Model Municipal Ordinance Project Designed to Facilitate Wind and Solar Projects and Green Buildings

Soaring oil prices and the reality of climate change have underscored the heed to reduce U.S. fossil fuel dependence by improving energy efficiency and by developing and expanding renewable sources of energy. The International Energy Agency declared in 2010 that [i]ncreasing energy efficiency, much of which can be achieved through low-cost options, offers the greatest potential for reducing CO2 emissions over the period to 2050. Furthermore, increasing our reliance on renewable resources such as wind and solar energy is not only a prudent measure in helping America to improve its energy security, but is a necessary component of a basket of measures that must be employed in order to limit atmospheric CO2 to a concentration that would avert the most damaging climate change. Presently, wind and solar energy account for only around one percent of the U.S. electricity supply. Yet the Department of Energy projects that as much as twenty percent of America\u27s electric power could be generated from wind energy alone by the year 2030

Weak Social Support as an Indicator for Worse Trauma Related Symptoms

This study investigated the relationship between social support and trauma related symptoms in trauma exposed participants. Using the SCID and CAPS, weak family support factors were found to be associated with a greater number and severity of trauma related symptoms; suggesting that family support is important for trauma exposed people

Ethical considerations in determining standard of prevention packages for HIV prevention trials: Examining PrEP

The successful demonstration that antiretroviral (ARV) drugs can be used in diverse ways to reduce HIV acquisition or transmission risks – either taken as pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) by those who are uninfected or as early treatment for prevention (T4P) by those living with HIV – expands the armamentarium of existing HIV prevention tools. These findings have implications for the design of future HIV prevention research trials. With the advent of multiple effective HIV prevention tools, discussions about the ethics and the feasibility of future HIV prevention trial designs have intensified. This article outlines arguments concerning the inclusion of newly established ARV-based HIV prevention interventions as standard of prevention in HIV prevention trials from multiple perspectives. Ultimately, there is a clear need to incorporate stakeholders in a robust discussion to determine the appropriate trial design for each study population

Study of Pressurization Systems for Liquid Propulsion Rocket Engines Final Report, 19 Apr. 1961 - 15 Sep. 1962

Selection technique to determine most suitable liquid propellant pressurization systems for various space mission

The Efficacy of Paroxetine and Placebo in Treating Anxiety and Depression: A Meta-Analysis of Change on the Hamilton Rating Scales

Background: Previous meta-analyses of published and unpublished trials indicate that antidepressants provide modest benefits compared to placebo in the treatment of depression; some have argued that these benefits are not clinically significant. However, these meta-analyses were based only on trials submitted for the initial FDA approval of the medication and were limited to those aimed at treating depression. Here, for the first time, we assess the efficacy of a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) in the treatment of both anxiety and depression, using a complete data set of all published and unpublished trials sponsored by the manufacturer. Methods and Findings: GlaxoSmithKline has been required to post the results for all sponsored clinical trials online, providing an opportunity to assess the efficacy of an SSRI (paroxetine) with a complete data set of all trials conducted. We examined the data from all placebo-controlled, double-blind trials of paroxetine that included change scores on the Hamilton Rating Scale for Anxiety (HRSA) and/or the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HRSD). For the treatment of anxiety (k = 12), the efficacy difference between paroxetine and placebo was modest (d = 0.27), and independent of baseline severity of anxiety. Overall change in placebo-treated individuals replicated 79% of the magnitude of paroxetine response. Efficacy was superior for the treatment of panic disorder (d = 0.36) than for generalized anxiety disorder (d = 0.20). Published trials showed significantly larger drug-placebo differences than unpublished trials (d’s = 0.32 and 0.17, respectively). In depression trials (k = 27), the benefit of paroxetine over placebo was consistent with previous meta-analyses of antidepressant efficacy (d = 0.32). Conclusions: The available empirical evidence indicates that paroxetine provides only a modest advantage over placebo in treatment of anxiety and depression. Treatment implications are discussed

Becoming Sociological: Disciplinarity and a Sense of ‘Home’

This short reflective piece uses the concept of ‘home’ to explore sociology as an intellectual and disciplinary pursuit. Drawing on autobiographical reflections and ethnographic study of sociology writing, I consider some of the trajectories of academics into sociology and what these tell us about the discipline itself. In light of increasing incursions by audit culture and marketisation of academia, Holmwood has drawn attention to a lack of clear internal identity as being ‘sociology’s misfortune’ – that sociology loses out, and is weakened by lacking theories and methodologies specific to the discipline. This essay takes a more optimistic view of sociology’s position, and instead argues that it is this very ambiguity which keeps the discipline a lively and vital space for explorations of the social

Case Study of Resilient Baton Rouge: Applying Depression Collaborative Care and Community Planning to Disaster Recovery.

BackgroundAddressing behavioral health impacts of major disasters is a priority of increasing national attention, but there are limited examples of implementation strategies to guide new disaster responses. We provide a case study of an effort being applied in response to the 2016 Great Flood in Baton Rouge.MethodsResilient Baton Rouge was designed to support recovery after major flooding by building local capacity to implement an expanded model of depression collaborative care for adults, coupled with identifying and responding to local priorities and assets for recovery. For a descriptive, initial evaluation, we coupled analysis of documents and process notes with descriptive surveys of participants in initial training and orientation, including preliminary comparisons among licensed and non-licensed participants to identify training priorities.ResultsWe expanded local behavioral health service delivery capacity through subgrants to four agencies, provision of training tailored to licensed and non-licensed providers and development of advisory councils and partnerships with grassroots and government agencies. We also undertook initial efforts to enhance national collaboration around post-disaster resilience.ConclusionOur partnered processes and lessons learned may be applicable to other communities that aim to promote resilience, as well as planning for and responding to post-disaster behavioral health needs

Ethical and practical considerations for mitigating risks to sexual partners during analytical treatment interruptions in HIV cure-related research

Background: Background: Analytical treatment interruptions (ATIs) in HIV cure-related research can result in trial participants becoming viremic with HIV, placing HIV-negative sexual partners at elevated risk of acquiring HIV. Objective: Objective:Our study aimed to generate ethical and practical considerations for designing and implementing appropriate risk mitigation strategies to reduce unintended HIV transmission events during ATIs. Methods: Methods: We conducted 21 in-depth interviews with five types of informants: bioethicists, community members, biomedical HIV cure researchers, socio-behavioral scientists/epidemiologists, and HIV care providers. We used conventional content analysis to analyze the data and generate considerations. Results: Results: Key findings include: 1) Ethical permissibility of ATI trials depends on due diligence and informed consent to mitigate risks to participants and their sexual partners; 2) Participants should receive adequate support and/or counseling if they choose to disclose ATI participation to their partners; 3) Measures to protect sexual partners of trial participants from HIV transmission during ATIs should include referral to and/or provision of pre-exposure prophylaxis, as well as other available means of preventing HIV transmission; 4) There is uncertainty regarding the appropriate management of emerging sexually transmitted infections during ATI trials and possible protection measures for multiple and/or anonymous partners of ATI trial participants. Conclusion: Conclusion: While there is no way to completely eliminate the risk of HIV transmission to sexual partners during ATIs, HIV cure trialists and sponsors should consider the ethical concerns related to the sexual partners of ATI participants. Doing so is essential to ensuring the welfare of participants, their partners and the trustworthiness of research