The effect of silica exposure on the risk of lung cancer: A meta-analysis.

Lung cancer is an incurable disease with an increased mortality rate caused by the inhalation of dust-containing crystalline silica particles. Silica exposure is one of the most important occupational hazards in the world. Whether the association between silica exposure and lung cancer is because of the fibrotic process or to the effect of respirable silica itself is unclear. The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classified silica as a human lung carcinogen. The opinion of lung cancer is a question that has been addressed in this review. Three electronic databases, including MEDLINE, Scopus, and Web of Science, were used to search for relevant literature from 2000 to 2022. To evaluate the relationship between exposure to silica and developing lung cancer, we performed a meta-analysis using the random-effects model. For each study, the overall odds ratio (OR), relative risk (RR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI), and p values were calculated. An extensive database search resulted in the selection of 20 (case-control and nested case-control studies were selected) out of 527 studies. Among the 20 selected studies, 7 studies showed a significant association between silica exposure and an increased risk of lung cancer. Further analysis showed that among the selected studies, six studies showed a significant correlation between combined exposure to silica and smoking with an increased risk of lung cancer. The data from the present study showed that smoking habits increased the impact of silica exposure on the initiation of lung carcinogenesis in exposed workers.

Effectiveness of Active Exergames for Improving Cognitive Function in Patients with Neurological Disabilities: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Active exergaming for improving cognitive function is a relatively novel concept as it has certain unique features that could prove advantageous in improving patient outcomes, particularly in patients with neurological disabilities. Hence, we have conducted this review to obtain a comprehensive estimate of effectiveness of active exergames for improving cognitive functioning in patients with neurological disabilities. Literature search was done in PubMed Central, SCOPUS, MEDLINE, and Cochrane Library, ScienceDirect, and Google Scholar until February 2022. We carried out a meta-analysis with a random-effects model and reported pooled standardized mean differences (SMDs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). In total, we analyzed 21 studies and half of them had a high risk of bias and were conducted in Korea and the United States. The pooled SMD for global cognition was 0.46 (95% CI: -0.01 to 0.94; I2 = 81.2%), pooled SMD for attention function was 0.49 (95% CI: -0.12 to 0.10; I2 = 81%), pooled SMD for perception function was 0.31 (95% CI: -0.02 to 0.65; I2 = 0%), and pooled SMD for executive function was -0.26 (95% CI: -0.86 to 0.33; I2 = 86.7%). Active exergames can have a beneficial effect on most cognitive outcomes, although not statistically significant for managing patients with neurological disabilities.