Meta-analysis is a tool used to combine the results from multiple studies into one comprehensive analysis. First developed in the 1970s, meta-analysis is a major statistical method in academic, medical, business, and industrial research. There are three traditional ways in which a meta-analysis is conducted: fixed or random effects, and using an empirical Bayesian approach. Derivations for conducting meta-analysis on correlations in the industrial psychology and organizational behavior (OB) discipline were reviewed by Hunter and Schmidt (2004). In this approach, Hunter and Schmidt propose an empirical Bayesian analysis where the results from previous studies are used as a prior. This approach is still widely used in OB despite recent advances in Bayesian methodology. This paper presents the results of a hierarchical Bayesian model for conducting meta-analysis of correlations and then compares these results to a traditional Hunter-Schmidt analysis conducted by Judge et al. (2001). In our approach we treat the correlations from previous studies as a likelihood, and present a prior distribution for correlations.

Research has consistently shown group psychotherapy to be an effective form of treatment. Group cohesiveness, the quantity and magnitude of the strength of the bonds within the group, has received considerable attention. This study describes the integration of the cohesion literature using a random effects meta-analysis to ascertain the magnitude of the relationship between cohesion and outcome as well as explore the effect specific group variables have on this association. Studies were included which measured the relationship between groups comprised of at least three members, included both an outcome and cohesion measure convertible to an effect size, and were published in English. 40 published studies, comprised of 3,323 participants, were analyzed and yielded an omnibus effect size of r = .25, suggesting a positive, moderate relationship exists between cohesion and outcome. Four group variables (group size, treatment duration, treatment setting, and group focus) and a client variable (age) demonstrated markedly stronger relationships with cohesion. The study also examined the most frequently used cohesion measures and definitions as they relate to their relationship to outcome and frequency of use. Clinical implications for group therapists are identified and future research suggested.

<p>As more organizations adopt varying work arrangements (e.g., remote, in-person work), it is increasingly important to understand factors that associate with employee’s job satisfaction under different work contexts. Previous studies, based almost entirely on in-person work contexts, have mixed findings on whether certain personality traits relate to job satisfaction. The current meta-analysis investigates the potential moderating role of work context on the relation between personality and job satisfaction. Specifically, I examine how personality traits are associated with job satisfaction differently under remote and in-person work contexts. I first compiled an integrated definition of remote work and identified the unique characteristics that contrast remote from in-person work contexts. Drawing from interactionist theories, I then highlighted how the characteristics of work context could moderate the relation between the Big Five personality traits and job satisfaction. I conducted a meta-analysis, quantitatively summarizing findings from 246 studies (<em>N</em> = 260,492). Results suggested that all five Big Five personality traits are significantly related to job satisfaction, however work context did not moderate the relation. Overall, findings from the current study suggest that the personality-job satisfaction relation is statistically significant and robust across contextual differences.</p>

Purpose  To evaluate the impact of implant length on failure rates between short (&lt;10 mm) and long (≥10 mm) dental implants.   Materials and methods A search was undertaken in three electronic databases, complemented by manual search of some journals. Implant failure was the outcome evaluated, with the estimate of relative effect expressed in risk ratio (RR). Heterogeneity among studies was evaluated by I2statistic. Inverse variance method was used for random- or fixed-effects models. Quality assessment of the studies was performed, and a funnel plot was drawn. A meta-regression was performed in order to verify how the RR was associated with the follow-up time.   Results The reviews included 353 publications. Altogether, there were 25,490 short implants and 159,435 long implants. Pairwise meta-analysis showed that short implants had a higher risk of failure than long implants (RR 2.437, p&lt;0.001). The meta-regression observed that the follow-up time did not have any effect of the RR of failure between short and long implants. A sensitivity analysis plotting together only the studies with follow-up up until 7 years, resulted in an estimated increase of 0.6 in RR for every additional month of follow-up.   Conclusion Short implants showed (&lt; 10 mm) a 2.5 times higher risk of failure than long implants (≥ 10 mm). Implant failure is multifactorial and the implant length is only one of the many factors contributing to the loss of implant. A good treatment plan and the patient’s general health should be taken into account when planning for an implant treatment.       Keywords: dental implant, failure, implant length, systematic review, meta-analysis

Given the substantial monetary and nonmonetary costs that both employees and organizations can incur as a result of perceived workplace discrimination, it is important to understand the outcomes of perceived workplace discrimination as well as what moderates the discrimination-outcome relationship. While other meta-analyses of perceived discrimination have been published, the current meta-analysis expands prior meta-analytic databases by 81%, increasing the stability of the estimated effects. In addition, several prior meta-analyses have not focused exclusively on workplace discrimination. Consequently, the purpose of this meta-analysis is to provide a comprehensive quantitative review of perceived workplace discrimination, its consequences, and potential moderators of these relationships. Results showed that perceived workplace discrimination was related to decreased job satisfaction, reduced organizational commitment, greater withdrawal, and more perceived organizational injustice. Further, perceived workplace discrimination was associated with decreased mental health and physical health, lower ratings of life satisfaction, and increased work stress. Moderator analyses provided some evidence that perceiving the general presence of discrimination in one's organization may be more detrimental than perceiving oneself to be personally targeted by discrimination at work. Additionally, moderator analyses provided some support that interpersonal discrimination may be more detrimental than formal discrimination for some outcomes and that there may be differences in the perceived workplace discrimination-outcome relationships across different countries. The implications for workplace discrimination research and practice are discussed.

Parent-implemented interventions (PIIs) can be useful in promoting parents’ knowledge of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and in transferring necessary skills to children with ASD. Individuals with ASD can directly and indirectly benefit from PIIs in terms of academics, ASD symptom severity, behavior improvement, cognition, communication, and social skills. Many studies have explored the efficacy of PIIs; however, they have tended to report mixed effects. Previous meta-analyses and systematic reviews have been characterized by limited search terms and literature search procedures, emphases on published manuscripts, dependency on parent reports, dated findings, and comparisons across of different types of control groups. This study attempts to improve on the methodology of prior meta-analyses and to update findings of the effectiveness of PIIs for children and youth with ASD. We located 1925 studies at initial manuscript search in 9 databases. After additional search from other sources, 43 studies met the inclusion criteria. Studies with same participants were merged that yield 40 records for final data coding. Eligible studies coded in Dyches et al.’s meta-analysis (2018) combined with current data resulted in 53 randomized controlled trials for data analysis. The random effects model meta-analysis found a moderate and statistically significant effect (g = 0.55, 95% CI 0.35 to 0.65, p < 0.00001) on overall weighted effect size across 53 studies included. PIIs can improve child outcomes in positive behavior/social skill (g = 0.603), maladaptive behavior (g = 0.519), adaptive behavior/life skills (g = 0.239), and language/communication (g = 0.545). These findings are inconclusive and should be interpreted with caution, especially adaptive behavior/life skill because only six studies reported outcomes on that variable. No moderating variables were identified in post hoc random effects weighted analyses. Implications for future research are discussed.

BACKGROUND: The incidence and mortality of renal cell carcinoma (RCC) after kidney transplantation (KTx) remain unclear. This study's aims were (1) to investigate the pooled incidence/incidence trends, and (2) to assess the mortality/mortality trends in KTx patients with RCC. METHODS: A literature search was conducted using the MEDLINE, EMBASE and Cochrane databases from inception through October 2018. Studies that reported the incidence or mortality of RCC among kidney transplant recipients were included. The pooled incidence and 95% CI were calculated using a random-effect model. The protocol for this meta-analysis is registered with PROSPERO; no. CRD42018108994. RESULTS: A total of 22 observational studies with a total of 320,190 KTx patients were enrolled. Overall, the pooled estimated incidence of RCC after KTx was 0.7% (95% CI: 0.5-0.8%, = 93%). While the pooled estimated incidence of de novo RCC in the native kidney was 0.7% (95% CI: 0.6-0.9%, = 88%), the pooled estimated incidence of RCC in the allograft kidney was 0.2% (95% CI: 0.1-0.4%, = 64%). The pooled estimated mortality rate in KTx recipients with RCC was 15.0% (95% CI: 7.4-28.1%, = 80%) at a mean follow-up time of 42 months after RCC diagnosis. While meta-regression analysis showed a significant negative correlation between year of study and incidence of de novo RCC post-KTx (slopes = -0.05, = 0.01), there were no significant correlations between the year of study and mortality of patients with RCC ( = 0.50). Egger's regression asymmetry test was performed and showed no publication bias in all analyses. CONCLUSIONS: The overall estimated incidence of RCC after KTX was 0.7%. Although there has been a potential decrease in the incidence of RCC post-KTx, mortality in KTx patients with RCC has not decreased over time.

BACKGROUND: The adverse renal effects of proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) are increasingly recognized in both the general population and patients with chronic kidney disease. Several pharmacokinetic studies have also raised concerns regarding the interaction between PPIs and immunosuppressive drugs in transplant patients. Whether the adverse effects of PPIs have a clinical significance in kidney transplant recipients remains unclear. We performed this meta-analysis to assess the risk of adverse effects in kidney transplant recipients on PPI compared with those without PPI exposure. AIM: To investigate the risk of acute rejection, graft loss, hypomagnesemia, renal dysfunction, and overall mortality in kidney transplant recipients on PPI compared with those without PPI exposure. METHODS: A systematic review was conducted in MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Cochrane databases from inception through October 2018 to identify studies that evaluated the adverse effects of PPIs in kidney transplant recipients, including biopsy-proven acute rejection, graft loss, hypomagnesemia, renal function, and overall mortality. Effect estimates from the individual studies were extracted and combined using random-effect, generic inverse variance method of DerSimonian and Laird. The protocol for this meta-analysis is registered with PROSPERO, No. CRD42018115676. RESULTS: Fourteen observational studies with 6786 kidney transplant recipients were enrolled. No significant association was found between PPI exposure and the risk of biopsy-proven acute rejection at ≥ 1 year [pooled odds ratio (OR), 1.25; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.82-1.91, = 55%], graft loss at 1 year (pooled OR = 1.30, 95%CI: 0.75-2.24, = 0%) or 1-year mortality (pooled OR = 1.53, 95%CI: 0.90-2.58, = 34%). However, PPI exposure was significantly associated with hypomagnesemia (pooled OR = 1.56, 95%CI: 1.19-2.05, = 27%). Funnel plots and Egger regression asymmetry test were performed and showed no publication bias. CONCLUSION: PPI use was not associated with significant risks of higher acute rejection, graft loss, or 1-year mortality. However, the risk of hypomagnesemia was significantly increased with PPI use. Thus, future studies are needed to assess the impact of PPIs on long-term outcomes.

Soil organic carbon (SOC) is concentrated in coastal wetlands, and its permanence maintains a livable climate, yet dynamics that govern microbial activity and SOC persistence are not fully characterized in coastal wetlands. Though microbial activity is conventionally thought to facilitate SOC loss, soil microbes simultaneously direct SOC formation. In fact, microbially-processed materials constitute up to half of the terrestrial soil organic carbon pool. Environmental conditions can affect whether microbes yield a net gain or loss of SOC, yet there is little consensus on microbial drivers of soil carbon longevity in coastal ecosystems. I sought to identify which drivers of microbial activity have the greatest impact on SOC in salt marsh soils. To address this question, I conducted a meta-analysis using the PRISMA method. Based on an initial survey of 2,835 studies, numeric data on soil and ecosystem characteristics were collected across 50 studies on over 60 salt marshes located around the world. Integrative data analyses, including structural equation modeling (SEM), were applied to synthesized data to identify environmental drivers of SOC in salt marsh ecosystems. Across a wide range of study sites, analysis of over 20 variables shows that soil characteristics are tightly linked. Salinity, pH, nitrogen, and phosphorus are associated with increased microbial biomass and soil organic carbon. Correlations between microbial biomass carbon and SOC are strengthened by soil salinity and nitrogen, and they are weakened by moisture. Correlations were dependent on the means by which variables were measured, yet findings were consistent across study sites. These results suggest that soil carbon content is affected by drivers of microbial activity. Observational findings set the stage for experimental strategies that parcel causal effects of microbial activity on SOC from confounding effects of covariant environmental conditions. I identified that nitrogen, phosphorus, salinity, pH, and moisture influence microbial contributions to SOC. These environmental drivers, as well as microbial biomass and greenhouse gas flux, should be considered key indicators of soil health when assessing the sustainability of coastal SOC. Identification of environmental drivers of microbial function enables design of land management strategies that promote conditions conducive to coastal soil carbon longevity.

Military service impacts not just service members but their families as well. In this series of studies, meta-analytic, longitudinal, and qualitative methods were used to examine the impact of post-9/11 military service on family function. Study 1 used meta-analytic methods to (1) examine the relationship between Posttraumatic Stress Disorder/posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSD/PTSS) in service members and three domains of family difficulties: parenting problems, family maladjustment, and child symptoms; and (2) examine the relationship between combat exposure and these domains of family difficulties. Across 22 studies, random effects meta-analytic models revealed positive, small- to medium-sized associations between PTSD/PTSS and all domains of family difficulties. Smaller, positive associations were found between parental combat exposure and the family difficulties listed above. Findings revealed great heterogeneity in the magnitude of associations as well as areas of methodological weakness in the literature, including predominantly cross-sectional designs and failure to include multiple informants. Study 2 used a multi-informant, longitudinal design to evaluate the relationship between parental PTSD/PTSS present during an offspring’s early childhood (ages 0-5) and family difficulties during that same child’s middle childhood (ages 5-12). Families were recruited through their participation in a post-deployment program seven years previously. Thirty military-serving families, including 24 male service member parents, 26 female home-front parents, and 30 children (20 male), completed questionnaires assessing parental PTSD, child symptoms, parenting stress, lack of parental warmth, and external parental locus of control. Consistent with hypotheses, greater parental PTSD during early childhood was associated with more child symptomatology and parenting difficulties during middle childhood. Study 3 used mixed methods in the same sample to explore how home-front mothers find benefit from their spouse’s military service. A qualitative interview and an adapted version of the self-report Benefit Finding Scale (Carver, 2013) were used to examine benefit finding among 26 home-front mothers. Consistent with hypotheses, participants endorsed a range of benefits associated with their family’s military service, including financial, educational, and career benefits, strength, friendships and community, pride, appreciation of time together and good military/life values in their family. Together, these findings reveal both positive and negative effects of military service on families.