Arc of the United States

Regional policy for the Far East in terms of accelerated economic development and improving the investment climate, is largely based on preferential regimes, which, due to the unique conditions of the Far East, offer unparalleled conditions for doing business. Some regimes have already demonstrated success, while others are just beginning to attract investor interest and have yet to impact the economies of their regions. Despite all the advantages and diverse incentives for businesses of various sizes and industries, there are also disadvantages, one of which is the complex system of government regulation, embodied in numerous multi-layered regulations that are constantly undergoing change. This shortcoming can confuse or even discourage potential investors, especially foreign ones unfamiliar with the Russian regulatory system. Due to the need to harmonize legislation and create the most favorable conditions for investment in the Far East, the issue of creating a unified preferential regime is being considered. This study analyzes the current policies of Far Eastern preferential regimes, conducts a comparative analysis of benefits, and offers recommendations for the concept of a new unified preferential regime for the Far East.

The sidewalks were lined with images of women of color who came before us—many still at work today. We met on July 8, 2023, at the Kemeny Recreation Center in Southwest Detroit, the heart of a community affected by environmental (in)justices for decades. Greeted by youth and elder community leaders, we were welcomed with grace and a buzz of optimism and brilliance. When everyone was glad the person next to them came, we knew we were in the right place. When every chair was full and the walls were lined with leaning bodies, of all shapes, colors, and ages, we knew we were in the right place. Together we engaged in the selfie station, art through a therapeutic lens, healthy cooking sessions, and an obstacle course. During a panel discussion, moderated by Laprisha Berry Daniels, six panelists, Rhonda Anderson, Theresa Landrum, Sylvia Orduno, Faizah Nasser, Maria Salinas, and Maureen Taylor, shared their experiences, and we left knowing that pollution has no boundaries. We were reminded that organizing is not only about dreaming; it is about mobilizing. We were given clear instructions to mobilize across generations and to rest, as the struggle is long. This day devoted to environmental justice work should not soon be forgotten.

Abstract. Peaks in electricity demand are critical times when it is important to understand the contribution of wind energy to the supply of electricity. In southeast Australia, peaks in electricity demand may be caused by unusually hot or cold periods that correspond to increased cooling and heating loads respectively. These peaks in demand tend to be centered in the morning and early-evening hours as a result of consumption patterns and behind-the-meter solar generation during the middle of the day. In this study, we examine the characteristics of the southeast Australian wind energy resource on days when the electricity demand is above the 80th percentile for heating and cooling days respectively. We use a 29 year dataset of reanalysis over Australia. To correct for changes to the electricity system and consumption patterns in this period, a random forest model is fitted that relates the meteorological conditions to the electricity demand during a recent 4-year period. We find positive wind generation capacity factors over many offshore parts of the region during both high-demand hot days and high-demand cold days. Over land, areas of complex topography show positive capacity factor anomalies on high-demand cold days, while other areas show negative capacity factor anomalies. Reverse patterns are found on high-demand hot days. It is shown that high-demand hot days are associated with a blocking high in the Tasman sea, while high-demand cold days can be split into cold, wet and windy outbreaks and high pressure systems associated with light winds. On high-demand hot days, the peak in the diurnal cycle of wind in the offshore declared development area in southeast Australia is aligned with the peak in electricity demand, while high-demand cold days show little systematic diurnal variability.

BackgroundPrader-Willi syndrome (PWS) is a complex genetic neurodevelopmental condition characterised by a range of debilitating and lifelong symptoms. The many physical and behavioural challenges that arise with adults with PWS often necessitate full-time (i.e., 24-hour) professional care support. However, despite the fact that many clinicians regard full-time PWS-specific care to represent best practice, relatively few studies have directly examined the benefits of such services. The purpose of this paper is to use archival data to investigate the impact of full-time care services on people with PWS, and to assemble a large statistical dataset on which robust analyses of improvements in weight, BMI, and behavioural outcomes can be based.MethodsInformation collated by the International PWS Organisation (IPWSO), an international non-profit membership organisation supporting national PWS associations around the world, was combined into a single anonymised dataset for statistical analysis. Data were supplied by service-providers from several countries who provide full-time support to people with PWS. The dataset included details on the specific services provided, basic demographic information on service recipients, including weight, body mass index (BMI), and observational records relating to behaviours of concern (BOC; consisting of temper outbursts, skin-picking, egocentrism, inflexibility, and striving for dominance).ResultsA total of 193 people with PWS (ranging in age from < 10 yrs to > 50 yrs; 93% of whom were > 18 yrs), residing in 11 services across 6 countries, were represented in the dataset. On average, people with PWS showed significant reductions in weight and BMI after joining a full-time care service, with improvements within one year of entering, which were cumulative over time and independent of age or initial weight at entry. Similar cumulative improvements over time were seen for BOC within one year and were unrelated to age or severity of BOC at entry. The degree to which services are specialised for residents with PWS appeared to confer particular benefits, with people living in PWS-exclusive services showing the greatest improvements in weight, BMI, and BOC. Reductions in BOC were associated with greater, rather than less, social contact, suggesting that these improvements were not achieved at the expense of broader freedoms, such as the opportunity to meet with families and friends.ConclusionsWe conclude that full-time care services have a high likelihood of enhancing the lives of people with PWS within one year with long-lasting benefits, especially if those services are exclusive and specialised around the particular needs of PWS.

The American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (AAIDD) and The Arc of the United States (The Arc) have a long history of taking jointly held positions on matters of public policy that affect people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). This article describes the methods used to develop and evaluate the understandability and fidelity of written plain language summaries of the organizations' joint position statements for an audience of people with IDD who read. Implications for adapting source material for nonreading audiences are discussed.

BackgroundThe coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has negatively altered many families’ lifestyles and the mental well-being of parents, especially those who have a low income and young children. To improve low-income parents’ mental well-being, especially during a pandemic, understanding parents’ and children’s lifestyle behaviors and the relationship between their lifestyle behaviors and parents’ mental well-being is essential.ObjectiveThis cross-sectional study examined relationships between lifestyle behaviors (sleep, physical activity, screen time, and eating behavior of parents and children) and low-income parents’ well-being (stress, anxiety, and depression) during COVID-19.MethodsParents were recruited from two Michigan Head Start organizations as well as across the United States; 408 parents completed an online survey. Demographic characteristics were assessed, along with parents’ sleep, physical activity, screen time, and dietary intake; stress, anxiety, and depression were also examined. Children’s sleep time, physical activity, screen time, and fruit/vegetable intake were assessed. Descriptive statistics, correlations, and the multivariate general linear model procedure were used.ResultsApproximately 69.4% of parents reported moderate stress levels, and 17.2% reported high levels. Most parents had sleep disturbances, attained minimal physical activity, and consumed <5 fruits/vegetables per day; average screen time was >2 hours per day. Only 41% of preschoolers were active 7 days a week and slept ≥10 hours per day. Two thirds had >2 hours per day of screen time, and less than one fifth consumed ≥5 fruits/vegetables per day. After adjusting for parents’ demographics and children’s lifestyle behaviors, parents’ sleep disturbance was positively correlated with their levels of stress, anxiety, and depression. After controlling for parents’ demographics and lifestyle behaviors, child sleep time was negatively associated with parents’ stress levels. Family demographics and parents’ and children’s lifestyle behaviors explained 33.4%, 29.8%, and 28.1% of the variances in parents’ stress, anxiety, and depression, respectively.DiscussionMost parents and preschoolers were not meeting many lifestyle behavior recommendations, indicating a need for interventions. Improving parents’ sleep quality and reducing bedtime challenges involving their preschoolers may be necessary for enhancing parental mental well-being.

In the last decade, and especially after the 2013 Virginia court case of Ross and Ross v. Hatch, there has been a dramatic increase in knowledge, use, and legal recognition of supported decision-making (SDM) in the United States. SDM is a methodology in which people work with trusted friends, family members, and professionals who help them understand their situations and choices so they may make their own decisions and direct their lives. After the Hatch case, in which a young woman with Down syndrome defeated a petition for permanent guardianship by demonstrating that she uses SDM, this methodology has increasingly been considered and used as an alternative to guardianship to enable people to retain their legal rights and make life choices to the maximum extent possible. This article reviews the guardianship laws of the 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia. Using criteria we developed, in light of the findings and values expressed in Hatch, we assessed the extent to which those laws recognize or encourage the use of SDM as an alternative to guardianship and as a means to enhance self-determination for people in guardianship. We then offer recommendations for future SDM research, policy, education, and advocacy efforts.

The American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (AAIDD) and The Arc of the United States (The Arc) have a long history of joined efforts to develop, express, and evaluate disability policies. These efforts have resulted in a series of formal statements on critical issues such as education, healthcare, human rights, and criminal justice. Their joint efforts further important policy goals including providing clear strong communication about important policy values and directions, promulgating key principles of high quality supports and services, affirming best professional practices, and emphasizing personal outcomes. In addition, the joint efforts (a) affirm important aspects of organization identity; (b) enhance the organizations' abilities to assure the input of a wide variety of perspectives; (c) engage members' expanded ranges of experiences and talents; (d) multiply staff and leadership resources; (e) increase communication strength and avenues; and (f) establish processes for timely review and revision of policies as critical disability issues arise or change, and new opportunities for policy integration and advancement occur. This article describes the processes used to develop, express, and evaluate the position statements; summarizes the policy content of several joint statements; and discusses the role of these organization position statements.

O artigo rearma os ensaios de Carl Einstein a respeito de Joan Miró. Dessa maneira, se destaca a tentativa do autor de Negerplastik de precisar uma mitologia atual, viva, fundada em aspectos temáticos e formais do cubismo, contribuindo assim para uma expressão figurativa daquelas forças da ação criativa que irrompem, ora a partir das camadas espirituais arcaicas, ora daquilo que esteve sepulto até o presente. A alucinação, a metamorfose, o primitivismo são, assim, princípios estéticos capitais, com os quais Einstein delineia um Miró de uma simplicidade pré-histórica que nos conduziria a uma contemporaneidade cada vez mais arcaica.