Acceptance rates for manuscripts submitted to veterinary peer-reviewed journals in 2012

A systematic review of clinical signs associated with degenerative conditions and morphological variations of the equine caudal neck

Conditions of the equine caudal neck (C5-C7) are thought to be associated with various clinical signs. However, little investigation has been undertaken to isolate clinical indicators associated with specific conditions of the equine caudal cervical spine. This systematic review aimed to evaluate associations of clinical signs with anatomical malformation of caudal cervical vertebrae, spinal cord compression of the caudal cervical spine, and arthropathy of the caudal cervical articular process joints (APJs). A literature search was carried out using Google Scholar in accordance with PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines. Studies were selected for inclusion in this systematic review according to a set of inclusion criteria, resulting in a small group of eligible studies (n=12) that addressed clinical signs associated with caudal cervical spine conditions in horses. The results of the included studies indicate that there are grounds for further investigation of clinical presentations of specific conditions of the equine caudal neck such as anatomical variations, myelopathy, and alteration to the APJs.

Publication and accessibility of results of controlled trials in dairy science

Research allows for the discovery of new knowledge and is integral to evidence-based decision-making. However, research is only useful if it is available. The aim of this study was to explore publication and accessibility of full-text reports for controlled trials (experimental studies) conducted in dairy cattle. We determined the proportion of controlled trials presented as abstracts at the 2015 Joint Annual Meeting of the American Dairy Science Association and the American Society of Animal Science or the 2015 American Association of Bovine Practitioners Annual Conference that were subsequently published. Factors associated with publication or non-publication in a peer-reviewed journal were evaluated using risk ratios. For trials that were subsequently published, we compared the sample size, numerical results, and inference between the conference abstract and the subsequent publication. Approximately half of the trials (177 out of 380) reported at conferences were subsequently published. Source conference, whether the conference abstract results were described as preliminary, whether there was at least one positive outcome, author affiliation, whether the trial involved deliberate disease induction, and total sample size were not strongly associated with subsequent publication. For trials that were published, the sample size differed between the conference proceedings and full publications for 22%, the numerical results differed in 29%, and the inference differed for 11%. We also evaluated whether trials included in 9 recent systematic reviews were in English and were available without subscription or cost. Of the 390 trials included in recent systematic reviews, approximately 40% were available only through subscription or access fee. These results suggest that publication and accessibility of research results is suboptimal, representing an area of wastage in dairy cattle research. Researchers should ensure that they publish the results of trials comprehensively in searchable publications, even if the results are not novel or do not detect expected differences, and, when possible, make the results available freely.

Factors affecting publication in peer-reviewed journals of abstracts presented from 2008 to 2012 ACVO meetings

PURPOSE

To examine variables that affect publication of ACVO meeting abstracts in peer-reviewed journals and compare results to ECVO publication rate (PR).

METHODS

Published papers were identified via online searches for abstracts from 2008 to 2012 ACVO/ECVO meetings. Variables analyzed (via Pearson's chi-Squared test) included the following: oral presentation/poster, type of abstract (clinical/basic science/case report), species, ocular tissue, nationality, funding, first/last/any author a diplomate, resident as first author, and author affiliation (private practice/university).

RESULTS

One hundred and eighty-six of 577 ACVO abstracts were published within 608 ± 479 days, with 103 published in Veterinary Ophthalmology. Significant factors included the following: nationality of first/last authors (P = .005); English as first language (P < .001); presentation type (P < .001, oral 40% PR, poster 22% PR); type of study (P = .037, clinical study 35% PR, basic science 30% PR, case report 16% PR); resident as first author (P < .001); diplomate as any author except first/last (P < .001); first author affiliation (P = .001, university 37% PR, practice 21% PR); last author affiliation (P = .003, university 36% PR, practice 22% PR); and species (P < .001, horses 53% PR, multiple species 50% PR, cats 35% PR, food animals 31% PR, exotics/wildlife 31% PR, dogs 27% PR, laboratory animals/in vitro 24%). Nonsignificant factors were as follows: diplomate as first/last author, funding, and ocular tissue. Presentation type, resident as first author, university affiliation of first author, and species had the greatest effect on publication probability. For the same period, ECVO PR was 87 of 299, which was not significantly different from ACVO PR (P = .342).

CONCLUSION

At 32%, ACVO PR for the study years is similar to ECVO PR of 29%.