scholarly journals Potential Health and Performance Effects of High-Level and Low-Level Blast: A Scoping Review of Two Decades of Research

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer N. Belding ◽  
Robyn M. Englert ◽  
Shannon Fitzmaurice ◽  
Jourdan R. Jackson ◽  
Hannah G. Koenig ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Scoping Review ◽  
Animal Studies ◽  
Human Subjects ◽  
Animal Health ◽  
Medical Specialty ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Human Populations ◽  
Potential Health ◽  
Low Level ◽  
Blast Exposure

Although blast exposure has been recognized as a significant source of morbidity and mortality in military populations, our understanding of the effects of blast exposure, particularly low-level blast (LLB) exposure, on health outcomes remains limited. This scoping review provides a comprehensive, accessible review of the peer-reviewed literature that has been published on blast exposure over the past two decades, with specific emphasis on LLB. We conducted a comprehensive scoping review of the scientific literature published between January 2000 and 2019 pertaining to the effects of blast injury and/or exposure on human and animal health. A three-level review process with specific inclusion and exclusion criteria was used. A full-text review of all articles pertaining to LLB exposure was conducted and relevant study characteristics were extracted. The research team identified 3,215 blast-relevant articles, approximately half of which (55.4%) studied live humans, 16% studied animals, and the remainder were non-subjects research (e.g., literature reviews). Nearly all (99.49%) of the included studies were conducted by experts in medicine or epidemiology; approximately half of these articles were categorized into more than one medical specialty. Among the 51 articles identified as pertaining to LLB specifically, 45.1% were conducted on animals and 39.2% focused on human subjects. Animal studies of LLB predominately used shock tubes to induce various blast exposures in rats, assessed a variety of outcomes, and clearly demonstrated that LLB exposure is associated with brain injury. In contrast, the majority of LLB studies on humans were conducted among military and law enforcement personnel in training environments and had remarkable variability in the exposures and outcomes assessed. While findings suggest that there is the potential for LLB to harm human populations, findings are mixed and more research is needed. Although it is clear that more research is needed on this rapidly growing topic, this review highlights the detrimental effects of LLB on the health of both animals and humans. Future research would benefit from multidisciplinary collaboration, larger sample sizes, and standardization of terminology, exposures, and outcomes.

The effects of stress on memory and the hippocampus throughout the life cycle: Implications for childhood development and aging

1998 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 871-885 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. DOUGLAS BREMNER ◽  
MEENA NARAYAN
Keyword(s):  
Childhood Abuse ◽  
Animal Studies ◽  
Human Subjects ◽  
Accelerated Aging ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Memory Deficits ◽  
Childhood Development ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Human Populations ◽  
Hippocampal Atrophy

Studies in animals showing hippocampal atrophy and associated memory deficits in stress and aging have implications for stress and aging in humans. Clinical studies in traumatized human populations with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) have replicated studies in animals, showing reduction in volume of the hippocampus measured with magnetic resonance imaging and associated memory deficits. Trauma at different stages of development (early childhood abuse versus trauma in later life due to combat) may influence the nature of memory deficits and hippocampal atrophy. Studies in aging human subjects are consistent with animal studies, although future research is needed in this area. The similarities between biological findings related to cortisol and the hippocampus in stress and aging in both animal and human studies raises the question of whether PTSD can be seen as a form of accelerated aging. Evidence that stress affects the hippocampus and the capacity for learning has broad implications for public health policy, underlying the need for additional resources in this important area and a reexamination of our understanding of factors influencing academic achievement.

scholarly journals Repeated Low-Level Blast Exposure: A Descriptive Human Subjects Study

2016 ◽  
Vol 181 (5S) ◽  
pp. 28-39 ◽  
Author(s):  
Walter Carr ◽  
James R. Stone ◽  
Tim Walilko ◽  
Lee Ann Young ◽  
Tianlu Li Snook ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Human Subjects ◽  
Low Level ◽  
Blast Exposure

scholarly journals Potential Developmental and Reproductive Impacts of Triclocarban: A Scoping Review

2017 ◽  
Vol 2017 ◽  
pp. 1-15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Johanna R. Rochester ◽  
Ashley L. Bolden ◽  
Katherine E. Pelch ◽  
Carol F. Kwiatkowski
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Scoping Review ◽  
Estrogenic Activity ◽  
The Body ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Human Populations ◽  
Developmental Effects ◽  
Androgenic Activity ◽  
The Us

Triclocarban (TCC) is an antimicrobial agent used in personal care products. Although frequently studied with another antimicrobial, triclosan, it is not as well researched, and there are very few reviews of the biological activity of TCC. TCC has been shown to be a possible endocrine disruptor, acting by enhancing the activity of endogenous hormones. TCC has been banned in the US for certain applications; however, many human populations, in and outside the US, exhibit exposure to TCC. Because of the concern of the health effects of TCC, we conducted a scoping review in order to map the current body of literature on the endocrine, reproductive, and developmental effects of TCC. The aim of this scoping review was to identify possible endpoints for future systematic review and to make recommendations for future research. A search of the literature until August 2017 yielded 32 relevant studies in humans, rodents, fish, invertebrates, and in vitro. Based on the robustness of the literature in all three evidence streams (human, animal, and in vitro), we identified three endpoints for possible systematic review: estrogenic activity, androgenic activity, and offspring growth. In this review, we describe the body of evidence and make recommendations for future research.

scholarly journals Trichothecenes in Food and Feed, Relevance to Human and Animal Health and Methods of Detection: A Systematic Review

Molecules ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 26 (2) ◽  
pp. 454
Author(s):  
Magdalena Polak-Śliwińska ◽  
Beata Paszczyk
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Conditions ◽  
Animal Health ◽  
Agricultural Practices ◽  
Climatic Conditions ◽  
Toxic Effects ◽  
Farm Animals ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Low Level ◽  
Food And Feed ◽  
The Impact

Trichothecene mycotoxins are sesquiterpenoid compounds primarily produced by fungi in taxonomical genera such as Fusarium, Myrothecium, Stachybotrys, Trichothecium, and others, under specific climatic conditions on a worldwide basis. Fusarium mold is a major plant pathogen and produces a number of trichothecene mycotoxins including deoxynivalenol (or vomitoxin), nivalenol, diacetoxyscirpenol, and T-2 toxin, HT-2 toxin. Monogastrics are sensitive to vomitoxin, while poultry and ruminants appear to be less sensitive to some trichothecenes through microbial metabolism of trichothecenes in the gastrointestinal tract. Trichothecene mycotoxins occur worldwide however both total concentrations and the particular mix of toxins present vary with environmental conditions. Proper agricultural practices such as avoiding late harvests, removing overwintered stubble from fields, and avoiding a corn/wheat rotation that favors Fusarium growth in residue can reduce trichothecene contamination of grains. Due to the vague nature of toxic effects attributed to low concentrations of trichothecenes, a solid link between low level exposure and a specific trichothecene is difficult to establish. Multiple factors, such as nutrition, management, and environmental conditions impact animal health and need to be evaluated with the knowledge of the mycotoxin and concentrations known to cause adverse health effects. Future research evaluating the impact of low-level exposure on livestock may clarify the potential impact on immunity. Trichothecenes are rapidly excreted from animals, and residues in edible tissues, milk, or eggs are likely negligible. In chronic exposures to trichothecenes, once the contaminated feed is removed and exposure stopped, animals generally have an excellent prognosis for recovery. This review shows the occurrence of trichothecenes in food and feed in 2011–2020 and their toxic effects and provides a summary of the discussions on the potential public health concerns specifically related to trichothecenes residues in foods associated with the exposure of farm animals to mycotoxin-contaminated feeds and impact to human health. Moreover, the article discusses the methods of their detection.

scholarly journals Trends in Scientific Reports on Cartilage Bioprinting: Scoping Review

10.2196/15017 ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (3) ◽  
pp. e15017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Àngels Salvador Vergés ◽  
Meltem Yildirim ◽  
Bertran Salvador ◽  
Francesc Garcia Cuyas
Keyword(s):  
Scoping Review ◽  
Animal Studies ◽  
Research Priorities ◽  
Kappa Statistic ◽  
Human Experimentation ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Predictive Capacity ◽  
Live Animal ◽  
Technical Problems ◽  
Viable Solution

Background Satisfactory therapeutic strategies for cartilaginous lesion repair do not yet exist. This creates a challenge for surgeons and biomedical engineers and leads them to investigate the role of bioprinting and tissue engineering as viable treatments through orthopedic surgery, plastic surgery, and otorhinolaryngology. Recent increases in related scientific literature suggest that bioprinted cartilage may develop into a viable solution. Objective The objectives of this review were to (1) synthesize the scientific advances published to date, (2) identify unresolved technical problems regarding human application, and (3) identify more effective ways for the scientific community to transfer their findings to clinicians. Methods This scoping review considered articles published between 2009 and 2019 that were identified through searching PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar. Arksey and O'Malley’s five-step framework was used to delimit and direct the initial search results, from which we established the following research questions: (1) What do authors of current research say about human application? (2) What necessary technical improvements are identified in the research? (3) On which issues do the authors agree? and (4) What future research priorities emerge in the studies? We used the Cohen kappa statistic to validate the interrater reliability. Results The 13 articles included in the review demonstrated the feasibility of cartilage bioprinting in live animal studies. Some investigators are already considering short-term human experimentation, although technical limitations still need to be resolved. Both the use and manufacturing process of stem cells need to be standardized, and a consensus is needed regarding the composition of hydrogels. Using on-site printing strategies and predesigned implants may allow techniques to adapt to multiple situations. In addition, the predictive capacity of implant behavior may lead to optimal results. Conclusions Cartilage bioprinting for surgical applications is nearing its initial use in humans. Current research suggests that surgeons will soon be able to replace damaged tissue with bioprinted material.

scholarly journals Health effects with consumption of the flax lignan secoisolariciresinol diglucoside

2009 ◽  
Vol 103 (7) ◽  
pp. 929-938 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer L. Adolphe ◽  
Susan J. Whiting ◽  
Bernhard H. J. Juurlink ◽  
Lilian U. Thorpe ◽  
Jane Alcorn
Keyword(s):  
Health Effects ◽  
Animal Studies ◽  
Health Benefits ◽  
Current Evidence ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Supporting Evidence ◽  
Secoisolariciresinol Diglucoside ◽  
Potential Health ◽  
Positive Effects ◽  
The Metabolic Syndrome

Flaxseed is the richest source of the lignan secoisolariciresinol diglucoside (SDG). After ingestion, SDG is converted to secoisolariciresinol, which is further metabolised to the mammalian lignans enterodiol and enterolactone. A growing body of evidence suggests that SDG metabolites may provide health benefits due to their weak oestrogenic or anti-oestrogenic effects, antioxidant activity, ability to induce phase 2 proteins and/or inhibit the activity of certain enzymes, or by mechanisms yet unidentified. Human and animal studies identify the benefits of SDG consumption. SDG metabolites may protect against CVD and the metabolic syndrome by reducing lipid and glucose concentrations, lowering blood pressure, and decreasing oxidative stress and inflammation. Flax lignans may also reduce cancer risk by preventing pre-cancerous cellular changes and by reducing angiogenesis and metastasis. Thus, dietary SDG has the potential to decrease the incidence of several chronic diseases that result in significant morbidity and mortality in industrialised countries. The available literature, though, makes it difficult to clearly identify SDG health effects because of the wide variability in study methods. However, the current evidence suggests that a dose of at least 500 mg SDG/d for approximately 8 weeks is needed to observe positive effects on cardiovascular risk factors in human patients. Flaxseed and its lignan extracts appear to be safe for most adult populations, though animal studies suggest that pregnant women should limit their exposure. The present review discusses the potential health benefits of SDG in humans, with supporting evidence from animal studies, and offers suggestions for future research.

Utility of 3D printed cardiac models in congenital heart disease: a scoping review

Heart ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 106 (21) ◽  
pp. 1631-1637 ◽  
Author(s):  
Caroline F Illmann ◽  
Rouzbeh Ghadiry-Tavi ◽  
Martin Hosking ◽  
Kevin C Harris
Keyword(s):  
Congenital Heart Disease ◽  
Heart Disease ◽  
Scoping Review ◽  
Congenital Heart ◽  
Human Subjects ◽  
Case Reports ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Qualitative Synthesis ◽  
3D Printed

ObjectiveThree-dimensional printing (3DP) is a novel technology with applications in healthcare, particularly for congenital heart disease (CHD). We sought to explore the spectrum of use of 3D printed CHD models (3D-CM) and identify knowledge gaps within the published body of literature to guide future research.MethodsWe conducted a scoping review targeting published literature on the use of 3D-CMs. The databases of MEDLINE, EMBASE and Web of Science were searched from their inception until 19 July 2019. Inclusion criteria were primary research; studies reporting use of 3D-CMs; and human subjects. Exclusion criteria were studies where 3D-CMs were generated for proof of concept but not used; and studies focused on bioprinting or computational 3D-CMs. Studies were assessed for inclusion and data were extracted from eligible articles in duplicate.ResultsThe search returned 648 results. Following assessment, 79 articles were included in the final qualitative synthesis. The majority (66%) of studies are case reports or series. 15% reported use of a control group. Three main areas of utilisation are for (1) surgical and interventional cardiology procedural planning (n=62), (2) simulation (n=25), and (3) education for medical personnel or patients and their families (n=17). Multiple studies used 3D-CMs for more than one of these areas.Conclusions3DP for CHD is a new technology with an evolving literature base. Most of the published literature are experiential reports as opposed to manuscripts on scientifically robust studies. Our study has identified gaps in the literature and addressed priority areas for future research.

scholarly journals Getting on the Same Page: Consolidating Terminology to Facilitate Cross-Disciplinary Health-Related Blast Research

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer N. Belding ◽  
Michael Egnoto ◽  
Robyn M. Englert ◽  
Shannon Fitzmaurice ◽  
Cynthia J. Thomsen
Keyword(s):  
Scoping Review ◽  
Focal Point ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Fiscal Year ◽  
National Defense ◽  
Low Level ◽  
Universal Language ◽  
Blast Exposure ◽  
Health Related ◽  
High Level

The consequences of blast exposure (including both high-level and low-level blast) have been a focal point of military interest and research for years. Recent mandates from Congress (e.g., National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2018, section 734) have further accelerated these efforts, facilitating collaborations between research teams from a variety of disciplinary backgrounds. Based on findings from a recent scoping review, we argue that the scientific field of blast research is plagued by inconsistencies in both conceptualization of relevant constructs and terminology used to describe them. These issues hamper our ability to interpret study methods and findings, hinder efforts to integrate findings across studies to reach scientific consensus, and increase the likelihood of redundant efforts. We argue that multidisciplinary experts in this field require a universal language and clear, standardized terminology to further advance the important work of examining the effects of blast exposure on human health, performance, and well-being. To this end, we present a summary of descriptive conventions regarding the language scientists currently use when discussing blast-related exposures and outcomes based on findings from a recent scoping review. We then provide prescriptive conventions about how these terms should be used by clearly conceptualizing and explicitly defining relevant constructs. Specifically, we summarize essential concepts relevant to the study of blast, precisely distinguish between high-level blast and low-level blast, and discuss how the terms acute, chronic, exposure, and outcome should be used when referring to the health-related consequences of blast exposure.

Attachment and Epigenetics: A Scoping Review of Recent Research and Current Knowledge

2020 ◽  
pp. 003329412090184
Author(s):  
Pernille Darling Rasmussen ◽  
Ole Jakob Storebø
Keyword(s):  
Scoping Review ◽  
Animal Studies ◽  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Human Subjects ◽  
Childhood Adversity ◽  
Broad Perspective ◽  
Current State ◽  
State Of Research ◽  
Epigenetic Research ◽  
Epigenetic Processes

Background Epigenetic research has pointed to that the interaction between genetics and environmental factors may play a role in making some individuals more vulnerable than others. Aim The aim of this article was to present a broad perspective on the current state of knowledge in a relatively new and complex field of “attachment and epigenetic processes.” Method We conducted a scoping review based on a systematic literature search in PsycINFO, PubMed, and Embase databases for relevant abstracts using the terms attachment and epigenet*. Results In total, 11 studies were included. Research predating 2009 and animal studies were excluded in order to review the current state of research in humans. Conclusion Overall, there seems to be a consistency in the literature, pointing to a link between early childhood adversity, attachment processes, and epigenetic changes. However, research in human subjects is still limited.

scholarly journals Charcot knee — presentation, diagnosis, management — a scoping review

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Victor Lu ◽  
James Zhang ◽  
Azeem Thahir ◽  
Andrew Zhou ◽  
Matija Krkovic
Keyword(s):  
Scoping Review ◽  
Animal Studies ◽  
Case Reports ◽  
Weight Bearing ◽  
Case Series ◽  
Joint Effusion ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Charcot Arthropathy ◽  
Qualitative Synthesis ◽  
Entry Site

Abstract Background Charcot arthropathy is a progressive, non-infectious, destructive inflammatory process. Charcot arthropathy of the knee (CK) is rare and diagnosis is often delayed, resulting in detrimental outcomes. This scoping review aims to investigate the literature on CK, present the pathognomonic features of CK to aid early diagnosis, and suggest gaps in the literature for future research. Methods A systematic search of PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science for literature relevant to CK was performed. Primary studies such as case reports, case series, retrospective studies were included. Review articles and animal studies were excluded. Results Of the 513 results, 58 were included in qualitative synthesis. Average time from symptom onset to CK diagnosis was 50.5 months. Eighteen and twenty-one studies included patients who had diabetes mellitus and syphilis, respectively. Twenty-one studies reported pain as a presenting complaint, but the degree of pain didn’t correspond with the level of destruction. Oedema and joint effusion were noticed in 34 studies. Twenty-nine studies reported lower limb hypoesthesia and 17 studies reported decreased tendon reflex. Twenty-eight studies reported initial conservative treatment, often in a knee brace with minimal weight bearing, 9 of which needed subsequent surgical management. Twelve studies utilised arthrodesis, with fracture at the intramedullary nail entry site being the most common complication. Twenty-four studies utilised TKA. Conclusion The literature on CK remains sparse, with most publications being case reports. Given that CK dramatically reduces quality of life, increases morbidity of patients, there is need for more literature on evidence-based options for early diagnoses and management.

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