Unaccompanied Homeless Youth in Illinois: 2005

This report was prepared for the Illinois Department of Human Services by Timothy P. Johnson and Ingrid Graf of the Survey Research Laboratory at the University of Illinois at Chicago, and coordinated by Chicago Coalition for the Homeless.This document reports the findings from a study designed to (1) assess the needs of unaccompanied homeless youth (UHY) in Illinois and (2) provide statewide estimates of the number of these youth in Illinois. For the purposes of this project, an unaccompanied homeless youth was defined as an individual age 21 or younger who, at the time of data collection, was not primarily in the care of a parent or legal guardian and who lacked a safe or stable living arrangement. Wards of the state or youth who had formed stable private living arrangements did not fit our definition.This study included two main data collection efforts: (1) a representative survey of service providers in Illinois who provide assistance to unaccompanied homeless youth and (2) a representative survey of UHY currently receiving services in Illinois

Study Examines Sexual Assault Survivor Experiences

The Alaska Department of Public Safety is working with the University of Alaska Anchorage Justice Center to better understand how sexual assaults reported to the Alaska State Troopers are handled and perceived, and which factors shape the likelihood of achieving justice for sexual assault victim-survivors. A final report including recommendations for practice improvement is expected mid-2020.Questions of justice / SAKI research in Alaska / Understanding experiences and perceptions / Reference

Human Exposure to Brominated Flame Retardants and Reproductive Health.

Brominated flame retardants (BFRs) such as polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and other compounds are used in the manufacture of a variety of materials and consumer products to meet fire safety standards. BFRs persist in the environment and have been detected in wildlife, humans and indoor dust and air. Some BFRs have demonstrated adverse endocrine and reproductive effects, but human studies are limited. We investigated markers of exposure to BFRs using serum, ovarian follicular fluid and house dust collected from men and women attending infertility clinics. House dust concentrations of the major pentaBDE commercial formulation congeners (BDE 47, 99 and 100) were highly correlated (r=0.65-0.89) to serum concentrations of the same congeners, suggesting that dust is a major exposure source of these PBDEs. Serum concentrations of these congeners were also strongly correlated (r=0.85) between males and females, indicating that adults living in the same household have similar exposures. PBDE congeners in dust were grouped into penta-, octa- and deca-BDEs, resembling commercial mixtures, and alterations in hormone levels in men were modeled in relation to PBDE exposure. Significant positive associations (p<0.05) were found between dust concentrations of pentaBDEs and serum levels of thyroid hormones T4 and T3, estradiol, sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG) and prolactin, along with an inverse association with follicle stimulating hormone. Positive associations between octaBDE concentrations and serum T4, thyroid stimulating hormone, luteinizing hormone and testosterone, and an inverse association between decaBDE concentrations and testosterone, were also found. Relationships between alternate BFRs and hormone levels were examined. Hexabromocyclododecane was associated with decreased SHBG and increased free androgen index. The association between serum and follicular fluid concentrations of PBDEs and failed embryo implantation was investigated. Women with detectable levels of BDE 153 in follicular fluid had elevated odds (adjusted OR=10.0, 95%CI: 1.9-52) of failed embryo implantation following in vitro fertilization (IVF), compared with women who had non-detectable concentrations. There was only a moderate correlation (T<0.4) between serum and follicular fluid concentrations of PBDEs; therefore follicular fluid PBDEs, which may be a more biologically relevant measure of exposure when studying IVF endpoints, may not be well-estimated by serum concentrations of PBDEs.Ph.D.Environmental Health SciencesUniversity of Michigan, Horace H. Rackham School of Graduate Studieshttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/91595/1/pij_1.pd

Effects of Prehospital vs. In Hospital Therapeutic Hypothermia on Neurological Status after Cardiac Arrest

Objective: To conduct an analysis of literature that examines whether the use of prehospital therapeutic hypothermia (TH) results in significant changes in neurologic outcomes that are in adults that experienced out of hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA). Methods: Systematic searches were conducted through PubMed at the James Madison University Library. The inclusion criteria included human adults who experienced out of hospital cardiac arrest and were treated by Emergency Medical Services (EMS) with and/or without prehospital TH by means of intravenous cold fluids and surface cooling. Results: Three studies involving 2180 cases were included. This review indicated that prehospital TH after cardiac arrest had similar effects on neurological outcome when compared to in-hospital therapeutic hypothermia. The only effect noted was that prehospital cooling decreased the amount of time to reach a targeted temperature while in hospital. Conclusion: A statistically significant difference was not found between the use of prehospital TH versus in hospital TH

The Alaska Sexual Assault Kit Initiative (AK-SAKI) Research Component: A Process Improvement Analysis of the Alaska Department of Public Safety’s Sexual Assault Investigation, Prosecution, And Victim-Survivor Engagement And Support Processes

The research component of the Alaska Sexual Assault Kit Initiative (AK-SAKI) was designed to guide the Alaska Department of Public Safety (DPS) and their agency partners in making recommendations to improve sexual assault investigations, prosecutions, and victim-survivor engagement and support processes. Using qualitative interview data from key stakeholders including victim-survivors, quantitative survey responses from victim-survivors, and agency records from DPS and the Alaska Department of Law, three questions are answered in this report: 1. What are key stakeholders’ experiences with sexual assault investigations, prosecutions, and victim-survivor engagement and support, and how do those experiences compare to their perceptions of just outcomes? 2. How common are the experiences and just outcomes identified by key stakeholders? 3. What factors shape the likelihood of achieving those just outcomes

2020 Statewide Alaska Victimization Survey Final Report

Every human being has the right to be safe and free from violence in their own homes, relationships, and communities. The Alaska Victimization Survey provides comprehensive statewide and regional data to guide planning and policy development and to evaluate the impact of prevention and intervention services. The 2020 survey was designed to provide estimates that could be compared to previous statewide estimates from 2015 and 2010. Results are used to support prevention and intervention efforts that reduce violence against women.The Alaska Council on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault (CDVSA

Relationships between Intimate Partner Violence and Alaskan Women's Health

This report details a sample of Alaskan women's experiences with psychological, physical, and sexual harm by an intimate partner, and the relationships between those experiences and their current physical and mental health. These analyses of Alaska Victimization Survey (AVS) data are comprised of almost 13,000 survey responses from adult, non-institutionalized Alaskan women. The findings confirm those of prior, non-Alaska based research that all types of historical and recent intimate partner violence (IPV) are linked to victims’ current physical and mental health. Non-physical IPV has the same negative relationships with various health status indicators as physical IPV: Control, threats, and psychological aggression are generally associated with the same prevalence of negative health outcomes as physical violence, although sexual violence is associated with the highest prevalence of negative health outcomes.Report Highlights / Table of Tables / Introduction / Findings / Experiences with IPV / Physical and Mental Health / The Relationship between IPV and Health / IPV Subtypes and Health / Control, Threats, and Infliction / Reproductive Control / Indirect and Direct Harm Infliction / Psychological Aggression, Physical Violence, and Sexual Violence / Minor and Severe Physical Violence / Conclusion / Appendix: Study Methods / General Overview of the Alaska Victimization Survey / Survey Eligibility, Recruitment, and Samples / Health Measures for This Report / IPV Measures for This Repor

Prospecting solar energy in Australia: accounting for temperature losses

In this paper, we prospect the solar potential of 5 varieties of commercially available modules in 15 locations around Australia, accounting for regional temperature and irradiance. We employ irradiance datasets, from the Australian Solar Energy Information System (ASEIS). Through our analysis, we categorise regions around Australia, by their impact on the performance of different solar module technology. From this comparison we find coastal DNI on average is lower in the mornings owing to the high relative humidity and daily temperature variation. These irradiance conditions, slightly alter the optimum installation direction and tilt. The best performing modules are the premium back-contact c-Si modules, and the worst is the standard mc-Si module. Importantly, the impact of a module technology on yield must be determined with site-specific irradiances and ambient temperatures. We find temperature losses correlate most strongly correlated with average mean monthly temperature. An additional interesting finding is that coastal locations have lower direct normal irradiance in the morning, which infers the optimum orientation is slightly West of North