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BioMed Research International 2022The novel coronavirus first emerged in Wuhan, China, and quickly spread across the globe, spanning various countries and resulting in a worldwide pandemic by the end of... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
The novel coronavirus first emerged in Wuhan, China, and quickly spread across the globe, spanning various countries and resulting in a worldwide pandemic by the end of December 2019. Given the current advances in treatments available for COVID-19, mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) therapy seems to be a prospective option for management of ARDS observed in COVID-19 patients. This present study is aimed at exploring the therapeutic potential and safety of using MSC obtained by isolation from health cord tissues in the treatment of patients with COVID-19.
METHODS
A systematic search was done based on the guidelines of the PRISMA 2020 statement. A literature search was executed using controlled vocabulary and indexing of trials to evaluate all the relevant studies involving the use of medical subject headings (MeSH) in electronic databases like PubMed, Embase, Scopus, Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), and clinicaltrials.gov up to 31 December 2021. The protocol was registered in the PROSPERO register with ID CRD42022301666. . After screening finally, 22 remaining articles were included in this systematic review. The studies revealed that MSC exosomes are found to be superior to MSC alone in terms of safety owing to being smaller with a lesser immunological response which leads to free movement in blood capillaries without clumping and also cannot further divide, thus reducing the oncogenic potential of MSC-derived exosomes as compared to MSC only. The studies demonstrated that the lungs healed with the use of exosomes compared to how they presented initially at the hospital. MSCs are found to increase the angiogenesis process and alveolar reepithelization, reducing markers like TNF alpha, TGF beta, and COL I and III, reducing the growth of myofibroblasts and increasing survivability of endothelium leading to attenuated pulmonary fibrosis and even reversing them. . We can conclude that the use of mesenchymal stem cells or their derived exosomes is safe and well-tolerated in patients with COVID-19. It improves different parameters of oxygenation and helps in the healing of the lungs. The viral load along with different inflammatory cells and biomarkers of inflammation tend to decrease. Chest X-ray, CT scan, and different radiological tools are used to show improvement and reduced ongoing destructive processes.
Topics: COVID-19; Exosomes; Humans; Mesenchymal Stem Cells; Prospective Studies; Pulmonary Fibrosis
PubMed: 35782071
DOI: 10.1155/2022/9346939 -
Journal of Biomedical Informatics Sep 2022Patient safety classifications/ontologies enable patient safety information systems to receive and analyze patient safety data to improve patient safety. Patient safety... (Review)
Review
INTRODUCTION
Patient safety classifications/ontologies enable patient safety information systems to receive and analyze patient safety data to improve patient safety. Patient safety classifications/ontologies have been developed and evaluated using a variety of methods. The purpose of this review was to discuss and analyze the methodologies for developing and evaluating patient safety classifications/ontologies.
METHODS
Studies that developed or evaluated patient safety classifications, terminologies, taxonomies, or ontologies were searched through Google Scholar, Google search engines, National Center for Biomedical Ontology (NCBO) BioPortal, Open Biological and Biomedical Ontology (OBO) Foundry and World Health Organization (WHO) websites and Scopus, Web of Science, PubMed, and Science Direct. We updated our search on 30 February 2021 and included all studies published until the end of 2020. Studies that developed or evaluated classifications only for patient safety and provided information on how they were developed or evaluated were included. Systems with covered patient safety terms (such as ICD-10) but are not specifically developed for patient safety were excluded. The quality and the risk of bias of studies were not assessed because all methodologies and criteria were intended to be covered. In addition, we analyzed the data through descriptive narrative synthesis and compared and classified the development and evaluation methods and evaluation criteria according to available development and evaluation approaches for biomedical ontologies.
RESULTS
We identified 84 articles that met all of the inclusion criteria, resulting in 70 classifications/ontologies, nine of which were for the general medical domain. The most papers were published in 2010 and 2011, with 8 and 7 papers, respectively. The United States (50) and Australia (23) have the most studies. The most commonly used methods for developing classifications/ontologies included the use of existing systems (for expanding or mapping) (44) and qualitative analysis of event reports (39). The most common evaluation methods were coding or classifying some safety report samples (25), quantitative analysis of incidents based on the developed classification (24), and consensus among physicians (16). The most commonly applied evaluation criteria were reliability (27), content and face validity (9), comprehensiveness (6), usability (5), linguistic clarity (5), and impact (4), respectively.
CONCLUSIONS
Because of the weaknesses and strengths of the development/evaluation methods, it is advised that more than one method for development or evaluation, as well as evaluation criteria, should be used. To organize the processes of developing classification/ontologies, well-established approaches such as Methontology are recommended. The most prevalent evaluation methods applied in this domain are well fitted to the biomedical ontology evaluation methods, but it is also advised to apply some evaluation approaches such as logic, rules, and Natural language processing (NLP) based in combination with other evaluation approaches. This research can assist domain researchers in developing or evaluating domain ontologies using more complete methodologies. There is also a lack of reporting consistency in the literature and same methods or criteria were reported with different terminologies.
Topics: Biological Ontologies; Humans; Logic; Natural Language Processing; Patient Safety; Reproducibility of Results
PubMed: 35878822
DOI: 10.1016/j.jbi.2022.104150 -
Cureus Sep 2023The increasing prevalence of smart media usage among children has raised concerns about its potential impact on various aspects of child development. One such area of... (Review)
Review
The increasing prevalence of smart media usage among children has raised concerns about its potential impact on various aspects of child development. One such area of worry is speech delay, as early language acquisition is critical for cognitive, social, and educational development. The purpose of this systematic review was to investigate and synthesize available research data in order to determine the association between speech delay and the usage of smart media in children. To perform this systematic review, a thorough literature search was conducted using relevant keywords in electronic databases, such as PubMed, Scopus, PsycINFO, Google Scholar, Web of Science, and Embase. We included studies published during the last 10 years investigating the impact of smart media on children's speech delay using various research designs. The findings showed that extended exposure to electronic media for children was negatively associated with expressive vocabulary and language skills in children, in addition to decreased language scores and speech delays. Educational apps and shared media engagement with parents correlated with stronger language skills. The introduction of smart devices at a later stage of development (24 months of age and older) was associated with positive language development, whereas early introduction was associated with speech delay. However, six-month abstinence from devices led to speech improvement in the affected children. These findings highlight the need to balance interactive screen time and other forms of interaction to enhance speech development.
PubMed: 37854747
DOI: 10.7759/cureus.45396 -
Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience 2023To conduct a meta-analysis of the effectiveness and safety of ginkgo biloba preparations combined with donepezil hydrochloride vs. donepezil for the treatment of...
OBJECTIVE
To conduct a meta-analysis of the effectiveness and safety of ginkgo biloba preparations combined with donepezil hydrochloride vs. donepezil for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease (AD).
METHODS
Three English databases (Cochrane Library, PubMed, EMBASE), and four Chinese databases [the China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CKNI), the Chinese Biomedical Literature database (CBM), the Chongqing VIP database, and WANFANG DATA)] were manually searched for literature published from the respective dates of inception of the databases to December 2022. The randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of ginkgo biloba preparations with donepezil hydrochloride vs. donepezil for the treatment of AD were included. Relevant literature was screened, and the data in the included studies were extracted for quality assessment according to the Risk of bias tool. The RevMan 5.3 software was used for meta-analysis.
RESULTS
A total of 1,642 participants were enrolled in the 18 RCTs. Of these, 842 were in the experimental group (ginkgo biloba preparations combined with donepezil hydrochloride) and 800 were in the control group (donepezil). The overall methodological quality of the included RCTs is poor due to the high risks of blindness and allocation concealment. The meta-analysis results showed statistically significant differences in several outcomes including Risk Ratio (RR) in change for clinical effectiveness rate (1.23, 95% CI 1.13, 1.34, < 0.00001), mean difference (MD) in change for Mini-Mental State Examination score (3.02, 95% CI 2.14, 3.89, < 0.00001), Activity of Daily Living Scale score (-4.56, 95% CI -5.09, -4.03, < 0.00001), Hasegawa Dementia Scale score (2.04, 95% CI 1.74, 2.34, < 0.00001), Montreal Cognitive Assessment score (2.38, 95% CI 0.72, 4.06, = 0.005), between the experimental and control groups. But there is no statistically significant difference in change for adverse reaction (0.91, 95% CI 0.58, 1.42, = 0.69).
CONCLUSION
Ginkgo biloba preparations plus donepezil can improve clinical effectiveness rate and vocabulary memory outcomes. However, more relevant high-quality RCTs are needed in the future to validate these results.
SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION
Identifier CRD42022378970.
PubMed: 36960422
DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2023.1124710 -
Clinical Endocrinology Oct 2020Thyroid autoimmunity is the most frequent condition involved in polyautoimmunity (PolyA). However, the frequency of latent and overt PolyA in patients with autoimmune... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
BACKGROUND
Thyroid autoimmunity is the most frequent condition involved in polyautoimmunity (PolyA). However, the frequency of latent and overt PolyA in patients with autoimmune thyroid disease (AITD) as the index condition is unknown. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of these types of PolyA in patients with AITD as the index condition.
METHODS
This study adhered to the relevant sections of the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) guideline. Searches through MEDLINE, Embase and LILACS were done to find articles in Spanish and English. Relevant vocabulary terms and key terms related to AITD and other autoimmune diseases were used. Two investigators independently screened the eligible studies, extracted data and assessed the quality and risk of bias. Fixed and random effect models were used accordingly. Cluster analysis was used to determine similarities among diseases in the articles included (based on Jaccard index).
RESULTS
A total of 56 articles fulfilled the inclusion criteria. Of these, 25 were case-controls, 17 were cohorts, and 14 were cross-sectional studies. These studies included a total of 47 509 patients. Female was the predominant gender and included 38 950 patients (81.23%, 95% CI: 80.85-81.60). Graves' disease (GD) was the most common type of thyroid autoimmunity (69.16%, 95% CI: 68.23-70.07). Globally, overt PolyA was found in 13.46% of the patients with AITD. This type of PolyA was represented mainly by type 1 diabetes and autoimmune gastritis. Latent PolyA was presented in 17.45% of the patients, and anti-proinsulin, anti-parietal cells and dsDNA antibodies were the most common. HT had the highest frequency of overt PolyA in Europe (15.60%, 95% CI: 14.72-16.53), whereas latent PolyA was most common in patients with GD in Asia (21.03%, 95% CI: 17.76-24.71). Overt and latent PolyA were associated with gastrointestinal and endocrinological ADs in most of cases and clustered with rheumatological, dermatological and neurological ADs.
CONCLUSIONS
Latent and overt PolyA are common in patients with AITD. These results provide insightful information for early diagnosis and management of concurrent ADs in patients with AITD. Aggregation of ADs in different clusters may help to define different phenotypes associated with thyroid autoimmunity that are critically relevant in clinical settings.
Topics: Autoimmune Diseases; Autoimmunity; Cross-Sectional Studies; Female; Graves Disease; Hashimoto Disease; Humans; Prevalence
PubMed: 32738825
DOI: 10.1111/cen.14304 -
The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry Nov 2014To evaluate the relationship and identify support for pathways linking inflammatory processes with depression and suicide in children and adolescents. (Review)
Review
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the relationship and identify support for pathways linking inflammatory processes with depression and suicide in children and adolescents.
DATA SOURCES
We designed and implemented comprehensive literature searches in MEDLINE, PsycINFO, and EMBASE. We searched the databases with database-specific controlled vocabulary in conjunction with keywords (eg, inflammation, interleukin, cytokine, C-reactive protein, depression, suicide) in various combinations for reports published in English through May 2013.
STUDY SELECTION
The searches identified a total of 1,543 citations, of which 55 were selected for further review and ultimately 27 were identified for inclusion. Studies were selected using 2 criteria. The first criterion required that studies include a biological measure of inflammatory markers in childhood or adolescence. The second criterion required that the studies include a measure of depression or suicide in childhood or adolescence. Articles selected for the review were based on the use of standardized experimental procedures and validated assessment measures.
DATA EXTRACTION
All articles were assessed by 2 authors, which ensured that the inclusion criteria were met. Studies were reviewed for association of inflammatory markers with depression and/or suicide. Extracted data included authors, year of publication, study design, population characteristics, inflammatory markers, and depression/suicide measures. Significant and nonsignificant findings were tabulated.
RESULTS
The majority of studies were on depression; 2 studies were on suicide, and 7 studies were on inflammatory medical conditions. Most of the participants were adolescents. Interleukin (IL)-1α, IL-1β, IL-1 receptor antagonist, IL-2, soluble IL-2 receptors, IL-4, IL-6, IL-10, interferon-γ, tumor necrosis factor-α, C-reactive protein, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, and inflammatory cells were assayed across the studies. There was extensive variation in depression measures. Five of the 9 cross-sectional and 3 of the 7 longitudinal studies on depression found a positive association between inflammation and depression. In 3 studies evaluating depression and early adversity, inflammation was more significantly related to adversity than depression was. Results from studies of medical conditions involving inflammation and depression were mixed.
CONCLUSIONS
The extant literature provides sufficient data to support a link between inflammatory processes and pediatric depression. However, the directionality of the associations and pathways between the 2 conditions remains to be elucidated. At present, there is insufficient evidence to support the relationship between inflammation and suicidality in youth. Studies on inflammatory medical conditions are warranted in order to understand biological pathways linking inflammation and depression.
Topics: Adolescent; Biomarkers; Child; Cytokines; Depression; Humans; Inflammation; Suicide
PubMed: 25470085
DOI: 10.4088/JCP.13r08898 -
Frontiers in Pediatrics 2023Anti-VEGF drugs like ranibizumab can be used to treat retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) by halting the formation of abnormal blood vessels, or lasers can be used to burn... (Review)
Review
UNLABELLED
Anti-VEGF drugs like ranibizumab can be used to treat retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) by halting the formation of abnormal blood vessels, or lasers can be used to burn the edges of the retina where these vessels are present. The objective is to compare the efficacy for ROP between ranibizumab and laser therapy.
MATERIAL AND METHODS
Electronic searches will be carried out in medical databases with key words and controlled vocabulary terms. Randomized controlled trials (RCT) will be assessed. The primary outcome will be the full ROP regression. Two reviewers will extract the data using predefined forms and, to assess the quality of the study, we will use RoB 2.0, the tool for randomized controlled trials developed by the Cochrane Collaboration. We used a combination of the inverse-variance approach and random-effects models for the meta-analysis.
RESULTS
The eyes of 182 preterm infants who had ranibizumab treatment were assessed in a total of 364 eyes, and 135 infants received laser therapy. The follow-up period was between 6 and 24 months. Ranibizumab was not associated with greater regression of ROP compared to laser therapy in preterm infants (RR: 1.09, CI 95%: 0.95-1.24; : 0.22). Also, ranibizumab was not associated with recurrence of ROP compared to laser therapy in preterm infants (RR: 3.77, CI 95%: 0.55-25.81; : 0.22).
CONCLUSIONS
The efficacy of ranibizumab compared to laser is very uncertain in terms of ROP regression and decreased ROP recurrence in preterm infants.
SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION
identifier PROSPERO (CRD42022324150).
PubMed: 37601137
DOI: 10.3389/fped.2023.1202927 -
Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport Feb 2023School-based physical activity (PA) interventions have proven beneficial for improving cognitive performance and overall academic achievement, but their benefits on... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
OBJECTIVES
School-based physical activity (PA) interventions have proven beneficial for improving cognitive performance and overall academic achievement, but their benefits on language skills remain unclear. We aimed to assess the effects of school-based PA interventions on language skills in children and adolescents.
DESIGN
Systematic review with meta-analysis.
METHODS
A systematic search was performed in PubMed, PsycINFO and Scopus until September 10th, 2022. We included randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that performed a school-based PA intervention in children/adolescents and that assessed language-related outcomes (i.e., reading, spelling, vocabulary, verbal fluency, comprehension and grammar) or language school grades. Random effect meta-analyses were conducted to pool study results.
RESULTS
Thirty-one studies (18,651 participants) were finally included. Significant benefits were observed for reading (standardized mean difference [SMD]: 0.15; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.08, 0.22), vocabulary (SMD: 0.71; 95%CI: 0.44, 0.97), and comprehension (SMD: 0.24; 95%CI: 0.09, 0.40), with a non-significant trend (p = 0.083) also observed for language school grades (SMD: 0.40; 95%CI: -0.05, 0.86). No significant benefits were observed for spelling or verbal fluency (both p > 0.05), and no meta-analysis could be performed for grammar skills. No consistent differences were observed between integrated (i.e., performing PA along with the academic content) and non-integrated PA interventions (e.g., extra physical education lessons).
CONCLUSIONS
School-based PA interventions appear as an effective strategy for improving different language-related skills, although further research is needed to determine how interventions' and participants' characteristics moderate these effects.
Topics: Child; Adolescent; Humans; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; Exercise; Schools; Language; Cognition
PubMed: 36609085
DOI: 10.1016/j.jsams.2022.12.007 -
Quality of Life Research : An... Jun 2022The EQ-5D-3L and 5L are widely used generic preference-based instruments, which are psychometrically sound with the general population, but little is known about the... (Review)
Review
PURPOSE
The EQ-5D-3L and 5L are widely used generic preference-based instruments, which are psychometrically sound with the general population, but little is known about the instruments' feasibility in the elderly. Therefore, this systematic review summarises the available literature with regard to the feasibility properties of the instruments in the elderly population.
METHODS
We conducted a systematic search in PubMed, PsycInfo and EuroQol databases using pre-specified vocabulary and inclusion/exclusion criteria to identify publications until November 2020. Study characteristics and outcomes referring to the feasibility of the EQ-5D-3L and 5L in the elderly were extracted, if all study participants were at least 65+ years.
RESULTS
We identified 17 studies reporting feasibility outcomes based on four criteria: missing values, completion rates, completion time and broad qualitative statements referring to the completion. Missing values per dimension ranged from 0 to 10.7%, although being mostly below 7%. The completion rate was around 90% or better, whereas the EQ VAS rating was missing from 2.3 to 25.3% of the respondents. Only two of the included studies examined the EQ-5D-5L; 15 studies reported on the EQ-5D-3L.
CONCLUSION
Comparing our findings against the general population from published literature, we find that feasibility outcomes in older age groups are just below that of younger populations. Furthermore, older respondents have a higher propensity of requiring assistance or even an interviewer-based approach. Nonetheless, the reviewed literature indicates that the EQ-5D-3L still has good feasibility properties and, hence, is highly applicable in older respondents. However, further research is needed to explore feasibility properties of the EQ-5D-5L in this population.
Topics: Aged; Feasibility Studies; Health Status; Humans; Psychometrics; Quality of Life; Reproducibility of Results; Surveys and Questionnaires
PubMed: 34613597
DOI: 10.1007/s11136-021-03007-9 -
Urology Research & Practice Sep 2023Physiotherapy is the most commonly used treatment for stress urinary incontinence including pelvic floor muscle training, biofeedback, and electrical stimulation. This...
Physiotherapy is the most commonly used treatment for stress urinary incontinence including pelvic floor muscle training, biofeedback, and electrical stimulation. This systematic review evaluated the effects of physiotherapy in patients with stress urinary incontinence compared with no treatment, placebo, sham, surgery, or other inactive control treatments. MEDLINE (via PubMed), The Cochrane Library (CENTRAL), Embase, Scopus, Web of Science, PEDro, and Trip Database were explored using applicable vocabularies for all English and Persian language investigations released from inception to January 2021. On one side, trials including physiotherapy of pelvic floor muscle training, biofeedback, and electrical stimulation and on the other, either no treatment, placebo, sham, surgery, or other inactive control treatments were included. Studies were assessed for appropriateness and methodological excellence. Two authors extracted data. Disagreements were resolved by a third opinion. Data were processed as described in the Joanna Briggs Institute Handbook. Twenty-nine trials with 2601 participants were found, but only 16 were included because of data heterogeneity. The results showed that physiotherapy interventions are better than no treatment in terms of urine leakage, but no difference was found for urinary incontinence severity. Also, physiotherapy showed favorable results over comparison groups for International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire, pad test, pelvic floor muscle function, and improvement outcomes. This systematic review supports the widespread use of pelvic physiotherapy as the first-line treatment for adult patients with stress urinary incontinence.
PubMed: 37877877
DOI: 10.5152/tud.2023.23018