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An increasing proportion of low-income single mothers are experiencing periods of economic disconnection, defined as receiving no cash income from welfare or work. Most research on disconnection has focused on personal attributes as risk factors for experiencing disconnection at a static point in time. This study adopts a dynamic perspective and broadens the existing set of determinants by adding regional socioeconomic characteristics to explain changes in status. Results from multivariate survival analyses demonstrate that residence in a disadvantaged county is associated with an increased risk of becoming disconnected. State-level policies, as opposed to county socioeconomic characteristics, have stronger influences on movements out of disconnection. The findings from the analyses provide a base for policy discussions about helping this vulnerable population.

Graphene is composed of carbon atoms that forms layers bound together by van der Waals forces, and it has both a high current density and a large specific surface area. The characteristics of graphene also allow it to be subjected to chemical functionalization. Due to these properties, graphene has been applied in a range of fields, including water treatment and electrode materials. We herein report the use of graphene as an adsorbent for the removal of an endocrine disrupting compound, bisphenol A (BPA), from aqueous solutions, through the application of hydrophobic surface properties and high specific surface area of graphene. Reduced graphene oxide (rGO) was prepared via both a thermal exfoliation method (T-rGO) and a chemical reduction method using hydrazine (H-rGO). We investigated the adsorption characteristics of BPA for both physical and chemical reductions. The prepared rGOs were characterized using TGA, SEM, TEM, Raman spectroscopy, XRD, N2 adsorption–desorption, elemental analyses, and FTIR spectroscopy. Equilibrium adsorption experiments and kinetic adsorption tests were carried out using the prepared rGOs, and the results were fitted to Langmuir and Freundlich adsorption isotherms and adsorption kinetic models. T-rGO exhibited at least 2.5 times larger adsorption selectivities toward BPA versus phenol compared to H-rGO in the concentration range studied. In addition, T-rGO displayed an adsorption kinetic constant 200 times larger than that of H-rGO. This value was significantly larger than the adsorption kinetic constants previously reported in the literature.

The proportion of low-income single mothers who are disconnected, or not receiving public cash assistance or employment earnings, has increased since the 1996 US welfare reform legislation. Using data from the Survey of Income and Program Participation and the Welfare Rules Database, we use multilevel and multinomial logit models to examine the relationship between state welfare rules and the risk of disconnection. We find that women in states with lifetime limits of less than 60 months are more likely to be disconnected. More generous welfare benefits are associated with a lesser risk of disconnection, while diversion programs are associated with a greater risk of disconnection compared to welfare receipt but are not significant in comparison to employment. Our findings indicate that state rules matter and should be considered as a potential mechanism to change the dynamics of economic disconnection.

Income packaging, or piecing together cash and non-cash resources from a variety of sources, is a common financial survival strategy among low-income women. This strategy is particularly important for economically disconnected women, who lack both employment income and public cash assistance receipt. Using data from the confidential Census Bureau versions of the Survey of Income and Program Participation, this study compares the use of public and private supports between disconnected and connected low-income women, controlling for differences in state welfare rules and county unemployment rates. Findings from bivariate comparisons and multilevel logistic regressions indicate that disconnected women utilize public non-cash supports at similar rates to connected women, but rely more heavily on private sources. Conclusions focus on the policy implications for outreach and program development.