scholarly journals Tobacco retail environment and smoking: a systematic review of geographic exposure measures and implications for future studies

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Roberto Valiente ◽  
Francisco Escobar ◽  
María Urtasun ◽  
Manuel Franco ◽  
Niamh K Shortt ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Kernel Density ◽  
Smoking Initiation ◽  
Research Area ◽  
Street Network ◽  
Future Studies ◽  
Activity Spaces ◽  
Density Values ◽  
Proximity Measures ◽  
Smoking Outcomes

Abstract Introduction To review the geographical exposure measures used to characterize the tobacco environment in terms of density of and proximity to tobacco outlets, and its association with smoking-related outcomes. Methods We used PubMed and Google Scholar to find articles published until December 2019. The search was restricted to studies which 1) measured the density of and/or proximity to tobacco outlets and 2) included associations with smoking outcomes. The extraction was coordinated by several observers. We gathered data on the place of exposure, methodological approaches, and smoking outcomes. Results Forty articles were eligible out of 3,002 screened papers. Different density and proximity measures were described. 47.4% density calculations were based on simple counts (number of outlets within an area). Kernel Density Estimations and other measures weighted by the size of the area (outlets/sq km), population, and road length were identified. 81.3% of the articles which assessed proximity to tobacco outlets used length distances estimated through the street network. Higher density values were mostly associated with higher smoking prevalence (76.2%), greater tobacco use and smoking initiation (64.3%); and lower cessation outcomes (84.6%). Proximity measures were not associated with any smoking outcome except with cessation (62.5%). Conclusion Associations between the density of tobacco outlets and smoking outcomes were found regardless of the exposure measure applied. Further research is warranted to better understand how proximity to tobacco outlets may influence on smoking outcomes. This systematic review discusses methodological gaps in the literature and provides insights for future studies exploring the tobacco environment. Implications Our findings pose some methodological lessons to improve the exposure measures on the tobacco outlet environment. To solve these methodological gaps is crucial to understanding the influence of the tobacco environment on the smoking outcomes. Activity spaces should be considered in further analyses since individuals are exposed to tobacco beyond their residence or school neighbourhood. Further studies in this research area demand density estimations weighted by the size of the area, population, or road length; or measured using Kernel Density Estimations. Proximity calculations should be measured through the street network and should consider travel times apart from the length-distance.

scholarly journals Estimation of the Inhaled Dose of Pollutants in Different Micro-Environments: A Systematic Review of the Literature

Toxics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (6) ◽  
pp. 140
Author(s):  
Francesca Borghi ◽  
Andrea Spinazzè ◽  
Simone Mandaglio ◽  
Giacomo Fanti ◽  
Davide Campagnolo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Residence Time ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Pulmonary Ventilation ◽  
Personal Exposure ◽  
Ventilation Rate ◽  
Atmospheric Pollutants ◽  
Active Commuting ◽  
Review Of The Literature ◽  
Future Studies

Recently, the need to assess personal exposure in different micro-environments has been highlighted. Further, estimating the inhaled dose of pollutants is considerably one of the most interesting parameters to be explored to complete the fundamental information obtained through exposure assessment, especially if associated with a dose-response approach. To analyze the main results obtained from the studies related to the estimation of the inhaled dose of pollutants in different micro-environments (environments in which an individual spends a part of his day), and to identify the influence of different parameters on it, a systematic review of the literature was performed. The principal outcomes from the considered studies outlined that (i) exposure concentration and residence time are among the most important parameters to be evaluated in the estimation of the inhaled dose, especially in transport environments. Further, (ii) the pulmonary ventilation rate can be of particular interest during active commuting because of its increase, which increases the inhalation of pollutants. From a methodological point of view, the advent of increasingly miniaturized, portable and low-cost technologies could favor these kinds of studies, both for the measurement of atmospheric pollutants and the real-time evaluation of physiological parameters used for estimation of the inhaled dose. The main results of this review also show some knowledge gaps. In particular, numerous studies have been conducted for the evaluation (in terms of personal exposure and estimation of the inhaled dose) of different PM fractions: other airborne pollutants, although harmful to human health, are less represented in studies of this type: for this reason, future studies should be conducted, also considering other air pollutants, not neglecting the assessment of exposure to PM. Moreover, many studies have been conducted indoors, where the population spends most of their daily time. However, it has been highlighted how particular environments, even if characterized by a shorter residence time, can contribute significantly to the dose of inhaled pollutants. These environments are, therefore, of particular importance and should be better evaluated in future studies, as well as occupational environments, where the work results in a high pulmonary ventilation rate. The attention of future studies should also be focused on these categories of subjects and occupational studies.

scholarly journals Patients’ adherence to smartphone apps in the management of bipolar disorder: a systematic review

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Marie-Camille Patoz ◽  
Diego Hidalgo-Mazzei ◽  
Bruno Pereira ◽  
Olivier Blanc ◽  
Ingrid de Chazeron ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Bipolar Disorder ◽  
Mobile Health ◽  
Smartphone Apps ◽  
Exclusion Criteria ◽  
Future Studies ◽  
Health Apps ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
Bipolar Patients ◽  
Digital Or

Abstract Background Despite an increasing number of available mental health apps in the bipolar disorder field, these tools remain scarcely implemented in everyday practice and are quickly discontinued by patients after downloading. The aim of this study is to explore adherence characteristics of bipolar disorder patients to dedicated smartphone interventions in research studies. Methods A systematic review following PRISMA guidelines was conducted. Three databases (EMBASE, PsychInfo and MEDLINE) were searched using the following keywords: "bipolar disorder" or "mood disorder" or “bipolar” combined with “digital” or “mobile” or “phone” or “smartphone” or “mHealth” or “ehealth” or "mobile health" or “app” or “mobile-health”. Results Thirteen articles remained in the review after exclusion criteria were applied. Of the 118 eligible studies, 39 did not provide adherence characteristics. Among the selected papers, study length, sample size and definition of measures of adherence were strongly heterogeneous. Activity rates ranged from 58 to 91.6%. Conclusion The adherence of bipolar patients to apps is understudied. Standardised measures of adherence should be defined and systematically evaluated in future studies dedicated to these tools.

scholarly journals Blockchain Applications in Agribusiness: A Systematic Review

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 95
Author(s):  
Geneci da Silva Ribeiro Rocha ◽  
Letícia de Oliveira ◽  
Edson Talamini
Keyword(s):  
Complex System ◽  
Systematic Review ◽  
Web Of Science ◽  
Scientific Literature ◽  
Early Stage ◽  
Technological Development ◽  
Economic Sectors ◽  
Future Studies ◽  
Blockchain Technology ◽  
Near Future

Blockchain is a technology that can be applied in different sectors to solve various problems. As a complex system, agribusiness presents many possibilities to take advantage of blockchain technology. The main goal of this paper is to identify the purposes for which blockchain has been applied in the agribusiness sector, for which a PRISMA-based systematic review was carried out. The scientific literature corpus was accessed and selected from Elsevier’s Scopus and ISI of Knowledge’s Web of Science (WoS) platforms, using the PRISMA protocol procedures. Seventy-one articles were selected for analysis. Blockchain application in agribusiness is a novel topic, with the first publication dating from 2016. The technological development prevails more than blockchain applications since it has been addressed mainly in the Computer Sciences and Engineering. Blockchain applications for agribusiness management of financial, energy, logistical, environmental, agricultural, livestock, and industrial purposes have been reported in the literature. The findings suggest that blockchain brings many benefits when used in agribusiness supply chains. We concluded that the research on blockchain applications in agribusiness is only at an early stage, as many prototypes are being developed and tested in the laboratory. In the near future, blockchain will be increasingly applied across all economic sectors, including agribusiness, promoting greater reliability and agility in information with a reduced cost. Several gaps for future studies were observed, with significant value for science, industry, and society.

scholarly journals Deep learning for cephalometric landmark detection: systematic review and meta-analysis

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Falk Schwendicke ◽  
Akhilanand Chaurasia ◽  
Lubaina Arsiwala ◽  
Jae-Hong Lee ◽  
Karim Elhennawy ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Deep Learning ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
High Accuracy ◽  
Risk Of Bias ◽  
Automated Detection ◽  
Reference Test ◽  
Landmark Detection ◽  
Future Studies ◽  
Using Data

Abstract Objectives Deep learning (DL) has been increasingly employed for automated landmark detection, e.g., for cephalometric purposes. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to assess the accuracy and underlying evidence for DL for cephalometric landmark detection on 2-D and 3-D radiographs. Methods Diagnostic accuracy studies published in 2015-2020 in Medline/Embase/IEEE/arXiv and employing DL for cephalometric landmark detection were identified and extracted by two independent reviewers. Random-effects meta-analysis, subgroup, and meta-regression were performed, and study quality was assessed using QUADAS-2. The review was registered (PROSPERO no. 227498). Data From 321 identified records, 19 studies (published 2017–2020), all employing convolutional neural networks, mainly on 2-D lateral radiographs (n=15), using data from publicly available datasets (n=12) and testing the detection of a mean of 30 (SD: 25; range.: 7–93) landmarks, were included. The reference test was established by two experts (n=11), 1 expert (n=4), 3 experts (n=3), and a set of annotators (n=1). Risk of bias was high, and applicability concerns were detected for most studies, mainly regarding the data selection and reference test conduct. Landmark prediction error centered around a 2-mm error threshold (mean; 95% confidence interval: (–0.581; 95 CI: –1.264 to 0.102 mm)). The proportion of landmarks detected within this 2-mm threshold was 0.799 (0.770 to 0.824). Conclusions DL shows relatively high accuracy for detecting landmarks on cephalometric imagery. The overall body of evidence is consistent but suffers from high risk of bias. Demonstrating robustness and generalizability of DL for landmark detection is needed. Clinical significance Existing DL models show consistent and largely high accuracy for automated detection of cephalometric landmarks. The majority of studies so far focused on 2-D imagery; data on 3-D imagery are sparse, but promising. Future studies should focus on demonstrating generalizability, robustness, and clinical usefulness of DL for this objective.

scholarly journals Patient-Reported Outcome Measures for Post-mastectomy Breast Reconstruction: A Systematic Review of Development and Measurement Properties

2020 ◽  
Vol 28 (1) ◽  
pp. 386-404 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. F. Davies ◽  
R. Macefield ◽  
K. Avery ◽  
J. M. Blazeby ◽  
S. Potter
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Breast Reconstruction ◽  
Content Validity ◽  
Patient Reported Outcome Measures ◽  
Patient Reported Outcome ◽  
Measurement Properties ◽  
Future Studies ◽  
Patient Reported ◽  
Eortc Qlq

Abstract Background Breast reconstruction (BR) is performed to improve outcomes for patients undergoing mastectomy. A recently developed core outcome set for BR includes six patient-reported outcomes that should be measured and reported in all future studies. It is vital that any instrument used to measure these outcomes as part of a core measurement set be robustly developed and validated so data are reliable and accurate. The aim of this systematic review is to evaluate the development and measurement properties of existing BR patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) to inform instrument selection for future studies. Methods A PRISMA-compliant systematic review of development and validation studies of BR PROMs was conducted to assess their measurement properties. PROMs with adequate content validity were assessed using three steps: (1) the methodological quality of each identified study was assessed using the COSMIN Risk of Bias checklist; (2) criteria were applied for assessing good measurement properties; and (3) evidence was summarized and the quality of evidence assessed using a modified GRADE approach. Results Fourteen articles reported the development and measurement properties of six PROMs. Of these, only three (BREAST-Q, BRECON-31, and EORTC QLQ-BRECON-23) were considered to have adequate content validity and proceeded to full evaluation. This showed that all three PROMs had been robustly developed and validated and demonstrated adequate quality. Conclusions BREAST-Q, BRECON-31, and EORTC QLQ-BRECON-23 have been well-developed and demonstrate adequate measurement properties. Work with key stakeholders is now needed to generate consensus regarding which PROM should be recommended for inclusion in a core measurement set.

A Systematic Review of Acupuncture and Moxibustion Treatment for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome in China

2008 ◽  
Vol 36 (01) ◽  
pp. 1-24 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tianfang Wang ◽  
Qunhao Zhang ◽  
Xiaolin Xue ◽  
Albert Yeung
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome ◽  
Chronic Fatigue ◽  
Future Studies ◽  
Acupuncture And Moxibustion ◽  
Fatigue Syndrome ◽  
Collective Experience ◽  
Rigorous Study ◽  
The Common ◽  
Study Designs

Studies on the treatment of chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) with acupuncture and moxibustion in China were reviewed. All studies concluded the treatments were effective, with response rates ranging from 78.95% to 100%. However, the qualities of the studies were generally poor, and none of them used a RCT design. The common acupoints/sites used in the treatment of CFS, which may reflect the collective experience of acupuncturists in China based on Traditional Chinese Medicine theories can be used to evaluate the effectiveness of acupuncture for the treatment of CFS in future studies using more scientifically rigorous study designs.

Domestic incense use and lung cancer in Asia: a review

2016 ◽  
Vol 31 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Wei Jie Seow ◽  
Qing Lan
Keyword(s):  
Lung Cancer ◽  
Systematic Review ◽  
Air Pollution ◽  
Cancer Risk ◽  
Lung Cancer Risk ◽  
Smoking Status ◽  
Case Control ◽  
Negative Association ◽  
Future Studies ◽  
Manual Review

AbstractWhile there is strong evidence for the association between household air pollution and lung cancer among non-smoking women, the association between domestic incense use and lung cancer risk has been inconsistent. We conducted a systematic review of PubMed articles authored between 1969 and August 25, 2015 before performing a manual review of each study, and found a total of seven published studies on this topic. Most of the studies are case-control in design and did not further stratify by sex and smoking status. Of the seven studies, three reported positive associations, three reported null associations and one study found a negative association between incense use and lung cancer. Only one study reported estimates for non-smoking women. Future studies should be larger in sample size, stratify by both sex and smoking status in their analyses, and collect more detailed information on incense use in order to facilitate the understanding of the association between domestic incense use and lung cancer risk among non-smoking women in Asia.

scholarly journals How the Pilates Method Can Influence Sports Performance in Different Modalities

2020 ◽  
Vol 25 (264) ◽  
pp. 139-152
Author(s):  
Manoela Abreu ◽  
Franciele Carvalho Santos ◽  
Ana Laura Nogueira ◽  
Matheus Lima Zampieri ◽  
Dernival Bertoncello
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Methodological Quality ◽  
Web Of Science ◽  
Sports Performance ◽  
Review Of The Literature ◽  
Control Groups ◽  
Future Studies ◽  
Pilates Method

The aim of this study was to perform a systematic review of the literature in order to investigate the effects of the Pilates Method on athletes of different sports. Methods: Researches were carried out in databases (SciELO, LILACS, PubMed, Web of Science and SCOPUS) and to evaluate the methodological quality of the studies, the PEDro scale was used. Results: Of the 87 studies found, only four were included. Meta-analyzes to assess flexibility using the Wells Bank's Sit and Reach test and a fleximeter indicated improvement after Pilates application, although there were no statistically significant differences compared to the control groups (Wells Bank's Sit and Reach test: 2 , 83 95% CI: -0.73 to 6.38, I² = 99%; Fleximeter: -0.78, 95% CI: -1.84 to 0.27, I² = 0%). Conclusion: There is evidence of benefits after Pilates intervention. Future studies with standardized protocols, according to the chosen sport, are necessary to determine how the Pilates Method can improve athletes' performance.

scholarly journals Graph Learning based Recommender Systems: A Review

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shoujin Wang ◽  
Liang Hu ◽  
Yan Wang ◽  
Xiangnan He ◽  
Quan Z. Sheng ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Recommender Systems ◽  
Rapid Development ◽  
Research Area ◽  
Learning Approaches ◽  
Graph Learning ◽  
Promising Direction ◽  
Learning Techniques ◽  
Fast Development ◽  
Content Based Filtering

Recent years have witnessed the fast development of the emerging topic of Graph Learning based Recommender Systems (GLRS). GLRS mainly employ advanced graph learning approaches to model users’ preferences and intentions as well as items’ characteristics and popularity for Recommender Systems (RS). Differently from other approaches, including content based filtering and collaborative filtering, GLRS are built on graphs where the important objects, e.g., users, items, and attributes, are either explicitly or implicitly connected. With the rapid development of graph learning techniques, exploring and exploiting homogeneous or heterogeneous relations in graphs is a promising direction for building more effective RS. In this paper, we provide a systematic review of GLRS, by discussing how they extract knowledge from graphs to improve the accuracy, reliability and explainability of the recommendations. First, we characterize and formalize GLRS, and then summarize and categorize the key challenges and main progress in this novel research area.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document