A Call To Arms: The Militarization of Natural Disasters in the United States

Natural disasters are an expected and uncontrolled part of history, and will continue and possibly worsen in the future. The humanitarian focus that has characterized disaster response throughout the years is changing, as is the way the federal government responds to large-scale natural disasters. In recent years, the primary concern in responding to these catastrophes has shifted from the well-being of citizens to the security and safety of the area impacted. Security and crime have become a main focus, with the military increasingly gaining a more prominent role in relief efforts. This thesis will provide evidence that the militarization of disaster response in the United States is a real phenomenon through a case study of Hurricane Katrina, and will delve into why the military has been used less as a support to civilian authorities and more as first responders. One of the key theories used as explanation is late modernity, which focuses on risk aversion and maintaining security. By focusing on policing the streets after a natural disaster, reporting on looting and crime, and keeping citizens in a controlled environment, our expectations after a natural disaster strikes have gone from lending a helping hand to ensuring surveillance and uncertainty about crime are the predominant focus

Childhood Home Injuries: A Nursing Student Approach to Preventing Childhood Home Injuries

Unintentional injuries are the leading cause of death for children under 14 years of age. Of the unintentional injuries, a significant portion occurs within the home setting. Creating a safe home environment for children has become a focus in current efforts for health promotion and injury prevention. Our objective is to enhance caregivers’ knowledge of home safety thus decreasing the incidence of childhood unintentional injuries. To this end, a series of educational workshops were conducted on poisoning, choking, furniture tip-over, scalds and burns. The material was presented via PowerPoint, videos, posters, handouts, demonstrations and return demonstrations. Verbal pre-and post tests and return demonstration were used to determine the effectiveness of these workshops. The number of participants from each workshop varied from 11 to 14. Pretests revealed that no more than 33% of the participants were able to give correct responses. This percentage increased to 75-100% for the posttests. Conclusions: Comparison of pre and posttest participant responses revealed increased knowledge of common childhood home injuries, prevention strategies, and how to respond should an injury occur. More studies should explore caregivers’ actual implementation of safety knowledge within the home environment

Subject-generated internal imagery coupled with relaxation as a treatment for chronic pain

The chronic pain experience is a multifaceted phenomenon involving sensory, cognitive, affective, motivational and behavioral dimensions. There has been no single consistently successful method of pain control and multiple treatment approaches are frequently utilized by the chronic pain sufferer. The treatment approach investigated in this experiment used a relaxation technique coupled with visualization. Thirty-two chronic pain subjects with various diagnoses were divided into four groups using a quasi-random design. Two groups received training in a relaxation technique for eight weeks, and two groups started with relaxation and then were also given a visualization procedure for the final four weeks. Assessments using the McGill Pain Questionnaire, the Multidimensional Health Locus of Control, the Profile of Mood States, and the West Haven-Yale Multidimensional Pain Inventory were done before treatment, at the mid-point, and at the end of treatment. The results showed no consistent differences between treatment groups and failed to indicate any clear-cut advantages for either relaxation or visualization in controlling chronic pain. There was no consistent reduction in pain or pain behaviors over the course of the experiment regardless of situation

Freeze-cast yttria-stabilized zirconia pore networks: Effects of alcohol additives

Freeze casting yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) can be useful in making electrodes for solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) by introducing hierarchical porosity to increase triple-phase boundary (TPB) area while maintaining adequate fuel flow. In this study the influence of alcohol additives on pore structure of aqueous YSZ freeze-cast samples was investigated. Slurries with ethanol, iso-propyl alcohol, or methanol as additives were compared to a control sample. Pore characteristics along sample lengths were measured using X-ray computed tomography reconstructions. The control sample showed significant changes in pore size along sample length, whereas pore size of the alcohol additive samples remained similar, indicating that freezing rates of the additive samples remained constant during solidification. Ice lens formation and interactions between alcohols and slurry functional additives (dispersant, surfactant, and binder) resulted in complex pore structures which show promise in increasing SOFC TPB area

The Path Forward: Using Canvas Commons for Online Information Literacy Instruction in the Health Sciences

Question: How can we improve the delivery of information literacy instruction in the health sciences in a virtual environment? This paper examines the integration of Canvas Commons Modules to provide downloadable, open-access information literacy tutorials for students across various disciplines, including the health sciences. Setting/Participants/Resources: The Murray State University Libraries and multiple disciplines, including Nursing and Communication Disorders. Brief Description: As higher education offers more online courses, addressing virtual learners’ information literacy needs has become critical. The modules were originally created in Fall, 2019 as an additional mode of instruction and an online substitute for in-person information literacy instruction sessions when necessary. The demand unexpectedly escalated in the Spring of 2020 due to COVID-19, when all classes moved to an online format. This paper describes the pilot year’s planning process, implementation, lessons learned, and future plans for providing online library instruction. Evaluation Method: Post assessment data comparing face-to-face instruction with online tutorials. A student feedback survey, a faculty feedback survey, and tracking the type and number of courses reached were used to determine the impact of the instruction. Results/Outcomes: Future longitudinal analysis of the library instruction program will examine the long-term significance of implementing the modules. Conclusions: As we move forward, current assessment data indicates that in-person and online tutorials can both play a valuable role in our information literacy instruction program

The influence of harasser-victim dyads and observer sex on perceived sexual harassment

This study investigated how sex of an observer, harasser, and victim may influence perceptions of sexual harassment (SH). We hypothesized that (1) women would perceive more sexual harassment than men, across all study conditions, (2) the most sexual harassment would be perceived in male harasser-female victim vignettes, (3) the least sexual harassment would be perceived in female harasser-male victim vignettes, (4) Men in the no definition control group would report the most perceived SH, those in the MacKinnon (more inclusive) definition condition would perceive slightly less SH than those in the control condition, but more than those in the EEOC. Four hundred and thirteen participants, 186 males and 227 females, age 18-25, were recruited via MTURK. Participants were invited to complete an electronic questionnaire asking them to rate the extent to which different vignettes qualified as SH. The vignettes differed in the level of their SH, from superficial, verbal comments to derogatory attitudes. Univariate ANOVAs indicate that that female participants were more likely to perceive SH than male participants across the vignettes. Additionally, more SH was perceived when the harasser was male and when the victim was female. Interactions were found between harasser sex and victim sex, between harasser sex, victim sex, and participant sex, and between definition condition, participant sex, and victim sex. The results help to further understanding of how individuals think of and perceive SH in a variety of work settings and situations. Applications range from legal proceedings to SH training in the workplac

Freeze-cast yttria-stabilized zirconia pore networks: Effects of alcohol additives

Freeze casting yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) can be useful in making electrodes for solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) by introducing hierarchical porosity to increase triple-phase boundary (TPB) area while maintaining adequate fuel flow. In this study the influence of alcohol additives on pore structure of aqueous YSZ freeze-cast samples was investigated. Slurries with ethanol, iso-propyl alcohol, or methanol as additives were compared to a control sample. Pore characteristics along sample lengths were measured using X-ray computed tomography reconstructions. The control sample showed significant changes in pore size along sample length, whereas pore size of the alcohol additive samples remained similar, indicating that freezing rates of the additive samples remained constant during solidification. Ice lens formation and interactions between alcohols and slurry functional additives (dispersant, surfactant, and binder) resulted in complex pore structures which show promise in increasing SOFC TPB area