Search

Background: The procedures used to assess the methodological quality and risk of bias (RoB) of systematic reviews of observational dental studies have not been investigated. The purpose of this research was to examine the way that authors of systematic reviews of epidemiological observational studies published in dentistry conducted the methodological assessment of those primary studies. In the present article, we aimed to assess the characteristics and the level of reporting of tools used to assess the methodologies of these reviews. Methods: We searched Scopus and the Web of Science from their inceptions to June 2023 for systematic reviews with meta-analyses of observational studies published in dentistry. Document selection and data extraction were performed in duplicate and independently by two authors. In a random sample of 10% of the systematic reviews, there was an agreement of more than 80% between the reviewers; data selection and extraction were conducted in the remaining 90% of the sample by one author. Data on the article and systematic review characteristics were extracted and recorded for descriptive reporting. Results: The search in the two databases resulted in the inclusion of 3,214 potential documents. After the elimination of duplicates and the application of the eligibility criteria, a total of 399 systematic reviews were identified and included. A total of 368 systematic reviews reported a methodological tool, of which 102 used the Newcastle–Ottawa scale. Additionally, 76 systematic reviews stated the use of a modified methodological tool. Information about the approach of assessing the methodological quality or RoB of primary studies but reporting no tool or tool name occurred in 25 reviews. Conclusions: The majority of authors of systematic reviews of epidemiological observational studies published in dentistry reported the tools used to assess the methodological quality or RoB of the included primary studies. Modifying existing tools to meet the individual characteristics of various studies should be considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background The procedures used to assess the methodological quality and risk of bias (RoB) of systematic reviews of observational dental studies have not been investigated. The purpose of this research was to examine the way that authors of systematic reviews of epidemiological observational studies published in dentistry conducted the methodological assessment of those primary studies. In the present article, we aimed to assess the characteristics and the level of reporting of tools used to assess the methodologies of these reviews. Methods We searched Scopus and the Web of Science from their inceptions to June 2023 for systematic reviews with meta-analyses of observational studies published in dentistry. Document selection and data extraction were performed in duplicate and independently by two authors. In a random sample of 10% of the systematic reviews, there was an agreement of more than 80% between the reviewers; data selection and extraction were conducted in the remaining 90% of the sample by one author. Data on the article and systematic review characteristics were extracted and recorded for descriptive reporting. Results The search in the two databases resulted in the inclusion of 3,214 potential documents. After the elimination of duplicates and the application of the eligibility criteria, a total of 399 systematic reviews were identified and included. A total of 368 systematic reviews reported a methodological tool, of which 102 used the Newcastle–Ottawa scale. Additionally, 76 systematic reviews stated the use of a modified methodological tool. Information about the approach of assessing the methodological quality or RoB of primary studies but reporting no tool or tool name occurred in 25 reviews. Conclusions The majority of authors of systematic reviews of epidemiological observational studies published in dentistry reported the tools used to assess the methodological quality or RoB of the included primary studies. Modifying existing tools to meet the individual characteristics of various studies should be considered.

Medical students report high demands, stressors, pressure to perform, and a lack of resources, and are therefore at a higher risk for mental strain and burnout. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, study conditions have changed, and new challenges have emerged. Thus, this study aimed to examine medical students' well-being, mental health, and study characteristics before and during the pandemic. Data from 988 Austrian medical students were included into the cross-sectional comparisons, and 63 students were included into the longitudinal analyses (variance analyses/t-tests or appropriate non-parametric tests). Well-being before and during the pandemic did not differ significantly but the peri-pandemic cohort reported higher study satisfaction, more social support from lecturers, and less emotional exhaustion, cognitive demands, and stressors (information problems, organizational stressors, work overload). Longitudinally, work overload was also perceived to be higher before the pandemic; however, study satisfaction was lower. During the pandemic, approximately every seventh student exceeded the cut-off value for generalized anxiety disorder, and approximately every tenth student exceeded the cut-off value for major depression. These unexpected peri-pandemic results concerning constant high well-being, study satisfaction, and the perception of conditions may be based on response shift effects that require further exploration. The scores exceeding the reasonable cut-point for identifying probable cases of generalized anxiety disorder and depression may reflect medical students' needs, calling for an in-depth analysis if further health promotion is necessary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AimsThis study aimed to investigate the reporting of subgroup analyses in heart failure (HF) randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and to determine the strength and credibility of subgroup claims.Methods and resultsAll primary HF RCTs published in nine high-impact journals from 1 January 2008 to 31 December 2017 were included. Multivariable regression analysis was used to identify factors that may favour the reporting of results in specific subgroups. Strength of the subgroup effect claimed was classified into (i) strong, (ii) likely, or (iii) suggestive. Credibility of subgroup claim was scored using a pre-specified 10 pointer criteria. Of the 261 HF RCTs studied, 107 (41%) reported subgroup analyses. Twenty-five (23%) RCTs claimed a subgroup effect for the primary outcome of which six (24%) made a strong claim, eight (32%) claimed a likely effect, and 11 (44%) suggested a possible subgroup effect. Seven of the 25 RCTs did not employ interaction testing for subgroup claims of the primary outcome. Three out of 10 pre-specified credibility criteria were satisfied by half of the trials. Fourteen trials justified the choice of subgroups, and 10 explicitly stated they were underpowered to detect differences within subgroups. Source of funding did not influence the frequency of reporting subgroup analyses (OR 0.53, 95% CI 0.78-3.62, P = 0.52).ConclusionsAppropriate credibility criteria were rarely met even by HF RCTs that held strong subgroup claims. Subgroup analyses should be pre-specified, be adequately powered, present interaction terms, and be replicated in independent data before being integrated into clinical decision making.

Objective: To investigate whether children with premature birth (PB) and/or with low birth weight (LBW) have different tooth eruption patterns than those born at term or with normal weight. Material and Methods: Searches were performed in the PubMed, Cochrane Library, Sc1opus, Web of Science, LILACS, and BBO databases as well as the grey literature. Three independent reviewers were involved in study selection, data extraction, and bias assessment. The risk of bias was assessed using the Modified Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. Meta-analysis was conducted to compute the mean difference (MD) in mean chronological or adjusted age at the eruption of the first deciduous tooth between preterm children and those born at full term. The GRADE approach was used. Results: Among a total of 316 articles identified, 21 were eligible for inclusion and three were included in the meta-analysis. PB was associated with the delay in the first tooth deciduous eruption when chronological age was considered (MD: 1.36; 95%CI: 1.02–1.69) but not when considering adjusted age (MD: -0.30; 95%CI: -0.67–0.07). The evidence was graded as having very low quality. Conclusion: Based on a low certainty of evidence the PB is associated with the delayed eruption of the first deciduous tooth when considering chronological age but not when adjusted age is considered.

Historical road crash data are the main indicator for measuring road safety outcomes. Over the past few decades, significant efforts have been made in obtaining and exploiting Surrogate Safety Measures (SSMs). SSMs have the potential to provide excellent sustainable road safety indicators and proxy measurements which can complement traditional historical crash analyses or even substitute them. By using SSMs, crash data collection demands can be bypassed and areas can be investigated before crashes occur. Due to such advantages, the objective of the present research is to provide a review of the scientific literature regarding studies exploiting SSMs for historical crash record investigations. Specifically, 34 studies were examined, providing insights on the different types of SSMs collected under real road environment conditions, the way they are collected, their connection with specific road crash types, and the type of the developed statistical models are examined and discussed. Particular focus is also placed on the temporal dimension of the collection period of both SSMs and road crashes. Finally, the overall trends deriving from the reviewed studies are summarized and future research directions are provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Medical students report high demands, stressors, pressure to perform, and a lack of resources, and are therefore at a higher risk for mental strain and burnout. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, study conditions have changed, and new challenges have emerged. Thus, this study aimed to examine medical students’ well-being, mental health, and study characteristics before and during the pandemic. Data from 988 Austrian medical students were included into the cross-sectional comparisons, and 63 students were included into the longitudinal analyses (variance analyses/t-tests or appropriate non-parametric tests). Well-being before and during the pandemic did not differ significantly but the peri-pandemic cohort reported higher study satisfaction, more social support from lecturers, and less emotional exhaustion, cognitive demands, and stressors (information problems, organizational stressors, work overload). Longitudinally, work overload was also perceived to be higher before the pandemic; however, study satisfaction was lower. During the pandemic, approximately every seventh student exceeded the cut-off value for generalized anxiety disorder, and approximately every tenth student exceeded the cut-off value for major depression. These unexpected peri-pandemic results concerning constant high well-being, study satisfaction, and the perception of conditions may be based on response shift effects that require further exploration. The scores exceeding the reasonable cut-point for identifying probable cases of generalized anxiety disorder and depression may reflect medical students’ needs, calling for an in-depth analysis if further health promotion is necessary.

Objective: To investigate whether children with premature birth (PB) and/or with low birth weight (LBW) have different tooth eruption patterns than those born at term or with normal weight. Material and Methods: Searches were performed in the PubMed, Cochrane Library, Sc1opus, Web of Science, LILACS, and BBO databases as well as the grey literature. Three independent reviewers were involved in study selection, data extraction, and bias assessment. The risk of bias was assessed using the Modified Newcastle- Ottawa Scale. Meta-analysis was conducted to compute the mean difference (MD) in mean chronological or adjusted age at the eruption of the first deciduous tooth between preterm children and those born at full term. The GRADE approach was used. Results: Among a total of 316 articles identified, 21 were eligible for inclusion and three were included in the meta-analysis. PB was associated with the delay in the first tooth deciduous eruption when chronological age was considered (MD: 1.36; 95%CI: 1.02–1.69) but not when considering adjusted age (MD: -0.30; 95%CI: -0.67–0.07). The evidence was graded as having very low quality. Conclusion: Based on a low certainty of evidence the PB is associated with the delayed eruption of the first deciduous tooth when considering chronological age but not when adjusted age is considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To analyze if the oral health conditions in children and adolescents are associated with hemophilia (PROSPERO-42020168192). Material and Methods: The search strategy was performed in PubMed, Scopus, Lilacs/BBO, Web of Science, Cochrane, and Grey literature databases. Two independent researchers assessed the risk of bias in these studies by the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. For the meta-analysis, the clinical conditions data were extracted as numerical variables according to their indexes, such as dental caries experience (dmft/DMFT), gingival condition (Modified Gingival Index - IGM), and oral hygiene (Plaque Index - PI). The quality of the evidence of the meta-analysis was evaluated by the GRADE tool (GRADEproGDT). Results: From a total of 431 studies, 27 were included, and 10 were included in the meta-analysis. The studies presented a moderate risk of bias, ranging from 2 to 7 points. The dental caries experience in primary (-0.62; CI95%: -1.68–0.43) and permanent dentitions (-0.05; CI95%: -0.69–0.59), gingival condition (-0.12; CI95%: -0.27–0.03), and oral hygiene (0.36; CI95%: -0.06–0.77) did not differ between the groups. Conclusion: Based on studies with very weak evidence, there were no differences in the oral health conditions of children and adolescents with and without hemophilia.

Background: Pericardial effusion (PE) is one of the common pericardial diseases in our population with its associated morbidity and mortality. Our study aims to evaluate the clinical characteristics of patients with PE from eastern region of Nepal. Materials and Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study carried out in tertiary care center in eastern region of Nepal from March 2019 to February 2020. A total of 45 cases of PE were enrolled by convenient sampling method. Diagnosis was made based on clinical history, examination, and relevant laboratory investigations. Data was entered in Microsoft excel 2007 and converted into IBM SPSS data editor, version 20. Results: Forty five patients were included with mean age of 55.36 ± 16.38 years. Twenty seven patients (60%) were male and 18 (40%) were female. Hypertension was present in 12 (26.7%) and diabetes mellitus in 13 (28.9%). Mean serum hemoglobin was 10.85 ± 2.09 gm/dl. Chronic kidney disease (Uremia), tuberculosis and hypothyroidism were the common causes of PE. Common clinical symptoms were dyspnea, fever, and cough and chest pain. Moderate to large pericardial effusion was noted in 21 (46.7%) of patients. Cardiac tamponade was present in 6 (13.3%). Twenty seven patients (60%) patients underwent pericardiocentesis. Conclusion: Chronic kidney disease, tuberculosis and hypothyroidism were the common causes of PE with male predominance. Dyspnea was the most common presenting symptom. Cardiac tamponade was relatively less common.

Problem-based learning (PBL) has been widely applied as a learning method in mathematics education. This meta-analysis study was conducted to summarize the evidence on the effectiveness of PBL on students' comprehension abilities. An associated database was searched for studies that met the inclusion criteria. The estimation method used a random-effect model with a 95% confidence interval (CI). The study analyzed 35 effect sizes from 22 primary studies published between 2011 and 2020, and for a total of 1993, students were included. The Comprehensive Meta-Analysis (CMA) program was used to assist the analysis. As a result of the study, the overall effect size was 0.790 (moderate effect) with a standard error of 0.181. Analysis of the study characteristics revealed that the application of PBL was more effective in the conditions of the sample size set by 1 - 30 students; lower level of education, and combined with the use of mathematics learning software. These findings become a consideration for mathematics education practitioners for the implementation of PBL in the future.

Abstract Aims This study aimed to investigate the reporting of subgroup analyses in heart failure (HF) randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and to determine the strength and credibility of subgroup claims. Methods and results All primary HF RCTs published in nine high‐impact journals from 1 January 2008 to 31 December 2017 were included. Multivariable regression analysis was used to identify factors that may favour the reporting of results in specific subgroups. Strength of the subgroup effect claimed was classified into (i) strong, (ii) likely, or (iii) suggestive. Credibility of subgroup claim was scored using a pre‐specified 10 pointer criteria. Of the 261 HF RCTs studied, 107 (41%) reported subgroup analyses. Twenty‐five (23%) RCTs claimed a subgroup effect for the primary outcome of which six (24%) made a strong claim, eight (32%) claimed a likely effect, and 11 (44%) suggested a possible subgroup effect. Seven of the 25 RCTs did not employ interaction testing for subgroup claims of the primary outcome. Three out of 10 pre‐specified credibility criteria were satisfied by half of the trials. Fourteen trials justified the choice of subgroups, and 10 explicitly stated they were underpowered to detect differences within subgroups. Source of funding did not influence the frequency of reporting subgroup analyses (OR 0.53, 95% CI 0.78–3.62, P = 0.52). Conclusions Appropriate credibility criteria were rarely met even by HF RCTs that held strong subgroup claims. Subgroup analyses should be pre‐specified, be adequately powered, present interaction terms, and be replicated in independent data before being integrated into clinical decision making.

Background: Studies from other regions show gender-based differences in the clinical characteristics of patients with the acute coronary syndrome (ACS) with conflicting results. There is a lack of definite data from our population. Materials and Methods: This is a hospital-based cross-sectional study in patients with ACS admitted to the tertiary care center from January 2019 to June 2020. Risk factors, co-morbidities, clinical symptoms, duration of symptoms onset, modalities of treatment offered, complications, and in-hospital outcome were noted in the pre-structured questionnaire by convenient sampling. Data were analyzed by using Microsoft excel 2007 and SPSS 20. Results: Among 384 participants, 65.9% were male and 34.1% were female. The mean age of males was 60.6 ± 12.1 and females 62.3 ± 11.1 years (P=0.21). Females had a higher prevalence of dyslipidemia (p

Objective: To identify the prevalence of dental fluorosis in Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Material and Methods: Literature search for the present study aimed to include all the relevant studies conducted in Saudi Arabia that reported prevalence of dental fluorosis. A literature search was done using keywords (dental, fluorosis, prevalence) using three databases (Scopus, PubMed, and Web of Science). Grey literature was also searched using Google Scholar and research gate. Literature was searched from 1939 till April 2020. The risk of bias was reported using JBI Critical Appraisal Checklist for Studies Reporting Prevalence Data. Twelve studies were included based on inclusive criteria. The only inclusive criteria were studies that were conducted among people living in Saudi Arabia, and studies that reported the prevalence of dental fluorosis. Samples from all age groups that reported prevalence of dental fluorosis were included. MedCalc statistical software was used to perform the analysis. Results: The overall prevalence of dental fluorosis was found to be 46.52%, 95 CI (26.52% to 67.12%). I2 value was reported 99.8%, 95 CI (99.78% to 99.83%), indicating high heterogeneity amongst the finding of studies. Funnel plots indicate the presence of a strong publication bias. Overall, we found some contrasting findings. One study reported prevalence of dental fluorosis as 0% and other with a comparatively large sample size found dental fluorosis to be 90.6%. Conclusion: The present study adds to the literature regarding dental fluorosis in Saudi Arabia by providing an overview of its prevalence. It is concluded that prevalence of dental fluorosis was a bit high. However, findings indicate publication bias. We did not account for severity of dental fluorosis. All the available data was analyzed to measure dental fluorosis prevalence without considering the sample size and sampling technique.

Objective: To evaluate the scientific evidence concerning the behavior rating scales efficiency to identify behavioral changes in preschool children undergoing dental treatment, through a systematic review. Material and Methods: MEDLINE/PubMed, Scopus, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, BVS databases and grey literature were searched. Also, a hand search of the included studies reference lists was conducted. Studies that evaluated healthy preschoolers’ behavior before and after invasive dental treatments to observe behavioral changes were included. Two independent reviewers selected studies, extracted data and analyzed the risk of bias with a tool for before-and-after studies. The certainty of the evidence was evaluated with the GRADE approach. Results: Three studies were included. The Frankl Scale and North Carolina Behavior Scale were used in these studies. Both scales were able to identify behavioral changes in preschool children undergoing a dental intervention, although two of these included studies were considered fair with a high risk of bias, and one considered good with a low risk of bias. Conclusion: Although Frankl and North Carolina behavior scales were able to identify changes in the children`s behavior during dental treatment, these findings are not supported by strong evidence. Thus, further well-designed studies are needed to confirm this evidence.

Objective: The present systematic review and meta-analysis aimed at evaluating the efficacy of laser’s treatment of exposed pulps to stimulate healing. Material and Methods: MEDLINE, PubMed, Cochrane Library, Embase, ISI, Google Scholar have been searched as the electronic databases for performing systematic literature between 2005 to 2019. Searches were performed with MESH terms. The quality of the studies included was assessed using the Critical Appraisal Skills Program checklist. For Data extraction, two reviewers blind and independently extracted data from the abstract and full text of the studies included. Moreover, the fixed-effect model's odds ratio for a 95% confidence interval (CI) was calculated. Random effects were used to deal with potential heterogeneity, and I2 showed heterogeneity. The meta-analysis and forest plots have been evaluated using the Comprehensive Meta-Analysis Stata. Results: Five studies (3 RCTs and 2 animal studies) were included in this study. The Odds Ratio was 1.90 (95% CI 1.39-2.42; p=0.00); there was a statistically significant difference between the laser and the control groups (p=0.00). Conclusion: The success rate of laser treatment for exposed pulps is higher than mineral trioxide aggregate, resin, calcium hydroxide and resin-modified glass-ionomer cement. The exact mechanism of this effect has not yet been determined; further research on lasers' impact on exposed pulps treatment is required.

Objective: To systematically review the hyalinization of experimental tooth movement in humans and animals. Material and Methods: The electronic databases of MEDLINE, PubMed, Cochrane Library, Embase, Institute for Scientific Information, and Google Scholar were searched for performing a systematic review of the related literature published until 2019. Moreover, Endnote X9 software was utilized to manage electronic titles. The searches were fulfilled using keywords of “hyalinization,” “orthodontic tooth movement” OR “OTM” AND “periodontal ligament” OR “PDL,” “molecular pathways,” AND “mechanical cell.” Therefore, this systematic review was conducted based on the key consideration of the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statement. Results: Forces ranged between 2.3 and 50 CN had been applied. According to the research design, incisors had been included in two experiments, whereas maxillary molars had been displaced by tipping forces in another rat examination. However, a majority of investigations had stated that hyalinization had firstly appeared within the first 24 hours. Moreover, the amount of prostaglandin-end peroxide synthase 2 (PTGS2) had been positively related to force term and size utilizing Western blotching. As PTGS2 had been included in the prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) metabolism, the up-regulation of PTGS2 gene expression could be connected with that of PGE2 emission. Conclusion: Gene expression in connection with force term and size and also the first signalling pathways were recognized utilizing protein-protein interactions (PPIs).

Objective: To analyze if the oral health conditions in children and adolescents are associated with hemophilia (PROSPERO-42020168192). Material and Methods: The search strategy was performed in PubMed, Scopus, Lilacs/BBO, Web of Science, Cochrane, and Grey literature databases. Two independent researchers assessed the risk of bias in these studies by the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. For the meta-analysis, the clinical conditions data were extracted as numerical variables according to their indexes, such as dental caries experience (dmft/DMFT), gingival condition (Modified Gingival Index - IGM), and oral hygiene (Plaque Index - PI). The quality of the evidence of the meta-analysis was evaluated by the GRADE tool (GRADEproGDT). Results: From a total of 431 studies, 27 were included, and 10 were included in the meta-analysis. The studies presented a moderate risk of bias, ranging from 2 to 7 points. The dental caries experience in primary (-0.62; CI95%: -1.68–0.43) and permanent dentitions (-0.05; CI95%: -0.69–0.59), gingival condition (-0.12; CI95%: -0.27–0.03), and oral hygiene (0.36; CI95%: -0.06–0.77) did not differ between the groups. Conclusion: Based on studies with very weak evidence, there were no differences in the oral health conditions of children and adolescents with and without hemophilia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Successful treatment of HIV with anti-retroviral therapy (ART) is resulting in more people living with HIV-associated neurocognitive disorder (HAND). In sub-Saharan Africa, this calls for strategic planning and judicious allocation of scarce resources, which requires an accurate estimate of the prevalence of HAND. Estimates of the prevalence of HAND in sub-Saharan Africa vary greatly, between 18.8% and 88.3%, This variability may be explained by factors such as different diagnostic approach, neuromedical examination, ART status, sampling method, substance abuse, assessors' qualification, depression and outcome measure. Different methods of diagnosing HAND, different outcome measures and non-random sampling techniques make it almost impossible to accurately estimate the prevalence of HAND in sub-Saharan Africa, often resulting in overestimate of the burden of disease. Consumers of health research should consider certain study characteristics and exercise appropriate caution when interpreting burden of disease in sub-Saharan Africa, especially when pursuing policy shift. Underestimating the prevalence of HAND will certainly affect the capacity and speed of containment, while overestimating will draw unnecessary attention and result in the misallocation of scarce resources. Significance: * The high prevalence of HAND in sub-Saharan Africa as estimated in this review calls for further research on the impact of HAND on activities of daily living and putative therapeutic modalities. * We highlight which study characteristics should be critically checked when using prevalence estimates for the purpose of health policy and distribution of scarce resources in sub-Saharan Africa. * By favouring certain factors, this review will guide HIV health researchers in which techniques should be used to estimate the burden of HAND. These factors may also apply to estimating the burden of other diseases in sub-Saharan Africa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To reconnoiter the IL-1A (-889) and IL-1RN (+2018) gene polymorphisms and their association with EARR. Material and Methods: The Science Direct, PubMed and Scopus databases were comprehensively searched by two independent reviewers. In addition, the bibliographies of all relevant publications and textbooks were searched manually. A meta-analysis was performed using data available up to May 9, 2020. Results: A total of 13 and 9 publications were selected for the systematic review and meta-analysis, respectively for both IL-1A and IL-1RN genes. Odds ratio (OR) was used to evaluate the association of the gene polymorphism and the risk of EARR. The risk of EARR was estimated using the overall OR from the published studies. No association was found for IL-1A gene for the risk of EARR. However, the dominant and co-dominant models of IL-1RN gene polymorphism were associated with the risk of EARR. Conclusion: More studies are warranted to determine the relationship between IL-1A and IL-1RN gene polymorphisms and EARR for a clearer understanding of their interactions.

Successful treatment of HIV with anti-retroviral therapy (ART) is resulting in more people living with HIV-associated neurocognitive disorder (HAND). In sub-Saharan Africa, this calls for strategic planning and judicious allocation of scarce resources, which requires an accurate estimate of the prevalence of HAND. Estimates of the prevalence of HAND in sub-Saharan Africa vary greatly, between 18.8% and 88.3%. This variability may be explained by factors such as different diagnostic approach, neuromedical examination, ART status, sampling method, substance abuse, assessors’ qualification, depression and outcome measure. Different methods of diagnosing HAND, different outcome measures and non-random sampling techniques make it almost impossible to accurately estimate the prevalence of HAND in sub- Saharan Africa, often resulting in overestimation of the burden of disease. Consumers of health research should consider certain study characteristics and exercise appropriate caution when interpreting burden of disease in sub-Saharan Africa, especially when pursuing policy shift. Underestimating the prevalence of HAND will certainly affect the capacity and speed of containment, while overestimating will draw unnecessary attention and result in the misallocation of scarce resources. Significance: • The high prevalence of HAND in sub-Saharan Africa as estimated in this review calls for further research on the impact of HAND on activities of daily living and putative therapeutic modalities. • We highlight which study characteristics should be critically checked when using prevalence estimates for the purpose of health policy and distribution of scarce resources in sub-Saharan Africa. • By favouring certain factors, this review will guide HIV health researchers in which techniques should be used to estimate the burden of HAND. These factors may also apply to estimating the burden of other diseases in sub-Saharan Africa.

Hundreds of studies on Dynamic Geometry Software (DGS) influence on mathematics learning with mixed results have been found in the literature. Correspondingly, this meta-analysis study was conducted to assess the overall impact of DGS and analyze the characteristics of the identified studies to help educators decide under what conditions the use of DGS would achieve a higher level of effectiveness. This meta-analysis study investigated 57 effect sizes drawn from 50 journal articles and international proceedings between 2010 and 2020, using the Comprehensive Meta-Analysis (CMA) program as a calculation tool. Meanwhile, the Hedges coefficient is used to calculate the effect size at the 95% confidence level. Based on a random-effect model with a standard error of 0.09, the analysis found an overall effect size of 1.07. This means that learning using DGS has a relatively high positive effect on math skills. Analysis of the study's characteristics revealed that the DGS used was more effective by considering sample size, student-computer ratio, and education level. These facts can help educators use DGS in the future. Finally, the study's implications and limitations are discussed, providing crucial information for further meta-analysis studies on DGS's impact. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To reconnoiter the IL-1A (-889) and IL-1RN (+2018) gene polymorphisms and their association with EARR. Material and Methods: The Science Direct, PubMed and Scopus databases were comprehensively searched by two independent reviewers. In addition, the bibliographies of all relevant publications and textbooks were searched manually. A meta-analysis was performed using data available up to May 9, 2020. Results: A total of 13 and 9 publications were selected for the systematic review and metaanalysis, respectively for both IL-1A and IL-1RN genes. Odds ratio (OR) was used to evaluate the association of the gene polymorphism and the risk of EARR. The risk of EARR was estimated using the overall OR from the published studies. No association was found for IL-1A gene for the risk of EARR. However, the dominant and co-dominant models of IL-1RN gene polymorphism were associated with the risk of EARR. Conclusion: More studies are warranted to determine the relationship between IL-1A and IL-1RN gene polymorphisms and EARR for a clearer understanding of their interactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Non-inferiority randomized clinical trials are indicated when it is intended to prove that an experimental group is not inferior to a control group by more than a margin of non-inferiority. However, this type of study differs from traditional randomized clinical trials (superiority studies) because they have particularities that impact on the formulation of hypothesis to be tested, experimental design (non-inferiority margin determination, adapted sample size calculation, sensitivity of the study and data final analysis) and also on the presentation of data when writing the manuscript. Therefore, this article aims to present and discuss the particularities of non-inferiority clinical studies, since these requirements are fundamental to guarantee the validity of the conclusions of this type of study.

A descriptive observational study was carried out to identify the characteristics of the oncological clinical trials submitted to the Instituto Nacional de Salud del Perú during the period from 1995 to 2019. The information was obtained from the Peruvian Registry of Clinical Trials. We identified 1,996 clinical trials during the studied period, from which 470 were oncological (23.5%); 74.9% of the oncological clinical trials were mainly sponsored by the pharmaceutical industry, 61.9% were phase III and 86.2% were authorized. Regarding those authorized clinical trials, 55.6% were on chemical research products and 35.9% were on therapeutic indication for breast cancer. The most frequent study designs found were: parallel arm (84.7%), randomized (85.2%) and blinded (51.0%); the most frequently used main endpoint was the objective response rate (46.7%). We conclude that the number of oncological clinical trials has been increasing over the years, often with different characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Health researchers may struggle to choose suitable validated dietary assessment tools (DATs) for their target population. The aim of this review was to identify and collate information on validated UK DATs and validation studies for inclusion on a website to support researchers to choose appropriate DATs.Design: A systematic review of reviews of DATs was undertaken. DATs validated in UK populations were extracted from the studies identified. A searchable website was designed to display these data. Additionally, mean differences and limits of agreement between test and comparison methods were summarized by a method, weighting by sample size.Results: Over 900 validation results covering 5 life stages, 18 nutrients, 6 dietary assessment methods, and 9 validation method types were extracted from 63 validated DATs which were identified from 68 reviews. These were incorporated into www.nutritools.org. Limits of agreement were determined for about half of validations. Thirty four DATs were FFQs. Only 17 DATs were validated against biomarkers, and only 19 DATs were validated in infant/children/adolescents.Conclusions: The interactive www.nutritools.org website holds extensive validation data identified from this review and can be used to guide researchers to critically compare and choose a suitable DAT for their research question, leading to improvement of nutritional epidemiology research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Non-inferiority randomized clinical trials are indicated when it is intended to prove that an experimental group is not inferior to a control group by more than a margin of non-inferiority. However, this type of study differs from traditional randomized clinical trials (superiority studies) because they have particularities that impact on the formulation of hypothesis to be tested, experimental design (noninferiority margin determination, adapted sample size calculation, sensitivity of the study and data final analysis) and also on the presentation of data when writing the manuscript. Therefore, this article aims to present and discuss the particularities of non-inferiority clinical studies, since these requirements are fundamental to guarantee the validity of the conclusions of this type of study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT Objective: This study aims to assess the quality of articles published in the leading orthopedic surgery journals, by measuring the relation between the impact factor and the number studies with a high level of evidence. Methods: A literature review was performed of articles published in four previously selected journals. A score of journal evidence (RER - Relation between Randomized clinical trials and Systematic reviews) was calculated, considering the number of RCTs and SR published and the total number of full-text articles. Results: The selected journals were JBJS-Am, ASMJ, BJJ-Br and Arthroscopy, with Impact factors of 5.280, 4.362, 3.309 and 3.206 respectively in 2015. In the study, the RER Scores, in the same order, were 9.408, 6.153, 7.456 and 7.779. Conclusion: The journal JBJS-Am is the best available source of information on orthopedic surgery from this point of view. It has the highest Impact Factor and clearly the highest RER Score. On the other hand, we could conclude that the number of published RCT and good quality SR is very low, with less than 10% of all the articles. Level of evidence III, Analyses based on limited alternatives and costs, and poor estimates.

Medical students report high demands, stressors, pressure to perform, and a lack of resources, and are therefore at a higher risk for mental strain and burnout. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, study conditions have changed, and new challenges have emerged. Thus, this study aimed to examine medical students' well-being, mental health, and study characteristics before and during the pandemic. Data from 988 Austrian medical students were included into the cross-sectional comparisons, and 63 students were included into the longitudinal analyses (variance analyses/ t -tests or appropriate non-parametric tests). Well-being before and during the pandemic did not differ significantly but the peri-pandemic cohort reported higher study satisfaction, more social support from lecturers, and less emotional exhaustion, cognitive demands, and stressors (information problems, organizational stressors, work overload). Longitudinally, work overload was also perceived to be higher before the pandemic; however, study satisfaction was lower. During the pandemic, approximately every seventh student exceeded the cut-off value for generalized anxiety disorder, and approximately every tenth student exceeded the cut-off value for major depression. These unexpected peri-pandemic results concerning constant high well-being, study satisfaction, and the perception of conditions may be based on response shift effects that require further exploration. The scores exceeding the reasonable cut-point for identifying probable cases of generalized anxiety disorder and depression may reflect medical students' needs, calling for an in-depth analysis if further health promotion is necessary.

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We conduct a meta-regression analysis of 69 studies that generated 937 renminbi (RMB) misalignment estimates. The Bayesian Model Averaging (BMA) approach is adopted to allow for model selection and sampling uncertainties in assessing effects of study characteristics on these RMB misalignment estimates. Misalignment estimates are found to be influenced by the eight selected study characteristic types in our median probability model. The RMB misalignment estimate from models with various hypothetical combinations of study characteristics, however, is mostly insignificantly different from zero. It is also shown that the set of significant study characteristics is sensitive to the use of the least squares estimation method and the choice of benchmark study characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Understanding study characteristics' influence on treatment efficacy could improve methodologies and interpretation of findings. We examine study characteristics as predictors of outcomes in clinical trials of medications for alcohol problems.Methods: We obtained data on 23 trials of naltrexone and 22 trials of acamprosate from Cochrane reviews. We extracted data for 14 study characteristics and 3 dependent variables (odds ratio; percent abstinent in placebo; medication conditions). We used general linear models to determine which study characteristics explained the variability among outcomes after controlling for medication characteristics.Results: Study characteristics accounted for 45% of the variance in odds ratio when trials of different medications were combined, 19% among acamprosate, and 48% among naltrexone trials above and beyond medication characteristics. When medications were combined, greater odds ratios were predicted by having more dropouts in the placebo than medication conditions, an earlier publication year, and not receiving industry funding. Whether this was due to effects on placebo or medication conditions was unclear. Among acamprosate trials, smaller sample sizes predicted greater odds ratios, which appeared to be due to more abstinence in medication conditions. Among naltrexone trials, greater odds ratios were predicted by having more dropouts in the placebo than medication conditions and a greater probability of randomizing participants to treatment. This appeared to be due to less abstinence in placebo conditions.Conclusion: Study characteristics influence the assessment of treatment efficacy beyond medication characteristics in alcohol treatment trials. Future studies are needed to determine which study characteristics reliably influence efficacy to help investigators design and help clinicians interpret trials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction Studies of source apportionment (SA) for particulate matter (PM) air pollution have enhanced understanding of dominant pollution sources and quantification of their contribution. Although there have been many SA studies in South Korea over the last two decades, few studies provided an integrated understanding of PM sources nationwide. The aim of this study was to summarize findings of PM SA studies of South Korea and to explore study characteristics. Methods We selected studies that estimated sources of PM 10 and PM 2.5 performed for 2000–2017 in South Korea using Positive Matrix Factorization and Chemical Mass Balance. We reclassified the original PM sources identified in each study into seven categories: motor vehicle, secondary aerosol, soil dust, biomass/field burning, combustion/industry, natural source, and others. These seven source categories were summarized by using frequency and contribution across four regions, defined by northwest, west, southeast, and southwest regions, by PM 10 and PM 2.5 . We also computed the population-weighted mean contribution of each source category. In addition, we compared study features including sampling design, sampling and lab analysis methods, chemical components, and the inclusion of Asian dust days. Results In the 21 selected studies, all six PM 10 studies identified motor vehicle, soil dust, and combustion/industry, while all 15 PM 2.5 studies identified motor vehicle and soil dust. Different from the frequency, secondary aerosol produced a large contribution to both PM 10 and PM 2.5 . Motor vehicle contributed highly to both, whereas the contribution of combustion/industry was high for PM 10 . The population-weighted mean contribution was the highest for the motor vehicle and secondary aerosol sources for both PM10 and PM2.5. However, these results were based on different subsets of chemical speciation data collected at a single sampling site, commonly in metropolitan areas, with short overlap and measured by different lab analysis methods. Conclusion We found that motor vehicle and secondary aerosol were the most common and influential sources for PM in South Korea. Our study, however, suggested a caution to understand SA findings from heterogeneous study features for study designs and input data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction:Aim of this study was to assess the registration of orthodontic systematic reviews in PROSPERO. Method:Seven databases were searched for orthodontic systematic reviews published in 2012-2016. After duplicate study selection and data extraction, descriptive statistics, followed by chi-square/Fisher exact tests were calculated. Finally, bivariable/multivariable regression with relative risks (RR) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) was used. Results:A total of 182 orthodontic systematic reviews were identified, 37 (20.3%) of which were registered in PROSPERO, with registration rates ranging from 4.3% in 2012 to 37.0% in 2016. Differences in review registration were found according to publication year, geographic origin, multicentre status, funding, and journal category. After controlling for confounders, each additional year was associated with increased registration probability (RR = 1.51; 95% CI = 1.19–1.93). Reviews from South America were more likely to be registered than reviews from Europe (RR = 1.49; 95% CI = 1.06–2.11). Finally, reviews published in orthodontic specialty journals were more likely to be registered than reviews in general dentistry journals (RR = 1.87; 95% CI = 1.02–3.49). Conclusions:A small percentage of orthodontic systematic reviews was registered apriori, although improvement signs have been seen since the initiation of PROSPERO. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]