Evaluating characteristics of PROSPERO records as predictors of eventual publication of non-Cochrane systematic reviews: a meta-epidemiological study protocol.

BACKGROUND: Epidemiology and the reporting characteristics of systematic reviews (SRs) and meta-analyses (MAs) are well known. However, no study has analyzed the influence of protocol features on the probability that a study's results will be finally reported, thereby indirectly assessing the reporting bias of International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO) registration records. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study is to explore which factors are associated with a higher probability that results derived from a non-Cochrane PROSPERO registration record for a systematic review will be finally reported as an original article in a scientific journal. METHODS/DESIGN: The PROSPERO repository will be web scraped to automatically and iteratively obtain all completed non-Cochrane registration records stored from February 2011 to December 2017. Downloaded records will be screened, and those with less than 90% fulfilled or are duplicated (i.e., those sharing titles and reviewers) will be excluded. Manual and human-supervised automatic methods will be used for data extraction, depending on the data source (fields of PROSPERO registration records, bibliometric databases, etc.). Records will be classified into published, discontinued, and abandoned review subgroups. All articles derived from published reviews will be obtained through multiple parallel searches using the full protocol "title" and/or "list reviewers" in MEDLINE/PubMed databases and Google Scholar. Reviewer, author, article, and journal metadata will be obtained using different sources. R and Python programming and analysis languages will be used to describe the datasets; perform text mining, machine learning, and deep learning analyses; and visualize the data. We will report the study according to the recommendations for meta-epidemiological studies adapted from the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statement for SRs and MAs. DISCUSSION: This meta-epidemiological study will explore, for the first time, characteristics of PROSPERO records that may be associated with the publication of a completed systematic review. The evidence may help to improve review workflow performance in terms of research topic selection, decision-making regarding team selection, planning relationships with funding sources, implementing literature search strategies, and efficient data extraction and analysis. We expect to make our results, datasets, and R and Python code scripts publicly available during the third quarter of 2018.

The differential impact of scientific quality, bibliometric factors, and social media activity on the influence of systematic reviews and meta-analyses about psoriasis.

Researchers are increasingly using on line social networks to promote their work. Some authors have suggested that measuring social media activity can predict the impact of a primary study (i.e., whether or not an article will be highly cited). However, the influence of variables such as scientific quality, research disclosures, and journal characteristics on systematic reviews and meta-analyses has not yet been assessed. The present study aims to describe the effect of complex interactions between bibliometric factors and social media activity on the impact of systematic reviews and meta-analyses about psoriasis (PROSPERO 2016: CRD42016053181). Methodological quality was assessed using the Assessing the Methodological Quality of Systematic Reviews (AMSTAR) tool. Altmetrics, which consider Twitter, Facebook, and Google+ mention counts as well as Mendeley and SCOPUS readers, and corresponding article citation counts from Google Scholar were obtained for each article. Metadata and journal-related bibliometric indices were also obtained. One-hundred and sixty-four reviews with available altmetrics information were included in the final multifactorial analysis, which showed that social media and impact factor have less effect than Mendeley and SCOPUS readers on the number of cites that appear in Google Scholar. Although a journal's impact factor predicted the number of tweets (OR, 1.202; 95% CI, 1.087-1.049), the years of publication and the number of Mendeley readers predicted the number of citations in Google Scholar (OR, 1.033; 95% CI, 1.018-1.329). Finally, methodological quality was related neither with bibliometric influence nor social media activity for systematic reviews. In conclusion, there seems to be a lack of connectivity between scientific quality, social media activity, and article usage, thus predicting scientific success based on these variables may be inappropriate in the particular case of systematic reviews.

Abstract analysis method facilitates filtering low-methodological quality and high-bias risk systematic reviews on psoriasis interventions.

BACKGROUND: Article summaries' information and structure may influence researchers/clinicians' decisions to conduct deeper full-text analyses. Specifically, abstracts of systematic reviews (SRs) and meta-analyses (MA) should provide structured summaries for quick assessment. This study explored a method for determining the methodological quality and bias risk of full-text reviews using abstract information alone. METHODS: Systematic literature searches for SRs and/or MA about psoriasis were undertaken on MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Cochrane database. For each review, quality, abstract-reporting completeness, full-text methodological quality, and bias risk were evaluated using Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses for abstracts (PRISMA-A), Assessing the Methodological Quality of Systematic Reviews (AMSTAR), and ROBIS tools, respectively. Article-, author-, and journal-derived metadata were systematically extracted from eligible studies using a piloted template, and explanatory variables concerning abstract-reporting quality were assessed using univariate and multivariate-regression models. Two classification models concerning SRs' methodological quality and bias risk were developed based on per-item and total PRISMA-A scores and decision-tree algorithms. This work was supported, in part, by project ICI1400136 (JR). No funding was received from any pharmaceutical company. RESULTS: This study analysed 139 SRs on psoriasis interventions. On average, they featured 56.7% of PRISMA-A items. The mean total PRISMA-A score was significantly higher for high-methodological-quality SRs than for moderate- and low-methodological-quality reviews. SRs with low-bias risk showed higher total PRISMA-A values than reviews with high-bias risk. In the final model, only 'authors per review > 6' (OR: 1.098; 95%CI: 1.012-1.194), 'academic source of funding' (OR: 3.630; 95%CI: 1.788-7.542), and 'PRISMA-endorsed journal' (OR: 4.370; 95%CI: 1.785-10.98) predicted PRISMA-A variability. Reviews with a total PRISMA-A score < 6, lacking identification as SR or MA in the title, and lacking explanation concerning bias risk assessment methods were classified as low-methodological quality. Abstracts with a total PRISMA-A score ≥ 9, including main outcomes results and explanation bias risk assessment method were classified as having low-bias risk. CONCLUSIONS: The methodological quality and bias risk of SRs may be determined by abstract's quality and completeness analyses. Our proposal aimed to facilitate synthesis of evidence evaluation by clinical professionals lacking methodological skills. External validation is necessary.

Most systematic reviews of high methodological quality on psoriasis interventions are classified as high risk of bias using ROBIS tool.

OBJECTIVES: No gold standard exists to assess methodological quality of systematic reviews (SRs). Although Assessing the Methodological Quality of Systematic Reviews (AMSTAR) is widely accepted for analyzing quality, the ROBIS instrument has recently been developed. This study aimed to compare the capacity of both instruments to capture the quality of SRs concerning psoriasis interventions. STUDY DESIGN AND SETTING: Systematic literature searches were undertaken on relevant databases. For each review, methodological quality and bias risk were evaluated using the AMSTAR and ROBIS tools. Descriptive and principal component analyses were conducted to describe similarities and discrepancies between both assessment tools. RESULTS: We classified 139 intervention SRs as displaying high/moderate/low methodological quality and as high/low risk of bias. A high risk of bias was detected for most SRs classified as displaying high or moderate methodological quality by AMSTAR. When comparing ROBIS result profiles, responses to domain 4 signaling questions showed the greatest differences between bias risk assessments, whereas domain 2 items showed the least. CONCLUSION: When considering SRs published about psoriasis, methodological quality remains suboptimal, and the risk of bias is elevated, even for SRs exhibiting high methodological quality. Furthermore, the AMSTAR and ROBIS tools may be considered as complementary when conducting quality assessment of SRs.

Author-paper affiliation network architecture influences the methodological quality of systematic reviews and meta-analyses of psoriasis.

Moderate-to-severe psoriasis is associated with significant comorbidity, an impaired quality of life, and increased medical costs, including those associated with treatments. Systematic reviews (SRs) and meta-analyses (MAs) of randomized clinical trials are considered two of the best approaches to the summarization of high-quality evidence. However, methodological bias can reduce the validity of conclusions from these types of studies and subsequently impair the quality of decision making. As co-authorship is among the most well-documented forms of research collaboration, the present study aimed to explore whether authors' collaboration methods might influence the methodological quality of SRs and MAs of psoriasis. Methodological quality was assessed by two raters who extracted information from full articles. After calculating total and per-item Assessment of Multiple Systematic Reviews (AMSTAR) scores, reviews were classified as low (0-4), medium (5-8), or high (9-11) quality. Article metadata and journal-related bibliometric indices were also obtained. A total of 741 authors from 520 different institutions and 32 countries published 220 reviews that were classified as high (17.2%), moderate (55%), or low (27.7%) methodological quality. The high methodological quality subnetwork was larger but had a lower connection density than the low and moderate methodological quality subnetworks; specifically, the former contained relatively fewer nodes (authors and reviews), reviews by authors, and collaborators per author. Furthermore, the high methodological quality subnetwork was highly compartmentalized, with several modules representing few poorly interconnected communities. In conclusion, structural differences in author-paper affiliation network may influence the methodological quality of SRs and MAs on psoriasis. As the author-paper affiliation network structure affects study quality in this research field, authors who maintain an appropriate balance between scientific quality and productivity are more likely to develop higher quality reviews.

Gentamicin therapy for sepsis due to carbapenem-resistant and colistin-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae.

OBJECTIVES: Antimicrobial therapy for sepsis caused by carbapenem- and colistin-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae is not well established. We hypothesized that the early use of gentamicin in cases due to susceptible organisms would decrease the crude mortality rate of this infection. METHODS: This retrospective cohort study examined 50 cases of sepsis caused by carbapenem-resistant K. pneumoniae occurring between June 2012 and February 2013 during an outbreak of K. pneumoniae ST512 producing KPC-3, SHV-11 and TEM-1. Survival curves categorized by the use of gentamicin were constructed using the Kaplan-Meier method and compared using the log-rank test. Eight multivariate models using Cox regression were designed to study the risk factors for mortality and test the hypothesis. RESULTS: The 30 day crude mortality rate was 38%. The use of targeted gentamicin was associated with reduced mortality (20.7% versus 61.9%, P = 0.02). In all multivariate regression models, the use of gentamicin was independently associated with lower mortality until Day 30 (HR 0.17-0.29, P = 0.03-0.002 depending on the model) after controlling for other potential confounding variables such as age, optimal treatment, renal function, severity of infection, underlying disease, use of tigecycline and previous hospitalization. CONCLUSIONS: Gentamicin reduced the mortality from sepsis caused by this K. pneumoniae ST512 clone producing KPC-3, SHV-11 and TEM-1.

Characterisation of the first ongoing outbreak due to KPC-3-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae (ST512) in Spain.

The aim of this study was to characterise carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae isolates that caused an outbreak in a hospital in the south of Spain, originating from a patient transferred in 2012 from Italy. Forty-four K. pneumoniae isolates, recovered from 28 patients, were screened by PCR for extended-spectrum ß-lactamase (ESBL) and carbapenemase genes and the products were further sequenced. Plasmids were transferred by electroporation and were classified using PCR-based Inc/rep typing and IncF subtyping. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) and multilocus sequence typing (MLST) were used to determine the genetic relatedness of the isolates. All isolates yielded positive modified Hodge test results, harboured bla(SHV-11), bla(TEM-1) and bla(KPC-3) genes, showed an identical PFGE pattern, and were assigned to clone sequence type 512 (ST512). The bla(KPC-3) gene was located on a 140-kb K2:A-:B-plasmid. In conclusion, the successful K. pneumoniae ST512 clone caused a major outbreak in Spain from an imported case and is the first description of an outbreak in this country due to the KPC-3-producing K. pneumoniae ST512 clone.

Foliculitis del jacuzzi: descripción de un brote de 6 casos / Whirlpool folliculitis: 6 cases outbreak report

No disponible

Epidemiology and clinical impact of infection in patients awaiting heart transplantation.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to determine the epidemiology and clinical impact of infections in patients awaiting heart transplantation. METHODS: We evaluated all patients considered for a heart transplant in our center over a period of 18 months over a period of 18 months from 2007 to 2009. The patients were followed up for 8 months or until death, transplant, or loss to follow-up. RESULTS: Ninety patients were included in the study. During follow-up, 25 infections were recorded in 22 heart transplant candidates (24.4%). Respiratory infections were the most frequent infection (12 bronchitis; 48.0%), followed by skin and soft tissue infections (four infections; 16.0%), intra-abdominal infections (four infectious diarrhea; 16.0%), bacteremia (three infections; 12.0%), and urinary tract infections (two infections; 2.0%). Age, comorbidity, sex, and diabetes were not found to be risk factors for infection. Twenty-four patients (26.7%) were transplanted during follow-up. Infection before transplantation was not associated with an increased risk of mortality or a higher rate of infection in the immediate post-transplant period. CONCLUSIONS: Infections are common in heart transplant candidates, affecting almost 25% of them. Respiratory tract infections are the most frequent type of infection. However, they are not associated with increased mortality in the immediate post-transplant period.

Age-dependent association between low frequency of CD27/CD28 expression on pp65 CD8+ T cells and cytomegalovirus replication after transplantation.

In this cross-sectional study of 42 solid organ transplant recipients, the association of human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) replication and age with the phenotype of the HCMV-specific CD8(+) T cells was analyzed by using the CMV pp65 HLA-A*0201 pentamer. A correlation between the proportion of CD28(-) HCMV-specific CD8(+) T cells and age was observed in patients without HCMV replication (r = 0.50; P = 0.02) but not in patients with HCMV replication (r = -0.05; P = 0.83), a finding which differs from that observed for total CD8(+) T cells. Within the group of patients younger than 50 years of age, patients with HCVM replication after transplantation had higher percentages of CD28(-) HCMV-specific CD8(+) T cells (85.6 compared with 58.7% for patients without HCMV replication; P = 0.004) and CD27(-) HCMV-specific CD8(+) T cells (90.7 compared with 68.8% for patients without HCMV replication; P = 0.03). However, in patients older than age 50 years, a high frequency of these two subpopulations was observed in patients both with and without previous HCMV replication (for CD28(-) HCMV-specific CD8(+) T cells, 84.4 and 80.9%, respectively [P = 0.39]; for CD27(-) HCMV-specific CD8(+) T cells 86.6 and 81.5%, respectively [P = 0.16]). In conclusion, the present study shows that in the group of recipients younger than age 50 years, HCMV replication after transplantation is associated with a high percentage of CD27(-) and CD28(-) HCMV-specific CD8(+) T cells. These results suggest that the increased percentage of CD27(-) or CD28(-) HCMV-specific subsets can be considered a biomarker of HCMV replication in solid organ transplant recipients younger than age 50 years but not in older patients. Further studies are necessary to define the significance of these changes in HCMV-associated clinical complications posttransplantation.

Immature rats show ovulatory defects similar to those in adult rats lacking prostaglandin and progesterone actions.

Gonadotropin-primed immature rats (GPIR) constitute a widely used model for the study of ovulation. Although the equivalence between the ovulatory process in immature and adult rats is generally assumed, the morphological and functional characteristics of ovulation in immature rats have been scarcely considered. We describe herein the morphological aspects of the ovulatory process in GPIR and their response to classical ovulation inhibitors, such as the inhibitor of prostaglandin (PG) synthesis indomethacin (INDO) and a progesterone (P) receptor (PR) antagonist (RU486). Immature Wistar rats were primed with equine chorionic gonadotropin (eCG) at 21, 23 or 25 days of age, injected with human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) 48 h later, and sacrificed 16 h after hCG treatment, to assess follicle rupture and ovulation. Surprisingly, GPIR showed age-related ovulatory defects close similar to those in adult rats lacking P and PG actions. Rats primed with eCG at 21 or 23 days of age showed abnormally ruptured corpora lutea in which the cumulus-oocyte complex (COC) was trapped or had been released to the ovarian interstitum, invading the ovarian stroma and blood and lymphatic vessels. Supplementation of immature rats with exogenous P and/or PG of the E series did not significantly inhibit abnormal follicle rupture. Otherwise, ovulatory defects were practically absent in rats primed with eCG at 25 days of age. GPIR treated with INDO showed the same ovulatory alterations than vehicle-treated ones, although affecting to a higher proportion of follicles. Blocking P actions with RU486 increased the number of COC trapped inside corpora lutea and decreased ovulation. The presence of ovulatory defects in GPIR, suggests that the capacity of the immature ovary to undergo the coordinate changes leading to effective ovulation is not fully established in Wistar rats primed with eCG before 25 days of age.