Consistency between direct trial evidence and Bayesian Mixed Treatment Comparison: Is head-to-head evidence always more reliable?

Objectives: This study aims to highlight the benefits of Bayesian mixed treatment comparison (MTC), within a case study of the efficacy of three treatments (pegfilgrastim, filgrastim and lenograstim) for the prevention of febrile neutropenia (FN) following chemotherapy. Methods: Two published meta-analyses have assessed the relative efficacy of the three treatments based on head-to-head trials. In the present study, all the trials from these meta-analyses were synthesised within a single network in a Bayesian MTC. Following a systematic review, the evidence base was then updated to include further recently-published trials. The metaanalyses and MTC were re-analysed using the updated evidence base. Results: Using data from the previously-published meta-analyses only, the relative risk of FN for pegfilgrastim vs. no treatment was estimated at 0.08 (95% confidence interval: 0.03, 0.18) from the head-to-head trial and 0.27 (95% credible interval: 0.12, 0.60) from the MTC, reflecting strong inconsistency between the results of the direct and indirect methodologies. When subsequently-published head-to-head trials were included, the meta-analysis estimate increased to 0.29 (95% confidence interval: 0.15, 0.55), while the MTC gave a relative risk of 0.34 (95% credible interval: 0.23, 0.54). The initial MTC results were therefore a better predictor of subsequent study results than was the direct trial. The MTC was also able to estimate the probability that there were clinically significant difference in efficacy between the treatments. Conclusions: Bayesian MTC provides clinically relevant information, including a measure of the consistency of direct and indirect evidence. Where inconsistency exists, it should not always be assumed that the direct evidence is more appropriate

Report on the results of the tree-rings meta-analysis

This manuscript summarises the work done during the first 6 months of the Medit Project, dealing in particular with the tree-rings database developed and analysed within component C1 (“Literature Review and Metadata Collection”). This report summarises the development and analysis of the tree-rings database. An accompanying report (Deliverable No2) summarises the functional traits dataset development and meta-analysi

Konsumsi Alkohol, Obat-obatan Terlarang Dan Perilaku Seks Berisiko: Suatu Studi Meta-Analisis

Risky sexual behavior has been consi-dered as a widespread social phenomenon recently. Its bad consequences bring us to the fact of the increasing of HIV/AIDS cases in the world. Behaviors like condom inconsis-tency, multiple sex partners and dangerous sexual encounters could be shaped by subs-tance use. Substance use itself is consist of the use of alcohol and drugs like marijuana, cocaine, methamphetamine, ecstasy etc. This meta-analysis consist of 101 studies from 30 articles, involving 30136 participants from heterosexual male and female to bisexual and gay male. The result shows positive and significant correlation between substance use and risky sexual behavior. However, this fin-ding supports previous research's results and also give further insight for other researchers in order to have more concern on other varia-bles for predicting risky sexual behavior. Keywords: substance use, risky sexual behavior, meta-analysi

Enabling meta-analysis in systematic reviews on carpal tunnel syndrome

Possible solutions to the problems of clinical heterogeneity of outcome measures and inadequate reporting of results for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) are presented. Meta-analysis was impeded by these problems in 2 systematic reviews concerning conservative and surgical treatment options for CTS. A solution to the problem of inadequate data presentation is to add explicit information on minimal requirements with regard to data presentation to guidelines for the reporting of studies. To resolve the problem of clinical heterogeneity of the outcomes there should be consensus on the (validated) outcomes that should be used in RCTs. For CTS there is little evidence available on the reliability, validity, and responsiveness to change of the commonly used outcomes in RCTs. Resolving both problems will increase the comparability of RCTs, enabling the calculation of a pooled estimate of effect in a meta-analysi

Spinal manipulation or mobilization for lumbar disc herniation with radiculopathy : a protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis

Introduction: The purpose of this study is to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis into the effects of spinal manipulation or mobilization for Lumbar Disc Herniation with Radiculopathy (LDHR). Methods: An electronic database search of titles and abstracts of articles published in English will be conducted in the following databases: PEDro (Physiotherapy Evidence Database), CINAHL (Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature), PubMed, Science Direct, Google Scholar, and The Cochrane Library. The specific search strategies will be dependent on the particular database being searched and hand searches of the reference lists of the included articles will also be performed. Studies will be included if they reported an acceptable comparison group, and also reported at least one of the main clinically relevant outcome measures for LDHR. Two independent reviewers will screen the identified records, and all disagreements will be resolved. The internal and external validities of the included studies will be assessed using the PEDro scale and the External Validity Assessment Tool (EVAT) respectively. The clinical relevance and risk of bias of the studies will be determined using the 5-Criteria developed by the Cochrane Back Review Group and the Cochrane Risk of Bias Assessment Tool respectively. Studies will be pooled into meta-analysis where appropriate using RevMan software and the outcomes will be reported using the PRISMA guidelines. Discussion: This review will summarize the current evidence about the effects of spinal manipulation or mobilization compared with other interventions in the management of individuals with Lumbar Disc Herniation with Radiculopathy (LDHR). A meta-analysis will also be conducted where appropriate in this review to compare the effects of spinal manipulation or mobilization with other interventions with a view to finding out which technique is better in the management of individuals with LDHR. Review Registration: This review has been registered with the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO; registration number: CRD42019131292). Keywords: Spinal manipulation; spinal mobilization; lumbar disc herniation; systematic review; meta-analysi

Study Of Fish Layang Otolith, Decapterus Akaadsi, Abe 1958 From Amurang Bay

Otolith atau batu telinga ikan dikenal sebagai hasil dari biomineralisasi yang berlangsung dalam tubuh ikan. Pada beberapa studi, otolith digunakan untuk mengestimasi umur ikan serta struktur. Otolith dimiliki oleh semua ikan teleost dengan tiga (3) organ otolith antara lain sagitta, utrikulus dan lagena. Hingga kini jenis Decapterus akaadsi family Carangidae, belum pernah diungkapkan karakteristik morfometrik otolithnya, demikian halnya dengan struktur mikro dari morfologi Panjang, lebar, area, keliling otolith dan elemen biomineralnya.Otolith ikan layang, Decapterus akaadsi telah ditelaah dari sampel pasangan otolith sagita (kiri dan kanan) sebanyak 29 ikan jantan dan 22 ikan betina. Citra foto otolith ini ditafsirkan dengan piranti ImageJ untuk mendeskripsikan panjang, lebar, perimeter, dan luas otolith Panjang total tubuh Decapterus akaadsi contoh ditemukann non signifikan menentukan descriptor utama otolith. Sementara variasi morfometrik panjang otolith (2,24 mm) dan lebar (5,26 mm) tidak menunjukkan perbedaan baik antara otolith kiri dan otolith kanan, seperti juga antara otolith dari ikan betina dan ikan jantan.Berdasarkan hasil analisis pola pertumbuhan, uji t terhadap nilai b ikan layang, Decapterus akaadsi jantan memiliki t hit > t tabe maka dari itu H1 diterima (alometrik) dan betina t hit > t tabel serta gambungkan (jantan-betina) t hit > t tabel dimana hipotesis H1 diterima (alometrik)

Sexual dysfunction in subjects treated with inhibitors of 5a-reductase for benign prostatic hyperplasia: a comprehensive review and meta-analysis

Sexual dysfunction in subjects treated with inhibitors of 5a-reductase for benign prostatic hyperplasia: a comprehensive review and meta-analysi

Etiology of acute respiratory disease in fattening pigs in Finland

Background: The objective of our study was to clinically and etiologically investigate acute outbreaks of respiratory disease in Finland. Our study also aimed to evaluate the clinical use of various methods in diagnosing respiratory infections under field conditions and to describe the antimicrobial resistance profile of the main bacterial pathogen(s) found during the study. Methods: A total of 20 case herds having finishing pigs showing acute respiratory symptoms and eight control herds showing no clinical signs suggesting of respiratory problems were enrolled in the study. Researchers visited each herd twice, examining and bleeding 20 pigs per herd. In addition, nasal swab samples were taken from 20 pigs and three pigs per case herd were necropsied during the first visit. Serology was used to detect Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae (APP), swine influenza virus (SIV), porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV), porcine respiratory coronavirus (PRCV) and Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae antibodies. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used to investigate the presence of porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2) in serumand SIV in the nasal and lung samples. Pathology and bacteriology, including antimicrobial resistance determination, were performed on lung samples obtained from the field necropsies. Results: According to the pathology and bacteriology of the lung samples, APP and Ascaris suum were the main causes of respiratory outbreaks in 14 and three herds respectively, while the clinical signs in three other herds had a miscellaneous etiology. SIV, APP and PCV2 caused concurrent infections in certain herds but they were detected serologically or with PCR also in control herds, suggesting possible subclinical infections. APP was isolated from 16 (80%) case herds. Marked resistance was observed against tetracycline for APP, some resistance was detected against trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole, ampicillin and penicillin, and no resistance against florfenicol, enrofloxacin, tulathromycin or tiamulin was found. Serology, even from paired serum samples, gave inconclusive results for acute APP infection diagnosis. Conclusions: APP was the most common cause for acute respiratory outbreaks in our study. SIV, A. suum, PCV2 and certain opportunistic bacteria were also detected during the outbreaks; however, viral pathogens appeared less important than bacteria. Necropsies supplemented with microbiology were the most efficient diagnostic methods in characterizing the studied outbreaks.Peer reviewe

Averaging dependent effect sizes in meta-analysis: A cautionary note about procedures.

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