bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Endogenous RNA interference is driven by copy number
Authors: Cruz Cristina , Houseley Jonathan
Published: February 2014

A plethora of non-protein coding RNAs are produced throughout eukaryotic genomes, many of which are transcribed antisense to protein-coding genes and could potentially instigate RNA interference (RNAi) responses. Here we have used a synthetic RNAi system to show that gene copy number is a key factor controlling RNAi for transcripts from endogenous loci, since transcripts from multi-copy loci form double stranded RNA more efficiently than transcripts from equivalently expressed single-copy loci. Selectivity towards transcripts from high-copy DNA is therefore an emergent property of a minimal RNAi system. The ability of RNAi to selectively degrade transcripts from high-copy loci would allow suppression of newly emerging transposable elements, but such a surveillance system requires transcription. We show that low-level genome-wide pervasive transcription is sufficient to instigate RNAi, and propose that pervasive transcription is part of a defense mechanism capable of directing a sequence-independent RNAi response against transposable elements amplifying within the genome.
Mutant enzymes challenge all assumptions
Authors: Nottingham Ryan M , Pfeffer Suzanne R
Published: February 2014

Enzymes called Rab GTPases that carry so-called “activating” mutations may never become activated at all.
Developing Scientists' “Soft” Skills
Authors: Gordon Wendy
Published: February 2014

A great deal of professional advice directed at undergraduates, graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and even early‐career scientists focuses on technical skills necessary to succeed in a complex work environment in which problems transcend disciplinary boundaries. Collaborative research approaches are emphasized, as are cross‐training and gaining nonacademic experiences [Moslemi et al., 2009].
Assessing new remote sensing aerosol detection algorithms
Authors: Schultz Colin
Published: February 2014

Atmospheric aerosols affect the weather and climate by changing cloud formation and the energy balance and, depending on their type and concentration, can negatively affect air quality. Important atmospheric aerosols include dust, ash, volcanic sulfate aerosols, sea salt, biogenic particles, urban/industrial pollution, and smoke. For more than a decade, the twin Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometers (MODIS) aboard NASA's Aqua and Terra satellites have provided regular global assessments of aerosol loading, and now, following its 2011 launch, the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) aboard the Suomi National Polar‐orbiting Partnership (Suomi‐NPP) satellite is ready to contribute to that assessment.
Acoustic emissions unveil internal motion in granular materials
Authors: Schultz Colin
Published: February 2014

When confronted with a heavy load or deformed by stress, the individual particles in a granular material will sometimes reorganize to a more stable arrangement. At small scales these reorganizations are little more than the redistribution of grains in the pile. In some cases, though, a reorganization is the first step of a critical failure, the trigger for an avalanche or landslide.
Using NCBI BLAST
Authors: Stover Nicholas A. , Cavalcanti Andre R.O.
Published: February 2014

BLAST is the most widely used software in bioinformatics research. Its main function is to compare a sequence of interest, the query sequence, to sequences in a large database. BLAST then reports the best matches, or “hits,” found in the database. This simple program has two primary applications. First, if the function of the query sequence is unknown, it may be possible to infer its function based on the recognized functions of similar sequences. Second, if the researcher has a query sequence with a known function, it may be possible to identify sequences in the database that have similar functions. The utility of BLAST therefore depends on the researcher's choice of query sequence and database. An appreciation for the functions and limitations of BLAST are vital to using this program effectively. This unit will introduce the basic concepts behind BLAST, walk through BLAST searching protocols, and interpret common results. Curr. Protoc. Essential Lab. Tech. 8:11.1.1‐11.1.35. © 2014 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Children's Self‐Regulation and Executive Control
Authors: Clark Caron A. C. , Martinez Miriam M. , Nelson Jennifer Mize , Wiebe Sandra A. , Andrews Espy Kimberly
Published: February 2014

Self‐regulation is essential for adaptive behavior in everyday contexts that become increasingly elaborated and complex through childhood and adolescence. Here, we review literature and discuss our own findings regarding the development of executive control (EC) skills that support gains in self‐regulation over the preschool years. Children's accuracy on executive inhibitory control, working memory, and flexibility tasks increases dramatically between 3 and 4 years of age, paralleling both quantitative and qualitative changes in neural volume and connectivity. Levels of proficiency on theseECmeasures are strongly tied to children's sociofamilial backgrounds, and particularly to family financial resources that facilitate access to learning materials and supports. Moreover, our data indicate that children's level of performance onECtasks administered during preschool mediates the relation of family financial resources to children's mathematical achievement in early kindergarten. Collectively, findings indicate that the acquisition ofECrepresents a critical developmental task of early childhood and provides a platform for wellbeing across academic and socioemotional domains.
Early Math and Literacy Skills
Authors: Duncan Greg J. , Dowsett Chantelle , F. Lawrence Joshua
Published: February 2014

Children's cognitive skills and socioemotional behaviors at school entry constitute the building blocks for the acquisition of later, more sophisticated skills. But discussions of preschool “quality” reveal little consensus regarding the relative importance of cognitive versus socioemotional skills for school readiness. Our chapter summarizes evidence showing that future school achievement is much less a function of a child's school‐entry social and emotional development than his or her concrete literacy and numeracy skills. Ability to pay attention and engage in school tasks occupies an intermediate position. Expanding the conception of school “success” to include not only doing well on achievement tests but also completing high school and attending college, changes the picture somewhat. Avoiding persistently low math achievement matters the most for positive school attainment, but children with persistent antisocial behavior problems across middle childhood are also at elevated risk of low attainment.
Can Parents Be Supported to Use a Responsive Interaction Style with Young Children?
Authors: Landry Susan H.
Published: February 2014

Responsive parenting frequently has been related to better social, emotional, and cognitive child outcomes in correlational studies and shows a positive causal influence on these outcomes in some experimental studies. This chapter discusses responsive parenting using the attachment and sociocultural theoretical frameworks. It describes empirical evidence that supports conceptualizing responsive parenting as a broader construct that includes affective‐emotional and cognitively supportive behaviors that cut across both of these theoretical frameworks. Finally, evidence from two experimental studies designed to facilitate responsive parenting during infancy and the toddler and early preschool periods is presented. It demonstrates the importance of consistency in this style of parenting across the entire early childhood period.
Parenting and Executive Function
Authors: Hughes Claire , Roman Gabriela , Ensor Rosie
Published: February 2014

In their analysis of the U.K. riots of August 2011, the Riots Communities and Victims Panel (2012) emphasized the long‐term impact of poor parenting. In the heat of the moment, many young people were seduced into joining in the looting and violence, but others were able to hold back. Interviews conducted in the aftermath of the riots highlighted self‐control and self‐discipline as key discriminators between these groups, and, as the Panel concluded, parents are best placed to instill such positive attitudes and behavior in children. Our aim in this chapter is to review research on parental influences on children's executive functions (the higher order processes, associated with the prefrontal cortex, which underpin goal‐directed thought and action and adaptive responses to changes in the environment). This review will encompass both early studies on parental strategies for scaffolding planning and self‐control (mostly with preschoolers, but including some research with older children) and later studies that focus on maternal depression and family chaos as predictors of poor executive function development.
The Nature of Effective Parenting
Authors: Grusec Joan E. , Saritaş Dilek , Daniel Ella
Published: February 2014

Some features of effective parenting are outlined. First, it is argued that good parenting is multifaceted. Parents operate in different ways and each of these ways results in different outcomes: There is no one single way to parent effectively. Second, it is noted that children perceive the same form of parenting differently, depending on variables such as their developmental status, their sex, and the cultural context in which they operate. One particularly important moderator of parenting practices is temperament. To be effective, then, parents must be knowledgeable about the meaning that their children assign to their interventions.
High‐Risk Home and Child‐Care Environments and Children's Social‐Emotional Outcomes
Authors: Badanes Lisa S. , Enos Watamura Sarah
Published: February 2014

This chapter focuses on specific empirically based home and child‐care characteristics that put a child at risk for the development of poor social‐emotional outcomes. Specifically, we focus on the high‐risk home characteristics of maternal depression, child maltreatment, and insecure parent–child attachment. We also discuss high‐risk child‐care characteristics such as low caregiving quality, placement instability, and teacher–child relationship difficulties. In line with a bioecological systems perspective, we also briefly review the literature documenting that high‐risk home and child‐care environments are disproportionally experienced by children living in poverty, and that the constellation of risk that often co‐occurs with living in poverty has well‐known impacts on children's socioemotional outcomes.
Classroom Peer Relations as a Context for Social and Scholastic Development
Authors: Ladd Gary W. , Kochenderfer‐Ladd Becky , Sechler Casey M.
Published: February 2014

It has been hypothesized that peers play a critical role in the orientations (i.e., behavioral, emotional, and cognitive) that children develop toward school, and these developments may ultimately influence the ways children participate and learn within the school environment. These underlying processes that link peer relationships and students' achievement appear to have both a direct (e.g., modeling academic skills, facilitating intellectual advances) and indirect (e.g., underlying social and emotional factors) impact on students' academic performance. In this chapter, we consider: (a) four distinct types of classroom peer relationships (forms of relationship), (b) how children develop these relationships (relationship formation), and (c) the means by which relationships affect children's scholastic participation and progress (relationship processes and effects).
Poverty, Public Policy, and Children's Wellbeing
Authors: Huston Aletha C.
Published: February 2014

Approximately 20% of the children in the United States live in poverty. By the age of 2 years, the average child in a poor family is behind in intellectual, language, and social development; that child reaches school without good preparation to meet its demands. Longitudinal evidence indicates that poverty in the first 5 years has especially strong effects on later achievement and earnings, a finding that is consistent with emerging information about the critical importance of early environments for insuring children's physical, mental, and intellectual health. The United States has a set of “safety net” programs designed to reduce child poverty and to ameliorate the effects of poverty on child development. They fall into five domains—economic and income supports, food and nutrition, early care and education, health care, and the physical and social environment. Empirical evidence indicates that most of these programs counteract some of the disadvantages associated with poverty. Income assistance programs, child‐care subsidies, and housing assistance reduce child poverty both directly and indirectly, and many other programs reduce hardship by providing food, medical care, and housing. Although the current safety net protects some children from the consequences of poverty, the United States continues to have much higher rates of child poverty and income inequality than other industrialized countries. The safety net is frayed in part because some of its programs do not serve all eligible families, allowing many people to fall through its holes, a problem that is exacerbated during economic downturns when assistance is most needed. We can do a better job by examining successful policies to identify those that best address the needs of our children.
Early Life Stress and Neurobehavioral Development
Authors: Stellern Sarah , Gunnar Megan R.
Published: February 2014

Early life stress has been associated with a diverse number of physical and mental health conditions. While many mechanisms are likely in play, most models acknowledge the role of stress physiology. Stress physiology likely plays a role both in producing and maintaining these effects. A large body of research documents how early experiences may shape the regulation of stress‐response systems. This chapter explores the relationship between stress physiology and neurobehavioral development, as well as its implications for wellbeing in childhood.
The Family Check‐Up
Authors: Gill Anne M. , Dishion Thomas J. , Shaw Daniel S.
Published: February 2014

The link between problem behavior in early childhood and serious problem behavior in later childhood and adolescence has been well documented, as has the link between parent–child interactions associated with the amplification of these problem behaviors. These linkages underscore the need to support parenting practices from early childhood through adolescence with parenting interventions that fit within the service delivery milieu that can engage children and families from a range of risk ecologies. The Family Check‐Up (FCU) is one such empirically supported intervention that was specifically designed to address child problem behavior at periods of developmental transition, such as toddlerhood and adolescence, among families experiencing multiple types of family and socioeconomic adversity. TheFCUis an assessment‐driven, tailored, brief intervention that addresses motivational issues and utilizes a health maintenance model and a strengths‐based approach. TheFCUallows the clinician to very directly meet the parent's needs and stated goals while considering the broader contextual issues as they relate to the presenting concerns and treatment goals. TheFCUis an empirically validated model that supports the efficient provision of parent skills training within an ecological and culturally sensitive framework.
Conceptualizing and Measuring Wellbeing at Work
Authors: Fisher Cynthia D.
Published: February 2014

Definitions and measures of wellbeing in general and at work are discussed. Comprehensive conceptualizations and measures of wellbeing at work should include three major components: subjective wellbeing (job satisfaction and similar positive attitudes, positive affect, and negative affect), eudaimonic wellbeing (e.g., engagement, meaning, growth, intrinsic motivation, calling), and social wellbeing (e.g., quality connections, satisfaction with coworkers, high‐quality exchange relationships with leaders, social support, etc.).
Job Demands–Resources Theory
Authors: Bakker Arnold B. , Demerouti Evangelia
Published: February 2014

This chapter outlines the building blocks of the job demands–resources (JD‐R) theory, a theory that has been inspired by job design and job stress theories. Whereas job design theories have often ignored the role of job stressors or demands, job stress models have largely ignored the motivating potential of job resources.JD‐R theory combines the two research traditions, and explains how job demands and (job and personal) resources have unique and multiplicative effects on job stress and motivation. In addition,JD‐R theory proposes reversed causal effects: whereas burned‐out employees may create more job demands over time for themselves, engaged workers mobilize their own job resources to stay engaged. The chapter closes with a discussion of possibleJD‐R interventions.
The Sustainable Workforce
Authors: Kossek Ellen Ernst , Valcour Monique , Lirio Pamela
Published: February 2014

Employment practices that support work–life balance and wellbeing in workplace experiences are critical pathways to long‐term workforce effectiveness, or cultivating a “sustainable workforce.” In this chapter, we discuss the notion of a sustainable workforce and examine how it relates to work–life balance and wellbeing. We then identify three organizational strategies that can be employed by researchers and practitioners to improve these linkages: promoting sustainable careers, increasing workplace social support, and safeguarding against work intensification. Finally, we present a research agenda which centers on developing sustainable workforces in organizations and fostering long‐term social benefits.
Measuring Wellbeing in Modern Societies
Authors: Allin Paul
Published: February 2014

Governments have long been interested in the wellbeing and happiness of citizens. We use the United Kingdom as a case study and consider how governments are starting to measure wellbeing and to understand “what matters” to people. This is within an international context of moving beyond gross domestic product (
GDP
), the traditional measure of economic performance, to separate wellbeing from growth as a policy objective. We are interested in measures to be used in policy and we explore what policy makers and practitioners can do in practice to reflect wellbeing in the decisions they make, looking at examples of “wellbeing at work” policies and toolkits. We conclude that although the limitations of
GDP
as a measure of economic performance, social progress, and sustainability are fully documented, it is still very much “early days” for the wellbeing agenda.
The State of Wellbeing Science
Authors: Huppert Felicia A.
Published: February 2014

In this introductory chapter, some of the fundamental questions concerning the nature and importance of subjective wellbeing are addressed, and how wellbeing concepts and measures can be effectively integrated into interventions and policy. The chapter begins by asking what wellbeing is, and differentiating the concepts of positive mental health or flourishing from the absence of illbeing. It then tackles the issue of whether positive mental health and mental disorders should be regarded as lying along a single continuum. There follows a critical analysis of the measurement of wellbeing, which makes it clear that simple global evaluations, such as measures of life satisfaction or happiness, cannot adequately cover the wellbeing construct because it needs to go beyond hedonic and evaluative considerations. The development of effective interventions requires an understanding of the determinants of wellbeing. This chapter provides a comprehensive summary of what is known about the drivers of wellbeing, both external circumstances and psychosocial characteristics and behaviors. It also briefly examines the role of genetic factors and gene–environment interactions. Some general principals of wellbeing interventions are then explored. Finally, the implications for policy makers of the findings from wellbeing science and intervention strategies are discussed. It is concluded that policy should encourage a multiplicity of intervention approaches at this early stage in our knowledge. However, for the science and policy of wellbeing to progress, it is essential to evaluate programs using a common core of multidimensional measures of wellbeing. In this way, the benefits of different programs can be directly compared and optimal programs can be put in place in the future.
Promoting Mental Health and Wellbeing in Schools
Authors: Weare Katherine , Nind Melanie
Published: February 2014

This chapter outlines the findings of a systematic review of 52 reviews of interventions to promote wellbeing in schools, using a very wide range of search terms. The interventions identified by the reviews had clear and positive impacts on a broad range of outcomes connected with wellbeing, including positive mental health, mental health difficulties, social and emotional skills, violence and conflict, and educational outcomes such as learning and achievement. This current review showed that interventions are not always effective, and the chapter goes on to outline the key evidence‐based principles that drive effectiveness in the promotion of wellbeing in schools. The principles include focusing on positive mental health and wellbeing; working holistically to understand the underlying emotional and social causes of behavior; starting interventions early and continuing throughout the school career in age appropriate and spiral ways; identifying key social and emotional skills, such as self awareness, empathy, resilience, motivation and relationship building; teaching the key skills explicitly including through the curriculum; integrating with the academic goals of the school; balancing targeted and universal approaches; taking a long‐term perspective; taking a whole‐school, multimodal approach; developing a positive school ethos and environment; involving parents and the community; using appropriate leaders at different points in the life course of an intervention; and implementing interventions with clarity and fidelity. Achieving effectiveness and deploying these principles in the real world involves pragmatism, complex balances, and compromises.
The Experience Corps®
Authors: Rebok George W. , Carlson Michelle C. , Frick Kevin D. , Giuriceo Katherine D. , Gruenewald Tara L. , McGill Sylvia , Parisi Jeanine M. , Romani William A. , Seeman Teresa E. , Tanner Elizabeth K. , Fried Linda P.
Published: February 2014

TheAARPExperience Corps® program is an innovative, community‐based health promotion model that incorporates the time, experience, and wisdom of older adults to improve academic and behavioral outcomes of kindergarten through third‐grade children in public elementary schools. The Experience Corps program was simultaneously designed by public health and educational scientists and professionals to be a cost‐effective, high‐impact literacy support for young children that doubles as a potentially powerful health promotion model designed to improve the cognitive, physical, social, and psychological function of older adults and prevent disability and dependency associated with aging. The program illustrates how the social capital of an aging society can be harnessed to address difficult social problems. Based on established design criteria, in this program teams of volunteers are placed in public elementary school classrooms to perform standardized, meaningful roles that meet critical unmet needs determined by the school's principals. The feasibility of the Experience Corps program has been demonstrated in two successful national demonstrations in U.S. cities. Our team both led on the initial design of Experience Corps and has now conducted a successful second‐stage pilot study involving six public elementary schools in Baltimore, Maryland to further demonstrate the feasibility of conducting a randomized controlled trial providing preliminary evidence of benefit for both children and schools and for older adults. The main objectives of this chapter are to describe the Experience Corps model with its unique intergenerational focus and design for two‐generation benefits. We provide a brief overview of findings from the randomized pilot trial describing the impact of Experience Corps on the health and wellbeing of older volunteers. Policy implications using Experience Corps as a model community‐based intervention for improving social cohesion, building social capital, and, increasing productivity in late life, and through skill training and lifelong learning will also be examined. We will also discuss the potential short‐term and long‐term cost‐effectiveness of the program in light of the reported intergenerational benefits.
Enhancing Mental Health and Mental Wellbeing in Older People
Authors: Forsman Anna K. , Stengård Eija , Wahlbeck Kristian
Published: February 2014

A need for a focus shift from increased longevity to ability and experienced wellbeing is evident to enable older adults to stay active in and engaged with society for longer. The mental health of older adults is a public health issue: mental health problems and disorders are highly prevalent in later life and thereby form a major threat to a full life. Psychosocial interventions aiming to enhance mental health, targeting the general older adult population or certain risk groups, are promising if appropriately implemented. The aim of this chapter is to describe and compare the effect of psychosocial interventions for enhancing mental health in later life. In addition, it illustrates how various aspects of social capital (i.e., social contacts, social participation, and experienced trust, sense of belonging and social support) connect to mental health and mental wellbeing among older adults. Based on a systematic review and meta‐analysis, the effects of psychosocial interventions on various mental health outcomes (e.g., life satisfaction, quality of life, functioning level, depressive symptoms) are presented and discussed. Equally important, the systematic review points out the scarce research base of psychosocial interventions, with few included studies and characterized by a small or no effect. Among the evaluated intervention types, social activities involving some form of volunteering or giving were the most promising; they significantly enhanced positive mental health, life satisfaction, and quality of life, as well as reduced depressive symptoms when compared to no‐intervention controls. Further, the subjective importance of psychosocial activities for the maintenance of mental health and wellbeing is highlighted and various components of social capital are identified as significant predictors for mental health among older adults.
Retooling for Wellbeing
Authors: deVries Marten W.
Published: February 2014

The human mind and community life are today delicately intertwined through the experience of mass and social media. Media, as one of the cornerstones of modern life, provides innovative tools for improving the wellbeing and flourishing of a population. Because of its reach (traditional media) and interactive character (new social media), it is able to address a wide range of topics as well as target and reach a broad audience. The media approach, anchored in concepts of positive thinking at the individual level, and empowerment and participation at the community level, becomes a powerful ally for the improvement of people's wellbeing. Mass media's impact on attitudes towards mental health has received research attention, but the use of media to improve the wellbeing of a population has been less actively pursued. Yet, as market analysts have shown, the target for such information is vast and diverse, encompassing an enormous global need and market for lifestyle information.TV, radio, Internet, and new social media platforms may be specifically designed to engage populations and promote mental health and wellbeing and encourage people under diverse circumstances to actively use and communicate through media. In this approach the social media intervention itself is shaped interactively, in a context of mutual learning, so that the user/community is not just “the object” of the production but a coproducer. The role of media in agenda setting is key. This chapter aims to encourage positive psychology to engage populations, embed positive psychology in community‐based interventions, and employ various forms of media to influence wellbeing. As illustration, I have selected two outstanding examples of the use of media, one demonstrating a pioneering mass media interventions aimed at depression in San Francisco in 1978 and another a successful, socially embedded mixed‐media approach following the ethnic violence in 2007 in Kenya. Both may serve as models for a population‐based approach in positive psychology.
Measuring what Matters
Authors: Michaelson, Charles Seaford, Saamah Abdallah Juliet , Marks Nic
Published: February 2014

The subject of the volume as a whole is intervention points for wellbeing, identifying where and how, through services and programs that work with individuals, groups, and communities, people's wellbeing can be enhanced. In the present chapter we identify a different sort of intervention point. We set out the thesis that the systematic and regular reporting of high‐level measures of wellbeing can be a key tool to improve population wellbeing, by ensuring that it becomes the focus of policy making and political activity at the highest level of national government. We argue that wellbeing measures will be most effective in ensuring both current and future wellbeing when they are situated within a framework for measuring national progress overall that is applied across policy areas, and propose a framework based on the key spheres of the use of environmentally limited resources, human systems and wellbeing, fairly distributed. We make the case for a flourishing approach which encompasses measures of judgments, feelings, and functioning, and argue that a clear distinction should be maintained between subjective wellbeing measures as key outcomes, and measures of drivers of wellbeing. We review the various proposals which have been made for national systems of wellbeing indicators, including our National Accounts of Well‐being, and identify a set of technical criteria for wellbeing measures. We identify further criteria to ensure the measures are able to influence the political process and are useful in the policy‐making cycle. We then show how common critiques of subjective wellbeing measurement can be addressed. We sketch how our criteria can be applied. Taking as a case study the recently developed U.K. Measuring National Well‐being Programme, one of the most advanced programs of its type, we assess the extent to which it meets these criteria.
Wellbeing and the Environment
Authors: Cooper Rachel
Published: February 2014

This chapter provides an overview of the relationship between wellbeing and the environment. It reviews current thought on the critical aspects of the environment that affect our senses and thus our physical and psychological wellbeing. It reviews the major factors that affect us through our life course, as well as the aspects of neighborhoods, buildings, green spaces, transport, and finally future challenges in relation to the design of urban environments for our continued health and wellbeing.
Urban Neighborhoods and Mental Health across the Life Course
Authors: Gilbert Erin , Galea Sandro
Published: February 2014

Intraurban neighborhood environments shape mental and neurological health at each stage of life. From preconception to death, environmental exposures such as air and noise pollution, crumbling buildings and sidewalks, high crime rates, poverty, and social supports influence neurological and psychological development and affect individuals' social and occupational function. These environments often vary substantially between neighborhoods, leading to different experiences and health indicators for persons living in urban environments.
The Impact of the Local Social and Physical Local Environment on Wellbeing
Authors: Ellaway Anne
Published: February 2014

People living in deprived neighborhoods are more likely to experience poorer mental health and wellbeing than those living in more affluent areas, even after taking personal circumstances such as income into account. In this chapter the effects on residents' wellbeing of different features of the local social and physical environment are explored in relation to residents' perceptions (e.g., on levels of antisocial behavior, dilapidation, and environmental incivilities) and, using a range of routinely available data, objectively measured aspects of the local neighborhood such as street connectivity, proximity to green space and vacant and derelict land.
Density and Mental Wellbeing
Authors: Boyko Christopher T. , Cooper Rachel
Published: February 2014

As cities across the globe continue to accept more people, the challenge of understanding how density and crowding affect wellbeing becomes paramount. This chapter begins by defining key terms in the relationship between urban spatial density and mental wellbeing. The concept of intensity is introduced as a kind of temporary density with positive and negative consequences for wellbeing. State‐of‐the‐art research is then presented, empirically demonstrating the above relationship and outlining the often‐deleterious links between higher spatial density/crowding and illbeing. The final section highlights practical solutions for built‐environment professionals who are trying to balance density and wellbeing in planning and design.
Neighborhoods and Social Interaction
Authors: Brown Scott C. , Lombard Joanna
Published: February 2014

This chapter examines the relationship of the neighborhood built environment to social interactions, and, ultimately, wellbeing. Beginning with Jane Jacobs's (1961/1992) observations on what she believed were the essential elements of urban neighborhoods, we then review subsequent research on social interactions and health. This is followed by a highlight of research‐validated neighborhood characteristics originally identified by Jacobs that, over the last two decades, have been found to be significant to social interaction. A brief conclusion suggests areas of potential follow up through local observation, and guidelines for designers and planners seeking to support positive social interactions through neighborhood design.
Living in the City
Authors: Evans Graeme
Published: February 2014

The concept and practice of the mixed development of land and buildings use has gained currency in planning and design fields and is widely promoted in urban policy as a model for achieving compact city and high‐density objectives. Mixed use purports to meet environmental sustainability goals in maximizing scarce land while adapting to the breakdown between the previously zoned separation of building use in temporal, social, and economic terms. This chapter interrogates the pursuit of mixed use in the context of the quality of life and environmental effects on residents through an in‐depth survey of an exemplar mixed‐use neighborhood in London's city fringe.
“We Live Here Too”… What Makes a Child‐Friendly Neighborhood?
Authors: Martin Karen E. , Wood Lisa J.
Published: February 2014

This chapter identifies characteristics of child‐friendly neighborhoods and summarizes the research underpinning these elements. Neighborhoods that support children and young people incorporate “places to go,” “things to do,” and features that provide contact with nature. The walkability, perceived safety, and aesthetic appeal of neighborhoods are also important. Places for active and imaginative play are vital, and, as children get older, so too areas for informal socializing with friends. Consulting with children and young people about what they like and want to be able to do within their neighborhood assists with enhancing sense of community and meeting the needs of the younger population.
Walkable Neighborhoods
Authors: Townshend Tim G.
Published: February 2014

Walking is still one of the most common ways for people to get about in their locality. Walking is positive: it promotes opportunities for social interaction; is inclusive since it is free and needs no special equipment; and it provides healthy exercise. The extent to which the places we live facilitate or constrain walking has become of increasing interest in the recent past as people live more sedentary lifestyles with negative health consequences. In this chapter we explore the concept of “walkable neighborhoods” and the evidence that these support more active lifestyles and better health and wellbeing for the people who live in them.
Children and the Physical Environment
Authors: Maxwell Lorraine E. , Evans Gary W.
Published: February 2014

Bronfenbrenner's bioecological theory of child development provides the framework for this chapter. We present research that examines the role of the home environment in children's cognitive and socioemotional development. The child's experience in the home is a product of the child's abilities and personality, the opportunities to engage in meaningful interactions with objects and people in the home, and the physical characteristics of the home. It is this system, identified by Bronfenbrenner as a microsystem, of interactions that guide child development. Physical environmental attributes related to child developmental outcomes are crowding, privacy, noise, and housing quality.
The Built Housing Environment, Wellbeing, and Older People
Authors: Dutton Rachael
Published: February 2014

Drawing on research evidence this chapter explores how the built housing environment impacts on older people's wellbeing. It focuses on mainstream and specialist housing (not on care and residential homes) and gives an overview of important factors that affect wellbeing and how these related to housing, the sorts of accommodation in which older people live and the suitability of these, essential design features that are needed to provide accommodation that older people want and can use, and which will remain supportive as they get older, and approaches and standards that promote aging in place.
Transport and Wellbeing
Authors: Tyler Nick
Published: February 2014

To begin thinking about how transport affects and is affected by wellbeing, we have to think first about why we have transport at all: what does transport do for us? Only then we can start to think about how to make a transport system work to achieve the outcomes we desire. In particular, this chapter examines the engineering of decision making in the transport system. As the link between planning and engineering is symbiotic we need to see how the relationship works at the level of how we design the transport system in a city to contribute to wellbeing.
Air Quality and Wellbeing
Authors: Croxford Ben
Published: February 2014

This chapter highlights the chief causes of poor air quality in both outdoor and indoor environments and guides the reader to environmental solutions to improve wellbeing. It covers all of the major air pollutants, methods of exposure to common air pollutants, and policy actions to reduce both exposure to and the source of those air pollutants. The last sections of the chapter cover methods of design and also personal measures that can reduce exposure to air pollutants and improve overall wellbeing.
Implications of Low‐Carbon Design of Housing for Health and Wellbeing
Authors: Davies Michael , Hamilton Ian , Mavrogianni Anna , Raslan Rokia , Wilkinson Paul
Published: February 2014

It is now widely accepted that greenhouse gas emissions of buildings need to be dramatically reduced in high‐income countries such as the United Kingdom in order to achieve climate‐change‐mitigation targets. This process will entail major changes to the housing stock, with consequential effects on exposure to cold, heat, and a range of indoor pollutants. Some of these transformations will have positive health impacts whereas others have the potential for negative health repercussions. In this chapter we consider the nature of those changes and the implications for health and wellbeing, drawing largely on evidence for the United Kingdom.
Psychological Wellbeing in Later Life
Authors: Bennett Kate M. , Soulsby Laura K.
Published: February 2014

In this chapter we focus on psychological wellbeing in later life. We show that psychological wellbeing is a broad concept and one that is influenced by, and indeed influences, many aspects of life. Further, psychological wellbeing also changes as people age. We focus our discussion on intrapersonal aspects of wellbeing including affect, morale, and wellbeing. We then turn our attention to interpersonal aspects including social participation, support, and social relationships. Finally we examine factors which hinder and promote psychological wellbeing, focusing especially on resilience.
Nutrition and Lifelong Wellbeing
Authors: Alexandra Munro C. , Mathers John C.
Published: February 2014

Nutrition is critical for health and wellbeing at all stages of the life course from conception to the last breath because food supplies the substrates for energy production to power all body processes and specific molecules and ions for synthesis of cellular and extracellular structures, enzymes, signaling molecules, and other regulators. Across the life course, nutritional needs change in response to alterations in physiological processes, body composition, and physical activity and to address cellular and tissue damage resulting from lifestyle behaviors such as smoking and the damage which accumulates with age. Good nutrition in utero improves the likelihood of lifelong good health whereas excess adiposity at any stage of the life course is associated with reduced health and wellbeing. These observations provide a strong foundation for the development of dietary (and other lifestyle‐based) interventions to improve health but effective interventions which produce sustained behavior change and health benefit at the community or population level remain a challenge. In addition, research is needed to reveal how exactly nutrition impacts on the aging process and to clarify the particular nutritional needs of the oldest old.
Capability and Independency in Later Life
Authors: Bond John
Published: February 2014

This chapter examines social wellbeing from a policy and social science perspective through the dualisms of capability and disability, and independency and dependency. Using official statistics from selected European countries it shows how these concepts are socially constructed in public policy. The relevance of professional and policy perspectives on capability and independency for older people are examined through ideas about disease, disablement, and the related concepts of health and illness. The chapter considers biopsychosocial factors that might influence the perceptions and experience of capability/disability and independency/dependency. Policies aimed at facilitating capability and independency are examined.
Education and its Role in Wellbeing
Authors: Soulsby Jim
Published: February 2014

There is powerful evidence of how engagement in educational and learning opportunities in later life enhances wellbeing. However, the nature of this evidence varies, with the strongest and most emotive examples being those provided by learners themselves. Alongside this is a realization, when mapping the huge range of opportunities being created by practitioners right across Europe and the wider world, that there are thousands of policy makers, funders, managers, teachers, and facilitators who believe wholeheartedly in the benefits of the learning that they offer. Evidence from scientific research has also increased dramatically recently. This chapter will examine that evidence but also explore some of the reasons why it has been necessary to emphasize it. This is due to the changing economic climate, but countered by more and more opportunities in recent years for older people to engage in education. Exploring these diverse examples across Europe and the policy papers that sometimes underpin their development reveals the range of players collaborating for the better development of educational opportunities to enhance wellbeing. However, to better undertake this systematically there requires to be mutual understanding of the terms we use, such as lifelong learning and education. As these definitions will indicate the desire to allow the learner to have ownership of their learning it is appropriate to consider who actually owns the definition of “wellbeing” and similar expressions commonly used today.
Summary
Authors: Cooper Rachel , Burton Elizabeth
Published: February 2014

In this chapter the volume editors review the evidence and the authors' recommendations with regards to wellbeing and the environment, summarizing the knowledge and its implications for designers and design decision makers. They go on to discuss the implications for the future in terms of research directions and design action.
Does Money Buy Me Love?
Authors: Grimes Arthur , Oxley Les , Tarrant Nicholas
Published: February 2014

Many aggregate measures of wellbeing and sustainability exist to guide policy makers. However, the power of these aggregate measures to predict objective wellbeing outcomes has received little comparative testing. We compile and compare a range of aggregate wellbeing measures including: material measures (e.g., gross domestic product per capita), surveyed measures (e.g., life satisfaction), and composite measures (e.g., human development index) covering a range of countries. We test the predictive power of wellbeing measures for an objective indicator of how people value countries' relative attractiveness. The objective indicator is net migration over a 50‐year time span, indicating people's revealed‐preference (re)location choices. The chapter examines relationships between cross‐country wellbeing and sustainability measures and examines how New Zealand compares with other countries according to these measures. Based on models of spatial (dis)equilibrium and migration, we present tests of the predictive power of alternative aggregate measures for international migration outcomes. We find that both material and life satisfaction outcomes are important determinants of the choice to migrate.
The Impact of the Great Recession on Economic Wellbeing
Authors: Osberg Lars , Sharpe Andrew
Published: February 2014

This chapter looks at the recent Great Recession using the lens of the Index of Economic Wellbeing and available data for the period 1995 to 2010 from 14 countries: Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and the United States. It makes three main points. First, any aggregate index of wellbeing necessarily imposes some weighting of the components of wellbeing. This implies that calculations of trends in aggregate indices can be sensitive to the weighting of components when trends in those components of wellbeing differ, as was the case across these 14 nations in the 2007–2010 period. Second, wealth stocks are accumulated over many years, and the institutions that determine the distribution of income have great inertia within countries. Hence, in normal times neither of these dimensions of economic wellbeing is very sensitive to year‐to‐year variations in output or employment within countries. By contrast, annual consumption flows and measures of economic security are much more sensitive. Third, countries differ a lot in the degree to which economic security and consumption flows vary with year‐to‐year fluctuations in output and employment. Some countries' institutions are clearly much more effective than others in insulating economic security and average consumption from cyclical volatility for any given size of shock.