Increasing Housing Stability Through State-Funded Community Mediation Delivered by The Massachusetts Housing Mediation Program (HMP) in FY2022

This report presents findings and recommendations from an evaluation of the Massachusetts Housing Mediation Program (HMP) administered by the MA Office of Public Collaboration (MOPC) at the University of Massachusetts Boston in partnership with 11 Community Mediation Centers (Centers). The program is funded by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and implemented in partnership with the Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD). The program was initially part of the Governor’s Eviction Diversion Initiative (EDI), which ended in the latter half of FY2022 and is continuing as an intervention to support housing stability. The evaluation was conducted by MOPC’s research unit comprised of staff and graduate student researchers and does not necessarily represent the views of DHCD. As the statutory state dispute resolution agency, MOPC has been serving as a neutral forum and state-level resource for over 30 years. Its mission is to establish evidence-based public programs and build capacity within public entities for enhanced conflict resolution and intergovernmental and cross-sector collaboration to save costs for the state and its citizens and enable effective problem-solving and civic engagement on major public initiatives. Funding from the Legislature in FY2022 allowed MOPC to award $690,000 in grants and technical assistance to 11 Centers to sustain their staffing capacity to continue delivering free housing mediation services to their service areas, maintaining, or strengthening referral relationships with partner agencies, and fulfilling other duties for the program. Centers employ one to two staff to serve as liaisons for agency and organizational partners as well as coordinate the delivery of primarily remote mediation services. In FY2022, the HMP fielded 937 referrals, of which 812 were screened, resulting in 732 cases. Of these cases, 287 were mediated in 325 mediation sessions. Additionally, 276 tenancies and 32 housing subsidies were preserved. Centers served 660 landlords and 733 tenants located in 13 Massachusetts counties. Many of these services were provided remotely, as necessitated by the pandemic, but as communities, courts, and government agencies began to re-open, some services were provided in person. To assess the impact of the HMP on housing stabilization and homelessness prevention, MOPC deployed a team of staff and graduate student researchers to create data collection and evaluation indicators and metrics vetted by DHCD and the Governor’s Office and produced a HMP evaluation report for FY2021. For FY2022, the MOPC team undertook the following activities to produce this evaluation report for the second year of the HMP operations: Launched a HMP mediation participant survey and collected 11 survey responses from tenants, landlords and lawyers and analyzed the quantitative data. Launched a HMP Eviction Diversion Initiative (EDI) survey and collected 48 survey responses from EDI partners and analyzed the quantitative data. Launched a HMP mediator session survey and a HMP mediator general survey and collected 77 session surveys responses and 1 general survey response and analyzed the quantitative data. Mined and analyzed data from HMP case intake forms and mediated agreements from 148 cases. Interviewed 23 HMP mediation participants, including tenants, landlords, lawyers for tenants and landlords, and transcribed and analyzed interview data. Interviewed 6 HMP case coordinators from Centers and transcribed and analyzed qualitative data. Analyzed written feedback from DHCD from a questionnaire sent to DHCD staff. Examined quantitative data in HMP weekly case data sheets. Drafted evaluation findings, case studies and recommendations tracked to detailed appendices. This FY2022 HMP evaluation report is organized into the following sections: Executive Summary that can serve as a stand-alone document; Findings, based on an investigation of research on housing mediation, landlord-tenant and summary process mediations; Recommendations, for further increasing impact, utilization and effectiveness of housing mediation and the sustainability of the HMP; Appendices, presenting detailed, fully sourced summaries of the survey data and other relevant material with both qualitative data and analysis and quantitative data and analysis presented using the research questions in the methodology section as a guide

Valor predictor del ácido úrico en preeclampsia en el Hospital Belén de Trujillo, 2021

La preeclampsia es un problema de gran impacto en las gestantes, es por ello que es considerado como un problema de salud pública por su alta tasa de mortalidad materna y neonatal, es por ello que a pesar de que existen pruebas para su diagnóstico, aún sigue siendo un desafío para su diagnóstico, este estudio tiene como objetivo: Determinar el valor predictivo el ácido úrico para el diagnóstico preeclampsia en gestantes del Hospital Belén de Trujillo, 2021. Materiales y Métodos: Se realizó un estudio prospectivo, Valor diagnóstico de la prueba, en donde fueron evaluadas 93 gestantes con sospecha diagnostica de preeclampsia en el periodo 2021, en donde se recogió los valores de ácido úrico y fueron tabulados en Excel, su análisis se realizó en SPSS v.16.0 y Epidat v.4.2. En donde se calculó la sensibilidad, la especificidad, valor predictivo positivo, valor predictivo negativo, prevalencia. Resultados: Se obtuvo un punto de corte de valor de ácido úrico ≥ 5mg/dl (IC: 95%), en donde se obtuvo una sensibilidad de 77.97%, especificidad de 70.59%, VPP: 82.14% y VPN: 64.86%, LR+ 2.65, LR- 0.31, una prevalencia de 63.44% y un valor óptimo de ácido úrico de 4.85 mg/dl con una curva ROC: 0.814 (IC:95%). Conclusión: el valor de ácido úrico ≥ 5mg/dl es válido para predictor de preeclampsia

Increasing Housing Stability Through State-Funded Community Mediation Delivered by The Massachusetts Housing Mediation Program (HMP): Evaluation Report

This report presents findings and recommendations from a formative evaluation of the Massachusetts Housing Mediation Program (HMP) administered by the MA Office of Public Collaboration (MOPC) at the University of Massachusetts Boston in partnership with 12 Community Mediation Centers (CMCs). The program is funded by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and overseen by the Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) as part of the Baker-Polito Administration’s Eviction Diversion Initiative (EDI). The evaluation was conducted by MOPC’s research unit comprised of staff and graduate student researchers, and does not necessarily represent the views of DHCD. As a statutory state office, MOPC has been serving as a neutral forum and state-level resource for over 30 years. Its mission is to establish evidence-based public programs and build capacity within public entities for enhanced conflict resolution and intergovernmental and cross-sector collaboration to save costs for the state and its citizens and enable effective problem-solving and civic engagement on major public initiatives. This HMP evaluation report is based on a literature review of housing mediation research and evaluations, including summary process and landlord-tenant mediations, and new research conducted through interviews and surveys. In this formative stage, the evaluation seeks a developmental approach to identifying key indicators of success measures from mediation users, practitioners, administrators, and sponsors with a view to answering a set of research questions on the achievement of program goals like the contribution of the mediation program to housing stability as well as mediation party and sponsor satisfaction. Over time, with the potential to expand data collection, the HMP evaluators will also actively seek opportunities to identify the economic impact of housing mediation. The evaluators would like to acknowledge the efforts of MOPC’s HMP program managers, the 12 Community Mediation Centers (CMCs) and DHCD for participating in the collection of valuable data for this report

Addressing Barriers to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Massachusetts Community Mediation

This report presents over three years of systematically engaging, documenting and analyzing the diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) needs/gaps and assets of state funded community mediation centers in Massachusetts. The report was compiled by researchers and an in-house DEI expert at the statutory state office of dispute resolution, the Massachusetts Office of Public Collaboration (MOPC) at the University of Massachusetts Boston. The office has been serving as a neutral forum and state-level resource for over 30 years. The report is based on qualitative research that falls into the category of community based participatory research conducted through a series of community listening sessions organized and facilitated by seven community mediation centers from 2021 to 2022 involving residents from Cambridge, Framingham, Lowell, Lynn, Vineyard Haven, Greenfield, and Leominster in Massachusetts. The report also contains a literature review of diversity, equity and inclusion research, particularly on nonprofits and DEI in mediation/ADR. This research offers findings for Massachusetts community mediation to increase diversity, equity and inclusion and offers recommendations that are broadly applicable for all community mediation systems interested in developing their own DEI systems across the globe

Producción y calidad de forraje con enmiendas orgánicas en pastura (Brachiaria Brizantha), en la Costa Caribe Sur de Nicaragua

In this research, different organic alternatives have been applied to determine their effects on forage's production and quality in Brachiaria brizantha. The study evaluated three types of organic amendments (Lombrizhumus, Bokashi and EM) in the Brachiaria brizantha grass, which were compared with a witness treatment (no organic amendment). A completely randomized block design (BCA) was used, 4 replicates per treatment for a total of 16 plots, evaluated in established pastures. The highest production of green biomass is 17.325 kg/ha when applying lombrihumus; in dry matter production lombrihumus obtained the highest yield (3.383 kg/ha). The largest length of primary roots was obtained by applying lombrihu- mus (17.25 cm). In the leaf/stem ratio variable the greatest results were obtained with Lombrihumus; With Bokashi were obtained the highest percentage of dry matter digestibility (62%), crude protein (9.8%) and ash (9.52%). Lombrihumus and bokashi had the greatest effects on the variables evaluated in Brachiaria brizantha. The use of organic alternatives is recommended to optimize the production and quality of the Brachiaria brizantha pasture.Esta investigación se ha aplicado diferentes alternativas orgánicas para determinar sus efectos en la producción y calidad de forraje en Brachiaria brizantha. En el estudio se evaluaron tres tipos de enmiendas orgánicas (Lombrihumus, Bokashi y EM) en el pasto Brachiaria brizantha, las que fueron comparados con un tratamiento testigo (sin enmienda orgánica). Se empleó un diseño de bloque completamente al azar (BCA), 4 réplicas por tratamiento para un total de 16 parcelas, evaluado en pasturas ya establecidas. La mayor producción de biomasa verde es de 17,325 kg/ha al aplicar lombrihumus, en producción de materia seca el lombrihumus obtuvo el mayor rendimiento (3,383 kg/ha). La mayor longitud de raíces primarias se obtuvo al aplicar lombrihumus (17.25 cm). En la variable relación hoja/tallo los mayores resultados se obtuvieron con Lombrihumus. Con bokashi se obtuvieron los mayores porcentajes de digestibilidad de la materia seca (62%), proteína bruta (9.8%) y cenizas (9.52%). El lombrihumus y bokashi ejercieron los mayores efectos en las variables evaluadas en Brachiaria brizantha. Se recomienda el uso de alternativas orgánicas para optimizar la producción y calidad de la pastura Brachiaria brizantha

Availability of vitamin B12 and its lower ligand intermediate α-ribazole impact prokaryotic and protist communities in oceanic systems

Genome analyses predict that the cofactor cobalamin (vitamin B12, called B12 herein) is produced by only one-third of all prokaryotes but almost all encode at least one B12-dependent enzyme, in most cases methionine synthase. This implies that the majority of prokaryotes relies on exogenous B12 supply and interacts with producers. B12 consists of a corrin ring centred around a cobalt ion and the lower ligand 5’6-dimethylbenzimidazole (DMB). It has never been tested whether availability of this pivotal cofactor, DMB or its intermediate α-ribazole affect growth and composition of prokaryotic microbial communities. Here we show that in the subtropical, equatorial and polar frontal Pacific Ocean supply of B12 and α-ribazole enhances heterotrophic prokaryotic production and alters the composition of prokaryotic and heterotrophic protist communities. In the polar frontal Pacific, the SAR11 clade and Oceanospirillales increased their relative abundances upon B12 supply. In the subtropical Pacific, Oceanospirillales increased their relative abundance upon B12 supply as well but also downregulated the transcription of the btuB gene, encoding the outer membrane permease for B12. Surprisingly, Prochlorococcus, known to produce pseudo-B12 and not B12, exhibited significant upregulation of genes encoding key proteins of photosystem I + II, carbon fixation and nitrate reduction upon B12 supply in the subtropical Pacific. These findings show that availability of B12 and α-ribazole affect growth and composition of prokaryotic and protist communities in oceanic systems thus revealing far-reaching consequences of methionine biosynthesis and other B12-dependent enzymatic reactions on a community level

Evaluación de la influencia que tiene la graduación del material Pétreo en la resistencia a compresión simple no confinada y tensión indirecta de una mezcla de agregados minerales, emulsión asfáltica CSSI y cemento Portland

Las carreteras son de vital importancia para la sociedad nicaragüense, y la gran mayoría corresponden a pavimentos flexibles, el desempeño de estas depende de la calidad de los materiales, procesos constructivos y también de un buen diseño de la estructura de pavimento, así como del apropiado diseño de los materiales con los que se construirán las capas (mezclas asfálticas, bases estabilizadas, etc.) Los costos de explotación de materiales pétreos y su transporte han promovido eldesarrollo de técnicas de reciclado y estabilización “in situ” para poder utilizar los recursos localmente disponibles. Entre las tecnologías más utilizadas se encuentran las estabilizaciones con Cemento Portland, Cal, Emulsión Asfáltica y/o alguna combinación de estos agentes estabilizadores. Estos procedimientos además reducen el impacto ambiental debido a la disminución en el consumo de energía que implican los procesos de explotación de fuentes de materiales, así como el impacto directo a la naturaleza. La tendencia actual está enfocada en el análisis de ciclo de vida de pavimentos, LCA (Life Cycle Assessment) y construcción de pavimentos verdes.El uso de materiales granulares estabilizados con emulsión asfáltica y la adición de cantidades pequeñas de cemento Portland o Cal (rango recomendado varía entre 1% - 1.5%) cuando es requerido, tiene la ventaja de incrementar la cohesión y reducir la susceptibilidad al daño por humedad, sin el incremento exagerado de la rigidez de la capa.Las principales causas del uso tan limitado de esta técnica en el país son: 1) Se carece de una guía de diseño de la mezcla (agregados – emulsión asfáltica –cemento Portland o Cal), 2) No existen especificaciones técnicas actualizadas para el aseguramiento de la calidad y 3) Falta de experiencia de diseñadores y contratista

Host adaption to the bacteriophage carrier state of Campylobacter jejuni

The carrier state of the foodborne pathogen Campylobacter jejuni represents an alternative life cycle whereby virulent bacteriophage can persistent in association with host bacteria without commitment to lysogeny. Host bacteria exhibit significant phenotypic changes that improve their ability to survive extra-intestinal environments but exhibit growth phase dependent impairment in motility. We demonstrate that early-exponential phase cultures become synchronised with respect to the non-motile phenotype, which corresponds with a reduction in their ability adhere and invade intestinal epithelial cells. Comparative transcriptome analyses (RNA-seq) identify changes in gene expression that account for the observed phenotypes: down regulation of stress response genes hrcA, hspR and perR; and down regulation of the major flagellin flaA with the chemotactic response signalling genes cheV, cheA and cheW. These changes present mechanisms by which the host and bacteriophage can remain associated without lysis, and the cultures survive extra-intestinal transit. These data provide a basis for understanding a critical link in the ecology of Campylobacter bacteriophage

Structural and Functional Diversity of the Microbial Kinome

The eukaryotic protein kinase (ePK) domain mediates the majority of signaling and coordination of complex events in eukaryotes. By contrast, most bacterial signaling is thought to occur through structurally unrelated histidine kinases, though some ePK-like kinases (ELKs) and small molecule kinases are known in bacteria. Our analysis of the Global Ocean Sampling (GOS) dataset reveals that ELKs are as prevalent as histidine kinases and may play an equally important role in prokaryotic behavior. By combining GOS and public databases, we show that the ePK is just one subset of a diverse superfamily of enzymes built on a common protein kinase–like (PKL) fold. We explored this huge phylogenetic and functional space to cast light on the ancient evolution of this superfamily, its mechanistic core, and the structural basis for its observed diversity. We cataloged 27,677 ePKs and 18,699 ELKs, and classified them into 20 highly distinct families whose known members suggest regulatory functions. GOS data more than tripled the count of ELK sequences and enabled the discovery of novel families and classification and analysis of all ELKs. Comparison between and within families revealed ten key residues that are highly conserved across families. However, all but one of the ten residues has been eliminated in one family or another, indicating great functional plasticity. We show that loss of a catalytic lysine in two families is compensated by distinct mechanisms both involving other key motifs. This diverse superfamily serves as a model for further structural and functional analysis of enzyme evolution

Delad utsatthet : Vård i hemmet ur äldre människors, anhörigas och professionella vårdares perspektiv

Aim: The overall aim of the thesis was to deepen the knowledge about home care from the perspective of older people, family caregivers, and professional caregivers. Approach and method: A lifeworld approach was used to describe different experiences of home care. Lifeworld interviews were performed in three studies, and analyses were conducted according to different methodological principles. Study I describes the meaning of home care from the perspective of older people who live alone, including interviews with 12 participants analyzed with qualitative content analysis. Study II describes the life situation in which responsibility for an older person is imposed upon family caregivers. Ten interviews were conducted and analyzed using a phenomenological method. Study III, using phenomenography, describes perceptions of caring responsibility based on interviews with 14 professional caregivers. Study IV explores health and social network factors related to receiving care in the home among older adults (n = 317). Descriptive statistics and regression analyses were conducted. Finally, a synthesis was carried out and interpreted with a philosophical analysis in order to support the understanding of home care from different perspectives as a whole. Main results: Becoming older with increased caring needs disrupts one’s life when the private home becomes a public arena. The older person needs to adapt to a caring culture, but they are often unable to influence their care and must deal with forced relations. Family caregivers assume a great responsibility that changes and interferes with their whole life situation and impacts their health and relationships. Professional caregivers are also affected to a great extent, as the burden is high. Responsibility is perceived as limitless, constrained by time, moral, overseeing, meaningful and lonesome. To be cared for in one’s own home is complex from both a medical and psychosocial perspective. The results also give an indication of the importance of relationships and increasing awareness of the social perspectives of home care. Conclusion: This thesis contributes to the existing knowledge of how home care can be experienced from the perspectives of older people, family caregivers and professional caregivers in order to provide good and safe home care based on individual needs. Home care as a phenomenon is complex—it entails a vulnerable situation for the older person, the family caregivers, and professional caregivers. The results show the importance of a holistic perspective that includes individual experiences. They also highlight the importance of considering social perspectives and relationships in home care rather than merely focusing on medical and/or functional factors.Disputationen sänds via videolänk, förinformation se kalendariet på hb.se/forskning.</p