USA murated nation, or, the sublime spherology of security culture

This article investigates David Foster Wallace's 1996 novel Infinite Jest in terms of the links between Cold Containment, the reconfigured United States energy system and the Cold War. The essay focusses on the Reconfiguration's defensive mechanisms against waste as a retooled version of Ronald Reagan's SDI, both of which are fantasy systems imagined as constructions of glass, mirror and plastic. The materiality of these “defensive” arrangements is, then, of paramount importance: it is this trinity of substances that forms the subject of this essay

A qualitative study of caregiver stress and coping following the placement of a family member in a dementia care facility

The decision to place a memory-impaired loved one in a dementia care facility can be emotionally challenging for families with many factors to consider. The purpose of this study was to explore the stress and coping of caregivers after the facility placement of their family member. Data were collected through 15 in-depth interviews with caregivers who were within the first 6 months of having moved their love one to this type of facility. Results suggested that dementia caregivers experienced high levels of burden due to the disease-related behaviors of their loved one coupled with the emotionally-laden experience of seeing a loved one move to a care facility. Over half of the participants reported a lack of emotional support from service providers during the relocation period, yet all participants reported the Alzheimer's Association as being the most supportive social service agency. Implications for social work practice and future research directions are discussed

Architecture of alpine pastures : identification and preservation of a cultural landscape

Abweichender Titel nach Übersetzung der Verfasserin/des VerfassersAlmen sind über Jahrhunderte entstandene Kulturlandschaften und verkörpern Idylle, Ruhe und Natur. In Anbetracht der massiven strukturellen Veränderungen in der Landwirtschaft, der technologischen Entwicklungen und des gesellschaftlichen Wandels in einer immer schnelllebigeren Welt, stellt sich die Frage, wie lange diese von Abgeschiedenheit und Einfachheit geprägten Orte noch bestehen können. Sind die Auswirkungen einer Zeit, die von Rationalisierung, Mechanisierung und dem technischen Fortschritt beherrscht wird, so bedrohlich, dass es zur Aufgabe der Almen und letztendlich zum Verlust dieser Kulturlandschaft kommt?Neben dem landwirtschaftlichen Nutzen übernehmen Almen heute auch wichtige ökonomische, ökologische und gesellschaftliche Funktionen. Daher ist eine Vielzahl an Gründen zu nennen, warum das Aufrechterhalten der bestehenden Almlandschaften von großer Bedeutung ist. In den baulichen Anlagen der Almen spiegeln sich die jahrhundertealte Wirtschaftsform, Lebensweise und Baukultur sowie der Wandel in dieser Zeit wider. Der Verlust ihrer ursprünglichen Nutzung führt zu Umformungen, Neubauten und letztendlich auch zum Verfall.Ein sensibler Umgang mit dieser Kulturlandschaft kann nur stattfinden, wenn deren Wert erkannt wird. Diese Arbeit veranschaulicht ihre Bedeutungsvielfalt und erläutert ausgewählte Leitaspekte, welche für die Bewahrung der Almen relevant sind.Alpine pastures are cultural landscapes that have evolved over centuries and embody idyll, serenity and nature. Considering massive structural changes in agriculture, technological developments and social change in an increasingly fast-paced world, the question remains how long these secluded and ordinary places can continue to exist. Are the effects of a time marked by rationalization, mechanization and technological progress so threatening as to lead to the abandonment of pastures and ultimately the loss of this cultural landscape?In addition to agricultural benefits, pastures today also assume important economic, ecological and sociocultural functions. Therefore, there are numerous reasons to mention why maintaining the existing alpine landscape is so important. The centuries-old, economical way of life and building culture are reflected in the structures of the alpine pastures which also serve as a reminder of how change occurs over time. The loss of their original use leads to transformations, new construction but also to disrepair of the buildings.The importance of this cultural landscape must be recognized in order for them to be treasured and maintained. This thesis proposes to show their diversity and to outline, based on selected key aspects, what measures need to be taken in order to preserve the alpine pastures.20

Need of CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) team in hospital

In the introduction of the theoretical part of the Bachelor's thesis, we learn about the history and development of life support and we explain the role of a resuscitation team (RT). The practical part focuses on mapping of the existence and activities of resuscitation teams in seven South Bohemian hospitals in case of a necessity for advanced life support (ALS) in sudden circulatory failures (SCF) that arise in a hospital. Data collection took place in the form of questionnaires based on a guided interview of the author with randomly chosen respondents, at previously determined workplaces with the highest probability of SCF. All questioning was anonymous and both respondents and hospitals were subsequently assigned code indications. The thesis should be beneficial for acquisition of information on current state of resuscitation teams in hospitals of the South Bohemian region and on provision of qualified resuscitation care according to valid rules updated by the European Resuscitation Council in October 2015. From the results of the research part, it is evident that resuscitation teams are active in all the South Bohemian hospitals. Their activities, personnel and technological equipment correspond to a standard and they are comparable in all the hospitals. Some shortcomings that may lead to not quite as optimal CPR results were found in the initial phases in first providers on standard inpatient wards