Search

Immunoglobulin light chain (AL) amyloidosis is the most common type of systemic amyloidosis in China and is associated with increased morbidity and a poor prognosis. However, the clinical characteristics of Chinese patients with AL amyloidosis have not been systematically investigated. This scoping review aimed to summarize the available literature regarding the clinical characteristics of patients with AL amyloidosis and identify potential knowledge gaps. We searched three electronic databases from inception to 7 February 2021. PICOS (Patient, Intervention, Comparison, Outcome and Study) design structure was used to formulate the data extraction. All statistical calculations and analyses were performed with R (version 3.6.0). Sixty-seven articles with 5022 patients were included. Results suggest Chinese patients were younger (57 years) at the time of diagnosis when compared with other patient populations and were predominantly male (61.2%). The time interval from the onset of symptoms to diagnosis was between 6 and 12 months. It was found that 41.1% of Chinese patients with AL amyloidosis were diagnosed with an advanced stage III disease when diagnosed, and 20.2% had a concurrent disease. The most involved organs were the kidneys (84.3%) and the heart (62.5%). In conclusion, our study shows some similarities and differences with other studies on the clinical characteristics of Chinese patients with AL amyloidosis, including the age at diagnosis, Mayo stage, and organ involvement. However, a nationwide epidemiological investigation is still needed to provide a comprehensive overview of this patient population in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Women with abnormal uterine bleeding (AUB) experience barriers to accessing healthcare services. Objectives: To identify and describe the evidence on interventions to improve healthcare access of women with AUB. Search strategy: A systematic search of databases including Medline, CINAHL, EMBASE, Scopus, and Cochrane register for clinical trials on February 26, 2021. Selection criteria: Studies including women with AUB and investigating an intervention to improve access at the levels of individual patient, community, organization, health system, or medical education. Data collection and analysis: Data extraction and descriptive analysis of the country, study design, settings, participant characteristics, intervention, outcome measures, and key findings. Main results: We identified 20 studies and most interventions (13 studies) targeted organizational changes. Creating a multidisciplinary team, bringing services together and developing a care pathway improved the availability of services. Management of AUB in an outpatient setting improved the affordability. The use of decision aids improved patient engagement in consultations. There is a lack of interventions at an individual or community level targeting health literacy, health beliefs, social acceptability, and opportunity to reach and pay for services. Conclusions: Community‐based culturally‐adapted interventions focusing on access to women with different socio‐economic and cultural backgrounds should be investigated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Reddit's (Reddit Inc) large user base, diverse communities, and anonymity make it a useful platform for substance use research. Despite a growing body of literature on substance use on Reddit, challenges and limitations must be carefully considered. However, no systematic scoping review has been conducted on the use of Reddit as a data source for substance use research. Objective: This review aims to investigate the use of Reddit for studying substance use by examining previous studies' objectives, reasons, limitations, and methods for using Reddit. In addition, we discuss the implications and contributions of previous studies and identify gaps in the literature that require further attention. Methods: A total of 7 databases were searched using keyword combinations including Reddit and substance-related keywords in April 2022. The initial search resulted in 456 articles, and 227 articles remained after removing duplicates. All included studies were peer reviewed, empirical, available in full text, and pertinent to Reddit and substance use, and they were all written in English. After screening, 60 articles met the eligibility criteria for the review, with 57 articles identified from the initial database search and 3 from the ancestry search. A codebook was developed, and qualitative content analysis was performed to extract relevant evidence related to the research questions. Results: The use of Reddit for studying substance use has grown steadily since 2015, with a sharp increase in 2021. The primary objective was to identify tendencies and patterns in various types of substance use discussions (52/60, 87%). Reddit was also used to explore unique user experiences, propose methodologies, investigate user interactions, and develop interventions. A total of 9 reasons for using Reddit to study substance use were identified, such as the platform's anonymity, its widespread popularity, and the explicit topics of subreddits. However, 7 limitations were noted, including the platform's low representativeness of the general population with substance use and the lack of demographic information. Most studies use application programming interfaces for data collection and quantitative approaches for analysis, with few using qualitative approaches. Machine learning algorithms are commonly used for natural language processing tasks. The theoretical, methodological, and practical implications and contributions of the included articles are summarized and discussed. The most prevalent practical implications are investigating prevailing topics in Reddit discussions, providing recommendations for clinical practices and policies, and comparing Reddit discussions on substance use across various sources. Conclusions: This systematic scoping review provides an overview of Reddit's use as a data source for substance use research. Although the limitations of Reddit data must be considered, analyzing them can be useful for understanding patterns and user experiences related to substance use. Our review also highlights gaps in the literature and suggests avenues for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Persons diagnosed with serious chronic illnesses and their caretakers experience multiple types of financial costs that strain their income and generate financial distress. Many turn to medical crowdfunding (MCF) to mitigate the harms of these costs on their health and quality of life. Objective: This scoping review aims to summarize the research on MCF for persons diagnosed with serious chronic illness regarding study designs and methods; the responsible conduct of research practices; and study foci as they relate to stress, stress appraisals, and the coping processes. Methods: This review was conducted in accordance with the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) and PRISMA-ScR (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews) guidelines. Eligible studies were conducted in countries designated as high income by the World Bank and focused on beneficiaries diagnosed with serious chronic illness. The findings of the included studies were summarized as they related to the key concepts in a conceptual framework derived from an established stress, appraisal, and coping framework and a conceptual model of financial toxicity in pediatric oncology. Results: Overall, 26 studies were eligible for inclusion in the review. The main findings included a lack of integration of qualitative and quantitative approaches and the inconsistent reporting of the responsible conduct of research practices. The included studies focused on financial stressors that contributed to financial burden, such as out-of-pocket payments of medical bills, basic living expenses, medical travel expenses, and lost income owing to illness-related work disruptions. Few studies addressed stress appraisals as threatening or the adequacy of available financial resources. When mentioned, appraisals related to the global financial struggle during the COVID-19 pandemic or the capacity of social network members to donate funds. The consequences of MCF included the receipt of 3 forms of social support (tangible, informational, and emotional), privacy loss, embarrassment, and the propagation of scientifically unsupported information. Studies found that friends and family tended to manage MCF campaigns. Although most of the studies (21/26, 81%) focused on monetary outcomes, a few (5/26, 19%) concentrated on peoples' experiences with MCF. Conclusions: The identified methodological gaps highlight the need for more robust and reproducible approaches to using the copious data available on public MCF platforms. The integration of quantitative and qualitative methods will allow for nuanced explorations of the MCF experience. A more consistent elaboration of strategies to promote the responsible conduct of research is warranted to minimize risk to populations that are vulnerable and express concerns regarding the loss of privacy. Finally, an examination of the unanticipated consequences of MCF is critical for the development of future interventions to optimize existing supports while providing needed supports, financial and nonfinancial, that are lacking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plain English summary This article summarizes what is publicly found in scientific papers about patient engagement in drug development initiatives between 2011 and 2021. It also introduces a new Framework to use to look at these patient engagement efforts. The Framework breaks these efforts down based on the depth of patient engagement in the drug development process and different degrees of influence or power patients have or intensity of engagement. In terms of depth of patient engagement in the process of drug development, most patient engagement initiatives described efforts involved in designing studies where goals were already set. Next were patient engagement efforts related to finetuning details where patients could make minor contributions. The fewest efforts were found related to setting up a research and development program where patients potentially could make significant impact. In terms of intensity of patient engagement, most initiatives aligned with consultation and involvement intensities, and few examples aligned with the highest intensity of patient engagement that was considered partnership. While patient engagement in drug development is becoming more common, the approaches to doing so vary widely. We have developed a new Framework to help characterize these efforts related to patient influence in the process as well as depth of their engagement.

The systematic mapping study (SMS) is a relatively new method of generating new information from existing studies. First defined as a methodology in 2007, it offers a method to filter existing information to produce novel insight into the observed research domain, and pinpoint new directions of research. In this study, the systematic mapping study method was utilized to determine how SMS as a method has spread and was utilized during the first decade since its conceptualization. In general, it was found that the SMS method is still at its early phase in utilization, and is mainly used in software engineering and healthcare studies, but also in several other scientific domains. SMS research and the scientific outputs rely on transparent protocols when conducting the actual search and identification process, and so far, the applied protocol and research procedure correlates strongly with the application domain; different domains have their own protocols. The SMS method can be recommended, for example, when the aim is to gain knowledge on how a specific topic is studied and where there are research gaps. There are still areas that are debated or where successful implementation is difficult, the biggest problems being the amount of work it requires and possible lack of quality analysis of the articles.

IntroductionDrug utilization is currently assessed through traditional data sources such as big electronic medical records (EMRs) databases, surveys, and medication sales. Social media and internet data have been reported to provide more accessible and more timely access to medications' utilization.ObjectiveThis review aims at providing evidence comparing web data on drug utilization to other sources before the COVID-19 pandemic.MethodsWe searched Medline, EMBASE, Web of Science, and Scopus until November 25th, 2019, using a predefined search strategy. Two independent reviewers conducted screening and data extraction.ResultsOf 6,563 (64%) deduplicated publications retrieved, 14 (0.2%) were included. All studies showed positive associations between drug utilization information from web and comparison data using very different methods. A total of nine (64%) studies found positive linear correlations in drug utilization between web and comparison data. Five studies reported association using other methods: One study reported similar drug popularity rankings using both data sources. Two studies developed prediction models for future drug consumption, including both web and comparison data, and two studies conducted ecological analyses but did not quantitatively compare data sources. According to the STROBE, RECORD, and RECORD-PE checklists, overall reporting quality was mediocre. Many items were left blank as they were out of scope for the type of study investigated.ConclusionOur results demonstrate the potential of web data for assessing drug utilization, although the field is still in a nascent period of investigation. Ultimately, social media and internet search data could be used to get a quick preliminary quantification of drug use in real time. Additional studies on the topic should use more standardized methodologies on different sets of drugs in order to confirm these findings. In addition, currently available checklists for study quality of reporting would need to be adapted to these new sources of scientific information.

BackgroundMachine learning (ML), is an approach to data analysis that makes the process of analytical model building automatic. The significance of ML stems from its potential to evaluate big data and achieve quicker and more accurate outcomes. ML has recently witnessed increased adoption in the medical domain. Bariatric surgery, otherwise referred to as weight loss surgery, reflects the series of procedures performed on people demonstrating obesity. This systematic scoping review aims to explore the development of ML in bariatric surgery.MethodsThe study used the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic and Meta-analyses for Scoping Review (PRISMA-ScR). A comprehensive literature search was performed of several databases including PubMed, Cochrane, and IEEE, and search engines namely Google Scholar. Eligible studies included journals published from 2016 to the current date. The PRESS checklist was used to evaluate the consistency demonstrated during the process.ResultsA total of seventeen articles qualified for inclusion in the study. Out of the included studies, sixteen concentrated on the role of ML algorithms in prediction, while one addressed ML's diagnostic capacity. Most articles (n = 15) were journal publications, whereas the rest (n = 2) were papers from conference proceedings. Most included reports were from the United States (n = 6). Most studies addressed neural networks, with convolutional neural networks as the most prevalent. Also, the data type used in most articles (n = 13) was derived from hospital databases, with very few articles (n = 4) collecting original data via observation.ConclusionsThis study indicates that ML has numerous benefits in bariatric surgery, however its current application is limited. The evidence suggests that bariatric surgeons can benefit from ML algorithms since they will facilitate the prediction and evaluation of patient outcomes. Also, ML approaches to enhance work processes by making data categorization and analysis easier. However, further large multicenter studies are required to validate results internally and externally as well as explore and address limitations of ML application in bariatric surgery.

Despite the growth of research in learning and teaching Chinese as a Foreign Language (CFL), no scoping review of research published in international, anglophone journals has been published so far. A total of 289 journal articles published in 95 journals were identified and used to provide a bibliometric mapping of research in CFL over three decades. Data from the sampled articles reveals a great diversity of focus in CFL research that has been conducted in more than 24 countries. The included articles also reflect an upsurge in research intensity across several key areas of focus, some of which are related to the distinctive linguistic features of the Chinese language. We also report on the research methods employed by the studies in our sample and the characteristics of their participants. Our mapping of the field identifies gaps in the existing literature which may subsequently inform any focused or comprehensive reviews. We conclude by setting out some implications for future CFL research, both in terms of substantive areas of focus and methodological approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Recognizing that physicians may struggle to achieve knowledge, skills, attitudes and or conduct at one or more stages during their training has highlighted the importance of the 'deliberate practice of improving performance through practising beyond one's comfort level under guidance'. However, variations in physician, program, contextual and healthcare and educational systems complicate efforts to create a consistent approach to remediation. Balancing the inevitable disparities in approaches and settings with the need for continuity and effective oversight of the remediation process, as well as the context and population specific nature of remediation, this review will scrutinise the remediation of physicians in training to better guide the design, structuring and oversight of new remediation programs. Methods: Krishna's Systematic Evidence Based Approach is adopted to guide this Systematic Scoping Review (SSR in SEBA) to enhance the transparency and reproducibility of this review. A structured search for articles on remediation programs for licenced physicians who have completed their pre-registration postings and who are in training positions published between 1st January 1990 and 31st December 2021 in PubMed, Scopus, ERIC, Google Scholar, PsycINFO, ASSIA, HMIC, DARE and Web of Science databases was carried out. The included articles were concurrently thematically and content analysed using SEBA's Split Approach. Similarities in the identified themes and categories were combined in the Jigsaw Perspective and compared with the tabulated summaries of included articles in the Funnelling Process to create the domains that will guide discussions. Results: The research team retrieved 5512 abstracts, reviewed 304 full-text articles and included 101 articles. The domains identified were characteristics, indications, frameworks, domains, enablers and barriers and unique features of remediation in licenced physicians in training programs. Conclusion: Building upon our findings and guided by Hauer et al. approach to remediation and Taylor and Hamdy's Multi-theories Model, we proffer a theoretically grounded 7-stage evidence-based remediation framework to enhance understanding of remediation in licenced physicians in training programs. We believe this framework can guide program design and reframe remediation's role as an integral part of training programs and a source of support and professional, academic, research, interprofessional and personal development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

School refusal and anxiety are considerable problems among children and adolescents. While numerous studies were published, no review on the issue has been conducted to holistically reveal the current research results. This study uses a systematic scoping review design and aims to synthesize the results of the current studies on seeking an answer to the relationship between school refusal and anxiety to make recommendations for teachers, school counselors and administrators, and educational researchers for further research. Included studies were designed as qualitative, experimental, correlational, descriptive, or mixed‐method, while studies designed as a thematic review, systematic review, and meta‐analysis were excluded. The study identified 30 research articles that met the inclusion criteria within this scope. Results showed that anxiety is a prevalent factor associated with school refusal, whereas school refusal is directly and closely related to state and trait anxiety, social anxiety, school anxiety, and separation anxiety. Another finding was that school punishment, bad family functioning, parental depression, and parental anxiety are strong predictors of school refusal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To systematically search for current research on the role of resilience in the physical rehabilitation of SCI and describe the research to date. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) approach was used. Five databases were searched for papers published up to March 2020. The sample included adults who have sustained an SCI; outcomes included a physical rehabilitation outcome and a measure of psychological or personal resilience/resilience training. The initial search found 2074 studies. 12 studies were included. Six suggest positive effects of resilience on physical functioning/recovery, six report resilience as not affecting physical functioning/recovery. Resilience may positively affect physical outcomes; however, the relationship is under-researched and contrasting findings may be due to measurements and methods employed by research. Future research may distinguish between two sources of resilience following an SCI: prior resilient experiences, and resilience as a product of the injury. Individuals' past events that triggered resilient behaviour may be able to promote a resilient response to an SCI. Focussing on emotional coping may result in poorer outcomes than building a sense of control. Resilience training may affect psychosocial rehabilitation; it is difficult to establish if it would affect physical outcomes. A negative approach to an injury can have negative effects on functioning; when identifying patients for psychoeducational training, those with the presence of negative appraisals of their injury are most in need. Resilience may positively affect physical outcomes; however, the relationship is under-researched. Individuals' past events that triggered resilient behaviour may be able to promote a resilient response to an SCI. Focussing on emotional coping may result in poorer outcomes than building a sense of control. When identifying patients for psychoeducational training, it may be those with the presence of negative appraisals of their injury that are most in need. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nearly a quarter of Canada's landmass is covered by mountainous terrain, making mountains an important aspect of the physical and human geography of the country. Mountain areas in Canada have motivated a great deal of research activity, yet the state of mountain research in the country has never been systematically characterized, precluding a detailed understanding of what is being studied, when, where, how, and by whom. In response, we conducted a systematic scoping review to rigorously identify, collate, and critically examine existing peer-reviewed articles related to mountains in Canada. 2,888 articles were included in our review, which reveals strong biases towards work in the natural sciences and in the mountain west, with little work to date in the social and health sciences or in other mountainous regions of the country. Our results demonstrate that Canada is among the most productive contributors to mountain research globally, but that topical and geographical biases in existing research effort leave important gaps that must be addressed to successfully navigate challenges and opportunities facing mountain areas in Canada. We provide a roadmap to guide future mountain-focused research activities in the country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aims: Co-creation in educational design and development is evolving and increasingly recognised as a vital component of contemporary nursing education. However, there remains a need to strengthen the knowledge base for this approach. Therefore, this study aimed to provide a comprehensive overview of empirical research on co-creation within nursing education and identify gaps in knowledge and areas requiring further investigation., Methods: This study utilised a systematic scoping approach and followed a five-stage methodological framework: (1) identifying the research question; (2) selecting relevant studies; (3) choosing appropriate studies; (4) charting and organising the data; and (5) synthesising, summarising, and reporting the results. It searched the ERIC, Web of Science, Scopus, Medline, CINAHL, and PubMed databases to identify relevant articles, which then underwent double-blind screening, identifying 14 that met the inclusion criteria for this scoping review., Results: The analysis identified five themes that reflect the scope and nature of empirical research on co-creation in nursing education: (1) scarcity of studies and varied conceptualisation of co-creation, (2) dominance of digital educational co-creation initiatives, (3) underrepresentation of multidisciplinary collaboration in co-creation initiatives, (4) workshops as key activities of co-creative collaboration and engagement, and (5) paucity of knowledge on co-creation effectiveness., Conclusions: This review highlights the need for more comprehensive research systematically examining the benefits, impacts, and facilitators of co-creation in nursing education. Future studies should incorporate the perspectives of multiple stakeholders, especially within clinical nursing education, and investigate the scalability of co-creation, including its costs and benefits., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Background: Increasing adoption of sensor-based digital health technologies (sDHTs) in recent years has cast light on the many challenges in implementing these tools into clinical trials and patient care at scale across diverse patient populations; however, the methodological approaches taken toward sDHT usability evaluation have varied markedly., Objective: This review aims to explore the current landscape of studies reporting data related to sDHT human factors, human-centered design, and usability, to inform our concurrent work on developing an evaluation framework for sDHT usability., Methods: We conducted a scoping review of studies published between 2013 and 2023 and indexed in PubMed, in which data related to sDHT human factors, human-centered design, and usability were reported. Following a systematic screening process, we extracted the study design, participant sample, the sDHT or sDHTs used, the methods of data capture, and the types of usability-related data captured., Results: Our literature search returned 442 papers, of which 85 papers were found to be eligible and 83 papers were available for data extraction and not under embargo. In total, 164 sDHTs were evaluated; 141 (86%) sDHTs were wearable tools while the remaining 23 (14%) sDHTs were ambient tools. The majority of studies (55/83, 66%) reported summative evaluations of final-design sDHTs. Almost all studies (82/83, 99%) captured data from targeted end users, but only 18 (22%) out of 83 studies captured data from additional users such as care partners or clinicians. User satisfaction and ease of use were evaluated for 83% (136/164) and 91% (150/164) of sDHTs, respectively; however, learnability, efficiency, and memorability were reported for only 11 (7%), 4 (2%), and 2 (1%) out of 164 sDHTs, respectively. A total of 14 (9%) out of 164 sDHTs were evaluated according to the extent to which users were able to understand the clinical data or other information presented to them (understandability) or the actions or tasks they should complete in response (actionability). Notable gaps in reporting included the absence of a sample size rationale (reported for 21/83, 25% of all studies and 17/55, 31% of summative studies) and incomplete sociodemographic descriptive data (complete age, sex/gender, and race/ethnicity reported for 14/83, 17% of studies)., Conclusions: Based on our findings, we suggest four actionable recommendations for future studies that will help to advance the implementation of sDHTs: (1) consider an in-depth assessment of technology usability beyond user satisfaction and ease of use, (2) expand recruitment to include important user groups such as clinicians and care partners, (3) report the rationale for key study design considerations including the sample size, and (4) provide rich descriptive statistics regarding the study sample to allow a complete understanding of generalizability to other patient populations and contexts of use., (©Animesh Tandon, Bryan Cobb, Jacob Centra, Elena Izmailova, Nikolay V Manyakov, Samantha McClenahan, Smit Patel, Emre Sezgin, Srinivasan Vairavan, Bernard Vrijens, Jessie P Bakker, Digital Health Measurement Collaborative Community (DATAcc) hosted by DiMe. Originally published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research (https://www.jmir.org), 15.11.2024.)

Abstract Background Early childhood caries disproportionately affects vulnerable groups and remains a leading cause of preventable hospital admissions for Western Australian children. The Western Australia State Oral Health Plan seeks to improve child oral health through universal and targeted health promotion initiatives with primary caregivers. These initiatives require evidence of primary caregiver oral health knowledge and behaviours and baseline data on early childhood caries. The objective of this systematic scoping review was to understand current oral health knowledge and practices of primary caregivers of children aged 0–4 years, identify influential socioecological determinants, and identify data on early childhood caries in the Western Australian context. Methods A systematic scoping review framework identified articles published between 2010 and 2021, using Scopus, PubMed, Medline, CINAHL, PsycINFO, selected article reference lists, and oral health websites. The lack of Western Australian specific literature prompted the inclusion of Australia-wide articles. Articles were screened via author consensus, with eight selected. Results Western Australia and nation-wide data on early childhood caries are limited and mostly dated. WA data from children aged 2–3 years, collected in 2006, suggests the prevalence is 2.9% in this state, with national data of children from 0 to 3 years, collected from 2006 and 2008, suggesting an early childhood caries prevalence of 3.4–8% of children aged 18 months, rising sharply by 36 months of age. Nationally, fewer than half the primary caregivers reported following evidence-based oral health recommendations for their young children. Perceptions of the role of dental services for young children tends to be focussed on treatment, rather than surveillance and prevention. Knowledge of dietary and oral hygiene practices is inconsistent and awareness of the Child Dental Benefit Schedule low. Young children’s oral health status is clearly associated with socioecological factors, including socioeconomic status. Conclusions Recent early childhood caries data and evidence of primary care-givers’ oral health knowledge and behaviours are unavailable in Western Australia, a similar situation exists nationwide. To realise the Western Australian and National Oral Health Plans, research is required to address this knowledge gap.

In the global South, rural and resource-based livelihoods increasingly face water-related risks. The conceptualization and application of the water security concept in relation to rural livelihoods has not been reviewed in this context. To fill this gap, a systematic scoping review of refereed journal articles (2000–2019) was conducted to examine how water security is defined, driven, and addressed for rural livelihoods in the global South. Publications (n = 99) featured diverse methodologies and geographical contexts, and recognized simultaneous drivers of water insecurity and solution strategies for water security. Several shortcomings were evident. First, only 30.3% of publications defined the concept, mostly using frames of ‘adequate’, ‘sufficient’, and ‘acceptable’ water-related risks. Few definitions recognized the role of water security interventions in increasing capabilities and prosperity. Second, technical and managerial responses to proximate drivers of water-related risk – namely climate-related dynamics, water re-allocation, extraction, and mismanagement – outnumbered efforts to identify and transform the underlying social, economic, and political inequities that create and sustain water insecurity. Last, studies focused heavily on agriculture, while labour, transhumance pastoralism, and aquaculture were underrepresented. A research agenda that increases the synergies between the wider water security and rural livelihoods scholarship is advanced to address these shortcomings. HIGHLIGHTS A systematic scoping review clarifies how water security is framed and addressed for rural livelihoods.; Water security focused on conditions of adequacy – not on advancing prosperity.; Diverse rural livelihoods were underrepresented.; Systemic processes that create and sustain water insecurity received less attention.; A research agenda to better understand and address water-related risks for rural livelihoods is provided.;

In recent years, inclusive education research in Italy and internationally has reflected upon teacher agency and its implications for students’ full inclusion. Since teacher agency for inclusive education is an emerging theoretical construct, interpreted in different ways in the literature, it is first necessary to aggregate existing studies, appraising both theoretical conceptualizations and available evidence. To this objective, we conducted a systematic scoping review of recent international literature on the topic. Eight theoretical frameworks emerged from the literature. Also, barriers to teacher agency were mapped e.g., the dominant ableist culture, the perceived inadequacy in the relationship with the students with disability, the special education teacher unpreparedness on specific learning contents, the marginalization of the special education teacher, and the lack of school administration support. On the other hand, teachers proved they are capable of change towards more inclusive practices thanks to resilience, teamwork, and beliefs on students’ abilities. Mappare evidenze e framework teorici dell’agency docente in relazione all’inclusione: una scoping review sistematica. Negli ultimi anni, la ricerca sull’inclusione scolastica in Italia e all’estero si è interrogata sull’agentività dei docenti e sulle implicazioni pratiche che essa comporta ai fini della piena inclusione di tutte/i le/gli studentesse/i. Dal momento che l’agency inclusiva è un costrutto teorico emergente, interpretato in modi differenti in letteratura, è anzitutto necessario aggregare gli studi esistenti, dal punto di vista delle concettualizzazioni teoriche e delle evidenze disponibili. Per questo, abbiamo condotto una scoping review sistematica della più recente letteratura internazionale sul tema. Emerge il ricorso a otto framework teorici e si evidenziano gli ostacoli all’esercizio dell’agency inclusiva, tra cui la cultura abilista dominante, la percezione di inadeguatezza nel rapporto con le/gli studentesse/i, l’impreparazione dell’insegnante di sostegno su alcuni specifici contenuti disciplinari, la disuguaglianza di status fra docente curricolare e di sostegno, la mancanza di supporto da parte della struttura di governance della scuola. D’altro canto, le/gli insegnanti dimostrano di essere in grado di modificare le pratiche in senso inclusivo, grazie alla loro resilienza, al lavoro in team e a profonde convinzioni sulle capacità delle/i studentesse/i.

Copyright of Form@re is the property of Firenze University Press and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Background: A core outcome set defines the minimum outcomes that should be included in clinical trials, audit or practice. The aim being to increase the quality and relevance of research by ensuring consistency in the measurement and reporting of outcomes. Core outcome sets have been developed for a variety of disease states and treatments. However, there is no established set of core outcomes for refractory childhood epilepsy treated with ketogenic diet therapy. This should be developed using a patient-centred approach to ensure the outcomes measured are relevant to patients and clinical practice.Methods: This is a mixed methods study of four phases to develop a core outcome set for refractory childhood epilepsy treated with ketogenic diet therapy. In phase 1, a systematic scoping review of the literature will establish which outcomes are measured in trials of refractory epilepsy treated with ketogenic diet therapy. In phase 2, qualitative interviews with parents and carers will aim to identify the outcomes of importance to these stakeholders. Phase 3 will see a comprehensive list of outcomes collated from the first two phases, grouped into domains according to an outcome taxonomy. Phase 4 will invite parents, health care professionals and researchers to participate in a two-round Delphi study to rate the importance of the presented outcomes. Following which, the core outcome set will be ratified at a face to face consensus meeting.Discussion: This study will guide outcome measurement in future studies of childhood epilepsy treated with ketogenic diet therapy and clinical practice through audit and service evaluation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alcohol and substance use has been a long-standing public health challenge across the globe, including in Africa. Research evidence attests that there is no singular approach to the prevention of this problem. This study used a scoping review to systematically appraise existing research evidence on the prevention of alcohol and substance use in Africa. A systematic search for literature on alcohol and substance use prevention between 2008 and 2018 in African countries was done in PubMed, EBSCOhost, and Web of Science databases. The study employed Arksey and O'Malley scoping review framework. Search terms included those relevant to the prevention of alcohol and substance use. Abstracted data were synthesized, thematically analyzed, and presented in a narrative format. A total of 34 peer-reviewed studies were selected for the final review in the current study. Alcohol is the predominantly used substance in Africa, among many other substances. A wide spectrum of factor risk and protective factors were reported. Prevention interventions were categorized as individual, family, school, workplace, environmental, media, as well as community-based prevention interventions. While a variety of targeted prevention interventions have been implemented in the African continent, their effectiveness remains to be further elucidated, explored, and tested. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Organophosphate flame retardants (OPFRs) are increasingly and widely used as substitutes for brominated flame retardants in daily life. The chemical structure of OPFRs is very similar to that of organophosphorus pesticides, leading to concerns about their neurotoxicity. A few epidemiological studies have been published with inconsistent results on this topic, and a systematic scoping review is needed to provide an overview or map of the current evidence on the relationship of OPFRs with neurodevelopmental toxicity. Therefore, MEDLINE (accessed through PubMed), Web of Science, and CNKI (Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure) were systematically searched for articles published in the last two decades. Nine eligible articles were included in the present systematic scoping review for adherence to the predefined PECOS (population, exposure, comparison, outcome, study design) statement. Six studies were conducted in the USA, and the remaining three studies were conducted in Austria, Norway and China. A total of 2 581 children (1 203 females and 1 378 males) were included. Half of the included studies focused on the adverse effects of OPFR exposure on cognition in children, while others primarily focused on the behaviors of children. In summary, the current evidence suggests inverse associations between early-life exposure to OPFRs and the childhood intelligence quotient and internalizing behavior and positive relationships of OPFR exposure with externalizing behavior. However, some differences in the timing of sample collection for exposure measurements, in the individual OPFR metabolites available, in the neurodevelopmental scales for outcome measurement, and in the statistical methods used to analyze the data are noted. In addition, further studies are warranted to evaluate some important issues, such as sex differences in the association, exposure-sensitive periods, and cumulative exposure risk assessment.

Anthony W Olson,1,2 Timothy P Stratton,2 Brian J Isetts,3 Rajiv Vaidyanathan,4 Jared C Van Hooser,2 Jon C Schommer3 1Research Division, Essentia Institute of Rural Health, Duluth, MN, USA; 2Department of Pharmacy Practice and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Minnesota – College of Pharmacy, Duluth, MN, USA; 3Department of Pharmaceutical Care and Health Systems, University of Minnesota – College of Pharmacy, Minneapolis, MN, USA; 4Department of Marketing, University of Minnesota Duluth – Labovitz School of Business and Economics, Duluth, MN, USACorrespondence: Anthony W Olson 502 E 2nd Street, Duluth, MN, 55805, USATel +1 218 786 1754Fax +1 218 786 8159Email anthony.olson@essentiahealth.orgAbstract: “Patient-Centeredness” (PC) is a theoretical construct made up of a diverse constellation of distinct concepts, processes, practices, and outcomes that have been developed, arranged, and prioritized heterogeneously by different communities of professional healthcare practice, research, and policy. It is bound together by a common ethos that puts the holistic individual at the functional and symbolic center of their care, a quality deemed essential for chronic disease management and health promotion. Several important contributions to the PC research space have adeptly integrated seminal PC conceptualizations to improve conceptual clarity, measurement, implementation, and evaluation in research and practice. This systematic scoping review builds on that work, but with a purpose to explicitly identify, compare, and contrast the seminal PC conceptualizations arising from the different healthcare professional groups. The rationale for this work is that a deeper examination of the underlying development and corresponding assumptions from each respective conceptualization will lead to a more informed understanding of and meaningful contributions to PC research and practice, especially for healthcare professional groups newer to the topic area like pharmacy. The literature search identified four seminal conceptualizations from the healthcare professions of Medicine, Nursing, and Health Policy. A compositional comparison across the seminal conceptualizations revealed a shared ethos but also six distinguishing features: (1) organizational structure; (2) predominant level of care; (3) methodological approach; (4) care setting origin; (5) outcomes of interest; and (6) language. The findings illuminate PC’s stable theoretical foundations and distinctive nuances needed to appropriately understand, apply, and evaluate the construct’s operationalization in contemporary healthcare research and practice. These considerations hold important implications for future research into the fundamental aims of healthcare, how it should look when practiced, and what should reasonably be required of it.Keywords: patient-centeredness, medicine, nursing, health policy, pharmacy, systematic scoping review

This review concerns how quality in ECEC is thematized and examined in Norwegian research published in 2010–2021. The review contributes to developing relevant professional knowledge and insight into what quality in ECEC is, should be or can be. A systematic scoping review includes 97 empirical studies of quality in the Norwegian ECEC context. The results show an increase in studies addressing quality after the year 2017. Most studies use interviews and observations, i.e., qualitative data. Research based on quantitative studies mainly applies to questionnaires, whereas multi-method designs occur with the third greatest frequency. The majority of the studies are descriptive or explore relationships. A few studies concern method development, interventions or reviews of the literature. ECEC staff and ECEC teachers are the most common informants. Two-thirds of the studies included were published in English, and only one-third were published in Norwegian. Thematically, process quality emerges as the most studied dimension of quality, dominated by investigating the aspect of staff–child interactions. About one-third of the studies investigate structural quality, with most attention paid to the physical environment and the organization of the ECEC provisions. Less research is directed at result (outcome) quality and curriculum quality. This overview contributes to increased knowledge about how quality is understood and used in research, as an essential prerequisite for creating a safe and sound everyday life for children in ECEC.

Background: During the past decade, patient engagement (PE) has attracted significant attention in the field of drug development. Readiness to accept the central importance of patients' knowledge and contributions has become evident. This study aimed to synthesize evidence on the current state of PE in drug development: what is actually being done and how. Methods: A systematic scoping review was conducted based on a PRISMA-informed protocol. Search was performed in PubMed, EMBASE and Web of Science, covering the period between 2011 and 2021. For analysis of extracted data, we developed a framework for analyzing PE in Drug Development. The Framework distinguishes a number of different PE types that take place at different stages of drug development and are characterized by the different degrees of power patients have in the process. It allowed us to assess depth and intensity of PE initiatives included in this review. Results: Most included PE initiatives took place at the stage of designing studies (40 in total). At this stage drug development goals are already set, but the mode of reaching them has not yet been fully determined. PE initiatives on the finetuning details stage followed (16 in total). The finetuning details stage covers the last parts of the drug development trajectory, when only relatively minor issues are still open for patients' contributions. The least numerous were PE initiatives on the stage of setting up R&D program (13 in total). This stage refers to the early steps in drug development where PE has the potential to make the most impact on shaping the subsequent process. In terms of intensity of engagement, most PE initiatives included in this review align with consultation and involvement types, 26 and 30 initiatives, respectively. Partnership was less frequent in the published accounts of PE (13 initiatives). Conclusions: This review delineated a contemporary landscape of PE in drug development. Although attention to PE in drug development is relatively recent, a wide range of PE practices has already been initiated. The results indicate the necessity of distinguishing between different types of PE in order to understand consequences of choices regarding depth and intensity of PE. Plain English summary: This article summarizes what is publicly found in scientific papers about patient engagement in drug development initiatives between 2011 and 2021. It also introduces a new Framework to use to look at these patient engagement efforts. The Framework breaks these efforts down based on the depth of patient engagement in the drug development process and different degrees of influence or power patients have or intensity of engagement. In terms of depth of patient engagement in the process of drug development, most patient engagement initiatives described efforts involved in designing studies where goals were already set. Next were patient engagement efforts related to finetuning details where patients could make minor contributions. The fewest efforts were found related to setting up a research and development program where patients potentially could make significant impact. In terms of intensity of patient engagement, most initiatives aligned with consultation and involvement intensities, and few examples aligned with the highest intensity of patient engagement that was considered partnership. While patient engagement in drug development is becoming more common, the approaches to doing so vary widely. We have developed a new Framework to help characterize these efforts related to patient influence in the process as well as depth of their engagement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: This study aimed to explore how the concepts of co‐production and co‐design have been defined and applied in the context of health and social care and to identify the temporal adoption of the terms. Methods: A systematic scoping review of CINAHL with Full Text, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, MEDLINE, PsycINFO, PubMed and Scopus was conducted to identify studies exploring co‐production or co‐design in health and social care. Data regarding date and conceptual definitions were extracted. From the 2933 studies retrieved, 979 articles were included in this review. Results: A network map of the sixty most common definitions and—through exploration of citations—eight definition clusters and a visual representation of how they interconnect and have informed each other over time are presented. Additional findings were as follows: (i) an increase in research exploring co‐production and co‐design in health and social care contexts; (ii) an increase in the number of new definitions during the last decade, despite just over a third of included articles providing no definition or explanation for their chosen concept; and (iii) an increase in the number of publications using the terms co‐production or co‐design while not involving citizens/patients/service users. Conclusions: Co‐production and co‐design are conceptualized in a wide range of ways. Rather than seeking universal definitions of these terms, future applied research should focus on articulating the underlying principles and values that need to be translated and explored in practice. Patient and Public Contribution: The search strategy and pilot results were presented at a workshop in May 2019 with patient and public contributors and researchers. Discussion here informed our next steps. During the analysis phase of the review, informal discussions were held once a month with a patient who has experience in patient and public involvement. As this involvement was conducted towards the end of the review, we agreed together that inclusion as an author would risk being tokenistic. Instead, acknowledgements were preferred. The next phase involves working as equal contributors to explore the values and principles of co‐production reported within the most common definitions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Trust is of particular relevance to refugee populations, given the adverse, often protracted and liminal nature of the refugee journey. What trust means, how it shapes and is shaped by this journey, is crucially important for this population group and it can vary substantially. The extent, range and nature of research activity in this area are limited; this article therefore reports on a systematic scoping review that explored trust amongst refugees and asylum seekers in resettlement settings. Studies were included if they were primary research and explored trust amongst refugees and asylum seekers in a resettlement context and excluded if trust was not a major focus of the study (i.e. a number of studies were excluded that explored related concepts, such as social capital), if the study did not identify participants as refugees or asylum seekers or the study examined trust in a transitory setting. Following the application of inclusion and exclusion criteria, 24 studies remained, which were reviewed and analysed. Sixteen studies used qualitative methods, six used quantitative methods and one used mixed methods. Trust was presented as fundamentally relational, taking shape between and within refugees, asylum seekers and others. Trust was also presented as temporal and contextual, across refugee journeys, hardships experienced and resettlement. A major theme was the fundamental need in resettlement for a restoration of lost or damaged trust. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article maps and critically discusses the intersection of childhood, human rights and tourism in scholarly research. Findings reveal this area of scholarship has received little attention beyond "adultist" and "protectionist" approaches, which construct children as too vulnerable to participate in tourism research, policy and practice. Through a systematic scoping review of relevant peer-reviewed scholarly articles, we argue for more child-centred, rights-based, and participatory approaches to engaging children in research about their lives in an area where their voices are often neglected. The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) was an important milestone in realising children's rights, and while much has been achieved during this time, children's rights research and scholarship must address certain fundamental issues to move into the future. This paper aims to respond to the recent call for more interdisciplinary efforts focused on children's rights in the context of global development and tourism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While Indigenous peoples have governed their territories for millennia, mainstream climate governance literature underrepresents Indigenous governance roles in climate governance. The objective of this study is to systematically document the extent to which Indigenous governance concepts are incorporated into the climate governance literature. Using a systematic scoping search and screening process, we identified 195 references. To be included, references had to be published between 2010 and 2020, in English, explicitly mention Indigenous peoples, have a substantial focus on human responses to experienced or anticipated effects of climate change and governance, and be based on primary data or a review of primary data. Relevant references were analyzed using a data extraction questionnaire. Our results indicate that despite the growing number of publications, only two-fifths fully incorporated Indigenous governance concepts. We found that Indigenous governance concepts were more likely to be incorporated in references that included an author affiliated with an Indigenous organization, used qualitative methods, and focused on protected areas or climate transformation. Finally, most references incorporated Indigenous Knowledge systems, but this did not correspond to greater attention to Indigenous governance. Based on our findings, we make three recommendations for the climate governance literature: (i) follow Indigenous research protocols, (ii) move beyond a narrow focus on the “supplemental value” of Indigenous Knowledge systems to acknowledge the “governance value,” and (iii) engage with transformational climate responses that address the systemic inequalities created by historical and ongoing colonialism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To conduct a scoping review to synthesize evidence on food prescription programs. Data Source: A systematic search of PubMed, CINAHL, Web of Science, Embase, and the Cochrane Library was conducted using key words related to setting, interventions, and outcomes. Study Inclusion and Exclusion Criteria: Publications were eligible if they reported food prescription administered by a health care practitioner (HCP) with the explicit aim of improving healthy food access and consumption, food security (FS), or health. Data Extraction: A data charting form was used to extract relevant details on intervention characteristics, study methodology, and key findings. Data Synthesis: Study and intervention characteristics were summarized. We undertook a thematic analysis to identify and report on themes. A critical appraisal of study quality was conducted using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool (MMAT). Results: A total of 6145 abstracts were screened and 23 manuscripts were included in the review. Food prescriptions may improve fruit and vegetable consumption and reduce food insecurity (FI). Evidence for impacts on diet-related health outcomes is limited and mixed. The overall quality of included studies was weak. Addressing barriers such as stigma, transportation, and poor nutrition literacy may increase utilization of food prescriptions. Conclusion: Food prescriptions are a promising health care intervention. There is a need for rigorous studies that incorporate larger sample sizes, control groups, and validated assessments of dietary intake, food security, and health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) impacts the health of women worldwide. It is a condition consisting of dysfunctional cystic ovaries resulting in hormonal imbalance. Many women have symptoms such as infertility, increased production of androgens, and insulin resistance. Barriers to effective treatment of PCOS include issues such as delays in diagnosis and inconsistencies in treatment plans among physicians. Despite the current use of available medications to decrease symptomatology, women with PCOS continue to report a decreased quality of life. Using the electronic databases PubMed, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), and ScienceDirect, a scoping review was conducted on the globally available treatments for PCOS. After applying pre-determined inclusion criteria, 41 studies were included in this scoping review. The literature on the available treatments for PCOS revealed a wide range of therapeutics with evidence of reduction of symptoms and/or improvement in fertility status and pathological processes such as insulin resistance, hormone imbalance, obesity, inflammation, and infertility. Dozens of treatment options for PCOS have been identified, including new medications and modifications to existing treatment regimens. The hormonal drug Fezolinetant demonstrated effective suppression of hyperandrogenism. Drugs used to treat diabetes, such as Liraglutide, were found effective for weight loss. Green cardamom, cinnamon, and other supplements proved effective in treating metabolic dysfunction. Alternative approaches, such as osteopathic manipulative therapy and acupuncture, decreased sympathetic tone and androgen levels. This review provides a succinct overview of PCOS therapies that can be used by those with PCOS and their physicians everywhere. With a better understanding of their options, women with PCOS can become more involved in the decision-making process to improve their health. More research is needed on novel therapies that aim to reduce the primary pathogenesis of PCOS., Competing Interests: Conflicts of interest: In compliance with the ICMJE uniform disclosure form, all authors declare the following: Payment/services info: All authors have declared that no financial support was received from any organization for the submitted work. Financial relationships: All authors have declared that they have no financial relationships at present or within the previous three years with any organizations that might have an interest in the submitted work. Other relationships: All authors have declared that there are no other relationships or activities that could appear to have influenced the submitted work., (Copyright © 2024, Cochran et al.)

Rapid development in deep learning for image analysis inspired studies to focus on predicting cardiovascular risk using retinal fundus images. This scoping review aimed to identify and describe studies using retinal fundus images and deep learning to predict cardiovascular risk markers and diseases. We searched MEDLINE and Embase on 17 November 2023. Abstracts and relevant full-text articles were independently screened by two reviewers. We included studies that used deep learning for the analysis of retinal fundus images to predict cardiovascular risk markers or cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) and excluded studies only using predefined characteristics of retinal fundus images. Study characteristics were presented using descriptive statistics. We included 24 articles published between 2018 and 2023. Among these, 23 (96%) were cross-sectional studies and eight (33%) were follow-up studies with clinical CVD outcomes. Seven studies included a combination of both designs. Most studies (96%) used convolutional neural networks to process images. We found nine (38%) studies that incorporated clinical risk factors in the prediction and four (17%) that compared the results to commonly used clinical risk scores in a prospective setting. Three of these reported improved discriminative performance. External validation of models was rare (21%). There is increasing interest in using retinal fundus images in cardiovascular risk assessment with some studies demonstrating some improvements in prediction. However, more prospective studies, comparisons of results to clinical risk scores, and models augmented with traditional risk factors can strengthen further research in the field., Competing Interests: Conflict of interest: none declared., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Society of Cardiology.)

Copyright of Canadian Journal of Anaesthesia / Journal Canadien d'Anesthésie is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

As anthropogenic pressures on the environment grow, science-policy interaction is increasingly needed to support evidence-informed decision-making. However, there are many barriers to knowledge exchange (KE) at the science-policy interface, including difficulties evaluating its outcomes. The aims of this study are to synthesize the literature to elucidate the a) intended and b) claimed outcomes of KE processes at the interface of environmental science and policy, as well as the c) evidence used to evaluate them and d) methods used for collecting evaluation data. Results from systematically identifying and analyzing 397 articles show that co-production, knowledge brokerage, boundary organizations, and social connections were the most common strategies for KE. KE processes commonly aimed, claimed and referred to evidence regarding the usability of knowledge (e.g. credibility, salience, legitimacy) and social outcomes (e.g. networking, awareness, learning, trust-building). They also aimed for deeper policy/economic/societal impacts and actual use of scientific knowledge within decision-making. These additional goals, however, were seldom claimed to have been achieved, although products (e.g. maps/tools) and process attributes (e.g. equity, power-relations, transparency) were commonly used for evidencing impact. Hence, this study found that success from KE at the interface of environmental science and policy comes in diverse forms and showed a divergence between what studies aim for (ambitious) and what they evidence or claim as an achievement (more modest). This may represent failures of KE processes to reach intended goals, shortcomings in evaluation literature/approaches, or mismatches between timescales of evaluation and impact. Overall, this suggests a need to better align goals with evaluation measures to plan, facilitate, and appreciate the diverse impacts of KE processes. [Display omitted] • Our review aims to understand success at the environmental science-policy interface. • Success at the science-policy interface comes in very diverse forms. • Usability of knowledge and/or social outcomes are most common goals. • Divergence between what studies aim for and what they evidence/claim as impact. • Results show need to plan for, and appreciate diverse impacts of knowledge exchange. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Early childhood caries disproportionately affects vulnerable groups and remains a leading cause of preventable hospital admissions for Western Australian children. The Western Australia State Oral Health Plan seeks to improve child oral health through universal and targeted health promotion initiatives with primary caregivers. These initiatives require evidence of primary caregiver oral health knowledge and behaviours and baseline data on early childhood caries. The objective of this systematic scoping review was to understand current oral health knowledge and practices of primary caregivers of children aged 0–4 years, identify influential socioecological determinants, and identify data on early childhood caries in the Western Australian context. Methods: A systematic scoping review framework identified articles published between 2010 and 2021, using Scopus, PubMed, Medline, CINAHL, PsycINFO, selected article reference lists, and oral health websites. The lack of Western Australian specific literature prompted the inclusion of Australia-wide articles. Articles were screened via author consensus, with eight selected. Results: Western Australia and nation-wide data on early childhood caries are limited and mostly dated. WA data from children aged 2–3 years, collected in 2006, suggests the prevalence is 2.9% in this state, with national data of children from 0 to 3 years, collected from 2006 and 2008, suggesting an early childhood caries prevalence of 3.4–8% of children aged 18 months, rising sharply by 36 months of age. Nationally, fewer than half the primary caregivers reported following evidence-based oral health recommendations for their young children. Perceptions of the role of dental services for young children tends to be focussed on treatment, rather than surveillance and prevention. Knowledge of dietary and oral hygiene practices is inconsistent and awareness of the Child Dental Benefit Schedule low. Young children's oral health status is clearly associated with socioecological factors, including socioeconomic status. Conclusions: Recent early childhood caries data and evidence of primary care-givers' oral health knowledge and behaviours are unavailable in Western Australia, a similar situation exists nationwide. To realise the Western Australian and National Oral Health Plans, research is required to address this knowledge gap. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Complex interventions in health care are characterized by multiple interacting components as well as by numerous nonlinear interactions with the social systems within which they are being implemented. The process of developing, evaluating and implementing complex interventions is therefore challenging. Established guidance such as the MRC (Medical Research Council) framework for developing and evaluating complex interventions refers to process evaluations as an integral part of the development of complex evidence-based interventions. Even though the need for process evaluations is recognized, the realization of such approaches is challenging because methodological instruction is sparse, and the phenomenon of interest is complex. A number of theoretical approaches indicating how to conduct process evaluations of complex interventions in health care exist, but a systematic and comprehensive overview of these is missing. Thus, the objective of the systematic scoping review described herein is to provide an overview and analysis of theoretical approaches suitable for the planning and conducting of process evaluations. Methods: The design and conduct of this review will follow the procedures of a systematic scoping review. The search strategy will be developed following the BeHEMoTh (Behaviour of interest; Health context; Exclusions; Models or Theories) template which has been conceptualized for structured reviews of theory. The systematic search of the MEDLINE (via PubMed), CINAHL (via EBSCO) and PsycInfo (via EBSCO) electronic databases will be complemented by "hand searching" techniques. Study selection, data extraction, and data analysis will be performed by tandems of two researchers independently of each other. Divergent decisions and judgements between the two researchers will be discussed by the whole review team. Discussion: The findings from this scoping review will provide an overview and comparison of theoretical approaches suitable for process evaluations of complex interventions in health care. The review results will support researchers in choosing the theoretical approach that best fits the respective focus of their process evaluation study. Systematic review registration: This study has been registered with PROSPERO (International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews) under registration number CRD42020211732. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the findings of a systematic scoping review spanning 30 years (1990-2020) that sought to understand the structures and processes influencing education research activities in UK higher education (HE). Review work of this scale has not previously been undertaken on the topic. The purpose of the review was to 'take stock' of research in the field, identify continuing and emerging areas of concern regarding education research as a profession, and point to directions for future research. Seven databases were searched and additional strategies included citation chasing and hand- searching. We located 114 peer- reviewed journal articles and one doctoral thesis. Six themes emerged relating to formal structures/processes: culture of performativity and accountability; funding regime; impact agenda; 'what works' agenda; heated debates; and professional bodies. A further six themes related to informal structures/processes: academic pressures; affective issues; non- traditional academics; second- career researchers; career stages; and departmental cultures. The themes were complex and appeared to interact with each other. Evidence of the negative influence of neoliberal regimes on working conditions and well- being emerged more strongly in the past decade. The review indicates that further research is required into the experiences and academic identities of education researchers from under- represented or non- traditional groups (i.e., women, ethnic minority, working- class, disabled, LGBTQ+ academics). There is also a need for more studies in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales to understand their unique political- economic- educational contexts. The findings have relevance to education researchers and policy- makers in countries across the globe, particularly in comparable HE systems (e.g., North America, Australia). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Prevalence of chronic gastrointestinal diseases has been rising amongst ethnic minority populations in Western countries, despite the first-generation migrants originating from countries of low prevalence. Differences caused by genetic, environmental, cultural, and religious factors in each context may contribute towards shaping experiences of ethnic minority individuals living with primary bowel conditions. This review aimed to explore the experiences of ethnic minority patients living with chronic bowel conditions.Methods: We conducted a systematic scoping review to retrieve qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods studies from eight electronic databases, and manually searched reference lists of frequently cited papers.Results: Fourteen papers met the inclusion criteria: focussing on inflammatory bowel disease, irritable bowel syndrome, and coeliac disease. Core themes were narratively analysed. South Asians had limited understanding of inflammatory bowel disease and coeliac disease, hindered by language and literacy barriers, particularly for older generations, suggesting that culturally relevant information is needed. Family support was limited, and Muslim South Asians referred to religion to understand and self-manage inflammatory bowel disease. Ethnic minority groups across countries experienced: poor dietary intake for coeliac disease and inflammatory bowel disease, cultural conflict in self-managing diet for inflammatory bowel disease which increased anxiety, and there was a need for better quality of, and access to, healthcare services. British ethnic minority groups experienced difficulties with IBD diagnosis/misdiagnosis.Conclusions: Cultural, religious, and social contexts, together with language barriers and limited health literacy influenced experiences of health inequalities for ethnic minority patients living with chronic bowel diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Hospital IT failures can significantly impact acute patient care. • The main cause of these events is hospital software failure. • IT failures are increasingly associated with acute care disruption. • Securing IT continuity in today's hospitals is essential. Healthcare organizations are becoming increasingly dependent on Information technology (IT) for the provision of routine services. IT failures within hospital systems can impact acute patient care, including emergency department (ED) closure operating room (OR) stops.. The aim of this study is to gain insight into the impact of hospital IT failures in the Netherlands on acute care delivery and to provide recommendations for improved IT failure preparedness and hospital resilience during such an event. This is a systematic scoping review of major acute care disruptions in Dutch hospitals between 2000 and 2020. Incidence of etiology, duration, ED diversion, and closure of multiple locations was evaluated. IT failures were included when associated with the closure of hospital departments and/or evacuations. Thirty-nine IT failures resulting in acute care disruption were identified. The majority occurred between 2010 and 2020 (n = 37, 95 %). Of the 39 events, 33 (85 %) were primary IT failures and were mainly caused by computer network and/or hospital software failure. Secondary events predominantly resulted from power failure. Most events (n = 36, 92 %) were resolved within minutes to hours. All events were associated with an ED closure, 27 (69 %) with an operating room (OR) stop and two (5 %) with external hospital evacuation of one or more patients. Furthermore, 17 incidents (44 %) involved multiple hospital locations, and seven (41 %) of these involved closure of multiple locations with an ED. The impact of IT failures on acute care disruptions in the Netherlands has considerably increased since 2010. This stresses the urge to improve IT security and business continuity in today's hospitals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background This systematic scoping review aimed to identify changes in biomarkers of microbiological, immunological and biochemical origin during experimental gingivitis (EG) studies that might indicate resistance and resilience. Methods The term ‘experimental gingivitis’ was run in PubMed from inception to April 11th, 2018. From the 411 studies retrieved, 22 studies were included for this review. Results Studies reporting data on biomarker changes during and after full mouth EG trial were included. Two studies reported findings on changes in biomarkers of microbiological, 12 on immunological and eight on biochemical origin. Changes were reported in the induction phase, and occasionally in the resolution phase. The microbiological composition of both supragingival and subgingival dental plaque changed over the course of EG to a more pathogenic direction, but showed a shift back to a more normal composition. This indicates resilience of the oral microbiome. For immunological biomarkers, it was challenging to retrieve a robust pattern of changes across multiple studies. IL-1β and IL-6 in saliva and in gingival crevicular fluid increased during induction phase and returned in the resolution phase below baseline values. The biochemical parameters cystatin-SN, cystatin-S and lactoferrin in saliva were increased at the end of induction phase, however also here no clear pattern emerged based on all available studies. Conclusions More research is needed to investigate which microbiological, immunological, and biochemical biomarkers can be useful for future investigations into the resistance and resilience of the oral cavity to experimental gingivitis.

Background: Molding competent clinicians capable of applying ethics principles in their practice is a challenging task, compounded by wide variations in the teaching and assessment of ethics in the postgraduate setting. Despite these differences, ethics training programs should recognise that the transition from medical students to healthcare professionals entails a longitudinal process where ethics knowledge, skills and identity continue to build and deepen over time with clinical exposure. A systematic scoping review is proposed to analyse current postgraduate medical ethics training and assessment programs in peer-reviewed literature to guide the development of a local physician training curriculum. Methods: With a constructivist perspective and relativist lens, this systematic scoping review on postgraduate medical ethics training and assessment will adopt the Systematic Evidence Based Approach (SEBA) to create a transparent and reproducible review. Results: The first search involving the teaching of ethics yielded 7669 abstracts with 573 full text articles evaluated and 66 articles included. The second search involving the assessment of ethics identified 9919 abstracts with 333 full text articles reviewed and 29 articles included. The themes identified from the two searches were the goals and objectives, content, pedagogy, enabling and limiting factors of teaching ethics and assessment modalities used. Despite inherent disparities in ethics training programs, they provide a platform for learners to apply knowledge, translating it to skill and eventually becoming part of the identity of the learner. Illustrating the longitudinal nature of ethics training, the spiral curriculum seamlessly integrates and fortifies prevailing ethical knowledge acquired in medical school with the layering of new specialty, clinical and research specific content in professional practice. Various assessment methods are employed with special mention of portfolios as a longitudinal assessment modality that showcase the impact of ethics training on the development of professional identity formation (PIF). Conclusions: Our systematic scoping review has elicited key learning points in the teaching and assessment of ethics in the postgraduate setting. However, more research needs to be done on establishing Entrustable Professional Activities (EPA)s in ethics, with further exploration of the use of portfolios and key factors influencing its design, implementation and assessment of PIF and micro-credentialling in ethics practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An updated systematic scoping review and narrative analysis of all possible mental health studies done during the concerned immediate years clarifies its present condition and status for all professionals, and concerned researchers. To synthesize published mental health research studies in and for Saudi Arabia for the years 2009–2019 with the confidence to evaluate current situation, identify research gaps and limitations (if any), and assist in conceptualizing the forthcoming directions of future mental health research activities. Scoping systematic review and modified narrative analysis were the methods utilized to achieve the aim and objective set for this formal academic endeavor. Of the 1006 published studies identified from chosen databases, a total of 241 papers were included and had passed the stringent criteria set for the scoping review process. Basic characteristics of the reviewed studies were quantitative survey type with about 101–500 size range of respondents, utilizing non-patients and adults for participants which were common and randomly chosen from selected population, and most research activities were self-funded. Four major research themes were found including a list of research limitations. This systematic scoping review identified a wide range of results characterizing the different studies that qualified using pre-determined inclusion-exclusion criteria. Though of increasing publication volume in the past decade, most researches done were quantitative survey type whose themes seemed to show no drastic difference or change from the previous years of output. More variety in research themes would further improve the over-all quality of mental health publications. • An increasing number of publications in Saudi Arabia in the years 2009-2019 on mental health research studies. • Most published articles utilized quantitative survey type with about 101-500 size range of non-patient respondents. • Four research themes: awareness & attitude studies, QOL, intervention development studies, and social issues studies. • Most limitations included small sample size, sampling bias, self-reporting bias, and cross-sectional design limitation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The coronavirus pandemic also commonly known COVID-19 has affected various parts of the world rendering a negative impact on people’s lives and properly as well as the global economy. Several strategies have been devised by scientists and other innovators to address the issue of COVID-19 based on its different dynamics. A scoping review research about the dynamics of COVID-19 was conducted with the aid of the Arksey and O’Malley framework. The systematic searches were mostly conducted in ProQuest, Web of Science (WoS), Google Scholar, and Medline whereby key search word such as COVID- 19 and coronavirus. The scoping review managed to identify 1,067 documents that were carefully scrutinized based on the provisions of the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The eligibility criteria helped in the elimination of 873 documents leaving a sample of 194 documents. Scoping reviews are considered as new methods of reviewing evidence but are increasingly being adopted as the best ways assessing different research problems or concepts. Due to the high variability in the conduct of scoping reviews, there is need for proper methodological standardization which will help to improve the utility and general strength of the evidence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Short femoral stems were designed to bridge the gap between conventional straight design stems and hip resurfacing prostheses in total hip arthroplasty (THA). A number of clinical trials have been recently conducted to assess the clinical and safety profile of the cementless, colarless, tapered Metha short hip stem in young or active middle-aged individuals. Methods: A systematic scoping review was conducted according to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. 4 reviewers independently conducted the search using the MEDLINE/PubMed database and the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. These databases were queried with the terms "short" AND "hip" AND "stem". Results: From the initial 773 studies we finally chose 12 studies after applying our inclusion-exclusion criteria. The number of operated hips that were included in these studies was 5048 (mean BMI range: 22.7–35.2, mean age range: 44.4–60.4 years, mean follow-up range: 2–9 years). The mean modified Coleman methodology score was 52.3/100, while it ranged from 31/100 to 63/100. All mean clinical outcome scores that were used in the studies illustrated significant postoperative improvement when compared with the respective initial values. The revision rate of the Metha stem for component-related reasons was 2.5%, while the rate of major complications not requiring revision of the Metha stem was 2.8%. Conclusions: The Metha stem performs well in young or active middle-aged THA patients. Further studies are required for the assessment of the long-term results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding the three-dimensional anatomy of the talar neck is essential in assessing the accuracy of reduction in talar neck fractures as well as for planning surgical correction for talar malunions. However, the geometrical parameters that describe this anatomy are sparsely reported in the orthopedics literature. We aimed to identify from the existing literature, geometrical parameters that describe the anatomy of the talar neck, determine how these are measured, and their normative values. A scoping literature review was conducted in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) extension for scoping reviews (PRISMA-ScR) guidelines. The primary searches were conducted on the PubMed, Embase, and Scopus databases. Any original research study looking at the human talus neck geometry was included. Parameters that described the anatomy of the talar neck were identified, and pooled estimates were determined by the random-effects meta-analysis model. Heterogeneity was assessed by the I 2 test and leave-one-out meta-analysis. Subgroup analysis was done to compare the values of parameters between the Asian and Non-Asian populations. The risk of bias was assessed by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Case Series Tool. The combined searches yielded 6326 results, of which 21 studies were included in the review and 15 in six different sets of metanalysis. The majority of the studies (n=19, 90.5%) evaluated adult tali, and only two (9.5%) evaluated pediatric tali. In most of the studies (n=13, 61.9%), talus neck geometry was evaluated on dry bones or anatomical specimens; evaluation by imaging techniques (radiographs, CT, MRI, and radiostereometric analysis) was used in eight studies, (39.1%). A total of eight different geometrical parameters (neck length, height, width, declination angle, inclination angle, torsion angle, circumference, and cross-sectional area) were identified. Except for talar torsion, variability was noted in methods of measurement of all other parameters. Subgroup analysis revealed that Asians had a higher neck height as compared to non-Asians; other parameters were not significantly different. Although the literature reports geometrical parameters to assess the talar geometry, the methods of measurement of these parameters are variable. Most of the available literature describes measurement techniques on cadaveric tali, and there is no literature on how these parameters should be measured on conventional CT or MRI slices. Further research needs to focus on the standardization of measurement techniques for these parameters on conventional CT and/or MRI scans., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright © 2024, Sharma et al.)

Daily, the number of women who die around the world reaches an average of 800; these deaths are a result of obstetric complications in pregnancy and childbirth, and 99% of these deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries. This review probes the use of antenatal care (ANC) and skilled birth delivery (SBD) services in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) and highlights research gaps using Arksey and O'Malley's methodological approach. The screening of abstracts and full text was carried out by two independent authors who ensured the eligibility of data extraction from the included articles. An exploration of the data was undertaken with descriptive analyses. In total, 350 potentially eligible articles were screened, and 137 studies were included for data extraction and analysis. From the 137 included studies, the majority were from Ethiopia ( n = 40, 29.2%), followed by Nigeria ( n = 30, 21.9%). Most of the studies were published between 2019 and 2023 ( n = 84, 61%). Significant trends and challenges with ANC and SBD services emerged from the studies. It is revealed that there are wide gaps in the utilization of ANC and SBD services. Policy attention, intervention strategies to improve access, resources, rural-urban disparity, and women's literacy are recommended to improve the utilization of ANC and SBD services in SSA countries.

Within the context of eHealth interventions, a shared understanding of what constitutes engagement in and with eHealth technologies is missing. A clearer understanding of engagement could provide a valuable starting point for guidelines relating to the design and development of eHealth technologies. Given the cross-disciplinary use of the term “engagement,” investigating how engagement (and its components) is conceptualized in different domains could lead to determining common components that are deemed important for eHealth technological design. As such, the aim of this paper was 3-fold: (a) to investigate in which domains engagement features, (b) to determine what constitutes engagement in these different domains, and (c) to determine whether there are any common components that seem to be important. A comprehensive systematic scoping review of the existing literature was conducted in order to identify the domains in which engagement is used, to extract the associated definitions of engagement, and to identify the dimensionality or components thereof. A search of five bibliographic databases yielded 1,231 unique records. All titles, abstracts, and full texts were screened based on specific inclusion and exclusion criteria. This led to 69 articles being included for further analyses. The results showed that engagement is used in seven functional domains, categorized as follows: student (n = 18), customer (n = 12), health (n = 11), society (n = 10), work (n = 9), digital (n = 8), and transdisciplinary (n = 1) domains. It seems that some domains are more mature regarding their conceptualization and theorizing on engagement than others. Further, engagement was found to be predominantly conceptualized as a multidimensional construct with three common components (behavior, cognition, and affective) shared between domains. Although engagement is prolifically used in different disciplines, it is evident that little shared consensus as to its conceptualization within and between domains exists. Despite this, engagement is foremost seen as a state of being engaged in/with something, which is part of, but should not be confused with, the process of engagement. Behavior, cognition, and affect are important components of engagement and should be specified for each new context.