Introducing EMMIE: An evidence rating scale to encourage mixed-method crime prevention synthesis reviews

Objectives This short report describes the need for, and the development of, a coding system to distil the quality and coverage of systematic reviews of the evidence relating to crime prevention interventions. The starting point for the coding system concerns the evidence needs of policymakers and practitioners. Methods The coding scheme (EMMIE) proposed builds on previous scales that have been developed to assess the probity, coverage and utility of evidence both in health and criminal justice. It also draws on the principles of realist synthesis and review. Results The proposed EMMIE scale identifies five dimensions to which systematic reviews intended to inform crime prevention should speak. These are the Effect of intervention, the identification of the causal Mechanism(s) through which interventions are intended to work, the factors that Moderate their impact, the articulation of practical Implementation issues, and the Economic costs of intervention

The impact of asking intention or self-prediction questions on subsequent behavior: a meta-analysis

The current meta-analysis estimated the magnitude of the impact of asking intention and self-prediction questions on rates of subsequent behavior, and examined mediators and moderators of this question–behavior effect (QBE). Random-effects meta-analysis on 116 published tests of the effect indicated that intention/prediction questions have a small positive effect on behavior (d+ = 0.24). Little support was observed for attitude accessibility, cognitive dissonance, behavioral simulation, or processing fluency explanations of the QBE. Multivariate analyses indicated significant effects of social desirability of behavior/behavior domain (larger effects for more desirable and less risky behaviors), difficulty of behavior (larger effects for easy-to-perform behaviors), and sample type (larger effects among student samples). Although this review controls for co-occurrence of moderators in multivariate analyses, future primary research should systematically vary moderators in fully factorial designs. Further primary research is also needed to unravel the mechanisms underlying different variants of the QBE

Comparison of Fixed and Variable Pitch Actuators for Agile Quadrotors

This paper presents the design, analysis and experimental testing of a variable- pitch quadrotor. A custom in-lab built quadrotor with on-board attitude stabi- lization is developed and tested. An analysis of the dynamic di erences in thrust output between a xed-pitch and variable-pitch propeller is given and validated with simulation and experimental results. It is shown that variable-pitch actuation has signi cant advantages over the conventional xed-pitch con guration, includ- ing increased thrust rate of change, decreased control saturation, and the ability to quickly and e ciently reverse thrust. These advantages result in improved quadro-tor tracking of linear and angular acceleration command inputs in both simulation and hardware testing. The bene ts should enable more aggressive and aerobatic ying with the variable-pitch quadrotor than with standard xed-pitch actuation, while retaining much of the mechanical simplicity and robustness of the xed-pitch quadrotor.Aurora Flight Sciences Corp.National Science Foundation (U.S.) (Graduate Research Fellowship Grant 0645960

Does observability affect prosociality?

The observation of behaviour is a key theoretical parameter underlying a number of models of prosociality. However, the empirical findings showing the effect of observability on prosociality are mixed. In this meta-analysis, we explore the boundary conditions that may account for this variability, by exploring key theoretical and methodological moderators of this link. We identified 117 papers yielding 134 study level effects (Total N = 788, 164) and found a small but statistically significant, positive association between observability and prosociality (r = .141, 95% CI = .106, .175). Moderator analysis showed that observability produced stronger effects on prosociality (1) in the presence of passive observers (i.e., people whose role was to only observe participants) vs perceptions of being watched, (2) when participants decisions were consequential (vs non-consequential), (3) when the studies were performed in the laboratory (as opposed to in the field/online), (4) when studies used repeated measures (instead of single games) and (5) when studies involved social dilemmas (instead of bargaining games). These effects show the conditions under which observability effects on prosociality will be maximally observed. We describe the theoretical and practical significance of 14 these results

Stable Heterogeneity for the Production of Diffusible Factors in Cell Populations

The production of diffusible molecules that promote survival and growth is common in bacterial and eukaryotic cell populations, and can be considered a form of cooperation between cells. While evolutionary game theory shows that producers and non-producers can coexist in well-mixed populations, there is no consensus on the possibility of a stable polymorphism in spatially structured populations where the effect of the diffusible molecule extends beyond one-step neighbours. I study the dynamics of biological public goods using an evolutionary game on a lattice, taking into account two assumptions that have not been considered simultaneously in existing models: that the benefit of the diffusible molecule is a non-linear function of its concentration, and that the molecule diffuses according to a decreasing gradient. Stable coexistence of producers and non-producers is observed when the benefit of the molecule is a sigmoid function of its concentration, while strictly diminishing returns lead to coexistence only for very specific parameters and linear benefits never lead to coexistence. The shape of the diffusion gradient is largely irrelevant and can be approximated by a step function. Since the effect of a biological molecule is generally a sigmoid function of its concentration (as described by the Hill equation), linear benefits or strictly diminishing returns are not an appropriate approximations for the study of biological public goods. A stable polymorphism of producers and non-producers is in line with the predictions of evolutionary game theory and likely to be common in cell populations

Inclusion of additional studies yields different conclusions: Comment on Sedikides, Gaertner, & Vevea (2005), Journal of Personality and Social Psychology

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/75100/1/j.1467-839X.2007.00211.x.pd

Citrulline as a marker of intestinal function and absorption in clinical settings: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Background: Citrulline has been described as a marker of intestinal function or absorption but evidence varies according to clinical settings. Objective: The objective of this article is to examine the evidence of plasma citrulline as a marker of intestinal function and absorption in various clinical settings. Methods: Studies were examined for p values, means and standard deviations, correlation coefficients or other metrics depicting the association of citrulline with intestinal function. A random effects model was used to produce a pooled estimate. A hierarchical summary receiver operating curve model was fitted for diagnostic accuracy measures. Results: Citrulline levels are correlated strongly with small bowel length in short bowel syndrome patients (r = 0.67). Citrulline is strongly negatively correlated (r = –0.56) with intestinal disease severity with regards to enteropathies (coeliac disease, tropical enteropathy, Crohn’s disease, mucositis, acute rejection in intestinal transplantation). Citrulline cut-off levels have an overall sensitivity and specificity of 80% and 84% respectively. Citrulline levels in untreated coeliac patients compared to controls were reduced by 10 µmol/l. Citrulline levels increase with gluten-free diet and with improvement of enteropathy. Citrulline is decreased in critical illness and sepsis. Conclusion: These findings allow us to advocate quite reasonably that citrulline is a marker of acute and chronic intestinal insufficiency