Search results for "Research Assessment"
showing 10 items of 72 documents
Genetic susceptibility to angiotensin-converting enzyme-inhibitor induced angioedema: A systematic review and evaluation of methodological approaches.
2019
Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) converts angiotensin I to angiotensin II which causes vasoconstriction. ACE inhibitors reduce blood pressure by inhibiting ACE. A well-known adverse drug reaction to ACE inhibitors is ACE inhibitor-induced angioedema (ACEi-AE). Angioedema is a swelling of skin and mucosa, which can be fatal if the airway is compromised. We have performed a systematic review of the evidence suggesting that genetic polymorphisms are associated with ACEi-AE and evaluated the methodological approaches of the included studies. The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, Google Scholar, and PubMed were searched. Studies investigating the association between genetic markers and…
Fragments of peer review: A quantitative analysis of the literature (1969-2015)
2018
This paper examines research on peer review between 1969 and 2015 by looking at records indexed from the Scopus database. Although it is often argued that peer review has been poorly investigated, we found that the number of publications in this field doubled from 2005. A half of this work was indexed as research articles, a third as editorial notes and literature reviews and the rest were book chapters or letters. We identified the most prolific and influential scholars, the most cited publications and the most important journals in the field. Co-authorship network analysis showed that research on peer review is fragmented, with the largest group of co-authors including only 2.1% of the wh…
Evaluation of Immunofluorescence Antibody Test Used for the Diagnosis of Canine Leishmaniasis in the Mediterranean Basin: A Systematic Review and Met…
2015
With an expected sensitivity (Se) of 96% and specificity (Sp) of 98%, the immunofluorescence antibody test (IFAT) is frequently used as a reference test to validate new diagnostic methods and estimate the canine leihmaniasis (CanL) true prevalence in the Mediterranean basin. To review the diagnostic accuracy of IFAT to diagnose CanL in this area with reference to its Se and Sp and elucidate the potential causes of their variations, a systematic review was conducted (31 studies for the 26-year period). Three IFAT validation methods stood out: the classical contingency table method, methods based on statistical models and those based on experimental studies. A variation in the IFAT Se and Sp …
Primary vitrectomy for degenerative and tractional lamellar macular holes: A systematic review and meta-analysis
2021
Purpose To assess the efficacy of vitrectomy in degenerative and tractional lamellar macular holes (LMHs) by meta-analysis of published studies. Methods PubMed, Medline and Embase databases were searched up to May 2020. Included cohorts were divided into three groups: degenerative LMH group, lamellar hole associated epiretinal proliferation (LHEP) group and tractional LMH group. LHEP is likely to be associated with degenerative LMHs, but less commonly could be associated with mixed LMHs. To reduce risk of possible misclassification bias, eyes with LHEP which could not have been precisely classified by the authors, were included into the LHEP group. The primary outcome was to investigate th…
Reproducibility Issues: Avoiding Pitfalls in Animal Inflammation Models
2017
In light of an enhanced awareness of ethical questions and ever increasing costs when working with animals in biomedical research, there is a dedicated and sometimes fierce debate concerning the (lack of) reproducibility of animal models and their relevance for human inflammatory diseases. Despite evident advancements in searching for alternatives, that is, replacing, reducing, and refining animal experiments-the three R's of Russel and Burch (1959)-understanding the complex interactions of the cells of the immune system, the nervous system and the affected tissue/organ during inflammation critically relies on in vivo models. Consequently, scientific advancement and ultimately novel therape…
Standardized on-road tests assessing fitness-to-drive in people with cognitive impairments: A systematic review.
2020
Objective The on-road assessment is the gold standard because of its ecological validity. Yet existing instruments are heterogeneous and little is known about their psychometric properties. This study identified existing on-road assessment instruments and extracted data on psychometric properties and usability in clinical settings. Method A systematic review identified studies evaluating standardized on-road evaluation instruments adapted for people with cognitive impairment. Published articles were searched on PubMed, CINHAL, PsycINFO, Web of Science, and ScienceDirect. Study quality and the level of evidence were assessed using the COSMIN checklist. The collected data were synthetized usi…
Prevalence os sending, receiving and forwarding sexts among youths: A three-level meta-analysis.
2020
Alttes ajuts: Conselleria d'Educació, Investigació, Cultura i Esport DOGV No. 7943, ACIF, 837 2017 By systematic review with a three-level, mixed-effects meta-analysis, this paper examines the prevalence of sexting experiences among youths aimed at analyzing conceptual and methodological moderators that might explain its heterogeneity. A search was conducted of five bibliographic databases and grey literature up until February 2020. The risk of bias in primary studies was assessed. A total of seventy-nine articles met the set inclusion criteria. Mean prevalences for sending, receiving and forwarding sexts were.14 (95% CI:.12,.17),.31 (95% CI:.26,.36) and.07 (95% CI:.05,.09), respectively, e…
Alcohol consumption and risk of uterine myoma: A systematic review and meta analysis
2017
Background The published data about alcohol consumption and uterine myoma are scanty and controversial: some studies found positive association whereas other studies showed no association. Objectives To conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis to determine whether alcohol is a risk factor for myoma. Search strategy A MEDLINE/EMBASE search was carried out, supplemented by manual searches of bibliographies of the selected studies. Selection criteria Articles published as full-length papers in English. In the review we included all identified studies. Otherwise, the inclusion criteria for studies included in the meta-analysis were: a) case-control or cohort studies, reporting original dat…
Population-based validation of a German version of the Brief Resilience Scale.
2017
Smith and colleagues developed the Brief Resilience Scale (BRS) to assess the individual ability to recover from stress despite significant adversity. This study aimed to validate the German version of the BRS. We used data from a population-based (sample 1: n = 1.481) and a representative (sample 2: n = 1.128) sample of participants from the German general population (age ≥ 18) to assess reliability and validity. Confirmatory factor analyses (CFA) were conducted to compare one- and two-factorial models from previous studies with a method-factor model which especially accounts for the wording of the items. Reliability was analyzed. Convergent validity was measured by correlating BRS scores …
The anisotropy of personal space.
2019
Violations of personal space are associated with discomfort. However, the exact function linking the magnitude of discomfort to interpersonal distance has not yet been specified. In this study, we explore whether interpersonal distance and discomfort are isotropic with respect to uncomfortably far or close distances. We also extend previous findings with regard to intrusions into personal space as well as maintenance of distances outside of personal space. We presented subjects with 15 interpersonal distances ranging from 40 to 250 cm and obtained verbal and joystick-based ratings of discomfort. Whereas discomfort rose immediately when personal space was entered, the gradient was less steep…