scholarly journals Ewé: a web-based ethnobotanical database for storing and analysing data

Database ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Estevão do Nascimento Fernandes de Souza ◽  
Julie A Hawkins
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Change ◽  
Cultural Landscape ◽  
Hypothesis Generation ◽  
Access To Information ◽  
Online Database ◽  
Traditional Use ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Present Test ◽  
Meta Analyses ◽  
Medicinal Flora

Abstract Ethnobotanical databases serve as repositories of traditional knowledge (TK), either at international or local scales. By documenting plant species with traditional use, and most importantly, the applications and modes of use of such species, ethnobotanical databases play a role in the conservation of TK and also provide access to information that could improve hypothesis generation and testing in ethnobotanical studies. Brazil has a rich medicinal flora and a rich cultural landscape. Nevertheless, cultural change and ecological degradation can lead to loss of TK. Here, we present an online database developed with open-source tools with a capacity to include all medicinal flora of Brazil. We present test data for the Leguminosae comprising a total of 2078 records, referred to here as use reports, including data compiled from literature and herbarium sources. Unlike existing databases, Ewé provides tools for the visualization of large datasets, facilitating hypothesis generation and meta-analyses. The Ewé database is currently available at www.ewedb.com.

Use of Mobile Device Applications In Canadian Dietetic Practice

2014 ◽  
Vol 75 (1) ◽  
pp. 41-47 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jessica R.L. Lieffers ◽  
Vivienne A. Vance ◽  
Rhona M. Hanning
Keyword(s):  
Mobile Device ◽  
Response Rate ◽  
Access To Information ◽  
Personal Factors ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Content Quality ◽  
Information Tools ◽  
Device Applications ◽  
Workplace Factors

Purpose A cross-sectional web-based survey of dietitians was used to explore topics related to mobile devices and their applications (apps) in Canadian dietetic practice. Methods A survey was drafted, posted on SurveyMonkey, and pretested with dietitians and dietetic interns. Dietitians of Canada (DC), a supporter of this work, promoted the survey to members through its monthly electronic newsletters from January 2012 to April 2012. Results Of 139 dietitians who answered some survey questions, 118 finished the survey; this represents a response rate of approximately 3%. Overall, 57.3% of respondents reported app use in practice, and 54.2% had a client ask about or use a nutrition/food app. About 40.5% of respondents had recommended nutrition/food apps to clients. Respondents were enthusiastic about apps, but many described challenges with use. From the survey data, three themes emerged that can affect dietitians’ use of apps and whether they recommend apps to clients: mobile device and app factors (access to information/ tools, content quality, usability, accessibility/compatibility, and cost), personal factors (knowledge, interest, suitability, and willingness/ability to pay), and workplace factors. Conclusions Apps are now infiltrating dietetic practice. Several factors can affect dietitians’ use of apps and whether they recommend them to clients. These findings will help guide future development and use of apps in practice.

scholarly journals Improving Access to Information and Support for Patients With Less Common Cancers: Hematologic Cancer Patients’ Views About Web-Based Approaches

2011 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. e112 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christine Louise Paul ◽  
Mariko Leanne Carey ◽  
Alix Edna Hall ◽  
Marita Clare Lynagh ◽  
Robert W Sanson-Fisher ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cancer Patients ◽  
Access To Information ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Hematologic Cancer

scholarly journals Lopinavir/ritonavir for the treatment of COVID-19: A living systematic review protocol

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Francisca Verdugo-Paiva ◽  
Ariel Izcovich ◽  
Martín Ragusa ◽  
Gabriel Rada
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Direct Evidence ◽  
Grey Literature ◽  
Cochrane Central Register ◽  
Randomised Trials ◽  
Eligibility Criteria ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Central Register ◽  
Review Protocol ◽  
Meta Analyses

ABSTRACTObjectiveTo assess the efficacy and safety of lopinavir/ritonavir for the treatment of patients with COVID-19.DesignThis is the protocol of a living systematic review.Data sourcesWe will conduct searches in PubMed/Medline, Embase, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), grey literature and in a centralised repository in L·OVE (Living OVerview of Evidence). L·OVE is a platform that maps PICO questions to evidence from Epistemonikos database. In response to the COVID-19 emergency, L·OVE was adapted to expand the range of evidence it covers and customised to group all COVID-19 evidence in one place. The search will cover the period until the day before submission to a journal.Eligibility criteria for selecting studies and methodsWe adapted an already published common protocol for multiple parallel systematic reviews to the specificities of this question.We will include randomised trials evaluating the effect of lopinavir/ritonavir— as monotherapy or in combination with other drugs — versus placebo or no treatment in patients with COVID-19. Randomised trials evaluating lopinavir/ritonavir in infections caused by other coronaviruses, such as MERS-CoV and SARS-CoV, and non-randomised studies in COVID-19 will be searched in case no direct evidence from randomised trials is found, or if the direct evidence provides low- or very low-certainty for critical outcomes.Two reviewers will independently screen each study for eligibility, extract data, and assess the risk of bias. We will perform random-effects meta-analyses and use GRADE to assess the certainty of the evidence for each outcome.A living, web-based version of this review will be openly available during the COVID-19 pandemic. We will resubmit it if the conclusions change or there are substantial updates.Ethics and disseminationNo ethics approval is considered necessary. The results of this review will be widely disseminated via peer-reviewed publications, social networks and traditional media.PROSPERO RegistrationSubmitted to PROSPERO (awaiting ID allocation).

scholarly journals The Great Global Fish Count (GGFC): A Potential Project of the UN Ocean Decade

2021 ◽  
Vol 55 (3) ◽  
pp. 116-117
Author(s):  
Jesse H. Ausubel ◽  
Mark Y. Stoeckle
Keyword(s):  
Public Interest ◽  
Marine Mammals ◽  
Geographical Information Systems ◽  
Mobile App ◽  
Geographical Information ◽  
Access To Information ◽  
Reference Library ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Marine Life ◽  
Community Science

Abstract The Great Global Fish Count (GGFC) is a community science project to count fish and then other forms of marine life in coastal and later all waters using loose DNA in seawater (marine eDNA) shed by all animals. The project would distribute small filtration devices to millions of people. The devices would enable participants to take water samples, filter the water, stably preserve the filter with the sediment containing DNA, and post the filters to qualified labs for eDNA analysis. Labs would analyze samples, identify species, and upload data to a project database including Web-based geographical information systems accessible to a mobile app. The collector of each sample would learn the species and quantities of DNA in their sample(s) and have access to information from all other samples. The totality of the data would open countless opportunities for analysts to discover patterns and trends. The project would begin by targeting fish species, because of their societal importance, public interest, availability of high-quality primers to grab relevant sequences, and richness of the DNA reference library of fish sequences. Later in the decade the project could expand to all vertebrates (including marine mammals), mollusks, crustaceans, and other taxa, perhaps adding one major group each year.

scholarly journals Gloves for COVID-19: A living systematic review

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Belén Morales Ferrer ◽  
Luis E. Ortiz-Muñoz ◽  
Giuliano Duarte-Anselmi ◽  
Daniel Riquelme-Uribe ◽  
Gabriel Rada
Keyword(s):  
Search Strategy ◽  
Preventive Measures ◽  
Decision Makers ◽  
Healthy Population ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Randomised Study ◽  
All Cause Mortality ◽  
Study Characteristics ◽  
Meta Analyses ◽  
Near Future

Methods We adapted an already published common protocol for multiple parallel systematic reviews to the specificities of this question. We searched for studies evaluating the effect of glove use in healthy population to prevent COVID-19. We conducted searches using the special L·OVE (Living OVerview of Evidence) platform for COVID-19, a system that maps PICO questions to a repository, maintained through regular searches in electronic databases, preprint servers, trial registries and websites relevant to COVID-19. All the searches covered the period until November 30, 2020. No date or language restrictions were applied.Two reviewers independently evaluated potentially eligible studies according to predefined selection criteria, and extracted data on study characteristics, methods, outcomes, and risk of bias, using a predesigned, standardised form.A living, web-based version of this review will be openly available during the COVID-19 pandemic. We will resubmit it every time the conclusions change or whenever there are substantial updates.ResultsOur search strategy yielded 362 references. Finally, only 1 non-randomised study evaluating the use of gloves among other preventive measures was considered eligible. We were not able to perform a meta-analyses, thus the results were presented as a narrative synthesis.In healthy population, the evidence is very uncertain about the effect of the use of gloves on COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations for COVID-19, respiratory failure and all cause-mortality. Conclusions The evidence is insufficient to support or refute the use of gloves in healthy population to prevent COVID-19. There should appear well designed studies addressing the question of this review to provide valuable evidence to inform researchers and decision makers in the near future.

scholarly journals Sexual transmission of SARS-CoV-2 virus and its role in the spread of COVID-19: A living systematic review protocol

Medwave ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (10) ◽  
pp. e8062-e8062
Author(s):  
Giuliano Duarte ◽  
Luis Ortiz-Muñoz ◽  
María Belén Morales ◽  
María Paz Acuña ◽  
Gabriel Rada
Keyword(s):  
Randomized Trials ◽  
Direct Evidence ◽  
Sexual Transmission ◽  
Grey Literature ◽  
Cochrane Central Register ◽  
Eligibility Criteria ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Central Register ◽  
Review Protocol ◽  
Meta Analyses

Objective To provide a review of the literature on the presence of SARS-CoV-2 in the sexual fluids of patients with COVID-19 and to observe its possible sexual transmission in a timely, rigorous, and continuously updated manner. Data sources We will conduct searches in PubMed/Medline, Embase, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), grey literature, and a centralized repository in L·OVE (Living OVerview of Evidence). L·OVE is a platform that maps PICO questions to evidence from the Epistemonikos database. In response to the COVID-19 emergency, L·OVE was adapted to expand the range of evidence it covers and customized to group all COVID-19 evidence in one place. The search will cover the period until the day before submission to a journal. Eligibility criteria for selecting studies and methods We adapted an already published standard protocol for multiple parallel systematic reviews to the specificities of this question. We will include randomized trials evaluating the sexual transmission of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Randomized trials evaluating the sexual transmission of other coronaviruses, such as MERS-CoV and SARS-CoV, and non-randomized studies in COVID-19 will be searched if no direct evidence from randomized trials is found or if the direct evidence provides a low to a very low level of certainty for critical outcomes. Two reviewers will independently screen each study for eligibility, extract data, and assess the risk of bias. We will perform random-effects meta-analyses and use GRADE to assess the certainty of the evidence for each outcome. A living, web-based version of this review will be openly available during the COVID-19 pandemic. We will resubmit the review if the conclusions change or if there are substantial updates. PROSPERO Registration (CRD42020189368).

How Synthetic Characters Can Help Decision-Making

2011 ◽  
pp. 239-256
Author(s):  
Giuliano Pistolesi
Keyword(s):  
Natural Language ◽  
Intelligent Agents ◽  
Building Blocks ◽  
Database Systems ◽  
Online Database ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Online Psychotherapy ◽  
Intelligent Software ◽  
Natural Language Interaction ◽  
The Web

Synthetic Characters are intelligent agents able to show typical human-like cognitive behavior and an artificially-made perceived personality by means of complex natural language interaction and artificial reasoning and emotional skills. They are mainly spreading on the web as highly interactive digital assistants and tutoring agents on online database systems, e-commerce sites, web-based communities, online psychotherapy, and in several consulting situations where humans need assistance from intelligent software. Until now, synthetic characters, equipped with data, models, and simulation skills, have never been thought as the building blocks for natural language interaction-based intelligent DMSS. This chapter illustrates the first research and development attempt in this sense by an Open Source project in progress centred on the design of a synthetic character-based DMSS.

scholarly journals Outcome of patients with pregnancy during or after breast cancer: a review of the recent literature

2014 ◽  
Vol 22 ◽  
pp. 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Raphael ◽  
M.E. Trudeau ◽  
K. Chan
Keyword(s):  
Breast Cancer ◽  
Young Women ◽  
Randomized Trials ◽  
Recent Literature ◽  
Stage At Diagnosis ◽  
Control Groups ◽  
Level Of Evidence ◽  
Web Based ◽  
High Level ◽  
Meta Analyses

BackgroundAn increasing number of young women are delaying childbearing; hence, more are diagnosed with breast cancer (bca) before having a family. No clear recommendations are currently available for counselling such a population on the safety of carrying a pregnancy during bca or becoming pregnant after treatment for bca.MethodsUsing a Web-based search of PubMed we reviewed the recent literature about bca and pregnancy. Our objective was to report outcomes for patients diagnosed with bca during pregnancy, comparing them with outcomes for non-pregnant women, and to evaluate prognosis in women diagnosed with and treated for bca who subsequently became pregnant.Results“Pregnancy and bca” should be divided into two entities. Pregnancy-associated bca tends to be more aggressive and advanced in stage at diagnosis than bca in control groups; hence, it has a poorer prognosis. With respect to pregnancy after bca, there is, despite the bias in reported studies and meta-analyses, no clear evidence for a different or worse disease outcome in bca patients who become pregnant after treatment compared with those who do not.ConclusionsPregnancy-associated bca should be treated as aggressively as and according to the standards applicable in nonpregnant women; pregnancy after bca does not jeopardize outcome. The guidelines addressing risks connected to pregnancy and bca lack a high level of evidence for better counselling young women about pregnancy considerations and preventing unnecessary abortions. Ideally, evidence from large prospective randomized trials would set better guidelines, and yet the complexity of such studies limits their feasibility.

scholarly journals Cumulative Environmental Impacts in the Gwich’in Cultural Landscape

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (11) ◽  
pp. 4667
Author(s):  
Tracey Proverbs ◽  
Trevor Lantz ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Impacts ◽  
Cultural Landscape ◽  
Cultural Landscapes ◽  
Environmental Changes ◽  
Final Analysis ◽  
Cumulative Impacts ◽  
Traditional Use ◽  
Cumulative Impact ◽  
Cultural Feature ◽  
Cultural Features

Environmental changes are impacting northern environments and human communities. Cumulative impact assessments are vital to understanding the combined effects of regional industrial developments and natural disturbances that affect humans and ecosystems. A gap in cumulative impacts literature includes methods to evaluate impacts in cultural landscapes. In this study, we utilized spatial overlay analysis to assess cumulative environmental impacts in the cultural landscape of northern Canada’s Gwich’in Settlement Region. In three analyses, we quantified and mapped: (1) Cultural feature density, (2) cumulative environmental disturbance, and (3) potential overlap between disturbances and cultural features. Our first analysis depicts the extent and pattern of cultural relationships with regional landscapes and illustrates the Gwich’in cultural landscape, with widespread harvesting trails, named places, traditional use areas, and archaeological sites found in highest densities near important waterways. Our second analysis suggests that spatial overlay can track multiple disturbances, illustrating diffuse, lower intensity cumulative environmental impacts. The final analysis shows that overlaying disturbance and cultural feature data provides a novel way to investigate cumulative impacts in a cultural landscape, indicating relatively low levels of potential overlap between Gwich’in cultural features and disturbances. These methods provide one way to investigate cumulative impacts, relevant for well- documented cultural landscapes.

scholarly journals Practice-Based Research in Complementary Medicine: Could N-of-1 Trials Become the New Gold Standard?

Healthcare ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joanne Bradbury ◽  
Cathy Avila ◽  
Sandra Grace
Keyword(s):  
Clinical Practice ◽  
Complementary Medicine ◽  
Treatment Efficacy ◽  
Gold Standard ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Patient Centered ◽  
Level Of Evidence ◽  
Traditional Use ◽  
Complementary Medicines ◽  
Meta Analyses

Complementary medicines and therapies are popular forms of healthcare with a long history of traditional use. Yet, despite increasing consumer demand, there is an ongoing exclusion of complementary medicines from mainstream healthcare systems. A lack of evidence is often cited as justification. Until recently, high-quality evidence of treatment efficacy was defined as findings from well-conducted systematic reviews and meta-analyses of randomized controlled trials. In a recent and welcome move by the Oxford Centre for Evidence-Based Practice, however, the N-of-1 trial design has also been elevated to the highest level of evidence for treatment efficacy of an individual, placing this research design on par with the meta-analysis. N-of-1 trial designs are experimental research methods that can be implemented in clinical practice. They incorporate much of the rigor of group clinical trials, but are designed for individual patients. Individualizing treatment interventions and outcomes in research designs is consistent with the movement towards patient-centered care and aligns well with the principles of holism as practiced by naturopaths and many other complementary medicine practitioners. This paper explores whether rigorously designed and conducted N-of-1 trials could become a new ‘gold standard’ for demonstrating treatment efficacy for complementary medicine interventions in individual patients in clinical practice.

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