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Junkin JC, Vraa D, Young JL, Rhon DI. Assessing the transparency in reporting of clinical trials investigating manual therapy interventions for low back pain: A methodological review. J Eval Clin Pract 2024. [PMID: 38973108 DOI: 10.1111/jep.14078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2024] [Revised: 06/17/2024] [Accepted: 06/20/2024] [Indexed: 07/09/2024]
Abstract
RATIONALE Low back pain (LBP) is a common condition with a significant societal burden. Manual therapy is an effective treatment for LBP and recommended in clinical practice guidelines. While the quantity of literature supporting the use of manual therapy is large, the methodological quality and transparency of this collective work are unclear. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES Explore the transparency in reporting of clinical trials assessing manual therapy interventions in patients with LBP by comparing planned components in the trial registration with what was reported in the published manuscript. METHODS Three databases were searched to identify trials assessing the treatment effect of manual therapy for LBP from January 2005 to May 2023. Studies were included if the manual therapy consisted of thrust manipulations, mobilizations or muscle energy techniques. RESULTS From 4462 studies initially identified, 167 studies remained in the final review after title, abstract and full-text review. Only 87 (52.1%) of the 167 studies were registered (n = 57 prospectively and n = 30 retrospectively). Primary outcomes in the publications were identical to the registration in 54 (62.1%) of the registered trials. Secondary outcomes in the publication were identical to the registration in 27 (31.0%) of the registered trials. The CONSORT reporting guideline was referenced in only 19 (21.8%) trials. Multiple discrepancies between registration and publication were noted for primary and secondary outcomes. All trials had eligibility criteria in the registration that matched their corresponding manuscript, while only four (4.6%) trial registrations addressed any type of statistical analysis plan. CONCLUSION Approximately half of the trials were not registered. Of those registered, only half were registered prospectively. Substantial discrepancies existed between registered and published outcomes that were never addressed by the authors, raising questions about potential bias. Transparency can be improved through more stringent requirements during manuscript submission to journals, and better reporting of the rationale for discrepancies between registration and publication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer C Junkin
- Department of Physical Therapy Program, Bellin College, Green Bay, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Derek Vraa
- Department of Physical Therapy Program, Bellin College, Green Bay, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Jodi L Young
- Department of Physical Therapy Program, Bellin College, Green Bay, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Daniel I Rhon
- Department of Physical Therapy Program, Bellin College, Green Bay, Wisconsin, USA
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, F. Edward Hébert School of Medicine, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
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Hankenson FC. The Elephant in the Room: Recognition and Documentation of Personnel Practices That Confound Reproducibility. JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION FOR LABORATORY ANIMAL SCIENCE : JAALAS 2024; 63:232-237. [PMID: 38503489 PMCID: PMC11193430 DOI: 10.30802/aalas-jaalas-24-000002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2024] [Revised: 01/30/2024] [Accepted: 02/16/2024] [Indexed: 03/21/2024]
Abstract
The ability to apply findings from animal studies efficiently and effectively is predicated on an understanding of biology and pathobiology, how that biology relates to the human systems being modeled, and how the studies are conducted and reported. This overview discusses various factors in research within the animal environment (referred to as extrinsic factors) that the NIH now expects to be documented to foster replicability in science and expand interpretations of study outcomes. Specifically, an important extrinsic factor in research with animals is that of individual personnel who perform handling practices, participate in research interactions, and share an overall presence in the housing facility with animals, all of which can confound reproducibility efforts in biomedical science. An improved understanding of the influences and behaviors of animal research personnel on animal responses is critical with regard to research results and the interpretation of data collected from animal models of biomedical disease.
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Key Words
- acd wg: nih advisory committee to the director working group
- faseb, federation of american societies for experimental biology
- ilar, institute for laboratory animal research (note ilar is now part of the board on animal health sciences, conservation, and research (bahscr))
- nasem, national academies of science, engineering, and medicine
- nc3rs, national center for the replacement, refinement, and reduction of animals in research
- nih, national institutes of health
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Affiliation(s)
- F Claire Hankenson
- University Laboratory Animal Resources and Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
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Karuppasamy M, English KG, Henry CA, Manzini MC, Parant JM, Wright MA, Ruparelia AA, Currie PD, Gupta VA, Dowling JJ, Maves L, Alexander MS. Standardization of zebrafish drug testing parameters for muscle diseases. Dis Model Mech 2024; 17:dmm050339. [PMID: 38235578 PMCID: PMC10820820 DOI: 10.1242/dmm.050339] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2023] [Accepted: 12/06/2023] [Indexed: 01/19/2024] Open
Abstract
Skeletal muscular diseases predominantly affect skeletal and cardiac muscle, resulting in muscle weakness, impaired respiratory function and decreased lifespan. These harmful outcomes lead to poor health-related quality of life and carry a high healthcare economic burden. The absence of promising treatments and new therapies for muscular disorders requires new methods for candidate drug identification and advancement in animal models. Consequently, the rapid screening of drug compounds in an animal model that mimics features of human muscle disease is warranted. Zebrafish are a versatile model in preclinical studies that support developmental biology and drug discovery programs for novel chemical entities and repurposing of established drugs. Due to several advantages, there is an increasing number of applications of the zebrafish model for high-throughput drug screening for human disorders and developmental studies. Consequently, standardization of key drug screening parameters, such as animal husbandry protocols, drug compound administration and outcome measures, is paramount for the continued advancement of the model and field. Here, we seek to summarize and explore critical drug treatment and drug screening parameters in the zebrafish-based modeling of human muscle diseases. Through improved standardization and harmonization of drug screening parameters and protocols, we aim to promote more effective drug discovery programs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muthukumar Karuppasamy
- Division of Neurology, Department of Pediatrics, University of Alabama at Birmingham and Children's of Alabama, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA
| | - Katherine G. English
- Division of Neurology, Department of Pediatrics, University of Alabama at Birmingham and Children's of Alabama, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA
| | - Clarissa A. Henry
- Graduate School of Biomedical Science and Engineering, University of Maine, Orono, ME 04469, USA
- School of Biology and Ecology, University of Maine, Orono, ME 04469, USA
| | - M. Chiara Manzini
- Child Health Institute of New Jersey and Department of Neuroscience and Cell Biology, Rutgers, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, USA
| | - John M. Parant
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Alabama at Birmingham Heersink School of Medicine, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA
| | - Melissa A. Wright
- Department of Pediatrics, Section of Child Neurology, University of Colorado at Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
| | - Avnika A. Ruparelia
- Department of Anatomy and Physiology, School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine Dentistry and Health Sciences, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria 3010, Australia
- Centre for Muscle Research, Department of Anatomy and Physiology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria 3010, Australia
- Australian Regenerative Medicine Institute, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia
| | - Peter D. Currie
- Centre for Muscle Research, Department of Anatomy and Physiology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria 3010, Australia
- Australian Regenerative Medicine Institute, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia
- EMBL Australia, Victorian Node, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia
| | - Vandana A. Gupta
- Division of Genetics, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - James J. Dowling
- Division of Neurology, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario M5G 1X8, Canada
- Department of Paediatrics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5G 1X8, Canada
- Program for Genetics and Genome Biology, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario M5G 0A4, Canada
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5G 0A4, Canada
| | - Lisa Maves
- Center for Developmental Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, WA 98101, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Matthew S. Alexander
- Division of Neurology, Department of Pediatrics, University of Alabama at Birmingham and Children's of Alabama, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA
- UAB Center for Exercise Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA
- Department of Genetics, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA
- Civitan International Research Center, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA
- UAB Center for Neurodegeneration and Experimental Therapeutics (CNET), Birmingham, AL 35294, USA
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Gamification and education: A pragmatic approach with two examples of implementation. J Clin Transl Sci 2021; 5:e181. [PMID: 34849256 PMCID: PMC8596077 DOI: 10.1017/cts.2021.806] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2021] [Revised: 06/13/2021] [Accepted: 06/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
Leveraging elements of game design and theories of human motivation, gamification provides a variety of techniques to engage learners in novel ways. Our Clinical and Translational Science Award created the software platform (Kaizen-Education©) to deliver gamified educational content in 2012. Here, we explore two novel use cases of this platform to provide practical insights for leveraging these methods in educational settings: (1) national training in rigor, reproducibility, and transparency and (2) attainment of learner competency (n = 7) as a gauge of curricular effectiveness across Master of Public Health degree tracks (n = 5). Data were captured in real time during player interaction with Kaizen-Education© to provide descriptive analyses of player engagement in both implementation examples. We then assessed item analysis to assess knowledge gain and competency attainment. We have just begun to leverage the potential for gamification to engage learners, enhance knowledge acquisition, and document completion of training, across various learning environments. We encourage a systematic approach to gamification applying insights from self-determination theory to learners and learning environments, a methodical approach to game design and rigorous analysis after implementation to generate evidence-based insights to maximize educational return for time invested.
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Laflamme C, Edwards AM, Bandrowski AE, McPherson PS. Opinion: Independent third-party entities as a model for validation of commercial antibodies. N Biotechnol 2021; 65:1-8. [PMID: 34246180 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbt.2021.07.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2020] [Revised: 06/30/2021] [Accepted: 07/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
A vast array of commercial antibodies covers a large percentage of human gene products, but determining which among them is most appropriate for any given application is challenging. This leads to use of non-specific antibodies that contributes to issues with reproducibility. It is our opinion that the community of scientists who use commercial antibodies in their biomedical research would benefit from third-party antibody characterization entities that use standardized operating procedures to assess and compare antibody performance. Ideally, such entities would follow the principles of open science, such that all antibodies against any given protein target would be tested in parallel, and all data generated released to the public domain without bias. Furthermore, there should be no financial incentive for the entity beyond cost-recovery. Such non-profit organizations, combined with other scientific efforts, could catalyse new discoveries by providing scientists with better validated antibody tools.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carl Laflamme
- Tanenbaum Open Science Institute, Structural Genomics Consortium, Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
| | - Aled M Edwards
- Structural Genomics Consortium, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Anita E Bandrowski
- Center for Research in Biological Systems, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, United States
| | - Peter S McPherson
- Tanenbaum Open Science Institute, Structural Genomics Consortium, Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, Canada.
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Prager EM, Chambers KE, Plotkin JL, McArthur DL, Bandrowski AE, Bansal N, Martone ME, Bergstrom HC, Bespalov A, Graf C. Improving transparency and scientific rigor in academic publishing. Cancer Rep (Hoboken) 2019; 2:e1150. [PMID: 32721132 PMCID: PMC7941525 DOI: 10.1002/cnr2.1150] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Progress in basic and clinical research is slowed when researchers fail to provide a complete and accurate report of how a study was designed, executed, and the results analyzed. Publishing rigorous scientific research involves a full description of the methods, materials, procedures, and outcomes. Investigators may fail to provide a complete description of how their study was designed and executed because they may not know how to accurately report the information or the mechanisms are not in place to facilitate transparent reporting. Here, we provide an overview of how authors can write manuscripts in a transparent and thorough manner. We introduce a set of reporting criteria that can be used for publishing, including recommendations on reporting the experimental design and statistical approaches. We also discuss how to accurately visualize the results and provide recommendations for peer reviewers to enhance rigor and transparency. Incorporating transparency practices into research manuscripts will significantly improve the reproducibility of the results by independent laboratories. SIGNIFICANCE: Failure to replicate research findings often arises from errors in the experimental design and statistical approaches. By providing a full account of the experimental design, procedures, and statistical approaches, researchers can address the reproducibility crisis and improve the sustainability of research outcomes. In this piece, we discuss the key issues leading to irreproducibility and provide general approaches to improving transparency and rigor in reporting, which could assist in making research more reproducible.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Joshua L. Plotkin
- Department of Neurobiology and BehaviorStony Brook UniversityStony BrookNew YorkUSA
| | - David L. McArthur
- Department of NeurosurgeryDavid Geffen School of Medicine at UCLALos AngelesCaliforniaUSA
| | - Anita E. Bandrowski
- Center for Research in Biological SystemsUniversity of California at San DiegoSan DiegoCaliforniaUSA
| | | | - Maryann E. Martone
- Center for Research in Biological SystemsUniversity of California at San DiegoSan DiegoCaliforniaUSA
| | - Hadley C. Bergstrom
- Department of Psychological Science, Program in Neuroscience and BehaviorVassar CollegePoughkeepsieNew YorkUSA
| | - Anton Bespalov
- Partnership for Assessment and Accreditation of Scientific PracticeHeidelbergGermany
- Valdman Institute of PharmacologyPavlov First State Medical UniversitySt. PetersburgRussia
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