Where you live may impact how much you drink Science Daily ... neighborhood factors that are relevant, then this might point to population-level strategies to modify or improve the environments where people live," said Isaac Rhew, a research assistant professor in the Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral ... |
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Where you live may impact how much you drink - Science Daily
Refugee Nonprofits Slash Staffs as Administration Slows Arrivals: The nine organizations designated by the government to oversee U.S. refugee resettlement have frozen hiring or laid off workers in some cases, by the hundreds as the State Department cuts spending on such programs amid efforts to sharply curb new arrivals, reports The Wall Street Journal (subscription). Charities Find Trump's Fla. Estate a Bigger Draw Since Election: Several nonprofits that hold fundraising events at Mar-a-Lago told The Washington Post they saw increased revenue this gala season as the possibility of the president dropping in juiced ticket sales. Controversy over Trump administration policies prompted a handful of other groups to relocate future galas.
Obama Presidential Center to Eschew Federal Money: The Chicago institution is opting out of the National Archives and Records Administration's presidential-library network, forgoing millions of dollars a year in government funding but freeing the Obama Foundation from costly endowment, design, and other requirements that would come with the government support, the Chicago Tribune writes.
Then-Harvard Endowment Chief Was Paid $14.9 Million in 2015: Stephen Blyth's compensation for running the university's investment arm was more than seven times that of Harvard's president, Bloomberg reports, citing tax filings. Mr. Blyth left the Harvard Management Company last May after about 18 months at the helm, during which time the fund's returns lagged behind those of peer institutions.
Appeals to Individuality Boost Giving by Wealthy, Study Suggests: A trio of psychology and behavioral-science scholars summarize in The New York Times their research on framing charity appeals for donors of different socioeconomic backgrounds, which found that people of means respond better to calls for individual action than to pitches that emphasize the common good.
$48 Million in Grants Back Veterans' Care at U. of Colorado: Home Depot co-founder Bernard Marcus's foundation committed $38 million to create an institute at the university's Anschutz Medical Campus to help ex-service members suffering from brain injuries and post-traumatic stress, and hedge-fund mogul Steven Cohen's Cohen Veterans Network pledged $9.8 million to establish a mental-health clinic for Denver-area veterans, reports the Associated Press. Read a Chronicle article about Mr. Cohen's giving for veterans' causes.
Ex-Minn. Charity Leader Gets 4 Years for Misappropriating $800,000: Prosecutors said Bill Davis, the longtime leader of Community Action of Minneapolis who pleaded guilty to fraud charges last June, used the now-defunct social-service nonprofit as a "personal piggy bank," drawing on its assets to buy himself a car and fund vacations to destinations like Las Vegas and the Bahamas.
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Daily News Roundup: Trump's Refugee Crackdown Hits Resettlement Charities' Budgets - Chronicle of Philanthropy (subscription)
Boca Raton, Florida (PRWEB) May 15, 2017
White Lotus, a company known for its line of holistic eastern anti-aging regime, announced its products are now for sale on NPIBeauty.com, a popular website for beauty and wellness brands.
The company was founded in 2007 in Brisbane, Australia as an offshoot of Golden Dragon TCM. Anthony and Kamila Kingston founded the company after studying acupuncture and Chinese medicine, having traveled all over the world in their work and studies. Ultimately they returned to Brisbane with knowledge of this ancient field of medicine and cosmetics. These principles are present in all White Lotus products, which are now available on NPIBeauty.com.
We are excited to be able to provide our products through yet another digital platform that reaches customers all over North America, said Anthony Kingston. This new sales partnership with NPIBeauty.com is yet another step toward broadening our market reach and being able to help more people benefit from eastern medicine and acupuncture.
While other companies have some level of focus on Chinese medicine and acupuncture for anti-aging purposes, these companies do not have the same standards of testing and research for their products as White Lotus. All of White Lotuss products carefully address important issues such as aging spots, stretch marks, scars, wrinkles, skin conditions, hair loss, chronic pains, and more in a safe, effective manner.
The companys jade products have already found a level of success in the United States. The jade roller, for example, improves lymphatic drainage, skin smoothness, and microcirculation. The White Lotus clinics in Australia have become known for their jade facials. Therefore, this roller allows international customers to experience some of that clinic experience from thousands of miles away, from the comfort of their homes.
We are eager to continue expanding our brands reach and to help people on a wider scale to achieve a fresh, youthful appearance with some natural, time-tested techniques, said Kingston.
For more information about White Lotus and its products, visit http://www.whitelotusantiaging.com.
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White Lotus Products Arrive on NPIBeauty.com - PR Web (press release)
PITTSBURG, Kan. Hannah Thomas said she discovered her true purpose helping others through plant biology while studying at Pittsburg State University.
The 22-year-old from Ottawa was one of more than 1,200 PSU students to graduate this weekend, and shell soon be leaving for an Ivy League university, Cornell, located in Ithaca, New York, to pursue a doctorate degree in plant biology.
Thomas wasnt always sure what career path to choose, and ended up changing her major halfway through college.
Originally planning to major in pre-med, Thomas soon discovered her love for botany while taking required biology courses.
Most people really rue the plant section and they hate it, but for me, it was my favorite part and I loved it, Thomas said. I thought botanical science just makes so much sense to me. It really clicked for my brain and I understood it very well.
I had to leave all of my friends that I had been taking classes with for two years, Thomas said. I had a different course load, different teachers. My family was really supportive, so that was a big plus. Some people were like, Youre making a mistake. You need to go into medicine. I had to really know that what I wanted to do was the correct path.
One of her biggest motivators for changing majors was a PSU study-abroad trip to Belize. It was her first time out of the country and she spent three weeks working with doctors to provide health care to locals who could not afford it.
It was an eye-opening experience to go into a rural part of a developing country and the perspectives of seeing people who are starving to death and of people who do not have access to health care, Thomas said.
While I was there, I met a lot of people who were seeking medical care and a lot of their main health problems were based on the fact that they were so malnourished, Thomas said. That experience really influenced my interest in going into food production, agriculture and plant science instead of medicine.
Her passion blossomed even more after she was accepted for a summer internship at the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center in St. Louis. She was one of 25 students in the country chosen for the position.
At Danforth, she studied under researcher Blake Meyers, whom Thomas called a very famous plant biologist. He is known for his work in plant genetics and bioinformatics, which is a field of study that uses computers and other technology to analyze biological data, such as the genetic code.
Any school you go to, I could mention his name and people would be very interested to know what we researched. This was the greatest opportunity that I couldve had, as an undergraduate, to really spread my wings and network within plant biology.
Together, Thomas and Meyers researched small ribonucleic acid (RNA), and while there she also got to meet Bill Gates. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation helps fund research and development at the center.
Thomas also gave credit to two professors, Virginia Rider and Neil Snow, for helping her discover her true path. Rider advises pre-med students and coordinates PSUs Kansas IDeA Network for Biomedical Research Excellence. Snow is an assistant professor of botany and director of the T.M. Sperry Herbarium.
Snow said he remembered when Thomas had approached him two years ago and asked to take one of his courses. He said she was focused and hard-working.
Shes got the best time-management skills Ive ever seen in a student in 20 years, Snow said. Shes incredibly effective at getting things done and changing gears. She does very high quality work, as well. Shes very well prepared to start a doctoral program at Cornell.
Thomas last week offered a piece of advice she wishes she couldve given to her freshman self.
Dont listen to what other people want you to do, Thomas said. Do what you want to do. I eventually figured that out, but I had listened to some people for too long. I learned that hard work does pay off and that you can do whatever you want with your life from any school that you choose.
Drum Line
Hannah Thomas also was a member of the Pride of the Plains Drum Line at Pittsburg State University.
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PSU grad blossoms in plant biology - Joplin Globe
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We all want our top investigative bodies to be headed by competent officials. We also all want to ensure that these officials can freely investigate other branches of the government including the presidential administration without fear of retribution. How can we tell whether Donald Trumps firing of FBI Director James Comey was meant to ensure competent leadership of the FBI, as Trump claims, or to prevent Comey from digging deeper into Trumps potential connections with Russia, as many Democrats claim.
Our personal political perspectives will strongly influence us to favor one explanation or the other, regardless of the truth. According to behavioral science research, our minds tend to interpret new information in accordance with our past beliefs a thinking error known as theconfirmation bias. Fortunately, we can fight the confirmation bias in such situations by evaluating the opinions of people who both have the most information and have political motivations to support one side, but fail to do so or even support the other side.
In this case, we can observe a number of prominent Republicansexpressing concernsover Comeys firing. Senate Intelligence Chairman Richard Burr, a North Carolina Republican who heads the Senates Russia investigation, stated that he was troubled by the timing and reasoning of Comeys firing, which confuses an already difficult investigation for the Committee. So did a number of other influential Republican Senators, such as Bob Corker, who chairs the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and stated in response to Trump firing Comey that "It is essential that ongoing investigations are fulsome and free of political interference until their completion. Representative Justin Amash, who belongs to the conservative House Freedom Caucus, even stated that he intends to introduce legislation calling for creating an independent commission to investigate Russia's interference in the election. Pat Tiberi, a conservative member of the House, expressedpotential support for a special prosecutor of the Trump and Russia connection and stated that the White House needs to come clean.
Altogether, about 40 Republican members of Congress have expressed concerns over Comeys firing, while virtually every Democrat is calling for an independent commission or special prosecutor to evaluate Comeys firing. While some of these Republicans are known for breaking ranks at times, such as Senator John McCain, many others such as Corker and Burr are mainstream Republicans who generally toe the party line. This data on many of those in the know federal lawmakers who have clear political motivation to align with Trump firing Comey instead broke ranks provides strong evidence that the decision to fire Comey is less about incompetence and more about the Russia investigation than anything else.
Another thinking error playing a role in clouding our judgment isillusory correlation, namely an incorrect illusory perception of a connection between two events. Trumps administration claimed, in a memo by deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein thatTrump referencedin his firing of Comey, that Comey lost support due to his handling of the investigation into Hillary Clintons email server. Democrats claimed that Trump fired Comey because of Comeys investigation into the Trump-Russia connection as part of Russias meddling in the US presidential elections.
One of these is an illusory connection, but which is it? Due to confirmation bias, Republicans will be likely to see the Trump-Russia connection as illusory. Democrats will tend to see the Clinton investigation connection as illusory.
Fortunately, we can use another technique from behavioral science to correct for this thinking error consider the alternative. Consider a situation where Trumps true concerns lay with Comeys Clinton email server investigation. When would Trump fire Comey if this was the case? Trump would fire Comey when Trump entered office, asTrump didwith a number of federal attorneys. Instead, Trump specificallymade a decisionto keep Comey in office when he took the presidency, despite knowing about Comeys handling of the email server. Trump specifically indicated, in a message loud and clear for the government investigative bodies, that he would not pursue any further investigation into Clintons email servershortly afterhe was elected. As late as April 12, long after Trump had access to any secret information about Comeys handling of Clintons email server and any other information relevant to Comeys pre-election activities, Trump saidin an interviewwith Fox Business Network I have confidence in [Comey]." Given this evidence, it seems quite unlikely that the real reason for Comeys firing is the Clinton email scandal.
What about the Trump-Russia investigation?According to Fox News, a conservative source, the day before he was fired, Comey met with the Republican and Democrat Senators on the Senate intelligence committee, Senators Richard Burr and Mark Warner. At the meeting, he discussed the inquiry into Russian hacking in the presidential election and potential involvement of Trump and members of his administration in this hacking. Burr and Warner both wanted Comey to speed up the investigation, and Comey responded that he needed more resources to conduct the investigation. Earlier, Comey allegedlymade a requestfor more resources for this investigation from Rosenstein, whose later memo was used by Trump as a reason to fire Comey. Given the evidence of the closeness of the timing of Comeys requests for more resources and Trump firing Comey, the connection between the investigation into Russian hacking and the firing of Comey appears to be true rather than illusory.
Now, this behavioral science-based conclusion does not favor the conservative perspective, and instead favors the liberal one. Will it mean that conservatives dismiss it out of hand? To determine if this is the case, I went on the conservative radio network 700WLW to speak on this topic with the well-known radio show hostScott Sloan two days after Comeys dismissal. Sloan is known as a strong proponent ofChristian and conservativevalues but not someone who practicespost-truth politicsby dismissing the truth in favor of his personal beliefs. We had acivil discussion, during which Sloan acknowledged the validity of this behavioral science-informed perspective and accepted that the evidence pointed against Trumps narrative. It is highly likely that our conversation swayed some of his conservative audience to change their perspective as well.
This interview shows the benefits of using such behavioral science-based approaches to bridge the political divide and have reasonable conversations that result in people going against their current values and changing their minds. What it takes is knowing why our minds are likely to lead us astray and addressing these internal biases using science-informed strategies to do so. In this case, the evidence once corrected for political bias points conclusively, in a way that both reasonable conservative and liberals can agree on, to Trump firing Comey due to concerns over the FBIs investigation into Russian interference in the election.
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How Can We Tell Whether Comeys Firing Was Justified - Utne Reader Online
Genetic alterations that can be modulated by stress have been identified in children at high risk for bipolar disorder, according to a recently published study by researchers at McGovern Medical School at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth). Results appeared in Translational Psychiatry, a Nature Publishing Group journal.
"We've known that children of patients with bipolar disorder have a higher risk of developing the illness but the biological mechanisms are largely unknown," said Gabriel R. Fries, Ph.D., first author and a post-doctoral research fellow in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at McGovern Medical School at UTHealth. "By analyzing the blood of children of controls and comparing it to children of bipolar patients, we identified several genes or markers that can explain the increased risk."
Researchers analyzed peripheral blood mononuclear cells from a total of 18 children and adolescents in three matched groups: bipolar patients, unaffected offspring of bipolar parents and children of parents with no history of psychiatric disorders.
The analysis revealed that, compared to children in the control group, bipolar patients and unaffected offspring of bipolar parents had genetic alterations that can influence the response to stress.
"All combine to modulate the response to stress in these children," Fries said. "We know from clinical studies of behavior and the environment that when children are chronically exposed to stressors, they are at a higher risk of developing bipolar disorder. Bipolar parents may struggle because of their disease, leading to higher environmental stress. Their children, because of the genetic markers they have, could be more vulnerable to stress."
The genetic alterations that researchers discovered were validated in blood samples of unrelated adult bipolar patients, Fries said.
New avenues of research could include the effects of reducing environmental stress, as well as whether pharmacological agents might be able to reverse the genetic alternations in vulnerable children before the disorder develops.
Blood samples for the research came from the innovative Pediatric Bipolar Registry at the UTHealth Center of Excellence on Mood Disorders. The research was supported in part by grants from the Pat Rutherford, Jr. Endowed Chair in Psychiatry and the John S. Dunn Foundation.
Senior author is Jair C. Soares, M.D., Ph.D., professor, chairman and the Pat R. Rutherford, Jr. Endowed Chair in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at McGovern Medical School.
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Genes in children linked to stress, bipolar disorder -- ScienceDaily - Science Daily
Miami-based plastic surgeon Dr. Alex de Souza is partnering with Dr. Robert Rey, a Beverly Hills plastic surgeon and the star of reality TV show Dr. 90210, to start a practice here in Orlando.
The duo is starting small, performing their procedures at the outpatient surgery facility Endo-Surgical Center of Florida on North Dean Road. They hope to eventually establish a boutique practice here called World Plastic Surgery Center.
De Souza and Rey, who are part of a small community of Brazilian plastic surgeons in the United States, said starting a practice in Orlando made sense, because its a major tourist hub with a busy airport, and because compared to Miami and Beverly Hills, its more affordable.
We looked at different places, said Rey in an interview peppered with inspirational advice including Lift your head, Choose to be happy, and The enemy is the fridge.
Orlando is the most-visited city on earth. Its very heterogenous and is a centralized location, he said.
Brazilian tourists make up one of the top five international groups in Orlando, but de Souza said that wasnt the main deciding factor in choosing the area.
Dr. Harinath Sheela, a gastroenterologist and one of the partners at Endo-Surgical Center, said one of the reasons de Souza and Rey chose to work from his surgery center was because its close to the airport with access to state roads 408 and 417. An independent outpatient surgery center, Endo-Surgical was established here six years ago.
Promise Healthcare, a national hospital company, is opening its first Promise Rejuvenation Center at The Villages, providing anti-aging, weight loss and integrative medicine therapy. Dr. Lena Edwards, board certified in integrative medicine, is the clinics chief medical officer.
Fishman and Sheridan EyeCare Specialists are establishing new offices in Clermont and Eustis, set to open in 2018.
Bostwick Laboratories, a specialty anatomic pathology laboratory with locations in Orlando, New York and Virginia, has been acquired by Poplar Healthcare, a Memphis-based laboratory services company.
TrueHealth, a private nonprofit community health center in Central Florida, held its inaugural fundraising gala May 6, raising nearly $80,000 through contributions and ticket sales.
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical Universitys Daytona Beach campus is started an undergraduate program in aerospace physiology in collaboration with Florida Hospital and its campuses in Volusia and Flagler counties.
Abel Biri is the new CEO of Florida Hospital Waterman, replacing David Ottati, who recently became president and CEO of Florida Hospitals Central Florida Division-North Region.
Brea Weiss, a career-development professional, is the new board chair for Florida Hospital for Children.
David Overfield is Orange County health departments new Interim Assistant Health Officer. Hes replacing Lesli Ahonkhai, whos retiring in June.
Jennifer Knight, a pre-operative nurse at Poinciana Medical Center, received the DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses for providing exceptional patient care.
nmiller@orlandosentinel.com or 407-420-5158; Twitter, @naseemmiller
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'Dr. 90210' star accepting patients in Orlando - Orlando Sentinel
Despite their best efforts, no scientist has ever come close to stopping humans from aging. Even anti-aging creams can't stop Old Father Time.
But new research from Brigham Young University reveals you may be able to slow one type of aging -- the kind that happens inside your cells. As long as you're willing to sweat.
"Just because you're 40, doesn't mean you're 40 years old biologically," Tucker said. "We all know people that seem younger than their actual age. The more physically active we are, the less biological aging takes place in our bodies."
The study, published in the medical journal Preventive Medicine, finds that people who have consistently high levels of physical activity have significantly longer telomeres than those who have sedentary lifestyles, as well as those who are moderately active.
Telomeres are the protein endcaps of our chromosomes. They're like our biological clock and they're extremely correlated with age; each time a cell replicates, we lose a tiny bit of the endcaps. Therefore, the older we get, the shorter our telomeres.
Exercise science professor Larry Tucker found adults with high physical activity levels have telomeres with a biological aging advantage of nine years over those who are sedentary, and a seven-year advantage compared to those who are moderately active. To be highly active, women had to engage in 30 minutes of jogging per day (40 minutes for men), five days a week.
"If you want to see a real difference in slowing your biological aging, it appears that a little exercise won't cut it," Tucker said. "You have to work out regularly at high levels."
Tucker analyzed data from 5,823 adults who participated in the CDC's National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, one of the few indexes that includes telomere length values for study subjects. The index also includes data for 62 activities participants might have engaged in over a 30-day window, which Tucker analyzed to calculate levels of physical activity.
His study found the shortest telomeres came from sedentary people -- they had 140 base pairs of DNA less at the end of their telomeres than highly active folks. Surprisingly, he also found there was no significant difference in telomere length between those with low or moderate physical activity and the sedentary people.
Although the exact mechanism for how exercise preserves telomeres is unknown, Tucker said it may be tied to inflammation and oxidative stress. Previous studies have shown telomere length is closely related to those two factors and it is known that exercise can suppress inflammation and oxidative stress over time.
"We know that regular physical activity helps to reduce mortality and prolong life, and now we know part of that advantage may be due to the preservation of telomeres," Tucker said.
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High levels of exercise linked to nine years of less aging at the ... - Science Daily
[Dr Swati Puranik, of the Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences at Aberystwyth University in the UK] and her collaborators in Kenya and India aim to use conventional genomics-based breeding to come up with varieties of finger millet that contain higher levels of calcium and vitamins, without using genetic engineering.
Professor Paul Christou, from the Department of Crop and Forest Science and Agrotecnico Centre at the University of Lleida in Spain, has genetically engineered maize and rice to boost vitamin A, folic acid and vitamin C, along with a wide spectrum of essential micronutrients.
He sees value in conventional breeding to develop fortified crop varieties, but believes genetic engineering is the only current way to deliver a staple crop that meets the recommended daily amounts of vitamins and minerals simultaneously.
To my mind, in order to be successful in biofortification programmes, you need to address the micronutrient deficiencies in as complete a manner as possible,saidProf. Christou.
Genetically modified (GM) cereal varieties could have a major impact if they are accepted. But Prof. Christou recognises that not everyone is receptive to GM foods, even where they can improve nutrition for hundreds of millions of people.
The GLP aggregated and excerpted this blog/article to reflect the diversity of news, opinion, and analysis. Read full, original post:New strains of staple crops serve up essential vitamins
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If biofortified crops are goal, both genetic engineering and conventional breeding necessary - Genetic Literacy Project
NCCU awards first doctorates in a half century Durham Herald Sun The program's focus is the study of health disparities, incorporating knowledge from various fields such as biology, biomedical and behavioral sciences, chemistry, physics, bioinformatics, computer science/information science, environmental sciences ... |
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NCCU awards first doctorates in a half century - Durham Herald Sun
The latest toy craze comes with bold health claimsbut experts say fidget spinners dont deliverSigne Pierce for TIME
Sean Gregory is a TIME senior writer
Jenn Jarmula, an elementary- and middle-school teacher in Chicago, recently hung a sign outside her classroom. This Is A Fidget Spinner Free Zone, it read. Fidget spinners which dominate Amazon's top-selling toys and games list are nothing more than gadgets with three weighted prongs that spin, spin, spin on the fingers of sixth-graders like tiny ceiling fans. They've existed in some form since 1993, but lately they've grown so popular that retailers can barely keep them in stock. In order to keep up with demand, Toys "R" Us has chartered jets to ship spinners to its stores.
Jarmula says they've become disruptive in the classroom. She recently confiscated four spinners from a single student in one class period, stuffing them into the pockets of her pants, which she now favors wearing over skirts for their ample fidget-spinner storage space. She's just one of many teachers who are opting to ban spinners from classrooms, even as some manufacturers are touting their therapeutic benefits for students with autism, anxiety and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
The alleged mental benefits of the toys have helped fuel their sales, but even a cursory look at the nonexistent science and the history of the spinners makes it clear that these claims are specious at best. Fidget spinners weren't created by behavioral scientists with a deep knowledge of intellectual disability nor were they created by experts in a lab; they were first patented by an inventor from Florida named Catherine Hettinger who wanted to promote world peace. She began imagining the spinner while visiting her sister in Israel. What if the young boys throwing rocks at police officers played with something calming instead? she thought. Hettinger's spinner never took off: Hasbro passed on it, her patent expired in 2005, and the spinner toiled in obscurity until earlier this year, when a series of YouTube videos featuring teenagers doing tricks with them went viral.
Soon, anecdotal reports emerged of special-needs kids benefiting from them. Cat Bowen, a lifestyle writer at Romper.com, a website for millennial mothers, says that since her 9-year-old son, who's on the autism spectrum, started using a spinner, he's been more focused. Math homework that used to take him an hour to get through now takes just 40 minutes, she says.
But anecdotal evidence from an individual child isn't the same as the scientific evidence required to support marketing claims like "Perfect for ADD, ADHD, Anxiety and Autism," as one fidget-spinner ad does. At least 10 other companies listed on Amazon market the product as a medical intervention.
Some scientific studies have found that fidgeting can, indeed, benefit young students with ADHD. Researchers suspect that movement helps kids maintain alertness during cognitive tasks. In her work, Julie Schweitzer, director of the attention, impulsivity and regulation laboratory at the University of California, Davis, has found that children with ADHD scored higher on an attention test while squirming in their seats and moving their legs, compared with when they sat still. Another study, published in the Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, found that the more kids with ADHD fidgeted, the better their working memory. Such movement probably stimulates underactive regions of the brain, like the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, which plays a role in attention, planning and impulse control.
Many children with autism also have elevated symptoms of ADHD, so it stands to reason that fidgeting could aid them too in theory, anyway. But experts say that playing with a fidget spinner, which does not require much physical activity, might not garner the same results as actual fidgeting. With fidget spinners, kids essentially outsource the action. "The spinner does the movement for them," says Mark Rapport, head of the Children's Learning Clinic at the University of Central Florida. "I imagine it would distract the heck out of kids."
Experts say that promising relief for a child through a $5 spinning ball bearing can have pernicious effects. "Many parents are desperate," says Rapport. "They're looking for magic. These claims raise their hopes, only for them to get dashed."
NEW YORK, NY--(Marketwired - May 11, 2017) - A group of leading organizations from the behavioral science community today launched the Behavioral Evidence Hub, a comprehensive resource that brings together some of the world's most promising innovative solutions into a single tool, putting them within easy reach of all those working to solve a wide range of intractable problems affecting the wellbeing and livelihood of people around the world.
The website, BHub.org, includes evidence-based initiatives that offer deep insight into tough problems negatively impacting people in the U.S. and globally -- from staying in college and increasing savings rates to improving medication adherence and vaccination uptake. The site also features solutions and implementation guidelines for practitioners interested in using the insights and innovations in their own work.
Backed by leading experts, the solutions featured on the B-Hub are focused on applying behavioral science for social good. The goal of the new site is to bridge the gap between promising academic research and large-scale deployment of behaviorally-informed solutions in products, systems and programs.
With the launch of the B-Hub, practitioners can now easily access potential new solutions across a wide range of problem domains including health, education, criminal justice, environmental conservation, and financial inclusion.
The B-Hub's easy-to-use format enables users to discover insights by problem domain, geography or solution format. Users can browse through the curated database of content, focus on specific insights that might be applicable to their own work, or run their existing programs through a checklist to determine how behaviorally optimized it is.
The site is open-source and supported by contributions from the researchers and organizations producing the innovations and solutions. It was built by a community of experts including ideas42, Innovations for Poverty Action (IPA), and the Center for Health Incentives & Behavioral Economics at the University of Pennsylvania (CHIBE). Ongoing content development is supported by a growing network of contributors including the Behavioral Insights Group at the Harvard Kennedy School, the OECD, and the U.K.'s Financial Conduct Authority. The site is made possible in part by support from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and others.
In a joint statement, the founding organizations ideas42, IPA, and CHIBE said, "The path to expansive social impact through applied behavioral science is now clearer than ever. The B-Hub is an invaluable tool for researchers, government experts and other practitioners engaged in finding solutions to tough problems. This platform provides insights that can help drive change more effectively -- and often at low cost. The B-Hub was created with the core mission of centralizing knowledge, increasing social impact, and tracking the growth of applied behavioral interventions around the world. It's easy to use, contains effective solutions, and we hope it becomes a go-to resource for problem-solvers everywhere."
Visit BHub.org for more information.
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New Behavioral Evidence Hub puts powerful solutions in the hands of the world's problem-solvers - Marketwired (press release)
Here is a list of some commencement ceremonies at colleges and universities in Arkansas.
Today
Arkansas Tech University
7 p.m., Graduate College, John E. Tucker Coliseum.
Henderson State University
9 a.m., College of Business and Teachers College, Wells Center Gymnasium.
12 p.m., College of Arts and Sciences, Wells Center Gymnasium.
University of Arkansas
3 p.m., J. William Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences, Bud Walton Arena.
University of Arkansas at Monticello
10 a.m. and 2 p.m., Steelman Fieldhouse.
Saturday
Arkansas State University
10 a.m., College of Education and Behavioral Science, College of Nursing and Health Professions, Convocation Center.
2:30 p.m., College of Agriculture, Engineering and Technology; College of Business; College of Liberal Arts and Communication; College of Sciences and Mathematics; and undergraduate studies, Convocation Center.
Arkansas Tech University
10 a.m., College of Arts and Humanities, College of Education, Tucker Coliseum.
2 p.m., College of Engineering and Applied Sciences, College of eTech, Tucker Coliseum.
6 p.m., College of Business, College of Natural and Health Sciences, all associate degrees, Tucker Coliseum.
Hendrix College
9 a.m., Wellness and Athletics Center in the Event Gymnasium.
Ouachita Baptist University
9:30 a.m., Cone-Bottoms Hall.
University of Arkansas
8:30 a.m., All University Commencement, Bud Walton Arena. Speaker: the Rev. Becca Stevens, founder and president of Thistle Farms, Nashville, Tenn.
12 p.m., College of Engineering, Barnhill Arena. Speaker: Adam Monroe, '88, president Novozymes Americas.
1 p.m., Sam M. Walton College of Business, Bud Walton Arena. Speaker: Ed Wilson, Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, '80, CEO and founder of Dreamcatcher Media LLC.
1 p.m. Fay Jones School of Architecture and Design, Faulkner Performing Arts Center. Speaker: Cheryl Durst, CEO and executive vice president of International Interior Design Association of Chicago.
3:30 p.m., Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences, Barnhill Arena. Speakers: Outstanding Alumnus John Paul Pendergrass, co-owner of Pendergrass Cattle Co. in Charleston; Outstanding Young Alumna Courtney Meyers, associate professor of agricultural communications, Texas Tech University.
5:30 p.m., College of Education and Health Professions, Bud Walton Arena. Speaker: Sandra Keiser Edwards, deputy director of Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art and former associate vice chancellor for development at UA-Fayetteville.
University of Arkansas-Fort Smith
10 a.m. and 2 p.m., Stubblefield Center.
University of Arkansas at Little Rock
9:30 a.m., College of Education and Health Professions, Donaghey College of Engineering and Information Technology, Jack Stephens Center. Speaker: Candice Hunter Corby, '94, CEO and president of Cobra Legal Solutions in Austin.
3 p.m., College of Arts, Letters and Sciences, College of Business, College of Social Sciences and Communication, Jack Stephens Center. Speaker: Corby.
7 p.m., William H. Bowen School of Law, Jack Stephens Center.
University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff
3 p.m., Pine Bluff Convention Center arena. Speaker: Phylicia Rashad, actress and director.
University of the Ozarks
10:30 a.m., campus mall.
Williams Baptist College
10 a.m., Southerland-Mabee Center. Speaker: U.S. Sen. John Boozman, R-Ark.
May 20
University of Arkansas
2 p.m., School of Law, Fayetteville Town Center. Speaker: U.S. District Judge Kristine Baker, '96.
University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
3 p.m., Verizon Arena. Speaker: UAMS Chancellor Dan Rahn, in his last commencement as UAMS chancellor. He is scheduled to retire in the summer.
NW News on 05/12/2017
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University graduations - Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
The movement to look -- and feel -- younger continues to be big business, with an endless supply of customers. According to Transparency Market Research, the global anti-aging industry will be worth nearly $200 billion by 2019. The reasons for that growth are clear: All adults have insecurities surrounding aging and thus are potential customers.
Related: 5 Ways New Companies Are Capturing the Growing Senior Market
What truly makes the anti-aging segment exciting is how much room it holds for growth. The reason is that for anti-aging technologies, unlike other categories, the gap between research and application is wide. Anti-aging solutions remain the focus of intensive research, and those eventual findings will create new potential.
Meanwhile, because no universal standard currently exists for these solutions, even the idea of what an anti-aging product is, is up for grabs. But, essentially, what industry observers can agree on is that anti-aging offers savvy entrepreneurs major advantages in both the health and beauty markets.
However, there is a caveat: Entrepreneurs who jump blindly into the anti-aging industry will surely gain a few wrinkles along the way. As in any industry, success takes specialized knowledge, skill and hard work. Here are a few ways to start down the path to creating a successful anti-aging business:
In any business, extra education is a competitive advantage. Special knowledge makes it harder for the competition to enter the market; and it helps entrepreneurs already there to stay on top, because knowing about the latest and best science is a vital part of success in the anti-aging market.
Another tip for success is knowing where the rewards are: I set up the Brighten Award for Entrepreneurial Gerontology at the University of Southern California Leonard Davis School of Gerontology. It honors business students creating products and services aimed at older audiences. Hopefully, this opportunity will spark continued education in the gerontology field by academics and entrepreneurs alike.
Entrepreneurs in this field should also look for lectures and conferences and chances to enhance their education in the anti-aging field. The American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine offers a number of fellowships, certifications, symposiums and graduate programs for those wanting to expand their anti-aging knowledge base. Anti-aging technology changes so often that continuously furthering your education is a necessity.
Related: 3 Ways to Encourage Your Employees to Keep Learning
While members of the younger generations will have some interest in your anti-aging product, baby boomers are your best investment source. People over 50 control 70 percent of the disposable income in the United States and are estimated to spend $52 billion globally each year.
It's no wonder then that the marketing of anti-aging products is on the rise -- so much so that the European modeling agency MOT Models has created a new division called RETRO -- featuring mature models -- tto help more companies attract customers over age 50 and bring in new streams of revenue.
Entrepreneurs in the anti-aging field need to find a need that their product can address, then hit it hard. For instance, anti-aging skin care is a robust market expected to eclipse $11 billion by 2018 in the United States alone. So, narrow in on a specific industry to position your company to benefit financially and become a market trendsetter.
Like anything that touches on medical needs, the anti-aging industry comes with a slew of regulations. Because many consumers are still skeptical about anti-aging products, it's in everyone's best interest that his market not be flooded with ineffective or unsafe products.
Each year, the Food and Drug Administration sends warning letters to companies marketing as cosmetics anti-aging products that are really drugs. The FDA defines a cosmetic as something designed for "cleansing, beautifying and promoting attractiveness or altering appearance," while a drug is something that will "affect the structure or any function of the body."
Understanding the distinction is key. That's why it's important to go through all the necessarary documentation and legislation at the state and federal levels to ensure compliance. This will prevent potential regulatory headaches and provide insight on where the anti-aging industry is headed. When new regulations pop up, opportunities for expansion may not be far behind.
Related: 5 Ways to Effectively Market to Baby Boomers
In sum, the anti-aging market is booming -- thanks to the boomers. For entrepreneurs looking for the next big thing, that next big thing may involve jolting the over-50 crowd with a shot of vitality. So, stay educated, focused and compliant, and your anti-aging product will enjoy a long and healthy shelf life.
Kevin Xu is the CEO of MEBO International, a California- and Beijing-based intellectual-property management company specializing in applied health systems. He also leads Skingenix, which specializes in skin organ regeneration and the resear...
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Why Anti-Aging Products Are the New Startup Frontier - Entrepreneur
Updated | Its not quite eternal youth but scientists have discovered how humans can slow down the aging process and shave almost a decade off their biological agevigorous exercise. In a study of more than 5,000 adults in the U.S., a researcher found those who exercise regularly are younger on a cellular level than those who lead sedentary or moderately active lifestyles.
Research published in the journal Preventative Medicine in April considered data on 5,823 people who had participated in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey between 1999 and 2002. The participants were asked demographic and lifestyle questions, including how often they exercised.
They also looked at telomere length. Telomeres are protective caps found at the ends of chromosomes that help keep them stablenot unlike how the plastic sheath at the end of shoelaces stops them from fraying. Every time a cell divides, telomeres get shorter. Eventually they become too small to protect the chromosomes and cells get old and dieresulting in aging.
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English women athletes training in Battersea Park, London, 21st September 1937. Regular, vigorous exercise makes people up to nine years younger. Hulton Archive/Getty Images
Shorter telomeres are related to many age-related diseases, including cancer, stroke and cardiovascular disease.
In the study, exercise science professor Larry Tucker from Brigham Young Universitycompared telomere length with levels of physical activity. His findings showed significant differences between those who did regular, vigorous exercise and those who did not.
Just because youre 40, doesnt mean youre 40 years old biologically, he said in a statement. We all know people that seem younger than their actual age. The more physically active we are, the less biological aging takes place in our bodies.
He discovered adults with a high level of physical activity had a biological aging advantage of nine years compared to sedentary adults. When compared with those who did a moderate amount of exercise, the difference for highly active adults was seven years.
A high level of physical activity was constituted as running between 30 and 40 minutes per day, at least five days per week.
Overall, physical activity was significantly and meaningfully associated with telomere length in U.S. men and women, he wrote. Evidently, adults who participate in high levels of physical activity tend to have longer telomeres, accounting for years of reduced cellular aging compared to their more sedentary counterparts.
He said exactly why exercise appears to preserve telomere length is not known, but added it could be linked with inflammation and oxidative stressexercise is known to suppress inflammation and stress over time.
If you want to see a real difference in slowing your biological aging, it appears that a little exercise wont cut it. You have to work out regularly at high levels, he said. We know that regular physical activity helps to reduce mortality and prolong life, and now we know part of that advantage may be due to the preservation of telomeres.
This article has been updated with the name of the university where Larry Tucker works.
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Exercise Has Anti-aging Benefits and Makes You Years Younger on a Cellular Level - Newsweek
The researchers' conclusion that "the maximum lifespan of humans is fixed and subject to natural constraints" is sobering reading for those who dream that human ageing can one day be successfully hacked. But for evolutionary ecologists, it should not come as a surprise.
As well as striking a note of biological realism, this research also highlights how research on human ageing often neglects the insights available from evolutionary theory -- and particularly from a research field called "comparative life-history ecology".
This genre of research explains why mice and humans grow old at such different rates (more on why this is a problem for ageing research later). It aims to bring us closer to understanding the "ultimate" reasons why we age -- which in turn can tell us whether the hundreds of millions of dollars poured into ageing research are actually a good investment.
Strive as we might, an evolutionary perspective tells us that maximum lifespans will not be extended by simply solving one symptom of ageing after another.
Ageing -- or "senescence", to use the biological term -- is defined as a decline in physiological condition with age. You might wonder why natural selection allows this to happen at all. The answer is that senescence happens in a "selection shadow" -- that is, after organisms have already reproduced and passed on their genes. There is no real evolutionary penalty for failing to ward off the ravages of old age, because in animal populations relatively few individuals make it into their geriatric years anyway, thanks to predators, disease, hardship or bad luck.
Natural selection reaches a crescendo at sexual maturity, when most individuals in a population are alive and striving to produce viable offspring. This is the age at which the genetic baton is passed to the next generation. Unfortunately for those of us over 40, it's all downhill from here in terms of the evolutionary pressure to maintain a healthy body.
This knowledge -- that selection pressure changes with age in a way that depends not just on the expected lifespan but also on the timing of reproductive effort -- is fundamental to evolutionary theories of ageing. It is also fundamental to how we design and interpret the research that aims to help us prolong our own maximum lifespans.
Many of the species most frequently studied by biologists -- such as mice, flies and worms -- are chosen precisely because their short lifespans and fast generational turnover make them quicker and easier to work with. But their short lives and adaptable reproductive strategies actually make them unsuitable models for testing drugs or other anti-ageing interventions aimed at slowing human ageing.
In contrast, species with long expected natural lifespans (which have reduced their mortality risk by evolving to a large size, or being able to fly or hibernate, or having a large brain) have already invested strongly, and perhaps maximally, in protecting their cells from ageing. This suggests there is no "anti-ageing switch" available to flick for a species such as ourselves. Whether or not we have children, it seems we're already naturally geared to live as long as we possibly can.
If we take the ratio of a short-lived species like a mouse and apply it to humans, we would predict a maximum lifespan of about 400 years! But despite all of our efforts to push the boundaries through medicine and nutrition, humans (along with elephants and other highly durable animals) don't come close to these biblical lifespans.
If we are to break the evolutionary constraints on maximum lifespan in humans, we need to better take account of life-history ecology. This theory tells us that the causes of ageing are to be found not at the end of our lives, but at the beginning.
How our maximum lifespan is ultimately limited will be understood by research that seeks to answer why the pace of life varies so much among different animals. For me, this is the take-home message from this recent excellent research.
Christopher Turbill is a senior lecturer in animal ecology at Western Sydney University.
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Why humans lack an 'anti-aging switch' - CNN
Diamondback moths. (Credit: Oxitec)
Though genetically modified crops may steal the spotlight, similarly reprogrammed insects may have just as big an effect on the agricultural industry.
Biotechnology company Oxitec is moving forward withplans to develop genetically engineered diamondback moths in an attempt to reduce populations of the invasive crop pest. Their plan is to release males that will pass on a gene preventing female offspring from reaching maturity and reproducing, eventually eradicating the moths in North America. Tests have so far been positive, although there are still worries about the prospect of releasing genetically modified organisms into the wild.
Currently, pesticides are used to control the moths, which are responsible for an estimated $5 billion worth of damage every year in the U.S. An invasive species, the diamondback moth originated in Europe, but has proved difficult to control since appearing the U.S. due to short gestation times and the large numbers of eggs females lay at once. Oxitec says that their technique is preferable to pesticides, as the moths have proven capable of evolving resistance to the compounds in the past, and most carry some risk to the environment and human health.
Oxitec cites a USDAanalysis that found no risk of significant impact in an earlier test of the GM moths as evidence that their technique is safe, but the prospect of GM insects raisesfears that the moths may proliferate beyond targeted areasand cause impacts on the broader ecology. Similar techniques have been applied before, reaching as far back as the 1950s when sterile screwworm flies were released in Florida, effectively eliminating the parasitic species there. Impotent mosquitos, also manufactured by Oxitec, have been used to combat Zika in South America, andplans to implement the same procedure in Florida are underway.
The successful screwworm campaign relied on blasts of radiation to sterilize the males. Oxitecs technique uses gene editing engineering to implant males with modified DNA that ensures female caterpillars dont survive to adulthood. In the case of the moths, males need not be targeted because it is only the female caterpillars who are responsible for damaging the crops.
They say that tests of the moths, including feeding them to various animals and releasing them in greenhouses, have revealed no ill effects as a result of the genetic modification. Along with the caterpillar-killing gene, the moths are also implanted with a gene that causes them to fluoresce red under UV light, the better to identify them in the wild.
The FDA found no issues preventing the company from moving forward, but because the moths are an agricultural pest, the USDA must weigh in as well.Oxitec is currently waiting on USDA approval to conduct expanded tests at a site in New York in conjunction with Cornell University. They hope to release the moths in a contained cabbage field to see how effective their modifications are.
Most opposition to genetically modified insects is based on the prospect of altered organisms spreading beyond the areas they are released. In the case of the diamondback moth, Oxitec says that the nature of the modification, which precludes breeding, should serve to limit the spread of the GM moths, and pesticides and freezing winter conditions should take care of the rest.
Kevin Esvelt, a professor at MIT and leader of the Sculpting Evolution Lab agrees: The wholepoint is to harm the next generation of organisms. And since they carry the relevant genetic construct, its necessarily going to decrease, he says. It will not persistin the environment over time as long as the genetic construct is doing what its supposed to do.
This marks a crucial difference from a gene drive, a technique often associated with genetically modifying populations. The hallmark of a gene drive is tweaking genes to increase the chances that a particular trait will be passed on to offspring. The odds are normally 50/50, but a gene drive can tilt them in favor of a particular set of genes,causing a trait to spread through a population. This is helpful when a trait is detrimental to an organisms survival and would normally be weeded out by natural selection. Gene drives havent yet been applied in the wild, though, and likely wont be for many years.
Oxitecs moths possess nosuch scale-tipping modifications that could cause the modified genes to spread across the globe, they merely pass on genetic material in the normal way. Part of this genetic material, however, has been changed to ensure that female caterpillars with the gene dont survive.
From a technical perspective its a perfectly sound approach, it probably offers fewer risks than current approaches using pesticides. In general I am a fan of usingbiology to solve ecological problems as opposed to chemistry, Esvelt says.
Still, he says that field trials are an important step in testing the efficacy and safety of any genetically modified organism. Along with careful tests, Esvelt advocates for more community involvement in the decision making process, as well attempts to reach out and communicate with critics. Although both the FDA and USDA have a period in place during which the public can comment, Esvelt says more communication should be done earlier.
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After Mosquitos, Moths Are the Next Target For Genetic Engineering - Discover Magazine (blog)
A new University initiative is bringing together researchers and administrators to apply insights from behavioral science to tackle campus challenges and advance research in that field.
Representatives from 24 administrative units and seven academic departments, programs and centers gathered in March to launch the Campus Behavioral Science Initiative (CBSI), a joint effort of the Office of the Executive Vice President and the Kahneman-Treisman Center for Behavioral Science & Public Policy.
"CBSI aspires to foster collaboration between administrative units and academic researchers to use the campus as a research site, tapping behavioral science to develop innovative solutions to campus challenges," said Treby Williams, the University's executive vice president.
Eldar Shafir, the Class of 1987 Professor in Behavioral Science and Public Policy, professor of psychology and public affairs, and inaugural director of the Kahneman-Treisman Center, said the initiative offers researchers the opportunity to gather valuable data, further their scholarly work and contribute to the University in a new way.
"This campus has a group of very talented and hard-working researchers who try to use behavioral insights to produce better outcomes," Shafir said. "We love and care about this campus, and it is so close and available. Why shouldn't we turn our eye partly to what we can do here?"
Behavioral science focuses on scientific experimentation, controlled observation of real-life behavior, and systematic analysis of data to understand the motivations, limitations and biases inherent in human behavior. The Kahneman-Treisman Center brings together faculty members from departments including psychology, sociology, politics, philosophy and the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs who pursue research in behavioral science.
Williams said the University can benefit from the application of behavioral-science insights as it tackles challenges from developing programs to reduce the number of cars driven to campus each day or reducing campus energy use to guiding employees toward appropriate health-care programs or helping students make better decisions related to healthy eating, sleep and alcohol consumption.
"Innovative solutions to these kinds of challenges require accurate insights into human behavior and decision-making. Without that knowledge, we won't succeed," Williams said.
Learnings from behavioral science have already been used successfully on campus, such as shifting default participation to "opt-in." For example, in the past, eligible faculty members had to take action to opt in to a benefit that gave them a reduced teaching load following the birth of a child. Shifting the benefit to one that faculty members automatically accrue unless they take action to opt out has increased participation on campus. A similar approach for a retirement savings program has increased the amount employees are saving for retirement.
The CBSI kick-off event included a brainstorming session where administrators and researchers offered ideas and suggested areas for potential collaboration. Khristina Gonzalez, associate dean in the Office of the Dean of the College, and Margaret Frye, assistant professor of sociology, expressed an interest in research about the experience of low-income and first-generation students at Princeton. Gonzalez and Frye have already met with colleagues from the departments of politics and psychology to chart their next steps and will be bringing other administrators and researchers into the project in the fall.
Gonzalez oversees the Freshman Scholars Institute and the Scholars Institute Fellows Program, which are designed to empower undergraduates to thrive at Princeton, particularly those from first-generation and low-income backgrounds. She said CBSI presents an opportunity to learn from research about what helps such students succeed and to contribute to additional research on the topic.
"I think it can be a valuable partnership because there is a lot of great, innovativeresearch in this field and working together will help us think about how to use that research to improve interventions to support our students," Gonzalez said.
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University initiative focuses on behavioral science to tackle campus challenges - Princeton University
More than three out of every four individuals released from U.S. prisons are re-arrested within five years. Given the sharp negative effects that incarceration has on individuals and their communities, as well as the often staggering expense of jails and prisons to governments and taxpayers, addressing this revolving door has become a top priority for many policymakers.
Reentry interventions programs designed to help people readjust to society following their release from jail and prison are one promising strategy. Former inmates often face complex challenges after release and experience an increased risk of homelessness, unemployment, addiction, and trauma. Sixty to 75 percent of recently incarcerated individuals were unemployed one year after release, and when they do find employment, former inmates can expect to earn 40 percent less, on average, than they did before going to jail. Seventy to 90 percent of the 10 million people released from jail or prison each year are uninsured, yet this group experiences mental illness, substance use disorders, infectious disease, and chronic health conditions at a rate that is seven times higher than the general population. Difficulty accessing housing, jobs, and treatment services puts this population at a high risk of reoffending, creating a self-perpetuating cycle.
The research community has done an extensive amount of work documenting and exploring the challenges faced by formerly incarcerated individuals and the resulting effects on prison populations when those individuals reoffend. However, as policymakers face tough choices about which reentry programs to support with limited funding available, we dont know enough about which approaches work, which work best, and why.
The Milwaukee Safe Streets Prisoner Release Initiative
J-PAL North America, based within MIT's Department of Economics, is supporting randomized evaluations to rigorously test prisoner reintegration policies and programs so policymakers can direct their efforts in the most effective way possible. Looking at some past examples of research is helping to guide our thinking on what still needs to be tested. In one study, researchers Anthony Braga (Harvard University), Philip Cook (Duke University), Songman Kang (Hanyang University), Jens Ludwig (University of Chicago), and Mallory OBrien (Medical College of Wisconsin) evaluated the impact of the Milwaukee Safe Streets Prisoner Release Initiative (PRI) on improving employment prospects and reducing recidivism. The PRI provides intensive, comprehensive services such as vocational and soft-skills training, remedial education, restorative justice circles, substance use treatment, and assistance finding housing, transportation, and employment to inmates in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, both before and after release with the aim of improving their chance of finding a job and staying out of jail.
Within the first year of release, the PRI program increased the likelihood of former inmates finding employment from 55 to 80 percent. However, while the treatment group was more likely to earn an income, their wages were still very low leaving many in poverty. The PRI program also decreased the likelihood that former inmates would be rearrested (63 versus 72 percent), though there was no discernible difference in recidivism rates.
A different approach to recidivism: Behavioral interventions
A cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) program used in the Cook County Juvenile Temporary Detention Center (JTDC) in Chicago, Illinois, offers a potentially more scalable model for policymakers to adopt. The therapy sessions, studied by Sara Heller (University of Pennsylvania), Anuj K. Shah (University of Chicago), Jonathan Guryan (Northwestern University), Jens Ludwig (University of Chicago), Sendhil Mullainathan (Harvard University), and Harold A. Pollack (University of Chicago), generated small but significant and sustained reductions in recidivism at a much lower cost than the PRI.
As part of the experiment, trained detention staff led group CBT sessions twice a day for members of the treatment group. The sessions were targeted at reducing impulsive and harmful behaviors that can lead to criminality, and the curriculum was created by surveying other CBT programs and adapting them to the JTDC context based on behavioral science research. This allowed for an extensive understanding of the key elements necessary for successful implementation of CBT in a juvenile detention center.
This CBT program helped high-risk youth avoid being readmitted to JTDC after their release. Juveniles who complied with the treatment were 13 percentage points less likely to be readmitted to JTDC than their control counterparts within two months after release, and 16 percentage points less likely after 18 months (an overall 21 percent reduction in readmission to JTDC).
While both the CBT program and the PRI intervention proved successful by some measures, the PRI intervention cost about $5,000 per participant, whereas the CBT program cost approximately $60 each. Intensive programs like the PRI may need to have a greater and more sustained impact on recidivism to justify the high cost. On the other hand, investing in cognitive behavioral therapy programs like the one used at JTDC can produce returns ranging from 5-to-1 to 30-to-1 in averted recidivism costs.
Moving forward
Governments, service providers, and researchers are continuing to develop innovative projects aimed at finding scalable, effective solutions to close our criminal justice systems revolving door. With support from J-PAL North America made possible by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Jennifer Doleac (University of Virginia) and Benjamin Castleman (University of Virginia) are testing a tablet-based reentry module in two county jails that aims to strengthen inmates transition back into society. Through this module, inmates create a personalized transition plan prior to release, and after leaving jail receive support and reminders to encourage them to adhere to their plan. If effective, this highly-scalable, technology-based and behavioral-science informed strategy may be a promising tool for successful reentry reforms.
With a renewed wave of political attention and practitioner innovation in this space, there is much more to learn about how best to support formerly incarcerated individuals to make communities safer and reduce the burden of the criminal justice system. J-PAL North America invites prospective partners interested in expanding the evidence base on reentry policy to reach out to J-PAL North Americas crime sector manager, Ben Struhl, with ideas for evaluations.
The consolidation implementation committee (CIC) for the new Georgia Southern institution will vote on proposed a recommendation by an operational working group that will result in the division of the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences into two different colleges, the College of Arts and Humanities and the College of Behavioral Sciences.
The committee is expected to vote on the recommendation at their meeting on Wednesday, however, some faculty members at both campuses are opposing the recommendation, according to Savannah Morning News.
According to Savannah Morning News, over 100 faculty members of the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences have signed a petition to oppose the recommendation of splitting the college into two.
If approved, the consolidated institution will have nine total colleges: Allen E. Paulson College of Engineering and Computing, College of Arts and Humanities (new), College of Behavioral Sciences (new), College of Business, College of Education, Don and Cindy Waters College of Health Professions, Jiann-Pin Hsu College of Public Health, College of Science and Mathematics and the J.N Averitt College of Graduate Studies.
According to the official agenda for the consolidation committee, the proposal would move several departments around, but cites that dividing the liberal arts and social sciences into two new colleges would be more manageable across the three campuses.
The recommendation was reviewed and supported by Jean Bartels, provost and vice president of academic affairs for Georgia Southern, and Robert Smith, provost and vice president of academic affairs for Armstrong State.
Other items
In the committee meeting on Wednesday, faculty welfare, faculty processes/resources, first-year programs, research, communication and marketing issues, along with other topics are expected to be discussed, according to the agenda.
The committee will discuss over 30 recommendations about the different topics and how to proceed. As of Tuesday, only eight recommendations by the CIC have been approved.
This meeting comes days after seven appointments were made to the senior organizational structure on Friday.
Following the meeting on Wednesday, the committee will meet again on May 24, 2017 at Armstrong State University. For a full schedule of the meetings, click here.
For the full agenda for the May 10 meeting, click here.
The meeting will take place at the Military Science building from 2 to 4 p.m. The meeting is open to the public.
Correction:The recommendation was made by an operational working group as part of the consolidation process, not by the CIC.