Narra X

Trends in publication and collaboration of health-themed systematic reviews before and during the COVID-19 pandemic: A bibliometric study

Williams Chiari — 2024-05-21

The presence of global threats such as coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic could potentially affect the research landscape, particularly that of systematic reviews. The aim of this study was to examine disparities between countries and the role of funding availability in the publication of health-themed systematic reviews. Metadata of published literature was collected from the Scopus database as of June 30, 2023. The dataset was divided into ‘pre-COVID-19 (2017–2019)’ and ‘during COVID-19 (2020–2022)’ by utilizing filter feature of the Scopus search engine. Network visualization of co-authorship was carried out on VoSviewer to identify collaborative patterns between countries. Our results suggest that most of the systematic reviews were published by authors from the United States of America (USA), both in pre-COVID-19 (n=29,463; Total link strength, TLS=32,832) and during COVID-19 (n=35,520; TLS=45,616). During COVID-19, the trend was not much different with the USA (14.6%), the UK (8.8%), and Australia (5%) in the top position among high-income countries. China (12.3%) and Iran (2.4%) topped the upper-middle-income and low-income countries groups. Publications by those who were from low-income countries were in a concerning low number; Ethiopia ranked first in this group only occupied 0.4% of the total publications (n=1,047). Furthermore, the number of publications was proportional to the number of funded studies (as observed in the top countries). However, during COVID-19 pandemic, the proportionality between funded publications and total publications was observed less. Taken altogether, our findings stress the importance of capacity building and providing more funds for on-desk research to close the disparity among countries.

Can smartphone-based diabetes control apps improve cardiovascular risk among patients with diabetes? A systematic review and meta-analysis

Randa Y. Refin — 2024-05-21

Despite being the most prevalent complication, cardiovascular risk factors such as blood pressure, weight, and lipid profile have been less considered in digital health studies. The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to gather evidence regarding the impact of digital health applications on cardiovascular risk factors in patients with diabetes. Literature search was conducted following the PRISMA guideline on September 4, 2023, using databases including PubMed, Scilit, Scopus, Embase, and Web of Science, with a pre-planned combination of keywords. Selected studies were original research reporting the influence of smartphone applications on cardiovascular risk factors in diabetic patients. Standardized mean differences (SMD) between the intervention and control groups were analyzed using fixed or random-effects models. Eighteen studies met the criteria, consisting of 1152 patients in the intervention group and 1072 patients in the control group. The results of the meta-analysis showed that the smartphone applications significantly controlled systolic blood pressure (SMD: -5.03 mmHg; 95%CI: -7.018, -3.041, p<0.001). There was no significance effect on weight, body mass index, total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-c), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-c) and diastolic blood pressure. In the subgroup analysis, triglycerides were lower in the intervention group compared to the control group (SMD: -0.459%; 95%CI: -0.787, -0.132, p=0.006). Publication bias and the limited number of studies suggest that the evidence from this study is in moderate level. In conclusion, smartphone apps are not only effective in aiding blood sugar control but also in preventing cardiovascular issues in diabetic patients. Further research is still needed to confirm these findings.

Efficacy of acetazolamide and loop diuretics combinatorial therapy in congestive heart failure: A meta-analysis

Teuku F. Duta — 2024-05-21

Acetazolamide, one of the carbonic anhydrase inhibitors, has been known to improve the efficacy of diuretic therapy in patients with in congestion heart failure. The aim this study was to investigate the effectiveness of acetazolamide when combined with loop diuretics in ameliorating diuresis and natriuresis in congestive heart failure using systematic review and meta-analysis. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and cohort studies were searched on PubMed, Scopus, and Embase on March 7, 2023, by using combinations of ‘acetazolamide’, ‘heart failure’ and along with their respective synonyms. The protocol had been registered on PROSPERO (CRD42023409864). The studies must investigate the effect of oral acetazolamide as the add-on to loop diuretic therapy to be included. Successful decongestion, natriuresis, and diuresis were set as the primary outcomes. The quality of the included studies was assessed using the Cochrane risk-of-bias tool for RCTs and Newcastle Ottawa Scale for observational studies. We identified 1176 titles in the initial search, and further reduced to five studies (three RCTs and two cohort studies) after in-depth screening. A total of 625 patients were recruited in the included studies published from 2015 to 2022. Results from meta-analysis revealed that acetazolamide and loop diuretics combination therapy ameliorated natriuresis (n=4; standardized means difference (SMD)=0.65; 95%CI: 0.07–1.24; p=0.03) and diuresis (n=2; SMD=0.29; 95%CI: 0.12–0.46; p=0.0009) when compared to loop diuretics alone. Acetazolamide and loop diuretics combinatorial therapy is efficacious in alleviating congestion in heart failure patients.

Targeting phosphoglycerate dehydrogenase enzyme using ginger compounds to suppress thyroid cancer progression

Faris I. Rahman — 2024-05-21

Recent studies have recognized the potential of inhibiting phosphoglycerate dehydrogenase (PHGDH) enzyme as a therapeutic strategy for treating papillary thyroid cancer. However, research on the efficacy of herbal compounds in inhibiting the PHGDH enzyme that have been reported to possess anticancer activities, including those found in ginger (Zingiber officinale), remains limited. The aim of this study was to examine the potential of ginger compounds in inhibiting PHGDH enzyme and to identify its potential use in the treatment of papillary thyroid cancer. The study employed computational methods to identify ginger-derived compounds that inhibit the PHGDH and impede papillary thyroid cancer progression. Crystallized protein structures were obtained from the Protein Data Bank, and Discovery Studio software was utilized to remove water molecules, double chains, and ligands. The receptor was modified by adding polar hydrogen, and AutodockTools4 software was employed to establish an accurate binding site based on the position of the previous ligand. Molecular docking experiments were conducted with 125 ginger-derived phytochemicals retrieved from the PubChem database. The results revealed nine active compounds found in ginger (galanolactone, myricetin, quercetin, cyanin, kaempferol, chlorogenic acid, delphinidin, alpha-cadinol, and curcumin) with strong binding affinities to PHGDH (minimum score threshold <-7 kcal/mol), indicating their potential for drug development. Galanolactone, myricetin, and quercetin were the top three compounds with the strongest binding affinity (-8.2, -7.9, and -7.9 kcal/mol, respectively), involving multiple bonds in the ligand-protein complex interaction. Notably, myricetin and quercetin formed three hydrogen bonds each, contributing to strong and stable bonds with the pocket region of PHGDH. In conclusion, ginger-derived compounds show promise in inhibiting PHGDH for the treatment of papillary thyroid cancer. However, further research is needed to validate the efficacy of these compounds and their interactions with the PHGDH in the context of thyroid cancer therapy.

Antagonistic activity of Trichoderma sp. against pathogens in the leaves of Allium ascalonicum L.

Indra Maulana — 2024-05-21

Pathogenic fungi pose constraints and reduce shallot production. Trichoderma sp. is an antagonistic fungus capable of controlling pathogen growth in shallots. The aim of this study was to determine the characteristics of Trichoderma sp. and pathogens in shallots and to assess the antagonistic ability of Trichoderma sp. against shallot pathogens (Allium ascalonicum L.). Trichoderma sp. and shallot pathogens were isolated using a serial dilution agar plate method using potato dextrose agar medium with 7-day incubation. The antagonistic activity of Trichoderma sp. against shallot pathogens was evaluated based on the dual culture method. In this study, we successfully isolated Trichoderma harzianum from the shallot leaf and its root systems. Moreover, four morphologically distinctive pathogens from shallot roots and leaves were successfully isolated (l Aspergillus sp., Colletotrichum sp., Phytium sp. and Penicillium sp. T. harzianum was found to have the ability to inhibit 23.45% growth of Aspergillus sp, 26.19% growth of Colletotrichum sp., 75.40% growth of Phytium sp., and 40.38% growth of Penicillium sp. In conclusion, the isolated T. harzianum had a strong antagonistic activity against some pathogens in the shallot, but the activity was weak against some others.