Aging Out of the Foster Care System to Adulthood: Findings, Challenges, and Recommendations

To assess and ultimately help meet the needs of youth who age out of foster care in the United States, the Joint Center Health Policy Institute (JCHPI) -- with support from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and in partnership with the Black Administrators in Child Welfare Inc. (BACW) -- conducted reconnaissance on the unmet needs of these youth. This project was undertaken to guide the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation in thinking about steps they might take to help meet the needs of youth who age out of foster care in this country. Conducting a literature review, a telephone survey, and listening sessions enabled us to develop insights into the workings of the foster care system and the experiences of youth while in the system and when aging out of it

Community engagement for quality care : a health workers training manual

Annex 9a of Final technical reportCooperation and collaboration between health workers and community members is a foundational principle of the primary health care approach. This manual provides information about health committees, community participation, democracy, health and human rights, leadership, power, partnership and engagement between the health care providers and communities. Appendices provide links to relevant legislation, policy and other resources

The role of atmospheric circulation patterns in driving recent changes in indices of extreme seasonal precipitation across Arctic Fennoscandia

Extreme precipitation events (EPEs) have a major impact across Arctic Fennoscandia (AF). Here we examine the spatial variability of seasonal 50-year trends in three EPEs across AF for 1968–2017, using daily precipitation data from 46 meteorological stations, and analyse how these are related to contemporaneous changes in the principal atmospheric circulation patterns that impact AF climate. Positive trends in seasonal wet-day precipitation (PRCPTOT) are widespread across AF in all seasons except autumn. Spring (autumn) has the most widespread negative (positive) trends in consecutive dry days (CDD). There is less seasonal dependence for trends in consecutive wet days (CWDs), but the majority of the stations show an increase. Clear seasonal differences in the circulation pattern that exerted most influence on these AF EPE trends exist. In spring, PRCPTOT and CDD are most affected by the Scandinavian pattern at more than half the stations while it also has a marked influence on CWD. The East Atlantic/Western Russia pattern generally has the greatest influence on the most station EPE trends in summer and autumn, yet has no effect during either spring or winter. In winter, the dominant circulation pattern across AF varies more between the different EPEs, with the North Atlantic Oscillation, Polar/Eurasia and East Atlantic patterns all exerting a major influence. There are distinct geographical distributions to the dominant pattern affecting particular EPEs in some seasons, especially winter, while in others there is no discernible spatial relationship

Photophysics of azobenzene constrained in a UiO metal‐organic framework: effects of pressure, solvation and dynamic disorder

Photophysical studies of chromophoric linkers in metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) are undertaken commonly in the context of sensing applications, in search of readily observable changes of optical properties in response to external stimuli. The advantages of the MOF construct as a platform for investigating fundamental photophysical behaviour have been somewhat overlooked. The linker framework offers a unique environment in which the chromophore is geometrically constrained and its structure can be determined crystallographically, but it exists in spatial isolation, unperturbed by inter‐chromophore interactions. Furthermore, high‐pressure studies enable the photophysical consequences of controlled, incremental changes in local environment or conformation to be observed and correlated with structural data. This approach is demonstrated in the present study of the trans‐azobenzene chromophore, constrained in the form of the 4,4’‐azobenzenedicarboxylate (abdc) linker, in a UiO topology framework. Previously unobserved effects of pressure‐induced solvation and conformational distortion on the lowest energy, nπ* transition are reported, and interpreted the light of crystallographic data. It was found that trans‐azobenzene remains non‐fluorescent (with a quantum yield less than 10(−4)) despite the prevention of trans‐cis isomerization by the constraining MOF structure. We propose that efficient non‐radiative decay is mediated by the local, pedal‐like twisting of the azo group that is evident as dynamic disorder in the crystal structure

Environmentally independent selection for hybrids between divergent freshwater stickleback lineages in semi-natural ponds.

Hybridization following secondary contact of genetically divergent populations can influence the range expansion of invasive species, though specific outcomes depend on the environmental dependence of hybrid fitness. Here, using two genetically and ecologically divergent threespine stickleback lineages that differ in their history of freshwater colonization, we estimate fitness variation of parental lineages and hybrids in semi-natural freshwater ponds with contrasting histories of nutrient loading. In our experiment, we found that fish from the older freshwater lineage (Lake Geneva) and hybrids outperformed fish from the younger freshwater lineage (Lake Constance) in terms of both growth and survival, regardless of the environmental context of our ponds. Across all ponds, hybrids exhibited the highest survival. Although wild-caught adult populations differed in their functional and defence morphology, it is unclear which of these traits underlie the fitness differences observed among juveniles in our experiment. Overall, our work suggests that when hybrid fitness is insensitive to environmental conditions, as observed here, introgression may promote population expansion into unoccupied habitats and accelerate invasion success

Problems with Sleep Do Not Predict Self-Reported Driving Factors and Perception in Older Drivers: Evidences from the Candrive II Prospective Cohort

Given that sleep problems and serious motor vehicle collisions are increasingly prevalent in older adults, even minor drowsiness could potentially contribute to driving patterns in older drivers. To date, it is unknown whether less serious problems with sleep influence driving frequency and ability in older adults. We investigated the influence of everyday sleep disturbances on driving practices and driver perceptions in a large cohort of healthy older drivers. Selfreported measures of sleep problems were used to investigate the influence of sleep disturbance on self-reported driving practices and perceived driving abilities. On two measures of self-reported driving outcomes, participants with problems with rated themselves more poorly. However, this relationship disappeared when health and demographic variables were entered prior in hierarchical regression analyses. Our results show that the relationship between sleep problems, driving frequency and perceived abilities is better explained by mediating demographic, health, and cognitive factors

Correlating Pressure‐Induced Emission Modulation with Linker Rotation in a Photoluminescent MOF

Conformational changes of linker units in metal‐organic frameworks (MOFs) are often responsible for gate‐opening phenomena in selective gas adsorption and stimuli‐responsive optical and electrical sensing behaviour. Herein, we show that pressure‐induced bathochromic shifts in both fluorescence emission and UV‐Vis absorption spectra of a two‐fold interpenetrated Hf MOF, linked by 1,4‐phenylene‐bis(4‐ethynylbenzoate) ligands ( Hf‐peb ), are induced by rotation of the central phenyl ring of the linker, from a coplanar arrangement to a twisted, previously unseen conformer. Single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction, alongside in situ fluorescence and UV‐Vis absorption spectroscopies, measured up to 2.1 GPa in a diamond anvil cell on single crystals, are in excellent agreement, correlating linker rotation with modulation of emission. Topologically isolating the 1,4‐phenylene‐bis(4‐ethynylbenzoate) units within a MOF facilitates concurrent structural and spectroscopic study in the absence of intermolecular perturbation, allowing characterisation of the luminescence properties of a high‐energy, twisted conformation of the previously well‐studied chromophore. We expect the unique environment provided by network solids, and the capability of combining crystallographic and spectroscopic analysis, will greatly enhance understanding of luminescent molecules and lead to the development of novel sensors and adsorbents

The competencies of registered nurses working in care homes: a modified Delphi study

BACKGROUND: Registered Nurses (RNs) working in UK care homes receive most of their training in acute hospitals. At present the role of care home nursing is underdeveloped and it is seen as a low status career. We describe here research to define core competencies for RNs working in UK care homes. METHODS: A two-stage process was adopted. A systematic literature review and focus groups with stakeholders provided an initial list of competencies. The competency list was modified over three rounds of a Delphi process with a multi-disciplinary expert panel of 28 members. RESULTS: Twenty-two competencies entered the consensus process, all competencies were amended and six split. Thirty-one competencies were scored in round two, eight were agreed as essential, one competency was split into two. Twenty-four competencies were submitted for scoring in round three. In total, 22 competencies were agreed as essential for RNs working in care homes. A further ten competencies did not reach consensus. CONCLUSION: The output of this study is an expert-consensus list of competencies for RNs working in care homes. This would be a firm basis on which to build a curriculum for this staff group