Leveraging the potential of the German operating room benchmarking initiative for planning: A ready-to-use surgical process data set.

We present a freely available data set of surgical case mixes and surgery process duration distributions based on processed data from the German Operating Room Benchmarking initiative. This initiative collects surgical process data from over 320 German, Austrian, and Swiss hospitals. The data exhibits high levels of quantity, quality, standardization, and multi-dimensionality, making it especially valuable for operating room planning in Operations Research. We consider detailed steps of the perioperative process and group the data with respect to the hospital's level of care, the surgery specialty, and the type of surgery patient. We compare case mixes for different subgroups and conclude that they differ significantly, demonstrating that it is necessary to test operating room planning methods in different settings, e.g., using data sets like ours. Further, we discuss limitations and future research directions. Finally, we encourage the extension and foundation of new operating room benchmarking initiatives and their usage for operating room planning.

The velvet worm brain unveils homologies and evolutionary novelties across panarthropods.

BACKGROUND: The evolution of the brain and its major neuropils in Panarthropoda (comprising Arthropoda, Tardigrada and Onychophora) remains enigmatic. As one of the closest relatives of arthropods, onychophorans are regarded as indispensable for a broad understanding of the evolution of panarthropod organ systems, including the brain, whose anatomical and functional organisation is often used to gain insights into evolutionary relations. However, while numerous recent studies have clarified the organisation of many arthropod nervous systems, a detailed investigation of the onychophoran brain with current state-of-the-art approaches is lacking, and further inconsistencies in nomenclature and interpretation hamper its understanding. To clarify the origins and homology of cerebral structures across panarthropods, we analysed the brain architecture in the onychophoran Euperipatoides rowelli by combining X-ray micro-computed tomography, histology, immunohistochemistry, confocal microscopy, and three-dimensional reconstruction. RESULTS: Here, we use this detailed information to generate a consistent glossary for neuroanatomical studies of Onychophora. In addition, we report novel cerebral structures, provide novel details on previously known brain areas, and characterise further structures and neuropils in order to improve the reproducibility of neuroanatomical observations. Our findings support homology of mushroom bodies and central bodies in onychophorans and arthropods. Their antennal nerve cords and olfactory lobes most likely evolved independently. In contrast to previous reports, we found no evidence for second-order visual neuropils, or a frontal ganglion in the velvet worm brain. CONCLUSION: We imaged the velvet worm nervous system at an unprecedented level of detail and compiled a comprehensive glossary of known and previously uncharacterised neuroanatomical structures to provide an in-depth characterisation of the onychophoran brain architecture. We expect that our data will improve the reproducibility and comparability of future neuroanatomical studies.

IDphy: An International Online Resource for Molecular and Morphological Identification of Phytophthora.

Phytophthora, with 203 species, is a genus of high importance in agriculture worldwide. Here, we present the online resource "IDphy", developed to facilitate the correct identification of species of Phytophthora using the type specimens from the original descriptions wherever possible. IDphy emphasizes species of high economic impact and regulatory concern for the United States. IDphy presents an interactive Lucid key and a tabular key for 161 culturable species described as of May 2018, including 141 ex-types and 20 well-authenticated specimens. IDphy contains standard operating procedures for morphological and molecular characterization, as well as a glossary, image gallery, and numerous links. Each of the 161 factsheets includes access to nomenclature and morphological and molecular features, including sequences of the internal transcribed spacer ribosomal DNA, cytochrome C oxidase subunit I (barcoding genes), YPT1, ß-tubulin, elongation factor 1a, L10, heat shock protein 90, and other genes. IDphy contains an innovative in silico BLAST and phylogenetic sequence analysis using NCBI. The IDphy mobile app, released in August 2021 (free for Android or iOS), allows users to take the Lucid key into the laboratory. IDphy is the first online identification tool based on the ex-types implemented for plant pathogens. In this article, we also include information for 21 new species and one hybrid described after the publication of IDphy, the status of the specimens of the types and ex-types at international herbaria and culture collections, and the status of genomes at the GenBank (currently 153 genome assemblies which correspond to 42 described species, including 16 ex-types). The effectiveness of the IDphy online resource and the content of this article could inspire other researchers to develop additional identification tools for other important groups of plant pathogens.

Declarative knowledge in oral health: The case of the term 'centric occlusion'.

INTRODUCTION: The lack of academic agreement in the practical or clinical use of declarative knowledge can generate unnecessary confusion and miscommunication. The concept Centric Occlusion (CO) is part of the body of declarative knowledge in dentistry, but its definition remains unclear. OBJECTIVE: To ascertain the CO concept in articles published in dental journals as a study case for the dentistry "corpus" of declarative knowledge. METHODOLOGY: The alternative definitions of CO used by the GPT (Glossary of Prosthodontic Terms) from 1956-1977, 'CO as a synonym for maximum intercuspal contact (MIC)', or by the GPT from 1987-2017, 'CO may or may not coincide with MIC', were searched in the articles. The association between the CO definition used and variables such as article aims, journal scope and authors specialty was assessed. RESULTS: Eight hundred and twelve articles were analysed. The widespread use of CO as synonym of MIC was the main finding and was significantly associated to the Orthodontics field. The CO definition according to the GPT 1987-2017 was less frequently observed but appeared in all dentistry fields, showing a significant association with the Oral Rehabilitation field. The difficulty of incorporating the current definition of CO (by GPT) into the main clinical discussions was evidenced all the long of the review process. CONCLUSION: The lack of consensus in the concept use was confirmed by the present study case, showing the influence of specific fields in Oral Health declarative knowledge. This methodology can provide a tool to the academy to assess controversial terms or concepts in Oral Health education, thus facilitating the critical and reflexive learning by students.

If it's information, it's not "bias": a scoping review and proposed nomenclature for future response-shift research.

BACKGROUND: The growth in response-shift methods has enabled a stronger empirical foundation to investigate response-shift phenomena in quality-of-life (QOL) research; but many of these methods utilize certain language in framing the research question(s) and interpreting results that treats response-shift effects as "bias," "noise," "nuisance," or otherwise warranting removal from the results rather than as information that matters. The present project will describe the various ways in which researchers have framed the questions for investigating response-shift issues and interpreted the findings, and will develop a nomenclature for such that highlights the important information about resilience reflected by response-shift findings. METHODS: A scoping review was done of the QOL and response-shift literature (n = 1100 articles) from 1963 to 2020. After culling only empirical response-shift articles, raters characterized how investigators framed and interpreted study research questions (n = 164 articles). RESULTS: Of 10 methods used, papers using four of them utilized terms like "bias" and aimed to remove response-shift effects to reveal "true change." Yet, the investigators' reflections on their own conclusions suggested that they do not truly believe that response shift is error to be removed. A structured nomenclature is proposed for discussing response-shift results in a range of research contexts and response-shift detection methods. CONCLUSIONS: It is time for a concerted and focused effort to change the nomenclature of those methods that demonstrated this misinterpretation. Only by framing and interpreting response shift as information, not bias, can we improve our understanding and methods to help to distill outcomes with and without response-shift effects.

An in-depth analysis of 10 epidemiological terminologies used in the context of COVID-19.

AIM: In this paper, we explore the contextual use of 10 epidemiological terminologies, their significance, and interpretation/misinterpretation in explaining various aspects of the 2019 novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. METHODS AND RESULTS: We first establish the different purposes of the terms 'pandemic' and 'Public Health Emergency of International Concern.' We then discuss the confusion caused by using the 'case fatality rate' as opposed to 'infection fatality rate' during the pandemic and the uncertainty surrounding the limited usefulness of identifying someone as 'pre-symptomatic.' We highlight the ambiguity in the 'positivity rate' and the need to be able to generate data on 'excess mortality' during public health emergencies. We discuss the relevance of 'association and causation' in the context of the facemask controversy that existed at the start of the pandemic. We point out how the accepted epidemiological practice of discussing 'herd immunity' in the context of vaccines has been twisted to suit the political motive of a public health approach. Given that a high proportion of COVID-19 cases are asymptomatic, we go on to show how COVID-19 has blurred the lines between 'screening/diagnosis' and 'quarantine/isolation,' while giving birth to the new terminology of 'community quarantine.' CONCLUSIONS: Applying the lessons learned from COVID-19 to better understand the above terminologies will help health professionals communicate effectively, strengthen the scientific agenda of epidemiology and public health, and support and manage future outbreaks efficiently.

Vaccination terminology: A revised glossary of key terms including lay person's definitions.

WHAT IS KNOWN AND OBJECTIVE: There has been a paucity of vaccine and vaccine-related definitions within the scientific and medical peer-reviewed literature, particularly with the arrival of COVID-19. Therefore, it was the aim of this commentary to collate definitions to 44 vaccine- and vaccinology-related key terms, from four international and respected sources of information (where available), including (i) the World Health Organisation (WHO), (ii) the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), (iii) The Department of Health, Government of Australia and (iv) the European Union. In addition, it was a further aim to develop a lay person's definition to each of these 44 key terms, to act as a published and citeable reference point for pharmacists and other healthcare professionals, when communicating with patients and other public-facing stakeholders. COMMENT: Definitions are important in health care in order to (i) provide concise insight on a specific topic, (ii) provide a common understanding and (iii) set reference points to allow the adoption of a standard uniform approach. WHAT IS NEW AND CONCLUSION: The collation of definitions of key vaccine terms was compiled from four respected sources of information. A glossary of 44 key terms was produced to help pharmacists and other healthcare professionals explain such terms professionally, as well as to patient stakeholders in lay person's vocabulary. These lay definitions had superior readability metrics than definitions from any of the four professional sources, indicating their suitability for engagement with patient-facing stakeholders. Understanding the barriers to vaccine uptake is crucial for health professionals and policymakers to achieve improved uptake rates. This commentary has aimed at adding value to healthcare professionals and patients, by providing an up-to-date glossary of several professional definitions, from respected sources, as well as an accompanying lay definition to support the healthcare professional-patient communicative interface. Vaccines have become an important preventative tool, particularly in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, to help mitigate disease severity and to help control the pandemic locally, nationally and internationally. Accessible and robust definitions help inform the dialogue to achieve this goal and the avoidance of obscurum per obscurius.

Glossary of Neurostimulation Terminology: A Collaborative Neuromodulation Foundation, Institute of Neuromodulation, and International Neuromodulation Society Project.

OBJECTIVE: Consistent terminology is necessary to facilitate communication, but limited efforts have addressed this need in the neurostimulation community. We set out to provide a useful and updated glossary for our colleagues and prospective patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This collaborative effort of the Neuromodulation Foundation (NF), the Institute of Neuromodulation (IoN), and the International Neuromodulation Society (INS) expands a glossary first published in 2007 for spinal cord stimulation. Peripheral nerve, dorsal root ganglion, deep brain, and motor cortex stimulation have been added to our scope. Volunteers from the collaborating entities used a nominal group process, consensus development panels, and the Delphi technique to reach consensus on inclusion and definition of terms. We created a glossary suitable for print and for expansion on the websites of the collaborating entities, which will offer the possibility of explaining definitions for a general audience. We excluded proprietary and brand names but included terms that have attracted proprietary interest without becoming brands or trademarks. We made an effort to be inclusive while also being concise and economical with space. RESULTS: We identified and defined 91 terms for this print edition and created an accompanying list of acronyms. As appropriate, we provided figures to illustrate the definitions. CONCLUSIONS: Although we refer to the glossary presented herein as the print edition, it can of course be viewed and searched electronically. NF, IoN, and INS will continue to collaborate on expanded web editions that can include hyperlinks for internal and external navigation. We believe this glossary will benefit our growing field by facilitating communication and mitigating inappropriate use of neurostimulation terms.

Specialized terminology reduces the number of citations of scientific papers.

Words are the building blocks of communicating science. As our understanding of the world progresses, scientific disciplines naturally enrich their specialized vocabulary (jargon). However, in the era of interdisciplinarity, the use of jargon may hinder effective communication among scientists that do not share a common scientific background. The question of how jargon limits the transmission of scientific knowledge has long been debated but rarely addressed quantitatively. We explored the relationship between the use of jargon and citations, using 21 486 articles focusing on cave research, a multidisciplinary field particularly prone to terminological specialization, and where linguistic disagreement among peers is frequent. We demonstrate a significant negative relationship between the proportion of jargon words in the title and abstract and the number of citations a paper receives. Given that these elements are the hook to readers, we urge scientists to restrict jargon to sections of the paper where its use is unavoidable.

An International Terminology for Endometriosis, 2021.

OBJECTIVE: Different classification systems have been developed for endometriosis, using different definitions for the disease, the different subtypes, symptoms and treatments. In addition, an International Glossary on Infertility and Fertility Care has been published in 2017 by the International Committee for Monitoring Assisted Reproductive Technologies (ICMART) in collaboration with other organisations. An international working group convened over the development of a classification or descriptive system for endometriosis. As a basis for such system, a terminology for endometriosis was considered a condition sine qua non. The aim of the current study was to develop a set of terms and definitions be prepared on endometriosis that would be the basis for standardization in disease description, classification and research. DATA SOURCES: The working group listed a number of terms relevant to be included in the terminology, documented currently used and published definitions, and discussed and adapted them until consensus was reached within the working group. Following stakeholder review, further terms were added, and definitions further clarified. Although definitions were collected through published literature, the final set of terms and definitions is to be considered consensus-based. After finalization of the first draft, the members of the international societies and other stakeholders were consulted for feedback and comments, which lead to further adaptations. METHODS OF STUDY SELECTION: na TABULATION, INTEGRATION, AND RESULTS: A list of 49 terms and definitions in the field of endometriosis is presented, including a definition for endometriosis and its subtypes, different locations, interventions, symptoms and outcomes. Endometriosis is defined as a disease characterized by the presence of endometrium-like epithelium and/or stroma outside the endometrium and myometrium, usually with an associated inflammatory process. CONCLUSION: The current paper outlines a list of 49 terms and definitions in the field of endometriosis. The application of the defined terms aims to facilitate harmonization in endometriosis research and clinical practice. Future research may require further refinement of the presented definitions.

Glossary for randomized clinical trials.

Randomized clinical trials are positioned at the highest level of primary clinical evidence, as they are designed to be unbiased with a reduced risk of systematic error. The Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials (CONSORT) statement was first developed in 1996 to improve the reporting quality of randomized clinical trials with updates being published subsequently. Recently, the Preferred Reporting Items for RAndomized Trials in Endodontics (PRIRATE) 2020 guidelines were developed exclusively for the field of Endodontics to address the suboptimal quality of randomized clinical trials submitted to Endodontic journals, which result in many being rejected. A principal flaw in submissions is the fact that many authors are unclear on the keys terms that should be used when developing manuscripts for publication. Clearly, authors should be aware of the most common terms used when conducting and reporting randomized clinical trials. Hence, the aim of the current paper is to present a comprehensive glossary of the terminology used in randomized clinical trials in order to assist authors when designing, executing and writing-up randomized clinical trials.

Glossary on atmospheric electricity and its effects on biology.

There is an increasing interest to study the interactions between atmospheric electrical parameters and living organisms at multiple scales. So far, relatively few studies have been published that focus on possible biological effects of atmospheric electric and magnetic fields. To foster future work in this area of multidisciplinary research, here we present a glossary of relevant terms. Its main purpose is to facilitate the process of learning and communication among the different scientific disciplines working on this topic. While some definitions come from existing sources, other concepts have been re-defined to better reflect the existing and emerging scientific needs of this multidisciplinary and transdisciplinary area of research.

Health Promotion Glossary 2021.

The Health Promotion Glossary 2021 is designed to help clarify the meaning and relationship between terms commonly used in health promotion. This is the first full review and revision of the Glossary in over 20 years. It reflects the continued evolution and development of concepts since the 1998 Glossary, providing an updated overview of the many ideas which are central to contemporary health promotion. The aim of the Glossary is to facilitate communication among the professions and sectors working in health promotion. The list of terms in the Glossary is not intended to be either exhaustive or exclusive, and draws upon the wide range of disciplines from which health promotion has its origins. The definitions should not be regarded as 'the final word' on the terms included. Definitions by their very nature are restrictive, often representing summaries of complex ideas and actions. The use of terms will often be context-specific, and influenced by different social, cultural and economic conditions in countries and communities. Despite these obvious restrictions, the glossary has been assembled to enable as wide an audience as possible to understand the basic ideas and concepts which are central to the development of health promotion.

The new definition of health technology assessment: A milestone in international collaboration.

BACKGROUND: An international joint task group co-led by the International Network of Agencies for Health Technology Assessment (INAHTA) and Health Technology Assessment International (HTAi) has developed a new and internationally accepted definition of HTA. METHODS: The task group, consisting of representatives of leading HTA networks, societies and global organizations, developed guiding principles for the process and followed an established consultation plan with the broader HTA community to develop the definition. RESULTS: The consensus achieved by the international joint task group brings the collective weight of the participating networks, societies, and organizations behind the new definition. CONCLUSION: The new definition of HTA is an historic achievement and it is offered to the current and emerging HTA world as a cornerstone reference for today and into the future.

Glossary of terms for musculoskeletal radiology.

Members of the International Skeletal Society compiled a glossary of terms for musculoskeletal radiology. The authors also represent national radiology or pathology societies in Asia, Australia, Europe, and the USA. We provide brief descriptions of musculoskeletal structures, disease processes, and syndromes and address their imaging features. Given the abundance of musculoskeletal disorders and derangements, we chose to omit most terms relating to neoplasm, spine, intervention, and pediatrics. Consensus agreement was obtained from 19 musculoskeletal radiology societies worldwide.

Glossary for systematic reviews and meta-analyses.

A systematic review aims to answer a focussed research question through a structured review of the evidence, using a predefined methodology, which often includes a meta-analysis. A meta-analysis is a statistical method used to combine the effect estimates from the individual studies included in a systematic review. Systematic reviews and meta-analyses are positioned at the highest level in the hierarchy of clinical evidence. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statement was introduced in 2009 to help authors improve the quality and reliability of systematic reviews and meta-analyses. Recently, the volume of systematic reviews and meta-analyses in the field of Endodontology has increased; however, the quality of the published manuscripts has been reported to be sub-optimal, which does not take account of the systematic reviews that were rejected because of more obvious deficiencies. The aim of this paper is to present a comprehensive glossary of terminology commonly used in systematic reviews and meta-analyses in an attempt to provide easily understood definitions and explanations to assist authors when reporting systematic reviews and meta-analyses and to allow those wishing to read them to become better informed.

Evaluating Completeness of a Radiology Glossary Using Iterative Refinement.

A lay-language glossary of radiology, built to help patients better understand the content of their radiology reports, has been analyzed for its coverage and readability, but not for its completeness. We present an iterative method to sample radiology reports, identify "missing" terms, and measure the glossary's completeness. We hypothesized that the refinement process would reduce the number of missing terms to fewer than 1 per report. A random sample of 1000 radiology reports from a large US academic health system was divided into 10 cohorts of 100 reports each. Each cohort was reviewed in sequence by two investigators to identify terms (single words and multi-word phrases) absent from the glossary. Terms marked as new were added to the glossary and hence was shown as matched in subsequent cohorts. This HIPAA-compliant study was IRB-approved; informed consent was waived. The refinement process added a mean of 288.0 new terms per 100 reports in the first 5 cohorts vs. a mean of 66.0 new terms per 100 reports in the last 5 cohorts; the difference was statistically significant (p < .01). After reviewing 500 reports, the review process found fewer than 1 new term per report in each of 500 subsequent reports. The findings suggest that 500 to 1000 reports is adequate to test the completeness of a glossary, and that the glossary after iterative refinement achieved a high level of completeness to cover the vocabulary of radiology reports.

The European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) Precision Medicine Glossary.

Background: Precision medicine is rapidly evolving within the field of oncology and has brought many new concepts and terminologies that are often poorly defined when first introduced, which may subsequently lead to miscommunication within the oncology community. The European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) recognises these challenges and is committed to support the adoption of precision medicine in oncology. To add clarity to the language used by oncologists and basic scientists within the context of precision medicine, the ESMO Translational Research and Personalised Medicine Working Group has developed a standardised glossary of relevant terms. Materials and methods: Relevant terms for inclusion in the glossary were identified via an ESMO member survey conducted in Autumn 2016, and by the ESMO Translational Research and Personalised Medicine Working Group members. Each term was defined by experts in the field, discussed and, if necessary, modified by the Working Group before reaching consensus approval. A literature search was carried out to determine which of the terms, 'precision medicine' and 'personalised medicine', is most appropriate to describe this field. Results: A total of 43 terms are included in the glossary, grouped into five main themes-(i) mechanisms of decision, (ii) characteristics of molecular alterations, (iii) tumour characteristics, (iv) clinical trials and statistics and (v) new research tools. The glossary classes 'precision medicine' or 'personalised medicine' as technically interchangeable but the term 'precision medicine' is favoured as it more accurately reflects the highly precise nature of new technologies that permit base pair resolution dissection of cancer genomes and is less likely to be misinterpreted. Conclusions: The ESMO Precision Medicine Glossary provides a resource to facilitate consistent communication in this field by clarifying and raising awareness of the language employed in cancer research and oncology practice. The glossary will be a dynamic entity, undergoing expansion and refinement over the coming years.

Glossary of Relevant Genetic and Molecular/Cell Biology.

The basic physical and functional unit of heredity; made up of DNA, they act as instructions to make proteins. There are about 20,000-25,000 genes in humans, with size varying from a few hundred DNA bases to more than 2 million bases. Most genes are the same in all people; less than 1% differ. Each person has two copies of each gene, one inherited from each parent. Each chromosome contains many genes.

Standardization of pediatric uroradiological terms: a multidisciplinary European glossary.

To promote the standardization of nephro-uroradiological terms used in children, the European Society of Paediatric Radiology uroradiology taskforce wrote a detailed glossary. This work has been subsequently submitted to European experts in pediatric urology and nephrology for discussion and acceptance to improve the quality of radiological reports and communication between different clinicians involved in pediatric urology and nephrology.