ObjectivesTo summarise logistical aspects of recently completed systematic reviews that were registered in the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO) registry to quantify the time and resources required to complete such projects.DesignMeta-analysis.Data sources and study selectionAll of the 195 registered and completed reviews (status from the PROSPERO registry) with associated publications at the time of our search (1 July 2014).Data extractionAll authors extracted data using registry entries and publication information related to the data sources used, the number of initially retrieved citations, the final number of included studies, the time between registration date to publication date and number of authors involved for completion of each publication. Information related to funding and geographical location was also recorded when reported.ResultsThe mean estimated time to complete the project and publish the review was 67.3 weeks (IQR=42). The number of studies found in the literature searches ranged from 27 to 92 020; the mean yield rate of included studies was 2.94% (IQR=2.5); and the mean number of authors per review was 5, SD=3. Funded reviews took significantly longer to complete and publish (mean=42 vs 26 weeks) and involved more authors and team members (mean=6.8 vs 4.8 people) than those that did not report funding (both p<0.001).ConclusionsSystematic reviews presently take much time and require large amounts of human resources. In the light of the ever-increasing volume of published studies, application of existing computing and informatics technology should be applied to decrease this time and resource burden. We discuss recently published guidelines that provide a framework to make finding and accessing relevant literature less burdensome.

Background Recent epidemiological and ecological trends in humans indicate a possible causal relationship between sleep duration and energy balance. We aimed to find experimental evidence that has tested this relationship between sleep duration and measures of body composition, food intake or biomarkers related to food intake. Methods We conducted a systematic literature review using six databases through August 7, 2014. We sought reports of randomized controlled trials where sleep duration was manipulated and measured outcomes were body weight or other body composition metrics, food intake, and/or biomarkers related to eating. Results We found 18 unique studies meeting all criteria: eight studies with an outcome of body weight (4 - increased sleep, 4 - reduced sleep); four studies on food intake; four studies of sleep restriction on total energy expenditure and three of respiratory quotient; four studies on leptin and/or ghrelin. Conclusions Few controlled experimental studies have addressed the question of the effect of sleep on body weight/composition and eating. The available experimental literature suggests that sleep restriction increases food intake and total energy expenditure with inconsistent effects on integrated energy balance as operationalized by weight change. Future controlled trials that examine the impact of increased sleep on body weight/energy balance factors are warranted.

Background: The epidemiological scale of cancer in Cameroon is still relatively unknown, as public health research in sub−Saharan Africa has traditionally focused on infectious and/or communicable disease. As awareness for chronic disease such as cancer has risen, so, too, have diagnoses and incidence. In order to ensure more effective care and quality of life for children at greater risk for cancer diagnoses, specific and effective research must be conducted in order to institute effective policy and protocols. Objective: To comprehensively review all pediatric cancer cases seen in the Northwest Region of Cameroon in order to provide novel, current epidemiological data on pediatric cancer in the region. Methods: The authors retrospectively reviewed each individual pediatric cancer case seen from January 1, 2016, through November 30, 2017, in the three largest hospitals in the Northwest Region of Cameroon: Mbingo Baptist Hospital, Bamenda Provincial Hospital, and Banso Baptist Hospital. Results: 173 cases of pediatric cancer were identified as being treated in one of the three hospitals in question over the 25−month study period. The average age of the patients was 6.23 years (SD = ± 3.93), and 58.4% of the patients were male. The three most common types of cancer diagnosed in these pediatric patients were Burkitt lymphoma, retinoblastoma, and Wilms tumor. Of the 173 cases, 105 of the patients were originally from the Northwest Region. The incidence of pediatric cancer originating from the Northwest Region of Cameroon is 5.92 cases (95% CI: 4.79 − 7.05) per 100,000 persons per year. Conclusion: This study is the first extensive examination of pediatric cancer epidemiology in the Northwest Region of Cameroon. Children in sub−Saharan Africa are disproportionately affected by cancer in comparison with their counterparts in the developed world. As the body of literature continues to grow in the years to come, more effective care both preventive and curative can affect the lives of millions.

As universities increasingly strive to create campus environments that encourage interdisciplinary innovation, the maker and hacker space movement has gained significant traction as a solution with great promise, potentially empowering students to bring their own ideas to fruition. Identifying and designing spaces that can appeal to students across campus can be a particular challenge, especially from the perspective of faculty and administration. Faculty design teams aided by student advisors can be seen as a logical answer to this problem, but what of student teams leading the movement on their own campuses? As a team of eighteen undergraduate students that hail from different disciplines, we are currently in the beginning stages of implementing a fully-functional maker space in the primary library for undergraduates. Our planning was and is strongly informed by the Stanford d.school method of design thinking consisting of five fundamental steps of: empathizing, defining, ideation, prototyping, and testing. Using this method as a framework, we will describe our experiences with the development, design, and implementation of a student-led makerspace. Given that it is rare for students on our campus to take on a task as seemingly large as developing a makerspace, we feel it is necessary to highlight the resources and infrastructure needed in terms of people, facilities, and funding to create a sustainable program. This process is an inherently iterative one, and we will explain the key lessons learned during the development and implementation of the space. Our discussion of the makerspace's implementation will be supported by both quantitative and observational data from the first months of our space being created. Through this paper, we aim to present our methods and experiences with the hope that students interested in the makerspace movement as starting points for students interested in starting their own spaces on campus.