Which Diet Has the Least Environmental Impact on Our Planet? A Systematic Review of Vegan, Vegetarian and Omnivorous Diets

The food that we consume has a large impact on our environment. The impact varies significantly between different diets. The aim of this systematic review is to address the question: Which diet has the least environmental impact on our planet? A comparison of a vegan, vegetarian and omnivorous diets. This systematic review is based on 16 studies and 18 reviews. The included studies were selected by focusing directly on environmental impacts of human diets. Four electronic bibliographic databases, PubMed, Medline, Scopus and Web of Science were used to conduct a systematic literature search based on fixed inclusion and exclusion criteria. The durations of the studies ranged from 7 days to 27 years. Most were carried out in the US or Europe. Results from our review suggest that the vegan diet is the optimal diet for the environment because, out of all the compared diets, its production results in the lowest level of GHG emissions. Additionally, the reviewed studies indicate the possibility of achieving the same environmental impact as that of the vegan diet, without excluding the meat and dairy food groups, but rather, by reducing them substantially.

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Systematic review methodology for development: An example from microfinance

Africanus Journal of Development Studies ◽

10.25159/0304-615x/5079 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 43 (1) ◽

pp. 65-77 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Carina Van Rooyen ◽

Ruth Stewart ◽

Thea De Wet

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

International Development ◽

Health Sector ◽

Evidence Based ◽

Systematic Review Methodology ◽

Development Interventions ◽

The Us ◽

Sub Saharan ◽

The Impact ◽

Evidence Based Decision Making

Big international development donors such as the UK’s Department for International Development and USAID have recently started using systematic review as a methodology to assess the effectiveness of various development interventions to help them decide what is the ‘best’ intervention to spend money on. Such an approach to evidence-based decision-making has long been practiced in the health sector in the US, UK, and elsewhere but it is relatively new in the development field. In this article we use the case of a systematic review of the impact of microfinance on the poor in sub-Saharan African to indicate how systematic review as a methodology can be used to assess the impact of specific development interventions.

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Molecular Investigation of miRNA Biomarkers as Chemoresistance Regulators in Melanoma: A Protocol for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Genes ◽

10.3390/genes13010115 ◽

2022 ◽

Vol 13 (1) ◽

pp. 115

Author(s):

Peter Shaw ◽

Greg Raymond ◽

Katherine S. Tzou ◽

Siddhartha Baxi ◽

Ravishankar Ram Mani ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Fixed Effects ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Cochrane Review ◽

Bibliographic Databases ◽

Analysis Model ◽

Pairwise Correlation ◽

Meta Regression Analysis ◽

Trim And Fill ◽

The Impact

Introduction: Melanoma is a global disease that is predominant in Western countries. However, reliable data resources and comprehensive studies on the theragnostic efficiency of miRNAs in melanoma are scarce. Hence, a decisive study or comprehensive review is required to collate the evidence for profiling miRNAs as a theragnostic marker. This protocol details a comprehensive systematic review and meta-analysis on the impact of miRNAs on chemoresistance and their association with theragnosis in melanoma. Methods and analysis: The articles will be retrieved from online bibliographic databases, including Cochrane Review, EMBASE, MEDLINE, PubMed, Scopus, Science Direct, and Web of Science, with different permutations of ‘keywords’. To obtain full-text papers of relevant research, a stated search method will be used, along with selection criteria. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis for Protocols 2015 (PRISMA-P) standards were used to create this study protocol. The hazard ratio (HR) with a 95% confidence interval will be analyzed using Comprehensive Meta-Analysis (CMA) software 3.0. (CI). The pooled effect size will be calculated using a random or fixed-effects meta-analysis model. Cochran’s Q test and the I2 statistic will be used to determine heterogeneity. Egger’s bias indicator test, Orwin’s and the classic fail-safe N tests, the Begg and Mazumdar rank collection test, and Duval and Tweedie’s trim and fill calculation will all be used to determine publication bias. The overall standard deviation will be evaluated using Z-statistics. Subgroup analyses will be performed according to the melanoma participants’ clinicopathological and biological characteristics and methodological factors if sufficient studies and retrieved data are identified and available. The source of heterogeneity will be assessed using a meta-regression analysis. A pairwise matrix could be developed using either a pairwise correlation or expression associations of miRNA with patients’ survival for the same studies.

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The Political Economy and Political Aesthetics of Military Maps

Spaces of Security ◽

10.18574/nyu/9781479863013.003.0009 ◽

2019 ◽

pp. 184-205

Author(s):

Catherine Lutz

Keyword(s):

Political Economy ◽

Environmental Impact ◽

The Political ◽

Two Dimensional ◽

Island Populations ◽

Political Aesthetics ◽

The Us ◽

Representational Power ◽

The Impact

This chapter explores the representational power of maps and the violence inherent in removing volume with two-dimensional ‘objectivity’. The focus is on maps, norms and militarist institutions in Guam, foregrounding underexplored aesthetic dimensions in reports on the environmental impact of the US presence. The impact of overseas US bases is striking, a global archipelago of military infrastructure that impacts on ‘strategic and disposable’ island populations. This chapter recognizes the layers of security available even in ‘transparent’ maps.

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Anemia and iron metabolism in COVID-19: a systematic review and meta-analysis

European Journal of Epidemiology ◽

10.1007/s10654-020-00678-5 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 35 (8) ◽

pp. 763-773 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Petek Eylul Taneri ◽

Sergio Alejandro Gómez-Ochoa ◽

Erand Llanaj ◽

Peter Francis Raguindin ◽

Lyda Z. Rojas ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Iron Metabolism ◽

Binding Capacity ◽

Ferritin Level ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Older Age ◽

Bibliographic Databases ◽

Distribution Width ◽

Significant Difference ◽

The Impact

Abstract Iron metabolism and anemia may play an important role in multiple organ dysfunction syndrome in Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate biomarkers of anemia and iron metabolism (hemoglobin, ferritin, transferrin, soluble transferrin receptor, hepcidin, haptoglobin, unsaturated iron-binding capacity, erythropoietin, free erythrocyte protoporphyrine, and erythrocyte indices) in patients diagnosed with COVID-19, and explored their prognostic value. Six bibliographic databases were searched up to August 3rd 2020. We included 189 unique studies, with data from 57,563 COVID-19 patients. Pooled mean hemoglobin and ferritin levels in COVID-19 patients across all ages were 129.7 g/L (95% Confidence Interval (CI), 128.51; 130.88) and 777.33 ng/mL (95% CI, 701.33; 852.77), respectively. Hemoglobin levels were lower with older age, higher percentage of subjects with diabetes, hypertension and overall comorbidities, and admitted to intensive care. Ferritin level increased with older age, increasing proportion of hypertensive study participants, and increasing proportion of mortality. Compared to moderate cases, severe COVID-19 cases had lower hemoglobin [weighted mean difference (WMD), − 4.08 g/L (95% CI − 5.12; − 3.05)] and red blood cell count [WMD, − 0.16 × 1012 /L (95% CI − 0.31; − 0.014)], and higher ferritin [WMD, − 473.25 ng/mL (95% CI 382.52; 563.98)] and red cell distribution width [WMD, 1.82% (95% CI 0.10; 3.55)]. A significant difference in mean ferritin levels of 606.37 ng/mL (95% CI 461.86; 750.88) was found between survivors and non-survivors, but not in hemoglobin levels. Future studies should explore the impact of iron metabolism and anemia in the pathophysiology, prognosis, and treatment of COVID-19.

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Environmental Impact of Dietary Choices: Role of the Mediterranean and Other Dietary Patterns in an Italian Cohort

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph17051468 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 17 (5) ◽

pp. 1468 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Giuseppe Grosso ◽

Ujué Fresán ◽

Maira Bes-Rastrollo ◽

Stefano Marventano ◽

Fabio Galvano

Keyword(s):

Land Use ◽

Environmental Impact ◽

Water Use ◽

Dietary Patterns ◽

Quality Index ◽

Energy Use ◽

Ghg Emissions ◽

Dietary Quality ◽

The Mediterranean ◽

The Impact

Background: Current scientific literature suggests healthy dietary patterns may have less environmental impact than current consumption patterns, but most of the studies rely on theoretical modeling. The aim of this study was to assess the impact on resources (land, water, and energy) use and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of healthy dietary patterns in a sample of Italian adults. Methods: Participants (n = 1806) were recruited through random sampling in the city of Catania, southern Italy. Dietary consumption was assessed through a validated food frequency questionnaire (FFQ); dietary patterns were calculated through dietary scores. The specific environmental footprints of food item production/processing were obtained from various available life-cycle assessments; a sustainability score was created based on the impact of the four environmental components calculated. Results: The contribution of major food groups to the environmental footprint showed that animal products (dairy, egg, meat, and fish) represented more than half of the impact on GHG emissions and energy requirements; meat products were the stronger contributors to GHG emissions and water use, while dairy products to energy use, and cereals to land use. All patterns investigated, with the exception of the Dietary Approach to Stop Hypertension (DASH), were linearly associated with the sustainability score. Among the components, higher adherence to the Mediterranean diet and Alternate Diet Quality Index (AHEI) was associated with lower GHG emissions, dietary quality index-international (DQI-I) with land use, while Nordic diet with land and water use. Conclusions: In conclusion, the adoption of healthy dietary patterns involves less use of natural resources and GHG emissions, representing eco-friendlier options in Italian adults.

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Systematic Review of Integration and Radicalization Prevention Programs for Migrants in the US, Canada, and Europe

Frontiers in Psychiatry ◽

10.3389/fpsyt.2021.606147 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 ◽

Author(s):

Natalia Del Pino-Brunet ◽

Isabel Hombrados-Mendieta ◽

Luis Gómez-Jacinto ◽

Alba García-Cid ◽

Mario Millán-Franco

Keyword(s):

Quality Of Life ◽

Systematic Review ◽

Local Population ◽

Prevention Programs ◽

Intervention Programs ◽

Bibliographic Databases ◽

Host Countries ◽

Language Programs ◽

The Us

Background: International migration processes are some of the most important events of our time. Migrating implies a broad range of factors that affect integration, and which may be linked to radicalization. Host countries use different methods for the integration of migrants. The aim of this systematic review is to analyze intervention programs that aim at promoting social integration and preventing the radicalization of migrants, with the objective of studying actions carried out in the US, Canada, and Europe to this effect.Method: Worldwide known bibliographic databases (PsyCINFO, Sociological Abstracts, Psycarticles, Psychology Database, Medline, SCOPUS, and Google Scholar) were used to search studies published before January 2019 and which analyzed integration or radicalization prevention programs with migrants.Results: A total of 601 studies were screened, from which 18 met the inclusion criteria. The analysis of programs addressed to migrant women points to a decrease in loneliness and depression and an increase of migrants' perception of social support and self-esteem. Programs carried out in schools and families improve children's knowledge of their culture and that of others, increase their feelings of inclusion, and reduce their aggressiveness, stress, and anxiety. Language programs promote communication and employment search, as well as improve migrants' quality of life. One of the most effective activities included in these programs is to connect recently arrived migrants with local population and/or long-term residents. The latter act as mentors and teachers, helping recently arrived migrants understand resources and to be more integrated in the new country, as well as reducing discrimination from the local population.Conclusions: The review concluded the importance of intervention programs for integration, migrants' quality of life, prevention of extreme behaviors, and intercultural cohabitation. Future programs must be more detailed regarding participants' information and carry out more comprehensive assessments.

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Impact of organ function based standard exclusion criteria in diffuse large b-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) patients: Who gets left behind?

Journal of Clinical Oncology ◽

10.1200/jco.2020.38.15_suppl.e14100 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 38 (15_suppl) ◽

pp. e14100-e14100

Author(s):

Arushi Khurana ◽

Raphael Mwangi ◽

Grzegorz S. Nowakowski ◽

Thomas Matthew Habermann ◽

Stephen M. Ansell ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Clinical Trial ◽

Clinical Trials ◽

B Cell Lymphoma ◽

Standard Of Care ◽

Trial Participation ◽

Newly Diagnosed ◽

Organ Function ◽

Exclusion Criteria ◽

The Us ◽

The Impact

e14100 Background: Only 3-5% of adult cancer patients in the US enroll in clinical trials. Patients with organ dysfunction are often excluded from clinical trials, regardless of specific drug metabolism or relative function of the organ. The ASCO and the US FDA recommend modernizing criteria related to baseline organ function and comorbidities. In hematological malignancies, often the disease itself is the reason for organ function derangement. In order to better inform clinical trial eligibility and improve participation in the future, we evaluated the impact of baseline organ function on the potential eligibility for clinical trial enrollment for real world patients with newly diagnosed DLBCL. Methods: Consecutive, newly diagnosed lymphoma patients were offered enrollment from 2002-2015 into the Molecular Epidemiology Resource (MER) of the University of Iowa/Mayo Clinic Lymphoma Specialized Program of Research Excellence. This analysis is based on 1270 DLBCL patients receiving immunochemotherapy. Baseline organ function parameters were identified from the exclusion criteria for hemoglobin, absolute neutrophil count (ANC), platelet count, creatinine, and bilirubin reported in recent frontline trials in DLBCL (Table). Abstracted clinical labs from the MER were used to determine the percent of patients that would be excluded based on the criteria. Results: We determined that 11-23% of MER DLBCL patients receiving standard of care frontline therapy would have been excluded in the various trials utilizing baseline organ function alone (Table). Hemoglobin and renal function had the greatest impact on exclusion. Conclusions: Current national and international (phase II and III) trials are excluding up to 23% of patients from clinical trial participation based on organ function alone in DLBCL. These data will be useful in future clinical trial development to meet ASCO recommendations to increase trial accrual, while balancing the drug toxicities and patient safety. An online tool was developed based on these results to aid future trial development. [Table: see text]

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An investigation into the impact and implications of published papers from retracted research: systematic search of affected literature

BMJ Open ◽

10.1136/bmjopen-2019-031909 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 9 (10) ◽

pp. e031909 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Alison Avenell ◽

Fiona Stewart ◽

Andrew Grey ◽

Greg Gamble ◽

Mark Bolland

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Clinical Trial ◽

Clinical Trials ◽

Research Misconduct ◽

Evidence Base ◽

Bibliographic Databases ◽

Potential Influence ◽

Relevant Research ◽

Meta Analyses ◽

The Impact

ObjectiveAnalyses of the impact of a body of clinical trial reports subject to research misconduct have been few. Our objective was to examine the impact on clinically relevant research of a group of researchers’ trial reports (‘affected trial reports’) affected by research misconduct, and whether identification of misconduct invoked a reappraisal.DesignIn 2016, we used five databases and search engines to identify ‘citing publications’, that is, guidelines, systematic and other reviews, and clinical trials citing any of 12 affected trial reports, published 1998–2011, eventually retracted for research misconduct. The affected trial reports were assessed more likely to have had impact because they had hip fracture outcomes and were in journals with impact factor >4. Two authors assessed whether findings of the citing publications would change if the affected trial reports were removed. In 2018, we searched for evidence that the citing publications had undertaken a reassessment as a result of the potential influence of the affected trial reports.ResultsBy 2016 the affected trial reports were cited in 1158 publications, including 68 systematic reviews, meta-analyses, narrative reviews, guidelines and clinical trials. We judged that 13 guidelines, systematic or other reviews would likely change their findings if the affected trial reports were removed, and in another eight it was unclear if findings would change. By 2018, only one of the 68 citing publications, a systematic review, appeared to have undertaken a reassessment, which led to a correction.ConclusionsWe found evidence that this group of affected trial reports distorted the evidence base. Correction of these distortions is slow, uncoordinated and inconsistent. Unless there is a rapid, systematic, coordinated approach by bibliographic databases, authors, journals and publishers to mitigate the impact of known cases of research misconduct, patients, other researchers and their funders may continue to be adversely affected.

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Roma populations and health inequalities: a systematic review of multiple intersecting determinants

European Journal of Public Health ◽

10.1093/eurpub/ckz186.662 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 29 (Supplement_4) ◽

Author(s):

L Orton ◽

R M Anderson de Cuevas

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Health Outcomes ◽

Citation Index ◽

Economic Status ◽

Poor Health ◽

Bibliographic Databases ◽

Qualitative And Quantitative ◽

Socio Economic Status ◽

Quantitative Studies ◽

The Impact

Abstract Background Roma populations experience significantly poorer health than majority populations. Health outcomes are often worse than for others in similar social positions, suggesting differences are not simply the effect of poverty. Roma women are thought to be worst affected. However, data pertaining to the multiple social inequalities affecting Roma populations, their interaction and cumulative effect on health over time, have yet to be synthesised. Methods We searched four bibliographic databases (MEDLINE, Science Citation Index, Social Sciences Citation Index and Scopus), screened reference lists, consulted key informants and searched organisational websites for studies providing empirical evidence on more than one determinant of health for Roma populations in Europe. Two reviewers carried out screening, data extraction, quality appraisal and performed a narrative synthesis. Results From 2,043 bibliographic records, 37 studies met our inclusion criteria. The median number of influencing factors explored through qualitative and quantitative methodologies was 2 (range 1 - 5) and 3 (range 1 - 11), respectively. Quantitative studies focussed on poverty (10 studies) and other indicators of socio-economic status including education (13 studies), housing (9 studies) and employment (9 studies). Very few studies unpicked interactive effects instead testing each factor’s contribution to poor health independently. Qualitative studies tended to explore “Roma culture” (11 studies) and the impact of discrimination/racism on health behaviour (10 studies). There is a lack of gender-disaggregated data and little analysis of the impact of social policy on the health of Roma populations. Conclusions Evidence for associations between determinants and health outcomes among European Roma populations is patchy. Research needs to pay more attention to the health impact of social policies that have the potential to reinforce (as well as mitigate) the exclusion of Roma populations. Key messages This systematic review critically analyses the state and shape of research evidence on the multiple interacting axes of inequality that contribute to poor health among Europe’s Roma populations. There is a divergence between qualitative and quantitative studies, with the former providing some evidence on socio-economic status and the latter exploring aspects of culture and discrimination.

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A Comparative Study on the RFS Program of Korea with the US and UK

10.20944/preprints201810.0400.v1 ◽

2018 ◽

Author(s):

Jung-Yull Shin ◽

Gun-Woo Kim ◽

Janet S. Zepernick ◽

Kyu-Young Kang

Keyword(s):

Environmental Impact ◽

Environmental Sustainability ◽

Technology Use ◽

Ghg Emissions ◽

Energy Policies ◽

Transportation Sector ◽

The Us ◽

Carbon Neutral ◽

The Republic ◽

The Uk

In 2016, the global environmental impact of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions was 49.3 gigatons in CO2equivalent. Worldwide, the transportation sector is responsible for 14% of GHG. Electric vehicles powered by less-polluting energy sources are one way to reduce the environmental impact of the transportation sector, but immediate transportation demands cannot be met by existing electric vehicle technology. Use of less polluting biofuel in place of petroleum-based gasoline or diesel fuel to power the existing transportation fleet is a widely accepted transitional solution, including in the Republic of Korea. The purpose of this project is to investigate approaches to biofuels in the US and the UK to evaluate Korea’s current energy policies related to use of biofuels and to make recommendations for strengthening Korea’s energy policy. This project addresses only policies for use of biodiesel rather than ethanol (widely used in the US) because ethanol is not used in Korea. This research shows that Korea calculates GHG using the principle that biofuel is carbon neutral, but energy policies in the US and the UK treat biofuel as not entirely carbon neutral. Korea should examine how to calculate GHG from biodiesel according to the standard set by the UK. In detail, the project’s findings relate to environmental sustainability.

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