2,582 research outputs found
Public experiences of mass casualty decontamination
In this article, we analyze feedback from simulated casualties who took part in field exercises involving mass decontamination, to gain an understanding of how responder communication can affect peopleâs experiences of and compliance with decontamination. We analyzed questionnaire data gathered from 402 volunteers using the framework approach, to provide an insight into the publicâs experiences of decontamination and how these experiences are shaped by the actions of emergency responders. Factors that affected casualtiesâ experiences of the econtamination process included the need for greater practical information and better communication from responders, and the need for privacy. Results support previous findings from small-scale incidents that involved decontamination in showing that participants wanted better communication from responders during the process of decontamination, including more practical information, and that the failure of responders to communicate effectively with members of the public led to anxiety about the decontamination process. The similarity between the findings from the exercises described in this article and previous research into real
incidents involving decontamination suggests that field exercises provide a useful way to examine the effect of responder communication strategies on the publicâs experiences of decontamination. Future exercises should examine in more detail the effect of various communication strategies on the publicâs experiences of decontamination. This will facilitate the development of evidence-based communication strategies intended to reduce anxiety about decontamination and increase compliance among members of the public during real-life incidents that involve mass decontamination
Searching for galactic cosmic ray pevatrons with multi-TeV gamma rays and neutrinos
The recent HESS detections of supernova remnant shells in TeV gamma-rays
confirm the theoretical predictions that supernova remnants can operate as
powerful cosmic ray accelerators. If these objects are responsible for the bulk
of galactic cosmic rays, then they should accelerate protons and nuclei to
10^15 eV and beyond, i.e. act as cosmic PeVatrons. The model of diffusive shock
acceleration allows, under certain conditions, acceleration of particles to
such high energies and their gradual injection into the interstellar medium,
mainly during the Sedov phase of the remnant evolution. The most energetic
particles are released first, while particles of lower energies are more
effectively confined in the shell, and are released at later epochs. Thus the
spectrum of nonthermal paticles inside the shell extends to PeV energies only
during a relatively short period of the evolution of the remnant. For this
reason one may expect spectra of secondary gamma-rays and neutrinos extending
to energies beyond 10 TeV only from T \lesssim 1000 yr old supernova remnants.
On the other hand, if by a chance a massive gas cloud appears in the \lesssim
100 pc vicinity of the supernova remnant, ``delayed'' multi-TeV signals of
gamma-rays and neutrinos arise when the most energetic partices emerged from
the supernova shell reach the cloud. The detection of such delayed emission of
multi-TeV gamma-rays and neutrinos allows indirect identification of the
supernova remnant as a particle PeVatron.Comment: ApJ Letters, in press. Reference to recent MILAGRO results adde
Argument Pedagogy for Everyday Life
This article assists argumentation and debate instructors in developing courses that provide coverage of foundational concepts while reflecting their own interests. Courses in argumentation and debate also offer instructors an opportunity to teach through applied engagement with contemporary events. We encourage instructors to reflect on the various contexts of argumentation and debate as well as challenging questions concerning the role of technology in the classroom, the conflict between normative and descriptive examples of argumentation, how much to emphasize the role of argumentation and debate in societal change, and the connections between argumentation and deliberation
Interspecific behavioural interference and range dynamics: current insights and future directions
Novel biotic interactions in shifting communities play a key role in determining the ability of species' ranges to track suitable habitat. To date, the impact of biotic interactions on range dynamics have predominantly been studied in the context of interactions between different trophic levels or, to a lesser extent, exploitative competition between species of the same trophic level. Yet, both theory and a growing number of empirical studies show that interspecific behavioural interference, such as interspecific territorial and mating interactions, can slow down range expansions, preclude coexistence, or drive local extinction, even in the absence of resource competition. We conducted a systematic review of the current empirical research into the consequences of interspecific behavioural interference on range dynamics. Our findings demonstrate there is abundant evidence that behavioural interference by one species can impact the spatial distribution of another. Furthermore, we identify several gaps where more empirical work is needed to test predictions from theory robustly. Finally, we outline several avenues for future research, providing suggestions for how interspecific behavioural interference could be incorporated into existing scientific frameworks for understanding how biotic interactions influence range expansions, such as species distribution models, to build a stronger understanding of the potential consequences of behavioural interference on the outcome of future range dynamics
- âŚ