Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) Dropout Rate in the World: A Protocol for Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Introduction: Massive open online course (MOOC) is an online course that is open, meaning there are no barriers to entry, and entails no special educational costs or features. Recently, MOOCs have received increasing popularity throughout the world. Regardless of the subject taught and the university providing the course, the dropout rate of MOOCs is one of the most important challenges ahead. The objective of this systematic review is to estimate the global rate of MOOCs dropout and factors affecting this frequency. Methods: This systematic review will search MEDLINE/PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science (Clarivate Analytics), Embase (Embase.com), ASSIA, CINAHL, Education Research, BEI, and Eric databases systematically according to predefined criteria without language restrictions to retrieve prospective and retrospective observational studies conducted between the 1st of January 2000 and 30th of December 2021, evaluating the frequency of leaving MOOCs throughout the world. Discordances between the two different authors through the processes of screening, selection, quality assessment, and data extraction will be settled via discussion and if the issue cannot be resolved, a third expert advice will be requested. For all studies, forest plots will be shown to represent the separate and pooled frequency along with their 95% confidence intervals. To examine statistical heterogeneity, the Q-statistic test and the I2statistic will be utilized. To investigate potential reporting bias and non-significant study effects, funnel plots will be employed. Tests, such as Begg’s and Egger’s will also be carried out. The time trends for MOOCs dropout rate will be calculated using a cumulative meta-analysis. Conclusion: As dropout rate is one of the most challenges that universities may encounter, this systematic review will help universities extend their view, save their resources, or maybe design their MOOCs differently. This protocol is registered in Open Science Framework (OSF), available at: https://osf.io/jgyqx

Improvement of knowledge, attitude and perception of healthcare workers about ADR, a pre- and post-clinical pharmacists' interventional study

Purpose: Healthcare workers have a main role in detection, assessment and spontaneous reporting of adverse drug reactions (ADRs), and improvement of their related knowledge, attitude and perception is essential. The goal of this study was evaluation of clinical pharmacists' interventions in improvement of knowledge, attitude and perception of healthcare workers about ADRs in a teaching referral hospital, Tehran, Iran. Method: Changes in knowledge, attitude and perception of healthcare workers of Imam teaching hospital about ADRs were evaluated before and after clinical pharmacists' interventions including workshops, meetings and presentations. Results: From the 100 participated subjects, 82 of them completed the study. 51 of the health workers have been aware of the Iranian Pharmacovigilance Center at the ministry of health before intervention and after that all the participants knew this centre. About awareness and detection of ADRs in patients, 69 (84.1) healthcare workers recognised at least one, and following interventions, it was improved to 73 (89). Only seven (8.5) subjects have reported ADRs in before intervention phase that were increased significantly to 18 (22) after intervention. Conclusion: Clinical pharmacists' interventions were successful in improvement of healthcare workers' knowledge, attitude and perception about ADRs and spontaneous reporting in our hospital

Novel Layered Double Hydroxides-Hydroxyapatite/gelatin Bone Tissue Engineering Scaffolds: Fabrication, Characterization, and in Vivo Study

Developing Porous Biodegradable Scaffolds through Simple Methods is One of the Main Approaches of Bone Tissue Engineering (BTE). in This Work, a Novel BTE Composite Containing Layered Double Hydroxides (LDH), Hydroxyapatite (HA) and Gelatin (GEL) Was Fabricated using Co-Precipitation and Solvent-Casting Methods. Physiochemical Characterizations Showed that the Chemical Composition and Microstructure of the Scaffolds Were Similar to the Natural Spongy Bone. Interconnected Macropores Ranging over 100 to 600 Μm Were Observed for Both Scaffolds While the Porosity of 90 ± 0.12% and 92.11 ± 0.15%, as Well As, Young\u27s Modulus of 19.8 ± 0.41 and 12.5 ± 0.35 GPa Were Reported for LDH/GEL and LDH-HA/GEL Scaffolds, Respectively. the Scaffolds Were Degraded in Deionized Water after a Month. the SEM Images Revealed that between Two Scaffolds, the LDH-HA/GEL with Needle-Like Secondary HA Crystals Showed Better Bioactivity. According to the Alkaline Phosphatase Activity and Alizarin Red Staining Results, LDH-HA/GEL Scaffolds Demonstrated Better Bone-Specific Activities Comparing to LDH/Gel Scaffold as Well as Control Sample (P \u3c 0.05). the Rabbit Adipose Stem Cells (ASCs) Were Extracted and Cultured, Then Seeded on the LDH-HA/GEL Scaffolds after Confluence. Three Groups of Six Adult Rabbits Were Prepared: The Scaffold + ASCs Group, the Empty Scaffold Group and the Control Group. the Critical Defects Were Made on the Left Radius and the Scaffolds with or Without ASCs Were Implanted There While the Control Group Was Left Without Any Treatment. All Animals Were Sacrificed after 12 Weeks. Histomorphometric Results Showed that the Regeneration of Defects Was Accelerated by Scaffold Implantation But ASC-Seeding Significantly Improved the Quality of New Bone Formation (P \u3c 0.05). the Results Confirmed the Good Performance of LDH-HA/GEL Scaffold to Induce Bone Regeneration

Safety and efficacy of hematopoietic and mesanchymal stem cell therapy for treatment of T1DM: a systematic review and meta-analysis protocol

Abstract Introduction Insulin standard treatment of T1DM cannot cure the patients as different chronic complications occurred subsequently. Investigations on a curative treatment in T1DM propose cell replacement or maintenance instead of exogenous insulin therapy, but different dimensions of this novel treatment are not clarified. Methods and analysis We will include all clinical trials which have evaluated the efficacy MSC or HSC transplantation in T1DM treatment; electronically search bibliographic databases, country registration data banks, and gray literatures; and hand-search two key journals, two experts’ article, and references of the included articles with no language restriction. Primary outcome is the extent of reduction in insulin requirement and secondary outcomes are safety of MSC and HSC therapy, effect of this therapy on diabetic parameters, effect of the rout of transplantation and origin of the MSC or HSC on efficacy of treatment, studies heterogeneity and potential reasons of it. Heterogeneity and its severity will be calculated with Q Cochrane test, P value, and I 2 index. STATA software version 12 will be used for meta-analysis. PROSPERO Registration number: CRD42016047176. Ethics and dissemination We will publish the systematic review in a peer review journal; as it presents an analysis of published literature, the study does not require ethical approval. Strengths and limitations of this study This systematic review and meta-analysis will investigate the efficacy of MSC and HSC transplantation in T1DM treatment with no language restriction. Also we will evaluate gray literatures after hand searching. This protocol is prepared according to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Protocols (PRISMA-P). Two reviewers will evaluate screened full texts, extract data, and asses risk of bias of eligible primary studies independently. As there is the possibility that we miss some unpublished primary studies due to negative results, we will use funnel plot to detect this and correct it with fill and trim method

Defining loneliness in older adults: protocol for a systematic review

Abstract Background Socialization is an important part of the healthy aging process, but natural changes in the lifestyle and health of older people increased risk of loneliness. However, loneliness is not well defined and might differ in different cultures and settings. The main objective of this systematic review is to summarize literature on the topic and propose a definition that might help aging research and practice in the future. Methods Eight databases including PubMed, Scopus, CINAHL, Web of Science, EMBASE, PsycINFO, Proquest, and Age Line bibliographic will be run individually to retrieve relevant literature on loneliness among elderly population using subject headings and appropriate MeSH terms. Inclusion and exclusion criteria will be developed and refined by the research team. Two reviewers will participate in each search stage including abstract/title and full text screening, data extraction, and appraisal. We will restrict our search to articles published in the English language biomedical journal between 2000 and 2017. The protocol adheres to the standards recommended by the PRISMA-P. Discussion The results of this systematic review can present a more accurate definition of loneliness for researchers who aim at conducting new primary and secondary studies on this subject. Systematic review registration CRD4201705872

Alterations in the course of inflammatory bowel disease following liver transplantation: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is closely associated with primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC), an uncommon chronic and progressive cholestatic liver disease. Liver transplantation (LT) is the only therapeutic strategy for PSC that may also affect the IBD course. Considering the lack of any systematic review and pursuing debate on the alterations in the clinical course of IBD after LT compared to before, we aim to systematically assess the frequencies of patients with "improved", "unchanged", or "aggravated" IBD course following LT and conduct a meta-analysis

Ambient temperature and cardiovascular mortality: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Introduction Our study aims at identifying and quantifying the relationship between the cold and heat exposure and the risk of cardiovascular mortality through a systematic review and meta-analysis. Material and Methods A systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted based on the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guideline. Peer-reviewed studies about the temperature and cardiovascular mortality were retrieved in the MEDLINE, Web of Science, and Scopus databases from January 2000 up to the end of 2015. The pooled effect sizes of short-term effect were calculated for the heat exposure and cold exposure separately. Also, we assessed the dose–response relationship of temperature-cardiovascular mortality by a change in units of latitudes, longitude, lag days and annual mean temperature by meta-regression. Result After screening the titles, abstracts and full texts, a total of 26 articles were included in the meta-analysis. The risk of cardiovascular mortality increased by 5% (RR, 1.055; 95% CI [1.050–1.060]) for the cold exposure and 1.3% (RR, 1.013; 95% CI [1.011–1.015]) for the heat exposure. The short-term effects of cold and heat exposure on the risk of cardiovascular mortality in males were 3.8% (RR, 1.038; 95% CI [1.034–1.043]) and 1.1%( RR, 1.011; 95% CI [1.009–1.013]) respectively. Moreover, the effects of cold and heat exposure on risk of cardiovascular mortality in females were 4.1% (RR, 1.041; 95% CI [1.037–1.045]) and 1.4% (RR, 1.014; 95% CI [1.011–1.017]) respectively. In the elderly, it was at an 8.1% increase and a 6% increase in the heat and cold exposure, respectively. The greatest risk of cardiovascular mortality in cold temperature was in the 14 lag days (RR, 1.09; 95% CI [1.07–1.010]) and in hot temperatures in the seven lag days (RR, 1.14; 95% CI [1.09–1.17]). The significant dose–response relationship of latitude and longitude in cold exposure with cardiovascular mortality was found. The results showed that the risk of cardiovascular mortality increased with each degree increased significantly in latitude and longitude in cold exposure (0.2%, 95% CI [0.006–0.035]) and (0.07%, 95% CI [0.0003–0.014]) respectively. The risk of cardiovascular mortality increased with each degree increase in latitude in heat exposure (0.07%, 95% CI [0.0008–0.124]). Conclusion Our findings indicate that the increase and decrease in ambient temperature had a relationship with the cardiovascular mortality. To prevent the temperature- related mortality, persons with cardiovascular disease and the elderly should be targeted. The review has been registered with PROSPERO (registration number CRD42016037673)

Release Behavior and Signaling Effect of Vitamin D3 in Layered Double Hydroxides-Hydroxyapatite/gelatin Bone Tissue Engineering Scaffold: An in Vitro Evaluation

Incorporating the Controlled Release of Vitamin D3 (VD3) into Biodegradable Porous Scaffolds is a New Approach to Equipping Multifunctional Therapeutics for Osteoporosis. the Current Investigation Involves the Encapsulation of VD3 into Gelatin through the One-Step Desolvation Method. the Layered Double Hydroxides-Hydroxyapatite Nanocomposite (LDH-HAp) and Pure LDH Were Combined with the Gelatin-VD3 Complex to Reinforce the Porous Biodegradable Structure and Enhance the Biological Response. afterwards, Glutaraldehyde Was Used to Form Crosslinks within the Gelatin Chains. the Encapsulation Efficiency and Loading Capacity Showed Approximately 40% and 50% Reduction after Crosslinking, Respectively. the Particle Size, Zeta Potential, Contact Angle, Young\u27s Modulus and Porosity Were Measured to Find the Effect of VD3 on the Scaffolds\u27 Physiochemical Properties. to Explore the Bioactivity and Degradation Behavior, the Scaffolds Were Immersed in Simulated Body Fluid. the VD3 Release Kinetics Followed the Korsmeyer-Peppas Model and Non-Fickian Release Pattern. the Greater Osteblastic Expression Was Observed in VD3-Containing Scaffolds Due to the Higher Alkaline Phosphatase Activity Which Was Excited More by HAp (P \u3c 0.05). Alizarin Red Staining Illustrated that VD3 Induced More Calcium Deposition, Which Indicates the Signaling Role of VD3 on Osteoconductivity and Biomineralization. the Findings Provide New Insights on the VD3 Encapsulation within Hydrophilic Matrices to Protect VD3 and Enable the Signaling Ability for Bone Tissue Engineering Scaffolds, Which Could Improve the Bone Healing Efficiency

The Relation between Serum Vitamin D Levels and Blood Pressure: A Population-Based Study

Vitamin D deficiency has been proposed as an associating factor with increased blood pressure. We studied the relationship between serum vitamin D and blood pressure in a large representative sample of Iranian population. In this cross-sectional study, based on the data of 2508 adults (aged between 20 and 70 years) from the Iran Multicenter Osteoporosis Study (IMOS), the association between serum vitamin D and blood pressure was investigated. There was a significant difference between mean (±SD) vitamin D levels of the individuals with stage I hypertension and that of the three other groups (Normal: 32.9 (±27.5); Prehypertension: 34.4 (±27.2); Stage-I: 38.7 (±29.2); Stage-II: 34.7 (±24.0) ng/ml; P<0.05. In multivariate regression models, the weak positive association of vitamin D and systolic blood pressure values disappeared after age and Body Mass Index (BMI) adjustment. We found a statistically positive but weak association between vitamin D serum concentration and systolic blood pressure. Considering the difference noted between our results and previous studies, further research is needed to assess the potential effect of ethnicity and genetic factors on these findings

Appendicular Skeletal Muscle Mass Reference Values and the Peak Muscle Mass to Identify Sarcopenia among Iranian Healthy Population

Background: Sacopenia is a common problem in elderly with the adverse outcomes. The objective of this study was to estimate the peak appendicular skeletal muscle mass (ASM) and age of its attainment by sex among the Iranian population. Methods: A total of 691 men and women aged 18–94 years participated in this cross-sectional, population-based study in Bushehr, Iran. ASM was measured by dual X-ray absorptiometry. Cutoff points for men and women were established considering two standard deviations (SDs) below the mean values of the skeletal muscle index (SMI) for young reference groups. The relationship between ASM and age was described by the second-degree regression models. Two SDs below the mean SMIs of reference groups were as cutoff values of low muscle mass in Iranian population. Results: The peak ASM values were 21.35 ± 0.12 Kg and 13.68 ± 0.10 Kg, and the age at peak ASM were 26 (24–28) years and 34 (33–35) years for men and women, respectively. Mean and SD of SMI in those ages were 7.01 ± 0.02 Kg/m2 and 5.44 ± 0.02 Kg/m2 among men and women, respectively. Calculated cutoff values of low muscle mass among the Iranian population were 7.0 Kg/m2 and 5.4 Kg/m2 among men and women, respectively. Conclusions: Iranian reference values of SMI for both genders were similar to Asia Working Group for Sarcopenia recommendation and lower than the United States and European values. Further studies from different nations and the Middle East countries are needed to obtain reference values for populations, enabling the researchers for comparison and also more valid reports on sarcopenia prevalence