Social Consequence, Stakeholder Influence, and Resource Needs for Marcellus Shale Communities

The process of natural gas recovery by horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing, known as fracking, is a major scientific advance in unconventional energy development. Attention has largely been focused on its economic advantages and potential negative environmental repercussions, while less consideration given to its social dimensions. The purpose of this study was to explore the social consequences of fracking for communities in the Appalachian Basin\u27s Marcellus shale. Research questions focused on the role of stakeholders and the resource needs of localities in shaping public policy. This study was guided by the tenets of the Boomtown theory along with key issues in fracking research such as environmental impacts, water resources, public health and safety, economics, and ethical concerns. An embedded case study research design was employed, using a purposive sample of 8 economic and policy subject matter experts from the 3 most prolific drilling counties in Pennsylvania. Data were collected by semi-structured interviews and were analyzed using open and axial coding with cross-case comparison. Results suggested that positive economic social consequences of fracking involved sustainability in providing generational and employment stability. Negative consequences, such as traffic, damaged infrastructure, and housing shortages, were temporary and manageable. Logistical and demographic information were valuable resources for community leadership, and stakeholders favored autonomy in decision making. The implications for social change include informing policy makers how to prepare the local workforce to be adaptable, establish sufficient infrastructure to support change, and educate communities to leverage opportunity in advance of new industry

The 9/11 victim compensation fund : a case study

The 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund was the largest victim compensation fund in U.S. history, disseminating more than $7B federal tax monies directly to survivors, victims and their respective families following the terrorist attacks of that day. This represented an unprecedented effort on the part of the U.S. government to fully fund terrorism victim compensation within a no-fault framework intended, first and foremost, to protect the airline industry from potential economic ruin. But in so doing, the Fund compromised legal, ethical, economic and sociological principles on which victim compensation had been based since the inception of government. This interdisciplinary exploratory case study of the 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund analyzes the Fund from a holistic perspective and evaluates the complex forces contributing to global victim compensation theory. The 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund should not serve as a model for governmental assistance but instead highlights the need for universal consistency of nomenclature and intention. Globally, government\u27s role in victim compensation has become normative, but a lack of equivalency across national boundaries undermines the social solidarity required by such initiatives. Toward this end, the U.S. government, working in concert with the EU and CoE must strive to develop a single-minded model for this victim class

Development and evaluation of lessons for class and group situations in grade I. Volume I.

Thesis (Ed.M.)--Boston University For volume II, please see: http://hdl.handle.net/2144/1415

Research Is a Partner in Forward Focused Time

The complexities of modern society and the dynamic forces of progress necessitate that professionals in every discipline be forward-focused, which is believed to come from gaining higher education. This is becoming standard within the fire and emergency services professions and is commonly a factor regarding upward mobility. With that in mind, the U.S. Fire Administration/National Fire Academy (NFA) developed the Fire and Emergency Services Higher Education (FESHE) recognition certificate

Interactive 3-D Software in Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting Training

As the nexus between aviation, fire science, and emergency management becomes increasingly more complex, technology can be used to augment training and avoid risk while maintaining authenticity with situational reality. In Aircraft Rescue & Fire Fighting (ARFF), the manner in which the learning content is effectively imparted to the student-professional can make all the difference in a successful emergency response. The interactive 3-D software developed exclusively for Dallas/Fort Worth Fire Training Research Center (DFW FTRC) is part of a curriculum designed to educated and train ARFF professionals in life-saving strategies and tactics. Through a 2013 Memorandum of Understanding, the world’s leading aviation and aerospace university, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (ERAU), and DFW FTRC have created a unique partnership for the conduct of research to explore emerging issues in the discipline. Researchers from ERAU designed this collaborative study to examine how effectively the DFW FTRC virtual technology software in the classroom translated knowledge and accelerated haptic skill transfer to the hands-on portion of ARFF training at the facility. The qualitative approach integrated classroom observations with key informant interviews to create a single-case study exploratory research strategy. Emergent themes led to a richer understanding of experiential learning, particularly key differences among individual student characteristics and instructional culture that influence student proficiency and attitudes. Most noteworthy were: a larger interest among international over domestic students, age/generational difficulties with new technology, and an apprehension among ARFF professionals to transition from traditional tabletop exercises to virtual reality. Variability also existed within the instructional culture, including inconsistencies of software integration in the classroom, instructor proficiency with the software, and adult and group teaching theories. The study also found that knowledge and accelerated haptic skill transfer were positively associated with the virtual reality software, and that interactive participation and memory reinforcement were supported by the findings. Time required for curriculum development advancing further integration of the software into the training program was a significant administrative and operational challenge. Software recommendations included options that allow scenario-specific applications and variable incident conditions, thus enriching each classroom learning experience. Marketing of this software remains the final task for DFW FTRC, as cost-effective distribution could revolutionize training across public safety. Future research should also evaluate pedagogy to categorize learning constructivism using simulator-based and software-supported education and training. How this may be applied to public safety professions where risk is an inherent part of training is a crucial need in the industry

Comparing the Gut Flora of Irish Breastfed and Formula-fed Neonates Aged Between Birth and 6 Weeks Old

The exact composition of the complex microsystem that constitutes the gut flora continues to be explored as molecular methodology supplements traditional microbiological studies. The current study reports a random analysis of the faecal flora composition for 31 neonates in the 0–1 day age group, 41 neonates aged 2–5 days and 33 6-week-old neonates. All infants, born at the National Maternity Hospital, Ireland, were considered healthy, full-term normal deliveries and were either exclusively breastfed or formula-fed from birth. Microbiological and biochemical analyses of the faecal samples were used to specifically enumerate Lactobacillus spp., Bifidobacterium spp., Enterococcus spp., Staphylococcus spp., Bacteroides spp., Clostridium spp. and coliforms present in the gut. The results were analysed for the presence, prevalence and dominance of each of the species. In general, there were no major statistical variations in the findings for the two feeding regimes. However, Escherichia coli was found to be more dominant (p=0.042) in the gut flora of 6-week-old formula-fed neonates, while there was a tendency for Bifidobacterium spp. to be more prevalent in the gut flora of breastfed neonates at 2–5 days (p=0.108)

Improving the Law Office: Principles for Design

This report describes an applied research, translation and design application project. Information about the law offices was gathered and transformed into fifteen critical design principles. The format and approach leading to design principles creates powerful descriptions of the organizational and individual needs that will affect law office facility design. Seventeen different solutions to a program for a 267 person Chicago law firm are used to illustrate the application of the design principles.https://dc.uwm.edu/caupr_mono/1002/thumbnail.jp