Conflicts of interest and editorial ethics in clinical practice guidelines on care of ulcers and chronic wounds

Objetivo: evaluar la calidad ética editorial (independencia editorial) y ética profesional (declaración de conflictos de intereses) expresada en las Guías de Práctica Clínica (GPCs) sobre prevención y tratamiento de úlceras y heridas crónicas. Metodología: estudio observacional y revisión sistemática de GPCs nacionales e internacionales vigentes sobre úlceras vasculares de la pierna (UVP), úlceras de pie diabético (UPD), úlceras por presión (UPP) y úlceras neoplásicas (UN). Evaluación del dominio 6 (ítem nº22 y nº23) del Instrumento AGREE II (Appraisal of Guidelines Research and Evaluation). Revisión por 6 expertos y análisis intra-observador. Resultados: se analizaron 26 GPCs (12 sobre UPP, 7 sobre UPD, 6 sobre UVP y 1 sobre UN). El 80,7% de las GPCs fueron publicaciones internacionales. 10 GPC cumplieron totalmente con el Dominio 6 del AGREE II, 13 lo hicieron de forma parcial, y 3 no lo cumplieron. Referente al ítem 22 (ética editorial), el valor promedio alcanzado fue del 62,5%, mientras que para el ítem nº23 (ética profesional) se obtuvo un 83,92%. Conclusiones: el 73% de GPCs cumplieron satisfactoriamente el Dominio 6 del AGREE II; Aun así, GPC-UVP deberían elevar su estándar de calidad de ética editorial y profesional. El ítem 22 (independencia editorial) fue el que menos se cumple y el más difícil de valorar por los revisores, debiendo ser éste un apartado a mejorar en las futuras ediciones de GPCs.Objective: to evaluate the ethical quality publishing (editorial independence) and professional ethics (declaration of conflicts of interest) expressed in the Clinical Practice Guidelines (CPGs) on prevention and treatment of ulcers and chronic wounds. Methodology: observational study and systematic review of current national and international GPCs on vascular leg ulcers (VLU), diabetic foot ulcers (DFU), pressure ulcers (PU) and malignant ulcers (MU). Evaluation Domain 6 (item #22 and #23) AGREE II Instrument (Appraisal of Guidelines Research and Evaluation). Review by 6 experts and intra-observer analysis. Results: 26 CPGs were analyzed (12 on PU, 7 on DFU, 6 on VLU and 1 on MU). 80.7% of CPGs were international publications. 10 CPG fully complied with the Dominion 6 AGREE II, 13 did so partially, and 3 not comply. Relating to item 22 (editorial ethics), the average value achieved was 62.5%, while for item 23 (professional ethics) an 83.92% was obtained. Conclusions: 73% of CPGs comply successfully the Domain 6 AGREE II; Still, GPC-UVP should raise their standard of editorial quality and professional ethics. The item 22 (editorial independence) was the least fulfilled and the most difficult to assess by reviewers, it must be a section to improve in future editions of CPGs

Size and shape dependence of the exchange-bias field in exchange-coupled ferrimagnetic bilayers

Exchange biasing was studied in an exchange-spring system consisting of two ferrimagnetic films with different coercivity. Magnetite and Co-Fe ferrite were chosen as the soft and hard magnetic bilayer components, respectively. The samples were epitaxially grown on MgO single crystal substrates by pulsed laser deposition. The exchange-bias field was investigated as a function of system size and shape, magnetic field direction and magnetization reversal in the hard layer. A clear dependence of the exchange-bias field on the sample size and shape was found. This was attributed to an interplay between exchange and dipolar energies. Micromagnetic simulations agree with the experimental results. Copyright EDP Sciences/Società Italiana di Fisica/Springer-Verlag 2005