Assessment of publication bias in dental specialty journals

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the presence of publication bias (acceptance of articles indicating statistically significant results). METHODS: The journals possessing the highest impact factor (2008 data) in each dental specialty were included in the study. The content of the 6 most recent issues of each journal was hand searched and research articles were classified into 4 type categories: cross-sectional, case-control, cohort, and interventional (nonrandomized clinical trials and randomized controlled trials). In total, 396 articles were included in the analysis. Descriptive statistics and univariate and multivariate logistic regression was used to examine the association between article-reported statistical significance (dependent variable) and journal impact factor and article study type subject area (independent variables). RESULTS: A statistically significant acceptance rate of positive result was found, ranging from 75% to 90%, whereas the value of impact factor was not related to publication bias among leading dental journals. Compared with other research designs, clinical intervention studies (randomized or nonrandomized) presented the highest percentage of nonsignificant findings (20%); RCTs represented 6% of the examined investigations. CONCLUSIONS: Compared with the Journal of Clinical Periodontology, all other subspecialty journals, except the Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, showed significantly decreased odds of publishing an RCT, which ranged from 60% to 93% (P < .05).

Novel octreotide dicarba-analogues with high affinity and different selectivity for somatostatin receptors

A limited set of novel octreotide dicarba-analogues with non-native aromatic side chains in positions 7 and/or 10 were synthesized. Their affinity toward the ssts1-5 was determined. Derivative 4 exhibited a pan-somatostatin activity, except sst4, and derivative 8 exhibited high affinity and selectivity toward sst5. Actually, compound 8 has similar sst5 affinity (IC50 4.9 nM) to SRIF-28 and octreotide. Structure-activity relationships suggest that the Z geometry of the double-bond bridge is that preferred by the receptors. The NMR study on the conformations of these compounds in SDS(-d25) micelles solution shows that all these analogues have the pharmacophore beta-turn spanning Xaa7-D-Trp8-Lys9-Yaa10 residues. Notably, the correlation between conformation families and affinity data strongly indicates that the sst5 selectivity is favored by a helical conformation involving the C-terminus triad, while a pan-SRIF mimic activity is based mainly on a conformational equilibrium between extended and folded conformational states.

Effects of {beta}-blocker selectivity on blood pressure variability and stroke: A systematic review

β-Blockers increase variability in systolic blood pressure (SBP), which probably explains their lesser effectiveness in preventing stroke vs myocardial infarction compared with other agents. This increase in variability in blood pressure (BP) may be particularly marked on non-cardioselective agents, potentially calling into question the widespread first-line use of propranolol in migraine with aura, elderly patients with essential tremor or anxiety, and other groups at risk of stroke.

Three-dimensional portable document format: a simple way to present 3-dimensional data in an electronic publication

Three-dimensional (3D) models of teeth and soft and hard tissues are tessellated surfaces used for diagnosis, treatment planning, appliance fabrication, outcome evaluation, and research. In scientific publications or communications with colleagues, these 3D data are often reduced to 2-dimensional pictures or need special software for visualization. The portable document format (PDF) offers a simple way to interactively display 3D surface data without additional software other than a recent version of Adobe Reader (Adobe, San Jose, Calif). The purposes of this article were to give an example of how 3D data and their analyses can be interactively displayed in 3 dimensions in electronic publications, and to show how they can be exported from any software for diagnostic reports and communications among colleagues.

Lost in translation: the impact of publication language on citation frequency in the scientific dental literature

Citation metrics are commonly used as a proxy for scientific merit and relevance. Papers published in English, however, may exhibit a higher citation frequency than research articles published in other languages, though this issue has not yet been investigated from a Swiss perspective where English is not the native language.

N-imidazolebenzyl-histidine substitution in somatostatin and in its octapeptide analogue modulates receptor selectivity and function

Despite 3 decades of focused chemical, biological, structural, and clinical developments, unusual properties of somatostatin (SRIF, 1) analogues are still being uncovered. Here we report the unexpected functional properties of 1 and the octapeptide cyclo(3-14)H-Cys-Phe-Phe-Trp(8)-Lys-Thr-Phe-Cys-OH (somatostatin numbering; OLT-8, 9) substituted by imBzl-l- or -d-His at position 8. These analogues were tested for their binding affinity to the five human somatostatin receptors (sst(1-5)), as well as for their functional properties (or functionalities) in an sst(3) internalization assay and in an sst(3) luciferase reporter gene assay. While substitution of Trp(8) in somatostatin by imBzl-l- or -d-His(8) results in sst(3) selectivity, substitution of Trp(8) in the octapeptide 9 by imBzl-l- or -d-His(8) results in loss of binding affinity for sst(1,2,4,5) and a radical functional switch from agonist to antagonist.

Bringing results to fruition through publication: An analysis of a peer-reviewed, open access and context-focused journal's editorial practice

When it comes to helping to shape sustainable development, research is most useful when it bridges the science–implementation/management gap and when it brings development specialists and researchers into a dialogue (Hurni et al. 2004); can a peer-reviewed journal contribute to this aim? In the classical system for validation and dissemination of scientific knowledge, journals focus on knowledge exchange within the academic community and do not specifically address a ‘life-world audience’. Within a North-South context, another knowledge divide is added: the peer review process excludes a large proportion of scientists from the South from participating in the production of scientific knowledge (Karlsson et al. 2007). Mountain Research and Development (MRD) is a journal whose mission is based on an editorial strategy to build the bridge between research and development and ensure that authors from the global South have access to knowledge production, ultimately with a view to supporting sustainable development in mountains. In doing so, MRD faces a number of challenges that we would like to discuss with the td-net community, after having presented our experience and strategy as editors of this journal. MRD was launched in 1981 by mountain researchers who wanted mountains to be included in the 1992 Rio process. In the late 1990s, MRD realized that the journal needed to go beyond addressing only the scientific community. It therefore launched a new section addressing a broader audience in 2000, with the aim of disseminating insights into, and recommendations for, the implementation of sustainable development in mountains. In 2006, we conducted a survey among MRD’s authors, reviewers, and readers (Wymann et al. 2007): respondents confirmed that MRD had succeeded in bridging the gap between research and development. But we realized that MRD could become an even more efficient tool for sustainability if development knowledge were validated: in 2009, we began submitting ‘development’ papers (‘transformation knowledge’) to external peer review of a kind different from the scientific-only peer review (for ‘systems knowledge’). At the same time, the journal became open access in order to increase the permeability between science and society, and ensure greater access for readers and authors in the South. We are currently rethinking our review process for development papers, with a view to creating more space for communication between science and society, and enhancing the co-production of knowledge (Roux 2008). Hopefully, these efforts will also contribute to the urgent debate on the ‘publication culture’ needed in transdisciplinary research (Kueffer et al. 2007).

Chances and risks of publication of quality data - the perspectives of Swiss physicians and nurses

Background The release of quality data from acute care hospitals to the general public is based on the aim to inform the public, to provide transparency and to foster quality-based competition among providers. Due to the expected mechanisms of action and possibly the adverse consequences of public quality comparison, it is a controversial topic. The perspective of physicians and nurses is of particular importance in this context. They are mainly responsible for the collection of quality-control data, and are directly confronted with the results of public comparison. The research focus of this qualitative study was to discover what the views and opinions of the Swiss physicians and nurses were regarding these issues. It was investigated as to how the two professional groups appraised the opportunities as well as the risks of the release of quality data in Switzerland. Methods A qualitative approach was chosen to answer the research question. For data collection, four focus groups were conducted with physicians and nurses who were employed in Swiss acute care hospitals. Qualitative content analysis was applied to the data. Results The results revealed that both occupational groups had a very critical and negative attitude regarding the recent developments. The perceived risks were dominating their view. In summary, their main concerns were: the reduction of complexity, the one-sided focus on measurable quality variables, risk selection, the threat of data manipulation and the abuse of published information by the media. An additional concern was that the impression is given that the complex construct of quality can be reduced to a few key figures, and it that it is constructed from a false message which then influences society and politics. This critical attitude is associated with the different value system and the professional self-concept that both physicians and nurses have, in comparison to the underlying principles of a market-based economy and the economic orientation of health care business. Conclusions The critical and negative attitude of Swiss physicians and nurses must, under all conditions, be heeded to and investigated regarding its impact on work motivation and identification with the profession. At the same time, the two professional groups are obligated to reflect upon their critical attitude and take a proactive role in the development of appropriate quality indicators for the publication of quality data in Switzerland.

Engineering Tocopherol Selectivity in alpha-TTP: A Combined In Vitro/In Silico Study

"We present a combined in vitro/in silico study to determine the molecular origin of the selectivity of a-tocopherol transfer" "protein (a-TTP) towards a-tocopherol. Molecular dynamics simulations combined to free energy perturbation calculations predict a binding free energy for a-tocopherol to a-TTP 8.26+2.13 kcal mol{1 lower than that of c-tocopherol. Our calculations show that c-tocopherol binds to a-TTP in a significantly distorted geometry as compared to that of the natural ligand. Variations in the hydration of the binding pocket and in the protein structure are found as well. We propose a mutation, A156L, which significantly modifies the selectivity properties of a-TTP towards the two tocopherols. In particular, our simulations predict that A156L binds preferentially to c-tocopherol, with striking structural similarities to the wild-type- a-tocopherol complex. The affinity properties are confirmed by differential scanning fluorimetry as well as in vitro competitive binding assays. Our data indicate that residue A156 is at a critical position for determination of the selectivity of a-TTP. The engineering of TTP mutants with modulating binding properties can have potential impact at industrial level for easier purification of single tocopherols from vitamin E mixtures coming from natural oils or synthetic processes. Moreover," "the identification of a c-tocopherol selective TTP offers the possibility to challenge the hypotheses for the evolutionary development of a mechanism for a-tocopherol selection in omnivorous animals."