Plant-Derived Insecticides Under Meta-Analyses: Status, Biases, and Knowledge Gaps

Plant-derived or botanical insecticides are biopesticides experiencing substantial ongoing increase in interest. The 74 years of our literature survey tracked over 2500 papers on botanical insecticides published between 1945 and 2019 (Web of Science database). Such a survey allowed meta-analyses to recognize current status and biases of the studies providing important insights into the research topic. They include the recognition of the exponential growth of such studies since the 1990s, the prevalent interest on the Meliaceae plant species and a dozen additional families, although some 190 families have been investigated. The arthropods targeted by such studies were pest species (ca. 95%) with rather little attention devoted to non-target species (p < 0.001). This bias is followed by another one—mortality assessments are prevalent among target and non-target arthropod species when contrasted with sublethal assessments (p < 0.01). These omissions are pivotal, as they fail to recognize that sublethal effects may be as important or even more important than mortality, and that initial insecticide deposits quickly degrade over time leading to prevailing sublethal exposure. Furthermore, although the target of control is limited to few species, non-target species will be exposed and as such need to be factored into consideration. Thus, these biases in studies of botanical insecticides incur in knowledge gaps with potential consequences for the practical use of these compounds as pest management tools.

Download Full-text

Is Atherothromboaspiration a Possible Solution for the Prevention of No-Reflow Phenomenon in Acute Coronary Syndromes? Single Centre Experience and Review of the Literature

Current Vascular Pharmacology ◽

10.2174/1570161116666180101150956 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 17 (2) ◽

pp. 164-179

Author(s):

Antonis S. Manolis

Keyword(s):

Coronary Intervention ◽

Covered Stent ◽

Current Status ◽

Extensive Literature ◽

Review Of The Literature ◽

Single Centre ◽

Total N ◽

No Reflow ◽

Clinical Benefits ◽

Meta Analyses

Background: Intracoronary thrombus in acute Myocardial Infarction (MI) confers higher rates of no-reflow with attendant adverse consequences. Earlier Randomized-Controlled-Trials (RCTs) of routine thromboaspiration during Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (PCI) indicated a clinical benefit, but more recent RCTs were negative. However, data of selective use of this adjunctive approach remain scarce. Objective: The aim of this single-centre prospective study was to report the results of selective thromboaspiration during PCI in patients with intracoronary thrombi, and also to provide an extensive literature review on current status of thromboaspiration. Methods: The study included 90 patients (77 men; aged 59.3±12.7 years) presenting with acute MI (STElevation MI (STEMI) in 74, non-STEMI in 16) who had intracoronary thrombi and were submitted to thromboaspiration. Results: Total (n=67) or subtotal (n=18) vessel occlusions were present in 85 (94%) patients. Thromboaspiration and subsequent PCI were successful in 89/90 (98.9%) patients, with coronary stenting in 86 (96.6%). In 4 patients with residual thrombus, a mesh-covered stent was implanted. IIb/IIIa-inhibitors were administered in 57 (63.3%) patients. No-reflow occurred in only 1 (1.1%) patient. The postprocedural course was uneventful. Review of the literature revealed several early observational and RCTs and meta-analyses favouring manual, not mechanical, thrombectomy. However, newer RCTs and meta-analyses significantly curtailed the initial enthusiasm for the clinical benefits of routine use of thromboaspiration. Conclusion: Selective thromboaspiration for angiographically visible thrombi in MI patients undergoing PCI, as an adjunct to mechanical reperfusion and to IIb/IIIa-inhibitors, may be an option since this manoeuvre may improve procedural and clinical outcome.

Download Full-text

Review on Sublethal Effects of Environmental Contaminants in Honey Bees (Apis mellifera), Knowledge Gaps and Future Perspectives

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph18041863 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 18 (4) ◽

pp. 1863 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Agata Di Noi ◽

Silvia Casini ◽

Tommaso Campani ◽

Giampiero Cai ◽

Ilaria Caliani

Keyword(s):

Apis Mellifera ◽

Honey Bees ◽

Sublethal Effects ◽

Integrated Approach ◽

Anthropogenic Contamination ◽

Knowledge Gaps ◽

Pollination Services ◽

General Decline ◽

Polycyclic Aromatic ◽

The Impact

Honey bees and the pollination services they provide are fundamental for agriculture and biodiversity. Agrochemical products and other classes of contaminants, such as trace elements and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, contribute to the general decline of bees’ populations. For this reason, effects, and particularly sublethal effects of contaminants need to be investigated. We conducted a review of the existing literature regarding the type of effects evaluated in Apis mellifera, collecting information about regions, methodological approaches, the type of contaminants, and honey bees’ life stages. Europe and North America are the regions in which A. mellifera biological responses were mostly studied and the most investigated compounds are insecticides. A. mellifera was studied more in the laboratory than in field conditions. Through the observation of the different responses examined, we found that there were several knowledge gaps that should be addressed, particularly within enzymatic and molecular responses, such as those regarding the immune system and genotoxicity. The importance of developing an integrated approach that combines responses at different levels, from molecular to organism and population, needs to be highlighted in order to evaluate the impact of anthropogenic contamination on this pollinator species.

Download Full-text

Impact of Educational Technology on Teacher Stress and Anxiety: A Literature Review

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph18020548 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 18 (2) ◽

pp. 548

Author(s):

José-María Fernández-Batanero ◽

Pedro Román-Graván ◽

Miguel-María Reyes-Rebollo ◽

Marta Montenegro-Rueda

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Educational Technology ◽

Teaching And Learning ◽

Teaching Practice ◽

Web Of Science ◽

Teacher Stress ◽

Bibliographic Databases ◽

Technology In The Classroom ◽

Stress Symptoms ◽

Meta Analyses

Educational technology has become an increasingly important element for improving the teaching and learning process of students. To achieve these goals, it is essential that teachers have the skills they need to be able to introduce technology into their teaching practice. However, this is often overwhelming and stressful for many of them. The aim of this review was to find out how research on teacher stress and anxiety associated with the use of educational technology was proceeding. A systematic review was conducted using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines through the following bibliographic databases: PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus. Sixteen articles were found from the review. The main findings show that teachers present high levels of anxiety or stress due to their use of educational technology in the classroom. Among the conclusions, the need for research on different strategies to prevent the emergence of these anxiety and stress symptoms in teachers stands out.

Download Full-text

Women in surgery: a systematic review of 25 years

BMJ Leader ◽

10.1136/leader-2019-000199 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. leader-2019-000199

Author(s):

Charleen Singh ◽

Caitlin Loseth ◽

Noordeen Shoqirat

Keyword(s):

Quality Of Life ◽

Systematic Review ◽

Work Life ◽

Current Status ◽

Leadership Roles ◽

Review Of The Literature ◽

Life Balance ◽

Surgical Residency ◽

Meta Analyses

The number of women entering medicine significantly increased over the last decades. Currently, over half of the medical students are women but less than half are applying to surgery and even less go on to surgical specialties. Even fewer women are seen in leadership roles throughout the profession of surgery and surgical residency. Our purpose of the literature review is to identify any themes, which would provide insight to the current phenomenon. We used the Preferred Reporting Items for Systemic Reviews and Meta-Analyses method for a systematic review of the literature over a 20-year period (1998–2018). Five broad themes were identified: education and recruitment, career development, impact of/on life around the globe and surgical subspecialties as areas of barriers for women entering or considering surgery. The systematic review suggests there are opportunities to improve and encourage women entering the profession of surgery as well as the quality of life for surgeons. Creating systems for mentorship across programmes, having policies to support work–life balance and recognising surgical training overlaps with childbearing years are key opportunities for improvement. Improving the current status in surgery will require direction from leadership.

Download Full-text

Insect fauna of pests and their natural enemies inhabiting sorghum-panicles in Egypt

Egyptian Journal of Biological Pest Control ◽

10.1186/s41938-019-0190-0 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 29 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Hosam M. K. H. El-Gepaly

Keyword(s):

Natural Enemies ◽

Dominant Species ◽

Insect Pest ◽

Pest Species ◽

Parasitoid Species ◽

Insect Fauna ◽

Cryptoblabes Gnidiella ◽

Arthropod Species ◽

Lepidopteran Pests ◽

Major Pest

AbstractSorghum panicles offer a very rich microenvironment for many insect pest species and their natural enemies. Thirty arthropod species belonging to 28 families, pertaining to 9 orders were obtained from sorghum panicles planted in Sohag Governorate, Egypt, during the 3 successive seasons of 2016–2018. Out of these species were 14 pests, 16 predators, and 3 parasitoids. Lepidopteran and hemipteran pests were the most dominant species-infested sorghum-panicles during the mature stages of the panicles. Three microlepidopteran pests, the noctuid, Eublemma (Autoba) gayneri (Roth.); the pyralid, Cryptoblabes gnidiella Millière, and the cosmopterigid, Pyroderces simplex Walsingham, were recorded as major pest species infesting sorghum panicles in Sohag Governorate. The dipteran parasitoid species, Nemorilla floralis (Fallen) (Tachinidae) emerged from the pupae of the E. gayneri and C. gnidiella, while the hymenopteran parasitoid, Brachymeria aegyptiaca (Chalcididae) was obtained from the pupae of all the studied microlepidopteran pests. Spiders, coccinellids, and Orius spp. were the dominant predators collected form panicles. Post-harvest, larvae, and pupae of lepidopteran pests, especially P. simplex recorded (147, 96, and 79 larvae) and (47, 30, and 73 pupae)/10 panicles in 2016, 2017, and 2018 seasons, respectively.

Download Full-text

Primary Crime Prevention Apps: A Typology and Scoping Review

Trauma Violence & Abuse ◽

10.1177/1524838020985560 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 152483802098556

Author(s):

Mark A. Wood ◽

Stuart Ross ◽

Diana Johns

Keyword(s):

Crime Prevention ◽

Scoping Review ◽

Decision Aid ◽

English Language ◽

Web Of Science ◽

Evidence Base ◽

Smartphone Apps ◽

Initial Sample ◽

Language Research ◽

Meta Analyses

In the last decade, an array of smartphone apps have been designed to prevent crime, violence, and abuse. The evidence base of these apps has, however, yet to analyzed systematically. To rectify this, the aims of this review were (1) to establish the extent, range, and nature of research into smartphone apps with a primary crime prevention function; (2) to locate gaps in the primary crime prevention app literature; and (3) to develop a typology of primary crime prevention apps. Employing a scoping review methodology and following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines, studies were identified via Web of Science, EBSCOhost, and Google Scholar. We included English-language research published between 2008 and 2020 that examined smartphone applications designed explicitly for primary crime prevention. Sixty-one publications met our criteria for review, out of an initial sample of 151 identified. Our review identified six types of crime prevention app examined in these publications: self-surveillance apps, decision aid apps, child-tracking apps, educational apps, crime-mapping/alert apps, and crime reporting apps. The findings of our review indicate that most of these forms of primary crime prevention apps have yet to be rigorously evaluated and many are not evidence-based in their design. Consequently, our review indicates that recent enthusiasm over primary crime prevention apps is not supported by an adequate evidence base.

Download Full-text

Sensory-Based Priming for Upper Extremity Hemiparesis After Stroke: A Scoping Review

OTJR Occupation Participation and Health ◽

10.1177/15394492211032606 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 153944922110326

Author(s):

Mary E. Stoykov ◽

Courtney Heidle ◽

Shamshir Kang ◽

Lisa Lodesky ◽

Lindsay E. Maccary ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Electrical Stimulation ◽

Motor Skills ◽

Upper Limb ◽

Scoping Review ◽

Web Of Science ◽

Motor Impairment ◽

Cochrane Collaboration ◽

Prisma Statement ◽

Meta Analyses ◽

The Cochrane Collaboration

Sensory priming is a technique to facilitate neuroplasticity and improve motor skills after injury. Common sensory priming modalities include peripheral nerve stimulation/somatosensory electrical stimulation (PNS/SES), transient functional deafferentation (TFD), and vibration. The aim of this study was to determine whether sensory priming with a motor intervention results in improved upper limb motor impairment or function after stroke. PubMed, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), Web of Science, and EMBASE were the databases used to search the literature in July 2020. This scoping review followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statement and recommendations for the Cochrane collaboration. In total, 30 studies were included in the analysis: three studies examined TFD, 16 examined PNS/SES, 10 studied vibration, and one combined the three stimulation techniques. Most studies reported significant improvements for participants receiving sensory priming. Given the low risk, it may be advantageous to use sensory-based priming prior to or concurrent with upper limb training after stroke.

Download Full-text

Prevalence of Cognitive Impairment and Dementia in Older Adults Living at High Altitude: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Dementia and Geriatric Cognitive Disorders ◽

10.1159/000514471 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 1-11

Author(s):

Diego Urrunaga-Pastor ◽

Diego Chambergo-Michilot ◽

Fernando M. Runzer-Colmenares ◽

Josmel Pacheco-Mendoza ◽

Vicente A. Benites-Zapata

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Cognitive Impairment ◽

High Altitude ◽

Web Of Science ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Language Restriction ◽

Newcastle Ottawa Scale ◽

Meta Analyses ◽

Ottawa Scale

Introduction: Dementia is a chronic disease with a variable prevalence throughout the world; however, this could be higher at high-altitude populations. We aimed to summarize the prevalence of cognitive impairment and dementia in older adults living at high altitude. Methods: We searched in PubMed, Medline, Scopus, Web of Science, and Embase and included the studies published from inception to July 20, 2020, with no language restriction, which reported the frequency of cognitive impairment or dementia in older adults living at high-altitude populations. Random-effects meta-analyses were performed to calculate the overall prevalence and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) of cognitive impairment and dementia. The risk of bias was evaluated using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS) adapted for cross-sectional studies. Results: Six studies were included (3,724 participants), and 5 of the 6 included studies were carried out in Latin America. The altitude ranged from 1,783 to 3,847 m, the proportion of women included varied from 38.7 to 65.6%, and the proportion of participants with elementary or illiterate educational level ranged from 71.7 to 97.6%. The overall prevalence of cognitive impairment was 22.0% (95% CI: 8–40, I2: 99%), and the overall prevalence of dementia was 11.0% (95% CI: 6–17, I2: 92%). In a subgroup analysis according to the instrument used to evaluate cognitive impairment, the prevalence of cognitive impairment was 21.0% (95% CI: 5–42, I2: 99%) in the MMSE group while the prevalence was 29.0% (95% CI: 0–78) in the non-MMSE group. Conclusions: The prevalence of cognitive impairment and dementia in older adults living at high altitude is almost twice the number reported in some world regions.

Download Full-text

Tourism research for the GCC region: Current status and future research directions

Tourism Economics ◽

10.1177/1354816621999968 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 135481662199996

Author(s):

Ali Salman Saleh ◽

Charbel Bassil ◽

Arsalan Safari

Keyword(s):

United Arab Emirates ◽

Current Status ◽

Future Research ◽

Research Directions ◽

Regional Tourism ◽

Research Theme ◽

Tourism Sector ◽

Future Research Directions ◽

Meta Analyses ◽

The Impact

Tourism in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries has recently been considered by policymakers as a new avenue for economic diversification. Despite the considerable literature concerning the impact of tourism worldwide, only a limited number of studies have looked at the tourism sector in the GCC region or analyzed its economic, sociocultural, and environmental impacts. This article therefore conducts a systematic review of the state of the literature related to tourism in the GCC region. It provides effective insights about the current status, gaps, and challenges and proposes future research directions in this area for academics, practitioners, and policymakers with an interest in regional tourism development. The preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses approach was used to identify and select the papers. Some 23 papers were identified and analyzed. The majority of these studies focused on the United Arab Emirates, specifically the Dubai emirate. We found the most dominant research theme to be tourism planning.

Download Full-text

The Clinical Utility of Virtual Reality in Neurorehabilitation: A Systematic Review

Journal of Central Nervous System Disease ◽

10.1177/1179573518813541 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 10 ◽

pp. 117957351881354 ◽

Cited By ~ 25

Author(s):

Thais Massetti ◽

Talita Dias da Silva ◽

Tânia Brusque Crocetta ◽

Regiani Guarnieri ◽

Bruna Leal de Freitas ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Virtual Reality ◽

Virtual Environments ◽

Neurological Disorders ◽

Clinical Utility ◽

Spinal Cord Injuries ◽

Web Of Science ◽

The Past ◽

Meta Analyses ◽

The Impact

Background: Virtual reality (VR) experiences (through games and virtual environments) are increasingly being used in physical, cognitive, and psychological interventions. However, the impact of VR as an approach to rehabilitation is not fully understood, and its advantages over traditional rehabilitation techniques are yet to be established. Method: We present a systematic review which was conducted according to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA). During February and March of 2018, we conducted searches on PubMed (Medline), Virtual Health Library Search Portal databases (BVS), Web of Science (WOS), and Embase for all VR-related publications in the past 4 years (2015, 2016, 2017, and 2018). The keywords used in the search were “neurorehabilitation” AND “Virtual Reality” AND “devices.” Results: We summarize the literature which highlights that a range of effective VR approaches are available. Studies identified were conducted with poststroke patients, patients with cerebral palsy, spinal cord injuries, and other pathologies. Healthy populations have been used in the development and testing of VR approaches meant to be used in the future by people with neurological disorders. A range of benefits were associated with VR interventions, including improvement in motor functions, greater community participation, and improved psychological and cognitive function. Conclusions: The results from this review provide support for the use of VR as part of a neurorehabilitation program in maximizing recovery.

Download Full-text