Synthesis Of Literature Research Articles

The application of natural language processing for the extraction of mechanistic information in toxicology

To study the ways in which compounds can induce adverse effects, toxicologists have been constructing Adverse Outcome Pathways (AOPs). An AOP can be considered as a pragmatic tool to capture and visualize mechanisms underlying different types of toxicity inflicted by any kind of stressor, and describes the interactions between key entities that lead to the adverse outcome on multiple biological levels of organization. The construction or optimization of an AOP is a labor intensive process, which currently depends on the manual search, collection, reviewing and synthesis of available scientific literature. This process could however be largely facilitated using Natural Language Processing (NLP) to extract information contained in scientific literature in a systematic, objective, and rapid manner that would lead to greater accuracy and reproducibility. This would support researchers to invest their expertise in the substantive assessment of the AOPs by replacing the time spent on evidence gathering by a critical review of the data extracted by NLP. As case examples, we selected two frequent adversities observed in the liver: namely, cholestasis and steatosis denoting accumulation of bile and lipid, respectively. We used deep learning language models to recognize entities of interest in text and establish causal relationships between them. We demonstrate how an NLP pipeline combining Named Entity Recognition and a simple rules-based relationship extraction model helps screen compounds related to liver adversities in the literature, but also extract mechanistic information for how such adversities develop, from the molecular to the organismal level. Finally, we provide some perspectives opened by the recent progress in Large Language Models and how these could be used in the future. We propose this work brings two main contributions: 1) a proof-of-concept that NLP can support the extraction of information from text for modern toxicology and 2) a template open-source model for recognition of toxicological entities and extraction of their relationships. All resources are openly accessible via GitHub (https://github.com/ontox-project/en-tox).

Green buildings and their impact on health outcomes and dietary intake: What do we know?

Background: While numerous research has been conducted on the energy efficiency advantages of green buildings, there remains a limited exploration of their effects on individuals’ health conditions and dietary intake. Green building’s structure and design aim to reduce the impact on the surrounding environments while also helping to improve the quality of health of individuals who live within them.Aim: The objective of this study was to examine the impact of green buildings on health outcomes and dietary intake.Method: Using four databases (Agricola, EBSCO, PubMed, and Web of Science), search of literature was directed with the following keywords: green buildings, green homes, built environment, housing design, health outcomes, dietary patterns, dietary intake, eating behavior, food choices, and others. We reviewed 33 articles, and 19 met our inclusion criteria.Results: The synthesis of literature revealed four overarching themes: the association between green buildings and respiratory diseases, mental health, dietary intake, and physical activity level. Our findings suggest an association between green buildings and the improvement of certain health conditions, including asthma, depression, and obesity.Conclusion: The results emphasize the necessity for additional research to investigate the sustained impact of green buildings on residents’ health and dietary habits over an extended period. The implications of the findings are significant for policymakers, urban planners, and researchers, underscoring the potential of green building initiatives in promoting healthy living environments.

Agile Blueprints: Navigating Project Management toward Sustainable Success: A Comprehensive Literature Synthesis and Managerial Compass

This paper is constructed to study the sustainable practices that project managers follow and their contribution to sustainability. This study divides the sustainability section into three pillars (Economic, Environmental, and social). Sustainability is still an emerging concept with multiple interpretations globally. This paper also discusses several scenarios comparing and contrasting those practices to draft suitable recommendations. Moreover, this paper studies the link between sustainability and agility. As this paper is conceptual in nature, only scholarly articles ranging from Q1 to Q4 can be accepted to report findings and critique academically. Primary methods will not be utilized in this paper. As per each contribution the findings are also categorized into three pillars of sustainability. The findings are linked codes to each sustainable practice as cited earlier including agility being an independent variable. The research recommends testing the hypothesis and propositions in case the study develops further. The findings from past literature will be utilized to create critical success factors and recommended models. As this paper is conceptual research, the paper lacks empirical data, and it uses inductive philosophy to create themes and findings.

Understanding the Impacts of Online Mental Health Peer Support Forums: Realist Synthesis

Background Online forums are widely used for mental health peer support. However, evidence of their safety and effectiveness is mixed. Further research focused on articulating the contexts in which positive and negative impacts emerge from forum use is required to inform innovations in implementation. Objective This study aimed to develop a realist program theory to explain the impacts of online mental health peer support forums on users. Methods We conducted a realist synthesis of literature published between 2019 and 2023 and 18 stakeholder interviews with forum staff. Results Synthesis of 102 evidence sources and 18 interviews produced an overarching program theory comprising 22 context-mechanism-outcome configurations. Findings indicate that users’ perceptions of psychological safety and the personal relevance of forum content are foundational to ongoing engagement. Safe and active forums that provide convenient access to information and advice can lead to improvements in mental health self-efficacy. Within the context of welcoming and nonjudgmental communities, users may benefit from the opportunity to explore personal difficulties with peers, experience reduced isolation and normalization of mental health experiences, and engage in mutual encouragement. The program theory highlights the vital role of moderators in creating facilitative online spaces, stimulating community engagement, and limiting access to distressing content. A key challenge for organizations that host mental health forums lies in balancing forum openness and anonymity with the need to enforce rules, such as restrictions on what users can discuss, to promote community safety. Conclusions This is the first realist synthesis of online mental health peer support forums. The novel program theory highlights how successful implementation depends on establishing protocols for enhancing safety and strategies for maintaining user engagement to promote forum sustainability. Trial Registration PROSPERO CRD42022352528; https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?RecordID=352528

An ecosystem of accepting life with chronic pain: A meta-ethnography

Background Chronic pain is a highly prevalent long-term condition, experienced unequally, impacting both the individual living with pain, and wider society. ‘Acceptance’ of chronic pain is relevant to improved consultations in pain care, and navigating an approach towards evidence-based, long-term management and associated improvements in health. However, the concept proves difficult to measure, and primary qualitative studies of lived experiences show complexity related to our socio-cultural-political worlds, healthcare experiences, and difficulties with language and meaning. We framed acceptance of chronic pain as socially constructed and aimed to conceptualise the lived experiences of acceptance of chronic pain in adults. Methods We conducted a systematic search and screening process, followed by qualitative, interpretive, literature synthesis using Meta-ethnography. We included qualitative studies using chronic pain as the primary condition, where the study included an aim to research the acceptance concept. We conducted each stage of the synthesis with co-researchers of differing disciplinary backgrounds, and with lived experiences of chronic pain. Findings We included 10 qualitative studies from Canada, Sweden, The Netherlands, Ireland, UK, Australia and New Zealand. Our ‘lines of argument’ include a fluid and continuous journey with fluctuating states of acceptance; language and meaning of acceptance and chronic pain, a challenge to identity in a capitalist, ableist society and the limits to individualism; a caring, supportive and coherent system. The conceptual framework of the meta-ethnography is represented by a rosebush with interconnected branches, holding both roses and thorns, such is the nature of accepting life with chronic pain. Conclusion Our findings broaden conceptualisation of ‘acceptance of chronic pain’ beyond an individual factor, to a fluid and continuous journey, interconnected with our socio-cultural-political worlds; an ecosystem.

Revolutionizing Moroccan Education with AI: A Path to Customized Learning

This integrative literature review analyzes how AI, specifically Machine Learning (ML) and Large Language Models (LLMs), is used in Moroccan education. The study emphasizes the significance of modernizing traditional educational techniques. It investigates how artificial intelligence may personalize learning experiences, minimize educational disparities, and foster a culturally diverse and technologically sophisticated learning environment. The ILR uses a conceptual framework that highlights customized learning, equitable education, technological innovation, and a systematic methodology that incorporates extensive literature synthesis. The research process thoroughly examines multiple academic sources, including peer-reviewed articles, books, conference papers, and reports. The ILR identifies relevant patterns, barriers, and opportunities associated with integrating AI in Moroccan education by carefully studying and synthesizing data. The findings demonstrate the enormous potential of ML and LLMs in revolutionizing teaching methods, encouraging active student participation, and closing educational inequalities across Morocco. The paper finishes by underlining the need to incorporate AI into educational practice and identifying areas for future research. It emphasizes investigating how AI may help Morocco and other countries modernize their education systems.

Resilience framework for urban water supply systems planning

ABSTRACT As the concept of resilience is becoming a criterion in planning, water utilities are seeking support and practical guidance to enhance their conventional risk-based planning processes. This paper presents a resilience framework for urban water supply systems planning during the transition towards integrated water resources management. Based on a synthesis of literature across engineering, ecological and social sciences, resilient system performance is defined using crossings of fail-safe and safe-fail thresholds as key indicators. System performance curves conceptually illustrate the capabilities withstanding, absorptive, restorative, adaptive, transformative, and anticipative (WARATA), during sudden and gradual disruptions. Sustainability goals are explicitly considered in the resilience framework, and the role of transformative and anticipative capabilities to facilitate transitions is discussed. Specifically, the desirability of physical design and predicted community consequences from performance impact and collapse can be used in resilience management to prioritize between fail-safe and safe-fail system capacities. Finally, key considerations for operationalizing the framework are summarized, including how issues related to social justice can be addressed when simulating performance and deriving metrics. While this paper focuses on urban water supply, the framework could be applied to other service-providing infrastructure where resilience-based planning supported by quantitative evidence is required to inform investments.

The Use of a Virtual Reality System in the Rehabilitation of Children with Progressive Muscular Dystrophies

The research aim is to prove the effectiveness of individual programs of physical therapy and occupational therapy for children with progressive muscular dystrophy (PMD), which include game technologies of virtual reality. The following research methods were used in the work: general scientific (analysis, synthesis, synthesis of literature); clinical (clinical examination); pedagogical (observation, experiment); biomedical (development of motor functions), mathematical statistics. It has been proven that after the implementation of a synergistic rehabilitation program on the MFM scale positive changes were observed among children with dystrophic pathologies; according to the Vignos scale, no improvement in results was recorded; according to the Brooke scale - similar situation,among children with PMD Landusy-Dejerin, Emery-Dreyfus and unspecified form, the final results did not differ from the weekend, and among children with Duchenne muscular dystrophy, born PMD and Erb-Roth PMD showed deterioration of parameters.

ЭФФЕКТИВНОСТЬ ПРИМЕНЕНИЯ АУТОФЛУОРЕСЦЕНТНОЙ СТОМАТОСКОПИИ КАК ОСНОВНОГО МЕТОДА РАННЕЙ ДИАГНОСТИКИ ПРЕДРАКОВЫХ ЗАБОЛЕВАНИЙ СЛИЗИСТОЙ ОБОЛОЧКИ РТА (ОБЗОР ЛИТЕРАТУРЫ)

Importance Currently, the prevalence of various diseases of the oral mucosa in the world has increased significantly (from 15.2% to 49.1%). Oncological pathology should be attributed to a separate group of diseases. In order to actively identify precancerous processes of the oral cavity, along with traditional methods of examination of the maxillofacial region, oncoscreening of the mucous membrane and organs of the oral cavity is mandatory. One of the possible methods of oncoscreening is autofluorescence stomatoscopy. Objectives To clarify the effectiveness of autofluorescence stomatoscopy as the main method of early diagnosis of precancerous diseases of the oral mucosa, its advantages and disadvantages. Methods In the process of investigating the effectiveness of autofluorescence stomatoscopy, methods of qualitative analysis and synthesis of available scientific literature on autofluorescence stomatoscopy were used. Conclusions It is concluded that the use of autofluorescence stomatoscopy for the early diagnosis of precancerous diseases of the oral mucosa remains controversial. Some clinicians believe that the introduction of autofluorescence stomatoscopy into the practice of a dentist as an additional method of oncoscreening of the oral mucosa is not only relevant, but also necessary; and the analysis of the light glow corresponds to the results of a biopsy. However, other researchers have concluded that the AFS-method will not replace the gold standard of histological examination, due to the low specificity of the method, the study can lead to overdiagnosis, and it can only be used by experienced clinicians to find the boundaries of precancerous lesions of the oral cavity for taking a biopsy in an altered mucous membrane.

Prompt engineering: The next big skill in rheumatology research.

Large language models (LLMs) like GPT-4 and Claude are catalyzing transformation across medical research including rheumatology. This review examines their applications, highlighting the pivotal role of prompt engineering in effectively guiding LLMs. Key aspects explored include literature synthesis, data analysis, manuscript drafting, coding assistance, privacy considerations, and generative artificial intelligence integrations. While LLMs accelerate workflows, reliance without apt prompting jeopardizes accuracy. By methodically constructing prompts and gauging model outputs, researchers can maximize relevance and utility. Locally run open-source models also offer data privacy protections. As LLMs permeate rheumatology research, developing expertise in strategic prompting and assessing model limitations is critical. With proper oversight, LLMs markedly boost scholarly productivity.

Significant regional disparities in riverine microplastics

Research on riverine microplastics has gradually increased, highlighting an area for further exploration: the lack of extensive, large-scale regional variations analysis due to methodological and spatiotemporal limitations. Herein, we constructed and applied a comprehensive framework for synthesizing and analyzing literature data on riverine microplastics to enable comparative research on the regional variations on a large scale. Research results showed that in 76 rivers primarily located in Asia, Europe, and North America, the microplastics abundance of surface water in Asian rivers was three times that of Euro-America, while the sediment in Euro-American was five times that of Asia, indicating significant regional variations (p<0.001). Additionally, based on the income levels of countries, rivers in lower-middle and upper-middle income countries had significantly (p<0.001) higher abundance of microplastics in surface water compared to high-income countries, while the opposite was true for sediment. This phenomenon is preliminarily attributed to varying levels of urbanization across countries. Our proposed framework for synthesizing and analyzing microplastics literature data provides a holistic understanding of microplastics disparities in the environment, and can facilitate broader discussions on management and mitigation strategies. Environmental implicationsThrough literature synthesis, we gathered data on microplastics from 76 rivers, mainly distributed in Asia and the Euro-American regions. Our extensive regional analysis showed notable variations in the presence of microplastics within surface water and sediment across these regions, underlining crucial aspects of managing riverine microplastic pollution. It suggests that developed countries need to concentrate on sediment-based microplastics, whereas developing countries should give precedence to microplastics found in water samples.

Investigating the Impact of Pre-Operative Physical Fitness on PostOperative Rehabilitation in Total Hip Replacement: A Literature Synthesis

In orthopaedic surgery, total hip arthroplasty (THA) and total knee arthroplasty (TKA) are two of the most frequently performed operations. The prospect of implementing a preoperative physical activity program to enhance the physical health and fitness of senior patients undergoing this type of surgery is being highlighted due to the increasing need to prevent physical impairment in these patients. This white paper undertakes a comprehensive examination of the impact of pre-operative physical fitness levels on the subsequent rehabilitation of Total Hip Replacement (THR) patients. By analyzing this critical relationship, the paper aims to provide insights into tailoring physical therapy practices to optimize outcomes for individuals undergoing THR procedures. Prehabilitation for patients undergoing TKA results in a shorter length of stay but does not improve postoperative recovery; for THA, the available data indicates that patients who participated in prehabilitation programs had better outcomes, but there is insufficient evidence with suitable methodology to make firm conclusions.

Anticancer Potential and Molecular Targets of Pristimerin in Human Malignancies

The growing global burden of malignant tumors with increasing incidence and mortality rates underscores the urgent need for more effective and less toxic therapeutic options. Herbal compounds are being increasingly studied for their potential to meet these needs due to their reduced side effects and significant efficacy. Pristimerin (PS), a triterpenoid from the quinone formamide class derived from the Celastraceae and Hippocrateaceae families, has emerged as a potent anticancer agent. It exhibits broad-spectrum anti-tumor activity across various cancers such as breast, pancreatic, prostate, glioblastoma, colorectal, cervical, and lung cancers. PS modulates several key cellular processes, including apoptosis, autophagy, cell migration and invasion, angiogenesis, and resistance to chemotherapy, targeting crucial signaling pathways such as those involving NF-κB, p53, and STAT3, among others. The main objective of this review is to provide a comprehensive synthesis of the current literature on PS, emphasizing its mechanisms of action and molecular targets with the utmost clarity. It discusses the comparative advantages of PS over current cancer therapies and explores the implications for future research and clinical applications. By delineating the specific pathways and targets affected by PS, this review seeks to offer valuable insights and directions for future research in this field. The information gathered in this review could pave the way for the successful development of PS into a clinically applicable anticancer therapy.

THE IMPACT OF DEPRESSION AMONG PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC LOW BACK PAIN

This scientific article has the objectives to examine the impact of depression on people experiencing chronic low back pain. Recognizing the bidirectional relationship between these conditions, the study aims to elucidate the various consequences of depressive symptoms on pain perception, functional impairment and overall quality of life among patients with chronic low back pain. Material and methods: A systematic review of the scientific literature was conducted to identify relevant studies, clinical trials and meta-analyses published between 1990 and 2023. The search included electronic databases such as PubMed, MEDLINE and PsycINFO. Results: Literature synthesis reveals that depression significantly amplifies the symptomatology of chronic low back pain, influencing various areas of a patient’s life. Key findings include decreased pain threshold by exacerbating the perception of pain intensity and duration, slowing the recovery and rehabilitation process, and decreasing health-related quality of life, highlighting the need for a multidisciplinary approach to both conditions. Conclusion: The article highlights the pervasive and interconnected nature of depression and chronic low back pain. The issues presented highlight the profound impact of depression on patients with chronic low back pain, highlighting the importance of integrated interventions that address both physical and mental health aspects of those affected. Keywords: depression, chronic low back pain, rehabilitation, pain threshold.

Development of the VEGANScreener, a Tool for a Quick Diet Quality Assessment among Vegans in Europe.

Plant-based diets are not inherently healthy. Similar to omnivorous diets, they may contain excessive amounts of sugar, sodium, and saturated fats, or lack diversity. Moreover, vegans might be at risk of inadequate intake of certain vitamins and minerals commonly found in foods that they avoid. We developed the VEGANScreener, a tool designed to assess the diet quality of vegans in Europe. Our approach combined best practices in developing diet quality metrics with scale development approaches and involved the following: (a) narrative literature synthesis, (b) evidence evaluation by an international panel of experts, and (c) translation of evidence into a diet screener. We employed a modified Delphi technique to gather opinions from an international expert panel. Twenty-five experts in the fields of nutrition, epidemiology, preventive medicine, and diet assessment participated in the first round, and nineteen participated in the subsequent round. Initially, these experts provided feedback on a pool of 38 proposed items from the literature review. Consequently, 35 revised items, with 17 having multiple versions, were suggested for further consideration. In the second round, 29 items were retained, and any residual issues were addressed in the final consensus meeting. The ultimate screener draft encompassed 29 questions, with 17 focusing on foods and nutrients to promote, and 12 addressing foods and nutrients to limit. The screener contained 24 food-based and 5 nutrient-based questions. We elucidated the development process of the VEGANScreener, a novel diet quality screener for vegans. Future endeavors involve contrasting the VEGANScreener against benchmark diet assessment methodologies and nutritional biomarkers and testing its acceptance. Once validated, this instrument holds potential for deployment as a self-assessment application for vegans and as a preliminary dietary screening and counseling tool in healthcare settings.

Lived experience and family engagement in psychiatry research: A scoping review of reviews.

A growing body of research is addressing the process and science of engaging people with lived experience (PWLE) of mental health challenges and other psychiatric conditions, and family members, in research activities. This scoping review of reviews synthesizes literature reviews on the engagement of PWLE and family members in research across the field of psychiatry. Systematic searches were conducted in seven bibliographic databases. Records were independently screened first at the title and abstract level, then at the full-text level. Included were any literature synthesis studies published in English, French, or Spanish in any given year, focusing on the engagement of PWLE and/or family members in research within psychiatry. Twenty records were included. Data were extracted in a spreadsheet and codebook thematic analysis was used across the body of articles to synthesize the findings. Aspects of PWLE engagement have been synthesized in 20 review articles reviewing 376 articles across psychiatry as a whole and several subpopulations, including youth mental health, dementia, neurodevelopmental disorders, people who use drugs, and forensic mental health. Information specific to family engagement is lacking. Barriers, facilitators, and positive impacts of PWLE engagement have been widely reported across domains of research, with a considerable degree of consensus across subpopulations. Some negative impacts and reporting challenges have also been identified. This scoping review of reviews provides an overarching understanding of the current state of the science of PWLE and family engagement across psychiatry research. The findings can inform future research practices enriched with a genuine and effective engagement with PWLE and families. The authorship team includes members with intersecting lived experience and academic identities. Additional lived experience engagement was not conducted as part of this review.

A scoping review of game-based learning for mathematics teacher education

We conducted a scoping review on game-based learning (GBL) for mathematics teacher education. In recent decades, GBL has been largely applied to K-12 education contexts. GBL has aimed to promote students’ deeper understanding of mathematics knowledge via game-based activities. With the evolving needs of GBL in mathematics education, recent research has increasingly raised the importance of mathematics teacher development specialised in GBL implementation. However, there is a lack of literature synthesis identifying how GBL has been taught and developed for mathematics teachers. Using both bibliometric and qualitative thematic analysis, we identified key characteristics of GBL design and implementations for various mathematics learning contexts in teacher education. Based on the study findings, we identified key trends and issues of GBL in mathematics teacher education. Also, we suggest theoretical and design implications of GBL for mathematics teacher education.

Racial discrimination in entrepreneurship: a synthesis and conceptual framework

PurposeThis study aims to synthesize and conceptualize the highly fragmented yet important literature on racial discrimination in entrepreneurship.Design/methodology/approachA bibliometric analysis and literature review were performed that involved 523 articles containing 26,926 references.FindingsThe bibliometric analysis identified three dominant research themes that comprehensively illustrate the state of research in this domain: strategic, sociocultural and individual-level perspectives. The synthesis of extant literature helped in formulating a holistic conceptual model that portrays the genuineness of racial discrimination in entrepreneurship. The sources, factors and impact of racial discrimination faced by entrepreneurs were identified. Based on the review and analysis of keywords, certain fruitful future research directions were formulated that will take the field forward.Originality/valueThis work is the first attempt to review the literature that narrows down the focus to racial discrimination in entrepreneurship (from other discriminations such as gender, cultural and religious discrimination) as one form of discrimination due to its unique origins and consequences.

Recommender systems: A systematic literature review, synthesis and framework for future capabilities

This study offers a comprehensive exploration of recommender systems (RSs) with a focus on their influence on consumers’ purchase intentions in the realm of e-commerce. Employing the Scientific Procedures and Rationales for Systematic Literature Reviews (SPAR-4-SLR) method, the authors identified and evaluated 908 high-quality papers to systematically categorize RS. This paper outlines these categories and reviews major developments within them, identifying significant constructs influencing consumer purchasing decisions. The outcome is a conceptual framework illustrating the interrelationships among these constructs, providing a novel contribution to the literature. This framework lays the groundwork for future studies in the field and provides valuable insights for marketing professionals seeking to develop RS-based strategies.

Tobacco endgame measures and their adaptation in selected European countries: A narrative review synthesis.

Due to the continued detrimental effects of tobacco use, a growing number of countries are embracing the idea of tobacco endgame, meaning ending the tobacco epidemic instead of controlling it. This narrative review aims to synthesize and update the evidence from earlier scientific reviews on effective tobacco endgame measures, as well as to assess their integration to current national strategies among European countries with official tobacco endgame goals. The synthesis of the prior scientific literature found most evidence on product-focused and some evidence for supply-focused policies. Little evidence was detected for user- and institutional-focused measures. An update for the tobacco-free generation measure showed uncertainty in reducing smoking prevalence, especially for adolescents' reactions to age-restrictive laws. All the countries that established a tobacco endgame strategy have included product standards in their measures, predominantly based on European Union regulations on conventional tobacco products, yet standards above this level and considering other products were also common. Cessation measures were given strong emphasis in strategies, yet none of the countries linked these to specific endgame measures. Despite commonly mentioning vulnerable groups, such as youth and pregnant women, adoption of measures to reduce tobacco use among these groups was scarce. Lastly, the decline in tobacco use seems to be modest, implying challenges in meeting the endgame goals. To meet these goals, European countries should reinforce the implementation of known effective tobacco control measures such as tax increases. Furthermore, new innovative strategies and measures to meet the objective of an endgame should be explored.