Potential benefits versus hazards of herbal therapy during pregnancy; a systematic review of available literature

2022 ◽  
Author(s):  
Soudabeh Balarastaghi ◽  
Mohammad Delirrad ◽  
Abbas Jafari ◽  
Mohammad Majidi ◽  
Mahmood Sadeghi ◽  
...  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (13) ◽  
pp. 2981
Author(s):  
Andrés Pino-Esteban ◽  
Álvaro Megía-García ◽  
David Martín-Caro Álvarez ◽  
Hector Beltran-Alacreu ◽  
Juan Avendaño-Coy ◽  
...  

Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a non-invasive, easy to administer, well-tolerated, and safe technique capable of affecting brain excitability, both at the cortical and cerebellum levels. However, its effectiveness has not been sufficiently assessed in all population segments or clinical applications. This systematic review aimed at compiling and summarizing the currently available scientific evidence about the effect of tDCS on functionality in older adults over 60 years of age. A search of databases was conducted to find randomized clinical trials that applied tDCS versus sham stimulation in the above-mentioned population. No limits were established in terms of date of publication. A total of 237 trials were found, of which 24 met the inclusion criteria. Finally, nine studies were analyzed, including 260 healthy subjects with average age between 61.0 and 85.8 years. Seven of the nine included studies reported superior improvements in functionality variables following the application of tDCS compared to sham stimulation. Anodal tDCS applied over the motor cortex may be an effective technique for improving balance and posture control in healthy older adults. However, further high-quality randomized controlled trials are required to determine the most effective protocols and to clarify potential benefits for older adults.


2018 ◽  
Vol 26 (1) ◽  
pp. 95-111 ◽  
Author(s):  
Simon Erridge ◽  
Derek K. T. Yeung ◽  
Hitendra R. H. Patel ◽  
Sanjay Purkayastha

Background. Telementoring is a technique that has shown potential as a surgical training aid. Previous studies have suggested that telementoring is a safe training modality. This review aimed to review both the technological capabilities of reported telementoring systems as well as its potential benefits as a mentoring modality. Methods. A systematic review of the literature, up to July 2017, was carried out in accordance with PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines. Study quality was assessed using the Oxford Levels of Evidence proforma. Data were extracted regarding technical capabilities, bandwidth, latency, and costs. Additionally, the primary aim and key results were extracted from each study and analyzed. Results. A total of 66 studies were identified for inclusion. In all, 48% of studies were conducted in general surgery; 22 (33%), 24 (36%), and 20 (30%) of studies reported telementoring that occurred within the same hospital, outside the hospital, and outside the country, respectively. Sixty-four (98%) of studies employed video and audio and 38 (58%) used telestration. Twelve separate studies directly compared telementoring against on-site mentoring. Seven (58%) showed no difference in outcomes between telementoring and on-site mentoring. No study found telementoring to result in poorer postoperative outcomes. Conclusions. The results of this review suggest that telementoring has a similar safety and efficacy profile as on-site mentoring. Future analysis to determine the potential benefits and pitfalls to surgical education through telementoring are required to determine the exact role it shall play in the future. Technological advances to improve remote connectivity would also aid the uptake of telementoring on a larger scale.


Informatics ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 24 ◽  
Author(s):  
Muhammad Mahboob Khurshid ◽  
Nor Hidayati Zakaria ◽  
Ammar Rashid ◽  
Mohammad Nazir Ahmad ◽  
Muhammad Irfanullah Arfeen ◽  
...  

Open government data (OGD) has huge potential to increase transparency, accountability, and participation while improving efficiency in operations, data-driven and evidence-based policymaking, and trust in government institutions. Despite its potential benefits, OGD has not been widely and successfully adopted in public sector organizations, particularly in developing countries. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to explore the theories/frameworks and potential determinants that influence the OGD adoption in public sector organizations. To ascertain the various determinants of OGD adoption in public sector organizations, this study involved a systematic review of already established theories and determinants addressed in the public sector open data domain. The review revealed that the TOE (technology, organization, environment) framework was dominantly employed over theories in the earlier studies to understand organizational adoption to OGD followed by institutional theory. The results, concerning potential determinants, revealed that some of the most frequently addressed determinants are an organization’s digitization/digitalization capacity, compliance pressure, financial resources, legislation, policy, regulations, organizational culture, political leadership commitment, top-management support, and data quality. The findings will enrich researchers to empirically investigate the exposed determinants and improve the understanding of decision-makers to leverage OGD adoption by taking relevant measures.


2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (04) ◽  
pp. 743-750 ◽  
Author(s):  
Connor J. Smith ◽  
Rebecca M. Jungbauer ◽  
Annette M. Totten

Abstract Background Integration of evidence from systematic reviews is an essential step in the development of clinical guidelines. The current practice for reporting uses a static structure that does not allow for dynamic investigation. A need exists for an alternate reporting modality to facilitate dynamic visualization of results to match different end-users' queries. Objectives We developed a dynamic visualization of data from a systematic review using the commercial product Tableau and assessed its potential to permit customized inquiries. Methods Data were selected and extracted from a previously completed systematic review. The resulting dataset was then used to develop an interactive, web-based report designed for use by a guidelines development committee. Results A novel example of combining existing reporting standards for systematic review data and modern reporting tools was developed to investigate potential benefits of a dynamic report. Demonstrations of the report to clinicians sitting on previous and future guideline committees received positive feedback for its potential benefit in guidelines development. The report received a runner-up award during the design challenge at the 2018 Workshop on Visual Analytics in Health Care. Conclusion The use of interactive, accessible data may increase the use of systematic reviews and aid decision makers in developing evidence-based practice changes.


10.2196/17899 ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 22 (12) ◽  
pp. e17899
Author(s):  
Kija Malale ◽  
Jili Fu ◽  
William Nelson ◽  
Helena Marco Gemuhay ◽  
Xiuni Gan ◽  
...  

Background In recent years, there have been many suggestions to use multimedia as a strategy to fully meet the educational needs of patients with peripherally inserted central catheters. However, the potential benefits remain unreliable in the literature. Objective In this study, we identified the potential benefits of multimedia-based home catheter management education in patients with peripherally inserted central catheters and discussed the clinical implications. Methods We performed systematic searches of the PubMed, Cochrane Library, Embase Ovid, Medline, BioMed Central-cancer (BMC-cancer), ScienceDirect, and Google Scholar databases without date constraints until November 30, 2019. The methodological quality of the eligible studies was appraised using the Cochrane risk of bias tool. Narrative synthesis of the study findings was conducted. Results A total of 6 intervention studies met the inclusion criteria, including 3 randomized controlled trials and 3 case-control studies/quasi-experimental studies. The studies included a total of 355 subjects, including a total of 175 in the multimedia groups and 180 in the control groups. We identified 4 potential benefits to patients: (1) improved knowledge, (2) increased satisfaction, (3) reduced incidence of catheter-related complications, and (4) reduced number of cases of delayed care after complications. Conclusions The current systematic review highlights the potential benefits of multimedia-based home catheter management education for patients with peripherally inserted central catheters.


2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 305-318
Author(s):  
W.G. Lima ◽  
R.M. Pessoa ◽  
K.D. Vital ◽  
I.K.T.M. Takenaka ◽  
V.N. Cardoso ◽  
...  

Gastrointestinal mucositis (GIM) is an inflammation caused by antitumor therapy, especially after chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Currently in the clinical practice, only palliative measures are taken to treat GIM, representing the main clinical limitation in the management of this condition. Several studies have highlighted the potential benefits of probiotics for the management of GIM, but the actual role of these microorganisms in the maintenance of intestinal homeostasis remains elusive. In this context, here we aimed to realise a systematic review with meta-analysis to evaluate the effect of probiotics on experimental GIM. The meta-analysis showed that probiotics significantly suppressed the body weight loss related to GIM in rodents (95% confidence interval (CI): -2.67 to -0.70; I2=98%, P<0.00). Subgroup analysis showed that pre-treatment (≥7 days before chemotherapy) (95% CI: -8.84 to -0.17; I2=98%, P<0.04) with a high dose of probiotics (≥ 109 cfu/day) (95% CI: -2.58 to -0.28; I2=98%, P<0.00) comprising two or more microorganism species (95% CI: -6.49 to -0.28; I2=96%, P=0.03) remedied GIM more effectively. It was also revealed that fungi (specifically Saccharomyces boullardii) are more effective in remedying GIM than bacteria (P=0.03 vs P<0.00), and the mouse models are more receptive than rats to the enteroprotective effects of probiotics (95% CI: -4.76, -0.69; I2=97%, P=0.01). Qualitative analyses highlighted that probiotics suppress GIM through several mechanisms; they reduce the intestinal permeability, suppress the pro-inflammatory cytokine production while stimulating production and secretion of anti-inflammatory cytokines, inhibit the signalling pathways coupled to inflammation and apoptosis, accelerate the proliferation of enterocytes, reduce the levels of reactive oxygen species, and help maintain the protective mucus layer. In conclusion, this review highlights the therapeutic benefits of probiotics in experimental GIM.


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