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Life Sciences Feb 2024Physical exercise has been widely recognized for its positive effects on health and well-being. Recently, the impact of exercise on the nervous system has gained... (Review)
Review
AIMS
Physical exercise has been widely recognized for its positive effects on health and well-being. Recently, the impact of exercise on the nervous system has gained attention, with evidence indicating improvements in attention, memory, neurogenesis, and the release of "happiness hormones." One potential mediator of these benefits is Irisin, a myokine induced by exercise that can cross the blood-brain barrier, reduce neuroinflammation, and counteract neurodegeneration. The objective of this study is to conduct a systematic review of animal trials to summarize the neuroprotective effects of Irisin injection in mitigating neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Two independent reviewers screened three databases (PubMed, Embase, and Google Scholar) in November 2022. Animal studies assessing the neuroprotective effects of Irisin in mitigating neuroinflammation or counteracting neurodegeneration were included. The methodological quality of the included studies was assessed using SYRCLE's Risk of Bias tool.
KEY FINDINGS
Twelve studies met the inclusion criteria. Irisin injection in rodents significantly reduced neuroinflammation, cytokine cascades, and neurodegeneration. It also protected neurons from damage and apoptosis, reduced oxidative stress, blood-brain barrier disruption, and neurobehavioral deficits following disease or injury. Various mechanisms were suggested to be responsible for these neuroprotective effects. Most of the included studies presented a low risk of bias based on SYRCLE's Risk of Bias tool. Irisin injection demonstrated the potential to alleviate neuroinflammation and counteract neurodegeneration in rodent models through multiple pathways. However, further research is needed to fully understand its mechanism of action and its potential applications in clinical practice and drug discovery.
Topics: Animals; Fibronectins; Neuroprotective Agents; Neuroinflammatory Diseases; Exercise; Brain
PubMed: 38176582
DOI: 10.1016/j.lfs.2023.122393 -
Heliyon Sep 2021There is evidence that Nigeria is already experiencing environmental challenges attributed to climate change (CC) and its impacts. This has clearly highlighted the need... (Review)
Review
There is evidence that Nigeria is already experiencing environmental challenges attributed to climate change (CC) and its impacts. This has clearly highlighted the need for knowledge-based strategies to help plan adequate mitigation and adaptation measures for the country. One of the basic requirements to ensure such strategies is the development of a database of national CC research. This will aid in the assessment of past and present scientific publications from which directions for future study can be mapped. The present study used standard, systematic, and bibliographic literature reviews to analyse the trend, focus, spatial variability, and effectiveness of published research on CC impacts in Nigeria. Four thematic areas of CC impact research were defined: Agriculture, Environment, Human and Multi-disciplinary study. A total of 701 articles were found to be relevant and the review shows that CC impacts and adaptations in the literature vary across research categories and locations. The period between 2011 (68 studies) and 2015 (80 studies) showed a tremendous rise in CC impact research with a peak in 2014 (84 studies). Studies in the agriculture category had the highest publications in 23 States of Nigeria. The review revealed three research gaps: (1) lack of research that investigated the magnitude of present and potential future impacts in the aquatic environment (2) little attention on CC impacts and adaptation in the Northern regions of Nigeria (3) absence of study investigating the effects of multiple variables of CC at the same time. The findings suggest that it would be useful to advance CC research in Nigeria beyond perceptive approaches to more quantitative ones. This is particularly important for highly vulnerable animals, crops, locations, and for better planning of adaptation strategies.
PubMed: 34541351
DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2021.e07941 -
Preventive Medicine Reports Jun 2024Sleep apnea, a prevalent global health issue, is characterized by repeated interruptions in breathing during sleep. This systematic review aggregates global data to... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
Sleep apnea, a prevalent global health issue, is characterized by repeated interruptions in breathing during sleep. This systematic review aggregates global data to outline a comprehensive analysis of its associated risk factors.
PURPOSE
The systematic review underscores the global prevalence of sleep apnea and the universal importance of its early detection and management by delineating key risk factors contributing to its development.
MATERIAL AND METHODS
We conducted a thorough systematic review of international medical databases up to July 31, 2023, including PubMed, Medline, and Cochrane Library, to ensure a wide-ranging collection of data reflective of various populations.
RESULTS
The systematic review identifies several risk factors such as obesity, age, gender, neck circumference, family history, smoking, alcohol use, underlying medical conditions, and nasal congestion, highlighting their prevalence across diverse demographics globally.
CONCLUSION
Emphasizing lifestyle modifications and proactive interventions, our findings advocate for global health strategies to mitigate the risk of sleep apnea and enhance sleep health worldwide.
PubMed: 38741931
DOI: 10.1016/j.pmedr.2024.102750 -
JMIR Mental Health Oct 2023Evidence suggests that digital mental health interventions (DMHIs) for common mental health conditions are effective. However, digital interventions, such as... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
Evidence suggests that digital mental health interventions (DMHIs) for common mental health conditions are effective. However, digital interventions, such as face-to-face therapies, pose risks to patients. A safe intervention is considered one in which the measured benefits outweigh the identified and mitigated risks.
OBJECTIVE
This study aims to review the literature to assess how DMHIs assess safety, what risks are reported, and how they are mitigated in both the research and postmarket phases and building on existing recommendations for assessing, reporting, and mitigating safety in the DMHI and standardizing practice.
METHODS
PsycINFO, Embase, and MEDLINE databases were searched for studies that addressed the safety of DMHIs. The inclusion criteria were any study that addressed the safety of a clinical DMHI, even if not as a main outcome, in an adult population, and in English. As the outcome data were mainly qualitative in nature, a meta-analysis was not possible, and qualitative analysis was used to collate the results. Quantitative results were synthesized in the form of tables and percentages. To illustrate the use of a single common safety metric across studies, we calculated odds ratios and CIs, wherever possible.
RESULTS
Overall, 23 studies were included in this review. Although many of the included studies assessed safety by actively collecting adverse event (AE) data, over one-third (8/23, 35%) did not assess or collect any safety data. The methods and frequency of safety data collection varied widely, and very few studies have performed formal statistical analyses. The main treatment-related reported AE was symptom deterioration. The main method used to mitigate risk was exclusion of high-risk groups. A secondary web-based search found that 6 DMHIs were available for users or patients to use (postmarket phase), all of which used indications and contraindications to mitigate risk, although there was no evidence of ongoing safety review.
CONCLUSIONS
The findings of this review show the need for a standardized classification of AEs, a standardized method for assessing AEs to statically analyze AE data, and evidence-based practices for mitigating risk in DMHIs, both in the research and postmarket phases. This review produced 7 specific, measurable, and achievable recommendations with the potential to have an immediate impact on the field, which were implemented across ongoing and future research. Improving the quality of DMHI safety data will allow meaningful assessment of the safety of DMHIs and confidence in whether the benefits of a new DMHI outweigh its risks.
TRIAL REGISTRATION
PROSPERO CRD42022333181; https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?RecordID=333181.
PubMed: 37812471
DOI: 10.2196/47433 -
Journal of Vascular Surgery Mar 2022Spinal cord ischemia (SCI) is one of the most devastating complications after descending thoracic aortic (DTA) and thoracoabdominal aortic (TAA) repairs. Patients who...
OBJECTIVE
Spinal cord ischemia (SCI) is one of the most devastating complications after descending thoracic aortic (DTA) and thoracoabdominal aortic (TAA) repairs. Patients who develop SCI have a poor prognosis, with mortality rates reaching 75% within the first year after surgery. Many factors have been shown to increase the risk of this complication, including the extent of TAA repair, length of aortic and collateral network coverage, embolization, and reduced spinal cord perfusion pressure. As a result, a variety of treatment strategies have been developed. We aimed to provide an up-to-date review of SCI rates with associated treatment algorithms from open and endovascular DTA and TAA repair.
METHODS
Using PRISMA (preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses) guidelines, a literature review with the MeSH (medical subject headings) terms "spinal cord ischemia," "spinal cord ischemia prevention and mitigation strategies," "spinal cord ischemia rates," and "spinal cord infarction" was performed in the Cochrane and PubMed databases to find all peer-reviewed studies of DTA and TAA repair with SCI complications reported. The search was limited to 2012 to 2021 and English-language reports. MeSH subheadings, including diagnosis, complications, physiopathology, surgery, mortality, and therapy, were used to further restrict the included studies. Studies were excluded if they were not of humans, had not pertained to SCI after DTA or TAA operative repair, and if the study had primarily discussed neuromonitoring techniques. Additionally, studies with <40 patients or limited information regarding SCI protection strategies were excluded. Each study was individually reviewed by two of us (S.L. and A.D.) to assess the type and extent of aortic pathology, operative technique, SCI protection or mitigation strategies, rates of overall and permanent SCI symptoms, associations with SCI on multivariate analysis, and mortality.
RESULTS
Of the 450 studies returned by the MeSH search strategy, 41 met the inclusion criteria and were included in the final analysis. For the endovascular DTA repair patients, the overall SCI rates ranged from 0% to 10.6%, with permanent SCI symptoms ranging from 0% to 5.1%. The rate of overall SCI after endovascular and open TAA repair was 0% to 35%. The permanent SCI symptom rate was reported by only one study of open repair at 1.1%. The permanent SCI symptom rate after endovascular TAA repair was 2% to 20.5%.
CONCLUSIONS
The present review has provided an up-to-date review of the current rates of SCI and the prevention and mitigation strategies used during DTA and TAA repair. We found that a multimodal approach, including a bundled institutional protocol, staging of multiple repairs, preservation of the collateral blood flow network, augmented spinal cord perfusion, selective cerebrospinal fluid drainage, and distal aortic perfusion during open TAA repairs, appears to be important in reducing the risk of SCI.
Topics: Algorithms; Aorta, Thoracic; Aortic Diseases; Blood Vessel Prosthesis Implantation; Decision Support Techniques; Endovascular Procedures; Humans; Risk Assessment; Risk Factors; Spinal Cord Ischemia; Time Factors; Treatment Outcome
PubMed: 34740806
DOI: 10.1016/j.jvs.2021.10.039 -
Resuscitation Nov 2019During resuscitation decisions are made frequently and based on limited information in a stressful environment.
BACKGROUND
During resuscitation decisions are made frequently and based on limited information in a stressful environment.
AIM
This systematic review aimed to identify human factors affecting decision-making in challenging or stressful situations in resuscitation. The secondary aim was to identify methods of improving decision-making performance under stress.
METHODS
The databases PubMed, EMBASE and The Cochrane Library were searched from their commencement to the 13th of April 2019. MeSH terms and key words were combined (Stress* OR "human factor") AND Decision. Articles were included if they involved decision makers in medicine where decisions were made under challenging circumstances, with a comparator group and an outcome measure relating to change in decision-making performance.
RESULTS
22,368 records in total were initially identified, from which 82 full text studies were reviewed and 16 finally included. The included studies ranged from 1995 to 2018 and included a total of 570 participants. The studies were conducted in several different countries and settings, with participants of varying experience and backgrounds. Of the 16 studies, 5 were randomised controlled trials, 3 of which were deemed to have a high risk of bias. The stressors identified were (i) illness severity (ii) socio-evaluative, (iii) noise, (iv) fatigue. The mitigators identified were (i) cognitive aids including checklists, (ii) stress management training and (iii) meditation.
CONCLUSIONS
Human factors contributing to decision-making during resuscitation are identified and can be mitigated by tailored stress training and cognitive aids. Understanding these factors may have implications for clinician education and the development of decision-support tools.
Topics: Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation; Decision Making; Decision Support Techniques; Humans; Injury Severity Score; Severity of Illness Index; Stress, Psychological
PubMed: 31562904
DOI: 10.1016/j.resuscitation.2019.09.023 -
Clinical Nutrition ESPEN Jun 2021Malnutrition is inevitable in patients with Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) due to its effect on the gastrointestinal system, immune system, and high metabolic... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
BACKGROUND
Malnutrition is inevitable in patients with Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) due to its effect on the gastrointestinal system, immune system, and high metabolic activity. However, the prevalence of malnutrition and its outcomes is uncertain. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence and outcome of malnutrition among patients with COVID-19.
METHOD
A comprehensive search was conducted in PubMed/Medline; Science direct and LILACS from December 29, 2019 to September, 2020 without language restriction. All observational studies reporting the prevalence of malnutrition were included while case reports and reviews were excluded. The data were extracted with two independent authors with a customized format and the disagreements were resolved by the other authors. The methodological quality of included studies was evaluated using a standardized critical appraisal tool.
RESULTS
A total of 511 articles were identified from different databases and 27 articles were selected for evaluation after the successive screening. Fourteen articles with 4187 participants were included. The pooled prevalence of malnutrition among hospitalized patients with COVID-19 was 49.11% (95% CI: 31.67 to 66.54). The odd of mortality among patients COVID-19 with malnutrition was 10 times more likely as compared to those who were well-nourished.
CONCLUSION
The prevalence of malnutrition and mortality associated with malnutrition among COVID-19 hospitalized patients was very high which entails a mitigating strategy by different stakeholders to prevent and manage malnutrition and its outcomes.
REGISTRATION
This systematic review was registered in Prospero's international prospective register of systematic reviews (CRD42020215396).
Topics: Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; COVID-19; Female; Hospital Mortality; Hospitalization; Humans; Male; Malnutrition; Middle Aged; Prevalence; SARS-CoV-2
PubMed: 34024511
DOI: 10.1016/j.clnesp.2021.03.002 -
International Journal of Neonatal... Sep 2022Genomic advances have contributed to a proliferation of newborn screening (NBS) programs. Psychosocial consequences of NBS have been identified as risks to these public... (Review)
Review
Genomic advances have contributed to a proliferation of newborn screening (NBS) programs. Psychosocial consequences of NBS have been identified as risks to these public health initiatives. Following PRISMA guidelines, this systematic review synthesizes findings from 92 evidence-based, peer-reviewed research reports published from 2000 through 2020 regarding psychosocial issues associated with NBS. Results describe parents' knowledge of and attitudes towards NBS, reactions to and understanding of positive NBS results, experiences of communication with health providers, decisions about carrier testing, and future pregnancies. Findings also explain the impact of positive NBS results on parent-child relationships, child development, informing children about carrier status, family burden, quality of life, and disparities. In conclusion, psychosocial consequences of receiving unexpected neonatal screening results and unsolicited genetic information remain significant risks to expansion of NBS. Findings suggest that risks may be mitigated by improved parent NBS education, effective communication, individualized genetic counseling, and anticipatory developmental guidance. Clinicians need to take extra measures to ensure equitable service delivery to marginalized subpopulations. Future investigations should be more inclusive of culturally and socioeconomically diverse families and conducted in low-resource countries. Providing these countries with adequate resources to develop NBS programs is an essential step towards achieving international health equity.
PubMed: 36278623
DOI: 10.3390/ijns8040053 -
Annals of the New York Academy of... Jan 2023As a global industry, sport makes potentially significant contributions to climate change through both carbon emissions and influence over sustainability practices. Yet,... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
As a global industry, sport makes potentially significant contributions to climate change through both carbon emissions and influence over sustainability practices. Yet, evidence regarding impacts is uneven and spread across many disciplines. This paper investigates the impacts of sport emissions on climate and identifies knowledge gaps. We undertook a systematic and iterative meta-analysis of relevant literature (1992-2022) on organized and individual sports. Using a defined search protocol, 116 sources were identified that map to four sport-related themes: (1) carbon emissions and their measurement; (2) emissions control and decarbonization; (3) carbon sinks and offsets; and (4) behavior change. We find that mega sport events, elite sport, soccer, skiing, and golf have received most attention, whereas grass-roots and women's sport, activity in Africa and South America, cricket, tennis, and volleyball are understudied. Other knowledge gaps include carbon accounting tools and indicators for smaller sports clubs and active participants; cobenefits and tradeoffs between mitigation-adaptation efforts in sport, such as around logistics, venues, sports equipment, and facilities; geopolitical influence; and scope for climate change litigation against hosts and/or sponsors of carbon-intensive events. Among these, researchers should target cobenefits given their scope to deliver wins for both climate mitigation and risk management of sport.
Topics: Female; Humans; Carbon; Climate Change; Industry; South America
PubMed: 36377356
DOI: 10.1111/nyas.14925 -
Frontiers in Psychology 2022In an unprecedented fashion, COVID-19 has impacted the work-family interface since March 2020. As one of the COVID-19 pandemic consequences, remote work became widely...
UNLABELLED
In an unprecedented fashion, COVID-19 has impacted the work-family interface since March 2020. As one of the COVID-19 pandemic consequences, remote work became widely adopted. Furthermore, it is expected that other pandemics will occur in the future. Hence, this context represents a chance to gain deeper insight into telecommuters' work and family spheres. Following PRISMA guidelines, the present narrative review aims to synthesise the COVID-19 impact on the work-family interface. Out of 121 screened references, 32 articles that measure at least one of the following variables-work-family conflict (25), work-family enrichment (3), work-family balance (8), and boundary management (21) were included. A thematic analysis using NVIVO12 was conducted, from which eight topics emerged: "paid workload, unpaid workload, and gender"; "well-being and gender"; "job resources, job demands, and gender"; "couples and gender"; "parenting and gender"; "occurrence of work-family enrichment with work-family conflict and gender"; "enforced blurred boundaries, its management, and gender"; "boundary management impact on work-family conflict, work-family enrichment, and work-family balance." Overall, studies point out that COVID-19 had a complex effect on both work-family conflict and work-family balance, making it difficult to state whether these variables were mitigated or augmented. Findings demonstrated that COVID-19 produced little changes in work-family enrichment. As for the COVID-19 impact on work-family boundary management, individuals had to create new tactics to manage them due to the absence of boundaries between both systems. Besides, due to traditional gendered roles, the COVID-19 health crisis seems to have brought additional hurdles to couples and women.
SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION
[https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?ID=CRD42021278254], identifier [CRD42021278254].
PubMed: 35992445
DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.914474