Siblings as social support providers: The role of need, availability, and choice

A proposed model of the sibling provision of social support in later life was tested using data from the Aging and Change in Rural Iowa pilot study, 1991-1992. The sample used in the present study consisted of 90 men and women over the age of 55 who were then living in one of three small towns in Iowa. The proposed model attempts to explain the likelihood of naming a sibling as a potential support provider in later life. The social support theories of Cantor, Litwak, and Bowlby are explored. Further, the model incorporates the elements of need, availability, and choice;Partial support for the model was found. For the unmarried aged, model independent variables of need, availability, and choice, together were found to explain a significant amount of the total variance in the dependent variable, as was parental status;The most striking finding was the infrequency of siblings named as potential support providers. \u27Others\u27 were named as potential sources of support about as often were adult children and more frequently than siblings

The Role of the Unit Leader, Individually Guided Education

This field study defines the role of a Unit Leader in a school using Individually Guided Education. Specifically, it defines the role of a unit leader at Roach School in Decatur, Illinois. Individually Guided Education is a new form of elementary education. It uses multiunit organization and instructional programming for individual students. It uses an Instructional Improvement Committee made up of unit or team leaders and the principal. These persons coordinate the curriculum within the school. The writer defined each of these areas - Individually Guided Education, Unit Leader, and the Instructional Improvement Committee in two ways. One definition looked at the terms as they are seen by those who authored the program. The other definition examined how they functioned at Roach School in Decatur, Illinois. Several major differences were noted: In most areas using Individually Guided Education there is more than one school in each district participating. In Decatur, there was only one at the time the study was done. Unit Leaders in most systems using Individually Guided Education are given monetary compensation for their work. At Roach School there was no compensation given. Unit Leaders in most systems using Individually Guided Education are given released time to perform their duties. At Roach School, this was not the case. In most schools using Individually Guided Education there were aides hired for each team. At Roach School, the majority of our aides are there due to the Special Education classrooms. Unit Leaders meet certain qualifications and were then appointed by the principal in most Individually Guided Education schools. This was not the case at Roach School. The unit leaders were elected by the unit members. There are several conclusions to be drawn. Individually Guided Education at Roach School could be administered more efficiently. Persons who are paid to do a job and given the time to do it are more apt to be efficient and do their best. Persons who are asked to give up their own time for no compensation are not apt to do their best. Furthermore, many do not want any part of that job. The qualifications are important. The job requires someone who can lead people as well as have ideas to improve the curriculum. So, the one who is just willing to say, “I’ll do the job for a year.” is not always the one who will be the best for the school. Also included in the field study, are minutes of the Instructional Improvement Committee throughout the year. Related materials, such as evaluations, printed materials, and budgets are found in the appendixes

Clinicopathological predictors of chemoresponsiveness in epithelial ovarian cancer: a preliminary institutional study

Objective: One-third of women with epithelial ovarian cancer are resistant to standard platinum-based chemotherapy, and insufficient data exist in predicting response to chemotherapy. We describe the clinical and pathological factors of patients with complete and incomplete response to treatment. Method: In this retrospective study, data was reviewed from 75 medical charts of 243 patients with primary epithelial ovarian cancers as a preliminary study. All patients underwent chemotherapy and cytoreductive surgery for primary disease. Fifty-six patients had complete response (CR) to chemotherapy and 19 had incomplete response (IR). Fifty-eight and 17 patients had optimal and suboptimal cytoreductive surgery, respectively. Clinical and pathological factors were compared in patients with complete and incomplete response to treatment, and optimal and suboptimal surgery. Overall survival (OS), cancer-specific survival (CSS), and time to recurrence (TTR) were estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method for patient groups. Results: The majority of patients in both the CR and IR groups were diagnosed at advanced stage ovarian cancer. The CR group had significantly lower preoperative CA125 and was more likely to have optimal chemotherapy. The CR group was also more likely to have lymph nodes removed during cytoreductive surgery. A significantly lower percentage of CR patients died from the disease and had statistically longer disease free survival. Patients who underwent suboptimal surgery had significantly shorter survival, but no difference existed in the time until recurrence between patients with optimal and suboptimal surgery. OS, CSS, and TTR were significantly increased in the CR group and in patients that had optimal surgery. Conclusion: Complete response during treatment and optimal surgery significantly increases OS, CSS, and TTR. Preoperative CA125 and lymph node removal during surgery may be predictive of complete treatment response

Workforce Development for Ultra-High Performance Concrete

Ultra-high performance concrete (UHPC) is a cementitious material with a dense microstructure that contributes to high compressive strengths as well as enhanced durability properties. UHPC also possesses significant post-cracking strength and ductility due to the addition of fibers. These characteristics produce a material that provides advantages over conventional concrete; however, high costs attributed to materials and production, lack of industry familiarity and knowledge, and the absence of standardized design procedures have impeded its wide-spread use. To help disseminate knowledge on UHPC, the first of two workforce development symposiums on UHPC was held on April 17 – 18, 2018 in Las Cruces, New Mexico. The symposium consisted of presentations and hands-on demonstrations to introduce UHPC and distribute the findings of almost a decade of research conducted in New Mexico to a diverse audience including members of the New Mexico Department of Transportation, contractors, designers, researchers, and concrete suppliers

Shrinkage in Ultra-High Performance Concrete Overlays on Concrete Bridge Decks

This paper investigates the shrinkage and thermal effects of an ultra-high performance concrete (UHPC) mixture proposed for use as an overlay material for concrete bridge decks. In this study, early-age and longer-term shrinkage tests were performed on the locally produced UHPC. Thermal and shrinkage effects in normal strength concrete slabs overlaid with UHPC were also observed. Early-age shrinkage testing showed that approximately 55% of the strain occurred in the plastic state and may not contribute to bond stresses since the elastic modulus of the UHPC should be small at such early ages. Thickness of the substrate and amount of reinforcing steel were important factors for shrinkage in the slabs. The thickest slab experienced greater shrinkage than thinner slabs. Comparing this slab to a thinner slab with the same reinforcement indicated that reinforcement ratio is more important than the area of steel