Treatment and Care for Nursing Home Residents with COVID-19: A Qualitative Study.

Purpose: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) placed a significant strain on nursing homes, leading to numerous outbreaks and high mortality rates. This situation created considerable stress and challenges for residents, their physicians and nurses, as well as family caregivers. By understanding these challenges, we can gain new insights and learn valuable lessons. Thus, the purpose of this study is to examine the treatment and care provided to nursing home residents with COVID-19, as experienced by physicians, nurses, and family caregivers. Participants and Methods: This study is a secondary analysis of 35 interviews with physicians, nurses, and family caregivers, each with personal experience caring for nursing home residents diagnosed with COVID-19. The interviews took place from December 2020 to April 2021. We analyzed the transcriptions based on Braun and Clarke's reflexive thematic analysis model and followed a qualitative descriptive design as outlined by Sandelowski. Findings: The analysis produced three themes: 1) Balancing medical treatment, 2) The need for increased systematic monitoring of vital functions, and 3) Determining the treatment level for nursing home residents. These themes were explored through the unique perspectives of the three participant groups: physicians, nurses, and family caregivers. The findings revealed several challenges related to treatment and care for nursing home residents diagnosed with COVID-19. This applied both to relief of symptoms, monitoring of vital functions, assessment of treatment level and use of advance care planning. Conclusion: Drawing from the experiences of physicians, nurses, and family caregivers, there should be a unified plan at the municipal or national level for competency development in nursing homes to prepare for future crises like pandemics or epidemics. Additionally, the safe engagement of family caregivers and relatives should be given priority.

Longitudinal Studies of Aging in Sub-Saharan Africa: Review, Limitations, and Recommendations in Preparation of Projected Aging Population.

Background and Objectives: The United Nations has projected a 218% increase in older people in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) between 2019 and 2050, underscoring the need to explore changes that would occur over this time. Longitudinal studies are ideal for studying and proffering solutions to these changes. This review aims to understand the breadth and use of longitudinal studies on aging in the SSA regions, proffering recommendations in preparation for the projected aging population. Research Design and Methods: This paper is the third of a four-part series paper of a previous systematic mapping review of aging studies in SSA. We updated the search (between 2021 and 2023) and screened the titles/abstracts and full-text articles by a pair of independent reviewers. Data were extracted using a standardized data-charting form, identifying longitudinal studies in SSA. Results: We identified 193 studies leveraging 24 longitudinal study data sets conducted at 28 unique sites. The World Health Organization's Study on Global AGEing and Adult Health (WHO-SAGE) (n = 59, 30.5%) and Health and Aging in Africa: A Longitudinal Study of an INDEPTH Community in South Africa (HAALSI) (n = 51, 26.4%) were the most used longitudinal data sets. Four studies used more than one longitudinal study data set. Eighteen of the longitudinal study data sets were used only in 1-4 studies. Most (n = 150, 77.7%) of the studies used a cross-sectional analytical approach. Discussion and Implications: Longitudinal studies on aging are sparingly being utilized in SSA. Most analyses conducted across the longitudinal data set were cross-sectional, which hindered the understanding of aging changes that occurred over time that could better inform aging policy and interventions. We call for funding bodies, such as WHO-SAGE, to develop funding competitions that focus on conducting longitudinal analyses, such as structural equation modeling, highlighting changes occurring among the aging population in SSA.

A comprehensive review on the integration of geographic information systems and artificial intelligence for landfill site selection: A systematic mapping perspective.

Properly selecting landfill sites for waste disposal is crucial for mitigating environmental and public health risks. Geographic Information Systems (GISs) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) techniques have emerged as valuable tools for identifying suitable landfill locations. This study presents a systematic mapping study (SMS) that investigates the usage of GIS and AI in landfill site selection. We searched six databases (IEEE Xplore, ACM Digital Library, Science Direct, Emerald Insight, Taylor & Francis Online and Web of Science) using predefined keywords related to landfills, GIS and AI. From 858 initially retrieved articles, we selected 48 relevant articles for in-depth analysis. Our research aimed to answer various questions, such as publication trends, the geographic distribution of case studies, criteria for assessing landfill suitability, tools and techniques employed, preliminary site screening methods, decision-making processes, limitations and future research directions. We used bubble charts, bar charts and tables to visualize the results. The findings of our study highlight the growing interest in using GIS and AI for landfill site selection and emphasize the importance of incorporating multi-criteria decision-making techniques. Furthermore, the results reveal the need for developing more advanced AI models, addressing the limitations of current approaches and exploring novel visualization techniques for enhancing landfill site selection processes. This study provides valuable insights for researchers and practitioners in waste management, environmental science and geoinformatics. It sets the groundwork for future research on improving GIS- and AI-based landfill site selection methodologies.

Histories of violence among clients seeking substance use disorder treatment: a systematic mapping review.

Introduction: There is a limited literature base regarding the intersection of drug and alcohol treatment, violence, and trauma. While research substantiates that exposure to violence and trauma impacts the propensity to misuse substances, the conceptualization in clinical trials and practice has largely been narrow and gendered, referring only to intimate partner or domestic violence. Our systematic mapping review explored a more inclusive and expansive review of survivors of and perpetrators of violence and trauma (e.g., intimate partner violence, sexual assault, stalking, child abuse, political and community violence, criminal violence, micro violence, structural violence, and oppression) to establish: 1) the types of treatment settings included in intervention studies, 2) the common indicators of success or common outcomes recorded, and 3) understanding who is seeking treatment for drug and alcohol use with histories of violence. Methods: A systematic mapping review was conducted to identify any peer-reviewed articles published from 2011 to 2022. The Web of Science database was searched using a broad set of Boolean search terms related to violence, substance use disorders, and treatment. Over 8,800 records were identified from the systematic review with a total of 48 articles meeting inclusion criteria. Results: Most studies in this review included populations reporting perpetration of violence (n=23, 48%) versus participants reporting survival of trauma/violence (n=17, 35%). Results also indicated female identifying populations (n=19; 40%) were predominantly served, were treated in the US (n=33; 69%) and seen in an outpatient setting (n=24; 50%). Authors also were attentive to studies that included sexual and gender minorities and discovered only three studies (6%) explicitly acknowledging inclusion of transgender participants or participants in relationship with partners of the same sex; three more studies (6%) were focused on participants with histories of or engaging in sex work. Discussion: This review outlines treatment and research implications directly situated in the gap of service delivery found in this review. Specifically, the results elucidate the impact on minoritized and excluded identities based on gender, sexual preference, criminal legal status and directions for research and treatment to increase inclusion, representation, and equity across research and treatment settings.

Informing the State of Process Modeling and Automation of Blood Banking and Transfusion Services Through a Systematic Mapping Study.

Purpose: The current state of the art in process modeling of blood banking and transfusion services is not well grounded; methodological reviews are lacking to bridge the gap between such blood banking and transfusion processes (and their models) and their automation. This research aims to fill this gap with a methodological review. Methods: A systematic mapping study was adopted, driven by five key research questions. Identified research studies were accepted based on fulfilling the following inclusion criteria: 1) research studies should focus on blood banking and transfusion process modeling since the late 1970s; and 2) research studies should focus on process automation in relation to workflow-based systems, with papers classified into categories in line with the analysis undertaken to answer each of the research questions. Results: The search identified 22 papers related to modeling and automation of blood banking and transfusion, published in the period 1979-2022. The findings revealed that only four process modeling languages were reported to visualize process workflows. The preparation of blood components, serologic testing, blood distribution, apheresis, preparation for emergencies, maintaining blood banking and transfusion safety, and documentation have not been reported to have been modeled in the literature. This review revealed the lack of use of Business Process Modeling Notation (BPMN) as the industry standard process modeling language in the domain. The review also indicated a deficiency in modeling specialized processes in blood banking and transfusion, with the majority of reported processes being described as high level, but lacking elaboration. Automation was reported to improve transfusion safety, and to reduce cost, time cycle, and human errors. Conclusion: The work highlights the non-existence of a developed process architectural framework for blood banking and transfusion processes, which is needed to lay the groundwork for identifying and modeling strategic, managerial, and operational processes to bridge the gap with their enactment in healthcare systems. This paves the way for the development of a data-harvesting platform for blood banking and transfusion services.

Railway Catenary Condition Monitoring: A Systematic Mapping of Recent Research.

In this paper, a different approach to the traditional literature review-literature systematic mapping-is adopted to summarize the progress in the recent research on railway catenary system condition monitoring in terms of aspects such as sensor categories, monitoring targets, and so forth. Importantly, the deep interconnections among these aspects are also investigated through systematic mapping. In addition, the authorship and publication trends are also examined. Compared to a traditional literature review, the literature mapping approach focuses less on the technical details of the research but reflects the research trends, and focuses in a specific field by visualizing them with the help of different plots and figures, which makes it more visually direct and comprehensible than the traditional literature review approach.

Incentive mechanisms of carbon farming contracts: A systematic mapping study.

Despite increasing interest, a lack of comprehensive knowledge regarding the efficient design and implementation of carbon farming schemes remains. These schemes must efficiently achieve higher carbon sequestration, incentivize farmers, and increase farmers' participation in global carbon markets. Our study systematically reviews, describes, and maps available evidence related to carbon farming contracts to assess different incentive mechanisms for carbon farming. We conduct a systematic mapping review of articles extracted from various databases employing the Collaboration for Environmental Evidence method. We shortlist 52 articles and analyze about 40 global case studies, identifying three main incentive mechanisms of carbon farming contracts, namely, result-based, action-based, and hybrid payments. We examine how these incentive mechanisms are designed, in addition to associated payment types, monitoring approaches, and barriers to implementation. Result-based payments include stringent monitoring and can be implemented through auctions, carbon credits, product labels or certificates. Action-based payments are found to be simpler, with lower monitoring requirements for farmers and can be paid upfront or after contract implementation. Hybrid payments combine both techniques, offering low-risk and guaranteed payments for farmers and definite environmental mitigation impacts. Result-based and hybrid payments motivate farmers to innovate to meet environmental objectives while also connecting them to carbon markets. The major challenges to developing a successful carbon farming project include lack of permanence, non-additionality, and the absence of stringent monitoring, reporting, and verification standards, all of which affect farmers' incentives. This study determines that carbon farming contract design and efficiency can be improved by analyzing the lessons learned from previous experiences. By examining and improving the attributes that define different incentive mechanisms, farmers can be better motivated to enroll in carbon farming schemes and benefit from increased access to carbon markets to potentially transform agriculture into a viable tool for climate action.

Explainable artificial intelligence for omics data: a systematic mapping study.

Researchers increasingly turn to explainable artificial intelligence (XAI) to analyze omics data and gain insights into the underlying biological processes. Yet, given the interdisciplinary nature of the field, many findings have only been shared in their respective research community. An overview of XAI for omics data is needed to highlight promising approaches and help detect common issues. Toward this end, we conducted a systematic mapping study. To identify relevant literature, we queried Scopus, PubMed, Web of Science, BioRxiv, MedRxiv and arXiv. Based on keywording, we developed a coding scheme with 10 facets regarding the studies' AI methods, explainability methods and omics data. Our mapping study resulted in 405 included papers published between 2010 and 2023. The inspected papers analyze DNA-based (mostly genomic), transcriptomic, proteomic or metabolomic data by means of neural networks, tree-based methods, statistical methods and further AI methods. The preferred post-hoc explainability methods are feature relevance (n = 166) and visual explanation (n = 52), while papers using interpretable approaches often resort to the use of transparent models (n = 83) or architecture modifications (n = 72). With many research gaps still apparent for XAI for omics data, we deduced eight research directions and discuss their potential for the field. We also provide exemplary research questions for each direction. Many problems with the adoption of XAI for omics data in clinical practice are yet to be resolved. This systematic mapping study outlines extant research on the topic and provides research directions for researchers and practitioners.

Differences in the distribution of triggers among resting state networks in patients with juvenile myoclonic epilepsy explained by network analysis.

Background: Juvenile myoclonus epilepsy (JME) is an idiopathic generalized epilepsy syndrome. Functional connectivity studies based on graph theory have demonstrated changes in functional connectivity among different brain regions in patients with JME and healthy controls. However, previous studies have not been able to clarify why visual stimulation or increased cognitive load induces epilepsy symptoms in only some patients with JME. Methods: This study constructed a small-world network for the visualization of functional connectivity of brain regions in patients with JME, based on system mapping. We used the node reduction method repeatedly to identify the core nodes of the resting brain network of patients with JME. Thereafter, a functional connectivity network of the core brain regions in patients with JME was established, and it was analyzed manually with white matter tracks restriction to explain the differences in symptom distribution in patients with JME. Results: Patients with JME had 21 different functional connections in their resting state, and no significant differences in their distribution were noted. The thalamus, cerebellum, basal ganglia, supplementary motor area, visual cortex, and prefrontal lobe were the core brain regions that comprised the functional connectivity network in patients with JME during their resting state. The betweenness centrality of the prefrontal lobe and the visual cortex in the core functional connectivity network of patients with JME was lower than that of the other brain regions. Conclusion: The functional connectivity and node importance of brain regions of patients with JME changed dynamically in the resting state. Abnormal discharges originating from the thalamus, cerebellum, basal ganglia, supplementary motor area, visual cortex, and prefrontal cortex are most likely to lead to seizures in patients with JME. Further, the low average value of betweenness centrality of the prefrontal and visual cortices explains why visual stimulation or increased cognitive load can induce epileptic symptoms in only some patients with JME.

Two decades of assistive technologies to empower people with disability: a systematic mapping study.

PURPOSE: Information and Communication Technologies have transformed our lives in different social areas, facilitating interpersonal relationships thanks to technological tools. In the specific case of people with disabilities, Assistive Technologies (ATs) break down barriers and increase opportunities to become active members of society with equal opportunities. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This paper presents a systematic mapping study that analyzes the current state-of-the-art of ATs proposed in the literature to support the empowering of people with disability. Specifically, this paper focuses on (1) describing a global vision of the scientific literature published in the last 20 years about ATs in the computer science field and (2) identifying research needs, gaps, and trends. RESULTS: For this purpose, an in-depth analysis of 389 primary studies is presented. The information obtained from the mapping process is also constrained. Concretely, 35 ATs versus 22 disabilities are compared, obtaining striking peaks for some disabilities described in the discussion. CONCLUSIONS: Finally, the findings show that several areas have been covered only lightly, revealing interesting future directions and challenges for junior researchers.

• ATs have the potential to break down barriers for people with disabilities, enabling them to participate more fully in society. This implies a need for rehabilitation programs to incorporate ATs into their strategies to enhance social inclusion.• Given the transformative role of ICT, rehabilitation programs should focus on helping people with disabilities develop the necessary technological skills to utilize ATs effectively.• This work highlights the diversity of ATs and disabilities, suggesting a need for personalized rehabilitation plans that match specific ATs to individual disabilities.• Rehabilitation professionals should be trained to assess and recommend appropriate ATs for each case. Rehabilitation programs should consider incorporating cutting-edge ATs and staying involved in research to contribute to future developments to cover gaps and challenges identified.

Clinical trials in cancer screening, prevention and early diagnosis (SPED): a systematic mapping review.

BACKGROUND: Global annual cancer incidence is forecast to rise to 27.5 M by 2040, a 62% increase from 2018. For most cancers, prevention and early detection are the most effective ways of reducing mortality. This study maps trials in cancer screening, prevention, and early diagnosis (SPED) to identify areas of unmet need and highlight research priorities. METHODS: A systematic mapping review was conducted to evaluate all clinical trials focused on cancer SPED, irrespective of tumour type. The National Cancer Research Institute (NCRI) portfolio, EMBASE, PubMed and Medline were searched for relevant papers published between 01/01/2007 and 01/04/2020. References were exported into Covidence software and double-screened. Data were extracted and mapped according to tumour site, geographical location, and intervention type. RESULTS: One hundred seventeen thousand seven hundred one abstracts were screened, 5157 full texts reviewed, and 2888 studies included. 1184 (52%) trials focussed on screening, 554 (24%) prevention, 442 (20%) early diagnosis, and 85 (4%) a combination. Colorectal, breast, and cervical cancer comprised 61% of all studies compared with 6.4% in lung and 1.8% in liver cancer. The latter two are responsible for 26.3% of global cancer deaths compared with 19.3% for the former three. Number of studies varied markedly according to geographical location; 88% were based in North America, Europe, or Asia. CONCLUSIONS: This study shows clear disparities in the volume of research conducted across different tumour types and according to geographical location. These findings will help drive future research effort so that resources can be directed towards major challenges in cancer SPED.

Understanding inequalities in access to adult mental health services in the UK: a systematic mapping review.

BACKGROUND: Population groups experience differential access to timely and high-quality mental healthcare. Despite efforts of recent UK policies to improve the accessibility of mental health services, there remains a lack of comprehensive understanding of inequalities in access to services needed to do this. This systematic mapping review aimed to address this gap by identifying which population groups continue to be poorly served by access to adult mental health services in the UK, how access has been measured, and what research methods have been applied. METHODS: Seven electronic databases were searched from January 2014 up to May 2022. Primary research studies of any design were included if they examined access to adult NHS mental health services in the UK by population groups at risk of experiencing inequalities. Study characteristics, measures of access, inequalities studied, and key findings were extracted. A best-fit framework approach was used, applying Levesque's Conceptual Framework for Healthcare Access to synthesise measures of access, and applying a template derived from Cochrane Progress-Plus and NHS Long Term Plan equality characteristics to synthesise key findings associated with inequalities. RESULTS: Of 1,929 publications retrieved, 152 studies of various types were included. The most frequently considered dimensions of inequality were gender, age, and ethnicity, whilst social capital, religion, and sexual orientation were least frequently considered. Most studies researched access by measuring "healthcare utilisation", followed by studies that measured "healthcare seeking". Key barriers to access were associated with individuals' "ability to seek" (e.g. stigma and discrimination) and "ability to reach" (e.g. availability of services). Almost half of the studies used routinely collected patient data, and only 16% of studies reported patient and public involvement. CONCLUSIONS: Little appears to have changed in the nature and extent of inequalities, suggesting that mental health services have not become more accessible. Actions to reduce inequalities should address barriers to population groups' abilities to seek and reach services such as stigma-reducing interventions, and re-designing services and pathways. Significant benefits exist in using routinely collected patient data, but its limitations should not be ignored. More theoretically informed research, using a holistic measurement of access, is needed in this area. REVIEW REGISTRATION: https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/RQ5U7 .

Understanding STEM career choices: A systematic mapping.

STEM disciplines are considered essential for human development, and they are associated with low unemployment rates and good economic prospects. However, many countries are faced with the problem of too few STEM graduates, which raises the question of why more students do not choose STEM majors. This study presents a systematic mapping of studies published prior to 2021 in Web of Science or Scopus in order to examine the research trends on the factors that cause students to choose a career in Computer Science, or more generically, in the STEM fields. These factors have been identified and classified in 3 categories: Environmental factors, Social influencers and Personal factors. The categories are made up of 4 levels of subcategories. We analyzed (1) the countries in which the study was conducted, (2) the characteristics of the study and (3) the frameworks used. The results show that the bulk of the studies were conducted in developed countries, mainly in North America and Europe. The frameworks most commonly used in the studies are Expectancy-Value Theory and Social Cognitive Career Theory, and consequently, the most commonly studied factors for STEM degrees are those related to personal psychological factors. For Computer Science degrees, the most frequently studied factor is career prospects. On the other hand, a small number of studies on the impact of social media on the choice of studies in the technology field were detected. Among the studies analyzed, there is great interest in determining the factors that specifically affect women and the differences between men and women, especially in studies dealing with the Computer Sciences. Furthermore, there are few studies that analyze the effect of informal educational experiences among women. Given that this kind of experiences has become very popular in recent years among women, future research should analyze their impact on the choice of STEM studies. Taking into account the current relevance of the social media, additional research on their impact on the choice of studies should be conducted. It would also be necessary to analyze the situation in underdeveloped countries, especially among women, given that this field is currently a driver of economic development.

Understanding university teachers' digital competencies: a systematic mapping study.

Being digitally competent is an imperative requirement for the 21st century university teacher, a fact recognized by both the literature and policymakers. Although this topic has been addressed in different reviews and critical studies recently, none of them have systematically and explicitly addressed the factors that explain, or are explained by, the digital competencies of university teachers. Examples of these factors include, among others, demographic, professional and psychological aspects of university teachers, as well as very specific digital competencies. The present study seeks to close this gap through a systematic mapping of the literature published until 2021 in journals indexed by Scopus and Web of Science (WOS). Based on the selection of 53 primary studies, we characterized the literature and summarized the main results reported so far. The analysis allowed us to conclude the following: 1) there is a growing number of contributions aimed at understanding the acquisition of digital competencies, especially from external factors; 2) European, and more specifically Spanish, university teachers from multiple disciplines are the most studied population; 3) most studies adopted quantitative approaches to explain but not prove causality; 4) there is a great heterogeneity of relationships and results that explain the digital competencies of university professors. The implications of these results are discussed with a view to identifying the gaps that provide scope for future research.

Exploring the roles of starch for microbial encapsulation through a systematic mapping review.

Microorganism encapsulation protects them from stressful conditions and assists in maintaining their viability, being especially beneficial when the carrier material is a renewable and biodegradable biopolymer, such as starch. Here, a systematic mapping was performed to provide a current overview on the use of starch-based systems for microbial encapsulation. Following well-established guidelines, a systematic mapping was conducted and the following could be drawn: 1) there was a significant increase in publications on microbial encapsulation using starch over the past decade, showing interest from the scientific community, 2) ionotropic gelation, emulsification and spray drying are the most commonly used techniques for starch-based microbial encapsulation, and 3) starch play important functions in the encapsulation matrix such as assisting in the survival of the microorganisms. The information gathered in this systematic mapping can be useful to guide researchers and industrial sectors on the development of innovative starch-based systems for microbial encapsulation.

Systematic map of the most recent evidence (2010-2019) on ruminant production-limiting disease prevalence and associated mortality in Ethiopia.

Background: Ethiopia's livestock sector supports the livelihoods of millions of smallholder farmers. However, despite the improvements of recent years, livestock productivity remains low due to critical constraints, including infectious diseases. The aim of this study was to collate and synthesize the published evidence on ruminant disease frequency and disease-associated mortality in Ethiopia, by identifying knowledge gaps and clusters in the literature to provide the basis for a decision-making tool. Methods: Searches on both bibliographic and organization databases were conducted in English and were restricted to the period 2010-2019. Search results were screened for relevance at title, abstract and full text level. Results: There were 716 articles identified relevant to the research question. The systematic map revealed an increased publication output from 2012-2017, compared to 2010-2011 and 2018-2019. Most studies were conducted in Oromia, Amhara and SNNPR. A substantial body of evidence was found for trypanosomosis, ectoparasite infestation, fasciolosis, nematodiasis, echinococcosis, and brucellosis. Conclusion: This study suggests that despite the high output of epidemiological publications, further understanding of a considerable number of diseases is required and where evidence is abundant, synthesis of information should be carried out in order to better inform decisions on disease control priorities in the livestock sector.

Qualitative research in physiotherapy: A systematic mapping review of 20 years literature from sub-Saharan Africa.

STUDY AIM: To summarize the current state and quality of qualitative research conducted by physiotherapists in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). METHODS: We systematically searched multiple databases from 2000 to December 2020 and included peer-reviewed qualitative studies conducted by physiotherapists in SSA countries. Two reviewers independently screened citations, extracted data, and assessed the quality of the included studies using the 45-items checklist by Lundgren, and colleagues. Conventional content analysis was employed to create physiotherapy subject areas from the included studies. RESULTS: We included 114 studies, a majority of 84 (74%) conducted in South Africa. Included studies were categorized into five subject areas: sports (n = 2), disability (n = 16), professional practice (n = 24), education and training (n = 36), and care provision (n = 36). We rated 74 (65%), 29 (25%), and 11 (10%) of the included research as low reporting quality, moderate- and high reporting quality, respectively. There was a significant lack of reporting on researchers' team characteristics, reflexivity, and member checking. CONCLUSION: We conclude that the reporting of published qualitative studies in SSA shows variable quality, albeit mostly low, focused mainly on care provision, education, and training. Physiotherapy-researchers are encouraged to report reflexive practice and member checking when conducting qualitative research.

Cannabidiol Safety Data: A Systematic Mapping Study.

Robust assessment of potential adverse outcomes is needed to determine a safe cannabidiol (CBD) intake level for consumer use. To assist in identifying knowledge gaps and inform future decision making regarding systematic development of health-based benchmarks, we have developed the first systematic map of the safety-related information available for CBD in the peer-reviewed literature. Literature searching conducted according to a published protocol yielded a total of 4186 unique titles and abstracts published through 2020. These were screened using DistillerSR for studies that evaluated at least one potential health outcome following exposure to CBD and/or other hemp-derived substances. Additional categorization was conducted for a subset of 1001 studies in which CBD was administered alone. Studies that investigated CBD most frequently reported on neurological outcomes (532), carcinogenic outcomes (129), and pharmacokinetics (118). Less frequently studied categories included developmental and reproductive, hepatic, and gastrointestinal outcomes. The primary outcomes associated with the most adverse events reported in the literature were neurological (13) and developmental and reproductive (12). Based on the studies identified, reproductive and developmental toxicity was identified as a data gap that warrants conducting a well-designed, guideline-compliant reproductive toxicity study on CBD. In addition, immune outcomes were noted as a potential emerging research area for CBD. This systematic map provides an important baseline from which to identify topics that may be suitable for further research related to the safe use of CBD. Implications for future potential work and limitations of the mapping exercise are discussed.

Imbalanced data preprocessing techniques for machine learning: a systematic mapping study.

Machine Learning (ML) algorithms have been increasingly replacing people in several application domains-in which the majority suffer from data imbalance. In order to solve this problem, published studies implement data preprocessing techniques, cost-sensitive and ensemble learning. These solutions reduce the naturally occurring bias towards the majority sample through ML. This study uses a systematic mapping methodology to assess 9927 papers related to sampling techniques for ML in imbalanced data applications from 7 digital libraries. A filtering process selected 35 representative papers from various domains, such as health, finance, and engineering. As a result of a thorough quantitative analysis of these papers, this study proposes two taxonomies-illustrating sampling techniques and ML models. The results indicate that oversampling and classical ML are the most common preprocessing techniques and models, respectively. However, solutions with neural networks and ensemble ML models have the best performance-with potentially better results through hybrid sampling techniques. Finally, none of the 35 works apply simulation-based synthetic oversampling, indicating a path for future preprocessing solutions.

Impact of climate change on occupational health and safety: A review of methodological approaches.

BACKGROUND: The working population is exposed daily to unavoidable climatic conditions due to their occupational settings. Effects of the weather such as rain, heat, and air pollution may increase the risk of diseases, injuries, accidents, and even death during labor. OBJECTIVE: This paper aims to summarize the impacts of climate change on workers' health, safety and performance, identifying the risks, affected workplaces and the range of methodological approaches used to assess this problem. METHODS: A thorough systematic mapping was conducted in seven scientific international databases: Emerald, IEEE Xplore, Science Direct, Scielo, Scopus, SpringerLink, and Web of Science. Three research questions guided the extraction process resulting in 170 articles regarding the impacts of climate change on occupational health and safety. RESULTS: We found an accentuated trend in observational studies applying primary and secondary data collection. Many studies focused on the association between rising temperatures and occupational hazards, mainly in outdoor work settings such as agriculture. The variation of temperature was the most investigated impact of climate change. CONCLUSIONS: We established a knowledge base on how to explore the impacts of climate change on workers' well-being and health. Researchers and policymakers benefit from this review, which explores the suitable methods found in the literature and highlights the most recurring risks and their consequences to occupational health and safety.