Scientific Publication Output Research Articles

Factors that affect scientific publication in Africa-A gender perspective.

A large body of literature on gender differences in scientific publication output has clearly established that women scientists publish less that men do. Yet, no single explanation or group of explanations satisfactorily accounts for this difference, which has been called the "productivity puzzle". To provide a more refined portrait of the scientific publication output of women in relation to that of their male peers, we conducted a web-based survey in 2016 of individual researchers across all African countries, except Libya. The resulting 6,875 valid questionnaires submitted by respondents in the STEM, Health Science and SSH fields were analyzed using multivariate regressions on the self-reported number of articles published in the preceding 3 years. Controlling for a variety of variables including career stage, workload, mobility, research field, and collaboration, we measured the direct and moderating effect of gender on scientific production of African researchers. Our results show that, while women's scientific publication output is positively affected by collaboration and age (impediments to women's scientific output decrease later in their careers), it is negatively impacted by care-work and household chores, limited mobility, and teaching hours. Women are as prolific when they devote the same hours to other academic tasks and raise the same amount of research funding as their male colleagues. Our results lead us to argue that the standard academic career model, relying on continuous publications and regular promotions, assumes a masculine life cycle that reinforces the general perception that women with discontinuous careers are less productive than their male colleagues, and systematically disadvantages women. We conclude that the solution resides beyond women's empowerment, i.e., in the broader institutions of education and the family, which have an important role to play in fostering men's equal contribution to household chores and care-work.

PENGOLAHAN UBI KAYU MENJADI MAKANAN TELA - TELA DALAM MENINGKATKAN EKONOMI MASYARAKAT DIMASA PANDEMI DI KELURAHAN LUMUT KECAMATAN LUMUT KABUPATEN TAPANULI TENGAH

The purpose of implementing this community partnership program (PKM) service is (1) understanding PKM in the Lumut Village community, (2) understanding in Processing Cassava into Tela - Tela Food, (3) understanding business management management. The method of implementing cassava processing activities into Tela - Tela food includes five stages, namely: (1) Introduction stage, (2) Socialization and audience stage, (3) Training and Processing Stage, (4) making product, (5) . Final Evaluation Stage. PKM community service partners are the Lumut Village Community, Lumut District, Central Tapanuli Regency. This program is carried out as an effort to add insight to the community and PKK mothers in processing Cassava. This activity is also useful as an innovation in making products, namely Tela - Tela Food from Cassava and improving the economy of local residents. This program is expected to run well and increase public awareness. The result of this mentoring program is the expected output of scientific publications in proceedings and national journals with ISSN.
 Keywords: Cassava Processing, Into Food Tela - Tela

Scope, trends and opportunities for socio-hydrology research in Africa: A bibliometric analysis

Socio-hydrology research is concerned with the understanding of how humanity interacts with water resources. The purpose of this study was to assess the disparity between global and African trends as well as developments in the research domain of socio-hydrology. From the viewpoint of a multitude of research themes, multi-author collaborations between African and international researchers and the number of publications produced globally, the results reveal that the field of socio-hydrology is still underdeveloped and yet nascent. At a global level, the USA, China, and the Netherlands have the highest number of scientific publications, while in Africa, South Africa dominates, although these scientific publications are significantly much lower than the global output. The output of scientific publications on socio-hydrology research from Africa increased from 2016, with significant output reached in 2019. Water management and supply, hydrological modelling, flood monitoring as well as policies and decision-making, are some of the dominant themes found through keywords co-occurrence analysis. These main keywords may be considered as the foci of research in socio-hydrology. Although socio-hydrology research is still in the early stages of development in Africa, the cluster and emerging themes analysis provide opportunities for research in Africa that will underpin new frontiers of the research agenda encompassing topics such as the (1) impacts of climate change on socio-hydrology; (2) influence of socio-hydrology on water resources such as surface water and groundwater; (3) benefits of socio-hydrological models on river basins and (4) role of socio-hydrology in economic sectors such as agriculture. Overall, this study points to a need to advance socio-hydrology research in Africa in a bid to address pressing water crises that affect sustainable development as well as to understand the feedback mechanisms and linkages between water resources and different sectors of society.Significance: The field of socio-hydrology is still under-researched in Africa. Limited research could be attributed to a lack of expertise, resources and data limitations Socio-hydrology research is likely to be strengthened through collaborations between Africa and other developed countries. Existing gaps present opportunities to advance socio-hydrology research in Africa.

Gene Therapy "Made in Germany": A Historical Perspective, Analysis of the Status Quo, and Recommendations for Action by the German Society for Gene Therapy.

Gene therapies have been successfully applied to treat severe inherited and acquired disorders. Although research and development are sufficiently well funded in Germany and while the output of scientific publications and patents is comparable with the leading nations in gene therapy, the country lags noticeably behind with regard to the number of both clinical studies and commercialized gene therapy products. In this article, we give a historical perspective on the development of gene therapy in Germany, analyze the current situation from the standpoint of the German Society for Gene Therapy (DG-GT), and define recommendations for action that would enable our country to generate biomedical and economic advantages from innovations in this sector, instead of merely importing advanced therapy medicinal products. Inter alia, we propose (1) to harmonize and simplify regulatory licensing processes to enable faster access to advanced therapies, and (2) to establish novel coordination, support and funding structures that facilitate networking of the key players. Such a center would provide the necessary infrastructure and know-how to translate cell and gene therapies to patients on the one hand, and pave the way for commercialization of these promising and innovative technologies on the other. Hence, these courses of action would not only benefit the German biotech and pharma landscape but also the society and the patients in need of new treatment options.

Evaluating quality of science in CGIAR research programs: Use of bibliometrics

When evaluating Quality of Science (QoS) in the context of development initiatives, it is essential to define adequate criteria. The objective of this perspective paper is to show how altmetric and bibliometric indicators have been used to support the evaluation of QoS in the 2020 Review of the Phase 2-CGIAR Research Programs (CRPs, 2017–2022), where, for the first time, the Quality of Research for Development (QoR4D) frame of reference has been utilized across the entire CGIAR CRP portfolio. Overall, the CRP review showed a significant output of scientific publications during the period 2017–2020, with 4,872 articles, 220,101 references, and 7.1 citations per article. Additionally, wider interest in scientific publications is demonstrated by good to high altmetrics, with average attention scores ranging from 70.8 to 806.9 with an average of 425.1. The use of selected bibliometrics was shown to be an adequate tool, for use together with other qualitative indicators to evaluate the QoS in the 12 CRPs. The CRP review process clearly demonstrated that standardized, harmonized and consistent data on research output is paramount to provide high-quality quantitative instruments and should be a priority throughout the transition toward One CGIAR. Therefore, we conclude that the QoR4D framework should be augmented by standardized bibliometric indicators embedded in measurement frameworks within the new One CGIAR. Finally, its practical utilization in monitoring and evaluation should be supported with clear guidelines.

Factors to improve academic publishing success of physicians engaged in scientific research

IntroductionScientific evidence in medicine is based on data generated from research. Recently, the number of scientifically active physicians has decreased, which has led to the development of the Clinician Scientist Programs. To better structure and focus the research of young physicians, we aimed to investigate the impact of collaborations and other factors on the quality and output of scientific publications. MethodsThe abstracts of three annual congresses of the German Society of Urology were systematically analysed regarding content, collaborations, and study design. Full-text publications and journals were identified through a MEDLINE® search. Impact factors (IFs) were identified using Journal Citation Reports™. To identify factors which predict publication and IFs, χ2 and Wilcoxon rank-sum tests were used. Uni- and multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed to assess the best model for publication success for an abstract as well as the achievement of a high IF. Results1,074 abstracts were reviewed. The publication rate of subsequent peer-reviewed full-text publications was 52.5%. Collaborations with at least one institution (odds ratio (OR) 2.02, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.48–2.76, p <0.0001), statistical analysis (OR 1.92, 95% CI 1.41–2.60, p <0.0001), study design (prospective vs. retrospective: OR 1.43, 95% CI 1.06–1.93, p=0.021), and national collaborations (OR 1.43, 95% CI 1.04–1.98, p=0.029) increased the likelihood of publication in a peer-reviewed journal in a multivariable logistic regression analysis. Experimental design (OR 2.77, 95% CI 1.32–5.84, p=0.007), international collaborations (OR 2.26, 95% CI 1.23-4.15, p=0.009), oncologic topics (OR 1.94, 95% CI 1.23–3.07, p=0.005), prostate disease (OR 1.75, 95% CI 1.08–2.84, p=0.023), and statistical analysis (OR 1.68, 95% CI 1.06–2.64, p=0.026) were associated with a higher IF. ConclusionAbstracts resulting from collaborative research projects had a higher likelihood of subsequent full-text publication and a higher IF. More full-text publications were reported when abstracts included a statistical analysis. Hence, intensive networking (e. g. at congresses and workshops) of researching physicians as well as statistical/biometrical classes could be key factors to improve academic success.

Welcome to PASJ: A New Frontier in Pan-African Scientific Studies

Dear PASJ Readers, On behalf of the editorial board of Pan African Science Journal (PASJ), I take this opportunity to introduce to you Pan African Science Journal (PASJ) which is a new journal with focus on physical and life sciences. The PASJ publishes on a bi-monthly basis. We publish editorial notes, review articles, full research articles, letters to and case studies on all aspects of physical and life sciences under the topics of Microbiology, Molecular Biology, Public Health, Biotechnology, Biochemistry, Botany, Zoology, Environmental Ecology and Fisheries &amp; Aquatic Ecology. PASJ editorial team consists of young and vibrant scientists and academicians from various parts of the world whose scientific specializations covers all the designated journal topics. The highly qualified and dedicated expert editorial team will endeavor to professionally guide the entire PASJ publication process.  PASJ comes as a unique international journal whose major focus is to promote African scientific works and publication standards through contribution to the dissemination of scientific knowledge and opinion that emanate from Africa and beyond. PASJ’s main aim is to upscale the quality of scientific output, specifically by Africans/within Africa, through playing a pivotal role in affordably, effectively and efficiently publishing of high-quality scientific work, while adhering to and upholding all the internationally binding scientific publication ethics and standards. It aims at bridging the wide gap that exists in scientific publication output between the researchers/academicians from developed and developing countries such as African nations. The inauguration of PASJ comes at a time when the contribution of science to solving major global problems such as climate change, food insecurity, environmental pollution and emerging infectious diseases such as the COVID 19 is key. I hope that we will support each other in this journey to progress and ensure that the PASJ professionally drives its mandate and continue to achieve the purpose for its formation to ensure that it becomes a reputable Journal of choice in Africa and beyond. Thank you, and we welcome you as we engage and corporate in this new and exciting journey.

Bibliometric evaluation of orthopaedics and traumatology publications from France: 20-year trends (1998–2017) and international positioning

BackgroundLittle is known about the scientific publication output for individual countries and medical specialties. The contribution of French authors to the currently expanding volume of publications on orthopaedics and traumatology (OT) is unclear. Orthopaedics & Traumatology: Surgery & Research (OTSR) is an English-language version of a preexisting French journal that was launched in 2009 to increase the dissemination of research done in France. The objective of this study was to use Web of Science (WoS) data from 1998 to 2017 to determine (i) the contribution of OT publications to the total worldwide volume of scientific publications, (ii) the contribution of OT publications from France to the total worldwide volume of OT publications, and (iii) changes over time in the proportion of OT publications from France with special attention to potential effects of the creation of OTSR. HypothesisThe proportion of OT publications from France increased after 2010–2012, indicating a positive effect of OTSR. Material and methodsWoS data were used to identify original studies and review articles written by at least one French author, published between 1998 and 2017, and dealing with OT (defined as orthopaedics and/or traumatology in adult and/or paediatric patients). The worldwide volumes of publications in OT and other specialties were compared. Within worldwide OT publications, the proportion from France was determined. Indicators of impact were evaluated during successive 5-year periods. Finally, the position of OT in worldwide research was assessed and OT journals were analysed. ResultsAmong worldwide scientific medical publications, the proportion dealing with OT increased year on year from 1.93% in 1998 to 2.65% in 2017. Among annual publications from France, the proportion dealing with OT rose similarly, from 1.32% to 2.40%. Over the 20-year study period, France moved from the sixth to the ninth position, chiefly due to a large increase in publications from Asia. However, France remained in third position among European countries and increased its OT production 3-fold between 1998 and 2017. The proportion of OT articles from France that ranked among the top 1% most cited articles increased by 65% from 2008–2012 (20 articles) to 2013–2017 (33 articles), and the proportion in the top 10% increased by 31.8% (211 in 2008–2012 and 278 in 2013–2017). This rate of progression was faster than in any of the other western countries. Between 1998–2011 and 2012–2017, the contribution of French OT to publication output showed a 1.56-fold greater increase than did the contribution of OT to the worldwide volume of scientific medical publications. DiscussionOT publications from France have kept pace with the steady increase seen worldwide over the last 20years. Although the US and UK remain in the lead, and despite the considerable growth in the output of Asian countries, France occupies a prominent position on the international OT scene. The creation of OTSR has elevated the international profile of French OT centres. Level of evidenceIV, retrospective study with no control group.

The harsh world of publishing in emerging regions and implications for editors and publishers: The case of Vietnam

This article discusses the emergence of academic publishing in a fast‐growing transition economy, Vietnam, where the race has heated up to publish in international journals, preferably with a high impact factor, and to accelerate the indexing of domestic journals. Within the fields of SSH alone, the publication output grew by 17% a year in the 2008–2018 period, encouraged by government policies and financial incentives for researchers. This review demonstrates an environment where there is sufficient financial growth to support increased R&amp;D but limited skills and knowledge of how to increase quality publication output, either within national or international journals. The article highlights the drivers of increasing scientific publication output, as well as the traps and pitfalls that follow this competition. It suggests that there are opportunities for publishers and other organizations to improve ethical and practical publishing issues and to develop co‐publishing agreements that will increase the visibility of the country in international academia. The article indicates the harsh reality of pursuing higher publishing standards in academia, a world that has long been dominated by authors and publishers from industrialized countries.

Scientific publication in obstetrics and gynecology from Mainland China and other top-ranking countries: A 10-year survey of the literature.

To evaluate the output of scientific publications in obstetrics and gynecology journals from Mainland China and six other countries, to compare the difference of research situation between Mainland China and the developed countries in order to measure the trend of number of publication in the field of Obstetrics and Gynecology. Information on article amounts, impact factors (IF), citation and publication in high-impact obstetrics and gynecology journals by seven top-ranking countries between January 1, 2007 and August 31, 2017, was extracted from Web of Science databases. A total of 137 661 articles were published between 2007 and 2017 in the 98 obstetrics and gynecology journals. The cumulative IF and citations of articles from USA were the highest. The highest average citation was France and Mainland China ranked fourth. There were 52 631 papers published in the top 10 obstetrics and gynecology journals and the USA accounted for the majority of these papers (33 978, 64.6%), followed by England (8347, 15.9%). Articles from the USA were most often published in American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology (10658) and those from Mainland China were mostly published in Fertility and Sterility (809). The USA published the most articles having high IF, making the greatest contribution to the field of obstetrics and gynecology. Although the number of scientific publications from Mainland China has rapidly increased from 2007 to 2017, the quality of these publications has not been as satisfactory. It implys that Chinese current academic evaluation system should pay special attention to the quality of academic papers, instead of the number of papers published by scientists.

The other "meta" of meta-analysis: Qualitative and text-based approaches to "analysis of analyses" in marketing

In the exponential growth of scientific publication output and the growing maturity of the marketing discipline, doing literature and research reviews has become more than just a research convention, but rather a proper form of research. However, despite increasing attention and the number of published guides and handbooks, review methodologies tend to evolve in the direction of statistical meta-analyses, thus not only neglecting the knowledge-advancing potential of qualitative work, but also contributing to the widening of the qualitative-quantitative divide. By bringing attention to qualitative review methodologies and introducing a categorization of meta approaches informed by the insights from the sociology of knowledge, this critical review paper suggests that a stronger focus on text-based methods applied to the analysis of (marketing) literature can enrich (marketing) research, both in terms of methodologies and new knowledge generation.

Anatomy of use-inspired researchers: From Pasteur’s Quadrant to Pasteur’s Cube model

Pasteur’s Quadrant model, published by Stokes in 1997, presents a two-dimensional abstract conceptual framework that proved immensely helpful to study and discuss institutional and policy arrangements in science. However, during the last 10 years the PQ model was also applied in a series of large-scale, survey-based studies worldwide to classify individual modern-day researchers according to their research orientation and performance.This paper argues that such applications are inadequate to capture key characteristics of individual researchers, especially those within the heterogeneous ‘Pasteur type’ group who engage in ‘use-inspired’ basic scientific research. Addressing this shortcoming, Pasteur’s Cube (PC) model introduces a new heuristic tool. Departing from a three-dimensional conceptual framework of research-related activities, the model enables a range of typologies to describe and study the large variety of academics at today’s research-intensive universities. The PC model’s analytical robustness was tested empirically in two interrelated ‘proof of concept’ studies: an exploratory survey among 150 European universities and a follow-up case study of Leiden University in the Netherlands. Both studies, collecting data for the years 2010–2015, applied a metrics-based taxonomy to classify individual academic researchers according to four performance categories: scientific publication output, research collaboration with the business sector, patents filings, and being engaging in entrepreneurial activities.The collective results of both studies provide more clarity on relevant subgroups of use-inspired researchers. The PC model can be used to guide empirical, metrics-based investigations of research activities and productivities, applies this approach to two case studies, and demonstrates the utility of the method while also reinforcing and enriching the growing body of literature showing that cross-sectoral and cross-functional research activities are more scientifically productive than research carried out in isolation of the context of use. Introducing the ‘Crossover Collaborator’ subtype helps to explain why Pasteur type researchers tend to outperform other types of researchers in terms of publication output and citation impact.

Aflatoxin – Publication analysis of a global health threat

BackgroundAs a metabolite of Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus parasiticus, Aflatoxin is a carcinogenic and mutagenic mycotoxin that is confirmed as a class-1 agent. It contaminates the most of our staple foods, affecting 25% of global crops. It is a global threat to human health by causing liver cancer in conjunction with Hepatitis B. Developing countries are particularly at risk not only because of the climatic but also of the agricultural production conditions. Climatic change and the intensification of global trading are also enhancing the risk of the global contamination. The overall health effects are dramatic. MethodsTherefore, we choose this mycotoxin for an in-depth analysis of its global scientific publication output. The focus is on the geographical and chronological facts and trends, the international networks and the development of research fields. For this purpose, the bibliometric data was collected in the Web of Science database and interpreted according to a variety of scientometric parameters. ResultsThe results show a superiority of the USA regarding the absolute publication numbers that was taken over by China in 2016. Not only the dramatic incidence and prevalence rates of liver cancer and the high Aflatoxin contamination rate in China, but also the immense increase of the expenditure for research and development play a role.In relation to the integration of socio-economic features other countries emerge, i.e. Tunesia, Nigeria or Egypt. Other severely affected countries of Africa, Asia and South-America show a relatively low publication output. India, as an emerging country, achieves a considerably high output. Here, the health hazards are threatening and resulted in an outbreak of Aflatoxicosis induced Hepatitis in 1974. Although an outbreak of Aflatoxicosis in Kenya caused the deaths of 120 people, Kenyan research output is relatively low. The analyses of the distribution over time in 5-year intervals showed the relative decrease of the research area Oncology, whereas Food Science & Technology gained proportionally importance. ConclusionsFor future Aflatoxin studies, it is extremely important to carry out projects with the participation of the most affected countries and to support and enhance the knowledge growth of the individual farmers to establish more adapted production practices.

Evaluating the outcomes and processes of a research-action partnership: The need for continuous reflective evaluation

Background: The KwaZulu-Natal Sandstone Sourveld (KZNSS) Research Programme is part of a collaborative, transdisciplinary research partnership between the University of KwaZulu-Natal and the eThekwini Municipality (EM), aimed at bridging the science-policy-practice gap. The research programme focuses on generating knowledge and capacity to support local land-use planning, management and policy development related to biodiversity and climate change issues. Objectives: The objectives were (1) to describe how a continuous reflective evaluation approach helped to better understand the research programme and its outcomes; and (2) to assess research outputs and outcomes, relevance of outcomes to the requirements of EM, and participants’ perceptions of the programme (both the outcomes and the process). Methods: The evaluation took a mixed methods approach, combining various quantitative and qualitative methods such as anonymous individual questionnaires, reflective exercises and group reflections. Results: The KZNSS programme was successful in capacity building and establishing a long-term partnership, but had lower scientific publication output and practice uptake than expected. Participants’ perceptions changed over time, with a decrease in the perceived success of addressing tangible research outcomes, and an increase in the perceived success of collaborative relationships in the partnership. Conclusion: Transdisciplinary partnerships can be a means of integrating research into policy and practice through knowledge exchange. An important lesson in the early stages of this partnership was to pay attention to the process and not only the outputs. The study highlights the importance of continuous participatory reflection and evaluation in such partnerships.

Astrophysicists on Twitter

Purpose– The purpose of this paper is to analyze the tweeting behavior of 37 astrophysicists on Twitter and compares their tweeting behavior with their publication behavior and citation impact to show whether they tweet research-related topics or not.Design/methodology/approach– Astrophysicists on Twitter are selected to compare their tweets with their publications from Web of Science. Different user groups are identified based on tweeting and publication frequency.Findings– A moderate negative correlation (ρ=−0.339) is found between the number of publications and tweets per day, while retweet and citation rates do not correlate. The similarity between tweets and abstracts is very low (cos=0.081). User groups show different tweeting behavior such as retweeting and including hashtags, usernames and URLs.Research limitations/implications– The study is limited in terms of the small set of astrophysicists. Results are not necessarily representative of the entire astrophysicist community on Twitter and they most certainly do not apply to scientists in general. Future research should apply the methods to a larger set of researchers and other scientific disciplines.Practical implications– To a certain extent, this study helps to understand how researchers use Twitter. The results hint at the fact that impact on Twitter can neither be equated with nor replace traditional research impact metrics. However, tweets and other so-called altmetrics might be able to reflect other impact of scientists such as public outreach and science communication.Originality/value– To the best of the knowledge, this is the first in-depth study comparing researchers’ tweeting activity and behavior with scientific publication output in terms of quantity, content and impact.

Animal Welfare Science: Recent Publication Trends and Future Research Priorities

Animal welfare science is a young and thriving field. Over the last two decades, the output of scientific publications on welfare has increased by c. 10-15% annually (tripling as a proportion of all science papers logged by ISI’s Web of Science), with just under half the c. 8500 total being published in the last 4 years. These papers span an incredible 500+ journals, but around three quarters have been in 80 animal science, veterinary, ethology, conservation and specialized welfare publications, and nearly 25% are published in just two: Animal Welfare and Applied Animal Behaviour Science. Farmed animals – especially mammals – have attracted by far the most research. This broadly reflects the vastness of their populations and the degree of public concern they elicit; poultry, however, are under-studied, and farmed fish ever more so: fish have only recently attracted welfare research, and are by far the least studied of all agricultural species, perhaps because of ongoing doubts about their sentience. We predict this farm animal focus will continue in the future, but embracing more farmed fish, reptiles and invertebrates, and placing its findings within broader international contexts such as environmental and food security concerns. Laboratory animals have been consistently well studied, with a shift in recent years away from primates and towards rodents. Pets, the second largest animal sector after farmed animals, have in contrast been little studied considering their huge populations (cats being especially overlooked): we anticipate research on them increasing in the future. Captive wild animals, especially mammals, have attracted a consistent level of welfare research over the last two decades. Given the many thousands of diverse species kept by zoos, this must, and we predict will, increase. Future challenges and opportunities including refining the use of preference tests, stereotypic behaviour, corticosteroid outputs and putative indicators of positive affect, to enable more valid conclusions about welfare; investigating the evolution and functions of affective states; and last but not least, identifying which taxonomic groups and stages of development are actually sentient and so worthy of welfare concern.

Ten Simple Rules for Writing a Literature Review

Literature reviews are in great demand in most scientific fields. Their need stems from the ever-increasing output of scientific publications [1]. For example, compared to 1991, in 2008 three, eight, and forty times more papers were indexed in Web of Science on malaria, obesity, and biodiversity, respectively [2]. Given such mountains of papers, scientists cannot be expected to examine in detail every single new paper relevant to their interests [3]. Thus, it is both advantageous and necessary to rely on regular summaries of the recent literature. Although recognition for scientists mainly comes from primary research, timely literature reviews can lead to new synthetic insights and are often widely read [4]. For such summaries to be useful, however, they need to be compiled in a professional way [5]. When starting from scratch, reviewing the literature can require a titanic amount of work. That is why researchers who have spent their career working on a certain research issue are in a perfect position to review that literature. Some graduate schools are now offering courses in reviewing the literature, given that most research students start their project by producing an overview of what has already been done on their research issue [6]. However, it is likely that most scientists have not thought in detail about how to approach and carry out a literature review. Reviewing the literature requires the ability to juggle multiple tasks, from finding and evaluating relevant material to synthesising information from various sources, from critical thinking to paraphrasing, evaluating, and citation skills [7]. In this contribution, I share ten simple rules I learned working on about 25 literature reviews as a PhD and postdoctoral student. Ideas and insights also come from discussions with coauthors and colleagues, as well as feedback from reviewers and editors.

CDAPubMed: a browser extension to retrieve EHR-based biomedical literature.

BackgroundOver the last few decades, the ever-increasing output of scientific publications has led to new challenges to keep up to date with the literature. In the biomedical area, this growth has introduced new requirements for professionals, e.g., physicians, who have to locate the exact papers that they need for their clinical and research work amongst a huge number of publications. Against this backdrop, novel information retrieval methods are even more necessary. While web search engines are widespread in many areas, facilitating access to all kinds of information, additional tools are required to automatically link information retrieved from these engines to specific biomedical applications. In the case of clinical environments, this also means considering aspects such as patient data security and confidentiality or structured contents, e.g., electronic health records (EHRs). In this scenario, we have developed a new tool to facilitate query building to retrieve scientific literature related to EHRs.ResultsWe have developed CDAPubMed, an open-source web browser extension to integrate EHR features in biomedical literature retrieval approaches. Clinical users can use CDAPubMed to: (i) load patient clinical documents, i.e., EHRs based on the Health Level 7-Clinical Document Architecture Standard (HL7-CDA), (ii) identify relevant terms for scientific literature search in these documents, i.e., Medical Subject Headings (MeSH), automatically driven by the CDAPubMed configuration, which advanced users can optimize to adapt to each specific situation, and (iii) generate and launch literature search queries to a major search engine, i.e., PubMed, to retrieve citations related to the EHR under examination.ConclusionsCDAPubMed is a platform-independent tool designed to facilitate literature searching using keywords contained in specific EHRs. CDAPubMed is visually integrated, as an extension of a widespread web browser, within the standard PubMed interface. It has been tested on a public dataset of HL7-CDA documents, returning significantly fewer citations since queries are focused on characteristics identified within the EHR. For instance, compared with more than 200,000 citations retrieved by breast neoplasm, fewer than ten citations were retrieved when ten patient features were added using CDAPubMed. This is an open source tool that can be freely used for non-profit purposes and integrated with other existing systems.

Bibliometric assessment of publication output of child and adolescent psychiatric/psychological affiliations between 2005 and 2010 based on the databases PubMed and Scopus

We aimed to determine the quantitative scientific publication output of child and adolescent psychiatric/psychological affiliations during 2005-2010 by country based on both, "PubMed" and "Scopus" and performed a bibliometric qualitative evaluation for 2009 using "PubMed". We performed our search by affiliation related to child and adolescent psychiatric/psychological institutions using "PubMed". For the quantitative analysis for 2005-2010, we counted the number of abstracts. For the qualitative analysis for 2009 we derived the impact factor of each abstract's journal from "Journal Citation Reports". We related total impact factor scores to the gross domestic product (GDP) and population size of each country. Additionally, we used "Scopus" to determine the number of abstracts for each country that was identified via "PubMed" for 2009 and compared the ranking of countries between the two databases. 61% of the publications between 2005 and 2010 originated from European countries and 26% from the USA. After adjustment for GDP and population size, the ranking positions changed in favor of smaller European countries with a population size of less than 20 million inhabitants. The ranking of countries for the count of articles in 2009 as derived from "Scopus" was similar to that identified via the "PubMed" search. The performed search revealed only minor differences between "Scopus" and "PubMed" related to the ranking of countries. Our data indicate a sharp difference between countries with a high versus low GDP with regard to scientific publication output in child and adolescent psychiatry/psychology.

Novel molecular combination deriving from natural aminoacids and polyphenols: Design, synthesis and free-radical scavenging activities

Following the recent output of scientific publications in the matter of synergic activity between different antioxidants, we have undertaken the present study with the aim to synthesize new molecules with radical-scavengers activity based on the conjugation of bioactive portions (i.e. phenols, cysteine, methionine or tyrosine), characterized by different structures and mechanisms of action, to promote the simultaneous quenching of different radical species in the site of the oxidative damage. In this context, derivatives of phenolic acid, aminoacids and dopamine have been also prepared. The newly synthesized compounds were evaluated in vitro applying specific and complementary antioxidant test such as DPPH assay and ORAC test. As emerged from the evaluation, prerequisites for the activity of the synthesized molecules were: i) the maintenance of at least two hydroxylic groups on the aromatic moiety of phenolic portion, ii) the presence of a spacer between the aromatic moiety and the carbonilic group.