SENSITIVITY TO SCOPE: EVIDENCE FROM A CVM STUDY OF WETLANDS

Wetlands valuation is a situation in which CVM studies might be expected to fail scope tests. This paper reports results from a split-sample CVM study of Wisconsin wetlands. The survey employed a multiple-bounded, polychotomous-choice format, and compared WTP distributions using the method of convolutions. The survey demonstrated sensitivity to scope.Resource /Energy Economics and Policy,

Crowdsourcing hypothesis tests: Making transparent how design choices shape research results

To what extent are research results influenced by subjective decisions that scientists make as they design studies? Fifteen research teams independently designed studies to answer fiveoriginal research questions related to moral judgments, negotiations, and implicit cognition. Participants from two separate large samples (total N > 15,000) were then randomly assigned to complete one version of each study. Effect sizes varied dramatically across different sets of materials designed to test the same hypothesis: materials from different teams renderedstatistically significant effects in opposite directions for four out of five hypotheses, with the narrowest range in estimates being d = -0.37 to +0.26. Meta-analysis and a Bayesian perspective on the results revealed overall support for two hypotheses, and a lack of support for three hypotheses. Overall, practically none of the variability in effect sizes was attributable to the skill of the research team in designing materials, while considerable variability was attributable to the hypothesis being tested. In a forecasting survey, predictions of other scientists were significantly correlated with study results, both across and within hypotheses. Crowdsourced testing of research hypotheses helps reveal the true consistency of empirical support for a scientific claim.</div

Increasing frailty is associated with higher prevalence and reduced recognition of delirium in older hospitalised inpatients: results of a multi-centre study

Purpose: Delirium is a neuropsychiatric disorder delineated by an acute change in cognition, attention, and consciousness. It is common, particularly in older adults, but poorly recognised. Frailty is the accumulation of deficits conferring an increased risk of adverse outcomes. We set out to determine how severity of frailty, as measured using the CFS, affected delirium rates, and recognition in hospitalised older people in the United Kingdom. Methods: Adults over 65 years were included in an observational multi-centre audit across UK hospitals, two prospective rounds, and one retrospective note review. Clinical Frailty Scale (CFS), delirium status, and 30-day outcomes were recorded. Results: The overall prevalence of delirium was 16.3% (483). Patients with delirium were more frail than patients without delirium (median CFS 6 vs 4). The risk of delirium was greater with increasing frailty [OR 2.9 (1.8–4.6) in CFS 4 vs 1–3; OR 12.4 (6.2–24.5) in CFS 8 vs 1–3]. Higher CFS was associated with reduced recognition of delirium (OR of 0.7 (0.3–1.9) in CFS 4 compared to 0.2 (0.1–0.7) in CFS 8). These risks were both independent of age and dementia. Conclusion: We have demonstrated an incremental increase in risk of delirium with increasing frailty. This has important clinical implications, suggesting that frailty may provide a more nuanced measure of vulnerability to delirium and poor outcomes. However, the most frail patients are least likely to have their delirium diagnosed and there is a significant lack of research into the underlying pathophysiology of both of these common geriatric syndromes

SENSITIVITY TO SCOPE: EVIDENCE FROM A CVM STUDY OF WETLANDS

Wetlands valuation is a situation in which CVM studies might be expected to fail scope tests. This paper reports results from a split-sample CVM study of Wisconsin wetlands. The survey employed a multiple-bounded, polychotomous-choice format, and compared WTP distributions using the method of convolutions. The survey demonstrated sensitivity to scope

RISK MANAGEMENT AND THE ENVIRONMENT: IMPACTS AT THE INTENSIVE AND EXTENSIVE MARGINS

Risk management programs, such as subsidized crop insurance, affect production decisions at both the intensive (input use) and extensive(land use) margins. The production decisions in turn affect the environment. This paper reviews and synthesizes the literature linking risk management policies and environmental outcomes and points to future research needs

RISK MANAGEMENT AND THE ENVIRONMENT: IMPACTS AT THE INTENSIVE AND EXTENSIVE MARGINS

Risk management programs, such as subsidized crop insurance, affect production decisions at both the intensive (input use) and extensive(land use) margins. The production decisions in turn affect the environment. This paper reviews and synthesizes the literature linking risk management policies and environmental outcomes and points to future research needs.Risk and Uncertainty,

Prevention of psychological trauma among health care providers during the COVID-19 pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic presented unique biological, psychological, and social threats to health care providers. The failure of local macrosystems placed providers at elevated risk of psychological and physical harm. To reduce the immediate risk of trauma to our local physician workforce, our team initiated a program of proactive psychological first aid in which physicians were regularly contacted by behavioral health colleagues to assess safety conditions and physician\u27s well-being. When threats to the physician\u27s safety were identified, these concerns were escalated to leadership and addressed when possible. When threats to well-being were identified, behavioral health team members provided supportive listening, and, if indicated, provided referral information for appropriate treatment resources. This paper reviews the rationale for this program, addresses ethical concerns, and proposes future directions for responding to threats to safety during events such as the COVID-19 pandemic

FARMLAND PROTECTION: THE ROLE OF PUBLIC PREFERENCES FOR RURAL AMENITIES

Public amenities provided by a rural agricultural landscape, arising from open space and farm activity, are important to many citizens and policymakers. Widespread development of farmland in some parts of the country has spawned an expanding array of farmland protection programs by county, State, and Federal governments, as well as by nonprofit organizations. To investigate the relative importance of preserving different amenities, this report examines the enabling legislation of these programs across the 48 contiguous States, and the implementation of these programs in five Northeastern States (Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Vermont). The report also assesses how farmland protection programs fit into the broader array of rural land conservation programs

High-performance p-type V2O3 films by spray pyrolysis for transparent conducting oxide applications

Abstract High-quality epitaxial p-type V2O3 thin films have been synthesized by spray pyrolysis. The films exhibited excellent electrical performance, with measurable mobility and high carrier concentration. The conductivity of the films varied between 115 and 1079 Scm−1 while the optical transparency of the films ranged from 32 to 65% in the visible region. The observed limitations in thinner films’ mobility were attributed to the nanosized granular structure and the presence of two preferred growth orientations. The 60 nm thick V2O3 film demonstrated a highly competitive transparency-conductivity figure of merit compared to the state-of-the-art