scholarly journals The reproductive success of bovine sperm after sex-sorting: a meta-analysis

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sven Reese ◽  
Miguel Camara Pirez ◽  
Heather Steele ◽  
Sabine Kölle
Keyword(s):  
Low Dose ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Field Studies ◽  
Return Rates ◽  
Bovine Sperm ◽  
Percentage Points ◽  
Recent Developments ◽  
Calving Rate ◽  
Rate Ratios ◽  
The Impact

AbstractIn the three decades since its inception, the sex-sorting technology has progressed significantly. However, field studies report conflicting findings regarding reproductive outcomes. Therefore, we conducted this meta-analysis of all trials published between 1999 and 2021. Non-return rates after 24 or 60 d (NRR 24/60), pregnancy, calving, abortion, and stillbirth rates were compared after AI with sex-sorted vs non-sorted sperm. Additionally, the impact of recent developments in the sex-sorting technology was assessed. Of 860 studies found, 45 studies (72 trials) provided extractable data and were included. Overall, the results of this meta-analysis provided evidence that the NRR 24/60 was diminished by 13%, pregnancy rates were reduced by 23% (25% cows, 21% heifers) and calving rates were reduced by 24% when using sex-sorted sperm. Enhancing the dosage to 4 million sex-sorted sperm/straw (including recent improvements, high vs low dose) as well as using fresh sex-sorted sperm (sorted vs non-sorted) increased pregnancy rate ratios by 7 percentage points. The refinement of the sex-sorting technology after 2015 resulted in a lowered reduction of pregnancy and calving rate of 19% and 23%, respectively. Whereas abortion rates were similar, the stillbirth of male calves was increased by 6.3%.

scholarly journals Police-involved Deaths and the Impact on Homicide Rates in the Post-Ferguson Era: A Study of 44 U.S. Cities

2021 ◽  
pp. 088626052110283
Author(s):  
Tyler J Lane
Keyword(s):  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Interrupted Time Series ◽  
Homicide Rates ◽  
Aggravated Assault ◽  
Series Design ◽  
Percentage Points ◽  
Black Populations ◽  
Fbi Data ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Interrupted Time Series Design

This study investigated whether homicides increased after protested police-involved deaths, focusing on the period after Michael Brown’s death in Ferguson in August 2014. It also tests for effects of legal cynicism by comparing effects in homicide and aggravated assault on the assumption that reporting of the latter is discretionary and police abuses may make communities reluctant to notify police. Using FBI data from 44 U.S. cities, homicide and assault rates from 2011 to 2019 were analyzed using an interrupted time series design and combined in a meta-analysis to calculate pooled effects. A meta-regression tested effect moderators including external investigations and city/county sociodemographic characteristics. With a conservative threshold of p ≤ .01, 21 of the 44 cities experienced a significant increase and one had a significant decrease. The pooled effect was a 26.1% increase in the homicide (99% CI: 15.3% to 36.8%). Aggravated assaults increased above baseline, though the effect was 15.2 percentage points smaller (99% CI: –26.7 to –3.6) than the effect in homicides. When outcomes were measured as percent change, there were no significant effect moderators, but when measured as absolute change, homicides increased to a greater extent when the death was subject to external investigation and in cities with higher Black populations, poverty rates, and baseline homicide rates. The findings suggest that protested police-involved deaths led to an increase in homicides and other violence due to the distrust fomented within the very communities whom police are meant to protect.

scholarly journals Key chemical NO<sub>x</sub> sink uncertainties and how they influence top-down emissions of nitrogen oxides

2013 ◽  
Vol 13 (17) ◽  
pp. 9057-9082 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. Stavrakou ◽  
J.-F. Müller ◽  
K. F. Boersma ◽  
R. J. van der A ◽  
J. Kurokawa ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
South Asia ◽  
Transport Model ◽  
Field Studies ◽  
Anthropogenic Source ◽  
Oh Radicals ◽  
Top Down ◽  
Model Calculations ◽  
Tropical Regions ◽  
Recent Developments ◽  
The Impact

Abstract. Triggered by recent developments from laboratory and field studies regarding major NOx sink pathways in the troposphere, this study evaluates the influence of chemical uncertainties in NOx sinks for global NOx distributions calculated by the IMAGESv2 chemistry-transport model, and quantifies their significance for top-down NOx emission estimates. Our study focuses on five key chemical parameters believed to be of primary importance, more specifically, the rate of the reaction of NO2 with OH radicals, the newly identified HNO3-forming channel in the reaction of NO with HO2, the reactive uptake of N2O5 and HO2 by aerosols, and the regeneration of OH in the oxidation of isoprene. Sensitivity simulations are performed to estimate the impact of each source of uncertainty. The model calculations show that, although the NO2+OH reaction is the largest NOx sink globally accounting for ca. 60% of the total sink, the reactions contributing the most to the overall uncertainty are the formation of HNO3 in NO+HO2, leading to NOx column changes exceeding a factor of two over tropical regions, and the uptake of HO2 by aqueous aerosols, in particular over East and South Asia. Emission inversion experiments are carried out using model settings which either minimise (MINLOSS) or maximise (MAXLOSS) the total NOx sink, both constrained by one year of OMI NO2 column data from the DOMINO v2 KNMI algorithm. The choice of the model setup is found to have a major impact on the top-down flux estimates, with 75% higher emissions for MAXLOSS compared to the MINLOSS inversion globally. Even larger departures are found for soil NO (factor of 2) and lightning (1.8). The global anthropogenic source is better constrained (factor of 1.57) than the natural sources, except over South Asia where the combined uncertainty primarily associated to the NO+HO2 reaction in summer and HO2 uptake by aerosol in winter lead to top-down emission differences exceeding a factor of 2. Evaluation of the emission optimisation is performed against independent satellite observations from the SCIAMACHY sensor, with airborne NO2 measurements of the INTEX-A and INTEX-B campaigns, as well as with two new bottom-up inventories of anthropogenic emissions in Asia (REASv2) and China (MEIC). Neither the MINLOSS nor the MAXLOSS setup succeeds in providing the best possible match with all independent datasets. Whereas the minimum sink assumption leads to better agreement with aircraft NO2 profile measurements, consistent with the results of a previous analysis (Henderson et al., 2012), the same assumption leads to unrealistic features in the inferred distribution of emissions over China. Clearly, although our study addresses an important issue which was largely overlooked in previous inversion exercises, and demonstrates the strong influence of NOx loss uncertainties on top-down emission fluxes, additional processes need to be considered which could also influence the inferred source.

Do adjuvants add to the efficacy and tolerance of bowel preparations? A meta-analysis of randomized trials

Endoscopy ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 50 (02) ◽  
pp. 159-176 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sophie Restellini ◽  
Omar Kherad ◽  
Charles Menard ◽  
Myriam Martel ◽  
Alan Barkun
Keyword(s):  
Randomized Trials ◽  
Low Dose ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
High Dose ◽  
Detection Rates ◽  
Adenoma Detection ◽  
Adenoma Detection Rates ◽  
Split Dosing ◽  
Bowel Preparations ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Background and study aims Recommendations on adjuvant use with bowel preparations remain disparate. We performed a meta-analysis determining the clinical impact of adding an adjuvant to polyethylene glycol (PEG), sodium phosphate, picosulfate (PICO), or oral sulfate solutions (OSS)-based regimens. Methods Systematic searches were made of MEDLINE, EMBASE, Scopus, CENTRAL and ISI Web of knowledge for randomized trials from January 1980 to April 2016 that assessed preparations with or without adjuvants, given in split and non-split dosing, and PEG high- (> 3 L) or low-dose (≤ 2 L) regimens. Bowel cleansing efficacy was the primary outcome. Secondary outcomes included patient willingness to repeat the procedure, and polyp and adenoma detection rates. Results Of 3093 citations, 77 trials fulfilled the inclusion criteria. Overall, addition of an adjuvant compared with no adjuvant, irrespective of the type of preparation and mode of administration, yielded improvements in bowel cleanliness (odds ratio [OR] 1.23 [1.01 – 1.51]) without greater willingness to repeat (OR 1.40 [0.91 – 2.15]). Adjuvants combined with high-dose PEG significantly improved colon cleansing (OR 1.96 [1.32 – 2.94]). The odds for achieving adequate preparation with low-dose PEG with an adjuvant were not different to high-dose PEG alone (OR 0.95 [0.73 – 1.22]), but yielded improved tolerance (OR 3.22 [1.85 – 5.55]). However, split high-dose PEG yielded superior cleanliness to low-dose PEG with adjuvants (OR 2.53 [1.25 – 5.13]). No differences were noted for OSS and PICO comparisons, or for any products regarding polyp or adenoma detection rates. Conclusions Critical heterogeneity precludes firm conclusion on the impact of adjuvants with existing bowel preparations. Additional research is required to better characterize the methods of administration and resulting roles of adjuvants in an era of split-dosing.

scholarly journals The impact of intercropping, tillage and fertilizer type on soil and crop yield in fruit orchards under Mediterranean conditions: A meta-analysis of field studies

2020 ◽  
Vol 178 ◽  
pp. 102736 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alicia Morugán-Coronado ◽  
Carlos Linares ◽  
María Dolores Gómez-López ◽  
Ángel Faz ◽  
Raúl Zornoza
Keyword(s):  
Crop Yield ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Field Studies ◽  
Fruit Orchards ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Mediterranean Conditions

scholarly journals Impact of increasing vegetarian availability on meal selection and sales in cafeterias

2019 ◽  
Vol 116 (42) ◽  
pp. 20923-20929 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emma E. Garnett ◽  
Andrew Balmford ◽  
Chris Sandbrook ◽  
Mark A. Pilling ◽  
Theresa M. Marteau
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Population Level ◽  
Field Studies ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Rebound Effects ◽  
Percentage Points ◽  
Physical Environments ◽  
Meat Meal ◽  
Level Data ◽  
The Impact

Shifting people in higher income countries toward more plant-based diets would protect the natural environment and improve population health. Research in other domains suggests altering the physical environments in which people make decisions (“nudging”) holds promise for achieving socially desirable behavior change. Here, we examine the impact of attempting to nudge meal selection by increasing the proportion of vegetarian meals offered in a year-long large-scale series of observational and experimental field studies. Anonymized individual-level data from 94,644 meals purchased in 2017 were collected from 3 cafeterias at an English university. Doubling the proportion of vegetarian meals available from 25 to 50% (e.g., from 1 in 4 to 2 in 4 options) increased vegetarian meal sales (and decreased meat meal sales) by 14.9 and 14.5 percentage points in the observational study (2 cafeterias) and by 7.8 percentage points in the experimental study (1 cafeteria), equivalent to proportional increases in vegetarian meal sales of 61.8%, 78.8%, and 40.8%, respectively. Linking sales data to participants’ previous meal purchases revealed that the largest effects were found in the quartile of diners with the lowest prior levels of vegetarian meal selection. Moreover, serving more vegetarian options had little impact on overall sales and did not lead to detectable rebound effects: Vegetarian sales were not lower at other mealtimes. These results provide robust evidence to support the potential for simple changes to catering practices to make an important contribution to achieving more sustainable diets at the population level.

scholarly journals Epidemiological Studies of Low-Dose Ionizing Radiation and Cancer: Summary Bias Assessment and Meta-Analysis

2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 (56) ◽  
pp. 188-200 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Hauptmann ◽  
Robert D Daniels ◽  
Elisabeth Cardis ◽  
Harry M Cullings ◽  
Gerald Kendall ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ionizing Radiation ◽  
Low Dose ◽  
Biological Effects ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Epidemiological Studies ◽  
Positive Bias ◽  
Cancer Risks ◽  
Risk Estimates ◽  
Unit Dose ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Background Ionizing radiation is an established carcinogen, but risks from low-dose exposures are controversial. Since the Biological Effects of Ionizing Radiation VII review of the epidemiological data in 2006, many subsequent publications have reported excess cancer risks from low-dose exposures. Our aim was to systematically review these studies to assess the magnitude of the risk and whether the positive findings could be explained by biases. Methods Eligible studies had mean cumulative doses of less than 100 mGy, individualized dose estimates, risk estimates, and confidence intervals (CI) for the dose-response and were published in 2006–2017. We summarized the evidence for bias (dose error, confounding, outcome ascertainment) and its likely direction for each study. We tested whether the median excess relative risk (ERR) per unit dose equals zero and assessed the impact of excluding positive studies with potential bias away from the null. We performed a meta-analysis to quantify the ERR and assess consistency across studies for all solid cancers and leukemia. Results Of the 26 eligible studies, 8 concerned environmental, 4 medical, and 14 occupational exposure. For solid cancers, 16 of 22 studies reported positive ERRs per unit dose, and we rejected the hypothesis that the median ERR equals zero (P = .03). After exclusion of 4 positive studies with potential positive bias, 12 of 18 studies reported positive ERRs per unit dose (P  = .12). For leukemia, 17 of 20 studies were positive, and we rejected the hypothesis that the median ERR per unit dose equals zero (P  = .001), also after exclusion of 5 positive studies with potential positive bias (P  = .02). For adulthood exposure, the meta-ERR at 100 mGy was 0.029 (95% CI = 0.011 to 0.047) for solid cancers and 0.16 (95% CI = 0.07 to 0.25) for leukemia. For childhood exposure, the meta-ERR at 100 mGy for leukemia was 2.84 (95% CI = 0.37 to 5.32); there were only two eligible studies of all solid cancers. Conclusions Our systematic assessments in this monograph showed that these new epidemiological studies are characterized by several limitations, but only a few positive studies were potentially biased away from the null. After exclusion of these studies, the majority of studies still reported positive risk estimates. We therefore conclude that these new epidemiological studies directly support excess cancer risks from low-dose ionizing radiation. Furthermore, the magnitude of the cancer risks from these low-dose radiation exposures was statistically compatible with the radiation dose-related cancer risks of the atomic bomb survivors.

scholarly journals The Dose-Dependent Efficacy of Cefepime in the Empiric Management of Febrile Neutropenia: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

2017 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nikolaos Andreatos ◽  
Myrto Eleni Flokas ◽  
Anna Apostolopoulou ◽  
Michail Alevizakos ◽  
Eleftherios Mylonakis
Keyword(s):  
Febrile Neutropenia ◽  
Low Dose ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Treatment Discontinuation ◽  
High Dose ◽  
First Line ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Dose Dependent ◽  
Overall Mortality

Abstract Background Despite reports questioning its efficacy, cefepime remains a first-line option in febrile neutropenia. We aimed to re-evaluate the role of cefepime in this setting. Methods We searched the PubMed and EMBASE databases to identify randomized comparisons of (1) cefepime vs alternative monotherapy or (2) cefepime plus aminoglycoside vs alternative monotherapy plus aminoglycoside, published until November 28, 2016. Results Thirty-two trials, reporting on 5724 patients, were included. Clinical efficacy was similar between study arms (P = .698), but overall mortality was greater among cefepime-treated patients (risk ratio [RR] = 1.321; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.035–1.686; P = .025). Also of note, this effect seemed to stem from trials using low-dose (2 grams/12 hours, 100 mg/kg per day) cefepime monotherapy (RR = 1.682; 95% CI, 1.038–2.727; P = .035). Cefepime was also associated with increased mortality compared with carbapenems (RR = 1.668; 95% CI, 1.089–2.555; P = .019), a finding possibly influenced by cefepime dose, because carbapenems were compared with low-dose cefepime monotherapy in 5 of 9 trials. Treatment failure in clinically documented infections was also more frequent with cefepime (RR = 1.143; 95% CI, 1.004–1.300; P = .043). Toxicity-related treatment discontinuation was more common among patients that received high-dose cefepime (P = .026), whereas low-dose cefepime monotherapy resulted in fewer adverse events, compared with alternative monotherapy (P = .009). Conclusions Cefepime demonstrated increased mortality compared with carbapenems, reduced efficacy in clinically documented infections, and higher rates of toxicity-related treatment discontinuation. The impact of cefepime dosing on these outcomes is important, because low-dose regimens were associated with lower toxicity at the expense of higher mortality.

scholarly journals Comparison of RECIST 1.1 and iRECIST in Patients Treated with Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Cancers ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 120
Author(s):  
Hyo Jung Park ◽  
Gun Ha Kim ◽  
Kyung Won Kim ◽  
Choong Wook Lee ◽  
Shinkyo Yoon ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Immune Checkpoint ◽  
Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors ◽  
Checkpoint Inhibitors ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Progression Free Survival ◽  
Recist 1.1 ◽  
Rate Ratios ◽  
A Minor ◽  
Survival Endpoint ◽  
The Impact

Despite wide recognition of iRECIST, evidence regarding the impact of iRECIST over RECIST 1.1 is lacking. We aimed to evaluate the impact of iRECIST on assessing treatment efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) over RECIST 1.1. Articles that evaluated the treatment response and outcome based on both RECIST 1.1 and iRECIST were eligible. Data regarding overall response rates (ORR) and disease control rate (DCR) based on RECIST 1.1 and iRECIST, and data required to estimate individual patient data of progression-free survival (PFS) were extracted. Estimates were compared using meta-regression and pooled incidence rate ratios. The pooled difference of restricted mean survival time (RMST) of PFS between two criteria were calculated. Eleven studies with 6210 patients were analyzed. The application of iRECIST had no impact on the response-related endpoint by showing no significantly different ORR and DCR from RECIST 1.1 (pooled ORR, 23.6% and 24.7% [p = 0.72]; pooled DCR, 45.3% and 48.7% [p = 0.56] for iRECIST and RECIST 1.1, respectively) and had a minor impact on a survival endpoint by showing longer RMST of PFS than RECIST 1.1 (pooled difference, 0.46 months; 95% CI, 0.10–0.82 months; p = 0.01). Such a modest benefit of iRECIST should be considered when we design a clinical trial for immune checkpoint inhibitors.

scholarly journals 1032 Evaluation viability in patients with ventricular dysfunction by 2D speckle tracking echocardiography: the impact of low dose dobutamine. A meta-analysis of prospective trials

2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (Supplement_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
H Ballo ◽  
F Doghman ◽  
A Saraste ◽  
J Knuuti
Keyword(s):  
Myocardial Viability ◽  
Speckle Tracking ◽  
Low Dose ◽  
Speckle Tracking Echocardiography ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Left Ventricular ◽  
Left Ventricular Ejection ◽  
2D Speckle Tracking ◽  
Prospective Trials ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Background 2D-Speckle tracking echocardiography (2DSTE) has been used for the assessment of myocardial viability in patients with artery disease and left ventricular (LV) dysfunction. Aim The purpose of this analysis was to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of 2DSTE using longitudinal (LS) and rest circumferential strain (CS) in this setting with or without low dose dobutamine (LDD) infusion. Methods A systematic review of MEDLINE, Cochrane, and Embase for all the prospective trials using 2DSTE to assess myocardial viability until January 2019 was done. Studies that utilized 2DSTE before coronary revascularisation and used the wall motion evaluation in the long term after the revascularisation as a reference were included. A standard approach of meta-analysis for diagnostic tests and a bivariate analysis of sensitivity, specificity, positive likelihood ratio(+LR), and negative likelihood (-LR) were performed. In addition, direct comparison analysis was done to only studies that compared the tests in the same patients. Results A total of 24 studies of 2DSTE evaluating myocardial viability with 1173 patients (mean age 66 years, 72% male, and mean left ventricular ejection fraction was 45%) fulfilled the inclusion criteria. Eight studies used LS, 8 studies used CS, 4 studies used LS with LDD, and 4 studies used CS with LDD. LS and CS with LDD provided higher +LR ( 4.2 and 4, respectively) as well as a best specificity when compared with LS and CS (81% CI: 65- 92% vs 68% CI: 60- 75%, p = 0.04, and 81% CI: 64-91% vs 66% CI: 59-72%, p= 0.02, respectively) for predicting improved segmental LV contractile function after revascularization. The sensitivities of different 2DSTE tests for detection the viability were not statistically different. The direct comparison of the studies with the same patients yielded similar results. Conclusions Using LDD with LS and CS analysis significantly improve specificity of the tests. Therefore, the use of a low dose of the dobutamine can be recommended to improve the accuracy of the 2DSTE for detection of viable myocardium following myocardial infarction. Abstract 1032 Figure. Summary ROC Curves

scholarly journals Key chemical NO<sub>x</sub> sink uncertainties and how they influence top-down emissions of nitrogen oxides

2013 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 7871-7929 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. Stavrakou ◽  
J.-F. Müller ◽  
K. F. Boersma ◽  
R. J. van der A ◽  
J. Kurokawa ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Transport Model ◽  
Field Studies ◽  
Anthropogenic Source ◽  
Oh Radicals ◽  
Top Down ◽  
Model Calculations ◽  
Tropical Regions ◽  
Emission Fluxes ◽  
Recent Developments ◽  
The Impact

Abstract. Triggered by recent developments from laboratory and field studies regarding major NOx sink pathways in the troposphere, this study evaluates the influence of chemical uncertainties in NOx sinks for global NOx distributions calculated by the IMAGESv2 chemistry-transport model, and quantifies their significance for top-down NOx emission estimates. Our study focuses on four key chemical parameters believed to be of primary importance, more specifically, the rate of the reaction of NO2 with OH radicals, the newly-identified HNO3-forming channel in the reaction of NO with HO2, the reactive uptake of N2O5 on aerosols, and the regeneration of OH in the oxidation of isoprene. Sensitivity simulations are performed to estimate the impact of each source of uncertainty. The model calculations show that, although the NO2 + OH reaction is the largest NOx sink globally accounting for 50–70% of the total sink, the reaction contributing the most to the overall uncertainty is the formation of HNO3 in NO + HO2, leading to NOx column changes reaching a~factor of two over tropical regions, and to a 35% decrease in the global tropospheric NOx lifetime. Emission inversion experiments are carried out using model settings which either miminize (MINLOSS) or maximize (MAXLOSS) the total NOx sink, both constrained by one year of OMI NO2 column data from the DOMINO v2 KNMI algorithm. The choice of the model setup is found to have a major impact on the top-down flux estimates, with 50% higher emissions for MAXLOSS compared to the MINLOSS inversion globally. Even larger departures are found for soil NO (factor of 2) and lightning (70%), whereas the global anthropogenic source is comparatively better constrained, especially in China. Evaluation of the emission optimization is performed against independent satellite observations from the SCIAMACHY sensor, airborne NO2 measurements, observed NOx lifetimes at megacities, as well as with two new bottom-up inventories of anthropogenic emissions in Asia (REASv2) and China (MEIC). Neither the MINLOSS nor the MAXLOSS setup succeeds in providing the best possible match with all independent datasets. Whereas the minimum sink assumption leads to better agreement with aircraft NO2 profile measurements, comforting the results of a previous analysis (Henderson et al., 2012), the same assumption leads to unrealistic features in the inferred distribution of emissions over China. Clearly, although our study addresses an important issue which was largely overlooked in previous inversion exercises, and demonstrates the strong influence of NOx loss uncertainties on top-down emission fluxes, additional processes need to be considered which could also influence the inferred source.

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