The Size of the Illinois Human Service Workforce

Human services cover a broad range of programs, services, and facilities provided to the public that are designed to enhance the quality of life and well-being of people and communities. In most cases, human services are provided by agencies at the community level and include programs and services such as affordable housing, child care, mental health and substance use treatment, and job training, as well as those targeting specific populations such as immigrants, seniors, or people experiencing homelessness.This paper outlines an approach to estimating the size of the human service workforce in Illinois. Quantifying the size of Illinois' human service workforce fills a knowledge gap; with such diversity among human service organizations, a total figure for the entire sector has not before been estimated. An estimate of workers employed in human service organizations gives a sense of how much of the workforce is dependent on human service jobs. Additionally, it gives context and illustrates the relative size of this portion of the workforce to examine cross state comparisons in terms of the number of human service workers to residents in each state

The Financial Conditions of Illinois Human Service Nonprofits

This document examines the financial conditions of Illinois human service nonprofit organizations. The first section examines median and aggregate data of all nonprofits and the second section examines the financial conditions of the various nonprofit sectors, including Mental Health and Crisis Intervention; Crime and Legal-Related; Employment; Food, Agriculture, and Nutrition; Housing and Shelter; Youth Development; and Other Human Services

An incubatable direct current stimulation system for in vitro studies of Mammalian cells.

The purpose of this study was to provide a simplified alternative technology and format for direct current stimulation of mammalian cells. An incubatable reusable stimulator was developed that effectively delivers a regulated current and does not require constant monitoring

Assigning Level of Care in Blunt Chest Trauma Patients: Applying Objective Scoring Systems

25% of all traumatic deaths are related to blunt chest trauma and another 50% have in-hospital morbidity and mortality. Recognizing patients with high risk of mortality is just as important as recognizing the immediate severely injured patients. Atlanticare Regional Trauma Center developed a scoring system in an attempt to properly assign these patients to an appropriate level of care. The system was developed based on a literature review but has not yet been studied to review its effectiveness in improving outcomes in chest trauma patients. Therefore, the scoring system is used as a guideline and not an official document in the patients’ chart. The aim of this study is to examine outcomes in patients suffering blunt chest trauma and to determine if this scoring system has any significant impact

Too Much, Too Soon? Obergefell as Applied Equality Practice

Abrupt cultural change inevitably arouses anxieties, and often those fears provoke a retrograde reaction seeking to preserve the familiar status quo. When the world by which we define ourselves undergoes unexpected transitions, especially in directions that contradict the comfortable taken-for-granted assumptions that had been earlier enjoyed, we feel threatened. One needs only recall how the new standards of racial equality announced in Brown I and Brown II elicited virulent protests as some districts chose to shutter all public schools rather than have them become racially integrated. In the shadow of such traumas, it may seem an obvious lesson that progress should be slow and incremental, going only so far and as fast as the changes can be absorbed into the social habits. William Eskridge has offered a full-throated defense of modulating the rate of change in order to avoid these unintended consequences of modernization. Legal rights can be formally recognized, he says, but their enforcement should not outpace the acceptance of the new order. The prudence that Eskridge counsels appeals at an intuitive level, but is too abstract to provide useful guidance on how the real world should behave. This paper attempts to demonstrate an empirical means to distinguish situations when caution is prudent from moments when it is not by examining the context in which Eskridge himself frames his defense of incrementalism: same-sex marriage

PhET interactive simulation approach in teaching electricity and magnetism among science teacher education students

By boosting students' thinking and understanding of hard ideas, innovative teaching pedagogies help them better comprehend difficult subjects in Physics. This study aimed to assess the students’ conceptual knowledge in electricity and magnetism and their perspectives on the effects of the Phet Simulation Approach in teaching the said concepts. It utilized educational action research design with assessment-tests and a structured-interview guide as the main instruments in gathering the required data. There are 14 science teacher education students whose taking electricity and magnetism as their major subject served as participants. The assessment-test is composed of the traditional assessment test or multiple-choice test composed of 60 questions. The structured-interview guide contains one question, "What are the effects of Phet Simulation Approach in learning Electricity and Magnetism?” The results have revealed that the conceptual knowledge in Electricity and Magnetism improved to very satisfactory after the application of intervention. There is a significant difference in the assessment scores between pre-test and posttest. Six themes emerged from the students' perspectives on the effects of the intervention, including (a) better understanding; (b) learning through visualization; (c) learning became fun; (d) promotes self-facilitation of learning; (e) provides a broader range of options; and (f) grasping the micro-scale concepts. The study concludes that PhET Simulation Approach is an effective teaching strategy in electricity and magnetism. Further, the strategy is positively accepted by the students based on the qualitative data

Using Collagen Binding Poly(N-Isopropylacrylamide) Nanoparticles to Prevent Intravascular Platelet Adhesion and Activation

Balloon angioplasty, the most prevalent non-surgical treatment for Atherosclerosis, damages the endothelial layer of the artery, baring an underlying collagenous layer, which causes platelet adhesion and activation and eventual thrombosis and intimal hyperplasia. Previous work in our lab has used a collagen-binding peptidoglycan, dermatan-sulfate-SILY (DS-SILY), that has been shown to bind to type I collagen and prevent platelet adhesion and activation. Our goal is to fabricate nanoparticle-SILY by cross-linking SILY to a poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (NIPAm) nanoparticle instead of a DS backbone, while retaining the SILY’s high collagen binding affinity and platelet inhibition capacity observed in DS-SILY. Using a biotin-streptavidin assay, we showed that nanoparticle-SILY has a high binding affinity when applied to a collagen-coated surface, starting at a concentration of 1 mg/mL and maximized at concentrations at or above 4 mg/mL. Using dynamic light scattering, we showed that the nanoparticle-SILY maintains the thermodynamic properties characteristic of NIPAm. The ability of the particles to inhibit platelet binding and activation will be tested by using an ELISA to measure NAP-2 and PF-4 expression in platelet rich plasma applied to a collagen surface treated with nanoparticle-SILY. We expect to find that nanoparticle-SILY is able to inhibit platelet activation, as evidenced by lower levels of NAP-2 and PF-4 released. If it can be shown that nanoparticle-SILY has the capability to prevent platelet adhesion and activation, future work could explore the potential of the nanoparticles to be loaded with anti-inflammatory peptides and used for the dual purpose of targeted drug delivery and collagen shielding

Proteoglycan Mimic of the Glycocalyx to Treat Endothelial Dysfunction

Patients with kidney failure usually undergo hemodialysis, a process by which toxins produced by the body are filtered from the blood, in order to survive. The preferred form for vascular access is called an arteriovenousfistula (AVF), a surgically created connection between an artery and vein that is utilized to undergo dialysis. However, AVFs have a failure rate of 50-60%. One of the contributions to AVF failure is endothelial cell dysfunction and loss of glycocalyx, which allows neutrophils and other native cells into the media of the vessel, which causes an inflammatory response. Our lab addresses endothelial dysfunction by mimicking the function of the glycocalyx to prevent transmigration of inflammatory cells and ultimately create a healthier vessel for hemodialysis. We have synthesized several glycocalyx mimics consisting of a dermatan sulfate backbone with multiple selectin and ICAM-binding peptides attached. Initial testing involved determining the ability of the variants to bind to inflamed endothelial cells. We also cultured human promyelocytic leukemia cells (HL60) and used retinoic acid to differentiate them into neutrophils. These cells would then test the glycocalyx mimics ability to prevent migration of neutrophils. Thus far, we have seen that the glycocalyx mimics binding to endothelial cells and that this binding is dependent upon the type of selectin and/or ICAM-binding peptides as well as how many peptides are present per dermatan sulfate backbone. We have also shown that proliferation occurs 10 days after seeding, and that rentinoic acid (RA) differentiates HL60 cells into neutrophils. We have developed a protocol for differentiation of HL60 cells to neutrophils, a promising set of glycocalyx mimics, and culturing method for HL60 cells

Machine Learning Risk Assessment Model for Hospital Acquired Pressure Injuries

Hospital Acquired Pressure Injuries (HAPI) adversely affect patient outcomes, increase health care costs, and despite considerable efforts to avoid, are increasing among critically ill patients. Many factors contribute to the development and advancement of pressure injuries in acute and critical care settings. Manual assessment tools, such as the Braden Scale, are currently utilized to predict HAPIs. This project aims to generate a model to predict HAPIs with better accuracy than the Braden Scale using a machine learning approach. Data sets were developed so predictions could be made after 48-hours from admission and 72-hours from admission. Through quantitative evaluation of the Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve, the Explainable Boosting Machine (EBM) algorithm produced a model with a greater area under the ROC curve (AUC) of 0.79 while the Braden Scale produced an AUC of 0.70 at both 48-hours and 72-hours.Master of Science in Information Scienc

Building a Better Kottman

Course Code: ENR 2367This project proposes building design principles for the structure that will replace the current Kottman Hall. Ideas center around various aspects of biophilic design and their numerous physical and psychological benefits.Academic Major: Environment, Economy, Development, and SustainabilityAcademic Major: Environmental Policy and Decision MakingAcademic Major: Forestry, Fisheries, and Wildlif