scholarly journals Detection of Exposure to Microplastics in Humans: A Systematic Review

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (F) ◽  
pp. 275-280
Author(s):  
Sarinah Basri K ◽  
Anwar Daud ◽  
Ratna Dwi Puji Astuti ◽  
Basri K

BACKGROUND: Microplastics are able to enter the human body through food chains, personal care products, contact (skin) from the soil, water or inhalation of microplastics in the air. AIM: This article aims to identify the presence of microplastics that are exposed to humans. METHODS: Systematic review using four bibliographic databases (Google Scholar, Wiley Online Library, PubMed, and Science Direct). Literature search from 2016 to 2021, in the search found as many as 10983 papers extracted using PRISMA guidelines, a total of five papers were selected for review. RESULTS: In this review article, the presence of oral, dermal, and inhalation exposed microplastics is found in feces, colon, placenta, scalp hair, hand skin, facial skin, and saliva. Several methods are used to identify microplastics according to polymer types, shape, and sizes microplastics in humans. The polymer type often found in the article is polypropylene. In addition, fibers, fragments and films are detectable shape of microplastic, while the size of microplastics >5 mm. CONCLUSION: This literature study provides evidence that microplastics of various types of polymers, shapes and sizes are ubiquitous in humans. Hence, the possibility of health risks resulting from microplastic exposure in the human body should not be ignored.

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Charles James ◽  
Catherine Walshe ◽  
Katherine Froggatt

Abstract Background The knowledge about the experience of informal caregivers who provide care to people with moderate to advanced dementia in a domestic home setting is limited. A consequence of long hours of caregiving in addition to dealing with normal challenges of daily living is their experience of a poor quality of life. Some of their experiences may be described in terms of a feeling of powerlessness to make changes during care provision. This feeling may also suggest an experience of moral distress. The aim of this systematic review is to synthesise qualitative evidence relating to these experiences. Methods This review adopts a narrative synthesis approach. A search will be conducted for studies written in the English language in the bibliographic databases MEDLINE Complete, CINAHL, EMBASE, PsycINFO, Web of Science and Academic Search Complete covering periods from 1984 to present. Included studies will be qualitative or mixed-methods designs. The search terms will be related to dementia and caregivers, and the process will be focused on dementia at the moderate to the advanced stages within the domestic home setting. Reference lists of included papers will also be searched for additional relevant citations. Search terms and strategies will be checked by two independent reviewers. The identification of abstracts and full texts of studies will be done by the author, while the quality and the risk of bias will also be checked by the two independent reviewers. Discussion Psychological distress is cited as an experience reported within informal caregiving. For the caregiver, it is associated with a negative impact on general health. To date, no synthesis exists on the specific experience of informal caregiving for people with moderate to advanced dementia within the domestic home setting. This review considers that variation of accounts contributes to how the informal caregivers’ general experience is explored in future research. This may enable gaps in current knowledge to be highlighted within the wider context of caregiving in the domestic home setting. Systematic review registration This review is registered with PROSPERO (CRD42020183649).


Author(s):  
José-María Fernández-Batanero ◽  
Pedro Román-Graván ◽  
Miguel-María Reyes-Rebollo ◽  
Marta Montenegro-Rueda

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.


2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Elizabeth A. McGuier ◽  
David J. Kolko ◽  
Mary Lou Klem ◽  
Jamie Feldman ◽  
Grace Kinkler ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Healthcare and human services increasingly rely on teams of individuals to deliver services. Implementation of evidence-based practices and other innovations in these settings requires teams to work together to change processes and behaviors. Accordingly, team functioning may be a key determinant of implementation outcomes. This systematic review will identify and summarize empirical research examining associations between team functioning and implementation outcomes in healthcare and human service settings. Methods We will conduct a comprehensive search of bibliographic databases (e.g., MEDLINE, PsycINFO, CINAHL, ERIC) for articles published from January 2000 or later. We will include peer-reviewed empirical articles and conference abstracts using quantitative, qualitative, or mixed methods. We will include experimental or observational studies that report on the implementation of an innovation in a healthcare or human service setting and examine associations between team functioning and implementation outcomes. Implementation outcomes of interest are acceptability, adoption, appropriateness, cost, feasibility, fidelity, penetration, and sustainability. Two reviewers will independently screen all titles/abstracts, review full-text articles, and extract data from included articles. We will use the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool to assess methodological quality/bias and conduct a narrative synthesis without meta-analysis. Discussion Understanding how team functioning influences implementation outcomes will contribute to our understanding of team-level barriers and facilitators of change. The results of this systematic review will inform efforts to implement evidence-based practices in team-based service settings. Systematic review registration PROSPERO CRD42020220168


Materials ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (15) ◽  
pp. 4304
Author(s):  
Markssuel Teixeira Marvila ◽  
Afonso Rangel Garcez de de Azevedo ◽  
Paulo R. de de Matos ◽  
Sergio Neves Monteiro ◽  
Carlos Maurício Fontes Vieira

This review article proposes the identification and basic concepts of materials that might be used for the production of high-performance concrete (HPC) and ultra-high-performance concrete (UHPC). Although other reviews have addressed this topic, the present work differs by presenting relevant aspects on possible materials applied in the production of HPC and UHPC. The main innovation of this review article is to identify the perspectives for new materials that can be considered in the production of novel special concretes. After consulting different bibliographic databases, some information related to ordinary Portland cement (OPC), mineral additions, aggregates, and chemical additives used for the production of HPC and UHPC were highlighted. Relevant information on the application of synthetic and natural fibers is also highlighted in association with a cement matrix of HPC and UHPC, forming composites with properties superior to conventional concrete used in civil construction. The article also presents some relevant characteristics for the application of HPC and UHPC produced with alkali-activated cement, an alternative binder to OPC produced through the reaction between two essential components: precursors and activators. Some information about the main types of precursors, subdivided into materials rich in aluminosilicates and rich in calcium, were also highlighted. Finally, suggestions for future work related to the application of HPC and UHPC are highlighted, guiding future research on this topic.


2021 ◽  
pp. jech-2021-216874
Author(s):  
Alessandro Sindoni ◽  
Federica Valeriani ◽  
Francesca Gallè ◽  
Giorgio Liguori ◽  
Vincenzo Romano Spica ◽  
...  

BackgroundTattoos were historically associated with deviant behaviours or religious and other social purposes, but in the last decades, they have gained increasing popularity and have become a mainstream. The aim of this systematic review is to assess the literature evidence about decorative tattoos complications, considering both infective and non-infective risks.MethodsThis systematic review was performed according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Statement. We searched the following electronic bibliographic databases: PubMed, Scopus and Web of Science (science and social science citation index).ResultsThe literature search resulted in 6473 studies. A total of 207 full articles were considered potentially relevant and were reviewed independently by researchers. After full-text evaluation, 152 of 207 articles were excluded, as they did not meet selection criteria. The remaining 55 studies were included in the systematic review and their quality assessment was performed. Ten studies reported microbiological complications, 37 reported non-microbiological effects and eight reported either microbiological and non-microbiological complications.ConclusionsSeveral well-known and uncommon risks are associated with tattooing and tattoo after-care. Public health authorities could take into account health education programmes for tattooists and customers in order to prevent health complications in people with tattoos.PROSPERO registration numberCRD42020177972.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ketut Agus Adrianta ◽  
I Gede Bayu Somantara

Introduction: The COVID-19 pathophysiology caused by SARS-Cov-2 is closely related to immunoregulation and process of inflammation. There are therapeutic targets in both, which are ideal for the healing process of infected patients. Phytonutrients are closely related to nutrigenomics. Curcumin and gingerol are two types of phytonutrients that have been studied, researched, and developed as therapeutic agents for diseases. Objective: This study aimed to examine the potential of curcumin and gingerol as immune regulators and anti-inflammatory agents in SARS-CoV-2 infections using a nutrigenomic approach. Methods: This article uses the literature study method. Relevant information was gathered from scientific engines and databases (Google Scholar, Elsevier, Science Direct, Scopus, Wiley Online Library, PubMed) published 2010-2021, the data were analyzed by deductive qualitative descriptive technique. Result and Discussion: Curcumin in turmeric and gingerol in ginger has the potential to be used as a therapy for COVID-19 as it could be an immune regulator and anti-inflammatory agent for SARS-CoV-2 infection. Curcumin and gingerol can act as primary and secondary antioxidants that can activate endogenous antioxidant enzymes, regulate cell signaling related to immunity such as interferons, nuclear factor-kappa beta, nitric oxide, and tumor necrosis factor-alpha, as well as stimulate anti-inflammatory and pro-inflammatory cytokine homeostasis, especially interleukins (IL-1β, IL-6, IL-17, IL-8). In silico, these two compounds were also proven to have potential as SARS-CoV-2 antivirals by acting as viral protease inhibitors. Conlclusion: The combination of curcumin and gingerol showed synergistic activity with increasing antioxidant and anti-inflammatory capacities. Thus, it has great potential for use in COVID-19 therapy.


PEDIATRICS ◽  
2000 ◽  
Vol 106 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 184-190
Author(s):  
Michelle M. Garrison ◽  
Dimitri A. Christakis

Objective: To conduct a systematic review of rigorously evaluated treatments for infant colic. Methods. Online bibliographic databases were searched for the term “colic” in articles classified as clinical trials or randomized controlled trials and conducted in infants. Reference lists from review articles, meta-analyses, and the selected articles were also reviewed for potential studies. The abstracts or full-text articles of 57 relevant studies were examined, of which 22 met the selection criteria. The methodology and findings of all retrieved articles were critically evaluated. Data were extracted from each article regarding study methods, intervention studied, outcomes measured, and results. Results. Four of the interventions studied had data of adequate quality and statistically significant numbers needed to treat (NNT): hypoallergenic diet (NNT = 6), soy formula (NNT = 2), reduced stimulation (NNT = 2), and herbal tea (NNT = 3). Conclusions. There are some effective therapies for infant colic, but additional rigorous studies of existing and alternative therapies are needed.


2021 ◽  
Vol 0 (0) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ata Rafiee ◽  
Imranul Laskar ◽  
Bernadette Quémerais

Abstract Welders are exposed to high levels of metal fumes, which could be resulting in various health impairments. Respirators became a practical protective option in workplaces, as they are lightweight and easy to use. This systematic review attempts to explore the field effectiveness of using respirators to reduce metal particle exposure in workplaces. We reviewed papers published from 1900 to April 2019 in five major bibliographic databases, including Embase, Web of Science, Medline, Scopus, and CINAHL, along with organizational websites to cover gray literature. In total, 983 references were identified from the databases, out of which, 520 duplicates were removed from the EndNote database. The remaining 463 references were screened for their title and abstract. Out of 463, 70 references went through the full-text screening. Finally, eight papers, including 19 workplace respirator studies, satisfied all the inclusion criteria and were reviewed in this report. The geometric means for metal levels in workers’ breathing zone with and without respirators were 9.4 and 1,777 µg/m3 for iron, 1.1 and 139 µg/m3 for lead, 2.1 and 242 µg/m3 for zinc, and 27 and 1,398 µg/m3 for manganese oxide, respectively. Most reviewed studies reported significant differences between measured metal particle levels among workers who worn respirators and who did not. In addition, results showed that N95 provided significantly less protection than elastomeric half facepieces, full-face respirators, and powered air-purifying respirators (p<0.001). More field studies are recommended to investigate Workplace Protection Factor (WPF) and fit factor (FF) of different respirators to understand the actual protection levels that they could be provided to control welding fume exposure among welders in various workplaces.


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