Infectious Diseases Society of America.

The evolution of the electronic age has led to the development of numerous medical databases on the World Wide Web, offering search facilities on a particular subject and the ability to perform citation analysis. We compared the content coverage and practical utility of PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar. The official Web pages of the databases were used to extract information on the range of journals covered, search facilities and restrictions, and update frequency. We used the example of a keyword search to evaluate the usefulness of these databases in biomedical information retrieval and a specific published article to evaluate their utility in performing citation analysis. All databases were practical in use and offered numerous search facilities. PubMed and Google Scholar are accessed for free. The keyword search with PubMed offers optimal update frequency and includes online early articles; other databases can rate articles by number of citations, as an index of importance. For citation analysis, Scopus offers about 20% more coverage than Web of Science, whereas Google Scholar offers results of inconsistent accuracy. PubMed remains an optimal tool in biomedical electronic research. Scopus covers a wider journal range, of help both in keyword searching and citation analysis, but it is currently limited to recent articles (published after 1995) compared with Web of Science. Google Scholar, as for the Web in general, can help in the retrieval of even the most obscure information but its use is marred by inadequate, less often updated, citation information.

https://faseb.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1096/fj.07-9492LSF

Comparison of PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar: strengths and weaknesses

Background: The emergence of the COVID-19 and its consequences has led to fears, worries, and anxiety among individuals worldwide. The present study developed the Fear of COVID-19 Scale (FCV-19S) t ...

/pdf/the-fear-of-covid-19-scale-development-and-initial-16tzhsz8zj.pdf

The Fear of COVID-19 Scale: Development and Initial Validation

Microfluidics, a technology characterized by the engineered manipulation of fluids at the submillimetre scale, has shown considerable promise for improving diagnostics and biology research. Certain properties of microfluidic technologies, such as rapid sample processing and the precise control of fluids in an assay, have made them attractive candidates to replace traditional experimental approaches. Here we analyse the progress made by lab-on-a-chip microtechnologies in recent years, and discuss the clinical and research areas in which they have made the greatest impact. We also suggest directions that biologists, engineers and clinicians can take to help this technology live up to its potential.

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The present and future role of microfluidics in biomedical research

Science mapping aims to build bibliometric maps that describe how specific disciplines, scientific domains, or research fields are conceptually, intellectually, and socially structured. Different techniques and software tools have been proposed to carry out science mapping analysis. The aim of this article is to review, analyze, and compare some of these software tools, taking into account aspects such as the bibliometric techniques available and the different kinds of analysis. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

/pdf/science-mapping-software-tools-review-analysis-and-3dvjdahzkz.pdf

Science mapping software tools: Review, analysis, and cooperative study among tools

Summary The epidemiology of human brucellosis, the commonest zoonotic infection worldwide, has drastically changed over the past decade because of various sanitary, socioeconomic, and political reasons, together with the evolution of international travel. Several areas traditionally considered to be endemic—eg, France, Israel, and most of Latin America—have achieved control of the disease. On the other hand, new foci of human brucellosis have emerged, particularly in central Asia, while the situation in certain countries of the near east (eg, Syria) is rapidly worsening. Furthermore, the disease is still present, in varying trends, both in European countries and in the USA. Awareness of this new global map of human brucellosis will allow for proper interventions from international public-health organisations.

https://www.thelancet.com/pdfs/journals/laninf/PIIS1473309906703826.pdf

The new global map of human brucellosis

Toxoplasmosis snapshots: Global status of Toxoplasma gondii seroprevalence and implications for pregnancy and congenital toxoplasmosis

The globalization of leptospirosis : worldwide incidence trends

Brucellosis is probably the commonest anthropozoonotic infection worldwide [1–3], but remains in various aspects an enigma in the 21st century [4]. Brucella melitensis remains the major cause of human disease worldwide, followed by B. abortus and B. suis, while rare but persisting cases of B. canis human infection and disease by novel Brucella pathogens of marine mammals have also emerged. The disease is re-emerging as a significant cause of travel-related disease [5] and represents an index of poor socioeconomic status (Figure 1). Its treatment is largely based even today on the principles applied half a century ago by pioneer researchers [6] and few modifications have been made in the following years, despite the emergence of new antibiotic classes and different therapeutic approaches [7].

/pdf/perspectives-for-the-treatment-of-brucellosis-in-the-21st-3l9olmv5wk.pdf

Georgios Pappas

Papers

Comparison of PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar: strengths and weaknesses

The new global map of human brucellosis

Toxoplasmosis snapshots: Global status of Toxoplasma gondii seroprevalence and implications for pregnancy and congenital toxoplasmosis

The globalization of leptospirosis : worldwide incidence trends

Perspectives for the Treatment of Brucellosis in the 21st Century: The Ioannina Recommendations