Search

Background Evidence-based clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) are relevant sources for generating quality indicators (QIs). The objective of this study was to compare guideline-based QIs of German and international CPGs and their underlying methodological approaches. Methods We conducted systematic searches in the guideline databases of G-I-N (Guidelines International Network) and NGC (National Guideline Clearinghouse) between February and June 2017 to identify international CPGs matching the topics of German evidence-based CPGs (n = 35) that report QIs, which were identified in a preceding study. Additionally, we searched the websites of the particular CPG providers for separate documents with regard to QIs. We included evidence-based CPGs which report QIs. Reported QIs, the underlying guideline recommendations, and information on methods of development were extracted. The selection and extraction of CPGs were conducted by one reviewer and checked by another. For each matched pair of CPGs, we assessed whether the suggested QIs matched or were not directly comparable. Results Twenty-five international CPGs, originating from seven CPG providers in total, met the criteria for inclusion. They matched the topics of 18 German CPGs. This resulted in 30 CPG pairs for the comparison of QIs (some of the international CPGs matched the topic of more than one German CPG). We found 27 QI pairs with QIs “not different or slightly different”, corresponding to 13% (27 of 212) of the QIs in German CPGs and 16% (27 of 166) in international CPGs. Only two QI pairs were judged to be “different/inconsistent”. For 183 of 212 (86%) QIs from German CPGs and 137 of 166 (83%) QIs from international CPGs, no direct comparison could be made. An explicit link to one or more guideline recommendations was found for 136 of 152 (89%) QIs from German CPGs and 82 of 166 (49%) QIs from international CPGs. Some information on methods for the development of QIs existed for 12 of 18 (67%) German CPGs and 8 of 25 (32%) international CPGs. Conclusions The majority of QIs in German and international CPGs were not comparable. Various reasons for this are conceivable. More transparent reporting of the underlying methods for generating guideline-based QIs is needed.

Objectives Research on research has shown that many redundant studies would have been avoided if a systematic review has been conducted prior to starting the new study. These apparently wasteful studies limit funding available for truly important and relevant research, diminish the public’s trust in research, and are unethical. Researchers planning a new study should therefore systematically review existing evidence in order to effectively justify the need for the study. Researchers should also interpret the results and evaluate what the new study adds by systemically analysing existing evidence (i.e. putting new research into context). Unfortunately, researchers fail to systematically review the current evidence when planning a new study and interpreting results. Method The Evidence-Based Research Network (EBR network: ebrnetwork.org) was created in 2014 to promote evidence-based research - the use of prior research in a systematic and transparent way to inform a new study so that it answers the questions that matter in a valid, efficient and accessible manner. In April 2018, the Evidence-Based Research Network obtained funding from the European Cooperation in Science and Technology (COST) to create the EVidence-Based RESearch (EVBRES). COST is an organization that provides funding for researchers to create a network (called COST Action) that organizes meetings (e.g. workshops, conferences), support short term scientific visits, develop training schools, and carry out dissemination activities. EVBRES (evbres.eu), COST Action Network (CA-17117), is establishing an international network to encourage researchers and other stakeholders such as patients, ethics committee members, funders, and journal editors to use an EBR approach when conducting or supporting research. Results EVBRES officially commenced in October 2018 with participations from researchers in more than 35 European COST Action member countries, in addition, more than 10 international partner countries were also involved. We held the first EVBRES workshop at Bergen, Norway in February 2019 and organized four working groups to carry out the mission of EVBRES. Working Group 1 will describe key stakeholders’ role, such as ethic committees, funding agencies, journals and patient groups, in solidifying the evidence-based research approach. Working Group 2 will develop and organize activities aimed at educating researchers on how to systematically incorporate existing evidence when preparing new research. Working Group 3 aims to identify and prioritize tools that can improve efficiency in producing and updating systematic reviews. Working Group 4 will explore methods to detect redundant research as well as measurable outcomes of implementing evidence-based research approach that are relevant to researchers and key stakeholders. Conclusions The EVBRES imitative, a COST Action Network, was initiated by the EBRNetwork, and successfully launched and is funded to carry out activities until October 2022. The EBRNetwork and its work will play a crucial role in increasing systematic use of existing evidence when planning new research and interpreting the results. These initial steps will lay the firm foundations for future endeavour to promote evidence-based research.

The newly established International Network for School Attendance (INSA) works to promote school attendance, reduce absenteeism, and resolve school attendance problems (SAPs). Our motivation for establishing INSA stems from the knowledge that school attendance offers innumerable benefits to children and adolescents (hereafter referred to as youth) and that sub-optimal attendance holds many liabilities.

Purpose of Review Familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) is often perceived and described as underdiagnosed and undertreated, though effective treatment of FH is available. Owing to the mentioned facts, it is ever more imperative to screen and treat FH patients. Subsequent to the identification of patients, the project focuses on the improvement of their prognoses. The ScreenPro FH project was established as a functional international network for the diagnosis, screening, and treatment of FH. Individual countries were assigned goals, e.g., to define the actual situation and available treatment. With “central support,” more centers and countries participated in the project. Subsequently, individual countries reported the results at the beginning and end of the project. Collected data were statistically evaluated. Recent Findings The increasing number of patients in databases, from 7500 in 2014 to 25,347 in 2018, demonstrates the improvement in overall effectiveness, as well as an increase in the number of centers from 70 to 252. Before all, LDL-C decreased by 41.5% and total cholesterol by 32.3%. As data from all countries and patients were not available at the time of the analysis, only those results from 10 countries and 5585 patients at the beginning of the project and at the time of writing are included. Summary Our data are quite positive. However, our results have only limited validity. Our patients are far from the target levels of LDL-C. The situation can be improved with the introduction of new therapy, PCSK9-i, evolocumab, and alirocumab. International cooperation improved the screening of FH and finally led to an improvement in cardiovascular risk.

Given the importance of the long-term monitoring of the evolution of ozone and following the frequent disruptions of satellites operations, the understanding of quality and stability of ground-based instruments measurements (Dobson, Brewer, SAOZ) performing over several decades, is essential. This is not only for their own records, but also for evaluating the performance of satellites systems and the reprocessing of their data. Many data sets inter-comparisons between Dobson/Brewer networks and satellites are already available (e.g. Redondas et al. 2014 and references therein), for the 40 years of SBUV (Labow et al. 2013) or for the OMI AURA (Balis et al., 2007; McPeters et al. 2008). Here, we evaluate the performance of SAOZ Total Ozone Column (TOC) measurements carried out in Arosa between October 2015 and March 2017 by comparison to simultaneous Dobson, Brewer and satellites observations available there. On average, when using Serdyuchenko et al. (2014) ozone cross-sections for all measurements and correcting the Dobson for its temperature dependence, Dobson, Brewer and SAOZ agree within 1 %, providing confidence to the long-term SAOZ measurements carried out all over the world within the international Network for the Detection of Atmospheric Composition Change (NDACC). However, the differences between SAOZ and Dobson/Brewer do show a small seasonality of the order of 1–2 % generated by the use of a zonal mean TOMS v8 profile climatology in the SAOZ air mass factor (AMF) calculation, not taking into account seasonal variations. On the satellites side, the differences with ground based TOCs show larger and highly variable biases (between −1.2 % and +2.4 %) as well as larger seasonality (around 2–3 %) on all satellites, except remarkably with the Solar Backscatter Ultra Violet instrument (SBUV) for which the bias is smaller than 0.4% and the seasonality less than 1 %. Asides from ozone absorption cross-sections, most important for satellites TOCs differences are the satellites measurements techniques: ozone profiles for SBUV, in contrast to all other nadir viewing satellites, sensitive like SAOZ, to ozone profile shape assumption.

At the present time, in the Soviet Union there is a rapid development of computerized economic information systems primarily in connection with the requirements of its economic planning and management. In some aspects this work is being carried out together with other CMEA member-countries and will result in the creation of an international network of information in economic statistics.

Background: The European League Against Rheumatism Study Group on Microcirculation in Rheumatic Diseases is a non-profit international network of expert centres. Its main research focus is to investigate the morphology and function of the microcirculation with different non-invasive techniques such as nailfold videocapillaroscopy (NVC). NVC is of paramount importance for the differential diagnosis of primary and secondary Raynaud’s phenomenon [1], and is part of the 2013 ACR/EULAR classification criteria for systemic sclerosis. As there is a wide variety of non-scleroderma patterns, the categorisation of capillaroscopic images as non-scleroderma patterns may be a challenge to the capillaroscopist. Objectives: This study was designed to propose a simple fast track algorithm to differentiate scleroderma patterns from non-scleroderma patterns and to assess its interobserver reliability. Methods: During the 8th EULAR course on capillaroscopy held in Genoa, September 2018, a lecture on teaching the fast tract algorithm to categorise an image as non-scleroderma (category 1) or scleroderma pattern (category 2) (see figure) was given to all attendees (from 43 different countries): 6 experts, 68 novices, 53 moderately experienced ( 5 years of experience with capillaroscopy). Immediately after training, an examination was performed on 30 images. Classification of the images was defined by the presenter (VS) as the gold standard. Interobserver reliability was assessed by the calculation of kappa coefficients and proportion of agreement versus the gold standard. Results: The light kappa was 1 for the independent experts (n=6) and 0.92 for the attendees (n=135). When comparing with the gold standard, an equal mean kappa of 0.96 (95%CI 0.95 – 0.98) was found for both independent experts and attendees. Analyses according to the reported level of experience on capillaroscopy revealed a mean index of reliability of 0.98 (95%CI 0.96 – 0.99) for novices, 0.96 (95%CI 0.93 – 0.99) for moderately experienced raters and 0.93 (95%CI 0.85 – 1.01) for experienced raters. Conclusion: For the first time a fast track algorithm has been developed that was trainable within an hour to non-experienced capillaroscopists and has an excellent reliability to discern a non-scleroderma from a scleroderma pattern by medical doctors with varying levels of expertise in capillaroscopy. Reference [1] Koenig M, et al. Arthritis Rheum. 2008;58(12):3902-12. Disclosure of Interests: Vanessa Smith: None declared, Amber Vanhaecke: None declared, Miguel Guerra: None declared, Rossella De Angelis: None declared, Ellen Deschepper: None declared, Christopher Denton Grant/research support from: GlaxoSmithKline, Inventiva, CSF Behring, Consultant for: Roche-Genentech, Actelion, GlaxoSmithKline, Sanofi Aventis, Inventiva, CSL Behring, Boehringer Ingelheim, Bayer, Oliver Distler Grant/research support from: Prof. Distler received research funding from Actelion, Bayer, Boehringer Ingelheim and Mitsubishi Tanabe to investigate potential treatments of scleroderma and its complications, Consultant for: Prof. Distler has/had consultancy relationship within the last 3 years with Actelion, AnaMar, Bayer, Boehringer Ingelheim, ChemomAb, espeRare foundation, Genentech/Roche, GSK, Inventiva, Italfarmaco, iQvia, Lilly, medac, MedImmune, Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma, Pharmacyclics, Novartis, Pfizer, Sanofi, Serodapharm and UCB in the area of potential treatments of scleroderma and its complications. In addition, he had/has consultancy relationship within the last 3 years with A. Menarini, Amgen, Abbvie, GSK, Mepha, MSD, Pfizer and UCB in the field of arthritides and related disorders, Ivan Foeldvari Consultant for: Chugai, Novartis, Eric Hachulla Consultant for: Received consulting fees or other remuneration from Actelion, GSK, Pfizer, and Bayer, Francesca Ingegnoli: None declared, Ulf Muller-Ladner Grant/research support from: Projekt supported by an unrestricted educational grant from Celgene GmbH., Yves Piette: None declared, Valeria Riccieri: None declared, Barbara Ruaro: None declared, Alberto Sulli: None declared, Jacob M. van Laar Grant/research support from: Genentech, Consultant for: F. Hoffmann-La Roche, Ariane Herrick: None declared, Maurizio Cutolo: None declared

AIM We surveyed care practices for critically ill very preterm infants admitted to neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) in the International Network for Evaluating Outcomes in Neonates (iNeo) to identify differences relevant to outcome comparisons. METHODS We conducted an online survey on care practices for critically ill very preterm infants and infants with severe intracranial haemorrhage (ICH). The survey was distributed in 2015 to representatives of 390 NICUs in 11 countries. Survey replies were compared with network incidence of death and severe ICH for infants born between 23$^{0/7}$ and 28$^{6/7}$ weeks of gestation from January 1, 2015, to December 31, 2015. RESULTS Most units in Israel, Japan and Tuscany, Italy, favoured withholding care when care was considered futile, whereas most units in other networks favoured redirection of care. For infants with bilateral grade 4 ICH, redirection of care was very frequently (≥90% of cases) offered in the majority of units in Australia and New Zealand and Switzerland, but rarely in other networks. Networks where redirection of care was frequently offered for severe ICH had lower rates of survivors with severe ICH. CONCLUSION We identified marked inter-network differences in care approaches that need to be considered when comparing outcomes.

Research teams collect >94 million biological samples annually, the majority of which are subsampled for targeted analysis. The remaining sample, often including a number of unused organs, is then able to be repurposed for additional studies. However, the absence of a systematic method for scientists to source these unused samples results in wasted samples, organisms and opportunities for research as scientists undertake redundant sampling regimes. As such, ‘Otlet’, a global online database, was established to overcome the challenges of sourcing scientific research samples from colleagues. The platform allows the users to 1) upload a record of their unused samples for collaboration, 2) search the database of existing samples from other scientific users and request them directly and, 3) post a request for samples onto a searchable community board. The platform facilitates communication between research teams across different locations, taxa and expertise to foster novel collaborations while accelerating scientific output.Otlet’s newly constructed platform is an important tool for biological scientists of all disciplines to efficiently communicate and source research material. Membership is freely available for scientific use by researchers from universities, government agencies, museums, private consulting and NGOs.

[Figure][1] Experimenting with light can reveal the limits of human perception. PHOTO: THOMAS SANCHEZ LENGELING We are surrounded by a group of high school and college students in Merida, Mexico, in a classroom that is completely dark except for beams of colored light. We are using a black box full of LEDs to irradiate colored objects with a specific frequency of light. One student manipulates the dial on the box, and the beams gradually shift from a monochromatic deep red to bright blue to pure white. With this tool, called an iLuminator, we can explore the limitations of human vision. Students learn that light consists of a continuum of different wavelengths and that our perception of color is constrained by our three different types of color receptors. One student comments that some objects that she perceives as orange under ambient light brightly reflect both red and green spectral light, revealing their “true” color spectrum. T.S.L.—a graduate student at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)—and Martin Zumaya—a physics graduate student in Mexico—were paired to collaborate on this workshop by Science Clubs International (SCI) ([ 1 ][2]). For 4 months in 2016, we worked together to design our workshop. We successfully combined T.S.L.'s engineering background and experience abroad in the United States with Martin's physics expertise and knowledge about the resources available in Mexico. After demonstrating the iLuminator, we show the students how to take pictures with a hyperspectral camera, which can identify spectral characteristics that are not visible to the naked eye, and then process the images with a python script. It is gratifying to see the students' expressions when they see a black-and-white representation of ultraviolet light reflected from a butterfly's wings for the first time. The students immediately begin to tweak their image analysis code, coming up with their own ways to dynamically display higher dimensional color data on their computer screens. Over the years, we've taught similar workshops in Peru, Paraguay, Bolivia, Spain, and at MIT. We have seen the impact that the SCI program has on the lives of students, instructors, and local collaborators. Many alumni students have gone on to participate in summer research programs, and the program has sparked collaborations among instructors and fostered an international network of young scientists. By connecting talented youth in developing countries with mentors, SCI's workshops and collaborations have the potential to empower and nurture the next generation of scientists and innovators. 1. [↵][3]Science Clubs International ([www.scienceclubsint.org][4]). Acknowledgments: The authors thank Frank Wilczek, MIT, and SCI team members for their contributions to the SCI program. [1]: pending:yes [2]: #ref-1 [3]: #xref-ref-1-1 "View reference 1 in text" [4]: http://www.scienceclubsint.org

Today’s global processes of post-industrial society and digital economy development are closely related engineering education. Vigorous growth of technology and communications tools implies mobility and reducing national barriers in professional interaction. Globalization processes lead to integrating and unifying national economies, policies, and cultures.

This introduction sets a framework for the special issue on Education and Hope which contains a selection of papers presented at the 16th Conference of the International Network of Philosophers of ...

Health inequities across the Americas are avoidable and unjust yet continue to persist. Systemic social determinants of health, which could be addressed at the policy level, are root causes of many inequities and prevent marginalized individuals and at-risk populations from reaching optimal health and well-being. In this article, we describe our approach to promote health equity through the intersectoral partnerships that were forged, and strategies that were shared, during the convening entitled “Summit 2017: Health Equity in the Americas” and the resulting emergence of the Health Equity Network of the Americas (HENA). We illustrate how this international network will raise awareness of policies and programs to inform decision makers about actions they can take to put an end to the unjust, persistent and mostly avoidable health inequities facing the Americas today Las inequidades en salud en las Américas son evitables e injustas, pero continúan persistiendo. Los determinantes sociales sistémicos de la salud, que podrían abordarse a nivel de políticas, son las causas fundamentales de muchas inequidades e impiden que las personas marginadas y las poblaciones en riesgo alcancen una salud y un bienestar óptimos. En este artículo, describimos nuestro enfoque para promover la equidad en salud a través de las alianzas intersectoriales que se forjaron y las estrategias que se compartieron durante la convocatoria titulada “Cumbre 2017: Equidad en Salud en las Américas” y el surgimiento resultante de la Red de Equidad en Salud de las Américas (HENA). Ilustramos cómo esta red internacional creará conciencia sobre políticas y programas para informar a los tomadores de decisiones sobre las acciones que pueden tomar para poner fin a las desigualdades en salud injustas, persistentes y en su mayoría evitables que enfrentan las Américas hoy. David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Estados Unidos Institute for Health Equity, Reino Unido Instituto Nacional de Salud Publica de México, México Center for Global Health - Centro de Relações Internacionais em Saúde, Brasil Grupo de estudios sobre la Mujer Rosario Castellanos, México Universidad Nacional, Costa Rica Dubois, Betourné & Associates, Estados Unidos University of San Martín and University of Buenos Aires, Argentina UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs, Estados Unidos Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, Estados Unidos Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Estados Unidos UCLA Fielding School of Public Health, Estados Unidos Escuela de Planificación y Promoción Social

This article provides an overview of the current research evaluation landscape, the problems inherent within it and some of the ways a newly formed INORMS (International Network of Research Management Societies) working group on research evaluation is seeking to address them. These include developing a way of rating university ranking bodies and developing a set of briefing materials on responsible research evaluation for senior managers. A correction article relating to this publication can be found here: http://doi.org/10.1629/uksg.491

The in vitro activities of ceftazidime-avibactam and comparator agents were analyzed against 14,330 isolates of Pseudomonas aeruginosa from 188 centers distributed globally (except North America) from 2012 (2014 for colistin) to 2016 as part of the International Network for Optimal Resistance Monitoring (INFORM) global surveillance program. Susceptibility testing used in-house prepared broth microdilution panels following CLSI guidelines. Multiplex PCR assays identified the presence of β-lactamases. Ceftazidime-avibactam (MIC90 8 mg/L; 91.5% susceptibility) and colistin (N = 11,032; MIC90 2 mg/L, 96.2%) were the 2 most active agents. Susceptibility of multidrug-resistant isolates (N = 3770, 26.3%) was ≤54.4% to all agents except colistin (N = 2956; 95.2% susceptible) and ceftazidime-avibactam (68.2%). Metallo-β-lactamase–positive isolates (N = 621, 4.3%) were not susceptible to any agents except colistin (N = 504; 98.2% susceptible). Novel therapeutic options are needed for infections caused by P. aeruginosa–resistant phenotypes.

In this chapter, we summarize the main points from the entire book by reflecting on the three overarching themes and four network projects described in the book’s Introduction. Additionally, we consider other themes that appear in various chapters contributed to this book, and reflect on similarities and differences seen between the various nations discussed, as well as between Nordic and Baltic regions. We include several comparative tables with new data collected from contributors through the course of making this book. We also include discussion of such topics as “artistic research” (arts-based research in the fields of music performance and composition), the use of new technologies in music programs, perceived effects of the public “Culture School” model, and the changing role of research in Nordic higher education institutions. Finally, we discuss the challenges and responsibilities of leadership within an international network of this kind, and conclude with discussion of lessons learned and actual recommendations for educators who would consider developing similar networks in other parts of the world.

Objective International comparison of complete uterine rupture. Design Descriptive multi‐country population‐based study. Setting International. Population International Network of Obstetric Survey Systems (INOSS). Methods We merged individual data, collected prospectively in nine population‐based studies, of women with complete uterine rupture, defined as complete disruption of the uterine muscle and the uterine serosa, regardless of symptoms and rupture of fetal membranes. Main outcome measures Prevalence of complete uterine rupture, regional variation and correlation with rates of caesarean section (CS) and trial of labour after CS (TOLAC). Severe maternal and perinatal morbidity and mortality. Results We identified 864 complete uterine ruptures in 2 625 017 deliveries. Overall prevalence was 3.3 (95% CI 3.1–3.5) per 10 000 deliveries, 22 (95% CI 21–24) in women with and 0.6 (95% CI 0.5–0.7) in women without previous CS. Prevalence in women with previous CS was negatively correlated with previous CS rate (ρ = −0.917) and positively correlated with TOLAC rate of the background population (ρ = 0.600). Uterine rupture resulted in peripartum hysterectomy in 87 of 864 women (10%, 95% CI 8–12%) and in a perinatal death in 116 of 874 infants (13.3%, 95% CI 11.2–15.7) whose mother had uterine rupture. Overall rate of neonatal asphyxia was 28% in neonates who survived. Conclusions Higher prevalence of complete uterine ruptures per TOLAC was observed in countries with low previous CS and high TOLAC rates. Rates of hysterectomy and perinatal death are about 10% following complete uterine rupture, but in women undergoing TOLAC the rates are extremely low (only 2.2 and 3.2 per 10 000 TOLACs, respectively.) Tweetable abstract Prevalence of complete uterine rupture is higher in countries with low previous CS and high TOLAC rates.

This chapter describes the conception of dedicated phenome centres for undertaking metabolic phenotyping studies. It describes the history of the first such major centre that was developed at Imperial College London for epidemiology studies as a legacy of the 2012 London Olympic Games, and the allied centre for clinical studies also at Imperial College. The operating and governance principles are described and some details are given of successfully implemented projects. The extension to an international network of phenome centres is also explained.

However, internationally comparable information on financial literacy is still scarce. The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development International Network on Financial Education (OECD/INFE) survey of adult financial literacy is a standardized survey instrument, but so far has mainly been implemented in higher-income countries outside of Asia. Our paper extends the literature by conducting the survey in a relatively low-income Asian economy — the Lao PDR — and analyzing the determinants of financial literacy and the effects of financial literacy on other behaviors. We also compare these results with those of our earlier study of financial literacy in Cambodia and Viet Nam. This study of the Lao PDR extends our research in the Cambodia-Lao PDR-Myanmar-Viet Nam (CLMV) region, and the survey was broadened to include more variables that could be used as effective instrumental variables for financial literacy to deal with possible endogeneity problems. This increases our confidence in our findings that financial literacy positively affects both savings and financial inclusion.

We show that exchange rate and international consumption comovements can be decomposed into components driven by trade network linkages, supply shocks, and demand shocks. Exchange rate correlations tend to be explained by trade network linkages, while consumption correlations tend to be explained by supply shock correlations. We explain this disconnect using an international network model where demand shocks are driven by market segmentation. We then show that the trade network generates common factors that align with the common factors in exchange rates. Our findings offer a trade-based account for the origins of comovements and factor structures in international asset prices and shed light on the nature of frictions in international financial markets.

Objectives: This study aimed to describe how colorectal practice guidelines (PGs) incorporate the patient perspective. Study Design and Setting: We searched in the Guidelines International Network library, MEDLINE, National Guideline Clearing-house, NHS Evidence database, and TRIP database. Two authors independently selected the PGs. We considered recommendations rated or worded as weak or conditional or suggesting multiple options, as potentially preference sensitive. Two authors independently evaluated if, in potentially sensitive recommendations, the patient perspective was incorporated. Results: We included 28 PGs that contained 588 recommendations, being 256 potentially preference sensitive. Ten PGs (36%) included patients in the development process, and 12 (43%) provided information about patients' perspectives. Nine PGs (32%) included recommendations in which the patient perspective was explicitly considered, and 13 (46.4%) that recommended a discussion with the patient. From a total of 588 recommendations, 9.7% (25/256) of potentially preference-sensitive recommendations considered the patient perspective. The inclusion of patients in the development process was associated with a more frequent incorporation of the patient perspective in potentially preference sensitive recommendations (70% vs. 0%; P < 0.001). Conclusions: Guideline users should be aware that the incorporation of the patient perspective in colorectal cancer PGs is suboptimal. Guideline developers should make efforts to incorporate the patient perspective, especially in preference-sensitive recommendations. (C) 2019 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

As the global market for cosmetic products continues to expand, South Korea serves as a leader among countries in the cosmetics industry. The purpose of this study is to define the global patterns of the international trade of cosmetic products from the perspective of network analysis. Its design examines South Korea’s centralities within the international network of cosmetic products trade. This study analyzed the international trade of cosmetic products using network analysis. Countries are nodes and trade flows are network links. For comparison, global trade data (i.e., beauty, make-up, skin care, and manicure) in 2006 and 2016 were collected and used for analysis. UCINET and NetDraw software were used for analyzing networks. According to countries in the network, in/out degree, eigenvector centrality and betweenness centrality were calculated. As result, south Korea’s world export value accounted for 16th place in 2006, and it rose to third place in 2016. However, Korea’s influence on the network overall remained about the same in terms of eigenvector centrality in 2006 and 2016. From the perspective of Korean cosmetic products, this study offered dynamic perspectives for analyzing international trade using network analysis.

This study intends to examine the main drivers of network relations among health technology assessment (HTA) organizations. Social network analysis was performed to determine the relations among HTA organizations and to visualize the main drivers of such collaboration. The members in HTA organizations such as International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research, Health Technology Assessment international, International Network of Agencies for Health Technology Assessment, EuroScan, European Network for Health Technology Assessment, HTAsiaLink, and Health Technology Assessment Network for the Americas are said to create networks. Ten different HTA organizations were considered in the analysis, including the Ministry of Health (MoH) organizations, universities, for-profit organizations, and hospitals. The Fruchterman-Reingold algorithm was used to perform networking, and the average clustering coefficient and average path length were examined to measure collaborative performance. The network graph of the HTA ecosystem shows the highest collaborative frequency among HTA organizations, which are the members of MoH organizations, government agencies, universities, and nonprofit organizations. The average path length was 2.21, and the average clustering coefficient was 36.57, indicating an obvious clustering effect. The study results highlight that networking within the HTA ecosystem is driven by government organizations. Boosting the integration of the private sector into the system and creating data-sharing strategies are essential to foster HTA collaboration. Because HTA is shaped by local dynamics and no gold standard exists for HTA implementation, encouraging collaborative efforts is the only way to avoid redundant efforts and make health technologies available for everyone.

No Brasil e em outros paises da America Latina existem coletivos que buscam com os Clubes de Ciencias romper a forma tradicional de organizacao dos tempos e espacos destinados convencionalmente pelas escolas para o ensino de Ciencias. Assim, objetivou-se investigar modos de organizacao de Clubes de Ciencias a fim de mapear e compartilhar experiencias desses contextos escolares. Para isso, foi realizada uma pesquisa na internet de Clubes de Ciencias de escolas de paises latino-americanos. Com o levantamento, elaborou-se um site, constituindo a Rede Internacional de Clubes de Ciencias. Foi possivel mapear Clubes de Ciencias distribuidos em doze paises e com as informacoes sistematizadas podem-se produzir conhecimentos que permitem aprender sobre estes contextos em sua diversidade de experiencias. In Brazil and especially in other Latin American countries, there are collective that have sought, with the Science Clubs, to break the traditional way of organizing time and space conventionally destined by schools to the Science teaching. With this objective in mind,the organization and functioning of Science Clubs were investigate in order to map and share innovative experiences in school contexts. For that, a research was conducted on the Internet of Science Clubs of schools in Latin American countries. With the survey, a website was created, constituting the International Network of Science Clubs. It was possible to map Clubs of Sciences distributed in twelve countries that have channels of diffusion and communication by the Internet. With systematized information, knowledge can be produced that allows learning about these contexts in their diversity of experiences.

This chapter analyses the international contacts of Greek eugenicists. As is shown, foreign cooperations were instrumental in shaping the post-war Greek eugenics movement. Central to this was the network among Greek, British and American eugenicists which pulled the strings of eugenics dissemination in the country. The chapter focuses mainly on the collaboration with the International Planned Parenthood Federation and Dr. Clarence Gamble. The agency of both helped the Greeks to establish their presence in the local and the international scene. In this context, the chapter responds to the following significant questions: Who participated in the network of eugenicists? How they related with each other? What were their achievements?

Customer satisfaction with consumed goods becomes a benchmark for product performance and the totality of marketer's performance. The degree of customer satisfaction is relative, depending on how much benefit and pleasure is received so that the customer will buy back even become loyal. Various ways can be done, but of course the tips done by marketers through brand communication, own brand as proof, and digital-based integrated marketing communications that are gamification are important things that can be considered. This study aims to examine and explain: the influence of brand communication, brand evidence, and gamification on customer satisfaction; the influence of brand communication, brand evidence, and gamification on customer loyalty; and customer satisfaction as mediating these three variables towards customer loyalty. Conducted on 100 respondents of Starbucks consumers who downloaded this international network application which was determined based on the purposive sampling method and by using the path analysis method. It is found that customer satisfaction is not a mediator of customer loyalty and so the brand communication is not influential. Meanwhile, brand evidence and gamification are factors that have a positive and significant effect on customer loyalty. The findings of this study explain that brand names, prices, services, and product interactions through digital-based integrated marketing communications play a role in determining customer loyalty especially for international stores such as Starbucks. Keywords: Customer Satisfaction, brand communication, gamification, customer loyalty

Background Identification of vectors is of prime importance in the field of medical entomology for both operational and research purposes. An external quality assessment of mosquito identification capacities was carried out within the MediLabSecure Network, which is composed of laboratories located in 19 countries close to the European Union around the Mediterranean and Black seas. Methods A set of blind samples consisting of 7 or 8 adult mosquitoes and 4 larvae was given to each participant laboratory. In all, 138 adult mosquitoes and 76 larvae of different species were distributed for genus and species identification. Results All identifications were exclusively morphology based. Overall, 81% of identifications were correct at the genus level, 64% at the species level. The results were highly varied among the 19 participating laboratories. The levels of correct identifications were: 100% (three laboratories), 90–95% (four laboratories), 50–75% (six laboratories) and < 50% (six laboratories). Conclusions This evaluation showed the need to maintain efforts in capacity building and quality control in the field of medical entomology and, more specifically, in the morphological identification of the Culicidae. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s13071-018-3127-7) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Presented by the founder and Chair of the First Women’s Worlds, held in Israel in 1981-82, this article historicizes the development of this international interdisciplinary congress up to its 13th edition in Brazil. It also discusses the creation of the Worldwide Organization of Women’s Studies (WOWS) and the close relationship it bears with the pre- and post-conference coordination. Resumo: Apresentado pela fundadora e organizadora do primeiro Mundos de Mulheres, realizado em Israel em 1981-82, este artigo faz um histórico do desenvolvimento desse congresso internacional e interdisciplinar até sua mais recente 13ª edição, no Brasil. Também discute a criação da WOWS (Organização Mundial de Estudos sobre a Mulher) e a íntima relação entre esse grupo de pesquisadoras e a coordenação do Congresso.

Preface This special Issue presents peer-reviewed papers presented the 3rd International Conference on Maritime Autonomous Surface Ships (ICMASS), held in Ulsan, R. O. Korea, 11 – 12 November 2020. The ICMASS is the conference which presents cutting edge works on autonomous ships to both academic and industry researchers. The first International Conference on Maritime Autonomous Surface Ships (ICMASS) was arranged in 2018 in Busan, Korea and in 2019 in Trondheim in Norway. Due to COVID-19 pandemic, the conference program this year is provided with online conference. ICMASS 2020 is organized by UIPA (Ulsan ICT Promotion Agency), KMOU (Korea Maritime and Ocean University) and KAUS (Korea Autonomous and Unmanned Ship Forum) and, and co-organized with the International Network for Autonomous Ships (INAS). List of ICMASS 2020 Editorial Board, ICMASS 2020 Steering Committee, ICMASS 2020 Program Committee, ICMASS 2020 Local Organizing Committee and images are available in this pdf.

This conceptual work is a part of the research project about the agents’ organizational behavior toward the internal and external relationships of international networks. The paper states that a framework based on the Complex Adaptive System approach (CAS) could stimulate the agents within international networks - public or private - toward adaptable and flexible relations with the turbulent environments and changing markets, increasing the network viability. It compares the traditional management model with the CAS approach, representing the organizational company’s behavior based on a hierarchical and heterarchical model, highlighting, in the latter, the compatibility with the CAS logic. Nevertheless, it supports the relevance of relations, information and value maximization in the network viability.

Analysis of nutrients to develop new or update food composition database is costly and time consuming. An alternate approach is to add the data on nutrients from existing literature using guidelines set by International Network of Food Data Systems (INFOODS). The currently available database for food composition in Pakistan is fairly old (2001) and thus, needs to be updated. In the present study mineral content of various foods from Pakistan was collected from existing literature and scrutinized against a set of criteria for inclusion in updated food composition database of Pakistan. Data for 37 food items with eight minerals (calcium, iron, zinc, phosphorus, magnesium, potassium, sodium and copper) fits under the criteria therefore is included in updated database for foods of Pakistan. Additionally, chromium, cobalt, cadmium, lead, nickel and manganese were also updated for 16 food items. Further, selected mineral content (iron, zinc, phosphorus and calcium) was compared with food composition Table of Pakistan (published in 2001). Comparison results showed that mineral content for most of the foods vary among two databases. The present study demonstrates feasibility of updating food composition databases thorough scientific reports on food products of a particular country.

Exploiting a novel database recently built from national business registers by the OECD with the support of an international network of experts, this paper investigates the growth dynamics of micro-firms (employing less than ten workers) across 16 countries. Results show that only a small proportion of micro-firms manage to grow beyond ten employees, but those contribute disproportionately to overall job creation. Econometric analysis focusing in particular on the role of age confirms that young micro-firms—especially those below 3 years of age—are much more likely to grow above ten employees than older firms. These findings are remarkably stable over the three time periods considered (2001–2004, 2004–2007, and 2007–2010), i.e., also during the Great Recession.

Journals have played a central role in the formation of intellectual communities throughout Asia since modern times. Inter-Asia Cultural Studies: Movements, launched in 2000, is no exception, except that it has attempted to connect with local intellectual circles and to build a multilayered international network in the region to overcome divisions and boundaries produced by the history of neo/colonialism and the cold war. Over the past sixteen years, the journal work has generated an archive of knowledge, a society, and a consortium of institutions to organize a biennial conference and a summer school, and it has established an Inter-Asia School to launch regional projects inside/outside the universities. However, the Inter-Asia Network is not yet a cohesive community capable of developing an analytical framework beyond nation-states from the angle of the continent as a whole, and of linking with its counterparts in Africa, Latin America, and the Caribbean.

We extend the workhorse model of network competition to international calls. This model enables us to show that national regulatory authorities (NRAs) maximizing domestic welfare have incentives to increase termination rates above the social optimum to extract rent from international call termination. Excessive termination rates distort prices but transfer surplus from foreign to domestic consumers via intensified network competition. The model can explain the regulation of termination rates through rate floors. International network ownership and deregulation are alternatives to combat the incentives of NRAs to distort termination rates. We identify conditions under which each of these policies increases aggregate welfare.

In this paper, we develop a fuzzy mathematics approach to study the influence of actors in networks on diffusion. We construct a dynamic diffusion model that represents the interactions and evolution of the current international network and determines the rate of Islamism by the internal and external pressures exerted on each state. We then identify key states in the international system by their degree to test if, and to what extent, they influence the rate and breadth of diffusion. Using this model we determine to what extent the most central actors in a network influence the overall rate of diffusion. We hypothesize that diffusion by the most central actors in the international system will greatly increase the overall rate of diffusion for the remaining actors. Given the current structure of the international system, we hypothesize that the prevalence of Islamism will decrease over time.

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore enhancing theory development in service research and provide an overview of the five essays on theorizing initiated by the International Network for Service Research workshop, held at Karlstad, Sweden in September 2014. Design/methodology/approach – A collaborative theorizing process which was initiated at the Karlstad, Sweden workshop. Findings – Six (five from the event and the introduction) original and provocative essays that explore different aspects of theorizing in service research. Originality/value – Exploring how a collaborative approach to research can be used.

United Nations agencies and civil society organisations (CSOs) are working as development partners (DPs) with parliaments across the globe. They are engaged in activities to strengthen parliaments in both developed and developing countries. Data from a study that evaluated the performance of Zimbabwe’s Parliamentary Constituency Information Centres (PCICs) showed that DPs play important roles in disseminating parliamentary information to constituents. This article analyses the contributions by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the International Network for the Availability of Scientific Publications (INASP), and the challenges they face in Zimbabwe.

This article first presents the background of meaning summits at the International Network on Personal Meaning's International Meaning Conferences, and then details the rationale for the meaning summit at the First Congress on the Construction of Personal Meaning. It also details the fundamental issues in research and applications of meaning that were posed to three panels at the meaning summit at the First Congress. Finally, it highlights the main points in the various articles in this special meaning edition with reference to the fundamental issues of meaning.

In a 2011 Anecdote department article in the Annals, Alex McKenzie provided an excellent account of the events between 1974 and 1976 leading up to INWG 96, a proposed internetwork transport protocol. McKenzie's anecdote focused on the events in INWG (International Network Working Group), which this article shows were a small part of a much larger debate that was going on outside. The author places the INWG discussions in this wider context to better understand the technical points and implications, their ultimate impact, and the paradigm shift that threatened established business models.

Analysis of the data suggests that the biophysical radiophysical sensing future earthquake epicenters is a promising direction for the medium-term and short-term forecasting of seismic events. We believe that it is necessary to create an international network of seismic monitoring biophysical for all seismically active areas of the globe. Information about biophysical precursors of earthquakes should be accumulated in the computer center, and operating information transmitted to all peripheral seismic monitoring station biophysical and services Ministry of Emergencies. In conclusion, I emphasize the value of such a centralized system of control over the “breath” of the Earth for the prevention and the prevention of industrial accidents in the mines, road transport, large power plants, etc.

The ecovillage movement is an international network of intentional communities with a focus on social, economic, and environmental sustainability. Unlike other environmental movements, their struggle for achieving a more sustainable lifestyle includes efforts to enhance their living environment, based on the idea that humans are part of nature as any other living being. In pursuing this goal, they often recover traditional knowledge and practices rooted in a pre-capitalistic rural past, when, as they believe, the relations with the Other (community and nature as well) were more satisfactory than in contemporary industrialized society.

In the conceptualization of Person Centered Medicine (PCM) one can recognize core concepts as well as diversity at multiple levels. The core concepts convey vision and depth. Diversity displays plurality, richness and scope. And both are intertwined and articulated through the unfolding process and journey that the construction of PCM represents. This paper briefly elaborates on these complementary perspectives of PCM. And ends introducing a set of papers that illustrate its core and diversity.

The International Network for the Demographic Evaluation of Populations and their Health (INDEPTH) has produced reliable longitudinal data about the lives of people in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) through a global network of health and demographic surveillance system (HDSS) sites. Since reliable demographic data are scarce across many LMICs, we examine the environmental and socioeconomic (ES) similarities between existing HDSS sites and the rest of the LMICs. The HDSS sites were hierarchically grouped by the similarity of their ES conditions to quantify the ES variability between sites. The entire Africa and Asia region was classified to identify which regions were most similar to existing sites, based on available ES data. Results show that the current INDEPTH network architecture does a good job in representing ES conditions, but that great heterogeneities exist, even within individual countries. The results provide valuable information in determining the confidence with which relationships derived from present HDSS sites can be broadly extended to other areas, and to highlight areas where the new HDSS sites would improve significantly the ES coverage of the network.