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Journal of Ambient Intelligence and... 2023The success of deep learning over the traditional machine learning techniques in handling artificial intelligence application tasks such as image processing, computer...
UNLABELLED
The success of deep learning over the traditional machine learning techniques in handling artificial intelligence application tasks such as image processing, computer vision, object detection, speech recognition, medical imaging and so on, has made deep learning the buzz word that dominates Artificial Intelligence applications. From the last decade, the applications of deep learning in physiological signals such as electrocardiogram (ECG) have attracted a good number of research. However, previous surveys have not been able to provide a systematic comprehensive review including biometric ECG based systems of the applications of deep learning in ECG with respect to domain of applications. To address this gap, we conducted a systematic literature review on the applications of deep learning in ECG including biometric ECG based systems. The study analyzed systematically, 150 primary studies with evidence of the application of deep learning in ECG. The study shows that the applications of deep learning in ECG have been applied in different domains. We presented a new taxonomy of the domains of application of the deep learning in ECG. The paper also presented discussions on biometric ECG based systems and meta-data analysis of the studies based on the domain, area, task, deep learning models, dataset sources and preprocessing methods. Challenges and potential research opportunities were highlighted to enable novel research. We believe that this study will be useful to both new researchers and expert researchers who are seeking to add knowledge to the already existing body of knowledge in ECG signal processing using deep learning algorithm.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION
The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12652-022-03868-z.
PubMed: 35821879
DOI: 10.1007/s12652-022-03868-z -
Frontiers in Neurology 2022The implantation protocol for Carmustine Wafers (CWs) in high grade glioma (HGG) was developed to offer a bridge between surgical resection and adjuvant treatments, such...
BACKGROUND
The implantation protocol for Carmustine Wafers (CWs) in high grade glioma (HGG) was developed to offer a bridge between surgical resection and adjuvant treatments, such as radio- and chemotherapy. In the last years, however, a widespread use of CWs has been limited due to uncertainties regarding efficacy, in addition to increased risk of infection and elevated costs of treatment.
OBJECTIVE
The aims of our study were to investigate the epidemiology of patients that underwent surgery for HGG with CW implantation, in addition to the assessment of related complications, long-term overall survival (), and associated prognostic factors.
METHODS
Three different medical databases were screened for conducting a systematic review of the literature, according to the PRISMA statement guidelines, evaluating the role of BCNU wafer implantation in patients with newly diagnosed HGG. The search query was based on a combination of medical subject headings (MeSH): "high grade glioma" [MeSH] AND "Carmustine" [MeSH] and free text terms: "surgery" OR "BCNU wafer" OR "Gliadel" OR "systemic treatment options" OR "overall survival."
RESULTS
The analysis of the meta-data demonstrated that there was a significant advantage in using CWs in newly diagnosed GBM in terms of , and a very low heterogeneity among the included studies [mean difference 2.64 (95% 0.85, 4.44); = 0.004; I2149 = 0%]. Conversely, no significant difference between the two treatment groups in terms of PFS wad detected ( = 0.55). The analysis of complications showed a relatively higher rate in Carmustine implanted patients, although this difference was not significant ( = 0.53).
CONCLUSIONS
This meta-analysis seems to suggest that CWs implantation plays a significant role in improving the , when used in patients with newly diagnosed HGG. To minimize the risk of side effects, however, a carful patient selection based mainly on patient age and tumor volume should be desirable.
PubMed: 35812101
DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2022.884158 -
BMJ Open Jun 2022Identify and describe the available evidence on the effects food systems interventions on food security and nutrition outcomes in low-income and middle-income countries.
OBJECTIVE
Identify and describe the available evidence on the effects food systems interventions on food security and nutrition outcomes in low-income and middle-income countries.
METHODS
An adapted version of the high-level panel of experts food systems framework defined the interventions and outcomes included studies. Included study designs were experimental and quasi-experimental quantitative impact evaluations and systematic reviews. Following standards for evidence gap maps developed by 3ie, a systematic search of 17 academic databases and 31 sector-specific repositories in May 2020 identified articles for inclusion. Trained consultants screened titles/abstracts, then full texts of identified articles. Studies meeting eligibility criteria had meta-data systematically extracted and were descriptively analysed. Systematic reviews were critically appraised.
RESULTS
The map includes 1838 impact evaluations and 178 systematic reviews. The most common interventions, with over 100 impact evaluations and 20 systematic reviews each, were: provision of supplements, fortification, nutrition classes, direct provision of foods and peer support/counselling. Few studies addressed national-level interventions or women's empowerment. The most common final outcomes were: anthropometry, micronutrient status, and diet quality and adequacy. Intermediate outcomes were less studied.Most evaluations were conducted in sub-Saharan Africa (33%) or South Asia (20%). Many studies occurred in lower-middle-income countries (43%); few (7%) were in fragile countries. Among studies in a specific age group, infants were most frequently included (19%); 14% of these also considered mothers.Few evaluations considered qualitative or cost analysis; 75% used randomisation as the main identification strategy.
DISCUSSION
The uneven distribution of research means that some interventions have established impacts while other interventions, often affecting large populations, are underevaluated. Areas for future research include the evaluation of national level policies, evaluation of efforts to support women's empowerment within the food system, and the synthesis of dietary quality. Quasi-experimental approaches should be adopted to evaluate difficult to randomise interventions.
Topics: Developing Countries; Dietary Supplements; Female; Humans; Income; Infant; Micronutrients; Poverty
PubMed: 35732381
DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2021-055062 -
The effects of population management on wild ungulates: A systematic map of evidence for UK species.PloS One 2022Over recent decades, the abundance and geographic ranges of wild ungulate species have expanded in many parts of Europe, including the UK. Populations are managed to... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
INTRODUCTION
Over recent decades, the abundance and geographic ranges of wild ungulate species have expanded in many parts of Europe, including the UK. Populations are managed to mitigate their ecological impacts using interventions, such as shooting, fencing and administering contraception. Predicting how target species will respond to interventions is critical for developing sustainable, effective and efficient management strategies. However, the quantity and quality of evidence of the effects of interventions on ungulate species is unclear. To address this, we systematically mapped research on the effects of population management on wild ungulate species resident in the UK.
METHODS
We searched four bibliographic databases, Google Scholar and nine organisational websites using search terms tested with a library of 30 relevant articles. Worldwide published peer-reviewed articles were considered, supplemented by 'grey' literature from UK-based sources. Three reviewers identified and screened articles for eligibility at title, abstract and full-text levels, based on predefined criteria. Data and metadata were extracted and summarised in a narrative synthesis supported by structured graphical matrices.
RESULTS
A total of 123 articles were included in the systematic map. Lethal interventions were better represented (85%, n = 105) than non-lethal interventions (25%, n = 25). Outcomes related to demography and behaviour were reported in 95% of articles (n = 117), whereas effects on health, physiology and morphology were studied in only 11% of articles (n = 14). Well-studied species included wild pigs (n = 58), red deer (n = 28) and roe deer (n = 23).
CONCLUSIONS
Evidence for the effects of population management on wild ungulate species is growing but currently limited and unevenly distributed across intervention types, outcomes and species. Priorities for primary research include: species responses to non-lethal interventions, the side-effects of shooting and studies on sika deer and Chinese muntjac. Shooting is the only intervention for which sufficient evidence exists for systematic review or meta-analysis.
Topics: Animals; Deer; Europe; United Kingdom
PubMed: 35687554
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0267385 -
Frontiers in Microbiology 2022Third generation cephalosporins and carbapenems are considered critically important antimicrobials in human medicine. Food animals such as swine can act as reservoirs of... (Review)
Review
Global Distribution of Extended Spectrum Cephalosporin and Carbapenem Resistance and Associated Resistance Markers in of Swine Origin - A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
Third generation cephalosporins and carbapenems are considered critically important antimicrobials in human medicine. Food animals such as swine can act as reservoirs of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) genes/bacteria resistant to these antimicrobial classes, and potential dissemination of AMR genes or resistant bacteria from pigs to humans is an ongoing public health threat. The objectives of this systematic review and meta-analysis were to: (1) estimate global proportion and animal-level prevalence of swine phenotypically resistant to third generation cephalosporins (3GCs) and carbapenems at a country level; and (2) measure abundances and global distribution of the genetic mechanisms that confer resistance to these antimicrobial classes in these isolates. Articles from four databases (CAB Abstracts, PubMed/MEDLINE, PubAg, and Web of Science) were screened to extract relevant data. Overall, proportion of resistant to 3GCs was lower in Australia, Europe, and North America compared to Asian countries. Globally, <5% of all were carbapenem-resistant. Fecal carriage rates (animal-level prevalence) were consistently manifold higher as compared to pooled proportion of resistance in isolates. were the most common 3GC resistance genes globally, with the exception of North America where were the predominant 3GC resistance genes. There was not a single dominant gene subtype globally and several subtypes were dominant depending on the continent. A wide variety of carbapenem-resistance genes ( , ) were identified to be circulating in pig populations globally, albeit at very-low frequencies. However, great statistical heterogeneity and a critical lack of metadata hinders the true estimation of prevalence of phenotypic and genotypic resistance to these antimicrobials. Comparatively frequent occurrence of 3GC resistance and emergence of carbapenem resistance in certain countries underline the urgent need for improved AMR surveillance in swine production systems in these countries.
PubMed: 35620091
DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.853810 -
Environmental Health Perspectives May 2022Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a large class of synthetic (man-made) chemicals widely used in consumer products and industrial processes. Thousands of... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a large class of synthetic (man-made) chemicals widely used in consumer products and industrial processes. Thousands of distinct PFAS exist in commerce. The 2019 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) Action Plan outlines a multiprogram national research plan to address the challenge of PFAS. One component of this strategy involves the use of systematic evidence map (SEM) approaches to characterize the evidence base for hundreds of PFAS.
OBJECTIVE
SEM methods were used to summarize available epidemiological and animal bioassay evidence for a set of PFAS that were prioritized in 2019 by the U.S. EPA's Center for Computational Toxicology and Exposure (CCTE) for toxicity and toxicokinetic assay testing.
METHODS
Systematic review methods were used to identify and screen literature using manual review and machine-learning software. The Populations, Exposures, Comparators, and Outcomes (PECO) criteria were kept broad to identify mammalian animal bioassay and epidemiological studies that could inform human hazard identification. A variety of supplemental content was also tracked, including information on model systems; exposure measurement-only studies in humans; and absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion (ADME). Animal bioassay and epidemiology studies meeting PECO criteria were summarized with respect to study design, and health system(s) were assessed. Because animal bioassay studies with exposure duration (or reproductive/developmental study design) were most useful to CCTE analyses, these studies underwent study evaluation and detailed data extraction. All data extraction is publicly available online as interactive visuals with downloadable metadata.
RESULTS
More than 40,000 studies were identified from scientific databases. Screening processes identified 44 animal and 148 epidemiology studies from the peer-reviewed literature and 95 animal and 50 epidemiology studies from gray literature that met PECO criteria. Epidemiological evidence (available for 15 PFAS) mostly assessed the reproductive, endocrine, developmental, metabolic, cardiovascular, and immune systems. Animal evidence (available for 40 PFAS) commonly assessed effects in the reproductive, developmental, urinary, immunological, and hepatic systems. Overall, 45 PFAS had evidence across animal and epidemiology data streams.
DISCUSSION
Many of the PFAS were data poor. Epidemiological and animal evidence were lacking for most of the PFAS included in our search. By disseminating this information, we hope to facilitate additional assessment work by providing the initial scoping literature survey and identifying key research needs. Future research on data-poor PFAS will help support a more complete understanding of the potential health effects from PFAS exposures. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP10343.
Topics: Animals; Databases, Factual; Epidemiologic Studies; Fluorocarbons; Humans; Mammals; Reproduction; United States; United States Environmental Protection Agency
PubMed: 35580034
DOI: 10.1289/EHP10343 -
Frontiers in Public Health 2022COVID-19 pandemic is fueling digital health transformation-accelerating innovations of digital health services, surveillance, and interventions, whereas hastening social...
COVID-19 pandemic is fueling digital health transformation-accelerating innovations of digital health services, surveillance, and interventions, whereas hastening social contagion of deliberate infodemic. The USA and many other countries are experiencing a resurgent wave of the COVID-19 pandemic with vaccination rate slowdown, making policymaking fraught with challenges. Political leaders and scientists have publicly warned of a "pandemic of the unvaccinated," reinforcing their calls for citizens to get jabs. However, some scientists accused elites of stigmatizing the unvaccinated people and undermining the moral pillars of public health. Following the PRISMA-ScR guidelines, we first reviewed the nuances of stakeholders involved in the ongoing debates and revealed the potential consequences of divisive pronouncements to provide perspectives to reframe extensible discussions. Then, we employed the convergent cross mapping (CCM) model to reveal the uncharted knock-on effects of the contentious tsunami in a stakeholders-oriented policymaking framework, coupled with rich metadata from the GDELT project and Google Trends. Our experimental findings suggest that current news coverage may shape the mindsets of the vaccines against the unvaccinated, thereby exacerbating the risk of dualistic antagonism in algorithmically infused societies. Finally, we briefly summarized how open debates are conducive to increasing vaccination rates and bolstering the outcomes of impending policies for pandemic preparedness.
Topics: Attitude to Health; COVID-19; COVID-19 Vaccines; Humans; Mass Vaccination; Pandemics; Public Opinion
PubMed: 35493379
DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2022.830933 -
Frontiers in Oncology 2022Machine learning and semantic analysis are computer-based methods to evaluate complex relationships and predict future perspectives. We used these technologies to define...
Machine learning and semantic analysis are computer-based methods to evaluate complex relationships and predict future perspectives. We used these technologies to define recent, current and future topics in pancreatic cancer research. Publications indexed under the Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) term 'Pancreatic Neoplasms' from January 1996 to October 2021 were downloaded from PubMed. Using the statistical computing language R and the interpreted, high-level, general-purpose programming language Python, we extracted publication dates, geographic information, and abstracts from each publication's metadata for bibliometric analyses. The generative statistical algorithm "latent Dirichlet allocation" (LDA) was applied to identify specific research topics and trends. The unsupervised "Louvain algorithm" was used to establish a network to identify relationships between single topics. A total of 60,296 publications were identified and analyzed. The publications were derived from 133 countries, mostly from the Northern Hemisphere. For the term "pancreatic cancer research", 12,058 MeSH terms appeared 1,395,060 times. Among them, we identified the four main topics "Clinical Manifestation and Diagnosis", "Review and Management", "Treatment Studies", and "Basic Research". The number of publications has increased rapidly during the past 25 years. Based on the number of publications, the algorithm predicted that "Immunotherapy", Prognostic research", "Protein expression", "Case reports", "Gemcitabine and mechanism", "Clinical study of gemcitabine", "Operation and postoperation", "Chemotherapy and resection", and "Review and management" as current research topics. To our knowledge, this is the first study on this subject of pancreatic cancer research, which has become possible due to the improvement of algorithms and hardware.
PubMed: 35419289
DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2022.832385 -
ANZ Journal of Surgery Sep 2022Recurrent Testicular Torsion (RTT) is a rarely reported event after previous testicular torsion (TT) repair. Both conditions have similar signs and symptoms. Various... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
Recurrent Testicular Torsion (RTT) is a rarely reported event after previous testicular torsion (TT) repair. Both conditions have similar signs and symptoms. Various techniques have been attempted to reduce the incidence of retorsion. This review assesses the presentation, diagnosis, risk factors, management and outcomes associated with RTT.
METHODS
After PROSPERO Registration (CRD42021258997), a systematic search of PubMed, Google Scholar, Embase, Scopus, Web of Science, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, Global Index Medicus and Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CIANHL) was performed using specific search terms. Study metadata including patient demographics, orchidopexy techniques, RTT rates and RTT timing were extracted.
RESULTS
Twenty-six articles, comprising 12 case series and 14 case reports, with a total of 46 patients were included. Overall, the median (IQR) age of the pooled cohort was 18 (15-26) years, the median (IQR) time to presentation was 6 (3-36) hours from the onset of testicular pain. The most common presenting features were testicular pain (100%), testicular swelling (60.9%) and a high riding testicle (34.8%). The left testicle was most commonly affected (63.0%), RTT was on the ipsilateral side in relation to the primary episode of TT in 52.2% of cases, the median (IQR) interval between torsion and retorsion events was 4 (1.3-10.0) years, non-absorbable sutures were the most common suture material used during orchidopexy after RTT (88.9%).
CONCLUSION
RTT is a rare presentation to the Emergency Department. Even with a prior history of TT, RTT should be considered in patients presenting with classic symptoms.
Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Humans; Male; Orchiopexy; Pain; Retrospective Studies; Spermatic Cord Torsion; Testicular Diseases; Young Adult
PubMed: 35257473
DOI: 10.1111/ans.17592 -
PeerJ. Computer Science 2022Microservices is an emerging paradigm for developing distributed systems. With their widespread adoption, more and more work investigated the relation between...
Microservices is an emerging paradigm for developing distributed systems. With their widespread adoption, more and more work investigated the relation between microservices and security. Alas, the literature on this subject does not form a well-defined : it is spread over many venues and composed of contributions mainly addressing specific scenarios or needs. In this work, we conduct a systematic review of the field, gathering 290 relevant publications-at the time of writing, the largest curated dataset on the topic. We analyse our dataset along two lines: (a) quantitatively, through publication metadata, which allows us to chart publication outlets, communities, approaches, and tackled issues; (b) qualitatively, through 20 research questions used to provide an aggregated overview of the literature and to spot gaps left open. We summarise our analyses in the conclusion in the form of a call for action to address the main open challenges.
PubMed: 35111904
DOI: 10.7717/peerj-cs.779