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Bioengineering (Basel, Switzerland) Jun 2024Medical imaging has allowed for significant advancements in the field of ultrasound procedures over the years. However, each imaging modality exhibits distinct... (Review)
Review
Medical imaging has allowed for significant advancements in the field of ultrasound procedures over the years. However, each imaging modality exhibits distinct limitations that differently affect their accuracy. It is imperative to ensure the quality of each modality to identify and eliminate these limitations. To achieve this, a tissue-mimicking material (TMM) phantom is utilised for validation. This study aims to perform a systematic analysis of tissue-mimicking materials used for creating ultrasound phantoms. We reviewed 234 studies on the use of TMM phantoms in ultrasound that were published from 2013 to 2023 from two research databases. Our focus was on studies that discussed TMMs' properties and fabrication for ultrasound, elastography, and flow phantoms. The screening process led to the selection of 16 out of 234 studies to include in the analysis. The TMM ultrasound phantoms were categorised into three groups based on the solvent used; each group offers a broad range of physical properties. The water-based material most closely aligns with the properties of ultrasound. This study provides important information about the materials used for ultrasound phantoms. We also compared these materials to real human tissues and found that PVA matches most of the human tissues the best.
PubMed: 38927856
DOI: 10.3390/bioengineering11060620 -
BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders Jun 2024An increasing body of evidence suggests that home-based exercise (HBE) therapy has significant therapeutic effects on knee osteoarthritis (KOA) and hip osteoarthritis... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
BACKGROUND
An increasing body of evidence suggests that home-based exercise (HBE) therapy has significant therapeutic effects on knee osteoarthritis (KOA) and hip osteoarthritis (HipOA), and it has advantages such as cost savings, strong operability, and good compliance compared with hospitalization and exercise courses.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the efficacy of HBE in the treatment of KOA and HipOA.
METHODS
A systematic search was conducted in PubMed, Cochrane, Web of Science, and Embase to collect randomized controlled trials. The retrieval time was from database establishment until March 6, 2024. Stata 15.1 software was used for data analysis.
RESULTS
A total of 16 randomized controlled trials involving 3,015participants were included, with 1,519 participants in the intervention group and 1,496 in the control group. The meta-analysis showed that, compared to the control group, HBE can significantly improve pain [SMD=-0.38, 95% CI (-0.58, -0.18); P = 0.001], joint function [SMD=-0.60, 95% CI (-1.01, -0.19); P = 0.004], balance ability [SMD=-0.67, 95% CI (-1.00, -0.34); P = 0.001], mobility (ADL) [SMD = 0.51, 95% CI (0.19, 0.82); P = 0.002] in patients with KOA and HipOA. There is no statistical difference in the improvement of joint stiffness [WMD = -0.80, 95% CI (-1.61, 0.01); P = 0.052]. In addition, subgroup analysis showed that HBE significantly improved pain, joint function, and balance ability in KOA patients compared with the control group. HipOA patients showed significant improvement in pain and joint function; However, HBE only improved activity ability in patients with comorbidities of KOA and HipOA.
CONCLUSION
HBE can effectively alleviate pain, improve joint function, and enhance physical function in patients with KOA and HipOA. However, more high-quality randomized controlled trials (RCTs) with large sample sizes and long-term interventions are needed to validate the efficacy of HBE due to limitations in the methodology and consistency of indicator outcomes in the included RCTs.
REGISTRATION NUMBER
We've registered with PROSPERO, and the number is CRD42023443085.
Topics: Humans; Osteoarthritis, Hip; Osteoarthritis, Knee; Exercise Therapy; Treatment Outcome; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; Pain Measurement; Knee Joint; Home Care Services; Disability Evaluation
PubMed: 38926896
DOI: 10.1186/s12891-024-07585-w -
Malaria Journal Jun 2024Malaria, a severe health threat, significantly affects total antioxidant status (TAS) levels, leading to considerable oxidative stress. This systematic review and... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
BACKGROUND
Malaria, a severe health threat, significantly affects total antioxidant status (TAS) levels, leading to considerable oxidative stress. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to delineate differences in TAS levels between malaria patients and healthy controls, and assess correlations between disease severity and parasite density.
METHODS
The systematic review was registered with the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO) under registration number CRD42023448761. A comprehensive literature search was conducted in databases such as Embase, MEDLINE, Journals@Ovid, PubMed, Scopus, ProQuest, and Google Scholar to identify studies reporting data on TAS levels in malaria patients. Data from the included studies were analysed both qualitatively and quantitatively. Differences in TAS levels between malaria patients and controls were pooled using a random effects model, with Hedges' g as the effect size measure.
RESULTS
Of 1796 identified records, 20 studies met the inclusion criteria. The qualitative synthesis of these studies revealed a marked decrease in TAS levels in patients with malaria compared to non-malaria cases. The meta-analysis results showed a significant decrease in TAS levels in patients with malaria compared to non-malaria cases (P < 0.01, Hedges' g: - 2.75, 95% CI - 3.72 to -1.78, I: 98.16%, 13 studies), suggesting elevated oxidative stress in these patients. Subgroup analyses revealed that TAS level variations were significantly influenced by geographical region, age group, Plasmodium species, and method for measuring TAS. Notably, TAS levels were significantly lower in severe malaria cases and those with high parasite density, indicating a potential relationship between oxidative stress and disease severity.
CONCLUSION
This study highlights the potential utility of TAS as a biomarker for disease risk and severity in malaria. The significant decrease in TAS levels in malaria patients compared to controls implies increased oxidative stress. Further well-designed, large-scale studies are warranted to validate these findings and elucidate the intricate mechanisms linking TAS and malaria.
Topics: Malaria; Antioxidants; Humans; Oxidative Stress
PubMed: 38926807
DOI: 10.1186/s12936-024-05003-z -
BMC Public Health Jun 2024While many populations struggle with health literacy, those who speak Spanish preferentially or exclusively, including Hispanic, immigrant, or migrant populations, may...
BACKGROUND
While many populations struggle with health literacy, those who speak Spanish preferentially or exclusively, including Hispanic, immigrant, or migrant populations, may face particular barriers, as they navigate a predominantly English-language healthcare system. This population also faces greater morbidity and mortality from treatable chronic diseases, such as hypertension and diabetes. The aim of this systematic review was to describe existing health literacy interventions for patients with a Spanish-language preference and present their effectiveness.
METHODS
We carried out a systematic review where Web of Science, EMBASE, and PubMed were queried using MeSH terms to identify relevant literature. Included articles described patients with a Spanish-language preference participating in interventions to improve health literacy levels in the United States. Screening and data abstraction were conducted independently and in pairs. Risk of bias assessments were conducted using validated appraisal tools.
RESULTS
A total of 2823 studies were identified, of which 62 met our eligibility criteria. The studies took place in a variety of community and clinical settings and used varied tools for measuring health literacy. Of the interventions, 28 consisted of in-person education and 27 implemented multimedia education, with 89% of studies in each category finding significant results. The remaining seven studies featured multimodal interventions, all of which achieved significant results.
CONCLUSION
Successful strategies included the addition of liaison roles, such as promotores (Hispanic community health workers), and the use of multimedia fotonovelas (photo comics) with linguistic and cultural adaptations. In some cases, the external validity of the results was limited. Improving low health literacy in patients with a Spanish-language preference, a population with existing barriers to high quality of care, may help them better navigate health infrastructure and make informed decisions regarding their health.
REGISTRATION
PROSPERO (available at https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?ID=CRD42021257655.t ).
Topics: Humans; Health Literacy; United States; Hispanic or Latino; Language
PubMed: 38926697
DOI: 10.1186/s12889-024-19166-6 -
BMC Geriatrics Jun 202440-60% of persons living with dementia (PLWD) experience agitation and/or aggression symptoms. There is a need to understand the best method to detect agitation and/or...
OBJECTIVE
40-60% of persons living with dementia (PLWD) experience agitation and/or aggression symptoms. There is a need to understand the best method to detect agitation and/or aggression in PLWD. We aimed to identify agitation and/or aggression tools that are validated against a reference standard within the context of PLWD.
METHODS
Our study was registered on PROSPERO (CRD42020156708). We searched MEDLINE, Embase, and PsycINFO up to April 22, 2024. There were no language or date restrictions. Studies were included if they used any tools or questionnaires for detecting either agitation or aggression compared to a reference standard among PLWD, or any studies that compared two or more agitation and/or aggression tools in the population. All screening and data extraction were done in duplicates. Study quality was assessed using the Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies 2 (QUADAS-2) tool. Data extraction was completed in duplicates by two independent authors. We extracted demographic information, prevalence of agitation and/or aggression, and diagnostic accuracy measures. We also reported studies comparing the correlation between two or more agitation and/or aggression tools.
RESULTS
6961 articles were screened across databases. Six articles reporting diagnostic accuracy measures compared to a reference standard and 30 articles reporting correlation measurements between tools were included. The agitation domain of the Spanish NPI demonstrated the highest sensitivity (100%) against the agitation subsection of the Spanish CAMDEX. Single-study evidence was found for the diagnostic accuracy of commonly used agitation scales (BEHAVE-AD, NPI and CMAI).
CONCLUSIONS
The agitation domain of the Spanish NPI, the NBRS, and the PAS demonstrated high sensitivities, and may be reasonable for clinical implementation. However, a limitation to this finding is that despite an extensive search, few studies with diagnostic accuracy measurements were identified. Ultimately, more research is needed to understand the diagnostic accuracy of agitation and/or aggression detection tools among PLWD.
Topics: Humans; Aggression; Psychomotor Agitation; Dementia
PubMed: 38926638
DOI: 10.1186/s12877-024-05143-6 -
Journal of Clinical Epidemiology Jun 2024Prognostic models have the potential to aid clinical decision-making after hip fracture. This systematic review aimed to identify, critically appraise and summarise...
Systematic review of multivariable prognostic models for outcomes at least 30 days after hip fracture finds 18 mortality models but no non-mortality models warranting validation.
OBJECTIVE
Prognostic models have the potential to aid clinical decision-making after hip fracture. This systematic review aimed to identify, critically appraise and summarise multivariable prediction models for mortality or other long-term recovery outcomes occurring at least 30 days after hip fracture.
STUDY DESIGN
MEDLINE, Embase, Scopus, Web of Science and CINAHL databases were searched up to May 2023. Studies were included that aimed to develop multivariable models to make predictions for individuals at least 30 days after hip fracture. Risk of bias (ROB) was dual-assessed using the Prediction model Risk Of Bias ASsessment Tool (PROBAST). Study and model details were extracted and summarised.
RESULTS
From 5,571 records, 80 eligible studies were identified. They predicted mortality in n=55 studies/ 81 models, and non-mortality outcomes (mobility, function, residence, medical and surgical complications) in n=30 studies/ 45 models. Most (n=46; 58%) studies were published since 2020. A quarter of studies (n=19; 24%) reported using 'machine-learning methods', while the remainder used logistic regression (n=54; 68%) and other statistical methods (n=11; 14%) to build models. Overall, 15 studies (19%) presented 18 low ROB models, all predicting mortality. Common concerns were sample size, missing data handling, inadequate internal validation and calibration assessment. Many studies with non-mortality outcomes, (n=11; 37%) had clear data complexities that were not correctly modelled.
CONCLUSION
This review has comprehensively summarised and appraised multivariable prediction models for long-term outcomes after hip fracture. Only 15 studies out of 55 predicting mortality were rated as low ROB, warranting further development of their models. All studies predicting non-mortality outcomes were high or unclear ROB. Careful consideration is required for both the methods used and justification for developing further non-mortality prediction models for this clinical population.
PubMed: 38925343
DOI: 10.1016/j.jclinepi.2024.111439 -
Complementary Therapies in Clinical... Jun 2024Sleep disturbance is a very common problem among breast cancer patients, and auricular acupressure is a non-pharmacologic intervention to improve the sleep quality. This... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE
Sleep disturbance is a very common problem among breast cancer patients, and auricular acupressure is a non-pharmacologic intervention to improve the sleep quality. This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness and safety of auricular acupressure to improve sleep quality in breast cancer patients.
METHODS
Overall, 8 electronic databases in English and Chinese were systematically searched from inception to August 12, 2023 to identify eligible randomized controlled trials (RCTs). The risk of bias was assessed by version 2 of the Cochrane risk-of-bias tool for randomized trials (RoB 2.0).
RESULTS
A total of 16 studies with 1199 participants were included. The synthesized results showed that compared with the control group, auricular acupressure had a significant effect on improving the effective rate of sleep quality improvement in patients with breast cancer (risk ratio [RR] 1.56, 95 % confidence interval [CI] 1.14 to 2.14; P < 0.001), and that significantly reduced the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) global score (mean difference [MD] -3.47, 95 % CI -4.37 to -2.58; P < 0.001). Subgroup analysis of effective rate and PSQI score showed similar significant effects. Additionally, the improvement of sleep quality was better when auricular acupressure was performed by nurses using Vaccaria seeds. Furthermore, the optimal intervention program was performed 1-2 times a day, 3-5 min each time, and lasted for 2-4 weeks.
CONCLUSION
Auricular acupressure may effectively improve the sleep quality of patients with breast cancer. However, more rigorously designed, large-sample, multi-center RCTs are required to further validate the results.
PubMed: 38925078
DOI: 10.1016/j.ctcp.2024.101876 -
Journal of Traumatic Stress Jun 2024Prolonged grief symptoms frequently co-occur with symptoms of depression, posttraumatic stress, and anxiety; however, little is known about how prolonged grief symptoms...
Prolonged grief symptoms frequently co-occur with symptoms of depression, posttraumatic stress, and anxiety; however, little is known about how prolonged grief symptoms temporally relate to symptoms of neighboring stress-related and affective disorders. Clarifying such associations can help elucidate which symptoms to prioritize during treatment for distressed bereaved adults. We conducted a systematic review to provide a comprehensive overview of the empirical research on the bidirectional temporal associations between prolonged grief symptoms and symptoms of depression, posttraumatic stress, and anxiety. A search of the PsycInfo, Web of Science, and Scopus databases (final search: December 2023) identified eight relevant empirical longitudinal studies utilizing lower-level mediation (two studies), cross-lagged panel modeling (CLPM; four studies), or random-intercept CLPM (RI-CLPM; two studies). The studies included a total of 2,914 bereaved adult participants. Studies showed considerable methodological heterogeneity, including different sample characteristics, study designs (e.g., measurement moments, time frames), statistical analyses, and measures. Temporal associations between prolonged grief symptoms and different types of symptoms appeared intertwined. Prolonged grief symptoms more consistently predicted symptoms of depression and posttraumatic stress across measurement waves than vice versa, tentatively suggesting that prolonged grief may be a transdiagnostic risk factor for depressive and PTS symptoms. However, this pattern was not observed in the two studies utilizing RI-CLPM. Future research should aim to decrease methodological heterogeneity by using validated measures to capture prolonged grief symptoms, appropriate timeframes, and RI-CLPM to clarify associations between temporal within-person fluctuations of prolonged grief, depressive, posttraumatic stress, and anxiety symptoms.
PubMed: 38924632
DOI: 10.1002/jts.23061 -
ESC Heart Failure Jun 2024Biomarkers are paramount for managing heart failure (HF) patients as prognostic and therapeutic efficacy index tools. Systemic levels of brain-derived neurotrophic...
AIMS
Biomarkers are paramount for managing heart failure (HF) patients as prognostic and therapeutic efficacy index tools. Systemic levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) can add to the HF biomarker scenario, allowing for potentiated efficacy in diagnosis, prognostic stratification, and prediction of patient response to a given therapeutic intervention because BDNF is one of the primary rulers of myocardial function. Yet, whether BDNF is a reliable clinical biomarker awaits clinical validation. Hence, we aimed to answer this relevant question via a systematic review and meta-analysis of existing studies.
METHODS AND RESULTS
International databases, including PubMed, Scopus, Embase, and the Web of Science, were comprehensively searched for studies assessing BDNF levels in patients with HF versus non-HF controls or as a prognostic factor for HF complications. Data were extracted and analysed by random-effect meta-analysis. Standardized mean difference (SMD) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were computed to pool the results of studies. We included 11 studies in the final review, among which six underwent meta-analysis. These studies analysed 1420 HF patients, with a mean age of 65.4 ± 11.2 years. Meta-analysis revealed that patients with HF had significantly lower circulating BDNF levels than healthy controls (SMD -2.47, 95% CI -4.39 to -0.54, P-value = 0.01). Moreover, patients with higher New York Heart Association functional classification had lower levels of BDNF. Adverse clinical outcomes such as all-cause mortality and HF rehospitalization were also associated with lower levels of BDNF in individual studies.
CONCLUSIONS
BDNF levels are decreased in patients with HF. Most importantly, we observed an association between lower BDNF levels and poor prognosis in patients with HF. Our study supports BDNF as an easy-to-dose diagnostic and prognostic biomarker to be implemented in clinical practice for HF. Further studies are warranted to address this ability specifically.
PubMed: 38923432
DOI: 10.1002/ehf2.14916 -
Toxins Jun 2024We encountered a case of mushroom intoxication complicated by "toxic-like" myocarditis. Because of the lack of systematized knowledge on this subject, we performed a... (Review)
Review
We encountered a case of mushroom intoxication complicated by "toxic-like" myocarditis. Because of the lack of systematized knowledge on this subject, we performed a systematic review of the literature on cardiac toxicity in mushroom poisoning (MP). The aim of this study was to identify and describe the severity, the causal relationship, and the mushroom species involved in other reported cardiac events associated with MP. We included 39 studies in our review. We found 106 cases of cardiac events associated with MP, including 18 deaths. A wide variety of cardiac manifestations were reported, ranging from the simple elevation of cardiac enzymes (n = 61) to ventricular tachycardia (n = 14), acute heart failure (n = 18), and myocarditis (n = 7). Causal relationship between cardiac manifestations and mushroom poisoning was assessed for 42 patients, applying the algorithm validated by the French Toxicovigilance Coordination Committee. Twenty-three cases (54.8%) had a "possible" causal relationship, eight cases (19%) a "probable" relationship, and ten cases (23.8%) a "very probable" relationship. Several fungal genera were involved in reported cases, including but also rarer ones like and . In conclusion, we showed that cases of cardiac toxicity following MP have been documented in the existing literature, and for some of them, we assessed a strong causal relationship.
Topics: Humans; Cardiotoxicity; Mushroom Poisoning; Myocarditis
PubMed: 38922159
DOI: 10.3390/toxins16060265