-
Environmental Pollution (Barking, Essex... Nov 2018Toxocariasis is a neglected tropical disease of humans. Although many studies have indicated or shown that environmental contamination with Toxocara species eggs is a... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
Toxocariasis is a neglected tropical disease of humans. Although many studies have indicated or shown that environmental contamination with Toxocara species eggs is a major risk factor for toxocariasis in humans, there has been no comprehensive analysis of published data or information. Here, we conducted the first systematic review and meta-analysis of current literature to assess the global prevalence of Toxocara eggs in public places (including beaches, parks and playgrounds). We conducted searches of the PubMed, Embase, Scopus and Science Direct databases for relevant studies published until 20 April 2018, and assessed the prevalence rates of Toxocara eggs in public places. We used the random effects model to calculate pooled prevalence estimates, with 95% confidence intervals (CIs), and analysed data in relation to WHO geographical regions. Subgroup analysis and meta-regressions regarding the geographical and environmental variables were also performed. Of 2384 publications identified, 109 studies that tested 42,797 soil samples in 40 countries were included in the meta-analysis. The pooled global prevalence of Toxocara eggs in public places was 21% (95% CI, 16-27%; 13,895/42,797). The estimated prevalence rates in the different WHO regions ranged from 13% to 35%: Western Pacific (35%; 95% CI, 15-58%), Africa (27%; 95% CI, 11-47%), South America (25%; 95% CI, 13-33%), South-East Asia (21%; 95% CI, 3-49%), Middle East and North Africa (18%; 95% CI, 11-24%), Europe (18%; 95% CI, 14-22%), and North and Central Americas (13%; 95% CI, 8-23%). A high prevalence was significantly associated with high geographical longitude (P = 0.04), low latitude (P = 0.02) and high relative environmental humidity (P = 0.04). This meta-analysis of data from published records indicates that public places are often heavily contaminated with eggs of Toxocara. This finding calls for measures to reduce the potential risk of infection and disease in humans.
Topics: Animals; Environmental Microbiology; Environmental Monitoring; Parasite Egg Count; Soil; Soil Pollutants; Toxocara
PubMed: 30142562
DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2018.07.087 -
Journal of Cardiothoracic and Vascular... Aug 2015To compare the efficacy and adverse effects of using bronchial blockers (BBs) and double-lumen endobronchial tubes (DLTs). (Comparative Study)
Comparative Study Meta-Analysis Review
A Comparison of the Efficacy and Adverse Effects of Double-Lumen Endobronchial Tubes and Bronchial Blockers in Thoracic Surgery: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.
OBJECTIVE
To compare the efficacy and adverse effects of using bronchial blockers (BBs) and double-lumen endobronchial tubes (DLTs).
DESIGN
Systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing BBs and DLTs.
SETTING
Hospital units undertaking thoracic surgery
PARTICIPANTS
Patients undergoing thoracic surgery requiring lung isolation.
INTERVENTIONS
BBs and DLTs.
MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS
A systematic literature search was conducted for RCTs comparing BBs and DLTs using Google Scholar, Ovid Medline, and Cochrane library databases up to October 2013. Inclusion criteria were RCTs comparing BBs and DLTs, intubation carried out by qualified anesthesiologists or trainee specialists, outcome measures relating to either efficacy or adverse effects. Studies that were inaccessible in English were excluded. Mantel-Haenszel fixed-effect meta-analysis of recurring outcome measures was performed using RevMan 5 software. The search produced 39 RCTs published between 1996 and 2013. DLTs were quicker to place (mean difference: 51 seconds, 95% confidence intervals [CI] 8-94 seconds; p = 0.02) and less likely to be incorrectly positioned (odds ratio [OR] 2.70; 95% CI 1.18-6.18, p = 0.02) than BBs. BBs were associated with fewer patients having a postoperative sore throat (OR 0.39, 95% CI: 0.23-0.68, p = 0.0009), less hoarseness (OR: 0.43,95%, CI 0.24-0.75, p = 0.003), and fewer airway injuries (OR 0.40, 95% CI 0.21-0.75, p = 0.005) than DLTs.
CONCLUSION
While BBs are associated with a lower incidence of airway injury and a lower severity of injury, DLTs can be placed quicker and more reliably.
Topics: Hoarseness; Humans; Intubation, Intratracheal; Pharyngitis; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; Thoracic Surgical Procedures; Treatment Outcome
PubMed: 25753765
DOI: 10.1053/j.jvca.2014.11.017 -
Behavioral Sciences (Basel, Switzerland) Jan 2021The objective of this review was to understand how participants experience the decision-making process regarding the place of care for the elderly. Therefore, we... (Review)
Review
The objective of this review was to understand how participants experience the decision-making process regarding the place of care for the elderly. Therefore, we conducted a systematic review of qualitative studies. The articles were included if they were original studies with qualitative/mixed methodology, written in English/Spanish, and that approached the decision-making process regarding the place of care for the elderly, already experienced by the participants. Forty-four articles were included, identifying experiences, both negative and positive. Negative experiences have been the most frequently reported experiences by all population groups; fear was the most relevant experience for the elderly, whereas concern was the most relevant for family members and professionals. This review has not only found a great variability of experiences, but also, it has deepened the differences between groups and the situations motivating/generating these experiences. This review highlights a wide range of experiences of those directly involved in the entire decision-making process on the place of care for the elderly. In future research it would be interesting to carry out qualitative primary studies conducted with professionals and other relevant people involved in this decision-making process, in order to know first-hand how they experience this process.
PubMed: 33494258
DOI: 10.3390/bs11020014 -
The Open Dentistry Journal 2018Periodontal implications of orthodontic therapy are frequent, gingival and periodontal conditions need to be evaluated for every appointment. Several studies have... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
Periodontal implications of orthodontic therapy are frequent, gingival and periodontal conditions need to be evaluated for every appointment. Several studies have analyzed the effects of fixed appliance on periodontal health.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate whether there is updated scientific evidence on the relationship between fixed orthodontic therapy and periodontal health.
METHODS
A literature search was performed using the Pubmed and Cochrane databases and manual search; the search was carried out using the keywords "orthodontic" and "periodontal". Articles published only in the English language from January 1997 to April 2017 were included. The inclusion criteria were: RCTs, cohort studies, cross-sectional studies and case-control studies only in English language; only studies on humans, with a minimum sample size of 20 patients and no restriction in terms of patient ages; orthodontic fixed appliances placed into the buccal tooth surface; standardization and training in oral hygiene; Periodontal Index (PI), Gingival Index (GI), Bleeding on Probing (BOP), Pocket Probing Depth (PPD), at least at baseline (before appliance was placed) and after follow up (with a minimum period of 3 months). The exclusion criteria were as follows: absence of baseline data before fixed appliances was placed; patients with systemic diseases, periodontal disease or craniofacial anomalies; removable appliances or orthodontic appliance on the lingual dental surface; and no standardization or training in oral hygiene.Studies were selected by abstract and title; then, inclusion and exclusion criteria were applied. The studies that satisfied the inclusion criteria were evaluated and classified as having low, moderate or high methodology quality.
RESULTS
Fifty-five records were reviewed on the basis of title and abstract. After full-text reading, 47 full texts were excluded, and 3 articles were classified as having low methodological quality and 5 as having moderate methodological quality.
CONCLUSIONS
The present systematic analysis suggests that there is moderate scientific evidence that a fixed appliance influences periodontal status; no article reported a high score.
PubMed: 30369970
DOI: 10.2174/1745017901814010614 -
Bioengineering (Basel, Switzerland) Apr 2023Recent human-centered developments in the industrial field (Industry 5.0) lead companies and stakeholders to ensure the wellbeing of their workers with assessments of... (Review)
Review
Recent human-centered developments in the industrial field (Industry 5.0) lead companies and stakeholders to ensure the wellbeing of their workers with assessments of upper limb performance in the workplace, with the aim of reducing work-related diseases and improving awareness of the physical status of workers, by assessing motor performance, fatigue, strain and effort. Such approaches are usually developed in laboratories and only at times they are translated to on-field applications; few studies summarized common practices for the assessments. Therefore, our aim is to review the current state-of-the-art approaches used for the assessment of fatigue, strain and effort in working scenarios and to analyze in detail the differences between studies that take place in the laboratory and in the workplace, in order to give insights on future trends and directions. A systematic review of the studies aimed at evaluating the motor performance, fatigue, strain and effort of the upper limb targeting working scenarios is presented. A total of 1375 articles were found in scientific databases and 288 were analyzed. About half of the scientific articles are focused on laboratory pilot studies investigating effort and fatigue in laboratories, while the other half are set in working places. Our results showed that assessing upper limb biomechanics is quite common in the field, but it is mostly performed with instrumental assessments in laboratory studies, while questionnaires and scales are preferred in working places. Future directions may be oriented towards multi-domain approaches able to exploit the potential of combined analyses, exploitation of instrumental approaches in workplace, targeting a wider range of people and implementing more structured trials to translate pilot studies to real practice.
PubMed: 37106632
DOI: 10.3390/bioengineering10040445 -
World Journal of Microbiology &... Jul 2023This research aimed to analyze scientific information regarding the prevalence of generic and pathogenic E. coli in the production and supply chain of pork meat,... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
This research aimed to analyze scientific information regarding the prevalence of generic and pathogenic E. coli in the production and supply chain of pork meat, considering different types of samples, places of sampling, and pathotypes using a systematic review and meta-analysis tools. The meta-analysis for the prevalence of generic and pathogenic E. coli was conducted by estimating the effects within subgroups. Data subsets were analyzed using the DerSimonian-Laird method for binary random effects. The average prevalence of generic E. coli in different types of pork meat samples was determined to be 35.6% (95% CI 19.3-51.8), with no significant differences observed between pork meat and carcasses. Conversely, the average prevalence of E. coli pathotypes in samples related to the supply chain of pork meat was found to be 4.7% (95% CI 3.7-5.7). In conclusion, these findings suggest the possibility of establishing an objective threshold for E. coli prevalence as a benchmark for comparison within the meat industry. By utilizing this data, it becomes possible to propose a standardized limit that can serve as a reference point for evaluating and improving processes in the industry.
Topics: Animals; Swine; Escherichia coli; Red Meat; Pork Meat; Prevalence; Meat; Food Microbiology
PubMed: 37428340
DOI: 10.1007/s11274-023-03687-0 -
The Journal of Prosthetic Dentistry Jan 2022Osseodensification, a counterclockwise drilling technique for the placement of endosseous implants is a popular clinical technique. However, the effect of the... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
Biomechanical and histomorphometric analysis of endosteal implants placed by using the osseodensification technique in animal models: A systematic review and meta-analysis.
STATEMENT OF PROBLEM
Osseodensification, a counterclockwise drilling technique for the placement of endosseous implants is a popular clinical technique. However, the effect of the osseodensification technique on primary implant stability, bone-implant contact, and bone area frequency occupancy is unclear.
PURPOSE
The purpose of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to investigate the biomechanical and histomorphometric outcomes of endosteal implants placed by using the osseodensification technique in animal models.
MATERIAL AND METHODS
An electronic search through Medline/PubMed, Lilacs, and Science Direct databases, and an additional manual search of the reference list of included articles was conducted by using specific keywords and Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) terms for articles in the English language and published up to April 31, 2020. Only animal studies comparing the biomechanical and histomorphometric outcomes of endosteal implants placed by using the osseodensification and conventional drilling protocol were included. The SYstematic Review Center for Laboratory animal Experimentation (SYRCLE) tool was used to determine the risk of bias assessment, and the quality of included studies was assessed by using Animal Research: Reporting in Vivo Experiments (ARRIVE) guidelines.
RESULTS
Nine studies were included. The results of the meta-analysis showed that the pooled weighted mean difference of the insertion torque value for the primary implant stability of endosseous dental implants placed by using the osseodensification technique was 2.270 (95% confidence interval [CI]=1.147 to 3.393; P<.001), the weighted mean difference of the percentage of bone-implant contact at 3 weeks was 0.487 (95% CI=0.220 to 0.754; P=.114), the weighted mean difference of the percentage of bone-implant contact at 6 weeks was 0.565 (95% CI=0.219 to 0.911; P=.448), the weighted mean difference of the percentage of bone area frequency occupancy at 3 weeks was 0.679 (95% CI=0.265 to 1.093; P=.073), and the weighted mean difference of the percentage of bone area frequency occupancy at 6 weeks was 0.391 (95% CI=-0.204 to 0.986; P=.027).
CONCLUSIONS
Limited data from animal studies suggest that the primary implant stability, bone-implant contact, and bone area frequency occupancy significantly improved for the endosteal implants placed by using the osseodensification technique compared with conventional drilling protocol. However, additional laboratory and clinical studies are recommended to provide stronger evidence.
Topics: Animals; Dental Implantation, Endosseous; Dental Implants; Osseointegration; Osteotomy; Torque
PubMed: 33139057
DOI: 10.1016/j.prosdent.2020.07.004 -
Journal of Dental Research Jun 2016For restoring cavitated dental lesions, whether carious or not, a large number of material combinations are available. We aimed to systematically review and synthesize... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
For restoring cavitated dental lesions, whether carious or not, a large number of material combinations are available. We aimed to systematically review and synthesize data of comparative dental restorative trials. A systematic review was performed. Randomized controlled trials published between 2005 and 2015 were included that compared the survival of ≥2 restorative and/or adhesive materials (i.e., no need for restorative reintervention). Pairwise and Bayesian network meta-analyses were performed, with separate evaluations for cervical cavitated lesions and load-bearing posterior cavitated lesions in permanent and primary teeth. A total of 11,070 restorations (5,330 cervical, 5,740 load bearing) had been placed in 3,633 patients in the included trials. Thirty-six trials investigated restoration of cervical lesions (all in permanent teeth) and 36 of load-bearing lesions (8 in primary and 28 in permanent teeth). Resin-modified glass ionomer cements had the highest chance of survival in cervical cavitated lesions; composites or compomers placed via 2-step self-etch and 3-step etch-and-rinse adhesives were ranked next. Restorations placed with 2-step etch-and-rinse or 1-step self-etch adhesives performed worst. For load-bearing restorations, conventional composites had the highest probability of survival, while siloranes were found least suitable. Ambiguity remains regarding which adhesive strategy to use in load-bearing cavitated lesions. Most studies showed high risk of bias, and several comparisons were prone for publication bias. If prioritized for survival, resin-modified glass ionomer cements might be recommended to restore cervical lesions. For load-bearing ones, conventional or bulk fill composites seem most suitable. The available evidence is quantitatively and qualitatively insufficient for further recommendations, especially with regard to adhesive strategies in posterior load-bearing situations. Moreover, different material classifications might yield different findings on the same materials. Future trials should aim for sufficient power, longer follow-up times, and high internal validity to prove or refute differences between certain material combinations. An agreed material classification for future syntheses is desirable.
Topics: Acid Etching, Dental; Bayes Theorem; Composite Resins; Dental Cavity Preparation; Dental Materials; Dental Restoration Failure; Dental Restoration, Permanent; Dentin-Bonding Agents; Evidence-Based Dentistry; Glass Ionomer Cements; Humans
PubMed: 26912220
DOI: 10.1177/0022034516631285 -
Clinical Neurology and Neurosurgery Aug 2023External ventricular drains (EVDs) are used to monitor and treat elevated intracranial pressure. EVDs are often placed blindly without the use of imaging guidance, and... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
OBJECTIVE
External ventricular drains (EVDs) are used to monitor and treat elevated intracranial pressure. EVDs are often placed blindly without the use of imaging guidance, and successful placement with respect to pass attempts and final catheter location may suffer as a result of this freehand technique.
METHODS
A systematic literature search was conducted in PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and Cochrane databases to identify studies pertaining to freehand EVD placement through March 30, 2022. Studies were included if they reported percentage of EVDs placed successfully on the first pass attempt, or final catheter location as defined by the Kakarla Grading System. Pooled weighted incidence estimates and 95% confidence intervals (95%CI) were calculated using a random effects model.
RESULTS
Of the 2964 results returned from the literature search, 39 studies were included in this meta-analysis. These studies reported on 6313 EVDs placed via freehand technique in 6070 patients with the following respective incidence: successful EVD placement on the first attempt (78%, 95%CI: 67-86%); placement with a Kakarla Grade of 1 (optimal location) (72%, 95%CI: 66-77%); hemorrhage (7%, 95%CI: 6-10%), and infection (5%, 95%CI: 3-8%).
CONCLUSIONS
Only 78% of EVDs in this meta-analysis were placed successfully on the first pass, and only 72% of final placements were deemed optimal. This represents a relatively high rate of suboptimal outcomes with respect to EVD placement, which could potentially be avoided with the use of navigation-assisted placement techniques.
Topics: Humans; Ventriculostomy; Drainage; Intracranial Hypertension; Catheters; Databases, Factual; Retrospective Studies
PubMed: 37399698
DOI: 10.1016/j.clineuro.2023.107852 -
BMC Geriatrics Aug 2017This study aimed to synthesize the current literature examining the association between migration and cognitive function among middle-aged and older adults. (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
This study aimed to synthesize the current literature examining the association between migration and cognitive function among middle-aged and older adults.
METHODS
We used the PRISMA as a guideline for this systematic review and searched the following databases: PubMed, CINAHL, EMBASE, and Global Health.
RESULTS
Twenty-five published studies were included. Twenty-two studies were focused on international migrants, while only 3 studied internal migrants. Fourteen studies were conducted in the United States, followed by UK (n = 2), Israel (n = 2), India (n = 2) and other countries like Canada and Australia. Some studies showed that middle-aged and older migrants demonstrated poorer cognitive function comparing to non-migrants in hosting places; while other studies indicated no association between migration and cognitive function. A higher level of acculturation was associated with better performance on cognitive function tests among migrants.
CONCLUSION
It is unclear how or whether migration and cognitive function are related. The quality of current literature suffered from methodological deficiencies. Additional research is needed to examine the linkages using more comprehensive measures of migration and cognitive function.
Topics: Acculturation; Aged; Cognition; Emigration and Immigration; Humans; Middle Aged; Transients and Migrants
PubMed: 28818064
DOI: 10.1186/s12877-017-0585-2