scholarly journals The Value of Non-Referential Gestures: A Systematic Review of Their Cognitive and Linguistic Effects in Children’s Language Development

Children ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 148
Author(s):  
Ingrid Vilà-Giménez ◽  
Pilar Prieto
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Language Development ◽  
Semantic Content ◽  
Narrative Development ◽  
Typically Developing ◽  
Information Recall ◽  
Future Studies ◽  
Contradictory Evidence ◽  
Predictive Role ◽  
Narrative Performance

Speakers produce both referential gestures, which depict properties of a referent, and non-referential gestures, which lack semantic content. While a large number of studies have demonstrated the cognitive and linguistic benefits of referential gestures as well as their precursor and predictive role in both typically developing (TD) and non-TD children, less is known about non-referential gestures in cognitive and complex linguistic domains, such as narrative development. This paper is a systematic review and narrative synthesis of the research concerned with assessing the effects of non-referential gestures in such domains. A search of the literature turned up 11 studies, collectively involving 898 2- to 8-year-old TD children. Although they yielded contradictory evidence, pointing to the need for further investigations, the results of the six studies–in which experimental tasks and materials were pragmatically based–revealed that non-referential gestures not only enhance information recall and narrative comprehension but also act as predictors and causal mechanisms for narrative performance. This suggests that their bootstrapping role in language development is due to the fact that they have important discourse–pragmatic functions that help frame discourse. These findings should be of particular interest to teachers and future studies could extend their impact to non-TD children.

scholarly journals Narrative Performance and Sociopragmatic Abilities in Preschool Children are Linked to Multimodal Imitation Skills

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-26
Author(s):  
Eva CASTILLO ◽  
Mariia PRONINA ◽  
Iris HÜBSCHER ◽  
Pilar PRIETO
Keyword(s):  
Preschool Children ◽  
Language Development ◽  
Correlational Study ◽  
Typically Developing ◽  
Object Based ◽  
Linguistic Patterns ◽  
Multimodal Cues ◽  
Socially Relevant ◽  
Narrative Performance ◽  
Narrative Abilities

Abstract Over recent decades much research has analyzed the relevance of 9- to 20- month-old infants’ early imitation skills (object- and language-based imitation) for language development. Yet there have been few systematic comparisons of the joint relevance of these imitative behaviors later on in development. This correlational study investigated whether multimodal imitation (gestural, prosodic, and lexical components) and object-based imitation are related to narratives and sociopragmatics in preschoolers. Thirty-one typically developing 3- to 4-year-old children performed four tasks to assess multimodal imitation, object-based imitation, narrative abilities, and sociopragmatic abilities. Results revealed that both narrative and sociopragmatic skills were significantly related to multimodal imitation, but not to object-based imitation, indicating that preschoolers’ ability to imitate socially relevant multimodal cues is strongly related to language and sociocommunicative skills. Therefore, this evidence supports a broader conceptualization of imitation behaviors in the field of language development that systematically integrates prosodic, gestural, and verbal linguistic patterns.

scholarly journals Mean Length of Utterance in Cypriot Greek-speaking Children

2016 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. 117-140 ◽  
Author(s):  
Louiza Voniati
Keyword(s):  
Language Development ◽  
Child Language ◽  
Language Assessment ◽  
Typically Developing ◽  
Future Studies ◽  
Positive Correlation ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Mean Length Of Utterance ◽  
Age Range

While research undertaken worldwide indicates that mean length of utterance (MLU) is a valuable index in investigations of child language development, to date there have been no studies exploring MLU in pre-primary Cypriot Greek (CYG)-speaking children. The participants in this study were 36 monolingual CYG-speaking children at ages 36, 40, 44 and 48 months, with a typical course of language development. The findings demonstrated that MLU counted in words (MLU-w) of typically developing CYG-speaking children had a positive correlation with age (from 36 to 48 months) and a non-significant difference in MLU-w by gender at each age point, and that typically developing CYG-speaking children, for the age range studied, tended to produce more multiword utterance types. An outcome of this study is an MLU-w database which could be used, with some caution, in the language assessment of a similar population or as the basis for future studies. Areas for further research are identified.

Production and comprehension of pronouns in individuals with autism: A meta-analysis and systematic review

Autism ◽  
2020 ◽  
pp. 136236132094910
Author(s):  
Elizabeth G Finnegan ◽  
Kristie Asaro-Saddler ◽  
Matthew C Zajic
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Language Development ◽  
Cognitive Ability ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
First Language ◽  
Typically Developing ◽  
Possessive Pronoun ◽  
Multiple Factors ◽  
Individual Outcomes ◽  
Reflexive Pronoun

This study compared pronoun use in individuals with autism to their typically developing peers via meta-analysis and systematic review of 20 selected articles to examine differences in overall pronoun usage as well as in personal, ambiguous, possessive, reflexive, and clitic pronoun usage. Summary effects indicated significant differences between individuals with autism and their typically developing peers in the use of pronouns overall as well as in ambiguous, clitic, and reflexive pronoun usage, but not in personal and possessive pronoun usage. Results indicate wide variation in the way individuals with autism use pronouns, and individual outcomes appeared to be moderated by multiple factors, including cognitive ability, first language, and overall language development. Implications and recommendations for assessment and intervention practices are discussed. Lay abstract This research compared pronoun use in individuals with autism and typically developing peers. Meta-analysis and systematic review of 20 selected articles were used to determine whether significant differences existed in the use of pronouns overall as well as in personal, ambiguous, possessive, reflexive, and clitic pronoun usage. Summary effects indicated significant differences between individuals with autism and their typically developing peers in the use of pronouns overall as well as in ambiguous, clitic, and reflexive pronoun usage, but not in personal and possessive pronoun usage. Results indicate wide variation in the way individuals with autism use pronouns. Since individual outcomes appear to be moderated by multiple factors, including cognitive ability, first language, and overall language development, it is recommended these be considered in assessment and treatment.

scholarly journals Estimation of the Inhaled Dose of Pollutants in Different Micro-Environments: A Systematic Review of the Literature

Toxics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (6) ◽  
pp. 140
Author(s):  
Francesca Borghi ◽  
Andrea Spinazzè ◽  
Simone Mandaglio ◽  
Giacomo Fanti ◽  
Davide Campagnolo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Residence Time ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Pulmonary Ventilation ◽  
Personal Exposure ◽  
Ventilation Rate ◽  
Atmospheric Pollutants ◽  
Active Commuting ◽  
Review Of The Literature ◽  
Future Studies

Recently, the need to assess personal exposure in different micro-environments has been highlighted. Further, estimating the inhaled dose of pollutants is considerably one of the most interesting parameters to be explored to complete the fundamental information obtained through exposure assessment, especially if associated with a dose-response approach. To analyze the main results obtained from the studies related to the estimation of the inhaled dose of pollutants in different micro-environments (environments in which an individual spends a part of his day), and to identify the influence of different parameters on it, a systematic review of the literature was performed. The principal outcomes from the considered studies outlined that (i) exposure concentration and residence time are among the most important parameters to be evaluated in the estimation of the inhaled dose, especially in transport environments. Further, (ii) the pulmonary ventilation rate can be of particular interest during active commuting because of its increase, which increases the inhalation of pollutants. From a methodological point of view, the advent of increasingly miniaturized, portable and low-cost technologies could favor these kinds of studies, both for the measurement of atmospheric pollutants and the real-time evaluation of physiological parameters used for estimation of the inhaled dose. The main results of this review also show some knowledge gaps. In particular, numerous studies have been conducted for the evaluation (in terms of personal exposure and estimation of the inhaled dose) of different PM fractions: other airborne pollutants, although harmful to human health, are less represented in studies of this type: for this reason, future studies should be conducted, also considering other air pollutants, not neglecting the assessment of exposure to PM. Moreover, many studies have been conducted indoors, where the population spends most of their daily time. However, it has been highlighted how particular environments, even if characterized by a shorter residence time, can contribute significantly to the dose of inhaled pollutants. These environments are, therefore, of particular importance and should be better evaluated in future studies, as well as occupational environments, where the work results in a high pulmonary ventilation rate. The attention of future studies should also be focused on these categories of subjects and occupational studies.

scholarly journals Patients’ adherence to smartphone apps in the management of bipolar disorder: a systematic review

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Marie-Camille Patoz ◽  
Diego Hidalgo-Mazzei ◽  
Bruno Pereira ◽  
Olivier Blanc ◽  
Ingrid de Chazeron ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Bipolar Disorder ◽  
Mobile Health ◽  
Smartphone Apps ◽  
Exclusion Criteria ◽  
Future Studies ◽  
Health Apps ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
Bipolar Patients ◽  
Digital Or

Abstract Background Despite an increasing number of available mental health apps in the bipolar disorder field, these tools remain scarcely implemented in everyday practice and are quickly discontinued by patients after downloading. The aim of this study is to explore adherence characteristics of bipolar disorder patients to dedicated smartphone interventions in research studies. Methods A systematic review following PRISMA guidelines was conducted. Three databases (EMBASE, PsychInfo and MEDLINE) were searched using the following keywords: "bipolar disorder" or "mood disorder" or “bipolar” combined with “digital” or “mobile” or “phone” or “smartphone” or “mHealth” or “ehealth” or "mobile health" or “app” or “mobile-health”. Results Thirteen articles remained in the review after exclusion criteria were applied. Of the 118 eligible studies, 39 did not provide adherence characteristics. Among the selected papers, study length, sample size and definition of measures of adherence were strongly heterogeneous. Activity rates ranged from 58 to 91.6%. Conclusion The adherence of bipolar patients to apps is understudied. Standardised measures of adherence should be defined and systematically evaluated in future studies dedicated to these tools.

scholarly journals Blockchain Applications in Agribusiness: A Systematic Review

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 95
Author(s):  
Geneci da Silva Ribeiro Rocha ◽  
Letícia de Oliveira ◽  
Edson Talamini
Keyword(s):  
Complex System ◽  
Systematic Review ◽  
Web Of Science ◽  
Scientific Literature ◽  
Early Stage ◽  
Technological Development ◽  
Economic Sectors ◽  
Future Studies ◽  
Blockchain Technology ◽  
Near Future

Blockchain is a technology that can be applied in different sectors to solve various problems. As a complex system, agribusiness presents many possibilities to take advantage of blockchain technology. The main goal of this paper is to identify the purposes for which blockchain has been applied in the agribusiness sector, for which a PRISMA-based systematic review was carried out. The scientific literature corpus was accessed and selected from Elsevier’s Scopus and ISI of Knowledge’s Web of Science (WoS) platforms, using the PRISMA protocol procedures. Seventy-one articles were selected for analysis. Blockchain application in agribusiness is a novel topic, with the first publication dating from 2016. The technological development prevails more than blockchain applications since it has been addressed mainly in the Computer Sciences and Engineering. Blockchain applications for agribusiness management of financial, energy, logistical, environmental, agricultural, livestock, and industrial purposes have been reported in the literature. The findings suggest that blockchain brings many benefits when used in agribusiness supply chains. We concluded that the research on blockchain applications in agribusiness is only at an early stage, as many prototypes are being developed and tested in the laboratory. In the near future, blockchain will be increasingly applied across all economic sectors, including agribusiness, promoting greater reliability and agility in information with a reduced cost. Several gaps for future studies were observed, with significant value for science, industry, and society.

scholarly journals Deep learning for cephalometric landmark detection: systematic review and meta-analysis

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Falk Schwendicke ◽  
Akhilanand Chaurasia ◽  
Lubaina Arsiwala ◽  
Jae-Hong Lee ◽  
Karim Elhennawy ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Deep Learning ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
High Accuracy ◽  
Risk Of Bias ◽  
Automated Detection ◽  
Reference Test ◽  
Landmark Detection ◽  
Future Studies ◽  
Using Data

Abstract Objectives Deep learning (DL) has been increasingly employed for automated landmark detection, e.g., for cephalometric purposes. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to assess the accuracy and underlying evidence for DL for cephalometric landmark detection on 2-D and 3-D radiographs. Methods Diagnostic accuracy studies published in 2015-2020 in Medline/Embase/IEEE/arXiv and employing DL for cephalometric landmark detection were identified and extracted by two independent reviewers. Random-effects meta-analysis, subgroup, and meta-regression were performed, and study quality was assessed using QUADAS-2. The review was registered (PROSPERO no. 227498). Data From 321 identified records, 19 studies (published 2017–2020), all employing convolutional neural networks, mainly on 2-D lateral radiographs (n=15), using data from publicly available datasets (n=12) and testing the detection of a mean of 30 (SD: 25; range.: 7–93) landmarks, were included. The reference test was established by two experts (n=11), 1 expert (n=4), 3 experts (n=3), and a set of annotators (n=1). Risk of bias was high, and applicability concerns were detected for most studies, mainly regarding the data selection and reference test conduct. Landmark prediction error centered around a 2-mm error threshold (mean; 95% confidence interval: (–0.581; 95 CI: –1.264 to 0.102 mm)). The proportion of landmarks detected within this 2-mm threshold was 0.799 (0.770 to 0.824). Conclusions DL shows relatively high accuracy for detecting landmarks on cephalometric imagery. The overall body of evidence is consistent but suffers from high risk of bias. Demonstrating robustness and generalizability of DL for landmark detection is needed. Clinical significance Existing DL models show consistent and largely high accuracy for automated detection of cephalometric landmarks. The majority of studies so far focused on 2-D imagery; data on 3-D imagery are sparse, but promising. Future studies should focus on demonstrating generalizability, robustness, and clinical usefulness of DL for this objective.

scholarly journals Tools and Techniques Used With Robotic Devices to Quantify Upper-Limb Function in Typically Developing Children: A Systematic Review

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
pp. 117957272097901
Author(s):  
Stephan CD Dobri ◽  
Hana M Ready ◽  
Theresa Claire Davies
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Outcome Measures ◽  
Motor Function ◽  
Upper Limb ◽  
Rate Of Change ◽  
Typically Developing ◽  
Typically Developing Children ◽  
Upper Limb Function ◽  
Robotic Devices ◽  
Tools And Techniques

Background: Robotic devices have been used to quantify function, identify impairment, and rehabilitate motor function extensively in adults, but less-so in younger populations. The ability to perform motor actions improves as children grow. It is important to quantify this rate of change of the neurotypical population before attempting to identify impairment and target rehabilitation techniques. Objectives: For a population of typically developing children, this systematic review identifies and analyzes tools and techniques used with robotic devices to quantify upper-limb motor function. Since most of the papers also used robotic devices to compare function of neurotypical to pathological populations, a secondary objective was introduced to relate clinical outcome measures to identified robotic tools and techniques. Methods: Five databases were searched between February 2019 and August 2020, and 226 articles were found, 19 of which are included in the review. Results: Robotic devices, tasks, outcome measures, and clinical assessments were not consistent among studies from different settings but were consistent within laboratory groups. Fifteen of the 19 articles evaluated both typically developing and pathological populations. Conclusion: To optimize universally comparable outcomes in future work, it is recommended that a standard set of tasks and measures is used to assess upper-limb motor function. Standardized tasks and measures will facilitate effective rehabilitation.

scholarly journals Patient-Reported Outcome Measures for Post-mastectomy Breast Reconstruction: A Systematic Review of Development and Measurement Properties

2020 ◽  
Vol 28 (1) ◽  
pp. 386-404 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. F. Davies ◽  
R. Macefield ◽  
K. Avery ◽  
J. M. Blazeby ◽  
S. Potter
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Breast Reconstruction ◽  
Content Validity ◽  
Patient Reported Outcome Measures ◽  
Patient Reported Outcome ◽  
Measurement Properties ◽  
Future Studies ◽  
Patient Reported ◽  
Eortc Qlq

Abstract Background Breast reconstruction (BR) is performed to improve outcomes for patients undergoing mastectomy. A recently developed core outcome set for BR includes six patient-reported outcomes that should be measured and reported in all future studies. It is vital that any instrument used to measure these outcomes as part of a core measurement set be robustly developed and validated so data are reliable and accurate. The aim of this systematic review is to evaluate the development and measurement properties of existing BR patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) to inform instrument selection for future studies. Methods A PRISMA-compliant systematic review of development and validation studies of BR PROMs was conducted to assess their measurement properties. PROMs with adequate content validity were assessed using three steps: (1) the methodological quality of each identified study was assessed using the COSMIN Risk of Bias checklist; (2) criteria were applied for assessing good measurement properties; and (3) evidence was summarized and the quality of evidence assessed using a modified GRADE approach. Results Fourteen articles reported the development and measurement properties of six PROMs. Of these, only three (BREAST-Q, BRECON-31, and EORTC QLQ-BRECON-23) were considered to have adequate content validity and proceeded to full evaluation. This showed that all three PROMs had been robustly developed and validated and demonstrated adequate quality. Conclusions BREAST-Q, BRECON-31, and EORTC QLQ-BRECON-23 have been well-developed and demonstrate adequate measurement properties. Work with key stakeholders is now needed to generate consensus regarding which PROM should be recommended for inclusion in a core measurement set.

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