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An observational block design has I blocks matched for covariates and J individuals per block, but treatments were not randomly assigned to individuals within blocks, as would have been done in an experiment. Tightening an observational block design means selecting J ′ < J individuals from each block, and possibly I ′ ≤ I blocks, to construct a new observational block design that, in some way, addresses unmeasured biases from nonrandom treatment assignment. Tightening must preserve covariate balance while altering the design to achieve some additional objective. An optimization algorithm is introduced that achieves this while maintaining the block structure by finely balancing covariates across blocks and through optimal subset matching. An example is considered in detail, both to motivate and illustrate the tightening of an observational block design. Two tightened designs are built from a study of light daily alcohol consumption and its possible effects on HDL cholesterol. One tightened design adjusts for an outcome tentatively presuming it was unaffected by the treatment. The second tightened design uses a differential effect to remove bias from an unobserved general disposition that promotes several treatments. An R package tightenBlock implements the method, contains the data, and in that package the help-file for the function tighten reproduces the example. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Internet, one of the hallmarks of information technology, has had a profound impact on social life, enriching public social activities while simultaneously altering traditional patterns of social trust formation. While academic attention has been given to the role of internet usage in shaping social trust, there remains a lack of further clarification regarding the spatiotemporal evolution of social trust across provinces in China under the influence of the Internet, as well as the differentiated effects of various internet usage patterns on social trust. This issue warrants further in-depth exploration to gain a more nuanced understanding of the dynamics. Based on data from the China Family Panel Studies between 2016 and 2020, this study constructs a theoretical framework to examine the impact of Internet usage patterns on social trust. Investigated the spatiotemporal evolution characteristics of social trust in China and used an Ordered Probit model to analyze the effects of different Internet usage methods on social trust. The findings reveal that the development of the Internet has created more possibilities for constructing social trust across various dimensions, thereby broadening the channels through which social trust is formed. Moreover, it has enriched the avenues through which both trust in strangers and acquaintances is generated, highlighting the role of the Internet in facilitating the establishment of trust within and beyond familiar social networks. Second, social trust in China is primarily based on trust among acquaintances. The levels of trust in acquaintances across the Eastern, Central, Western, and Northeastern regions exhibit a spatiotemporal evolution pattern of "low-high-low." Moreover, trust in strangers increased significantly over time across all regions. Overall, the level of social trust demonstrated an upward trend, indicating a general improvement in the willingness to trust both familiar and unfamiliar individuals across the country. Third, different internet usage methods have varying effects on social trust. The positive facilitation effect of information transmission benefits trust in acquaintances and strangers, contributing to higher levels of social trust. This suggests that the role of the Internet in disseminating information is crucial for fostering trust across various social groups. Fourth, the "dual-sided" effect of online social networking, as observed in this study, is manifested in its deleterious impact on trust within established social circles while simultaneously exerting a constructive influence on trust in individuals outside one's immediate network, thereby exemplifying the role of the Internet as a double-edged sword, where its capacity to both enhance and undermine trust depends on the nature of the interaction and the context in which it occurs. This study has significant implications for the scientifically sound and rational utilization of the positive role of the Internet as well as for balancing the development of information technology with social progress. This emphasizes the need to align technological advancement with the broader goals of fostering social trust and promoting social development.

Objectives: This study aimed to compare the efficacy of dietary intake of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA; 20:5 ω-3) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA; 22:6 ω-3) on very short sleep duration (<5 h/night) in adults. Methods: The bootstrap method was used in the multinomial logistic regression to estimate the ORs and corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of very short sleep duration. We used rolling window method to analyze the effects of EPA and DHA dietary intakes on very short sleep durations in men and women over age. To illustrate the stability of the results for the selected window width, we built a shiny application. Results: Compared to the first quartile, the mean ORs of EPA intake on very short sleep duration and the corresponding 95% CIs for the second, third and fourth quartiles of EPA intake among men under 32 years old were 1.50 (0.56, 3.44) mg, 1.55 (0.59, 3.48) mg, and 3.99 (1.15, 10.01) mg, respectively. Among women over 44 years old, the ORs for DHA intake were 1.12 (0.81, 1.52) mg, 0.94 (0.68, 1.29) mg, and 0.62 (0.38, 0.98) mg for the second, third and fourth quartiles, respectively. Conclusions: The associations of EPA and DHA with very short sleep duration are sex- and age-dependent. In males under the age of 32, a significant positive correlation exists between dietary EPA intake and very short sleep duration. For women above 44 years of age, an increase in DHA intake can notably ameliorate issues of very short sleep duration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Students' proficiency in the language of instruction is essential for their mathematical learning. Accordingly, language-responsive instruction, which includes adapting teaching material to students' language needs, is thought to promote mathematical learning, particularly for students with lower levels of proficiency in the language of instruction. However, empirical evidence for the effectiveness of this type of instruction in heterogeneous classrooms is scarce, and potential differential effects for learners with different learning prerequisites still need to be studied. The present study examines whether language-responsive instructional materials can promote students' learning of fractions. We conducted a quasi-experimental intervention study with a pre- and posttest in Grade 7 (N = 211). The students were assigned to one of three instructional conditions: fraction instruction with or without additional language support or to a control group. The results showed that both intervention groups had higher learning gains than the control group. However, students with lower proficiency in the language of instruction benefited more from fraction instruction with additional language support than without it. The opposite was true for students with higher proficiency in the language of instruction. Moreover, learning gains depended on students' levels of mathematics anxiety. Our study contributes to a more detailed understanding of the effectiveness of language-responsive instruction in heterogeneous classrooms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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We used the generalized propensity score method to estimate the differential effects of five Early Child Care and Education (ECCE) experiences (Prekindergarten, Head Start, Center-based Child Care, Home-based Child Care, and Parental Care) in reducing math and reading achievement gaps between boys versus girls, Latinx versus Whites, and Blacks versus Whites. Findings revealed differential effects of ECCE in reducing gender and racial achievement gaps. However, results indicated that significant gender and racial gaps still exist despite ECCE experiences and that these gaps widen throughout the elementary and middle school years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Meditation encompasses a variety of techniques, but little is known on how and for whom they work. This study explored potential mechanisms of four different meditation techniques in beginners and which technique might be suited for whom. Method: Using an experimental single-case design, we compared the longitudinal effects of concentrative, humming, observing-thoughts, and walking meditation. Forty-four healthy participants without meditation experience were randomly assigned to one of the four techniques and 42 completed the treatment. Following a baseline period of 2 to 4 weeks, participants learned and practiced their technique 20 min daily for 6 to 8 weeks and completed daily online questionnaires throughout the entire study period. At pretest, we assessed participants' motivation and personality. We analyzed the data visually and by conducting single-case meta-analyses, correlation, and multivariate analyses. Results: Body awareness, decentering, and emotion regulation improved reliably and continuously over time, for all four techniques. Thus, these processes could represent common mechanisms for novice meditators. Walking meditation led to the smallest improvements in decentering and mind-wandering, but the highest in body awareness and emotion regulation. Individuals varied in response to the treatment. The two "classic" techniques (concentration, observing-thoughts) led to more consistently positive multivariate response patterns and to better responses in participants high in neuroticism. In contrast, those high in extraversion benefitted more from the two unusual ones (humming, walking). We additionally observed interesting interactions with different motivational reasons. Conclusions: With this study, we hope to contribute to theory building and answering two urgent questions—what the key mechanisms of meditation are and who benefits most from what kind of practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Building on rich training literature, we examined which skills constituting the control-of-variables strategy (CVS) benefit from a comprehensive training, and which develop similarly during content-focused inquiry at ages 10–12. In addition, we examined whether prior knowledge, reasoning abilities, and reading comprehension explain variation in intervention effects. In a within-classroom, controlled field-experiment, half of N = 618 children from schools located in the German-speaking part of Switzerland were randomly assigned to a training on the CVS, and the other half to an active control group engaging in content-focused inquiry. Mixed-effects models revealed that the CVS training improved children's skills in planning controlled experiments and understanding the indeterminacy of confounded experiments, whereas it did not show specific effects on children's skills in identifying and interpreting controlled experiments. Children with better reasoning abilities and reading comprehension showed the strongest intervention effects on the more difficult skills. The general and differential effects of training remained mostly stable after a period of 6 months. More basic CVS skills seem to develop without targeted training, whereas more advanced ones benefit most from training that meets learners' preconditions. Educational Impact and Implications Statement: Children's understanding of more difficult aspects of controlled experimentation benefits from training, particularly for those with better reasoning abilities and reading comprehension. These findings encourage teaching more advanced aspects of experimentation already in elementary school, which can have visible developmental impact on children's understanding. Classroom-based trainings should consider heterogeneity in children's cognitive abilities and be designed such that all children's understanding benefits, for example, through providing sufficient guidance and support through structured activities that induce cognitive activation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Improvements in substance use disorder recovery may be achieved by recognizing that effective interventions do not work equally well for all individuals. Heterogeneity of intervention effects is traditionally examined as a function of a single variable, such as gender or baseline severity. However, responsiveness to an intervention is likely a result of multiple, intersecting factors. Latent class moderation enables the examination of heterogeneity in intervention effects across subgroups characterized by profiles of characteristics. This study analyzed data from adolescents (aged 13 to 18 years old) who needed treatment for cannabis use (n = 14,854) and participated in the Global Appraisal of Individual Needs to evaluate differential effects of substance use services on cannabis use outcomes. We demonstrate an adjusted three-step approach using weights that account for measurement error; sample codes in Mplus and Latent Gold are provided and data are publicly available. Indicators of the latent class moderator comprised six contextual (e.g., recovery environment risk) and individual (e.g., internal mental distress) risk factors. The latent class moderator comprised four subgroups: low risk (21.1%), social risk (21.1%), environmental risk (12.5%), and mixed risk (45.2%). Limited moderation of associations between level of care and any past 90-day cannabis use were observed. In predicting number of cannabis use-days, compared to individuals with low risk, those with environmental risk showed improved outcomes from intensive outpatient care whereas individuals with social risk and mixed risk showed improved outcomes from residential care (all compared to early intervention/outpatient care). Latent class moderation holds potential to elucidate heterogeneity in intervention effectiveness that otherwise may go undetected. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to provide an empirical demonstration of a novel method, regression mixture model, by examining differential effects of somatic amplification to positive affect and identifying the predictors that contribute to the differential effects. Data derived from the second wave of Midlife in the United States. The analytic sample consisted of 1,766 adults aged from 33 to 84 years. Regression mixture models were fitted using Mplus 7.4, and a two-step model-building approach was adopted. Three latent groups were identified consisting of a maladaptive (32.1%), a vulnerable (62.5%), and a resilient (5.4%) group. Six covariates (i.e., age, education level, positive relations with others, purpose in life, depressive symptoms, and physical health) significantly predicted the latent class membership in the regression mixture model. The study demonstrated the regression mixture model to be a flexible and efficient statistical tool in assessing individual differences in response to adversity and identifying resilience factors, which contributes to aging research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rapid urbanization has led to economic growth with inevitable air pollution. There are significant differences in the dominant factors of different air pollutants. However, the influencing mechanism of urbanization on different air pollutants is still unclear. Therefore, exploring the differential effects of urbanization on various air pollutants is of great significance for accelerating local collaborative treatment of air pollutants and improving regional air quality. Based on the analysis of the spatial–temporal pattern evolution, spatial agglomeration, and internal correlation of six air pollutants in mainland China during 2013–2020, namely PM2.5, PM10, SO2, NO2, O3 and CO, we combined the environmental Kuznets theory to build a panel regression model of urbanization on six air pollutants. Except for NO2 and O3, the concentrations of the other four air pollutants all decreased to different degrees, among which, SO2 concentration decreased the most. The spatial pattern of air pollution showed that the concentration of air pollutants in typical areas decreased significantly, while which in areas with higher population density or higher economic development was relatively higher. As a key factor affecting air quality, different aspects of urbanization have significant differences in the direction and intensity of effect on various air pollutants. The relationship between the concentration of six air pollutants and urbanization conforms to the differential environmental Kuznets curve (EKC). There are nonlinear relationships between urbanization and PM2.5, PM10, SO2, NO2, O3 and CO concentrations, which are inverted “U-shaped”, inverted “U-shaped”, inverted “U-shaped”, inverted “N-shaped”, “U-shaped”, and inverted “U-shaped” respectively. In addition, urbanization has a spillover effect on PM2.5, PM10, SO2 and CO concentrations, while the direction of whose spillover effect reflects the phased change.

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Empirical evidence exists that enhancing students' language can promote the mathematics learning of multilingual students at risk, whereas other target groups (e.g., monolingual students, successful students, both with diverse academic language proficiency) have hardly been considered. This cluster-randomized controlled trial (N = 589) investigates differential effects for these extended target groups, comparing two language-responsive interventions (with or without vocabulary work) and a control group. The regression analysis reveals that all students significantly deepened their conceptual understanding in both interventions. Unlike what was anticipated, multilingual students' growth of conceptual understanding had no significant additional benefit from integrated vocabulary work. These findings call for promoting language-responsive mathematics instruction for all students and for using a discursive rather than a vocabulary focus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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The Brazilian disc (BD) specimens were heated to high temperatures up to 100–500 °C followed by immersion in chemical solutions or irradiation in a microwave oven. The Brazilian splitting tests were then performed at high temperatures, and acoustic emission (AE) events were recorded. Meanwhile, the longitudinal wave velocity and open porosity of the rocks were measured, and the scanning electron microscope (SEM) was applied to identify the influence of chemical or microwave treatment on the microstructure in specimens. The experimental results show that: (1) the chemical or microwave treatment exacerbates the damage to the heat-treated rocks and that either treatment has significant effect on heat-treated rocks with diverse lithologies. (2) The specimens with a high proportion of soluble minerals are chemically dissolved and the specimens with a high percentage of powerful microwave absorption minerals were irradiated by the microwaves, resulting in lower longitudinal wave velocity, lower tensile strength, higher open porosity, and more severe microstructural damages. (3) Rock tensile strength is closely related to the breakdown pressure of hydraulic fracturing, implying that chemical or microwave-assisted fracturing techniques have significant impact on various hot dry rocks, and these auxiliary fracturing techniques considering rock lithology are novel and important for EGS projects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]