The dose–effect relationship between acupuncture and its effect on primary insomnia: a systematic review and meta-analysis by Xiaoni Zhang, Xiaoni Zhang, Yue Wang, Chengyong Liu, Shan Qin, Liyu Lin, Liyu Lin, Can Dong, Wenzhong Wu, Wenzhong Wu, Zhaoming Chen

“…Although sham acupuncture needling at the same points as those in acupuncture may not be a true placebo control, this was utilized in a minority of studies. …”
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Redefining outcomes of ventricular arrhythmia for SGLT2 inhibitor medication in heart failure patients: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials by Miao Lin, Shiyu Zhang, Lu Zhang, Chengying Yang, Yang Luo, Yajin Peng, Xiaoqiu Tan, Qiang Wen, Xinrong Fan, Xianhong Ou

“…Results A total of 23 randomized trials (22 placebo-controlled trials and 1 active-controlled trial) involving 74,380 patients (37,372 receiving SGLT2 inhibitors and 37,008 in the control group) were included. …”
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Propolis mouthwashes efficacy in managing gingivitis and periodontitis: a systematic review of the latest findings by Muhammed Al-Huda Ballouk, Mohamed Altinawi, Abeer Al-Kafri, Talar S. Zeitounlouian, Piotr S. Fudalej

“…Propolis mouthwashes with different protocols of application were the intervention whereas placebo or the rest of the tested mouthwashes such as, chlorhexidine, sodium fluoride with cetylpyridinium chloride, sterile distilled water, hydrogen peroxide, were the ones to which propolis mouthwashes were compared. …”
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Association of sodium–glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors with mortality across the spectrum of myocardial infarction: a systematic review and meta-analysis by Michele Maremmani, Ramin Ebrahimi, Marco Centola, Felice Achilli, Valentina Capone, Eduardo Bossone, Christian Templin, Davide Di Vece

“…The plots represent the pooled hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs), comparing SGLT2 inhibitors to control (placebo/no treatment), with HRs below 1 favoring SGLT2 inhibitors. …”
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Comparison of GLP-1RAs vs Other Pharmacotherapy for Obesity by Andrew Overholser, Eric Czech, Linda Speer, Joel Wilson, Alex Overholser

“…Tirzepatide, a novel GLP-1RA and GIP agonist, recently completed a phase-3 RCT, which showed that over 72 weeks, the mean weight percentage decrease was 18.4% (95% CI: 18.5%-23.2%) vs a 3.1% weight gain with placebo, a change of 21.8%. Each of the GLP-1RA agents (including tirzepatide) improved cardiometabolic risk factors. …”
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Fusion protein-based COVID-19 vaccines exemplified by a chimeric vaccine based on a single fusion protein (W-PreS-O) by Pia Gattinger, Luibov I. Kozlovskaya, Alexander S. Lunin, Olga S. Gancharova, Dina I. Sirazova, Dina I. Sirazova, Vasiliy D. Apolokhov, Egor S. Chekina, Ilya V. Gordeychuk, Ilya V. Gordeychuk, Alexander V. Karaulov, Alexander V. Karaulov, Rudolf Valenta, Rudolf Valenta, Rudolf Valenta, Rudolf Valenta, Aydar A. Ishmukhametov, Aydar A. Ishmukhametov

“…The W-PreS-O vaccine was evaluated in Syrian hamsters which were immunized three times at three-week intervals with W-PreS-O or with aluminum hydroxide (placebo) before they were infected with Omicron BA.1. …”
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Assessing Facial Thermal Nociceptive Response in Female Dogs After Elective Ovariohysterectomy Anesthetized with Isoflurane and Treated with Cannabidiol and Meloxicam Analgesia by Alejandro Casas-Alvarado, Patricia Mora-Medina, Ismael Hernández-Avalos, Julio Martínez-Burnes, Agatha Miranda-Cortes, Adriana Domínguez-Oliva, Daniel Mota-Rojas

“…Sixty-four female dogs of different breeds were randomly distributed into four study groups according to the treatment received. G1: Placebo group (<i>n =</i> 16); G2: Group receiving intravenous meloxicam as premedication (0.2 mg Kg⁻¹) and every 24 h postoperatively 0.1 mg Kg⁻¹ (<i>n =</i> 16); G3: Group treated with CBD (<i>n =</i> 16) at a dose of 2 mg kg⁻¹ orally every 12 h; and G4: Group medicated with the combination of both treatments (<i>n =</i> 16). …”
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Frailty-adjusted therapy in Transplant Non-Eligible patients with newly diagnosed Multiple Myeloma (FiTNEss (UK-MRA Myeloma XIV Trial)): a study protocol for a randomised phase III... by Roger Owen, John Jones, David Meads, David A Cairns, Christopher Parrish, Gordon Cook, Neil Rabin, Matthew Jenner, Martin Kaiser, Kevin Boyd, Graham Jackson, Catherine Olivier, Amy Beth Coulson, Kara-Louise Royle, Charlotte Pawlyn, Anna Hockaday, Jennifer Bird, Stella Bowcock, Ruth de Tute, Hayley Gardner, Bryony Dawkins, Rowena Henderson, Phillip Best, Bhuvan Kishore, Mark Drayson

“…Following 12 cycles of induction treatment, participants alive and progression free will undergo a second (double-blind) randomisation on a 1:1 basis to maintenance treatment with lenalidomide+placebo versus lenalidomide+ixazomib until disease progression or intolerance.Ethics and dissemination Ethical approval has been obtained from the North East—Tyne &amp; Wear South Research Ethics Committee (19/NE/0125) and capacity and capability confirmed by local research and development departments for each participating centre prior to opening to recruitment. …”
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Efficacy and safety of Janus kinase inhibitors in the treatment of psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis: An analysis of evidence from 2014 to 2022 by Jiao Wang, Tian Ma, Xiaoying Sun, Liu Liu, Seokgyeong Hong, Huijung Cha, Miao Zhang, Jiale Chen, Naixuan Lin, Bin Li, Xin Li

“…Except in one study, all patients received a placebo or vehicle control. JAK inhibitors were administered topically in three studies and orally administered in the remaining studies. …”
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Influence of ethnicity on cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor efficacy and toxicity: A systematic review and meta-analysis by Roberto Buonaiuto, Aldo Caltavituro, Margherita Tafuro, Alessandra Longobardi, Giuliana Pavone, Pierluigi De Santis, Roberta Caputo, Carmine De Angelis, Lucia Del Mastro, Fabio Puglisi, Mario Giuliano, Grazia Arpino, Martina Pagliuca, Michelino De Laurentiis

“…We included studies comparing CDK4/6i (palbociclib, ribociclib, abemaciclib, dalpiciclib) + ET versus placebo + ET. Progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS), hazard ratios (HR), and 95 % confidence intervals (CI) were extracted for the two subgroups of interest. …”
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Evaluating the effects of seed oils on lipid profile, inflammatory and oxidative markers, and glycemic control of diabetic and dyslipidemic patients: a systematic review of clinica... by Lucas Fornari Laurindo, Lucas Fornari Laurindo, Lucas Fornari Laurindo, Lívia Fornari Laurindo, Victória Dogani Rodrigues, Jéssica da Silva Camarinha Oliveira, Beatriz Leme Boaro, Adriano Cressoni Araújo, Adriano Cressoni Araújo, Elen Landgraf Guiguer, Elen Landgraf Guiguer, Elen Landgraf Guiguer, Claudia Rucco Penteado Detregiachi, Claudia Rucco Penteado Detregiachi, Virgínia Maria Cavallari Strozze Catharin, Virgínia Maria Cavallari Strozze Catharin, Eduardo Federighi Baisi Chagas, Eduardo Federighi Baisi Chagas, Vitor Cavallari Strozze Catharin, Vitor Cavallari Strozze Catharin, Rosa Direito, Sandra Maria Barbalho, Sandra Maria Barbalho, Sandra Maria Barbalho, Sandra Maria Barbalho

“…The studies include randomized controlled, parallel-design, double-blind, placebo-controlled, and open-label studies published in English. …”
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Does pregabalin offer potential as a first-line therapy for generalized anxiety disorder? A meta-analysis of efficacy, safety, and cost-effectiveness by Narcis Cardoner, Narcis Cardoner, Narcis Cardoner, Narcis Cardoner, Luis Gutiérrez-Rojas, Luis Gutiérrez-Rojas, Pilar Saiz, Pilar Saiz, Pilar Saiz, Pilar Saiz, Pilar Saiz, Guillermo Lahera, Guillermo Lahera, Guillermo Lahera, Guillermo Lahera, Miguel Ángel Álvarez-Mon, Miguel Ángel Álvarez-Mon, Miguel Ángel Álvarez-Mon, Miguel Ángel Álvarez-Mon, Pino Alonso Ortega, Pino Alonso Ortega, Pino Alonso Ortega, Pino Alonso Ortega, María Pérez-Páramo

“…Pregabalin-treated patients comprised the intervention group, whereas the comparator group received benzodiazepines, SSRIs, SNRIs, or placebo. Efficacy and safety were evaluated using various scales and adverse events (AEs). …”
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Impact of antiparasitic therapy on cardiovascular outcomes in chronic Chagas disease. A systematic review and meta-analysisResearch in context by Anis Rassi, Jr, Alyssa Grimshaw, Ashwin Sarwal, Ranjit Sah, Sangam Shah, Nelson I. Agudelo Higuita, Fabio Mahamed Rassi, Michaele Francesco Corbisiero, Hannah M. Kyllo, Jordan Stellern, Samantha Kaplan, Luis A. Marcos, Edgar A. Ramírez-García, Martin Casapia, Peter Hotez, Maria Elena Bottazzi, Shital Patel, Carlos Franco-Paredes, José Antonio Marin-Neto, Andrés F. Henao-Martínez

“…Compared to no treatment or placebo, antiparasitic treatment led to a reduction in i) ECG changes (17 studies, 4994 participants: risk ratio (RR): 0.48, 95% CI 0.36–0.66, p < 0.001; I2 = 76.4%) with a number needed to treat (NNT) of 5; ii) disease progression (12 studies, 5722 participants: RR: 0.35, 95% CI 0.23–0.51, p < 0.001; I2 = 72.4%) NNT of 6; iii) cardiovascular death (7 studies, 5662 participants: RR: 0.44, 95% CI 0.21–0.95, p = 0.04; I2 = 50.5%) NNT of 22; and iv) overall mortality (10 studies, 7694 participants: RR: 0.54, 95% CI 0.34–0.87, p < 0.001; I2 = 60%) NNT of 23. …”
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Construction and efficacy of recombinant Newcastle disease virus co-expressing VP2 and VP3 proteins of very virulent infectious bursal disease virus by Tongfei Liu, Lin Lin, Yun Pan, Xiaoling Lin, Ming Liang, Guanming Shao, Keyu Feng, Yaxin Liu, Xinheng Zhang, Qingmei Xie

“…The genetic stability and growth pattern of rNDV were evaluated and its immunogenicity was assessed in specific pathogen free (SPF) chickens. rNDV-VP2-VP3 vaccines induced higher levels of neutralising antibodies, no damage to immune organs, and significantly lower viral loads in the bursa of the falciparum. rNDV-VP2 group showed partial protection, while the placebo group exhibited severe lesions and higher mortality, suggesting that the vaccine was effective in preventing IBDV-induced damage. …”
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Coronary Artery and Peripheral Vascular Disease in a Patient with Poorly Differentiated Thyroid Cancer Treated with the Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitor Lenvatinib by Vineeth Sukrithan, Lisa Kim, Jennifer A. Sipos, Ashima Goyal, Ye Zhou, Daniel Addison, Manisha Shah, Bhavana Konda, Ajay Vallakati

“…The multitargeted tyrosine kinase inhibitor lenvatinib has demonstrated significant improvements in progression-free survival in RAIR thyroid cancers compared to placebos. However, in the phase III SELECT trial of the drug in thyroid cancer, 5.4% of patients on lenvatinib experienced arterial thromboembolic events, with 2.7% experiencing severe grade ≥3 toxicities associated with arterial vascular events. …”
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Bone Loss Prevention of Bisphosphonates in Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis by Yan Hu, Xiaoting Chen, Xiaojing Chen, Shuang Zhang, Tianyan Jiang, Jing Chang, Yanhong Gao

“…People received bisphosphonate or placebos with a follow-up of at least one year were also considered. …”
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The Cerebrovascular Disease and Nutritional State. by Leticia del Rosario Cruz, Mildred Díaz Masip, Manuel Guzmán Noa, José Miguel Rodríguez Perón, Fidel Pérez Pérez, Mayelin Blanco Suárez

“…<strong>Methods:</strong> A randomized simple and open clinical trial which is also prospective and longitudinal, not controlled by placebos that included 80 patients with a tomographed-clinical diagnosis of cerebral infarction admitted at the Higher Institute of Military Medicine during 2005. …”
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Risk of Candida Infection and Serious Infections in Patients with Moderate-to-Severe Psoriasis Receiving Biologics: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled T... by Yue Feng, Baosen Zhou, Zhen Wang, Guijuan Xu, Lili Wang, Tingting Zhang, Yanping Zhang

“…The anti-interleukin (IL)-17 agents (95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.54–3.45, P<0.0001) and anti-IL-12/23 agents (95% CI = 1.69–3.83, P<0.0001) were associated with an increased risk of Candida infection compared with placebos, but there was no difference in Candida infection risk between anti-IL-17 agents and tumor necrosis factor inhibitors (TNFi) (95% CI = 0.92–3.07, P=0.09). …”
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The Effect of a Turkey Berry (Solanum torvum)-Fortified Biscuit on the Hemoglobin Level and Cognitive Performance of Adolescent Females in the Ahafo Region of Ghana: A Pilot Study by Abigail Owusuaa Appiah, Marina Aferiba Tandoh, Pepertual Suglo Puotege, Anthony Kwaku Edusei

“…The participants in the intervention and control groups received a total of 30 turkey berry-fortified biscuit supplementation or 30 placebos for a period of six weeks, respectively. The hemoglobin levels and cognitive test scores were obtained before and after the intervention. …”
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Leaflet: Operative Steps for Interventional Studies in Neuroscience by Maria Meringolo, Sergio Delle Monache, Giuseppina Martella, Antonella Peppe

“…Clinical trials are designed to assess the effects of drugs on humans, focusing on determining safety profiles, appropriate modes of administration, and comparative efficacy against placebos. Notably, neuroscience drug development encounters distinct challenges, including the complex nature of diseases, limitations imposed by the blood–brain barrier, the absence of reliable predictive preclinical models, and regulatory hurdles. …”
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