Fertility and sterility
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Fertility and sterility · Jun 2020
ReviewIntegrity of randomized controlled trials: challenges and solutions.
There has been increasing concern about compromised integrity in randomized controlled trials (RCTs) because it undermines the authority of this top-level evidence-generating method and puts patients at risk. Compromised RCTs also jeopardize the validity of systematic reviews and meta-analyses when they are included. The publication-driven research environment is responsible for the emergence of integrity issues in RCTs, which has been facilitated by insufficient efforts to prevent, identify, and disclose research misconduct. ⋯ It is important to strictly implement the prospective registration policy and the Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials (CONSORT) statement for RCT publication, but more effort needs to be devoted to developing and validating statistical methods that identify different patterns of data manipulation. Ideally the system of submission, review, and publication would be reformed in a way that allows the timely investigation and retraction of compromised RCTs. Authors of systematic reviews should be aware of the uncertainty posed by compromised RCTs to the quality of synthesized evidence, and they should participate in the campaign to fight compromised integrity.
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Fertility and sterility · Jun 2020
Prior and novel coronaviruses, Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), and human reproduction: what is known?
To summarize current understanding of the effects of novel and prior coronaviruses on human reproduction, specifically male and female gametes, and in pregnancy. ⋯ Coronavirus Disease 2019 infection may affect adversely some pregnant women and their offspring. Additional studies are needed to assess effects of SARS-CoV-2 infection on male and female fertility.