Self-esteem and job satisfaction of adults with mild mental retardation in sheltered workshops and supported employment programs

A sample of 200 adults with mild mental retardation were assessed on overall job satisfaction and self-esteem using the Vocational Program Evaluation Profile and the Coopersmith Self-esteem Inventory. The subjects worked either in a sheltered workshop or in a supported employment setting. Results indicated that there was a significant relationship between self-esteem and job satisfaction for both groups of subjects. In addition, subjects who worked in supported employment reported significantly higher levels of job satisfaction also. There was also an interaction between place of residence and place of employment when looking at self-esteem; those who live in a semi-independent home and work in supported employment reported the highest levels of self-esteem. These results are discussed in terms of the social validity of supported-employment for persons with mild mental retardation. ^

Examining a proposed job retention model for adult workers with mental retardation in supported employment

This quantitative study investigated the predictive relationships and interaction between factors such as work-related social behaviors (WRSB), self-determination (SD), person-job congruency (PJC), job performance (JP), job satisfaction (JS), and job retention (JR). A convenience sample of 100 working adults with MR were selected from supported employment agencies. Data were collected using a survey test battery of standardized instruments. The hypotheses were analyzed using three multiple regression analyses to identify significant relationships. Beta weights and hierarchical regression analysis determined the percentage of the predictor variables contribution to the total variance of the criterion variables, JR, JP, and JS. ^ The findings highlight the importance of self-determination skills in predicting job retention, satisfaction, and performance for employees with MR. Consistent with the literature and hypothesized model, there was a predictive relationship between SD, JS and JR. Furthermore, SD and PJC were predictors of JP. SD and JR were predictors of JS. Interestingly, the results indicated no significant relationship between JR and JP, or between JP and JS, or between PJC and JS. This suggests that there is a limited fit between the hypothesized model and the study's findings. However, the theoretical contribution made by this study is that self-determination is a particularly relevant predictor of important work outcomes including JR, JP, and JS. This finding is consistent with Deci's (1992) Self-Determination Theory and Wehmeyer's (1996) argument that SD skills in individuals with disabilities have important consequences for the success in transitioning from school to adult and work life. This study provides job retention strategies that offer rehabilitation and HR professionals a useful structure for understanding and implementing job retention interventions for people with MR. ^ The study concluded that workers with mental retardation who had more self-determination skills were employed longer, more satisfied, and better performers on the job. Also, individuals whose jobs were matched to their interests and abilities (person-job congruency) were better at self-determination skills. ^

A comparative analysis of self-determined evaluations of work performance and support needs by adults with mental retardation in supported work and in sheltered workshop environments

The purpose of this study was to determine if there was a difference in the self-determined evaluations of work performance and support needs by adults with mental retardation in supported employment and in sheltered workshop environments. The instrument, Job Observation and Behavior Scale: Opportunity for Self-Determination (JOBS: OSD; Brady, Rosenberg, & Frain, 2006), was administered to 38 adults with mental retardation from sheltered workshops and 32 adults with mental retardation from supported employment environments. Cross-tabulations with Chi-square tests and independent samples t-tests were conducted to evaluate differences between the two groups, sheltered workshop and supported work. Two Multivariate Analyses of Variance (MANOVAs) were conducted to determine the effect of work environment on Quality of Performance (QP) and Types of Support (TS) test scores and their subscales. ^ This study found that there were significant differences between the groups on the QP Behavior and Job Duties subscales. The sheltered workshop group perceived themselves as performing significantly better on job duties than the supported work group. Conversely, the supported work group perceived themselves to have better behavior than the sheltered workshop group. However, there were no significant differences between groups in their perception of support needs for the three subscales. ^ The findings imply that work environment affects the self-determined evaluations of work performance by adults with mental retardation. Recommendations for further study include (a) detailing the characteristics of supported work and sheltered workshops that support and/or discourage self-determined behaviors, (b) exploring the behavior of adults with mental retardation in sheltered workshops and supported work environments, and (c) analysis of the support needs for and understanding of them by adults with mental retardation in sheltered workshops and in supported work environments. ^

Changes in mass and nutrient content of wood during decomposition in a south Florida mangrove forest

1. Large pools of dead wood in mangrove forests following disturbances such as hurricanes may influence nutrient fluxes. We hypothesized that decomposition of wood of mangroves from Florida, USA (Avicennia germinans, Laguncularia racemosa and Rhizophora mangle), and the consequent nutrient dynamics, would depend on species, location in the forest relative to freshwater and marine influences and whether the wood was standing, lying on the sediment surface or buried. 2. Wood disks (8–10 cm diameter, 1 cm thick) from each species were set to decompose at sites along the Shark River, either buried in the sediment, on the soil surface or in the air (above both the soil surface and high tide elevation). 3. A simple exponential model described the decay of wood in the air, and neither species nor site had any effect on the decay coefficient during the first 13 months of decomposition. 4. Over 28 months of decomposition, buried and surface disks decomposed following a two-component model, with labile and refractory components. Avicennia germinans had the largest labile component (18 ± 2% of dry weight), while Laguncularia racemosa had the lowest (10 ± 2%). Labile components decayed at rates of 0.37–23.71% month−1, while refractory components decayed at rates of 0.001–0.033% month−1. Disks decomposing on the soil surface had higher decay rates than buried disks, but both were higher than disks in the air. All species had similar decay rates of the labile and refractory components, but A. germinans exhibited faster overall decay because of a higher proportion of labile components. 5. Nitrogen content generally increased in buried and surface disks, but there was little change in N content of disks in the air over the 2-year study. Between 17% and 68% of total phosphorus in wood leached out during the first 2 months of decomposition, with buried disks having the greater losses, P remaining constant or increasing slightly thereafter. 6. Newly deposited wood from living trees was a short-term source of N for the ecosystem but, by the end of 2 years, had become a net sink. Wood, however, remained a source of P for the ecosystem. 7. As in other forested ecosystems, coarse woody debris can have a significant impact on carbon and nutrient dynamics in mangrove forests. The prevalence of disturbances, such as hurricanes, that can deposit large amounts of wood on the forest floor accentuates the importance of downed wood in these forests.

A Human Resource Development Performance Improvement Model for Workers with Mental Retardation in Supported Employment

This literature review discusses the factors for successful job retention of adult workers with mental retardation, including external factors related to work environments and internal issues of the individual worker. Through the synthesis of the literature, a performance improvement model for supported employment is discussed based on Holton’s (1999) human resource development/performance improvement model.

Optimization of wireless power transfer via magnetic resonance in different media

A wide range of non-destructive testing (NDT) methods for the monitoring the health of concrete structure has been studied for several years. The recent rapid evolution of wireless sensor network (WSN) technologies has resulted in the development of sensing elements that can be embedded in concrete, to monitor the health of infrastructure, collect and report valuable related data. The monitoring system can potentially decrease the high installation time and reduce maintenance cost associated with wired monitoring systems. The monitoring sensors need to operate for a long period of time, but sensors batteries have a finite life span. Hence, novel wireless powering methods must be devised. The optimization of wireless power transfer via Strongly Coupled Magnetic Resonance (SCMR) to sensors embedded in concrete is studied here. First, we analytically derive the optimal geometric parameters for transmission of power in the air. This specifically leads to the identification of the local and global optimization parameters and conditions, it was validated through electromagnetic simulations. Second, the optimum conditions were employed in the model for propagation of energy through plain and reinforced concrete at different humidity conditions, and frequencies with extended Debye's model. This analysis leads to the conclusion that SCMR can be used to efficiently power sensors in plain and reinforced concrete at different humidity levels and depth, also validated through electromagnetic simulations. The optimization of wireless power transmission via SMCR to Wearable and Implantable Medical Device (WIMD) are also explored. The optimum conditions from the analytics were used in the model for propagation of energy through different human tissues. This analysis shows that SCMR can be used to efficiently transfer power to sensors in human tissue without overheating through electromagnetic simulations, as excessive power might result in overheating of the tissue. Standard SCMR is sensitive to misalignment; both 2-loops and 3-loops SCMR with misalignment-insensitive performances are presented. The power transfer efficiencies above 50% was achieved over the complete misalignment range of 0°-90° and dramatically better than typical SCMR with efficiencies less than 10% in extreme misalignment topologies.

Optimization of Wireless Power Transfer via Magnetic Resonance in Different Media

A wide range of non-destructive testing (NDT) methods for the monitoring the health of concrete structure has been studied for several years. The recent rapid evolution of wireless sensor network (WSN) technologies has resulted in the development of sensing elements that can be embedded in concrete, to monitor the health of infrastructure, collect and report valuable related data. The monitoring system can potentially decrease the high installation time and reduce maintenance cost associated with wired monitoring systems. The monitoring sensors need to operate for a long period of time, but sensors batteries have a finite life span. Hence, novel wireless powering methods must be devised. The optimization of wireless power transfer via Strongly Coupled Magnetic Resonance (SCMR) to sensors embedded in concrete is studied here. First, we analytically derive the optimal geometric parameters for transmission of power in the air. This specifically leads to the identification of the local and global optimization parameters and conditions, it was validated through electromagnetic simulations. Second, the optimum conditions were employed in the model for propagation of energy through plain and reinforced concrete at different humidity conditions, and frequencies with extended Debye's model. This analysis leads to the conclusion that SCMR can be used to efficiently power sensors in plain and reinforced concrete at different humidity levels and depth, also validated through electromagnetic simulations. The optimization of wireless power transmission via SMCR to Wearable and Implantable Medical Device (WIMD) are also explored. The optimum conditions from the analytics were used in the model for propagation of energy through different human tissues. This analysis shows that SCMR can be used to efficiently transfer power to sensors in human tissue without overheating through electromagnetic simulations, as excessive power might result in overheating of the tissue. Standard SCMR is sensitive to misalignment; both 2-loops and 3-loops SCMR with misalignment-insensitive performances are presented. The power transfer efficiencies above 50% was achieved over the complete misalignment range of 0°-90° and dramatically better than typical SCMR with efficiencies less than 10% in extreme misalignment topologies.

Playing Miami : Afrocuban performance artists negotiating cubanidad

The social scripts that are deeply involved in cultural production by AfroCuban identified artists in Miami, during the late nineties to the present, participate in a climate that is informed by and feeds from the so-called Latin Explosion of this time period. More specifically, varying historical, socioeconomic, and geopolitical trajectories have placed Africa and African-based religion and cultural production (via music and theatre) at the center of Cuban national identity. The purpose of this study is to facilitate a discussion of the experiences of AfroCuban performance artists and the climate for production, given the aforementioned dynamics, in mass media. These experiences are directed by a study of transnational structures for cultural production (including the more recent memory-shadow of hip-hop culture in Cuba) and discourse that engages theories of modernity, authenticity, and resistance. Through the interventions of artists, producers, and distributors via their art and business, the text identifies and resists the pervasive oppression of stereotype, dehumanization (Othering), and essentialism.