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ACS Environmental Au Sep 2023Documenting the occurrence of viruses on fomites is crucial in determining the significance of fomite-mediated transmission and the potential use of fomites for... (Review)
Review
Documenting the occurrence of viruses on fomites is crucial in determining the significance of fomite-mediated transmission and the potential use of fomites for environmental disease surveillance. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to compile information on the occurrence of human viruses on fomites in the environment; we identified 134 peer-reviewed papers. We compiled sampling and measurement methods, results, quality control information, and whether virus data were compared with community health data from the papers. We conducted univariate and multivariate analyses to investigate if presence of virus on fomites was associated with virus type (enveloped, nonenveloped), sampling location (healthcare setting, nonhealthcare temporary setting, nonhealthcare nontemporary setting), and area of fomite swabbed (<50, 50-100, >100 cm). Across 275 data sets from the 134 papers, there was the most data available for Coronaviridae and from fomites at hospitals. Positivity rates, defined as the percent positive fomite samples, were low (median = 6%). Data were available on viruses from 16 different viral families, but data on viruses from 9 families had few ( < 5) data sets. Many human virus families were not identified in this review (11 families). Less than 15% of the data sets reported virus concentrations in externally valid units (viruses per area of surface), and 16% provided a quantitative comparison between virus and health data. Virus type and area swabbed were significant predictors of virus presence on fomites, and the positivity rate of data sets collected from healthcare settings and nonhealthcare nontemporary settings (e.g., individual housing) were significantly higher than those collected in nonhealthcare temporary settings (e.g., restaurants). Data from this review indicates that viruses may be present on fomites, that fomite-mediated virus transmission may occur, and that fomites may provide information on circulation of infectious diseases in the community. However, more quantitative data on diverse viruses are needed, and method reporting needs significant improvements.
PubMed: 37743950
DOI: 10.1021/acsenvironau.3c00025 -
International Journal of Circumpolar... Dec 2023Heart rate variability (HRV) is a useful method to study the autonomic nervous system (ANS) status. As measuring devices have developed and become smaller, many...
Heart rate variability (HRV) is a useful method to study the autonomic nervous system (ANS) status. As measuring devices have developed and become smaller, many researchers have become interested in the possibilities to implement the method for diving medicine research. The aim of this study was to review human ANS responses in cold water diving (water temperature <5°C), and to comprise the current knowledge of HRV studies in diving and hyperbaric exposure into one review article. A literature search was conducted on 5 December 2022, with the search terms "HRV" or "heart rate variability" and "diving" or "diver" or "divers", with search functions of the data bases PubMed and Ovid Medline. Peer reviewed original articles, review articles and case reports were accepted to this review. Twenty-six articles met the pre-defined criteria and were included in this review. Studies from very cold water conditions were rare, but suggested that cold strengthens the ANS responses of diving - especially parasympathetic nervous system (PNS) activity due to the trigeminocardiac reflex and baroreceptor and cardiac stretch receptor activity, caused cold and pressure-induced centralisation of the blood. Overall, studies showed predominant PNS activity when putting the face in water, during immersion and when ambient pressure increased.
Topics: Humans; Heart Rate; Cold Temperature; Temperature; Water
PubMed: 37079282
DOI: 10.1080/22423982.2023.2203369 -
Frontiers in Sports and Active Living 2023Extrinsic strategies affect the exercise experience but fall outside the frequency, intensity, time, and type (i.e., ) principles. To our knowledge, no systematic review... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
Extrinsic strategies affect the exercise experience but fall outside the frequency, intensity, time, and type (i.e., ) principles. To our knowledge, no systematic review has focused on extrinsic strategies to influence the affective responses to exercise. The objective was to identify extrinsic strategies that seek to influence affective responses during exercise and other motivationally relevant variables including post-exercise momentary affective valence, remembered and forecasted pleasure, and enjoyment.
METHODS
For inclusion, eligible articles reported peer-reviewed original research, used acute bouts of exercise, and used a dimensional approach for measuring affective responses or measured enjoyment post-exercise. Web of Science, PubMed, and PsychINFO databases were last searched on 10th September 2021. Quality assessment was completed following the Effective Public Health Practice Project approach. Results were presented using a narrative synthesis.
RESULTS
125 studies were included with sample descriptions, study design (extrinsic strategies, mode, type, intensity, and duration), measurement details, and results summarised for each study.
CONCLUSIONS
71% of studies were categorised as Weak according to the quality assessment tool with sampling practices (self-referred participants) and poor reporting of participant withdrawals/drop-outs the predominant reasons for Weak ratings. A wide variety of extrinsic strategies were reported with music, music videos, immersive virtual reality, outdoor exercise, caffeine, high-to-low pattern of exercise intensity, self-selected exercise intensity, and manipulation of self-efficacy offering promise as suitable strategies to positively change how people feel during exercise.
SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION
https://osf.io/jbh8v/.
PubMed: 37496882
DOI: 10.3389/fspor.2023.1186986 -
Journal of Medical Internet Research Dec 2023Caregiving can affect people of all ages and can have significant negative health impacts on family caregivers themselves. Research has shown that social support acts as... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
Caregiving can affect people of all ages and can have significant negative health impacts on family caregivers themselves. Research has shown that social support acts as a buffer against many negative health impacts. A common source of social support is support groups. Although traditionally, these groups were conducted in a face-to-face setting, the advent of the internet, social media applications, and the smartphone have seen online support groups (OSGs) develop as a space where many caregivers seek support. The number of OSGs has increased exponentially, but there is no clear consensus on what factors or characteristics of OSGs contribute to social support development within them or what types of OSGs are available to family caregivers.
OBJECTIVE
This study aimed to conduct a scoping review to contribute to the understanding of the types and characteristics of OSGs for family caregivers.
METHODS
Following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Extension for Scoping Reviews guidelines, the CINAHL, PsychInfo, Psych Articles, Social Sciences, Communication Source, Medline, and Web of Science databases were searched for studies (caregiver focused, adults aged 18 years or older, online social support groups, caring for a living person, peer-reviewed journal publications on empirical research). In total, 19 studies were included in the review. The research questions were (1) what type of social support groups are online for adult family caregivers, (2) what the communication mediums and characteristics of these OSGs are, and (3) what psychosocial or other factors make OSGs successful or unsuccessful for participants.
RESULTS
In response to the first research question, we found that the majority of OSGs took place on public text-based forums and were illness specific. Where demographics were reported, participants were predominately women, White, and working with university-level education. There were a variety of caregiving relationships. For the second research question, the most common communication medium found was text-based communication, with the use of emojis, photos, and GIF (Graphics Interchange Format) files as part of these exchanges. Most frequently, the OSGs were asynchronous with a degree of anonymity, not time-limited by the frequency of contact or duration, and moderated by peer or professional moderators or facilitators. Results for the third research question explored the overarching categories of safe communication and engagement and group management. These described successful OSGs as having a focus on similar others with shared lived experiences communicated in a nonjudgmental space overseen by trained peer or professional facilitators.
CONCLUSIONS
There are several key considerations for OSGs to be successful for family caregivers. A general recommendation for practitioners is to give importance to building active moderation and multifaceted structures of support to meet different levels of caregiver needs and the ability to engage.
Topics: Adult; Humans; Female; Caregivers; Self-Help Groups; Social Support; Health Services; Communication; Family
PubMed: 38090796
DOI: 10.2196/46858 -
BMC Psychology Aug 2023Psychosocial factors have been informally associated with Chronic Spontaneous Urticaria (CSU); however, the relationship between psychosocial factors and CSU remains...
BACKGROUND
Psychosocial factors have been informally associated with Chronic Spontaneous Urticaria (CSU); however, the relationship between psychosocial factors and CSU remains relatively unexplored in the scientific literature.
OBJECTIVE
This review aims to provide an evaluation of peer reviewed studies exploring psychosocial factors and CSU.
METHODS
A systematic search was performed over four databases identifying studies exploring psychosocial factors in relation to CSU published between the years 1995 and 2022.
RESULTS
Eighteen studies were included for narrative analysis, and 33 psychosocial factors were identified. These were split into two subgroups: psychosocial factors that were associated with CSU symptoms aggravation/onset (n = 20), and psychosocial factors expected to be impacted by CSU symptoms (n = 13).
CONCLUSION
This review has highlighted a need for more research and interventions to support individuals with psychosocial factors involved in CSU.
Topics: Humans; Chronic Urticaria; Psychology
PubMed: 37598202
DOI: 10.1186/s40359-023-01284-2 -
Cureus Jan 2024Among the leading causes of morbidity, disability, and death worldwide are cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). Their risk factors usually include a variety of factors... (Review)
Review
Among the leading causes of morbidity, disability, and death worldwide are cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). Their risk factors usually include a variety of factors associated with cardiometabolic disorders. Many public health organizations prioritize the prevention of CVDs and encourage people to maintain a healthy lifestyle. It has been shown that fasting and a healthy diet can promote weight loss and improve cardiometabolic health in various animal species. We want to know the impact of fasting on CVDs. The topic is examined in this systematic review. We looked through a wide range of online sources, including PubMed, Cochrane Library, and Google Scholar, to find randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that looked into the connection between CVDs and fasting. We included human research that has been published in English in peer-reviewed publications in the last five years, and then we screened by the title, abstract, and full-text accessibility. We picked the final 10 articles for quality assessment using Cochrane Collaboration's tool for risk-of-bias assessment of RCTs. The findings suggest that fasting is beneficial in lowering the cardiovascular risk of a population. This result holds for all types of fasting used as an intervention in the clinical trials we reviewed. The result is pronounced when fasting regimens are combined with a regular exercise routine. More comprehensive data will come from larger-scale clinical trials and case-control studies, and a thorough examination of all the potential health impacts of fasting is warranted.
PubMed: 38425626
DOI: 10.7759/cureus.53221 -
BMJ Open Jul 2023To systematically review 1-year recovery rates for young people experiencing depression and/or anxiety who are not receiving any specific mental health treatment. (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
OBJECTIVES
To systematically review 1-year recovery rates for young people experiencing depression and/or anxiety who are not receiving any specific mental health treatment.
DESIGN
Systematic review and meta-analysis.
DATA SOURCES
MEDLINE, Embase, PsycINFO, Web of Science and Global Health were searched for articles published from 1980 through to August 2022.
ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA
Articles were peer-reviewed, published in English and had baseline and 1-year follow-up depression and/or anxiety outcomes for young people aged 10-24 years without specific treatment.
DATA EXTRACTION AND SYNTHESIS
Three reviewers extracted relevant data. Meta-analysis was conducted to calculate the proportion of individuals classified as recovered after 1 year. The quality of evidence was assessed by the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale.
RESULTS
Of the 17 250 references screened for inclusion, five articles with 1011 participants in total were included. Studies reported a 1-year recovery rate of between 47% and 64%. In the meta-analysis, the overall pooled proportion of recovered young people is 0.54 (0.45 to 0.63).
CONCLUSIONS
The findings suggest that after 1 year about 54% of young people with symptoms of anxiety and/or depression recover without any specific mental health treatment. Future research should identify individual characteristics predicting recovery and explore resources and activities which may help young people recover from depression and/or anxiety.
PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER
CRD42021251556.
Topics: Humans; Adolescent; Depression; Anxiety; Anxiety Disorders; MEDLINE; Peer Review
PubMed: 37479525
DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2023-072093 -
Nutrients Mar 2024In recent years, postbiotics have increased in popularity, but the potential relevancy of postbiotics for augmenting exercise performance, recovery, and health is... (Review)
Review
In recent years, postbiotics have increased in popularity, but the potential relevancy of postbiotics for augmenting exercise performance, recovery, and health is underexplored. A systematic literature search of Google Scholar and PubMed databases was performed with the main objective being to identify and summarize the current body of scientific literature on postbiotic supplementation and outcomes related to exercise performance and recovery. Inclusion criteria for this systematic review consisted of peer-reviewed, randomized, double-blind, and placebo-controlled trials, with a population including healthy men or women >18 years of age. Studies required the incorporation of a postbiotic supplementation regimen and an outcome linked to exercise. Search terms included paraprobiotics, Tyndallized probiotics, ghost biotics, heat-killed probiotics, inactivated probiotics, nonviable probiotics, exercise, exercise performance, and recovery. Only investigations written in English were considered. Nine peer-reviewed manuscripts and two published abstracts from conference proceedings were included and reviewed. Supplementation periods ranged from 13 days to 12 weeks. A total of 477 subjects participated in the studies ( = 16-105/study) with reported results spanning a variety of exercise outcomes including exercise performance, recovery of lost strength, body composition, perceptual fatigue and soreness, daily logs of physical conditions, changes in mood states, and biomarkers associated with muscle damage, inflammation, immune modulation, and oxidative stress. Early evidence has provided some indication that postbiotic supplementation may help to support mood, reduce fatigue, and increase the readiness of athletes across several weeks of exercise training. However, more research is needed to further understand how postbiotics may augment health, resiliency, performance, and recovery. Future investigations should include longer supplementation periods spanning a wider variety of competitive athletes and exercising populations.
Topics: Male; Humans; Female; Exercise; Probiotics; Oxidative Stress; Athletes; Dietary Supplements; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic
PubMed: 38474848
DOI: 10.3390/nu16050720 -
Annals of the Royal College of Surgeons... Apr 2024Professional burnout is a syndrome of emotional exhaustion, depersonalisation and low sense of personal achievement related to the workplace. Orthopaedic surgeons train... (Review)
Review
INTRODUCTION
Professional burnout is a syndrome of emotional exhaustion, depersonalisation and low sense of personal achievement related to the workplace. Orthopaedic surgeons train and practise in highly demanding environments. Understanding up-to-date trends in burnout, particularly following the COVID-19 pandemic, is vital. For this reason, we carried out a systematic review on this topic.
METHODS
A scoping literature review of two databases was conducted. Two authors independently screened articles and conflicts were resolved by panel discussion. Articles pertaining to orthopaedic surgeons that used validated scales and were peer reviewed research were included. Non-English or abstract-only results were excluded.
RESULTS
A total of 664 papers were identified in the literature search and 34 were included in the qualitative review. Among 8,471 orthopaedic surgeons, the mean burnout prevalence was 48.9%. The wide range in rate of burnout between the studies (15-90.4%) reflected the variety in setting, subspecialty and surgeon grade. Common protective factors comprised dedicated mentorship, surgeon seniority, sufficient exercise and family support. Substance abuse, malpractice claims, financial stress and onerous on-call responsibilities were risk factors. Burnout prevalence during the COVID-19 pandemic was not noticeably different; there were a number of pandemic-associated risk and protective factors.
CONCLUSIONS
Nearly one in two orthopaedic surgeons are burnt out. There is a paucity of data on the short and long-term impact of COVID-19 on burnout. Burnout has deep organisational, personal and clinical implications. Targeted organisational interventions are required to prevent burnout from irrevocably damaging the future of orthopaedic surgery.
PubMed: 38563052
DOI: 10.1308/rcsann.2024.0009 -
Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience 2023This meta-analysis evaluates the efficacy and safety of amyloid-β (Aβ) targeted therapies for delaying cognitive deterioration in Alzheimer's disease (AD).
BACKGROUND
This meta-analysis evaluates the efficacy and safety of amyloid-β (Aβ) targeted therapies for delaying cognitive deterioration in Alzheimer's disease (AD).
METHODS
PubMed, EMBASE, the Cochrane Library, and ClinicalTrials.gov were systematically searched to identify relevant studies published before January 18, 2023.
RESULTS
We pooled 33,689 participants from 42 studies. The meta-analysis showed no difference between anti-Aβ drugs and placebo in the Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale-Cognitive Subscale (ADAS-Cog), and anti-Aβ drugs were associated with a high risk of adverse events [ADAS-Cog: MDs = -0.08 (-0.32 to 0.15), = 0.4785; AEs: RR = 1.07 (1.02 to 1.11), = 0.0014]. Monoclonal antibodies outperformed the placebo in delaying cognitive deterioration as measured by ADAS-Cog, Clinical Dementia Rating-Sum of Boxes (CDR-SB), Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and Alzheimer's Disease Cooperative Study-Activities of Daily Living (ADCS-ADL), without increasing the risk of adverse events [ADAS-Cog: MDs = -0.55 (-0.89 to 0.21), = 0.001; CDR-SB: MDs = -0.19 (-0.29 to -0.10), < 0.0001; MMSE: MDs = 0.19 (0.00 to 0.39), = 0.05; ADCS-ADL: MDs = 1.26 (0.84 to 1.68), < 0.00001]. Intravenous immunoglobulin and γ-secretase modulators (GSM) increased cognitive decline in CDR-SB [MDs = 0.45 (0.17 to 0.74), = 0.002], but had acceptable safety profiles in AD patients. γ-secretase inhibitors (GSI) increased cognitive decline in ADAS-Cog, and also in MMSE and ADCS-ADL. BACE-1 inhibitors aggravated cognitive deterioration in the outcome of the Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI). GSI and BACE-1 inhibitors caused safety concerns. No evidence indicates active Aβ immunotherapy, MPAC, or tramiprosate have effects on cognitive function and tramiprosate is associated with serious adverse events.
CONCLUSION
Current evidence does not show that anti-Aβ drugs have an effect on cognitive performance in AD patients. However, monoclonal antibodies can delay cognitive decline in AD. Development of other types of anti-Aβ drugs should be cautious.
SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION
PROSPERO (https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/), identifier CRD42023391596.
PubMed: 38020763
DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2023.1257973