collected. The prerogative to make all data open inevitably leads to autocensorship among interlocutors, i.e., resulting in a kind of FAIRy tale being collected. The article discusses the results obtained from the survey carried out among Croatian ethnologists and cultural anthropologists about the currently practiced data sharing, their attitudes about data sharing and their perceived behavior in hypothetical situations connected with data sharing. The results show mixed opinions about data sharing and a desire to follow the disciplinary code of ethics first, i.e., to follow the interlocutors’ wishes in the case of data management and usage.

Clinical Tools to Assess Functional Capacity During Risk Assessment Before Elective Noncardiac Surgery : A Scoping Review.

Functional capacity is critical to preoperative risk assessment, yet guidance on its measurement in clinical practice remains lacking. To identify functional capacity assessment tools studied before surgery and characterize the extent of evidence regarding performance, including in populations where assessment is confounded by noncardiopulmonary reasons. MEDLINE, EMBASE, and EBM Reviews (until July 2024). Studies evaluating performance of functional capacity assessment tools administered before elective noncardiac surgery to stratify risk for postoperative outcomes. Study details, measurement properties, pragmatic qualities, and/or clinical utility metrics. 6 categories of performance-based tests and 5 approaches using patient-reported exercise tolerance were identified. Cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) was the most studied tool (132 studies, 32 662 patients) followed by field walking tests (58 studies, 9393 patients) among performance-based tests. Among patient-reported assessments, the Duke Activity Status Index (14 studies, 3303 patients) and unstructured assessments (19 studies, 28 520 patients) were most researched. Most evidence focused on predictive validity (92% of studies), specifically accuracy in predicting cardiorespiratory complications. Several tools lacked evidence on reliability (test consistency across similar measurements), pragmatic qualities (feasibility of implementation), or concurrent criterion validity (correlation to gold standard). Only CPET had evidence on clinical utility (whether administration improved postoperative outcomes). Older adults (≥65 years) were well represented across studies, whereas there were minimal data in patients with obesity, lower-limb arthritis, and disability. Synthesis focused on reported data without requesting missing information. Though several tools for preoperative functional capacity assessment have been studied, research has overwhelmingly focused on CPET and only 1 aspect of validity (predictive validity). Important evidence gaps remain among vulnerable populations with obesity, arthritis, and physical disability. None. (Open Science Framework: https://osf.io/ah7u5).

Abstract Su803: Sudden Cardiac Arrest Prediction via Deep Learning Electrocardiogram Analysis

Background: Sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) is a potentially fatal event that often occurs without prior indications. Hypothesis: It was hypothesized that electrocardiogram (ECG) data could be used in conjunction with Deep Learning (DL) algorithms to predict the occurrence of SCA’s. Aims: To improve SCA outcomes and enable preventative strategies, the ECG data from the Nightingale Open Science - Subtyping Cardiac Arrest dataset were utilized to create a DL model to serve as a screening tool for sudden cardiac arrest. Methods: A publicly-available dataset containing ten seconds of 12-lead ECGs from individuals who had a SCA and persons who did not have a SCA, and information about time from ECG to arrest, and age and sex were utilized for individualized prediction of SCA. Subsets of the initial data were used to train, validate, and test deep convolution neural network models that processed cardiac cycles from single-lead ECG voltage waveforms. Results: The cohort comprised 221 (mean age: 68.5 and #females: 75) patients who experienced SCA and 1046 controls (mean age: 69.7 and #females: 497) who did not have a cardiac arrest. The SCA ECG-DL base model, with ECGs within one day and with age and sex data, had an area under the receiver operating curve (AUROC) of 0.774 during hold-out testing for discrimination of subsequent SCA. With sensitivity set at 95%, the base model specificity of the SCA ECG-DL model was 31%. Gradient-weighted class activation mapping showed that the SCA ECG-DL model relied most heavily on the QRS complex to make predictions. The performance of the SCA ECG-DL model was similar removing age and sex data (AUROC 0.775) and less reliable when predicting SCA within one month (AUROC 0.734) or between one month and one year (AUROC 0.574). Conclusion: DL interpretation of ECG data is a promising means of screening for SCA, and this method explains differences in SCA’s due to age and sex. Model performance improved when ECGs were obtained at shorter intervals to the incident SCA event, and SCA prediction was more dependent upon QRS complex data than other temporal segments of the ECG.

Influence of Psychological Stress on the Response to Periodontal Treatment: Protocol for a Systematic Review.

The interaction between stress and periodontal treatment is a topic of growing interest. It stands out as a field of research that sheds light on the complexity of oral health in individuals subjected to high levels of emotional stress. This paper aims to provide a protocol for a systematic review to examine the scientific evidence related to the influence of psychological stress on the response to periodontal treatment. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines will be followed, and the study is based on a formulation of PECO (Participants, Exposure, Comparators, and Outcomes) questions. This systematic review will involve a literature search covering studies published from January 2000 to May 2024. It will include searching the PubMed, Web of Science, EBSCOHost, Scopus, and ProQuest databases to identify relevant studies. After selection, data extraction and quality assessment (using the Ottawa-Newcastle Scale) of the included studies will be carried out. The objective is to integrate high-quality evidence on how psychological stress impacts the outcomes of periodontal treatment. Depending on the number and methodological consistency of included studies, the results may be presented by meta-analysis or qualitative synthesis. The current stage of the study consists of selecting studies for the systematic review as outlined by this protocol. The search, screening, and data extraction began in January 2024. The final results are expected by July 2024, with final manuscript submission planned for November 2024. This review will help clarify how psychological factors, such as stress, influence the results of periodontal treatment, providing valuable guidelines for future research and helping clinicians make decisions about the best treatment options for patients. Open Science Framework (OSF) Registries qfs6p; https://osf.io/qfs6p. PRR1-10.2196/56765.

JPOST environment accelerates the reuse and reanalysis of public proteome mass spectrometry data.

jPOST (https://jpostdb.org/) comprises jPOSTrepo (https://repository.jpostdb.org/) (over 2000 projects), a repository for proteome mass spectrometry data, the reanalysis of raw proteome data based on a standardised protocol using UniScore, and jPOSTdb (https://globe.jpostdb.org/) (over 600 datasets), a database that integrates the reanalysed data. The jPOST reanalysis protocol rescores MS/MS spectra using a new scale, UniScore, to evaluate the extent to which the spectral peaks correspond to the amino acid sequences identified by search engines. However, the metadata registered in the repository database is insufficient for conducting the reanalysis. To address this issue, the Japanese Proteomics Society launched a data journal, the Journal of Proteome Data and Methods (JPDM), which accepts data descriptor articles detailing metadata that can be reanalysed. Within jPOST, raw proteome data is reanalysed based on the metadata described in the JPDM data descriptor articles, utilising UniScore. The reanalysed data is deposited in jPOSTdb, and a link to the JPDM articles is added to jPOSTrepo. These reanalysis accelerations within the jPOST environment will promote FAIR data principles and open science.

Important features of bench press performance in non-disabled and Para athletes: A scoping review.

Understanding important features for performance in non-disabled bench press and Paralympic powerlifting may inform talent identification and transfer models. The aim of this scoping review was to describe features associated with bench press performance. We conducted a systematic search of three electronic databases (PubMed, SportDiscus and EMBASE) to identify studies involving non-disabled and Para athlete populations that investigated features related to bench press one-repetition maximum (1RM), across six domains (anthropometric, body composition, demographic, technical, disability and neuromuscular). Search terms included "resistance training", "para powerlifting' and "one repetition max". No date restrictions were include in searches. Studies using adult participants, with at least six-months of bench press experience, who were able to bench press their body mass were included. Thirty-two studies met our inclusion criteria. Twenty-four studies involved non-disabled athletes (total n = 2,686; 21.9% female) and eight involved Para athletes (total n = 2,364; 39.4% female). Anthropometric (17 studies) and body composition (12 studies) features were most studied; half of the 32 studies investigated features from a single domain. Of anthropometric variables, upper arm circumference shared the strongest association with bench press 1RM in non-disabled (r = 0.87) and para-athletes (r = 0.65). Upper limb fat free mass (r = 0.91) and body mass index (r = 0.46) were the body composition variables sharing the strongest association with bench press 1RM in non-disabled and para-athletes. Few studies considering the uncertainty of their results. Practices of open and transparent science, such as pre-registration and data sharing, were absent. The development of bench press talent identification and sport transfer models will require future studies to investigate both non-training and training modifiable features, across multiple domains. Large longitudinal studies using information from athlete monitoring databases and multivariable model approaches are needed to understand the interacting features associated with bench press performance, and for the development of talent identification models.

Assistive Technology to Support Dementia Management: Protocol for a Scoping Review of Reviews.

In Canada, more than 60% of persons living with dementia reside in their own homes, and over 25% rely heavily on their care partners (ie, family members or friends) for assistance with daily activities such as personal hygiene, eating, and walking. Assistive technology (AT) is a key dementia management strategy, helping to maintain health and social support in home and community settings. AT comprises assistive products and services required for safe and effective use. Persons living with dementia and their care partners often require multiple types of AT to maintain their needs, dignity, and autonomy. AT for dementia management is rapidly developing with abundant scientific literature, which can present a challenge to efficiently navigate and extract insightsfor policy and personal decision-making. This scoping review aims to synthesize review-level evidence from published scientific literature on AT to support dementia management for persons living with dementia and their care partners in their homes and communities. Research gaps in knowledge and areas for further investigation into the use and access of AT will be identified. This review will provide an overview of AT types and characteristics and chart the outcomes and conclusions in review-level evidence. This review will follow the Joanna Briggs Institute's framework for conducting scoping reviews and the PRISMA-ScR (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews) guidelines. In total, 6 electronic databases will be searched. Articles will be screened according to the "Population-Concept-Context (PCC)" framework for eligible studies. Population includes persons living with dementia, their care partners, and health care professionals (eg, therapists or others who recommend AT). Concept includes AT and self-help devices of many types. Context includes homes and communities. A data charting template will guide data extraction, charting, and summarization. A descriptive numerical summary and an overview of the findings will be presented. Data, such as (1) article information (eg, author and year), (2) article characteristics (eg, review type), (3) AT types and characteristics, (4) setting and population characteristics, and (5) key review outcomes and conclusions, will be extracted. A total of 10,978 unique citations were identified across the 6 electronic databases. This review is in the full-text screening stage, which is expected to be completed by October 2024. This review will provide a comprehensive understanding and documentation of the published scientific literature on AT to support dementia management. Findings from this review are expected to provide evidence-based insights on the complexities of AT types, uses, availability, and access. The author group's diverse national and international perspectives may contribute to knowledge exchange and influence standards to improve the daily function, safety, and well-being of persons living with dementia. Open Science Framework DKSM9; https://osf.io/dksm9. PRR1-10.2196/57036.

In rod we trust-The evaluation of a virtual rod and frame test as a cybersickness screening instrument.

Although Virtual Reality (VR) holds massive potential, its applicability still faces challenges because some individuals experience cybersickness. This phenomenon includes general discomfort, disorientation, and/or nausea, and it threatens not only a pleasant user experience but also the user's safety. Thus, predicting a user's susceptibility without relying on screening questionnaires that focus on past experiences, would enable more pleasant, safer VR experiences, especially for first-time users. Hence, the current study uses the participant's controller input in a virtual Rod and Frame Test (RFT) as an effortlessly trackable performance measure. The RFT is an established method for measuring an individual's sense of verticality in visually displaced fields. It has been used in the context of simulator sickness and cybersickness. In line with the literature and the subjective vertical mismatch theory, a lower visual dependency is expected to be correlated positively with cybersickness. To evaluate the potential of the RFT as a screening method for cybersickness, a cybersickness-inducing virtual environment (the City) was deployed. In total, data from 76 participants were eligible for the statistical analysis. The study finds a positive correlation between lower visual dependency and cybersickness, but only for the group that took the RFT after experiencing the City and only for the post-RFT cybersickness ratings. As cybersickness symptoms were VR environment-specific, the predictive validity of the RFT considering the VR-specific attributes is limited. Further, other studies attributed different working mechanisms to explain the connection between visual dependence and cybersickness with conflicting evidence. Although the RFT is not applicable as a cybersickness screening method, the effect sizes suggest that the RFT could serve as an additional objective assessment of the individuals' current state during VR exposure. Future research should systematically explore interconnections between the various factors that contribute to cybersickness, pursuing the idea of open science for context sensitivity.

A new series of corpus presentations

The Journal of Language and Aging Research (JLAR) presents a new series of corpus presentations. The series is meant to feature research data suitable for analyzing the processes and manifestations of linguistic aging. Dedicated to the idea of open science, data are presented with regard to the principles of findability, availability, interoperability, and reusability (FAIR). Limitations of open access due to ethical concerns and possible other limitations are discussed. The series of corpus presentations allows for a standardized introduction of newly conceived or established datasets, promotes the exchange, on an empirical basis, of Language and Aging Research (LAR), stimulates the discussion of standards in Research Data Management (RDM), and motivates the further development and sharing of resources and techniques within the community. Faced with age-related bias in artificial intelligence and with copyright issues, settling the provenance of datasets representing older adults and guaranteeing their originality holds immense significance.

Core publications in drug discovery and natural product research

Natural products have long been a cornerstone of drug discovery, providing diverse and biologically relevant chemical scaffolds. This work aims to guide newcomers to natural product research and, specifically, drug discovery by presenting a curated list of 30 key publications selected through an international survey of experts and critical evaluation by the authors. The selected works span textbooks, review articles, and original research papers, covering various aspects of natural product research, including chemistry, pharmacology, analytical sciences, emerging open science, and computational approaches. We discuss historical milestones in natural product drug discovery, highlighting the specific contributions of the U.S. National Cancer Institute in developing anticancer and anti-HIV agents. The present work also addresses current challenges and innovations in the field, emphasizing the importance of data quality, interdisciplinary collaboration, and the integration of artificial intelligence. By providing this carefully selected reading list and accompanying analysis, we aim to offer a comprehensive yet accessible entry point for researchers new to natural product-based drug discovery and highlight future directions and opportunities in this dynamic field.

Involvement of family caregivers in dementia care research: a scoping review protocol.

Family caregivers of people with dementia are a distinct group due to the particularly stressful and time-intensive care situation at home. Despite these challenges, involving them in research is crucial to better understand and address their specific needs. However, little evidence exists regarding a tailored approach for researchers for this group considering their situation at home. A scoping review will be conducted following the Joanna Briggs Institute methodological guidance, including the databases MEDLINE (PubMed), CINAHL, Scopus (Elsevier), and PsycINFO (EBSCO). The review will include family caregivers of people with dementia, regardless of age, gender, or ethnicity, who have been actively involved in research throughout the research process. Moreover, sources of evidence from any country in both English and German are eligible for inclusion. Sources will be screened by two independent reviewers. Results will be extracted using a tailored charting tool and presented in the final report according to the research questions and objectives. Developing a tailored approach to involve family caregivers of people with dementia in research and development has profound importance to both the scientific community and the target group itself. Open Science Framework https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/PMZYV .

Roadmap for a European Open Science Alliance for ATM Research

To meet the future challenges of air transport and air traffic management (ATM), higher levels of transparency and access to the underlying data will be a key enabler. We here propose an Open Science Alliance for ATM, advocating for open data in such a framework. The benefits of adopting an open science approach are to be found, inter alia, through the independent verification and validation of reported impacts/results and achieved performance levels, i.e., through reproducibility. We consider that this can only be achieved through: (1) open access to scientific methods and data utilised; (2) open access to (analytical) code and methods; (3) open review of reported analyses/research. The proper application of such practices will reduce the innovation cycles in ATM, which is much needed by industry and society. Steps for forming an Open Science Alliance for ATM are described. We propose further initial, specific recommendations for supporting open data and improved access for research.