2009 Report on Chicago Region Poverty

In 2009, a family of four that is poor by the federal government's definition has an annual income below $22,050. A family that is extremely poor has an income less than half the poverty line for their family size -- under$11,025 for a family of four. As discussions continue on the best way to help the nation weather and emerge from the recession, the focus must be on meaningful policy changes that truly lift all boats and make us collectively a much stronger nation. If solutions do not specifically address the needs of those whose lives and hardships are reflected in this report, millions will be left behind, and we will all be left weaker and more vulnerable

Back Home Again: LaPorte County, Indiana, Plan to End Homelessness

The Social IMPACT Research Center (IMPACT), a program of Heartland Alliance, worked with leaders in LaPorte County, Indiana to create a Plan to End Homelessness for the county. Plans to End Homelessness help communities determine and implement key system improvements, build community and political will for addressing homelessness, align resources efficiently, and begin the important march toward ending homelessness.LaPorte County's Plan to End Homelessness harnesses best practices, local realities, and community input to solve a problem that affects far too many lives: those who are at risk of homelessness, those who are experiencing homelessness, and their children, neighbors, friends, and family.LaPorte County's Plan includes goals in three areas: prevention, housing, and income/services with a number of action steps established to reach each goal. The Plan is designed to serve those who have been identified as needing services in LaPorte County, to help service providers enhance and streamline services, and help funders of the homeless system target funding and community resources to prevent and end homelessness

Running on Empty: Nutritional Access for Children in Cook County, Illinois

In an effort to make informed program expansion and improvement decisions, the Greater Chicago Food Depository commissioned the Social IMPACT Research Center of Heartland Alliance to conduct a study of child nutrition program coverage and child nutrition and hunger in Cook County, Illinois.This study examined the geographic coverage of child nutrition programs to identify areas that have the greatest number of unserved children and have the worst program coverage. The study also took an in-depth look at the nutritional lives of children attending summer nutrition programs. Insights in these two areas are vital to helping organizations like the Greater Chicago Food Depository make sound programmatic and expansion decisions that will best meet the nutritional and hunger needs of Cook County's most vulnerable children

Statistics of Stellar Variability from Kepler - I: Revisiting Quarter 1 with an Astrophysically Robust Systematics Correction

We investigate the variability properties of main sequence stars in the first month of Kepler data, using a new astrophysically robust systematics correction, and find that 60% of stars are more variable then the active Sun. We define low and high variability samples, with a cut corresponding to twice the variability level of the active Sun, and compare the properties of the stars belonging to each sample. We show tentative evidence that the more active stars have lower proper motions and may be located closer to the galactic plane. We also investigate the frequency content of the variability, finding clear evidence for periodic or quasi-periodic behaviour in 16% of stars, and showing that there exist significant differences in the nature of variability between spectral types. Of the periodic objects, most A and F stars have short periods (< 2 days) and highly sinusoidal variability, suggestive of pulsations, whilst G, K and M stars tend to have longer periods (> 5 days, with a trend towards longer periods at later spectral types) and show a mixture of periodic and stochastic variability, indicative of activity. Finally, we use auto-regressive models to characterise the stochastic component of the variability, and show that its typical amplitude and time-scale both increase towards later spectral types, which we interpret as a corresponding increase in the characteristic size and life-time of active regions.Comment: Accepted A&A, 13 pages, 13 figures, 4 table

Internal-external locus of control and the life experiences of Soviet Pentecostal refugees in Portland, Oregon

The construct internal-external locus of control was utilized to examine the Soviet Pentecostal refugees\u27 perception of life experiences in the United States as defined by three dimensions: social, economical, and political. Unlike the majority of immigration research, which focuses on structural variables, this research further addressed the concept of acculturation as a long term process of resettlement. Subjects completed an anonymous forced choice questionnaire consisting of the Rotter (1966) locus of control instrument scale. Pearson Product moment correlation coefficients were calculated to examine the strength of the relationships between the internal-external locus of control scores and five factor analyzed life experience categories. Positive and sometimes strong correlations could be found between the internal-external locus of control scores and the five life experience factors. All five hypotheses were confirmed by the results

Assessment of the Use of Non-Pharmacological Methods for Managing Depression in Patients with Myotonic Dystrophy (DM) and Facioscapulohumeral Muscular Dystrophy (FSHD)

Background: Myotonic dystrophy (DM) and facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD) are two types of muscular dystrophies with multi-system manifestations. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine 1: the prevalence of depression in patients with myotonic dystrophy (DM) and facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD) and 2: which non-pharmacological methods DM and FSHD patients are using to manage their depression. Methods: A survey was conducted using the online system, Qualtrics. The voluntary and anonymous survey was emailed to 1,205 eligible patients from the National Registry for DM and FSHD Patients and Family Members at the University of Rochester. Participants were at least 18 years old, a member of the registry, and diagnosed with DM or FSHD. The 65 question survey included questions on basic demographic information, depression diagnosis, medication use and effectiveness, and non-pharmacological management. Surveys were collected between May 2017 and August 2017 and the responses were analyzed and compared to the general population. The study was approved by the St. John Fisher College Institutional Review Board and the Registry Scientific Advisory Committee. Results: Of the 1,205 surveys that were sent, 466 patients responded. A total of 46 percent of patients had DM (DM1 30 percent, n=138/460 and DM2 16 percent, n=75/460) and 48 percent (n=223/460) of respondents had FSHD. Of the study respondents, 34 percent (n=150/436) reported being diagnosed with depression, while 8 percent (n=24/294) feel depressed, but haven’t been diagnosed. Non-pharmacological techniques used by patients who were diagnosed with depression or feel that they are depressed included: exercise (33 percent, n=57/150), relaxation techniques once per week (51 percent, n=50/98), and visiting a counselor or therapist once per week (11 percent, n=4/37). The most common type of relaxation technique used was meditation (52 percent, n=77/147) followed by yoga (18 percent, n=24/147). In conclusion, 32 percent (n=34/107) stated that relaxation techniques helped them, and 49 percent (n=52/107) stated that relaxation techniques may have helped them. Conclusion: Patients with both DM and FSHD have been diagnosed with depression. To manage their depression, and similar to what occurs in the general population, DM and FSHD patients are using a combination of both pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic strategies. DM and FSHD patients also believe that these non-pharmacologic methods, which include exercise, counseling, and relaxation techniques are helpful in their managing depression

The Influence of Social Engagement on Changes in Quality of Life over Time for Older Adults Living in Senior Houseing

Session 1: Older Adults. Presenter: Amy Restorick Roberts, Case Western Reserve University (2013) - "The Influence of Social Engagement on Changes in Quality of Life over Time for Older Adults Living in Senior Housing".The Ohio State University College of Social Wor

The experience of community first responders in co-producing rural health care : in the liminal gap between citizen and professional

Non peer reviewedPublisher PD