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 people’s experiences of and compliance with decontamination. We analyzed questionnaire data gathered from 402 volunteers using the framework approach, to provide an insight into the public’s experiences of decontamination and how these experiences are shaped by the actions of emergency responders. Factors that affected casualties’ 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 public’s experiences of decontamination. Future exercises should examine in more detail the effect of various communication strategies on the public’s 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

Perceived responder legitimacy and group identification predict cooperation and compliance in a mass decontamination field exercise

Emergency responders’ failure to communicate effectively during decontamination following a chemical or biological incident has been associated with increased public anxiety and reduced public compliance. In this study we applied the social identity approach to evaluating a field exercise that involved mass decontamination. Questionnaires were collected from 115 volunteers, who participated in the exercise as simulated casualties. Volunteers’ perceptions of effective responder communication predicted increased self-reported compliance with decontamination, mediated by perceived responder legitimacy and identification with other group members. Developing effective communication strategies using a social psychology perspective could improve the way in which incidents are managed

The highest frequency detection of a radio relic : 16 GHz AMI observations of the 'Sausage' cluster

This article has been accepted for publication in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society: Letters. © 2014 The Author(s). Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Royal Astronomical Society. All rights reserved.We observed the cluster CIZA J2242.8+5301 with the Arcminute Microkelvin Imager at 16 GHz and present the first high radio-frequency detection of diffuse, non-thermal cluster emission. This cluster hosts a variety of bright, extended, steep-spectrum synchrotron-emitting radio sources, associated with the intracluster medium, called radio relics. Most notably, the northern, Mpc-wide, narrow relic provides strong evidence for diffusive shock acceleration in clusters. We detect a puzzling, flat-spectrum, diffuse extension of the southern relic, which is not visible in the lower radio-frequency maps. The northern radio relic is unequivocally detected and measures an integrated flux of 1.2 ± 0.3 mJy. While the low-frequency (<2 GHz) spectrum of the northern relic is well represented by a power law, it clearly steepens towards 16 GHz. This result is inconsistent with diffusive shock acceleration predictions of ageing plasma behind a uniform shock front. The steepening could be caused by an inhomogeneous medium with temperature/density gradients or by lower acceleration efficiencies of high energy electrons. Further modelling is necessary to explain the observed spectrum.Peer reviewe

Remembrance of Contact Past: When Intergroup Contact Meta-Cognitions Decrease Outgroup Tolerance

Positive intergroup contact reliably reduces prejudice, yet little is known about the meta-cognitive processes involved in recalling prior contact experiences and their impact on outgroup tolerance. The present research examined whether contact interventions that rely on the recollection of past contact experiences can be susceptible to ease of retrieval effects, and the potential impact on intergroup attitudes. Specifically, we tested whether manipulating the number of contact memories participants were asked to recall (5 vs 1) impacts on outgroup tolerance, and whether this effect is contingent upon participants’ prior contact experiences. Results of two experiments (N = 220) revealed a moderated mediation effect of contact recollection on outgroup tolerance via perceived ease of retrieval, dependent upon levels of prior contact. Recalling more (5) versus fewer (1) contact memories was perceived as more difficult and this in turn decreased tolerance, specifically for individuals low in prior contact. Countering this negative indirect effect, however, recalling more contact experiences had a positive direct effect. Therefore, greater cognitive effort appears to act as a suppressor of the positive effect of contact recall. Our findings provide insight into meta-cognitive processes involved in recalling autobiographical contact memories, and the resulting impact on intergroup relations

Ultra-high-field arterial spin labeling MRI for non-contrast assessment of cortical lesion perfusion in multiple sclerosis

ObjectivesAssess the feasibility of using an optimised ultra-high-field high-spatial-resolution low-distortion ASL MRI acquisition to measure focal haemodynamic pathology in cortical lesions (CLs) in Multiple Sclerosis (MS).MethodsTwelve MS patients (8 female, mean age=50; range=35-64 years) gave informed consent and were scanned on a 7 Tesla Philips Achieva scanner. Perfusion data were collected at multiple post-labeling delay times using a single-slice flow-sensitive alternating inversion recovery ASL protocol with a balanced steady-state free precession readout scheme. CLs were identified using a high-resolution Phase-Sensitive Inversion Recovery (PSIR) scan. Significant differences in perfusion within CLs compared to immediately surrounding normal appearing grey matter (NAGMlocal) and total cortical normal appearing grey matter (NAGMcortical) were assessed using paired t-tests.Results40 CLs were identified in PSIR scans that overlapped with the ASL acquisition coverage. After excluding lesions due to size or intravascular contamination, 27 lesions were eligible for analysis. Mean perfusion was 40 ± 25 ml/100g/min in CLs, 53 ± 12 ml/100g/min in NAGMlocal, and 53±8 ml/100g/min in NAGMcortical. CL perfusion was significantly reduced by 23 ± 9% (mean±SE, p=0.013) and 26 ± 9% (mean±SE, p=0.006) relative to NAGMlocal and NAGMcortical perfusion, respectively.ConclusionThis is the first ASL MRI study quantifying CL perfusion in MS at 7T, demonstrating that an optimised ASL acquisition is sensitive to focal haemodynamic pathology previously observed using Dynamic Susceptibility Contrast MRI. ASL requires no exogenous contrast agent, making it a more appropriate tool to monitor longitudinal perfusion changes in MS, providing a new window to study lesion development

More than sense of place? Exploring the emotional dimension of rural tourism experiences

It is widely suggested that participation in rural tourism is underpinned by a sense of rural place or “rurality”. However, although nature and the countryside have long been recognised as a source of spiritual or emotional fulfilment, few have explored the extent to which tourism, itself often claimed to be a sacred experience, offers an emotional/spiritual dimension in the rural context. This paper addresses that literature gap. Using in-depth interviews with rural tourists in the English Lake District, it explores the extent to which, within respondents’ individual understanding of spirituality, a relationship exists between sense of place and deeper, emotional experiences and, especially, whether participation in rural tourism may induce spiritual or emotional responses. The research revealed that all respondents felt a strong attachment to the Lake District; similarly, and irrespective of their openness to spirituality, engaging in rural tourism activities resulted in highly emotive experiences for all respondents, the description/interpretation of such experiences being determined by individual “beliefs”. However, sense of place was not a prerequisite to emotional or spiritual experiences. Being in and engaging with the landscape � effectively becoming part of it � especially through physical activity is fundamental to emotional responses

105110^{51} Ergs: The Evolution of Shell Supernova Remnants

This paper reports on a workshop hosted by the University of Minnesota, March 23-26, 1997. It addressed fundamental dynamical issues associated with the evolution of shell supernova remnants and the relationships between supernova remnants and their environments. The workshop considered, in addition to classical shell SNRs, dynamical issues involving X-ray filled composite remnants and pulsar driven shells, such as that in the Crab Nebula. Approximately 75 participants with wide ranging interests attended the workshop. An even larger community helped through extensive on-line debates prior to the meeting. Each of the several sessions, organized mostly around chronological labels, also addressed some underlying, general physical themes: How are SNR dynamics and structures modified by the character of the CSM and the ISM and vice versa? How are magnetic fields generated in SNRs and how do magnetic fields influence SNRs? Where and how are cosmic-rays (electrons and ions) produced in SNRs and how does their presence influence or reveal SNR dynamics? How does SNR blast energy partition into various components over time and what controls conversion between components? In lieu of a proceedings volume, we present here a synopsis of the workshop in the form of brief summaries of the workshop sessions. The sharpest impressions from the workshop were the crucial and under-appreciated roles that environments have on SNR appearance and dynamics and the critical need for broad-based studies to understand these beautiful, but enigmatic objects. \\Comment: 54 pages text, no figures, Latex (aasms4.sty). submitted to the PAS