“Feeling Warmth and Close to Her”: Communication and Resilience Reflected in Turning Points in Positive Adult Stepchild–Stepparent Relationships

With the goal of understanding the development of positive stepchild–stepparent relationships, the researchers focused on turning points characterizing the interaction of adult stepchildren who have a positive bond with a stepparent. Engaging a relational turning points perspective, 38 stepchildren (males and females, ages 25 to 52 years old) who reported a positive stepparent relationship were interviewed, generating 269 turning points which were categorized into 15 turning point types and coded by valence. Turning points occurring most frequently were: prosocial actions, quality time, conflict/disagreement, changes in household/family composition, and rituals. Findings are discussed, including implications for developing and enacting resilient and positive stepchild–stepparent relationships and future directions for researchers wanting to focus on positive family interaction.     

The Relationship Between Depression and Other Psychosocial Problems in a Sample of Adolescent Pregnancy Termination Patients

At-risk adolescents experience troubling levels of depression but there is a dearth of research related to the levels of depression and associated psychosocial problems experienced by adolescent abortion patients. The relationship between depression and 16 other psychosocial life problems is examined in a sample of adolescent pregnancy termination patients. Using the Multidimensional Adolescent Assessment Scale (MAAS), depression and related psychosocial problems are assessed in a sample of 120 U.S. abortion patients ages 14–21. In general, patients scoring above the clinical cutscore for depression also reported higher levels of psychosocial problems in the other areas. Depression was significantly associated with problems with self-esteem, stress, guilt and confused thinking. Implications for practice and research are discussed.     

Discourse of segregation and inclusion: a discourse analysis of a Russian newspaper for teachers

In Russia, children with disabilities have limited access to inclusive education. This article presents the findings of a discourse analysis of 32 newspaper articles focused on the education of children with disabilities, all of which appeared in a Russian newspaper for teachers. We identified two discursive patterns about the education of children with disabilities: preserving a special approach and removing barriers. These patterns highlighted the tensions that exist between the long-standing medical approach to special education and the emergent, inclusive initiatives. Our findings emphasize the need to create space for the perspectives of people with disabilities to be heard, while also serving to shape the future direction of the educational systems within Russia.     

Assessment of Inhalation Exposures and Potential Health Risks to the General Population that Resulted from the Collapse of the World Trade Center Towers

In the days following the collapse of the World Trade Center (WTC) towers on September 11, 2001 (9/11), the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) initiated numerous air monitoring activities to better understand the ongoing impact of emissions from that disaster. Using these data, EPA conducted an inhalation exposure and human health risk assessment to the general population. This assessment does not address exposures and potential impacts that could have occurred to rescue workers, firefighters, and other site workers, nor does it address exposures that could have occurred in the indoor environment. Contaminants evaluated include particulate matter (PM), metals, polychlorinated biphenyls, dioxins, asbestos, volatile organic compounds, particle-bound polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, silica, and synthetic vitreous fibers (SVFs). This evaluation yielded three principal findings. (1) Persons exposed to extremely high levels of ambient PM and its components, SVFs, and other contaminants during the collapse of the WTC towers, and for several hours afterward, were likely to be at risk for acute and potentially chronic respiratory effects. (2) Available data suggest that contaminant concentrations within and near ground zero (GZ) remained significantly elevated above background levels for a few days after 9/11. Because only limited data on these critical few days were available, exposures and potential health impacts could not be evaluated with certainty for this time period. (3) Except for inhalation exposures that may have occurred on 9/11 and a few days afterward, the ambient air concentration data suggest that persons in the general population were unlikely to suffer short-term or long-term adverse health effects caused by inhalation exposures. While this analysis by EPA evaluated the potential for health impacts based on measured air concentrations, epidemiological studies conducted by organizations other than EPA have attempted to identify actual impacts. Such studies have identified respiratory effects in worker and general populations, and developmental effects in newborns whose mothers were near GZ on 9/11 or shortly thereafter. While researchers are not able to identify specific times and even exactly which contaminants are the cause of these effects, they have nonetheless concluded that exposure to WTC contaminants (and/or maternal stress, in the case of developmental effects) resulted in these effects, and have identified the time period including 9/11 itself and the days and few weeks afterward as a period of most concern based on high concentrations of key pollutants in the air and dust.     

INDUSTRY STUDIES AND AMERICAN INDUSTRIAL PERFORMANCE

A nationwide research program on the performance of American industry, sponsored by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, now involves scores of faculty researchers and more than 100 graduate students at several American universities. Ten research centers have been established, and each one is dedicated to the study of a particular industry. An eleventh center is carrying out research on problems that cut across these industries. It is expected that the Sloan Industry Studies program will make useful contributions to the performance of the industries themselves, to policymaking at all levels of government, and to the development of interdisciplinary research communities within the universities.     

Where are They from and How Far Must They Go? Examining Location and Travel Distance in U.S. Abortion Fund Patients

The current study examines a secondary data analysis of 3,452 administrative cases from a national abortion fund representing patients who received pledges for financial assistance to pay for an abortion from 2010 to 2015 in the United States, where abortion costs are not covered under federal public health programs. Case data were analyzed to assess patients' geographic origin, and whether or not cases were more likely to originate from states with Medicaid and private insurance restrictions. The anticipated travel distance to the provider and whether or not travel distances had been increasing over time were also examined. Results indicate that the majority of pledges are made to residents of the South, Midwest, states without expanded Medicaid access to abortion, and states that have private insurance restrictions on abortion coverage. Results further indicate that those who receive funding pledges anticipated traveling approximately 225 kilometers (140 miles) on average to access the abortion. This distance increased from 2010 to 2015, with patients seeking second trimester procedures expecting to travel nearly 3 times farther than patients in their first term. Abortion fund patients travel great distances to access an abortion and those distances are increasing over time. It is recommended that policy restricting public funding of abortion be repealed to improve access to abortion not only in the United States, but also in other countries where policy restrictions may impede access to abortion, even when it is legal.     

Vulnerable infants program of Rhode Island: promoting permanency for substance-exposed infants

The Vulnerable Infants Program of Rhode Island is a care coordination program to promote permanency for substance-exposed infants by addressing parental needs and increasing collaboration among social service agencies. Over the first four years of the program, there was a decrease in time spent in the newborn nursery beyond medical necessity and identification of permanent placements by 12 months for 84% of infants, with the majority of infants (78%) placed with biological parents or relatives.