Reliability and reproducibility of systematic reviews informing the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans: a pilot study.

Background: Although high-quality nutrition systematic reviews (SRs) are important for clinical decision making, there remains debate on their methodological quality and reporting transparency.

Objectives: The objective of this study was to assess the reliability and reproducibility of a sample of SRs produced by the Nutrition Evidence Systematic Review (NESR) team to inform the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGAs).

Methods: We evaluated a sample of 8 SRs from the DGA dietary patterns subcommittee for methodological quality using the Assessment of Multiple Systematic Reviews 2 (AMSTAR 2) tool and for reporting transparency using the PRISMA 2020 and PRISMA literature search extension (PRISMA-S) checklists.

Surviving the 2021 heat dome with schizophrenia: A qualitative, interview-based unpacking of risks and vulnerabilities.

This study explores the multifaceted challenges experienced by individuals with schizophrenia during extreme heat, highlighting the interplay between individual factors, social dynamics, and environmental influences. Despite making up only 1% of the Canadian population, individuals diagnosed with schizophrenia comprised 16% (n = 97) of the deaths during the 2021 heat dome in Western Canada. However, to date, there exists scant qualitative research that explore the direct experiences and the intricacies of intersecting factors faced by individuals with schizophrenia during extreme heat events.

Proportional Assist Ventilation for Minimizing the Duration of Mechanical Ventilation (the PROMIZING study): update to the statistical analysis plan for a randomized controlled trial.

Background: We previously published the protocol and statistical analysis plan for a randomized controlled trial of Proportional Assist Ventilation for Minimizing the Duration of Mechanical Ventilation: the PROMIZING study in Trials ( https://doi.org/10.1186/s13063-023-07163-w ).

Do Risk Factors for HCC Impact the Association of CT/MRI LIRADS Major Features With HCC? An Individual Participant Data Meta-Analysis.

Guidelines suggest the Liver Imaging Reporting and Data System (LI-RADS) may not be applicable for some populations at risk for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, data assessing the association of HCC risk factors with LI-RADS major features are lacking. To evaluate whether the association between HCC risk factors and each CT/MRI LI-RADS major feature differs among individuals at-risk for HCC.

Eating disorders and disordered eating symptoms in individuals at clinical high risk for psychosis: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Eating disorders (EDs) are among the least studied mental disorders in individuals at clinical high risk for psychosis (CHR-P). The primary aim (a) of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to identify factors predicting ED diagnoses in CHR-P individuals. The secondary aim (b) was providing a comprehensive clinical description of individuals with both CHR-P and EDs/ED-related symptoms.

Efficacy, tolerability, and safety of xanomeline-trospium chloride for schizophrenia: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

The United States Food and Drug Administration approved xanomeline-trospium combination for schizophrenia on September-26-2024. We conducted a PRISMA 2020-compliant systematic review with random-effects meta-analysis on the efficacy and safety of xanomeline-trospium in randomized controlled trials in patients with schizophrenia (MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane, PsycINFO, October-01-2024). Co-primary outcomes were Positive And Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) total score (standardized mean difference=SMD), and all-cause discontinuation (risk ratio=RR).

Restrictive versus Liberal Transfusion in Myocardial Infarction - A Patient-Level Meta-Analysis.

Background: Clinical guidelines have concluded that there are insufficient data to provide recommendations for the hemoglobin threshold for the use of red cell transfusion in patients with acute myocardial infarction (MI) and anemia. After the recent publication of the Myocardial Infarction and Transfusion (MINT) trial, we performed an individual patient-level data meta-analysis to evaluate the effect of restrictive versus liberal blood transfusion strategies.

Methods: We conducted searches in major databases.

Associations between mental health conditions in pregnancy and maternal socioeconomic status: a population-based retrospective cohort study in Ontario, Canada.

Background: The World Health Organization has recognized maternal mental illness as an emerging issue. Previous studies have indicated that maternal mental illness is associated with socioeconomic status (SES). However, there is a lack of research concerning the mental health of pregnant people with low SES in Ontario, Canada.

Generative artificial intelligence and academic writing: friend or foe?

This viewpoint examines the use of generative AI (genAI) models in medical writing, discusses the opportunities and threats they represent, and highlights avenues for improvement and future research.

Mental health during the 2022 Russo-Ukrainian War: A scoping review and unmet needs.

Introduction: The Russo-Ukrainian War (RUW) poses a significant mental health burden, warranting a scoping review of the evidence to shed light on the unmet needs.

Methods: MEDLINE/PubMed and EMBASE databases were inquired from inception until September 1st, 2023, to address the following a-priori-formulated questions: i) "Which psychiatric population has been assessed? How did the conflict affect the functioning of people with established mental health conditions (e.g.

Screening for breast cancer: a systematic review update to inform the Canadian Task Force on Preventive Health Care guideline.

Objective: This systematic review update synthesized recent evidence on the benefits and harms of breast cancer screening in women aged ≥ 40 years and aims to inform the Canadian Task Force on Preventive Health Care's (CTFPHC) guideline update.

Methods: We searched Ovid MEDLINE® ALL, Embase Classic + Embase and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials to update our searches to July 8, 2023. Search results for observational studies were limited to publication dates from 2014 to capture more relevant studies.

Assessing Adherence to the PRISMA-DTA Guideline in Diagnostic Test Accuracy Systematic Reviews: A Five-Year Follow-up Analysis.

Background: We evaluated reporting of diagnostic test accuracy (DTA) systematic reviews using Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA)-DTA and PRISMA-DTA for abstracts.

Methods: We searched MEDLINE for recent DTA systematic reviews (September 2023-Mar 2024) to achieve a sample size of 100. Analyses evaluated adherence to PRISMA-DTA (and abstracts), on a per-item basis.

Re-analysis of data from cluster randomised trials to explore the impact of model choice on estimates of odds ratios: study protocol.

Background: There are numerous approaches available to analyse data from cluster randomised trials. These include cluster-level summary methods and individual-level methods accounting for clustering, such as generalised estimating equations and generalised linear mixed models. There has been much methodological work showing that estimates of treatment effects can vary depending on the choice of approach, particularly when estimating odds ratios, essentially because the different approaches target different estimands.

Efficacy and acceptability of pharmacological interventions for tardive dyskinesia in people with schizophrenia or mood disorders: a systematic review and network meta-analysis.

Tardive Dyskinesia (TD) can occur in people exposed to dopamine receptor antagonists (DRAs). Its clinical management remains challenging. We conducted a systematic review/random-effects network meta-analysis (NMA) searching PubMed/MEDLINE/PsycINFO/ClinicalTrials.

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Systematic reviews and meta-analyses have become crucial for evidence-based decision-making in recent decades. However, it is common for the results of multiple reviews on the same topic to be inconsistent, and it is widely recognised that the results of the reviews are not always effectively communicated to healthcare professionals and the lay public. This manuscript proposes a strategy to summarise and communicate the findings of previous systematic reviews and meta-analyses to wider audiences.

Physical Frailty and Functional Status in Kidney Transplantation: A Systematic Review.

Background: Frailty and functional decline are being recognized as important conditions in kidney transplant candidates. However, the ideal measures of functional status and frailty remain unknown as there is not a complete understanding of the relationship between these conditions and important post-transplant outcomes.

Objective: The objective was to examine the association between different measures of frailty and functional status evaluated before or at the time of transplant with adverse clinical outcomes post-transplantation.

Neonates With In-Utero SSRI Exposure (NeoWISE): a retrospective cohort study examining the effect of newborn feeding method on newborn withdrawal.

Introduction: Up to 30% of newborns with in-utero selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) exposure experience withdrawal symptoms. The impact of newborn feeding method on alleviating withdrawal has not been investigated. We examined the effect of newborn feeding method (breastfeeding versus formula) among a cohort of nates ith n-utero SRI xposure (NeoWISE).

Audit and Feedback Interventions for Antibiotic Prescribing in Primary Care: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

Background: This systematic review evaluates the effect of audit and feedback (A&F) interventions targeting antibiotic prescribing in primary care and examines factors that may explain the variation in effectiveness.

Methods: Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) involving A&F interventions targeting antibiotic prescribing in primary care were included in the systematic review. Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, and ClinicalTrials.

Hypovolaemic phlebotomy in patients undergoing hepatic resection at higher risk of blood loss (PRICE-2): a randomised controlled trial.

Background: Blood loss and subsequent red blood cell transfusions are common in liver surgery. Hypovolaemic phlebotomy is associated with decreased red blood cell transfusion in observational studies. This trial aimed to investigate whether hypovolaemic phlebotomy is superior to usual care in reducing red blood cell transfusions in patients undergoing liver resection.

Prognostic Factors Associated With Intracranial Hemorrhage and Ischemic Stroke During Venovenous Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation: A Systematic Review.

Objectives: Venovenous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is a life-preserving intervention for patients with respiratory failure refractory to conventional mechanical ventilation. Intracranial hemorrhage (ICH) and ischemic stroke are life-threatening complications associated with venovenous ECMO. Despite this, little is known regarding the prognostic factors associated with these adverse neurologic events.

EPA guidance on lifestyle interventions for adults with severe mental illness: A meta-review of the evidence.

There is growing interest in lifestyle interventions as stand-alone and add-on therapies in mental health care due to their potential benefits for both physical and mental health outcomes. We evaluated lifestyle interventions focusing on physical activity, diet, and sleep in adults with severe mental illness (SMI) and the evidence for their effectiveness. To this end, we conducted a meta-review and searched major electronic databases for articles published prior to 09/2022 and updated our search in 03/2024.

DOACs: role of anti-Xa and drug level monitoring.

Direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) do not require routine monitoring of anticoagulant effect, but measuring DOAC activity may be desirable in specific circumstances to detect whether clinically significant DOAC levels are present (eg, prior to urgent surgery) or to assess whether drug levels are excessively high or excessively low in at-risk patients (eg, after malabsorptive gastrointestinal surgery). Routine coagulation tests, including the international normalized ratio (INR) or activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT), cannot accurately quantify drug levels but may provide a qualitative assessment of DOAC activity when considering the estimated time to drug clearance based on timing of last drug ingestion and renal and hepatic function. Drug-specific chromogenic and clot-based assays can quantify drug levels but they are not universally available and do not have established therapeutic ranges.

The effect of uterine fibroid region and depth on endometrial stress and strain: a finite element approach.

Uterine fibroids are common benign gynecological tumors that are observed in up to 80% of premenopausal women. It is understood that as the fibroid size increases, the surrounding tissues will be subject to greater loads. However, the effect of fibroid region on the uterine structure is not as clear.

Tabletop Simulations in Medical Emergencies: A Scoping Review.

Tabletop simulations (TTS) are a novel educational modality used in health care education. The objective of this scoping review was to describe the use of TTS in medical emergencies, specifically settings, specialties, participants, formats, and outcomes.We included 70 studies (33 descriptive studies [47%], 33 cohort studies [47%], and 2 randomized controlled trials [3%]), of which 65 reported positive results regarding reaction and learning educational outcomes (reaction: n = 37, 53%; learning: n = 25, 36%; behavior: n = 7, 10%; result: n = 1, 1%).