The PhD journey: A guide to applying, starting and succeeding.

To postgraduates, a PhD may seem like an ideal opportunity to improve research skills prior to future work. However, the application process is a competitive and often challenging experience. This article seeks to de-mystify some of the common questions surrounding PhD applications and provide some hints and tips for potential applicants

The economics of parenting : children and inequality in a time of shutdown

Necessary responses to the COVID-19 pandemic raise potentially harmful consequences for children’s development that can exacerbate inequality gaps and have long-reaching implications. This commentary will focus on what research can tell us about the key features of skill development and how the situations driving parental choices bear a significant role in development and inequality that are likely affected by the consequences of the pandemic. Further, effective support for parents and child development must also include intersecting factors from homes, neighbourhoods, and schools in both the research and development of policy. The primary message from the evidence base is that where inequality is high there is a much greater risk from shocks, such as the pandemic, to deepen inequality in skill development through factors in the home, neighbourhoods, and schools. It suggests that policy will not be effective through only a focus on what happens in schools but will require balancing multiple, and potentially competing, channels. Moreover, it suggests a renewed focus on reducing the prevalence of children living in low income households in order to improve attainment

Gender analysis for sustainable livelihoods and participatory governance in Rwanda

This research was conducted by Institute of Policy Analysis and Research in Collaboration with Oxfam International, RwandaOxfam International, Rwand

Autistic trait level and reaction time in older adults: the influence of sex and task upon study outcome

Background: The present debate regarding what constitutes “cognitively healthy aging” in people with elevated autistic traits is highly relevant to the diagnosis of age-related conditions such as mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and dementia. Behavioral reaction time (RT) is an important component of cognition and everyday functioning, and it is included in diagnostic testing for such conditions. Autism trait level is not typically considered when including participants in aging-related RT research, and therefore requires examination to address whether those with high levels of autistic traits may show differences in terms of their RT performance, as relevant to testing for MCI and dementia. Methods: In the present study, we examined the relationship between RT and levels of autistic traits in 76 community-dwelling older adults (aged 50–78 years). We also investigated whether there were any differences in the relationship between RT and autistic trait level with respect to sex. Results: We found that the relationship between an individual’s levels of autistic traits and their RT scores varied depending on the type of task used, and on sex. In particular, for females, higher levels of autistic traits were related to slower RTs on the Trail Making task (Trails A), a task commonly used in clinical practice. Conclusion: Our findings indicate that some aspects of age-related cognitive decline may be steeper for older adults with higher levels of autistic traits, but that the impact may be different depending on sex, with higher trait levels in females being indicative of poorer RT performance. These findings may explain some of the outcome variability typical of previous studies, and have important implications for interpreting tests used for dementia diagnosis, particularly for older adults on the autism spectrum

Prospectus, February 15, 2017

Parkland event aimed at educating students about degree completion; SciCommons a bridge between students and faculty; Medieval documents displayed at Krannert; Medieval marvels: a peek into Ireland\u27s past;https://spark.parkland.edu/prospectus_2017/1004/thumbnail.jp

Prospectus, February 1, 2017

Staerkel Planetarium provides learning opportunities; New Safely features to be implemented at Parkland; Parkland resources available to help those with depressionhttps://spark.parkland.edu/prospectus_2017/1002/thumbnail.jp

Prospectus, February 8, 2017

Black History Month kicks off at Parkland; Local march coincided with national women\u27s rallies; Behind the badge: meet officers Kopmann, Boltinghouse; Agriculture program director wins innovation award; German club provides extra-curricular option for Parkland students;https://spark.parkland.edu/prospectus_2017/1003/thumbnail.jp

Prospectus, April 5, 2017

Playing chess may provide boon to learning; Understanding the etiquette regarding service animals; Parkland hosted private university transfer fair; Spurlock celebrates diversity with samba performance; Animal Encounters at local museum continues to entertain children;https://spark.parkland.edu/prospectus_2017/1010/thumbnail.jp

Prospectus, April 12, 2017

Shahad Alsayyad to assume role of student trustee; Images: Parkland\u27s literary and visual arts magazine; Anything Goes\u27 at Parkland is in ship-shape; Victor Wooten Trio performs at Canopy Club; Local forensic anthropologist provides insight to field; Relationship abuse and sexual assault awareness campaign comes to Parkland;https://spark.parkland.edu/prospectus_2017/1011/thumbnail.jp