Quasi-systematic Review Research Articles

A bibliometric and multi-disciplinary quasi-systematic analysis of social robots: Past, future, and insights of human-robot interaction

Social robots and their novel applications are slowly emerging to become an indispensable part of society and businesses. While the field of social robotics has been very multidisciplinary since its inception, currently, there is a scarcity of reviews that takes stock of all the past and present literature to critically, comprehensively, and holistically understand how business and management and social science scholars can develop scholarship and contribute to social robotics research. To fill this gap in the literature, we conducted a bibliometric analysis of 4211 articles gathered from Web of Science and SCOPUS databases from all disciplines contributing to understanding social robots area to describe the intellectual and conceptual structures of research in social robots. This is followed by a quasi-systematic review of themes identified in bibliometric analysis to critically analyze the knowledge gaps in existing research and develop research questions that will help in the diffusion and adoption of this technology within the consumer and business space, irrespective of the application sector. Our findings show that better conceptualization of social robots (what they are), acceptance studies in the approximation phase of adoption, and developing measures for cyber resilience and human-centric design will shape societal and organizational perception.

EPH132 Effectiveness of Prostate Cancer Screening in Reducing Adult Mortality: A Quasi-Systematic Review

Prostate cancer (PCa) is the most frequently-diagnosed male cancer and the leading cause of cancer death in developed countries. Observed reduction in PCa-mortality rates have been linked to earlier diagnosis due to screening access and treatment improvements. This review aimed to investigate the effectiveness of PCa screening in reducing mortality rates among adults.

Environmental and Occupational Health Exposures and Outcomes of Informal Street Food Vendors in South Africa: A Quasi-Systematic Review.

Introduction: Informal street vending is a form of informal employment, and occupational conditions for people within this group have been proven to be detrimental to their health. Two independent reviewers carried out a systematic evaluation of the existing literature in South Africa on environmental and occupational exposures, as well as the health effects faced by informal street food vendors. Methods: 354 published publications were reviewed and 9 were included, following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Results: The evidence showed that informal street vendors are exposed to workplace risks that affect their health and wellbeing. Non-enclosed vendor stalls and frequent use of open fires were among the risk concerns. Vendors are vulnerable to gastrointestinal diseases such as salmonellosis and respiratory infections such as influenza and COVID-19 due to inadequate access to water, waste disposal facilities, and basic hygiene awareness and practices. Exposure to air pollutants increased the risk of respiratory and urinary illnesses and an impact on the reproductive health of female street vendors. Conclusions: This investigation demonstrated the difficulties in complying with the requirements of the Regulations Governing General Hygiene Requirements for Food Premises, the Transport of Food, and Related Matters (no. R638 of 22 June 2018) and the Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Act (no. 85 of 1993). Within South African borders, there is a scarcity of research on occupational exposures and health effects in this occupation. As a result, eliminating or preventing these occupational exposures should be at the top of government and stakeholder agendas. The majority of the research was carried out in KwaZulu Natal and used a quantitative, cross-sectional technique. Other designs, including cohorts, time series, and randomized intervention trials, were underutilized.

Deploying social robots in museum settings: A quasi-systematic review exploring purpose and acceptability

Social robots are increasingly used within public spaces, including museum settings. This quasi-systematic review identifies and synthesizes the evidence on social robots that have recently been deployed in museum settings. It specifically focuses on their intended purpose, their acceptability and factors important for successful human–robot interaction in this setting. Four databases (PsycINFO, SCOPUS, ACM Digital Library and IEEE Xplore) were systematically searched to retrieve literature published within the last 10 years on human–robot interaction studies with social robots deployed in museum settings. Due to the heterogeneous nature of the studies, qualitative and quantitative findings were summarized. A total of 604 items were identified, of which 12 were included in the review. Robots in 11 studies were physical and 1 was an embodied conversational agent presented as a virtual robot. In 75% of the studies ( n = 9), the purpose of the robots was to act as museum guides, while in 17% ( n = 2) they entertained visitors and in 8% ( n = 1) the robot taught visitors in a museum outreach programme. Overall, many of the robots were found to be acceptable for use within museum settings. Three main themes for successful social human–robot interaction were evident across the findings: (1) facial expressions, (2) movement and (3) communication and speech. There is a great opportunity for social robots to be deployed within museum settings, as guides, educators, entertainers or a combination thereof. State-of-the-art methods have led to the development of museum robots that are more capable of social interaction; however, more work is required to develop speech capabilities that work in the ‘wild’. Future work should combine the factors that have been identified within this review to improve human–robot interaction.

Foster employability and fight social exclusion through the development of lifelong learning (LLL) key-competences: reviewing twenty years of LLL policies

PurposeThis study aims to provide an overview of the past two decades of lifelong learning (LLL) policies for enhancing employability and reduce social exclusion in young people of European countries through the development of the so-called LLL key-competences.Design/methodology/approachBuilt on a quasi-systematic review, this contribution explores traditional and new methods for promoting the LLL transition, and then employability, in young adults (e.g. apprenticeship, vocational training, e-learning, etc.).FindingsIt argues the need to identify all the possible approaches able to support policymakers, as they can differently impact key-competence development.Originality/valueFinally, based on the consolidated EU policy experience, we propose a strategy of implementation of the LLL programmes that facilitates the institutions’ decision processes for policy-making through the use of decisional support system.

Exercise psychology research in Taiwan over three decades: A quasi-systematic review

The purpose of this study was to explore the status of Taiwanese scholars' research in the field of exercise psychology in the past 30 years and to provide an overview of the research. With some modifications to Cooper's (2016) methodological instructions in research synthesis, a "quasi-systematic review" was adopted to collect, categorize and analyze Taiwanese scholars’ publications in the field of exercise psychology in the past three decades. The included papers were those published in international journals and the Taiwan Social Science Citation Index (TSSCI) journals. A total of 355 papers qualified for further analysis. Most selected papers were quantitatively-oriented. Also, we found both international and domestic journals had different features in terms of participants, research methods, and research topics. Further, we found that 73 papers (20.56%) examined “theoretical models of exercise behavior”; 271 papers (76.34%) examined “psychological effects of exercise”; 95 papers (26.76%) investigated “social cognition in exercise”; 272 papers (76.62%) studied “exercise and specific population”; and 20 papers (5.63%) were classified as applications/other.” Furthermore, in international journals, 140 papers (61.40%) were ranked as Q1; 57 papers (25.00%) as Q2; 27 papers (11.84%) as Q3, and 4 papers (1.75%) as Q4. In summary, Taiwanese scholars’ research in exercise psychology has unique features and topics. Government policy and research grants may explain the research directions and topics selected. It is suggested that Taiwanese scholars may expand their research beyond these limitations.

The terms supportive and palliative care — analysis of their prevalence and use: quasi-systematic review

Introduction. The terms supportive and palliative care — analysis of their prevalence and use: quasi-systematic review. Methods. The authors conducted a quasi-systematic review of literature obtained from MEDLINE and Google Scholar, with the use of the following terms: palliative care, supportive care, palliative and supportive care. The article was supplemented with manually added information sources and the use of Google Trends. The authors also analysed the frequency with which the term 'supportive care' was used in literature compared to the term 'palliative care'. Results. It was demonstrated that the term 'palliative care' is more frequently used in scientific literature, and the median of the ratio of the use of the terms supportive care/palliative care in the analysed texts is 0.51. The term 'palliative care' is also more often searched in Google than the term supportive 'care' (74:4). Differences in the prevalence of both terms also depend on the country from which users searched a given phrase. The term 'palliative care' evokes more negative emotions and is less preferred by medical staff and patients' families than the term 'supportive care', which has more positive connotations. Supportive care is most often viewed as an element of oncologic care, while palliative care is believed to be a stand-alone field of medicine that can treat patients from all of is areas. Conclusions. Despite being more positively perceived by patients, the term 'supportive care’ is still used less frequently. Even though the terms 'supportive care' and 'palliative care' are precisely defined, many authors use them relatively freely. Knowledge should be systematized, nomenclature — clarified and the term 'supportive care' as an alternative to the term 'palliative care' should be popularized.

Academic Process Oriented to the Reputational Capital of Brazilian HEI Brands

The reputation of a university must be positive, whether it is private or public, given the competitiveness of its environment. Reputation is an indicator of organizational success and can be monitored by the brand's reputational capital, which corresponds to the harmony between the characteristics established by the managers - brand identity, and the perception defined by its stakeholders - brand image. In a complementary way, business processes are useful tools for optimizing the roles and outcome of organizations. The objective of this work was to model an academic business process, to increase the efficacy of higher education training, guided by the reputational capital of the brands of universities in Brazil. A quasi-systematic review was carried out to investigate academic business processes - identity; bibliographic review to understand reputation and competitiveness – image; and was elaborated a diagram of the academic business process model with UML resources, SIPOC approach, relating identity and image through guidelines: elaboration and evaluation of student work individual plan, student self-efficacy stimulus, individual teaching advice, positive university culture, interaction with society and co-creation of brands by students from Brazilian HEIs - reputational capital.

Medicine and heuristics: cognitive biases and medical decision-making.

Clinical decision-making is a daily practice conducted by medical practitioners, yet the processes surrounding it are poorly understood. The influence of 'shortcuts' in clinical decision-making, known as heuristics, remains unknown. This paper explores heuristics and the valuable role they play in medical practice, as well as offering potential solutions to minimize the risk of incorrect decision-making. The quasi-systematic review was conducted according to modified PRISMA guidelines utilizing the electronic databases Medline, Embase and Cinahl. All English language papers including bias and the medical profession were included. Papers with evidence from other healthcare professions were included if medical practitioners were in the study sample. The most common decisional shortcuts used in medicine are the Availability, Anchoring and Confirmatory heuristics. The Representativeness, Overconfidence and Bandwagon effects are also prevalent in medical practice. Heuristics are mostly positive but can also result in negative consequences if not utilized appropriately. Factors such as personality and level of experience may influence a doctor's use of heuristics. Heuristics are influenced by the context and conditions in which they are performed. Mitigating strategies such as reflective practice and technology may reduce the likelihood of inappropriate use. It remains unknown if heuristics are primarily positive or negative for clinical decision-making. Future efforts should assess heuristics in real-time and controlled trials should be applied to assess the potential impact of mitigating factors in reducing the negative impact of heuristics and optimizing their efficiency for positive outcomes.

Exploring Biologic Predictors Response Disparities to Atypical Antipsychotics among Blacks: A Quasi-Systematic Review.

Management of schizophrenia among Blacks in the United States is affected by persistent disparities. This review explored response to atypical antipsychotics among Blacks compared with other groups to assess systematic variation that may contribute to disparities. We conducted a quasi-systematic review of studies reporting response to atypical antipsychotics among Blacks compared with other groups, including effects of genetic variation. Of 48 identified research articles, 29 assessed differences in outcomes without inclusion of genetic variation and 20 explored effects of genetic variation; of note: one article included both types of data. Analysis of the 29 papers with clinical outcomes only suggests that while data on efficacy and risk of movement disorders were heterogeneous, findings indicate increased risk of metabolic effects and neutropenia among Blacks. Of the 20 articles exploring effects of genetic variation, allelic or genotypic variations involving several genes were associated with altered efficacy or safety among Blacks but not Whites, including risk of decreased response involving variation in DRD4 and DRD1, and improved efficacy associated with variants in DRD2, COMT, and RGS4. Others showed significant improvement in treatment response only among Whites, including variation in DTNBP1, DRD4, and GNB3. The current analysis can help tailor management among Blacks using an atypical antipsychotic. Heterogeneity in genetic variation effects and response allele frequency suggests that pharmacogenetics approaches for atypical antipsychotics will need to explicitly incorporate race and ethnicity.

Methylation Related To Benefit And Harm In RNAI Application: An Epigenetic Quasi Systematic Review

Pendahuluan: Latar belakang: RNA untai ganda (dsRNA), siRNA, miRNA, RNAi, menginduksi metilasi DNA pada tumbuhan dan dalam sel mamalia, termasuk manusia. Kini RNAi menjadi prinsip dalam pengobatan kanker sekarang dan di masa depan. Masalah: Metilasi pulau CpG dan pengulangan DNA CGG merupakan kasus prevalensi tinggi di hutan hujan tropis, tetapi sampai sekarang terabaikan. Prinsip kehati-hatian dalam efek lingkungan harus diambil oleh para pembuat keputusan dan pemegang kebijakan. Tujuan: Mengetahui efek pembungkaman gen terhadap lingkungan. Hipotesis: RNAi menyebabkan hipermetilasi. Metode: Quasi ‘Systematic Review’ dengan Analisis Bayesian. Hasil: Menggunakan mesin pencari Science Direct, 935 referensi tertangkap ditambah 11 referensi yang sudah direkam dalam pustaka Mendeley, dan setelah menyaring abstrak atau judul, 920 dikeluarkan dengan duplikasi yang tidak relevan baik dianalisis dengan jaringan Bayesian terbaru untuk menjawab hipotesis. Menyaring teks lengkap dari 18, kemudian 16 teks lengkap dipilih. 28 teks lengkap diperiksa dan periksa kembali dengan meta-analisis RNA-metilasi menggunakan Science Direct (12 referensi). Diskusi: Sebuah teknik CpG-siRNA telah mempertahankan hipermetilasi pulau CpG, digunakan secara luas dalam terapi tanaman dan kanker untuk menstabilkan gen yang terbungkam.Kesimpulan: Pengaruh teknik pembungkaman gen terhadap lingkungan harus diketahui secara luas oleh pemegang kebijakan dan pengambil keputusan. Keywords: Hipermetilasi, Pulau CpG, RNAi, Pembungkaman gen, Budidaya ikan

Best practice guidance for linear mixed-effects models in psychological science

The use of Linear Mixed-effects Models (LMMs) is set to dominate statistical analyses in psychological science and may become the default approach to analyzing quantitative data. The rapid growth in adoption of LMMs has been matched by a proliferation of differences in practice. Unless this diversity is recognized, and checked, the field shall reap enormous difficulties in the future when attempts are made to consolidate or synthesize research findings. Here we examine this diversity using two methods – a survey of researchers (n=163) and a quasi-systematic review of papers using LMMs (n=400). The survey reveals substantive concerns among psychologists using or planning to use LMMs and an absence of agreed standards. The review of papers complements the survey, showing variation in how the models are built, how effects are evaluated and, most worryingly, how models are reported. Using these data as our departure point, we present a set of best practice guidance, focusing on the reporting of LMMs. It is the authors’ intention that the paper supports a step-change in the reporting of LMMs across the psychological sciences, preventing a trajectory in which findings reported today cannot be transparently understood and used tomorrow.

Low serum albumin a predictor sign of the incidence of peritoneal dialysis-associated peritonitis? A quasi-systematic review.

Peritonitis is associated with an increasing morbidity and mortality rate in peritoneal dialysis patients. A number of peritonitis cases result in hypoalbuminemia, and in other cases, peritonitis follows a decline in the serum albumin level. However, it is not clear whether the level of serum albumin can be utilized to predict and prevent the incidence of peritonitis. A quasi-systematic search of the literature was conducted in the following databases: Cochrane, EBSCO, ProQuest, AHMED, CINHAL, MEDLINE, and EMBASE, from January 2008 to January 2018. The data was reviewed and extracted from each study. The quality of the studies was assessed using the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme and the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. Six articles met the stated inclusion criteria of the quasi-systematic review. The study found a significant correlation between a low serum albumin level at the start of continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) and the development of peritonitis. Thus, hypoalbuminemia can be utilized as a warning sign of the occurrence of peritonitis in CAPD. Consequently, immediate intervention is required when the level of serum albumin declines in order to prevent peritonitis.

Decitabine Self Monitoring in Unstable Methylation of DNMT Patients: A Quasi Systematic Review

Decitabine Self Monitoring in Unstable Methylation of DNMT Patients: A Quasi Systematic Review

An overview of the use of drugs in palliative care settings worldwide

Introduction: To provide an overview of drug use in palliative care worldwide and to identify the most commonly used medicines in palliative care settings. Methods: Quasi–systematic review. Search strategy: Medline/PubMed, Embase, SCOPUS and Google Scholar were searched utilizing the selected MeSH terms: palliative care, hospice, drug utilization, and prescription patterns. Results: Overall, it is apparent that there is a significant lack of published literature outlining drug usage in palliative care settings. Twelve sources of information were reviewed from 9 different countries including Austria (n = 1), Brazil (n = 1), Canada (n = 1), Germany (n = 1), Italy (n = 2), Netherlands (n = 2), Norway (n = 1), Switzerland (n = 1) and USA (n = 3), as well as a multinational study comparing 11 European countries. Medication use between countries was similar. The most commonly prescribed classes of medicines included non-opioid analgesics, opioids, laxatives, sedatives and antipsychotics and the most commonly prescribed individual drugs comprised morphine, haloperidol, laxatives and paracetamol. Conclusions: The literature identifies that there is insufficient evidence to describe and compare what drugs are currently used in palliative care settings worldwide. This is attributed to the lack of recently published articles leading to a large gap in knowledge in understanding drug utilization practices in palliative care. Further research is required to address these gaps in knowledge, and identify medication management issues in palliative care and determining whether there are significant differences in drug management practices. Palliat Med Pract 2019; 13, 3: 134–141

Household air pollution exposure and respiratory health outcomes: a narrative review update of the South African epidemiological evidence

One of the greatest threats to public health is personal exposure to air pollution from indoor sources. The impact of air pollution on mortality and morbidity globally and in South Africa is large and places a burden on healthcare systems for treatment and care of air pollution-related diseases. Household air pollution (HAP) exposure attributed to the burning of solid fuels for cooking and heating is associated with several adverse health impacts including impacts on the respiratory system. The researchers sought to update the South African evidence on HAP exposure and respiratory health outcomes from 2005. Our quasi-systematic review produced 27 eligible studies, however, only four of these studies considered measures of both HAP exposure and respiratory health outcomes. While all of the studies that were reviewed show evidence of the serious problem of HAP and possible association with negative health outcomes in South Africa, no studies provided critically important information for South Africa, namely, local estimates of relative risks that may be applied in burden of disease studies and concentration response functions for criteria pollutants. Almost all of the studies that were reviewed were cross-sectional, observational studies. To strengthen the evidence of HAP exposure-health outcome impacts on respiratory health, researchers need to pursue studies such as cohort, time-series and randomised intervention trials, among other study designs. South African and other researchers working in this field need to work together and take a leap towards a new era of epidemiological research that uses more sophisticated methods and analyses to provide the best possible evidence. This evidence may then be used with greater confidence to motivate for policy-making, contribute to international processes such as for guideline development, and ultimately strengthen the evidence for design of interventions that will reduce HAP and the burden of disease associated with exposure to HAP in South Africa.

Advanced maternal age: ethical and medical considerations for assisted reproductive technology.

ObjectivesThis review explores the ethical and medical challenges faced by women of advanced maternal age who decide to have children. Assisted reproductive technologies (ARTs) make post-menopausal pregnancy physiologically plausible, however, one must consider the associated physical, psychological, and sociological factors involved.MethodsA quasi-systematic review was conducted in PubMed and Ovid using the key terms post-menopause, pregnancy + MeSH terms [donations, hormone replacement therapy, assisted reproductive technologies, embryo donation, donor artificial insemination, cryopreservation]. Overall, 28 papers encompassing two major themes (ethical and medical) were included in the review.ConclusionThere are significant ethical considerations and medical (maternal and fetal) complications related to pregnancy in peri- and post-menopausal women. When examining the ethical and sociological perspective, the literature portrays an overall positive attitude toward pregnancy in advanced maternal age. With respect to the medical complications, the general consensus in the evaluated studies suggests that there is greater risk of complication for spontaneous pregnancy when the mother is older (eg, >35 years old). This risk can be mitigated by careful medical screening of the mother and the use of ARTs in healthy women. In these instances, a woman of advanced maternal age who is otherwise healthy can carry a pregnancy with a similar risk profile to that of her younger counterparts when using donated oocytes.

A global perspective of the roles of the pharmacist in the NICU.

To describe pharmacist practice and roles performed in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) worldwide and to map these findings along the medicines management pathway (MMP). Quasi-systematic review. Google Scholar, Medline/PubMed and Embase were searched utilising the selected MeSH terms. Thirty sources of information were reviewed. Overall, pharmacist practice in the NICU involves a wide-range of roles, with the most commonly reported involving patient medication chart review, therapeutic drug monitoring and the provision of medication information. Studies highlight that pharmacist contribution to total parenteral nutrition (TPN) regimens and patient medication chart review is beneficial to patient outcomes. Roles beyond the regular scope of practice included involvement in immunisation programmes and research. Most of the data were collected from the USA (13 of 30), followed by the UK (6 of 30) and reports from other countries. The American, British, South African and Australian articles have reported very similar roles, with a pharmacist firmly integrated into the overall structure of the NICU team. The literature identifies that there is insufficient evidence to describe what roles are currently performed in NICUs worldwide. This is due to the lack of recently published articles leading to a large gap in knowledge in understanding what contemporary pharmaceutical services in the NICU comprise. Further research is required to address these gaps in knowledge, and identify the impact of the pharmacist's role on neonatal patient outcomes as well as to determine how to better resource NICUs to access pharmacy services.

Quality use of medicines in neonatal care: a review of measures of quality used to evaluate the appropriateness and rational use of medication within the NICU

With medication error rates in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) reported to be as high as 91 medication errors per 100 patient admissions, the quality use of medicines (QUM) in this setting is important. Comprising the safe, rational, appropriate and effective use of pharmacotherapy, QUM is integral to achieving medication safety and optimal patient outcomes. To improve QUM in the NICU, the medication use process needs to undergo a quality assessment, using quality measures or indicators. As such, the objectives of this quasi-systematic literature review were to identify the measures used to evaluate QUM within the NICU and to map these against Donabedian’s traditional framework of structure, process and outcome. We searched EMBASE, PubMed, CINAHL, Google Scholar and Google for relevant published and grey literature. Overall, a total of 47 quality measures were identified and categorised: 17 structure, 19 process and 11 outcome measures. The most common measures related to the availability of medication safety technology in the NICU, written policies on the use of high-risk medications, medication error and adverse drug event reporting systems, and the provision of education for health professionals involved in the medication use process. However, there were no quality measures specifically designed for medication management in the NICU. The literature does not provide a comprehensive evaluation of the quality of care provided along the medication use process in the NICU. There is a need to develop a quality framework outlining measures that facilitate the appropriate use of medicines in the NICU.

Accuracy of screening instruments for detection of neuropsychiatric syndromes in Parkinson's disease.

Parkinson's disease includes neuropsychiatric manifestations, such as depression, anxiety, apathy, psychosis, and impulse control disorders, which often are unreported by patients and caregivers or undetected by doctors. Given their substantial impact on patients and caregivers as well as the existence of effective therapies for some of these disorders, screening for neuropsychiatric symptoms is important. Instruments for screening have a particular methodology for validation, and their performance is expressed in terms of accuracy compared with formal diagnostic criteria. The present study reviews the attributes of the screening instruments applied for detection of the aforementioned major neuropsychiatric symptoms in Parkinson's disease. A quasi-systematic review (including predefined selection criteria, but not evaluating the quality of the reviewed studies) was carried out on the basis of previous systematic reviews (commissioned by the American Academy of Neurology and the Movement Disorder Society) and made current by conducting a literature search (2005-2014). For depression, 11 scales and questionnaires were shown to be valid for Parkinson's disease screening. The recently developed Parkinson Anxiety Scale and the Geriatric Anxiety Inventory demonstrate satisfactory properties as screening instruments for anxiety, and the Lille Apathy Rating Scale for detection of apathy. No scale adequately screens for psychosis, so a specific psychosis instrument should be developed. The Questionnaire for Impulsive-Compulsive Disorders in Parkinson's Disease (Questionnaire and Rating Scale) are valid for comprehensive screening of impulse control disorders, and the Parkinson's Disease-Sexual Addiction Screening Test for hypersexuality specifically.