Three drug and alcohol use screening scales are embedded within the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2: the MacAndrew Alcoholism Scale (MAC) and its revised version (MAC-R), the Addiction Acknowledgement Scale (AAS), and the Addiction Potential Scale (APS). The current study evaluated the reliability reporting practices among 210 studies administering the MAC/MAC-R, APS, and/or AAS. Furthermore, reliability generalization methods were used to characterize the previously reported reliability estimates associated with each instrument. The vast majority of studies (90.6%) did not provide measurement reliability data, suggesting a need for improved psychometric reporting. Data from the remaining studies yielded mean and median score reliability estimates below.70 for each of the identified measures. Although limited in some instances by sample size constraints, results suggest that these instruments tend not to produce scores with acceptable levels of reliability for most research or clinical situations.

Genome-wide studies are prone to false positives due to inherently low priors and statistical power. One approach to ameliorate this problem is to seek validation of reported candidate genes across independent studies: genes with repeatedly discovered effects are less likely to be false positives. Inversely, genes reported only as many times as expected by chance alone, while possibly representing novel discoveries, are also more likely to be false positives. We show that, across over 30 genome-wide studies that reported Drosophila and Daphnia genes with possible roles in thermal adaptation, the combined lists of candidate genes and orthologous groups are rapidly approaching the total number of genes and orthologous groups in the respective genomes. This is consistent with the expectation of high frequency of false positives. The majority of these spurious candidates have been identified by one or a few studies, as expected by chance alone. In contrast, a noticeable minority of genes have been identified by numerous studies with the probabilities of such discoveries occurring by chance alone being exceedingly small. For this subset of genes, different studies are in agreement with each other despite differences in the ecological settings, genomic tools and methodology, and reporting thresholds. We provide a reference set of presumed true positives among Drosophila candidate genes and orthologous groups involved in response to changes in temperature, suitable for cross-validation purposes. Despite this approach being prone to false negatives, this list of presumed true positives includes several hundred genes, consistent with the “omnigenic” concept of genetic architecture of complex traits.

Background: In the United States, increasing ethnic diversity has been apparent. However, the epidemiology and trends of BKV genotypes remain unclear. This meta-analysis was conducted with the aim to assess the prevalence of BKV genotypes among kidney transplant (KTx) recipients in the United States. Methods: A comprehensive literature review was conducted through October 2018 utilizing MEDLINE, Embase, and Cochrane Database to identify studies that reported the prevalence of BKV subtypes and/or subgroups in KTx recipients in the United States. Pooled prevalence rates were combined using random effects, generic inverse variance method. The protocol for this study is registered with PROSPERO (no. CRD42019134582). Results: A total of eight observational studies with a total of 193 samples (urine, blood, and kidney tissues) from 188 BKV-infected KTX recipients were enrolled. Overall, the pooled estimated prevalence rates of BKV subtypes were 72.2% (95% confidence of interval [CI]: 62.7-80.0%) for subtype I, 6.8% (95% CI: 2.5-16.9%) for subtype II, 8.3% (95% CI: 4.4-15.1%) for subtype III, and 16.1% (95% CI: 10.4-24.2%) for subtype IV, respectively. While metaregression analysis demonstrated a significant positive correlation between year of study and the prevalence of BKV subtype I (slopes = +0.1023, P =.01), there were no significant correlations between year of study and percentages of BKV subtype II-IV (P >.05). Among KTx recipients with BKV subtype I, the pooled estimated percentages of BKV subgroups were 22.4% (95% CI: 13.7-34.5%) for subgroup Ia, 30.6% (95% CI: 17.7-47.5%) for subgroup Ib1, 47.7% (95% CI: 35.8-59.9%) for subgroup Ib2, and 4.1% (95% CI:1.2-13.3%) for subgroup Ic, respectively. Conclusion: BKV subtype I is the most prevalent subtype among KTx recipients in the United States and its prevalence seems to increasing overtime. Subgroup Ib2 is the most common subgroup among BKV subtype I.

Background: Complications related to peritoneal dialysis (PD) in patients with autosomal-dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD), including intraperitoneal rupture of renal cyst, hernia, membrane failure and peritonitis, have been reported. However, long-term clinical outcomes of ADPKD patients on PD remain unclear. We performed this meta-analysis to assess the risks of death, technique failure and peritonitis in ADPKD patients on PD. Methods: A systematic review was conducted using MEDLINE, EMBASE and Cochrane databases from inception to October 2017 to identify studies that evaluated the outcomes of ADPKD patients on PD, including the risks of death, technique failure and peritonitis. Non-ADPKD patients on PD were used as controls. Effect estimates from the individual study were extracted and combined using the random-effect, generic inverse variance method of DerSimonian and Laird. Results: Twelve cohort studies with a total of 14 673 patients on PD (931 ADPKD and 13 742 non-ADPKD patients) were enrolled. Compared with non-ADPKD status, ADPKD was associated with significantly decreased mortality risk with pooled odds ratio (OR) of 0.68 (95% confidence interval (CI), 0.53–0.86; I 2 = 0). There were no associations of ADPKD with the risks of technique failure of PD and peritonitis with pooled OR of 0.93 (95% CI, 0.79–1.10; I 2 = 0) and 0.88 (95% CI, 0.75–1.05; I 2 = 0), respectively. We found no publication bias as assessed by Egger's regression asymmetry test, with P = 0.90, 0.28 and 0.60 for the risks of mortality, technique failure and peritonitis in ADPKD patients on PD, respectively. Conclusion: Compared with non-ADPKD patients on PD, our study demonstrates that ADPKD patients on PD have 0.68-fold decreased mortality risk. There are no associations of ADPKD status with the risks of technique failure or peritonitis.

© 2019 The Authors. New Phytologist © 2019 New Phytologist Trust The role of pollination in the success of invasive plants needs to be understood because invasives have substantial effects on species interactions and ecosystem functions. Previous research has shown both that reproduction of invasive plants is often pollen limited and that invasive plants can have high seed production, motivating the questions: How do invasive populations maintain reproductive success in spite of pollen limitation? What species traits moderate pollen limitation for invaders? We conducted a phylogenetic meta-analysis with 68 invasive, 50 introduced noninvasive and 1931 native plant populations, across 1249 species. We found that invasive populations with generalist pollination or pollinator dependence were less pollen limited than natives, but invasives and introduced noninvasives did not differ. Invasive species produced 3× fewer ovules/flower and >250× more flowers per plant, compared with their native relatives. While these traits were negatively correlated, consistent with a tradeoff, this did not differ with invasion status. Invasive plants that produce many flowers and have floral generalisation are able to compensate for or avoid pollen limitation, potentially helping to explain the invaders’ reproductive successes.

Background/objectives: Patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) have an increased the risk of developing atrial fibrillation (AF). However, it remains unclear if patients with OSA carry a higher risk of recurrent AF after successful catheter ablation. This meta-analysis was conducted (1) to evaluate the association between OSA and recurrent AF after catheter ablation, and (2) to assess the effect of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) on the risk of recurrent AF in patients with OSA. Methods: A comprehensive literature review was conducted using MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane databases from inception through July 2017 to identify studies that evaluated the risk of recurrent AF after successful catheter ablation in patients with OSA were included. Effect estimates from the individual study were extracted and combined using random-effect, generic inverse variance method of DerSimonian and Laird. Results: Seven observational studies with a total of 4572 patients AF after successful catheter ablation were enrolled. Compared to patients without OSA, the pooled OR of recurrent AF in patients with OSA was 1.70 (95% CI, 1.40-2.06, I2 = 0). Among OSA patients with AF after successful catheter ablation, the use of CPAP was significantly associated with decreased risk of recurrent AF with pooled OR of 0.28 (0.19-0.40, I2= 0). Egger's regression asymmetry test was performed and showed no publication bias for the associations of OSA and CPAP with recurrent AF. Conclusions: Our meta-analysis suggested a significant association between OSA and recurrent AF after catheter ablation. The use of CPAP in patients with OSA is associated with reduced risk of recurrent AF after catheter ablation.

The incidence of hypocalcemia and bone mineral density (BMD) changes in end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients on denosumab remains unclear. We performed this meta-analysis to assess the incidence of denosumab-associated hypocalcemia and effects of denosumab on BMD in ESRD patients. A literature search was conducted using MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Cochrane Database from inception through November 2017 to identify studies evaluating incidence of denosumab-associated hypocalcemia and changes in serum calcium, phosphate, alkaline phosphatase (ALP), parathyroid hormone (PTH), and BMD from baseline to post-treatment course of denosumab in ESRD patients. Study results were pooled and analyzed using a random-effect model. The protocol for this meta-analysis is registered with PROSPERO (International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews; no. CRD42017081074). Six observational studies with a total of 84 ESRD patients were enrolled. The pooled estimated incidence of hypocalcemia during denosumab treatment was 42% (95% CI 29–55%, I2 = 0%). Hypocalcemia occurred approximately 7 to 20 days after the first dose and reached nadir of low calcium levels in the first 2 weeks up to 2 months. However, there were no significant changes in serum calcium or phosphate from baseline to post-treatment course (≥ 3 months after treatment) with mean differences [MDs] of 0.20 mg/dL (95% CI, − 0.30 to 0.69 mg/dL) and − 0.10 mg/dL (95% CI, − 0.70 to 0.49 mg/dL). There were significant reductions in ALP and PTH levels with standardized mean differences (SMDs) of − 0.65 (95% CI − 1.13 to − 0.16) and − 1.89 (95% CI − 3.44 to − 0.34), respectively. There were significant increases in T-scores with MDs of 0.39 (95% CI 0.10 to 0.69) and 0.79 (95% CI 0.60 to 0.98) for lumbar spine and femoral neck, respectively. Our study demonstrates the estimated incidence of denosumab-associated hypocalcemia in dialysis patients of 42%. From baseline to post-treatment course, although there are no differences in serum calcium and phosphate, our findings suggest significant reductions in ALP and PTH and a significant increase in BMD. Currently, denosumab should not be considered as the treatment of choice in ESRD patients until more safety and efficacy data are available.

The association between non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and atrial fibrillation (AF) has been suggested by recent epidemiological studies although the results were inconsistent. This meta-analysis was conducted to summarize all available data. Methods A comprehensive literature review was conducted using MEDLINE and EMBASE database through May 2017 to identify all studies that reported the risk of AF among patients with NAFLD versus those without NAFLD. Effect estimates from each study were extracted and combined together using the random-effect, generic inverse variance method of DerSimonian and Laird. Results Of 1009 studies, 5 studies (two cross-sectional studies and three cohort studies) with 238,129 participants met the eligibility criteria and were included in the meta-analysis. The risk of AF in patients with NAFLD was significantly higher than subjects without NAFLD with the pooled risks ratio of 2.06 (95% confidence interval, 1.10–3.85). The statistical heterogeneity was high with an I2 of 78%, which was the major limitation of this meta-analysis. Conclusions A significantly increased risk of AF among patients with NAFLD was demonstrated in this study.

Background The pleckstrin and Sec7 domain-containing 3 (PSD3) gene has been linked to immune diseases. We examined whether the genetic variants within the PSD3 gene are associated with obesity, type 2 diabetes (T2D), and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol level. Methods Multiple logistic regression model and linear regression model were used to examine the associations of 259 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) within the PSD3 gene with obesity and T2D as binary traits, and HDL level as a continuous trait using the Marshfield data, respectively. A replication study of obesity was conducted using the Health Aging and Body Composition (Health ABC) sample. Results 23 SNPs were associated with obesity (p < 0.05) in the Marshfield sample and rs4921966 revealed the strongest association (p = 3.97 × 10−6). Of the 23 SNPs, 20 were significantly associated with obesity in the meta-analysis of two samples (p < 0.05). Furthermore, 6 SNPs revealed associations with T2D in the Marshfield data (top SNP rs12156368 with p = 3.05 × 10−3); while two SNPs (rs6983992 and rs7843239) were associated with both obesity and T2D (p = 0.0188 and 0.023 for obesity and p = 8.47 × 10−3 and 0.0128 for T2D, respectively). Furthermore, 11 SNPs revealed associations with HDL level (top SNP rs13254772 with p = 2.79 × 10−3) in the Marshfield data; meanwhile rs7009615 was associated with both T2D (p = 0.038) and HDL level (p = 4.44 × 10−3). In addition, haplotype analyses further supported the results of single SNP analysis. Conclusions Common variants in PSD3 were associated with obesity, T2D and HDL level. These findings add important new insights into the pathogenesis of obesity, T2D and HDL cholesterol.

BACKGROUND In 2010, glycated haemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) was officially recommended as a screening tool to diagnose type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and pre-diabetes, with cut-off points 6.5% and 5.7% to 6.4% respectively. The implications of using the HbA1c criterion, compared to the general diagnostic criteria: fasting glucose test (FPG) and oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT), is however still being debated. OBJECTIVES The objectives of this study were to evaluate and compare the pooled prevalence of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and pre-diabetes, as measured by the Haemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) test, or the fasting plasma glucose (FPG) and oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT). Secondly, to determine and compare the diagnostic test characteristics (sensitivity, specificity) of these tests. METHODS Published papers, with a cross sectional study design, were selected for a systematic review and meta-analysis. The search strategy was an electronic review of journal articles listed on MEDLINE, PubMed and Google scholar between 1996 and 2012. Reference lists were checked, journals were hand searched and experts were contacted when necessary. Initially all studies related to the validation of HbA1c as a tool to detect pre-diabetes or T2DM in humans, published in English, were examined. Studies were excluded if they did not meet the above mentioned criteria, and/or were conducted with pregnant women. Further analysis was done if FPG or OGTT was compared to HbA1c. The diagnosis of diabetes had to have been based on ADA or WHO criteria. These criteria are: HbA1c 5.7%-6.4% for pre-diabetes and >=6.5% for T2DM; FPG 5.6mmol-7mmol/l for pre-diabetes and >=7mmol/l for T2DM; OGTT 7.8mmol-11.1mmol/l for pre-diabetes and >=11.1mmol/l for T2DM). The OGTT and FPG tests were used as the reference tests and the prevalence reflected as a positive or negative proportion. The sensitivity and specificity of HbA1c >=6.5% among cases defined by OGTT or FPG should have been reported, or it was possible to calculate these from the data provided. Study results relating to diagnostic accuracy were extracted and synthesized using multivariate random effects meta-analysis methods. This study focused on patients who were suspected of having T2DM, from two sub-groups (a community-based group and a high-risk group) to compare the detection rate of HbA1c with FPG and OGTT. / Dissertation (MSc)--University of Pretoria, 2014. / lk2014 / School of Health Systems and Public Health (SHSPH) / MSc / Unrestricted