Collaborative writing applications in support of knowledge translation and management during pandemics: A scoping review.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to: (1) Map existing evidence about the use of collaborative writing applications (CWAs) during pandemics; (2) Describe CWAs' positive and negative effects on knowledge translation (KT) and knowledge management (KM) during pandemics; and (3) Inventory the barriers and facilitators that affect CWAs' use to support KT and KM during pandemics. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Based on the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) Extension for Scoping Reviews, we conducted a scoping review of the literature reporting the use of CWAs during pandemics published between 2001 and 2021. Two reviewers undertook the screening, study selection and qualitative thematic analysis. RESULTS: We identified a total of 46 studies. CWAs were used for the following two purposes: KT and KM (23 of 46) anddisease surveillance and infodemiology (20 of 46). Three studies addressed both purposes. Influenza was the focus of most studies (15 of 46), followed by COVID-19 (10 of 46).We identified and classified 24 barriers and 66 facilitators into four categories (factors related to the CWAs, users' knowledge and attitude towards CWAs, human environment, and organizational environment). We also found 74 positive and 7 negative effects that were classified into processes and outcomes. CONCLUSION: CWAs offer the potential to accelerate KT and KM during pandemics. Their scalability and adaptability to different contexts makes them well suited to support the urgent KT and KM needed in the context of rapidly changing knowledge during pandemics. While their speed and cost as disease surveillance systems compare favorably with existing surveillance systems, the primary challenge is to ensure the accuracy of information shared.

Association between Dietary Nitrate, Nitrite Intake, and Site-Specific Cancer Risk: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

BACKGROUND: People consume nitrates, nitrites, nitrosamines, and NOCs compounds primarily through processed food. Many studies have yielded inconclusive results regarding the association between cancer and dietary intakes of nitrates and nitrites. This study aimed to quantify these associations across the reported literature thus far. METHODS: We performed a systematic review following PRISMA and MOOSE guidelines. A literature search was performed using Web of Science, Embase, PubMed, the Cochrane library, and google scholar up to January 2020. STATA version 12.0 was used to conduct meta-regression and a two-stage meta-analysis. RESULTS: A total of 41 articles with 13 different cancer sites were used for analysis. Of these 13 cancer types/sites, meta-regression analysis showed that bladder and stomach cancer risk was greater, and that pancreatic cancer risk was lower with increasing nitrite intakes. Kidney and bladder cancer risk were both lower with increasing nitrate intakes. When comparing highest to lowest (reference) categories of intake, meta-analysis of studies showed that high nitrate intake was associated with an increased risk of thyroid cancer (OR = 1.40, 95% CI: 1.02, 1.77). When pooling all intake categories and comparing against the lowest (reference) category, higher nitrite intake was associated with an increased risk of glioma (OR = 1.12, 95% CI: 1.03, 1.22). No other associations between cancer risk and dietary intakes of nitrates or nitrites were observed. CONCLUSION: This study showed varied associations between site-specific cancer risks and dietary intakes of nitrate and nitrite. Glioma, bladder, and stomach cancer risks were higher and pancreatic cancer risk was lower with higher nitrite intakes, and thyroid cancer risk was higher and kidney cancer risk lower with higher nitrate intakes. These data suggest type- and site-specific effects of cancer risk, including protective effects, from dietary intakes of nitrate and nitrite.

Drinking-water nitrate and cancer risk: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Nitrate is an inorganic compound that occurs naturally in all surface and groundwater, although higher concentrations tend to occur only where fertilizers are used on the land. The regulatory limit for nitrate in public drinking water supplies was set to protect against infant methemoglobinemia, but other health effects were not considered. Risk of specific cancers and congenital disabilities may be increased when the nitrate is ingested, and nitrate is reduced to nitrite, which can react with amines and amides by nitrosation to form N-nitroso compounds which are known animal carcinogens. This study aims to evaluate the association between nitrate ingested through drinking water and the risk of developing cancers in humans. METHODS: We performed a systematic review following PRISMA and MOOSE guidelines. A literature search was performed using PubMed, EMBASE, the Cochrane Library databases, Web of Science and Google Scholars in the time-frame from their inception to January 2020, for potentially eligible publications. STATA version 12.0 was used to conduct meta-regression and a two-stage meta-analysis. RESULTS: A total of 48 articles with 13 different cancer sites were used for analysis. The meta-regression analysis showed stomach cancer had an association with the median dosage of nitrate from drinking water (t = 3.98, p = 0.0001, and adjusted R-squared = 50.61%), other types of cancers didn't show any association. The first stage of meta-analysis showed there was an association only between the risk of brain cancer & glioma (OR = 1.15, 95% CI: 1.06, 1.24) and colon cancer (OR = 1.11, 95% CI: 1.04, 1.17) and nitrate consumption in the analysis comparing the highest ORs versus the lowest. The 2nd stage showed there was an association only between the risk colon cancer (OR = 1.14, 95% CI: 1.04, 1.23) and nitrate consumption in the analysis comparing all combined higher ORs versus the lowest. CONCLUSION: This study showed that there is an association between the intake of nitrate from drinking water and a type of cancer in humans. The effective way of controlling nitrate concentrations in drinking water is the prevention of contamination (water pollution). Further research work on this topic is needed.

Intention to Use Wiki-Based Knowledge Tools: Survey of Quebec Emergency Health Professionals.

BACKGROUND: Clinical decision support systems are information technologies that assist clinicians in making better decisions. Their adoption has been limited because their content is difficult to adapt to local contexts and slow to adapt to emerging evidence. Collaborative writing applications such as wikis have the potential to increase access to existing and emerging evidence-based knowledge at the point of care, standardize emergency clinical decision making, and quickly adapt this knowledge to local contexts. However, little is known about the factors influencing health professionals' use of wiki-based knowledge tools. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to measure emergency physicians' (EPs) and other acute care health professionals' (ACHPs) intentions to use wiki-based knowledge tools in trauma care and identify determinants of this intention that can be used in future theory-based interventions for promoting the use of wiki-based knowledge tools in trauma care. METHODS: In total, 266 EPs and 907 ACHPs (nurses, respiratory therapists, and pharmacists) from 12 Quebec trauma centers were asked to answer a survey based on the theory of planned behavior (TPB). The TPB constructs were measured using a 7-point Likert scale. Descriptive statistics and Pearson correlations between the TPB constructs and intention were calculated. Multiple linear regression analysis was conducted to identify the salient beliefs. RESULTS: Among the eligible participants, 57.1% (152/266) of EPs and 31.9% (290/907) of ACHPs completed the questionnaire. For EPs, we found that attitude, perceived behavioral control (PBC), and subjective norm (SN) were significant determinants of the intention to use wiki-based knowledge tools and explained 62% of its variance. None of the sociodemographic variables were related to EPs' intentions to use wiki-based knowledge tools. The regression model identified two normative beliefs ("approval by physicians" and "approval by patients") and two behavioral beliefs ("refreshes my memory" and "reduces errors"). For ACHPs, attitude, PBC, SN, and two sociodemographic variables (profession and the previous personal use of a wiki) were significantly related to the intention to use wiki-based knowledge tools and explained 60% of the variance in behavioral intention. The final regression model for ACHPs included two normative beliefs ("approval by the hospital trauma team" and "people less comfortable with information technology"), one control belief ("time constraints"), and one behavioral belief ("access to evidence"). CONCLUSIONS: The intentions of EPs and ACHPs to use wiki-based knowledge tools to promote best practices in trauma care can be predicted in part by attitude, SN, and PBC. We also identified salient beliefs that future theory-based interventions should promote for the use of wiki-based knowledge tools in trauma care. These interventions will address the barriers to using wiki-based knowledge tools, find ways to ensure the quality of their content, foster contributions, and support the exploration of wiki-based knowledge tools as potential effective knowledge translation tools in trauma care.

Anti-inflammatory and antipyretic properties of Kang 601 heji, a traditional Chinese oral liquid dosage form

Objective: To evaluate the scientific basis for the use of Kang 601 heji (K-601) as an anti-inflammatory and antipyretic agent using appropriate animal models. Methods: Carrageenan-induced rat paw and xylene-induced ear oedemas were models used to investigate anti-inflammatory actions of K-601. Lipopolysaccharide-induced pyrexia model was used to evaluate antipyretic activity in Wistar rats. The anti-inflammatory and antipyretic mechanisms were evaluated by detecting prostaglandins E