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JMIR Mental Health Jun 2024Text-based digital media platforms have revolutionized communication and information sharing, providing valuable access to knowledge and understanding in the fields of... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
Text-based digital media platforms have revolutionized communication and information sharing, providing valuable access to knowledge and understanding in the fields of mental health and suicide prevention.
OBJECTIVE
This systematic review aimed to determine how machine learning and data analysis can be applied to text-based digital media data to understand mental health and aid suicide prevention.
METHODS
A systematic review of research papers from the following major electronic databases was conducted: Web of Science, MEDLINE, Embase (via MEDLINE), and PsycINFO (via MEDLINE). The database search was supplemented by a hand search using Google Scholar.
RESULTS
Overall, 19 studies were included, with five major themes as to how data analysis and machine learning techniques could be applied: (1) as predictors of personal mental health, (2) to understand how personal mental health and suicidal behavior are communicated, (3) to detect mental disorders and suicidal risk, (4) to identify help seeking for mental health difficulties, and (5) to determine the efficacy of interventions to support mental well-being.
CONCLUSIONS
Our findings show that data analysis and machine learning can be used to gain valuable insights, such as the following: web-based conversations relating to depression vary among different ethnic groups, teenagers engage in a web-based conversation about suicide more often than adults, and people seeking support in web-based mental health communities feel better after receiving online support. Digital tools and mental health apps are being used successfully to manage mental health, particularly through the COVID-19 epidemic, during which analysis has revealed that there was increased anxiety and depression, and web-based communities played a part in reducing isolation during the pandemic. Predictive analytics were also shown to have potential, and virtual reality shows promising results in the delivery of preventive or curative care. Future research efforts could center on optimizing algorithms to enhance the potential of text-based digital media analysis in mental health and suicide prevention. In addressing depression, a crucial step involves identifying the factors that contribute to happiness and using machine learning to forecast these sources of happiness. This could extend to understanding how various activities result in improved happiness across different socioeconomic groups. Using insights gathered from such data analysis and machine learning, there is an opportunity to craft digital interventions, such as chatbots, designed to provide support and address mental health challenges and suicide prevention.
Topics: Humans; Machine Learning; Suicide Prevention; Mental Health; Social Media; Data Analysis
PubMed: 38935419
DOI: 10.2196/55747 -
Antioxidants (Basel, Switzerland) Jun 2024Bertoni, a no-calorie natural sweetener, contains a plethora of polyphenols that exert antioxidant properties with potential medicinal significance. Due to the variety... (Review)
Review
Bertoni, a no-calorie natural sweetener, contains a plethora of polyphenols that exert antioxidant properties with potential medicinal significance. Due to the variety of functional groups, polyphenols exhibit varying solubility depending on the nature of the extraction solvents (water, organic, or their mixtures, defined further on as hydroalcoholic extracts). In the present study, we performed a systematic review, following PRISMA guidelines, and meta-analysis, synthesizing all available data from 45 articles encompassing 250 different studies. Our results showed that the total phenolic content (TPC) of hydroalcoholic and aqueous extracts presents higher values (64.77 and 63.73 mg GAE/g) compared to organic extracts (33.39). Total flavonoid content (TFC) was also higher in aqueous and hydroalcoholic extracts; meta-regression analysis revealed that outcomes in different measuring units (mg QE/g, mg CE/g, and mg RUE/g) do not present statistically significant differences and can be synthesized in meta-analysis. Using meta-regression analysis, we showed that outcomes from the chemical-based ABTS, FRAP, and ORAC antioxidant assays for the same extract type can be combined in meta-analysis because they do not differ statistically significantly. Meta-analysis of ABTS, FRAP, and ORAC assays outcomes revealed that the antioxidant activity profile of various extract types follows that of their phenolic and flavonoid content. Using regression meta-analysis, we also presented that outcomes from SOD, CAT, and POX enzymatic antioxidant assays are independent of the assay type (-value = 0.905) and can be combined. Our study constitutes the first effort to quantitatively and statistically synthesize the research results of individual studies using all methods measuring the antioxidant activity of stevia leaf extracts. Our results, in light of evidence-based practice, uncover the need for a broadly accepted, unified, methodological strategy to perform antioxidant tests, and offer documentation that the use of ethanol:water 1:1 mixtures or pure water can more efficiently extract stevia antioxidant compounds.
PubMed: 38929131
DOI: 10.3390/antiox13060692 -
Frontiers in Bioengineering and... 2024Musculoskeletal simulations can be used to estimate biomechanical variables like muscle forces and joint torques from non-invasive experimental data using inverse and...
Musculoskeletal simulations can be used to estimate biomechanical variables like muscle forces and joint torques from non-invasive experimental data using inverse and forward methods. Inverse kinematics followed by inverse dynamics (ID) uses body motion and external force measurements to compute joint movements and the corresponding joint loads, respectively. ID leads to residual forces and torques (residuals) that are not physically realistic, because of measurement noise and modeling assumptions. Forward dynamic simulations (FD) are found by tracking experimental data. They do not generate residuals but will move away from experimental data to achieve this. Therefore, there is a gap between reality (the experimental measurements) and simulations in both approaches, the sim2real gap. To answer (patho-) physiological research questions, simulation results have to be accurate and reliable; the sim2real gap needs to be handled. Therefore, we reviewed methods to handle the sim2real gap in such musculoskeletal simulations. The review identifies, classifies and analyses existing methods that bridge the sim2real gap, including their strengths and limitations. Using a systematic approach, we conducted an electronic search in the databases Scopus, PubMed and Web of Science. We selected and included 85 relevant papers that were sorted into eight different solution clusters based on three aspects: how the sim2real gap is handled, the mathematical method used, and the parameters/variables of the simulations which were adjusted. Each cluster has a distinctive way of handling the sim2real gap with accompanying strengths and limitations. Ultimately, the method choice largely depends on various factors: available model, input parameters/variables, investigated movement and of course the underlying research aim. Researchers should be aware that the sim2real gap remains for both ID and FD approaches. However, we conclude that multimodal approaches tracking kinematic and dynamic measurements may be one possible solution to handle the sim2real gap as methods tracking multimodal measurements (some combination of sensor position/orientation or EMG measurements), consistently lead to better tracking performances. Initial analyses show that motion analysis performance can be enhanced by using multimodal measurements as different sensor technologies can compensate each other's weaknesses.
PubMed: 38919383
DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2024.1386874 -
Frontiers in Medicine 2024The rapid spread of COVID-19 pandemic across the world has not only disturbed the global economy but also raised the demand for accurate disease detection models....
The rapid spread of COVID-19 pandemic across the world has not only disturbed the global economy but also raised the demand for accurate disease detection models. Although many studies have proposed effective solutions for the early detection and prediction of COVID-19 with Machine Learning (ML) and Deep learning (DL) based techniques, but these models remain vulnerable to data privacy and security breaches. To overcome the challenges of existing systems, we introduced Adaptive Differential Privacy-based Federated Learning (DPFL) model for predicting COVID-19 disease from chest X-ray images which introduces an innovative adaptive mechanism that dynamically adjusts privacy levels based on real-time data sensitivity analysis, improving the practical applicability of Federated Learning (FL) in diverse healthcare environments. We compared and analyzed the performance of this distributed learning model with a traditional centralized model. Moreover, we enhance the model by integrating a FL approach with an early stopping mechanism to achieve efficient COVID-19 prediction with minimal communication overhead. To ensure privacy without compromising model utility and accuracy, we evaluated the proposed model under various noise scales. Finally, we discussed strategies for increasing the model's accuracy while maintaining robustness as well as privacy.
PubMed: 38912338
DOI: 10.3389/fmed.2024.1409314 -
International Journal of Nanomedicine 2024Due to their ability to replicate the in vivo microenvironment through cell interaction and induce cells to stimulate cell function, three-dimensional cell culture... (Review)
Review
Due to their ability to replicate the in vivo microenvironment through cell interaction and induce cells to stimulate cell function, three-dimensional cell culture models can overcome the limitations of two-dimensional models. Organoids are 3D models that demonstrate the ability to replicate the natural structure of an organ. In most organoid tissue cultures, matrigel made of a mouse tumor extracellular matrix protein mixture is an essential ingredient. However, its tumor-derived origin, batch-to-batch variation, high cost, and safety concerns have limited the usefulness of organoid drug development and regenerative medicine. Its clinical application has also been hindered by the fact that organoid generation is dependent on the use of poorly defined matrices. Therefore, matrix optimization is a crucial step in developing organoid culture that introduces alternatives as different materials. Recently, a variety of substitute materials has reportedly replaced matrigel. The purpose of this study is to review the significance of the latest advances in materials for cell culture applications and how they enhance build network systems by generating proper cell behavior. Excellence in cell behavior is evaluated from their cell characteristics, cell proliferation, cell differentiation, and even gene expression. As a result, graphene oxide as a matrix optimization demonstrated high potency in developing organoid models. Graphene oxide can promote good cell behavior and is well known for having good biocompatibility. Hence, advances in matrix optimization of graphene oxide provide opportunities for the future development of advanced organoid models.
Topics: Organoids; Animals; Graphite; Humans; Cell Proliferation; Cell Differentiation; Drug Combinations; Cell Culture Techniques; Cell Culture Techniques, Three Dimensional; Mice; Laminin; Collagen; Proteoglycans
PubMed: 38911499
DOI: 10.2147/IJN.S455940 -
PloS One 2024The COVID-19 pandemic drastically affected many areas and contexts of today's society, including school and family. Several studies focused on the worldwide effects of...
The COVID-19 pandemic drastically affected many areas and contexts of today's society, including school and family. Several studies focused on the worldwide effects of school closures on students' learning outcomes, context, and well-being. However, the data emerging from these studies are often inconsistent and fragmentary, highlighting the need of a comprehensive analysis of the phenomenon. This need is especially urgent for the countries with the most severe school closure, like Italy. This systematic review aims to collect the opinions of parents, teachers, and students on: other dimensions of Italian primary school students affected by school closures, beyond academic performance; hypothetical agreement between the opinions of parents, teachers, and students regarding the different effects of school closures on Italian primary school students; possible differences between the effects of school closures on Italian primary school students and the students in other countries. Our search was conducted using PRISMA 2020 guidelines on Web of Science, Pubmed, Scopus, and EBSCOHost. The results obtained from 34 articles revealed a strong concern on the part of all stakeholders involved in learning during the pandemic, with evident negative effects for Italian school students. The constraint on distance learning led to a drastic change in everyone's routine, and a negative emotional change on the part of young students. Parents and teachers generally considered distance learning to be ineffective for the education of their children and students; they encountered technical-practical difficulties in the use of electronic devices for participation in school activities; overall learning deficits on the part of students, especially in mathematics, as confirmed by INVALSI results were also found. The investigation reveals a condition of shared emotional and academic performance difficulty, and a further challenging circumstance for students previously at risk of marginalization. Further research in this field is paramount to identify new and adequate recovery strategies.
Topics: COVID-19; Humans; Italy; Child; Schools; Students; Pandemics; Learning; Education, Distance; SARS-CoV-2; Parents; School Teachers
PubMed: 38875255
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0303991 -
Campbell Systematic Reviews Jun 2024Many intervention studies of summer programmes examine their impact on employment and education outcomes, however there is growing interest in their effect on young... (Review)
Review
REVIEW RATIONALE AND CONTEXT
Many intervention studies of summer programmes examine their impact on employment and education outcomes, however there is growing interest in their effect on young people's offending outcomes. Evidence on summer employment programmes shows promise on this but has not yet been synthesised. This report fills this evidence gap through a systematic review and meta-analysis, covering summer education and summer employment programmes as their contexts and mechanisms are often similar.
RESEARCH OBJECTIVE
The objective is to provide evidence on the extent to which summer programmes impact the outcomes of disadvantaged or 'at risk' young people.
METHODS
The review employs mixed methods: we synthesise quantitative information estimating the impact of summer programme allocation/participation across the outcome domains through meta-analysis using the random-effects model; and we synthesise qualitative information relating to contexts, features, mechanisms and implementation issues through thematic synthesis. Literature searches were largely conducted in January 2023. Databases searched include: Scopus; PsychInfo; ERIC; the YFF-EGM; EEF's and TASO's toolkits; RAND's summer programmes evidence review; key academic journals; and Google Scholar. The review employed PICOSS eligibility criteria: the was disadvantaged or 'at risk' young people aged 10-25; were either summer education or employment programmes; a valid group that did not experience a summer programme was required; studies had to estimate the summer programme's impact on violence and offending, education, employment, socio-emotional and/or health ; eligible were experimental and quasi-experimental; eligible were high-income countries. Other eligibility criteria included publication in English, between 2012 and 2022. Process/qualitative evaluations associated with eligible impact studies or of UK-based interventions were also included; the latter given the interests of the sponsors. We used standard methodological procedures expected by The Campbell Collaboration. The search identified 68 eligible studies; with 41 eligible for meta-analysis. Forty-nine studies evaluated 36 summer education programmes, and 19 studies evaluated six summer employment programmes. The number of participants within these studies ranged from less than 100 to nearly 300,000. The PICOSS criteria affects the external applicability of the body of evidence - allowances made regarding study design to prioritise evidence on UK-based interventions limits our ability to assess impact for some interventions. The risk of bias assessment categorised approximately 75% of the impact evaluations as low quality, due to attrition, losses to follow up, interventions having low take-up rates, or where allocation might introduce selection bias. As such, intention-to-treat analyses are prioritised. The quality assessment rated 93% of qualitative studies as low quality often due to not employing rigorous qualitative methodologies. These results highlight the need to improve the evidence.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS
The quantitative synthesis examined impact estimates across 34 outcomes, through meta-analysis (22) or in narrative form (12). We summarise below the findings where meta-analysis was possible, along with the researchers' judgement of the security of the findings (high, moderate or low). This was based on the number and study-design quality of studies evaluating the outcome; the consistency of findings; the similarity in specific outcome measures used; and any other specific issues which might affect our confidence in the summary findings.Below we summarise the findings from the meta-analyses conducted to assess the impact of allocation to/participation in summer education and employment programmes (findings in relation to other outcomes are also discussed in the main body, but due to the low number of studies evaluating these, meta-analysis was not performed). We only cover the pooled results for the two programme types where there are not clear differences in findings between summer education and summer employment programmes, so as to avoid potentially attributing any impact to both summer programme types when this is not the case. We list the outcome measure, the average effect size type (i.e., whether a standardised mean difference (SMD) or log odds ratio), which programme type the finding is in relation to and then the average effect size along with its 95% confidence interval and the interpretation of the finding, that is, whether there appears to be a significant impact and in which direction (positive or negative, clarifying instances where a negative impact is beneficial). In some instances there may be a discrepancy between the 95% confidence interval and whether we determine there to be a significant impact, which will be due to the specifics of the process for constructing the effect sizes used in the meta-analysis. We then list the statistic and the -value from the homogeneity test as indications of the presence of heterogeneity. As the sample size used in the analysis are often small and the homogeneity test is known to be under-powered with small sample sizes, it may not detect statistically significant heterogeneity when it is in fact present. As such, a 90% confidence level threshold should generally be used when interpreting this with regard to the meta-analyses below. The presence of effect size heterogeneity affects the extent to which the average effects size is applicable to all interventions of that summer programme type. We also provide an assessment of the relative confidence we have in the generalisability of the overall finding (low, moderate or high) - some of the overall findings are based on a small sample of studies, the studies evaluating the outcome may be of low quality, there may be wide variation in findings among the studies evaluating the outcome, or there may be specific aspects of the impact estimates included or the effect sizes constructed that affect the generalisability of the headline finding. These issues are detailed in full in the main body of the review. -Engagement with/participation in/enjoyment of education (SMD):∘Summer education programmes: +0.12 (+0.03, +0.20); positive impact; = 48.76%, = 0.10; moderate confidence.-Secondary education attendance (SMD):∘Summer education programmes: +0.26 (+0.08, +0.44); positive impact; = N/A; = N/A; low confidence.∘Summer employment programmes: +0.02 (-0.03, +0.07); no impact; = 69.98%; = 0.03; low confidence.-Passing tests (log OR):∘Summer education programmes: +0.41 (-0.13, +0.96); no impact; = 95.05%; = 0.00; low confidence.∘Summer employment programmes: +0.02 (+0.00, +0.04); positive impact; = 0.01%; = 0.33; low confidence.-Reading test scores (SMD):∘Summer education programmes: +0.01 (-0.04, +0.05); no impact; = 0.40%; = 0.48; high confidence.-English test scores (SMD):∘Summer education programmes: +0.07 (+0.00, +0.13); positive impact; = 27.17%; = 0.33; moderate confidence.∘Summer employment programmes: -0.03 (-0.05, -0.01); negative impact; = 0.00%; = 0.76; low confidence.-Mathematics test scores (SMD):∘All summer programmes: +0.09 (-0.06, +0.25); no impact; = 94.53%; = 0.00; high confidence.∘Summer education programmes: +0.14 (-0.09, +0.36); no impact; = 94.15%; = 0.00; moderate confidence.∘Summer employment programmes: +0.00 (-0.04, +0.05); no impact; = 0.04%; = 0.92; moderate confidence.-Overall test scores (SMD):∘Summer employment programmes: -0.01 (-0.08, +0.05); no impact; = 32.39%; = 0.20; high confidence.-All test scores (SMD):∘Summer education programmes: +0.14 (+0.00, +0.27); positive impact; = 91.07%; = 0.00; moderate confidence.∘Summer employment programmes: -0.01 (-0.04, +0.01); no impact; = 0.06%; = 0.73; high confidence.-Negative behavioural outcomes (log OR):∘Summer education programmes: -1.55 (-3.14, +0.03); negative impact; = N/A; = N/A; low confidence.∘Summer employment programmes: -0.07 (-0.33, +0.18); no impact; = 88.17%; = 0.00; moderate confidence.-Progression to HE (log OR):∘All summer programmes: +0.24 (-0.04, +0.52); no impact; = 97.37%; = 0.00; low confidence.∘Summer education programmes: +0.32 (-0.12, +0.76); no impact; = 96.58%; = 0.00; low confidence.∘Summer employment programmes: +0.10 (-0.07, +0.26); no impact; = 76.61%; = 0.02; moderate confidence.-Complete HE (log OR):∘Summer education programmes: +0.38 (+0.15, +0.62); positive impact; = 52.52%; = 0.06; high confidence.∘Summer employment programmes: +0.07 (-0.19, +0.33); no impact; = 70.54%; = 0.07; moderate confidence.-Entry to employment, short-term (log OR):∘Summer employment programmes: -0.19 (-0.45, +0.08); no impact; = 87.81%; = 0.00; low confidence.∘Entry to employment, full period (log OR)∘Summer employment programmes: -0.15 (-0.35, +0.05); no impact; = 78.88%; = 0.00; low confidence.-Likelihood of having a criminal justice outcome (log OR):∘Summer employment programmes: -0.05 (-0.15, +0.05); no impact; = 0.00%; = 0.76; low confidence.-Likelihood of having a drug-related criminal justice outcome (log OR):∘Summer employment programmes: +0.16 (-0.57, +0.89); no impact; = 65.97%; = 0.09; low confidence.-Likelihood of having a violence-related criminal justice outcome (log OR):∘Summer employment programmes: +0.03 (-0.02, +0.08); no impact; = 0.00%; = 0.22; moderate confidence.-Likelihood of having a property-related criminal justice outcome (log OR):∘Summer employment programmes: +0.09 (-0.17, +0.34); no impact; = 45.01%; = 0.18; low confidence.-Number of criminal justice outcomes, during programme (SMD):∘Summer employment programmes: -0.01 (-0.03, +0.00); no impact; = 2.17%; = 0.31; low confidence.-Number of criminal justice outcomes, post-programme (SMD):∘Summer employment programmes: -0.01 (-0.03, +0.00); no impact; = 23.57%; = 0.37; low confidence.-Number of drug-related criminal justice outcomes, post-programme (SMD):∘Summer employment programmes: -0.01 (-0.06, +0.06); no impact; = 55.19%; = 0.14; moderate confidence.-Number of violence-related criminal justice outcomes, post-programme (SMD):∘Summer employment programmes: -0.02 (-0.08, +0.03); no impact; = 44.48%; = 0.18; low confidence.-Number of property-related criminal justice outcomes, post-programme (SMD):∘Summer employment programmes: -0.02 (-0.10, +0.05); no impact; = 64.93%; = 0.09; low confidence. We re-express instances of significant impact by programme type where we have moderate or high confidence in the security of findings by translating this to a form used by one of the studies, to aid understanding of the findings. Allocation to a summer education programme results in approximately 60% of individuals moving from never reading for fun to doing so once or twice a month (engagement in/participation in/enjoyment of education), and an increase in the English Grade Point Average of 0.08. Participation in a summer education programme results in an increase in overall Grade Point Average of 0.14 and increases the likelihood of completing higher education by 1.5 times. Signs are positive for the effectiveness of summer education programmes in achieving some of the education outcomes considered (particularly on test scores (when pooled across types), completion of higher education and STEM-related higher education outcomes), but the evidence on which overall findings are based is often weak. Summer employment programmes appear to have a limited impact on employment outcomes, if anything, a negative impact on the likelihood of entering employment outside of employment related to the programme. The evidence base for impacts of summer employment programmes on young people's violence and offending type outcomes is currently limited - where impact is detected this largely results in substantial reductions in criminal justice outcomes, but the variation in findings across and within studies affects our ability to make any overarching assertions with confidence. In understanding the effectiveness of summer programmes, the order of outcomes also requires consideration - entries into education from a summer employment programme might be beneficial if this leads towards better quality employment in the future and a reduced propensity of criminal justice outcomes.
QUALITATIVE SYNTHESIS
Various shared features among different summer education programmes emerged from the review, allowing us to cluster specific types of these interventions which then aided the structuring of the thematic synthesis. The three distinct clusters for summer education programmes were: catch-up programmes addressing attainment gaps, raising aspirations programmes inspiring young people to pursue the next stage of their education or career, and transition support programmes facilitating smooth transitions between educational levels. Depending on their aim, summer education programme tend to provide a combination of: additional instruction on core subjects (e.g., English, mathematics); academic classes including to enhance specialist subject knowledge (e.g., STEM-related); homework help; coaching and mentoring; arts and recreation electives; and social and enrichment activities. Summer employment programmes provide paid work placements or subsidised jobs typically in entry-level roles mostly in the third and public sectors, with some summer employment programmes also providing placements in the private sector. They usually include components of pre-work training and employability skills, coaching and mentoring. There are a number of mechanisms which act as facilitators or barriers to engagement in summer programmes. These include tailoring the summer programme to each young person and individualised attention; the presence of well-prepared staff who provide effective academic/workplace and socio-emotional support; incentives of a monetary (e.g., stipends and wages) or non-monetary (e.g., free transport and meals) nature; recruitment strategies, which are effective at identifying, targeting and engaging participants who can most benefit from the intervention; partnerships, with key actors who can help facilitate referrals and recruitment, such as schools, community action and workforce development agencies; format, including providing social activities and opportunities to support the formation of connections with peers; integration into the workplace, through pre-placement engagement, such as through orientation days, pre-work skills training, job fairs, and interactions with employers ahead of the beginning of the summer programme; and skill acquisition, such as improvements in social skills. In terms of the causal processes which lead from engagement in a summer programme to outcomes, these include: skill acquisition, including academic, social, emotional, and life skills; positive relationships with peers, including with older students as mentors in summer education programmes; personalised and positive relationships with staff; location, including accessibility and creating familiar environments; creating connections between the summer education programme and the students' learning at home to maintain continuity and reinforce learning; and providing purposeful and meaningful work through summer employment programmes (potentially facilitated through the provision of financial and/or non-financial incentives), which makes participants more likely to see the importance of education in achieving their life goals and this leads to raised aspirations. It is important to note that no single element of a summer programme can be identified as generating the causal process for impact, and impact results rather from a combination of elements. Finally, we investigated strengths and weaknesses in summer programmes at both the design and implementation stages. In summer education programmes, design strengths include interactive and alternative learning modes; iterative and progressive content building; incorporating confidence building activities; careful lesson planning; and teacher support which is tailored to each student. Design weaknesses include insufficient funding or poor funding governance (e.g., delays to funding); limited reach of the target population; and inadequate allocation of teacher and pupil groups (i.e., misalignment between the education stage of the pupils and the content taught by staff). Implementation strengths include clear programme delivery guidance and good governance; high quality academic instruction; mentoring support; and strong partnerships. Implementation weaknesses include insufficient planning and lead in time; recruitment challenges; and variability in teaching quality. In summer employment programmes, design strengths include use of employer orientation materials and supervisor handbooks; careful consideration of programme staff roles; a wide range of job opportunities; and building a network of engaged employers. Design weaknesses are uncertainty over funding and budget agreements; variation in delivery and quality of training between providers; challenges in recruitment of employers; and caseload size and management. Implementation strengths include effective job matching; supportive relationships with supervisors; pre-work training; and mitigating attrition (e.g., striving to increase take up of the intervention among the treatment group). Implementation weaknesses are insufficient monitors for the number of participants, and challenges around employer availability.
PubMed: 38873396
DOI: 10.1002/cl2.1406 -
Scientific Reports Jun 2024Whilst pharmacological therapies remain the cornerstone of pain management in chronic pain, factors including the current opioid epidemic have led to non-pharmacological... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
Whilst pharmacological therapies remain the cornerstone of pain management in chronic pain, factors including the current opioid epidemic have led to non-pharmacological techniques becoming a more attractive proposition. We explored the prevalence of medical device use and their treatment efficacy in non-cancer pain management. A systematic methodology was developed, peer reviewed and published in PROSPERO (CRD42021235384). Key words of medical device, pain management devices, chronic pain, lower back pain, back pain, leg pain and chronic pelvic pain using Science direct, PubMed, Web of Science, PROSPERO, MEDLINE, EMBASE, PorQuest and ClinicalTrials.gov. All clinical trials, epidemiology and mixed methods studies that reported the use of medical devices for non-cancer chronic pain management published between the 1st of January 1990 and the 30th of April 2022 were included. 13 studies were included in systematic review, of these 6 were used in the meta-analysis. Our meta-analysis for pain reduction showed that transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation combined with instrument-assisted soft tissue mobilization treatment and pulsed electromagnetic therapy produced significant treatment on chronic lower back pain patients. Pooled evidence revealed the use of medical device related interventions resulted in 0.7 degree of pain reduction under a 0-10 scale. Significant improvement in disability scores, with a 7.44 degree reduction in disability level compared to a placebo using a 50 score range was also seen. Our analysis has shown that the optimal use of medical devices in a sustainable manner requires further research, needing larger cohort studies, greater gender parity, in a more diverse range of geographical locations.
Topics: Humans; Chronic Pain; Pain Management; Bayes Theorem; Low Back Pain; Transcutaneous Electric Nerve Stimulation; Equipment and Supplies; Treatment Outcome
PubMed: 38866854
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-63499-6 -
Frontiers in Bioengineering and... 2024Synthetic biology is designing and creating biological tools and systems for useful purposes. It uses knowledge from biology, such as biotechnology, molecular biology,...
Synthetic biology is designing and creating biological tools and systems for useful purposes. It uses knowledge from biology, such as biotechnology, molecular biology, biophysics, biochemistry, bioinformatics, and other disciplines, such as engineering, mathematics, computer science, and electrical engineering. It is recognized as both a branch of science and technology. The scope of synthetic biology ranges from modifying existing organisms to gain new properties to creating a living organism from non-living components. Synthetic biology has many applications in important fields such as energy, chemistry, medicine, environment, agriculture, national security, and nanotechnology. The development of synthetic biology also raises ethical and social debates. This article aims to identify the place of ethics in synthetic biology. In this context, the theoretical ethical debates on synthetic biology from the 2000s to 2020, when the development of synthetic biology was relatively faster, were analyzed using the systematic review method. Based on the results of the analysis, the main ethical problems related to the field, problems that are likely to arise, and suggestions for solutions to these problems are included. The data collection phase of the study included a literature review conducted according to protocols, including planning, screening, selection and evaluation. The analysis and synthesis process was carried out in the next stage, and the main themes related to synthetic biology and ethics were identified. Searches were conducted in Web of Science, Scopus, PhilPapers and MEDLINE databases. Theoretical research articles and reviews published in peer-reviewed journals until the end of 2020 were included in the study. The language of publications was English. According to preliminary data, 1,453 publications were retrieved from the four databases. Considering the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 58 publications were analyzed in the study. Ethical debates on synthetic biology have been conducted on various issues. In this context, the ethical debates in this article were examined under five themes: the moral status of synthetic biology products, synthetic biology and the meaning of life, synthetic biology and metaphors, synthetic biology and knowledge, and expectations, concerns, and problem solving: risk caution.
PubMed: 38863492
DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2024.1397796 -
PloS One 2024Young people leaving state care often experience hardship in many areas of their life. At a population level, their outcomes in early adulthood are poorer compared to...
Understanding how young people transitioning from out-of-home care acquire and develop independent living skills and knowledge: A systematic review of longitudinal studies.
Young people leaving state care often experience hardship in many areas of their life. At a population level, their outcomes in early adulthood are poorer compared to general populations. Effective preparation for leaving care and post-care support systems is vital to improving outcomes. Individual and systemic support for young people to acquire Independent Living Skills (ILS) in the following eight ILS domains have been identified: Financial Management, Knowledge of Accessing Available Supports, Managing Housing, Education Planning, Job Seeking, Health Risk Management, Domestic and Self-help Task, and Managing Relationships. This systematic review aims to identify, summarise, and appraise longitudinal studies that address ILS across these ILS domains to understand better how outcomes could be improved. Seven databases (CINAHL, Embase, ProQuest, PsychINFO, PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science) were searched on 20th July 2023. In total, twenty-seven studies published between 1994 and 2022 from various countries met the eligibility criteria. The included studies reported on 2-4 waves and adopted different methodological approaches. Study quality was scored using Qualsyst. Study characteristics and details of the interventions are presented in tables. Studies cover overlapping ILS domains, which are mapped in a matrix. Results revealed that nearly three-quarters (74% or 20 out of 27) of studies explored four or fewer of the eight ILS domains. The most frequent ILS domain covered was 'Knowledge of Accessing Available Supports' (19/27 studies). The main conclusion considers the concept of independence as a misnomer, with ILS covering multiple, intersecting, and interdependent domains, which ultimately help and hinder one another. Further research is required to adopt a more comprehensive approach encompassing all the domains to better inform policy, programs, and practice. A limitation is that a meta-analysis was not conducted for this review. This study registered a 'Protocol' with OSF Registries (DOI: 10.17605/OSF.IO/MJ3ZX) on June 5th, 2022.
Topics: Humans; Longitudinal Studies; Independent Living; Adolescent; Young Adult
PubMed: 38861497
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0304965