A Better Start in Life: Evaluation Results from an Early Childhood Development Program

Informed by a growing body of research showing that investments in early childhood health, nutrition, and cognitive and psychosocial development have immediate and long-term benefits on children, the Philippine government undertook a five-year pilot Early Childhood Development (ECD) Project. The project was implemented in Regions 6, 7, and 12 to improve the survival and developmental potential of children in the most vulnerable and disadvantaged areas, and thus to help them escape poverty and deprivation. This study evaluates the impact of this ECD Project based on selected indicators of (1) EDC service utilization, and (2) child health, nutrition, and cognitive and psychosocial development. The study, which followed a sample of children over four years, uses difference-in-difference method of estimating impact, adjusted for duration of program exposure, which compared changes over time in the project areas of Regions 6 and 7, and in the control areas in Region 8. The sample included over 6,000 children of age 0-4 years at the start of the study. Results show mixed positive impact of the project over the period.early childhood development, child health, nutrition

A Better Start in Life: Evaluation Results from an Early Childhood Development Program

Informed by a growing body of research showing that investments in early childhood health, nutrition, and cognitive and psychosocial development have immediate and long-term benefits on children, the Philippine government undertook a five-year pilot Early Childhood Development (ECD) Project. The project was implemented in Regions 6, 7, and 12 to improve the survival and developmental potential of children in the most vulnerable and disadvantaged areas, and thus to help them escape poverty and deprivation. This study evaluates the impact of this ECD Project based on selected indicators of (1) EDC service utilization, and (2) child health, nutrition, and cognitive and psychosocial development. The study, which followed a sample of children over four years, uses difference-in-difference method of estimating impact, adjusted for duration of program exposure, which compared changes over time in the project areas of Regions 6 and 7, and in the control areas in Region 8. The sample included over 6,000 children of age 0-4 years at the start of the study. Results show mixed positive impact of the project over the period.early childhood development, child health, nutrition

TQM in a test environment

In response to the changing aerospace economic climate, Martin Marietta Astronautics Group (MMAG) has adopted a Total Quality Management (TQM) philosophy to maintain a competitive edge. TQM emphasizes continuous improvement of processes, motivation to improve from within, cross-functional involvement, people empowerment, customer satisfaction, and modern process control techniques. The four major initiatives of TQM are Product Excellence, Manufacturing Resource Planning (MRP II), People Empowerment, and Subcontract Management. The Defense Space and Communications (DS&C) Test Lab's definition and implementation of the MRP II and people empowerment initiatives within TQM are discussed. The application of MRP II to environmental test planning and operations processes required a new and innovative approach. In an 18 month span, the test labs implemented MRP II and people empowerment and achieved a Class 'A' operational status. This resulted in numerous benefits, both tangible and intangible, including significant cost savings and improved quality of life. A detailed description of the implementation process and results are addressed

MatchIt: Nonparametric Preprocessing for Parametric Causal Inference

MatchIt implements the suggestions of Ho, Imai, King, and Stuart (2007) for improving parametric statistical models by preprocessing data with nonparametric matching methods. MatchIt implements a wide range of sophisticated matching methods, making it possible to greatly reduce the dependence of causal inferences on hard-to-justify, but commonly made, statistical modeling assumptions. The software also easily fits into existing research practices since, after preprocessing data with MatchIt, researchers can use whatever parametric model they would have used without MatchIt, but produce inferences with substantially more robustness and less sensitivity to modeling assumptions. MatchIt is an R program, and also works seamlessly with Zelig.

From Being Known in the Classroom to “Moments of Meeting”: What Intersubjectivity offers Contemplative Pedagogy

Despite recent advances in psychological theory and research, often empirical knowledge of intersubjectivity is not incorporated into teaching. In this paper we suggest that using the intersubjective space of the classroom can provide students with experiences of being known and “moments of meeting” which can result in transformative learning. Using a conceptual framework, we explore why being known is a relevant concept in education and contemplative pedagogy, and highlight student perspectives and an example from our own teaching. We suggest that contemplative pedagogical activities are inherently intersubjective, thereby providing opportunities for being known and educational moments of meeting

LaRC Aerothermodynamic Ground Tests in Support of BOLT Flight Experiment

A review is provided of recent aerothermodynamic ground-test contributions by NASA Langley Research Center (LaRC) to the BOLT flight test program. Several test entries into the Langley Aerothermodynamic Laboratory 20-Inch Mach 6 Air Tunnel are discussed. These entries were intended to support the development and design of flight hardware and instrumentation. Some trends and observations from these entries are provided. Also, a comparison of two different global heat transfer test techniques is included and discussed

Transpersonal perspectives of spiritual experiences in epilepsy

Insight into the phenomenology of spiritual experiences of those with epilepsy offers a move away from current reductive explanations. This research will offer a voice for an often ignored and stigmatised group, aiming to understand their attribution of spirituality to experiences of auras. Connections with other altered states of consciousness will explore whether epileptic experiences of spirituality can be placed within a wider context of well-being and the human condition

Early Hospital Readmisison Following Kidney Transplantation and Simultaneous Pancreas-Kidney Transplantation

In the United States, 30% of kidney transplant (KT) recipients experience early hospital readmission (EHR), or readmission within 30 days of discharge following transplantation. Known predictors of EHR include older age, African American race, comorbidity, and increased length of stay, and EHR is associated with inferior patient and graft survival. To broaden our understanding of EHR in transplantation, we began with a prospective cohort study of EHR among KT recipients at Johns Hopkins Hospital. We used granular clinical data to characterize clinical scenarios leading to EHR. We also explored the association between EHR and novel predictors, including cognitive function, physical function, and socioeconomic factors. Next, we used national data to further explore novel predictors of EHR and to determine whether the risk of adverse outcomes associated with EHR varies over time. We used County Health Rankings and U.S. Census data to quantify the association between EHR and social determinants of health. We then estimated the association between EHR and adverse outcomes for two distinct time periods: during the EHR hospitalization and post-EHR. Finally, we used national data to develop a risk prediction model for EHR following simultaneous pancreas-kidney (SPK) transplantation and to quantify the association between EHR and post-SPK outcomes. At our center, we found that a high number of KT recipients are readmitted directly to the hospital without prior evaluation by a healthcare provider. Using national data, we found that living in a high-risk community increases the risk of EHR, but socioeconomic status was not associated with EHR. Following SPK, we found that 55% of recipient experience EHR. EHR following SPK was associated with younger recipient age, African American donor, and length of stay. We also found that EHR, following both KT and SPK, was most strongly associated with graft loss and mortality during the readmission hospitalization, but also portends a lasting, albeit attenuated, risk post-readmission. Our future plans include the development of a clinical prediction tool to assess recipient risk of EHR prior to transplant discharge. We plan to develop of clinical strategies and outpatient resources aimed at decreasing the risk of EHR

DRAC:Dose Rate and Age Calculator for trapped charge dating

Accurate calculation of the environmental radiation dose rate (Ḋ) is an essential part of trapped charge dating methods, such as luminescence and electron spin resonance dating. Although the calculation of Ḋ is not mathematically complex, the incorporation of multiple variables and the propagation of uncertainties can be challenging. The Dose Rate and Age Calculator (DRAC) is an open access, web-based program which enables rapid Ḋ calculation for trapped charge dating applications. Users can select from recently published attenuation and conversion factors to make mathematically robust, reproducible Ḋ calculations. Comparison of DRAC calculated Ḋ values against the published Ḋ determinations of 422 samples from 32 studies results in a reproducibility ratio of 1.01 ± 0.05. It is anticipated that DRAC will facilitate easier inter-laboratory comparisons and will provide greater transparency for Ḋ calculations. DRAC will be updated to reflect the latest advances in Ḋ calculation and is freely accessible at www.aber.ac.uk/alrl/drac. The code for DRAC is available from github at https://github.com/DRAC-calculator/DRAC-calculator