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Frontiers in Immunology 2022Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most common malignant brain tumor in adults, and immunotherapies and genetic therapies for GBM have evolved dramatically over the past decade,... (Review)
Review
Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most common malignant brain tumor in adults, and immunotherapies and genetic therapies for GBM have evolved dramatically over the past decade, but GBM therapy is still facing a dilemma due to the high recurrence rate. The inflammatory microenvironment is a general signature of tumors that accelerates epigenetic changes in GBM and helps tumors avoid immunological surveillance. GBM tumor cells and glioma-associated microglia/macrophages are the primary contributors to the inflammatory condition, meanwhile the modification of epigenetic events including DNA methylation, non-coding RNAs, and histone methylation and deacetylases involved in this pathological process of GBM, finally result in exacerbating the proliferation, invasion, and migration of GBM. On the other hand, histone deacetylase inhibitors, DNA methyltransferases inhibitors, and RNA interference could reverse the inflammatory landscapes and inhibit GBM growth and invasion. Here, we systematically review the inflammatory-associated epigenetic changes and regulations in the microenvironment of GBM, aiming to provide a comprehensive epigenetic profile underlying the recognition of inflammation in GBM.
Topics: Brain Neoplasms; Epigenesis, Genetic; Glioblastoma; Humans; Inflammation; Tumor Microenvironment
PubMed: 35572545
DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.869307 -
JMIR Medical Informatics May 2022Systematic reviews (SRs) are central to evaluating therapies but have high costs in terms of both time and money. Many software tools exist to assist with SRs, but most...
BACKGROUND
Systematic reviews (SRs) are central to evaluating therapies but have high costs in terms of both time and money. Many software tools exist to assist with SRs, but most tools do not support the full process, and transparency and replicability of SR depend on performing and presenting evidence according to established best practices.
OBJECTIVE
This study aims to provide a basis for comparing and selecting between web-based software tools that support SR, by conducting a feature-by-feature comparison of SR tools.
METHODS
We searched for SR tools by reviewing any such tool listed in the SR Toolbox, previous reviews of SR tools, and qualitative Google searching. We included all SR tools that were currently functional and required no coding, and excluded reference managers, desktop applications, and statistical software. The list of features to assess was populated by combining all features assessed in 4 previous reviews of SR tools; we also added 5 features (manual addition, screening automation, dual extraction, living review, and public outputs) that were independently noted as best practices or enhancements of transparency and replicability. Then, 2 reviewers assigned binary present or absent assessments to all SR tools with respect to all features, and a third reviewer adjudicated all disagreements.
RESULTS
Of the 53 SR tools found, 55% (29/53) were excluded, leaving 45% (24/53) for assessment. In total, 30 features were assessed across 6 classes, and the interobserver agreement was 86.46%. Giotto Compliance (27/30, 90%), DistillerSR (26/30, 87%), and Nested Knowledge (26/30, 87%) support the most features, followed by EPPI-Reviewer Web (25/30, 83%), LitStream (23/30, 77%), JBI SUMARI (21/30, 70%), and SRDB.PRO (VTS Software) (21/30, 70%). Fewer than half of all the features assessed are supported by 7 tools: RobotAnalyst (National Centre for Text Mining), SRDR (Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality), SyRF (Systematic Review Facility), Data Abstraction Assistant (Center for Evidence Synthesis in Health), SR Accelerator (Institute for Evidence-Based Healthcare), RobotReviewer (RobotReviewer), and COVID-NMA (COVID-NMA). Notably, of the 24 tools, only 10 (42%) support direct search, only 7 (29%) offer dual extraction, and only 13 (54%) offer living/updatable reviews.
CONCLUSIONS
DistillerSR, Nested Knowledge, and EPPI-Reviewer Web each offer a high density of SR-focused web-based tools. By transparent comparison and discussion regarding SR tool functionality, the medical community can both choose among existing software offerings and note the areas of growth needed, most notably in the support of living reviews.
PubMed: 35499859
DOI: 10.2196/33219 -
F1000Research 2021In the era of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (IR 4.0), digital taxation emerged as a tool for accelerating the economic growth of a nation. While Industry 4.0 focuses...
In the era of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (IR 4.0), digital taxation emerged as a tool for accelerating the economic growth of a nation. While Industry 4.0 focuses on enabling real-time decision-making with sophisticated technology to enhance productivity, digital taxation can serve as an important tool for improving business sustainability. Institutions of higher learning (IHL), which aim to design an IR 4.0 educational ecosystem, can embrace digital taxation, as they face various challenges with different resources. The literature indicates that frugal innovation through digital taxation in institutions of higher learning, can solve emerging resource challenges. We present a systematic review of studies on digital taxation to promote frugal innovation published in the past three decades (1991 to 2021). We obtained a total of 21 papers from a 'digital taxation' keyword search, 10 of which were related to digital taxation. However, the 10 papers were not related to frugal innovation. We present two major findings. Firstly, research on digital taxation for frugal innovation is scant. Secondly, challenges exist in digital taxation implementation, which requires further attention. We conclude this review with a recommendation for the conceptual framework, to highlight potential research warranting the attention of the research community.
Topics: Commerce; Ecosystem; Taxes; Technology
PubMed: 35399228
DOI: 10.12688/f1000research.73318.2 -
Journal of Clinical and Translational... Apr 2022Adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (ADSCs) have been proven effective to prevent distal skin flap necrosis in preclinical models. However, to appropriately translate... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND AND AIM
Adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (ADSCs) have been proven effective to prevent distal skin flap necrosis in preclinical models. However, to appropriately translate these findings to clinical trials, the effect of ADSC of human origin (hADSC) needs to be evaluated. We hypothesize that hADSC treatment is as effective as animal ADSC treatment at preventing distal skin flap necrosis in animal flap models.
METHODS
Three databases were inquired on August 17, 2020, to evaluate the necrotic flap area after using hADSCs in animal models of ischemic flaps. No publication status or dates were considered. Studies were included if they used hADSCs, measured the surviving or necrotic skin area of flaps, used animal models, and were in English. Studies were excluded if they did not use cells of human origin. The flap survival or necrotic area, perfusion, capillary density, vascular endothelial growth factor secretion and HIF-1α expression were extracted.
RESULTS
Ten studies met inclusion criteria. The mean absolute risk reduction (ARR) in necrotic skin area was 22.37% (95% confidence interval [CI] 16.98-27.76%, <0.05) for flaps treated with animal ADSCs and 18.04% (95% CI 2.74-33.33%, P<0.05) for flaps treated with hADSCs. The difference between mean ARRs was not statistically significant (4.33%, 95% CI - 34.47-43.13%, >0.05).
CONCLUSION
Human ADSCs prevent skin flap necrosis to the same degree as animal ADSCs in rodent and rabbit flap models.
RELEVANCE FOR PATIENTS
This review found that adipose-derived stem cells of human origin are equally effective at reducing the risk of surgical flap necrosis in preclinical models of small animals as autologous animal cells. The findings in this review should encourage researchers to use human adipose-derived stem cells in animal models of ischemic flaps to accelerate their translation into clinical trials and, eventually, surgical practice. The low immunogenicity of these cells should be leveraged to gain insight into the effects of the products that will be ultimately administered to patients. Furthermore, human adipose-derived stem cells' pro-angiogenic mechanism of action sets this therapy as a promising preventive measure for flap necrosis.
PubMed: 35382131
DOI: No ID Found -
Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery.... Mar 2022Functional recovery after peripheral nerve injury is often suboptimal despite the intrinsic permissive growth environment of the peripheral nervous system. The objective...
UNLABELLED
Functional recovery after peripheral nerve injury is often suboptimal despite the intrinsic permissive growth environment of the peripheral nervous system. The objective of this systematic review is to explore the use of electrical stimulation (ES) for peripheral nerve regeneration.
METHODS
A systematic literature search was conducted from inception to March 2, 2021 to retrieve articles on ES for peripheral nerve regeneration using the PubMed, Ovid MEDLINE, and Embase databases. Primary outcome measures included objective measures of motor and sensory nerve function.
RESULTS
Four randomized control trials, two case reports, and three case series that addressed the aims were identified. The stimulation parameters varied greatly between studies, without an apparent commonality for a given electrical conduit. Outcomes measured included motor (n = 8) and sensory (n = 7) modalities (cold detection, static two-point discrimination, tactile discrimination, and pressure detection), nerve-specific muscle function and bulk, and electromyography (EMG) motor and sensory terminal latency. Different parameters for measurement were utilized and improvement was observed across the studies compared with controls (n = 4) or pre-intervention measurements (n = 5). One randomized control trial reported no benefit of ES and attributed their findings to their stimulation protocol. Complications were documented in three patients only and included wire remnant removal, skin pigmentation, and bone formation.
CONCLUSIONS
ES in peripheral nerve regeneration is beneficial in improving and accelerating recovery. A meta-analysis was not performed due to the heterogeneity, but all studies showed positive findings and minor to no complications. These results provide a primer for further development of delivery methods.
PubMed: 35317464
DOI: 10.1097/GOX.0000000000004115 -
Burns & Trauma 2022Promoting wound healing is crucial to restore the vital barrier function of injured skin. Growth factor products including epidermal growth factor (EGF), fibroblast...
The clinical effectiveness and safety of using epidermal growth factor, fibroblast growth factor and granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factor as therapeutics in acute skin wound healing: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
BACKGROUND
Promoting wound healing is crucial to restore the vital barrier function of injured skin. Growth factor products including epidermal growth factor (EGF), fibroblast growth factor (FGF) and granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF) have been used for decades although no systematic evaluation exists regarding their effectiveness and safety issues in treating acute skin wounds. This has resulted in a lack of guidelines and standards for proper application regimes. Therefore, this systematic review and meta-analysis was performed to critically evaluate the effectiveness and safety of these growth factors on skin acute wounds and provide guidelines for application regimes.
METHODS
We searched PubMed/Medline (1980-2020), Cochrane Library (1980-2020), Cochrane CENTRAL (from establishment to 2020), ClinicalTrials.gov (from establishment to 2020), Chinese Journal Full-text Database (CNKI, 1994-2020), China Biology Medicine disc (CBM, 1978-2019), Chinese Scientific Journal Database (VIP, 1989-2020) and Wanfang Database (WFDATA, 1980-2019). Randomized controlled trials (RCTs), quasi-RCTs and controlled clinical trials treating patients with acute skin wounds from various causes and with those available growth factors were included.
RESULTS
A total of 7573 papers were identified through database searching; 229 papers including 281 studies were kept after final screening. Administering growth factors significantly shortened the healing time of acute skin wounds, including superficial burn injuries [mean difference (MD) = -3.02; 95% confidence interval (CI):-3.31 ~ -2.74; 0.00001], deep burn injuries (MD = -5.63; 95% CI:-7.10 ~ -4.17; < 0.00001), traumata and surgical wounds (MD = -4.50; 95% CI:-5.55 ~ -3.44; < 0.00001). Growth factors increased the healing rate of acute skin wounds and decreased scar scores. The incidence of adverse reactions was lower in the growth factor treatment group than in the non-growth factor group.
CONCLUSIONS
The studied growth factors not only are effective and safe for managing acute skin wounds, but also accelerate their healing with no severe adverse reactions.
PubMed: 35265723
DOI: 10.1093/burnst/tkac002 -
Human Vaccines & Immunotherapeutics Dec 2022With the relatively rapid development of the COVID-19 pandemic, vaccine development has become crucial for limiting disease transmission. The accelerated growth in the...
With the relatively rapid development of the COVID-19 pandemic, vaccine development has become crucial for limiting disease transmission. The accelerated growth in the approved COVID-19 vaccines has sparked concerns about their efficacies which have been assessed by many studies. This systematic review compares the efficacy and effectiveness of seven COVID-19 vaccines. A comprehensive systematic literature search was performed using several databases to identify studies reporting the effectiveness or the efficacy of the vaccines. Only 42 studies met our inclusion criteria, which revealed that the COVID-19 vaccines have successfully reduced the rates of infections, severity, hospitalization, and mortality among the different populations. The full-dose regimen of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine is the most effective against infections with the B.1.1.7 and B.1.351 variants. Despite of the high effectiveness of some of the COVID-19 vaccines, more efforts are required to test their effectiveness against the other newly emerging variants.
Topics: COVID-19; COVID-19 Vaccines; Hospitalization; Humans; Pandemics; SARS-CoV-2
PubMed: 35113777
DOI: 10.1080/21645515.2022.2027160 -
International Journal of Environmental... Nov 2021(1) Introduction: In the last two decades, telemedicine has been increasingly applied to telemonitoring (TM) of patients with pacemakers; however, presently, its growth... (Review)
Review
(1) Introduction: In the last two decades, telemedicine has been increasingly applied to telemonitoring (TM) of patients with pacemakers; however, presently, its growth has significantly accelerated because of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has pushed patients and healthcare workers alike to seek new ways to stay healthy with minimal physical contact. Therefore, the main objective of this study was to update the current knowledge on the differences in the medium-and long-term effectiveness of TM and conventional monitoring (CM) in relation to costs and health outcomes. (2) Methods: Three databases and one scientific registry were searched (PubMed, EMBASE, Scopus, and Google Scholar), with no restrictions on language or year of publication. Studies published until July 2021 were included. The inclusion criteria were: (a) experimental or observational design, (b) complete economic evaluation, (c) patients with implanted pacemakers, and (d) comparison of TM with CM. Measurements of study characteristics (author, study duration, sample size, age, sex, major indication for implantation, and pacemaker used), analysis, significant results of the variables (analysis performed, primary endpoints, secondary endpoints, health outcomes, and cost outcomes), and further miscellaneous measurements (methodological quality, variables coded, instrument development, coder training, and intercoder reliability, etc.) were included. (3) Results: 11 studies met the inclusion criteria, consisting of 3372 enrolled patients; 1773 (52.58%) of them were part of randomized clinical trials. The mean age was 72 years, and the atrioventricular block was established as the main indication for device implantation. TM was significantly effective in detecting the presence or absence of pacemaker problems, leading to a reduction in the number of unscheduled hospital visits (8.34-55.55%). The cost of TM was up to 87% lower than that of CM. There were no significant differences in health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and the number of cardiovascular events. (4) Conclusions: Most of the studies included in this systematic review confirm that in the TM group of patients with pacemakers, cardiovascular events are detected and treated earlier, and the number of unscheduled visits to the hospital is significantly reduced, without affecting the HRQoL of patients. In addition, with TM modality, both formal and informal costs are significantly reduced in the medium and long term.
Topics: Aged; COVID-19; Cost-Benefit Analysis; Humans; Pacemaker, Artificial; Pandemics; Quality of Life; Reproducibility of Results; SARS-CoV-2
PubMed: 34831876
DOI: 10.3390/ijerph182212120 -
International Journal of Environmental... Nov 2021The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that around 3 billion people today are exposed to smoke from the household combustion of solid fuels. While the household...
The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that around 3 billion people today are exposed to smoke from the household combustion of solid fuels. While the household use of solid fuels has decreased over the last few decades, it remains a leading modifiable risk factor for the global burden of disease. This systematic review analyzed the impact of Household Air Pollution (HAP) on lung function in children (under 18 years of age), as this is the time period of accelerated growth rate until full skeletal maturity. Data from 11 published studies demonstrated that exposure to smoke from solid fuel was associated with a lower growth rate of several lung function indices (FVC, FEV, FEF) in children. However, there was no observed association between HAP and the FEV/FVC ratio over time. Although the evidence suggests an inverse association between high exposure to HAP and lung function indices, there is a lack of longitudinal data describing this association. Therefore, precaution is needed to reduce the smoke exposure from solid fuel burning.
Topics: Adolescent; Air Pollution; Air Pollution, Indoor; Child; Cooking; Humans; Lung; Smoke
PubMed: 34831729
DOI: 10.3390/ijerph182211973 -
Frontiers in Psychology 2021The COVID-19 outbreak, along with post-pandemic impact has prompted education to re-examine numerous facets of technology-oriented academic research, particularly...
The COVID-19 outbreak, along with post-pandemic impact has prompted education to re-examine numerous facets of technology-oriented academic research, particularly Educational Big Data (EBD). However, the unexpected transition from face-to-face offline education to online lessons has urged teachers to introduce educational technology into teaching practice, which has had an overwhelming impact on teachers' professional and personal lives. The aim of this present work is to fathom which research foci construct EBD in a comprehensive manner and how positive psychological indicators function in the technostress suffered by less agentic teachers. To this end, CiteSpace 5.7 and VOSviewer were applied to examine a longitudinal study of the literature from Web of Science Core Collection with the objective of uncovering the explicit patterns and knowledge structures in scientific network knowledge maps. Thousand seven hundred and eight articles concerned with educational data that met the criteria were extracted and analyzed. Research spanning 15 years was conducted to reveal that the knowledge base has accumulated dramatically after many governments' initiatives since 2012 with an accelerating annual growth and decreasing geographic imbalance. The review also identified some influential authors and journals whose effects will continue to have future implications. The authors identified several topical foci such as data mining, student performance, learning environment and psychology, learning analytics, and application. More specifically, the authors identified the scientific shift from data mining application to data privacy and educational psychology, from general scan to specific investigation. Among the conclusions, the results highlighted the important integration of educational psychology and technology during critical periods of educational development.
PubMed: 34777150
DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.753388