A survey of experts to identify methods to detect problematic studies: stage 1 of the INveStigating ProblEmatic Clinical Trials in Systematic Reviews project.

Background And Objective: Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) inform health-care decisions. Unfortunately, some published RCTs contain false data, and some appear to have been entirely fabricated. Systematic reviews are performed to identify and synthesize all RCTs which have been conducted on a given topic.

Data integrity of 14 randomised controlled trials.

Background: A review of the literature on iron treatments for iron-deficient anaemia in pregnancy indicated duplication of baseline and outcome tables in two separate randomised controlled trials (RCTs) that share only a single author.

Aim: To assess the integrity of randomised clinical trials from Dr A.M.

Concerns about data integrity across 263 papers by one author.

Objective: Comprehensive investigation of published work by authors suspected of academic misconduct can reveal further concerns. We aimed to test for data integrity concerns in papers published by an author with eight retracted articles.

Study Design: We investigated the integrity of all papers reporting on prospective clinical studies by this author.

A survey of experts to identify methods to detect problematic studies: Stage 1 of the INSPECT-SR Project.

Background: Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) inform healthcare decisions. Unfortunately, some published RCTs contain false data, and some appear to have been entirely fabricated. Systematic reviews are performed to identify and synthesise all RCTs which have been conducted on a given topic.

Protocol for the development of a tool (INSPECT-SR) to identify problematic randomised controlled trials in systematic reviews of health interventions.

Introduction: Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) inform healthcare decisions. It is now apparent that some published RCTs contain false data and some appear to have been entirely fabricated. Systematic reviews are performed to identify and synthesise all RCTs that have been conducted on a given topic.

Educational Outcomes for Children at 7 to 9 Years of Age After Birth at 39 vs 40 to 42 Weeks' Gestation.

Importance: Birth at 39 weeks' gestation is common and thought to be safe for mother and neonate. However, findings of long-term outcomes for children born at this gestational age have been conflicting.

Objective: To evaluate the association of birth at 39 weeks' gestation with childhood numeracy and literacy scores at ages 7 to 9 years compared with birth at 40 to 42 weeks' gestation.

Protocol for the development of a tool (INSPECT-SR) to identify problematic randomised controlled trials in systematic reviews of health interventions.

Introduction: Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) inform healthcare decisions. It is now apparent that some published RCTs contain false data and some appear to have been entirely fabricated. Systematic reviews are performed to identify and synthesise all RCTs that have been conducted on a given topic.

Benefits and harms of breast cancer screening: Cohort study of breast cancer mortality and overdiagnosis.

Background: Quantifying the benefits and harms of breast cancer screening accurately is important for planning and evaluating screening programs and for enabling women to make informed decisions about participation. However, few cohort studies have attempted to estimate benefit and harm simultaneously.

Aims: We aimed to quantify the impact of mammographic screening on breast cancer mortality and overdiagnosis using a cohort of women invited to attend Australia's national screening program, BreastScreen.

Checklist to assess Trustworthiness in RAndomised Controlled Trials (TRACT checklist): concept proposal and pilot.

Objectives: To propose a checklist that can be used to assess trustworthiness of randomized controlled trials (RCTs).

Design: A screening tool was developed using the four-stage approach proposed by Moher et al. This included defining the scope, reviewing the evidence base, suggesting a list of items from piloting, and holding a consensus meeting.

Smoking Inequality Trends by Disability and Income in Australia, 2001 to 2020.

Background: While policies to reduce smoking in many countries have been successful, disadvantaged groups (such as low-income groups) have only seen minor gains. People with disability are one such disadvantaged group and are more likely to smoke. However, evidence is limited on trends and inequalities in smoking for disabled people and on whether those also on low incomes are more likely to smoke.

School-age outcomes among IVF-conceived children: A population-wide cohort study.

Background: In vitro fertilisation (IVF) is a common mode of conception. Understanding the long-term implications for these children is important. The aim of this study was to determine the causal effect of IVF conception on primary school-age childhood developmental and educational outcomes, compared with outcomes following spontaneous conception.

Lifetime spirometry patterns of obstruction and restriction, and their risk factors and outcomes: a prospective cohort study.

Background: Interest in lifetime lung function trajectories has increased in the context of emerging evidence that chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) can arise from multiple disadvantaged lung function pathways, including those that stem from poor lung function in childhood. To our knowledge, no previous study has investigated both obstructive and restrictive lifetime patterns concurrently, while accounting for potential overlaps between them. We aimed to investigate lifetime trajectories of the FEV/forced vital capacity (FVC) ratio, FVC, and their combinations, relate these combined trajectory groups to static lung volume and gas transfer measurements, and investigate both risk factors for and consequences of these combined trajectory groups.

Association Between Earlier Introduction of Peanut and Prevalence of Peanut Allergy in Infants in Australia.

Importance: Randomized clinical trials showed that earlier peanut introduction can prevent peanut allergy in select high-risk populations. This led to changes in infant feeding guidelines in 2016 to recommend early peanut introduction for all infants to reduce the risk of peanut allergy.

Objective: To measure the change in population prevalence of peanut allergy in infants after the introduction of these new guidelines and evaluate the association between early peanut introduction and peanut allergy.

Childhood 'bronchitis' and respiratory outcomes in middle-age: a prospective cohort study from age 7 to 53 years.

Background: Chronic bronchitis in childhood is associated with a diagnosis of asthma and/or bronchiectasis a few years later, however, consequences into middle-age are unknown.

Objective: To investigate the relationship between childhood bronchitis and respiratory-related health outcomes in middle-age.

Design: Cohort study from age 7 to 53 years.

The natural history of peanut and egg allergy in children up to age 6 years in the HealthNuts population-based longitudinal study.

Background: Prospectively collected data on the natural history of food allergy are lacking.

Objective: We examined the natural history of egg and peanut allergy in children from age 1 to 6 years and assessed whether a skin prick test (SPT) result or other clinical factors at diagnosis are associated with the persistence or resolution of food allergy in early childhood.

Methods: The HealthNuts cohort consists of 5276 children who were recruited at age 1 year and have been followed prospectively.

Emulating a target trial of intensive nurse home visiting in the policy-relevant population using linked administrative data.

Background: Populations willing to participate in randomized trials may not correspond well to policy-relevant target populations. Evidence of effectiveness that is complementary to randomized trials may be obtained by combining the 'target trial' causal inference framework with whole-of-population linked administrative data.

Methods: We demonstrate this approach in an evaluation of the South Australian Family Home Visiting Program, a nurse home visiting programme targeting socially disadvantaged families.

Developmental Outcomes for Children After Elective Birth at 39 Weeks' Gestation.

Importance: Elective births at 39 weeks' gestation are increasing. While this option may improve maternal and perinatal outcomes compared with expectant management, longer-term childhood developmental outcomes are uncertain.

Objective: To investigate the association between elective birth at 39 weeks' gestation and the risk of childhood developmental vulnerability.

Violation of research integrity principles occurs more often than we think.

The science community generally believes that the violation of research integrity is rare. Built upon this belief, the scientific system makes little effort to examine the trustworthiness of research. Research misconduct refers to an intentional violation of research integrity principles, which has an extensive and far-reaching impact on the trustworthiness and reputation of science.

Traditionalism vs egalitarianism: Is there an association between gender attitudes and mental health?

Objective: This study sought to assess the extent to which gender attitudes are associated with mental health among Australian men and women.

Methods: This study used a sample of 26,188 individuals drawn from five waves of the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia Survey. Gender attitudes were classified into three groups (traditional, moderate-egalitarian and egalitarian), and were constructed from six items.

Utility and limitations of Hepascore and transient elastography to detect advanced hepatic fibrosis in HFE hemochromatosis.

Aspartate aminotransferase-to-platelet ratio index (APRI) and Fibrosis-4 Index (Fib4) have been validated against liver biopsy for detecting advanced hepatic fibrosis in HFE hemochromatosis. We determined the diagnostic utility for advanced hepatic fibrosis of Hepascore and transient elastography compared with APRI and Fib4 in 134 newly diagnosed HFE hemochromatosis subjects with serum ferritin levels > 300 µg/L using area under the receiver operator characteristic curve (AUROC) analysis and APRI- (> 0.44) or Fib4- (> 1.

An investigation of seven other publications by the first author of a retracted paper due to doubts about data integrity.

Background: In 2019, a randomized controlled trial (RCT) authored by Dr. Ismail was retracted due to concerns about data integrity. Since there are no policies in place to investigate other publications of authors of retracted studies, we investigated Dr.

To share or not to share data: how valid are trials evaluating first-line ovulation induction for polycystic ovary syndrome?

Background: In our recent individual participant data (IPD) meta-analysis evaluating the effectiveness of first-line ovulation induction for polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), IPD were only available from 20 studies of 53 randomized controlled trials (RCTs). We noticed that the summary effect sizes of meta-analyses of RCTs without IPD sharing were different from those of RCTs with IPD sharing. Granting access to IPD for secondary analysis has implications for promoting fair and transparent conduct of RCTs.