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Implementation quality of an early childhood parenting program in Colombia and child development
Get PDFWe conducted a cluster-randomized trial of an enhancement to an existing parenting program in rural Colombia (called the Family, Women, and Infancy Program [FAMI]), and found benefits to parenting practices and child development. In this study, we examine the effects of the enhancement on the quality of intervention implementation and examine associations between quality and child and maternal outcomes.In Colombia, 340 FAMI mothers in 87 towns were randomly assigned to quality enhancement through the provision of structured curricula, play materials, and training and supervision from professional tutors, or to control (no enhancement). Children aged In intention-to-treat analyses, we found significant benefits of intervention for the observed quality of group sessions (1.67 SD [95% confidence interval, 1.23–2.11]). An SD increase in session quality predicted an increase in treatment mothers’ attendance of 4.68 sessions (95% confidence interval, 1.37–7.98). Session quality partially mediated the effect of the intervention on parental practices and child development.Enhancing an existing parenting program led to large benefits to the observed quality of intervention implementation. Quality was associated with increased maternal engagement, parenting practices, and child development. The observational measure of quality has potential to promote and maintain quality at scale
Tidal range resource of the Patagonian shelf
Get PDFWith vast potential for renewable energy conversion, the ocean could help reduce our reliance on fossil fuels. Of the various forms of ocean energy, tidal range power is both mature and predictable, dating back to 1966. However, only a few regions of the world are suited to tidal range power. Here, we examine the tidal range potential of the Patagonian shelf - estimated to contain over 100 GW of tidal dissipation. We use a high resolution global tidal atlas (TPXO9) to examine this resource from theoretical and technical perspectives. The theoretical resource is 913 TWh (104 GW) -- considerably exceeding neighbouring Argentina's electricity demand (~143 TWh in 2021). We find that due to near-resonance with the semidiurnal tides, the resource is concentrated in two regions - Golfo de San Matias, and Bahia Grande to Rio Grande. Three sites are chosen for further analysis after considering practical constraints such as water depth and proximity to the electricity grid. Through 0D modelling with tidal range power plant operation we find that the selected sites offer high energy extraction potential, exceeding 40\% of the available resource. Further analysis shows how the combination of the sites can reduce the periods of no-generation to under 20%
Brain potentials reveal how emotion filters native language access when bilinguals read words in their second language
Get PDFIt is now well established that reading words in a second language (L2) automatically activates native language (L1) translations in bilinguals. Although there is evidence that access to such representations is inhibited when words have a negative emotional valence, the mechanism underlying such inhibition is elusive, and it is unknown whether inhibition arises online as L2 is being processed or whether negative valence affects subsequent L1 processing. Here, we recorded event-related brain potentials in Chinese-English bilinguals engaged in an implicit translation-priming paradigm involving L2 (English) word pairs. Participants performed a semantic relatedness task, unaware that word pairs could conceal a sound repetition if translated into Chinese. When emotional valence was manipulated in prime position (first word), we observed form repetition priming through L1 translations for positive but not for negative words. However, when emotional valence was manipulated in target position (second word), priming occurred for both positive and negative word valences. This result begins to elucidate the mechanism by which emotion regulates language processing in bilinguals: Negative words in L2 induce a refractory period during which cross-language lexical access is blocked. These findings show that despite being neuroanatomically distinct in the human brain, emotional (limbic) regulation systems can penetrate language processing.</p
A D-Metric Analysis of the Denomination Structure of the Syrian Pound
Get PDFIn recent years, Syria experienced rising levels of inflation. This, accompanied by a high reliance on cash, led the Central Bank of Syria to put higher banknotes into circulation, the SP2000 in 2017 and the SP5000 in 2021. Rumors are now circulating that the SP10000 will be issued and put into circulation very soon. Higher denominations of the Syrian Pound have not been issued since 1997, when the SP1000 was introduced. This study aims to investigate whether the introduction of the SP1000, SP2000 and SP5000 banknotes was appropriate and done on the right timing and whether a higher banknote must be issued in the near future. To do so, the study uses the D-Metric model to analyze the changes in the denomination structure of the Syrian Pound during the period 1997 to 2022. The findings of the D-Metric model reveal that the introduction of the SP1000 was premature and should have been postponed until year 2005. The introduction of the SP2000 and SP5000 notes however was consistent with the predictions of the D-Metric model. The findings also reveal that it was appropriate to introduce the SP10000 since 2020 and that the introduction of the SP20000 should be done by 2024. <br/
Understanding Break Needs, Break Experiences and Break Outcomes over the Care-giving Career: A Narrative Approach
Get PDFUK social care policy recognises the importance of short breaks for sustaining care-giving relationships; however, there is limited understanding of how unpaid carers’ break needs evolve in response to the degenerative course of dementia and how these are supported. Using narrative analysis, the stories of thirteen spousal carers for people living with dementia were used to construct an experiential description of the care-giving career, in which spousal carers evolving break needs, experience of accessing breaks and desired break outcomes were explored. The care-giving career was marked by the continual adaptation and acceptance of acute and gradual changes to the care-giving relationship which influenced breaks needs. Irrespective of when in the care-giving career, the process of deciding upon a meaningful break was relational and emotive, emphasising the relevance of relational support to aid transitions to breaks of mutual value. With the deepening cognitive impairment of the person living with dementia, spousal carers encountered difficulties in achieving breaks due to relational and service factors. The conceptualisation of care-giving as a series of shifting configurations underlines the necessity for ongoing and skilful practitioner engagement to help unpaid carers consider ‘whatmatters’ to them, and proactively respond to changes in ‘what matters’
Levels of ecological conservatism in African Guenons: a comparative study using MaxEnt modelling and ENMTools.
Get PDFBiologically inspired herding of animal groups by robots
Get PDFA single sheepdog can bring together and manoeuvre hundreds of sheep from one location to another. Engineers and ecologists are fascinated by this sheepdog herding because of the potential it provides for ‘bio-herding’: a biologically inspired herding of animal groups by robots. Although many herding algorithms have been proposed, most are studied via simulation.There are a variety of ecological problems where management of wild animal groups is currently impossible, dangerous and/or costly for humans to manage directly, and which may benefit from bio-herding solutions.Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) now deliver significant benefits to the economy and society. Here, we suggest the use of UAVs for bio-herding. Given their mobility and speed, UAVs can be used in a wide range of environments and interact with animal groups at sea, over the land and in the air.We present a potential roadmap for achieving bio-herding using a pair of UAVs. In our framework, one UAV performs ‘surveillance’ of animal groups, informing the movement of a second UAV that herds them. We highlight the promise and flexibility of a paired UAV approach while emphasising its practical and ethical challenges. We start by describing the types of experiments and data required to understand individual and collective responses to UAVs. Next, we describe how to develop appropriate herding algorithms. Finally, we describe the integration of bio-herding algorithms into software and hardware architecture.<br/
The genome sequence of the lesser worm flesh fly, Sarcophaga ( Sarcophaga) subvicina (Baranov, 1937).
Get PDFWe present a genome assembly from an individual male Sarcophaga subvicina (the lesser worm flesh fly; Arthropoda; Insecta; Diptera; Sarcophagidae). The genome sequence is 71 megabases in span. Most of the assembly (95.91%) is scaffolded into six chromosomal pseudomolecules, with the X sex chromosome assembled. The mitochondrial genome has also been assembled and is 16.7 kilobases in length. Gene annotation of this assembly on Ensembl identified 16,793 protein coding genes