Factors Associated With Successful Publication for Systematic Review Protocol Registration: an Analysis of 397 Registered Protocols.

Abstract Background: Meta-analyses are on top of the evidence-based medicine pyramid, yet many of them are not completed after they are begun. Many factors impacting the publication of meta-analysis works have been discussed, and their association with publication likelihood has been investigated. These factors include the type of systematic review, journal metrics, h-index of the corresponding author, country of the corresponding author, funding sources, and duration of publication. In our current review, we aim to investigate these various factors and their impact on the likelihood of publication. A comprehensive review of 397 registered protocols retrieved from five databases was performed to investigate the different factors that might affect the likelihood of publication. These factors include the type of systematic review, journal metrics, h-index of the corresponding author, country of the corresponding author, funding sources, and duration of publication.Results: We found that corresponding authors in developed countries and English-speaking countries had higher likelihoods of publication: 206/320 (p=0.018) and 158/236 (p=0.006), respectively. Our models of multivariable logistic regression analysis revealed that two main factors impact the publication outcome: updated protocol status of the published review paper (OR: 1.7, 95% CI: 1.0-2.8, p=0.037) and external funding (OR: 2.1, 95% CI: 1.2-3.8, p=0.01). However, corresponding authors’ location in developed countries (OR: 1.7, 95% CI: 0.8-3.4, p=0.139) and English-speaking countries (OR: 1.5, 95% CI: 0.9-2.6, p=0.1) were insignificant determinants.Conclusion: Meta-analyses continue to be on top of the evidence hierarchy, rendering them the key to informed clinical decision-making. Therefore, more attention should be paid to the methodological quality of this type of publication.

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Impact of Chemotherapy in the Adjuvant Setting of Early Stage Uterine Leiomyosarcoma: A Systematic Review and Updated Meta-Analysis

Cancers ◽

10.3390/cancers12071899 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 12 (7) ◽

pp. 1899

Author(s):

Alessandro Rizzo ◽

Margherita Nannini ◽

Annalisa Astolfi ◽

Valentina Indio ◽

Pierandrea De Iaco ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Recurrence Rate ◽

Locoregional Recurrence ◽

Early Stage ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Distant Recurrence ◽

Uterine Leiomyosarcoma ◽

Primary Surgery ◽

Locoregional Recurrence Rate ◽

Meta Analyses

Background: Although the use of adjuvant chemotherapy (AC) appears to be increasing over the past few years, several clinical trials and previous meta-analyses failed to determine whether AC could improve clinical outcomes in uterine leiomyosarcoma (uLMS). The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to compare AC (with or without radiotherapy) versus observation (obs) after primary surgery in early stage uLMS. Materials and Methods: Randomized controlled (RCTs) and non-randomized studies (NRSs) were retrieved. Outcomes of interest were as follows: distant recurrence rate, locoregional recurrence rate and overall recurrence rate. Results about distant recurrence rate, locoregional recurrence rate and overall recurrence rate were compared by calculating odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs); ORs were combined with Mantel–Haenszel method. Results: Nine studies were included in the analysis, involving 545 patients (AC: 252, obs: 293). Compared with obs, AC did not reduce locoregional and distant recurrence rate, with a pooled OR of 1.36 and 0.63, respectively. Similarly, administration of AC did not decrease overall recurrence rate in comparison to obs. Conclusion: According to our results, AC (with or without radiotherapy) did not decrease recurrence rate in early stage uLMS; thus, the role of AC in this setting remains unclear.

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Systematic Review: Allogenic Use of Stromal Vascular Fraction (SVF) and Decellularized Extracellular Matrices (ECM) as Advanced Therapy Medicinal Products (ATMP) in Tissue Regeneration

International Journal of Molecular Sciences ◽

10.3390/ijms21144982 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 21 (14) ◽

pp. 4982 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Pietro Gentile ◽

Aris Sterodimas ◽

Jacopo Pizzicannella ◽

Laura Dionisi ◽

Domenico De Fazio ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Stromal Vascular Fraction ◽

Lateral Epicondylitis ◽

Medicinal Products ◽

Advanced Therapy Medicinal Products ◽

Advanced Therapy ◽

Meta Analyses ◽

Clinical Experiments

Stromal vascular fraction (SVF) containing adipose stem cells (ASCs) has been used for many years in regenerative plastic surgery for autologous applications, without any focus on their potential allogenic role. Allogenic SVF transplants could be based on the possibility to use decellularized extracellular matrix (ECM) as a scaffold from a donor then re-cellularized by ASCs of the recipient, in order to develop the advanced therapy medicinal products (ATMP) in fully personalized clinical approaches. A systematic review of this field has been realized in accordance with the Preferred Reporting for Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses-Protocols (PRISMA-P) guidelines. Multistep research of the PubMed, Embase, MEDLINE, Pre-MEDLINE, PsycINFO, CINAHL, Clinicaltrials.gov, Scopus database, and Cochrane databases has been conducted to identify articles and investigations on human allogenic ASCs transplant for clinical use. Of the 341 articles identified, 313 were initially assessed for eligibility on the basis of the abstract. Of these, only 29 met all the predetermined criteria for inclusion according to the PICOS (patients, intervention, comparator, outcomes, and study design) approach, and 19 have been included in quantitative synthesis (meta-analysis). Ninety-one percent of the studies previously screened (284 papers) were focused on the in vitro results and pre-clinical experiments. The allogenic use regarded the treatment of perianal fistulas, diabetic foot ulcers, knee osteoarthritis, acute respiratory distress syndrome, refractory rheumatoid arthritis, pediatrics disease, fecal incontinence, ischemic heart disease, autoimmune encephalomyelitis, lateral epicondylitis, and soft tissue defects. The information analyzed suggested the safety and efficacy of allogenic ASCs and ECM transplants without major side effects.

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Risk of venous thromboembolism in patients undergoing gastric cancer surgery: protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis

BMJ Open ◽

10.1136/bmjopen-2019-033267 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 10 (1) ◽

pp. e033267

Author(s):

Dengfeng Wang ◽

Yang Yu ◽

Pengxian Tao ◽

Dan Wang ◽

Yajing Chen ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Gastric Cancer ◽

Systematic Review ◽

Venous Thromboembolism ◽

Evaluation Method ◽

Clinical Decision Making ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Cancer Surgery ◽

Published Data ◽

Gastric Cancer Surgery ◽

Positive Prevention

IntroductionVenous thromboembolism (VTE) is a serious life-threatening complication in patients with gastric cancer. Abnormal coagulation function and tumour-related treatment may contribute to the occurrence of VTE. Many guidelines considered that surgical treatment would put patients with cancer at high risk of VTE, so positive prevention is needed. However, there are no studies that have systematically reviewed the postoperative risk and distribution of VTE in patients with gastric cancer. We thus conduct this systematic review to determine the risk of VTE in patients with gastric cancer undergoing surgery and provide some evidence for clinical decision-making.Methods and analysisStudies reporting the incidence of VTE after gastric cancer surgery will be included. Primary studies of randomised controlled trials, cohort studies, population-based surveys and cross-sectional studies are eligible for this review and only studies published in Chinese and English will be included. We will search the Medline, Embase, Web of Science, CBM, CNKI and Wanfang data from their inception to November 2019. Two reviewers will independently select studies and extract data. The quality of each included study will be assessed with tools corresponding to their study design. Meta-analysis will be used to pool the incidence data from included studies. Heterogeneity of the estimates across studies will be assessed, if necessary, a subgroup analysis will be performed to explore the source of heterogeneity. The Grades of Recommendation, Assessment, Development and Evaluation method is applied to assess the level of evidence obtained from this systematic review.Ethics and disseminationThis proposed systematic review and meta-analysis is based on published data, and thus ethical approval is not required. The results of this review will be sought for publication.PROSPERO registration numberCRD42019144562

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Indications and outcomes of enterovesical and colovesical fistulas: systematic review of the literature and meta-analysis of prevalence

BMC Surgery ◽

10.1186/s12893-021-01272-6 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 21 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Stefano Granieri ◽

Francesco Sessa ◽

Alessandro Bonomi ◽

Sissi Paleino ◽

Federica Bruno ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Clinical Symptoms ◽

Rare Complication ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Treatment Options ◽

Palliative Surgery ◽

Review Of The Literature ◽

Colovesical Fistula ◽

Level Of Evidence ◽

Meta Analyses

Abstract Background Entero-colovesical fistula is a rare complication of various benign and malignant diseases. The diagnosis is prominently based on clinical symptoms; imaging studies are necessary not only to confirm the presence of the fistula, but more importantly to demonstrate the extent and the nature of the fistula. There is still a lack of consensus regarding the if, when and how to repair the fistula. The aim of the study is to review the different surgical treatment options, focus on surgical indications, and explore cumulative recurrence, morbidity, and mortality rates of entero-vesical and colo-vesical fistula patients. Methods A systematic review of the literature was conducted according to PRISMA guidelines. Random effects meta-analyses of proportions were developed to assess primary and secondary endpoints. I2 statistic and Cochran’s Q test were computed to assess inter-studies’ heterogeneity. Results Twenty-two studies were included in the analysis with a total of 861 patients. Meta-analyses of proportions pointed out 5, 22.2, and 4.9% rates for recurrence, complications, and mortality respectively. A single-stage procedure was performed in 75.5% of the cases, whereas a multi-stage operation in 15.5% of patients. Palliative surgery was performed in 6.2% of the cases. In 2.3% of the cases, the surgical procedure was not specified. Simple and advanced repair of the bladder was performed in 84.3% and 15.6% of the cases respectively. Conclusions Although burdened by a non-negligible rate of complications, surgical repair of entero-colovesical fistula leads to excellent results in terms of primary healing. Our review offers opportunities for significant further research in this field. Level of Evidence Level III according to ELIS (SR/MA with up to two negative criteria).

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Pre-Procedural Lumbar Neuraxial Ultrasound—A Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Trials and Meta-Analysis

Healthcare ◽

10.3390/healthcare9040479 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 (4) ◽

pp. 479

Author(s):

Tatiana Sidiropoulou ◽

Kalliopi Christodoulaki ◽

Charalampos Siristatidis

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Lumbar Spine ◽

Randomized Controlled Trials ◽

Success Rate ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Controlled Trials ◽

Technical Failure ◽

Obese Patients ◽

Randomized Controlled ◽

Meta Analyses

A pre-procedural ultrasound of the lumbar spine is frequently used to facilitate neuraxial procedures. The aim of this review is to examine the evidence sustaining the utilization of pre-procedural neuraxial ultrasound compared to conventional methods. We perform a systematic review of randomized controlled trials with meta-analyses. We search the electronic databases Medline, Cochrane Central, Science Direct and Scopus up to 1 June 2019. We include trials comparing a pre-procedural lumbar spine ultrasound to a non-ultrasound-assisted method. The primary endpoints are technical failure rate, first-attempt success rate, number of needle redirections and procedure time. We retrieve 32 trials (3439 patients) comparing pre-procedural lumbar ultrasounds to palpations for neuraxial procedures in various clinical settings. Pre-procedural ultrasounds decrease the overall risk of technical failure (Risk Ratio (RR) 0.69 (99% CI, 0.43 to 1.10), p = 0.04) but not in obese and difficult spinal patients (RR 0.53, p = 0.06) and increase the first-attempt success rate (RR 1.5 (99% CI, 1.22 to 1.86), p < 0.0001, NNT = 5). In difficult spines and obese patients, the RR is 1.84 (99% CI, 1.44 to 2.3; p < 0.0001, NNT = 3). The number of needle redirections is lower with pre-procedural ultrasounds (SMD = −0.55 (99% CI, −0.81 to −0.29), p < 0.0001), as is the case in difficult spines and obese patients (SMD = −0.85 (99% CI, −1.08 to −0.61), p < 0.0001). No differences are observed in procedural times. Ιn conclusion, a pre-procedural ultrasound provides significant benefit in terms of technical failure, number of needle redirections and first attempt-success rate. Τhe effect of pre-procedural ultrasound scanning of the lumbar spine is more significant in a subgroup analysis of difficult spines and obese patients.

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More than 50 long-term effects of COVID-19: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Scientific Reports ◽

10.1038/s41598-021-95565-8 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Sandra Lopez-Leon ◽

Talia Wegman-Ostrosky ◽

Carol Perelman ◽

Rosalinda Sepulveda ◽

Paulina A. Rebolledo ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Management Strategies ◽

Original Data ◽

Long Term Effects ◽

Pooled Prevalence ◽

Attention Disorder ◽

Initial Recovery ◽

Meta Analyses

AbstractCOVID-19 can involve persistence, sequelae, and other medical complications that last weeks to months after initial recovery. This systematic review and meta-analysis aims to identify studies assessing the long-term effects of COVID-19. LitCOVID and Embase were searched to identify articles with original data published before the 1st of January 2021, with a minimum of 100 patients. For effects reported in two or more studies, meta-analyses using a random-effects model were performed using the MetaXL software to estimate the pooled prevalence with 95% CI. PRISMA guidelines were followed. A total of 18,251 publications were identified, of which 15 met the inclusion criteria. The prevalence of 55 long-term effects was estimated, 21 meta-analyses were performed, and 47,910 patients were included (age 17–87 years). The included studies defined long-COVID as ranging from 14 to 110 days post-viral infection. It was estimated that 80% of the infected patients with SARS-CoV-2 developed one or more long-term symptoms. The five most common symptoms were fatigue (58%), headache (44%), attention disorder (27%), hair loss (25%), and dyspnea (24%). Multi-disciplinary teams are crucial to developing preventive measures, rehabilitation techniques, and clinical management strategies with whole-patient perspectives designed to address long COVID-19 care.

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Comparative efficacy and safety of interventions for treating head lice: a protocol for systematic review and network meta-analysis

BMJ Paediatrics Open ◽

10.1136/bmjpo-2021-001129 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 5 (1) ◽

pp. e001129

Author(s):

Bill Stevenson ◽

Wubshet Tesfaye ◽

Julia Christenson ◽

Cynthia Mathew ◽

Solomon Abrha ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Randomised Controlled Trials ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Grey Literature ◽

Risk Of Bias ◽

Controlled Trials ◽

Head Lice ◽

Efficacy And Safety ◽

Randomised Controlled ◽

Meta Analyses

BackgroundHead lice infestation is a major public health problem around the globe. Its treatment is challenging due to product failures resulting from rapidly emerging resistance to existing treatments, incorrect treatment applications and misdiagnosis. Various head lice treatments with different mechanism of action have been developed and explored over the years, with limited report on systematic assessments of their efficacy and safety. This work aims to present a robust evidence summarising the interventions used in head lice.MethodThis is a systematic review and network meta-analysis which will be reported in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses statement for network meta-analyses. Selected databases, including PubMed, Embase, MEDLINE, Web of Science, CINAHL and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials will be systematically searched for randomised controlled trials exploring head lice treatments. Searches will be limited to trials published in English from database inception till 2021. Grey literature will be identified through Open Grey, AHRQ, Grey Literature Report, Grey Matters, ClinicalTrials.gov, WHO International Clinical Trials Registry and International Standard Randomised Controlled Trials Number registry. Additional studies will be sought from reference lists of included studies. Study screening, selection, data extraction and assessment of methodological quality will be undertaken by two independent reviewers, with disagreements resolved via a third reviewer. The primary outcome measure is the relative risk of cure at 7 and 14 days postinitial treatment. Secondary outcome measures may include adverse drug events, ovicidal activity, treatment compliance and acceptability, and reinfestation. Information from direct and indirect evidence will be used to generate the effect sizes (relative risk) to compare the efficacy and safety of individual head lice treatments against a common comparator (placebo and/or permethrin). Risk of bias assessment will be undertaken by two independent reviewers using the Cochrane Risk of Bias tool and the certainty of evidence assessed using the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluations guideline for network meta-analysis. All quantitative analyses will be conducted using STATA V.16.DiscussionThe evidence generated from this systematic review and meta-analysis is intended for use in evidence-driven treatment of head lice infestations and will be instrumental in informing health professionals, public health practitioners and policy-makers.PROSPERO registration numberCRD42017073375.

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Effects of Sport-Based Interventions on Children’s Executive Function: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Brain Sciences ◽

10.3390/brainsci11060755 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (6) ◽

pp. 755

Author(s):

Falonn Contreras-Osorio ◽

Christian Campos-Jara ◽

Cristian Martínez-Salazar ◽

Luis Chirosa-Ríos ◽

Darío Martínez-García

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Working Memory ◽

Executive Function ◽

Inhibitory Control ◽

Cognitive Flexibility ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Scientific Evidence ◽

Healthy Children ◽

Meta Analyses ◽

The Impact

One of the most studied aspects of children’s cognitive development is that of the development of the executive function, and research has shown that physical activity has been demonstrated as a key factor in its enhancement. This meta-analysis aims to assess the impact of specific sports interventions on the executive function of children and teenagers. A systematic review was carried out on 1 November 2020 to search for published scientific evidence that analysed different sports programs that possibly affected executive function in students. Longitudinal studies, which assessed the effects of sports interventions on subjects between 6 and 18 years old, were identified through a systematic search of the four principal electronic databases: Web of Science, PubMed, Scopus, and EBSCO. A total of eight studies, with 424 subjects overall, met the inclusion criteria and were classified based on one or more of the following categories: working memory, inhibitory control, and cognitive flexibility. The random-effects model for meta-analyses was performed with RevMan version 5.3 to facilitate the analysis of the studies. Large effect sizes were found in all categories: working memory (ES −1.25; 95% CI −1.70; −0.79; p < 0.0001); inhibitory control (ES −1.30; 95% CI −1.98; −0.63; p < 0.00001); and cognitive flexibility (ES −1.52; 95% CI −2.20; −0.83; p < 0.00001). Our analysis concluded that healthy children and teenagers should be encouraged to practice sports in order to improve their executive function at every stage of their development.

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Sarcopenia Is Associated with Mortality in Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Gerontology ◽

10.1159/000517099 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 1-16

Author(s):

Jane Xu ◽

Ching S. Wan ◽

Kiriakos Ktoris ◽

Esmee M. Reijnierse ◽

Andrea B. Maier

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Working Group ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Nursing Home Residents ◽

Community Dwelling ◽

Risk Of Mortality ◽

European Working ◽

Subgroup Analyses ◽

Meta Analyses

Background: Sarcopenia can predispose individuals to falls, fractures, hospitalization, and mortality. The prevalence of sarcopenia depends on the population studied and the definition used for the diagnosis. Objective: This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to investigate the association between sarcopenia and mortality and if it is dependent on the population and sarcopenia definition. Methods: A systematic search was conducted in MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Cochrane from 1 January 2010 to 6 April 2020 for articles relating to sarcopenia and mortality. Articles were included if they met the following criteria – cohorts with a mean or median age ≥18 years and either of the following sarcopenia definitions: Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia (AWGS and AWGS2019), European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People (EWGSOP and EWGSOP2), Foundation for the National Institutes of Health (FNIH), International Working Group for Sarcopenia (IWGS), or Sarcopenia Definition and Outcomes Consortium (SDOC). Hazard ratios (HR) and odds ratios (OR) were pooled separately in meta-analyses using a random-effects model, stratified by population (community-dwelling adults, outpatients, inpatients, and nursing home residents). Subgroup analyses were performed for sarcopenia definition and follow-up period. Results: Out of 3,025 articles, 57 articles were included in the systematic review and 56 in the meta-analysis (42,108 participants, mean age of 49.4 ± 11.7 to 86.6 ± 1.0 years, 40.3% females). Overall, sarcopenia was associated with a significantly higher risk of mortality (HR: 2.00 [95% CI: 1.71, 2.34]; OR: 2.35 [95% CI: 1.64, 3.37]), which was independent of population, sarcopenia definition, and follow-up period in subgroup analyses. Conclusions: Sarcopenia is associated with a significantly higher risk of mortality, independent of population and sarcopenia definition, which highlights the need for screening and early diagnosis in all populations.

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Evaluation of the effectiveness of behavioural economic incentive programmes for the promotion of a healthy diet and physical activity: a protocol for a systematic review and network meta-analysis

BMJ Open ◽

10.1136/bmjopen-2020-046035 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 10 (12) ◽

pp. e046035

Author(s):

Suparee Boonmanunt ◽

Oraluck Pattanaprateep ◽

Boonsong Ongphiphadhanakul ◽

Gareth McKay ◽

John Attia ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Systematic Review ◽

Financial Incentives ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Economic Incentive ◽

Healthy Diet ◽

Current Evidence ◽

Diet And Physical Activity ◽

Behavioural Economic ◽

Meta Analyses

IntroductionObesity and being overweight are major risk factors for metabolic syndrome and non-communicable diseases. Despite the recommendation that a healthy diet and physical activity can reduce the severity of these diseases, many fail to adhere to these measures. From a behavioural economic perspective, adherence to such measures can be encouraged through financial incentives. However, additional related behavioural economic approaches may improve the effectiveness of an incentive programme. As such, we have developed a protocol for a systematic review and network meta-analysis to summarise the current evidence from financial incentive programmes with and without behavioural economic insights for promoting healthy diet and physical activity.Methods and analysisPrevious systematic reviews, meta-analyses and individual studies were identified from Medline and Scopus in June 2020 and will be updated until December 2020. Individual studies will be selected and data extracted by two reviewers. Disagreement will be resolved by consensus or adjudicated by a third reviewer. A descriptive analysis will summarise the effectiveness of behavioural economic incentive programmes for promoting healthy diet and physical activity. Moreover, individual studies will be pooled using network meta-analyses where possible. I2 statistics and Cochran’s Q test will be used to assess heterogeneity. Risk of bias and publication bias, if appropriate, will be evaluated, as well as the overall strength of the evidence.Ethics and disseminationEthics approval for a systematic review and meta-analysis is not required. The findings will be published in a peer-reviewed journal.PROSPERO registration numberCRD42020198024.

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