Independent Systematic Reviews Research Articles

New WHO guidelines for treating rhodesiense human African trypanosomiasis: expanded indications for fexinidazole and pentamidine.

Human African trypanosomiasis is a neglected tropical disease that is usually fatal without treatment. WHO has revised its rhodesiense human African trypanosomiasis treatment guidelines on the basis of an independent systematic literature review and following the GRADE methodology. This Review reports on the decision-making process and summarises the new recommendations and their potential implications for health-care professionals and policy makers. Due to data scarcity, all recommendations are conditional and based on very low certainty of evidence. Fexinidazole replaces suramin and melarsoprol as the first-line therapy in individuals aged 6 years and older with a bodyweight of 20 kg or more. As fexinidazole is effective in both stages of rhodesiense human African trypanosomiasis, a lumbar puncture for staging is no longer required. In settings in which first-choice drugs are not readily available, immediate interim treatment with pentamidine is suggested. The introduction of oral fexinidazole represents an advancement in the management of rhodesiense human African trypanosomiasis considering the life-threatening adverse reactions individuals can have to melarsoprol. However, children below the age or weight limits remain ineligible for treatment with fexinidazole.

Accuracy and completeness of registry-reported unicompartmental knee arthroplasty revision.

The key outcome of joint registries is revision events, which inform clinical practice and identify poor-performing implants. Registries record revision events and reasons, but accuracy may be limited by a lack of standardized definitions of revision. Our study aims to assess the accuracy and completeness of unicompartmental knee arthroplasty (UKA) revision and indications reported to the New Zealand Joint Registry (NZJR) with independent clinical review. Case record review of 2272 patients undergoing primary UKA at four large tertiary hospitals between 2000 and 2017 was performed, identifying 158 patients who underwent revision. Detailed review of clinical findings, radiographs and operative data was performed to identify revision cases and the reasons for revision using a standardized protocol. These were compared to NZJR data using chi-squared and Fisher exact tests. The NZJR recorded 150 (95%) of all UKA revisions. Osteoarthritis progression was the most common reason on the systematic clinical review (35%), however, this was underreported to the registry (8%, P < 0.001). A larger proportion of revisions reported to the registry were for 'pain' (30% of cases vs. 5% on clinical review, P < 0.001). A reason for revision was not reported to the registry for 10% of cases. The NZJR had good capture of UKA revisions, but had significant differences in registry-reported revision reasons compared to our independent systematic clinical review. These included over-reporting of 'pain', under-reporting of osteoarthritis progression, and failing to identify a revision reason. Efforts to improve registry capture of revision reasons for UKA could be addressed through more standardized definitions of revision and tailored revision options for UKA on registry forms.

Rate of Reoperation Following Decompression-Only Procedure for Lumbar Degenerative Spondylolisthesis: A Systematic Review of Literature.

Management of lumbar degenerative spondylolisthesis with decompression-only procedure has been performed for its added benefit of a shorter duration of surgery, lower blood loss, and shorter hospital stay. However, reported failure rates for decompression-only procedures vary depending on the methods utilized for decompression. Hence, we aim to identify the failure rates of individual methods of decompression-only procedures performed for degenerative lumbar spondylolisthesis. An independent systematic review of 4 scientific databases (PubMed, Scopus, clinicaltrials.gov, Web of Science) was performed to identify relevant articles as per the preferred reporting in systematic reviews and meta-analysis guidelines. Studies reporting on failure rates defined by reoperation at the index level following decompression-only procedure for degenerative lumbar spondylolisthesis were included for analysis. Studies were appraised using ROBINS tool of Cochrane, and analysis was performed using the Open Meta[Analyst] software. The overall failure rate of decompression-only procedure was 9.1% (95% confidence interval [CI] [6.5-11.7]). Furthermore, open decompression had failure rate of 10.9% (95% CI [6.0-15.8]), while microendoscopic decompression had failure rate of 6.7% (95% CI [2.9-10.6]). The failure rate gradually increased from 6.9% (95% CI [2.0-11.7]) at 1 year to 7% (95% CI [3.6-10.3]), 11.7% (95% CI [4.5-18.9]), and 11.7% (95% CI [6.6-16.7]) at 2, 3, and 5 years, respectively. Single level decompression had a failure rate of 9.6% (95% CI [6.3-12.9]), while multilevel decompression recorded a failure rate of 8.7% (95% CI [5.6-11.7]). High-quality evidence on the decompression-only procedure for degenerative spondylolisthesis is limited. The decompression-only procedure had an overall failure rate of 9.1% without significant differences between the decompression techniques. Level IV. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.

Updated Appropriate Use Criteria for Amyloid and Tau PET

AbstractBackgroundThe Alzheimer’s Association and Society for Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging convened a Workgroup to update previous Appropriate Use Criteria (AUC) for amyloid PET (Johnson 2013) and develop the first AUC for tau PET. The AUC represent general guidelines and should not be considered a substitute for clinical judgment exercised in the care of individual patients.MethodThe Workgroup included 14 researchers with multidisciplinary expertise. Meetings were held between June 2020 and August 2021. Key research questions were identified using the PICOTS framework, triggering an independent systematic literature review. Using established methods (Fitch 2001), the Workgroup identified 17 clinical scenarios in which amyloid/tau PET may be considered. Appropriateness of amyloid and tau PET as independent, stand‐alone modalities were ranked for each scenario using a 9‐point scale (Table 1). Consensus was achieved using a modified Delphi process. Online surveys were completed iteratively by Workgroup members, followed by discussion, until all votes for each scenario fell within one of the following categories: Appropriate/Uncertain/Rarely Appropriate.ResultAs an over‐arching principle, amyloid/tau PET should be considered in patients who: (1) have undergone a comprehensive assessment by a dementia expert; (2) Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a diagnostic possibility but uncertainty remains; and (3) knowledge of amyloid/tau PET results is expected to help establish diagnosis and guide patient management. Consensus ratings for clinical scenarios are shown in Table 2. More evidence was available to inform recommendations for amyloid than tau PET. Amyloid PET was considered “Appropriate” to inform diagnosis of MCI or dementia due to suspected AD; clarify diagnosis when CSF biomarkers are equivocal; to inform prognosis in MCI; and to determine eligibility for amyloid‐targeting therapies. Tau PET was considered “Appropriate” to clarify diagnosis in patients with MCI/dementia under age 65 or those with atypical presentations; and to inform prognosis in MCI or dementia due to suspected AD.ConclusionThe updated AUC highlight a growing role for amyloid PET and an emerging role for tau PET in the clinical evaluation of cognitively impaired patients. AUC are expected to further evolve based on data from ongoing studies of clinical utility and a rapidly developing therapeutic landscape.

Common microRNA regulated pathways in Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding RNAs involved in gene regulation. Recently, miRNA dysregulation has been found in neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease (AD) and Parkinson's disease (PD). The diagnosis of Alzheimer's and Parkinson's is currently challenging, mainly occurring when pathology is already present, and although treatments are available for both diseases, the role of treatment is primarily to prevent or delay the progress of the diseases instead of fully overcoming the diseases. Therefore, the challenge in the near future will be to determine effective drugs to tackle the dysregulated biological pathways in neurodegenerative diseases. In the present study, we describe the dysregulation of miRNAs in blood of Alzheimer's and Parkinson's patients with the aim to identify common mechanisms between the 2 pathologies and potentially to identify common therapeutic targets which can stop or delay the progression of two most frequent neuropathologies. Two independent systematic reviews, bioinformatic analysis, and experiment validation were performed to identify whether AD and PD share common pathways. A total of 15 common miRNAs were found in the literature and 13 common KEGG pathways. Among the common miRNAs, two were selected for validation in a small cohort of AD and PD patients. Let-7f-5p and miR-29b-3p showed to be good predictors in blood of PD patients.

Food crime: An often-ignored money laundering typology and a predicate crime

Food crimes, including adulteration, poisoning, mislabelling, and misrepresentation of information, have cost billions in the global food industry. The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has highlighted the weaknesses of the food supply chain. Unfortunately, such weaknesses are exploited by actors to engage in illicit activities. Consequently, this work aims to highlight the inherent susceptibility of the food sector to being exploited to launder illicit funds and as a predicate crime for generating illicit funds. This study emerges from two independent systematic literature reviews on trade-based money laundering and food crime to identify a knowledge gap highlighting the dual role of the food sector, both to launder illicit funds and as a predicate crime generating such funds. It adopts a viewpoint approach by considering the factors identified in the academic literature to outline the vulnerabilities of the food sector to illicit practices. The novelty of this study lies in focusing on the dual role of the food sector, which to date has been ignored.

Multidisciplinary Guidelines for the Rational Use of Topical Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs for Musculoskeletal Pain (2022)

(1) Background: Topical non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are one of the primary drugs for treating musculoskeletal pain. However, there are currently no evidence-based recommendations about drug selection, drug administration, drug interactions, and use in special populations or other pharmacology-related content of such medications. To this end, the Chinese Pharmaceutical Association Hospital Pharmacy Professional Committee developed multidisciplinary guidelines on using topical NSAIDs to treat musculoskeletal pain. (2) Methods: The guidelines development process followed the World Health Organization guideline development handbook, the GRADE methodology, and the statement of Reporting Items for Practice Guidelines in Healthcare. The guideline panel used the Delphi method to identify six clinical questions to be addressed in the guidelines. An independent systematic review team conducted a systematic search and integration of evidence. (3) Results: Based on the balance between the benefits and harms of an intervention, the quality of the evidence, patient preferences and values, and resource utilization, the guideline panel developed 11 recommendations and nine expert consensuses on using topical NSAIDs to treat acute and chronic musculoskeletal pain. (4) Conclusions: Based on the effectiveness and overall safety of topical NSAIDs, we recommend patients with musculoskeletal pain use topical NSAIDs and suggest high-risk patients use topical NSAIDs, such as those with other diseases or receiving other concurrent treatments. The evidenced-based guidelines on topical NSAIDs for musculoskeletal pain incorporated a pharmacist perspective. The guidelines have the potential to facilitate the rational use of topical NSAIDs. The guideline panel will monitor the relevant evidence and update the recommendations accordingly.

Efficacy and Safety of Quadrivalent Conjugate Meningococcal Vaccines: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Over the last decades, different quadrivalent antimeningococcal vaccine formulations (diphteria toxoid conjugate, MenACWY-D; tetanus toxoid conjugate, MenACWY-TT; CRM197 protein conjugate, MenACWY-CRM) have been developed. However, their availability varies, both in terms of authorized formulations and of inclusion in vaccination schedules. Furthermore, several countries include only the monovalent meningococcal C (MenC) vaccine in their immunization programmes. Finally, there is currently no updated systematic review that directly compares the MenACWY formulations. Thus, we summarized the evidence on efficacy and safety through four parallel, independent systematic literature reviews with meta-analysis which included randomized controlled trials comparing the abovementioned vaccines. A total of 16 studies have been included. In terms of efficacy, MenACWY-TT outperformed MenACWY-D and MenACWY-CRM for A, W-135, and Y serogroups, while no significant difference was found for serogroup C. Furthermore, we did not find significant differences in efficacy between MenC and MenACWY-TT. Regarding the safety, we were able to perform a quantitative analysis only between MenACWY-TT and MenC, finding no significant differences. Similarly, among the different MenACWY formulations no relevant differences were identified. These findings suggest that MenACWY-TT could be preferable to other formulations to improve current vaccination programs and to better develop future immunization policies.

Methodology for strategic management of the digital potential of complex economic systems based on the platform concept

Purpose: the purpose of this article is to form a holistic methodology of digital platform strategizing, based on the methods, rules and postulates of strategic management of complex economic systems using different types of platforms in order to increase the digital potential.Methods: the authors used general scientific methods – the method of synthesis, generalization, content analysis, graphical interpretation of data. During the study, we used a six-step method, as well as the standardized methodology of the independent systematic review of the literature on the basis of the eight-step manual.Results: the author's vision of the methodology of strategic management of the digital potential of economic systems as a multi-level cognitive continuum, which allows to describe the full range of theoretical and practical perspectives of the application of methods, rules and postulates of management of the digital potential of economic systems, has been developed. Six architectural levels of the methodology of strategic management of the digital potential of economic systems are identified. Each architectural level is represented by a set of corresponding patterns: the gnoseological level is based on digital philosophy and digital thinking; the paradigmatic level is represented by the coevolution of three approaches and conceptual domain of digital platform strategizing; the ontological level is represented by the terminological apparatus; the semantic level is represented by the framework of digital platform strategizing and the platform concept; the technological level is represented by strategies of economic systems transformation into bionic, business models of digital strategy and digital behavior patterns; the applied level is represented by the methods for assessing the digital maturity and digital gaps of industrial systems.Conclusions and Relevance: the digital development of complex economic systems entails their transformation into bionic and inverted organizations based on an interdisciplinary platform concept, digital strategizing, digital philosophy, digital thinking, digital technologies and Industry 5.0 solutions, driven by the need to increase digital maturity, develop digital capabilities to maintain existing and/or create additional long-term competitive advantages.

Japanese Gastric Cancer Treatment Guidelines 2021 (6th edition)

The sixth edition of the Japanese Gastric Cancer Treatment Guidelines was completed in July 2021, incorporating new evidence that emerged after publication of the previous edition. It consists of a text-based “Treatments” part and a “Clinical Questions” part including recommendations and explanations for clinical questions. The treatments parts include a comprehensive description regarding surgery, endoscopic resection and chemotherapy for gastric cancer. The clinical question part is based on the literature search and evaluation by an independent systematic review team. Consequently, not only evidence for each therapeutic recommendation was clearly shown, but it also identified the research fields that require further evaluation to provide appropriate recommendations.

Academic integration in higher education: A review of effective institutional strategies and personal factors

Globally, there has been a surge in international students, posing challenges to their host institutions. The review aimed to identify institutional strategies and personal factors that promote international students' academic integration. With an independent systematic review of titles, abstracts, and full texts, 64 studies were sampled and analyzed. The study presented findings through a narrative synthesis across all studies. The review results showed that there have been an increasing number of studies on academic integration over the last decade. Institutional strategies like staff and student interaction, student orientation programs, classroom organization, supervisory support, and learning communities are more effective in promoting healthy academic lives and the academic progress of students. Personal factors, which include financial status, language ability, and self-efficacy in students, were revealed to facilitate healthy academic lives and progress on campus. Prioritizing international students' welfare, providing language adaptation support, and increasing the accessibility of academic staff were suggested strategies for improving the academic lives of international students. The study also recommends that tertiary education systems and other stakeholders take these institutional strategies and personal factors into account when developing higher education policies. This will help international students have better academic lives and stay in school.

Robotic ureteral reimplantation: systematic review and pooled analysis of comparative outcomes in adults.

The surgical treatment of ureteral strictures in adults represents a challenging procedure for the variability of location, extension, and etiology of the disease. Open ureteral reimplantation (OUR) offered high success rates even when considering complex ureteral disease. The debate for defining the role of robotic in the treatment of adult ureteral disease is still ongoing. The aim of the current systematic review is to provide an updated analysis of the comparative outcomes of robot-assisted UR (RAUR) versus OUR based on the available literature. An independent systematic review of the literature was performed from 2010 to 2021. Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) recommendations were followed to design search strategies, selection criteria, and evidence reports. The quality of the included studies was determined using the Newcastle-Ottawa scale for non-randomized controlled trials. Pooled analysis of demographics and clinical characteristics, as well as surgical and postoperative outcomes, was performed. After an initial screening and full-text review, five studies published between 2002 and 2021 were identified and included in the analysis. All the studies were observational retrospective case-control studies. Among the 225 patients included in the pooled analysis, 94 (41.8%) and 131 (58.2%) were RAUR and OUR, respectively. There was no difference between groups in terms of baseline characteristics. No differences in surgical approach and operative time were reported among the groups. Estimated blood loss was lower for robotic approach (WMD: -121.71 mL; P=0.0006). There were no significant differences between groups in overall (OR: 0.85; P=0.69) and major (OR: 0.69; P=0.52) complication. RAUR group reported shorter length of stay (WMD: -2.39 days; P<0.00001), catheter (WMD: -5.26 days; P=0.004) and stent (WMD: -11.9 days; P=0.001) time. Available evidence shows that RAUR offers similar surgical outcomes if compared to OUR, and potential advantages in terms of lower blood loss, shorter hospital stay, catheter, and stent time. The adoption of one approach over the other is likely to be mainly dictated by the surgeon's preference and expertise.

Co-Expression Network Analysis of Micro-RNAs and Proteins in the Alzheimer's Brain: A Systematic Review of Studies in the Last 10 Years.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding nucleic acids that can regulate post-transcriptional gene expression by binding to complementary sequences of target mRNA. Evidence showed that dysregulated miRNA expression may be associated with neurological conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease (AD). In this study, we combined the results of two independent systematic reviews aiming to unveil the co-expression network of miRNAs and proteins in brain tissues of AD patients. Twenty-eight studies including a total of 113 differentially expressed miRNAs (53 of them validated by qRT-PCR), and 26 studies including a total of 196 proteins differentially expressed in AD brains compared to healthy age matched controls were selected. Pathways analyses were performed on the results of the two reviews and 39 common pathways were identified. A further bioinformatic analysis was performed to match miRNA and protein targets with an inverse relation. This revealed 249 inverse relationships in 28 common pathways, representing new potential targets for therapeutic intervention. A meta-analysis, whenever possible, revealed miR-132-3p and miR-16 as consistently downregulated in late-stage AD across the literature. While no inverse relationships between miR-132-3p and proteins were found, miR-16′s inverse relationship with CLOCK proteins in the circadian rhythm pathway is discussed and therapeutic targets are proposed. The most significant miRNA dysregulated pathway highlighted in this review was the hippo signaling pathway with p = 1.66 × 10−9. Our study has revealed new mechanisms for AD pathogenesis and this is discussed along with opportunities to develop novel miRNA-based drugs to target these pathways.

Exploring Hidden Issues in the Use of Antipsychotic Polypharmacy in the Treatment of Schizophrenia.

The mainstay of schizophrenia treatment is pharmacological therapy using various antipsychotics including first- and second-generation antipsychotics which have different pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic property leading to differential presentation of adverse events (AEs) and treatment effects such as negative symptoms, cognitive symptoms and cormorbid symptoms. Major treatment guidelines suggest the use of antipsychotic monotherapy (APM) as a gold standard in the treatment of schizophrenia. However, the effects of APM is inadequate and less potent to achieve symptom remission as well as functional recovery in real practice which has been consistently reported in numerous controlled clinical trials, large practical trials, independent small studies and systematic reviews till today. Therefore antipsychotic polypharmacy (APP) regardless of the class of antipsychotics has been also commonly utilized for many reasons in real world practice. However, APP has also crucial pitfalls including increase of total psychotics including antipsychotics, high-doses of antipsychotics used, poor compliance, drug-drug interaction and risks for developing AEs, all of which are paradoxically related to poor clinical outcomes, whereas APP has also substantial advantages in reduction of re-hospitalization, severe psychopathology and targeted control of concurrent symptoms. Given currently limited therapeutic options, it is also important to properly utilize APP in order to maximize its clinical utility and minimize its risk for better treatment outcomes for patients with schizophrenia, based on risk/benefit with full understanding of pharmacological and clinical issues on APP. The present paper intends to address intriguing and important issues in the use of APP in real world practice.

Efficacy and safety of intravenous beta-blockers in acute atrial fibrillation and flutter is dependent on beta-1 selectivity: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised trials

Abstract Background Intravenous (IV) beta-blockers are commonly used to manage patients with acute atrial fibrillation (AF) and atrial flutter (AFl). Important pharmacodynamic differences exist amongst beta-blockers, and the choice of beta-blocker or other therapy is often not evidence-based. Purpose Systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials (RCTs) in the setting of acute AF/AFl to assess the efficacy and safety of IV beta-blockers against other pharmacological interventions (diltiazem, verapamil, digoxin, anti-arrhythmic drugs or placebo). Methods Prospectively registered (PROSPERO: CRD42020204772). MEDLINE, EMBASE and Cochrane Register were searched from inception to August 2020. The primary outcomes were reduction in heart rate and proportion of patients achieving study-defined target heart rate. Secondary outcomes included conversion to sinus rhythm and incidence of adverse events. Beta-blockers were divided according to beta-1 adrenoreceptor selectivity. Meta-analysis was performed to calculate risk ratios (RR) and standardised mean differences (SMD) using random-effects, and fixed-effects within beta-1 subgroups. Results From 5974 studies, 12 RCTs were included with variable risk of bias, encompassing 1152 participants with mean age 62 years, 38% women and baseline heart rate 137 beats/minute. With high heterogeneity (I2=87%; p&amp;lt;0.001), there was no difference in the reduction in heart rate between beta-blockers and comparators (SMD −0.65, 95% CI −1.63–0.21; p=0.19), and no difference in the proportion that achieved target heart rate (RR 0.85, 95% CI 0.36–1.97; p=0.70). Analysis by beta-1 selectivity demonstrated that conventional beta-1 blockers (metoprolol, esmolol) were inferior for target heart rate reduction (RR 0.33, 95% CI 0.17–0.64; p=0.001), whereas super-selective agents (landiolol) were superior (RR 1.98, 95% CI 1.54–2.54; p&amp;lt;0.001). There was no difference in the rate of conversion to sinus rhythm between beta-blockers and comparators (RR 1.15, 95% CI 0.92–1.44; p=0.21). Adverse events were similar in both groups overall, with no significant difference in hypotension (RR 1.74, 95% CI 0.85–3.58; p=0.13), bradycardia (RR 0.86, 95% CI 0.19–3.81; p=0.153) or events leading to drug discontinuation (RR 1.16, 95% CI 0.26–5.15; p=0.84). Assessment by beta-1 selectivity showed that hypotension and bradycardia were more frequent with non-selective beta-blockers (sotalol) than comparators (RR 4.57, 95% CI 1.92–10.85; p=0.001 and 5.97, 95% CI 1.34–26.57; p=0.019). Conclusion There is no difference between IV beta-blockers overall and other medications for the control of acute AF/AFl, although better efficacy was shown for beta-blockers with higher beta-1 selectivity. IV beta-blockers were as safe as comparator agents, with the exception of non-selective beta-blockers. Funding Acknowledgement Type of funding sources: Private company. Main funding source(s): Independent systematic review commissioned by Amomed Pharma. Target heart rate and hypotension events

Co-Expression Network Analysis of MicroRNAs and Proteins in Severe Traumatic Brain Injury: A Systematic Review.

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) represents one of the leading causes of mortality and morbidity worldwide, placing an enormous socioeconomic burden on healthcare services and communities around the world. Survivors of TBI can experience complications ranging from temporary neurological and psychosocial problems to long-term, severe disability and neurodegenerative disease. The current lack of therapeutic agents able to mitigate the effects of secondary brain injury highlights the urgent need for novel target discovery. This study comprises two independent systematic reviews, investigating both microRNA (miRNA) and proteomic expression in rat models of severe TBI (sTBI). The results were combined to perform integrated miRNA-protein co-expression analyses with the aim of uncovering the potential roles of miRNAs in sTBI and to ultimately identify new targets for therapy. Thirty-four studies were included in total. Bioinformatic analysis was performed to identify any miRNA–protein associations. Endocytosis and TNF signalling pathways were highlighted as common pathways involving both miRNAs and proteins found to be differentially expressed in rat brain tissue following sTBI, suggesting efforts to find novel therapeutic targets that should be focused here. Further high-quality investigations are required to ascertain the involvement of these pathways and their miRNAs in the pathogenesis of TBI and other CNS diseases and to therefore uncover those targets with the greatest therapeutic potential.

How can a newly established journal attract foreign authors?

The geographical diversity of the origin of both editorial staff and authors is one of the crucial criteria in the selection of journals for international recognized databases (Scopus, Web of Science, etc.). The established world-class scientific journals, as a rule, have their own readership, regular authors, and attract new ones due to their own high indicators (Hirsch index, quartile, etc.). Many newly established periodicals aiming at international recognition face the issues of finding foreign editors and authors. It is more difficult for the journals that are not included in recognized databases to compete with more recognized ones in attracting new authors. As a result of evaluations of journals, the members of the Scopus Content Selection &amp; Advisory Board (CSAB) indicate that journals need to significantly expand their international reach in terms of authorship and academic influence. They recommend them to consider publishing more articles in English and to attract more respected authors from other countries. The recommendation is undoubtedly valuable, but the question arises: how to attract foreign authors? In fact, the targeted e-mail distribution as a tool for finding authors and increasing publication activity is poorly effective, since authors are mainly interested in recognized journals indexed in international scientometric databases. Another recommendation from the expert is that it will be helpful if the published articles cover a wider range of research topics and issues that may directly affect an international audience. As N.V. Kirillova rightly notes: “no scientific work can be started without preliminary study and analysis of research carried out earlier on the chosen topic or taking place at present. The results of such an analysis of publications on the topic of research are reflected directly in scientific articles and published in the form of independent systematic reviews.”[1] In conjunction with the foregoing, it is important to reconsider the duties of the members of the editorial board as the direct authors of the newly established journal, who could, for example, on the instructions of the editor-in-chief write up-to-date reviews on the relevant problems and headings of the journal. Published articles can be sent directly to foreign authors, which are cited by the authors who are members of the editorial board. Alternatively, this can induce foreign authors to a scientific dialogue, and, possibly, to publish articles in a newly established journal.

Editorial introductions.

Editorial introductions.

Trends in clinical presentation of children with COVID-19: a systematic review of individual participant data.

ContextThere are sparse patient-level data available for children with novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19). Therefore, there is an urgent need for an updated systematic literature review that analyzes individual children rather than aggregated data in broad age groups.MethodsSix databases (MEDLINE, Scopus, Web of Science, CINAHL, Google Scholar, medRxiv) were searched for studies indexed from January 1 to May 15, 2020 with MeSH terms: children, pediatrics, COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2. 1241 records were identified, of which only unique papers in English with individual patient information and documented COVID-19 testing were included. This review of 22 eligible studies followed Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses of individual participant data guidelines.Results123 patients from five countries were identified. 46% were females. Median age was five years (IQR=8). At presentation, 62% had fever, 32% had cough, 58% had a single symptom and 21% were asymptomatic. Abnormal chest imaging was seen in 62% (65/105) of imaged and 76.9% (20/26) of asymptomatic children. A minority of children had elevated platelets, CRP, lactate dehydrogenase, and d-dimer.ConclusionData from this independent participant data systematic review revealed that the majority of children with COVID-19 presented with either no symptoms or a single, non-respiratory symptom.

Editorial introductions

Editorial introductions