An Assessment of Civic Engagement and Educational Attainment

It is well documented that individuals with higher levels of education tend to be more civically engaged. In a two-part study conducted for the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement (CIRCLE), we provide empirical evidence using 1988-2000 panel data from the National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988 (NELS) that civic engagement might also promote educational attainment: civically-engaged teenagers make greater scholastic progress during high school and subsequently acquire higher levels of education than their otherwise similar peers. Our first essay provides supporting empirical evidence for this relationship in general, and the second essay broadens these findings across gender and race/ethnicity. With regards to policy relevance, the primary results point to the importance of civic participation as one means to foster both social and human capital investments. The purpose of this fact sheet is to provide highlights from our two-part study

Is dietary diversity an indicator of food security or dietary quality?

Although dietary diversity is universally recognized as a key component of healthy diets, there is still a lack of consensus on how to measure and operationalize it. This paper focuses on the issues of dietary diversity in developing countries. It also draws upon experience from developed countries to address the following questions: 1. How is dietary diversity conceptualized, operationalized, and measured, and how does it relate operationally to dietary quality? 2. Is there an association between dietary diversity and nutrient adequacy in developing countries? Between dietary diversity and child growth? 3. What is the relationship between household-level dietary diversity and socioeconomic factors and food security? 4. What key measurement issues need to be addressed to better operationalize and understand dietary diversity?Diet Developing countries ,Growth ,Children Developing countries Nutrition ,

Exploring the Impact of Supervision on Pretrial Outcomes

This study seeks to investigate the effect of pretrial supervision on the likelihood of failure to appear (FTA) and new criminal activity (NCA) before case disposition. First, drawing on data from two states, this research isolates two groups of defendants: those released pending case disposition with supervision and those released without supervision. Second, this research compares the two groups across several descriptive factors regarding likelihood of FTA and NCA while in the community pending case disposition

Loss of The RNA Helicase SKIV2L2 Impairs Mitotic Progression and Replication-Dependent Histone mRNA Turnover in Murine Cell Lines

RNA surveillance via the nuclear exosome requires cofactors such as the helicase SKIV2L2 to process and degrade certain noncoding RNAs. This research aimed to characterize the phenotype associated with RNAi knockdown of Skiv2l2 in two murine cancer cell lines: Neuro2A and P19. SKIV2L2 depletion in Neuro2A and P19 cells induced changes in gene expression indicative of cell differentiation and reduced cellular proliferation by 30%. Propidium iodide-based cell-cycle analysis of Skiv2l2 knockdown cells revealed defective progression through the G2/M phase and an accumulation of mitotic cells, suggesting SKIV2L2 contributes to mitotic progression. Since SKIV2L2 targets RNAs to the nuclear exosome for processing and degradation, we identified RNA targets elevated in cells depleted of SKIV2L2 that could account for the observed twofold increase in mitotic cells. Skiv2l2knockdown cells accumulated replication-dependent histone mRNAs, among other RNAs, that could impede mitotic progression and indirectly trigger differentiation

Progress in developing an infant and child feeding index

"Feeding practices are an important determinant of the nutritional status of infants and children. It is therefore useful to measure and describe infant and child feeding practices in a number of contexts. Such measurements could enable (1) international comparisons of the adequacy of infant and child feeding, (2) research linking infant and child feeding to determinants or outcomes, (3) advocacy regarding the importance of adequate infant and child feeding, and (4) monitoring and evaluation of interventions designed to change practices. This paper reports on progress in developing a summary measure of infant and child feeding practices—the infant and child feeding index (ICFI). The report also addresses two challenges in measuring child feeding practices, namely that infant and child feeding is multi-dimensional, and appropriate practices vary by age of the child. The authors refine the ICFI and confirm earlier findings that the ICFI is associated with child nutritional status. They also determine which components of the feeding index appear to be most important in driving its association with child nutritional status. Finally, they assess the potential usefulness of the index for the four purposes listed above." -from Authors' Abstract

Creating a child feeding index using the demographic and health surveys

Data from the Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) for five Latin American countries (seven data sets) were used to explore the feasibility of creating a composite feeding index and to examine the association between feeding practices and child height-for-age (HAZ). Urban/rural differences were also examined...The data sets used were Bolivia, 1994 and 1998; Colombia, 1995; Guatemala, 1995 and 1999; Nicaragua, 1998; and Peru, 1996...This work shows that the data available in DHS data sets can be used for a variety of purposes, including to (1) describe and study the distribution of specific feeding practices by geographic area, or other characteristics of interest such as maternal schooling or household socioeconomic status; (2) create a child feeding index to quantify and illustrate associations between child feeding practices and child outcomes, thereby serving as an advocacy tool; and (3) identify practices and vulnerable groups that could be targeted by programs and policies to improve child feeding practices and overall child health and nutrition. In sum, greater use of the DHS data on child feeding practices should be promoted for research and analysis, as a source of guidance on program design and planning, and for advocacy.FCND ,Demography Latin America. ,Surveys Statistical methods. ,Health status indicators. ,Bolivia. ,Colombia. ,Guatemala. ,Nicaragua. ,Peru. ,Child Feeding. ,Children Growth. ,

Progress in developing an infant and child feeding index

"Feeding practices are an important determinant of the nutritional status of infants and children. It is therefore useful to measure and describe infant and child feeding practices in a number of contexts. Such measurements could enable (1) international comparisons of the adequacy of infant and child feeding, (2) research linking infant and child feeding to determinants or outcomes, (3) advocacy regarding the importance of adequate infant and child feeding, and (4) monitoring and evaluation of interventions designed to change practices. This paper reports on progress in developing a summary measure of infant and child feeding practices—the infant and child feeding index (ICFI). The report also addresses two challenges in measuring child feeding practices, namely that infant and child feeding is multi-dimensional, and appropriate practices vary by age of the child. The authors refine the ICFI and confirm earlier findings that the ICFI is associated with child nutritional status. They also determine which components of the feeding index appear to be most important in driving its association with child nutritional status. Finally, they assess the potential usefulness of the index for the four purposes listed above." -from Authors' Abstract

Creating a child feeding index using the demographic and health surveys

Data from the Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) for five Latin American countries (seven data sets) were used to explore the feasibility of creating a composite feeding index and to examine the association between feeding practices and child height-for-age (HAZ). Urban/rural differences were also examined...The data sets used were Bolivia, 1994 and 1998; Colombia, 1995; Guatemala, 1995 and 1999; Nicaragua, 1998; and Peru, 1996...This work shows that the data available in DHS data sets can be used for a variety of purposes, including to (1) describe and study the distribution of specific feeding practices by geographic area, or other characteristics of interest such as maternal schooling or household socioeconomic status; (2) create a child feeding index to quantify and illustrate associations between child feeding practices and child outcomes, thereby serving as an advocacy tool; and (3) identify practices and vulnerable groups that could be targeted by programs and policies to improve child feeding practices and overall child health and nutrition. In sum, greater use of the DHS data on child feeding practices should be promoted for research and analysis, as a source of guidance on program design and planning, and for advocacy.FCND ,Demography Latin America. ,Surveys Statistical methods. ,Health status indicators. ,Bolivia. ,Colombia. ,Guatemala. ,Nicaragua. ,Peru. ,Child Feeding. ,Children Growth. ,