Methodological Weaknesses Research Articles

Implementation and Evaluation of Quality Improvement Training in Surgery: A Systematic Review.

The aim of this study was to review and appraise how quality improvement (QI) skills are taught to surgeons and surgical residents. There is a global drive to deliver capacity in undertaking QI within surgical services. However, there are currently no specifications regarding optimal QI content or delivery. We reviewed QI educational intervention studies targeting surgeons or surgical trainees/residents published until 2017. Primary outcomes included teaching methods and training materials. Secondary outcomes were implementation frameworks and strategies used to deliver QI training successfully. There were 20,590 hits across 10 databases, of which 11,563 were screened following de-duplication. Seventeen studies were included in the final synthesis. Variable QI techniques (eg, combined QI models, process mapping, and "lean" principles) and assessment methods were found. Delivery was more consistent, typically combining didactic teaching blended with QI project delivery. Implementation of QI training was poorly reported and appears supported by collaborative approaches (including building learning collaboratives, and coalitions). Study designs were typically pre-/post-training without controls. Studies generally lacked clarity on the underpinning framework (59%), setting description (59%), content (47%), and conclusions (47%), whereas 88% scored low on psychometrics reporting. The evidence suggests that surgical QI training can focus on any well-established QI technique, provided it is done through a combination of didactic teaching and practical application. True effectiveness and extent of impact of QI training remain unclear, due to methodological weaknesses and inconsistent reporting. Conduct of larger-scale educational QI studies across multiple institutions can advance the field.

Community-Based Interventions to Increase Use of Advance Care Planning in Racial/Ethnic Minority Older Adults: A Systematic Review (SCI957)

1.Compare the community-based advance care planning interventions for racial/ethnic minority older adults.2.Appraise the community-based advance care planning interventions aimed at increasing engagement in racial/ethnic minorities. Racial/ethnic minority older adults in the United States (US) often experience access, language, and cultural barriers to advance care planning. Our aim was to summarize and appraise the current science on interventions aimed at increasing advance care planning in racial/ethnic minority, community-dwelling older adults. We systematically searched PubMed, CINAHL, and Embase databases until April 2020. We included articles representing interventional, community-based, primary research in the US for racial/ethnic minority older adults in the US. We excluded studies that targeted caregiver, family, or surrogates due to wide variation in demographics. Following PRISMA guidelines, two researchers independently screened articles identified in the systematic search, reviewed eligible articles, and abstracted data using a standardized data extraction form. Two reviewers appraised the quality of the included articles using the Downs and Black checklist and a third reviewer settled discrepancies. 1823 abstracts and titles were reviewed, five met the inclusion criteria, which represented four unique interventions. Interventions were conducted in Asian American (n=2) and Hispanic (n=2) communities. Interventions included educational nurse-led workshops (n=2) and one-on-one social worker-led sessions (n=2). Quality appraisal identified methodological weaknesses including convenience samples and self-reported outcomes. Outcomes measured were intention to complete or completion of advance directive or advance care planning discussion, an improvement in advance directive knowledge, beliefs, and attitudes toward and comfort with end-of-life care planning. The interventions increased intention to or completion of an advance directive and improved advance care planning knowledge, beliefs, and attitudes. However, Results were inconclusive regarding promoting advance care planning discussions with family and health care providers. Existing literature on interventions to increase advance care planning in US racial/ethnic minority older adults is limited and specific to certain populations. Although the Results from these studies were promising, high-quality interventions that reflect the diverse needs and barriers to advance care planning are needed.

A Critical Appraisal of Evidence- and Consensus-Based Guidelines for Actinic Keratosis

Actinic keratoses (AK) are common lesions of the skin that can be effectively treated with several lesion- and field-directed treatments. Clinical practice guidelines assist physicians in choosing the appropriate treatment options for their patients. Here, we aimed to systematically identify and evaluate the methodological quality of currently available guidelines for AK. Guidelines published within the last 5 years were identified in a systematic search of guideline databases, Medline and Embase. Then, six independent reviewers evaluated the methodological quality using the tools “Appraisal of Guidelines for Research and Evaluation” (AGREE II) and “Recommendation EXcellence” (AGREE-REX). The Kruskal–Wallis (H) test was used to explore differences among subgroups and Spearman’s correlation to examine the relationship between individual domains. Three guidelines developed by consortia from Canada, Germany and the United Kingdom were eligible for the evaluation. The German guideline achieved the highest scores, fulfilling 65 to 92% of the criteria in AGREE II and 67 to 84% in AGREE-REX, whereas the Canadian guideline scored 31 to 71% of the criteria in AGREE II and 33 to 46% in AGREE-REX. The domains “stakeholder involvement“ and “values and preferences“ were identified as methodological weaknesses requiring particular attention and improvement in future guideline efforts.

Optimizing the conventional method of sperm freezing in liquid nitrogen vapour for Wallachian sheep conservation program

The aim of the present study was to optimize the conventional method of sperm freezing in liquid nitrogen (LN<sub>2</sub>) vapour for successful cryopreservation of Wallachian ram sperm, the genetic resources of the Czech Republic. Sperm in straws were frozen using the conventional freezing method via a static exposure of sperm doses to LN<sub>2</sub> vapour, or by four different modified freezing methods. Under modified freezing, straws were frozen by a discontinuous, time-dependent decremental change in the distance between the straws and the surface of LN<sub>2</sub>. The viability of sperm was evaluated by flow cytometry after sperm equilibration, and immediately after thawing. Besides the observed inter-sire and daily variation, the obtained results suggest the methodological weakness of the conventional freezing method via the static exposure of sperm doses to LN<sub>2</sub> vapour. With the use of the optimized freezing procedure, all parameters of thawed sperm were significantly (P < 0.05) improved in comparison with the conventional method: percentage of thawed sperm viability increased up to 48.3%, percentage of sperm with plasma membrane damage after thawing decreased to 6.58%, percentage of sperm with acrosome damage decreased to 24.4%, and percentage of sperm with deteriorated mitochondrial activity decreased to 6.28%. In conclusion, our results suggest that an optimized freezing procedure should be routinely used instead of the conventional method to cryopreserve Wallachian ram sperm.

Was a deterioration in ‘connectedness’ a leading indicator of the European sovereign debt crisis?

This paper investigates network connectedness of European sovereign bond markets from 2005 to 2011. To overcome weaknesses in alternative methodologies to estimate network connectedness we adopt the unified methodology recommended by Diebold and Yilmaz (2014). Our analysis shows that European sovereign bond market connectedness deteriorated with the onset of the global financial crisis which was exacerbated by the European sovereign debt crisis, with some peripheral countries deteriorating into isolation by 2011. Dynamic connectedness modelling shows that the Lanne-Nyberg (2016) total connectedness measure was much more volatile than the Pesaran-Shin (1998) approach and suggests that the Lanne-Nyberg variance decomposition was a leading indicator of instability from early 2008 to July 2008, and should be used as these decomposition methods lead to different systemic risk and vulnerability rankings.

Experience perceptions, memorability and life satisfaction: a test and theory extension in the context of Oktoberfest

Purpose Based on the Oktoberfest context and memory-dominant logic (MDL), the purpose of the study included assessing drivers of the perceptions of experience uniqueness; if these drivers and experience uniqueness perceptions transformed in memorable experiences; and if memorable experiences translated into enhanced life satisfaction. Based on these relationships, a typology and theory extension is provided integrating practical examples. Design/methodology/approach A five-factor model was tested using exploratory structural equation modeling and structural equation modeling; the factors included food and beverage quality; connectedness; experience uniqueness; meaningfulness and memorability; and life satisfaction. Findings Guests connectedness impacted life satisfaction perceptions. Positive perceptions of the experience uniqueness resulted in higher memorability. Food and beverage quality impacted both memorability and life satisfaction. Higher memorability resulted in higher life satisfaction. Attendee nationality impacted the relationship among several of the study’s factors. Research limitations/implications Progress was made on assessing the MDL concepts and translating them into quantitative values. Study results supported the impact of connectedness and product quality on perceptions of Oktoberfest experience uniqueness along with the impact of meaningfulness of the experience on life satisfaction perceptions. The authors acknowledged limitations because of one Oktoberfest beer tent focus and the weaknesses of survey methodology, limiting pre- and post-activity reporting and future investigation of moderating effects. Practical implications The consideration of higher order impacts (i.e. life satisfaction) is needed when delivering experiences and to entice loyalty and social media apostles. Consumers’ experience connectedness with high-quality perceptions and unique service design are likely to translate to memorable experiences, leading to life satisfaction perceptions. The concept of creating the experience “with” the customer appears to be a key aspect of memorability. Originality/value These results tested aspects of MDL and a typology emerged of ideal types as a modified MDL framework driven by two continua: transactional vs experiential quality and experiences designed “to” vs “with” customers.

Predictive models of infection in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus: A systematic literature review.

Having reliable predictive models of prognosis/the risk of infection in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients would allow this problem to be addressed on an individual basis to study and implement possible preventive or therapeutic interventions. To identify and analyze all predictive models of prognosis/the risk of infection in patients with SLE that exist in medical literature. A structured search in PubMed, Embase, and LILACS databases was carried out until May 9, 2020. In addition, a search for abstracts in the American Congress of Rheumatology (ACR) and European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR) annual meetings' archives published over the past eight years was also conducted. Studies on developing, validating or updating predictive prognostic models carried out in patients with SLE, in which the outcome to be predicted is some type of infection, that were generated in any clinical context and with any time horizon were included. There were no restrictions on language, date, or status of the publication. To carry out the systematic review, the CHARMS (Critical Appraisal and Data Extraction for Systematic Reviews of Prediction Modelling Studies) guideline recommendations were followed. The PROBAST tool (A Tool to Assess the Risk of Bias and Applicability of Prediction Model Studies) was used to assess the risk of bias and the applicability of each model. We identified four models of infection prognosis in patients with SLE. Mostly, there were very few events per candidate predictor. In addition, to construct the models, an initial selection was made based on univariate analyses with no contraction of the estimated coefficients being carried out. This suggests that the proposed models have a high probability of overfitting and being optimistic. To date, very few prognostic models have been published on the infection of SLE patients. These models are very heterogeneous and are rated as having a high risk of bias and methodological weaknesses. Despite the widespread recognition of the frequency and severity of infections in SLE patients, there is no reliable predictive prognostic model that facilitates the study and implementation of personalized preventive or therapeutic measures.Protocol registration number: PROSPERO CRD42020171638.

Effectiveness of psychological interventions to reduce alcohol consumption among pregnant and postpartum women: a systematic review.

This study aims to synthesise the available evidence on psychological interventions to reduce alcohol consumption among pregnant and postpartum women. Six electronic databases were searched to identify controlled studies targeting pregnant and postpartum women who drink or are at risk of drinking due to previous patterns of alcohol use. Controlled quantitative studies such as randomised controlled trials and quasi-experimental studies were included. The search was limited to peer-reviewed articles in English. The methodological quality of studies was assessed using the Cochrane risk of bias tool. A narrative synthesis of the findings was conducted. In total, 12,610 records were screened, and 11 studies were eligible for inclusion (9 with pregnant women, 2 with postpartum women). All studies were randomised controlled trials. Five studies had positive or partially positive primary outcomes of reductions in drinking or abstinence, and their interventions ranged from multi-session brief interventions to self-help manuals based on cognitive behavioural components. All studies showed considerable methodological limitations. Psychological interventions may be effective in promoting abstinence or reducing alcohol consumption among pregnant and postpartum women. Interventions that demonstrated some efficacy showed higher level of engagement with pregnant women compared to studies which delivered interventions in a single session. Paucity of evidence, inconsistency of outcomes, large heterogeneity in the interventions and methodological weaknesses limit the ability to make final conclusions about the overall effectiveness of these interventions. Findings highlight the need for better quality research on this topic.

Regional studies and conceptual fuzziness: A critical review

Regional and spatial studies, such as urban planning, energy planning, and sustainable development, address the complexity of the inter-disciplinary relationship between subsystems and their components. Such studies require multidisciplinary concepts, varied lenses, and differentiating approaches and models to address the conflict between contextual sensitivity and universal applicability. This paper reviews the debate on the research approaches adopted in regional studies and initiated by researcher Ann Markusen, followed by a review of contemporary literature on the concept of fuzziness in the qualitative research. Markusen evaluated the conceptual fuzziness, empirical evidence, and policy dimensions of regional studies. The argument was based on three fundamental aspects of regional and urban development studies; strong contestation of phenomena, empirical evidence to support the concept, and collective action to deal with the problems under investigation. A conceptual fuzziness and the methodological weaknesses in the qualitative research, highlighted by Markusen almost two decades ago, persist in interdisciplinary qualitative research. In this study, we have dissected the concept of fuzziness to distinguish between Inherited fuzziness derived from the configurational complexity of a case and bequeathed fuzziness that could be transferred ahead due to a researcher’s methodological and perceptual weaknesses. Despite efforts made to address the relevance, reliability, validity, and replicability of the qualitative research, the field is still facing challenges from conceptual bias, methodological and operational constraints, empirical weakness, and prejudiced interpretation.

Technology Use and Frailty for Community Dwelling Older Adults: A Scoping Review

Background: Frailty is a common geriatric syndrome defined as a state of increased vulnerability to acute stressors related to a decline in reserve. There is abundant literature on frailty interventions, however, the literature on technology as an intervention for frailty is scarce. Objectives: The purpose of this scoping review is to identify and summarize existing evidence on technology use as an intervention for frail older adults and to identify research gaps in the evidence base in order to inform future research. Methodology: This review utilized the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines and a rigorous scoping review method to search the literature. A comprehensive search of computerized databases was conducted in July 2018 in the following databases published from 2013 to 2018: CINAHL, PubMed, and Academic Search Complete. Results: The database searches yielded a total of 183 articles. Forty-four duplicates were removed. There were 114 results excluded based on title and abstract ineligibility. Thirty-two relevant articles were retrieved for fulltext examination. Eighteen of the articles were excluded based on the inclusion or exclusion criteria. References of 14 included articles were hand-searched for relevant works to ensure completeness of the search. Four pertinent additional articles were identified. The final analysis included 18 articles. Discussion: Current research on technology use for frail older adults focuses on assessment and diagnosis. Methodological weaknesses limit generalizability and the validity of its findings. Few studies utilize frailty as an outcome measure, limiting available research directly related to frailty. Conclusion: More research is needed on the potential for technological tools as interventions for frailty in older adults living at home, specifically, to prevent pre-frailty and frailty. Keywords: frailty, frail elderly, aged, independent living, technology

Curcumin supplementation in the treatment of patients with cancer: a systematic review

Feeding with high levels of phytochemicals, including curcumin, may be a therapeutic option for diseases such as cancer which is a public health problem. The aim of this study was to systematically review the results of clinical trials investigating the effect of oral curcumin supplementation on anti-inflammatory and antioxidant profiles, reduction of PSA levels and degree of dermatitis in radiotherapy treatment in cancer patients. The review was carried out based on the items of the PRISMA Statement. A bias risk assessment was performed according to Cochrane Collaboration criteria. Six studies met the eligibility criteria and were included in the systematic review. The results of this study are based on those obtained in the literature on the effect of curcumin on the anti-inflammatory profile, on reducing dermatitis, on PSA alteration and on anti-oxidant profile for a total of 450 individuals, comprising 259 in the intervention group and 191 in the control group. Some studies have reported improvement in biochemical and clinical indicators, with limited adverse effects and good tolerance. It was not possible to determine, with the desired degree of evidence, the effect of curcumin supplementation in the treatment of cancer patients. It is important to consider the great heterogeneity and methodological weaknesses of the studies, and that it was not possible to perform a meta-analysis of the data available in the literature.

DNA methylation biomarkers in peripheral blood of patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinomas. A systematic review.

BackgroundHead and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCC) are often diagnosed in advanced stages. In search of new diagnostic tools, focus has shifted towards the biological properties of the HNSCC, and the number of different biomarkers under investigation is rapidly growing.ObjectivesThe objective was to review the current literature regarding aberrantly methylated DNA found in peripheral blood plasma or serum in patients with HNSCC and to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of these changes.MethodsThe inclusion criteria were clinical studies involving patients with verified HNSCC that reported findings of aberrantly methylated DNA in peripheral blood serum or plasma. We systematically searched PubMed, OVID Embase and Cochrane Library. In addition to the search, we performed forward and backward chaining in references and Web of Science. The protocol was registered in PROSPERO: CRD42019135406. Two authors independently extracted data. The quality and the risk of bias of the included studies were assessed by the QUADAS-2 tool.ResultsA total of 1,743 studies were found eligible for screening, while ultimately seven studies were included. All studies were found to have methodological weaknesses, mainly concerning patient selection bias. The best individual marker of HNSCC was Septin 9 in plasma with a sensitivity of 57% and a specificity of 95%.ConclusionsNone of the aberrantly methylated genes found in the retrieved studies are applicable as single diagnostic markers for HNSCC and the best gene-panels still lack diagnostic accuracy. Future studies may benefit from newer sequencing techniques but validation studies with well-designed cohorts are also needed in the process of developing epigenetic based diagnostic tests for HNSCC.

The effects of assistance dogs on psychosocial health and wellbeing: A systematic literature review.

Beyond the functional tasks that assistance dogs are trained for, there is growing literature describing their benefits on the psychosocial health and wellbeing of their handlers. However, this research is not only widely disparate but, despite its growth, has not been reviewed since 2012. Our objective was to identify, summarize, and methodologically evaluate studies quantifying the psychosocial effects of assistance dogs for individuals with physical disabilities. Following PRISMA guidelines, a systematic review was conducted across seven electronic databases. Records were independently screened by two authors. Studies were eligible for inclusion if they assessed outcomes from guide, hearing, medical, or mobility service dogs, if they collected original data on handlers' psychosocial functioning, and if the outcome was measured quantitatively with a validated, standardized measure. Studies on psychiatric service dogs, emotional support dogs, and pet dogs were excluded. Of 1,830 records screened, 24 articles were identified (12 publications, 12 theses) containing 27 studies (15 cross-sectional, 12 longitudinal). Studies assessed the effects of mobility (18), hearing (7), guide (4), and medical (2) assistance dog partnerships with an average sample size of N = 83. An analysis of 147 statistical comparisons across the domains of psychological health, quality of life, social health, and vitality found that 68% of comparisons were null, 30% were positive in the hypothesized direction, and 2% were negative. Positive outcomes included significant effects of having an assistance dog on psychological wellbeing, emotional functioning, self-esteem, and vitality. However, it is of note that several methodological weaknesses of the studies make it difficult to draw any definitive conclusions, including inadequate reporting and a failure to account for moderating or confounding variables. Future research will benefit from stronger methodological rigor and reporting to account for heterogeneity in both humans and assistance dogs as well as continued high-quality replication.

Social and Cognitive Aspects of Women Entrepreneurs: Evidence from India

Executive SummaryIn the present era, the role of women entrepreneurship has been recognized in the process of economic development worldwide; hence, it must be promoted. Before designing any policy intervention to boost women entrepreneurship, it is important to understand the factors driving women to become entrepreneurs. The previous research on women entrepreneurship was preoccupied with performance of businesses run by women. This research aimed at answering the question: ‘What motivates or discourages the women of a society or an economy from becoming an entrepreneur?’ More specifically, this research investigates factors affecting the entrepreneurial propensity of Indian women through the lenses of cognitive and social capital perspectives. The present study is steered to enhance the understanding of women entrepreneurship at a niche level.Scholars have tried to explain factors affecting women entrepreneurship using myriad of approaches. However, these approaches have been criticized on methodological, conceptual and predictive ability weaknesses. Recently, cognitive and social capital perspectives have gained currency in explaining entrepreneurship. The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of cognitive factors—opportunity perception (Hypothesis 1), risk perception (Hypothesis 2) and perceived capabilities (Hypothesis 3)—and social capital factors—social networks (Hypothesis4) and informal investment (Hypothesis 5)—on women’s entrepreneurial propensity in India, a developing country.A data set of Global Entrepreneurship Monitor Adult Population Survey including a sample of 1305 Indians was used and binary logistic regression technique was employed to analyse the data. The finding shows that the entrepreneurial opportunities have no significant influence on women entrepreneurship; risk perception discourages women from becoming entrepreneurs, and perceived capabilities influence the decision of women to engage in entrepreneurship; social network motivates women to be entrepreneurial, and being an informal investor encourages them to start their venture. Surprisingly, we do not find support for opportunity perception. Therefore, policymakers should pay more attention to these factors of perception and social networks so that, the propensity of a woman to become entrepreneur would be increased.

Promoting sustainable consumption with LCA – A social practice based perspective

Quantitative environmental assessments are crucial in working effectively towards sustainable production and consumption patterns. Over the last decades, life cycle assessments (LCA) have been established as a viable means of measuring the environmental impacts of products along the supply chain. In regard to user and consumption patterns, however, methodological weaknesses have been reported and, several attempts have been made to improve LCA accordingly, for example, by including higher order effects and behavioural science support. In a discussion of such approaches, we show that there has been no explicit attention to the concepts of consumption, often leading to product-centred assessments. We introduce social practice theories in order to make consumption patterns accessible to LCA. Social practices are routinised actions comprising interconnected elements (materials, competences, and meanings), which make them conceivable as one entity (e.g. cooking). Because most social practices include some sort of consumption (materials, energy, air), we were able to develop a framework which links social practices to the life cycle inventory of LCA. The proposed framework provides a new perspective of quantitative environmental assessments by switching the focus from products or users to social practices. Accordingly, we see the opportunity in overcoming the reductionist view that people are just users of products, and instead we see them as practitioners in social practises. This change could enable new methods of interdisciplinary research on consumption, integrating intend-oriented social sciences and impact-oriented assessments. However, the framework requires further revision and, especially, empirical validation.

Learning Bayesian networks from demographic and health survey data

Child mortality from preventable diseases such as pneumonia and diarrhoea in low and middle-income countries remains a serious global challenge. We combine knowledge with available Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) data from India, to construct Causal Bayesian Networks (CBNs) and investigate the factors associated with childhood diarrhoea. We make use of freeware tools to learn the graphical structure of the DHS data with score-based, constraint-based, and hybrid structure learning algorithms. We investigate the effect of missing values, sample size, and knowledge-based constraints on each of the structure learning algorithms and assess their accuracy with multiple scoring functions. Weaknesses in the survey methodology and data available, as well as the variability in the CBNs generated by the different algorithms, mean that it is not possible to learn a definitive CBN from data. However, knowledge-based constraints are found to be useful in reducing the variation in the graphs produced by the different algorithms, and produce graphs which are more reflective of the likely influential relationships in the data. Furthermore, valuable insights are gained into the performance and characteristics of the structure learning algorithms. Two score-based algorithms in particular, TABU and FGES, demonstrate many desirable qualities; (a) with sufficient data, they produce a graph which is similar to the reference graph, (b) they are relatively insensitive to missing values, and (c) behave well with knowledge-based constraints. The results provide a basis for further investigation of the DHS data and for a deeper understanding of the behaviour of the structure learning algorithms when applied to real-world settings.

Portuguese College Students’ Perceptions About the Social Sexual Double Standard: Developing a Comprehensive Model for the Social SDS

Research on the sexual double standard (SDS) indicates its maintenance among college students, despite some attenuation and the emergence of alternative standards. Results show some inconsistencies, however, which highlight conceptual and methodological weaknesses that limit conclusions about the existence and expression of the SDS. One response entails distinguishing personal acceptance of the SDS from its social existence; maintenance of the SDS may reside in the latter, as there is some evidence for a decline in personal but not in social SDS. We aimed to analyse Portuguese college students’ perceptions about the social SDS and to develop a comprehensive model for it. Four male (n = 30) and four female (n = 17) focus groups were conducted with data analysis framed by Grounded Theory. The social SDS emerged especially with regard to casual sex and multiple partners, legitimized by the accepted/recognized existence of sexual gender roles and stereotypes. It is maintained through conformity with SDS and gender prescriptions in order to prove/protect femininity, masculinity and sexual reputation. The process reduces sexual autonomy and has drawbacks for sexual health and wellbeing. Our comprehensive model can inform deconstructive strategies to promote egalitarian, liberal, and positive sexual experiences.

Methodological weakness of the death-word-fragment task: Alternative implicit death anxiety measures

The efficacy of different implicit death anxiety measures was examined. In Study 1 (N = 133), the death-word-fragment task (DWFT), commonly used to test death-thought accessibility in terror management theory (TMT) research, did not differentiate between mortality salience (MS) and control conditions. Instead, death-related word completions were associated with word dimensions other than MS induction. Study 2 (N = 155) tested three implicit measures (lexical-decision task, dot-probe task, ambiguous pictures task), which differentiated between conditions, revealing greater sensitivity than the DWFT. As TMT research widens its scope, investigating measures to capture implicit death concerns is important.

Food waste in Italian households during the Covid-19 pandemic: a self-reporting approach.

Food waste prevention and reduction are an economic, social and environmental concern included among the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) within Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development. The third target under SDG 12 (Target 12.3) on Responsible Production and Consumption aims to halve food waste by 2030 at retail and consumer levels, considering that more than half of its quantity is generated by final consumers, both indoor and outdoor. However, the Covid-19 pandemic outbreak at the beginning of 2020 imposed several food consumption behaviors and lifestyle changes: food service facilities (e.g., restaurants, pubs, cafés, hotels, resorts) have been closed roughly all over the world, generating a sharp domestic consumption and an expected increase in household waste. The authors conducted an explorative research through the food diary approach. The purpose of this paper is to have a better understanding of household food consumption and wastage trends during Covid-19 pandemic testing, as well as food diary methodology strengths and weaknesses. Food diaries, even with their intrinsic limitations and biases, represent a valuable technique to obtain detailed qualitative and quantitative knowledge on daily food consumption and consumers’ behavior. Through the limited but significant results achieved, the authors highlight the logistics of the methodology and the food waste generation trends among a small sample of Italian families during the Covid-19 pandemic. Further, healthier work–life balances, adequate time management and smart food delivery seem to be good opportunities for food waste reduction in households.

Cancer-related fatigue: Systematic reviews and meta-analyses of mind-body intervention.

This study aimed to evaluate the methodological quality of systematic reviews and meta-analyses of mind-body interventions (MBIs) for the management of cancer-related fatigue. A comprehensive search on multiple databases was conducted to identify relevant systematic reviews and meta-analyses published from January 2008 to December 2019. Two authors independently selected reviews, extracted data, and evaluated the methodological quality of included reviews using Assessing the Methodological Quality of Systematic Reviews (AMSTAR). Sixteen reviews published between 2010 and 2018 were eligible for inclusion. The methodological quality of the 16 included systematic reviews was moderate (score 4-7) to high (score ≥ 8) on the 11-point AMSTAR scale. The most common methodological weaknesses were the lack of a list of excluded studies (n = 15, 93.8%) and a priori protocol (n = 2,87.5%). Furthermore, most of the systematic reviews did not search the gray literature for eligible studies (n = 13, 81.3%). This study has revealed the need for high methodological quality systematic reviews on the MBIs for the management of cancer-related fatigue. Thus, further research should focus on methodologically strong systematic reviews by providing a priori design, not limiting the publication type, and providing an excluded primary studies list. Additionally, the researchers should conduct systematic reviews according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guideline.