Improving reference service using Evidence Based Medicine resources and methods

Background: EBM provides accurate methods to identify, summarize and analyze information. In parallel, new roles are integrating medical librarians and information specialists into the research and decision-making workflow in health institutions. Objective: To highlight the need to implement a protocol to systematize general literature searches based on methodologies and quality assessment mechanisms developed by the EBM. Methods: We analyzed the main proposals for selecting information resources and their adequacy for medical libraries, focusing on the COSI protocol. Discussion: COSI helps locate information systematically and select pertinent sources based on CORE, Standard and Ideal searches, fitting searches to target information and available time and resources. Conclusions: The use of EBM methods and resources will maximize the quality of their work for their users. In particular the COSI protocol is a valuable tool for assuring exhaustiveness in systematic information retrieval. Librarians should be involved from the start in formulating research questions (PICO) adapting searches to the study and resources available

Developing effective publication strategies to raise Research Visibility, Impact and Citations

Visibility of research is a key issue to increase citations and subsequent impact of individuals and institutions. This CEC is planned as a practical session to put forward strategies, and demonstrate the use of tools and resources developed in the context of open science, social media, bibliometrics and alternative metrics.Peer reviewe

Evaluating the information retrieval quality and methodological accuracy of Systematic reviews and Meta-analysis on of congenital malformations (2004-2014).

Introduction Systematic reviews (SR) and meta-analysis (MA) aim to provide an in-depth summary of the literature of a research question, which must achieve some methodological requirements especially regarding how the information is retrieved and organized. There are several guidelines with recommendations for standard SRs or MAs. However, how often do those publications fulfil all the conditions to be considered SRs or MAs? Objectives Our aim is to check if articles using the terms 'systematic review' or 'meta-analysis' in the title accomplish the established requirements, focusing on search and methodology. The secondary objective is to observe if librarians have participated in a visible manner in the process. Methods We first created a checklist starting with some PRISMA points related to the literature search methodology and the documentation of the process. We added other common elements from the main methodological manuals for SR (including CRD, Cochrane, EUnetHTA, among others). Finally, we completed it with some items of the CADTH Checklist. Our final list consists of 20 evaluation criteria within the subject ‘congenital malformations’. To obtain the sample we searched in Medline/Pubmed and Embase for documents published between 2004 and 2014 and containing the terms SR or MA in their title. We limited languages to English, French, German, Italian and Spanish. We obtained 162 records after excluding duplicates and non-valid documents (letters, etc.). Once we obtain the full texts, we independently checked if the publications met our criteria. A second reviewer was consulted in cases of doubt. Results Among all the data, we highlight the following: - Around 80% do not show PICO’s questions, and around 60% specify bias - Information sources are explained in approximately 70% of the records. Around 60% describe the fully search strategies and nearly 50% combine electronic with manual searches - 20% of them use other additional sources or other types of documents - Around 30% use a thesaurus, and a similar number combines controlled vocabulary with natural language - Less than 10% of the studies mentioned a librarian Conclusions Although we cannot affirm that our sample is sufficiently representative, the fact remains that since most of the studies analysed are lacking in method and resources, and that is quite alarming. Authors and publishers must bear in mind the existing guidelines. Additionally, the involvement of information specialists would be a key factor in improving the quality of SR and MA.Peer reviewedFinal Published versio

El consumo de drogas en los adolescentes y jóvenes en dos Hogares CREA de Costa Rica

Este trabajo se ocupó de analizar la influencia del entorno personal, familiar, educativo y comunal en el transcurso del consumo de las drogas ilícitas en las personas adolescentes y jóvenes institucionalizadas en las organizaciones no gubernamentales de Costa Rica. Algunos de resultados señalan que en la misma búsqueda del proceso de identidad de los jóvenes como parte de su crecimiento y desarrollo, los hace vulnerables al consumo, la situación de vulnerabilidad los hace refugiarse en sus amigos -los pares- que consumen drogas ilícitas y los inducen, y además se les excluye del sistema educativo. En cuanto a la comunidad y sus familias los 16 adolescentes refirieron descender de familias muy pobres y conflictivas que también se dedicaban al consumo y al tráfico de drogas ilícitas como parte de la subsistencia.UCR::Vicerrectoría de Docencia::Salud::Facultad de Medicina::Escuela de Enfermerí

Health libraries: sharing through gaming

Information science is a fast-changing field, and medical librarians need to develop their roles to meet the users’new requirements. The professional development becomes a major challenge, not only regarding the core activities, but also in the way librarians and users can learn in a more innovative way. In order to invent new tools for training, a group of librarians with different backgrounds decided to create a game inspired by the “Bucket ofdoom”, which is described as a “Card game that meets storytelling with a sprinkling of comedy”. This adapted version for health libraries will face players with real professional situations. To overcome each challenge and have fun, librarians must use their experience and imagination with a high dose of creativity and humour

Neurofeedback training with a motor imagery-based BCI: neurocognitive improvements and EEG changes in the elderly

Producción CientíficaNeurofeedback training (NFT) has shown to be promising and useful to rehabilitate cognitive functions. Recently, brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) were used to restore brain plasticity by inducing brain activity with a NFT. In our study, we hypothesized that a NFT with a motor imagery-based BCI (MI-BCI) could enhance cognitive functions related to aging effects. To assess the effectiveness of our MI-BCI application, 63 subjects (older than 60 years) were recruited. This novel application was used by 31 subjects (NFT group). Their Luria neuropsychological test scores were compared with the remaining 32 subjects, who did not perform NFT (control group). Electroencephalogram (EEG) changes measured by relative power (RP) endorsed cognitive potential findings under study: visuospatial, oral language, memory, intellectual and attention functions. Three frequency bands were selected to assess cognitive changes: 12, 18, and 21 Hz (bandwidth 3 Hz). Significant increases (p<0.01) in the RP of these frequency bands were found. Moreover, results from cognitive tests showed significant improvements (p<0.01) in four cognitive functions after performing five NFT sessions: visuospatial, oral language, memory, and intellectual. This established evidence in the association between NFT performed by a MI-BCI and enhanced cognitive performance. Therefore, it could be a novel approach to help elderly people.Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (TEC2014-53196)Junta de Castilla y León (VA059U13

Abdominal adiposity increases lordosis and doubles the risk of low back pain

Vertebral disorders have significant health and economic impacts, and due to aging and current lifestyle habits, there is a trend toward their increase. Obesity and the alignment of vertebral curvatures can be associated with back pain. Objective: This study aims to analyze whether general and abdominal obesity are associated with cervical, dorsal, and lumbar vertebral pain as well as increased or decreased values of cervical, dorsal, and lumbar vertebral curvatures. Methodology: Body composition, degree of vertebral curvature, and the perception of cervical, dorsal, and lumbar pain were evaluated in a study population of 301 people (>18 years old). Linear and logistic regression analyses were performed to evaluate the influence of several variables of body composition on vertebral angles and cervical, dorsal, and lumbar pain. Results: Lumbar pain was the most prevalent (66.1%), mainly affecting women (70.9%). They were also shown to have greater lumbar angles (p < 0.001). The degrees of lumbar curvature increased, as did the BMI, waist circumference, and waist-to-height ratio. Cervical and dorsal curvatures were increased by all the variables of adiposity and abdominal adiposity. It was found that people with abdominal obesity carried twice the risk of lower back pain than those without abdominal obesity (OR = 2.172, p < 0.05). In addition, an increased lumbar angle was related to an increased risk of low back pain (OR = 1.031, p < 0.05). Cervical pain, on the other hand, was associated with the waist-height index (OR = 0.948, p <0.01). Conclusions: This study shows that increased lumbar curvature and abdominal obesity may be risk factors for lower back pain. In addition, it shows an association between the amount of body and abdominal fat in relation to the degree of curvature of the spine in the sagittal plane. Investigating the effect of obesity on vertebral morphology and musculoskeletal disorders makes it possible to prescribe interventions and therapeutic strategie

Development of a predictive model of hospitalization in primary care patients with heart failure

BACKGROUND: Heart failure (HF) is the leading cause of hospitalization in people over age 65. Predictive hospital admission models have been developed to help reduce the number of these patients. AIM: To develop and internally validate a model to predict hospital admission in one-year for any non-programmed cause in heart failure patients receiving primary care treatment. DESIGN AND SETTING: Cohort study, prospective. Patients treated in family medicine clinics. METHODS: Logistic regression analysis was used to estimate the association between the predictors and the outcome, i.e. unplanned hospitalization over a 12-month period. The predictive model was built in several steps. The initial examination included a set of 31 predictors. Bootstrapping was used for internal validation. RESULTS: The study included 251 patients, 64 (25.5%) of whom were admitted to hospital for some unplanned cause over the 12 months following their date of inclusion in the study. Four predictive variables of hospitalization were identified: NYHA class III-IV, OR (95% CI) 2.46 (1.23-4.91); diabetes OR (95% CI) 1.94 (1.05-3.58); COPD OR (95% CI) 3.17 (1.45-6.94); MLHFQ Emotional OR (95% CI) 1.07 (1.02-1.12). AUC 0.723; R2N 0.17; Hosmer-Lemeshow 0.815. Internal validation AUC 0.706.; R2N 0.134. CONCLUSION: This is a simple model to predict hospitalization over a 12-month period based on four variables: NYHA functional class, diabetes, COPD and the emotional dimension of the MLHFQ scale. It has an acceptable discriminative capacity enabling the identification of patients at risk of hospitalization.This study was financed by the Health Research Fund (FIS), grant no. PI 14/01677 and co-financed with ERDF funds from the European Union: REDISSEC - Project ISCIII (Red de Investigación en Enfermedades Crónicas del Servicio de Salud - Instituto de Salud Carlos III) concession no. RD16/0001/0004. The Foundation for Biosanitary Research and Innovation in Primary Health Care (FIIBAP) financed the costs of publishing the article. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.S

Development of a predictive model of hospitalization in primary care patients with heart failure

Background Heart failure (HF) is the leading cause of hospitalization in people over age 65. Predictive hospital admission models have been developed to help reduce the number of these patients. Aim To develop and internally validate a model to predict hospital admission in one-year for any non-programmed cause in heart failure patients receiving primary care treatment. Design and setting Cohort study, prospective. Patients treated in family medicine clinics. Methods Logistic regression analysis was used to estimate the association between the predictors and the outcome, i.e. unplanned hospitalization over a 12-month period. The predictive model was built in several steps. The initial examination included a set of 31 predictors. Bootstrapping was used for internal validation. Results The study included 251 patients, 64 (25.5%) of whom were admitted to hospital for some unplanned cause over the 12 months following their date of inclusion in the study. Four predictive variables of hospitalization were identified: NYHA class III-IV, OR (95% CI) 2.46 (1.23–4.91); diabetes OR (95% CI) 1.94 (1.05–3.58); COPD OR (95% CI) 3.17 (1.45–6.94); MLHFQ Emotional OR (95% CI) 1.07 (1.02–1.12). AUC 0.723; R2N 0.17; Hosmer-Lemeshow 0.815. Internal validation AUC 0.706.; R2N 0.134 Conclusion This is a simple model to predict hospitalization over a 12-month period based on four variables: NYHA functional class, diabetes, COPD and the emotional dimension of the MLHFQ scale. It has an acceptable discriminative capacity enabling the identification of patients at risk of hospitalization.This study was financed by the Health Research Fund (FIS), grant no. PI 14/01677 and co-financed with ERDF funds from the European Union: REDISSEC - Project ISCIII (Red de Investigación en Enfermedades Crónicas del Servicio de Salud - Instituto de Salud Carlos III) concession no. RD16/0001/0004. The Foundation for Biosanitary Research and Innovation in Primary Health Care (FIIBAP) financed the costs of publishing the articl

Tuning the Photonic Behavior of Symmetrical bis-BODIPY Architectures: The Key Role of the Spacer Moiety

Herein we describe the synthesis, computationally assisted spectroscopy, and lasing properties of a new library of symmetric bridged bis-BODIPYs that differ in the nature of the spacer. Access to a series of BODIPY dimers is straightforward through synthetic modifications of the pending ortho-hydroxymethyl group of readily available C-8 (meso) ortho-hydroxymethyl phenyl BODIPYs. In this way, we have carried out the first systematic study of the photonic behavior of symmetric bridged bis-BODIPYs, which is effectively modulated by the length and/or stereoelectronic properties of the spacer unit. The designed bis-BODIPYs display bright fluorescence and laser emission in non-polar media. The fluorescence response is governed by the induction of a non-emissive intramolecular charge transfer (ICT) process, which is significantly enhanced in polar media. The effectiveness of the fluorescence quenching and also the prevailing charge transfer mechanism (from the spacer itself or between the BODIPY units) rely directly on the electron-releasing ability of the spacer. Moreover, the linker moiety can also promote intramolecular excitonic interactions, leading to excimer-like emission characterized by new spectral bands and the lengthening of lifetimes. The substantial influence of the bridging moiety on the emission behavior of these BODIPY dyads and their solvent-sensitivity highlight the intricate molecular dynamics upon excitation in multichromophoric systems. In this regard, the present work represents a breakthrough in the complex relationship between the molecular structure of the chromophores and their photophysical signatures, thus providing key guidelines for rationalizing the design of tailored bis-BODIPYs with potential advanced applications.We gratefully acknowledge the Spanish Ministerio de Economia y Competitividad (MINECO) (MAT2017-83856-C3-1-P and 3-P; CTQ2015-66702-R), Ministerio de Economia y Competitividad (MINECO), and Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional (FEDER) (CTQ2015-66702-R, MINECO/FEDER, UE), Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovacion y Universidades (MCIU), Agencia Estatal de Investigacion (AEI), Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional (FEDER) (RTI2018-094862-B-I00, MCIU/AEI/FEDER, UE), and Gobierno Vasco (project IT91216) for financial support. AO-S and RS-L thank UPV/EHU and Gobierno Vasco for a predoctoral fellowship and a postdoctoral contract, respectively