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Health & Place Jul 2022Living in compact neighbourhoods that are walkable, well connected, with accessible green space can benefit physical and mental health. However, the pandemic raises... (Review)
Review
Compact cities and the Covid-19 pandemic: Systematic review of the associations between transmission of Covid-19 or other respiratory viruses and population density or other features of neighbourhood design.
Living in compact neighbourhoods that are walkable, well connected, with accessible green space can benefit physical and mental health. However, the pandemic raises concern up to what extent features of compact neighbourhood design affect transmission of viral respiratory infections. We conducted a systematic review to identify, appraise and synthesise evidence reporting associations between transmission of respiratory viruses, including Covid-19, and dwelling or population density or other features of neighbourhood design. Twenty-one studies met our inclusion criteria. These studies used different measures of neighbourhood design, contributing to inconsistent findings. Whereas no convincing conclusion can be drawn here, the outcome of this review indicates that robust, global evidence is warranted to inform future policies and legislation concerned with compact neighbourhood design and transmission of respiratory and viral infection.
Topics: COVID-19; Cities; Environment Design; Humans; Population Density; Residence Characteristics; Viruses; Walking
PubMed: 35642837
DOI: 10.1016/j.healthplace.2022.102827 -
Iranian Journal of Public Health Jan 2021Conspicuity has been one of the key factors in motorcycle road crashes around the world. The inability and difficulty of other road users in detecting motorcycles either... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
Conspicuity has been one of the key factors in motorcycle road crashes around the world. The inability and difficulty of other road users in detecting motorcycles either at day or at night have contributed to conspicuity related motorcycle crashes. This literature review attempts to understand the motorcycle conspicuity issues in road traffic. The review also analyses relevant types of conspicuity intervention in terms of its effectiveness in enhancing motorcycle conspicuity that had been discussed in past studies.
METHODS
Using specific keywords and search terms, relevant articles were screened, identified and analyzed systematically using Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines.
RESULTS
Twenty-seven final articles were reviewed and found that almost every part of motorcycle and motorcyclist's conspicuity intervention have been covered in past studies. In terms of conspicuity aids, the majority of past studies discussed conspicuity enhancement in the frontal area, particularly on motorcycle daytime running headlight (DRH) color and configurations. Few other studies have discussed in other areas, particularly on rear running and brake light and motorcycle color. There were also numerous studies looking at motorcyclists' appearances in terms of their attire and helmet color.
CONCLUSION
Motorcycle and motorcyclist's appearances are highly associated with the risk of motorcycle crashes. The most important part of enhancing motorcycle conspicuity is to ensure motorcycle appearance is always in contrast with the road traffic environment.
PubMed: 34178761
DOI: 10.18502/ijph.v50i1.5069 -
Annals of Palliative Medicine Feb 2022Knee osteoarthritis (KOA) is more common in middle-aged and elderly people, and seriously affects the quality of life of those affected. Traditional Chinese medicine... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
A systematic review and meta-analysis of the comparative curative effects of warm acupuncture and other traditional Chinese medicines in the treatment of knee osteoarthritis.
BACKGROUND
Knee osteoarthritis (KOA) is more common in middle-aged and elderly people, and seriously affects the quality of life of those affected. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) treatment of KOA has been widely recognized. In recent years, warm needling acupuncture (WNA) has been used to treat KOA and has achieved good results. However, there is a lack of comparison of the efficacy of WNA and other TCM treatments for KOA.
METHODS
We conducted a search for reports of WNA and/or TCM treatment of KOA in English- and Chinese-language databases. The data was retrieved from inception of the database until October 2021. The Cochrane risk of bias tool was used to evaluate the quality of the included studies, and the network meta-analysis was performed using the software RevMan 5.20.
RESULTS
A total of 8 articles met the inclusion criteria, including 399 patients treated with WNA (WNA group), and 396 patients treated with other TCM (TCM group). The results of meta-analysis showed that compared with patients in the TCM group, the effective rate [relative risk (RR)] was 1.18, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.06 to 1.33, the last follow-up osteoarthritis index [mean difference (MD)] was -6.93, 95% CI: -12.14 to -1.72, and the last follow-up knee pain visual analogue scale (VAS) MD was -1.06, 95% CI: -1.61 to -0.51, which were all statistically significant. However, the difference in daily activities (MD: -4.31, 95% CI: -10.90 to 2.28) was not statistically significant.
DISCUSSION
Compared with other TCM treatments for KOA, WNA has better overall patient efficacy. However, further randomized controlled studies are needed to compare WNA and other TCM treatments individually to confirm the efficacy of WNA.
Topics: Acupuncture Therapy; Aged; China; Humans; Medicine, Chinese Traditional; Middle Aged; Osteoarthritis, Knee; Quality of Life
PubMed: 35249348
DOI: 10.21037/apm-21-3972 -
BMJ Open Jul 2014To evaluate the safety profile of nicergoline compared with placebo and other active agents from published randomised controlled trials. (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the safety profile of nicergoline compared with placebo and other active agents from published randomised controlled trials.
DESIGN
Systematic review and meta-analysis of nicergoline compared with placebo and other active agents across various indications.
DATA SOURCES
MEDLINE, Medline-in-process, Cochrane, EMBASE, EMBASE alerts, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews (CDSR) and Cochrane Methodology Register (CMR) for all the randomised controlled trials, open-label or blinded, in adults treated with nicergoline. Studies published until August 2013 were included.
REVIEW METHOD
29 studies were included for data extraction. The studies included in this review were majorly from European countries and mostly in cerebrovascular disease (n=15) and dementia (n=8).
RESULTS
The treatment withdrawals were comparatively lower in the nicergoline group as compared with the placebo group (RR=0.92; 95% CI 0.7 to 1.21) and other active comparators (RR=0.45; 95% CI 0.10 to 1.95), but the difference was non-significant. Incidence of any adverse events (AEs) was slightly higher (RR=1.05; 95% CI 0.93 to 1.2) while incidence of serious AEs was lower (RR=0.85; 95% CI 0.50 to 1.45) in the nicergoline compared with placebo group. Frequency of anxiety was significantly lower in nicergoline as compared with placebo (p=0.01). Other AEs including diarrhoea, gastric upset, dizziness and drowsiness were less frequent in the nicergoline group when compared with placebo/active drugs, but the difference was non-significant. Frequency of hypotension and hot flushes was slightly higher in the nicergoline group but the difference was non-significant. None of the studies reported any incidence of fibrosis or ergotism with nicergoline treatment.
CONCLUSIONS
Nicergoline is an ergot derivative, but its safety profile is better than other ergot derivatives like ergotamine and ergotoxine. This systematic review and meta-analysis suggests that nicergoline has a good safety profile. None of the studies included in this systematic review reported any incidence of fibrosis or ergotism with nicergoline.
Topics: Adrenergic alpha-Antagonists; Brain Diseases; Humans; Neuroprotective Agents; Nicergoline; Peripheral Vascular Diseases; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic
PubMed: 25079927
DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2014-005090 -
Microorganisms Aug 2021This systematic review aimed to assess the effectiveness of pre-harvest interventions to control the main foodborne pathogens in pork in the European Union. A total of... (Review)
Review
This systematic review aimed to assess the effectiveness of pre-harvest interventions to control the main foodborne pathogens in pork in the European Union. A total of 1180 studies were retrieved from PubMed and Web of Science for 15 pathogens identified as relevant in EFSA's scientific opinion on the public health hazards related to pork (2011). The study selection focused on controlled studies where a cause-effect could be attributed to the interventions tested, and their effectiveness could be inferred. Altogether, 52 studies published from 1983 to 2020 regarding spp., , Methicillin-resistant , , and spp. were retained and analysed. Research was mostly focused on ( = 43 studies). In-feed and/or water treatments, and vaccination were the most tested interventions and were, overall, successful. However, the previously agreed criteria for this systematic review excluded other effective interventions to control and other pathogens, like , which is one of the most relevant biological hazards in pork. Examples of such successful interventions are the Specific Pathogen Free herd principle, stamping out and repopulating with disease-free animals. Research on other pathogens (i.e., Hepatitis E, and ) was scarce, with publications focusing on epidemiology, risk factors and/or observational studies. Overall, high herd health coupled with good management and biosecurity were effective to control or prevent most foodborne pathogens in pork at the pre-harvest level.
PubMed: 34576721
DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms9091825 -
PloS One 2018The catastrophic misinterpretation model of panic disorder (PD) predicts that the catastrophic misinterpretation of bodily sensations is a distinctive characteristic of... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
Catastrophic misinterpretation of bodily sensations and external events in panic disorder, other anxiety disorders, and healthy subjects: A systematic review and meta-analysis.
The catastrophic misinterpretation model of panic disorder (PD) predicts that the catastrophic misinterpretation of bodily sensations is a distinctive characteristic of PD. Existing research on this prediction has produced mixed findings. This paper presents a systematic review and meta-analysis of studies comparing the strength of catastrophic misinterpretation of bodily sensations and external events in patients with PD, patients with other anxiety disorders, and healthy controls. Following a systematic screening, seven studies were included in the meta-analysis. For the catastrophic misinterpretation of bodily sensations, analyses showed medium to large effects between patients with PD and healthy controls and between patients with PD and patients with other anxiety disorders. For the catastrophic misinterpretation of external events, analyses showed medium to large effects between patients with PD and healthy controls and a small negative effect between patients with PD and patients with other anxiety disorders. The findings support the assumption that the catastrophic misinterpretation of bodily sensations is a distinctive characteristic of panic disorder and thus lend support to the catastrophic misinterpretation model of PD.
Topics: Agoraphobia; Anxiety Disorders; Arousal; Healthy Volunteers; Humans; Models, Psychological; Panic Disorder; Sensation
PubMed: 29558505
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0194493 -
Annals of General Psychiatry 2017Despite an increasingly recognized relationship between depression and smoking, little is known about how smoking influences antidepressant response and treatment... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
Despite an increasingly recognized relationship between depression and smoking, little is known about how smoking influences antidepressant response and treatment outcomes. The aim of this study was to systematically review the evidence of the impact of smoking on new-generation antidepressants with an emphasis on the pharmacokinetic perspective.
METHODS
We present a systematic review of clinical trials comparing the serum levels of new-generation antidepressants in smokers and nonsmokers. Data were obtained from MEDLINE/PubMed, Embase, and other sources. Risk of bias was assessed for selection, performance, detection, attrition, and reporting of individual studies.
RESULTS
Twenty-one studies met inclusion criteria; seven involved fluvoxamine, two evaluated fluoxetine, sertraline, venlafaxine, duloxetine or mirtazapine, and escitalopram, citalopram, trazodone and bupropion were the subject of a single study. No trials were found involving other common antidepressants such as paroxetine or agomelatine. Serum levels of fluvoxamine, duloxetine, mirtazapine and trazodone were significantly higher in nonsmokers compared with smokers.
CONCLUSIONS
There is evidence showing a reduction in the concentration of serum levels of fluvoxamine, duloxetine, mirtazapine and trazodone in smoking patients as compared to nonsmokers. The evidence regarding other commonly used antidepressants is scarce. Nonetheless, smoking status should be considered when choosing an antidepressant treatment, given the risk of pharmacokinetic interactions.
PubMed: 28286537
DOI: 10.1186/s12991-017-0140-8 -
International Journal of Clinical... 2019To extract and systematically identify the existing literature on the "Clinical and radiographic outcome of calcium hydroxide vs other agents in indirect pulp capping of... (Review)
Review
AIM
To extract and systematically identify the existing literature on the "Clinical and radiographic outcome of calcium hydroxide vs other agents in indirect pulp capping of primary teeth".
OBJECTIVE
To compare the clinical and radiographic outcome of calcium hydroxide and other agents in indirect pulp capping of primary teeth.
SEARCH STRATEGY
The following databases were searched: PubMed Central, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, Lilacs, Science Direct, Sigle. Bibliographies of clinical studies identified in the electronic search were analyzed for studies published outside the electronically searched journals.
SELECTION CRITERIA
Studies comparing the clinical and radiographic success rate of one or more indirect pulp capping agents with calcium hydroxide in primary molars were included.
RESULTS
The initial search revealed 243 of which only 9 met the inclusion criteria and 234 were excluded based on the exclusion criteria. All the 9 included studies analysed the clinical and radiographic outcome of calcium hydroxide in comparison with other agents in indirect pulp capping of primary teeth.
CONCLUSION
There is a very limited good quality studies estimating the clinical and radiographic outcome of calcium hydroxide in comparison with other agents in indirect pulp capping of primary teeth. The review identified the need for more studies on the clinical and radiographic outcome of calcium hydroxide in comparison with other agents in indirect pulp capping of primary teeth.
HOW TO CITE THIS ARTICLE
Nair M, Gurunathan D. Clinical and Radiographic Outcomes of Calcium Hydroxide vs Other Agents in Indirect Pulp Capping of Primary Teeth: A Systematic Review. Int J Clin Pediatr Dent 2019;12(5):437-444.
PubMed: 32440051
DOI: 10.5005/jp-journals-10005-1672