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This paper examines the child development outcomes of two cohorts of children who were exposed to the same intervention at different points in time. One cohort was eligible to access playgroups during the first year of a five-year project cycle, beginning at age four. The other cohort became eligible to access these services during the third year of a five-year project cycle, beginning at age three. The younger cohort was more likely to be exposed to playgroups for longer and at more age-appropriate times relative to the older cohort. The paper finds that enrollment rates and enrollment duration in preprimary education increased for both cohorts, but the enrollment effects were larger for the younger cohort. In terms of child development outcomes, there were short-term effects at age five that did not last until age eight, for both cohorts. Moreover, the younger cohort had substantially higher test scores during the early grades of primary school, relative to the older cohort. We document the extent to which program impacts can vary as a result of differences in project implementation.

Testing assumptions of the widely used demand–control (DC) model in occupational psychosocial epidemiology, we investigated (a) interaction, i.e., whether the combined effect of low job control and high psychological demands on depressive symptoms was stronger than the sum of their single effects (i.e., superadditivity) and (b) whether subscales of psychological demands and job control had similar associations with depressive symptoms. Logistic longitudinal regression analyses of the 5-year cohort of the German Study of Mental Health at Work (S-MGA) 2011/12–2017 of 2212 employees were conducted. The observed combined effect of low job control and high psychological demands on depressive symptoms did not indicate interaction (RERI = −0.26, 95% CI = −0.91; 0.40). When dichotomizing subscales at the median, differential effects of subscales were not found. When dividing subscales into categories based on value ranges, differential effects for job control subscales (namely, decision authority and skill discretion) were found (p = 0.04). This study does not support all assumptions of the DC model: (1) it corroborates previous studies not finding an interaction of psychological demands and job control; and (2) signs of differential subscale effects were found regarding job control. Too few prospective studies have been carried out regarding differential subscale effects.

Testing assumptions of the widely used demand–control (DC) model in occupational psychosocial epidemiology, we investigated (a) interaction, i.e., whether the combined effect of low job control and high psychological demands on depressive symptoms was stronger than the sum of their single effects (i.e., superadditivity) and (b) whether subscales of psychological demands and job control had similar associations with depressive symptoms. Logistic longitudinal regression analyses of the 5-year cohort of the German Study of Mental Health at Work (S-MGA) 2011/12–2017 of 2212 employees were conducted. The observed combined effect of low job control and high psychological demands on depressive symptoms did not indicate interaction (RERI = −0.26, 95% CI = −0.91; 0.40). When dichotomizing subscales at the median, differential effects of subscales were not found. When dividing subscales into categories based on value ranges, differential effects for job control subscales (namely, decision authority and skill discretion) were found (p = 0.04). This study does not support all assumptions of the DC model: (1) it corroborates previous studies not finding an interaction of psychological demands and job control; and (2) signs of differential subscale effects were found regarding job control. Too few prospective studies have been carried out regarding differential subscale effects.

This paper examines the child development outcomes of two cohorts of children who were exposed to the same intervention at different points in time. One cohort was eligible to access playgroups during the first year of a five-year project cycle, beginning at age four. The other cohort became eligible to access these services during the third year of a five-year project cycle, beginning at age three. The younger cohort was more likely to be exposed to playgroups for longer and at more age-appropriate times relative to the older cohort. The paper finds that enrollment rates and enrollment duration in preprimary education increased for both cohorts, but the enrollment effects were larger for the younger cohort. In terms of child development outcomes, there were short-term effects at age five that did not last until age eight, for both cohorts. Moreover, the younger cohort had substantially higher test scores during the early grades of primary school, relative to the older cohort. We document the extent to which program impacts can vary as a result of differences in project implementation.

Effects of therapeutic alliance has been widely studied for depression, anxiety, and interpersonal problems and been found to have small to moderate positive outcomes. Consistent findings are lacking, however, regarding the relationship between therapeutic alliance, treatment therapy, and client characteristics, in alcohol use disorder (AUD) treatment. The current paper utilizes data from Project MATCH to assess the differential effects of therapeutic alliance on 12-month alcohol abstinence across clients receiving Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Motivational Enhancement Therapy (MET), and Twelve Step Facilitation (TSF) treatment. Moreover, higher order interactions were explored to determine whether such effects differed across client characteristics. This research study had several important implications pertaining to the investigation of therapeutic alliance, a construct which has been inherently difficult to measure, through the utilization of covariate balancing propensity scores (CBPS). As such, individuals with low levels of interpersonal dependency were found to be less likely to benefit from therapeutic alliance in achieving alcohol abstinence receiving CBT, whereas, when paired with higher therapeutic alliance, individuals with high levels of interpersonal dependency were more likely to be alcohol abstinent at 12-months. Interestingly, the same effects were not found in TSF or MET, suggesting therapeutic alliance might function differentially across treatment therapies, as well.

Effects of therapeutic alliance has been widely studied for depression, anxiety, and interpersonal problems and been found to have small to moderate positive outcomes. Consistent findings are lacking, however, regarding the relationship between therapeutic alliance, treatment therapy, and client characteristics, in alcohol use disorder (AUD) treatment. The current paper utilizes data from Project MATCH to assess the differential effects of therapeutic alliance on 12-month alcohol abstinence across clients receiving Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Motivational Enhancement Therapy (MET), and Twelve Step Facilitation (TSF) treatment. Moreover, higher order interactions were explored to determine whether such effects differed across client characteristics. This research study had several important implications pertaining to the investigation of therapeutic alliance, a construct which has been inherently difficult to measure, through the utilization of covariate balancing propensity scores (CBPS). As such, individuals with low levels of interpersonal dependency were found to be less likely to benefit from therapeutic alliance in achieving alcohol abstinence receiving CBT, whereas, when paired with higher therapeutic alliance, individuals with high levels of interpersonal dependency were more likely to be alcohol abstinent at 12-months. Interestingly, the same effects were not found in TSF or MET, suggesting therapeutic alliance might function differentially across treatment therapies, as well.

Effects of therapeutic alliance has been widely studied for depression, anxiety, and interpersonal problems and been found to have small to moderate positive outcomes. Consistent findings are lacking, however, regarding the relationship between therapeutic alliance, treatment therapy, and client characteristics, in alcohol use disorder (AUD) treatment. The current paper utilizes data from Project MATCH to assess the differential effects of therapeutic alliance on 12-month alcohol abstinence across clients receiving Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Motivational Enhancement Therapy (MET), and Twelve Step Facilitation (TSF) treatment. Moreover, higher order interactions were explored to determine whether such effects differed across client characteristics. This research study had several important implications pertaining to the investigation of therapeutic alliance, a construct which has been inherently difficult to measure, through the utilization of covariate balancing propensity scores (CBPS). As such, individuals with low levels of interpersonal dependency were found to be less likely to benefit from therapeutic alliance in achieving alcohol abstinence receiving CBT, whereas, when paired with higher therapeutic alliance, individuals with high levels of interpersonal dependency were more likely to be alcohol abstinent at 12-months. Interestingly, the same effects were not found in TSF or MET, suggesting therapeutic alliance might function differentially across treatment therapies, as well.

Data from the Head Start Impact Study (N = 3540) were used to test for differential benefits of Head Start after one program year and after kindergarten on pre-academic and behavior outcomes for children at risk in the domains targeted by the program's comprehensive services. Although random assignment to Head Start produced positive treatment main effects on children's pre-academic skills and behavior problems, residualized growth models showed that random assignment to Head Start did not differentially benefit the pre-academic skills of children with risk factors targeted by the Head Start service model. The models showed detrimental impacts of Head Start for maternal-reported behavior problems of high-risk children, but slightly more positive impacts for teacher-reported behavior. Policy implications for Head Start are discussed.

Data from the Head Start Impact Study (N = 3540) were used to test for differential benefits of Head Start after one program year and after kindergarten on pre-academic and behavior outcomes for children at risk in the domains targeted by the program's comprehensive services. Although random assignment to Head Start produced positive treatment main effects on children's pre-academic skills and behavior problems, residualized growth models showed that random assignment to Head Start did not differentially benefit the pre-academic skills of children with risk factors targeted by the Head Start service model. The models showed detrimental impacts of Head Start for maternal-reported behavior problems of high-risk children, but slightly more positive impacts for teacher-reported behavior. Policy implications for Head Start are discussed.

The infamous Global Economic Crisis that began on 2008, originated in the housing sector in the United States of America (USA) and then spread to other parts of the American economy as well as to economies around the world. This paper focuses on the affordable housing market in Johannesburg South Africa. The specific focus is on how the crisis has different effects within the same city. Johannesburg is chosen as it is a key node in the economy of South Africa with a critical mass of a range of affordable housing which presents itself in different areas such as in the historical apartheid townships, inner city suburbs, the new townships created after apartheid (so-called RDP housing) and previously white working class areas. The paper will focus on two indicators for the performance of the housing market namely: sale prices, and property rate. A content analysis approach will be a broad methodology to be used in the study. In this approach, a detailed and systematic examination of the contents of a particular body of material for the purpose of identifying patterns, themes or biases within that material is conducted. The Affordable Land Housing Data Centre database developed by FinMark Trust and Urban Landmark with support from Lightstone Property Services and Eighty 20 (which defines affordable housing as housing less than R500000) will be used as the key database. All of the 176 affordable suburbs/townships in Johannesburg will be considered in this comparative study. They will be differentiated in terms of the category of areas mentioned above. A smaller number of may be identified for a more detailed analysis.

La alelopatía se ha considerado como un fenómeno inadecuado para la agricultura. En la última década el estudio de los efectos alelopáticos se han convertido en una fuente de nuevos herbicidas con novedosos estructuras y mecanismos de acción. Por otra parte los cultivos extensivos de eucaliptos generan grandes biomasas con una amplia variedad de metabolitos secundarios que han demostrado actividad inhibitoria del crecimiento y germinación de otras plantas. Este potencial puede ser aprovechado en la agricultura orgánica, que necesita de métodos naturales de control de malezas. En este trabajo se describen los efectos inhibitorios diferenciales de extractos de eucalipto sobre algunas plantas de importancia agronómica.

La alelopatía se ha considerado como un fenómeno inadecuado para la agricultura. En la última década el estudio de los efectos alelopáticos se han convertido en una fuente de nuevos herbicidas con novedosos estructuras y mecanismos de acción. Por otra parte los cultivos extensivos de eucaliptos generan grandes biomasas con una amplia variedad de metabolitos secundarios que han demostrado actividad inhibitoria del crecimiento y germinación de otras plantas. Este potencial puede ser aprovechado en la agricultura orgánica, que necesita de métodos naturales de control de malezas. En este trabajo se describen los efectos inhibitorios diferenciales de extractos de eucalipto sobre algunas plantas de importancia agronómica.