Exposure To Family Violence And Early Sexual Engagement: Potential Disruptors To Intimacy Development In Girls\u27 Early To Middle Adolescent Close Friendships

Informed by theories of interpersonal development, this study evaluates whether two known threats to psychosocial health – exposure to family violence (EFV) and early sexual engagement (ESE) – are associated with adolescent girls’ intimacy development with close same-sex friends. A sample of metropolitan-area, mostly Black and African American (77%) girls (N = 93; Mage = 12.5) provided three waves of longitudinal data over 18 months (T1 – T3), spanning early to middle adolescence. Multilevel models were used to examine changes in girls’ close friendships, including the number of closest same-sex friends and quality of best same-sex friendship. Cumulative EFV and ESE by T1 showed different patterns of association with growth in these two areas of intimacy development. Girls with low EFV had more closest same-sex friends at T1 than girls with high EFV and showed a reduction in the number of closest friends from T1-T3. The comparatively low number of closest same-sex friends reported at T1 by girls with high EFV remained relatively unchanged over time. EFV was unrelated to best friendship quality. ESE by T1 predicted changes in both the number of closest same-sex friends and quality of best friendships over time. For girls with less extensive ESE at T1, the number of closest same-sex friends and the quality of girls’ best friend relationship remained relatively unchanged over time. Girls with more extensive ESE at T1 showed a decrease in the number of closest same-sex friends and an increase in negative friendship quality from T1-T3. ESE was unrelated to change in positive friendship quality. Same-sex friendships are often examined as a predictor of interpersonal and psychosocial outcomes for youth or as a mid-late adolescent outcome to explore. The current findings highlight the potential for childhood exposure to family violence and precocious sexual engagement to disrupt same-sex intimacy development during a critical developmental period. Eliminating interpersonal violence, systemic violence, and related precocious sexual engagement is important for promoting girls’ positive intimacy development. Use of a systems approach is needed to continue to examine transacting patterns of intimacy development among girls’ familial, close friend, and romantic and sexual relationships

Rural America: Historical Overview

This paper provides a historical overview of rural America. To understand the dynamics of rural areas today, we have to understand how they evolved. Demographic trends, economic factors, and government policies have all contributed to the current state of development in rural areas. The impact of each of these aspects has shaped and influenced rural areas in their own unique way. This paper examines the role of all three aspects. a definition of rural is also included

My Dear Watson: A Musical Interpretation of Sherlock Holmes’s Friendship with Dr. John Watson

The relationship between Sherlock Holmes and John Watson is complicated and certainly untraditional. Some theorize that Holmes is merely using Watson while Watson desperately seeks his affection. Others theorize that they have an unrequited homosexual relationship. However, it is Holmes’ unemotional nature paired with Watson’s fierce loyalty and admiration that creates a new and unique type of relationship. Many would define friendship as an emotional bond, but with Holmes, this is impossible. That does not mean, however, that he is incapable of deeply caring for Watson. It means that the relationship looks different than the traditional friendship. Watson and Holmes’ friendship is the depiction of a genuine intimate friendship with an unemotional man. My Dear Watson is a full-length musical including 15 original songs plus overture, entr’acte, and instrumental interludes orchestrated for a 12-piece orchestra that explores the complexity, eccentricity, and beauty of Holmes’s and Watson’s friendship. The plot is based mainly on A Study in Scarlet, The Valley of Fear, and “The Final Problem,” though other stories are also incorporated, and much of the dialogue is original. In addition to this dramatic work, I have also written a scholarly essay entitled “Sherlock and John: A Redefined Friendship,” which explores Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s stories and utilizes them to redefine the very nature of friendship through the lens of this unusual friendship with an unemotional man. Use of the Sherlock Holmes characters created by the late Sir Arthur Conan Doyle is by permission of the rights owner, Conan Doyle Estate, Ltd

The History and Status of Children\u27s Allowances: Policy Background for Children\u27s Savings Accounts

Children’s allowances, a common feature of twentieth century welfare states, are cash grants to families with children. The concept of a government-provided monthly cash benefit to foster income security for all children has never had widespread political appeal. This report traces the history of children’s allowances in other nations to see what can be learned about child support policies

Using Individual Development Accounts for Microenterprise Development

This study examines whether there is a role for microenterprise development as an anti-poverty strategy in the United States. This question is important because skeptical views exist regarding whether, generally, poor Americans would have the enthusiasm to undertake the risk of dealing with small-businesses, especially given that the United States has a public welfare system to take care of the poor and “abundant jobs” for those with the skills—compared to most developing countries where the only alternative open for a family investing in a small-business may be starvation. Using data from 14 community-based programs promoting small-business investment through Individual Development Accounts (IDAs), this study finds that overall there is a considerable level of interest in saving for and investing in small-businesses among poor Americans, including those who are less advantaged in terms of income poverty and employment. Policy makers should thus consider promoting IDAs/subsidized savings for small-businesses development as a potentially viable strategy to address income poverty and inequality in the United States

Wealth Building in Rural America: Perspective, Knowledge, Outlook

Wealth Building in Rural America: Perspective, Knowledge, Outloo

Impact of age and race on outcomes of a program to prevent excess weight gain and disordered eating in adolescent girls

Interpersonal psychotherapy (IPT) prevents weight gain and reduces loss-of-control (LOC)-eating in adults. However, IPT was not superior to health-education (HE) for preventing excess weight gain and reducing LOC-eating over 1-year in adolescent girls at risk for excess weight gain and eating disorders. Limited data suggest that older and non-White youth may be especially responsive to IPT. In secondary analyses, we examined if age or race moderated weight and LOC-eating outcomes. The 113 participants (12–17 years; 56.6% White) from the original trial were re-contacted 3 years later for assessment. At baseline and follow-up visits through 3 years, we assessed BMI, adiposity by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry, and LOC-eating presence. In linear mixed models, baseline age moderated 3-year BMI outcome; older girls in IPT had the lowest 3-year BMI gain compared to younger girls in IPT and all girls in HE, p = 0.04. A similar pattern was observed for adiposity. Race moderated 3-year LOC-eating; non-White girls in IPT were most likely to abstain from LOC-eating at 3 years compared to all other girls, p = 0.04. This hypothesis-generating analysis suggests future studies should determine if IPT is especially efficacious at reducing LOC-eating in older, non-White adolescents

A strained alkyne-containing bipyridine reagent ; synthesis, reactivity and fluorescence properties

We report the synthesis of a bipyridyl reagent containing a strained alkyne, which significantly restricts its flexibility. Upon strain-promoted alkyne-azide cycloaddition (SPAAC) with an azide, which does not require a Cu catalyst, the structure becomes significantly more flexible and an increase in fluorescence is observed. Upon addition of Zn(II), the fluorescence is enhanced further. The reagent has the potential to act as a fluorescent labelling agent with azide-containing substrates, including biological molecules

Delocalization of ultracold atoms in a disordered potential due to light scattering

We numerically study the expansion dynamics of ultracold atoms in a one-dimensional disordered potential in the presence of a weak position measurement of the atoms. We specifically consider this position measurement to be realized by a combination of an external laser and a periodic array of optical microcavities along a waveguide. The position information is acquired through the scattering of a near-resonant laser photon into a specific eigenmode of one of the cavities. The time evolution of the atomic density in the presence of this light scattering mechanism is described within a Lindblad master equation approach, which is numerically implemented using the Monte Carlo wave function technique. We find that an arbitrarily weak rate of photon emission leads to a breakdown of Anderson localization of the atoms.Comment: 7 pages, 8 figure

Wealth Building in Rural America: Potential in Human Diversity

Wealth Building in Rural America: Potential in Human Diversit