Scoping Review Of Literature Research Articles

Supraspinal glycinergic neurotransmission in pain: A scoping review of current literature.

The neurotransmitter glycine is an agonist at the strychnine-sensitive glycine receptors. In addition, it has recently been discovered to act at two new receptors, the excitatory glycine receptor and metabotropic glycine receptor. Glycine's neurotransmitter roles have been most extensively investigated in the spinal cord, where it is known to play essential roles in pain, itch, and motor function. In contrast, less is known about supraspinal glycinergic functions, and their contributions to pain circuits are largely unrecognized. As glycinergic neurons are absent from cortical regions, a clearer understanding of how supraspinal glycine modulates pain could reveal new pharmacological targets. This review aims to synthesize the published research on glycine's role in the adult brain, highlighting regions where glycine signaling may modulate pain responses. This was achieved through a scoping review methodology identifying several key regions of supraspinal pain circuitry where glycine signaling is involved. Therefore, this review unveils critical research gaps for supraspinal glycine's potential roles in pain and pain-associated responses, encouraging researchers to consider glycinergic neurotransmission more widely when investigating neural mechanisms of pain.

A scoping review of the graduate outcome literature

Higher education (HE) policymaking is increasingly concerned with graduate outcomes. Policies often use narrow economic metrics, such as employment rates and salaries, to set strategic goals for HE and assess `value for money´. Despite this policy relevance, little attempt has been made to assess the academic literature in this area. The field’s strengths and weaknesses, areas of focus and level of criticality are unknown, leaving us unable to judge its ability to inform policy. This paper addresses this gap using a novel two-phase scoping review method. Phase 1 assesses literature that explicitly uses the term `graduate outcome´, finding a field that is largely fragmented into subfields. Phase 2 then performs a series of `top-level´ scoping reviews on each sub-field and combines them to assess the `overall´ literature. This `overall´ literature is found to share HE policy’s focus on economic graduate outcomes. While several well-developed non-economic subfields exist, such as critical thinking and lifelong learning, these are comparatively small. A limited proportion of the literature considers issues of inequality and other `critical´ topics. If research is to better inform policy in this area, it would be beneficial to develop a broader and more critical research programme.

A Scoping Review of Military Combat Casualty Data on Submassive, Massive, and Supermassive Transfusions.

Blood transfusions are common during combat casualty care, aiming to address the loss of blood volume that often accompanies severe battlefield injuries. This scoping review delves into the existing military combat casualty data to analyze the efficacy, challenges, and advances in the use of massive and super-massive transfusions in the management of critically injured warfighters. We performed a scoping review of combat-related literature published between 2006 and 2023 pertaining to massive transfusions used during combat deployments. We utilized PubMed to identify relevant studies and utilized the PRISMA-ScR Checklist to conduct the review. We identified 53 studies that met the inclusion criteria with the majority being retrospective studies from registries used by the United States, British, French, and Dutch Militaries. Most of the studies focused on transfusion ratios, the movement of blood transfusions to more forward locations, implementation of massive transfusions with different fibrinogen-to-red blood cell ratios, the addition of recombinant factor VII, and the use of predictive models for transfusion. Lastly, we identified reports of improved survival for casualties with the rapid implementation of various blood products (warm fresh whole blood, cold-stored low titer group O blood, freeze-dried plasma, and component therapy) and literature relating to pediatric casualties and submassive transfusions. Notable findings include the establishment of hemodynamic and cell blood count parameters as predictors of the requirement for massive transfusions and the association of higher fibrinogen-to-red blood cell ratios with decreased mortality. We identified 53 studies focused on blood transfusions from the Global War on Terrorism conflicts. The majority were related to transfusion ratios and the movement of blood transfusions to more forward locations. We highlight key lessons learned on the battlefield that have been translated into scientific developments and changes in civilian trauma methods.

Future support on evidence-informed priority setting and situational analysis of the potential role of Health Technology Assessment in Africa to support future pandemic preparedness and response: protocol for a scoping review

BackgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of evidence-informed priority setting and situational analysis in pandemic preparedness and response. Health Technology Assessment (HTA) has been identified as an essential tool for evidence-informed decision-making in healthcare. However, the potential role of HTA in pandemic preparedness and response in Africa has yet to be explored. The objective of this scoping review is to ascertain the current understanding of the possible role of HTA in Africa to support future pandemic preparedness and response.MethodsWe will conduct a scoping review of literature published between 2010 and 2024. Electronic databases like Embase, PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar will be utilized to perform the search. We will also search grey literature sources such as websites of relevant organizations and government agencies. The search will only include studies that were conducted in the English language. Two reviewers will evaluate the titles and abstracts of the publications independently to determine their eligibility using Covidence. Full-text articles will be reviewed for eligibility and data extraction. The data will be extracted using a standardized form. The extracted data will include information on the study design, objectives, methods, findings, and conclusions. The thematic analysis approach will guide the data analysis. Themes and sub-themes will be identified and reported. The review will be reported following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) guidelines.DiscussionThis scoping review will identify the existing knowledge on the potential role of HTA in Africa to support future pandemic preparedness and response. The findings will aid in identifying deficiencies in knowledge and provide valuable insights for future study. Additionally, they will inform policy-makers and other stakeholders about the potential contribution of the Health Technology Assessment (HTA) in enhancing Africa’s readiness and response to pandemics.

The Efficacy of Platelet-Rich Plasma in Pelvic Floor Reconstruction Surgery : A Scoping Review of Literature

The Efficacy of Platelet-Rich Plasma in Pelvic Floor Reconstruction Surgery : A Scoping Review of Literature

Consideration of Sustainability When Approving Human Medical Research-A Scoping Review.

This article attempts to highlight the importance of including research sustainability as imperative when assessing human medical research in terms of ethical principles. Using a scoping review of recent literature, the complexity of research sustainability is highlighted with key themes and concepts surrounding this important topic being recognized and discussed. An overall paucity of guidance documents was identified and recommendations have been made to practically address this deficiency. An example of a research sustainability evaluation tool which is currently being piloted has been provided for possible adaptation and use by Ethics Committees and Institutional Review Boards to bolster the concept and inclusion of sustainability during the research approval process.

Towards a Regenerative Future: Understanding Practical Implementation, Research, and Benchmarking in the Built Environment

The 73rd Session of the United Nations in 2019 marked a pivotal moment, emphasising the urgent need for sustainable development to avert irreversible climate change impacts within a mere 11 years. Vulnerable communities have been experiencing food security and ecosystem crises since the 1990s, and the IPCC predicts that environmental damage will lead to 200 million permanent displacements by 2050. Built environment professionals such as those in architecture and construction carry a moral obligation to act as critical agents of systemic change, driving the study’s investigation into “Regenerative Design” with a focus on practical implementation, application, research, and benchmarking. The study conducted a comprehensive search and scoping review of peer-reviewed literature and an industry-specific audience poll at a built-environment professional summit. The findings reveal an inconsistent application and limited comprehension of “regenerative” among industry professionals. The study poll of key stakeholders in the Australian built environment context, accentuates the lack of consensus surrounding regenerative design’s definition. This research contributes to interdisciplinary knowledge, bridging domains of education, design, construction, planning, urban development, and policy. It underscores the need for more extensive research and highlights the absence of consensus in defining regenerative design. By shedding light on these aspects, the study aims to galvanise collective action and foster transformative change towards a sustainable future.

Advancing Kawasaki Disease Research in the Arab World: Scoping Literature Review Analysis with Emphasis on Giant Coronary Aneurysms.

To evaluate giant aneurysms (GiAn) prevalence in Arab countries and examine contributing factors; and to review Kawasaki disease (KD) publication trends and collaborations among Arab nations. A scoping literature review was conducted to analyze the publications across the Arab world, spanning 16 countries from 1978 to 2023. The collected articles were a combination of database search with a call on Kawasaki Disease Arab Initiative (Kawarabi) members to share non-PubMed publications. Over 45years, 50 articles originated from the Arab Countries with a 30% average annual growth rate in KD research output. Publications were evenly split between case reports (42%) and institutional series (52%). Research productivity lagged in developing nations with UAE, KSA and Egypt, contributed to 64% of total publications. Among 26 institutional series, 256 coronary artery aneurysms (CAA) from a total of 1264 KD cases were reported. Of those, 25 CAA were GiAn (prevalence 1.43% [range 0-12.5%]). The initial KD misdiagnosis rate was 4%, and incomplete KD (iKD) averaged 10.6%. Series (38.5%) that did not report iKD correlated with a higher prevalence of CAA, but not of GiAn. Longer fever duration emerged as a pivotal factor for GiAn (OR 5.06, 95%CI 1.51-17). This review unveils the research landscape of KD in the Arab world over 45years. Initial misdiagnosis, untreated cases, delayed diagnosis and underreporting of iKD are contributing factors for an underestimated epidemiology, explaining the higher GiAn prevalence. This calls for strategic interventions to enhance KD research in these countries, aligning with Kawarabi's mission.

Simulation intervention related to family presence during resuscitation for physicians and medical students: A scoping review.

Family presence during resuscitation (FPDR) is known as part of family-centered care. However, it is unknown or how physicians are educated for FPDR. We aim to review the current status of simulation related FPDR for physicians and medical students. A scoping review of literature published from 1999 to May 5 2023 and written in English was undertaken. The articles were searched for using keyword combinations of the following words; family, resuscitation, and simulation-related words. Eight articles were included in the final review. This review of FPDR simulation for physicians and medical students revealed findings in three categories; measuring CPR quality, investigating participant responses after FPDR simulation, and extracting exemplar good communication elements. First, in four studies measuring resuscitation quality, physicians participated in adult resuscitation, and resuscitation quality was reduced with overt reaction family presence. Second, in three studies investigating the response to simulation training, interprofessional teams participating in pediatric resuscitation had negative responses to FPDR simulation. Third, in one study, good communication elements during FPDR were found in infant simulation, in which interprofessional teams participated. FPDR simulation training for medical students has not been reported. It highlighted a gap in FPDR simulations involving physicians and/or medical students. Physicians were more concerned with resuscitation quality than supporting families during resuscitation simulations. Medical students should be considered as the main participants for FPDR simulation. More high-evidence studies with interprofessional teams including physicians and/or medical students are needed to evaluate curriculum design and participant response changes following FPDR simulation.

Risk factors for breast cancer subtypes by race and ethnicity: A scoping review.

Breast cancer is comprised of distinct molecular subtypes. Studies have reported differences in risk factor associations with breast cancer subtypes, especially by tumor estrogen receptor (ER) status, but their consistency across racial and ethnic populations has not been comprehensively evaluated. We conducted a qualitative, scoping literature review using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analysis, extension for Scoping Reviews to investigate consistencies in associations between 18 breast cancer risk factors (reproductive, anthropometric, lifestyle, and medical history) and risk of ER-defined subtypes in women who self-identify as Asian, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latina, or White. We reviewed publications between January 1, 1990 and July 1, 2022. Etiologic heterogeneity evidence (convincing, suggestive, none, or inconclusive) was determined by expert consensus. Publications per risk factor ranged from 14 (benign breast disease history) to 66 (parity). Publications were most abundant for White women, followed by Asian, Black or African American, and Hispanic or Latina women. Etiologic heterogeneity evidence was strongest for parity, followed by age at first birth, post-menopausal BMI, oral contraceptive use, and estrogen-only and combined menopausal hormone therapy. Evidence was limited for other risk factors. Findings were consistent across racial and ethnic groups, although the strength of evidence varied. The literature supports etiologic heterogeneity by ER for some established risk factors that are consistent across race and ethnicity groups. However, in non-White populations evidence is limited. Larger, more comparable data in diverse populations is needed to better characterize breast cancer etiologic heterogeneity.

The Protective Role Antioxidant of Vitamin C in the Prevention of oral Disease: A Scoping Review of Current Literature.

This review meticulously examined the connection between vitamin C and periodontal disease, as well as the potential of vitamin C to prevent this condition. To gather relevant data, comprehensive electronic searches were conducted across various databases, including PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science, focusing on studies that explored the relationship between vitamin C and periodontal disease in individuals aged between 18 and above. From an initial pool of 421 articles, 14 were ultimately chosen for detailed analysis. This selection encompassed seven cross-sectional studies, two case-control studies, two cohort studies, and three randomized controlled trials. The analysis of these studies revealed a consistent negative association between vitamin C intake, as well as its levels in the blood, and the incidence of periodontal disease across all seven cross-sectional studies. This indicates that higher vitamin C intake and blood levels are linked to a decreased risk of developing periodontal disease. In the two case-control studies, individuals suffering from periodontitis were found to have both a lower intake of vitamin C and reduced levels of vitamin C in their blood compared to those without the disease, further underscoring the potential protective role of vitamin C against periodontal disease. The progression of periodontal disease was observed to be more rapid in patients with lower dietary intake or blood levels of vitamin C compared to controls. Regarding the effects of vitamin C administration as an intervention, there was an improvement noted in gingival bleeding among patients with gingivitis; however, no significant benefits were observed in cases of periodontitis, specifically concerning alveolar bone absorption. Through the meticulous examination of available studies, this systematic review underscores the notion that adequate vitamin C intake and maintaining sufficient levels of vitamin C in the blood can contribute significantly to reducing the risk of periodontal disease.

Moving Towards a Medicine of Dance: A Scoping Review of Characteristics of Dance Interventions Targeting Older Adults and a Theoretical Framework.

Dance combines cultural and aesthetic elements with behaviors important for brain health, including physical activity, social engagement, and cognitive challenge. Therefore, dance could positively impact public health given the rapidly aging population, increasing incidence of Alzheimer's disease and related dementias, and lack of uptake of exercise in many older adults. Despite a high volume of literature, existing literature does not support evidence-based guidelines for dance to support healthy aging. To conduct a scoping review of the dance intervention literature in older adults and provide information to facilitate a more consistent approach among scientists in designing dance interventions for older adults that stimulate physical and neurocognitive health adaptations. Study characteristics (sample size, population, study design, outcomes, intervention details) were ascertained from 112 separate studies of dance reported in 127 papers that reported outcomes important for brain health (cardiorespiratory fitness, balance and mobility, cognition, mood, and quality of life). High heterogeneity across studies was evident. Class frequency ranged from < 1 to 5 classes per week, class length from 30-120 minutes, and intervention duration from 2 weeks to 18 months. Studies often did not randomize participants, had small (< 30) sample sizes, and used varied comparator conditions. Over 50 tests of cognition, 40 dance forms, and 30 tests of mobility were identified. Based on these results, important future directions are establishing common data elements, developing intervention mapping and mechanistic modeling, and testing dosing parameters to strengthen and focus trial design of future studies and generate evidence-based guidelines for dance.

Health system description and assessment: a scoping review of templates for systematic analyses

BackgroundUnderstanding and comparing health systems is key for cross-country learning and health system strengthening. Templates help to develop standardised and coherent descriptions and assessments of health systems, which then allow meaningful analyses and comparisons. Our scoping review aims to provide an overview of existing templates, their content and the way data is presented.Main bodyBased on the WHO building blocks framework, we defined templates as having (1) an overall framework, (2) a list of indicators or topics, and (3) instructions for authors, while covering (4) the design of the health system, (5) an assessment of health system performance, and (6) should cover the entire health system. We conducted a scoping review of grey literature published between 2000 and 2023 to identify templates. The content of the identified templates was screened, analyzed and compared. We found 12 documents that met our inclusion criteria. The building block `health financing´ is covered in all 12 templates; and many templates cover ´service delivery´ and ´health workforce’. Health system performance is frequently assessed with regard to ‘access and coverage’, ‘quality and safety’, and ‘financial protection’. Most templates do not cover ‘responsiveness’ and ‘efficiency’. Seven templates combine quantitative and qualitative data, three are mostly quantitative, and two are primarily qualitative. Templates cover data and information that is mostly relevant for specific groups of countries, e.g. a particular geographical region, or for high or for low and middle-income countries (LMICs). Templates for LMICs rely more on survey-based indicators than administrative data.ConclusionsThis is the first scoping review of templates for standardized descriptions of health systems and assessments of their performance. The implications are that (1) templates can help analyze health systems across countries while accounting for context; (2) template-guided analyses of health systems could underpin national health policies, strategies, and plans; (3) organizations developing templates could learn from approaches of other templates; and (4) more research is needed on how to improve templates to better achieve their goals. Our findings provide an overview and help identify the most important aspects and topics to look at when comparing and analyzing health systems, and how data are commonly presented. The templates were created by organizations with different agendas and target audiences, and with different end products in mind. Comprehensive health systems analyses and comparisons require production of quantitative indicators and complementing them with qualitative information to build a holistic picture.Clinical Trial Registration: Not applicable.

Le rôle infirmier auprès de personnes aînées en milieux d’hébergement depuis la pandémie de COVID-19 : protocole d’une revue de la portée

&lt;p&gt;Introduction: The nursing role in elderly care has received increased attention during the COVID-19 pandemic. It is therefore essential to better understand the enactment of the nursing practice through professional activities carried out in long-term care facilities since the pandemic.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Objective: To identify and synthesize the activities performed by nurses caring for elderly persons in long-term care facilities since the COVID-19 pandemic through a scoping review of literature from 2020-2023. A framework combining the Nursing Role Effectiveness Model by Irvine et al. (1998) and the Cadre de référence sur l’exercice infirmier auprès des personnes hébergées en centre d’hébergement et de soins de longue durée from the Ordre des infirmières et infirmiers du Québec (2018) will allow for the identification of independent, dependent and interdependent nursing activities in these settings.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Method: The review will follow the scoping review method of the Joanna Briggs Institute (Peters et al., 2020). We will query CINAHL, MEDLINE, EMBASE, and PsycINFO databases to identify empirical studies published in English and French from 2020 to 2023. The selection of relevant studies will be carried out independently by 2 reviewers. Data on nursing activities will be extracted, categorized, and analyzed in line with the scoping review framework.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Discussion and Research Spin-offs: This research will identify nursing activities since the COVID-19 pandemic through recent studies that have addressed this topic in the context of long-term care facilities. Recommendations will be made concerning activities that are infrequently or not at all carried out by nurses, as well as factors that influence these activities.&lt;/p&gt;

Influence of Rurality When Accessing Emergency Healthcare During Exacerbation of Asthma

Background: Asthma is a significant contributor of respiratory illness throughout Australia, taking a toll on all genders and age groups. The rural healthcare workforce is currently undersupplied, and this worsens with the degree of rurality posing disadvantages in healthcare access. Lower asthma-related mortality rates in metropolitan cities than other areas of Australia indicate a need to explore the extent of the impact that residing rurally has on access to emergency healthcare for asthma-related emergencies. Methods: A scoping review of literature was conducted utilising the steps articulated in Peters et al. (2020)methodological approach. The databases: Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), Emcare, Medline and PubMed were searched using key words. After screening 20 articles were included. Results: Four main themes emerged including the impact of access to resources; individual behaviours and attitudes; education and health literacy; and rural clinician adherence to guidelines. Conclusion: Several challenges are associated with living in rural areas which may impact patients ability to access emergency healthcare during an asthma-related emergency. Further research is recommended to determine the extent to which these challenges influence access to emergency healthcare and explore strategies to break down these barriers to ensure equitable emergency healthcare.

Use of Muscle Relaxants for Acute Postoperative Pain: A Practical Review.

Skeletal muscle relaxants have emerged as a broad category of analgesic adjuncts, aiming to improve pain relief and reduce opioid reliance. These drugs induce muscle relaxation and reduce muscle spasms, and therefore, they are commonly used in surgical procedures involving muscle manipulation, such as abdominal surgery, breast surgery, and spine surgery. However, their analgesic efficacy and opioid-sparing effects are poorly explored. A scoping review of literature was performed with several electronic databases. We used a search string with a sequence of text words and word variants related to central muscle relaxants, pain management, postoperative pain, and specific muscle relaxants. Review of literature shows significant heterogeneity among the studies in terms of surgical procedures, patient populations, choice of muscle relaxant, and timing and duration of administration, potentially limiting the generalizability of the findings and the ability for pooled analysis. Given the lack of evidence, we recommend that the use of skeletal muscle relaxants be reserved for patients in whom an optimal multimodal analgesic technique is not adequate. Also, there may be a limited role for these drugs in patients at high risk of postoperative pain undergoing surgical procedures with expected high opioid requirements. Due to the concerns of potential adverse effects, the decision to use muscle relaxants in vulnerable populations should be made carefully, weighing the benefits against the risks.

Research and publication gaps on kratom and kratom products: a scoping review of current literature.

Kratom plant, products derived from the plant, and plant phytochemicals are of great interest among researchers, clinicians, and consumers. However, there is a paucity of rigorously collected scientific data on their risk/safety profile and public health impact. This scoping review discusses original research articles published between 2022 and 2023. It focuses on identifying publication gaps on topics related to epidemiology, public health, and risk/safety profiles comparing evidence collected by researchers from Southeast Asia and the West. Our review of the Scopus database identified a total of 55 publications, including clinical case reports and case series reports, surveys, studies enrolling human participants, and publications based on large-scale national surveys or large-scale national or international health system database records. Overall, there is dearth of reliable data on key epidemiological factors, including the prevalence rates, and on objective and reliable indices of the risk/safety profiles. Rigorous and systematic studies including improved epidemiological surveillance, human laboratory, and controlled clinical studies are urgently needed to advance our understanding of public health consequences of consuming kratom and kratom-derived products and to improve our understanding of their risk/safety profile and additional analytical studies to better inform development of needed regulatory oversight.

SCOPING REVIEW: TRAVEL MODE CHOICE IN SAFE ROUTES TO SCHOOL PROGRAMME

This scoping review aims to explore the travel mode choice in safe routes to school programme, as review in existing literature. A scoping literature review is performed by searching Scopus database and identified 189 related studies. However, only 53 studies throughout 2007 – 2022 were identified as meeting the criteria established for the study. The aspects contained in this study includes existing studies which provide information on the safe routes to school (SRTS) programmes and their travel mode choice. This paper could be very beneficial for researchers, policy makers and whoever interested in undertaking future studies related to SRTS.

Mapping the Terrain of Whiteness in Education Policy: A Scoping Literature Review

Mapping the Terrain of Whiteness in Education Policy: A Scoping Literature Review

로블록스(가상세계) 데이터의 교육적 활용에 관한 탐색적 연구: 주제범위 문헌고찰을 중심으로

로블록스(가상세계) 데이터의 교육적 활용에 관한 탐색적 연구: 주제범위 문헌고찰을 중심으로