Financial Stress, Family Conflict, and Youths' Successful Transition to Adult Roles

We analyze the effect of mothers' and youths' reports of family financial stress and conflict on youths' transitions into adult roles. We find that mothers’ reports of financial stresses and borrowing constraints are associated with earlier transitions to inactivity and public assistance, while youth reports of financial stresses are associated with earlier nest-leaving. Youths reporting conflict with parents leave school and move out earlier than their peers, while conflict between parents is associated with youth making later transitions. Overall, financial stress and conflict have independent effects on youths' transitions and youths' perspectives have different consequences to those of their mothers.youths, financial stress, family conflict

Optimization of the performance of an artificial imine reductase by directed evolution and encapsulation

The present PhD dissertation summarizes the research findings of the research group of prof. Dr. Thomas R. Ward from the period of September 2013 to December 2017. The main goal of the Ward group is the development and optimization of artificial metalloenzymes for their use in asymmetric catalysis. These hybrid catalysts, resulting from an incorporation of a metal–containing cofactor within a protein or DNA scaffold, can be optimized by either chemical or genetic means. The present work aims at the genetic optimization of the protein scaffold and exploration of the use of the resulting hybrid catalysts in nano–applications. Apart from a general introduction section, this dissertation is divided into two chapters. Each chapter represents research performed in context of several projects, which were published or will be submitted to peer-reviewed journals. These chapters contain a brief introduction into the topic, followed by the corresponding publications, and author contributions. The electronic supplementary information for each publication can be found in the Appendices chapter. The first chapter describes our efforts in genetic optimization of artificial metalloenzymes, design of a screening library and directed evolution of the resulting mutants. The second chapter illustrates two possibilities of applying artificial metalloenzymes in nano-applications, specifically the immobilization on silica nanoparticles or encapsulation in a ferritin protein cage

Financial Stress, Family Conflict, and Youths’ Successful Transition to Adult Roles

We analyze the effect of mothers’ and youths’ reports of family financial stress and conflict on youths’ transitions into adult roles. We find that mothers’ reports of financial stresses and borrowing constraints are associated with earlier transitions to inactivity and public assistance, while youth reports of financial stresses are associated with earlier nest-leaving. Youths reporting conflict with parents leave school and move out earlier than their peers, while conflict between parents is associated with youth making later transitions. Overall, financial stress and conflict have independent effects on youths’ transitions and youths’ perspectives have different consequences to those of their mothers.youths, financial stress, family conflict

Synthesis and study of molecules based on triangular graphene fragments

The present PhD dissertation summarizes my research findings in the research group of Prof. Dr. Michal Juríček from the period of February 2014 to January 2018. The main goal of our group is development and synthesis of new functional organic materials based on hydrocarbon molecules that contain one or more unpaired electrons for application in spin electronics. The present work aims at different strategies of synthesis of persistent Kekulé and non-Kekulé hydrocarbons and their application in molecular electronics. Apart from a general introduction section (Chapter I), this dissertation is divided into four chapters. Each chapter represents research performed in the context of several projects, which were published or will be submitted to peer-reviewed journals. These chapters contain a brief introduction into the topic, followed by the corresponding experimental findings. The electronic supplementary information for Chapter IV can be found in the Appendices chapter. The second chapter describes our efforts in the synthesis of triangulene precursors and subsequent generation and stabilization of the “naked” triangulene in a supramolecular complex with a cyclophane host. The third chapter illustrates our efforts in the stabilization of the triangulene core by introducing bulky substituents. Our findings in this chapter encouraged as to explore the addition pattern on other extended π-aromatic systems. In the fourth chapter, we designed and synthetised novel donor−acceptor molecules with a triangular shape and we studied their optoelectronic properties. The fifth chapter describes our efforts in the design and synthesis of novel chiroptical and magnetic swich, featuring a [7]helicene backbone, operated solely by light

Synthesis of neuromorphic circuits with neuromodulatory properties

The field of neuromorphic engineering shows great promise in delivering novel devices inspired by biological principles that would undertake sensory and processing tasks with an unprecedented level of efficiency. In order to achieve that, engineers are required to understand and implement the many complex biological regulatory mechanisms that allow the nervous system to robustly operate and adapt over scales covering many orders of magnitude, while at the same time using unreliable and noisy components. As a step towards that, this thesis aims at discussing and implementing the principles of neuromodulation in neuromorphic hardware, mechanisms which allow neurons to change and regulate their behaviour through the continuous control of their internal currents. We discuss how neural dynamics and its modulation can be broken down into four essential feedback loops, and we introduce a simplified model of the neural membrane respecting this fundamental structure. We present a novel methodology for controlling the neuron's behaviour through the shaping of its I-V curves in distinct timescales, thus characterising the behaviour of the neural circuit through its input-output properties. We show how modulation of the feedback loops affects the behaviour, and importantly, captures the transition between spiking and bursting oscillatory regimes, two major signalling modes of neurons. We then show how the architecture can be easily implemented using well-known neuromorphic building blocks based on subthreshold MOSFET circuits. Finally, we discuss how the excitability switch captured by the model can be exploited in simple network settings, thus opening up the possibility for future research into novel architectures where the control of cellular properties is utilised to shape the global behaviour of the network

Food Stamp Participation among Adult-Only Households

Several recent changes in the Food Stamp Program have been directed toward households without children. Some, including new work requirements for able-bodied adults without dependents (ABAWDs), were intended to promote self-sufficiency, while others, including easier application and recertification procedures, were intended to increase participation among underserved groups, such as the disabled and the elderly. Despite their relevance to policymakers, adult-only households have been examined by only a few studies. We use administrative records from South Carolina and event-history methods to investigate how spells of food stamp participation for adult-only households vary with ABAWD provisions, recertification intervals, economic conditions and other characteristics. We find that households that were subject to ABAWD policies had shorter spells and lower rates of food stamp participation than other households. We also find that households were much more likely to leave the Food Stamp Program at recertification dates than at other dates. Compared to married households, exit rates were lower for households in high unemployment areas, for female- and black-headed households, for individuals with less education, and for never-married households. We further find that the time limit was associated with exits with and without earnings, suggesting that this policy increased self-sufficiency for some households but left others without support.Food stamps, hazard models, time limits, recertification

The Meaning and Experiences of Healthy Eating in Mexican American Children: A Focused Ethnography

Purpose The purpose of this focused ethnography is to understand the meaning and cultural influences of healthy eating and the role of nursing in the promotion of healthy eating practices from the Mexican American child\u27s point of view. Background No current studies directly measure the meaning of healthy eating from the Mexican American child\u27s perspective. Mexican American children have a unique perspective and understanding of the meaning of healthy eating and can help identify cultural norms and other factors that may be vital in directing culturally appropriate health promotion interventions. Research Design A focused ethnography method using Leininger\u27s four phases of data analysis was utilized. Informants The researcher interviewed twenty-one children aged eleven to thirteen for the study. Fifteen individual interviews and two group interviews were completed. Data Collection and Analysis Data gathering and data analysis occurred simultaneously. Leininger\u27s four phases of qualitative data analysis and utilized NVivo9 qualitative data management software. Results The data emerged into three themes within the culture. Theme one: Mexican American children connect healthy eating with familiar foods in the context of their Mexican American culture. Theme two: Foods that provide feelings of happiness and well being are essential for healthy eating. Theme three: Sources of food and health information education are valued when provided by familiar and trusted sources. Conclusions and Implications For the informants of this study the meaning of healthy eating is closely tied to the cultural life ways learned and valued by the Mexican American culture. Culture cannot be separated from the child when considering the meaning of healthy eating. Mexican American children view healthy eating within the context of culture, associating familiar foods that provide a feeling of happiness and well being with healthy foods. Mexican American children view eating habits as healthy when taught by familiar and trusted sources. This study provides nurses an enhanced understanding of the meaning of healthy eating and valuable information to improve nutritional health education and promotion activities, better assists children and their families to improve and maintain health and provides culturally congruent care that is valued by the population

Things Fall Apart: The Role of Small Arms Acquisition in Insurgent Fragmentation

Insurgent is a label applied to a large variety of armed political actors, but all these actors have one need in common: the need to arm their fighters. This paper examines how the manner in which insurgent groups acquire arms affects the likelihood that the group will fragment or cohere over time. Specifically, if an insurgent group has a highly centralized process of arms acquisition, such as direct transfers to insurgent commanders by a third party, the cost of defection for insurgent field commanders will be high. If the cost of defection is high, then a splinter group is less likely to form. To test this hypothesis, this paper deploys a mixed method approach, combining quantitative analyses of the Uppsala Conflict Data and the Minorities at Risk: Organizational Behavior Data with two case studies in the Central African Republic and the Solomon Islands

"Parental Child Care in Single Parent, Cohabiting, and Married Couple Families: Time Diary Evidence from the United States and the United Kingdom"

This study uses time diary data from the 2003 American Time Use Survey and the United Kingdom Time Use Survey 2000 to examine the time that single, cohabiting, and married parents devote to caring for their children. Time spent in market work, in child care as a primary activity, and in child care as a passive activity are jointly modeled using a correlated, censored regression model. Separate estimates are provided by gender, by country, and by weekend/weekday day. We find no evidence that these time allocation decisions differ for cohabiting and married parents, but there is evidence that single persons allocate time differently - as might be expected, given different household time constraints. In the U.S. single fathers spend significantly more time in primary child care on weekdays and substantially less time in passive child care on weekends than their married or cohabiting counterparts, while in the UK single fathers spend significantly more time in passive child care on weekdays. Single fathers in each country report less time at work on weekdays than their married or cohabiting counterparts. In the U.S., single mothers work more than married or cohabiting mothers on weekdays, while single mothers in the United Kingdom work less than married or cohabiting mothers on all days.

Occupational Status and Health Transitions

We use longitudinal data from the 1984 through 2007 waves of the Panel Study of Income Dynamics to examine how occupational status is related to the health transitions of 30 to 59 year-old U.S. males. A recent history of blue-collar employment predicts a substantial increase in the probability of transitioning from very good into bad self-assessed health, relative to white-collar employment, but with no evidence of occupational differences in movements from bad to very good health. These findings are robust to a series of sensitivity analyses. The results suggest that blue-collar workers "wear out" faster with age because they are more likely, than their white-collar counterparts, to experience negative health shocks. This partly reflects differences in the physical demands of blue-collar and white-collar jobs.occupations, physical demands, health