A stratigraphic study of fusulinid foraminifera in the Cherokee group (Pennsylvanian) of western Missouri and Kansas

Limestones or shaly limestones, from four stratigraphic levels in the Cherokee group (Desmoinesian series) of Missouri and Kansas, contain eight species and two varieties of fusulinid foraminifera, of which four species and two varieties are new, and one ophthalmidiid foraminiferal species (Hemigordius cf. regularis Plummer). The next to highest limestone (cap rock of the Fleming coal) is correlated with the Seahorne limestone of western Illinois, the Stonefort limestone of southern Illinois, and the Munterville limestone of Iowa. Hemigordius regularis, a limestone facies foraminifer apparently marks a correlatable interval in the Ardmore limestone. Descriptions of the fusulinids and the opthalmidiid are presented --Abstract, page 1

Mississippi Kids Count: Early Childhood Education

Early education is crucial to supporting healthy childhood development and to providing a strong foundation for future schooling and general success. Defined as education between birth and age eight, early childhood education is associated with a wide range of positive outcomes for both the child as well as the community as a whole. Scientific studies suggest that participation in high quality early education, which includes elements such as trained and skilled teachers, small class sizes, and frequent child interaction and participation, improves cognitive and social development among all, but especially among low-income children. Research shows that children develop ninety percent of their adult-size brains in the first five years of life and therefore the provision of abundant information, proper stimulation and sufficient encouragement are keys to future success

Mississippi Kids Count: Child Abuse & Neglect in Mississippi

While the number of children subject to abuse or neglect has dropped over the past decade, it is undoubtedly the case that child abuse and neglect remains one of the most serious concerns for children in the United States. Nationwide, nearly 702,000 children (or 9.3 out of 1,000) were subject to some form of abuse in the Fiscal Year 2009, a drop from even the year before (10.3 victims per 1,000 children), and a significant drop from earlier recorded findings in 1995 (15 victims per 1,000). Still, the numbers remain alarmingly high, particularly given the dire consequences. A number of studies have noted that the impact of abuse and neglect can last an entire lifetime; it can include, among other things, physical health issues (such as damage to a child’s brain), psychological complications (such as cognitive delays, depression, and anxiety), behavioral consequences (such as increased likelihood of involvement in high-­‐risk behaviors and greater likelihood of juvenile crime and delinquency), and societal consequences (such as increased costs to maintain a robust child welfare system). In short, the victims of child abuse include not only the abused themselves, but society as a whole

Mississippi Kids Count: High School Graduation Rates

Though national dropout rates have generally fallen over the past twenty years, almost 1.2 million students in the United States drop out of school each year, representing nearly one-third of high school students. At about 61%, Mississippi’s high school graduation rate falls slightly below the national figure, though school districts in the Mississippi Delta fare particularly poorly. Five of the ten districts with the highest four-year dropout rates in the state are located in Delta region counties: Leflore, Tallahatchie, Sunflower, Tunica, and Panola Counties

Parenting Style and Parenting Practices in Disabled Children and its Relationship with Academic Competence and Behaviour Problems

This paper aims to carry out a review of the most important advances achieved in recent decades, and mainly in recent years, in the study of parenting styles and parenting practices in relation to academic competence and behavior problems of children with and without disabilities, in order to shed some light on major differences in patterns of family interaction that may explain the worst levels of adaptation manifested by children with disabilities. For this, we have carried out an analysis of main works that reflect this relationship in the general population, and then did the same including disability as a differentiating factor. In this sense, the authoritative style and specific parenting practices such as setting limits, communication, autonomy or monitoring are described as good predictors of adaptive behavior in children. However, we miss studies to confirm this relationship in children with disabilities. In this population, the major papers refer, on one side, to expectations and, on other side, to stress in parenting and its effect of the parents’ mental health. In conclusion, the need for studies to provide additional information about family relationships and disability is discussed

Beauty is in the Mouth of the Beholder: Advice Networks at Haverford College

My study investigates media and personal influence on the everyday use of beauty products. Previous research identifies two roles in the spread of ideas from media: the influential and the imitator. Using social network analysis, I traced a beauty advice network by interviewing 30 women at Haverford College to observe the formation of local network structures in space and the location of imitators and influentials in two different groups. I speculate that friendship can overcome this space barrier and create bridging ties. I also introduce a new role in advice networks, the "transitional," who performs the dual function of influential and imitator. The practical and theoretical implications of the transitional for beauty advice are discussed