Is there a causal relationship between executive function and liability to mental health and substance use? A Mendelian randomisation approach

Background: Executive function consists of several cognitive control processes that are able to regulate lower level processes. Poorer performance in tasks designed to test executive function is associated with a range of psychopathologies such as schizophrenia, major depressive disorder (MDD) and anxiety, as well as with smoking and alcohol consumption. Despite these well-documented associations, whether they reflect causal relationships, and if so in what direction, remains unclear. We aimed to establish whether there is a causal relationship between a latent factor for performance on multiple executive function tasks - which we refer to as common executive function (cEF) - and liability to schizophrenia, MDD, anxiety, smoking initiation, alcohol consumption, alcohol dependence and cannabis use disorder (CUD), and the directionality of any relationship observed. Methods: We used a two-sample bidirectional Mendelian randomisation (MR) approach using genome-wide association study (GWAS) summary data from large cohorts (N=17,310 to 848,460) to examine whether causal relationships exist, and if so in which direction. Results: We found evidence of a causal effect of increased cEF on reduced schizophrenia liability (IVW: OR=0.10; 95% CI 0.05 to 0.19; p-value=3.43x10-12), reduced MDD liability (IVW: OR=0.52; 95% CI 0.38 to 0.72; p-value=5.23x10-05), decreased drinks per week (IVW: β=-0.06; 95% CI -0.10 to -0.02; p-value=0.003), and reduced CUD liability (IVW: OR=0.27; 95% CI 0.12 to 0.61; p-value=1.58x10-03). We also found evidence of a causal effect of increased schizophrenia liability on decreased cEF (IVW: β=-0.04; 95% CI -0.04 to -0.03; p-value=3.25x10-27), as well as smoking initiation on decreased cEF (IVW: β=-0.06; 95%CI -0.09 to -0.03; p-value=6.11x10-05). Conclusion: Our results indicate a potential bidirectional causal relationship between a latent factor measure of executive function (cEF) and schizophrenia liability, a possible causal effect of increased cEF on reduced MDD liability, CUD liability, and alcohol consumption, and a possible causal effect of smoking initiation on decreased cEF. These results suggest that executive function should be considered as a potential risk factor for some mental health and substance use outcomes, and may also be impacted by mental health (particularly schizophrenia). Further studies are required to improve our understanding of the underlying mechanisms of these effects, but our results suggest that executive function may be a promising intervention target. These results may therefore inform the prioritisation of experimental medicine studies (e.g., of executive function interventions), for both mental health and substance use outcomes, to improve the likelihood of successful translation.

Causal Association Between Heart Failure and Alzheimer’s Disease: A Two-Sample Bidirectional Mendelian Randomization Study

Background: Traditional observational studies have demonstrated an association between heart failure and Alzheimer’s disease. The strengths of observational studies lie in their speed of implementation, cost, and applicability to rare diseases. However, observational studies have several limitations, such as uncontrollable confounders. Therefore, we employed Mendelian randomization of genetic variants to evaluate the causal relationships existing between AD and HF, which can avoid these limitations.Materials and Methods: A two-sample bidirectional MR analysis was employed. All datasets were results from the UK’s Medical Research Council Integrative Epidemiology Unit genome-wide association study database, and we conducted a series of control steps to select the most suitable single-nucleotide polymorphisms for MR analysis, for which five primary methods are offered. We reversed the functions of exposure and outcomes to explore the causal direction of HF and AD. Sensitivity analysis was used to conduct several tests to avoid heterogeneity and pleiotropic bias in the MR results.Results: Our MR studies did not support a meaningful causal relationship between AD on HF (MR-Egger, p = 0.634 > 0.05; weighted median (WM), p = 0.337 > 0.05; inverse variance weighted (IVW), p = 0.471 > 0.05; simple mode, p = 0.454 > 0.05; weighted mode, p = 0.401 > 0.05). At the same time, we did not find a significant causal relationship between HF and AD with four of the methods (MR-Egger, p = 0.195 > 0.05; IVW, p = 0.0879 > 0.05; simple mode, p = 0.170 > 0.05; weighted mode, p = 0.110 > 0.05), but the WM method indicated a significant effect of HF on AD (p = 0.025 < 0.05). Because the statistical powers of IVW and MR-Egger are more than that of WM, we think that there is no causal effect of HF on AD. Sensitivity analysis and horizontal pleiotropy were not detected in the MR analysis.Conclusion: Our results did not provide significant evidence indicating any causal relationships between HF and AD in the European population. Therefore, more large-scale datasets or datasets related to similar factors are expected for further MR analysis.

When The Last Tree Dies, The Last Man Dies: Do Forests Hold The Key To Survival In Ghana? A Critical Analysis Using The Bootstrapped Rolling Window Granger Causality Test Approach

This paper investigates the role of forests in the life expectancy of people in Ghana. We test whether the extinction of forests will inevitably lead to extinction of people in Ghana. We first examined the causal relationship between life expectancy and deforestation using the full sample bootstrap Granger causality test approach and find causality to run from deforestation to life expectancy with no feedback from life expectancy to deforestation. Testing for parameter stability, we found the short run and long run parameters of the estimated Vector Auto Regressive models to be unstable. A time-varying approach, the rolling window bootstrapped Granger causality test was then employed to investigate the causal relationship between life expectancy and deforestation. The results showed that deforestation has a negative effect on life expectancy, confirming the widely accepted saying that the health of forests is inextricably linked to the health of mankind. The empirical results further show that, on trend higher life expectancy increases the rate of deforestation in Ghana. Highlighting the importance of the role of forests in influencing life expectancy in Ghana, we recommend awareness creation on the role of forests in supporting human life and also extensive afforestation programs to reduce the rate of deforestation in Ghana. This, we believe, will reduce the spread of vector borne diseases such as malaria and reduce the surge in respiratory diseases which shorten the life span of Ghanaians.JEL codesQ23, Q50, Q53, Q58, Q58

Economic Inequality Increases the Preference for Status Consumption

Prior research has shown the relationship between objective economic inequality and searching for positional goods. It also investigated the relationship between social class and low income with conspicuous consumption. However, the causal relationship between economic inequality (the difference in wealth between individuals and groups living in a shared context and consumer behavior) has been less explored. Furthermore, there are also few studies looking for the psychological mechanisms that underlie these effects. The current research’s main goal is to analyze the consequences of perceived economic inequality (PEI) on conspicuous and status consumption and the possible psychological mechanisms that could explain its effects. Furthermore, the current research aims to examine whether there is a causal relationship between PEI and materialism preferences and attitudes toward indebtedness. This work includes two preregister experimental studies. In the Study 1 (n = 252), we manipulated PEI and its legitimacy through a 2 (high vs. low inequality) × 2 (Illegitimate vs. legitimate) between-participants experiment. Results showed a main effect of PEI on status consumption, status seeking, status anxiety, materialism, and attitude toward indebtedness. No interaction effect between legitimacy and inequality was found. In the Study 2 (n = 301), we manipulated the PEI through the Bimboola Paradigm. We replicated the effect of PEI on status consumption, status seeking, and materialism and found that status seeking mediated the relationship between PEI and status and conspicuous consumption. Economic inequality affects consumer behavior and favors consumption preferences for products that provide desirable symbolic values associated with status. These results could have important implications in the interpersonal and intergroup processes, including those related to consumption and purchase.

Policy Insight from Renewable Energy, Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) and Urbanization towards Climate Goal: Insight from Indonesia

This is an expository study towards ascertaining the ability of Indonesia in mitigating carbon emission. Indonesia is positioned as among the best performing economies in Southeast Asia because of its vigorous fiscal management and sustained economic growth over the years. The country’s foreign investment inflow increased to 14% in 2019, largely in gas, electricity, water, and transportation because of the viability of its macroeconomic reforms. To test the environmental implication of this macroeconomic performance of Indonesia and to see its ability to achieve carbon neutrality, we adopt Indonesian quarterly data of 1990Q1- 2018Q4 for empirical analysis. Relevance Instruments in the economic performance of Indonesia such as urbanization, foreign direct investment (FDI) and renewable energy source are all adopted for accurate estimations and analysis of this topic. Different approaches such as structural break test, autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL)-bounds testing and granger causality are all adopted in this study. Our analysis and policy recommendations are based on short run and long run ARDL dynamics and granger causality. Findings from ARDL confirmed, negative relationship between carbon emission and renewable energy source, FDI and urbanization. Also, a U-shape instead of inverted U-shape EKC is found confirming the impeding implication of Indonesian economic growth to its environmental performance if not checkmate. From granger causality analysis, all the variables are seen transmitting to urbanization in a one-way causal relationship. Also, FDI and renewable energy prove to be essential determinants of the country’s environment development, hence, FDI is seen transmitting to both energy source (fossil fuels and renewables) in a one- way causal relationship. Renewable energy is as well seen having two ways causal relationship with both carbon emission and fossil fuels. This result has equally exposed the significant position of the three instruments (urbanization, FDI and renewable energy source) in Indonesia environment development.

Structural Causality Between National Examination Score and The School Accreditation Categories

This study aims to compare and determine the best model to describe the relationship between National Education Standard (NES) and CBNE scores using generalized structured component analysis. Model 1 describes the causal relationship between the NES and CBNE based on the educational theory of the Ministry of National Education and the Ministry of Religion (2010), Model 2 describes the causal relationship between the NES and CBNE based on the educational theory of the Ministry of Education and Culture (2012), and Model 3 describes the causal relationship between the NES and CBNE based on the educational theory of the Ministry of Education and Culture (2017). The results of the structural model evaluation have found that in Model 1, the SI path coefficient to Academic Achievement (PA) is not significant, in Model 2, the SI path coefficient to PA and SPT to SPN is not significant and in Model 3, the SI path coefficient to PA is also not significant. The coefficient of determination of each endogenous latent variable for each model ranges from 0.20 - 0.75. While the resulting Q-square value for all models is more than 0.9 to represent very good predictive relevance. Based on the overall goodness of fit, it is found that Model 3 produces the largest FIT and AFIT values. So it can be said that model 3 is better than other models. This model produces 11 invalid indicator variables, namely points 17, 39, 51, 55, 57, 59, 73, 75, 76, 80, and 108. The study found that National Education Standards that significantly affect academic achievement are graduate competency standards, process standards, and educational assessment standards

Causal Relationship Between Economic Growth and Energy Consumption in Jordan

Due to the current situation of the Jordanian economy, this paper aims to evaluate the impacts of economic growth on energy consumption in a developing country like Jordan, a country with limited resources such as oil, agricultural land, and water. This study is very important since the energy bill reflects a notable share in the GDP for Jordan, especially in the recent decade that witnessed energy bills rising due to different political and financial crisis events. The study investigates the causal relationship between the per capita energy consumption and economic growth (proxied by real gross domestic product per capita in constant prices) over the 1975-2011 period. A Granger causality test is utilized on annual time series data. The results of the study confirm a neutral relationship between real GDP and energy consumption, indicating that per capita increase in economic growth may not cause any perpetual rise in energy consumption in Jordan.

The causative relationship between natural resource rent and economic growth: evidence from Ghana’s crude oil resource extraction

Purpose While the relationship between natural resource rent and economic growth is well documented in the literature, not much robust analysis has been done to estimate the causative relationship between oil resource rent and economic growth in Ghana. This might be due to the fact that commercial production of crude oil started not long ago in Ghana. This paper aims to examine the causal relationship between oil resource rent and economic growth for the period of 2011 to 2020 in Ghana. Design/methodology/approach The study incorporates economic growth as a function of oil resource rent, non-oil revenue, foreign direct investment, capital and interest rate in a Cobb–Douglass production function/model. The study used four different estimation strategies including the autoregressive distributed lags model, Toda–Yamamoto test approach, nonlinear autoregressive distributed lags model and nonlinear Granger causality. Findings The main finding revealed that 1% increase in oil resource rent generates 0.84% increase in economic growth of Ghana in the long run. Contrary, the authors find an insignificant positive effect of oil resource rent on economic growth of Ghana in the short run for the period under study. The result from the Toda–Yamamoto test approach also showed a unidirectional causality running from oil resource rent to economic growth of Ghana, providing evidence in support of the resource blessing hypothesis in Ghana. The results are robust to two different alternative estimation strategies. Originality/value The causal relationship between crude oil resource rent and economic growth is examined.

The Importance of the Journey Map in the Design of a Playful Interactive-Interface

This article presents the importance of using the customer journey map (CJM) as a tool for managing new information technologies. The case study presents the use of the CJM to indicate the experiences that people have when using a playful interactive-interface, where the causal relationship between the brightness and the distance of the stars is visualized. The CJM is the result of a quantitative and qualitative study about user experience (UX) or UX research. Where you can use: 1) observation techniques, 2) interviews, 3) questionnaires, 4) a review of the domain literature about the phenomenon, archetypal descriptions, 5) diagrams of mental models; also known as thought schemes, or cognitive maps, among others. This research focuses the development of the interface in the design of archetypal profiles and mental models to generate the CJM, in the domain of the specific phenomenon.