In Memoriam: David C. McQuillan

We share the sad news of the passing of long-time South Carolina librarian, David C. McQuillan

Material Selection for an Electric Motor Assisted Stroller

The focus of this report is the process used for material selection for components of an electric motor assisted stroller designed for a senior design project. Both Solidworks’ FEA testing and CES EduPack’s materials database were utilized to gather the necessary data to evaluate both material properties and component design parameters. The initial selection process focused on gathering the necessary data and desired properties for each component system of the design. First finite element analysis was conducted on each component to find the maximum stresses encountered in operation. Then components were considered in terms of other important factors that might affect operation or the overall functionality of the system as whole. These factors include things such as corrosion resistance, environmental durability, machining cost, price, and thermal properties. All the gathered factors and data were then used to compare potential materials found using CES EduPack’s material database. A single material was then chosen for each component system and tested under FEA analysis to ensure that a satisfactory factor of safety was found

From the Editors

Greeting from co-founding editor Brent Appling, Reference and Instruction Librarian at the University of South Carolina

From the Editor

Note from editor, Brent Appling, on volume 1, issue 2 of South Carolina Libraries

Changes to Shoreline Hardening Process in the Face of Climate Change

As a result of global climate change, sea level has risen and will continue to rise throughout the 21st century. Sea level rise has been higher in Virginia than any other state over the past 100 years (US Climate Change Science Program 2009). Varied projections show that sea level could rise 1.2 to 5.5 feet above 1992 levels by 2100 (Boon et al. 2010; Ezer and Corlette 2012; Sallengar et al. 2012). Sea level rise threatens to drown intertidal wetlands (Craft et al. 2009; FitzGerald et al. 2010; Kirwan and Guntenspergen 2010; Menon et al. 2010). Wetlands are key biodiversity hotspots and provide a number of ecosystem services (Barbier et al. 2011). Wetlands have the ability to adapt to sea level rise by migrating inland as long as shoreline hardening, such as a bulkhead, is absent (Kirwan and Megonigal 2013). In Virginia, private landowners must be granted a permit by local citizen wetlands boards to alter or harden their shoreline. Although wetlands boards have been given sufficient guidance by government agencies, they have mostly failed to achieve Virginia’s goal of preserving wetlands (VIMS 2012). If this practice continues, Virginia can expect a significant loss of wetlands, biodiversity and ecosystem services. To avoid losing wetlands, this paper proposes two changes to Virginia’s current permit process. First, landowners should be required to consult with a Virginia Institute of Marine Science scientist to better understand the environmental impacts of and alternatives to shoreline hardening before submitting an application. Second, permit decisions should move from local wetlands boards to the Virginia Marine Resources Commission. These recommendation would serve to significantly limit future shoreline hardening and preserve wetlands and their associated biodiversity in the face of climate change

Reducing bias and quantifying uncertainty in watershed flux estimates: the R package loadflex

Many ecological insights into the function of rivers and watersheds emerge from quantifying the flux of solutes or suspended materials in rivers. Numerous methods for flux estimation have been described, and each has its strengths and weaknesses. Currently, the largest practical challenges in flux estimation are to select among these methods and to implement or apply whichever method is chosen. To ease this process of method selection and application, we have written an R software package called loadflex that implements several of the most popular methods for flux estimation, including regressions, interpolations, and the special case of interpolation known as the period-weighted approach. Our package also implements a lesser-known and empirically promising approach called the “composite method,” to which we have added an algorithm for estimating prediction uncertainty. Here we describe the structure and key features of loadflex, with a special emphasis on the rationale and details of our composite method implementation. We then demonstrate the use of loadflex by fitting four different models to nitrate data from the Lamprey River in southeastern New Hampshire, where two large floods in 2006–2007 are hypothesized to have driven a long-term shift in nitrate concentrations and fluxes from the watershed. The models each give believable estimates, and yet they yield different answers for whether and how the floods altered nitrate loads. In general, the best modeling approach for each new dataset will depend on the specific site and solute of interest, and researchers need to make an informed choice among the many possible models. Our package addresses this need by making it simple to apply and compare multiple load estimation models, ultimately allowing researchers to estimate riverine concentrations and fluxes with greater ease and accuracy

Juvenile Correctional Officers\u27 Experience Using De-escalation Strategies

Juvenile direct-care officers working in juvenile correctional facilities historically responded to critical and potentially aggressive incidents using nontherapeutic strategies. The purpose of this study was to examine and to understand the lived experiences of direct-care officers\u27 use of de-escalation skills for managing violent and disruptive behaviors in juvenile correctional facilities. The findings from this study may add to the existing literature by describing juvenile correctional officers\u27 experiences as well as to better understand their perceptions and attitude using de-escalation strategies in correctional environments. The social learning and self-efficacy theories provided the conceptual framework to examine and understand their experiences. The phenomenological design was used to examine the lived experiences of 9 juvenile direct-care officers use of de-escalation strategies to respond to disruptive and aggressive incidents within the juvenile correctional facility. The 9 direct-care officers participated in audio-recorded interviews that were transcribed and analyzed using Moustakas\u27s phenomenological steps that identified 3 themes using de-escalation strategies: to avoid use of force and reduce liability of injuries; to resolve conflicts using their words to de-escalate the youth or the situation; and to use according to their training, perceived level of confidence, and effectiveness of de-escalation strategies. Understanding direct-care officers\u27 perceptions of use of de-escalation may result in positive social change for fostering caring and safe living correctional environments and strengthen current training curriculums for working with aggressive and disruptive behaviors

Juvenile Correctional Officers\u27 Job Satisfaction, Retention, and Quality of Supervision

Juvenile Correctional officers are important to the function of secure facilities because they maintain constant contact with offenders. This quantitative study sought to determine why turnover rates continue to rise and offered insight into retaining officers. This study utilized Abraham Maslow\u27s Hierarchy of Needs theory as the foundation for explaining relationships between the variables: quality supervision and intent to stay and job satisfaction, job search, and job embeddedness of juvenile correctional officers across the United States. Survey data were collected from 247 juvenile correctional officers using a web-based survey containing 5 scales including Quality of Supervision and Intent to Stay, and Job Embeddedness, Job Satisfaction, and Job Search. The relationship between quality of supervision and intent to stay and job embeddedness, job satisfaction, and job search, were analyzed through correlational and multiple regression analyses. An ordinal regression analysis determined that of the variables examined, job satisfaction was a significant factor in the quality of supervision for juvenile correctional officers supervising female youth in secure facilities. A multiple linear regression analysis determined that of the variables analyzed only job satisfaction and job search had a significant effect on juvenile correctional officers supervising female youth intent to stay employed at secure female facilities. This research enhances the body of knowledge examining the cause of individuals\u27 intent to stay and quality of supervision. Reduction of employee turnover increase of job satisfaction, and quality of supervision can positively benefit juvenile justice organizations by enabling correctional staff to meet the overall mission of keeping youth and communities safe