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The aim of this study was to provide guidance to improve the completeness and clarity of meta-ethnography reporting. Evidence-based policy and practice require robust evidence syntheses which can further understanding of people's experiences and associated social processes. Meta-ethnography is a rigorous seven-phase qualitative evidence synthesis methodology, developed by Noblit and Hare. Meta-ethnography is used widely in health research, but reporting is often poor quality and this discourages trust in and use of its findings. Meta-ethnography reporting guidance is needed to improve reporting quality. The eMERGe study used a rigorous mixed-methods design and evidence-based methods to develop the novel reporting guidance and explanatory notes. The study, conducted from 2015 to 2017, comprised of: (1) a methodological systematic review of guidance for meta-ethnography conduct and reporting; (2) a review and audit of published meta-ethnographies to identify good practice principles; (3) international, multidisciplinary consensus-building processes to agree guidance content; (4) innovative development of the guidance and explanatory notes. Recommendations and good practice for all seven phases of meta-ethnography conduct and reporting were newly identified leading to 19 reporting criteria and accompanying detailed guidance. The bespoke eMERGe Reporting Guidance, which incorporates new methodological developments and advances the methodology, can help researchers to report the important aspects of meta-ethnography. Use of the guidance should raise reporting quality. Better reporting could make assessments of confidence in the findings more robust and increase use of meta-ethnography outputs to improve practice, policy and service user outcomes in health and other fields. This is the first tailored reporting guideline for meta-ethnography.

The impact of type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) on a comprehensive neurochemical profile of the human brain has not been reported yet. Our previous proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-MRS) studies on T1DM were focused exclusively on the assessment of brain glucose levels. In this study, we reexamined our previously acquired data to investigate concentration differences of a broad range of neurochemicals in T1DM subjects relative to nondiabetic controls. We selected MRS data from 13 subjects (4 F/9 M, age=41±11 years, body mass index=26±3 kg/m2) with well-controlled T1DM (disease duration=22±12 years, A1C=7.5%±2.0%) and 32 nondiabetic controls (14 F/18 M, age=36±10 years, body mass index=27±6 kg/m2) acquired during a hyperglycemic clamp (target [Glc]plasma=300±15 mg/dL). The 1H-MR spectra were collected from two 15.6-mL voxels localized in gray-matter-rich occipital lobe and in white-matter-rich parieto-occipital region using ultra-short echo-time STEAM at 4 T. LCModel analysis allowed reliable quantification of 17 brain metabolites. Lower levels of N-acetylaspartate (by 6%, P=0.007) and glutamate (by 6%, P=0.045) were observed in the gray matter of T1DM patients as compared with controls, which might indicate a partial neuronal loss or dysfunction as a consequence of long-term T1DM. No other differences in metabolites were observed between subjects with T1DM and controls. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: The aim of this study was to provide guidance to improve the completeness and clarity of meta-ethnography reporting., Background: Evidence-based policy and practice require robust evidence syntheses which can further understanding of people's experiences and associated social processes. Meta-ethnography is a rigorous seven-phase qualitative evidence synthesis methodology, developed by Noblit and Hare. Meta-ethnography is used widely in health research, but reporting is often poor quality and this discourages trust in and use of its findings. Meta-ethnography reporting guidance is needed to improve reporting quality., Design: The eMERGe study used a rigorous mixed-methods design and evidence-based methods to develop the novel reporting guidance and explanatory notes., Methods: The study, conducted from 2015 - 2017, comprised of: (1) a methodological systematic review of guidance for meta-ethnography conduct and reporting; (2) a review and audit of published meta-ethnographies to identify good practice principles; (3) international, multidisciplinary consensus-building processes to agree guidance content; (4) innovative development of the guidance and explanatory notes., Findings: Recommendations and good practice for all seven phases of meta-ethnography conduct and reporting were newly identified leading to 19 reporting criteria and accompanying detailed guidance., Conclusion: The bespoke eMERGe Reporting Guidance, which incorporates new methodological developments and advances the methodology, can help researchers to report the important aspects of meta-ethnography. Use of the guidance should raise reporting quality. Better reporting could make assessments of confidence in the findings more robust and increase use of meta-ethnography outputs to improve practice, policy, and service user outcomes in health and other fields. This is the first tailored reporting guideline for meta-ethnography. This article is being simultaneously published in the following journals: Journal of Advanced Nursing, Psycho-oncology, Review of Education, and BMC Medical Research Methodology., (© 2019 The Authors. Journal of Advanced Nursing Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

The impact of type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) on a comprehensive neurochemical profile of the human brain has not been reported yet. Our previous proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy ((1)H-MRS) studies on T1DM were focused exclusively on the assessment of brain glucose levels. In this study, we reexamined our previously acquired data to investigate concentration differences of a broad range of neurochemicals in T1DM subjects relative to nondiabetic controls. We selected MRS data from 13 subjects (4 F/9 M, age = 41 ± 11 years, body mass index = 26 ± 3 kg/m(2)) with well-controlled T1DM (disease duration = 22 ± 12 years, A1C = 7.5% ± 2.0%) and 32 nondiabetic controls (14 F/18 M, age = 36 ± 10 years, body mass index = 27 ± 6 kg/m(2)) acquired during a hyperglycemic clamp (target [Glc]plasma = 300 ± 15 mg/dL). The (1)H-MR spectra were collected from two 15.6-mL voxels localized in gray-matter-rich occipital lobe and in white-matter-rich parieto-occipital region using ultra-short echo-time STEAM at 4 T. LCModel analysis allowed reliable quantification of 17 brain metabolites. Lower levels of N-acetylaspartate (by 6%, P=0.007) and glutamate (by 6%, P=0.045) were observed in the gray matter of T1DM patients as compared with controls, which might indicate a partial neuronal loss or dysfunction as a consequence of long-term T1DM. No other differences in metabolites were observed between subjects with T1DM and controls.