Looking for attitudes related to amphibian species decline: how are peer-reviewed publications of education activities compared to ecological research?

ABSTRACT Biodiversity decline has been the focus of discussions in the last decade, especially on the amphibian species decline. After a scientometric analysis using international databases, we found that the number of peer-reviewed articles considering education practices related to the theme increased along with the number of ecological researches. However, the increase in ecological researches is much higher than the increase in publications of education practices. Studies suggest that conservation attitudes are important and that education practices are an important tool for improving human perceptions on this subject. In this sense, increase the publication of projects and programs results related to local education practices in international journals could help the dissemination of efficient methods for conservation, as well as facilitating access to information internationally, since species decline, especially for amphibians, is a global concern. Then, we suggest that educational practices, at least when related to conservation, should follow a more standardized protocol, and be published in international journals, as the efficiency of such practices should be evaluated and methods once published could help other nations to improve their ecological literacy.

Overview and recent trends of systematic reviews and meta-analyses in hepatology

A systematic review (SR) is a research methodology that involves a comprehensive search for and analysis of relevant studies on a specific topic. A strict and objective research process is conducted that comprises a systematic and comprehensive literature search in accordance with predetermined inclusion/exclusion criteria, and an assessment of the risk of bias of the selected literature. SRs require a multidisciplinary approach that necessitates cooperation with clinical experts, methodologists, other experts, and statisticians. A meta-analysis (MA) is a statistical method of quantitatively synthesizing data, where possible, from the primary literature selected for the SR. Review articles differ from SRs in that they lack a systematic methodology such as a literature search, selection of studies according to strict criteria, assessment of risk bias, and synthesis of the study results. The importance of evidence-based medicine (EBM) in the decision-making for public policy has recently been increasing thanks to the realization that it should be based on scientific research data. SRs and MAs are essential for EBM strategy and evidence-based clinical practice guidelines. This review addresses the current trends in SRs and MAs in the field of hepatology via a search of recently published articles in the Cochrane Library and Ovid-MEDLINE.

30 Years of dental research in Australia and India: A comparative analysis of published peer review literature.

Background: A sustained program of research is an integral part of human-kind's efforts to improve oral health. In addition, dental research is a vital part of the development of a strong and prosperous dental education system and has been one of the three pillars of the higher education sector (Research, Education and Service) for a very long time. Aim: This study aims to examine the last 30 years of peer review published dental literature in both, Australia and India, and to define the trends in publication over that time. Materials and Methods: This study used the Pubmed database using a set of core dental words for the years 1980 to 2009. Detailed analysis of the year-by-year rates of publication was done using Microsoft Excel. Results: India is on a near exponential upward growth while Australia through the latter half of the last decade has been more stable in output. State-wise breakdown in both countries shows that the proportions are more consistent for Australia, but for India, a major number of publications can be traced to three states. Conclusion: It is expected that dental research in Australia will grow in the coming decade as the new dental schools embed their educational programs and mature to develop strong research profiles. However, India is becoming a significant force in the published peer review dental research literature, and is growing at a very rapid rate.

Análisis de los trabajos presentados en las reuniones regionales de investigación médica, 1994 / Analysis of the papers presented at the regional meetings of medical research, 1994

Las Reuniones Regionales de Investigación Médica del Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social han permitido el intercambio de información entre grupos interesados en temas similares, además de fomentar la investigación clínica en los distinto estados del país. El objetivo de este estudio fue determinar el número de trabajos presentados por Delegación y clasificarlos por áreas del saber médico. Se organizó una base de datos con la siguiente información: número de Reunión Regional, Delegación, tema y nombre de los autores. Se anlizaron las cinco Reuniones Regionales de Investigación Médica realizadas durante 1994, en las que se presentaron trabajos. Los temas más fecuentes fueron los relacionados con medicina interna, pediatría, gineco-obstetricia y cirugía general. también se presentaron trabajos referentes a epidemiología clínica, medicina del trabajo, investigación sobre educación médica y en servicios de salud