Relative Versus Non-Relative Foster Care:

This study explored the benefits and limitations of relative foster care versus non-relative foster care. This study hypothesized, that despite the limitations of relative placement, the emotional benefit to the child placed in a relative setting far outweighs the challenges of it. The methodology employed quantitative and qualitative measurements. An in-depth questionnaire survey was mailed to 150 relative and 150 non-relative providers; and a focus group was facilitated. The study revealed that relative foster care, when available, is superior to non-relative foster care because of the emotional and social connection present as a result of the pre-existing relationship between the foster child and relative provider. This study emphasizes current policy in place which states relative care is the preferred placement for children in out-of-home placements. This study also discussed the implications for social work practice, policy and research

Relative Versus Non-Relative Foster Care:

This study explored the benefits and limitations of relative foster care versus non-relative foster care. This study hypothesized, that despite the limitations of relative placement, the emotional benefit to the child placed in a relative setting far outweighs the challenges of it. The methodology employed quantitative and qualitative measurements. An in-depth questionnaire survey was mailed to 150 relative and 150 non-relative providers; and a focus group was facilitated. The study revealed that relative foster care, when available, is superior to non-relative foster care because of the emotional and social connection present as a result of the pre-existing relationship between the foster child and relative provider. This study emphasizes current policy in place which states relative care is the preferred placement for children in out-of-home placements. This study also discussed the implications for social work practice, policy and research

Interparental Conflict in Early Childhood As a Predictor of Depression and Anxiety Symptoms At Age 15

Research has continually demonstrated a number of adverse externalizing outcomes for children from conflictual families, though the impact of interparental conflict on adolescents\u27 internalizing problems is less well understood. This study utilized longitudinal data from the Fragile Families and Child-Wellbeing Study, which is a stratified, multistage sample following 4,898 children from low-income families from birth to age 15. Self-report data from both the mothers and focal-teens was utilized to examine the impact of interparental conflict, at age 3, on both anxiety and depressive symptoms, at age 15. Findings indicated that there is a significant relationship between higher frequency of interparental conflict in early childhood and higher levels of anxiety and depressive symptoms in adolescence. A gender moderation analysis was conducted to examine if the effects of interparental conflict were stronger for girls or boys. Aligning with existing research, no significant gender differences were determined. These findings demonstrate that being exposed to interparental conflict, especially from a young age, can threaten one\u27s sense of emotional security and trust as a child, which may result in a higher likelihood of developing anxiety and depression in late adolescence

Holistic Approach to Determine Lasting Effects of Road Salt on Infrastructure Health, Environmental Health, and Public Safety

Road salt has become an increasingly unsustainable material when focusing on the economic, environmental, and social aspects, especially for a bridge system. Increasing environmental concerns and regulations have caused questioning and investigations into the repetitive use of road salt for winter maintenance. There is some incorporation of these ideas into practice, such as the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Service (NHDES) Road Salt Reduction Program. Applying excessive amounts of road salt to the roadway and surrounding walkway is necessary to maintain pedestrian and vehicle safety. With the application of considerable quantities of road salt material, costs are substantial when analyzing final costs for application and bridge maintenance. Rehabilitation and replacement of bridge elements and components are further evidence from the effects of this winter maintenance methodology. Identifying best deicer management practice or mitigating the effects of road salt will likely require collaborative decision-making that includes a variety of stakeholders, including departments of transportation, environmental services, and municipalities. There is, however, no holistic analysis of road salt impacts that combines social (safety), environmental, and economic (asset performance) outcomes. This research aims to create a protocol for states and bridge owners to evaluate the impacts of road salt usage by combining the three factors of public safety, environmental health, and routine maintenance. In addition to the protocol development, the research analyzes how de-icing factors are correlated with social, environmental, and bridge performance outcomes by conducting a correlation and linear regression analysis, using New Hampshire as a case study. The hypothesis was that a low-salt” de-icing approach is predicted to be correlated with higher levels of environmental quality and bridge performance in highly trafficked areas, including less maintenance and longer lifespans. The results do not support the hypothesis, because increased use of road salt does not significantly affect bridge health or deck condition ratings. However, road salt does correlate with a decrease in environmental quality. This developed protocol will be vital to decision-makers as they can incorporate their own specific social, environmental, and economic considerations in their winter maintenance policies when analyzing road salt application. This protocol will be flexible and malleable according to their specific needs and priorities at the time of analysis regarding the type of condition or quality ratings being selected

Drone Delivery of an Automated External Defibrillator

To the Editor: Every year, an estimated 350,000 persons in the United States have an out-ofhospital cardiac arrest; only approximately 10% survive.1 The probability of survival doubles when a bystander administers cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and uses an automated external defibrillator (AED) before emergency medical services (EMS) arrive, but bystander AED use occurs in less than 2% of cardiac arrests in the United States.2 Survival is most likely when CPR and defibrillation are delivered within 5 minutes after the start of a cardiac arrest3; however, the median arrival time of EMS in the United States is 8 minutes and in remote areas can extend to 30 minutes

Microvesicles Derived from Mesenchymal Stem Cells Enhance Survival in a Lethal Model of Acute Kidney Injury

Several studies demonstrated that treatment with mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) reduces cisplatin mortality in mice. Microvesicles (MVs) released from MSCs were previously shown to favor renal repair in non lethal toxic and ischemic acute renal injury (AKI). In the present study we investigated the effects of MSC-derived MVs in SCID mice survival in lethal cisplatin-induced AKI. Moreover, we evaluated in vitro the effect of MVs on cisplatin-induced apoptosis of human renal tubular epithelial cells and the molecular mechanisms involved. Two different regimens of MV injection were used. The single administration of MVs ameliorated renal function and morphology, and improved survival but did not prevent chronic tubular injury and persistent increase in BUN and creatinine. Multiple injections of MVs further decreased mortality and at day 21 surviving mice showed normal histology and renal function. The mechanism of protection was mainly ascribed to an anti-apoptotic effect of MVs. In vitro studies demonstrated that MVs up-regulated in cisplatin-treated human tubular epithelial cells anti-apoptotic genes, such as Bcl-xL, Bcl2 and BIRC8 and down-regulated genes that have a central role in the execution-phase of cell apoptosis such as Casp1, Casp8 and LTA. In conclusion, MVs released from MSCs were found to exert a pro-survival effect on renal cells in vitro and in vivo, suggesting that MVs may contribute to renal protection conferred by MSCs

Molière's Costumes as Sganarelle

Although the modern reputation of Molière is based upon a group of major comedies, these were not the sole source of his popularity during his lifetime. He and his troupe performed many minor plays which are no longer prominent in the Molière repertory. Among these plays is a group which feature a comedian named Sganarelle, a role always performed by Molière himself.</jats:p