Examining the predictive value of fertility preferences among Ghanaian women

Despite extensive research, doubts remain regarding the degree of correspondence between prior stated fertility preferences and subsequent fertility behavior. Preference instability is a factor that potentially undermines predictiveness. Furthermore, if other predictors of fertility substantially explain fertility, then knowledge of preferences may contribute little to explaining or predicting individual fertility behavior. In this study, we examined these aspects of the study of individual fertility preference-behavior consistency. Using a prospective multi-wave panel dataset, we modeled the monthly likelihood of conception, taking into account the dynamic nature of preferences, and controlling for changing reproductive life cycle factors and stable socioeconomic background predictors of fertility. We demonstrate from a sample of fecund married Ghanaian women that fertility preferences retain independent predictive power in the model predicting the likelihood of conception.fertility, fertility intentions, fertility preference, Ghana, Sub-Saharan Africa

Credit Cards

You see this piece of plastic everywhere. From the gas station to the bookstore, the supermarket to the mall. You know what it is and can readily identify it if quizzed. Have you figured it out yet? It’s a credit card, one of the most important financial tools in your wallet—a tool many students don’t know how to utilize. We talked with Tom Gannon, vice president of public policy at MasterCard Worldwide, to gain insight on how college-aged kids should (or shouldn’t) be using credit cards

Outliers involving the Poly(A) effect among highly-expressed genes in microarrays

BACKGROUND: The Poly(A) effect is a cross-hybridization artifact in which poly(T)-containing molecules, which are produced by the reverse transcription of a poly(A)(+ )RNA mixture, bind promiscuously to the poly(A) stretches of the DNA in microarray spots. It is customary to attempt to block such hybridization by adding poly(A) to the hybridization solution. This note describes an experiment intended to evaluate circumstances under which the blocking procedure may not have been successful. RESULTS: The experiment involves a spot-by-spot comparison between the hybridization signals obtained by hybridizing a microarray to: (1) end-labeled oligo(dT), versus, (2) cDNA prepared from muscle tissue. We found that the blocking appears to be successful for the vast majority of microarray spots, as evidenced by the weakness of the correlation between signals (1) and (2). However, we found that for microarray spots having oligo(dT) hybridization levels greater than a certain threshold, the blocking might be ineffective or incomplete, as evidenced by an exceptionally strong signal (2) whenever signal (1) is greater than the threshold. CONCLUSION: The PolyA effect may be more subtle than simply a hybridization signal that is proportional to the PolyA content of each microarray spot. It may instead be present only in spots that hybridize oligo(dT) greater than some threshold level. The strong signal generated at these "outlier" spots by cDNA probes might be due to the formation of hybridization heteropolymers

The effect of add power on distance vision with Acuvue bifocal contact lenses

This study was designed to determine if subjective evaluation of quality of vision could be correlated with reduction in high and low contrast acuity scores. LogMAR visual acuities of 20 non-presbyopic subjects were measured using high and low-contrast Bailey- Lovie charts. Each subject wore an Acuvue Bifocal contact lens with add powers +.1.00, +1.50 , +2.00, and +2.50, each optimized for best distance acuity. Subjects showed significantly decreased acuities with increasing add; a low-contrast target heightened this effect. Subjects reported a reduction in quality of distance vision, increasing fluctuation, ghosting/shadows, and halos around lights that correlated with increasing add power. Our findings suggest that the Acuvue Bifocal contact lens may be expected to perform best for low-to-moderate presbyopes, and that clinicians should anticipate decreased low contrast acuity and reduced overall quality of vision as add powers are increased

Observed connections of Arctic stratospheric ozone extremes to Northern Hemisphere surface climate

We present observational evidence for linkages between extreme Arctic stratospheric ozone anomalies in March and Northern Hemisphere tropospheric climate in spring (March–April). Springs characterized by low Arctic ozone anomalies in March are associated with a stronger, colder polar vortex and circulation anomalies consistent with the positive polarity of the Northern Annular Mode/North Atlantic Oscillation in March and April. The associated spring tropospheric circulation anomalies indicate a poleward shift of zonal winds at 500 hPa over the North Atlantic. Furthermore, correlations between March Arctic ozone and March–April surface temperatures reveal certain regions where a surprisingly large fraction of the interannual variability in spring surface temperatures is associated with interannual variability in ozone. We also find that years with low March Arctic ozone in the stratosphere display surface maximum daily temperatures in March–April that are colder than normal over southeastern Europe and southern Asia, but warmer than normal over northern Asia, adding to the warming from increasing well-mixed greenhouse gases in those locations. The results shown here do not establish causality, but nevertheless suggest that March stratospheric ozone is a useful indicator of spring averaged (March–April) tropospheric climate in certain Northern Hemispheric regions.National Science Foundation (U.S.) (AGS-1539972

Learning English as a Second Language Among Secondary Students With Dyslexia: A Comprehensive Study on Reading Difficulties, Effects and Strategies

Reading is extremely important in our educational, economic, and social lives. Reading ability is highly valued and essential for socioeconomic development. It is the most important classroom skill since it can help students enhance their overall language ability. However, this situation resulted in reading difficulties among adolescents with dyslexia, especially those in secondary school

Field experiments on dishonesty and stealing: what have we learned in the last 40 years?

ObjectivesField experiments combine the benefits of the experimental method and the study of human behavior in real-life settings, providing high internal and external validity. This article aims to review the field experimental evidence on the causes of offending.MethodsWe carried out a systematic search for field experiments studying stealing or monetary dishonesty reported since 1979.ResultsThe search process resulted in 60 field experiments conducted within multiple fields of study, mainly in economics and management, which were grouped into four categories: Fraudulent/ dishonest behavior, Stealing, Keeping money, and Shoplifting.ConclusionsThe reviewed studies provide a wide variety of methods and techniques that allow the real-world study of influences on offending and dishonest behavior. We hope that this summary will inspire criminologists to design and carry out realistic field experiments to test theories of offending, so that criminology can become an experimental science.This study was conducted at the Psychology Research Centre (CIPsi/UM) School of Psychology, University of Minho, supported by the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) through the Portuguese State Budget (UIDB/01662/2020). The first author was supported by a doctoral grant from the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT - SFRH/BD/122919/2016)

Cost-effectiveness of biennial screening for diabetes related retinopathy in people with type 1 and type 2 diabetes compared to annual screening

Objective: Examine the health and economic impact of extending screening intervals in people with Type 2 diabetes (T2DM) and Type 1 diabetes (T1DM) without diabetes related retinopathy (DR).Setting: Diabetic Eye Screening Wales (DESW)Study design: Retrospective observational study with cost utility analysis (CUA) and Decremental Cost Effectiveness Ratios (DCER) study.Intervention: Biennial screening versus usual care (annual screening). Inputs: Anonymised data from DESW were linked to primary care data for people with two prior screening events with no DR. Transition probabilities for progression to DR were estimated based on a subset of 26,812 and 1,232 people with T2DM and T1DM, respectively. DCER above £20,000 per QALY was considered cost-effective.Results: The base case analysis DCER results of £71,243 and £23,446 per QALY for T2DM and T1DM respectively at a 3.5% discount rate and £56,822 and £14,221 respectively when discounted at 1.5% . Diabetes management represented by the mean HbA1c was 7.5% for those with T2DM and 8.7% for T1DM.Sensitivity analysis: Extending screening to biennial based on HbA1c, being the strongest predictor of progression of DR, at three levels of HbA1c 6.5%, 8.0% and 9.5% lost one QALY saving the NHS £106,075; £58,653 and £31,626 respectively for T2DM and £94,696, £37,646 and £11,089 respectively for T1DM. In addition, extending screening to biennial based on duration of diabetes >6 years for T2DM per QALY lost, saving the NHS £54,106 and for 6-12 and >12 years for T1DM saving £83,856, £23,446 and £13,340 respectively. Conclusions: Base case and sensitivity analyses indicates biennial screening to be cost-effective for T2DM irrespective of HbA1c and duration of diabetes. However, the uncertainty around the DCER indicates that annual screening should be maintained for those with T1DM especially when the HbA1c exceeds 80 mmol/mol (9.5%) and duration of diabetes is greater than 12 years

Characteristics of repeat non‐attenders at Diabetes Eye Screening Wales, a national community‐based diabetes‐related retinopathy screening service, during 2003‐2018

AimsTo understand factors associated with repeat non-attendance at screening for diabetes-related retinopathy.MethodsRetrospective observational study using anonymised data from Diabetic Eye Screening Wales for people with a full history of screening invitations and attendances was linked with primary and secondary care records held in the Secure Anonymised Information Linkage Databank. Repeat non-attendance was defined as no record of attendance during any 36-month period despite three cycles of annual screening invitations. The associations between repeat non-attendance and potential risk factors were examined using multivariable logistic regression analysis, stratified according to type 1 and type 2 diabetes.ResultsA total of 18% with type 1 diabetes (1146/6513) and 8% with type 2 diabetes (12,475/156,525) were repeat non-attenders. Participants attending their very first appointment were least likely to become repeat non-attenders [odds ratio (95% confidence interval)]: type 1 diabetes: 0.12 (0.09, 0.17) and type 2 diabetes: 0.08 (0.07, 0.09). For both types of diabetes, those of a younger age, living in areas of higher deprivation and subject to multiple house moves were at greater risk of becoming repeat non-attenders.Conclusion/interpretationA more tailored approach is needed for the younger population, those living in areas of higher deprivation and/or undergoing multiple residential relocation and to ensure attendance at their initial appointment to minimise future repeat non-attendance