Commentary: Engaging the Majority World in Research on Adolescence

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/96711/1/jora12010.pd

Children and Youth in Low‐ and Middle‐Income Countries: Toward An Integrated Developmental and Intervention Science

In this article, we discuss the need for and value of an integrated developmental intervention science in low‐ and middle‐income countries (LAMICs), and the extent to which this integration of basic developmental science has influenced research on child and youth development interventions in these countries. We also consider how a global developmental science can be advanced by capitalizing on the opportunities provided by cross‐cultural, interdisciplinary, experimental, and mixed methods approaches. We argue that designing and evaluating human developmental interventions in LAMICs present an opportunity for both research and policy. Testing contextualized developmental approaches through rigorously evaluated interventions yields the promise of finding more powerful and scalable solutions that can reach more children and youth worldwide. Moreover, a theoretically rich and methodologically rigorous understanding of how interventions effect change in diverse countries and contexts can contribute to the development of a truly global developmental science.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/110759/1/cdep12108.pd

Dealing with uncertainties in environmental burden of disease assessment

Disability Adjusted Life Years (DALYs) combine the number of people affected by disease or mortality in a population and the duration and severity of their condition into one number. The environmental burden of disease is the number of DALYs that can be attributed to environmental factors. Environmental burden of disease estimates enable policy makers to evaluate, compare and prioritize dissimilar environmental health problems or interventions. These estimates often have various uncertainties and assumptions which are not always made explicit. Besides statistical uncertainty in input data and parameters – which is commonly addressed – a variety of other types of uncertainties may substantially influence the results of the assessment. We have reviewed how different types of uncertainties affect environmental burden of disease assessments, and we give suggestions as to how researchers could address these uncertainties. We propose the use of an uncertainty typology to identify and characterize uncertainties. Finally, we argue that uncertainties need to be identified, assessed, reported and interpreted in order for assessment results to adequately support decision making

Mars Atmospheric Conversion to Methane and Water: An Engineering Model of the Sabatier Reactor with Characterization of Ru/Al2O3 for Long Duration Use on Mars

The Atmospheric Processing Module (APM) is a Mars In-Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU) technology designed to demonstrate conversion of the Martian atmosphere into methane and water. The Martian atmosphere consists of approximately 95 carbon dioxide (CO2) and residual argon and nitrogen. APM utilizes cryocoolers for CO2 acquisition from a simulated Martian atmosphere and pressure. The captured CO2 is sublimated and pressurized as a feedstock into the Sabatier reactor, which converts CO2 and hydrogen to methane and water. The Sabatier reaction occurs over a packed bed reactor filled with Ru/Al2O3 pellets. The long duration use of the APM system and catalyst was investigated for future scaling and failure limits. Failure of the catalyst was detected by gas chromatography and temperature sensors on the system. Following this, characterization and experimentation with the catalyst was carried out with analysis including x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy with elemental dispersive spectroscopy. This paper will discuss results of the catalyst performance, the overall APM Sabatier approach, as well as intrinsic catalyst considerations of the Sabatier reactor performance incorporated into a chemical model

Using WebGIS to Develop a Spatial Bibliography for Organizing, Mapping, and Disseminating Research Information: A Case Study of Quaking Aspen

On the Ground • Spatial data is valuable to researchers for locating studies that occur in a particular area of interest, or one with similar attributes. • Without a standard in publishing protocol, spatial data largely goes unreported, or is difficult to find without searching the publication. • Assigning location data and displaying points on a public web map makes locating publications based on spatial location possible

Measurement Properties of the Dutch Multifactor Fatigue Scale in Early and Late Rehabilitation of Acquired Brain Injury in Denmark

Fatigue is a major issue in neurorehabilitation without a gold standard for assessment. The purpose of this study was to evaluate measurement properties of the five subscales of the self-report questionnaire the Dutch Multifactor Fatigue Scale (DMFS) among Danish adults with acquired brain injury. A multicenter study was conducted (N = 149, 92.6% with stroke), including a stroke unit and three community-based rehabilitation centers. Unidimensionality and measurement invariance across rehabilitation settings were tested using confirmatory factor analysis. External validity with Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS-21) and the EQ-5D-5L was investigated using correlational analysis. Results were mixed. Unidimensionality and partial invariance were supported for the Impact of Fatigue, Mental Fatigue, and Signs and Direct Consequences of Fatigue, range: RMSEA = 0.07–0.08, CFI = 0.94–0.99, ω = 0.78–0.90. Coping with Fatigue provided poor model fit, RMSEA = 0.15, CFI = 0.81, ω = 0.46, and Physical Fatigue exhibited local dependence. Correlations among the DMFS, DASS-21, and EQ-5D-5L were in expected directions but in larger magnitudes compared to previous research. In conclusion, three subscales of the DMFS are recommended for assessing fatigue in early and late rehabilitation, and these may facilitate the targeting of interventions across transitions in neurorehabilitation. Subscales were strongly interrelated, and the factor solution needs evaluation.</p

Measurement Properties of the Dutch Multifactor Fatigue Scale in Early and Late Rehabilitation of Acquired Brain Injury in Denmark

Fatigue is a major issue in neurorehabilitation without a gold standard for assessment. The purpose of this study was to evaluate measurement properties of the five subscales of the self-report questionnaire the Dutch Multifactor Fatigue Scale (DMFS) among Danish adults with acquired brain injury. A multicenter study was conducted (N = 149, 92.6% with stroke), including a stroke unit and three community-based rehabilitation centers. Unidimensionality and measurement invariance across rehabilitation settings were tested using confirmatory factor analysis. External validity with Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS-21) and the EQ-5D-5L was investigated using correlational analysis. Results were mixed. Unidimensionality and partial invariance were supported for the Impact of Fatigue, Mental Fatigue, and Signs and Direct Consequences of Fatigue, range: RMSEA = 0.07–0.08, CFI = 0.94–0.99, ω = 0.78–0.90. Coping with Fatigue provided poor model fit, RMSEA = 0.15, CFI = 0.81, ω = 0.46, and Physical Fatigue exhibited local dependence. Correlations among the DMFS, DASS-21, and EQ-5D-5L were in expected directions but in larger magnitudes compared to previous research. In conclusion, three subscales of the DMFS are recommended for assessing fatigue in early and late rehabilitation, and these may facilitate the targeting of interventions across transitions in neurorehabilitation. Subscales were strongly interrelated, and the factor solution needs evaluation.</p