| 1. |
- Al Alawi, Laila, et al.
(author)
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Environmental assessment of cytotoxic drugs in healthcare settings : protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis
- 2020
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In: Systematic Reviews. - : BioMed Central (BMC). - 2046-4053. ; 9:1
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Research review (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background: Occupational exposure to cytotoxic drugs is associated with various unfavorable health outcomes. This protocol reports a methodology for a systematic review and meta-analysis that aims to systematically review the published literature and quantify the level of environmental contamination of healthcare settings with cytotoxic drugs.Methods: This protocol is developed in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Protocol-2015 (PRISMA-P) guidelines. Six electronic databases (PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, Cochrane Library, CINAHL, and EMBASE) will be searched with no restrictions on publication period. Eligible studies will be identified and data will be extracted using a predefined data extraction form by at least two independent reviewers following best practice. Eligible studies should report calculated or calculable estimates on the proportion of positive samples tested for cytotoxic drugs and/or estimates on the concentration of the cytotoxic drug(s) in the tested samples. Risk of bias (RoB) will be assessed by using the RoB in Studies estimating Prevalence of Exposure to Occupational risk factors (RoB-SPEO) tool, which developed by the World Health Organization (WHO) and International Labour Organization (ILO) for environmental and occupational health systematic reviews. The random-effects model will be used to perform meta-analyses.Discussion: Occupational exposure to cytotoxic drugs is associated with short- and long-term adverse health outcomes. Following this protocol, the review to be carried out will be the first to fill an evidence gap on the environmental contamination of healthcare settings with cytotoxic drugs. The findings of this review will help in the understanding of the risk of occupational exposure of healthcare workers to cytotoxic drugs and facilitate the identification of priority areas for specific interventions.Ethics and dissemination: The systematic review methodology does not require ethics approval due to the nature of the study design. The results of the systematic review will be published in a peer-reviewed journal and will be publicly available.Systematic review registration: PROSPERO, dated July 14, 2020
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| 2. |
- Al-Ketbi, Alfan, et al.
(author)
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School bullying prevention and intervention strategies in the United Arab Emirates : a scoping review
- 2024
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In: Injury Prevention. - : BMJ Publishing Group Ltd. - 1353-8047 .- 1475-5785.
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Research review (peer-reviewed)abstract
- INTRODUCTION: Schools in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) witnessed an increase of 7% in bullying prevalence since 2005. This review aimed to map antibullying interventions in the UAE.METHODS: A systematic search was performed in five electronic databases (EMBASE, PubMed, PsycINFO, Scopus and Eric) using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Review. Studies addressing antibullying interventions and grey literature in the UAE from 2010 to 2021 were included. Interventions were mapped using distribution across key sectors, public health practice levels, and organisation types. RESULTS: Of the 2122 identified papers, only 2 were included. Both articles were published in 2019 and used qualitative methods. From the search of governmental and non-governmental websites, 22 multilevel interventions were included and presented on the three levels of public health practice across the different sectors and target stakeholders. Eight interventions were at the federal level, and six were by private stakeholders. The government funded 59% of all interventions. Four interventions addressed cyberbullying, and three used multisectoral collaboration.CONCLUSIONS: Although the UAE is building capacity for bullying prevention, we found limited knowledge of antibullying prevention efforts. Further studies are needed to assess current interventions, strategies and policies.
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| 3. |
- Bettencourt-Silva, Rita, et al.
(author)
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Diabetes-related symptoms, acute complications and management of diabetes mellitus of patients who are receiving palliative care : a protocol for a systematic review
- 2019
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In: BMJ Open. - : BMJ Publishing Group Ltd. - 2044-6055. ; 9:6
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Research review (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Introduction: Worldwide, an estimated 40 million people are in need of palliative care each year, but only 14% receive it. The incidence of diabetes mellitus (DM) in patients receiving palliative care is higher than in the general population. This association is intended to grow as a result of the rising burden of DM worldwide, ageing populations and the improved overall survival time of several diseases over the last few decades. Recommendations for DM management in the context of palliative care are mainly based on expert opinion as there is a lack of suitable evidence base and randomised clinical trials in palliative care are scarce. The aim of our systematic review is to identify the best DM management practices in order to reduce important DM-related symptoms and acute complications in patients receiving palliative care.Methods and analysis: The authors will study the DM treatment and management literature, surveying the different approaches employed to treat adult palliative patients. Core health bibliographic databases will be searched from January 1990 to May 2019. Data sources will include Ovid MEDLINE, Embase, PubMed, Web of Sciences, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, Scopus, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature and grey literature. Details regarding diet, oral and injectable glucose-lowering medicines, insulin regimens and blood glucose monitoring strategies will he evaluated. We defined the primary outcomes to compare between DM management approaches as the presence of symptoms (polyuria, polydipsia and polyphagia) and acute complications of DM (hypoglycaemia, hyperglycaemic hyperosmolar state and diabetic ketoacidosis), and secondary outcomes as hospital admissions and deaths due to DM-related complications, health-related quality of life and glycaemic control.Ethics and dissemination: The systematic review methodology does not require ethics approval due to the nature of the study design. The results of the systematic review will be published in a peer-reviewed journal and will he publicly available.PROSPERO registration number: CRD42018115772.
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| 4. |
- Fujita, Thais, et al.
(author)
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Simulating Discharge in a Non-Dammed River of Southeastern South America Using SWAT Model
- 2022
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In: Water. - : MDPI AG. - 2073-4441. ; 14:3
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Within a single region, it is possible to identify opposite changes in flow production. This proved to be the case for several basins in southeastern South America. It remains challenging to the causes this behavior and whether changes in streamflow will continue at current levels or decline in the coming decades. In this study, we used the Soil Water Assessment Tool to simulate monthly river discharge in the Ivaí River Basin, an unregulated medium-sized catchment and tributary of the Upper Paraná River Basin. After calibration, the simulated flow regime for the five streamflow stations based on the Nash-Sutcliffe Efficiency index (NSE) rated four of the streamflow stations Very Good (NSE between 0.86 and 0.89) and only one in the Good index (0.70). The overall flow behavior was well represented, although an underestimation was identified in four monitoring stations. Through assessment of its functionality and limitations in terms of specific flow duration curves percentages, the calibrated model could provide (to managers) the reliability needed for a realistic intervention. The results of this study may assist managers and support public policies for the use of water resources at the Ivaí River basin.
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| 5. |
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| 6. |
- Karkaz, Ibtisam, et al.
(author)
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Sharps injuries and splash exposures among healthcare workers in Arab countries : protocol of a systematic review and meta-analysis
- 2021
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In: BMJ Open. - : BMJ Publishing Group Ltd. - 2044-6055. ; 11:10
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Research review (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Introduction: Sharps injuries, including needlestick injuries and splash exposures, constitute serious occupational health problems for healthcare workers, carrying the risk of bloodborne infections. However, data on such occupational incidents and their risk factors in healthcare settings are scarce and not systematically summarised in the Arab countries. The aim of this study is to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis to review published literature about sharps injuries and splash exposures of healthcare workers in Arab countries, with the objectives to determine the incidence and/or prevalence of these events, their identified risk factors and the applied preventive and postexposure prophylactic measures.Methods and analysis: The protocol is developed in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Protocol guidelines. A comprehensive presearch developed in January to March 2021 in the database PubMed will be followed by a systematic search of six, core medical and health science databases: PubMed, EMBASE, Scopus, CINAHL, Web of Science and Africa-Wide Information in May 2021. The search will be performed without any filters or restrictions for publication years. Covidence systematic review tool will be used for document management, blinded screening and study selection. Two reviewers will independently screen the records, extract data and conduct risk of bias assessment. Results will be synthesised narratively in summary tables, and, if findings allow, meta-analysis will be conducted on the incidence and/or prevalence of sharps injuries and splash exposures, and on the effect size of risk factors.Ethics and dissemination: The systematic review methodology does not require ethics approval due to the nature of the study design based only on published studies. The results of the systematic review will be published in a peer-reviewed journal, disseminated to stakeholders and made publicly available.PROSPERO registration number: CRD42021242416.
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| 7. |
- Rudke, Anderson Paulo, et al.
(author)
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Land cover data of Upper Parana River Basin, South America, at high spatial resolution
- 2019
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In: International Journal of Applied Earth Observation and Geoinformation. - : Elsevier BV. - 1569-8432. ; 83
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- This study presents a new land cover map for the Upper Paraná River Basin (UPRB-2015), with high spatial resolution (30 m), and a high number of calibration and validation sites. To the new map, 50 Landsat-8 scenes were classified with the Support Vector Machine (SVM) algorithm and their level of agreement was assessed using overall accuracy and Kappa coefficient. The generated map was compared by area and by pixel with six global products (MODIS, GlobCover, Globeland30, FROM-GLC, CCI-LC and, GLCNMO). The results of the new classification showed an overall accuracy ranging from 67% to 100%, depending on the sub-basin (80.0% for the entire UPRB). Kappa coefficient was observed ranging from 0.50 to 1.00 (average of 0.73 in the whole basin). Anthropic areas cover more than 70% of the entire UPRB in the new product, with Croplands covering 46.0%. The new mapped areas of croplands are consistent with local socio-economic statistics but don't agree with global products, especially FROM-GLC (14,9%), MODIS (33.8%), GlobCover (71.2%), and CCI (67.8%). In addition, all global products show generalized spatial disagreement, with some sub-basins showing areas of cropland varying by an order of magnitude, compared to UPRB-2015. In the case of Grassland, covering 25.6% of the UPRB, it was observed a strong underestimation by all global products. Even for the Globeland30 and MODIS, which show some significant fraction of pasture areas, there is a high level of disagreement in the spatial distribution. In terms of general agreement, the seven compared mappings (including the new map) agree in only 6.6% of the study area, predominantly areas of forest and agriculture. Finally, the new classification proposed in this study provides better inputs for regional studies, especially for those involving hydrological modeling as well as offers a more refined LU/LC data set for atmospheric numerical models.
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| 8. |
- Sherif, Moustafa, et al.
(author)
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Genotoxicity of Occupational Pesticide Exposures among Agricultural Workers in Arab Countries : A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
- 2023
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In: Toxics. - : MDPI. - 2305-6304. ; 11:8
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Research review (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Exposure to pesticides in Arab countries is a significant public health concern due to extensive agricultural activity and pesticide use. This systematic review aimed to evaluate the genotoxic effects of agricultural pesticide exposure in the region, identify research gaps, and assess methodological limitations. Following the PRISMA guidelines, a comprehensive search yielded five relevant studies conducted in Egypt, Syria, and Jordan. Various genotoxicity assays were employed, revealing a higher level of DNA damage in exposed compared to non-exposed individuals. Farmers exposed to pesticides exhibited a significantly higher occurrence of chromosomal translocation (t(14;18)), micronuclei, and chromosomal aberrations. However, only two studies assessed cytotoxicity indirectly. The studies predominantly focused on male participants, with variations in sample size and pesticide types. The lack of detailed exposure data necessitates cautious interpretation. This review underscores the need for further research on the genotoxicity of occupational pesticide exposure in the Middle East. Future studies should adopt robust study designs, collect biological and environmental samples, conduct repeated sampling, analyze seasonal variations, and encompass diverse study sites associated with specific crop groups.
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