scholarly journals Academic inequality through the lens of community ecology: a meta-analysis

PeerJ ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 3 ◽  
pp. e1457 ◽  
Author(s):  
Akira S. Mori ◽  
Shenhua Qian ◽  
Shinichi Tatsumi
Keyword(s):  
Rank Order ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Dominance Rank ◽  
Temporal Trends ◽  
Scientific Publication ◽  
Modern Human ◽  
Rapid Expansion ◽  
Human Society ◽  
Scientific Domain ◽  
Meta Analyses

Ecological assemblages are generally characterized by a few dominant species and numerous others. Such unequal distributions of dominance also emerge in human society, including in scientific communities. Here, based on formal community ecological analyses, we show the temporal trends in the number of scientific publication in the discipline of “ecology.” Based on this, we infer possible factors causing the imbalance of reputation and dominance among countries. We relied on 454 ecological meta-analysis papers published from 1998 to 2014, which sourced over 29,000 original publications. Formal meta-analyses are essential for synthesizing findings from individual studies and are critical for assessing issues and informing policy. We found that, despite the rapid expansion of outlets for ecology papers (analogous to an increase in carrying capacity, in ecological systems), country diversity as determined from first author affiliations (analogous to species diversity) did not increase. Furthermore, a country identity was more powerful than the popularity of the scientific topic and affected the chance of publication in high-profile journals, independent of the potential novelty of findings and arguments of the papers, suggesting possible academic injustice. Consequently, a rank order and hierarchy has been gradually formed among countries. Notably, this country-dominance rank is not only specific to this scientific domain but also universal across different societal situations including sports and economics, further emphasizing that inequality and hierarchical structure exist even in modern human society. Our study demonstrates a need for having robust frameworks to facilitate equality and diversity in the scientific domain in order to better inform society and policy.

scholarly journals Social status, immune response and parasitism in males: a meta-analysis

2015 ◽  
Vol 370 (1669) ◽  
pp. 20140109 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bobby Habig ◽  
Elizabeth A. Archie
Keyword(s):  
Immune Responses ◽  
Social Status ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Dominance Rank ◽  
Low Rank ◽  
Blood Parasites ◽  
Delayed Type Hypersensitivity ◽  
Gastrointestinal Helminths ◽  
Male Health ◽  
Meta Analyses

In male vertebrates, two conflicting paradigms—the energetic costs of high dominance rank and the chronic stress of low rank—have been proposed to explain patterns of immune function and parasitism. To date, neither paradigm has provided a complete explanation for status-related differences in male health. Here, we applied meta-analyses to test for correlations between male social status, immune responses and parasitism. We used an ecoimmunological framework, which proposes that males should re-allocate investment in different immune components depending on the costs of dominance or subordination. Spanning 297 analyses, from 77 studies on several vertebrate taxa, we found that most immune responses were similar between subordinate and dominant males, and neither dominant nor subordinate males consistently invested in predictable immune components. However, subordinate males displayed significantly lower delayed-type hypersensitivity and higher levels of some inflammatory cytokines than dominant males, while dominant males exhibited relatively lower immunoglobulin responses than subordinate males. Despite few differences in immunity, dominant males exhibited consistently higher parasitism than subordinate males, including protozoan blood parasites, ectoparasites and gastrointestinal helminths. We discuss our results in the context of the costs of dominance and subordination and advocate future work that measures both parasitism and immune responses in wild systems.

scholarly journals Study design guidelines

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 353-368
Author(s):  
Andrey P. Sereda ◽  
Marina A. Andrianova
Keyword(s):  
Study Design ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Good Reason ◽  
Case Series ◽  
Scientific Publication ◽  
Design Guidelines ◽  
Copyright Holder ◽  
Case Control Studies ◽  
Meta Analyses ◽  
Key Aspects

Complying with certain requirements or, more precisely, following the guidelines for the design of a scientific publication helps to make it not only more comprehensible for reviewers and readers, but actually enhances the quality of work. For example, even if some aspects in design logic were fulfilled but not described, other researchers doing meta-analysis may wrongly but for a good reason downgrade such publication and exclude it from the analysis. understanding of the guidelines for study design ensures not only the proper description of the results but the initial planning of work. The CARE guidelines were established for reporting of clinical cases, STROBE for reporting observational studies (cohort and case-control studies), CONSORT for reporting randomized studies (these guidelines are often used also for other comparative and case series studies), STARD for reporting diagnostic studies, and PRISMa for reporting of systematic reviews and meta-analyses. The present paper describes the key aspects of those guidelines and provides templates for graphic display of study design in form of flow charts. evidently, we should not forget that each study is unique and there is always a place for a reasonable compromise between requirements and the real logic of the research in place. The article is the reprint published with the permission of the copyright holder. Original article: Sereda AP, Andrianova MA. Study Design Guidelines. Traumatology and Orthopedics of Russia. 2019;25(3):165-184. doi: 10.21823/2311-2905-2019-25-3-165-184

scholarly journals Temporal Trends in Effect Sizes: Causes, Detection, and Implications

2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Julia Koricheva ◽  
Michael D. Jennions ◽  
Joseph Lau
Keyword(s):  
Evolutionary Biology ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Scientific Evidence ◽  
Temporal Trends ◽  
Temporal Changes ◽  
Effect Sizes ◽  
The Social ◽  
The Stability ◽  
Meta Analyses ◽  
Over Time

The general aim of meta-analysis is to combine scientific evidence scattered through a number of individual studies addressing the same topic. Evidence, however, is not static and tends to evolve over time due to changes in research methods, changes in the characteristics of the subjects being studied, for example. A number of recent studies in ecology and evolution have shown that temporal trends in effect sizes are common and often quite dramatic in these fields. Temporal changes in effect sizes could jeopardize the stability of conclusions (i.e., the conclusions of meta-analyses on the same topic conducted in different years might differ). For these reasons, this chapter is devoted to temporal changes in effect sizes. It first summarizes the findings of studies that examined temporal changes in the magnitude and direction of effect sizes in ecology, evolutionary biology, medicine, and the social sciences. It then discusses their possible causes, methods of detection, and implications for the interpretation of the results of the meta-analysis.

scholarly journals Study Design Guidelines

2019 ◽  
Vol 25 (3) ◽  
pp. 165-184 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. P. Sereda ◽  
M. A. Andrianova
Keyword(s):  
Study Design ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Good Reason ◽  
Case Series ◽  
Scientific Publication ◽  
Design Guidelines ◽  
Case Control Studies ◽  
Meta Analyses ◽  
Key Aspects

Complying with certain requirements or, more precisely, following the guidelines for the design of a scientific publication helps to make it not only more comprehensible for reviewers and readers, but actually enhances the quality of work. For example, even if some aspects in design logic were fulfilled but not described, other researchers doing meta-analysis may wrongly but for a good reason downgrade such publication and exclude it from the analysis. Understanding of the guidelines for study design ensures not only the proper description of the results but the initial planning of work. The CA RE guidelines were established for reporting of clinical cases, STROBE — for reporting observational studies (cohort and case-control studies), CO NSORT — for reporting randomized studies (these guidelines are often used also for other comparative and case series studies), STARD — for reporting diagnostic studies, and PRISMA — for reporting of systematic reviews and meta-analyses. The present paper describes the key aspects of those guidelines and provides templates for graphic display of study design in form of flow charts. Evidently, we should not forget that each study is unique and there is always a place for a reasonable compromise between “requirements” and the real logic of the research in place.

scholarly journals Temporal trends of sex differences for COVID-19 infection, hospitalisation, severe disease, intensive care unit (ICU) admission and death: a meta-analysis of 229 studies covering over 10M patients

F1000Research ◽  
2022 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
pp. 5
Author(s):  
Bart G. Pijls ◽  
Shahab Jolani ◽  
Anique Atherley ◽  
Janna I.R. Dijkstra ◽  
Gregor H.L. Franssen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Intensive Care Unit ◽  
Intensive Care ◽  
Disease Severity ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Severe Disease ◽  
Temporal Trends ◽  
Icu Admission ◽  
Risk Of Death ◽  
Relative Risks ◽  
Meta Analyses

Background: This review aims to investigate the association of sex with the risk of multiple COVID-19 health outcomes, ranging from infection to death. Methods: Pubmed and Embase were searched through September 2020. We considered studies reporting sex and coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outcomes. Qualitative and quantitative data were extracted using standardised electronic data extraction forms with the assessment of Newcastle Ottawa Scale for risk of bias. Pooled trends in infection, hospitalization, severity, intensive care unit (ICU) admission and death rate were calculated separately for men and women and subsequently random-effects meta-analyses on relative risks (RR) for sex was performed. Results: Of 10,160 titles, 229 studies comprising 10,417,452 patients were included in the analyses. Methodological quality of the included studies was high (6.9 out of 9). Men had a higher risk for infection with COVID-19 than women (RR = 1.14, 95%CI: 1.07 to 1.21). When infected, they also had a higher risk for hospitalization (RR = 1.33, 95%CI: 1.27 to 1.41), higher risk for severe COVID-19 (RR = 1.22, 95%CI: 1.17 to 1.27), higher need for Intensive Care (RR = 1.41, 95%CI: 1.28 to 1.55), and higher risk of death (RR = 1.35, 95%CI: 1.28 to 1.43). Within the period studied, the RR for infection and severity increased for men compared to women, while the RR for mortality decreased for men compared to women. Conclusions: Meta-analyses on 229 studies comprising over 10 million patients showed that men have a higher risk for COVID-19 infection, hospitalization, disease severity, ICU admission and death. The relative risks of infection, disease severity and death for men versus women showed temporal trends with lower relative risks for infection and severity of disease and higher relative risk for death at the beginning of the pandemic compared to the end of our inclusion period. PROSPERO registration: CRD42020180085 (20/04/2020)

scholarly journals The Stability and Change of Loneliness Across the Life Span: A Meta-Analysis of Longitudinal Studies

2019 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
pp. 24-52 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marcus Mund ◽  
Maren M. Freuding ◽  
Kathrin Möbius ◽  
Nicole Horn ◽  
Franz J. Neyer
Keyword(s):  
Life Span ◽  
Longitudinal Studies ◽  
Social Relationships ◽  
Rank Order ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Oldest Old ◽  
Generalized Additive Mixed Models ◽  
Additive Mixed Models ◽  
The Stability ◽  
Meta Analyses

Individuals experience loneliness when they perceive a deficiency in the quality or quantity of their social relationships. In the present meta-analysis, we compiled data from 75 longitudinal studies conducted in Asia, Australia, Europe, and North America ( N = 83, 679) to examine the rank-order and mean-level development of loneliness across the life span. Data were analyzed using two- and three-level meta-analyses and generalized additive mixed models. The results indicate that the rank order of loneliness is as stable as the rank order of personality traits and follows an inverted U-shaped trajectory across the life span. Regarding mean-level development, loneliness was found to decrease throughout childhood and to remain essentially stable from adolescence to oldest old age. Thus, in contrast to other personality characteristics, changes in loneliness are not generally related to age. Implications for theory are discussed.

scholarly journals Methodological Rigor and Temporal Trends of Cardiovascular Medicine Meta‐Analyses in Highest‐Impact Journals

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (18) ◽  
Author(s):  
Dhruv Mahtta ◽  
Ahmed Altibi ◽  
Mohamed M. Gad ◽  
Amjad Samara ◽  
Amr F. Barakat ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Reviews ◽  
Observational Studies ◽  
European Heart Journal ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Temporal Trends ◽  
Cardiovascular Medicine ◽  
Cardiovascular Research ◽  
Methodological Rigor ◽  
Meta Analyses ◽  
Over Time

Background Well‐conducted meta‐analyses are considered to be at the top of the evidence‐based hierarchy pyramid, with an expansion of these publications within the cardiovascular research arena. There are limited data evaluating the trends and quality of such publications. The objective of this study was to evaluate the methodological rigor and temporal trends of cardiovascular medicine‐related meta‐analyses published in the highest impact journals. Methods and Results Using the Medline database, we retrieved cardiovascular medicine‐related systematic reviews and meta‐analyses published in The New England Journal of Medicine, The Lancet, Journal of the American Medical Association, The British Medical Journal, Annals of Internal Medicine, Circulation, European Heart Journal, and Journal of American College of Cardiology between January 1, 2012 and December 31, 2018. Among 6406 original investigations published during the study period, meta‐analyses represented 422 (6.6%) articles, with an annual decline in the proportion of published meta‐analyses (8.7% in 2012 versus 4.6% in 2018, P trend =0.002). A substantial number of studies failed to incorporate elements of Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta‐Analyses or Meta‐Analysis of Observational Studies in Epidemiology guidelines (51.9%) and only a minority of studies (10.4%) were registered in PROSPERO (International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews). Fewer manuscripts failed to incorporate the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta‐Analyses or Meta‐Analysis of Observational Studies in Epidemiology elements over time (60.2% in 2012 versus 40.0% in 2018, P trend <0.001) whereas the number of meta‐analyses registered at PROSPERO has increased (2.4% in 2013 versus 17.5% in 2018, P trend <0.001). Conclusions The proportion of cardiovascular medicine‐related meta‐analyses published in the highest impact journals has declined over time. Although there is an increasing trend in compliance with quality‐based guidelines, the overall compliance remains low.

scholarly journals The Stability and Change of Loneliness Across the Lifespan: A Meta-Analysis of Longitudinal Studies

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marcus Mund ◽  
Maren M. Freuding ◽  
Kathrin Möbius ◽  
Nicole Horn ◽  
Franz J. Neyer
Keyword(s):  
Longitudinal Studies ◽  
Social Relationships ◽  
Mixed Models ◽  
Rank Order ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Oldest Old ◽  
Generalized Additive Mixed Models ◽  
Additive Mixed Models ◽  
The Stability ◽  
Meta Analyses

Individuals experience loneliness when they perceive a deficiency in the quality or quantity of their social relationships. In the present meta-analysis, we compiled data from 75 longitudinal studies conducted in Asia, Australia, Europe, and North America ($N = 83,679$) to examine the rank-order and mean-level development of loneliness across the lifespan. Data were analyzed using two- and three-level meta-analyses and generalized additive mixed models. The results indicate that the rank-order of loneliness is as stable as the rank-order of personality traits and follows an inverted U-shaped trajectory across the lifespan. Regarding mean-level development, loneliness was found to decrease throughout childhood and to remain essentially stable from adolescence to oldest old age. Thus, in contrast to other personality characteristics, changes in loneliness are not generally related to age. Implications for theory are discussed.

A Meta-Analysis of Interviews and Cognitive Ability

2013 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 157-169 ◽  
Author(s):  
Philip L. Roth ◽  
Allen I. Huffcutt
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Ability ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Incremental Validity ◽  
Employment Interviews ◽  
Moderator Analysis ◽  
The Future ◽  
Research Questions ◽  
Meta Analyses ◽  
The Relationship

The topic of what interviews measure has received a great deal of attention over the years. One line of research has investigated the relationship between interviews and the construct of cognitive ability. A previous meta-analysis reported an overall corrected correlation of .40 ( Huffcutt, Roth, & McDaniel, 1996 ). A more recent meta-analysis reported a noticeably lower corrected correlation of .27 ( Berry, Sackett, & Landers, 2007 ). After reviewing both meta-analyses, it appears that the two studies posed different research questions. Further, there were a number of coding judgments in Berry et al. that merit review, and there was no moderator analysis for educational versus employment interviews. As a result, we reanalyzed the work by Berry et al. and found a corrected correlation of .42 for employment interviews (.15 higher than Berry et al., a 56% increase). Further, educational interviews were associated with a corrected correlation of .21, supporting their influence as a moderator. We suggest a better estimate of the correlation between employment interviews and cognitive ability is .42, and this takes us “back to the future” in that the better overall estimate of the employment interviews – cognitive ability relationship is roughly .40. This difference has implications for what is being measured by interviews and their incremental validity.

Power-Enhanced Funnel Plots for Meta-Analysis

2020 ◽  
Vol 228 (1) ◽  
pp. 43-49 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Kossmeier ◽  
Ulrich S. Tran ◽  
Martin Voracek
Keyword(s):  
Statistical Power ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Relevant Information ◽  
Selective Reporting ◽  
Graphical Display ◽  
Funnel Plot ◽  
Evidential Value ◽  
Graphical Displays ◽  
Funnel Plots ◽  
Meta Analyses

Abstract. Currently, dedicated graphical displays to depict study-level statistical power in the context of meta-analysis are unavailable. Here, we introduce the sunset (power-enhanced) funnel plot to visualize this relevant information for assessing the credibility, or evidential value, of a set of studies. The sunset funnel plot highlights the statistical power of primary studies to detect an underlying true effect of interest in the well-known funnel display with color-coded power regions and a second power axis. This graphical display allows meta-analysts to incorporate power considerations into classic funnel plot assessments of small-study effects. Nominally significant, but low-powered, studies might be seen as less credible and as more likely being affected by selective reporting. We exemplify the application of the sunset funnel plot with two published meta-analyses from medicine and psychology. Software to create this variation of the funnel plot is provided via a tailored R function. In conclusion, the sunset (power-enhanced) funnel plot is a novel and useful graphical display to critically examine and to present study-level power in the context of meta-analysis.

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