Screening for in vitro systematic reviews: a comparison of screening methods and training of a machine learning classifier

Objective: Existing strategies to identify relevant studies for systematic review may not perform equally well across research domains. We compare four approaches based on either human or automated screening of either title and abstract or full text, and report the training of a machine learning algorithm to identify in vitro studies from bibliographic records. Methods: We used a systematic review of oxygen-glucose deprivation (OGD) in PC-12 cells to compare approaches. For human screening, two reviewers independently screened studies based on title and abstract or full text, with disagreements reconciled by a third. For automated screening, we applied text mining to either title and abstract or full text. We trained a machine learning algorithm with decisions from 2000 randomly selected PubMed Central records enriched with a dataset of known in vitro studies. Results: Full-text approaches performed best, with human (sensitivity: 0.990, specificity: 1.000 and precision: 0.994) outperforming text mining (sensitivity: 0.972, specificity: 0.980 and precision: 0.764). For title and abstract, text mining (sensitivity: 0.890, specificity: 0.995 and precision: 0.922) outperformed human screening (sensitivity: 0.862, specificity: 0.998 and precision: 0.975). At our target sensitivity of 95% the algorithm performed with specificity of 0.850 and precision of 0.700. Conclusion: In this in vitro systematic review, human screening based on title and abstract erroneously excluded 14% of relevant studies, perhaps because title and abstract provide an incomplete description of methods used. Our algorithm might be used as a first selection phase in in vitro systematic reviews to limit the extent of full text screening required.</p

First record of Laem-Singh virus in black tiger shrimp (Penaeus monodon) in the Philippines

Abstract only.Laem-Singh Virus (LSNV), a single-stranded RNA virus that causes growth retardation in Penaeus monodon, is also known as Monodon Slow-Growth Syndrome (MSGS) virus. Black Tiger shrimps afflicted with this virus exhibit unusual dark color, a weight gain of less than 0.1 g in 1 to 2 weeks, unusual yellow markings, bamboo-shaped abdominal markings and brittle antennae. It was first detected in Thailand and the virus quickly spread to neighboring Asian countries such as Malaysia and Singapore. The shrimp economy of countries where infections have occurred experienced losses in the export of live shrimps and broodstocks. An earlier study in 2009 reported that LSNV was not present in the Philippines. However, since no follow-up researches were done in the succeeding years, this study was conducted to detect the presence of virus in selected sites of Luzon. Results based on biased sampling method and RT-PCR data indicated that LSNV is indeed present in the country. This is further supported by DNA sequence data, showing 100% identity with LSNV India isolate. Phylogenetic analysis showed that the Philippine isolate clustered closely with other LSNV isolates. The outcome of this study might have implications in the current practices in the Philippine shrimp aquaculture industry

Initiating women empowerment and youth development through involvement in non-formal education in three selected parishes: An action research on poverty alleviation

This article elaborates on an action research undertaken by three researchers from a business school of a leading university in the Philippines on the contribution of non-formal education programs in poverty alleviation, aimed to initiate women empowerment and youth development among selected women and youth in the parishes they belong to. Non-formal education programs such as home-based livelihood program, parenting for women, leadership, character building, values clarification, and priority setting for women and youth were administered as a way to reduce the selected parishioners’ vulnerabilities arising from poverty. Using outcome mapping as a project cycle management tool, changed behaviours, attitudes, and values were identified not as final indicators but as an indicator of progress in empowerment and development to which the non-formal education programs contribute. © 2015 by De La Salle University, Manila, Philippines

Implementation and Initial Validation of a 100-kW Class Nested-channel Hall Thruster

Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/140462/1/6.2014-3815.pd

DISTRIBUTION STATEMENT A: Approved for public release; distribution unlimited. First Firing of a 100-kW Nested-channel Hall Thruster

NHT is a three-channel NHT with a nominal power throttling range from 1 kW to &gt;200 kW. Based on conventional thruster scaling, to the X3 may achieve 15 N of thrust and 4,600 sec of Isp with xenon and krypton propellant, respectively. In this paper we preview the initial operation of the 100-kW class NHT. = peak-to-peak channel discharge current oscillation I sp = specific impulse P = thruster electrical power input T = thrust T/P = thrust to power ratio = Thruster efficiency in converting electrical power to directed kinetic powe