Bmc Med
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Atrial fibrillation (AF) and brain volume loss are prevalent in older individuals. We aimed to assess the causal effect of atrial fibrillation on brain volume phenotypes by Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis. ⋯ This study identified that genetic predisposition for AF is significantly associated with lower gray matter volume but not white matter volume. The results indicated that the identified total effect of AF on gray matter volume may be mediated by ischemic stroke.
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Surveillance tools to estimate viral transmission dynamics in young populations are essential to guide recommendations for school opening and management during viral epidemics. Ideally, sensitive techniques are required to detect low viral load exposures among asymptomatic children. We aimed to estimate SARS-CoV-2 infection rates in children and adult populations in a school-like environment during the initial COVID-19 pandemic waves using an antibody-based field-deployable and non-invasive approach. ⋯ Saliva antibody profiling including three isotypes and multiplexing antigens is a useful and user-friendlier tool for screening pediatric populations to detect low viral load exposures among children, particularly while they are not vaccinated and vulnerable to highly contagious variants, and to recommend public health policies during pandemics.
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To assess the completeness of reporting, research transparency practices, and risk of selection and immortal bias in observational studies using routinely collected data for comparative effectiveness research. ⋯ Reporting of essential information of study design in observational studies remained suboptimal. Selection bias and immortal time bias were common methodological issues that researchers and physicians should be aware of when interpreting the results of observational studies using routinely collected data.
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Selective outcome reporting and publication bias threaten the validity of systematic reviews and meta-analyses and can affect clinical decision-making. A rigorous method to evaluate the impact of this bias on the results of network meta-analyses of interventions is lacking. We present a tool to assess the Risk Of Bias due to Missing Evidence in Network meta-analysis (ROB-MEN). ⋯ ROB-MEN is the first tool for evaluating the risk of bias due to missing evidence in network meta-analysis and applies to networks of all sizes and geometry. The use of ROB-MEN is facilitated by an R Shiny web application that produces the Pairwise Comparisons and ROB-MEN Table and is incorporated in the reporting bias domain of the CINeMA framework and software.
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Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) is lethal and possesses limited therapeutic options. Platinum-based chemotherapy-with or without immune checkpoint inhibitors (anti-PDs)-is the current first-line therapy for SCLCs; however, its associated outcomes are heterogeneous. N6-methyladenosine (m6A) is a novel and decisive factor in tumour progression, chemotherapy resistance, and immunotherapy response. However, m6A modification in SCLC remains poorly understood. ⋯ Our results, for the first time, affirm the significance of m6A regulators in LS-SCLC. Our multicentre analysis found that the m6A score was a reliable prognostic tool for guiding chemotherapy and immunotherapy selections for patients with SCLC.