1,720,984 research outputs found
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
Full text linkThe present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
Artificial Intelligence in the Management of Malnutrition in Cancer Patients: A Systematic Review
No full textMalnutrition is a critical complication among cancer patients, affecting ≤80% of individuals depending on cancer type, stage, and treatment. Artificial intelligence (AI) has emerged as a promising tool in healthcare, with potential applications in nutritional management to improve early detection, risk stratification, and personalized interventions. This systematic review evaluated the role of AI in identifying and managing malnutrition in cancer patients, focusing on its effectiveness in nutritional status assessment, prediction, clinical outcomes, and body composition monitoring. A systematic search was conducted across PubMed, Cochrane Library, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, and Excerpta Medica Database from June to July 2024, following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. Quantitative primary studies investigating AI-based interventions for malnutrition detection, body composition analysis, and nutritional optimization in oncology were included. Study quality was assessed using the Joanna Briggs Institute Critical Appraisal Tools, and evidence certainty was evaluated with the Oxford Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine framework. Eleven studies (n = 52,228 patients) met the inclusion criteria and were categorized into 3 overarching domains: nutritional status assessment and prediction, clinical and functional outcomes, and body composition and cachexia monitoring. AI-based models demonstrated high predictive accuracy in malnutrition detection (area under the curve >0.80). Machine learning algorithms, including decision trees, random forests, and support vector machines, outperformed conventional screening tools. Deep learning models applied to medical imaging achieved high segmentation accuracy (Dice similarity coefficient: 0.92–0.94), enabling early cachexia detection. AI-driven virtual dietitian systems improved dietary adherence (84%) and reduced unplanned hospitalizations. AI-enhanced workflows streamlined dietitian referrals, reducing referral times by 2.4 d. AI demonstrates significant potential in optimizing malnutrition screening, body composition monitoring, and personalized nutritional interventions for cancer patients. Its integration into oncology nutrition care could enhance patient outcomes and optimize healthcare resource allocation. Further research is necessary to standardize AI models and ensure clinical applicability. This systematic review followed a protocol registered prospectively on Open Science Framework (https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/A259M)
Mediterranean Diet (MedDiet) and Lifestyle Medicine (LM) for support and care of patients with type II diabetes in the COVID-19 era: a cross-observational study
No full textIntroduction: Diabetes affects 425 million people worldwide (range 20-79 years). Of these, between 87% and 91% are affected by type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM2), and 79% live in medium/low income countries. Objectives: the main objective of the study was to observe, through the administration of specific questionnaires, the relationship existing between metabolic clinical parameters, quality of life of patients with DM2 and adherence to the MedDiet at first access to Diabetes Center in the period after the COVID-19 pandemic. The secondary objective was to observe the results obtained both qualitatively and quantitatively. Materials and methods: the study was a cross-sectional study. Two types of questionnaires were administered; the first (Medi-Lite) that expresses with specific score the level of "Mediterraneanness" diet while the second concerns the assessment of the SF-36 quality of life. Quantitative data such as biochemical and anthropometric parameters were collected and, through multiple regression, based on the method of least squares (OLS Model) and through the Gretl open source software were analyzed. Results: fifty-two of the 90 patients at first access to the recruiting center in the period considered, met the inclusion criteria and and written consent. None of the estimated coefficients was statistically significant except Diastolic Blood Pressure (DBP), with a p-value < 0.0466. With an improvement in the level of "Mediterraneanness" there is a favorable relationship regarding creatinine, High-Density Lipoprotein (HDL), DBP and glycemia. Conclusions: The necessary post-COVID-19 territorial management cannot fail to take into consideration this new method of care which puts the patient and the community to which they belong at the center of the complex process of assistance
Eating and lifestyle habits and primary school health-related programs: a survey involving Italian children and teachers
No full textBackground. Childhood overweight and obesity represent serious public health concerns in several countries worldwide, including
Italy, where the highest prevalence in Europe of overweight and obesity among primary school children was recorded. Among
others, primary schools represent suitable social environments for health education projects. In this perspective, to optimize resources
and plan successful activities, it is necessary, first of all, to analyze the context of the intervention.
Study design. A pilot survey involving children and teachers was conducted in a primary school in Jesi (Le Marche Region,
Italy).
Methods. A questionnaire was submitted by teachers between May and June 2023 to 104 pupils (aged 6–11) from the five different
primary school system classes. A qualitative questionnaire was also filled out by the same teachers (n = 5) who were present while
the children were filling the eating/lifestyle questionnaire.
Results. Most of the children (96.1%) had breakfast before school, with milk and cereal (51.5%) representing the preferred combination.
During recess, 59.2% of pupils usually have a sandwich, 23.3% usually have sweet snacks, whereas only 2.9% have a
fruit. Over 55% of the sample preferred drinking high-sugar beverages to water, and 15.5% declared going to a fast-food restaurant
more than once a week. Over 17% of children did sport only once a week or less often. Over 64% of children habitually played
videogames, and 77.6% normally watched TV or played with a tablet/smartphone while eating. Finally, the teachers’ interview
highlighted that there were no active health-related projects addressed to the pupils, and the school did not normally organize meetings
with health professionals to increase children’s and their parents’ knowledge and awareness about healthy eating habits.
Conclusions. This preliminary investigation analyzed the context for a future health and nutrition education project and will assist
researchers in planning successful activities and increasing the efficiency of the intervention
Prevention and Management of Malnutrition in Patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: A Scoping Review
No full textBackground: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is linked to altered nutritional status due to increased catabolism, leading to muscle mass loss. This study aims to identify and map available evidence regarding multidisciplinary interventions focused on prevention, diagnosis and nutrition education, as well as the role of diet, to prevent and manage malnutrition in patients with COPD. Methods: A scoping review was conducted using the Cochrane, PubMed/Medline, CINAHL, Embase, Scopus, and Web of Science databases. This study adhered to the Arksey and O'Malley framework and JBI methodology. Results: Of the 1761 records identified, 15 were included. Evidence suggests that the Malnutrition Universal Screening Tool and Mini Nutritional Assessment are the most suitable screening scale. Guidelines have highlighted that personalized nutritional counseling is a very common intervention as it allows for a consideration of all physical, psychological, and social aspects of the patient. Conclusions: The role of healthcare professionals is crucial in the early identification of nutrition-related issues and in educating patients about the prevention and management of malnutrition, both in hospital and community settings. Key aspects include early malnutrition detection, personalized counseling and patient education, and a multidisciplinary approach. These findings provide a foundation for developing of targeted patient educational initiatives to improve the nutritional management of COPD patients
Variations on the Author
Full text link“Variations on the Author” discusses two of Eduardo Coutinho’s recent films (Um Dia na Vida, from 2010, and Últimas Conversas, posthumously released in 2015) and their contribution to the general question of documentary authorship. The director’s filmography is characterized by a consistent yet self-effacing form of authorial self-inscription: Coutinho often features as an interviewer that rather than express opinions propels discourses; an interviewer that is good at listening. This mode of self-inscription characterizes him as an author who is not expressive but who is nonetheless markedly present on the screen. In Um Dia na Vida, however, Coutinho is completely absent form the image, while Últimas Conversas, on the contrary, includes a confessional prologue that moves the director from the margins to the center of his films. This article examines the ways in which these works stand out in the filmography of a director who offers new insights into the notion of cinematic authorship
Appropriate Similarity Measures for Author Cocitation Analysis
Full text linkWe provide a number of new insights into the methodological discussion about author cocitation analysis. We first argue that the use of the Pearson correlation for measuring the similarity between authors’ cocitation profiles is not very satisfactory. We then discuss what kind of similarity measures may be used as an alternative to the Pearson correlation. We consider three similarity measures in particular. One is the well-known cosine. The other two similarity measures have not been used before in the bibliometric literature. Finally, we show by means of an example that our findings have a high practical relevance.information science;Pearson correlation;cosine;similarity measure;author cocitation analysis
Dispelling the Myths Behind First-author Citation Counts
Full text linkWe conducted a full-scale evaluative citation analysis study of scholars in the XML research field to explore just how different from each other author rankings resulting from different citation counting methods actually are, and to demonstrate the capability of emerging data and tools on the Web in supporting more realistic citation counting methods. Our results contest some common arguments for the continued
use of first-author citation counts in the evaluation of scholars, such as high correlations between author rankings by first-author citation counts and other citation
counting methods, and high costs of using more realistic citation counting methods that are not well-supported by the ISI databases. It is argued that increasingly available digital full text research papers make it possible for citation analysis studies to go beyond what the ISI databases have directly supported and to employ more
sophisticated methods
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