Search

Academic search literacy and searches powered by artificial intelligence are a focus of the Royal Library and affiliated university libraries in Denmark. The ambition is to integrate AI-search tools in teaching and services that support literature seeking and hence improve the efficiency of the academic search process. However, before doing so, the library managers needed to learn more about the value AI-powered search tools have for information specialists and library users, and hence make informed decisions regarding investment in such tools. This paper presents a case study of two AI-search tools, which were tested via Think-aloud tests, a hackathon and an expert quality assessment at the Royal Library, Denmark. The results point to both opportunities and barriers for the implementation of AI-search tools at the library and we explore the consequences the results of the tests can have for library users and library services. In conclusion, there is a need for more research on the value of AI-search tools for information special)ists and library users. AI-search tools are continuously being developed and improved. The library needs to provide a critical approach to where in the search process the tools add value. Accordingly, the library needs to develop guidance on how to use AI-search tools as a supplement to more traditional approaches, how to report the use of the tools as part of an academic study and address the limitations of the tools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is an increased focus on the outcomes of Health Science PhD-education, particularly if PhD-graduates remain active in research. There is a gap in our knowledge about the extent the investment in Health Science PhDs is moving science forward and no definition of expected investment return from PhD exists. We explore the research production of Danish Health Science PhDs, 5–9 years post PhD-defence, to find the fraction of PhD-graduates that are still actively publishing internationally. Secondary endpoints include analyses of the number of publications over time, identification of consecutive publishers, gender differences, and differences between medical doctors with a PhD (MDs) and non-MDs with a PhD. PhD-theses defended in 2005 and 2006 were identified and collected using the Danish National Research Database and via the four Danish universities offering Health Science PhD-programmes. Publication data were collected from Years 5 to 9 post PhD-defence to allow publications produced during the PhD-period to be washed out. Total 532 unique PhD-graduates (300 female and 232 male) produced a total of 4,530 PubMed-indexed publications. Results show zero publishers represented 31.2% (n = 166), while 25.8% (n = 137) of PhD-graduates published 10 or more publications during the 5-year observation window. Overall publication count increased from post PhD Years 5–9 with 68% (from 720 to 1,049). Number of publications did not differ between MDs and non-MDs. Our results evidence that not all graduates continue in research. Consequently, we need to identify early factors that make graduates remain in research, to identify future PhD-candidates that will continue publication post PhD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Management of refractory ascites traditionally includes medical treatment with diuretics or intermittent paracentesis. Patients with recurrent ascites may benefit from the use of permanent intra-abdominal catheters with more frequent drainage without hospitalization. The objective was to systematically asses the methodology of factors and endpoints reported in studies investigating permanent catheters for recurrent ascites treatment.Methods: Using a systematic search strategy, we critically assessed the methodology when treating refractory ascites using a permanent catheter. Studies critically assessed included both retro- and prospective studies.Results: A total of 715 unique articles were found via PubMed, The Cochrane Library and Embase. Twenty-nine studies (tunnelled catheter = 12, peritoneal ports = 6 and peritoneovenous shunts = 11) with three distinct types of permanent catheters fulfilled the inclusion criteria. Only three studies reported technical success less than 100 %. Data on complications and treatment were not available in all papers; peritonitis (48 %), cellulitis (41 %), prophylactic antibiotics (48 %) and complications to catheter insertion were difficult to distinguish from advanced co-morbidity of patients. Thirteen studies (45 %) reported some type of evaluating patient experience or functional outcome, but only three studies used validated reproducible scales when assessing outcomes. Fifteen of the 29 studies included 30 patients or less.Conclusion: Knowledge is limited because complications and outcomes are poorly defined. The expected increase in catheter treatment of refractory ascites necessitates comparative studies, using validated patient-related outcomes, and the reporting of unambiguous complications. A proposal of variables to include in future studies is presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) is emerging as the standard surgical procedure for both minor and major oncological lung surgery. Thoracic epidural analgesia (TEA) and paravertebral block (PVB) are established analgesic golden standards for open surgery such as thoracotomy; however, there is no gold standard for regional analgesia for VATS. This systematic review aimed to assess different regional techniques with regard to effect on acute postoperative pain following VATS, with emphasis on VATS lobectomy. The systematic review of PubMed, The Cochrane Library and Embase databases yielded 1542 unique abstracts; 17 articles were included for qualitative assessment, of which three were studies on VATS lobectomy. The analgesic techniques included TEA, multilevel and single PVB, paravertebral catheter, intercostal catheter, interpleural infusion and long thoracic nerve block. Overall, the studies were heterogeneous with small numbers of participants. In comparative studies, TEA and especially PVB showed some effect on pain scores, but were often compared with an inferior analgesic treatment. Other techniques showed no unequivocal results. No clear gold standard for regional analgesia for VATS could be demonstrated, but a guide of factors to include in future studies on regional analgesia for VATS is presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]