Biology Direct, an online open access journal published by BioMed Central, is celebrating its 7th anniversary. Biology Direct started as an experiment, perhaps a daring one, on a new system of open peer review, under which the signed reviews and the author responses are published as an integral part of ...

: Systematic reviews constitute the top of the "level-of-evidence pyramid." Despite their strengths, they have been found to be of varying quality, thus raising concerns about their validity and role in influencing clinical practice. In the present study, a quality analysis of systematic reviews with a focus on hand surgery ...

In this editor's review, articles published in 2012 are organized by category and briefly summarized. We aim to provide a brief reflection of the currently available worldwide knowledge that is intended to advance and better human life while providing insight for continued application of technologies and methods of organ replacement, ...

To characterize disclosures of conflicts of interest in review articles in psychiatry, we identified 285 reviews from 10 high-impact journals in psychiatry and 2 in general medicine. Disclosures were reliably coded as biotechnology/pharmaceutical/other material interests, nonprofit/government, communication companies, or other. The authors in both types of journals frequently reported industry ...

Many prodrug reviews describe specific examples of the successful application of prodrug technology to produce blockbuster drugs, such as simvastatin, omeprazole, acyclovir and enalapril. These reviews are helpful to understand the previous success stories and case histories of prodrug technology. The aim of the current review seeks to more clearly ...

CONTRIBUTING REVIEWERS: We would like to thank all our reviewers for their contribution to the success of Cilia. Their voluntary participation has led to the launch of a new journal consistently publishing high quality articles and an intelligent peer review process for all our authors.

CONTRIBUTING REVIEWERS: The editors of BMC International Health and Human Rights would like to thank all our reviewers who have contributed to the journal in Volume 12 (2012).

CONTRIBUTING REVIEWERS: The editors of Journal of Animal Science and Biotechnology would like to thank all our reviewers who have contributed to the journal in Volume 1 (2012).

CONTRIBUTING REVIEWERS: The Editor-in-Chief of International Archives of Medicine would like to thank all our reviewers who have contributed to the journal in Volume 5 (2012).

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the impact of structured electronic templates on the quality of manuscript reviews. Twenty-five gastrointestinal and genitourinary reviewers for the American Journal of Roentgenology were included in this investigation. Reviewers were selected and anonymized on the basis of having reviewed one or more ...

The purpose of this study was to assess the scientific and etiological status of dissociative identity disorder (DID) by examining cases published from 2000 to 2010. In terms of scientific status, DID is a small but ongoing field of study. The review yielded 21 case studies and 80 empirical studies, ...

Collapsed structures, typically as a result of earthquakes, may result in individuals entrapped by their limbs under heavy structural elements. In addition, access to living persons may be blocked by the deceased. Individuals are often critically ill by the time they are found, and rapid extrication is warranted. This and ...

This special issue of the Journal of Radiology Case Reports honors the reviewers who donated their time and expertise throughout the year 2012 to the high quality and success of this journal.

ABSTRACT: After publication of this work (Mouna et al, 2012), we noted that we had inadvertently included Bodmer Alexandre, Castiglione-Gertsch Monica and Pierre Yves Dietrich as authors of the study. The list of authors has now been corrected and the Authors' contributions and Competing interests section modified accordingly.

1,3-Dimethylamylamine (DMAA) is an ingredient in a number of weight loss and exercise performance enhancing products. However, information on the safety of DMAA-containing products is limited. Exposures to DMAA-containing products reported to Texas poison centers during 2010-2011 were identified and selected factors were examined. A total of 56 exposures were ...

Are there differences in the methodological quality of Cochrane systematic reviews (CRs) and non-Cochrane systematic reviews (NCRs) of assisted reproductive technologies? SUMMARY ANSWER: CRs on assisted reproduction are of higher methodological quality than similar reviews published in other journals. WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY: The quality of systematic reviews varies. STUDY ...

Drywall joint compound contained asbestos fibers, primarily chrysotile, in the 1950s through the 1970s. Workers in a variety of construction trades and homeowners were exposed to respirable asbestos from the use of these products, including during handling, mixing, sanding, and sweeping. Disturbance of in-place asbesto-containing joint compound continues to be ...

: Tylosin is a broad-spectrum macrolide antibiotic that is restricted to veterinary use. Allergic contact dermatitis (ACD) caused by tylosin has been reported in the literature from the farming industry and veterinary medicine. It is also reported as the most common antibiotic to cause ACD in the previously mentioned occupational ...

We often read comments in the literature about being fit for purpose. Consider this key question: are we fit for purpose? Many of you will be aware that the Council for Healthcare Regulatory Excellence (CHRE) has provided its final report on the strategic review of the NMC (CHRE, 2012).

On the occasion of the 200th anniversary of Charles Dickens's birth, I am struck by his creative genius and by the parallel between the intellectual development of his protagonists and the evolution of peer review. Like many of his novels and serial writings, the story of the history of peer ...

In writing an expert report for any court or tribunal, account must be taken of that body's needs and where necessary of its strengths and weaknesses. The essential elements are truth, clarity and conciseness. The expert should indicate the nature and source of any standards that he applies. Above all ...

The structures, names, bioactivities and references of 105 natural products obtained from gorgonian corals belonging to the family Plexauridae with an Indo-Pacific distribution are described in this review. All compounds mentioned in this review were obtained from gorgonian corals belonging to the genera Astrogorgia, Bebryce, Echinomuricea, Euplexaura and Menella.

This report presents the conclusions reached and recommendations made by the members of the WHO Study Group on Tobacco Product Regulation at its sixth meeting, during which it reviewed two background papers specially commissioned for the meeting and which dealt, respectively, with the following two themes. (1) toxic elements in ...

Abstract Background: Clostridial myonecrosis is an uncommon, highly lethal necrotizing soft tissue infection. The source may be occult at the time of clinical presentation. In cases caused by Clostridium septicum, there is an association with colorectal malignant disease, suggesting that underlying colonic pathology frequently is the source of the infection. ...

Scalp pruritus is a common complaint that is considered a diagnostically and therapeutically challenging situation. Scalp skin has a unique neural structure that contains densely innervated hair follicles and dermal vasculature. In spite of the recent advances in our understanding of itch pathophysiology, scalp itching has not been studied as ...

OBJECTIVE: Clostridium difficile-associated disease (CDAD) is common and has a 6.1% mortality. Governmental agencies have recommended surveillance, but reporting increases health care costs. We sought to identify a reliable method of reporting CDAD that will not significantly increase health care costs. METHODS: Patients were identified via database query for International ...

Abstract Clostridium difficile colitis infection is on the rise and is considerably increasing the duration of hospital stay, as well as healthcare costs. The management of C. difficile colitis has become more challenging with the increasing failure of therapeutic response to metronidazole and oral vancomycin. Tigecycline is a new glycylcycline ...

Pseudocyst of the scalp is described in the Japanese literature as a skin-colored cystic tumor localized on the forehead, whereas alopecic and aseptic nodules of the scalp are described in the French literature as asymptomatic nodules on the scalp that lack a pseudocyst-like architecture. The etiology of these diseases is ...

The first record of Elasmus polistis Burks in Polistes versicolor (Olivier) nests in the Rio Grande do Sul state and in Brazil is provided. A total of 173 specimens of P. versicolor and 790 specimens of E.polistis were collected from two nests from Gramado and Santa Cruz do Sul, RS, ...

Abstract Background: Over the past decade, there has been an increase in both community-acquired and health-care-associated Clostridium difficile colitis secondary to broad-spectrum antibiotic exposure. Toxic megacolon is a rare complication of pseudomembranous colitis that often necessitates emergency colectomy. Methods: Review of the pertinent English-language literature. Results: We present a case ...

Docetaxel is a commonly-used anti-cancer chemotherapeutic agent given its efficacy in a large variety of solid tumors. It is associated with various adverse effects one of which is nail toxicity. We report a case of severe onycholysis as a result of treatment with docetaxel in a patient who suffered from ...

Malaria chemoprophylaxis with doxycycline is commonly used in the United Kingdom and in many other countries. It is considered to be associated with an increased risk of Clostridium difficile associated diarrhea (CDAD). We describe a case of diarrhea and a positive stool assay for C. difficile in a returning traveler, ...

  Erythema nodosum (EN) in association with kerion celsi is a rare condition in children, with only 11 cases having been reported in the English literature. We describe a new case in a 7-year-old boy in whom the disorder had begun 2 months before. He had many inflamed, boggy, suppurative nodules ...

Seven cases of malignant lymphohematopoietic (LHP) disorder were claimed to have developed from occupational exposure at two plants of a semiconductor company from 2007 to 2010. This study evaluated the possibility of exposure to carcinogenic agents for the cases. Clinical courses were reviewed with assessing possible exposure to carcinogenic agents ...

BACKGROUND: Osteopetrosis is a heterogenous group of disorders characterised by a failure of normal bone maturation and abnormal bone sclerosis secondary to the failure of osteoclasts to resorb bone. The most serious consequences of this disorder affect the nervous system. Patients with infantile osteopetrosis (also called malignant osteopetrosis) can develop ...

pentland d., forsyth k., maciver d., walsh m., murray r., irvine l. & sikora s. (2011) Key characteristics of knowledge transfer and exchange in healthcare: integrative literature review. Journal of Advanced Nursing. ABSTRACT: Aim.  This paper presents the results of a review of literature relating to knowledge transfer and exchange in ...

Objectives: Health systems frequently make decisions regarding acquisition and use of new technologies. It is desirable to base these decisions on clinical evidence, but often these technologies are used for multiple indications and evidence of effectiveness for one indication does not prove effectiveness for all. Here, we describe two examples ...

Skull base osteomyelitis is a life-threatening condition that sometimes arises as a sequela of otitis media and mastoiditis. We present a retrospective analysis of the clinical course of 3 patients with skull base osteomyelitis that originated in the middle ear or mastoid. All 3 patients were elderly diabetic men who ...

Reviews are seen as a way of exploiting existing data or research findings more fully and can offer a summarised insight into the current understanding of the evidence. Library and information science (LIS) workers can use reviews to inform their decision-making and service planning. Although the LIS evidence base continues ...

The position attributed in recent years to overvalued ideas between delusion and obsession and that are derived from the reduction of the construct per se to one of its characteristics, that is, insight, has undergone a critical review. Using a case with dysmorphophobic ideas, the difficulties to define it and ...

Primary peritoneal mesothelioma is a rare and aggressive tumour. We present six consecutive cases treated by our institution in the last three years. All were between 56-65 years old and only one gave a history of direct contact with asbestos. Four of the patients showed a thrombocytosis on presentation but ...

This report is the first record of a species of Aquanirmus in Brazil and it increases the known geographical distribution of A. major Cicchino & González Acuña, a species recently described based on material collected in Argentina and Chile.

The concept of positional information proposes that cells acquire positional values as in a coordinate system, which they interpret by developing in particular ways to give rise to spatial patterns. Some of the best evidence for positional information comes from regeneration experiments, and the patterning of the leg and antenna ...

OCT is probably one of the most revolutionary technologies that has appeared in ophthalmology in recent years. We are still trying to understand and clarify the use of OCT in neuro-ophthalmology. In this article we share our experience using various OCT devices over the last ten years, as well as ...

The authors present an objective review of what is new in endourology instrumentation, based on up-to-date scientific data gathered from meetings, state-of-art lectures and current literature. The main scope of this review is to highlight the most recommended device options for each step of an ureteroscopy, in order to offer ...

We microscopically examined atrial tissues surgically obtained from a 35-year-old woman who had been palliated with the atriopulmonary connection in a Fontan operation 23 years earlier. Apart from mild hypertrophy of myocytes and trivial interstitial fibrosis, no gross abnormalities were identified. Although this finding is somehow surprising, considering the duration ...

A literature review of PubMed reveals that 1 case report is found of a retained Foley catheter for 3 years. We report a case of a straight catheter lost in the urethra and forgotten for 20 years and its safe surgical removal. The calcified straight catheter was removed through a ...

PURPOSE: Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS) and toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN) associated with the use of nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are described. SUMMARY: A search of the English- language medical literature was conducted to identify studies and cases of SJS and TEN associated with NSAIDs and cyclooxygenase-2-selective NSAIDs available in the United ...

A graduate of the ADA Evidence-based Dentistry Champions Conference explains what he has learned about the techniques of EBD literature and literature searches. EBD is the area of overlap among the literature, clinical experience, and patient characteristics. This paper focuses on evidence from the literature. Sources of summarized evidence are ...

Collagenous gastritis is a rare disorder first described in 1989. After encountering two cases, we decided to review the literature and evaluate the collagen band. A systematic review of PubMed and EMBASE databases was performed. Twenty-eight cases have been previously described and two patterns of presentations are identifiable: children or ...