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Journal of Dentistry Jun 2024This qualitative systematic review and meta-aggregation aimed to synthesise evidence regarding perceptions of patients, practitioners, and stakeholders on the use of... (Review)
Review
Perspectives of patients, dental professionals, and stakeholders on the use of silver diamine fluoride for the management of dental caries: A qualitative systematic review.
OBJECTIVES
This qualitative systematic review and meta-aggregation aimed to synthesise evidence regarding perceptions of patients, practitioners, and stakeholders on the use of Silver Diamine Fluoride (SDF) for the management of dental caries.
DATA
This review was reported in alignment with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) and is registered with PROSPERO (CRD42023390301) and the Joanna Briggs Systematic Reviews register.
SOURCES
References were retrieved from PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, and EMBASE using a pre-established search strategy.
STUDY SELECTION
Qualitative and mixed-methods studies examining perspectives of patients, practitioners, and/or stakeholders on the use of SDF were included. The initial search identified 650 articles eligible for inclusion, out of which 14 articles were included in the review. Reviewers synthesised findings and generated 11 distinct categories grouped into three synthesised findings: 1) Clinical use; 2) Staining; 3) Facilitators and barriers.
CONCLUSIONS
Practitioners and patients viewed SDF as a therapeutic option with multiple benefits. While aesthetic concerns may be a barrier to some groups, the acceptance of the treatment was influenced by other factors, such as trusting professional advice.
CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE
Patient education is key for increased SDF acceptance. This systematic review can assist clinicians in addressing concerns regarding SDF therapy. Findings have the potential to inform policy decisions that address oral health inequities through patient-centred health care models.
PubMed: 38906452
DOI: 10.1016/j.jdent.2024.105145 -
F1000Research 2024Interstitial Lung Disease (ILD) is a severe and rapidly progressing disease with a high fatality rate. Patient education (PE) has been demonstrated to promote long-term... (Review)
Review
OBJECTIVES
Interstitial Lung Disease (ILD) is a severe and rapidly progressing disease with a high fatality rate. Patient education (PE) has been demonstrated to promote long-term adherence to exercise and lifestyle improvements by assisting patients in developing self-management techniques. Our scoping review's goal was to chart out the prevailing level of research about the content, processes, and effectiveness of PE for patients with ILD.
METHODS
The relevant databases were searched using the rules provided by Arksey and O'Malley in 2005 and the Joanna Briggs Institute reviewers' manual 2015: an approach for JBI scoping reviews. Individuals with ILD, published in English between the years of inception and 2020, and describing PE administered by various healthcare practitioners were among the 355 studies found and reviewed. Thirteen studies met these criteria.
RESULTS
PE delivery process, delivery techniques, quality of life assessments, common PE themes, and healthcare professional participation were all recognized and cataloged.
CONCLUSION
Despite the fact that healthcare professionals (physicians, nurses, and physiotherapists) provide PE to patients with ILD regularly, the PE provided varies greatly (contents of PE, process of delivery and delivery techniques). During the scoping review, a significant variation in the themes was addressed. They could not provide any evidence-based specific recommendations for all healthcare practitioners due to the studies' heterogeneity and lack of effectiveness measures.
Topics: Lung Diseases, Interstitial; Humans; Patient Education as Topic; Quality of Life
PubMed: 38895701
DOI: 10.12688/f1000research.147340.1 -
BMC Sports Science, Medicine &... Jun 2024Ice and snow sports, which are inherently high risk due to their physically demanding nature, pose significant challenges in terms of participant safety. These...
BACKGROUND
Ice and snow sports, which are inherently high risk due to their physically demanding nature, pose significant challenges in terms of participant safety. These activities increase the likelihood of injuries, largely due to reduced bodily agility and responsiveness in cold, often unpredictable winter environments. The critical need for effective injury prevention in these sports is emphasized by the considerable impact injuries have on the health of participants, alongside the economic and social costs associated with medical and rehabilitative care. In the context of ice and snow sports environments, applying the E principles of injury prevention to evaluate intervention measures can guide the implementation of future sports safety and other health promotion intervention measures in this field. When well executed, this approach can substantially reduce both the frequency and severity of injuries, thereby significantly enhancing the safety and long-term viability of these challenging sports.
OBJECTIVE
The objective of this study was to rigorously assess and statistically substantiate the efficacy of diverse injury prevention strategies in ice and snow sports, aiming to bolster future safety measures with solid empirical evidence.
DESIGN
Systematic review and meta-analysis.
METHODS
The overarching aim of this research was to meticulously aggregate and scrutinize a broad spectrum of scholarly literature, focusing on the quantifiable efficacy of diverse, multicomponent intervention strategies in mitigating the incidence of injuries within the realm of ice and snow sports. This endeavour entailed an exhaustive extraction of data from esteemed academic databases, encompassing publications up to September 30, 2023. In pursuit of methodological excellence and analytical rigor, the study employed advanced bias assessment methodologies, notably the AMSTAR 2 and GRADE approaches, alongside sophisticated random-effects statistical modelling. This comprehensive approach was designed to ensure the utmost validity, reliability, and scholarly integrity of the study's findings.
RESULTS
Fifteen papers, including 9 randomized controlled trials, 3 case‒control studies, and 3 cohort studies with 26,123 participants and 4,382 injuries, were analysed. The findings showed a significant reduction in injury rates through various interventions: overall injury prevention (RR = 0.50, 95% CI 0.42-0.63), educational training (RR = 0.50, 95% CI 0.34-0.73), educational videos (RR = 0.53, 95% CI 0.34-0.81), protective equipment (RR = 0.64, 95% CI 0.46-0.87), and policy changes (RR = 0.28, 95% CI 0.16-0.49). Subgroup analysis revealed potential heterogeneity in compliance (p = 0.347). Compared to controls, multicomponent interventions effectively reduced injury rates.
CONCLUSION
This systematic review and meta-analysis demonstrated that multicomponent interventions significantly prevent injuries in ice and snow sports. By applying the E principles of injury prevention and constructing a framework for practical injury prevention research in ice and snow sports, we can gradually shift towards a systemic paradigm for a better understanding of the development and prevention of sports injuries. Moreover, sports injury prevention is a complex and dynamic process. Therefore, high-quality experiments in different scenarios are needed in future research to provide more reliable evidence, offer valuable and relevant prevention information for practitioners and participants, and help formulate more effective preventive measures in practice.
PubMed: 38890690
DOI: 10.1186/s13102-024-00921-6 -
Heliyon Jun 2024Sustainable smart ecotourism, utilizing smart technologies like smartphones, artificial intelligence (AI), and the Internet of Things (IoT), aims to minimize harm to...
Sustainable smart ecotourism, utilizing smart technologies like smartphones, artificial intelligence (AI), and the Internet of Things (IoT), aims to minimize harm to natural and cultural ecosystems, promoting education and environmental conservation. This review aims to examine the concept of sustainable smart ecotourism, analyzing existing literature to gain insights into the significance, components, challenges, and contributions to sustainable development on a global scale. A systematic review was conducted to evaluate sustainable smart ecotourism using PRISMA guidelines. The review focused on scholarly, peer-reviewed studies from developing countries, using databases like ScienceDirect, Jstor, Taylor & Francis, and IEEE. The study used Joanna Briggs Institute and Cochrane Risk of Bias tools to assess study quality. Thematic analysis techniques were used to extract and synthesize data, identifying patterns and trends relevant to smart ecotourism sustainability. Dual analyst verification ensured data integrity and reliability. After conducting a thorough quality evaluation using the Joanna Briggs Institute Checklist and Cochrane Risk of Bias Tool, we identified 29 studies of exceptional quality from an original pool of 9583 records. The use of thematic analysis sheds light on the diverse and important role of the IoT in promoting sustainable ecotourism. This study uncovered both the obstacles and possibilities associated with this technology. The findings provide important insights into the worldwide implementation of smart ecotourism techniques and highlight the significant impact of technology in promoting sustainable tourism models. Smart ecotourism involves multiple stakeholders to enhance environmental impact. Key characteristics include dynamic interactions, co-creation of value, sustainable development, resource sharing, and innovation services. Technology like IoT is crucial for sustainable tourism management. Collaboration with governments, local stakeholders, and organizations is recommended for sustainable policies. As a result of this study, sustainable ecotourism policies result from a collaborative effort between local communities, government agencies, and practitioners in the industry. Smart technologies, including AR/VR and AI, have the potential to enhance operational efficiency while reducing environmental concerns. Ecotourism, partnerships, and education are key to successful implementation and capacity building.
PubMed: 38882334
DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e31996 -
A systematic review of whether Health Impact Assessment frameworks support best practice principles.Public Health Jun 2024Health Impact Assessment (HIA) is an evidence-based approach to assess the likely public health impacts of a policy or plan in any sector. Several HIA frameworks are... (Review)
Review
OBJECTIVES
Health Impact Assessment (HIA) is an evidence-based approach to assess the likely public health impacts of a policy or plan in any sector. Several HIA frameworks are available to guide practitioners doing a HIA. This systematic review sought to determine whether these support practitioners to meet best practice principles defined by the International Association for Impact Assessment.
STUDY DESIGN
This was a systematic review.
METHODS
Three complementary search strategies were used to identify frameworks in June 2022. We used three databases to find completed HIAs published in the last five years and hand-searched their reference lists for frameworks. We also searched 23 HIA repositories using Google's Advanced function and contacted HIA practitioners via two international mailing lists. We used a bespoke quality appraisal tool to assess frameworks against the principles.
RESULTS
The search identified 24 HIA frameworks. None of the frameworks achieved a 'good' rating for all best practice principles. Many identified the principles but did not provide guidance on how to meet them at all HIA steps. The highest number of frameworks were rated 'good' for ethical use of evidence and comprehensive approach to health (n = 15). Eight frameworks were rated as 'good' for participation, and two for equity. The highest number of frameworks rated 'poor' for sustainability (n = 11).
CONCLUSIONS
There is marked variation in the degree to which HIA frameworks support the best practice principles. HIA practitioners could select elements from different frameworks for practical guidance to meet all the best practice principles.
PubMed: 38878738
DOI: 10.1016/j.puhe.2024.05.008 -
Journal of Robotic Surgery Jun 2024The role of robotics has grown exponentially. There is an active interest amongst practitioners in the transferability of the potential benefits into plastic and... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
The role of robotics has grown exponentially. There is an active interest amongst practitioners in the transferability of the potential benefits into plastic and reconstructive surgery; however, many plastic surgeons report lack of widespread implementation, training, or clinical exposure. We report the current evidence base, and surgical opportunities, alongside key barriers, and limitations to overcome, to develop the use of robotics within the field. This systematic review of PubMed, Medline, and Embase has been conducted in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PROSPERO (ID: CRD42024524237). Preclinical, educational, and clinical articles were included, within the scope of plastic and reconstructive surgery. 2, 181, articles were screened; 176 articles met the inclusion criteria across lymph node dissection, flap and microsurgery, vaginoplasty, craniofacial reconstruction, abdominal wall reconstruction and transoral robotic surgery (TOR). A number of benefits have been reported including technical advantages such as better visualisation, improved precision and accuracy, and tremor reduction. Patient benefits include lower rate of complications and quicker recovery; however, there is a longer operative duration in some categories. Cost presents a significant barrier to implementation. Robotic surgery presents an exciting opportunity to improve patient outcomes and surgical ease of use, with feasibility for many subspecialities demonstrated in this review. However, further higher quality comparative research with careful case selection, which is adequately powered, as well as the inclusion of cost-analysis, is necessary to fully understand the true benefit for patient care, and justification for resource utilisation.
Topics: Female; Humans; Abdominal Wall; Lymph Node Excision; Microsurgery; Operative Time; Plastic Surgery Procedures; Robotic Surgical Procedures
PubMed: 38878229
DOI: 10.1007/s11701-024-01987-7 -
Journal of Bodywork and Movement... Jul 2024The upper quarter y-balance test (YBT-UQ) is a functional screening tool used to detect musculoskeletal injury risk, aid rehabilitation, and monitor dynamic function,... (Review)
Review
INTRODUCTION
The upper quarter y-balance test (YBT-UQ) is a functional screening tool used to detect musculoskeletal injury risk, aid rehabilitation, and monitor dynamic function, strength and control, yet little is currently known about intrinsic and extrinsic factors that influence reach scores.
OBJECTIVES
This systematic review aimed to determine if age, sex, or interventions influenced reach scores and whether between-limb differences were common in non-injured sporting populations, with a secondary aim to identify if sport impacted YBT-UQ reach.
METHODS
Web of Science, PubMed, and SportDiscus were systematically searched from January 2012 to November 16, 2023, revealing twenty-three studies satisfying inclusion criteria of published in English between 2012 and 2023, healthy participants of any age including both males and females, athletic populations, YBT-UQ use to assess upper limb mobility/stability, report normalised reach scores, and peer-reviewed full-texts. Methodological quality was evaluated via National Institutes of Health (NIH) quality assessment tools for controlled interventions, observational cohort and cross-sectional designs, and pre-post with no control group.
RESULTS
Age, sex, sport, and fatigue were influencing factors; greater reach scores were achieved in older athletes (i.e. >18 years), males, and in a well-rested state. Between-limb differences were not common in sporting populations; therefore, asymmetries may be useful for practitioners to aid injury risk identification.
CONCLUSION
This is the first systematic review investigating YBT-UQ influencing factors and thereby provides context for clinicians regarding characteristics that impact reach scores in sporting populations, from which normative values could be determined and further aid clinical decisions or areas to improve regarding injury risk.
Topics: Humans; Upper Extremity; Postural Balance; Male; Age Factors; Sex Factors; Female; Athletic Injuries; Adult; Athletes; Muscle Strength; Fatigue; Sports
PubMed: 38876624
DOI: 10.1016/j.jbmt.2024.02.043 -
Frontiers in Psychiatry 2024Negative symptoms and cognitive impairments are highly frequent in schizophrenia spectrum disorders (SSD), associated with adverse functional outcomes and quality of...
Placebo effects of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation on negative symptoms and cognition in patients with schizophrenia spectrum disorders: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
BACKGROUND
Negative symptoms and cognitive impairments are highly frequent in schizophrenia spectrum disorders (SSD), associated with adverse functional outcomes and quality of life. Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) has been considered a promising therapeutic option in SSD. However, placebo effects of rTMS on these symptoms remained unclear.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate placebo effects of rTMS on alleviating negative symptoms and cognitive impairment in patients with SSD and to explore potential moderators.
METHODS
We systematically searched five electronic databases up to 15 July 2023. Randomized, double-blind, sham-controlled trials investigating effects of rTMS on negative symptoms or cognition in patients with SSD were included. The pooled placebo effect sizes, represented by Hedges' g, were estimated using the random-effects model. Potential moderators were explored through subgroup analysis and meta-regression.
RESULTS
Forty-four randomized controlled trials with 961 patients (mean age 37.53 years; 28.1% female) in the sham group were included. Significant low-to-moderate pooled placebo effect sizes were observed for negative symptoms (g=0.44, 0.001), memory (g=0.31, 0.010), executive function (g=0.35, 0.001), working memory (g=0.26, 0.004), and processing speed (g=0.36, 0.004). Subgroup analysis indicated that placebo effects were affected by sham stimulation methods, rTMS targeting approaches, and stimulation frequency.
CONCLUSIONS
Placebo effects of rTMS on negative symptoms and cognition in patients with SSD are significant in a small-to-moderate magnitude, which might be mediated by rTMS parameters. Our findings will provide new insights for practitioners to further optimize and establish standardized rTMS protocols for future RCTs tackling cardinal symptoms in SSD.
SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION
https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/, identifier CRD42023390138.
PubMed: 38863608
DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2024.1377257 -
PeerJ. Computer Science 2024Concrete, a fundamental construction material, stands as a significant consumer of virgin resources, including sand, gravel, crushed stone, and fresh water. It exerts an...
BACKGROUND
Concrete, a fundamental construction material, stands as a significant consumer of virgin resources, including sand, gravel, crushed stone, and fresh water. It exerts an immense demand, accounting for approximately 1.6 billion metric tons of Portland and modified Portland cement annually. Moreover, addressing extreme conditions with exceptionally nonlinear behavior necessitates a laborious calibration procedure in structural analysis and design methodologies. These methods are also difficult to execute in practice. To reduce time and effort, ML might be a viable option.
MATERIAL AND METHODS
A set of keywords are designed to perform the search PubMed search engine with filters to not search the studies below the year 2015. Furthermore, using PRISMA guidelines, studies were selected and after screening, a total of 42 studies were summarized. The PRISMA guidelines provide a structured framework to ensure transparency, accuracy, and completeness in reporting the methods and results of systematic reviews and meta-analyses. The ability to methodically and accurately connect disparate parts of the literature is often lacking in review research. Some of the trickiest parts of original research include knowledge mapping, co-citation, and co-occurrence. Using this data, we were able to determine which locations were most active in researching machine learning applications for concrete, where the most influential authors were in terms of both output and citations and which articles garnered the most citations overall.
CONCLUSION
ML has become a viable prediction method for a wide variety of structural industrial applications, and hence it may serve as a potential successor for routinely used empirical model in the design of concrete structures. The non-ML structural engineering community may use this overview of ML methods, fundamental principles, access codes, ML libraries, and gathered datasets to construct their own ML models for useful uses. Structural engineering practitioners and researchers may benefit from this article's incorporation of concrete ML studies as well as structural engineering datasets. The construction industry stands to benefit from the use of machine learning in terms of cost savings, time savings, and labor intensity. The statistical and graphical representation of contributing authors and participants in this work might facilitate future collaborations and the sharing of novel ideas and approaches among researchers and industry professionals. The limitation of this systematic review is that it is only PubMed based which means it includes studies included in the PubMed database.
PubMed: 38855208
DOI: 10.7717/peerj-cs.1853 -
Complementary Therapies in Clinical... Jun 2024Acupuncture is a promising modality in clinical practice, where the participants' experiences are crucial to acupuncture's use and effects. However, a comprehensive... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
Acupuncture is a promising modality in clinical practice, where the participants' experiences are crucial to acupuncture's use and effects. However, a comprehensive review synthesising participant experiences throughout treatment sessions is lacking. This study aims to explore the qualitative literature regarding participants' experiences of acupuncture as a potential treatment modality.
METHODS
A qualitative systematic review of existing literature was conducted through AMED, MEDLINE, Scopus, Embase, and Web of Science. The Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) critical appraisal checklist was employed to evaluate research quality. Subsequently, the data were extracted and synthesised utilising the JBI Qualitative Assessment and Review Instrument (QARI) tool and data synthesis was carried out through meta-aggregation.
RESULTS
A total of twenty-eight articles were incorporated into the analysis. Four synthesised findings were identified: (1) Before acupuncture: last trust and hope; (2) During acupuncture: relaxing and calming; (3) After acupuncture: mind-body effects; and (4) Practitioner-participant relationship.
CONCLUSION
The findings highlight the changes participants experienced before and after acupuncture sessions. Implementing additional promotional initiatives for acupuncture can increase public awareness and encourage individuals to consider it an early symptom management option.
REVIEW REGISTRATION
This review was registered in PROSPERO (No. CRD42023475373).
PubMed: 38852530
DOI: 10.1016/j.ctcp.2024.101866