Risk of bias versus quality assessment of randomised controlled trials: cross sectional study.

Objectives: To evaluate the risk of bias tool, introduced by the Cochrane Collaboration for assessing the internal validity of randomised trials, for inter-rater agreement, concurrent validity compared with the Jadad scale and Schulz approach to allocation concealment, and the relation between risk of bias and effect estimates.

Design: Cross sectional study. Study sample 163 trials in children.

Meta-analyses of safety data: a comparison of exact versus asymptotic methods.

The objectives of this study were to establish and describe a database of Cochrane and non-Cochrane meta-analyses of safety data and to determine under what conditions exact methods differ from asymptotic methods in meta-analyses of safety data. A sample of Cochrane (n = 500) and non-Cochrane (n = 200) systematic reviews was randomly selected and a database of safety meta-analyses established. Point estimates and confidence intervals for each meta-analysis were recalculated using exact methods and compared to the results of asymptotic methods.

Cardiac resynchronization therapy and implantable cardiac defibrillators in left ventricular systolic dysfunction.

Objectives: To determine the efficacy, effectiveness, and safety of cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) and/or implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICD) in patients with left ventricular systolic dysfunction (LVSD).

Data Sources: A systematic and comprehensive literature search was conducted to identify randomized controlled trials (RCTs) evaluating efficacy and observational studies evaluating effectiveness or safety of CRT and/or ICD in patients with LVSD.

Review Methods: Study selection, quality assessment, and data extraction were completed by several investigators in duplicate and independently.

Meditation practices for health: state of the research.

Objectives: To review and synthesize the state of research on a variety of meditation practices, including: the specific meditation practices examined; the research designs employed and the conditions and outcomes examined; the efficacy and effectiveness of different meditation practices for the three most studied conditions; the role of effect modifiers on outcomes; and the effects of meditation on physiological and neuropsychological outcomes.

Data Sources: Comprehensive searches were conducted in 17 electronic databases of medical and psychological literature up to September 2005. Other sources of potentially relevant studies included hand searches, reference tracking, contact with experts, and gray literature searches.

Systematic review: implantable cardioverter defibrillators for adults with left ventricular systolic dysfunction.

Background: Patients with left ventricular (LV) systolic dysfunction have an increased risk for ventricular arrhythmias.

Purpose: To summarize the evidence about benefits and harms of implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs) in adult patients with LV systolic dysfunction.

Data Sources: A search of electronic databases (including MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane Central, and U.

Cardiac resynchronization therapy for patients with left ventricular systolic dysfunction: a systematic review.

Context: Left ventricular (LV) systolic dysfunction causes substantial morbidity and mortality, even with optimal pharmacotherapy. Atrial-synchronized biventricular pacemakers (cardiac resynchronization therapy [CRT]) received US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for use in selected patients with LV systolic dysfunction in 2001.

Objective: To summarize the current evidence base for the efficacy, effectiveness, and safety of CRT in patients with LV systolic dysfunction.

A systematic review of the diagnosis of occupational asthma.

Background: This study systematically reviews literature regarding the diagnosis of occupational asthma (OA) and compares specific inhalation challenge (SIC) testing with alternative tests.

Methods: Electronic databases and trials registries were searched; additional references were identified from bibliographic searches of included studies, hand searches of conferences, and author contacts. Various study designs (clinical trials, cohorts, cross-sectional, or case series) were included involving workers with suspected OA.

Efficacy and safety of exogenous melatonin for secondary sleep disorders and sleep disorders accompanying sleep restriction: meta-analysis.

Objective: To conduct a systematic review of the efficacy and safety of exogenous melatonin in managing secondary sleep disorders and sleep disorders accompanying sleep restriction, such as jet lag and shiftwork disorder.

Data Sources: 13 electronic databases and reference lists of relevant reviews and included studies; Associated Professional Sleep Society abstracts (1999 to 2003).

Study Selection: The efficacy review included randomised controlled trials; the safety review included randomised and non-randomised controlled trials.

The efficacy and safety of exogenous melatonin for primary sleep disorders. A meta-analysis.

Background: Exogenous melatonin has been increasingly used in the management of sleep disorders.

Purpose: To conduct a systematic review of the efficacy and safety of exogenous melatonin in the management of primary sleep disorders.

Data Sources: A number of electronic databases were searched.

Comparison of single versus booster dose of influenza vaccination on humoral and cellular immune responses in older adults.

This study compared the immune response to the standard single-dose (SD) of influenza vaccine to a booster dose (BD) re-vaccination given 16 weeks after the initial dose. While seroprotection rates following vaccination were similar, T-cell responses were more optimally stimulated in the SD versus the BD group. SD lead to a greater than 10-fold decline in ex vivo interleukin-10 (IL-10) levels (P < .