A Systematic Narrative Review of Training Programs for Prisoners in the United States

Every year in the United States, a large number of ex-offenders are convicted of a new crime after their initial release. Although the national statistic for prison recidivism is debated, a study published in 2018 by the U.S Department of Justice reported that 83% of state prisoners released in 2005 across 30 states were arrested again at least once after their release (Alper, et al., 2018). Research exists on the cause of recidivism as well as strategies to reduce it (Schmitt, Warner, & Gupta, 2010; Koschman and Peterson, 2013). One factor that contributes to this high rate of recidivism is that many ex-inmates lack the career- and job-related skills needed to integrate back into society and obtain stable employment (Petersilia 2004). This suggests that there may be utility in providing a variety of skills-based training programs either during time in prison or immediately after release. However, currently there is limited cumulative knowledge about the types of training programs that exist for prisoners or the extent to which such programs are effective. Our research project aims to provide a comprehensive narrative review of the empirical research on training programs for prisoners in the United States. Findings will be informed by the results of the review and will include and overview of the type of job training offered (e.g., trade skills, interpersonal skills, resume building, job-related skills such as math, reading and writing), the extent to which such training programs have demonstrated positive effects, and the populations targeted (e.g., men, women, individuals in recovery from substance abuse). We will also examine if multi-component programs are associated with more positive outcomes and if program effectiveness varies by prisoner age, sex, type of offense and point in the correctional process that the training is administered (pre-prison, during prison, probation). We are currently in the process of conducting a systematic literature review focusing on peer-reviewed empirical articles that focus on the effectiveness of career- and job-related training for working age prisoners in the United States. To be included in the review, articles must include the evaluation of a training program designed for and delivered to prisoners in the United States. Through this literature review, we hope to inform future research and identify areas of high priority for improvement

The Drosophila STIM1 orthologue, dSTIM, has roles in cell fate specification and tissue patterning.

BACKGROUND: Mammalian STIM1 and STIM2 and the single Drosophila homologue dSTIM have been identified as key regulators of store-operated Ca2+ entry in cells. STIM proteins function both as molecular sensors of Ca2+concentration in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and the molecular triggers that activate SOC channels in the plasma membrane. Ca2+ is a crucial intracellular messenger utilised in many cellular processes, and regulators of Ca2+ homeostasis in the ER and cytosol are likely to play important roles in developmental processes. STIM protein expression is altered in several tumour types but the role of these proteins in developmental signalling pathways has not been thoroughly examined. RESULTS: We have investigated the expression and developmental function of dSTIM in Drosophila and shown that dSTIM is widely expressed in embryonic and larval tissues. Using the UAS-Gal4 induction system, we have expressed full-length dSTIM protein and a dsRNAi construct in different tissues. We demonstrate an essential role for dSTIM in larval development and survival, and a tissue-specific role in specification of mechanosensory bristles in the notum and specification of wing vein thickness. CONCLUSION: Our studies show that dSTIM regulates growth and patterning of imaginal discs and indicate potential interactions with the Notch and Wingless signaling pathways. These interactions may be relevant to studies implicating STIM family proteins in tumorigenesis.RIGHTS : This article is licensed under the BioMed Central licence at http://www.biomedcentral.com/about/license which is similar to the 'Creative Commons Attribution Licence'. In brief you may : copy, distribute, and display the work; make derivative works; or make commercial use of the work - under the following conditions: the original author must be given credit; for any reuse or distribution, it must be made clear to others what the license terms of this work are

Epigenetic aging signatures in mice livers are slowed by dwarfism, calorie restriction and rapamycin treatment

Background: Global but predictable changes impact the DNA methylome as we age, acting as a type of molecular clock. This clock can be hastened by conditions that decrease lifespan, raising the question of whether it can also be slowed, for example, by conditions that increase lifespan. Mice are particularly appealing organisms for studies of mammalian aging; however, epigenetic clocks have thus far been formulated only in humans. Results: We first examined whether mice and humans experience similar patterns of change in the methylome with age. We found moderate conservation of CpG sites for which methylation is altered with age, with both species showing an increase in methylome disorder during aging. Based on this analysis, we formulated an epigenetic-aging model in mice using the liver methylomes of 107 mice from 0.2 to 26.0 months old. To examine whether epigenetic aging signatures are slowed by longevity-promoting interventions, we analyzed 28 additional methylomes from mice subjected to lifespan-extending conditions, including Prop1df/df dwarfism, calorie restriction or dietary rapamycin. We found that mice treated with these lifespan-extending interventions were significantly younger in epigenetic age than their untreated, wild-type age-matched controls. Conclusions: This study shows that lifespan-extending conditions can slow molecular changes associated with an epigenetic clock in mice livers

Is it riskier to meet 100 people outdoors or 14 people indoors? Comparing public and expert perceptions of COVID-19 risk. ESRI Working Paper 689 December 2020.

How do people perceive and integrate multiple contextual risk factors for COVID-19 infection? We elicited risk perceptions from a nationally representative sample of the public (N = 800) using three psychologically-distinct tasks. Responses were compared to a sample of medical experts who completed the same tasks. The public underestimated the risk associated with environmental factors (such as whether a gathering takes place indoors or outdoors) and the implications when multiple risk factors are present. Our results are consistent with a heuristic simply to ‘avoid people’ and with a coarse (e.g. ‘safe or unsafe’) classification of social settings. A further task, completed only by the general public sample, generated novel evidence that when the risk of infection competes against a risk in another domain (e.g. a different medical risk), people perceive a lower likelihood of contracting the virus. The results have implications for public health communications and psychological theory

Peran Lsm dalam Program Pendampingan Anak Jalanan Menuju Ketahanan Sosial Keluarga (Study Kasus Lsm Ppap Seroja di Kota Surakarta)

Bachtiar Rofi\u27i. “PERAN LSM DALAM PROGRAM PENDAMPINGAN ANAK JALANAN MENUJU KETAHANAN KELUARGA (Study Kasus LSM PPAP Seroja Di Kota Surakarta)”.Skripsi. Surakarta: Fakultas Keguruan dan Ilmu Pendidikan. Universitas Sebelas Maret 2017. Siti Rochani dan Siany Indria Liestyasari. Penelitian betujuan untuk mengetahui: (1) untuk mengidentifikasi bentuk pendampingan LSM yang mengarah pada ketahanan sosial keluarga anak jalanan; (2) untuk mengetahui kendala LSM dalam penerapan pendampingan orangtua dan anak jalanan di Kota Surakarta; (3) Untuk mengetahui dampak dari pola pendampingan LSM terhadap orangtua dan anak jalanan di Kota Surakarta.Penelitian ini termasuk dalam jenis penelitian kualitatif dengan pendekatan study kasus.Pengumpulan data berasal dari wawancara, observasi, serta dokumentasi. Wawancara dilakukan dengan enam informan, yang terdiri dari dua pengurus LSM, dua orangtua anak jalanan, dua anak dampingan LSM diantaranya ada yang masih berprofesi sebagai anak jalanan, dan mantan anak jalanan. Penelitian ini mengunakan tekhnik pengambilan informan dengan cara purposive sampling. Dalam melakukan uji validitas data, yang dilakukan yaitu dengan trianggulasi sumber dan trianggulasi metode.Tekhnik analisis data menggunakan analisis interaktif yang terdiri dari pengumpulan data, reduksi data, penyajian data, dan penarikan data (verivikasi data).Hasil penelitian menunjukan: (1) Pendampingan LSM yang mengarah pada ketahanan sosial keluarga anak jalanan adalah (a) aspek pendidikan, (b) aspek ekonomi, (c) aspek kesehatan, (d) aspek agama, (e) aspek komunikasi, (f) aspek hukum; (2) Kendala LSM dalam penerapan pendampingan orangtua dan anak jalanan di Kota Surakarta adalah (a) kendala internal, (b) kendala eksternal (3) Dampak dari pola pendampingan LSM terhadap orangtua dan anak jalanan di Kota Surakarta mencangkup (a) aspek pendidikan, (b) aspek ekonomi, (c) aspek kesehatan, (d) aspek agama, (e) aspek komunikasi, (f) aspek hukum.Kesimpulan penelitian ini adalah bahwa meningkatkan ketahanan sosial keluarga anak jalanan dianggap solusi yang tepat untuk megurangi angka anak jalanan yang ada di Kota Suarakarta. Kata Kunci : Anak Jalanan, Ketahanan Sosial Keluarg