APS: Neglected Agency in Feed of Transformation

Approximately 3 million elders are mistreated annually in the United States. Due to factors such as increase in life expectancy, this number is likely to amplify. Adult Protective Services agencies across the nation have been established by The Social Security Act, with purpose and goal of providing services to stop elder mistreatment and prevent it from occurring further. Although program was created over 40 years ago, APS agencies continue to make little progress and are publicly and legislatively neglected when compared to child welfare programs and domestic violence programs. This thesis presents overview of APS problems on local, state, and national levels. Issues such as lack of federal legislation, failure to provide uniform definitions and guidelines across the nation, and deficiency in pubic awareness are problems present on national level. Unlike child welfare programs, APS does not have a uniform federal law dealing solely with elder mistreatment. APS is only mentioned in parts of Older Americans Act and Social Security Act. Definitions of mistreatment, population, and capacity differ from one state to another. APS workers face multitude of issues when receiving reports, investigating mistreatment, and disposing of cases. Lack of training and cooperation between relevant agencies is hindering the appropriate provision of APS on state and local levels. In addition, budget shortfalls and cuts affect workers and victims alike. For each $100 spent on mistreated child, only$2 is spent on a mistreated elder. Policy recommendations, which are expected to resolve above noted issues, are offered. Enactment of Elder Justice Act is a plausible solution for problems on national level and would decrease the ambiguity of definitions and guidelines between the states. Criminalization of the mistreatment, which would include change in focus from solely victim-oriented to inclusion of prosecution of the perpetrator, would allow APS workers to exercise more authority and discretion. Finally, promoting awareness and multi-agency efforts is necessary in improving APS practice

Creating an Inclusive Learning Environment for Post Secondary Design Education - Synergized design learning in a co designed space.

Successful studios combine stimulation, inspiration, and promote the learner to discover self- direction. In addition to the appearance of the space, amenities and appropriate technology are vital for students to experience design challenges and opportunities as they would in a design office. The physical requirements, spatial layout and flexibility are necessary to sustain the learning and teaching methods of collaboration and brainstorming between students and facilitators (OMP/P Architects, VS furniture & Bruce Mau Design, 2010). A well designed studio space enhances the learner’s educational experience. This research will support how learning environments specific to studio experiences impact student and engagement thus influencing their success and lifelong learning. In addition, this research provides the fundamental needs of what lifelong learners require in their studio spaces. Methodological triangulation substantiated the evidence for Participatory Action Research which was conducted in three Parts: Survey, Charrettes, and a Creative Workshop. Students and faculty were asked to co-create a solution with the researcher / author. This MRP is a collection of their ideations, solutions and needs. Together this established the knowledge to empower and emancipate multiple voices to validate a vision of change, direction, the variety of expertise, experiences, perceptions, ideas and allowed diverse groups to create synergy, and understand different ideas and contributes to the space between. The conclusions discuss and show how a learning environment becomes flexible and adaptable but it also shows how is can focus on the individual

Aerosol-Assisted CVD-Grown PdO Nanoparticle-Decorated Tungsten Oxide Nanoneedles Extremely Sensitive and Selective to Hydrogen

We report for the first time the successful synthesis of palladium (Pd) nanoparticle (NP)-decorated tungsten trioxide (WO3) nanoneedles (NNs) via a two-step aerosol-assisted chemical vapor deposition approach. Morphological, structural, and elemental composition analysis revealed that a Pd(acac)2 precursor was very suitable to decorate WO3 NNs with uniform and well-dispersed PdO NPs. Gas-sensing results revealed that decoration with PdO NPs led to an ultrasensitive and selective hydrogen (H2) gas sensor (sensor response peaks at 1670 at 500 ppm of H2) with low operating temperature (150 °C). The response of decorated NNs is 755 times higher than that of bare WO3 NNs. Additionally, at a temperature near that of the ambient temperature (50 °C), the response of this sensor toward the same concentration of H2 was 23, which is higher than that of some promising sensors reported in the literature. Finally, humidity measurements showed that PdO/WO3 sensors displayed low-cross-sensitivity toward water vapor, compared to bare WO3 sensors. The addition of PdO NPs helps to minimize the effect of ambient humidity on the sensor response

Development And Analisis OfA Low Power Sensor Network ForA Parking Garage Application

This study covers the development and analisis of A Low Power Sensor Network, Parking Garage Application. An analisis of the arduino platform is presented with a structural overview as well as the design choices made during the development of the parking garage application. This includes the analisis of power usage, sensor accuracy and sensor network communication. The entire system consists of the sensor nodes, a server and an Android application. The users are, through the application, informed wheather any vacant parking spaces are available

Cyberstalking victimization

Global social networks contributed to the creation of new, inconspicuous, technically perfect shape of criminality which is hard to suppress because of its intangible characteristics. The most common forms of virtual communications’ abuse are: cyberstalking and harassment, identity theft, online fraud, manipulation and misuse of personal information and personal photos, monitoring e-mail accounts and spamming, interception and recording of chat rooms. Cyberstalking is defined as persistent and targeted harassment of an individual by using electronic communication. The victim becomes insecure, frightened, intimidated and does not figure out the best reaction which will terminate the harassment. The aim of this paper is to emphasize the importance and necessity of studying cyberstalking and to point out its forms in order to find the best ways to prevent this negative social phenomenon. Basic topics that will be analyzed in this paper are the various definitions of cyberstalking, forms of cyberstalking, and the most important characteristics of victims and perpetators

”Föräldrastöd för missbrukande föräldrar” : En kvalitativ undersökning av föräldrastödjande insatser inom missbruks- och beroendevården i Hallands län

Syftet med denna studie är att skapa förståelse för hur verksamheter inom missbruks- och be-roendevården i Hallands län arbetar med föräldrar som har missbruksproblematik samt hur de föräldrastödjande insatserna påverkar familjesituationen. För att nå parternas upplevelser och erfarenheter genomförs åtta semistrukturerade djupintervjuer med en hermeneutisk metodolo-gisk utgångspunkt. De teorier och begrepp som används i studien är Max Webers byråkrati, Ole Petter Askheim och Bengt Starrins empowerment, Erving Goffmans dramaturgiska teori samt Thomas Scheff skam, stolthet och sociala band. Studiens resultat visar att verksamheter arbetar med föräldrar med missbruksproblematik på olika vis, och att det inte finns några tydliga struk-turer och riktlinjer mellan kommunerna i hur arbetet med föräldrastödjande insatser ska utföras. Det framkom även att majoriteten av föräldrarna inte har erhållit eller fått tillgång till utlovade föräldrastödjande insatser och de föräldrastödjande insatserna har påverkat familjesituationen på olika vis.The purpose of this study is to create understanding for how organizations in the Swedish county of Halland works with parents with addiction problems and how the parental support efforts affect the family situation. The method we use to reach both parties' experiences is eight semi-structured in-depth interviews, and the theories and concepts used in the interpretation of the material are Max Weber's bureaucracy theory, Ole Petter Askheim’s and Bengt Starrin’s theory of Empowerment, Erving Goffman's study on role-taking and Thomas Scheff's concepts of shame, guilt and social bond. The results show that organisations have different guidelines and structures of parental support work. A majority of the clients interviewed have not received parental support, but the study also show that the relationship between the support worker and client has a significant role in the support and treatment process and that the parental support efforts have affected the family situation in different ways