A Research Synthesis of the Real Value of Self-Proclaimed Mobile Educational Applications for Young Children

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-19 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stamatios Papadakis ◽  
Michail Kalogiannakis
Keyword(s):  
Young Children ◽  
English Language ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Research Synthesis ◽  
Learning Performance ◽  
Real Value ◽  
Educational Applications ◽  
New Generation ◽  
Conference Papers

Mobile devices are the preferred media choice for children, and their massive worldwide use has driven a new generation of software called mobile applications or apps for use in the educational context. But, while there has been an explosion of apps that are claimed to be educational for young children, there are large distinctions between the quality of the apps. Even though apps may provide an active, enjoyable, and engaging context, the question is whether they are attuned to children's educational needs. This study performed a meta-analysis and research synthesis of 22 studies published 2011 to 2019. In the study, journal articles and conference papers in the English language published during the period 2010-2019 were coded and analyzed. The findings provide evidence that very few of these so-called “educational” apps that have been evaluated and tested can promote children's intelligence and improve their learning performance.

scholarly journals An individual participant data (IPD) meta-analysis on the attachment network to multiple caregivers

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Or Dagan ◽  
Pasco Fearon ◽  
Carlo Schuengel ◽  
Marije Verhage ◽  
Glenn I. Roisman ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Developmental Outcomes ◽  
Research Synthesis ◽  
Individual Participant Data ◽  
Attachment Relationship ◽  
Attachment Research ◽  
Individual Participant ◽  
The Subject ◽  
Meta Analyses

Since the seminal 1992 paper by van IJzendoorn, Sagi, and Lambermon, putting forward the “The multiple caretaker paradox”, relatively little attention has been given to the potential joint effects of the role early attachment network to mother and father play in development. Recently, Dagan and Sagi-Schwartz (2018) have published a paper that attempts to revive this unsettled issue, calling for research on the subject and offering a framework for posing attachment network hypotheses. This Collaboration for Attachment Research Synthesis project attempts to use an Individual Participant Data meta-analyses to test the hypotheses put forward in Dagan and Sagi-Schwartz (2018). Specifically, we test (a) whether the number of secure attachments (0,1, or 2) matter in predicting a range of developmental outcomes, and (b) whether the quality of attachment relationship with one parent contributes more than the other to these outcomes.

Early palliative care in haematological patients: a systematic literature review

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 395-403
Author(s):  
Silvia Tanzi ◽  
Francesco Venturelli ◽  
Stefano Luminari ◽  
Franco Domenico Merlo ◽  
Luca Braglia ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Palliative Care ◽  
Comparative Studies ◽  
English Language ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Early Palliative Care ◽  
Study Results ◽  
Registration Number ◽  
Integrated Or ◽  
The Impact

BackgroundEarly palliative care together with standard haematological care for advanced patients is needed worldwide. Little is known about its effect. The aim of the review is to synthesise the evidence on the impact of early palliative care on haematologic cancer patients’ quality of life and resource use.Patients and methodsA systematic review was conducted. The search terms were early palliative care or simultaneous or integrated or concurrent care and haematological or oncohaematological patients. The following databases were searched: PubMed, Embase, Cochrane, CINHAL and Scopus. Additional studies were identified through cross-checking the reference articles. Studies were in the English language, with no restriction for years. Two researchers independently reviewed the titles and abstracts, and one author assessed full articles for eligibility.ResultsA total of 296 studies titles were reviewed. Eight articles were included in the synthesis of the results, two controlled studies provided data on the comparative efficacy of PC interventions, and six one-arm studies were included. Since data pooling and meta-analysis were not possible, only a narrative synthesis of the study results was performed. The quality of the two included comparative studies was low overall. The quality of the six non-comparative studies was high overall, without the possibility of linking the observed results to the implemented interventions.ConclusionsStudies on early palliative care and patients with haematological cancer are scarce and have not been prospectively designed. More research on the specific population target, type and timing of palliative care intervention and standardisation of collected outcomes is required.PROSPERO registration numberCRD42020141322.

scholarly journals Pre-, Pro-, and Synbiotics: Do They Have a Role in Reducing Uremic Toxins? A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

2012 ◽  
Vol 2012 ◽  
pp. 1-20 ◽  
Author(s):  
Megan Rossi ◽  
Kerenaftali Klein ◽  
David W. Johnson ◽  
Katrina L. Campbell
Keyword(s):  
English Language ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Uremic Toxins ◽  
Population Estimates ◽  
Inclusion Criteria ◽  
Language Studies ◽  
Human Adults ◽  
Meta Analyses ◽  
Grade Approach

Objective. This paper assessed the effectiveness of pre-, pro-, and synbiotics on reducing two protein-bound uremic toxins, p-cresyl sulphate (PCS) and indoxyl sulphate (IS).Methods. English language studies reporting serum, urinary, or fecal PCS and/or IS (or their precursors) following pre-, pro-, or synbiotic interventions (>1 day) in human adults were included. Population estimates of differences in the outcomes between the pre- and the postintervention were estimated for subgroups of studies using four meta-analyses. Quality was determined using the GRADE approach.Results. 19 studies met the inclusion criteria, 14 in healthy adults and five in haemodialysis patients. Eight studies investigated prebiotics, six probiotics, one synbiotics, one both pre- and probiotics, and three studies trialled all three interventions. The quality of the studies ranged frommoderatetovery low. 12 studies were included in the meta-analyses with all four meta-analyses reporting statistically significant reductions in IS and PCS with pre- and probiotic therapy.Conclusion. There is a limited but supportive evidence for the effectiveness of pre- and probiotics on reducing PCS and IS in the chronic kidney disease population. Further studies are needed to provide more definitive findings before routine clinical use can be recommended.

scholarly journals Olfactory and gustatory dysfunction in 2019 novel coronavirus: An updated systematic review and meta-analysis

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marzieh Esmaeili ◽  
Fatemeh Abdi ◽  
Gita Shafiee ◽  
Hadis Rastad ◽  
Hamid Asayesh ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
English Language ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Random Effect ◽  
Eligibility Criteria ◽  
Language Studies ◽  
Pooled Prevalence ◽  
Comprehensive Search ◽  
Novel Coronavirus

Abstract BackgroundEvidence showed that partial or complete loss of smell and taste might be a possible primary symptom of the 2019 novel coronavirus (COVID-19). This study aimed to systematically review and pool all available evidence on the olfactory and gustatory dysfunction in COVID-19 patients. MethodsIn this systematic review, a comprehensive search was carried out systematically through e-databases including PubMed, EMBASE, Scopus, and Web of Science (WoS); that was limited to English-language studies published from 2019 up to 6th May 2020. Afterward, all studies reported the taste and smell dysfunction in the COVID-19 patients were included. The quality of the studies was assessed by the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool (MMAT). The pooled prevalence of olfactory and gustatory dysfunction was estimated using the random effects meta-analysis method.ResultsAmong 28 eligible included studies in this systematic review, finally, 22 studies met the eligibility criteria and were included in the meta-analysis. According to the random effect meta-analysis, the global pooled prevalence (95% confidence interval) of any olfactory dysfunction, anosmia, and hyposmia was 55% (40%-70%), 40% (22%-57%), and 40% (20%-61%) respectively. The pooled estimated prevalence of any gustatory dysfunction, ageusia, and dysgeusia was 41% (23%-59%), 31% (3%-59%), and 34% (19%-48%) respectively. ConclusionOlfactory and gustatory dysfunction is prevalent among COVID-19 patients. Therefore, olfactory and gustatory dysfunction seems to be part of important symptoms and notify for the diagnosis of COVID-19, especially in the early phase of the infection.

scholarly journals Reporting quality of systematic review abstracts in articles hand and wrist pathology: a review

2019 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 50-57
Author(s):  
Amanda Yang Shen ◽  
Robert S Ware ◽  
Tom J O'Donohoe ◽  
Jason Wasiak
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Systematic Reviews ◽  
English Language ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Reporting Quality ◽  
Cochrane Library ◽  
Annual Basis ◽  
Cochrane Reviews ◽  
Abstract Reporting

Background: An increasing number of systematic reviews are published on an annual basis. Although perusal of the full text of articles is preferable, abstracts are sometimes relied upon to guide clinical decisions. Despite this, the abstracts of systematic reviews have historically been poorly reported. We evaluated the reporting quality of systematic review abstracts within hand and wrist pathology literature. Methods: We searched MEDLINE®, EMBASE and Cochrane Library from inception to December 2017 for systematic reviews in hand and wrist pathology using the 12-item PRISMA-A checklist to assess abstract reporting quality. Results: A total of 114 abstracts were included. Most related to fracture (38%) or arthritis (17%) management. Forty-seven systematic reviews (41%) included meta-analysis. Mean PRISMA-A score was 3.6/12 with Cochrane reviews having the highest mean score and hand-specific journals having the lowest. Abstracts longer than 300 words (mean difference [MD]: 1.43, 95% CI [0.74, 2.13]; p <0.001) and systematic reviews with meta-analysis (MD: 0.64, 95% CI [0.05, 1.22]; p = 0.034) were associated with higher scores. Unstructured abstracts were associated with lower scores (MD: –0.65, 95% CI [–1.28, –0.02]; p = 0.044). A limitation of this study is the possible exclusion of relevant studies that were not published in the English language. Conclusion: Abstracts of systematic reviews pertaining to hand and wrist pathology have been suboptimally reported as assessed by the PRISMA-A checklist. Improvements in reporting quality could be achieved by endorsement of PRISMA-A guidelines by authors and journals, and reducing constraints on abstract length.

scholarly journals Determinants of Antenatal Care Service Satisfaction among Women in Ethiopia: A systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kenbon Seyoum
Keyword(s):  
Antenatal Care ◽  
English Language ◽  
Care Service ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Service Satisfaction ◽  
Respectful Maternity Care ◽  
Antenatal Care Visit ◽  
Care Visit ◽  
Unplanned Pregnancies

Abstract Background: Antenatal care service satisfaction is a measure of the degree to which a woman seeking care is happy with the antenatal care service provided to her. It is important to increase woman utilization of antenatal care service and to improve maternal health. Thus, the aim of this study is to identify factors that determine antenatal care service satisfaction in Ethiopia.Method: PubMed, Hinari, and Google Scholar were systematically searched for eligible studies. The author also conducted gray literature search (e.g., in Google) and hand searched the reference lists of all included studies. All articles reported in the English language irrespective of their duration of publication were included. The Joanna Briggs Institute's (JBI) critical appraisal tools were used to assess the quality of included articles. The Cochrane Q-statistics and I2 tests were used to assess heterogeneity among included studies. Publication bias was assessed using Egger’s tests. Results: Of the 274 articles identified through systematic search of literatures, 13 studies fulfilling inclusion criteria were included in this meta-analysis. First antenatal care visit (AOR = 0.62 and 95% CI: 0.40, 0.96), women waited <60 min (AOR: 1.87 and 95% CI: 1.40-2.50), women whose privacy was maintained (AOR: 3.91 and 95% CI: 1.97-7.77), women treated respectfully (AOR: 5.07 and 95% CI: 2.34-10.96), and unplanned pregnancies (AOR = 0.28 and 95% CI: 0.10-0.77) were significantly associated with antenatal care service satisfaction.Conclusion: The study assessed determinants of antenatal care service satisfaction in Ethiopia. First antenatal care visit, waiting time (<60 min) to see care provider, maintenance of privacy, respectful treatment, and pregnancy unplanned were found to be determinants of antenatal care service satisfaction. Counselling a woman to comply with minimum required antenatal care visit and compassionate and respectful maternity care will increase maternal satisfaction with antenatal care service.

scholarly journals Examining Psychological Science Through Systematic Meta-Method Analysis: A Call for Research

2019 ◽  
Vol 2 (4) ◽  
pp. 350-363 ◽  
Author(s):  
Malte Elson
Keyword(s):  
Data Collection ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Research Synthesis ◽  
Effect Sizes ◽  
Psychological Science ◽  
Units Of Analysis ◽  
Advance Theory ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Method Analysis

Research synthesis is based on the assumption that when the same association between constructs is observed repeatedly in a field, the relationship is probably real, even if its exact magnitude can be debated. Yet the probability that the relationship is real is a function not only of recurring results, but also of the quality and consistency of the empirical procedures that produced those results and that any meta-analysis necessarily inherits. Standardized protocols in data collection, analysis, and interpretation are foundations of empiricism and a healthy sign of a discipline’s maturity. I propose that meta-analysis as typically applied in psychology will benefit from complementing aggregation of observed effect sizes with systematic examination of the standardization of the methodology that deterministically produced them. I describe potential units of analysis and offer two examples illustrating the benefits of such efforts. Ideally, this synergetic approach will advance theory by improving the quality of meta-analytic inferences.

A Systematic Review on Natural Medicines for the Prevention and Treatment of Alzheimer's Disease with Meta-Analyses of Intervention Effect of Ginkgo

2014 ◽  
Vol 42 (03) ◽  
pp. 505-521 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mengmeng Yang ◽  
Dan Dan Xu ◽  
Yan Zhang ◽  
Xinyou Liu ◽  
Robin Hoeven ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
English Language ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Cochrane Library ◽  
Significant Heterogeneity ◽  
Meta Analyses ◽  
Natural Medicines

We performed a systematic review to evaluate the efficacy of natural medicines for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease (AD) in randomized controlled trials (RCTs). Disease-specific and intervention terms were searched in MEDLINE, EMBASE, the Cochrane Library and PsycINFO to identify RCTs for the AD intervention of natural medicines, and searched for literatures in English language. The RCTs compared natural medicines and either placebo or orthodox medication in AD patients. The quality of literature was evaluated by Jadad's score and the Cochrane assessing tool to reduce the risk of bias. Meta-analysis and the heterogeneity of results across the trials were performed. Out of the literatures, 21 clinical reports were included in this review that satisfied the particular selection criteria. Apart from Ginkgo, other treatments we came across had minimal benefits and/or the methodological quality of the available trials was poor. The meta-analyses showed that Ginkgo had better outcomes than the placebo, with the standardized mean difference (SMD) between Ginkgo and the placebo on cognition being -1.62 (95% CI: -2.69 to -0.56) and on activities of daily living being -1.55 (95% CI: -2.55 to -0.55), with the existence of significant heterogeneity across studies. The meta-analysis for assessing the prevention effect of Ginkgo against AD suggested that risk ratio (RR) is 1.06 (95% CI: 0.92 to 1.22) between Gingko and the placebo, with no significant heterogeneity across studies (test for heterogeneity, p = 0.49). Our results suggest that Ginkgo may help established AD patients with cognitive symptoms but cannot prevent the neurodegenerative progression of the disease.

scholarly journals Examining Psychological Science through Systematic Meta-Method Analysis: A Call for Research

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Malte Elson
Keyword(s):  
Data Collection ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Research Synthesis ◽  
Effect Sizes ◽  
Psychological Science ◽  
Meta Analyses ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Method Analysis

Research synthesis is based on the assumption that when the same association between constructs is observed repeatedly in a field, the relationship is probably real, even if its exact magnitude can be debated. Yet this probability is not only a function of recurring results, but also of the quality and consistency in the empirical procedures that produced those results and that any meta-analysis necessarily inherits. Standardized protocols in data collection, analysis, and interpretation are important empirical properties, and a healthy sign of a discipline's maturity.This manuscript proposes that meta-analyses as typically applied in psychology benefit from complementing their aggregates of observed effect sizes by systematically examining the standardization of methodology that deterministically produced them. Potential units of analyses are described and two examples are offered to illustrate the benefits of such efforts. Ideally, this synergetic approach emphasizes the role of methods in advancing theory by improving the quality of meta-analytic inferences.

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