scholarly journals Interpreting medical tables as linked data for generating meta-analysis reports

Author(s):  
Varish Mulwad ◽  
Tim Finin ◽  
Anupam Joshi
Keyword(s):  
Author(s):  
Rohan Borschmann ◽  
Claire Keen ◽  
Jesse T Young ◽  
Alexander D Love ◽  
Matthew Spittal ◽  
...  

IntroductionMore than 30 million adults are released from incarceration globally each year. Many experience complex physical and mental health problems, and are at markedly increased risk of preventable mortality. Despite this, evidence regarding the global epidemiology of mortality following release from incarceration is insufficient to inform the development of targeted, evidence-based responses. Many previous studies have suffered from inadequate power and poor precision, and even large studies have limited capacity to disaggregate data by specific causes of death, sub-populations or time since release to answer questions of clinical and public health relevance. Objectives and ApproachWe aimed to comprehensively document the incidence, timing, causes and risk factors for mortality in adults released from incarceration. We created the Mortality After Release from Incarceration Consortium (MARIC), a multi-disciplinary collaboration representing 29 cohorts of adults who have experienced incarceration from 11 countries. Findings across cohorts will be analysed using a two-step, individual participant data meta-analysis methodology. ResultsUsing linked data from the 29 individual cohorts, the combined sample includes 1,337,993 individuals (89% male), with 75,795 deaths recorded over 9,191,393 person-years of follow-up. Preliminary analyses indicate a marked elevation in mortality risk following release from incarceration, with this risk beginning on the day of release. At the time of writing, more detailed analyses are underway regarding all-cause and cause-specific deaths – along with risk and protective factors – and findings will be presented at the IPDLN conference in October. Conclusion / ImplicationsThe MARIC consortium represents an important advancement in the field, bringing international attention to this problem. It will provide internationally relevant evidence to guide policymakers and clinicians in reducing preventable deaths in this marginalised population.


Author(s):  
Joonas Kesäniemi ◽  
Turo Vartiainen ◽  
Tanja Säily ◽  
Terttu Nevalainen

Author(s):  
Harrison G Zhang ◽  
Boris P Hejblum ◽  
Griffin M Weber ◽  
Nathan P Palmer ◽  
Susanne E Churchill ◽  
...  

Abstract Objective Large amounts of health data are becoming available for biomedical research. Synthesizing information across databases may capture more comprehensive pictures of patient health and enable novel research studies. When no gold standard mappings between patient records are available, researchers may probabilistically link records from separate databases and analyze the linked data. However, previous linked data inference methods are constrained to certain linkage settings and exhibit low power. Here, we present ATLAS, an automated, flexible, and robust association testing algorithm for probabilistically linked data. Materials and Methods Missing variables are imputed at various thresholds using a weighted average method that propagates uncertainty from probabilistic linkage. Next, estimated effect sizes are obtained using a generalized linear model. ATLAS then conducts the threshold combination test by optimally combining P values obtained from data imputed at varying thresholds using Fisher’s method and perturbation resampling. Results In simulations, ATLAS controls for type I error and exhibits high power compared to previous methods. In a real-world genetic association study, meta-analysis of ATLAS-enabled analyses on a linked cohort with analyses using an existing cohort yielded additional significant associations between rheumatoid arthritis genetic risk score and laboratory biomarkers. Discussion Weighted average imputation weathers false matches and increases contribution of true matches to mitigate linkage error-induced bias. The threshold combination test avoids arbitrarily choosing a threshold to rule a match, thus automating linked data-enabled analyses and preserving power. Conclusion ATLAS promises to enable novel and powerful research studies using linked data to capitalize on all available data sources.


2018 ◽  
Vol 36 (5) ◽  
pp. 925-937 ◽  
Author(s):  
Irfan Ali ◽  
Nosheen Fatima Warraich

Purpose This study aims to explore linked data (LD) initiatives in libraries and information (LI) centres along with motivating factors to start these LD projects and challenges faced by librarians in implementing LD technology. Design/methodology/approach To achieve the objectives of the study, a systematic literature review was conducted. The preferred reporting items were used for systematic review and meta-analysis (PRISMA) guideline. Data were collected from different scholarly databases. Findings Findings show that many initiatives were taken in LI centres during the past decade. These LI centres had to face many challenges to implement LD technology. These challenges might include technological issues, scarce financial resources, lack of skilled human resources, low level of awareness among community/librarians, proprietary licence, non-availability of standards and best practices. However, technological challenges were more complex. Systematic review shows that most of the LD initiatives and activities in LI centres take place in developed countries. Overall, the results reveal that most of the libraries are in the infancy stage of LD application because of the ambivalent nature of technology. Originality/value This study may be beneficial to devise guidelines to transform the aforementioned different challenges into opportunities. It is also important to provide a holistic picture about the challenges and opportunities of LD through a systematic review of initiatives already taken by LI centres.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yali Wei ◽  
Yan Meng ◽  
Na Li ◽  
Qian Wang ◽  
Liyong Chen

The purpose of the systematic review and meta-analysis was to determine if low-ratio n-6/n-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) supplementation affects serum inflammation markers based on current studies.


2013 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-18 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert J. Barth

Abstract Scientific findings have indicated that psychological and social factors are the driving forces behind most chronic benign pain presentations, especially in a claim context, and are relevant to at least three of the AMA Guides publications: AMA Guides to Evaluation of Disease and Injury Causation, AMA Guides to Work Ability and Return to Work, and AMA Guides to the Evaluation of Permanent Impairment. The author reviews and summarizes studies that have identified the dominant role of financial, psychological, and other non–general medicine factors in patients who report low back pain. For example, one meta-analysis found that compensation results in an increase in pain perception and a reduction in the ability to benefit from medical and psychological treatment. Other studies have found a correlation between the level of compensation and health outcomes (greater compensation is associated with worse outcomes), and legal systems that discourage compensation for pain produce better health outcomes. One study found that, among persons with carpal tunnel syndrome, claimants had worse outcomes than nonclaimants despite receiving more treatment; another examined the problematic relationship between complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) and compensation and found that cases of CRPS are dominated by legal claims, a disparity that highlights the dominant role of compensation. Workers’ compensation claimants are almost never evaluated for personality disorders or mental illness. The article concludes with recommendations that evaluators can consider in individual cases.


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