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Data from a sample of alumni of foster care college graduates (N = 241) are examined to explore the role that social and emotional supports formed during college play in their post-college experiences, including achieving successful outcomes in employment, income, and perceptions of happiness. Social and emotional supports included having supportive relationships and social activities in college. The findings reveal that the odds of perceiving themselves as happy were greater for respondents who had higher levels of social support while they were in college, and the odds of receiving public assistance were lower for individuals who frequently socialized with other students. These findings suggest that social and emotional supports formed during college may contribute to achieving positive outcomes post-college, as it relates to both financial and emotional well-being.

Highlights • Amyloid PET not different for those with and without acute stroke. • Amyloid PET not different for those that developed post-stroke dementia. • Amyloid PET not different for African American and non-Hispanic white participants. • African Americans more likely to have microbleeds and small infarcts., Introduction Stroke and Alzheimer disease share risk factors and often co-occur, and both have been reported to have a higher prevalence in African Americans as compared to non-Hispanic whites. However, their interaction has not been established. The objective of this study was to determine if preclinical Alzheimer disease is a risk factor for stroke and post-stroke dementia and whether racial differences moderate this relationship. Methods This case-control study was analyzed in 2019 using retrospective data from 2007 to 2013. Participants were adults age 65 and older with and without acute ischemic stroke. Recruitment included word of mouth and referrals in Saint Louis, MO, with stroke participants recruited from acutely hospitalized patients and non-stroke participants from community living older adults who were research volunteers. Our assessment included radiologic reads of infarcts, microbleeds, and white matter hyperintensitites (WMH); a Pittsburgh Compound B PET measure of cortical β-amyloid binding; quantitative measures of hippocampal and WMH volume; longitudinal Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE) scores; and Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR) 1 year post-stroke. Results A total of 243 participants were enrolled, 81 of which had a recent ischemic stroke. Participants had a mean age of 75, 57% were women, and 52% were African American. Cortical amyloid did not differ significantly by race, stroke status, or CDR post-stroke. There were racial differences in MMSE scores at baseline (mean 26.8 for African Americans, 27.9 for non-Hispanic whites, p = 0.03), but not longitudinally. African Americans were more likely to have microbleeds (32.8% vs 22.6%, p = 0.04), and within the acute stroke group, African Americans were more likely to have small infarcts (75.6% vs 56.8%, p = 0.049). Conclusion Preclinical Alzheimer disease did not show evidence of being a risk factor for stroke nor predictive of post-stroke dementia. We did not observe racial differences in β-amyloid levels. However, even after controlling for several vascular risk factors, African Americans with clinical stroke presentations had greater levels of vascular pathology on MRI.

The older population is becoming more racially and ethnically diverse. By the year 2050, 39% of those 65+ will be from minority groups, up from 21% in 2012 (Ortman et al., 2014). These figures have significant implications for aging policy, including concerns over ageism and racism. Discrimination can take many forms, and can be present in legislation, advertising, attitudes, the workplace, and the health care system (Snaedal, 2015). The present study examines perceptions of racial and age discrimination of older adults living in the community and its impact on their quality of life. Using a cross-sectional design, 134 participants over the age of 60 were surveyed at three senior centers with ethnically diverse populations. The Attitudes to Aging Questionnaire (AAQ-24) was used to assess participants’ perceptions and experiences with aging and perceptions of racism were assessed using an adaptation of the Modern Racism Scale. Findings from the AAQ-24 revealed an average score of 27.1 (SD=6.66) for psychosocial loss, 28.3 (SD=5.34) for physical change, and 30.5 (SD=4.65) for psychological growth, indicating moderately high levels of ageism. For the racism scale, the average total score for all respondents was 34.4 (SD=7.05), also moderate. This study helps shed some light on what older adults feel about the aging, as well as their concerns with racial discrimination. The insights gained from older adults’ experiences and perceptions can help shape policies for future generations.

Youth with foster care histories have often experienced social, emotional, health and mental health challenges. Furthermore, research has revealed risk factors attributed to this trend, along with select protective factors for reducing instances of youth who have been in foster care becoming homeless. To expand upon existing knowledge of the issue, this qualitative study utilized the experiential voices of current and former youth in foster care, caregivers, and agency staff to broaden the understanding of the needs of youth with foster care histories, as well as provide a contextual lens for exploring potential risk factors leading to homelessness. A series of focus groups were held and the data was analyzed using multiple coding cycles. The following themes inspired by participants’ voices emerged from the focus groups: (1) independence and autonomy; (2) importance of support; (3) basic needs; and (4) recognizing strengths. While each theme emerged, the concept of trust was found to be the essential issue interwoven throughout.

Homelessness is a pervasive problem among youth aging out of the foster care system. Many of these youth exit the system without any concrete plans for their future and wind up suffering bouts of homelessness. Although a growing body of literature has begun to look at the factors that contribute to homelessness among this population, less has been written about the factors that guard against homelessness. Furthermore, most of the studies have been confined to a particular geographic area. Using data from the National Youth in Transition Database (NYTD), combined with the Adoption and Foster Care Analysis Reporting System (AFCARS), the present study provides an analysis of the risk and protective factors contributing to homelessness among a nationwide sample of foster care youth at age 21, 29% of whom had experienced homelessness. The findings indicate that the strongest protective factors against homelessness were having a connection to an adult and remaining in foster care until age 21. Other protective factors included having at least a high school education, being currently enrolled in school, and having a full-time job. On the other hand, the strongest risk factors contributing to homelessness were having been incarcerated, as well as having been referred for substance abuse. Other significant risk factors were having a runaway history, having received public food assistance, and being emotionally disturbed. Given these findings, child welfare agencies should make greater efforts to ensure that youth have an adult in their life whom they can trust and turn to for help, as well as encourage youth to remain in care until they are better prepared for life on their own.

As the population continues to age, a growing number of people find themselves in the position of having to provide unpaid care to older adults, whether family members, friends, or neighbors. Studies have shown that caregiving for the elderly and chronically ill can be burdensome and stressful, and can contribute to high rates of depression among caregivers (Ramsay, Walker, Ramsay, Compton, & Thompson, 2012). The longer the hours spent in weekly caregiving, which may comprise activities of daily living, memory assistance, and dealing with behavioral issues, can also interact to increase caregiver stress and psychological well-being (Gaugler, Jarrott, Zarit, Stephens, Townsend, & Greene, 2003). The objective of this research is to better understand the factors associated with caregiver burden. The focus of this analysis was to explore the length of time spent in unpaid caregiving, whether the caregiver worked outside the home, and the number of hours per week devoted to caregiving. A cross-sectional, non-probability convenience sample was used to collect data from caregivers at an intergenerational program and community caregivers (N=183). Caregiver burden was measured using the Zarit Burden Interview (ZBI-12). Results indicated a moderate, positive correlation between hours spent caregiving and caregiver burden. In addition to questions on time, effort and activities related to caregiving, respondents were asked open-ended questions about how caregiving has impacted their lives, in either a negative or positive manner. Content analysis was performed to categorize responses. Some examples include: “appreciating moments more with her” and “created very overwhelming and stressful environment for me”.

As people age, ensuing physical and psychological problems can increase, which makes it paramount to be comfortable discussing medical needs with health care professionals, particularly in light of the danger associated with misunderstanding medication use and combining alcohol with prescriptions and/or over the counter medications (National Institute on Aging, 2018). National studies found that about 40 percent of adults ages 65 and older drink alcohol and often do not understand the dangers of combining alcohol with medications (National Institute for Alcohol and Alcohol Abuse, 2008). An educational intervention was developed with a team of expert physicians, nurses, pharmacists and social workers who work in gerontology to focus on improving communication and addressing alcohol and medication use for older adults. A randomized controlled trial was conducted to assess whether the educational intervention improved older adults’ comfort in communicating with their health care providers, as well as their knowledge of the concomitant use of alcohol and prescription and over-the-counter (OTC) medications. Results of a MANCOVA showed that those in the intervention group showed larger increases in scores on communication with their health providers and knowledge about the implications of combining alcohol with prescription drugs than those in the control group (Wilks’ Lamda=.808, F(3,76)=6.039, p=.001

As the health care system advances toward integrative care, there is an ongoing effort to improve patient care with interprofessional teams. Education of students is needed so they understand the value of interprofessional practice. This research explores the attitudes of social work students toward interprofessional practice and collaborative teams. A cross-sectional study was conducted with students in a large school of social work in order to understand their experiences in the field and classroom (N=125). The survey consisted of questions on demographics, training and education, attitudes toward interprofessional practice and collaborative teamwork, experience in the field of aging, and perceptions of other professionals. Results showed that overall students had positive attitudes toward interprofessional teamwork. However, students did not have extensive experience working or practicing in interprofessional teams. While attitudes were general positive, students indicated that they needed more training in working in health care teams. Insights from students in the field placements with older adult and their families will be discussed. Data on students’ perceptions of working with nurses, physicians and other health care professionals will also be presented. The presentation will also include a discussion of different approaches that have been used to strengthen training in interprofessional practice in both the classroom and the field setting. These educational efforts need to be amplified as we move forward in the profession to prepare students for interprofessional teamwork. Important considerations about educational needs and teaching strategies for students working in interprofessional practice with older adults and their families will be underscored.

This article explores the changing focus of collective bargaining within the context of the global drive for competition. The first section describes how the main items on the agenda for collective bargaining have shifted from income distribution to means of promoting and protecting employment and competitiveness, and explains how mass unemployment and precarious employment have pushed employment security to the top of the collective bargaining agenda. Technological change, the increasing globalisation of the economy, the formation of regional economic groupings, and the intensification of competition between firms in the product market have all contributed to the pressure on collective bargaining institutions to improve competitiveness. The second section examines innovative approaches to dealing with the issues of employment protection, creation and competitiveness by highlighting the collective bargaining experiences of a number of countries outside of the European Union.

Le rythme eleve du progres technique, les crises macroeconomiques et les mutations structurelles de l'economie mondiale multiplient les suppressions et les deplacements d'emplois. Les AA. font le bilan des diverses mesures prises dans quelques pays industrialises, face aux suppressions massives d'emplois, que ce soit pour reduire le nombre de licenciements ou pour faciliter l'adaptation des travailleurs aux nouveaux emplois. Le propos de cet article est de mettre en evidence les meilleures methodes de traitement de ces crises. Ce bilan est precede d'une presentation des normes de l'OIT relatives aux licenciements economiques et leur transposition dans les droits nationaux.

As we reflect each year on our success in teaching the concept of time, we have been frustrated with the rote-memorization approach that the second and third graders use in learning to read an analog clock. We have watched them struggle with the skill of telling time and with the appropriate use of time-related language. The Grouchy Ladybug (Carle 1977) has frequently been mentioned as a book that is appropriate for teaching many concepts, including the concept of time. With proportionately depicted art. the book explores the adventures of a self-important insect bent on conquering a new animal in each passing hour.

Throughout the Curriculum and Evaluation Standards for School Mathematics (NCTM 1989) the notion of students and teachers as critical thinkers, information seekers, and problem solvers is a priority. The Internet, an electronic highway connected by gateways from one computer network to another, furnishes a telecommunications link around the world. The Internet enables students and teachers to access authentic, real-time data for critical analysis. With access to such Internet service providers as a university computer network or a commercial service like Compuserve, Prodigy, or Applelink, students and teachers become active information seekers.

(1993). Casting Wide the Net: Portfolio Assessment in Teacher Education. Middle School Journal: Vol. 25, Alternative Assessment, pp. 61-67.

delta 9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), 11-nor-9-carboxy-delta 9- tetrahydrocannabinol (THC-COOH), and its O-ester glucuronide were measured in plasma by GC/MS and in urine by GC/MS and enzyme immunoassay after frequent and infrequent marijuana users were given 5 mg THC intravenously. Plasma THC concentrations were detectable 4-5 h after infusion using solid-phase columns for drug extraction and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) for detection and quantification. THC-COOH and its O-ester glucuronide were analyzed for 12 days. Concentrations were higher in the plasma and urine of frequent marijuana users. The ratio of THC-COOH to its O-ester glucuronide in plasma was greater than 2 in both frequent and infrequent users 2 to 30 min postinfusion. Ratios for the subsequent 12 days were less than 2. A ratio of less than 1 for total THC-COOH/THC occurred only before 45 min for both frequent and infrequent users. Physiological, psychological, and pharmacokinetic data revealed few differences between frequent and infrequent marijuana users.

In the Curriculum and Evaluation Standards for School Mathematics (NCTM 1989), technology, including the use of video, is discussed as a way to develop mathematical thinking and reasoning abilities, promote problem solving, and apply mathematics in the classroom. Effective use of the video camera and instructional television may help students construct meaning in mathematical situations. Video technology brings in the outside world and adds excitement to the classroom by contributing a visual element that is often lacking in class discussions.