Child maltreatment and young children : examining contributing factors and impacts of parenting programs

Child maltreatment is a complicated and ongoing problem. There are millions of reported cases in the United States each year, and infants and toddlers are the most frequent and most vulnerable victims of child maltreatment (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration on Children, Youth and Families, 2012). Child maltreatment is associated with a wide range of negative consequences for children including cognitive and psychological issues (Crozier and Barth, 2005; Mueller et al, 2010). The current project examines the factors associated with physical child maltreatment of infants and toddlers and efforts to influence these factors and prevent physical child maltreatment. Study 1 examined the data from the Hawaii Healthy Start Program (HSP) to determine the contextual, parental and child variables that predicted the use of severe physical assault on infants and toddlers during their first and second years of life. Results indicate that parental stress, substance use, speaking language other than English, less enriching home environment and child temperament are associated with severe physical assault of young children. Study 2 examined the feasibility of providing Incredible Years: Parents and Babies curriculum to vulnerable families with the intention of preventing physical maltreatment. Results of this study indicate that significant relationship building and parent engagement strategies are necessary to engage this population and data collection strategies must account for positive impression management and reading issues

The Unavoidable Ecclesiastical Collision in Virginia

Section 5 7-9(A) of the Code of Virginia is a statute that purports to resolve church property disputes. There is, however, a significant amount of controversy as to whether the statute encroaches on the free exercise rights of hierarchical churches located in Virginia and enmeshes Virginia courts in the ecclesiastical thicket. Given the debate surrounding Section 57-9(A) and the controversial shift of several mainstream denominations in matters of substantive church doctrine, Virginia is a fertile breeding ground for church property disputes. Accordingly, the Commonwealth is in the midst of an ecclesiastical crisis. The impact of the crisis is evidenced by the recent division within the Episcopal Church\u27s Diocese of Virginia and the subsequent church property litigation that ensued following the division. This Comment examines the constitutional standards surrounding various courses of action states may pursue to resolve church property disputes and provides a specific analysis of Virginia\u27s statutory scheme for doing so. Current Supreme Court of the United States precedent establishes that courts have three constitutional options they can rely on in resolving church property disputes. Courts may defer to the decision of the religious organization\u27s adjudicatory body, a method of resolution known as the deference approach. Courts may also decide the case on the basis of a neutral principle of law such as property law or contact law. Finally, states may enact special statutes to direct courts on how to resolve church property disputes. This article argues that Section 57-9(A) does not operate as a constitutional method of resolving church property disputes within the Supreme Court\u27s established framework for doing so. Accordingly, due to the constitutional issues with Section 57- 9(A), the law in Virginia regulating church property disputes is on a path leading to an unavoidable ecclesiastical collision

The Unavoidable Ecclesiastical Collision in Virginia

Section 5 7-9(A) of the Code of Virginia is a statute that purports to resolve church property disputes. There is, however, a significant amount of controversy as to whether the statute encroaches on the free exercise rights of hierarchical churches located in Virginia and enmeshes Virginia courts in the ecclesiastical thicket. Given the debate surrounding Section 57-9(A) and the controversial shift of several mainstream denominations in matters of substantive church doctrine, Virginia is a fertile breeding ground for church property disputes. Accordingly, the Commonwealth is in the midst of an ecclesiastical crisis. The impact of the crisis is evidenced by the recent division within the Episcopal Church\u27s Diocese of Virginia and the subsequent church property litigation that ensued following the division. This Comment examines the constitutional standards surrounding various courses of action states may pursue to resolve church property disputes and provides a specific analysis of Virginia\u27s statutory scheme for doing so. Current Supreme Court of the United States precedent establishes that courts have three constitutional options they can rely on in resolving church property disputes. Courts may defer to the decision of the religious organization\u27s adjudicatory body, a method of resolution known as the deference approach. Courts may also decide the case on the basis of a neutral principle of law such as property law or contact law. Finally, states may enact special statutes to direct courts on how to resolve church property disputes. This article argues that Section 57-9(A) does not operate as a constitutional method of resolving church property disputes within the Supreme Court\u27s established framework for doing so. Accordingly, due to the constitutional issues with Section 57- 9(A), the law in Virginia regulating church property disputes is on a path leading to an unavoidable ecclesiastical collision

The Unaviodable Ecclesiastical Collision in Virginia

Section 57-9(A) of the Code of Virginia is a statute that purports to resolve church property disputes. There is, however, a significant amount of controversy as to whether the statute encroaches on the free exercise rights of hierarchical churches located in Virginia and enmeshes Virginia courts in the ecclesiastical thicket. Given the debate surrounding Section 57-9(A) and the controversial shift of several mainstream denominations in matters of substantive church doctrine, Virginia is a fertile breeding ground for church property disputes. Accordingly, the Commonwealth is in the midst of an ecclesiastical crisis. The impact of the crisis is evidenced by the recent division within the Episcopal Church’s Diocese of Virginia and the subsequent church property litigation that ensued following the division. This Comment examines the constitutional standards surrounding various courses of action states may pursue to resolve church property disputes and provides a specific analysis of Virginia’s statutory scheme for doing so. Current Supreme Court of the United States precedent establishes that courts have three constitutional options they can rely on in resolving church property disputes. Courts may defer to the decision of the religious organization’s adjudicatory body, a method of resolution known as the deference approach. Courts may also decide the case on the basis of a neutral principle of law such as property law or contact law. Finally, states may enact special statutes to direct courts on how to resolve church property disputes. This article argues that Section 57-9(A) does not operate as a constitutional method of resolving church property disputes within the Supreme Court’s established framework for doing so. Accordingly, due to the constitutional issues with Section 57- 9(A), the law in Virginia regulating church property disputes is on a path leading to an unavoidable ecclesiastical collision

Agenda Setters, Responders, or Both? Organized Interests and Congressional Agendas

At what point organized interests become involved in the policy process is a matter of debate for scholars. On one side are the interest groups scholars who argue that groups set the agenda and members of Congress respond; at the other end of the spectrum are Congressionalists who give credit to those with power over the formal agenda and relegate organized interests to a responsive position. The compromise approach promoted by some is that both are involved in a muddied process to shape the agenda. By looking at activity both before and after arrival on the formal agenda, I test to see which comes first -- the group, the member, or both? Using three different tests for agenda-setting activity, I discern that both members of Congress and organized interests play a role in agenda-setting, but organized interests play the larger part

Structural and functional analysis of critical amino acids in TMVI of the NHE1 isoform of the Na+/H+ exchanger

AbstractThe mammalian Na+/H+ exchanger isoform 1 (NHE1) resides on the plasma membrane and exchanges one intracellular H+ for one extracellular Na+. It maintains intracellular pH and regulates cell volume, and cell functions including growth and cell differentiation. Previous structural and functional studies on TMVI revealed several amino acids that are potentially pore lining. We examined these and other critical residues by site-directed mutagenesis substituting Asn227→Ala, Asp, Arg; Ile233→Ala; Leu243→Ala; Glu247→Asp, Gln; Glu248→Asp, Gln. Mutant NHE1 proteins were characterized in AP-1 cells, which do not express endogenous NHE1. All the TMVI critical amino acids were highly sensitive to substitution and changes often lead to a dysfunctional protein. Mutations of Asn227→Ala, Asp, Arg; Ile233→Ala; Leu243→Ala; Glu247→Asp; Glu248→Gln yielded significant reduction in NHE1 activity. Mutants of Asn227 demonstrated defects in protein expression, targeting and activity. Substituting Asn227→Arg and Ile233→Ala decreased the surface localization and expression of NHE1 respectively. The pore lining amino acids Ile233 and Leu243 were both essential for activity. Glu247 was not essential, but the size of the residue at this location was important while the charge on residue Glu248 was more critical to NHE1 function. Limited trypsin digestion on Leu243→Ala and Glu248→Gln revealed that they had increased susceptibility to proteolytic attack, indicating an alteration in protein conformation. Modeling of TMVI with TMXI suggests that these TM segments form part of the critical fold of NHE1 with Ile233 and Leu465 of TMXI forming a critical part of the extracellular facing ion conductance pathway

Activity-Based Checks (ABCs) of Pain: A Functional Pain Scale Used by Surgical Patients

Introduction. Increased rates of surgery, combined with concerns about high-risk pain medications, have highlighted the need for improved methods of meaningfully assessing pain. In response to lack of medical context and functional data in existing scales, the Activity-Based Checks (ABCs) was developed. Methods. This prospective, cohort study was deployed at a single-institution, academic center. The primary outcome was to correlate the ABCs to the 0-10 numeric rating scale (NRS) in postoperative general surgery patients. Secondary outcomes included assessing the impact of patient factors and prescribing patterns on opioid consumption, in milligrams of morphine equivalents (MME) after discharge. Results. The function that correlated most to the NRS at discharge was “Out of Bed to Chair”. Indicators of better mental health were inversely correlated with MME consumption. Interestingly, the largest predictor of MME taken was MME prescribed. Over 40% of prescribed opioids goes unused. Conclusions. Functional pain scales, like the ABCs, may be useful adjuncts to evaluate pain. Individual functions, e.g., “Out of Bed to Chair” may be of particular importance. Clinicians must be aware that the strongest predictor of MMEs taken by patients was MMEs prescribed, highlighting the importance of better pain assessments and opioid stewardship

Seeing Programming Seeing: Exploring the Pedagogical Values of Functional Errors in Creative Coding

Creative coding has been gaining momentum within Art Schools over the past two decades. However, as a discipline within Art Schools it is still relatively new as a creative pathway. As the use of code as a material for creative expression becomes increasingly prevalent, the methods for teaching creative coding within Art Schools have also begun to diversify. This paper presents a range of alternate teaching examples that emphasise reflective problem solving through error when teaching creative coding within Art Schools. The paper will review how these examples are implemented, the impact they have on student comprehension, and the future educational tools they support

Understanding the Relationship between Health PACs and Health Lobbying in the American States

We examine whether and how health PAC activity in the states is connected to lobbying. Is the political money that health interest organizations bring to the policy process a powerful, independent means of influence or is it better understood more narrowly as a lobbing tactic used to support lobbying? We examine a range of conjectures on the relationship between campaign contributions and lobby activity and the limited work that has been conducted on them and raise a number of questions about the process by which they are connected. We test these hypotheses with 1998 data on state lobbying and PAC activity. We conclude that PAC activity is best viewed as an adjunct of lobbying rather than an independent form of political activity

The impact of a new high-resolution ocean model on the Met Office North-West European Shelf forecasting system

The North-West European Shelf ocean forecasting system has been providing oceanographic products for the European continental shelf seas for more than 15 years. In that time, several different configurations have been implemented, updating the model and the data assimilation components. The latest configuration to be put in operation, an eddy-resolving model at 1.5 km (AMM15), replaces the 7 km model (AMM7) that has been used for 8 years to deliver forecast products to the Copernicus Marine Environment Monitoring Service and its precursor projects. This has improved the ability to resolve the mesoscale variability in this area. An overview of this new system and its initial validation is provided in this paper, highlighting the differences with the previous version. Validation of the model with data assimilation is based on the results of 2 years (2016–2017) of trial experiments run with the low- and high-resolution systems in their operational configuration. The 1.5 km system has been validated against observations and the low-resolution system, trying to understand the impact of the high resolution on the quality of the products delivered to the users. Although the number of observations is a limiting factor, especially for the assessment of model variables like currents and salinity, the new system has been proven to be an improvement in resolving fine-scale structures and variability and provides more accurate information on the major physical variables, like temperature, salinity, and horizontal currents. AMM15 improvements are evident from the validation against high-resolution observations, available in some selected areas of the model domain. However, validation at the basin scale and using daily means penalized the high-resolution system and does not reflect its superior performance. This increment in resolution also improves the capabilities to provide marine information closer to the coast even if the coastal processes are not fully resolved by the model