A meta-analysis of essential oils as a dietary additive for weaned piglets: Growth performance, antioxidant status, immune response, and intestinal morphology.

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of dietary supplementation with EOS on growth performance, blood serum antioxidant status, immune response, and intestinal morphology of weaned piglets using a meta-analytical approach. The database included 31 studies from which the response variables of interest were obtained. All data were analyzed using a random effects model, and results were expressed as weighted mean differences between treatments supplemented with and without EOS. EOS supplementation increased (P < 0.001) average daily feed intake, average daily gain, and final body weight and decreased (P < 0.001) feed conversion ratio and diarrhea incidence. Lower (P = 0.001) serum malondialdehyde content and higher (P < 0.05) serum concentrations of superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione peroxidase, and total antioxidant capacity were observed in response to the dietary inclusion of EOS. EOS supplementation increased (P < 0.001) the serum concentration of immunoglobulins A, G, and M and decreased (P < 0.05) the serum concentration of tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin-1ß, and interleukin-6. Greater (P ≤ 0.001) villus height (VH) was observed in the jejunum and ileum in response to the dietary inclusion of EOS. However, EOS supplementation did not affect (P > 0.05) crypt depth (CD) and decreased (P < 0.001) the VH/CD ratio in the duodenum, jejunum, and ileum. In conclusion, essential oils can be used as a dietary additive to improve growth performance and reduce the incidence of diarrhea in weaned piglets and, at the same time, improve the antioxidant status in blood serum, immune response, and intestinal morphology.

Modeling Gastrointestinal Tract Wet Pool Size in Small Ruminants.

The gastrointestinal tract (GIT) wet pool size (GITwps) refers to the total amount of wet contents in GIT, which in small ruminants can reach up to 19% of their body weight (BW). This study aimed to develop models to comprehensively predict GITwps in small ruminants using a meta-regression approach. A dataset was created based on 21 studies, comprising 750 individual records of sheep and goats. Various predictor variables, including BW, sex, breed, species, intake level, physiological states, stages and types of pregnancy, dry matter intake, and neutral detergent fiber intake (NDFI), were initially analyzed through simple linear regression. Subsequently, the variables were fitted using natural logarithm transformations, considering the random effect of the study and residual error, employing a supervised forward selection procedure. Overall, no significant relationship between GITwps and BW (p = 0.326) was observed for animals fed a milk-based diet. However, a strong negative linear relationship (p < 0.001) was found for animals on a solid diet, with the level of restriction influencing GITwps only at the intercept. Furthermore, the prediction of GITwps was independent of sex and influenced by species in cases where individuals were fed ad libitum. Pregnant females showed a noticeable reduction in GITwps, which was more pronounced in cases of multiple pregnancies, regardless of species (p < 0.01). The composition of the diet was found to be the primary factor affecting the modulation of GITwps, with NDFI able to override the species effect (p < 0.0001). Overall, this study sheds light on the factors influencing GITwps in small ruminants, providing valuable insights into their digestive processes and nutritional requirements.

A systematic review and meta-analysis of trans-diagnostic third-wave online psychological interventions / Revisión sistemática y metaanálisis de intervenciones transdiagnósticas en línea de tercera generación

Abstract Existing meta-analyses on the effect of online psychological interventions (OPIs) have found small to medium effect sizes for the treatment of anxiety and depression. On the other hand, third-generation trans-diagnostic OPIs are very rare and, due to the large variability among disorders, symptoms or target populations, it is difficult to assess their overall effect. Other systematic reviews and meta-analyses have overly broad inclusion criteria that make the understanding of the findings more difficult. The current study aims to analyze the empirical evidence for third-wave trans-diagnostic OPIs designed to decrease symptoms and promote psychological flexibility, including studies that compare a OPI to some control condition (e. g., waiting list, treatment as usual or other that should not have any effect) and include a general symptomatology scale as dependent variable. A search without filters or timeframe was performed on Scopus and 1 408 articles were found, among which 21 were reviewed in depth and 6 were included for meta-analysis. Risk of bias was assessed by a quality and heterogeneity assessment. Separate meta-analyses were performed for general distress and psychological flexibility at post-treatment and last follow-up. Risk of bias analysis suggest low risk of threats to validity and attribute heterogeneity to between-study attrition rates. Additionally, meta-regression models for duration, attrition rate, and mean age are proposed for each time point. The results show significantly large effect sizes for both variables at both time points. According to the meta-regression models attrition rates are a mediating variable for the effect on general distress both at completion and at the last follow-up. On the other hand, duration, age and attrition rate are all mediating variables for the effect on psychological flexibility at the end of treatment. The findings suggest that the high attrition rates observed on tele-psychology need to be mitigated; if this is not possible, intention-to-treat approaches should be adopted for data analysis.

Resumen Los metaanálisis existentes sobre el efecto de las intervenciones psicológicas en línea (OPIs, por sus siglas en inglés) han encontrado tamaños de efecto pequeños o medianos para el tratamiento de la ansiedad y la depresión. Por otra parte, las OPIs transdiagnósticas de tercera generación son muy escasas y, debido a la gran variabilidad entre los trastornos, los síntomas o las poblaciones objetivo, es difícil evaluar su efecto global. Otras revisiones sistemáticas y metaanálisis tienen criterios de inclusión demasiado amplios que dificultan la comprensión de los hallazgos. El presente estudio tiene como objetivo analizar la evidencia empírica actual para las OPIs transdiagnósticas de tercera generación diseñadas para disminuir los síntomas y promover la flexibilidad psicológica, incluyendo estudios que comparen una OPI con alguna condición de control (por ejemplo lista de espera, tratamiento habitual u otro que no debería tener efecto) y que incluyan una escala de sintomatología general como variable dependiente. Se excluyeron estudios basados en otras terapias y/o diseñados para prevenir o tratar una población, un trastorno o un conjunto de síntomas específicos. También se excluyeron los protocolos de estudio, los diseños pretest-postest y otros en los que era imposible calcular el tamaño del efecto. Se realizó una búsqueda sin filtros ni marco temporal en Scopus y se encontraron 1 408 artículos entre los cuales 21 fueron revisados en profundidad y 6 fueron incluidos en el presente estudio. El riesgo de sesgo se evaluó mediante una evaluación de calidad y heterogeneidad; no fue posible realizar análisis de sesgo de publicación. Se realizaron metaanálisis separados para el malestar general y la flexibilidad psicológica en postratamiento y último seguimiento. El análisis del riesgo de sesgo sugiere un bajo riesgo de amenazas a la validez y atribuye la heterogeneidad principalmente a las tasas de deserción entre los estudios. Además, se proponen modelos de metarregresión para la duración, la tasa de deserción y la edad promedio en cada punto temporal. Los resultados muestran tamaños de efecto significativamente grandes para ambas variables en ambos puntos temporales y se evalúa su heterogeneidad, que se atribuye en gran medida a las tasas de deserción de los estudios incluidos. Según los modelos de metarregresión, las tasas de deserción son una variable mediadora del efecto sobre el malestar general tanto en el momento de la finalización como en el último seguimiento. Por otra parte, la duración, la edad y la tasa de abandono son variables mediadoras del efecto sobre la flexibilidad psicológica al final del tratamiento. Los resultados sugieren que es necesario mitigar las altas tasas de deserción observadas en la telepsicología y, cuando no sea posible, adoptar enfoques de intención de tratar para el análisis de los datos.

Associations between Dietary Fatty Acid Profile and Milk Fat Production and Fatty Acid Composition in Dairy Cows: A Meta-Analysis.

This meta-analysis aimed to investigate the effect of dietary fatty acid (FA) profile on milk fat production and FA profile in dairy cows. The study also aimed to develop prediction models using a meta-regression approach. The database included 217 peer-reviewed articles on lactating dairy cows (n = 12,892), consisting of 515 treatment means. Effect size was assessed using the raw mean differences between diets with supplementary lipid sources and those without. Subgroup analyses were employed to assess heterogeneity. Diets rich in saturated FA (SFA) increased milk fat production and proportion, while reducing de novo FA in milk. Diets high in monounsaturated FA and polyunsaturated FA decreased mixed FA in milk. Most lipid-supplemented diets increase preformed FA in milk, except those rich in SFA. Prediction models were developed using meta-regression. Key predictors of milk fat production included neutral detergent fiber (NDF), dietary myristic acid, and milk production. Milk fat proportion was best predicted by dietary unsaturated FA, NDF, and forage. De novo FA in milk was predicted by dry matter intake (DMI) and dietary FA, while preformed FA was predicted by DMI, dietary oleic and linoleic acids. In conclusion, this study emphasizes the importance of the dietary FA profile in evaluating the effects of lipids on milk fat production and FA profile. Accurate and precise predictions of milk fat production, proportion, and FA profile can be achieved by considering cow production and dietary characteristics.

Compared efficacy of rituximab, abatacept, and tocilizumab in patients with rheumatoid arthritis refractory to methotrexate or TNF inhibitors agents: a systematic review and network meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Our aim was to compare the efficacy of rituximab, tocilizumab, and abatacept in individuals with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) refractory to treatments with MTX or TNFi agents. METHODS: We searched 6 databases until January 2023 for phase 2-4 RCTs evaluating patients with RA refractory to MTX or TNFi therapy treated with rituximab, abatacept, and tocilizumab (intervention arm) compared to controls. Study data were independently assessed by two investigators. The primary outcome was considered as achieving ACR70 response. RESULTS: The meta-analysis included 19 RCTs, with 7,835 patients and a mean study duration of 1.2 years. Hazard ratios for achieving an ACR70 response at six months were not different among the bDMARDs, however, we found high heterogeneity. Three factors showing a critical imbalance among the bDMARD classes were identified: baseline HAQ score, study duration, and frequency of TNFi treatment in control arm. Multivariate meta-regression adjusted to these three factors were conducted for the relative risk (RR) for ACR70. Thus, heterogeneity was attenuated (I2 = 24%) and the explanatory power of the model increased (R2 = 85%). In this model, rituximab did not modify the chance of achieving an ACR70 response compared to abatacept (RR = 1.773, 95%CI 0.113-10.21, p = 0.765). In contrast, abatacept was associated with RR = 2.217 (95%CI 1.554-3.161, p < 0.001) for ACR70 compared to tocilizumab. CONCLUSION: We found high heterogeneity among studies comparing rituximab, abatacept, and tocilizumab. On multivariate metaregressions, if the conditions of the RCTs were similar, we estimate that abatacept could increase the chance of reaching an ACR70 response by 2.2-fold compared to tocilizumab.

Getting Connected to M-Health Technologies through a Meta-Analysis.

The demand for mobile e-health technologies (m-health) continues with constant growth, stimulating the technological advancement of such devices. However, the customer needs to perceive the utility of these devices to incorporate them into their daily lives. Hence, this study aims to identify users' perceptions regarding the acceptance of m-health technologies based on a synthesis of meta-analysis studies on the subject in the literature. Using the relations and constructs proposed in the UTAUT2 (Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology 2) technology acceptance model, the methodological approach utilized a meta-analysis to raise the effect of the main factors on the Behavioral Intention to Use m-health technologies. Furthermore, the model proposed also estimated the moderation effect of gender, age, and timeline variables on the UTAUT2 relations. In total, the meta-analysis utilized 84 different articles, which presented 376 estimations based on a sample of 31,609 respondents. The results indicate an overall compilation of the relations, as well as the primary factors and moderating variables that determine users' acceptance of the studied m-health systems.

Compared efficacy of rituximab, abatacept, and tocilizumab in patients with rheumatoid arthritis refractory to methotrexate or TNF inhibitors agents: a systematic review and network meta-analysis

Abstract Background Our aim was to compare the efficacy of rituximab, tocilizumab, and abatacept in individuals with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) refractory to treatments with MTX or TNFi agents. Methods We searched 6 databases until January 2023 for phase 2-4 RCTs evaluating patients with RA refractory to MTX or TNFi therapy treated with rituximab, abatacept, and tocilizumab (intervention arm) compared to controls. Study data were independently assessed by two investigators. The primary outcome was considered as achieving ACR70 response. Results The meta-analysis included 19 RCTs, with 7,835 patients and a mean study duration of 1.2 years. Hazard ratios for achieving an ACR70 response at six months were not different among the bDMARDs, however, we found high heterogeneity. Three factors showing a critical imbalance among the bDMARD classes were identified: baseline HAQ score, study duration, and frequency of TNFi treatment in control arm. Multivariate meta-regression adjusted to these three factors were conducted for the relative risk (RR) for ACR70. Thus, heterogeneity was attenuated (I2 = 24%) and the explanatory power of the model increased (R2 = 85%). In this model, rituximab did not modify the chance of achieving an ACR70 response compared to abatacept (RR = 1.773, 95%CI 0.113-10.21, p = 0.765). In contrast, abatacept was associated with RR = 2.217 (95%CI 1.554-3.161, p < 0.001) for ACR70 compared to tocilizumab. Conclusion We found high heterogeneity among studies comparing rituximab, abatacept, and tocilizumab. On multivariate metaregressions, if the conditions of the RCTs were similar, we estimate that abatacept could increase the chance of reaching an ACR70 response by 2.2-fold compared to tocilizumab. Key messages Abatacept could increase the chance of reaching an ACR70 response by 2.2-fold compared to tocilizumab.

Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation for Major Depressive Disorder in Older Adults: Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Major depressive disorder (MDD) in older adults is a serious public health concern. Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) is a nonpharmacological intervention approved for MDD treatment in adults, but its value in older adults remains unknown. This study aims to systematically review and meta-analyze evidence of rTMS efficacy in MDD treatment among older adults. METHODS: We systematically reviewed the literature for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and open-label studies assessing rTMS for the treatment of MDD in patients older than 50 years, published until June 2020. Random-effects meta-analyses using standardized mean differences (SMDs) were conducted to assess change in depression severity score (primary outcome), while odds ratios (ORs) were used to assess secondary categorical outcomes (response and remission). Additionally, univariate meta-regression analyses were performed to identify potential predictors of change in depression severity scores. RESULTS: Fourteen RCTs were included in meta-analyses and 26 studies (10 RCTs and 16 open-label studies) in meta-regression. Active rTMS was significantly superior to sham treatment for reduction of severity (SMD = 0.36; 95% CI = 0.13-0.60), as well as response (OR = 3.26; 95% CI = 2.11-5.04) and remission (OR = 4.63; 95% CI = 2.24-9.55). Studies were of moderate to high quality, with funnel plots and Egger's regression test not suggestive of publication bias. In meta-regressions, higher mean age and number of sessions were significantly associated with greater improvement. CONCLUSIONS: Our results support that rTMS is an effective, safe, and well-tolerated treatment for MDD in older adults and that it should be considered in the treatment of this vulnerable population.

Growth Performance, Meat Quality and Antioxidant Status of Sheep Supplemented with Tannins: A Meta-Analysis.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of dietary supplementation with tannins (TANs) on productive performance, carcass characteristics, meat quality, oxidative stability, and blood serum antioxidant capacity of sheep through a meta-analysis. Using Scopus, Web of Science, ScienceDirect, and PubMed databases, a systematic search was performed for studies published in scientific journals that investigated the effects of TANs supplementation on the variables of interest. Only studies with weaned or older sheep were included. The data analyzed were extracted from 53 peer-reviewed publications. The sheep included in the present study were between 2 and 6 months old, and between 12 and 31 kg of body weight. The effects of TANs were analyzed using random-effects statistical models to examine the standardized mean difference (SMD) between treatments with TANs and control (no TANs). Heterogeneity was explored by meta-regression and a subgroup analysis was performed for covariates that were significant. Supplementation with TANs did not affect dry matter intake, pH, color (L* and b*), Warner-Bratzler shear force, cooking loss and meat chemical composition (p > 0.05). Supplementation with TANs increased daily weight gain (SMD = 0.274, p < 0.05), total antioxidant capacity (SMD = 1.120, p < 0.001), glutathione peroxidase enzyme activity (SMD = 0.801, p < 0.001) and catalase (SMD = 0.848, p < 0.001), and decreased malondialdehyde (MDA) concentration in blood serum (SMD = -0.535, p < 0.05). Supplementation with TANs decreased feed conversion rate (SMD = -0.246, p < 0.05), and the concentration of MDA (SMD = -2.020, p < 0.001) and metmyoglobin (SMD = -0.482, p < 0.05) in meat. However, meat redness (SMD = 0.365), hot carcass yield (SMD = 0.234), cold carcass yield (SMD = 0.510), backfat thickness (SMD = 0.565) and the Longissimus dorsi muscle area (SMD = 0.413) increased in response to TANs supplementation (p < 0.05). In conclusion, the addition of tannins in sheep diets improves productive performance, antioxidant status in blood serum, oxidative stability of meat and some other characteristics related to meat and carcass quality.

Hepatic Resection for Hepatocellular Carcinoma in Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of 7226 Patients.

Objective: To systematically review and compare the overall (OS) and disease-free (DFS) survival after hepatic resections for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) of patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) versus other risk factors. Background: Different clinical and tumor characteristics are associated with HCC in the setting of NAFLD in comparison to other risk factors. It is still unclear whether these differences impact patient survival after radical hepatectomies. Methods: Randomized controlled trials and observational studies published in the English literature between July 1980 and June 2020 were searched using multiple databases. Patients' baseline characteristics and the hazard ratios (HRs) of the OS and DFS were extracted and meta-analyses were performed. Results: Fifteen retrospective cohort studies with a total of 7226 patients were included. Among them, 1412 patients (19.5%) had NAFLD and 5814 (80.4%) had other risk factors (eg, viral hepatitis B or C, alcoholic cirrhosis, or cryptogenic cirrhosis). Summary statistics showed that patients with NAFLD had better DFS (HR = 0.81; 95% CI: 0.70-0.94; P = 0.006) and OS (HR = 0.78; 95% CI: 0.67-0.90; P = 0.001) than the control group. Subgroups analyses also indicated that the OS favored NAFLD patients versus patients with viral hepatitis B or C (HR = 0.80; 95% CI: 0.67-0.96; P = 0.017) or alcoholic and cryptogenic cirrhosis (HR = 0.68; 95% CI: 0.47-1.0; P = 0.05). Conclusion: After hepatic resections for HCC, NAFLD patients have better DFS and OS than patients with other risk factors. Subgroup analysis and meta-regression suggested that the survival advantage of NAFLD patients was more pronounced in studies published after 2015 and from Asian centers.

Meta-Analysis of Sensorimotor Gating Deficits in Patients With Schizophrenia Evaluated by Prepulse Inhibition Test.

Prepulse inhibition (PPI) of startle is an operational measure of sensorimotor gating that is often impaired in patients with schizophrenia. Despite the large number of studies, there is considerable variation in PPI outcomes reported. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis investigating PPI impairment in patients with schizophrenia compared with healthy control subjects, and examined possible explanations for the variation in results between studies. Major databases were screened for observational studies comparing healthy subjects and patients with schizophrenia for the prepulse and pulse intervals of 60 and 120 ms as primary outcomes, ie, PPI-60 and PPI-120. Standardized mean difference (SMD) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were extracted and pooled using random effects models. We then estimated the mean effect size of these measures with random effects meta-analyses and evaluated potential PPI heterogeneity moderators, using sensitivity analysis and meta-regressions. Sixty-seven primary studies were identified, with 3685 healthy and 4290 patients with schizophrenia. The schizophrenia group showed reduction in sensorimotor gating for both PPI-60 (SMD = -0.50, 95% CI = [-0.61, -0.39]) and PPI-120 (SMD = -0.44, 95% CI = [-0.54, -0.33]). The sensitivity and meta-regression analysis showed that sample size, gender proportion, imbalance for gender, source of control group, and study continent were sources of heterogeneity (P < .05) for both PPI-60 and PPI-120 outcomes. Our findings confirm a global sensorimotor gating deficit in schizophrenia patients, with overall moderate effect size for PPI-60 and PPI-120. Methodological consistency should decrease the high level of heterogeneity of PPI results between studies.

The effect of litter materials on broiler performance: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

1. Divergence in outcomes from studies on the effects of litter materials on body weight, feed intake, feed conversion and mortality in broilers has led to a need for a meta-analysis to quantify their effects.2. A systematic search of published quantitative research relating to wood shavings and alternative bedding litters was conducted using databases.3. Means, standard deviations and sample sizes were extracted from each study. The response variables were analysed using the standardised mean difference (SMD, control treatment minus alternative litters).4. The literature demonstrated that alternative materials have no impact on feed intake in broilers, compared to wood shavings (SMD = 0.064, 95% CI = -0.101-0.229, P = 0.44).5. There was a positive overall effect of wood shavings on body weight (SMD = 0.253, 95% CI = 0.073-0.433, P = 0.006), feed conversion (SMD = -0.169, 95% CI = -0.327 - -0.012, P = 0.03) and mortality (SMD = -1.069, 95% CI = -1.983 - -0.155, P = 0.02) of broilers, compared to other litter types.6. Subgroup meta-analysis revealed that straw, when used as an alternative litter material to wood shavings, may be responsible for lower body weight (SMD = 0.654, 95% CI = 0.162-1.146, P = 0.009), worse feed conversion (SMD = -0.487, 95% CI = -0.828 - -0.145, P = 0.005) and higher mortality rates of broilers (SMD = -3.25, 95% CI = -5.681 - -0.819, P = 0.009). Rice husks impaired body weight compared to wood shavings (SMD = 0.535, 95% CI = 0.065-1.004, P = 0.02).7. It was concluded that different litter types do not affect the broilers' feed intake. Conversely, broilers kept on straw showed lower body weights, worse feed conversion and higher mortality rates, in comparison to wood shavings. Rice husks decreased body weight compared to wood shavings.

Do acute stroke patients develop hypocapnia? A systematic review and meta-analysis.

PURPOSE: Carbon dioxide (CO2) is a potent cerebral vasomotor agent. Despite reduction in CO2 levels (hypocapnia) being described in several acute diseases, there is no clear data on baseline CO2 values in acute stroke. The aim of the study was to systematically assess CO2 levels in acute stroke. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Four online databases, Web of Science, MEDLINE, EMBASE and CENTRAL, were searched for articles that described either partial pressure of arterial CO2 (PaCO2) and end-tidal CO2 (EtCO2) in acute stroke. RESULTS: After screening, based on predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria, 20 studies were retained. There were 5 studies in intracerebral hemorrhage and 15 in ischemic stroke, totalling 660 stroke participants. Acute stroke was associated with a significant decrease in CO2 levels compared to controls. Cerebral haemodynamic studies using transcranial Doppler ultrasonography demonstrated a significant reduction in cerebral blood flow velocities and cerebral autoregulation in acute stroke patients. CONCLUSION: The evidence from this review suggests that acute stroke patients are significantly more likely than controls to be hypocapnic, supporting the value of routine CO2 assessment in the acute stroke setting. Further studies are required in order to evaluate the clinical impact of these findings.

All by myself? Meta-analysis of animal contests shows stronger support for self than for mutual assessment models.

Since the 1970's, models based on evolutionary game theory, such as war of attrition (WOA), energetic war of attrition (E-WOA), cumulative assessment model (CAM) and sequential assessment model (SAM), have been widely applied to understand how animals settle contests. Despite the important theoretical advances provided by these models, empirical evidence indicates that rules adopted by animals to settle contests vary among species. This stimulated recent discussions about the generality and applicability of models of contest. A meta-analysis may be helpful to answer questions such as: (i) is there a common contest rule to settle contests; (ii) do contest characteristics, such as the occurrence of physical contact during the fight, influence the use of specific contest rules; and (iii) is there a phylogenetic signal behind contest rules? To answer these questions, we gathered information on the relationship between contest duration and traits linked to contestants' resource holding potential (RHP) for randomly paired rivals and RHP-matched rivals. We also gathered behavioural data about contest escalation and RHP asymmetry. In contests between randomly paired rivals, we found a positive relationship between contest duration and loser RHP but did not find any pattern for winners. We also found a low phylogenetic signal and a similar response for species that fight with and without physical contact. In RHP-matched rivals, we found a positive relationship between contest duration and the mean RHP of the pair. Finally, we found a negative relation between contest escalation and RHP asymmetry, even though it was more variable than the other results. Our results thus indicate that rivals settle contests following the rules predicted by WOA and E-WOA in most species. However, we also found inconsistencies between the behaviours exhibited during contests and the assumptions of WOA models in most species. We discuss additional (and relatively untested) theoretical possibilities that may be explored to resolve the existing inconsistencies.

Pacifier use and interruption of exclusive breastfeeding: Systematic review and meta-analysis.

Identifying modifiable risk factor for exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) interruption is key for improving child health globally. There is no consensus about the effect of pacifier use on EBF interruption. Thus, the aim of this systematic review was to investigate the association between pacifier use and EBF interruption during the first six month. A search of CINAHL, Scopus, Web of Science, LILACS and Medline; from inception through 30 December 2014 without restriction of language yielded 1,866 publications (PROSPERO protocol CRD42014014527). Predetermined inclusion/exclusion criteria peer reviewed yielded 46 studies: two clinical trials, 20 longitudinal, and 24 cross-sectional studies. Meta-analysis was performed and meta-regression explored heterogeneity across studies. The pooled effect of the association between pacifier use and EBF interruption was 2.48 OR (95% CI = 2.16-2.85). Heterogeneity was explained by the study design (40.2%), followed by differences in the measurement and categorization of pacifier use, the methodological quality of the studies and the socio-economic context. Two RCT's with very limited external validity found a null association, but 44 observational studies, including 20 prospective cohort studies, did find a consistent association between pacifier use and risk of EBF interruption (OR = 2.28; 95% CI = 1.78-2.93). Our findings support the current WHO recommendation on pacifier use as it focuses on the risk of poor breastfeeding outcomes as a result of pacifier use. Future studies that take into account the risks and benefits of pacifier use are needed to clarify this recommendation.

Macroecology of parental care in arthropods: higher mortality risk leads to higher benefits of offspring protection in tropical climates.

The intensity of biotic interactions varies around the world, in such a way that mortality risk imposed by natural enemies is usually higher in the tropics. A major role of offspring attendance is protection against natural enemies, so the benefits of this behaviour should be higher in tropical regions. We tested this macroecological prediction with a meta-regression of field experiments in which the mortality of guarded and unguarded broods was compared in arthropods. Mortality of unguarded broods was higher, and parental care was more beneficial, in warmer, less seasonal environments. Moreover, in these same environments, additional lines of defence further reduced offspring mortality, implying that offspring attendance alone is not enough to deter natural enemies in tropical regions. These results help to explain the high frequency of parental care among tropical species and how biotic interactions influence the occurrence of parental care over large geographic scales. Finally, our findings reveal that additional lines of defences - an oftentimes neglected component of parental care - have an important effect on the covariation between the benefits of parental care and the climate-mediated mortality risk imposed by natural enemies.

Dendritic Cell-Based Immunotherapies to Fight HIV: How Far from a Success Story? A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

The scientific community still faces the challenge of developing strategies to cure HIV-1. One of these pursued strategies is the development of immunotherapeutic vaccines based on dendritic cells (DCs), pulsed with the virus, that aim to boost HIV-1 specific immune response. We aimed to review DCs-based therapeutic vaccines reports and critically assess evidence to gain insights for the improvement of these strategies. We performed a systematic review, followed by meta-analysis and meta-regression, of clinical trial reports. Twelve studies were selected for meta-analysis. The experimental vaccines had low efficiency, with an overall success rate around 38% (95% confidence interval = 26.7%-51.3%). Protocols differed according to antigen choice, DC culture method, and doses, although multivariate analysis did not show an influence of any of them on overall success rate. The DC-based vaccines elicited at least some immunogenicity, that was sometimes associated with plasmatic viral load transient control. The protocols included both naïve and antiretroviral therapy (ART)-experienced individuals, and used different criteria for assessing vaccine efficacy. Although the vaccines did not work as expected, they are proof of concept that immune responses can be boosted against HIV-1. Protocol standardization and use of auxiliary approaches, such as latent HIV-1 reservoir activation and patient genomics are paramount for fine-tuning future HIV-1 cure strategies.

The influence of methodological variables on the push-out resistance to dislodgement of root filling materials: a meta-regression analysis.

The aim of this systematic review was to evaluate the influence of several methodological variables on the push-out resistance to dislodgment of root filling materials by a meta-regression analysis of the literature. A systematic review was performed by searching the PubMed database using the terms 'push-out' and 'pushout'. Laboratory studies published before March 2015 were included. Two reviewers extracted data regarding country of origin, year of publication, tooth type, smear layer removal, root canal sealer, core material, obturation technique, sample storage, tooth portion, test machine load velocity and slice thickness. Pooled mean resistance to dislodgement of all groups from the included studies was used in a linear meta-regression of random effects (α = 0.05). Of the 850 identified studies, 53 met the inclusion criteria. A meta-regression of the 341 groups extracted from these articles was performed to analyse the influence of each variable on resistance to dislodgement (in MPa). The sealer, core material, obturation technique, slice thickness, storage time, load velocity and tooth portion significantly influence the results (P < 0.05). Irrigant solution and smear layer removal did not influence the resistance to dislodgement of the root filling materials (P > 0.05). Methodological variables such as sealer, core material, root filling technique, tooth type, tooth portion, slice thickness, storage time and load velocity influenced the resistance to dislodgment. The inclusion and standardization of all related variables could lead to a more comparable and reproducible analysis of the resistance to dislodgment of the root canal sealers.

Detection of human papillomavirus in laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma: Systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Recent studies have reported a human papillomavirus (HPV) prevalence of 20% to 30% in laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC), although clinical data on HPV involvement remain largely inconsistent, ascribed by some to differences in HPV detection methods or in geographic origin of the studies. OBJECTIVE: To perform a systematic review and formal meta-analysis of the literature reporting on HPV detection in LSCC. METHODS: Literature was searched from January 1964 until March 2015. The effect size was calculated as event rates (95% confidence interval [CI]), with homogeneity testing using Cochran's Q and I(2) statistics. Meta-regression was used to test the impact of study-level covariates (HPV detection method, geographic origin) on effect size. Potential publication bias was estimated using funnel plot symmetry. RESULTS: One hundred seventy nine studies were eligible, comprising a sample size of 7,347 LSCCs from different geographic regions. Altogether, 1,830 (25%) cases tested HPV-positive considering all methods, with effect size of 0.269 (95% CI: 0.242 to 0.297; random-effects model). In meta-analysis stratified by the 1) HPV detection technique and 2) geographic study origin, the between-study heterogeneity was significant only for geographic origin (P = .0001). In meta-regression, the HPV detection method (P = .876) or geographic origin (P = .234) were not significant study-level covariates. Some evidence for publication bias was found only for studies from North America and those using non-polymerase chain reaction methods, with a marginal effect on adjusted point estimates for both. CONCLUSIONS: Variability in HPV detection rates in LSCC is explained by geographic origin of study but not by HPV detection method. However, they were not significant study-level covariates in formal meta-regression. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: NA.

The influence of geographical and economic factors in estimates of childhood abuse and neglect using the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire: A worldwide meta-regression analysis.

This multilevel meta-analysis examined the effects of geographical and economic factors on worldwide childhood maltreatment estimates measured by the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ) short-form. The primary outcome extracted was continuous scores on the CTQ subscales - emotional abuse, physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional neglect, and physical neglect - and total score. Geographical, economical and methodological variables were extracted for use as covariates in meta-regression models. A literature search identified 288 studies suitable for the CTQ total score analysis (N=59,692) and 189 studies suitable for maltreatment subtype analysis (N=44,832). We found that Europe and Asia were associated with lower CTQ estimates while South America presented the highest estimates among continents. Specifically, studies from China, Netherlands and United Kingdom presented the lowest maltreatment estimates. Furthermore, high-income countries presented lower CTQ physical neglect estimates in comparison to low- or middle-income countries, while per-capita gross domestic product of countries was negatively associated with childhood physical neglect estimates. Despite the influence of methodological covariates, these findings indicate that geographical and economic factors could influence variations of childhood maltreatment estimates around the world, particularly when assessed by a structured standardized questionnaire.