background: infertility is a complex issue that affects individuals and groups, and also it has serious implications for the mental and social well-being of those involved. the aim of this review was to assess marital relationship in the context of infertility, using data from infertile individuals or both couples. methods: a literature search was undertaken using multiple databases (medline, p...

OBJECTIVES Blood-based proteins might be an attractive option for early detection of colorectal cancer (CRC), but individually they are unlikely to achieve the diagnostic performance required for population based screening. We aimed at summarizing current evidence of diagnostic performance of signatures based on multiple proteins for early detection of CRC. METHODS A systematic literature rev...

Background: Digital technologies, including mobile applications, websites, and wearable devices, like smartwatches are among the newest approaches in prevention, care, and treatment studies; they could provide public access to high-quality rehabilitation services. The current review study aimed to evaluate the effects of digital technologies for enhancing physical activity, as well as improving...

Immunoassays are essential in the workup of patients with suspected heparin-induced thrombocytopenia. However, the diagnostic accuracy is uncertain with regard to different classes of assays, antibody specificities, thresholds, test variations, and manufacturers. We aimed to assess diagnostic accuracy measures of available immunoassays and to explore sources of heterogeneity. We performed compr...

BACKGROUND Systematic reviews of the relationship between non-manipulated factors (e.g. low empathy) and offending are becoming more common, and it is important to consider the methodological quality of studies included in such reviews. AIMS To assess aspects of the reliability and validity of the Cambridge Quality Checklists, a set of three measures for examining the methodological quality o...

AIM to evaluate the performance and accuracy of Controlled attenuation parameter CAP for hepatic steatosis detection. METHODS PubMed, EBSCO, Elsevier Science, Ovid, and Wiley were selected to search studies until August 31, 2014. Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies checklist was used to assess the quality of included studies. Heterogeneity was evaluated using Q test. Sensitivity...

this review deals with studies that have used cdna microarrays and immunohistochemistry to identify a subtype of breast carcinoma recently known as “basal-like” carcinoma. the key breast carcinoma studies are critically discussed to highlight methodological problems in cohort selection, definitions, interpretation of results, and statistical analysis. it concludes that “basal-like” carcinomas d...

BACKGROUND Ankle sprain is one of the most frequently encountered musculoskeletal injuries; however, the efficacy of acupuncture in treating ankle sprains remains uncertain. We therefore performed a systematic review to evaluate the evidence regarding acupuncture for ankle sprains. METHODS We searched 15 data sources and two trial registries up to February 2012. Randomized controlled trials o...