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This study is a conceptual replication of a widely cited study by Moffitt et al. (2011) which found that attention and behavior problems in childhood (a composite of impulsive hyperactive, inattentive, and impulsive-aggressive behaviors labeled "self-control") predicted adult financial status, health, and criminal activity. Using data from longitudinal cohort studies in the United States (n = 1,168) and the United Kingdom (n = 16,506), we largely reproduced their pattern of findings that attention and behavior problems measured across the course of childhood predicted a range of adult outcomes including educational attainment ([beta][subscript U.S.] = -0.22, [beta][subscript U.K.] = -0.13) and spending time in jail (OR[subscript U.S.] = 1.74, OR[subscript U.K.] = 1.48). We found that associations with outcomes in education, work, and finances diminished in the presence of additional covariates for children's home environment and achievement but associations for other outcomes were more robust. We also found that attention and behavior problems across distinct periods of childhood were associated with adult outcomes. Specific attention and behavior problems showed some differences in predicting outcomes in the U.S. cohort, with attention problems predicting lower educational attainment and hyperactivity/impulsivity predicting ever spending time in jail. Together with the findings from Moffitt et al., our study makes clear that childhood attention and behavior problems are associated with a range of outcomes in adulthood for cohorts born in the 1950s, 1970s, and 1990s across three countries.

The current article reexamines the correlation between achievement test scores and earnings by providing new evidence on the association between academic skills and measures of adult earnings assessed when participants were in their 30s, 40s, and 50s. Results suggest that math and reading scores are strong predictors of economic attainment throughout participants' careers, but these associations may also be sensitive to controls for other characteristics--including measures of the early family environment, general cognitive functioning, and socioemotional skills. Although these associations demonstrate the likely importance of achievement skills in determining labor market productivity, the variability in the achievement-to-earnings correlation suggests that researchers should apply caution when using the correlation to project the long-run effects of educational interventions.

Despite being trialed in other regions of the world, the use of molecular hydrogen (H2) for enhanced plant growth and the postharvest storage of crops has yet to be widely accepted in the UK. The evidence that the treatment of plants and plant products with H2 alleviates plant stress and slows crop senescence continues to grow. Many of these effects appear to be mediated by the alteration of the antioxidant capacity of plant cells. Some effects seem to involve heme oxygenase, whilst the reduction in the prosthetic group Fe3+ is also suggested as a mechanism. Although it is difficult to use as a gaseous treatment in a field setting, the use of hydrogen-rich water (HRW) has the potential to be of significant benefit to agricultural practices. However, the use of H2 in agriculture will only be adopted if the benefits outweigh the production and application costs. HRW is safe and relatively easy to use. If H2 gas or HRW are utilized in other countries for agricultural purposes, it is tempting to suggest that they could also be widely used in the UK in the future, particularly for postharvest storage, thus reducing food waste. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]