bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Integrated Molecular Characterization of Intraductal Papillary Mucinous Neoplasms: An NCI Cancer Moonshot Precancer Atlas Pilot Project
Authors: Semaan Alexander , Bernard Vincent , Wong Justin , Makino Yuki , Swartzlander Daniel B. , Rajapakshe Kimal I. , Lee Jaewon J. , Officer Adam , Schmidt Christian Max , Wu Howard H. , Scaife Courtney L. , Affolter Kajsa E. , Nachmanson Daniela , Firpo Matthew A. , Yip-Schneider Michele , Lowy Andrew M. , Harismendy Olivier , Sen Subrata , Maitra Anirban , Jakubek Yasminka A. , Guerrero Paola A.
Published: September 2023

Intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms (IPMN) are cystic precursor lesions to pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). IPMNs undergo multistep progression from low-grade (LG) to high-grade (HG) dysplasia, culminating in invasive neoplasia. While patterns of IPMN progression have been analyzed using multiregion sequencing for somatic mutations, there is no integrated assessment of molecular events, including copy-number alterations (CNA) and transcriptional changes that accompany IPMN progression. We performed laser capture microdissection on surgically resected IPMNs of varying grades of histologic dysplasia obtained from 23 patients, followed by whole-exome and whole-transcriptome sequencing. Overall, HG IPMNs displayed a significantly greater aneuploidy score than LG lesions, with chromosome 1q amplification being associated with HG progression and with cases that harbored co-occurring PDAC. Furthermore, the combined assessment of single-nucleotide variants (SNV) and CNAs identified both linear and branched evolutionary trajectories, underscoring the heterogeneity in the progression of LG lesions to HG and PDAC. At the transcriptome level, upregulation of MYC-regulated targets and downregulation of transcripts associated with the MHC class I antigen presentation machinery as well as pathways related to glycosylation were a common feature of progression to HG. In addition, the established PDAC transcriptional subtypes (basal-like and classical) were readily apparent within IPMNs. Taken together, this work emphasizes the role of 1q copy-number amplification as a putative biomarker of high-risk IPMNs, underscores the importance of immune evasion even in noninvasive precursor lesions, and reinforces that evolutionary pathways in IPMNs are heterogenous, comprised of both SNV and CNA-driven events.

Significance:

Integrated molecular analysis of genomic and transcriptomic alterations in the multistep progression of IPMNs, which are bona fide precursors of pancreatic cancer, identifies features associated with progression of low-risk lesions to high-risk lesions and cancer, which might enable patient stratification and cancer interception strategies.
Mental Health Conditions Among Children and Adolescents With Congenital Heart Disease: A Danish Population-Based Cohort Study
Authors: Miles Kimberley G. , Farkas Dóra Körmendiné , Laugesen Kristina , Sørensen Henrik Toft , Kasparian Nadine A. , Madsen Nicolas
Published: September 2023

BACKGROUND:

Despite the known mental health burden among children with congenital heart disease (CHD), the literature is constrained by a lack of comparison cohorts and population-based follow-up data. We examined the incidence of mental health conditions among children with CHD, relative to 3 comparison cohorts.

METHODS:

This population-based cohort study identified all children with CHD (<18 years of age; n=16 473) in Denmark from 1996 to 2017, through linkage of individual-level data across national registries. This allowed for complete follow-up of the population. Comparison cohorts included children from the general population (n=162 204), siblings of children with CHD (n=20 079), and children with non-CHD major congenital anomalies (n=47 799). Mental health conditions were identified using inpatient and outpatient hospital discharge codes, prescription data, and data on use of community-based psychology, psychiatry, and psychotherapy services. We computed cumulative incidence by 18 years of age, incidence rates, and adjusted hazard ratios (aHRs) using Cox regression. aHRs accounted for sex, year of CHD diagnosis, parental mental health, and socioeconomic status. All estimates were stratified by age, sex, and CHD complexity.

RESULTS:

The cumulative incidence of mental health conditions by 18 years of age in the CHD cohort was 35.1% (95% CI, 34.0%–36.1%), corresponding to aHRs of 1.64 (95% CI, 1.58–1.71), 1.41 (95% CI, 1.30–1.52), and 1.02 (95% CI, 0.98–1.07) compared with the general population, sibling, and major congenital anomaly cohorts, respectively. Mental health incidence rates showed prominent peaks in early childhood and adolescence. Males and children with severe or single-ventricle CHD demonstrated higher incidence rates of mental health conditions relative to females and children with mild or moderate CHD, respectively. Compared with the general population and sibling cohorts, incidence rates and aHRs in the CHD cohort were highest for severe stress reactions, attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder, intellectual disability, and autism spectrum disorder. Compared with children in the major congenital anomaly cohort, the aHRs were close to 1.

CONCLUSIONS:

More than one-third of children with CHD were diagnosed or treated for a mental health condition by 18 years of age. Mental health conditions began early in life and were most prominent among males and children with severe or single-ventricle heart disease.
First to hear, then to tell. On the plastic component of creativity
Authors: Melik-Pashaev Aleksander A.
Published: September 2023

Background. The problem of creativity and giftedness, due to the specifics of the subject, does not lend itself well to traditional methods of scientific research. In addition, psychology is occupied almost exclusively with intellectual giftedness, and the problem of artistic giftedness remains the least developed. Objective of the work is to outline the path to understanding personal qualities of the artist-creator as the psychological conditions for the birth and implementation of artistic ideas. Methods. Analysis and generalization of data from psychological, philosophical, theological literature and self-reports of art masters on the problems of artistic creativity and the creative nature of human. Results. It is shown that the essence of artistic and creative giftedness is impossible to understand by studying individual personality traits statistically associated with it. Another way, found to be promising, is the study of giftedness as a free manifestation of initiative in a particular activity. However, this activity must be supplemented and preceded by a “plastic” ability to perceive reality contemplatively. As the masters of art themselves testify, a truly artistic idea is not initially generated by the artist’s arbitrary activity, it is rather perceived as something unexpected and requiring realization by means of one or another art. In this regard, the article raises the question of the male-female, androgynous nature of a creative person. Examples are given of how this problem was comprehended at the bodily, mental and spiritual levels. Conclusion. An artist, as well as a teacher of art disciplines, needs to overcome the one-sided “masculine” approach to creativity as an activity and pay attention to the need to educate in himself (or in his students) the ability to “creative contemplation” of life. This spiritual and practical task cannot be solved with the help of methodological recommendations of a general order, it requires individual internal work. Never the less, there are examples that show that this task is solvable and suggest possible solutions. Favorable psychological conditions that children are endowed with make it solvable in pedagogical practice.
Musical movement as a means of comprehending the inner form of a musical work
Authors: Alimazyan Aida M.
Published: September 2023

Background. The issue of the methods in aesthetic education, including music, is of particular importance in connection with the task of personal development and formation of the moral sphere. The question of organizing the work that the listener does when perceiving a piece of music arises. Practical solution to this problem requires considering and identifying the content and structure of musical perception. Objectives. The article aims (1) to research the mechanisms and orientation of musical perception; (2) to analyze approaches to the problem of musical content in musicology and music psychology; (3) to reveal the possibilities of rhythmoplasty in the formation of musical perception as the ability to understand and experience and to respond to sounding music. Methods. The work is a theoretical and analytical study summarizing the experience of practice, musical movement, and other methods of rhythmoplasty. The methods of logical and meaningful analysis of theoretical approaches to the description of musical perception are used. The study of musical-motor forms created in practice is carried out from the point of view of reflecting the formal structures of music, as well as from the point of view of revealing the musical content. Sample. Musical-motor forms and compositions created in the practice of musical movement, as well as written reviews of participants of classes and members of the “Heptahor” studio are used as a material for analysis. Results. The conducted research allows us to confirm the assumption that the expressive movements carried out in response to sounding music reflect rather the internal, meaningful and semantic side of the music than its external, formal-structural aspects. Conclusion. The results obtained allow us to define the process of musical perception as a complex activity of “listening” to the inner semantic side of a musical work, which is not reducible to purely analytical work. It is also shown that using the means of rhythmoplasty makes it possible to reflect the inner semantic side of a musical work and translate a musical image into spatio-temporal forms.
Personality characteristics and coping strategies in actors
Authors: Lykova Tatyana A. , Petrakova Anastasiya V.
Published: September 2023

Background. The specific character of actors’ professional activity, assuming high competition, public character of the profession, constant involvement of the emotional and communicative skills in the process of scenic transformation in combination with the peculiarity of the actor’s personality and the importance of personal qualities for the professional success determine the relevance of the study of stress coping strategies used by actors. Objective. Authors aim to reveal the interrelation between personal features and stress coping strategies in actors. Methods. The research involved psychodiagnostic methods: Cattell’s 16 PF questionnaire, Folkman and Lazarus’ questionnaire of coping strategies adapted by T.L. Kryukova. The correlation analysis revealed the interrelation of personal characteristics and coping-strategies used by the respondents. Results. It was shown that the frequency of appeal to all coping-strategies by actors is on the average level, the problem-oriented strategies are used less often in comparison to the strategies of separating oneself from the problem, and restoring the emotional balance. Personality traits as recorded by Cattell E scale (dominance) and L scale (suspiciousness) showed negative correlation with the use of strategies of “planning the solution of problems” (r = –0,63, p = 0,01 for the E scale) and “seeking social support” (r = –0,55, p = 0,01 for the L scale). Conclusion. Comparison of the results obtained in the study with the data of similar works of previous years allowed us to identify the dynamics of personal characteristics peculiar to actors. In current conditions striving for domination, leadership, readiness for publicity become particularly relevant for the representatives of the acting profession. It was found that personal characteristics of suspiciousness and diplomacy play an important role in actors’ choice of coping-strategies in stressful situations. The results obtained point to the need for a special development of a system of psychological support and accompaniment not only for beginners but also for experienced actors.
Taxonomic revision of Burmeistera (Campanulaceae-Lobelioideae) in Colombia
Authors: GONZÁLEZ FAVIO
Published: September 2023

The taxonomic revision of Burmeistera (Campanulaceae, Lobelioideae) in Colombia comprising 57 species (42 of them endemic to the country) is here presented, along with a key for identification, maps of distribution, comments on the habitat, conservation status, phenology, and illustrations. Twenty species are considered as Critically Endangered, mostly due to the reduced number of individuals, the low number of flowering branches and flowers per individual, the narrow areas of distribution, and the habitat destruction. Burmeistera microphylla is reported for the first time from Colombia. Vernacular names and uses for some species are also provided. Additionally, 16 names are subsumed as new synonyms, and 15 lectotypes and one neotype are designated.
Additions to the herpetofauna of Hon Son Island, Rach Gia Bay, Kien Giang Province, southern Vietnam with a discussion of syntopy between the granite cave-adapted Bent-toed Gecko Cyrtodactylus eisenmanae and a new Cyrtodactylus of uncertain taxonomic status
Authors: GRISMER L. LEE , SMITH JACOB
Published: September 2023

An updated herpetofaunal checklist of Hon Son Island, Rach Gia Bay, Kien Giang Province, southern Vietnam is presented which reports of new records for Kaloula pulchra, Sylvirana cf. mortenseni, Cyrtodactylus sp., and Gehyra mutilata bringing the island total to 21 species. Cyrtodactylus sp. is an unidentified granite-cave adapted species that occurs in syntopy with the granite-cave adapted C. eisenmanae, bringing the total number of Cyrtodactylus on this tiny island (11.5 km2) to three. The implications of highly specialized syntopic congeneric ecomorphs is discussed.
2. Overzicht van de argumentatie
Authors: Hens Kristien
Published: September 2023

In dit hoofdstuk geef ik een overzicht van de hoofdstukken.
14. Zorgende verantwoordelijkheid
Authors: Hens Kristien
Published: September 2023

Ik beschrijf een zorgethische benadering die verder gaat dan individuele menselijke relaties, gebruikmakend van de ideeën van Joan Tronto, Maria Puig De La Bellacasa en Viola Cordova. Ik beargumenteer dat een zorgethiek die nuttig is voor bio-ethici het louter menselijke overstijgt en een onderliggende waarheid weerspiegelt dat het menselijk bestaan verstrengeld is met de wereld als geheel.
17. Concepten: Risico’s
Authors: Hens Kristien
Published: September 2023

Ik beschrijf hoe 'risico' geen neutrale term is, aan de hand van voorbeelden van de COVID-19 pandemie en van prenatale screening. Ik stel voor dat bio-ethici blijven wijzen op de verschillende aspecten van risico's en hoe ze vaak niet kunnen worden gereduceerd of tegen elkaar kunnen worden afgewogen.
Comparisons of Rainfall Microphysical Characteristics between the Southeastern Tibetan Plateau and Low-Altitude Areas
Authors: Xu Xin , Chen Xuelong , Cao Dianbin , Liu Yajing , Li Luhan , Ma Yaoming
Published: September 2023

The low air pressure and density over the Tibetan Plateau may have an impact on the microphysical features of rainfall. Using a two-dimensional video disdrometer (2DVD), a Micro Rain Radar (MRR), and a microwave radiometer (MWR), the features of the raindrop size distribution (DSD) on the southeastern Tibetan Plateau (SETP) are explored and compared with those in low-altitude regions. The falling speed of raindrops on the SETP is higher than that in low-altitude areas. Under different rainfall-rate categories, the number concentration and the maximum diameter of raindrops on the SETP are smaller than those in low-altitude regions. The convective rainfall on the SETP is more maritime-like because the South Asian summer monsoon brings water vapor from the ocean here. For stratiform and convective rainfall, the SETP has more small-sized raindrops than low-altitude locations. The mass-weighted mean diameters (Dm) on the SETP are the smallest among six sites. The generalized intercept parameter (Nw) of stratiform rainfall is balanced at a low rainfall rate, while that of convective rainfall is balanced at a high rainfall rate. Furthermore, for a given μ (the shape parameter of gamma distribution) value, the λ (the slope parameter of gamma distribution) value on the SETP is the highest of the six sites.

Significance Statement

For the occurrence and progression of rainfall, microphysical processes (for instance, collision, fragmentation, coalescence, and evaporation) that take place when rainfall particles descend are crucial. A key factor in the microphysical features of rainfall that varies with rainfall rates and types is the raindrop size distribution (DSD). The southeastern Tibetan Plateau (SETP)’s unique terrain ensures that there is enough moisture for rain to fall there, but little is known about the microphysical aspects of this type of precipitation. There has not been enough research done on how the high altitude affects the microphysical features of rainfall. The microphysical features of rainfall in this area must thus be studied.
Sensitivity of Banner Cloud Formation to Orography and the Ambient Atmosphere: Transition from Idealized to More Realistic Scenarios
Authors: Thomas Marius Levin , Wirth Volkmar
Published: September 2023

Banner clouds are clouds in the lee of steep mountains or sharp ridges on otherwise cloud-free days. Previous studies investigated various aspects of banner cloud formation in numerical simulations, most of which were based on idealized orography and a neutrally stratified ambient atmosphere. The present study extends these simulations in two important directions by 1) examining the impact of various types of orography ranging from an idealized pyramid to the realistic orography of Mount Matterhorn and 2) accounting for an ambient atmosphere that turns from neutral to stably stratified below the mountain summit. Not surprisingly, realistic orography introduces asymmetries in the spanwise direction. At the same time, banner cloud occurrence remains associated with a coherent area of strong uplift, although this region does not have to be located exclusively in the lee of the mountain any longer. In the case of Mount Matterhorn with a westerly ambient flow, a large fraction of air parcels rises along the southern face of the mountain, before they reach the lee and are lifted into the banner cloud. The presence of a shallow boundary layer with its top below the mountain summit introduces more complex behavior compared to a neutrally stratified boundary layer; in particular, it introduces a dependence on wind speed, because strong wind is associated with strong turbulence that is able to raise the boundary layer height and, thus, facilitates the formation of a banner cloud.
The 1996 Mid-Atlantic Winter Flood: Exploring Climate Risk through a Storyline Approach
Authors: Pettett Abigail , Zarzycki Colin M.
Published: September 2023

This article explores the application of thermodynamic perturbations to a historical midlatitude, wintertime, rain-on-snow flood event to evaluate how similar events may evolve under different climate forcings. In particular, we generate a hindcast of the 1996 Mid-Atlantic flood using an ensemble of 14-km variable-resolution simulations completed with the U.S. Department of Energy’s global Energy Exascale Earth System Model (E3SM). We show that the event is skillfully reproduced over the Susquehanna River Basin (SRB) by E3SM when benchmarked against in situ observational data and high-resolution reanalyses. In addition, we perform five counterfactual experiments to simulate the flood under preindustrial conditions and four different levels of warming as projected by the Community Earth System Model Large Ensemble. We find a nonlinear response in simulated surface runoff and streamflow as a function of atmospheric warming. This is attributed to changing contributions of liquid water input from a shallower initial snowpack (decreased snowmelt), increased surface temperatures and rainfall rates, and increased soil water storage. Flooding associated with this event peaks from around +1 to +2 K of global average surface warming and decreases with additional warming beyond this. There are noticeable timing shifts in peak runoff and streamflow associated with changes in the flashiness of the event. This work highlights the utility of using storyline approaches for communicating climate risk and demonstrates the potential nonlinearities associated with hydrologic extremes in areas that experience ephemeral snowpack, such as the SRB.
Online Interaction Turns the Congeniality Bias Into an Uncongeniality Bias
Authors: Buder Jürgen , Zimmermann Anja , Buttliere Brett , Rabl Lisa , Vogel Moritz , Huff Markus
Published: September 2023

Online phenomena like echo chambers and polarization are believed to be driven by humans’ penchant to selectively expose themselves to attitudinally congenial content. However, if like-minded content were the only predictor of online behavior, heated debate and flaming on the Internet would hardly occur. Research has overlooked how online behavior changes when people are given an opportunity to reply to dissenters. Three experiments (total N = 320; convenience student samples from Germany) and an internal meta-analysis show that in a discussion-forum setting where participants can reply to earlier comments larger cognitive conflict between participant attitude and comment attitude predicts higher likelihood to respond ( uncongeniality bias). When the discussion climate was friendly (vs. oppositional) to the views of participants, the uncongeniality bias was more pronounced and was also associated with attitude polarization. These results suggest that belief polarization on social media may not only be driven by congeniality but also by conflict.
Transition in Employability and Women Empowerment: Substantiates from Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana
Authors: Rathee Seema , Aggarwal Deepanshi
Published: September 2023

ʻEmployability and Empowermentʼ have played a critical role in shaping society and inspiring people to push limits and achieve new heights. Many actions have been performed to advance female equality and empower women. The Mudra scheme, one of the popular measures for reducing poverty, has the ability to improve women’s status in the current male-dominated culture. Thus, the main aim of the study is to analyse the influence of the PMMY scheme on employability and Women empowerment. The respondents of the current study, which is grounded on ʻprimary dataʼ, are Indian women entrepreneurs in the state of Haryana. The study collected required information using a self-administered interview schedule using a ʻcross-sectional study designʼ using a ʻstratified random sampling technique (disproportionate)ʼ between June 2022 and October 2022, the primary data were gathered from 570 respondents. The study uses Ordered Logistic Regression, Wilcoxon Sign Test and Effect Size test for the analysis. The findings show that credit amount has a big impact on employability. The Wilcoxon signed-rank test results from the study show that there has been a considerable increase in the respondents’ fiscal, societal, and psychosomatic empowerment when compared to the Before-Mudra loan phase.
A Study of the Influence of Artificial Intelligence and Its Challenges: The Impact on Employees of the Legal Sector of Mauritius
Authors: Beebeejaun Ambareen , Gunputh Rajendra Parsad
Published: September 2023

The Mauritius Artificial Intelligence Strategy 2018, established by the government, aims at making Artificial Intelligence (AI) a cornerstone of the next development model by recognizing the potential of technology to improve growth, productivity and quality of life. In this regard, AI has already started to shape the legal sector, for instance, by assisting law practitioners to identify and minimize bias in client intake, offer initial consultation solutions, expand the scope of information for law practitioners and predict the outcome of future legal cases, among others. Nevertheless, while the legal profession worldwide is facing pressure to innovate and transform, the emergence of AI is causing significant disruption to long-established practices in the legal world, especially since this particular sector has traditionally under-utilized technology. Consequently, this study seeks to assess the influence of AI on employees from the legal profession mainly in terms of their performance, their reaction, and adaptability to change and to identify the challenges faced by these employees in Mauritius in adopting AI for their operational activities.
The Study of Clinical Phenotypes and Analysis of Mutations in L1 Syndrome
Authors: Shrinivasamurthy Madhan , Benakanal Shreeshail V , Kakanahalli Nagaraj
Published: September 2023

Background

L1CAM protein plays a crucial role during early development and mutations in L1CAM cause L1 syndrome. L1 syndrome demonstrates a highly variable presentation within and between families. The clinical symptoms of L1 syndrome include mental retardation, hydrocephalus, spasticity, aphasia, and adducted thumb. Mutations in L1CAM gene were found to affect structurally essential key residues in extracellular region of L1 leading to changes in protein binding properties. In most cases, these mutations create unexpected phenotypes which need to be understood thoroughly.

Purpose

The L1 syndrome patients were identified by various phenotypes like mental retardation, hydrocephalus, aphasia, spasticity, adducted thumb, etc., and the patients or mental retardation (MR) children who had more than three symptoms. This study aimed to screen mutations in multiple exons by Sanger sequencing.

Methods

The present study employed primers which are designed for specific exons of L1CAM gene to amplify and sequence the amplified product to detect the mutations in L1 syndrome patients by the Sanger sequencing. Chi-square test was used to determine the mutation detection rate with the number of L1 syndrome phenotypes and several i n silico programs were used to investigate potential effects of the variants.

Results

The nine different mutations in six patients. The mutation detection rate was high (83.33%) in patients with more than one L1 syndrome phenotype and in patients with more than one affected member in a family compared to patients with single phenotypes and negative family history (16.6%).

Conclusion

The mutation detection rate was related to the presence of typical L1 syndrome phenotypes and the family history. Screening of L1CAM gene mutations in the Indian population is much needed to analyze the mutations and understand the mechanism underlying L1 disease. The present study has identified some novel mutations which are implicated in alterations in various biological functions during development leading to pathogenesis of L1 syndrome.
Case Series on Effectiveness of Cutting-Down Program for Managing Non-Suicidal Self-Injury Among Adolescents
Authors: Saxena Osheen , Kishore M. Thomas , Kumar Ajay , Sagar K. John Vijay , Binukumar B.
Published: September 2023

Background:

Non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) is an emerging issue among adolescents with a growing prevalence in clinical settings. It is a multi-faceted condition in terms of psychiatric comorbidities, variation in the form and method of self-harm, body area, the pattern of the wound and the function served, and therefore, understanding and managing it adequately in routine clinical practice is a challenge. There is a need for research to focus on in-depth understanding of the effectiveness of and process issues for existing interventions for NSSI in adolescents.

Aim:

The present research is a case series aimed at examining the effectiveness of the cutting-down programme (CDP), a manualized cognitive behaviour therapy programme, in reducing the frequency and intensity of NSSI acts and urges in two adolescents. The objectives of the study were to examine the effect of the CDP on depressive symptoms, dysfunctional attitudes, emotion regulation, experiential avoidance and global functioning in adolescents with NSSI, and to explore the association of patient motivation and patient perception of therapy with therapy outcome in adolescents with NSSI.

Method:

For the study, two adolescents with NSSI who presented to the Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, NIMHANS, Bangalore, were recruited using purposive sampling. They were assessed using the MINI-International Neuropsychiatric Interview for Children and Adolescents (MINI Kid Screen 7.0.2). In addition, standardized were used to assess the severity and functions of NSSI, borderline personality disorder, depression, emotion regulation skills, dysfunctional attitudes, psychological flexibility and global functioning. The participants were also assessed on a semi-structured interview to assess NSSI every week during the intervention. Baseline measures were repeated when the CDP was completed. Further, the non-specific factors such as patient’s perceptions of therapy and patient motivation were assessed using the standardized scales.

Results:

The CDP was found to be effective in reducing the NSSI among the two adolescents. It also improved their depressive symptoms, dysfunctional attitudes, emotion regulation, experiential avoidance and global functioning. The therapy outcome was related to the participants’ motivations and perceptions of therapy.

Conclusion:

The CDP is an effective intervention for reducing NSSI acts. However, client characteristics such as perception and motivation for therapy will play a role in therapy outcome.
Using Multidimensional Poverty Measure to Target Right Beneficiaries to Achieve Sustainable Development Goal-1 in India
Authors: Khosla Sunil , Jena Pradyot Ranjan
Published: September 2023

Shocks are responsible for significant setbacks in development progress because it persistently inflicts a negative impact on livelihood. As a result, those who are poor continue to be poor, and those who are not poor become vulnerable to falling into poverty. The analysis of the link between risks and vulnerability to poverty in developing countries is a major focus of development policy to ensure the resilience of vulnerable households. However, there is a lack of research in India that examines the potential impact of shocks on poverty and future deprivation. The objective of this study is to estimate vulnerability to multidimensional poverty (VMDP) and analyse the factors that lead to loss of well-being after experiencing adverse events in rural Odisha. Using survey data from 479 households, the study first estimated multidimensional poverty (MDP), adopting a counting approach. Secondly, the estimation of VMDP is performed using the three-step feasible generalised least squares approach. The results show that 55% of the surveyed households are vulnerable to MDP in rural Odisha. It is also observed that 35% of currently poor households are likely to remain poor and 20% of non-poor households are at risk of sliding into poverty. The study suggests that poverty alleviation policies should cover not just those in poverty today but also those at risk of becoming poor in the near future.
Derivative curve estimation in longitudinal studies using P-splines
Authors: Hernández María Alejandra , Lee Dae-Jin , Rodríguez-álvarez María Xosé , Durbán María
Published: September 2023

The estimation of curve derivatives is of interest in many disciplines. It allows the extraction of important characteristics to gain insight about the underlying process. In the context of longitudinal data, the derivative allows the description of biological features of the individuals or finding change regions of interest. Although there are several approaches to estimate subject-specific curves and their derivatives, there are still open problems due to the complicated nature of these time course processes. In this article, we illustrate the use of P-spline models to estimate derivatives in the context of longitudinal data. We also propose a new penalty acting at the population and the subject-specific levels to address under-smoothing and boundary problems in derivative estimation. The practical performance of the proposal is evaluated through simulations, and comparisons with an alternative method are reported. Finally, an application to longitudinal height measurements of 125 football players in a youth professional academy is presented, where the goal is to analyse their growth and maturity patterns over time.
Revision Rates After Primary Allograft ACL Reconstruction by Allograft Tissue Type in Older Patients
Authors: Engler Ian D. , Chang Audrey Y. , Kaarre Janina , Shannon Michael F. , Curley Andrew J. , Smith Clair N. , Hughes Jonathan D. , Lesniak Bryson P. , Musahl Volker
Published: September 2023

Background:

While there is extensive literature on the use of allograft versus autograft in anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction, there is limited clinical evidence to guide the surgeon in choice of allograft tissue type.

Purpose:

To assess the revision rate after primary ACL reconstruction with allograft and to compare revision rates based on allograft tissue type and characteristics.

Study Design:

Cohort study; Level of evidence, 3.

Methods:

Patients who underwent primary allograft ACL reconstructions at a single academic institution between 2015 and 2019 and who had minimum 2-year follow-up were included. Exclusion criteria were missing surgical or allograft tissue type data. Demographics, operative details, and subsequent surgical procedures were collected. Allograft details included graft tissue type (Achilles, bone–patellar tendon–bone [BTB], tibialis anterior or posterior, semitendinosus, unspecified soft tissue), allograft category (all–soft tissue vs bone block), donor age, irradiation duration and intensity, and chemical cleansing process. Revision rates were calculated and compared by allograft characteristics.

Results:

Included were 418 patients (age, 39 ± 12 years; body mass index, 30 ± 9 kg/m2). The revision rate was 3% (11/418) at a mean follow-up of 4.9 ± 1.4 years. There were no differences in revision rate according to allograft tissue type across Achilles tendon (3%; 3/95), BTB (5%; 3/58), tibialis anterior or posterior (3%; 5/162), semitendinosus (0%; 0/46), or unspecified soft tissue (0%; 0/57) ( P = .35). There was no difference in revision rate between all–soft tissue versus bone block allograft (6/283 [2%] vs 5/135 [4%], respectively; P = .34). Of the 51% of grafts with irradiation data, all grafts were irradiated, with levels varying from 1.5 to 2.7 Mrad and 82% of grafts having levels of <2.0 Mrad. There was no difference in revision rate between the low-dose and medium-to high-dose irradiation cohorts (4% vs 6%, respectively; P = .64).

Conclusion:

Similarly low (0%-6%) revision rates after primary ACL reconstruction were seen regardless of allograft tissue type, bone block versus all-soft tissue allograft, and sterilization technique in 418 patients with mean age of 39 years. Surgeons may consider appropriately processed allograft tissue with or without bone block when indicating ACL reconstruction in older patients.
Contextualized High School Performance: Evidence to Inform Equitable Holistic, Test-Optional, and Test-Free Admissions Policies
Authors: Bastedo Michael N. , Umbricht Mark , Bausch Emma , Byun Bo-Kyung , Bai Yiping
Published: September 2023

Holistic admissions practices require evaluating an applicant’s credentials in light of the opportunities available in their high school context. High school grades, test scores, and course taking are clearly related to college grades, retention, and graduation. But does performance in high school context also relate to college success? Building a unique dataset of 2.3 million students in a Midwestern state, we find that contextualized indicators of high school grades and standardized tests are strongly associated with student success in college, validating their use in holistic admissions. Contextualized grades have a stronger and more consistent association with college success than contextualized test scores, and may be most helpful at test-optional, test-free, and broader-access colleges that have yet to adopt holistic admissions practices.
Intuition is not evidence: Prescriptions for behavioral interventions from social psychology
Authors: Wilson Timothy D. , Juarez Lindsay P.
Published: September 2023

Many behavioral interventions are widely implemented before being adequately tested because they meet a commonsense criterion. Unfortunately, once these interventions are evaluated with randomized controlled trials (RCTs), many have been found to be ineffective or even to cause harm. Social psychologists take a different approach, using theories developed in the laboratory to design small-scale interventions that address a wide variety of behavioral and educational problems. Many of these interventions, tested with RCTs, have had large positive effects. The advantages of this approach are discussed, as are conditions necessary for scaling up any intervention to larger populations.
Small behavioral science–informed changes can produce large policy-relevant effects
Authors: Cialdini Robert B. , Martin Steve J. , Goldstein Noah J.
Published: September 2023

Policymakers traditionally have relied upon education, economic incentives, and legal sanctions to influence behavior and effect change for the public good. But recent research in the behavioral sciences points to an exciting new approach that is highly effective and cost-efficient. By leveraging one or more of three simple yet powerful human motivations, small changes in reframing motivational context can lead to significant and policy-relevant changes in behaviors.
Active Choosing or Default Rules? The Policymaker's Dilemma
Authors: Sunstein Cass R.
Published: September 2023

It is important for people to make good choices about important matters, such as health insurance or retirement plans. Sometimes it is best to ask people to make active choices. But in some contexts, people are busy or aware of their own lack of knowledge, and providing default options is best for choosers. If people elect not to choose or would do so if allowed, they should have that alternative. A simple framework, which assesses the costs of decisions and the costs of errors, can help policymakers decide whether active choosing or default options are more appropriate.
Designing better energy metrics for consumers
Authors: Larrick Richard P. , Soll Jack B. , Keeney Ralph L.
Published: September 2023

Consumers are often poorly informed about the energy consumed by different technologies and products. Traditionally, consumers have been provided with limited and flawed energy metrics, such as miles per gallon, to quantify energy use. We propose four principles for designing better energy metrics. Better measurements would describe the amount of energy consumed by a device or activity, not its energy efficiency; relate that information to important objectives, such as reducing costs or environmental impacts; use relative comparisons to put energy consumption in context; and provide information on expanded scales. We review insights from psychology underlying the recommendations and the empirical evidence supporting their effectiveness. These interventions should be attractive to a broad political spectrum because they are low cost and designed to improve consumer decisionmaking.
New directions for policies aimed at strengthening low-income couples
Authors: Lavner Justin A. , Karney Benjamin R. , Bradbury Thomas N.
Published: September 2023

Strong marriages are associated with a range of positive outcomes for adults and their children. But many couples struggle to build and sustain strong marriages. Federal initiatives have sought to support marriage, particularly among low-income populations, through programs that emphasize relationship education. Recent results from three large-scale interventions funded by these initiatives are weaker than expected. These results provide a valuable opportunity to ask what policy strategies would work better. Research demonstrating how economic strain affects low-income families and constrains their individual well-being, relationship satisfaction, communication, and parenting is relevant here. So is research indicating that addressing the financial pressures low-income couples face can improve relationship stability. An increased emphasis on these programs, either alone or in combination with relationship education, could better serve low-income couples.
Beyond good intentions: Prompting people to make plans improves follow-through on important tasks
Authors: Rogers Todd , Milkman Katherine L. , John Leslie K. , Norton Michael I.
Published: September 2023

People fail to follow through on all types of important intentions, including staying fit, studying sufficiently, and voting. These failures cost individuals and society by escalating medical costs, shrinking lifetime earnings, and reducing citizen involvement in government. Evidence is mounting, however, that prompting people to make concrete and specific plans makes people more likely to act on their good intentions. Planning prompts seem to work because scheduling tasks makes people more likely to carry them out. They also help people recall in the right circumstances and in the right moment that they need to carry out a task. Prompts to make plans are simple, inexpensive, and powerful interventions that help people do what they intend to get done. They also avoid telling people what to do, allowing people to maintain autonomy over their own decisions.
Improving the communication of uncertainty in climate science and intelligence analysis
Authors: Ho Emily H. , Budescu David V. , Dhami Mandeep K. , Mandel David R.
Published: September 2023

Public policymakers routinely receive and communicate information characterized by uncertainty. Decisions based on such information can have important consequences, so it is imperative that uncertainties are communicated effectively. Many organizations have developed dictionaries, or lexicons, that contain specific language (e.g., very likely, almost certain) to express uncertainty. But these lexicons vary greatly and only a few have been empirically tested. We have developed evidence-based methods to standardize the language of uncertainty so that it has clear meaning understood by all parties in a given communication. We tested these methods in two policy-relevant domains: climate science and intelligence analysis. In both, evidence-based lexicons were better understood than those now used by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the U.S. National Intelligence Council, and the U.K. Defence Intelligence. A well-established behavioral science method for eliciting the terms’ full meaning was especially effective for deriving such lexicons.
The White House Social & Behavioral Sciences Team: Lessons learned from year one
Authors: Congdon William J. , Shankar Maya
Published: September 2023

On September 15, 2015, President Obama signed Executive Order 13707 titled “Using Behavioral Science Insights to Better Serve the American People.” The order directs federal agencies to integrate behavioral insights into their policies and programs and formally establishes the Social and Behavioral Sciences Team (SBST). Originally launched in 2014, SBST translates insights from behavioral science research into improvements in federal policies and programs. In its first annual report, SBST detailed results from projects that drew on behavioral insights to promote retirement security, expand college access and affordability, connect workers and small businesses with economic opportunities, improve health outcomes, and increase program integrity and government efficiency. The results of SBST projects offer important lessons for bringing a behavioral perspective to federal policy. The executive order provides a framework for future policy applications.
Home Visiting Programs: Four Evidence-Based Lessons for Policymakers
Authors: Osborne Cynthia
Published: September 2023

Home visiting programs (HVPs) aim to help low-income parents enhance their parenting skills and improve a host of early health and developmental outcomes for young children. Over the past five decades, numerous HVP models have been developed and implemented, albeit with modest or even null results, according to meta-analyses and comprehensive reviews. In 2010, in an effort to advance HVPs’ effectiveness, federal lawmakers vastly expanded funding for HVPs with certain caveats, one being the requirement that the majority of programs be evidence based. Although the new requirement is a policy win, this review presents four main areas that must be addressed and improved upon if this new funding effort is to maximize positive outcomes. Pointedly, HVPs should have built-in flexibility for states to match the specific or unique needs of a family to a program model that has demonstrated effectiveness in meeting those specific needs. Further, program developers should clearly demonstrate what it is specifically about their model that works, in what context, and for whom. Ultimately, not unlike personalized medicine, state policymakers should target delivery of the right HVP model to the right family at the right time.
Launching Preschool 2.0: A Road Map to High-Quality Public Programs at Scale
Authors: Weiland Christina
Published: September 2023

Head Start and other publicly funded preschool programs are some of the most popular government programs in the United States, and in recent years officials have explored expanding public preschool and making it universal. However, several recent large-scale studies have raised questions about the benefits of these programs for participants and for society, as well as whether high-quality preschool is achievable on a large scale. This article reviews the available evidence on these questions and also what is known about the quality of various types of existing programs. The evidence indicates that the curriculum and professional development choices of most programs are out of step with the science of early childhood education and that this has made preschool programs less effective than they could be. The Boston Public Schools prekindergarten program can be used as a case study in better practice preschool implementation. Evaluation of this program shows that high-quality public preschool is achievable on a large scale if localities make the right investment and implementation decisions.
A 10-year Strategy of Increased Coordination & Comprehensive Investments in Early Child Development
Authors: Chaudry Ajay , Waldfogel Jane
Published: September 2023

The United States has a fragmented and inadequate system of early childhood care and education. Most children do not receive high-quality opportunities; only those whose families have the means to provide them receive their benefits. Market-based and privately financed services operate separately from publicly funded programs and serve different populations with different levels of quality. Often, there is little coordination between different programs that serve the same child over the course of her or his early years. This lack of coordination contributes to growing inequities in later educational and adult outcomes. We propose a 10-year strategy for a coordinated set of reforms to significantly improve and integrate the major public and private early childhood programs into a coherent whole. The goal is to better meet children's needs, with a special focus on leveling the development and learning gaps that exist before kindergarten. The strategy consists of paid parental leave, child-care assistance for children with working parents, universal early education that starts when children are 3 years old, and a re-envisioned role for Head Start to reach the most disadvantaged children with intensive services from birth.