Addressing Unaddressed Needs: Helping Agencies Target Services to Children and Caregivers in Child Welfare

Each year in the United States, hundreds of thousands of children are reported to the child welfare system for abuse or neglect. In 2014, 702,000 children were deemed victims of child maltreatment, and 147,462 entered foster care.Despite contact with a child protection agency, many families struggle to obtain the right services to ensure a safe and nurturing environment for their children. It'a vital to understand these families' health care needs and how to meet them effectively and efficiently, especialyl given the limited resources for child welfare services. This brief presents current data on this topic and highlights areas for future research

Resiliency and Age as Predictors of Academic Performance Among Adult Online Students with Trauma-Related Disabilities

Understanding the importance of resilience in academic performance as it pertains to adult online students is valuable to the people who provide services to, work with, and are a part of the population. The need to develop and enhance social programs that will improve outcomes for students with trauma-related disabilities is beneficial in increasing graduation rates and improving on the time it takes for adult online students to graduate. There is also a need for research focused on students with trauma-related disabilities because the literature in the field was found to be lacking in information. The purpose of the study was to investigate whether resilience level and age are predictors of academic performance among adult online learners with trauma-related disabilities. The data were collected using a demographic questionnaire and an online survey with students at two online universities. This quasi-experimental quantitative study used the post-traumatic growth theory as its theoretical foundation. A total of 110 participants completed the online demographic questionnaire and Resilience Scale. The analysis used a predictive equation of multiple linear regression with students\u27 grade point average as the criterion variable and resiliency and age as predictor variables. The analysis indicated that there was no significant relationship between the variables. The study contributed to positive social change by reviewing the importance of fostering resilience in an academic setting, particularly for adult online students with trauma-related disabilities. Additionally, the study found no implication that age influences resilience, which means further studies do not need to focus on age as a variable in predicting resilience

Uniformity model for energetic ion processes using a Kaufman ion source

Processes that use energetic ions for large substrates require that the time-averaged erosion effects from the ion flux be uniform across the surface. A numerical model has been developed to determine this flux and its effects on surface etching of a silica/photoresist combination. The geometry of the source and substrate is very similar to a typical deposition geometry with single or planetary substrate rotation. The model was used to tune an inert ion-etching process that used single or multiple Kaufman sources to less than 3% uniformity over a 30-cm aperture after etching 8 {micro}m of material. The same model can be used to predict uniformity for ion-assisted deposition (IAD)

Beyond structural models for the mode of action:How natural antimicrobial peptides affect lipid transport

Hypothesis: Most textbook models for antimicrobial peptides (AMP) mode of action are focused on structural effects and pore formation in lipid membranes, while these deformations have been shown to require high concentrations of peptide bound to the membrane. Even insertion of low amounts of peptides in the membrane is hypothesized to affect the transmembrane transport of lipids, which may play a key role in the peptide effect on membranes. Experiments: Here we combine state-of-the-art small angle X-ray/neutron scattering (SAXS/SANS) techniques to systematically study the effect of a broad selection of natural AMPs on lipid membranes. Our approach enables us to relate the structural interactions, effects on lipid exchange processes, and thermodynamic parameters, directly in the same model system. Findings: The studied peptides, indolicidin, aurein 1.2, magainin II, cecropin A and LL-37 all cause a general acceleration of essential lipid transport processes, without necessarily altering the overall structure of the lipid membranes or creating organized pore-like structures. We observe rapid scrambling of the lipid composition associated with enhanced lipid transport which may trigger lethal signaling processes and enhance ion transport. The reported membrane effects provide a plausible canonical mechanism of AMP-membrane interaction and can reconcile many of the previously observed effects of AMPs on bacterial membranes

E. coli metabolic protein aldehydealcohol dehydrogenase-E binds to the ribosome: a unique moonlighting action revealed

It is becoming increasingly evident that a high degree of regulation is involved in the protein synthesis machinery entailing more interacting regulatory factors. A multitude of proteins have been identified recently which show regulatory function upon binding to the ribosome. Here, we identify tight association of a metabolic protein aldehyde-alcohol dehydrogenase E (AdhE) with the E. coli 70S ribosome isolated from cell extract under low salt wash conditions. Cryo-EM reconstruction of the ribosome sample allows us to localize its position on the head of the small subunit, near the mRNA entrance. Our study demonstrates substantial RNA unwinding activity of AdhE which can account for the ability of ribosome to translate through downstream of at least certain mRNA helices. Thus far, in E. coli, no ribosome-associated factor has been identified that shows downstream mRNA helicase activity. Additionally, the cryo-EM map reveals interaction of another extracellular protein, outer membrane protein C (OmpC), with the ribosome at the peripheral solvent side of the 50S subunit. Our result also provides important insight into plausible functional role of OmpC upon ribosome binding. Visualization of the ribosome purified directly from the cell lysate unveils for the first time interactions of additional regulatory proteins with the ribosom

A policy roadmap for low impact development in Spokane, Washington

In the process of urban development, much of a site’s vegetation may be removed and its soil impacted o covered with impervious roadways and buildings. These changes alter the hydrologic cycle, generating more runoff containing higher pollutant concentrations than occurred under pre-development conditions. Conventional stormwater management can exacerbate the situation by concentrating runoff into channels and pipes, which increases its flow rate. This generates runoff with greater erosive force that damages aquatic habitat. Stormwater pollutants also contribute habitat degradation and water quality unsuitable for human uses. As a result of the urban stormwater’s environmental impacts, federal and state environmental regulations now require more stringent stormwater controls. Technical approaches are an option, but are costly. Low impact development (LID) is an emerging alternative. This approach strives to emulate a site’s pre-development hydrologic function to prevent environmental impacts normally associated with runoff. In practice. LID combines natural hydrologic processes and site-specific design approaches to minimize runoff volume, rate, and pollutant concentrations. Federal and state agencies actively encourage LID for stormwater management; unfortunately, several barriers may prevent successful LID implementation at the local level. Developers, contractors, and inspectors may lack understanding and technical guidance for proper LID design, construction, and maintenance. Zoning and development codes may discourage and prohibit LID strategies. Like other urban areas, Spokane, Washington is experiencing stormwater challenges and is obliged to address new stormwater regulations. This thesis investigates how can be implemented in the City of Spokane. An overview of LID establishes recommended design, construction, and maintenance approaches and reveals potential regulatory barriers. A review of federal and state environmental regulations and reports from local environmental investigations shows specific ways LID can support Spokane’s regulatory and environmental concerns. Local policy, regulations and technical guidance documents are then analyzed to determine if they support LID implementation. Where contradicts and weaknesses are identified, recommendations are offered that the City of Spokane should consider in its efforts to revise local stormwater management approaches

LeBarron

A modern dance intended to fuse the elements of dance and film into a total compositional structure. This was done by filming abstract dance phrases and the spatial boundaries of a studio space, and editing them into a thematic whole