The Behavioral Code:Recommender Systems and the Technical Code of Behaviorism

Our lives are increasingly mediated, regulated and produced byalgorithmically-driven software; often invisible to the people whose lives it affects.Online, much of the content that we consume is delivered to us through algorithmic recommender systems (“recommenders”). Although the techniques of such recommenders and the specifc algorithms that underlie them differ, they share one basic assumption: that individuals are “users” whose preferences can be predicted through past actions and behaviors. While based on a set of assumptions that may be largely unconscious and even uncontroversial, we draw upon Andrew Feenberg’s work to demonstrate that recommenders embody a “formal bias” that has social implications. We argue that this bias stems from the “technical code” of recommenders – which we identify as a form of behaviorism. Studying the assumptions and worldviews that recommenders put forth tells us something about how human beings are understood in a time where algorithmic systems are ubiquitous. Behaviorism, we argue, forms the episteme that grounds the development of recommenders. What we refer to as the “behavioral code” of recommenders promotes an impoverished view of what it means to be human. Leaving this technical code unchallenged prevents us from exploring alternative, perhaps more inclusive and expansive, pathways for understanding individuals and their desires. Furthermore, by problematizing formations that have successfully rooted themselves in technical codes, this chapter extends Feenberg’s critical theory of technology into a domain that is both ubiquitous and undertheorized

An international technology platform for influenza vaccines

AbstractSince 2008, the World Health Organization has provided seed grants to 11 manufacturers in low- and middle-income countries to establish or improve their pandemic influenza vaccine production capacity. To facilitate this ambitious project, an influenza vaccine technology platform (or “hub”) was established at the Netherlands Vaccine Institute for training and technology transfer to developing countries. During its first two years of operation, a robust and transferable monovalent pilot process for egg-based inactivated whole virus influenza A vaccine production was established under international Good Manufacturing Practice standards, as well as in-process and release assays. A course curriculum was designed, including a two-volume practical handbook on production and quality control. Four generic hands-on training courses were successfully realized for over 40 employees from 15 developing country manufacturers. Planned extensions to the curriculum include cell-culture based technology for viral vaccine production, split virion influenza production, and generic adjuvant formulation. We conclude that technology transfer through the hub model works well, significantly builds vaccine manufacturing capacity in developing countries, and thereby increases global and equitable access to vaccines of high public health relevance

A Smarter Academic Year

The Dutch academic year is exceptionally long. This causes a high work pressure for instructors and students and leaves little time for research and other core scientific duties. The Young Academy compared the Dutch academic year with other countries and is making concrete recommendations for improvement.Het Nederlands academisch jaar is uitzonderlijk lang. Dit veroorzaakt een hoge werkdruk voor docenten en studenten en laat weinig tijd over voor onderzoek en andere wetenschappelijke kerntaken. De Jonge Akademie onderzocht het Nederlands academisch jaar in vergelijking met het buitenland en doet concrete aanbevelingen voor verbetering

The Best Interests of The Child Self-Report (BIC-S):Psychometric Properties of the Adapted Version of the BIC-S used as a Monitoring Instrument to Measure the Quality of The Children’s Rearing Environment From a Children’s Rights Perspective

Background In line with the legal duty to monitor the compliance of policy and practice with the Convention on the Rights of the Child, the Netherlands’ Ombudsman forChildren collects data concerning children’s views about their rearing environment and well-being. This Children’s Rights Monitor uses the Best Interests of the Child Self-Report (BIC-S). The psychometric properties of the BIC-S need to be further investigated.Method For the 2018 Children’s Rights Monitor, 1639 children (age: M=12.05SD=2.70) completed the BIC-S (quality of rearing environment) and value their life on a scale of 1 to 10 (well-being). Mokken Scale Analysis was applied to determine the construct validity, and a Pearson correlation coefficient between well-being and the quality of rearing environment was used to determine the convergent validity of the BIC-S.Results The results of the Mokken Scale Analysis reveal an invariant, strong, and reliable family scale (H=0.60; Rho=0.88) and an invariant, moderate, and reliablesociety scale (H=0.45; Rho=0.81). Two conditions (safe wider physical environment and adequate examples in society) should be viewed as separate items. Strong and significant correlations are observed between well-being, on the one hand, and the family and society scales on the other (respectively, r=0.54 and 0.63).Implications Results of this study point to a reliable and valid BIC-S for measuring the quality of the rearing environment. This instrument can be used to bring policy, practice, and decision-making in line with Children’s Rights

The Best Interests of The Child Self-Report (BIC-S):Psychometric Properties of the Adapted Version of the BIC-S used as a Monitoring Instrument to Measure the Quality of The Children’s Rearing Environment From a Children’s Rights Perspective

Background In line with the legal duty to monitor the compliance of policy and practice with the Convention on the Rights of the Child, the Netherlands’ Ombudsman forChildren collects data concerning children’s views about their rearing environment and well-being. This Children’s Rights Monitor uses the Best Interests of the Child Self-Report (BIC-S). The psychometric properties of the BIC-S need to be further investigated.Method For the 2018 Children’s Rights Monitor, 1639 children (age: M=12.05SD=2.70) completed the BIC-S (quality of rearing environment) and value their life on a scale of 1 to 10 (well-being). Mokken Scale Analysis was applied to determine the construct validity, and a Pearson correlation coefficient between well-being and the quality of rearing environment was used to determine the convergent validity of the BIC-S.Results The results of the Mokken Scale Analysis reveal an invariant, strong, and reliable family scale (H=0.60; Rho=0.88) and an invariant, moderate, and reliablesociety scale (H=0.45; Rho=0.81). Two conditions (safe wider physical environment and adequate examples in society) should be viewed as separate items. Strong and significant correlations are observed between well-being, on the one hand, and the family and society scales on the other (respectively, r=0.54 and 0.63).Implications Results of this study point to a reliable and valid BIC-S for measuring the quality of the rearing environment. This instrument can be used to bring policy, practice, and decision-making in line with Children’s Rights

The effect of Psychological First Aid training on knowledge and understanding about psychosocial support principles; a cluster-randomized controlled trial

Fiona O'May - ORCID 0000-0003-4417-2819 https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4417-2819Alastair Ager - ORCID 0000-0002-9474-3563 https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9474-3563Replaced AM with VoR 13 Jan 2020.Psychological First Aid (PFA) is a world-wide implemented approach to helping people affected by an emergency, disaster or other adverse event. Controlled evaluations of PFA’s training effects are lacking. We evaluated the effectiveness of a one-day PFA training on the acquisition and retention of knowledge of appropriate psychosocial responses and skills in the acute aftermath of adversity in Peripheral Health Units (PHUs) in post-Ebola Sierra Leone. Secondary outcomes were professional quality of life, confidence in supporting a distressed person and professional attitude.PHUs in Sierra Leone (N=129) were cluster-randomized across PFA (206 participants) and control (202 participants) in March 2017. Knowledge and understanding of psychosocial support principles and skills were measured with a questionnaire and two patient scenarios to which participants described helpful responses. Professional attitude, confidence, and professional quality of life were assessed using self-report instruments. Assessments took place at baseline and at 3 and 6 months post-baseline. The PFA group had a stronger increase in PFA knowledge and understanding at the post-PFA training assessment (d=0.50; p<0.001) and at follow-up (d=0.43; p=0.001). In addition, the PFA group showed better responses to the scenarios at 6 months follow-up (d=0.38; p=0.0002) but not at the post-assessment (d=0.04; p=0.26). No overall significant differences were found for professional attitude, confidence and professional quality of life. In conclusion, PFA training improved acquisition and retention of knowledge and understanding of appropriate psychosocial responses and skills to individuals exposed to acute adversity. Our data support the use of PFA trainings to strengthen capacity for psychosocial support in contexts of disaster and humanitarian crisis. Future studies should examine the effects of PFA on psychosocial outcomes for people affected by crises. Trial registration: Nederlands Trial Register (NTR6846)The work described in this paper was funded by Elrha’s Research for Health in Humanitarian Crises (R2HC) Programme (Grant number 21163). The R2HC programme is funded by the UK Government (DFID), the Wellcome Trust, and the UK National Institute for Health Research (NHIR). Additional funding was obtained at the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) through the Advancing Partners & Communities project, implemented by JSI Research &Training Institute, Inc., in collaboration with FHI 360 under Cooperative Agreement No. AID-OAA-A-12-00047. The opinions herein are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of USAID.https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph1702048417pubpub

A Smarter Academic Year

The Dutch academic year is exceptionally long. This causes a high work pressure for instructors and students and leaves little time for research and other core scientific duties. The Young Academy compared the Dutch academic year with other countries and is making concrete recommendations for improvement.Het Nederlands academisch jaar is uitzonderlijk lang. Dit veroorzaakt een hoge werkdruk voor docenten en studenten en laat weinig tijd over voor onderzoek en andere wetenschappelijke kerntaken. De Jonge Akademie onderzocht het Nederlands academisch jaar in vergelijking met het buitenland en doet concrete aanbevelingen voor verbetering