Visualization Software Research Articles

Pedagogical Principles in Implementing a Data Visualization Project in an Undergraduate Public Health Informatics Course.

The Applied Public Health Informatics Competency Model lists "data analysis, visualization, and reporting" as one of the eight competencies when teaching public health informatics. Thus, public health informatics students need to develop knowledge and skills in visualizing public health data. Unfortunately, there is limited work that discusses pedagogical principles that could guide the implementation of pedagogical activities related to data visualization in public health informatics. This study aimed to introduce, discuss, and reflect on pedagogical principles that were implemented for a data visualization project in an undergraduate public health informatics course. A reflective teaching approach was used to guide the discussion and reflection on how pedagogical principles were implemented for a data visualization project in an undergraduate public health informatics course. The generic implementation framework (i.e., preimplementation, implementation, and postimplementation) was used to organize the discussion of the course's implementation. Four pedagogical principles were implemented as part of a data visualization project in an undergraduate public health informatics course: scaffolding (i.e., outputs built on top of each other), constructivism (i.e., students apply knowledge and work in teams to create a dashboard), critical consciousness (i.e., embedding social determinants of health (SDOH) in their dashboard), and equity and inclusion (i.e., using a free data visualization software that is easy to use for beginners and is used by public health institutions). Postimplementation reflection revealed areas of improvement, such as enhancing group advising, adding more SDOH variables in the dashboard, and plans for scalability. A data visualization project in an undergraduate public health informatics course could benefit from implementing multiple pedagogical principles. Overall, creating dashboards can be a learning tool to enhance data visualization skills among undergraduate public health informatics students. Dashboards can also emphasize the impact of health disparities and inequities in public health by incorporating the principles of SDOH.

A Review of Renewable Energy Investment in Belt and Road Initiative Countries: A Bibliometric Analysis Perspective

Since the proposal of the “Belt and Road” initiative (BRI) in 2013, China’s renewable energy investments in the countries along the route have shown rapid growth and diversification. These investments have shifted from initial product exports and engineering contracts to deeper equity investments and financing cooperation. They not only promote a global energy structure transformation towards green and low-carbon development but also bring significant economic growth and social progress to the participating countries. This study aims to systematically review the research status and trends of renewable energy investments in “Belt and Road” countries through comprehensive bibliometric analysis. Utilizing the Web of Science database and VOS viewer 1.6.17 software for visualization, this research reveals the publication trends, high-impact articles, institutional collaborations, and author networks in this field. Additionally, through keyword co-occurrence network analysis, three core research themes are identified: investment motivations, synergy effects, renewable energy consumption, and international cooperation. This systematic bibliometric analysis not only outlines the current research landscape but also provides important insights for identifying emerging research directions, thereby supporting more in-depth investigations into renewable energy investments within the “Belt and Road” initiative.

Assessing inter- and intra-rater reliability of movement scores and the effects of body-shape using a custom visualisation tool: an exploratory study

BackgroundThe literature shows conflicting results regarding inter- and intra-rater reliability, even for the same movement screen. The purpose of this study was to assess inter- and intra-rater reliability of movement scores within and between sessions of expert assessors and the effects of body-shape on reliability during a movement screen using a custom online visualisation software.MethodsKinematic data from 542 athletes performing seven movement tasks were used to create animations (i.e., avatar representations) using motion and shape capture from sparse markers (MoSh). For each task, assessors viewed a total of 90 animations. Using a custom developed visualisation tool, expert assessors completed two identical sessions where they rated each animation on a scale of 1–10. The arithmetic mean of weighted Cohen’s kappa for each task and day were calculated to test reliability.ResultsAcross tasks, inter-rater reliability ranged from slight to fair agreement and intra-rater reliability had slightly better reliability with slight to moderate agreement. When looking at the average kappa values, intra-rater reliability within session with and without body manipulation and between sessions were 0.45, 0.37, and 0.35, respectively.ConclusionsBased on these results, supplementary or alternative methods should be explored and are likely required to increase scoring objectivity and reliability even within expert assessors. To help future research and practitioners, the custom visualisation software has been made available to the public.

Increasing the Confidence of Local Brand Through Package Design and Information Label

Packaging design issues are rapidly gaining the attention of researchers as evidence indicates that most consumers are making choice decisions based on product package design. Furthermore, product information on packaging, such as ingredients and nutrition information, also increases consumers’ attention since consumers are concerned about healthy products. This study seeks to develop a theoretical model to show the effects of consumer attitudes toward visual food packaging and information labels on brand awareness and purchase intention. Six hundred fifty people completed a self-administered online questionnaire based on the literature. The empirical results show that attitudes toward visual packaging and information labels directly impact brand awareness and indirectly (through brand awareness) influence purchase intention. Surprisingly, the comparison between global and local brands shows no differentiation between global and local brands. It means the local brands can compete with the global brands. Additionally, this research indicated no differentiation between high and low business reputations. It implies that consumers in Indonesia have positive perceptions and the same favorability for any brand. This study provides managers with insights emphasizing the visual packaging design factors and informative labels to form consumers’ brand awareness and influence purchase intention.

Airways abnormalities in a prospective cohort of patients with rheumatoid arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) affects roughly 1% of the population and commonly involves the lungs. Of lung involvement in RA, interstitial lung disease (ILD) is well-known; however, airways disease in RA is relatively understudied. What are the baseline airways abnormalities in a prospective cohort of patients with RA based on pulmonary function tests (PFT), high-resolution CT scans (HRCT) and computational imaging analysis and are there associations between these abnormalities and respiratory symptoms? In this single-center study, 188 patients with RA without a clinical diagnosis of ILD underwent HRCT and PFT. Radiologists assessed HRCTs for airway abnormalities. Computational imaging via VIDA Vision software and in-house quantitative CT (qCT) analysis was applied to 147 HRCTs to quantify airway abnormalities. Airways obstruction (FEV1/FVC ratio < 0.7) was present in 20.7% of patients, and associated with older age, male sex and higher smoking rate. Radiologists identified airway abnormalities in 61% of patients-55% had bronchial wall thickening, 12% bronchiectasis, and 5% mosaic attenuation; these airways findings were associated with older age, male sex, lower FEV1, FVC, FEV1/FVC ratios, and higher rates of rheumatoid factor positivity. Prespecified qCT metrics (wall thickening % and emphysema %) correlated with PFT obstruction and more severe respiratory symptoms including shortness of breath and cough. There were high rates of airways abnormalities in this prospective RA cohort based on three methods of detection. There were significant associations between qCT measures and respiratory symptoms. Airways disease may be an under-recognized extra-articular manifestation of RA and qCT may be a sensitive method to detect the clinical impact on respiratory symptoms.

Comparative analysis of allosteric rearrangements in FtsZ protein structure induced by benzamide and 4-hydroxycoumarine compounds

Aim. To reveal allosteric rearrangements of FtsZ molecules arising under the influence of benzamide compounds and 4-hydroxycoumarin derivatives. To discover the key molecular mechanisms predetermining the effect of the specified compounds on the cell division in bacteria. Methods. Comparative analysis of FtsZ protein structures and their complexes with ligands. Application of structural bioinformatics software for molecular visualization, measurement of interatomic distances and approximation of intramolecular shifts based on RMSD indicators. Results. Revealed conformational changes in FtsZ protein molecules, induced by allosteric effectors: 4-hydroxycoumarin – 4HC and benzamide – 9PC (PC-190723). Allosteric deformations and their consequences for intact FtsZ protein molecules, there GTPase domains, H7 helixes and C-terminal domains were studied. Conclusions. It was clarified that the binding of benzamides causes more significant shifts in the structure of the FtsZ protein monomer, its C-terminal domain, and H7 helix. At the same time, 4-hydroxycoumarins deform the structure of the GTPase domain almost twofold effectively. Both classes of compounds prosses allosteric action through unique mechanisms that are largely realized through deformations and displacements of the H7 helix. Despite the fact that these compounds demonstrate different allosteric mechanisms of action, their final effect can be summarized to destructions in GTP pocket, protofilament interfaces and the general geometry of molecule.

Comparison of Visual and Quantra Software Mammographic Density Assessment According to BI-RADS® in 2D and 3D Images.

Mammographic density (MD) assessment is subject to inter- and intra-observer variability. An automated method, such as Quantra software, could be a useful tool for an objective and reproducible MD assessment. Our purpose was to evaluate the performance of Quantra software in assessing MD, according to BI-RADS® Atlas Fifth Edition recommendations, verifying the degree of agreement with the gold standard, given by the consensus of two breast radiologists. A total of 5009 screening examinations were evaluated by two radiologists and analysed by Quantra software to assess MD. The agreement between the three assigned values was expressed as intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs). The agreement between the software and the two readers (R1 and R2) was moderate with ICC values of 0.725 and 0.713, respectively. A better agreement was demonstrated between the software's assessment and the average score of the values assigned by the two radiologists, with an index of 0.793, which reflects a good correlation. Quantra software appears a promising tool in supporting radiologists in the MD assessment and could be part of a personalised screening protocol soon. However, some fine-tuning is needed to improve its accuracy, reduce its tendency to overestimate, and ensure it excludes high-density structures from its assessment.

Novel arthrometer for quantitative clinical examination of the knee in three planes: Safety, reliability, minimum detectable changes, and side-to-side differences in healthy subjects

Physical examination of the knee joint is used to diagnose the type and severity of knee ligament injury; however, these exams are qualitative and subjective. To perform common physical examinations, we developed an arthrometer which quantitatively measures the load–displacement response in anterior-posterior (AP) translation, internal-external rotation (IER) and varus-valgus (VV) rotation. Here we describe safety, reliability, minimum detectable changes (MDCs), and absolute side-to-side differences in twenty young, healthy subjects (ten male, ten female, mean age: 28 ± 6 years). The arthrometer consists of an instrumented mechanical linkage, a force-moment sensor, and software for real-time visualization and recording of the load–displacement responses. During testing, the subject sits reclined in a chair with their knee fixed at 30° of flexion. Two examiners tested both knees of each subject twice to assess reliability via intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC). All subjects completed the test protocol with minimal pain and stated that they would volunteer to be tested again. Each knee required on average five minutes to test. All intra-test reliabilities were excellent (≥0.91). Intra-examiner reliabilities ranged from good to excellent (0.62–0.89), and inter-examiner reliabilities were good to excellent (≥0.72). MDCs for repeat measures were ≤ 4.5 mm, 4.6°, and 2.3° for AP, IER, and VV, respectively. The absolute side-to-side differences for this cohort averaged 3.8 mm in AP, 5.5° in IER, and 2.2° in VV. Our arthrometer was safe, testing was time-efficient, and MDCs in our cohort of healthy subjects support utilization of this device for clinical research.

Critical care in older adults: Research landscape and hotspots from a bibliometric perspective.

As the population ages, there will be an increasing demand for health care resources, particularly in intensive care. Therefore, critically ill older adults are receiving increasing attention and have been extensively studied. However, the research landscape, dynamic patterns, and emerging topics in this area have scarcely been reviewed. This study aimed to delve into the current status and emerging trends (publication volume and research topics) in critical care for older adults (including interventions, outcomes, and complications) using bibliometric analysis. We retrieved original articles and reviews focusing on critical care for older adults published between 2013 and 2022 from the Web of Science core database. To examine and present the research trends, we employed VOSviewer and CiteSpace software for analysis and visualization. The cooperative network of countries and institutions, cocited authorship network, cocited references, and cooccurrence network of keywords were analyzed. Overall, 6356 articles and reviews published between 2013 and 2022 were analyzed, revealing a noticeable upward trend in the number of publications focused on critical care for older adults. In total, 34,654 authors from 7989 institutions across 131 countries collaborated to publish 6356 papers related to critical care for older adults in 1715 academic journals. The United States of America and China were the top contributors in terms of research studies, while Bertrand Guidet was the most prolific author with the highest number of articles. A dual-map overlay of the literature revealed that research papers published in Molecular/Biology/Genetics and Health/Nursing/Medicine journals were frequently referenced in Medicine/Medical/Clinical journals. Older patients with coronavirus disease 2019, delirium, and frailty were new trends and developing areas of interest. This is the first bibliometric study focusing on critical care in older adults. The research topics indicate that a comprehensive geriatric assessment, tailored interventions, and specific therapeutic algorithms among older adults are recommended to improve outcomes. Furthermore, this study provides valuable insights for clinical decision-making, guideline development, and resource allocation in critical care settings.

Digital health and wearable devices for retinal disease monitoring

AbstractDigital health is wielding a growing influence across all areas of healthcare, encompassing various facets such as telemedicine, artificial intelligence (AI), and electronic healthcare records. In Ophthalmology, digital health innovations can be broadly divided into four categories: (i) self-monitoring home devices and apps, (ii) virtual and augmented reality visual aids, (iii) AI software, and (iv) wearables. Wearable devices can work in the background, collecting large amounts of objective data while we do our day-to-day activities, which may be ecologically more valid and meaningful to patients than that acquired in traditional hospital settings. They can be a watch, wristband, piece of clothing, glasses, cane, smartphone in our pocket, earphones, or any other device with a sensor that we carry with us. Focusing on retinal diseases, a key challenge in developing novel therapeutics has been to prove a meaningful benefit in patients’ lives and the creation of objective patient-centred endpoints in clinical trials. In this review, we will discuss wearable devices collecting different aspects of visual behaviour, visual field, central vision, and functional vision, as well as their potential implementation as outcome measures in research/clinical trial settings. The healthcare landscape is facing a paradigm shift. Clinicians have a key role of collaborating with the development and fine-tuning of digital health innovations, as well as identifying opportunities where they can be leveraged to enhance our understanding of retinal diseases and improve patient outcomes.

Retraction Note: Computer vision technology based on image optical processing in visual packaging art design simulation

Retraction Note: Computer vision technology based on image optical processing in visual packaging art design simulation

Research on analytical customer relationship management in China: knowledge map analysis based on Citespace

With the rapid development of the social economy, customers have become the most critical resources of companies, and many companies have taken analytical customer relationship management (CRM) as the magic weapon to improve their core competitiveness. As the main driving force of global economic growth, China currently occupies an essential position in the worldwide economy. Using CiteSpace information visualization software, this paper quantitatively analyzed the relevant research of 98 Web of Science (WoS) studies and 616 Chinese papers in China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) from 2003 to 2023 regarding analytical CRM in China. The research results of analytical CRM in China draw a knowledge mapping to sort out the annual publication volume, topic, publishing institution, and keyword. It was found that Chinese scholars have focused on analytical CRM in China during the last 20 years, and it entered a relatively rapid growth period in 2013, forming a relatively complete body of knowledge. However, the overall number of publications in WoS is low, and the research field is narrow. According to the data, foreign scholars' research has certain limitations, primarily focusing on applying concepts in information technology. The layout between different research topics is scattered and the correlation is low. This paper provides a comprehensive analysis to point out the direction for researchers in the area of analytical CRM to engage in related research, provide data reference, and help to predict the future trend of this research. Future research should fully use big data and information technology and focus on analytical CRM in the network era to help Chinese companies improve their competitiveness.

Bibliometric Analysis Using Vosviewer on Research Trends in Marketing with the Theme of Green Buying Behavior in Google Scholar

This paper aim to explores the emerging focus on environmentally conscious consumer practices. Utilizing a bibliometric approach, the study examines 352 scholarly articles sourced from Google Scholar, utilizing the Publish or Perish application and VOSviewer software for data visualization and mapping. Key findings highlight a steady increase in research interest, particularly after 2021, indicating a growing academic and practical emphasis on green buying behaviors. The study presents a chronological publication trend and identifies the most prolific publishers and researchers in the field. Additionally, the research network's mapping illustrates the central themes and connections among various factors influencing green buying behavior, such as consumer awareness, marketing strategies, and the environmental impact of consumer choices. This comprehensive bibliometric analysis not only charts the evolution of research in this area but also suggests that increased attention to green marketing strategies could significantly influence consumer behavior. This is visually supported by network and density visualizations that depict the relationships and research intensity in the field, pointing to potential future directions for both academic study and practical marketing applications

IMPROVING PURCHASING DECISIONS THROUGH PERCEIVED FOOD QUALITY: AN SERVICE DOMINANT LOGIC (SDL) APPROACH

This study aimed to investigate the impact of visual and verbal packaging on purchasing choices by assessing the perceived quality of food. One hundred seventy-five respondents were surveyed, specifically consumers who purchase MSME food goods in Banyumas Regency, including food, beverages, crafts, and other packaged items. This study employs AMOS structural equation modelling to examine the proposed research model. The findings indicate that visual and verbal packaging benefits the perceived quality of food and influences consumers' purchasing choices. The variable of perceived food quality has a beneficial influence on purchase decisions and can operate as a mediator between visual and verbal packaging regarding buying decisions. The model is grounded in the Service's Dominant logic and the consumption value theory. According to this theory, consumer behaviour is influenced by cognitive and hedonic evaluations that stem from consumption experiences. These experiences highlight the active involvement of consumers in creating value during their interactions with products, including visual packaging, verbal packaging, and perceived food quality.

Analysis of the current status and hot topics in spinal schwannoma imaging research based on bibliometrics.

This study aims to explore the current hot topics and future research trends in spinal schwannoma imaging research, providing a reference for related studies and promoting the development of spinal schwannoma imaging. We conducted a literature search in the Web of Science database using the search terms (((TS = (Spinal schwannoma)) AND TS = (Imaging)) OR TS = (Spinal schwannoma)) AND TS = (image) to retrieve relevant articles. The collected data, including authors, keywords, journals, countries, institutions, and references, were subjected to visual analysis using the visualization software CiteSpace 6.4.2R and VOSviewer 1.6.19. A total of 310 relevant articles were identified. After further screening based on time limits, inclusion, and exclusion criteria, 179 articles were included in the study, consisting of 132 original articles and 42 reviews. These articles were authored by 1,034 authors from 35 countries and 324 institutions and were published in 82 different journals. The included articles cited a total of 6,583 references from 1,314 journals. Although the field of spinal schwannoma imaging research is not a popular research area in the medical community, there has been an increasing international interest in this field in recent years. While China ranks high in terms of the number of published articles, there is still a gap in terms of the quality and research level compared to developed countries in Europe and America. MRI, as the gold standard for diagnosing spinal schwannomas, is expected to be a research hotspot in terms of feature analysis, enhancement characteristics, and quantitative analysis. It is also hoped that China can increase its investment in research and contribute to the field by publishing high-quality articles in the future.

Unveiling customer engagement dynamics in the metaverse: A retrospective bibliometric and topic modelling investigation

This study is a comprehensive retrospective bibliometric and topic modelling analysis of customer engagement within the metaverse. We carefully investigated a sample of 409 articles extracted from the Scopus database and used in this analysis. The aim was to explore the evolution, current state, and emerging trends in this rapidly evolving field. Utilizing advanced bibliometric tools including Biblioshiny and ScientoPy, alongside network visualisation software VOSviewer, we systematically mapped the intellectual landscape, identifying key publications, authors, and institutions that have significantly contributed to the discourse. Furthermore, through machine learning-based Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA) analysis, we dissected the thematic structure of the literature, revealing the predominant topics and their interrelations. Our findings highlighted the dynamic nature of customer engagement strategies in the metaverse, emphasizing Design of Immersive Platforms, Personalisation & Customization, and the Interaction & Participation implications of virtual interactions. This study not only synthesizes existing knowledge but also uncovers gaps in the literature, suggesting directions for future research. By providing a holistic view of the domain, this research serves as a valuable resource for academics, practitioners, and policymakers interested in the intersection of customer engagement and virtual environments.

ColocZStats: a z-stack signal colocalization extension tool for 3D slicer.

Confocal microscopy has evolved to be a widely adopted imaging technique in molecular biology and is frequently utilized to achieve accurate subcellular localization of proteins. Applying colocalization analysis on image z-stacks obtained from confocal fluorescence microscopes is a dependable method of revealing the relationship between different molecules. In addition, despite the established advantages and growing adoption of 3D visualization software in various microscopy research domains, there have been few systems that can support colocalization analysis within a user-specified region of interest (ROI). In this context, several broadly employed biological image visualization platforms are meticulously explored in this study to understand the current landscape. It has been observed that while these applications can generate three-dimensional (3D) reconstructions for z-stacks, and in some cases transfer them into an immersive virtual reality (VR) scene, there is still little support for performing quantitative colocalization analysis on such images based on a user-defined ROI and thresholding levels. To address these issues, an extension called ColocZStats (pronounced Coloc-Zee-Stats) has been developed for 3D Slicer, a widely used free and open-source software package for image analysis and scientific visualization. With a custom-designed user-friendly interface, ColocZStats allows investigators to conduct intensity thresholding and ROI selection on imported 3D image stacks. It can deliver several essential colocalization metrics for structures of interest and produce reports in the form of diagrams and spreadsheets.

Rvisdiff: An R package for interactive visualization of differential expression.

Rvisdiff is an R/Bioconductor package that generates an interactive interface for the interpretation of differential expression results. It creates a local web page that enables the exploration of statistical analysis results through the generation of auto-analytical visualizations. Users can explore the differential expression results and the source expression data interactively in the same view. As input, the package supports the results of popular differential expression packages such as DESeq2, edgeR, and limma. As output, the package generates a local HTML page that can be easily viewed in a web browser. Rvisdiff is freely available at https://bioconductor.org/packages/Rvisdiff/.

A Comprehensive Evaluation Framework of Software Visualizations Effectiveness.

Visualizations are useful in dealing with complex software systems, especially in maintenance and evolution tasks. Software visualization tools can help reduce the cognitive burden on practitioners when trying to understand these systems. However, a major challenge in designing new visualization techniques and tools is evaluating their effectiveness for specific tasks and users. If a visualization tool is not effective for practitioners, they are unlikely to adopt it. Existing evaluation frameworks for visualizations mainly focus on expressiveness, which refers to the ability of the visualization to show all necessary information. However, evaluating the effectiveness of visualizations is an open research problem, especially in terms of quantifying it. To address this problem, we propose a multi-dimensional evaluation framework that focuses on evaluating visualizations in terms of their qualitative, quantitative, and cognitive aspects. The framework includes seven main dimensions and twenty-eight features, with the effectiveness dimension being further subdivided into four sub-dimensions. We validate our framework by using it to evaluate a number of software visualization tools. This validation demonstrates that the framework can be applied to design and evaluate new software visualization techniques and tools.

Flexible electrochemical sensor with 2D-on-2D layered structure for real-time on-site intelligent detection of carbendazim residues on fresh tea leaves

Excessive use of carbendazim (CBZ) for controlling fungal disease may result in pesticide residues in growth environments. There is an urgent requirement for real-time detection of CBZ content to enable rapid assessment of pesticide residues. Herein, a novel electrochemical sensor was created, which utilizes a laser-induced graphene (LIG) electrode modified with two-dimensional (2D) tungsten disulfide (WS2) nanosheets and a poly(L-lysine) (PLL) film to construct a 2D-on-2D layered structure. The PLL/WS2/LIG electrode exhibits strong charge transfer, excellent electrocatalytic performance, and high CBZ adsorption capacity, thus leading to enhanced sensitivity. As a result, the sensor exhibits a low detection limit of 1.2 ng/mL (6.2 nM), high sensitivity up to 135.1 μA(μg/mL)−1cm−2, and a wide response range of 0.01 to 1.5 μg/mL. Moreover, an intelligent analysis system, consisting of a portable device that connects to an online cloud platform equipped with a machine learning model and visualization software, has been developed for the real-time detection of CBZ residues on tea leaves in tea plantations. This study demonstrates that the PLL/WS2/LIG sensor and the intelligent analysis system have great potential to monitor pesticide residues to guarantee food safety.