Children's Well-being in Contexts of Poverty: Approaches to Research, Monitoring and Participation

Monitoring, protecting and promoting 'well-being' are central to realisation of children's rights. Yet definitions of the concept are both variable and can appear conceptually confused. Competing research paradigms engage with the concept and its measurement, while applications of well-being in policy are equally contested. This paper outlines some of the major debates, as a starting point for reviewing three contrasting approaches to well-being: indicator-based, participatory and longitudinal research. In particular, it focuses on applications of the concept in contexts of child poverty worldwide. We suggest there are some promising signs of integration amongst these approaches, and argue that well-being does have potential as a bridging concept, at the same time highlighting inequalities, acknowledging diversities, and respecting children's agency

Debiasing the framing effect in younger and older adults\u27 medical decision making

The framing effect is a common decisional bias. In the current study, the framing effect and its avoidance via a debiasing questionnaire was studied with younger and older adults making decisions regarding lung cancer treatment. Participants received three cancer scenarios framed in either survival or mortality terms, with scenarios presented in cumulative probability, interval probability, and life expectancy format. There were two between-subjects factors and one within-subjects factor. Younger adults exhibited the framing effect with the cumulative and interval probability formats. No framing effect was found in the debias condition. Older adults exhibited the framing effect with the interval probability format. Older adults in the debiasing condition showed the framing effect with the cumulative and interval probability formats. Older adults who had received or provided care and those who knew someone with cancer were less likely to exhibit the framing effect. Frame was the only significant predictor of treatment choice

Structural transformations and disordering in zirconolite (CaZrTi2O7) at high pressure

There is interest in identifying novel materials for use in radioactive waste applications and studying their behavior under high pressure conditions. The mineral zirconolite (CaZrTi2O7) exists naturally in trace amounts in diamond-bearing deep-seated metamorphic/igneous environments, and it is also identified as a potential ceramic phase for radionuclide sequestration. However, it has been shown to undergo radiation-induced metamictization resulting in amorphous forms. In this study we probed the high pressure structural properties of this pyrochlore-like structure to study its phase transformations and possible amorphization behavior. Combined synchrotron X-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy studies reveal a series of high pressure phase transformations. Starting from the ambient pressure monoclinic structure, an intermediate phase with P21/m symmetry is produced above 15.6 GPa via a first order transformation resulting in a wide coexistence range. Upon compression to above 56 GPa a disordered metastable phase III with a cotunnite-related structure appears that is recoverable to ambient conditions. We examine the similarity between the zirconolite behavior and the structural evolution of analogous pyrochlore systems under pressure.<br/

Decisional strategy determines whether frame influences treatment preferences for medical decisions

Decision makers are influenced by the frame of information such that preferences vary depending on whether survival or mortality data are presented. Research is inconsistent as to whether and how age impacts framing effects. This paper presents two studies that used qualitative analyses of think-aloud protocols to understand how the type of information used in the decision making process varies by frame and age. In Study 1, 40 older adults, age 65 to 89, and 40 younger adults, age 18 to 24, responded to a hypothetical lung cancer scenario in a within-subject design. Participants received both a survival and mortality frame. Qualitative analyses revealed that two main decisional strategies were used by all participants: one strategy reflected a data-driven decisional process, whereas the other reflected an experience-driven process. Age predicted decisional strategy, with older adults less likely to use a data-driven strategy. Frame interacted with strategy to predict treatment choice; only those using a data-driven strategy demonstrated framing effects. In Study 2, 61 older adults, age 65 to 98, and 63 younger adults, age 18 to 30, responded to the same scenarios as in Study 1 in a between-subject design. The results of Study 1 were replicated, with age significantly predicting decisional strategy and frame interacting with strategy to predict treatment choice. Findings suggest that framing effects may be more related to decisional strategy than to age

Impact of older adults’ experience with psychotherapy on treatment engagement

The goal of the study was to characterize older adults\u27 experience with psychotherapy and examine its impact on engagement in psychotherapy. The study included 50 adults over age 60 who screened positive for depression and participated in the BRIGHTEN Program, an interdisciplinary geriatric mental health program. Qualitative analyses revealed five themes leading to treatment initiation: health concerns, family issues, the experience of depressive symptoms, beliefs about what participants could get from psychotherapy, and positive outcomes seen in others. Those without a history of mental health treatment were more likely to endorse health concerns as a treatment motivator and were more likely to terminate treatment early. Future research is warranted to determine how to effectively engage older adults seeking mental health treatment for the first time

Experience Disclosing Mental Health Conditions Among College Students from Different Ethnic Backgrounds

Aim: The current study compared disclosure of mental health problems to staff, faculty, and peers among college students from different ethnic backgrounds. Background: Although there are differences in mental health stigma between college students from different ethnic backgrounds, there is limited research on whether these differences are associated with negative experiences disclosing mental health conditions on campus. Methods: The sample (N = 66) was 71% female; average age was 19.03 years (SD = 1.14). Participants identified as Latino/a (35.4%), Asian American (33.8%), Caucasian (13.8%), or other/mixed ethnicity (16.9%). Results: For disclosure to staff, there was a main effect of ethnicity. Post-hoc analyses found that Latino/a students were significantly more comfortable disclosing mental health problems to staff than Asian American students. There were no significant effects for disclosure to faculty or peers. Conclusions: This preliminary study suggests that universities must optimize outreach and mental health services for different ethnic groups to improve campus experience around mental health conditions

Mechanisms of Stem Borer Resistance in Sorghum

A number of sorghum genotypes resistant to the spotted stem borer (Chilo partellus Swinhoe) have been identified using natural and artificial infestations at ICRISAT. Resistance is attributed to ovipositional nonpreference and antibiosis mechanisms. The major plant characters identified include early panicle initiation and rapid internode elongation. In resistant genotypes, these factors were reflected in the success of first instar larval establishment in the leaf whorl, interval between hatching and larvae boring in the stem, larval mass, and survival rate. Success of the first instar larvae to establish in the whorl is also influenced by physical and chemical plant characteristics. A chemical factor in the surface wax of some sorghum genotypes is associated with larval disorientation