Software tools for conducting bibliometric analysis in science: An up-to-date review

Bibliometrics has become an essential tool for assessing and analyzing the output of scientists, cooperation between universities, the effect of state-owned science funding on national research and development performance and educational efficiency, among other applications. Therefore, professionals and scientists need a range of theoretical and practical tools to measure experimental data. This review aims to provide an up-to-date review of the various tools available for conducting bibliometric and scientometric analyses, including the sources of data acquisition, performance analysis and visualization tools. The included tools were divided into three categories: general bibliometric and performance analysis, science mapping analysis, and libraries; a description of all of them is provided. A comparative analysis of the database sources support, pre-processing capabilities, analysis and visualization options were also provided in order to facilitate its understanding. Although there are numerous bibliometric databases to obtain data for bibliometric and scientometric analysis, they have been developed for a different purpose. The number of exportable records is between 500 and 50,000 and the coverage of the different science fields is unequal in each database. Concerning the analyzed tools, Bibliometrix contains the more extensive set of techniques and suitable for practitioners through Biblioshiny. VOSviewer has a fantastic visualization and is capable of loading and exporting information from many sources. SciMAT is the tool with a powerful pre-processing and export capability. In views of the variability of features, the users need to decide the desired analysis output and chose the option that better fits into their aims

Information and Scientific Impact of Advanced Therapies in the Age of Mass Media: Altmetrics-Based Analysis of Tissue Engineering

This study was supported by CTS-115 (Tissue Engineering Research Group, University of Granada) from Junta de Andalucia, Spain, the Spanish State Research Agency through the project PID2019-105381GA-I00/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 (iScience) , a postdoctoral grant (RH-0145-2020) from the Andalusia Health System, and the European Union Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional para la Inversion Territorial Integrada Grant for Cadiz Province (PI-0032-2017) . The authors thank Altmetric LLP (London, UK) for granting access to Altmetric Explorer for research purposes.Background: Tissue engineering (TE) constitutes a multidisciplinary field aiming to construct artificial tissues to regenerate end-stage organs. Its development has taken place since the last decade of the 20th century, entailing a clinical revolution. TE research groups have worked and shared relevant information in the mass media era. Thus, it would be interesting to study the online dimension of TE research and to compare it with traditional measures of scientific impact. Objective: The objective of this study was to evaluate the online dimension of TE documents from 2012 to 2018 using metadata obtained from the Web of Science (WoS) and Altmetric and to develop a prediction equation for the impact of TE documents from altmetric scores. Methods: We analyzed 10,112 TE documents through descriptive and statistical methods. First, the TE temporal evolution was exposed for WoS and 15 online platforms (news, blogs, policy, Twitter, patents, peer review, Weibo, Facebook, Wikipedia, Google, Reddit, F1000, Q&A, video, and Mendeley Readers). The 10 most cited TE original articles were ranked according to the normalized WoS citations and the normalized Altmetric Attention Score. Second, to better comprehend the TE online framework, correlation and factor analyses were performed based on the suitable results previously obtained for the Bartlett sphericity and Kaiser–Meyer–Olkin tests. Finally, the linear regression model was applied to elucidate the relation between academics and online media and to construct a prediction equation for TE from altmetrics data. Results: TE dynamic shows an upward trend in WoS citations, Twitter, Mendeley Readers, and Altmetric Scores. However, WoS and Altmetric rankings for the most cited documents clearly differ. When compared, the best correlation results were obtained for Mendeley Readers and WoS (ρ=0.71). In addition, the factor analysis identified 6 factors that could explain the previously observed differences between academic institutions and the online platforms evaluated. At this point, the mathematical model constructed is able to predict and explain more than 40% of TE WoS citations from Altmetric scores. Conclusions: Scientific information related to the construction of bioartificial tissues increasingly reaches society through different online media. Because the focus of TE research importantly differs when the academic institutions and online platforms are compared, basic and clinical research groups, academic institutions, and health politicians should make a coordinated effort toward the design and implementation of adequate strategies for information diffusion and population health education.CTS-115 (Tissue Engineering Research Group, University of Granada) from Junta de Andalucia, SpainSpanish Government PID2019-105381GA-I00/AEI/10.13039/501100011033Andalusia Health System RH-0145-2020European Union Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional para la Inversion Territorial Integrada Grant for Cadiz Province PI-0032-201

Venous thromboembolic disease and cancer: a common association

La enfermedad tromboembólica venosa constituye una entidad clínica compleja y cuya aparición se encuentra incrementada en la población con el diagnóstico previo de un proceso oncológico. En este sentido, la propia actividad biológica del cáncer contribuye al desarrollo y la propagación del fenómeno trombótico dando lugar a un incremento de la morbimortalidad asociada al cáncer. El objetivo del presente trabajo consiste en analizar las bases fisiopatológicas, la epidemiología y los principales modelos de predicción de riesgo, así como ofrecer un enfoque práctico acerca de la profilaxis y el tratamiento de esta complicación. La realización de este trabajo puede contribuir a la mejora del manejo y del seguimiento de estos pacientes tanto a nivel hospitalario como en los Centros de Atención primaria.Vein thromboembolic disease constitutes a complex clinical entity and its appearance is increased in the population with a previous diagnosis of cancer. In this sense, the own biological actvity of cancer contributes to the development and dissemination of the thrombotic phenomena and, thus, leading to an increase in cancer-associated morbimortality. The aim of this study is to analyze the physiopathological basis, epidemiology, risk prediction models and to show a practical approach to the prophylaxis and treatment of this cancer complication. In this regard, this paper can contribute to the improvement in therapeutics and follow-up of these patients at hospital and primary care levels

Economía de la Salud: identificación de los principales productores, la especialización relativa de los países y temas

Health economics research area was a high evolution from the 1960s and it is constantly growing. Currently, the health expenditure is a key issue worldwide. Bibliometrics provides several methods to explore the impact and evolution of the research. Thus, the main aim of the present study is to understand the current status of the research in health economics for the period 2010-2019. Three different aspects were analyzed: countries production, relative priority index and main themes. The dataset was obtained from the documents indexed in the Web of Science database from 2010 to 2019. SciMAT software was used to obtain the thematic analysis by means of science mapping analysis. The journals Health economics, Value in Health, Journal of Health Economics, and European Journal of Health Economics are the main producers. USA, England and Germany are those with highest production; Netherlands, England and Australia are those with the highest relative priority index. Quality adjusted life years and Health inequality are the themes with the highest number of documents and impact measures. This study is a useful evidence-based framework on which to base future research actions

Translational Applications of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning for Diagnostic Pathology in Lymphoid Neoplasms: A Comprehensive and Evolutive Analysis

Genomic analysis and digitalization of medical records have led to a big data scenario within hematopathology. Artificial intelligence and machine learning tools are increasingly used to integrate clinical, histopathological, and genomic data in lymphoid neoplasms. In this study, we identified global trends, cognitive, and social framework of this field from 1990 to 2020. Metadata were obtained from the Clarivate Analytics Web of Science database in January 2021. A total of 525 documents were assessed by document type, research areas, source titles, organizations, and countries. SciMAT and VOSviewer package were used to perform scientific mapping analysis. Geographical distribution showed the USA and People’s Republic of China as the most productive countries, reporting up to 190 (36.19%) of all documents. A third-degree polynomic equation predicts that future global production in this area will be three-fold the current number, near 2031. Thematically, current research is focused on the integration of digital image analysis and genomic sequencing in Non-Hodgkin lymphomas, prediction of chemotherapy response and validation of new prognostic models. These findings can serve pathology departments to depict future clinical and research avenues, but also, public institutions and administrations to promote synergies and optimize funding allocation.Andalusia Health System - RH-0145-2020EU FEDER ITI Grant for Cadiz Province PI-0032-201

Health economics: identifying leading producers, countries relative specialization and themes

El área de investigación en economía de la salud tuvo una gran evolución a partir de la década de 1960 y está en constante crecimiento. Actualmente, el gasto en salud es un tema clave en todo el mundo. La bibliometría proporciona varios métodos para explorar el impacto y la evolución de la investigación. Así pues, el principal objetivo del presente estudio es comprender la situación actual de la investigación en materia de economía de la salud para el período 2010-2019. Se analizaron tres aspectos diferentes: la producción de los países, el índice de prioridad relativa y los temas principales. El conjunto de datos se obtuvo a partir de los documentos indizados en la base de datos Web of Science de 2010 a 2019. Se utilizó el software SciMAT para obtener el análisis temático mediante el análisis de mapas de la ciencia. Las revistas Health economics, Value in Health, Journal of Health Economics y European Journal of Health Economics son los principales productoras. Estados Unidos, Inglaterra y Alemania son los que tienen una mayor producción; los Países Bajos, Inglaterra y Australia son los que tienen el índice de prioridad relativa más alto. Los años de vida ajustados en función de la calidad y la desigualdad en materia de salud son los temas con mayor número de documentos y medidas de impacto. Este estudio es un marco útil basado en ciencia que servirá de base para futuras acciones de investigación.Health economics research area was a high evolution from the 1960s and it is constantly growing. Currently, the health expenditure is a key issue worldwide. Bibliometrics provides several methods to explore the impact and evolution of the research. Thus, the main aim of the present study is to understand the current status of the research in health economics for the period 2010-2019. Three different aspects were analyzed: countries production, relative priority index and main themes. The dataset was obtained from the documents indexed in the Web of Science database from 2010 to 2019. SciMAT software was used to obtain the thematic analysis by means of science mapping analysis. The journals Health economics, Value in Health, Journal of Health Economics, and European Journal of Health Economics are the main producers. USA, England and Germany are those with highest production; Netherlands, England and Australia are those with the highest relative priority index. Quality adjusted life years and Health inequality are the themes with the highest number of documents and impact measures. This study is a useful evidence-based framework on which to base future research actions

Prognostic Role of the Expression of Latent-Membrane Protein 1 of Epstein-Barr Virus in Classical Hodgkin Lymphoma

The prognostic impact of the presence of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) in classical Hodgkin lymphoma (cHL) is controversial. Previous studies reported heterogeneous results, rendering difficult the clinical validation of EBV as a prognostic biomarker in this lymphoma. The objective of this study was to evaluate the survival impact of the expression of EBV Latent-Membrane Protein 1 (EBV-LMP1) in tumoral Hodgkin-Reed-Sternberg (HRS) cells of primary diagnostic samples of cHL. Formalin-Fixed Paraffin-Embedded (FFPE) lymph node samples from 88 patients with cHL were analyzed. Patients were treated with the standard first-line chemotherapy (CT) with Adriamycin, Bleomycin, Vinblastine and Dacarbazine (ABVD) followed by radiotherapy. The Kaplan-Meier method and the Cox proportional hazards model were used for carrying out the survival analysis. In order to investigate whether the influence of EBV was age-dependent, analyses were performed both for patients of all ages and for age-stratified subgroups. In bivariate analysis, the expression of EBV was associated with older age (p = 0.011), mixed cellularity subtype cHL (p < 0.001) and high risk International Prognostic Score (IPS) (p = 0.023). Overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) were associated with the presence of bulky disease (p = 0.009) and advanced disease at diagnosis (p = 0.016). EBV-positive cases did not present a significantly lower OS and PFS in comparison with EBV-negative cases, for all ages and when stratifying for age. When adjusted for covariates, absence of bulky disease at diagnosis (HR: 0.102, 95% CI: 0.02-0.48, p = 0.004) and limited disease stages (I-II) (HR: 0.074, 95% CI: 0.01-0.47, p = 0.006) were associated with a significant better OS. For PFS, limited-disease stages also retained prognostic impact in the multivariate Cox regression (HR: 0.145, 95% CI: 0.04-0.57, p = 0.006). These results are of importance as the early identification of prognostic biomarkers in cHL is critical for guiding and personalizing therapeutic decisions. The prognostic role of EBV in cHL could be modulated by the type of CT protocol employed and interact with the rest of presenting features

Conceptions of learning factors in postgraduate health sciences master students: a comparative study with nonhealth science students and between genders

Background: The students’ conceptions of learning in postgraduate health science master studies are poorly understood. The aim of this study was to compare the factors influencing conceptions of learning in health sciences and non-health sciences students enrolled in postgraduate master programs in order to obtain information that may be useful for students and for future postgraduate programs. Methods: A modified version of the Learning Inventory Conception Questionnaire (COLI) was used to compare students’ conception learning factors in 131 students at the beginning of their postgraduate studies in health sciences, experimental sciences, arts and humanities and social sciences. Results: The present study demonstrates that a set of factors may influence conception of learning of health sciences postgraduate students, with learning as gaining information, remembering, using, and understanding information, awareness of duty and social commitment being the most relevant. For these students, learning as a personal change, a process not bound by time or place or even as acquisition of professional competences, are less relevant. According to our results, this profile is not affected by gender differences. Conclusions: Our results show that the overall conceptions of learning differ among students of health sciences and non-health sciences (experimental sciences, arts and humanities and social sciences) master postgraduate programs. These finding are potentially useful to foster the learning process of HS students, because if they are metacognitively aware of their own conception or learning, they will be much better equipped to self-regulate their learning behavior in a postgraduate master program in health sciences.Supported by CTS-115 (Tissue Engineering Group of the University of Granada). The funding body did not took part in the design of the study and collection, analysis and interpretation of data and in writing the manuscript

Cross-border assistance in Advanced Therapies: analysis of a new reality in Health

La medicina del siglo XXI es el contexto donde se están desarrollando nuevas realidades complejas que reclaman para su análisis de enfoques holísticos adecuados. La asistencia sanitaria transfronteriza en terapias avanzadas constituye una de estas nuevas realidades. En este sentido, el objetivo del presente artículo es proponer un modelo de análisis donde convergen la Ciencia, la Ética y el Derecho; y en este proceso, las actividades transversales en política y educación sanitaria constituyen ejes fundamentales para la elaboración y sistematización de dicho análisis.Twenty-first century medicine is the context where new complex realities are developing and which they claim for his analysis of holistic approaches. Cross-border health care in advanced therapies is one of these new realities. The aim of the present article is to propose a model of analysis where converge the Science, the Ethics and the Law; and in this process, the transverse activities in politics and health education constitute fundamental axes in order to produce and to systematize this analysis