THE USE OF IMPROVED TECHNOLOGY AND MARKET-BASED INCENTIVES TO INCREASE FOREST RESOURCE AND BIODIVERSITY CONSERVATION IN RWANDA

This study evaluated the effectiveness of two distinct approaches to ecosystem conservation in Rwanda’s Nyungwe National Park: cookstove technology adoption and market-based policy instruments. A June 2014 survey of 250 households revealed that use of improved cookstove technology dramatically decreased fuelwood consumption for households in rural Rwanda, but that design, engineering and conflicting policy issues can hamper the widespread use of energy-efficient cooking technology. The second component of this research used the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) within a multi-criteria analysis (MCA) framework to explore the options for designing and implementing market-based instruments around the country’s conservation targets, particularly the highly biodiverse Nyungwe National Park. A series of workshops, held in June, October and November of 2014, were conducted at the local level (with regional farmers and agricultural cooperatives) and the national level (with representatives from conservation organizations and government). Focus group participants identified criteria for evaluating MBIs, and then ranked the priority of these criteria. Finally, national-level experts ranked how well distinct MBIs could achieve conservation goals. This paper summarizes the focus group findings and provides a recommendation for the design and implementation for market-based conservation instruments in Rwanda

Kiss and Tell: What Do We Know About Pre- and Early Adolescent Females Who Report Dating? A Pilot Study

Study Objective: To evaluate the implications of dating in pre- and early adolescent females. Design: Cross-sectional survey. Setting: Child psychiatry clinic; pediatric clinic; family clinic. Participants: Pre- and early adolescent females (n = 80) aged 11–14 and their parents. Intervention: Pre- and early adolescent females aged 11–14 and a parent were recruited during a regular clinic visit. Pre- and early adolescent females completed a survey that included measures of dating; sensation seeking; lifetime individual and peer drug use; Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder, Oppositional Defiant Disorder and Conduct Disorder symptoms; and onset of menses. Parents were asked similar questions about their child\u27s dating behaviors and peer relationships. Main Outcome Measure: Association of early dating with individual and peer drug use, sensation seeking, aggressive behavior, and onset of menses. Results: In pre- and early adolescent females, dating regularly is associated with nicotine and alcohol use, sensation seeking, and aggressive behavior. Dating regularly is also associated with onset of menses and a younger age of onset of menses in those who had started menstruating. Parents under-report their child\u27s dating practices and associated high-risk behaviors. Conclusion: Early dating is associated with nicotine and alcohol use, sensation seeking, aggressive behavior, and early onset of menses in adolescent females. Questions about early dating are a simple and efficient way to open inquiry of both parents and children about high-risk behaviors in the clinic setting

Sensation Seeking and Symptoms of Disruptive Disorder: Association with Nicotine, Alcohol, and Marijuana Use in Early and Mid-Adolescence

This study examined the association of Sensation Seeking and symptoms of Disruptive Disorders and investigated the associations of each with the risk of nicotine, alcohol, and marijuana use in 11- to 14-yr.-old boys and girls from psychiatric and pediatric clinics (n = 206). Sensation Seeking and symptoms of Disruptive Disorder were significantly related, and both were associated with drug use. In particular, Sensation Seeking was strongly associated with drug use in early and mid-adolescents seen in a clinical setting. Measurement of Sensation Seeking and symptoms of Disruptive Disorder should help identify and characterize youth who are at increased risk for drug use during early and mid-adolescence—a time when onset of use may be a harbinger of long-term habit

Sensation seeking and symptoms of disruptive disorder: association with nicotine, alcohol, and marijuana use in early and mid-adolescence.

This study examined the association of Sensation Seeking and symptoms of Disruptive Disorders and investigated the associations of each with the risk of nicotine, alcohol, and marijuana use in 11- to 14-yr.-old boys and girls from psychiatric and pediatric clinics (n = 206). Sensation Seeking and symptoms of Disruptive Disorder were significantly related, and both were associated with drug use. In particular, Sensation Seeking was strongly associated with drug use in early and mid-adolescents seen in a clinical setting. Measurement of Sensation Seeking and symptoms of Disruptive Disorder should help identify and characterize youth who are at increased risk for drug use during early and mid-adolescence-a time when onset of use may be a harbinger of long-term habit