ABSTRACT
Journal Impact Factor (JIF) has several intrinsic flaws, which highlight its inability to adequately measure citation distributions or indicate journal quality. Despite these flaws, JIF is still widely used within the academic community, resulting in the propagation of potentially misleading information. A critical review of the usefulness of JIF is needed including an overview of the literature to identify viable alternative metrics. The objectives of this study are: (1) to assess the usefulness of JIF by compiling and comparing its advantages and disadvantages; (2) to record the differential uses of JIF within research environments; and (3) to summarize and compare viable alternative measures to JIF. Methods: Three separate literature search strategies using MEDLINE and Web of Science were completed to address the three study objectives. Each search was completed in accordance with PRISMA guidelines. Results were compiled in tabular format and analyzed based on reporting frequency. Results: For objective (1), 84 studies were included in qualitative analysis. It was found that the recorded advantages of JIF were outweighed by disadvantages (18 disadvantages vs. 9 advantages). For objective (2), 653 records were included in a qualitative analysis. JIF was found to be most commonly used in journal ranking (n = 653, 100%) and calculation of scientific research productivity (n = 367, 56.2%). For objective (3), 65 works were included in qualitative analysis. These articles revealed 45 alternatives, which includes 18 alternatives that improve on highly reported disadvantages of JIF. Conclusion: JIF has many disadvantages and is applied beyond its original intent, leading to inaccurate information. Several metrics have been identified to improve on certain disadvantages of JIF. Integrated Impact Indicator (I3) shows great promise as an alternative to JIF. However, further scientometric analysis is needed to assess its properties.(AU)
Subject(s)
Surveys and Questionnaires , Evaluation Studies as Topic , Journal Impact FactorABSTRACT
Objective: To compare the postoperative pain in inguinal hernioplasty, by preserving versus wide elective division of ilioinguinal nerve. Study Design: Randomized controlled trial. Place and Duration of Study: Surgical Department, Civil Hospital, Karachi, from January till August 2015
Methodology: All patients of either gender above 15 years of age, undergoing mesh repair for unilateral, reducible inguinal hernia, were included. Patients with recurrent inguinal hernia, bilateral inguinal hernia, and those who will require emergency hernia surgeries like irreducible, obstructed, and strangulated hernia, were excluded. They were randomly assigned 42 into inguinal nerve preservation group [group A] and 42 in division [group B]. Postoperative pain was assessed at first day, at discharge and after one month using visual analogue scale
Results: There were a total of 84 patients. Group A patients had median [IQR] pain scores of 5 [1] and 3 [2] as compared to group B pain scores of 4 [2] and 2 [1] at 24 hours of surgery and at discharge, respectively [p<0.05]. Median [IQR] postoperative pain score one month after inguinal hernioplasty was 2.5 [1] in group A, while 0.5 [1] in group B [p<0.05]. A significant decline in the pain scores were observed in group B from the first day of surgery till one month afterwards [p<0.05]
Conclusion: Wide resection of ilioinguinal nerve has a lower frequency of postoperative pain in comparison to the ilioinguinal nerve preservation, in inguinal hernioplasty
ABSTRACT
Objective: To compare the efficacy of oral azithrornycin with topical tetracycline for treating chronic trachoma in rural Sindh population of Pakistan
Study Design: Randomized Control Trial [RCT]
Place and Duration of Study: CMH Pano Aqil from October 2010 to September 2013
Material and Methods: A total of 214 individuals with active trachoma in at least one eye were recruited in the study and randomly assigned to either treatment group. Patients visited after 10 weeks. The outcome was 'resolved disease'.The data was analyzed using SPSS 20
Results: Patients in azithrornycin group were significantly more likely to have resolved disease as compared to tetracycline group at 10 weeks of follow up [86% vs 71%; 95% confidence interval CI, 0.28-0.87; p=0.015]. Differences within the age groups were not significant [children, p=0.072; elderly, p=0.091]
Conclusion: Single dose oral azithrornycin was significantly more likely to achieve better outcome in chronic trachoma in rural population where compliance had been an issue
Subject(s)
Humans , Child , Middle Aged , Aged , Azithromycin , Tetracycline , Rural PopulationABSTRACT
Background H. Pylori or Helicobacter pylori is a bacterium of gram negative origin, found in the stomach and has been attributed to peptic ulcers, chronic gastritis, and cancer of the stomach [ailments that formerly were not thought to occur due to microbes] ever since it was identified nearly three decades ago. Objective: Nearly half of the global population harbors H. pylori in its upper gastrointestinal tract. However, a major proportion [i.e. eighty percent] of the victims remain asymptomatic. This research aims to determine the incidence and extent of Helicobacter Pylori infestation among symptomatic population of Shaheed Benazirabad and provide the basis for future studies investigating the extent of infestation and its relationship with symptoms
Methodology this cross-sectional analysis of incidence and extent of H. Pylori infestation was done on the basis of ELISA test results from a mainstream laboratory [Arif Diagnostics] the only laboratory, equipped with the technology to carry out this test. The data of 100 symptomatic patients visiting the laboratory in the month of June, 2014 was collected and test result was analyzed on SPSS v.16.0
Results the Mean H. Pylori levels were higher in females [12.54ug/dl] than in males [8.61ug/dl]. The maximum level of infestation reported in symptomatic females [58.63ug/dl] was also considerably higher than that of symptomatic males [27.54ug/dl]. H. Pylori infestation was most common [37%] among individuals aged between eighteen to twenty-eight years. Individuals aged between twenty-nine to thirty-nine years immediately followed and 30% of the symptomatic patients fell within this age bracket, majority of the sufferers were males as compared to females
Conclusion on the basis of our result, we conclude that males are more prone to suffer from symptoms even at lower levels of infestation than females and the incidence and extent of peptic ulcer infestation decreased with decreasing age in our sample
ABSTRACT
Cardiovascular health hazards has become one of major life threats in Pakistan, the risks may vary from province to province. Present study aims to find out the role of psycho-social depression and its relation with risks of cardiovascular maladies in city of Hyderabad-Pakistan. A cross-sectional study was conducted from November 2012 to February 2013; based on multiple logistic to investigate the relationship between Depression, lifestyle and blood pressure variations. The Study included 174 subjects both males and females gender with age between 18- 25 years. Depression rating scale was used to evaluate type and cause of depression furthermore BMI and blood pressure of each subject were also noted. Our study observed that the intensity of stress is directly related with the disturbed blood pressures. Study also observed that with the increasing BMI the prevalence of depression is high. It is therefore concluded that depression is the major risk factor that will increase the risks of cardiovascular maladies; along with other factors like obesity, psychosocial issues like elevating crime and violence rate could be the major cause of depression in Hyderabad city.