Research discovery

Research papers

Search indexed scholarly records by title, author, abstract, DOI, journal, year, citation activity and full-text availability.

Upload Research

88 papers found.

Clear filters
2020 · The Lancet

COVID-19: towards controlling of a pandemic

Juliet Bedford, Delia Enría, Johan Giesecke, David L Heymann, Chikwe Ihekweazu, Gary Kobinger, H. Clifford Lane, Ziad A. Mem…

1,648 citations0 viewsFull text
DOI: 10.1016/s0140-6736(20)30673-5
2020 · Nature Communications

The role of artificial intelligence in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals

Ricardo Vinuesa, Hossein Azizpour, Iolanda Leite, Madeline Balaam, Virginia Dignum, Sami Domisch, Anna Felländer, Simone D. …

The emergence of artificial intelligence (AI) and its progressively wider impact on many sectors requires an assessment of its effect on the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals. Using a consensus-based expert elicitation process, we find that AI can enable the accomplishment of 134 targets across all the goals, but it may also inhibit 59 targets. However, current research foci overlook important aspects. The fast development of AI needs to be supported by the necessary regulatory insight and oversight for AI-based technologies to enable sustainable development. Failure to do so could result in gaps in transparency, safety, and ethical standards.

3,048 citations10 viewsFull text
DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-14108-y
2020 · IEEE Access

Artificial Intelligence in Education: A Review

Lijia Chen, Pingping Chen, Zhijian Lin

The purpose of this study was to assess the impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI) on education. Premised on a narrative and framework for assessing AI identified from a preliminary analysis, the scope of the study was limited to the application and effects of AI in administration, instruction, and learning. A qualitative research approach, leveraging the use of literature review as a research design and approach was used and effectively facilitated the realization of the study purpose. Artificial intelligence is a field of study and the resulting innovations and developments that have culminated in computers, machines, and other artifacts having human-like intelligence characterized by cognitive abilities, learning, adaptability, and decision-making capabilities. The study ascertained that AI has extensively been adopted and used in education, particularly by education institutions, in different forms. AI initially took the form of computer and computer related technologies, transitioning to web-based and online intelligent education systems, and ultimately with the use of embedded computer systems, together with other technologies, the use of humanoid robots and web-based chatbots to perform instructors' duties and functions independently or with instructors. Using these platforms, instructors have been able to perform different administrative functions, such as reviewing and grading students' assignments more effectively and efficiently, and achieve higher quality in their teaching activities. On the other hand, because the systems leverage machine learning and adaptability, curriculum and content has been customized and personalized in line with students' needs, which has fostered uptake and retention, thereby improving learners experience and overall quality of learning.

3,691 citations10 viewsFull text
DOI: 10.1109/access.2020.2988510
2019 · International Journal of Educational Technology i…

Systematic review of research on artificial intelligence applications in higher education – where are the educators?

Olaf Zawacki‐Richter, Victoria I. Marín, Melissa Bond, Franziska Gouverneur

Abstract According to various international reports, Artificial Intelligence in Education (AIEd) is one of the currently emerging fields in educational technology. Whilst it has been around for about 30 years, it is still unclear for educators how to make pedagogical advantage of it on a broader scale, and how it can actually impact meaningfully on teaching and learning in higher education. This paper seeks to provide an overview of research on AI applications in higher education through a systematic review. Out of 2656 initially identified publications for the period between 2007 and 2018, 146 articles were included for final synthesis, according to explicit inclusion and exclusion criteria. The descriptive results show that most of the disciplines involved in AIEd papers come from Computer Science and STEM, and that quantitative methods were the most frequently used in empirical studies. The synthesis of results presents four areas of AIEd applications in academic support services, and institutional and administrative services: 1. profiling and prediction, 2. assessment and evaluation, 3. adaptive systems and personalisation, and 4. intelligent tutoring systems. The conclusions reflect on the almost lack of critical reflection of challenges and risks of AIEd, the weak connection to theoretical pedagogical perspectives, and the need for further exploration of ethical and educational approaches in the application of AIEd in higher education.

5,912 citations11 viewsFull text
DOI: 10.1186/s41239-019-0171-0
2019 · Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science

How artificial intelligence will change the future of marketing

Thomas H. Davenport, Abhijit Guha, Dhruv Grewal, Timna Breßgott

Abstract In the future, artificial intelligence (AI) is likely to substantially change both marketing strategies and customer behaviors. Building from not only extant research but also extensive interactions with practice, the authors propose a multidimensional framework for understanding the impact of AI involving intelligence levels, task types, and whether AI is embedded in a robot. Prior research typically addresses a subset of these dimensions; this paper integrates all three into a single framework. Next, the authors propose a research agenda that addresses not only how marketing strategies and customer behaviors will change in the future, but also highlights important policy questions relating to privacy, bias and ethics. Finally, the authors suggest AI will be more effective if it augments (rather than replaces) human managers.

2,488 citations12 viewsFull text
DOI: 10.1007/s11747-019-00696-0
2019 · JAMA Oncology

Global, Regional, and National Cancer Incidence, Mortality, Years of Life Lost, Years Lived With Disability, and Disability-Adjusted Life-Years for 29 Cancer Groups, 1990 to 2017

Christina Fitzmaurice, Degu Abate, Naghmeh Abbasi, Hedayat Abbastabar, Foad Abd-Allah, Omar Abdel‐Rahman, Ahmed Abdelalim, A…

Importance Cancer and other noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) are now widely recognized as a threat to global development. The latest United Nations high-level meeting on NCDs reaffirmed this observation and also highlighted the slow progress in meeting the 2011 Political Declaration on the Prevention and Control of Noncommunicable Diseases and the third Sustainable Development Goal. Lack of situational analyses, priority setting, and budgeting have been identified as major obstacles in achieving these goals. All of these have in common that they require information on the local cancer epidemiology. The Global Burden of Disease (GBD) study is uniquely poised to provide these crucial data. Objective To describe cancer burden for 29 cancer groups in 195 countries from 1990 through 2017 to provide data needed for cancer control planning. Evidence Review We used the GBD study estimation methods to describe cancer incidence, mortality, years lived with disability, years of life lost, and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs). Results are presented at the national level as well as by Socio-demographic Index (SDI), a composite indicator of income, educational attainment, and total fertility rate. We also analyzed the influence of the epidemiological vs the demographic transition on cancer incidence. Findings In 2017, there were 24.5 million incident cancer cases worldwide (16.8 million without nonmelanoma skin cancer [NMSC]) and 9.6 million cancer deaths. The majority of cancer DALYs came from years of life lost (97%), and only 3% came from years lived with disability. The odds of developing cancer were the lowest in the low SDI quintile (1 in 7) and the highest in the high SDI quintile (1 in 2) for both sexes. In 2017, the most common incident cancers in men were NMSC (4.3 million incident cases); tracheal, bronchus, and lung (TBL) cancer (1.5 million incident cases); and prostate cancer (1.3 million incident cases). The most common causes of cancer deaths and DALYs for men were TBL cancer (1.3 million deaths and 28.4 million DALYs), liver cancer (572 000 deaths and 15.2 million DALYs), and stomach cancer (542 000 deaths and 12.2 million DALYs). For women in 2017, the most common incident cancers were NMSC (3.3 million incident cases), breast cancer (1.9 million incident cases), and colorectal cancer (819 000 incident cases). The leading causes of cancer deaths and DALYs for women were breast cancer (601 000 deaths and 17.4 million DALYs), TBL cancer (596 000 deaths and 12.6 million DALYs), and colorectal cancer (414 000 deaths and 8.3 million DALYs). Conclusions and Relevance The national epidemiological profiles of cancer burden in the GBD study show large heterogeneities, which are a reflection of different exposures to risk factors, economic settings, lifestyles, and access to care and screening. The GBD study can be used by policy makers and other stakeholders to develop and improve national and local cancer control in order to achieve the global targets and improve equity in cancer care.

2,690 citations3 viewsFull text
DOI: 10.1001/jamaoncol.2019.2996
2019

Oceanography and Marine Biology

Wernberg, Thomas, Coleman, Melinda A., Babcock, Russell C., Bell, Sahira Y., id_orcid 0000-0001-9237-7507, Bolton, John J., …

Coastal plankton show fluctuations in abundance and species composition. Resting stage (cyst) production is a common strategy adopted by hundreds of plankton species to ensure reproduction and to avoid adverse conditions. During the resting period, these species are normally absent from the water column, and cysts produced in the plankton accumulate in the sediment where they wait for the return of suitable conditions. A portion of the cyst bank does not hatch, instead undergoing a dormancy that may extend for decades. Confined coastal areas accumulate cysts in sediment due to one or more possibilities, including reduced water movement/hydrodynamics, high population density, abundance of cyst-producing species, and the absence or scarcity of possible cyst consumers in the benthos. The pelagic-benthic nexus, which affects both the sediment and the water column (and possibly sea ice) is still poorly understood. In fact, the presence of cysts in the life cycle of organisms is likely to have considerable consequences for the ecology of coastal plankton, as well as the evolution and biogeography of species. This review aims to depict the presence (and even abundance) of resting stages in marine environments and their impact on ecosystem functioning. The review starts with a description of encysted resting stages in all marine planktonic taxa, listing a total of 501 species with known cysts, and methods and tools for their collection and study. The physiology and timing of the rest period is then described for various taxa, followed by a discussion of the evolutionary implications of resting. The presence of encysted stages in different realms and phyla of plankton suggests an ancient origin and a successive diversification of morphologies that, today, roughly characterise each taxa. Ecological and biogeographical implications stem from this general framework and support the hypothesis of seasonal occurrences of planktonic life in ecosystems where productivity is suspended for a long time (e.g. in polar seas). The potential to suspend or resume life has implications for human activities, such as the risk of translocations through ship ballast water and contamination of water and seafood with toxins but also the benefit of cysts for the production of aquaculture feed. The review concludes with perspectives on present knowledge and outstanding questions to address in future studies.

50 citations11 viewsFull text
DOI: 10.1201/9780429026379
2019 · Journal of Hepatology

Update of the statements on biology and clinical impact of occult hepatitis B virus infection

Giovanni Raimondo, Stephen Locarnini, Teresa Pollicino, Massimo Levrero, Fabien Zoulim, Anna S. Lok, Jean‐Pierre Allain, Tho…

In October 2018 a large number of international experts with complementary expertise came together in Taormina to participate in a workshop on occult hepatitis B virus infection (OBI). The objectives of the workshop were to review the existing knowledge on OBI, to identify issues that require further investigation, to highlight both existing controversies and newly emerging perspectives, and ultimately to update the statements previously agreed in 2008. This paper represents the output from the workshop.

559 citations12 viewsFull text
DOI: 10.1016/j.jhep.2019.03.034
2019 · Nursing Forum

High-fidelity simulation and nursing students’ anxiety and self-confidence: A systematic review

Leodoro J. Labrague, Denise M. McEnroe–Petitte, Ann Bowling, Chidozie Edwin Nwafor, Konstantinos Tsaras

BACKGROUND: As a complementary teaching pedagogy, high-fidelity simulation remains as an effective form of simulation modality. Empirical evidence has additionally shown high-fidelity simulation (HFS) to be an effective contributor to students' learning outcomes. PURPOSE: This paper critically appraised existing scientific articles that covered the influence of utilizing HFS on the effects of nursing students' anxiety and self-confidence during undergraduate nursing education. METHODS: This was a systematic review of scientific articles conducted from 2007 to 2017 on the topic of the influence of using HFS on students' self-confidence and anxiety. The literature of six electronic databases (Proquest, SCOPUS, MEDLINE, PubMed Central, CINAHL, and PsychINFO) was reviewed. RESULTS: Following the literature search, 35 articles were selected. This review provides updated evidence on the efficacy of HFS in reducing anxiety and enhancing self-confidence among nursing students when performing nursing duties or managing patients. Moreover, this review highlights the need for more research that examines the impact of HFS on students' anxiety. CONCLUSION: As this form of simulation is found to be effective in the enhancement of nursing student self-confidence and the reduction of their anxiety when caring for patients and/or employing nursing skills, the inclusion of simulation-based activities in all clinical nursing courses is vital.

214 citations12 views
DOI: 10.1111/nuf.12337
2018 · CA A Cancer Journal for Clinicians

Global cancer statistics 2018: GLOBOCAN estimates of incidence and mortality worldwide for 36 cancers in 185 countries

Freddie Bray, Jacques Ferlay, Isabelle Soerjomataram, Rebecca L. Siegel, Lindsey A. Torre, Ahmedin Jemal

This article provides a status report on the global burden of cancer worldwide using the GLOBOCAN 2018 estimates of cancer incidence and mortality produced by the International Agency for Research on Cancer, with a focus on geographic variability across 20 world regions. There will be an estimated 18.1 million new cancer cases (17.0 million excluding nonmelanoma skin cancer) and 9.6 million cancer deaths (9.5 million excluding nonmelanoma skin cancer) in 2018. In both sexes combined, lung cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer (11.6% of the total cases) and the leading cause of cancer death (18.4% of the total cancer deaths), closely followed by female breast cancer (11.6%), prostate cancer (7.1%), and colorectal cancer (6.1%) for incidence and colorectal cancer (9.2%), stomach cancer (8.2%), and liver cancer (8.2%) for mortality. Lung cancer is the most frequent cancer and the leading cause of cancer death among males, followed by prostate and colorectal cancer (for incidence) and liver and stomach cancer (for mortality). Among females, breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer and the leading cause of cancer death, followed by colorectal and lung cancer (for incidence), and vice versa (for mortality); cervical cancer ranks fourth for both incidence and mortality. The most frequently diagnosed cancer and the leading cause of cancer death, however, substantially vary across countries and within each country depending on the degree of economic development and associated social and life style factors. It is noteworthy that high-quality cancer registry data, the basis for planning and implementing evidence-based cancer control programs, are not available in most low- and middle-income countries. The Global Initiative for Cancer Registry Development is an international partnership that supports better estimation, as well as the collection and use of local data, to prioritize and evaluate national cancer control efforts. CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians 2018;0:1-31. © 2018 American Cancer Society.

88,040 citations2 viewsFull text
DOI: 10.3322/caac.21492
2018 · Journal of Service Research

Artificial Intelligence in Service

Ming‐Hui Huang, Roland T. Rust

Artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly reshaping service by performing various tasks, constituting a major source of innovation, yet threatening human jobs. We develop a theory of AI job replacement to address this double-edged impact. The theory specifies four intelligences required for service tasks—mechanical, analytical, intuitive, and empathetic—and lays out the way firms should decide between humans and machines for accomplishing those tasks. AI is developing in a predictable order, with mechanical mostly preceding analytical, analytical mostly preceding intuitive, and intuitive mostly preceding empathetic intelligence. The theory asserts that AI job replacement occurs fundamentally at the task level, rather than the job level, and for “lower” (easier for AI) intelligence tasks first. AI first replaces some of a service job’s tasks, a transition stage seen as augmentation, and then progresses to replace human labor entirely when it has the ability to take over all of a job’s tasks. The progression of AI task replacement from lower to higher intelligences results in predictable shifts over time in the relative importance of the intelligences for service employees. An important implication from our theory is that analytical skills will become less important, as AI takes over more analytical tasks, giving the “softer” intuitive and empathetic skills even more importance for service employees. Eventually, AI will be capable of performing even the intuitive and empathetic tasks, which enables innovative ways of human–machine integration for providing service but also results in a fundamental threat for human employment.

3,371 citations13 views
DOI: 10.1177/1094670517752459
2017 · Journal of Mental Health

Stress and coping strategies among nursing students: an international study

Leodoro J. Labrague, Denise M. McEnroe–Petitte, Ioanna V. Papathanasiou, Olaide B. Edet, Konstantinos Tsaras, Michael Leocad…

BACKGROUND: Mounting literature on stress and coping in nursing students are available; however, most of the findings are confined to a single cultural group. AIMS: This study was conducted to determine the level of stress, its sources and coping strategies among nursing students from three countries: Greece, the Philippines and Nigeria. METHODS: Using a descriptive, comparative research design, 547 nursing students (161 Greek nursing students, 153 Filipino nursing students, 233 Nigerian nursing students) participated in the study from August 2015 to April 2016. Two standardized instruments were used, the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) and the Coping Behavior Inventory (CBI). RESULTS: Findings revealed that the degree of stress and the type of stressors and coping styles utilized by nursing students differ according to the country of origin. The year of study predicted overall stress (β = -0.149, p < 0.001) while advanced age predicted overall coping (β = 0.008, p = 0.037) in the nursing students. CONCLUSIONS: Strengthening nursing students' positive coping skills may be helpful for them to effectively deal with various stressors during their educational experiences while maximizing learning. Implementing empirically tested approaches maybe useful to prevent the recurrence of stress and lessen its impact such as stress management counseling, counseling programs, establishing peer and family support systems, and formulating hospital policies that will support nursing students.

155 citations13 views
DOI: 10.1080/09638237.2017.1417552
2017 · Perspectives In Psychiatric Care

A cross-country comparative study on stress and quality of life in nursing students

Leodoro J. Labrague, Denise M. McEnroe–Petitte, Ioanna V. Papathanasiou, Olaide B. Edet, Konstantinos Tsaras, Christos Kleis…

PURPOSE: This study was conducted to compare perceptions of stress and quality of life (QoL) among nursing students from three countries (the Philippines, Greece, and Nigeria) and to examine the impact of stress on their QoL. DESIGN AND METHODS: A comparative, cross-sectional research design was used in this study. Data were collected from 547 nursing students from three countries using the perceived stress scale (PSS) and the quality of life evaluation skill (QOLES). FINDINGS: Students' perceptions of stress and QoL were different across the three countries. Furthermore, higher stress perceptions were identified from taking care of patients, the clinical environment, and faculty, peer, and staff encounters, which predicted a negative QoL. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: The findings emphasized the need for empirically tested and culturally tailored interventions to effectively reduce stress and enhance the QoL in nursing students.

71 citations10 views
DOI: 10.1111/ppc.12248
2017 · Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews

Solar energy: Potential and future prospects

Ehsanul Kabir, Pawan Kumar, Sandeep Kumar, Adedeji A. Adelodun, Ki‐Hyun Kim

2,463 citations0 views
DOI: 10.1016/j.rser.2017.09.094
2017 · Educational Research and Reviews

Study habit and its impact on secondary school students academic performance in biology in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja

Uju F. Ebele, Paul Agbade Olofu

Study habits is how one studies. That is, the habits which students form during their school years. Without good study habits, a student cannot succeed. Thus, this study investigated the impact of study habits on secondary school students&rsquo; academic performance in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The study was guided by one null hypothesis. The study adopted a descriptive survey research design as its plan. The sample of the study constituted of 1050 senior secondary school students drawn from the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The instrument used for data collection was questionnaire. Chi-square was used for data analysis. The finding of the study revealed that there is significant relationship between study habits and students&rsquo; academic performance. It was recommended that teachers and school guidance counselors should collaboratively guide students on how to develop good study habits; thereby enhancing their academic success. Key words: Habits, study habits, biology, impact and academic performance.

74 citations14 viewsFull text
DOI: 10.5897/err2016.3117
2016 · Geoscientific model development

The Scenario Model Intercomparison Project (ScenarioMIP) for CMIP6

Brian C. O’Neill, Claudia Tebaldi, Detlef P. van Vuuren, Veronika Eyring, Pierre Friedlingstein, G. C. Hurtt, Reto Knutti, E…

Abstract. Projections of future climate change play a fundamental role in improving understanding of the climate system as well as characterizing societal risks and response options. The Scenario Model Intercomparison Project (ScenarioMIP) is the primary activity within Phase 6 of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP6) that will provide multi-model climate projections based on alternative scenarios of future emissions and land use changes produced with integrated assessment models. In this paper, we describe ScenarioMIP's objectives, experimental design, and its relation to other activities within CMIP6. The ScenarioMIP design is one component of a larger scenario process that aims to facilitate a wide range of integrated studies across the climate science, integrated assessment modeling, and impacts, adaptation, and vulnerability communities, and will form an important part of the evidence base in the forthcoming Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) assessments. At the same time, it will provide the basis for investigating a number of targeted science and policy questions that are especially relevant to scenario-based analysis, including the role of specific forcings such as land use and aerosols, the effect of a peak and decline in forcing, the consequences of scenarios that limit warming to below 2 °C, the relative contributions to uncertainty from scenarios, climate models, and internal variability, and long-term climate system outcomes beyond the 21st century. To serve this wide range of scientific communities and address these questions, a design has been identified consisting of eight alternative 21st century scenarios plus one large initial condition ensemble and a set of long-term extensions, divided into two tiers defined by relative priority. Some of these scenarios will also provide a basis for variants planned to be run in other CMIP6-Endorsed MIPs to investigate questions related to specific forcings. Harmonized, spatially explicit emissions and land use scenarios generated with integrated assessment models will be provided to participating climate modeling groups by late 2016, with the climate model simulations run within the 2017–2018 time frame, and output from the climate model projections made available and analyses performed over the 2018–2020 period.

5,072 citations11 viewsFull text
DOI: 10.5194/gmd-9-3461-2016
2016 · Apidologie

Quo vadis Aethina tumida? Biology and control of small hive beetles

Peter Neumann, Jeff Pettis, Marc Oliver Schäfer

Small hive beetles (SHBs) are generalists native to sub-Saharan Africa and reproduce in association with honeybees, bumblebees, stingless bees, fruits and meat. The SHB has recently become an invasive species, and introductions have been recorded from America, Australia, Europe and Asia since 1996. While SHBs are usually considered a minor pest in Africa, they can cause significant damage to social bee colonies in their new ranges. Potential reasons for differential impact include differences in bee behaviour, climate and release from natural enemies. Here, we provide an overview on biology, distribution, pest status, diagnosis, control and prevention to foster adequate mitigation and stimulate future research. SHBs have become a global threat to both apiculture and wild bee populations, but our knowledge of this pest is still limited, creating demand for more research in all areas of its biology.

159 citations14 viewsFull text
DOI: 10.1007/s13592-016-0426-x
2015 · International Letters of Social and Humanistic Sc…

Impact of Instructional Materials in Teaching and Learning of Biology in Senior Secondary Schools in Yakurr LG A

Oji Ekpo Effiong, Charles E. Igiri

This study was designed to determine the impact of instructional materials in teaching and learning of Biology by SS II students in Yakurr local government area of Cross River state. In order to effectively handle the study, four research questions were formulated to guide the study. The descriptive statistical method was employed so as to determine the impact of teacher’s effectiveness. Five (5) comparable secondary schools were selected to represent the population of the study. The data collected were analyzed using simple percentage method to verify the research questions formulated for this study. The result of the findings revealed that there is a positive achievement in students taught by highly qualified biology teachers and those exposed to instructional materials during lessons. It was recommended that government make available to schools the basic instructional materials as this will enhance an effective teaching and learning process.

43 citations12 viewsFull text
DOI: 10.18052/www.scipress.com/ilshs.62.27
2015 · 53rd AIAA Aerospace Sciences Meeting

Flame Extinction Dynamics of Lean Premixed Bluff-Body Stabilized Flames

Marissa K. Geikie, Kareem A. Ahmed

There is a crucial need to improve energy conversion efficiencies and minimize the environmental impact of turbulent combustion systems for energy production. Lean premixed turbulent combustion operation will significantly reduce efficiency-based thermal losses and combustion emissions. However, the performance of lean turbulent combustion technology is inevitably limited by the effects of flame extinction. Flames operating at lean conditions are susceptible to stabilization dynamics caused by local reaction extinction; this leads to global flame blowout and termination of the combustion energy production process. An improved understanding and prediction of flame extinction and stability will guide strategies to enhance efficiency, reduce emissions and improve performance of turbulent combustion systems. This research is focused on understanding the physical mechanisms of flame extinction using a newly-developed physics-based model. The novelty of this model is that it interactively couples the physics of the turbulent flow through a dynamic Lagrangian vortex method and the strained flame reaction kinetics using a one-dimensional opposed-jet flame. This innovative modeling strategy effectively captures the dynamic flame stability and extinction for turbulent premixed combustion.

9 citations9 views
DOI: 10.2514/6.2015-0930
2014 · Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences

Evolutionary cell biology: Two origins, one objective

Michael Lynch, Mark C. Field, Holly V. Goodson, Harmit S. Malik, José B. Pereira‐Leal, David S. Roos, Aaron P. Turkewitz, Sh…

All aspects of biological diversification ultimately trace to evolutionary modifications at the cellular level. This central role of cells frames the basic questions as to how cells work and how cells come to be the way they are. Although these two lines of inquiry lie respectively within the traditional provenance of cell biology and evolutionary biology, a comprehensive synthesis of evolutionary and cell-biological thinking is lacking. We define evolutionary cell biology as the fusion of these two eponymous fields with the theoretical and quantitative branches of biochemistry, biophysics, and population genetics. The key goals are to develop a mechanistic understanding of general evolutionary processes, while specifically infusing cell biology with an evolutionary perspective. The full development of this interdisciplinary field has the potential to solve numerous problems in diverse areas of biology, including the degree to which selection, effectively neutral processes, historical contingencies, and/or constraints at the chemical and biophysical levels dictate patterns of variation for intracellular features. These problems can now be examined at both the within- and among-species levels, with single-cell methodologies even allowing quantification of variation within genotypes. Some results from this emerging field have already had a substantial impact on cell biology, and future findings will significantly influence applications in agriculture, medicine, environmental science, and synthetic biology.

122 citations12 viewsFull text
DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1415861111
2014 · Science

Genomic surveillance elucidates Ebola virus origin and transmission during the 2014 outbreak

Stephen Gire, Augustine Goba, Kristian G. Andersen, Rachel Sealfon, Daniel J. Park, Lansana Kanneh, Simbirie Jalloh, Mambu M…

In its largest outbreak, Ebola virus disease is spreading through Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Nigeria. We sequenced 99 Ebola virus genomes from 78 patients in Sierra Leone to ~2000× coverage. We observed a rapid accumulation of interhost and intrahost genetic variation, allowing us to characterize patterns of viral transmission over the initial weeks of the epidemic. This West African variant likely diverged from central African lineages around 2004, crossed from Guinea to Sierra Leone in May 2014, and has exhibited sustained human-to-human transmission subsequently, with no evidence of additional zoonotic sources. Because many of the mutations alter protein sequences and other biologically meaningful targets, they should be monitored for impact on diagnostics, vaccines, and therapies critical to outbreak response.

1,292 citations2 viewsFull text
DOI: 10.1126/science.1259657
2013 · Nursing Research

Innovative Strategies for Teaching Nursing Research in Taiwan

Shwu‐Ru Liou, Ching‐Yu Cheng, Hsiu‐Min Tsai, Chia‐Hao Chang

BACKGROUND: Evidence-based practice is imperative in clinical settings because it bridges the gap between research findings and clinical practice. Promoting nursing student interest and enthusiasm for research is therefore crucial when teaching nursing research. OBJECTIVE: The aim of thus study was to develop innovative teaching strategies that increase nursing students' interests and engagement in research. METHODS: This study employed a descriptive, pretest-posttest, quasiexperimental design with 103 participants in the experimental group and 106 in the control group. The Attitudes toward Research Questionnaire, Classroom Engagement Scale, Self-Directed Learning Instrument, Nursing Eight Core Competencies Scale, Value of Teams survey, and a research knowledge test were applied to evaluate the outcomes of the innovative teaching strategies. RESULTS: Scores for the research knowledge test were significantly higher in the experimental group than in the control group in posttest 1 and posttest 2. After the intervention, participants in the experimental group exhibited higher scores on attitudes toward research, eight core competencies in nursing,value of teams, classroom engagement, and self-directed learning than participants in the control group. Students in the experimental group perceived a lower degree of pressure and higher degrees of interest, enjoyment, and acceptance of the research course than students in the control group. CONCLUSIONS: This study confirmed that using innovative teaching strategies in nursing research courses enhances student interest and enthusiasm about evidence-based practice.

36 citations13 views
DOI: 10.1097/nnr.0b013e31829fd827
2013 · International Journal of Nursing Knowledge

Impact of an Educational Program on the Use of Standardized Nursing Languages for Nursing Documentation Among Public Health Nurses in Nigeria

Patience Omonigho Odutayo, Adenike Ayobola Olaogun, Abimbola Oluwatosin, Adesola A. Ogunfowokan

PURPOSE: To measure the effect of an educational package on documentation of care among public health nurses (PHNs). METHOD: A quasi-experimental design was adopted. Forty PHNs working in primary healthcare settings were selected. Education was given through a 5-day workshop. Documentation of care was assessed using a modified "Muller-Staub Q-DIO instrument." Data were analyzed using t test third and twelfth months postintervention. FINDINGS: There was a significant improvement on documentation of care at p = .0001. CONCLUSION: Educating PHNs and providing them with standardized nursing care plans enhance documentation of care. IMPLICATION TO PRACTICE: A combination of education on the use of standardized nursing languages and standardized nursing care plans can enhance documentation of care. There is a need for more research on the use of standardized nursing languages in developing nations.

19 citations10 views
DOI: 10.1111/j.2047-3095.2013.01239.x