A Broken Model: Solving America\u27s Airport Security System

In the wake of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, the need for heightened security in all aspects, especially for airports, created reciprocal tensions amongst air passengers as resentful Americans looked to President George W. Bush for answers. As the Homeland Security Alert Code escalated in threat level and airline ticket sales continued to plummet, only the assurance of a new security system could offer a temporary saving grace for airlines in the United States. In response, body scanners arose with the intentions and promises offering speedy checking times and processing large volumes of people at once, however, the implementation of these scanners comes with a hefty list of consequences. Although doing away with body scanners entirely is probably not feasible, we should limit and reduce their usage in the US airport security model because the costs outweigh the benefits, they cause privacy and health concerns, and there are much better alternatives to add and even replace them. I analyzed sources from departments in the United States government, including the Department of Homeland Security, and among the leading scientific journals, most notably the Journal of Transportation Security and the Law and Security Review. In approaching this question from varying angles, I concentrated my research on sources offering general information about the Israeli and American airport security models, sources arguing in favor of low-tech solutions, sources concerning true public opinion, and sources describing the effectiveness of mixing security techniques. The body scanners are extremely expensive considering the current TSA’s budget proposals and the Homeland Security section of the US budget. For all that the manufacturers claim about the scanners, especially speedy scanning rates and the complete detection of explosives and triggers on the body, they have not lived up to expectations set by the manufacturers. In addition, the body scanners work by emitting low-dose backscatter radiation, and there are concerns about possible long-term health effects. Privacy issues have also arisen in response to evidence suggesting that sensitive photographs taken by the scanners have been kept despite the manufacturer’s reassurances. Although the US has poured much money into the body scanners, all is not lost, as there are still a myriad of other alternatives that can be explored to ensure the safety of airport passengers and workers. Among these options include: behavioral detection techniques, the Computer Assisted Passenger Pre-screening System (CAPPS), the privatization of airport security, improved baggage screening techniques, Express Checks for frequent flyers, a profile for illicit drug traffickers and sky-jackers, and a special interviewing process for identifying potential threats.https://scholarscompass.vcu.edu/uresposters/1020/thumbnail.jp

Differentiation of Surface Water and Groundwater in a Karst System Using Anthropogenic Signatures

Surface water-groundwater interaction within a karstic system enhances contaminant transport, making karst aquifers susceptible to anthropogenic practices. Contaminated waters related to agricultural and animal husbandry in northwestern Illinois (USA) prompted this investigation. Six streams and five springs were sampled for 16 parameters to assess anthropogenic influences. Statistical analyses revealed differences in 13 of 16 parameters between the stream and spring waters. Rock-water interaction was identified as the dominant mechanism defining the chemistry for both waters, which were classified as Ca-Mg HCO3. Elevated nitrate as nitrogen (NO3-N), chloride (Cl-), sodium, and potassium concentrations indicate that human activities have influenced the quality of both water types. All streams and springs had NO3-N concentration exceeding background levels, with concentrations ranging from 2.9 to 14.5 mg/L and 2.9 to 30.1 mg/L, respectively. NO3-N/Cl relationships at individual locations showed elevated concentrations of NO3-N due to fertilizers, while the spring waters were influenced by manure, septic effluent, or mixed sources. The presence of coliform supports the likelihood of animal or human waste influences on waters. Dissimilarities within their chemical fingerprints can be traced to aid in differentiating sources within the waters

Hydrogeologic Investigation of a Covered Karst Terrain

Increasing demand for water for agricultural use within the Dougherty Plain of the Southeastern United States has depleted surface water bodies. In karstic landscapes, such as the Dougherty Plain in southwest Georgia where the linkages between surface and ground waters are close, there is a need to understand the physical characteristics of the subsurface that allow these close linkages. Having a better understanding of the subsurface characteristics will aid numerical modeling efforts that underpin policy decisions and economic analyses. Two common features on this karstic landscape are draws and geographically isolated wetlands. Using LiDAR, aerial imagery, and ground-penetrating radar, this study investigates the subsurface characteristics of a draw and a series of geographically isolated wetlands. GPR reflections indicative of karst features are laterally-continuous and connect the landscape to nearby Ichawaynochaway Creek. The identification of the size and scale of the laterally continuous karstic features will guide the implementation of groundwater models used to determine irrigation and forest restoration programs while minimizing the impacts of water use on surface streams and the ecosystems

“Life is Still Stronger Than Death”: The Life-Saving Women Doctors of Auschwitz

Before World War II, Jewish individuals held prominent employment roles within society. It was not until Adolf Hitler and the German National Socialist Party (Nazi) party came to power in 1933 in Germany that this idea changed. Men and women quickly lost their jobs and status, even the doctors and lawyers. Three Jewish doctors, Lucie Adelsberger, Gisella Perl, and Olga Lengyel found ways to continue their professions once they went to Auschwitz. They became prison doctors, allowing them to help all of those women and children who needed medical treatment because of experiments and diseases in the camp. Adelsberger, an immunologist in Germany before the war, continued her medical work in Auschwitz. She had to quickly learn gynecology to better serve the women and children in her care. Perl and Lengyel, both from modern day Romania studied gynecology in medical school, which helped them while working under Dr. Josef Mengele. This thesis provides a unique narrative of these three women, their experiences during World War II, their survival of the Holocaust, and how they helped reinterpret what it meant to be a good physician during and after WWII

Idolizing Authorship:An Introduction

Though these days, our celebrity culture tends to revolve around movie stars and pop musicians, there have been plenty of celebrity authors over the years and around the world. This volume brings together a number of contributors to look at how and why certain writers have attained celebrity throughout history. How were their images as celebrities constructed by themselves and in complicity with their fans? And how did that process and its effects differ from country to country and era to era

Introduction:The return of the author in Dutch studies

Modern and Contemporary Studie

'Ik kan U zeggen, dierbare, dat ik overkropt was van droefheid': een brief over Bilderdijks begrafenis

Modern and Contemporary Studie

Herman Brusselmans: Uitgeverij Guggenheimer

Modern and Contemporary Studie

Van duivel tot idool: het Napoleonbeeld in de negentiende eeuw

Modern and Contemporary Studie