scholarly journals Systematic Review of Biomarkers To Monitor Therapeutic Response in Leishmaniasis

2014 ◽  
Vol 59 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-14 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anke E. Kip ◽  
Manica Balasegaram ◽  
Jos H. Beijnen ◽  
Jan H. M. Schellens ◽  
Peter J. de Vries ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Therapeutic Response ◽  
Parasite Burden ◽  
New Drugs ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Kala Azar ◽  
Pharmacodynamic Markers ◽  
Pharmacodynamic Biomarkers ◽  
Antigenic Targets

ABSTRACTRecently, there has been a renewed interest in the development of new drugs for the treatment of leishmaniasis. This has spurred the need for pharmacodynamic markers to monitor and compare therapies specifically for visceral leishmaniasis, in which the primary recrudescence of parasites is a particularly long-term event that remains difficult to predict. We performed a systematic review of studies evaluating biomarkers in human patients with visceral, cutaneous, and post-kala-azar dermal leishmaniasis, which yielded a total of 170 studies in which 53 potential pharmacodynamic biomarkers were identified. In conclusion, the large majority of these biomarkers constituted universal indirect markers of activation and subsequent waning of cellular immunity and therefore lacked specificity. Macrophage-related markers demonstrate favorable sensitivity and times to normalcy, but more evidence is required to establish a link between these markers and clinical outcome. Most promising are the markers directly related to the parasite burden, but future effort should be focused on optimization of molecular or antigenic targets to increase the sensitivity of these markers. In general, future research should focus on the longitudinal evaluation of the pharmacodynamic biomarkers during treatment, with an emphasis on the correlation of studied biomarkers and clinical parameters.

Small-Scale Deliberation and Mass Democracy: A Systematic Review of the Spillover Effects of Deliberative Minipublics

2021 ◽  
pp. 003232172110072
Author(s):  
Ramon van der Does ◽  
Vincent Jacquet
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Empirical Evidence ◽  
Empirical Research ◽  
Spillover Effects ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Long Term Effects ◽  
Current Crisis ◽  
Mass Democracy

Deliberative minipublics are popular tools to address the current crisis in democracy. However, it remains ambiguous to what degree these small-scale forums matter for mass democracy. In this study, we ask the question to what extent minipublics have “spillover effects” on lay citizens—that is, long-term effects on participating citizens and effects on non-participating citizens. We answer this question by means of a systematic review of the empirical research on minipublics’ spillover effects published before 2019. We identify 60 eligible studies published between 1999 and 2018 and provide a synthesis of the empirical results. We show that the evidence for most spillover effects remains tentative because the relevant body of empirical evidence is still small. Based on the review, we discuss the implications for democratic theory and outline several trajectories for future research.

scholarly journals Arts-Based Interventions for Professionals in Caring Roles During and After Crisis: A Systematic Review of the Literature

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dominik Havsteen-Franklin ◽  
Megan Tjasink ◽  
Jacqueline Winter Kottler ◽  
Claire Grant ◽  
Veena Kumari
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Safe Place ◽  
Practice Elements ◽  
Qualitative Approaches ◽  
The Arts ◽  
Crisis Events ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
The Impact

Crisis events, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, can have a devastating effect on communities and the care professionals within them. Over recent years, arts-based interventions have helped in a wide range of crisis situations, being recommended to support the workforce during and after complex crisis but there has been no systematic review of the role of arts-based crisis interventions and whether there are cogent themes regarding practice elements and outcomes. We, therefore, conducted a systematic review to (i) define the arts-based change process used during and after crisis events, and (ii) explore the perceptions of intermediate and long-term mental health benefits of arts-based interventions for professionals in caring roles. Our search yielded six studies (all qualitative). All data were thematically aggregated and meta-synthesized, revealing seven practice elements (a safe place, focusing on strengths and protective factors, developing psychosocial competencies to support peers, emotional expression and processing, identifying and naming the impact of the crisis, using an integrative creative approach, and cultural and organizational sensitivity) applied across all six studies, as well as a range of intermediate and long-term benefits shared common features (adapting, growing, and recovering; using the community as a healing resource; reducing or preventing symptoms of stress or trauma reactions, psychophysiological homeostasis). The ways in which these studies were designed independently from one another and yet used the same practice elements in their crisis interventions indicates that there is comparability about how and why the arts-based practice elements are being used and to what effect. Our findings provide a sound basis and meaningful parameters for future research incorporating quantitative and qualitative approaches to firmly establish the effectiveness of art-based interventions, and how arts can support cultural sensitivity, acceptability and indicated outcomes, particularly those relating to stress and trauma during or following a crisis.

Interventions for Cardiovascular Disease Risk Reduction in Korean Americans: A Systematic Review

2018 ◽  
Vol 29 (2) ◽  
pp. 84-96
Author(s):  
Cha-Nam Shin ◽  
Colleen Keller ◽  
Jeongha Sim ◽  
Eun-Ok Im ◽  
Michael Belyea ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Risk Reduction ◽  
Cardiovascular Health ◽  
Disease Risk ◽  
Cardiovascular Disease Risk ◽  
Korean Americans ◽  
Cultural Factors ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Long Term Effects

This systematic review was to identify and synthesize literature that described the cultural appropriateness and effectiveness of interventions aimed at cardiovascular risk reduction in Korean Americans. We searched multiple electronic databases for studies published between January 2000 and August 2017 and identified 14 eligible research reports. All reviewed studies targeted first-generation Korean American adults. Most of the reviewed studies incorporated components of surface structure, and leveraged deep structure in those interventions. Significant changes in cardiovascular health outcomes were reported in most of the reviewed studies; however, the role of cultural factors in the outcomes was rarely evaluated, and few reported long-term effects. Future research needs to consider long-term effects. Deploying cultural factors and evaluating their contributions to the target outcomes will enhance the research on cardiovascular health disparities.

scholarly journals People with intellectual disabilities, relationship and sex education programmes: A systematic review

2019 ◽  
Vol 78 (8) ◽  
pp. 885-900 ◽  
Author(s):  
Edward McCann ◽  
Lynne Marsh ◽  
Michael Brown
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Intellectual Disabilities ◽  
Sex Education ◽  
Education Programme ◽  
Unintended Consequences ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Policy Practice ◽  
Sexual Activities ◽  
People With Intellectual Disabilities

Objective: The aim of this systematic review was to examine the research evidence concerning the views and experiences of people with intellectual disabilities regarding their participation in and the effectiveness of relationship and sex education programmes. Methods: A systematic search of relevant electronic databases was conducted using defined inclusion criteria. All papers reviewed were from October 1998 to October 2018. PRISMA guidelines were followed in the design and reporting of the systematic review. Results: A total of eight studies published in English were included in the review. Data were analysed and the key themes identified were (1) designing and developing relationship and sex education programmes, (2) participating in relationship and sex education programmes and (3) perceived benefits of relationship and sex education programme participation. Conclusion: This review identified that people with intellectual disabilities are accessing relationship and sex education programmes and appear to find them helpful. Further research is required to investigate the extent to which programmes impact on long-term behaviours that enable the development of sustainable relationships and reduce the unintended consequences of sexual activities. Implications for policy, practice and future research developments are discussed.

scholarly journals Associations between indicators of socioeconomic position and DNA methylation: A systematic review

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Janine K. Cerutti ◽  
Alexandre A. Lussier ◽  
Yiwen Zhu ◽  
Jiaxuan Liu ◽  
Erin C. Dunn
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Dna Methylation ◽  
Life Course ◽  
Socioeconomic Position ◽  
Prenatal Development ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Socioeconomic Environment ◽  
The Life Course ◽  
Study Designs

AbstractSocioeconomic position (SEP) is a major determinant of health across the life course. Yet, little is known about the biological mechanisms explaining this relationship. One possible explanation is through an epigenetic process called DNA methylation (DNAm), wherein the socioeconomic environment causes no alteration in the DNA sequence but modifies gene activity, gene expression, and therefore long-term health. To understand the evidence supporting a potential SEP-DNAm link, we performed a systematic review of published empirical findings on the association between SEP (from prenatal development to adulthood) and DNAm measured across the life course, with an eye toward evaluating how the timing, duration, and type of SEP exposure influenced DNAm. Across the 37 studies we identified, there was some evidence for the effect of SEP timing and duration on DNAm, with early-life SEP and persistently low SEP being particularly strong indicators of DNAm. Different indicators of SEP also had some unique associations with DNAm profiles, suggesting that SEP is not a singular concept, but rather that different aspects of the socioeconomic environment can shift DNAm patterns through distinct pathways. These differences with respect to SEP timing, duration, and type were notable because they were detected even among heterogenous study designs. Overall, findings from this review underscore the importance of analyzing SEP timing, duration, and type, given the complex relationship between SEP and DNAm across the lifespan. To guide future research, we highlight current limitations in the literature and propose recommendations for overcoming some of these challenges.

scholarly journals Children’s Creativity: A Theoretical Framework and Systematic Review

2018 ◽  
Vol 89 (1) ◽  
pp. 93-124 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elisa Kupers ◽  
Andreas Lehmann-Wermser ◽  
Gary McPherson ◽  
Paul van Geert
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Dynamic Systems Theory ◽  
School Students ◽  
Creative Development ◽  
Complex Dynamic Systems ◽  
The Moment

Within education, the importance of creativity is recognized as an essential 21st-century skill. Based on this premise, the first aim of this article is to provide a theoretical integration through the development of a framework based on the principles of complex dynamic systems theory, which describes and explains children’s creativity. This model is used to explain differing views on the role of education in developing children’s creativity. Our second aim is empirical integration. On the basis of a three-dimensional taxonomy, we performed a systematic review of the recent literature (2006–2017, 184 studies) on primary school students’ creativity. Our results show that creativity is most often measured as a static, aggregated construct. In line with our theoretical model, we suggest ways that future research can elaborate on the moment-to-moment interactions that form the basis of long-term creative development, as well as on the mechanisms that connect different levels of creativity.

scholarly journals VIDEO RECORDING FOR CAPTURING INTERACTIONS BETWEEN RESIDENTS WITH DEMENTIA AND STAFF: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S335-S336
Author(s):  
Da Eun Kim ◽  
Hae Sagong ◽  
Eunjoo Kim ◽  
Ah Ram Jang ◽  
Ju Young Yoon
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Long Term Care ◽  
Psychological Symptoms ◽  
Video Recording ◽  
Experimental Studies ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Care Practice ◽  
Term Care

Abstract The use of video-recording offers important advantages in observing and assessing the relationships between specific behaviors in health care settings. The purpose of this systematic review is to investigate and synthesize the methodological characteristics of studies using video-technology for measuring interactions between the older persons with dementia and staff in long-term care facilities. We searched Medline, Embase and CINHAL databases for published articles in English using a video-recording method for both staff and persons with dementia. Quantitative research design studies (e.g., descriptive studies or an experimental studies) were included. Among 5,605 searched papers, a total of 20 studies were selected for this review. Situations of video-recording were providing personal care (n=12), mealtime (n=6), and conversation (n=3). Concepts of measuring by video-recording were classified into two groups: 1) Staff [care practice by staff (n=13) and communication by staff (n=11)] and 2) residents [communication by resident (n=4), activities of daily life function of resident (n=8), and behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (n=10)]. This review demonstrates that video technologies are actively used to evaluate the relationship between quality of care and health outcomes of the elderly with dementia in many international nursing studies. This study provides the foundation for a future research using video-recording technologies to examine the interactions and relationship between staff and the residents in long-term care settings.

scholarly journals New Trends and Patterns in Sustainable Consumption: A Systematic Review and Research Agenda

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (15) ◽  
pp. 5935 ◽  
Author(s):  
Giulia Sesini ◽  
Cinzia Castiglioni ◽  
Edoardo Lozza
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Research Agenda ◽  
Sustainable Consumption ◽  
Future Generations ◽  
Future Research ◽  
The Social ◽  
Key Sectors ◽  
Sustainable Behavior

The challenge of sustainable development and consumption is to meet current wants without impoverishing future generations and the planet in the long term. Therefore, new patterns of sustainable practices are increasingly promoted. The purpose of the present study is to realize a systematic review aimed to analyze the contents and features of articles dealing with new trends in consumers’ sustainable consumption. One hundred and four papers published in the last five years were retrieved and analyzed through a lexicographical analysis using the software T-LAB. The results show that, even if most of the current studies focus almost exclusively on the environmental impact of sustainability, the social perspective is also recently taking hold. Evidence suggests prevailing attention towards consumers’ appeal and consumption of eco-friendly food products, together with a growing interest in the last years in consumers’ practices in other key sectors, such as tourism, commerce, and clothing. Future research should spotlight the less explored frameworks, looking at the economic and social sides of sustainability in a variety of contextual settings. At the same time, consumer-focused research should not forget to look at consumers’ sustainable behavior as a whole and its impacts from the perspective of planet, people, and profit.

scholarly journals Sexual and Gender Minorities Facing the Coronavirus Pandemic: A Systematic Review

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Clara Bleckmann ◽  
Birgit Leyendecker ◽  
Julian Busch
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Minority Stress ◽  
Vulnerable Groups ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Sexual And Gender Minorities ◽  
Current State ◽  
Gender Minorities ◽  
And Gender ◽  
The Impact

Sexual and gender minorities (SGM) constitute vulnerable groups in many countries. Thus, they might be affected to a different extent than heterosexual and cisgender individuals by the Coronavirus pandemic. The aim of this systematic review is to summarize the current state of international research on the effects of the Coronavirus pandemic on SGM individuals. Following the PRISMA protocol, we synthesized 35 publications including different article formats. Key findings yield that SGM individuals overall suffer to a larger extent from combinations of both minority- and pandemic-specific stressors. Some evidence was contradicting across studies, for example changes in the extent of risk behavior, and minority stress experiences during the pandemic. Although our review distinctively spots on the impact of the pandemic on SGM individuals’ lives, its pathways still remain to be better understood. Moreover, future research should also examine the yet unforeseeable long-term consequences of the pandemic for SGM populations.

scholarly journals Pharmacotherapy for Patients with Obesity

2018 ◽  
Vol 64 (1) ◽  
pp. 118-129 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kishore M Gadde ◽  
John W Apolzan ◽  
Hans-Rudolf Berthoud
Keyword(s):  
Weight Loss ◽  
Clinical Trials ◽  
Weight Management ◽  
Neural Control ◽  
Safety Data ◽  
New Drugs ◽  
Future Research ◽  
The Us ◽  
Antiobesity Drugs

Abstract BACKGROUND Although pharmacotherapy is not the cornerstone of obesity treatment, it is a valuable tool that could be considered for patients who have not had adequate benefit from lifestyle interventions or who have difficulty maintaining initial weight loss over longer periods. CONTENT This review focuses on the role of antiobesity drugs, the mechanisms by which the drugs work, potential pharmacological targets in the neural control of food intake and regulation of body weight, the history of antiobesity drugs, a summary of efficacy and safety data from clinical trials, and the clinical application of pharmacotherapy. Currently, 5 approved drug therapies are available in the US for long-term weight management, with only 2 of these meeting the stronger Food and Drug Administration (FDA) criteria of 5% weight loss relative to a placebo after 1 year and others receiving approval based on the categorical criterion of the proportions of patients achieving 5% weight loss. Interpretation of the results of clinical trials conducted before regulatory agency approval is limited by high dropout rates; thus, the results might not be replicable in clinical practice settings. Many patients who are suitable candidates for pharmacotherapy are not using the new drugs due to lack of insurance coverage and high out-of-pocket costs. SUMMARY With the availability of 4 new drugs since 2012, clinicians in the US now have more tools for long-term weight management. The quality of pharmacotherapy clinical investigations needs considerable improvement. Future research should focus on examining the mediators and moderators of response.

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