General medical publications during COVID-19 show increased dissemination despite lower validation

Background The COVID-19 pandemic has yielded an unprecedented quantity of new publications, contributing to an overwhelming quantity of information and leading to the rapid dissemination of less stringently validated information. Yet, a formal analysis of how the medical literature has changed during the pandemic is lacking. In this analysis, we aimed to quantify how scientific publications changed at the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods We performed a cross-sectional bibliometric study of published studies in four high-impact medical journals to identify differences in the characteristics of COVID-19 related publications compared to non-pandemic studies. Original investigations related to SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19 published in March and April 2020 were identified and compared to non-COVID-19 research publications over the same two-month period in 2019 and 2020. Extracted data included publication characteristics, study characteristics, author characteristics, and impact metrics. Our primary measure was principal component analysis (PCA) of publication characteristics and impact metrics across groups. Results We identified 402 publications that met inclusion criteria: 76 were related to COVID-19; 154 and 172 were non-COVID publications over the same period in 2020 and 2019, respectively. PCA utilizing the collected bibliometric data revealed segregation of the COVID-19 literature subset from both groups of non-COVID literature (2019 and 2020). COVID-19 publications were more likely to describe prospective observational (31.6%) or case series (41.8%) studies without industry funding as compared with non-COVID articles, which were represented primarily by randomized controlled trials (32.5% and 36.6% in the non-COVID literature from 2020 and 2019, respectively). Conclusions In this cross-sectional study of publications in four general medical journals, COVID-related articles were significantly different from non-COVID articles based on article characteristics and impact metrics. COVID-related studies were generally shorter articles reporting observational studies with less literature cited and fewer study sites, suggestive of more limited scientific support. They nevertheless had much higher dissemination.

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Applied Status and Quality of Graphs in Five Academic Medical Journals in Shanghai (Preprint)

10.2196/preprints.11455 ◽

2018 ◽

Author(s):

Zisheng Ai ◽

Yuhong Tang ◽

Jiaqi Zheng ◽

Sanyou Wu ◽

Ying Wu

Keyword(s):

Evaluation Criteria ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Medical Journals ◽

Graph Type ◽

Academic Medical ◽

Substantial Problem ◽

Error Bias ◽

Important Form

BACKGROUND Figures are an important form of expressing results commonly found in medical papers and make data easy to read and compare. The quality of graphs in original papers has improved in western medical journals. However, some figures fail to correctly express the results of a paper. Additionally, graph quality and application has not been assessed in medical journals outside western countries. OBJECTIVE To determine the frequency and types of data graphs used in Chinese academic medical journals and evaluate the quality of graphs used in original medical papers. METHODS A total of 783 papers were surveyed from the medical journals of five colleges and universities in Shanghai from 2011 to 2015. A cross-sectional study was used to analyse the applied status and graph quality. The evaluation criteria of graphs mainly included graph type, visual clarity, completeness, and special standards. RESULTS Most authors prefer to use simple charts, and bar charts with 95% CI were the most widely used. More than 60% of charts have problems with visual clarity, completeness, and special standards. Of 841 incorrect graphs, 10 (0.58%) graphs had three combined problems of graph characteristics, and 292 (34.72%) graphs had any two combined problems of graph characteristics. For detailed errors, the absence of variance description was the most substantial problem, especially in 2014 and in some academic medical journals. CONCLUSIONS Graphs are less commonly applied in the five university journals. However, the quality of papers using graphs was not properly controlled. Editors and journal quality management should strengthen the quality control of charts in papers. Authors should also avoid error bias and distorting their conclusions.

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Cross-sectional study of preprints and final journal publications from COVID-19 studies: discrepancies in results reporting and spin in interpretation

BMJ Open ◽

10.1136/bmjopen-2021-051821 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (7) ◽

pp. e051821

Author(s):

Lisa Bero ◽

Rosa Lawrence ◽

Louis Leslie ◽

Kellia Chiu ◽

Sally McDonald ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Statistical Significance ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Journal Publication ◽

Reporting Practices ◽

Subgroup Analyses ◽

Journal Publications ◽

Study Characteristics ◽

Results Reporting

ObjectiveTo compare results reporting and the presence of spin in COVID-19 study preprints with their finalised journal publications.DesignCross-sectional study.SettingInternational medical literature.ParticipantsPreprints and final journal publications of 67 interventional and observational studies of COVID-19 treatment or prevention from the Cochrane COVID-19 Study Register published between 1 March 2020 and 30 October 2020.Main outcome measuresStudy characteristics and discrepancies in (1) results reporting (number of outcomes, outcome descriptor, measure, metric, assessment time point, data reported, reported statistical significance of result, type of statistical analysis, subgroup analyses (if any), whether outcome was identified as primary or secondary) and (2) spin (reporting practices that distort the interpretation of results so they are viewed more favourably).ResultsOf 67 included studies, 23 (34%) had no discrepancies in results reporting between preprints and journal publications. Fifteen (22%) studies had at least one outcome that was included in the journal publication, but not the preprint; eight (12%) had at least one outcome that was reported in the preprint only. For outcomes that were reported in both preprints and journals, common discrepancies were differences in numerical values and statistical significance, additional statistical tests and subgroup analyses and longer follow-up times for outcome assessment in journal publications.At least one instance of spin occurred in both preprints and journals in 23/67 (34%) studies, the preprint only in 5 (7%), and the journal publications only in 2 (3%). Spin was removed between the preprint and journal publication in 5/67 (7%) studies; but added in 1/67 (1%) study.ConclusionsThe COVID-19 preprints and their subsequent journal publications were largely similar in reporting of study characteristics, outcomes and spin. All COVID-19 studies published as preprints and journal publications should be critically evaluated for discrepancies and spin.

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Malaria among migrants in a university hospital in Colombia during 2018: A case series

Tropical Doctor ◽

10.1177/0049475520981301 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 004947552098130

Author(s):

Fabián R Carreño-Almánzar ◽

Adán Coronado-Galán ◽

Sonia A Cala-Gómez ◽

Agustín Vega-Vera

Keyword(s):

Latin American ◽

Previous History ◽

Case Series ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Imported Malaria ◽

University Hospital ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

History Of ◽

Clinical Profiles

Imported malaria has increased in Colombia since 2015 and has been attributed to migrants coming from Venezuela. We present a series of malaria cases, nested in a retrospective cross-sectional study between 2017 and 2018, aimed at calculating the prevalence of medical diseases among immigrants in a University Hospital in Colombia. Among 154 immigrants admitted for medical causes between 2017 and 2018, 8 were diagnosed with malaria, all due to Plasmodium vivax. Of these, seven had uncomplicated malaria, five had a previous history of malaria, one was critically ill, but none died. We highlight that, similar to other case series of imported malaria, Latin American migrants were young, with similar clinical profiles, having a low proportion of severe cases, and P. vivax was the most frequent cause.

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An analysis of heavy metals contamination and estimating the daily intakes of vegetables from Uganda

Toxicology Research and Application ◽

10.1177/2397847320985255 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 5 ◽

pp. 239784732098525

Author(s):

Keneth Iceland Kasozi ◽

Eric Oloya Otim ◽

Herbert Izo Ninsiima ◽

Gerald Zirintunda ◽

Andrew Tamale ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Heavy Metals ◽

Daily Intake ◽

Principal Component ◽

Absorption Spectrometry ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Essential Elements ◽

World Health ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Health Organization ◽

Daily Intakes

Background: Environmental contamination with elevated levels of copper (Cu), cobalt (Co), iron (Fe), zinc (Zn), lead (Pb), chromium (Cr6+), cadmium (Cd), and nickel (Ni)—all states of which are found in Uganda—raises health risk to the public. Pb, Cr6+, Cd, and Ni for instance are generally considered nonessential to cellular functions, notwithstanding the importance of the oxidative state of the metals in bioavailability. As such, we aimed in this study (i) to evaluate heavy metal concentrations in four vegetables from a typical open-air market in Uganda, (ii) to assess the safety of consuming these vegetables against the World Health Organization (WHO) recommended limits of heavy metals consumption, and (iii) to formulate a model of estimated daily intake (EDI) among consumers in the country. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study conducted in five georeferenced markets of Bushenyi district in January 2020. Amaranthus, cabbages, scarlet eggplants, and tomatoes were collected from open markets, processed, and analyzed by atomic absorption spectrometry. Modeled EDI, principal component (PCA) and cluster analysis (CA) were conducted to identify relationships in the samples. Results: The levels of essential elements in the four vegetables were found to fall from Co > Cu > Fe > Zn. Those of non-essential metals were significantly higher and followed the pattern Cd > Cr > Pb > Ni. The highest EDI values were those of Cu in scarlet eggplants, Zn in amaranthus, Fe in amaranthus, Co in amaranthus, Pb in cabbages, total Cr in scarlet eggplant, Cd in cabbages and tomatoes, and Ni in cabbages. In comparison to international limits, EDIs for Zn, Cu, Co and Fe were low while Ni in cabbages were high. PCA showed high variations in scarlet eggplant and amaranthus. The study vegetables were found to be related with each other, not according to the location of the markets from where they were obtained, but according to their species by CA. Conclusion: The presence of non-essential elements above WHO limits raises policy challenges for the consumption and marketing of vegetables in the study area. Furthermore, low EDIs of essential elements in the vegetables create demand for nutritious foods to promote healthy communities.

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Gender disparity between authors in leading medical journals during the COVID-19 pandemic: a cross-sectional review

BMJ Open ◽

10.1136/bmjopen-2021-051224 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (7) ◽

pp. e051224

Author(s):

Vaidehi Misra ◽

Frozan Safi ◽

Kathryn A Brewerton ◽

Wei Wu ◽

Robin Mason ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Data Extraction ◽

Gender Disparity ◽

High Impact ◽

Original Research ◽

Eligibility Criteria ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Medical Journals ◽

The Usa ◽

Study Characteristics ◽

Data Elements

ObjectivesEvaluate gender differences in authorship of COVID-19 articles in high-impact medical journals compared with other topics.DesignCross-sectional review.Data sourcesMedline database.Eligibility criteriaArticles published from 1 January to 31 December 2020 in the seven leading general medical journals by impact factor. Article types included primary research, reviews, editorials and commentaries.Data extractionKey data elements were whether the study topic was related to COVID-19 and names of the principal and the senior authors. A hierarchical approach was used to determine the likely gender of authors. Logistic regression assessed the association of study characteristics, including COVID-19 status, with authors’ likely gender; this was quantified using adjusted ORs (aORs).ResultsWe included 2252 articles, of which 748 (33.2%) were COVID-19-related and 1504 (66.8%) covered other topics. A likely gender was determined for 2138 (94.9%) principal authors and 1890 (83.9%) senior authors. Men were significantly more likely to be both principal (1364 men; 63.8%) and senior (1332 men; 70.5%) authors. COVID-19-related articles were not associated with the odds of men being principal (aOR 0.99; 95% CI 0.81 to 1.21; p=0.89) or senior authors (aOR 0.96; 95% CI 0.78 to 1.19; p=0.71) relative to other topics. Articles with men as senior authors were more likely to have men as principal authors (aOR 1.49; 95% CI 1.21 to 1.83; p<0.001). Men were more likely to author articles reporting original research and those with corresponding authors based outside the USA and Europe.ConclusionsWomen were substantially under-represented as authors among articles in leading medical journals; this was not significantly different for COVID-19-related articles. Study limitations include potential for misclassification bias due to the name-based analysis. Results suggest that barriers to women’s authorship in high-impact journals during COVID-19 are not significantly larger than barriers that preceded the pandemic and that are likely to continue beyond it.PROSPERO registration numberCRD42020186702.

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Assessment and Trends in the Methodological Quality of the Top 50 Most Cited Articles in Shoulder Instability

Orthopaedic Journal of Sports Medicine ◽

10.1177/2325967120967082 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 8 (12) ◽

pp. 232596712096708

Author(s):

Avinesh Agarwalla ◽

Kaisen Yao ◽

Anirudh K. Gowd ◽

Nirav H. Amin ◽

J. Martin Leland ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Bone Loss ◽

Shoulder Instability ◽

Methodological Quality ◽

Surgical Techniques ◽

Case Series ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Retrospective Case ◽

Level Of Evidence ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Number Of Citations

Background: Citation counts have often been used as a surrogate for the scholarly impact of a particular study, but they do not necessarily correlate with higher-quality investigations. In recent decades, much of the literature regarding shoulder instability is focused on surgical techniques to correct bone loss and prevent recurrence. Purpose: To determine (1) the top 50 most cited articles in shoulder instability and (2) if there is a correlation between the number of citations and level of evidence or methodological quality. Study Design: Cross-sectional study. Methods: A literature search was performed on both the Scopus and the Web of Science databases to determine the top 50 most cited articles in shoulder instability between 1985 and 2019. The search terms used included “shoulder instability,” “humeral defect,” and “glenoid bone loss.” Methodological scores were calculated using the Modified Coleman Methodology Score (MCMS), Jadad scale, and Methodological Index for Non-Randomized Studies (MINORS) score. Results: The mean number of citations and mean citation density were 222.7 ± 123.5 (range, 124-881.5) and 16.0 ± 7.9 (range, 6.9-49.0), respectively. The most common type of study represented was the retrospective case series (evidence level, 4; n = 16; 32%) The overall mean MCMS, Jadad score, and MINORS score were 61.1 ± 10.1, 1.4 ± 0.9, and 16.0 ± 3.0, respectively. There were also no correlations found between mean citations or citation density versus each of the methodological quality scores. Conclusion: The list of top 50 most cited articles in shoulder instability comprised studies with low-level evidence and low methodological quality. Higher-quality study methodology does not appear to be a significant factor in whether studies are frequently cited in the literature.

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Association of Dietary Patterns with Metabolic Syndrome: Results from the Kardiovize Brno 2030 Study

Nutrients ◽

10.3390/nu10070898 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 10 (7) ◽

pp. 898 ◽

Cited By ~ 29

Author(s):

Antonella Agodi ◽

Andrea Maugeri ◽

Sarka Kunzova ◽

Ondrej Sochor ◽

Hana Bauerova ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Metabolic Syndrome ◽

Dietary Patterns ◽

Dietary Pattern ◽

International Diabetes Federation ◽

Principal Component ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Logistic Regression Models ◽

Western Dietary Pattern ◽

High Adherence

Although metabolic syndrome (MetS) could be handled by lifestyle interventions, its relationship with dietary patterns remains unclear in populations from Central Europe. Using data from the Kardiovize Brno cohort, the present study aims to identify the main dietary patterns and to evaluate their association with MetS risk in a random urban sample from Brno, Czech Republic. In a cross-sectional study of 1934 subjects aged 25–65 years (44.3% male), dietary patterns were derived by food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) administration and principal component analysis. Metabolic syndrome was defined according to the International Diabetes Federation statement. Logistic regression models were applied. High adherence to the prudent dietary pattern was associated with lower odds of abdominal obesity, abnormal glucose concentration, and MetS. By contrast, high adherence to the western dietary pattern was associated with higher odds of abnormal glucose, triglycerides and blood pressure levels. Whilst our results confirm the deleterious effect of a western dietary pattern on several metabolic risk factors, they also indicate that the consumption of a diet rich in cereals, fish, fruit and vegetables is associated with a healthier metabolic profile. However, further prospective research is warranted to develop and validate novel potential preventive strategies against MetS and its complications.

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Comparison of gluteus medius strength between obese and eutrophic individuals: a cross-sectional study

10.21203/rs.2.24323/v3 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Rafael Ratti Fenato ◽

Allan Cezar Faria Araujo ◽

Ana Tereza Bittencourt Guimarães

Keyword(s):

Principal Component ◽

Gluteus Medius ◽

Great Difficulty ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Normal Weight ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Human Research Ethics ◽

Hip Abductor ◽

Lateral Decubitus ◽

Muscular Function

Abstract Background: The hip abductor muscles, primarily the gluteus medius, play an important role in stabilizing the pelvis during gait. Gluteus medius weakness is associated with biomechanical changes and musculoskeletal disorders. Obese individuals can have great difficulty maintaining abductor muscular function due to being overweight and possibly experiencing a decrease in muscle mass. However, it is still unclear whether the musculature of obese individuals can compensate for these changes. Therefore, the aim of this study was to compare gluteus medius strength between obese and normal-weight individuals using a digital hand-held dynamometer.Methods: Twenty-five obese (BMI > 35 kg/m2) participants were matched for sex, age, and height with normal-weight individuals. Gluteus medius strength was measured by a single examiner using a belt-stabilized hand-held digital dynamometer placed on the knee of the individuals positioned in lateral decubitus. Three measurements were recorded with rest intervals, and only the highest value measured for each limb was used for analysis. The differences between pairs were calculated, and the normality of the data was assessed using the Shapiro-Wilk test (p < 0.05). The matrices of the variables were standardized and analysed using principal component analysis (PCA).Results: For the strength variables (Newtons) on both sides, no significant differences were detected between the groups (p > 0.05). However, significant differences were detected in these variables between the groups (p < 0.05) when the measurements were normalized to body weight (Newtons/kilograms). PCA indicated that both the absolute and normalized values of strength are lower in obese than in normal-weight individuals.Conclusions: These findings indicate that obese individuals have the same or less strength (PCA) to move more mass, which may suggest a relative weakness that induces functional limitations.Trial registration: The study was approved by the UNIOESTE Human Research Ethics Committee (#1.180.202) in July 2015.

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How to Evaluate Digital Leadership: A Cross-sectional Study

10.21203/rs.3.rs-432739/v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Kevin Claassen ◽

Dominique Rodil Dos Anjos ◽

Jan Kettschau ◽

Horst Christoph Broding

Keyword(s):

Construct Validity ◽

Online Survey ◽

Leadership Skills ◽

Principal Component ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Working Environment ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

One Dimensional ◽

Leadership Competence ◽

Transformation Processes

Abstract Background: With the increasing digitalization of the working environment, the demands on managers are changing fundamentally to the point of an emerging field of research in digital leadership. Municipal administrations are particularly affected by the digital transformation processes. Therefore, a score to measure the construct of digital leadership competence in the context of virtual-based workstation was developed and tested.Methods: Based of an online survey with n = 546 employees at virtual-based workstations in municipal administrations in 2020, the instrument is tested regarding selectivity (coefficients), dimensionality (principal component analysis), homogeneity (inter-product-moment correlations), reliability (Cronbach's α) and construct validity (correlation with general leadership skills).Results: The instrument can be considered selective, one-dimensional, homogeneous, reliable and constructively valid in the sense of the formulated hypotheses. By integrating the employees‘ perspective, the instrument aims to be one of the first of its kind to initiate a scientific further discourse. Among other things, the categorization of the co-determination component as either traditional or digital leadership can be discussed.Conclusions: The developed instrument for measuring digital leadership performs well concerning the aspects of discriminatory power, one-dimensionality, homogeneity, reliability as well as construct validity. It aims to induce further research and a scientific discourse on the topic of health-oriented leadership within the world of work 4.0.

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Characterization of buccal cell DNA after exposure to azo compounds: a cross-sectional study

F1000Research ◽

10.12688/f1000research.25798.1 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 9 ◽

pp. 1053

Author(s):

Juni Handajani ◽

Urfa Tabtila ◽

Nadia Rully Auliawati ◽

Abdul Rohman

Keyword(s):

Principal Component ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Exposed Group ◽

Azo Compounds ◽

Buccal Cell ◽

Control Group ◽

Synthetic Dyes ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Principle Component

Background: Azo compounds, containing naphthol and diazonium salts, are synthetic dyes widely used in the batik industry. Azo compounds are considered toxic when they are exposed to human tissue. The purpose of this study was to analyze buccal cell DNA exposed to azo compounds in batik workers. Methods: A cross-sectional study involving 20 male subjects divided into two groups (n=10 group), namely azo-exposed and non-exposed (control group). Inclusion criteria were batik workers of the colouring division who have been exposed to azo for at least 5 years. Buccal cells were taken using cytobrush then DNA were isolated from buccal cell. DNA isolation was done by buccal DNA kit, while the purity and concentration of the DNA was determined using spectrophotometer and electrophoresis. Results: The azo-exposed group revealed higher purity DNA than those in the control group. The purity of the DNA in the azo-exposed group and control group was 0.61±0.93 and 0.21±0.09, respectively, while the concentration of DNA was of 59.02 and 19.35 ng/UL, respectively. The ratio at 260/280 nm was 1.84-1.94 (azo-exposed) and 1.85-1.92 (control). Principal component analysis using the first principle component (PC1) and second principle component (PC2) could successfully classify subjects in the control and azo-exposed groups. Conclusion: Characteristics of DNA could be used as an indication of exposure to azo compounds in workers of batik industries.

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