Social Work Practice with the Rural Aged

Approximately 27 percent of America’s aged live in rural areas. Despite similar problems, however, there are substantial differences in the nature of human services designed to meet these needs in cities and rural areas. This chapter examines rural problems and services in health, income, housing and social integration. In addition, unique rural issues of community outreach and professional relationships in rural areas are examined

Development of Pb-Free Nanocomposite Solder Alloys

As an alternative to conventional Pb-containing solder material, Sn–Ag–Cu (SAC) based alloys are at the forefront despite limitations associated with relatively poor strength and coarsening of grains/intermetallic compounds (IMCs) during aging/reflow. Accordingly, this study examines the improvement of properties of SAC alloys by incorporating nanoparticles in it. Two different types of nanoparticles were added in monolithic SAC alloy: (1) Al2O3 or (2) Fe and their effect on microstructure and thermal properties were investigated. Addition of Fe nanoparticles leads to the formation of FeSn2 IMCs alongside Ag3Sn and Cu6Sn5 from monolithic SAC alloy. Addition of Al2O3 nano-particles do not contribute to phase formation, however, remains dispersed along primary β-Sn grain boundaries and act as a grain refiner. As the addition of either Fe or Al2O3 nano-particles do not make any significant effect on thermal behavior, these reinforced nanocomposites are foreseen to provide better mechanical characteristics with respect to conventional monolithic SAC solder alloys

Inelastic neutron scattering due to acoustic vibrations confined in nanoparticles: theory and experiment

The inelastic scattering of neutrons by nanoparticles due to acoustic vibrational modes (energy below 10 meV) confined in nanoparticles is calculated using the Zemach-Glauber formalism. Such vibrational modes are commonly observed by light scattering techniques (Brillouin or low-frequency Raman scattering). We also report high resolution inelastic neutron scattering measurements for anatase TiO2 nanoparticles in a loose powder. Factors enabling the observation of such vibrations are discussed. These include a narrow nanoparticle size distribution which minimizes inhomogeneous broadening of the spectrum and the presence of hydrogen atoms oscillating with the nanoparticle surfaces which enhances the number of scattered neutrons.Comment: 3 figures, 1 tabl

Geriatric Interdisciplinary Team Training

Educational Objectives 1. To demonstrate the importance of training health care professionals in inter-disciplinary teamwork and geriatric health issues. 2. To increase one’s knowledge of the roles and responsibilities of the various disciplines involved in interdisciplinary teamwork

Parents just don't understand: Parent-offspring conflict over mate choice

Previous research reveals that children and parents are not in complete agreement over which traits are most important for the mate of the child. Children tend to prefer traits that suggest genetic quality, whereas parents prefer characteristics that suggest high parental investment and cooperation with the ingroup. Using a sample of parents, mothers (n = 234) and fathers (n =240) the hypothesis was supported; parents perceived characteristics indicating a lack of genetic quality as being more unacceptable to the child, while characteristics indicating a lack of parental investment and cooperation with the ingroup were more unacceptable to themselves. Sex differences between mothers and fathers and sons and daughters were explored

Randomised controlled trial of a baked egg intervention in young children allergic to raw egg but not baked egg

Consumption of baked egg by raw egg allergic children is associated with immune changes suggesting development of tolerance. However, causation has not been tested using a double blind randomized controlled trial (RCT). We aimed to compare clinical and immunological outcomes after baked egg (BE) consumption in young BE tolerant egg allergic children.In a double blind RCT, BE tolerant egg allergic children consumed 10 g BE (1.3 g protein) 2 to 3 times per week for 6 months (n = 21 intervention group) or similar egg free baked goods (n = 22 control group) while maintaining an otherwise egg free diet. The final assessment was a raw egg oral food challenge (OFC) 1 month after ceasing the intervention product. Egg specific IgE and IgG4 were assessed at baseline and 7 months.After the intervention there was no difference in raw egg tolerance between groups, (23.5% (4/17) intervention group and 33.3% (6/18) control group). This was independent of age and amount of BE consumed (aOR 0.50 CI 0.11-2.40 p = 0.39). Both groups demonstrated decreased egg specific serum IgE titres and decreased whole egg specific IgE/IgG4 ratios.We conducted this trial because inclusion of baked egg protein in the diet of egg allergic children appears to move children towards a more tolerant immune profile. Strengths of our study include design of the blinded intervention, the consistent dosing protocol and the regular monitoring of symptoms and intake. However, the study was limited by small sample size resulting in insufficient power to show statistically significant results.Our study suggests that short term, regular consumption of BE by BE tolerant 1 to 5 year old children with IgE mediated raw egg allergy may not induce, accelerate or slow development of tolerance to raw egg in this selected population. Trials with larger sample sizes are required to further test this hypothesis.The trial was registered on 7th February 2012 with the Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ACTRN 12612000173897).Merryn Netting, Michael Gold, Patrick Quinn, Adaweyah El-Merhibi, Irmeli Penttila and Maria Makride

Franchising as a Strategy for Combining Small and Large Group Advantages (Logics) in Social Entrepreneurship:A Hayekian Perspective

This article develops a Hayekian perspective on social franchising that distinguishes between the end-connected logic of the small group and the rule-connected logic of the big group. Our key claim is that mission-driven social entrepreneurs often draw on the small-group logic when starting their social ventures and then face difficulties when the process of scaling shifts their operations toward a big-group logic. In this situation, social franchising offers a strategy to replicate the small group despite systemwide scaling, to mobilize decentrally accessible social capital, and to reduce agency costs through mechanisms of self-selection and self-monitoring. By employing a Hayekian perspective, we are thus able to offer an explanation as to why social franchising is a suitable scaling strategy for some social entrepreneurship organizations and not for others. We illustrate our work using the Ashoka Fellow Wellcome

Farmers' attitudes and landscape change: evidence from the abandonment of terraced cultivations on Lesvos, Greece

Agricultural landscapes are the product of the interaction of the natural environment of an area and the practices of its farmers. In this paper, farmers' practices are examined in order to describe and understand processes of landscape change in terraced fields on the island of Lesvos, Greece. We examine the changes of the terraced fields of each farmer and the reasons for these changes, practices concerning the maintenance of terraces and how farmers view this landscape change. The concept of farming systems is used to link farmers' practices at the farm level with changes at the landscape level. Data come from research via questionnaires to farmers in order to record their practices, to explore changes in land use and the landscape elements and the reasons behind these changes, and finally to record their opinions on the landscape change that result. Findings indicate that although farm households in the case study areas depend on farming incomes by very different degrees, they employ similar cultivation and landscape management practices. At the same time, "hobby" farm households may be more prone to abandonment of fields and negligence of landscape elements (here terraces)