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Diagnostics (Basel, Switzerland) Oct 2023Ultrasound elastography is gaining attention for its diagnostic potential across various medical fields, and its physical properties make it valuable in modern clinical... (Review)
Review
Ultrasound elastography is gaining attention for its diagnostic potential across various medical fields, and its physical properties make it valuable in modern clinical medicine. However, its specific attributes, especially in the context of recent medical advancements, remain relatively unexplored. This study aimed to identify instrument-specific characteristics and applications of real-time ultrasound elastography, shear wave elastography, and strain elastography, particularly within gastroenterology. Following PRISMA guidelines, the study examined elastography articles on databases like PubMed, resulting in 78 included articles. Data on patient demographics, organ involvement, specificity, sensitivity, accuracy, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value were extracted. Statistical analysis involved SPSS version 21, with significance set at < 0.05. The majority of patients were male (50.50%), with a mean age of 42.73 ± 4.41 years. Shear wave elastography was the most prevalent technique (48.7%), and liver investigations were predominant in gastroenterology (34.6%). Gastrointestinal applications showed higher sensitivity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive values ( < 0.05) but lower specificity ( < 0.05). Real-time ultrasound elastography exhibited increased specificity, accuracy, and predictive values ( < 0.05). Ultrasound elastography appears more accurate and effective in gastroenterological settings. Nonetheless, its performance depends on instrument-specific and operator-dependent factors. While promising, further studies are necessary to ascertain optimal utilization in both gastrointestinal and non-gastrointestinal conditions.
PubMed: 37958199
DOI: 10.3390/diagnostics13213302 -
Multiple Sclerosis and Related Disorders Nov 2022According to Leventhal's self-regulation model, ill people construct personal representations of their disease, namely illness perceptions, which impact their coping... (Review)
Review
According to Leventhal's self-regulation model, ill people construct personal representations of their disease, namely illness perceptions, which impact their coping strategies and the emotional response to their condition. Since these representations develop in the social environment, the individuals' perceptions may also be related to the opinions of their caregivers. This systematic review aims at synthesising and critically appraising literature pertaining the relationship between illness perceptions and outcome in persons with multiple sclerosis and their caregivers. A literature search was conducted in MEDLINE, PsycINFO, and CINAHL. Only papers with the following characteristics were included: quantitative studies; written in English or Italian; published from 1992; investigating the relationship between illness perceptions and any outcome in persons with multiple sclerosis and/or their caregivers; using validated scales assessing illness perceptions. Twenty papers were included and appraised through the 16-item Quality Assessment Tool for Studies with Diverse Designs. The quality of the papers was acceptable. Eighteen out of 20 papers reported the existence of a moderate effect size when analysing the relationship between illness perceptions and outcome, whereby "positive" perceptions (e.g. stronger beliefs of control) related to better outcomes, while "negative" ones (e.g. attribution of negative consequences to the disease) related to worse outcome.
Topics: Humans; Multiple Sclerosis; Adaptation, Psychological; Caregivers; Emotions
PubMed: 36130458
DOI: 10.1016/j.msard.2022.104180 -
Frontiers in Pharmacology 2021The African continent harbours many native species with nutraceutical and pharmaceutical potential. This study reviewed underutilised crops in South Africa to determine... (Review)
Review
The African continent harbours many native species with nutraceutical and pharmaceutical potential. This study reviewed underutilised crops in South Africa to determine their potential as food and herbal medicinal crops. Over 5,000 species have been identified and earmarked for their medical attributes in formal and informal setups. Researchers, plant breeders and policymakers have mostly ignored the development potential of these crops. Consequently, their value chains are poorly developed. In South Africa, there is a wide range of neglected and underutilised crops, which were historically popular and used by communities; however, over the years, they have lost their status within farming systems and been relegated to the status of neglected and underutilised. Recently, driven by the need to transition to more sustainable and resilient food systems, there has been renewed interest in their potential as food and herbal medicinal crops to establish new value chains that include vulnerable groups. They are now gaining global attention, and their conservation and sustainable utilisation are now being prioritized. The review confirmed that several of these crops possess nutraceutical and pharmaceutical properties, highlighting their potential for development as food and herbal medicines. However, current production levels are too low to meet the requirements for industrial development; research and development should focus on all aspects of their value chain, from crop improvement to utilisation. A transdisciplinary approach involving a wide range of actors is needed to develop the identified neglected and underutilised crops' potential as food and herbal medicinal crops and support the development of new and inclusive value chains.
PubMed: 35126143
DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2021.809866 -
Heliyon Apr 2023The school climate plays a substantial part in student development. A positive and nurturing school climate encourages the growth of all-rounders and holistic... (Review)
Review
The school climate plays a substantial part in student development. A positive and nurturing school climate encourages the growth of all-rounders and holistic individuals. Past literature has highlighted several domains related to the school climate, including academic performance, well-being, student engagement, attendance in school, delinquent behaviors, bullying, and school safety. However, little is known about the development of other related domains, like non-cognitive skills, in school. The purpose of the study is to review the linkages of school climate with the development of students' non-cognitive skills. The current study employs a systematic literature review that adheres to PRISMA to determine the association between school climate and students' non-cognitive skills. First, this study conducted three stages of rigorous and systematic searching: identification, screening, and eligibility. As a result of the search, this study identified 65 relevant articles from Scopus, Web of Science, and ScienceDirect as the leading databases and Google Scholar and Dimension. ai as supporting databases. Next, the current study highlights five clusters based on the analysis of network visualization by the VOSviewer software. These clusters are: the non-cognitive skills' intrapersonal and interpersonal key characteristics, a nurturing school climate and the presence of non-cognitive skills mitigate deviant behaviour in school settings, the non-cognitive skills as a predictor of academic outcomes, the multifaceted antecedents of school climate in promoting the development of student non-cognitive skills, the role of school domains and non-cognitive attributes towards students' cognitive development. This systematic literature review contributes a novel framework and an in-depth understanding of the relationship between school climate and students' non-cognitive skills. The current research serves as a starting point for future researchers to delve deeper into this subject matter to provide educational organisations with valuable guidance when navigating for better educational outcomes. In addition, the current review will shed light on the school climate and students' non-cognitive skills to further examine what has already been learnt and the missing links, contributing to the body of knowledge on this topic.
PubMed: 37025858
DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e14773 -
Heliyon Apr 2023Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) plays an important role in education equity and lifelong learning without entrance barriers, time limitations, and geographical... (Review)
Review
Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) plays an important role in education equity and lifelong learning without entrance barriers, time limitations, and geographical constraints. However, MOOC is criticized by researchers for its high dropout rate. The purpose of this paper is to summarize the engagement patterns of MOOC learners and factors affecting dropouts in higher education in the scholarly literature, published during the period of 2008 to 2021. Twenty-one available published studies in seven major academic databases had been reviewed and presented in the systematic literature review following the PRISMA methodology. The results showed that the engagement patterns of MOOC learners could be grouped to Start, Mid, and End according to the stage of MOOC learning. The factors affecting MOOC dropout could be grouped into categories of Course Attributes, Social Status, Cognitive Ability, Emotional Factor and Learning Behavior.
PubMed: 37123924
DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e15220 -
European Journal of Hospital Pharmacy :... Jul 2022This systematic review (SR) was undertaken to identify and summarise any factors which influence the implementation of paediatric clinical pharmacy service (CPS) from... (Review)
Review
OBJECTIVES
This systematic review (SR) was undertaken to identify and summarise any factors which influence the implementation of paediatric clinical pharmacy service (CPS) from service users' perspectives in hospital settings.
METHODS
Literature search from EMBASE, MEDLINE, Web of Science (Core Collection), Cochrane Library, Scopus and CINAHL databases were performed in order to identify any relevant peer-reviewed quantitative and qualitative studies from inception until October 2019 by following the inclusion criteria. Boolean search operators were used which consisted of service, patient subgroup and attribute domains. Studies were screened independently and included studies were quality assessed using Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool. The study was reported against the 'Enhancing Transparency in Reporting the Synthesis of Qualitative Research' statement.
RESULTS
4199 citations were screened by title and abstract and 6 of 32 full publications screened were included. There were two studies that were graded as 'high' in quality, with four graded as 'moderate'. The analysis has led to the identification of seven factors categorised in five predetermined overarching themes. These were: other healthcare professionals' attitudes and acceptance; availability of clinical pharmacist on ward or outpatient settings; using drug-related knowledge to perform clinical activities; resources for service provision and coverage; involvement in a multidisciplinary team; training in the highly specialised areas and development of communication skills.
CONCLUSION
Evidence for paediatric CPS was sparse in comparison to a similar SR conducted in the adult population. An extensive knowledge gap within this area of practice has therefore been identified. Nevertheless, majority of the factors identified were viewed as facilitators which enabled a successful implementation of CPS in paediatrics. Further research is needed to identify more factors and exploration of these would be necessary in order to provide a strong foundation for strategic planning for paediatric CPS implementation and development.
Topics: Adult; Attitude of Health Personnel; Child; Hospitals; Humans; Patient Care; Pediatrics; Pharmacy Service, Hospital
PubMed: 33472818
DOI: 10.1136/ejhpharm-2020-002520 -
Eye (London, England) Oct 2023In most cases, glaucoma patients require long-term medical and/or surgical treatment. Preference studies investigate how different aspects of glaucoma management, such... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
In most cases, glaucoma patients require long-term medical and/or surgical treatment. Preference studies investigate how different aspects of glaucoma management, such as health or process outcomes, are valued and herewith help stakeholders make care more responsive to patients' needs. As, to our knowledge, no overview of these studies is currently available, this study aims to systematically review and critically appraise these studies.
METHODS
A systematic literature review was conducted using keywords for stated-preference studies and glaucoma up to October 2021. Studies were included if they were original research and used a stated-preference methodology to investigate preferences in patients or healthcare professionals for different aspects of glaucoma management. Data were extracted and summarized. Furthermore, a quality appraisal of the included studies was performed using two validated checklists.
RESULTS
The search yielded 1214 articles after removal of duplicates. Of those, 11 studies fulfilled the inclusion criteria. Studies aimed to elicit preferences for glaucoma treatment (27%), glaucoma related health state valuation (36%), and services (36%) from the patient (91%) or ophthalmologists' perspective (9%). Altogether studies included 69 attributes. The majority of attributes were outcome related (62%), followed by process (32%) and cost attributes (6%). Outcome attributes (e.g., effectiveness) were most often of highest importance to the population.
CONCLUSIONS
This systematic review provides an up-to-date and critical review of stated-preference studies in the field of glaucoma, suggesting that patients have preferences and are willing to trade-off between characteristics, and revealed that outcome attributes are the most influential characteristics of glaucoma management.
Topics: Humans; Glaucoma; Patient Preference
PubMed: 36944711
DOI: 10.1038/s41433-023-02482-3 -
Health Expectations : An International... Jun 2022Previous research suggests that it would be useful to view health literacy as a set of 'distributed competencies', which can be found dispersed through the individual's... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
Previous research suggests that it would be useful to view health literacy as a set of 'distributed competencies', which can be found dispersed through the individual's social network, rather than an exclusively individual attribute. However, to date there is no focused exploration of how distributed health literacy has been defined, conceptualized or assessed in the peer-reviewed literature.
AIMS
This systematic review aimed to explore: (1) definitions and conceptual models of distributed health literacy that are available from the peer-reviewed literature; and (2) how distributed health literacy has been measured in empirical research.
METHODS
We searched MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL, PsycInfo, Scopus, ERIC and Web of Science using truncated versions of the keywords 'literacy' and 'distributed' (within five words' distance). We collated the definitions and conceptual models of distributed health literacy, and report on how health literacy has been measured in empirical research studies. Findings related to distributed health literacy from included manuscripts were synthesized using thematic synthesis.
RESULTS
Of the 642 studies screened, 10 were included in this systematic review. The majority were empirical manuscripts reporting on qualitative research in one of five countries, with two reviews, one conceptual analysis and one quantitative study. Edwards' definition of distributed health literacy, which emphasizes the health literacy abilities, skills and practices of others that contribute to an individual's level of health literacy was widely applied in a variety of clinical and geographical settings. However, we did not identify any quantitative instruments which directly measured distributed health literacy. There was significant variability in questions used to explore the concept qualitatively, and discrepancies across studies in regard to (a) what constitutes distributed health literacy and what does not (e.g., general social support), and (b) the relationship between distributed health literacy and other constructs (e.g., public health literacy).
CONCLUSION
Although there is a widely applied definition of distributed health literacy, our review revealed that the research space would benefit from the development of the concept, both theoretically for example via conceptual distinctions between distributed health literacy and other types of social support, and empirically for example through the development of a quantitative measurement instrument.
PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION
This paper is a systematic review and did not involve patients or the public.
Topics: Delivery of Health Care; Health Literacy; Humans; Qualitative Research
PubMed: 35178823
DOI: 10.1111/hex.13450 -
Foods (Basel, Switzerland) Sep 2022This study aimed to conduct a systematic literature review (SLR) of the research performed in the plant-based meat analogues area. Historical, current, and future... (Review)
Review
This study aimed to conduct a systematic literature review (SLR) of the research performed in the plant-based meat analogues area. Historical, current, and future tendencies are discussed. The paper offers a comprehensive SLR coupled with a bibliometric analysis of the publication from 1972 to January 2022. The articles were obtained using a research string and precise inclusion and exclusion criteria from two prominent databases, Scopus and Web of Science (WoS). The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) flow technique was used to describe the data screening and selection. In total, 84 publications were selected for further analysis after a thorough literature assessment. From this study, six main themes were identified: (1) objectives of the study; (2) type of plant protein; (3) product type; (4) added ingredients; (5) texturization technique; and (6) quality assessment considered in the studies. Recent trends in publication imply that meat analogue technology is gaining prominence. This review revealed significant research on improving meat analogues via texturization. Even though extrusion is used industrially, the technique is still in its infancy and needs improvement. Future studies should focus more on fiber and protein-protein interactions, macromolecule conformation and mechanisms, diversifying or improving current methods, sensory attributes, and gastrointestinal absorption rate of each novel protein ingredient.
PubMed: 36140998
DOI: 10.3390/foods11182870 -
International Journal of Environmental... Oct 2021The behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD), which appear in all dementia patients, demand sizable commitments of time and effort from nurses. This... (Review)
Review
The behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD), which appear in all dementia patients, demand sizable commitments of time and effort from nurses. This study aims to identify issues related to the workloads of nurses who provide care for dementia patients via qualitative meta-synthesis. Eleven articles were selected using a systematic review flowchart, which were then evaluated for their quality using the Critical Appraisal Skills Program checklist. Collected data were analyzed using a line-of-argument method. Theme clusters were "increased workload due to characteristics of dementia", "increased mental stress", "difficulty associated with playing a mediator role in addition to nursing duties", and "lacking systematic support for dementia patient care". To reduce the workload and mental stress of nurses in dementia care, supportive measures appropriate for their occupational characteristics should be developed, based on workload estimates that account for the attributes of dementia patients.
Topics: Dementia; Humans; Nurses; Patient Care; Qualitative Research; Stress, Psychological; Workload
PubMed: 34639748
DOI: 10.3390/ijerph181910448