Nourishing the Human Holobiont to Reduce the Risk of Non-Communicable Diseases: A Cow’s Milk Evidence Map Example

The microbiome revolution brought the realization that diet, health, and safety for humans in reality means diet, health, and safety for the human holobiont/superorganism. Eating healthier means much more than just feeding human cells. Our diet must also nourish the combination of our microbiome and our connected physiological systems (e.g., the microimmunosome). For this reason, there has been an interest in returning to ancestral “complete” unprocessed foods enriched in microbes, including raw milks. To contribute to this inevitable “nourishing the holobiont” trend, we introduce a systematic risk–benefit analysis tool (evidence mapping), which facilitates transdisciplinary state-of-the-science decisions that transcend single scientific disciplines. Our prior paper developed an evidence map (a type of risk–benefit mind map) for raw vs. processed/pasteurized human breast milk. In the present paper, we follow with a comprehensive evidence map and narrative for raw/natural vs. processed/pasteurized cow’s milk. Importantly, the evidence maps incorporate clinical data for both infectious and non-communicable diseases and allow the impact of modern agricultural, food management, and medical and veterinary monitoring outcomes to be captured. Additionally, we focus on the impact of raw milks (as “complete” foods) on the microimmunosome, the microbiome-systems biology unit that significantly determines risk of the world’s number one cause of human death, non-communicable diseases.

Visualizing Person-centered Long-term Care: An Exploratory Scoping Review and Evidence Mapping

Despite decades of professional, academic, and policy interest in person-centered long-term care (LTC), the field continues to be challenged by the absence of a comprehensive depiction of the concept and a lack of consistency reflected across studies and measures. In response, a participatory action, research-focused, partnership between an institution of higher education and an LTC community (the University of Maine Center on Aging and The Cedars), with funding from The Mayer-Rothschild Foundation, is identifying and mapping the landscape of person-centered LTC in nursing homes and assisted living communities. A collaborative, ongoing, exploratory scoping literature review and evidence mapping has compiled a database of 663 academic and 115 grey literature articles through 65 systematic searches reviewing over 4,296 articles. An iterative process from both the resident and organizational perspectives revealed nine core domains (e.g. dining, resident care, environment, quality improvement, identity and personhood, etc.) and two substantive research gaps (the intersection of person-centered long term care with diversity, equity, and inclusion issues, and pandemic considerations). For mapping purposes, domain content was analyzed categorically based on concept, information revealed about resident, family, and staff experience, and operations applicability. The identified person-centered LTC domains, categorical analysis, identified gaps, and visual representation via mapping will contribute to generating research ideas, supporting the development of effective operationalization for LTC settings, and contributing to an understanding of the theoretical scope and concrete elements of a person-centered care model that aims to improve the wellbeing and quality of life of older adults in long-term residential settings.

Evidence and gap maps: Using maps to support evidence-based development

Evidence mapping began in the early 2000s and has taken off in the last ten years, notably with the innovation of an online interactive visual Evidence and Gap Map by the International Initiative for Impact Evaluation (3ie) and the different types of maps produced by the Campbell Collaboration. In the CEDIL Methods brief, ‘Evidence and gap maps: Using maps to support evidence-based development’, Howard White, Research Director, CEDIL, describes what evidence and gap maps are, what sort of evidence is being mapped, and the various ways in which these maps are being used and how you can commission one.

Preterm birth among Pacific Islander women and related perinatal outcomes: a scoping review protocol

IntroductionInfants born alive <37 weeks are classified as premature. The global estimate of preterm birth in 2014 was 10.6%, and it is the leading cause of death of children under the age of 5 years. Preterm birth disproportionately affects women of minority populations, yet knowledge about the incidence and associated outcomes among Pacific Islanders is limited. The objectives of this scoping review are to identify studies that describe risk factors, maternal-child health outcomes and existing interventions to prevent preterm birth among Pacific Islanders, and to summarise the barriers and facilitators to decrease the burden.Methods and analysisWe will follow the Joanna Briggs Institute Manual for Evidence Synthesis for scoping reviews and the Preferred Reporting Items for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) to conduct this scoping review. The Covidence web application will be used for data management and consensus review. We will search on MEDLINE ALL (Ovid), EMBASE (Ovid), Web of Science Core Collection (as licensed at Yale), the Cochrane Library, CINAHL (EBSCOhost) and two non-indexed regional journals (Pacific Journal of Reproductive Health and Pacific Health Dialog). Title-abstract and full-text screening of eligible studies will be performed by two authors, and data will be extracted by the first author. Outcomes extracted will be presented using evidence mapping.Ethics and disseminationFindings will drive suggestions for new data collection needed to fill knowledge gaps and improve future study designs to decrease the burden of preterm birth among Pacific Islanders. There are no ethical concerns. This protocol will be disseminated in related peer-reviewed journals.

Evidence Mapping of Proton Therapy, Heavy Ion Therapy, and Helical Tomotherapy for Gastric Cancer

<b><i>Purpose:</i></b> This study aimed to systematically present application situation and therapeutic effect of proton therapy (PT), heavy ion therapy, and helical tomotherapy (TOMO) for gastric cancer (GC), and to find gaps of existing studies. <b><i>Methods:</i></b> PubMed, EMBASE, the Cochrane Library, Web of Science, and Chinese Biological Medical Database were searched. Tables, bubble plot, and heat map were conducted to display results. <b><i>Results:</i></b> Fourteen studies were included. About PT, 7 single-arm studies showed median overall survival (OS) within 2–66 months and 1 study reported 40% of patients happened moderate degree of radiation gastritis. About TOMO, 1 study reported longer median OS and progression-free survival, lower occurrence of Grade III toxicity, and late toxicity compared to 3D-CRT, while another study remained neutral. About heavy ion therapy, there was no clinical study was found. <b><i>Conclusions:</i></b> Existing studies presented good clinic treatment effect about PT and TOMO for GC, and furthermore clinical studies are needed.