Web Of ScienceTM Databases Research Articles

Evaluation of the Impact of Rainfall Inputs on Urban Rainfall Models: A Systematic Review

Over the past several decades, urban flooding and other water-related disasters have become increasingly prominent and serious. Although the urban rain flood model’s benefits for urban flood simulation have been extensively documented, the impact of rainfall input to model simulation accuracy remains unclear. This systematic review aims to provide structured research on how rain inputs impact urban rain flood model’s simulation accuracy. The selected 48 peer-reviewed journal articles published between 2015 and 2019 on the Web of Science™ database were analyzed by key factors, including rainfall input type, calibration times and verification times. The results from meta-analysis reveal that when a traditional rain measurement was used as the rainfall input, model simulation accuracy was higher, i.e., the Nash–Sutcliffe efficiency coefficient (NSE) of traditional technology for rain measurement was higher than the 0.18 for the new technology rain measurement with respect to flow simulation. In addition, the single-field sub-flood calibration model was better than the multi-field sub-flood calibration model. NSE was higher than 0.14. The precision was better for the verification period; NSE of the calibration value showed a 0.07 higher verification value on average in flow simulation. These findings have certain significance for the development of future urban rain flood models and propose the development direction of the future urban rain flood model. Finally, in view of the rainfall input problem of the urban storm flood model, we propose the future development direction of the urban storm flood model.

A Review of Recent Phytomedicinal Investigations and the Need for DNA Barcoding of Endemic Plants of Northern Cyprus

Aims: To review the phytomedicinal researches on endemic plants of Northern Cyprus and to assess the plants of their DNA barcoding status.
 Study Design: A review.
 Methodology: This work reviewed available and accessible original articles in EBSCO, Ovid MEDLINE®, PubMed®, ScienceDirectTM, Scopus® and Web of ScienceTM databases on phytomedicinal investigations and BOLD System, MMDBD version 1.5 and GenBank® on DNA barcodes of the endemic plants of Northern Cyprus until May, 2020. Using keywords searches related to phytochemistry, biological activity and DNA barcoding, DNA Sequences and the data obtain evaluated and the information that does not meet the inclusion criteria were excluded. We believe that this information would tentatively help researchers to ethically explore these plants for their Medicinal and Aromatic potentials.
 Results: Only 6 of the 20 endemic plants of Northern Cyprus were phytopharmaceutically investigated, while DNA sequences of 5 were found to be deposited in the publicly accessible databases accounting for 30% and 25% of the total plants respectively.
 Conclusion: Endemism is related to uniqueness in features including the phytomedicinal features, thus Northern Cyprus endemic plants hold ample of such. However the results of this review showed that only few were harnessed for their medicinal properties and hence the need for their pharmacological properties and comprehensive barcoding for proper authentication, detection of adulteration, and quality control.

Emotional management of the health crisis by coronavirus: A narrative review

ObjetivoRealizar una síntesis de la evidencia científica disponible en el manejo emocional ante la crisis sanitaria declarada frente al coronavirus.MétodoSe realizó una búsqueda bibliográfica, sin límite de fecha, en las bases de datos Medline, CINAHL®, PsycINFO®, Scopus y Web of Science™ empleando como palabras clave las siguientes: «emotional management», «health crisis» y «health crisis response». Inicialmente, se identificaron 73 estudios y, tras seleccionarlos según criterios de elegibilidad, se incluyeron 10.ResultadosLas principales recomendaciones según la evidencia disponible indican medidas de manejo emocional como ofrecer grupos de apoyo a profesionales, garantizar su no discriminación social, fortalecer su confianza y capacidad de control mediante acciones formativas, así como reforzar el reconocimiento de las enfermeras por parte de la comunidad.Discusión y conclusionesLa evidencia acumulada procede de la experiencia ante los brotes epidémicos anteriores por coronavirus SARS-CoV-1 y MERS-CoV. El estrés fue el aspecto más estudiado, en relación con cuestiones como el estigma social, el profesionalismo, la intención de cuidar, el burnout, los conflictos éticos, la ansiedad, la depresión o la culpa. El manejo emocional de las crisis sanitarias ante el coronavirus exige una estrategia individual, colectiva, social e institucional, para reforzar la seguridad en todos los frentes y reducir el temor mediante medidas eficaces de control utilizando recursos materiales y humanos suficientes y efectivos.

Formas plurais: uma revisão bibliométrica

O balanço entre integração vertical e terceirização permanece relevante, enquanto a tecnologia e a Internet reformulam as estratégias da cadeia de suprimentos. A teoria da agência, a economia de custos de transação e a visão baseada em recursos visam explicar as decisões de "fazer ou comprar", mas ainda são desafiadas a explicar formas plurais. Uma revisão sistemática da literatura tendo como base artigos publicados na base de dados Web of Science e fazendo uso do software CiteSpace para análise bibliométrica foi conduzida. Os principais tópicos analisados foram teorias, métodos de pesquisa, indústrias pesquisadas e assuntos emergentes. Os resultados incluem teorias de uso integrativo, pesquisa concentrada em algumas indústrias, saturação da literatura sobre franquias e expansão da literatura sobre canais híbridos de vendas. Os resultados indicam que a pesquisa sobre formas plurais é bastante madura nas grandes áreas de administração e economia, onde as teorias da firma usadas isoladamente não acrescentam ao conhecimento sobre o fenômeno. Por outro lado, no campo da Gestão da Cadeia de Suprimentos e gerenciamento de operações, o interesse é crescente no estudo do comércio eletrônico, com aplicação da teoria dos jogos e modelagem.

ELDERLY PATIENT SAFETY IN INTENSIVE CARE UNIT: BIBLIOMETRIC ANALYSIS OF INTERNATIONAL PRODUCTION

Objective: to analyze the international scientific production on elderly patient safety in Intensive Care Unit. Method: bibliometric study carried out on ISI Web of Knowledge / Web of ScienceTM database, with the search terms: “Patient Safety”, “Elderly”, “Intensive Care Units”, performed from exporting these data for the bibliometric analysis software HistCiteTM. Results: 103 publication records were identified, in 85 different journals, written by 679 authors that are associated with 224 institutions, located in 30 countries. In analysis of number of citations count, the h-index value is equal to 24. Conclusion: the theme is presented in a broad and diverse way, without demonstrating the existence of a good articulation among the studies, authors and institutions around the world. There is a need to construct knowledge networks in the field that make possible further studies able to contribute to improve elderly patient safety in intensive care.

Assessing the Role of Big Data and the Internet of Things on the Transition to Circular Economy: Part I

The debate about circular economy (CE) is increasingly present in the strategic agenda of organisations around the world, being driven by government agencies and general population pressures, or by organisations’ own vision for a sustainable future. This is due in part to the increasing possibility of turning original theoretical CE proposals into real economically viable initiatives, now possible with modern technology applications such as big data and the internet of things (IoT). Information technology (IT) professionals have been called upon to incorporate technology projects into their strategic plans to support their organisations’ transition to CE, but a structured framework with the necessary IT capabilities still lacks. This study focuses on taking the first step towards this path, by extending the technology attributes present on the existing Ellen MacArthur Foundation (EMF) Regenerate, Share, Optimise, Loop, Virtualise and Exchange (ReSOLVE) framework. The research was conducted based on an extensive literature review through 226 articles retrieved from Scopus® and Web of ScienceTM databases, which were triangulated, validated and complemented with content analysis using the ‘R’ statistical tool, grey literature research and inputs from specialists. Part I describes the introduction and methods used in this study.

Is remote live urologic surgery a reality? Evidences from a systematic review of the literature.

The possibility of performing remote-surgery has been the goal to achieve, since the early development of the first surgical robotic platforms. This systematic review aims to analyse the state of the art in the field and to provide an overview of the possible growth of this technology. All English language publications on Telementoring and Telesurgery for minimally invasive urologic procedures were evaluated. We followed the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses) statement to evaluate PubMed®, Scopus®, and Web of Science™ databases (up to June 2019). Our electronic search identified a total of 124 papers in PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science. Of these, 81 publications were identified for detailed review, which yielded 22 included in the present systematic review. Our results showed that remote surgery has been under-utilised until today, mostly due to the lack of appropriate telecommunication technologies. Remote live surgery is a growing technology that is catalyzing incremental interest. Despite not being yet reliable today on a regular basis in its most advanced applications, thanks to the advent of novel data-transmission technologies, telepresence might become a critical educational methodology, highly impacting the global healthcare system.

Anterograde ejaculation preservation after endoscopic treatments in patients with bladder outlet obstruction: systematic review and pooled-analysis of randomized clinical trials

Despite the high rate of resolution, ejaculatory dysfunction still is the most common side effect related to surgical treatment of bladder outlet obstruction (BOO). The aim of the present systematic review was to compare several technological treatment modalities for the management of lower urinary tract symptoms/BOO in terms of functional and sexual outcomes. All English language randomized controlled trials assessing the impact of different endoscopic treatments for BOO were evaluated. We followed the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses) statement to evaluate PubMed®, Scopus®, and Web of Science™ databases (up to June 2019). Our electronic search identified a total of 2221 papers in PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science. Of these, 142 publications were identified for detailed review, which yielded 21 included in the present systematic review. All groups appeared similar with regards to preoperative IPSS/AUA Score, Qmax, and prostate volume (cc). Patients undergoing endoscopic treatments using ThuLEP, Greenlight or Prostate Artery Embolization techniques had lower-but not statistically significant- relative risk (RR) of retrograde ejaculation compared with conventional transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) (RR: 0.90; P=0.35; RR: 0.71; P=0.1; RR0.73; P=0.11). Efficacy of those techniques was equal to TURP. Data reporting anterograde ejaculation preservation after endoscopic treatment in patients with benign prostatic enlargement are sparse and heterogeneous. Pooled analyses suggest that new technological alternatives to conventional TURP might improve sexual outcomes, especially for non-ablative treatments.

Phenomenon-driven research on internationalization and innovation by bibliometric and context analyses

ABSTRACTFrom the phenomenon-driven perspective, on the basis of data from Thomson Reuters Web of ScienceTM database covering a period of 29 years (January 1990 to August 2019), this study employs bibliometric and content analyses to evaluate the research state of the internationalization and innovation relationship. This study is to assist internationalization scholars in positioning their research more explicitly and encourage them to deeply think about which approach and theoretical mechanisms best fit their research questions and designs.

Best practices in near-infrared fluorescence imaging with indocyanine green (NIRF/ICG)-guided robotic urologic surgery: a systematic review-based expert consensus.

The aim of the present study is to investigate the impact of the near-infrared (NIRF) technology with indocyanine green (ICG) in robotic urologic surgery by performing a systematic literature review and to provide evidence-based expert recommendations on best practices in this field. All English language publications on NIRF/ICG-guided robotic urologic procedures were evaluated. We followed the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses) statement to evaluate PubMed®, Scopus® and Web of Science™ databases (up to April 2019). Experts in the field provided detailed pictures and intraoperative video-clips of different NIRF/ICG-guided robotic surgeries with recommendations for each procedure. A unique QRcode was generated and linked to each underlying video-clip. This new exclusive feature makes the present the first "dynamic paper" that merges text and figure description with their own video providing readers an innovative, immersive, high-quality and user-friendly experience. Our electronic search identified a total of 576 papers. Of these, 36 studies included in the present systematic review reporting the use of NIRF/ICG in robotic partial nephrectomy (n = 13), robotic radical prostatectomy and lymphadenectomy (n = 7), robotic ureteral re-implantation and reconstruction (n = 5), robotic adrenalectomy (n = 4), robotic radical cystectomy (n = 3), penectomy and robotic inguinal lymphadenectomy (n = 2), robotic simple prostatectomy (n = 1), robotic kidney transplantation (n = 1) and robotic sacrocolpopexy (n = 1). NIRF/ICG technology has now emerged as a safe, feasible and useful tool that may facilitate urologic robotic surgery. It has been shown to improve the identification of key anatomical landmarks and pathological structures for oncological and non-oncological procedures. Level of evidence is predominantly low. Larger series with longer follow-up are needed, especially in assessing the quality of the nodal dissection and the feasibility of the identification of sentinel nodes and the impact of these novel technologies on long-term oncological and functional outcomes.

The Role of Minocycline in the Treatment of Nosocomial Infections Caused by Multidrug, Extensively Drug and Pandrug Resistant Acinetobacter baumannii: A Systematic Review of Clinical Evidence.

Treatment options for multidrug resistant Acinetobacter baumannii strains (MDR-AB) are limited. Minocycline has been used alone or in combination in the treatment of infections associated with AB. A systematic review of the clinical use of minocycline in nosocomial infections associated with MDR-AB was performed according to the PRISMA-P guidelines. PubMed-Medline, Scopus and Web of Science TM databases were searched from their inception until March 2019. Additional Google Scholar free searches were performed. Out of 2990 articles, 10 clinical studies (9 retrospective case series and 1 prospective single center trial) met the eligibility criteria. In total, 223 out of 268 (83.2%) evaluated patients received a minocycline-based regimen; and 200 out of 218 (91.7%) patients with available data received minocycline as part of a combination antimicrobial regimen (most frequently colistin or carbapenems). Pneumonia was the most common infection type in the 268 cases (80.6% with 50.4% ventilator-associated pneumonia). The clinical and microbiological success rates following minocycline treatment were 72.6% and 60.2%, respectively. Mortality was 20.9% among 167 patients with relevant data. In this systematic review, minocycline demonstrated promising activity against MDR-AB isolates. This review sets the ground for further studies exploring the role of minocycline in the treatment of MDR-AB associated infections.

DOZ047.88: Esophageal atresia: a scientometric analysis of the global research architecture and collaborative networks

Abstract Background Esophageal atresia (EA) and tracheoesophageal fistula (TEF) represent a spectrum of relatively rare and complex malformations, which remain a major therapeutic challenge for most involved specialists. Whereas the number of EA/TEF-related publications is constantly growing, no thorough assessment of the global research architecture has been performed yet. Hence, this study aimed to critically evaluate the scientific EA/TEF activities in relation to geographical developments and existing research networks using a combination of scientometric methodologies and visualization tools. Methods A comprehensive search strategy for the Web of Science™ database was designed to retrieve bibliographic data on scientific EA/TEF publications for the time span between January 1900 and December 2018. The total reseach output of countries, institutions, individual authors, and collaborative networks was analzyed. Semiqualitative research measures, including citation rate and h-index, were assessed. Choropleth mapping and network diagrams were employed to visualize results. Results A total of 4586 publications on EA/TEF were identified, originating from 86 countries (79.0% written in English). The largest number was published by the USA (n = 799; 17.4%), the UK (n = 260; 5.7%), and Canada (n = 190; 4.1%). The USA produced the highest number of co-operative articles (n = 73) and the most productive collaborative networks were established between USA/Canada (n = 22), USA/Netherlands (n = 19), and USA/Germany (n = 13). Scientific papers from the UK received the highest average citation rate, with 17.6 citations per item, whereas the USA, with 47, had the highest country-specific h-index. Eighty-two articles were published under the auspices of multicenter research consortiums and national study groups. The most productive institutions and authors were based in the UK, the USA, France, Canada, Australia, the Netherlands, Finland, and Spain. Conclusions This is the first in-depth analysis of the worldwide EA/TEF research activity, offering unique insights into the global scientific landscape in this field. Over the past decades, EA/TEF research has increasingly become multidisciplinary but the main research endeavors continue to be concentrated in a few high-income countries. International EA/TEF collaborations and translational research should be strengthened to foster true scientific progress with this rare condition.

Responding to Climate and Environmental Change Impacts on Human Health via Integrated Surveillance in the Circumpolar North: A Systematic Realist Review.

Environments are shifting rapidly in the Circumpolar Arctic and Subarctic regions as a result of climate change and other external stressors, and this has a substantial impact on the health of northern populations. Thus, there is a need for integrated surveillance systems designed to monitor the impacts of climate change on human health outcomes as part of broader adaptation strategies in these regions. This review aimed to identify, describe, and synthesize literature on integrated surveillance systems in Circumpolar Arctic and Subarctic regions, that are used for research or practice. Following a systematic realist review approach, relevant articles were identified using search strings developed for MEDLINE® and Web of Science™ databases, and screened by two independent reviewers. Articles that met the inclusion criteria were retained for descriptive quantitative analysis, as well as thematic qualitative analysis, using a realist lens. Of the 3431 articles retrieved in the database searches, 85 met the inclusion criteria and were analyzed. Thematic analysis identified components of integrated surveillance systems that were categorized into three main groups: structural, processual, and relational components. These components were linked to surveillance attributes and activities that supported the operations and management of integrated surveillance. This review advances understandings of the distinct contributions of integrated surveillance systems and data to discerning the nature of changes in climate and environmental conditions that affect population health outcomes and determinants in the Circumpolar North. Findings from this review can be used to inform the planning, design, and evaluation of integrated surveillance systems that support evidence-based public health research and practice in the context of increasing climate change and the need for adaptation.

Microbubbles combined with ultrasound therapy in ischemic stroke: A systematic review of in-vivo preclinical studies.

BackgroundMicrobubbles (MBs) combined with ultrasound sonothrombolysis (STL) appears to be an alternative therapeutic strategy for acute ischemic stroke (IS), but clinical results remain controversial.ObjectiveThe aim of this systematic review is to identify the parameters tested; to assess evidence on the safety and efficacy on preclinical data on STL; and to assess the validity and publication bias.MethodsPubmed® and Web of ScienceTM databases were systematically searched from January 1995 to April 2017 in French and English. We included studies evaluating STL on animal stroke model. This systematic review was conducted in accordance with the PRISMA guidelines. Data were extracted following a pre-defined schedule by two of the authors. The CAMARADES criteria were used for quality assessment. A narrative synthesis was conducted.ResultsSixteen studies met the inclusion criteria. The result showed that ultrasound parameters and types of MBs were heterogeneous among studies. Numerous positive outcomes on efficacy were found, but only four studies demonstrated superiority of STL versus recombinant tissue-type plasminogen activator on clinical criteria. Data available on safety are limited.LimitationsQuality assessment of the studies reviewed revealed a number of biases.ConclusionFurther in vivo studies are needed to demonstrate a better efficacy and safety of STL compared to currently approved therapeutic options.Systematic review registrationhttp://syrf.org.uk/protocols/

Evolución de la investigación sobre actividad física en el medio natural en educación física: Resultados en Web of ScienceTM desde 1990 a 2016

Objetivo: El objetivo fue analizar la evolución del número de publicaciones sobre actividad física en el medio natural en educación física. Material y método: Se realizó una búsqueda bibliográfica en la base de datos Web of ScienceTM desde 1990 hasta 2016. Los términos de búsqueda usados se basaron en dos conceptos: 1) actividad física en el medio natural y 2) educación física. Resultados: Se encontraron un total de 116 resultados, con una media de 4,3 publicaciones por año. Se observó una tendencia a aumentar el número de publicaciones a lo largo de los años, especialmente desde 2011 hasta la actualidad. En cambio, del total de estudios sobre educación física desde 1990 hasta 2016, solo el 5% trataron sobre actividades en el medio natural, con una media de 0,2% de publicaciones por año. En general, se observó una cantidad relativa de publicaciones muy similar desde 1990 hasta 2016. Conclusiones: Se produce un aumento absoluto significativo en la producción de publicaciones sobre actividad física en el medio natural en educación física, especialmente desde 2011. En cambio, si tenemos en cuenta la evolución relativa a la investigación sobre la educación física, la producción científica sobre el contenido de medio natural se mantiene estable.

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

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

Functional Quality-of-Life Outcomes Reported by Men Treated for Localized Prostate Cancer: A Systematic Literature Review.

To systematically evaluate the literature for functional quality-of-life (QOL) outcomes following treatment for localized prostate cancer. . The MEDLINE®, CINAHL®, EMBASE, British Nursing Index, PsycINFO®, and Web of Science™ databases were searched using key words and synonyms for localized prostate cancer treatments. . Of the 2,191 articles screened for relevance and quality, 24 articles were reviewed. Extracted data were tabulated by treatment type and sorted by dysfunction using a data-driven approach. . All treatments caused sexual dysfunction and urinary side effects. Radiation therapy caused bowel dysfunction, which could be long-term or resolved within a few years. Sexual function could take years to return. Urinary incontinence resolved within two years of surgery but worsened following radiation therapy. Fatigue was worse during treatment with adjuvant androgen-deprivation therapy, and some men experienced post-treatment fatigue for several years. . This review identified that QOL outcomes reported by men following different treatments for localized prostate cancer are mostly recorded using standardized health-related QOL outcome measures. Such outcome measures collect data about body system functions but limit understanding of men's QOL following treatment for prostate cancer. Holistic outcome measures are needed to capture data about men's QOL for several years following the completion of treatment for localized prostate cancer. . Nurses need to work with men to facilitate information sharing, identify supportive care needs, and promote self-efficacy, and they should make referrals to specialist services, as appropriate.

Mapping Knowledge Produced on Problem-Based Learning between 1945 and 2014: A Bibliometric Analysis

Problem-based learning (PBL) has been systematized for over forty years. However, there is still a lack of studies that seek to visualize the evolution of scientific literature on the subject. This paper seeks to fill this gap through the development of a bibliometric analysis by carrying out a data search on the Web of Science™ database and subsequently transferring the acquired data for treatment to the VantagePoint© software package. The data indicate that research on PBL shows a strong progression since the end of the twentieth century, with a high volume of the most impact- ing studies being carried out by a group of researchers who are currently linked to or used to be connected to the Maastricht University. As a result of these studies, a geographical (from North America and Europe to Asia) and academic (from research in medical education to other biomed- ical and engineering areas) spread of scientific production regarding this teaching methodology has arisen.

Publication patterns and citation analysis of APJTM during 2008 and June 2014

ObjectiveTo draw on data about publication patterns and citation indicators of Asian Pacific Journal of Tropical Medicine (APJTM) during 2008 and June 2014 in order to know about the current state of the journal. MethodsData used in this study were collected based on publications in APJTM from 2008 to June, 2014. Information including publication issue, type of manuscript, country/region of Corresponding author, funded research paper, and international collaboration were aggregated and analyzed with Excel software. Citation indicators including total cites, average cites of each manuscript, h-index, and impact factors were primarily drawn from Web of Science™ database on June 15, 2014 and changes over the past six and half years were interpreted. The top 10 most cited papers in Web of Science™ database were also analyzed. ResultsNumber of all submissions has arisen from less than 200 in 2008 to over 1 500 in 2013, manuscript acceptance rate has decreased to be less than 14.00% indicating its improvement in quality over this period of time. Out of the 1 115 publiations, 23.77% were fruits of funded projects or produced by funded co-authors, 87.08% of all publications in APJTM were submited by authors from 10 most contributed countries. During the studied period, each published manuscript in the journal has received an average of 1.05 cites, and at least 10 publications has been cited for more 10 times. ConclusionDetailed analysis shows APJTM has made great progress over the past six and half years, but authors' originating countries are still disproportionate. Efforts should be made to improve its citation indicators.

Does PCA3 Really Help Urologists?

IntroductionThis review summarizes what is known about the diagnostic and prognostic roles of PCA3, and highlights limitations and perspectives of its clinical usefulness. MethodsWe reviewed the literature using the MEDLINE®, Scopus and Web of Science™ databases. We mainly focused on 3 clinical patient populations, including 1) initial biopsy to determine the risk of positive biopsies, 2) rebiopsy in men with 1 or more negative biopsies to determine the risk of positive biopsies and 3) men with prostate cancer to determine the significance and aggressiveness of prostate cancer. ResultsThe current literature shows the superiority of the PCA3 score over prostate specific antigen in specificity and predictive values, although it has slightly inferior sensitivity, independent of a biopsy history. PCA3 determination can add specificity to a diagnostic algorithm before biopsy decision making. Optimal cutoffs to consider to aid biopsy decision making might be 25 and 35 before initial and repeat biopsies, respectively. The correlation between PCA3 and cancer significance offers an interesting field in which to explore its role in insignificant cancer detection and active surveillance selection. ConclusionsAlthough there is insufficient proof of improved health outcomes, expert opinions and Food and Drug Administration approval suggest a potential benefit of PCA3 use before considering repeat biopsy because the risk of undetected, clinically significant prostate cancer is low in cases of a low PCA3 score. Given that PCA3 may lead to a significant decrease in unnecessary biopsies, the cost-benefit balance of introducing PCA3 needs further assessment based on strict methodology incorporating health care outcomes.