Abstract Word Count Research Articles

Fitness of Custom 3D-Printed Hydroxyapatite Scaffolds for Furcation Defects: A Preliminary Investigation Using Pig Jaws

<p>Abstract (Word Count: 202) Objective: This study aimed to evaluate whether 3D-printed (3DP) hydroxyapatite (HA)-based scaffolds can be customized to fit furcation defects. Materials and Methods: Two experimental degree II furcation defects were created in pig jaws, and cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) images were taken before and after defect creation. Computer-aided design (CAD) models of scaffolds were produced by subtracting two CBCT images. For each defect, one 3DP resin block printed using a stereolithographic 3D printer served as the control, and three 3DP HA-based scaffolds were printed using an extrusion-based 3DP bioprinter. The resultant 3DP resin blocks and HA-based scaffolds were placed in the defects, and micro-CT images were taken to assess the fitness of the scaffolds. Results: Compared with the CAD models, the 3DP resin blocks and HA-based scaffolds showed approximately 90% and > 80% volume stability, respectively. Regarding the furcation defects, the linear adaptation ratio was approximately 90% for the 3DP resin blocks and > 70% for the 3DP HA-based scaffolds. The fitness of the 3DP HA-based scaffolds was inferior, with a notable depression in the central area. Conclusion: The 3DP HA-based scaffolds exhibited acceptable volume stability and fitness for the furcation defect and could be a potential strategy for promoting furcation defect regeneration.</p> <p> </p>

Compliance of abstracts of randomized control trials with CONSORT guidelines: A case study of Balkan journals

Background: Published reports of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) are not compliant with the CONSORT checklist as much as they should. Objective: To assess the quality, in terms of the level to which they are compliant with the CONSORT checklist, of abstracts of RCTs published in general medical journals in the Balkan region. Methods: Two observers assessed the abstracts of RCTs published in five general medical journals of the Balkan region between 2012 and 2018 to determine the level to which the abstracts were compliant with the 16-item CONSORT abstracts checklist. Results: Of the 183 studies that were identified for evaluation, 124 (67.8%) were excluded from the evaluation. The average compliance level was 44.5% (95%   CI: 41.9%–47.1%), the lowest being that for randomization (1.7%), funding (1.7%), numbers analysed (11.0%), blinding (13.6%), and trial registration (18.6%). However, the compliance level was very high for conclusions (99.2%), objectives (96.6%), interventions (95.8%), and primary outcomes (83.9%). The length of the abstract (word count) and the level of compliance were positively correlated (rs = 0.43; p = 0.001). Abstracts of trials published in journals that endorse CONSORT in their publication policies were more compliant than those published in other journals (47.5 ± 10.4 versus 40.8 ± 8.0, p = 0.024). Conclusion: The overall level of compliance with the CONSORT checklist was below 50%. To improve the quality of abstracts of RCTs, authors should be encouraged to use the CONSORT checklist, and editors should check compliance with the CONSORT guidelines as part the publishing workflow.

Factors Associated With Low and High Article Citations in the Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Literature

We assessed the factors in reported oral and maxillofacial surgery (OMS) studies associated with the number of citations. We identified all primary research studies reported from 1998 to 2008 in the International Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Journal of Oral Maxillofacial Surgery (JOMS), British Journal of Oral Maxillofacial Surgery (BJOMS), and Journal of Craniomaxillofacial Surgery. Of the identified studies, 66 had obtained only 0 to 3 citations in the 10years after publication. We compared these lowest cited reports with the 66 highest cited reports. The characteristics of the lowest and highest cited studies were compared using bivariate analysis. Logistic regression analysis using generalized estimating equations was conducted to examine the association between the selected article-, author-, and journal-level characteristics and high citations. On the initial bivariate analysis, highly cited studies were associated with greater abstract and manuscript word counts (P<.0001), manuscript pages (P<.0001), figures (P=.0482), sample sizes (P=.0149), and references (P<.0001). They were also more likely to have reported a significant result (P=.0202), been published in JOMS (P=.0405), and covered topics such as dentoalveolar/implantology and trauma/reconstruction (P=.0002). Lowly cited articles were more likely to have been published in BJOMS (P=.0405) and addressed topics unrelated to core OMS procedures (P=.0002). The H-indexes of the first and corresponding authors were greater in the high-citation group (P<.0001). After multivariate analysis, a greater number of manuscript pages (P=.0015) and classification as dentoalveolar/implantology (P=.0017) or trauma/reconstruction (P=.0368) had greater odds of high citations. In addition, a higher H-index for the first author made it more likely to be in the high-citation group (P=.0397). Relatively few studies in the OMS literature failed to produce citations in the 10years after publication, indicating that most studies accepted for publication provide meaningful contributions. Significant differences were found between the highest and lowest cited publications, suggesting that study design and article structure might influence the articles' audience and effect.

Completeness of Reporting of Systematic Reviews of Diagnostic Test Accuracy Based on the PRISMA-DTA Reporting Guideline.

We evaluated the completeness of reporting of diagnostic test accuracy (DTA) systematic reviews using the recently developed Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and MetaAnalyses (PRISMA)-DTA guidelines. MEDLINE® was searched for DTA systematic reviews published October 2017 to January 2018. The search time span was modulated to reach the desired sample size of 100 systematic reviews. Reporting on a per-item basis using PRISMA-DTA was evaluated. One hundred reviews were included. Mean reported items were 18.6 of 26 (71%; SD = 1.9) for PRISMA-DTA and 5.5 of 11 (50%; SD = 1.2) for PRISMA-DTA for abstracts. Items in the results were frequently reported. Items related to protocol registration, characteristics of included studies, results synthesis, and definitions used in data extraction were infrequently reported. Infrequently reported items from PRISMA-DTA for abstracts included funding information, strengths and limitations, characteristics of included studies, and assessment of applicability. Reporting completeness was higher in higher impact factor journals (18.9 vs 18.1 items; P = 0.04), studies that cited PRISMA (18.9 vs 17.7 items; P = 0.003), or used supplementary material (19.1 vs 18.0 items; P = 0.004). Variability in reporting was associated with author country (P = 0.04) but not journal (P = 0.6), abstract word count limitations (P = 0.9), PRISMA adoption (P = 0.2), structured abstracts (P = 0.2), study design (P = 0.8), subspecialty area (P = 0.09), or index test (P = 0.5). Abstracts with a higher word count were more informative (R = 0.4; P < 0.001). No association with word counts was observed for full-text reports (R = -0.03; P = 0.06). Recently published reports of DTA systematic reviews are not fully informative when evaluated against the PRISMA-DTA guidelines. These results should guide knowledge translation strategies, including journal level (e.g., PRISMA-DTA adoption, increased abstract word count, and use of supplementary material) and author level (PRISMA-DTA citation awareness) strategies.

Using psycholinguistic inquiry to measure emotional response to music: A feasibility study

Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count (LIWC) software, which can analyze elements of language, has been used to measure emotional responses to film clips, yet the viability of LIWC to study emotional r...

Quality and clarity in systematic review abstracts: an empirical study.

Systematic review (SR) abstracts are important for disseminating evidence syntheses to inform medical decision making. We assess reporting quality in SR abstracts using PRISMA for Abstracts (PRISMA-A), Cochrane Handbook, and Agency for Healthcare Research & Quality guidance. We evaluated a random sample of 200 SR abstracts (from 2014) comparing interventions in the general medical literature. We assessed adherence to PRISMA-A criteria, problematic wording in conclusions, and whether "positive" studies described clinical significance. On average, abstracts reported 60% of PRISMA-A checklist items (mean 8.9 ± 1.7, range 4 to 12). Eighty percent of meta-analyses reported quantitative measures with a confidence interval. Only 49% described effects in terms meaningful to patients and clinicians (e.g., absolute measures), and only 43% mentioned strengths/limitations of the evidence base. Average abstract word count was 274 (SD 89). Word count explained only 13% of score variability. PRISMA-A scores did not differ between Cochrane and non-Cochrane abstracts (mean difference 0.08, 95% confidence interval -1.16 to 1.00). Of 275 primary outcomes, 48% were statistically significant, 32% were not statistically significant, and 19% did not report significance or results. Only one abstract described clinical significance for positive findings. For "negative" outcomes, we identified problematic simple restatements (20%), vague "no evidence of effect" wording (9%), and wishful wording (8%). Improved SR abstract reporting is needed, particularly reporting of quantitative measures (for meta-analysis), easily interpretable units, strengths/limitations of evidence, clinical significance, and clarifying whether negative results reflect true equivalence between treatments. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.