Using Data to Promote Collaboration in Local School Readiness Systems

Presents findings from the National Neighborhood Indicators Partnership's community-level data analysis on services that improve physical and mental health, family stability, and neighborhood environments to foster collaboration for school readiness

Resource centre at the South African museum

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Young adults and disability: transition to independent living?

The study aims to explore young disabled peoples I concerns about independent living, and how they view the source of that independence. The transition to adulthood poses particular problems for young physically disabled adults and independent living is a widely shared goal. The independent living movement has spearheaded an increasing awareness amongst disabled people of their rights as human beings and citizens and has brought together ideas on independent living and ways of achieving it. The philosophy of independent living is based on four assumptions: that all human life is of value; that anyone, regardless of their impairment, is capable of exerting choices; that people who are disabled by society's reaction to physical, intellectual and sensory impairment and to emotional distress have a right to have control over their lives, with whatever assistance they need to do so; and that disabled people have the right to participate fully in society. Government policy is consonant with the aims of the independent living movement: to keep individuals in the community and to address their needs more appropriately. This study, which is based upon data from 42 young physically disabled adults uses qualitative methods which were inspired by the ideals of the Emancipatory Research Paradigm. Interviews were in-depth and informal and focussed on the periods before, during, and after transition. The work was conducted from the standpoint of the seven fundamental needs outlined in the social model of disability. To what extent had the young people achieved independent living? None of the sample had achieved independent living in its fullest sense in terms of employment, independent housing, financial and personal control of assistance, life style, relationships, educational qualifications or transport. A minority had achieved some of these. The majority had low self-esteem and had received inadequate support from families and the education system and had poor employment prospects. Most were reliant on benefits which were insufficient to meet the extra costs associated with disability and few had received support from social services. Most appeared destined for a life on the margins of society

Young adults and disability: transition to independent living?

The study aims to explore young disabled peoples I concerns about independent living, and how they view the source of that independence. The transition to adulthood poses particular problems for young physically disabled adults and independent living is a widely shared goal. The independent living movement has spearheaded an increasing awareness amongst disabled people of their rights as human beings and citizens and has brought together ideas on independent living and ways of achieving it. The philosophy of independent living is based on four assumptions: that all human life is of value; that anyone, regardless of their impairment, is capable of exerting choices; that people who are disabled by society's reaction to physical, intellectual and sensory impairment and to emotional distress have a right to have control over their lives, with whatever assistance they need to do so; and that disabled people have the right to participate fully in society. Government policy is consonant with the aims of the independent living movement: to keep individuals in the community and to address their needs more appropriately. This study, which is based upon data from 42 young physically disabled adults uses qualitative methods which were inspired by the ideals of the Emancipatory Research Paradigm. Interviews were in-depth and informal and focussed on the periods before, during, and after transition. The work was conducted from the standpoint of the seven fundamental needs outlined in the social model of disability. To what extent had the young people achieved independent living? None of the sample had achieved independent living in its fullest sense in terms of employment, independent housing, financial and personal control of assistance, life style, relationships, educational qualifications or transport. A minority had achieved some of these. The majority had low self-esteem and had received inadequate support from families and the education system and had poor employment prospects. Most were reliant on benefits which were insufficient to meet the extra costs associated with disability and few had received support from social services. Most appeared destined for a life on the margins of society

Public Housing Transformation and Crime: Making the Case for Responsible Relocation

The research in this article examines the effect on crime rates of public housing transformation in Atlanta and Chicago, focusing on the neighborhoods receiving households relocated with housing vouchers. Modeling the complex relationship between voucher holder locations and crime, using quarterly data, our analysis found that crime rates fell substantially in neighborhoods with public housing demolition, whereas destination neighborhoods experienced a much lesser effect than popular accounts imply. Nevertheless, on average, negative effects emerge for some neighborhoods with modest or high densities of relocated households compared with conditions in areas without relocated households. Overall, we estimate small net decreases citywide in violent crime over study periods during which crime declined significantly. These findings suggest a need for thoughtful relocation strategies that support both assisted residents and receiving communities

Insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) and IGF binding protein-5 in Schwann cell differentiation

Schwann cells (SCs) are the myelin producing cells of the peripheral nervous system. During development, SCs cease proliferation and differentiate into either a myelin-forming or non-myelin forming mature phenotype. We are interested in the role of insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) in SC development. We have shown previously SCs proliferate in response to IGF-I in vitro. In the current study, we investigated the role of IGF-I in SC differentiation. SC differentiation was determined by morphological criteria and expression of myelin proteins. Addition of 1 mM 8-bromo cyclic AMP (cAMP) or growth on Matrigel matrix decreased proliferation and induced differentiation of SCs. IGF-I enhanced both cAMP and Matrigel matrix-induced SC differentiation, as assessed by both morphological criteria and myelin gene expression. Cultured SCs also express IGF binding protein-5 (IGFBP-5), which can modulate the actions of IGF-I. We examined the expression of IGFBP-5 during SC differentiation. Both cAMP and Matrigel matrix treatment enhanced IGFBP-5 protein expression and cAMP increased IGFBP-5 gene expression five fold. These findings suggest IGF-I potentiates SC differentiation. The concomitant up-regulation of IGFBP-5 may play a role in targeting IGF-I to SCs and thus increase local IGF-I bioavailability. J. Cell. Physiol. 171:161–167, 1997. © 1997 Wiley-Liss, Inc.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/34438/1/6_ftp.pd

A Role for P21-Activated Kinase in Endothelial Cell Migration

The serine/threonine p21-activated kinase (PAK) is an effector for Rac and Cdc42, but its role in regulating cytoskeletal organization has been controversial. To address this issue, we investigated the role of PAK in migration of microvascular endothelial cells. We found that a dominant negative (DN) mutant of PAK significantly inhibited cell migration and in-creased stress fibers and focal adhesions. The DN effect mapped to the most NH2-terminal proline-rich SH3-binding sequence. Observation of a green fluorescent protein-tagged α-actinin construct in living cells revealed that the DN construct had no effect on membrane ruffling, but dramatically inhibited stress fiber and focal contact motility and turnover. Constitutively active PAK inhibited migration equally well and also increased stress fibers and focal adhesions, but had a somewhat weaker effect on their dynamics. In contrast to their similar effects on motility, DN PAK decreased cell contractility, whereas active PAK increased contractility. Active PAK also increased myosin light chain (MLC) phosphorylation, as indicated by staining with an antibody to phosphorylated MLC, whereas DN PAK had little effect, despite the increase in actin stress fibers. These results demonstrate that although PAK is not required for extension of lamellipodia, it has substantial effects on cell adhesion and contraction. These data suggest a model in which PAK plays a role coordinating the formation of new adhesions at the leading edge with contraction and detachment at the trailing edge