Child adjustment in joint-custody versus sole-custody arrangements: A meta-analytic review.

The author meta-analyzed studies comparing child adjustment in joint physical or joint legal custody with sole-custody settings, including comparisons with paternal custody and intact families where possible. Children in joint physical or legal custody were better adjusted than children in sole-custody settings, but no different from those in intact families. More positive adjustment of joint-custody children held for separate comparisons of general adjustment, family relationships, self-esteem, emotional and behavioral adjustment, and divorce-specific adjustment. Joint-custody parents reported less current and past conflict than did sole-custody parents, but this did not explain the better adjustment of joint-custody children. The results are consistent with the hypothesis that joint custody can be advantageous for children in some cases, possibly by facilitating ongoing positive involvement with both parents. Research evidence has clearly demonstrated that, on av-erage, children from divorced families are not as well ad-justed as those in intact families, although this relative disadvantage does not necessarily imply clinical levels of maladjustment (Amato & Keith, 1991b; Guidubaldi & Perry, 1985). Joint custody, an arrangement that involves shared legal and/or physical custody of children following divorce of their parents, has increased in popularity as an option in divorce since the 1970s, with many states now having either a preference or presumption for joint legal custody (Bender, 1994). An ongoing debate between pro-ponents and opponents of joint custody has continued since the 1970s as well, with different researchers and authors expressing both strong opposition (e.g., Goldstein, Freud, &amp

International Representation in the Psychological Literature

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/102248/1/ijop10098114.pd

Total temperature probes for high-temperature hypersonic boundary-layer measurements

The design and test results of two types of total temperature probes that were used for hypersonic boundary-layer measurements are presented. The intent of each design was to minimize the total error and to maintain minimal size for measurements in boundary layers 1.0 in. thick and less. A single platinum-20-percent-rhodium shield was used in both designs to minimize radiation heat transfer losses during exposure to the high-temperature test stream. The shield of the smaller design was flattened at the flow entrance to an interior height of 0.02 in., compared with 0.03 in. for the larger design. The resulting vent-to-inlet area ratios were 60 and 50 percent. A stainless steel structural support sleeve that was used in the larger design was excluded from the smaller design, which resulted in an outer diameter of 0.059 in., to allow closer placement of the probes to each other and to the wall. These small design changes to improve resolution did not affect probe performance. Tests were conducted at boundary-layer-edge Mach numbers of 5.0 and 6.2. The nominal free-stream total temperatures were 2600 degrees and 3200 degrees R. The probes demonstrated extremely good reliability. The best performance in terms of recovery factor occurred when the wire-based Nusselt number was at least 0.04. Recommendations for future probe designs are included

VCU Neuroguard: Multi-person Radiation Shielding Device

The objective of the VCU Neuroguard project was to design and build a device to shield all medical personnel in Operating Room-33, at MCV Hospital, from radiation during neurological procedures that utilize a Siemens Artis Zee biplane X-ray machine. The initial goal was to develop a fully working prototype but due to monetary reasons this goal was adjusted to a working prototype minus the radiation shielding materials. There were many requirements for the VCU Neuroguard set forth by the customer and by the team, including the ability to shield all the medical staff in the room, the ability for them to work without it getting in the way, sterilization, visibility, the ability to move with the operating table, and weight restrictions. In the beginning, the team observed procedures, researched existing devices, studied the Xray machine and operating room set up. The team then conducted various materials research, utilized SolidWorks®, and radiation shielding calculations to complete the design. The final prototype (seen below) is a free standing barrier constructed of 80/20® aluminum framing and surrogate radiation shielding materials that attaches to and moves in conjunction with the operating table. Further work on this project will include the implementation of functional radiation shielding materials and development of a permanent mechanism to attach the device to the operating table as well as adding adaptability for use in other operating environments. A fully functional Neuroguard will protect medical professionals and alleviate the use of cumbersome personal protective equipment.https://scholarscompass.vcu.edu/capstone/1140/thumbnail.jp

Developing a Novel, Sustainable, and Acceptable Complementary Feeding Product using Caterpillar Cereal for Infants and Young Children in the Democratic Republic of Congo

Background: Adequate nutrition in early life is important for brain development and growth in infants and young children. Young children in developing countries like the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) are vulnerable to poor nutrition after 6 months of age when breast milk is supplemented with complementary foods that provide inadequate protein and micronutrients. The World Health Organization recommends complementary feeding with animal-source foods in order to avoid micronutrient deficient states. Animal-source foods are not readily available in many Central African countries. However, caterpillars are a common staple in adult diets and may be suitable for complementary feeding for infants and young children. Objectives: Create a macro- and micronutrient-rich cereal made from locally available and abundant caterpillars to be used for complementary feeding in rural DRC. Test the biochemical properties and acceptability of this cereal. Design/Methods: We developed a cereal made from dried caterpillars, ground corn, palm oil, sugar and salt, and measured its macro- and micronutrient content using standard laboratory techniques: Kjeldahl method for analysis of protein content, Soxhlet method for determination of lipid content and spectrophotometry for determination of iron, lead and mercury. We cultured the cereal to determine if it was free from microbiologic contamination. Maternal and infant acceptability was evaluated among 20 mothers and their 8-month-old infants. Mothers were instructed in the preparation of the cereal and asked to evaluate the cereal in five domains using a five-point Likert scale (1=dislike very much to 5=like very much). During the following week, they fed their infants a 30-gram portion daily. Infant acceptability was based on daily consumption during the last 4 days of feeding and the occurrence of any adverse signs or symptoms. Results: We produced a caterpillar cereal that had suitable macro- and micronutrient content for complementary feeding. The cereal was free from Enterobacteria, Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella, Shigella, yeast and fungus contamination. Mothers' median ratings for cereal characteristics were: overall impression=4, taste=5, smell=4, texture=4, color=5, and consistency=4. All infants consumed more than 75% of the daily portions, with 5 infants consuming 100%. No serious adverse feeding events were reported. Conclusions: Caterpillar cereal has appropriate macro- and micronutrient content for complementary feeding, and is acceptable to mothers and infants in the DRC. Therefore, this cereal may be a satisfactory substitute for animal-source foods.Master of Public Healt

Familiar Forms, Unfamiliar Containers: A Formal Examination of The Body, Mind, and Community in Black Women’s Science Fiction and Fantasy

Black Women’s writing is ultimately a study in intersectionality and, as such, formalism provides a productive ontology for parsing the intersections of various forms. Using formal theorists Anna Kornbluh and Caroline Levine’s works as a starting point, this thesis examines the formal treatment of the body, mind, and community in Black Women’s Science Fiction and Fantasy (BWSFF), specifically in the works of N.K. Jemisin and Octavia Butler. The act of defining genre is a historically informed act. As such, this thesis demarcates BWSFF as its own distinct genre because of its treatment of the aforementioned forms. Furthermore, the works within the BWSFF genre form a canon that runs counter to the mainstream white canon. Octavia Butler has said that she “wrote herself” in her novels., I argue that by doing so the project of the genre has become not only to represent the black body in fictive spaces but also to illustrate a path of resistance to white supremacy.This path of resistance begins with the physical body: the body is the site of prolepsis between the historical past and imagined future in these novels, and reproductive agency figures heavily in the conception of the Black female body as a form. This form of the black female body in turn affects the form of the mind and opposes the current capitalist hegemony by introducing the concept of personal generativity or creation for its own sake. Finally, the forms of the body and mind converge as BWSFF is about building healthy and strong communities as a way to protect the Black body and mind. The texts comprising BWSFF provide a roadmap to community care and activism. In short, the counter canon -- of which BWSFF is part -- is the canon of modern social movements; more broadly, BWSFF is a matrilineal too

Transforming Schools: The Power of Teachers’ Input in Professional Development

Recent legislative actions have mandated the professional development of teachers in hopes of improved student achievement. However, research has shown that mandated professional development most usually does not lead to a positive outcome. This article describes three aspects that have been identified as contributing to the transformation of instruction in schools: school context, role of the administrator, and cohesion between professional development and needs of students/teachers. Mezirow’s adult learning theory supports these important aspects of school reform and has implications for planning and developing educators’ professional development