Tanana Valley State Fair crisis public relations plan project

Master's Project (M.A.) University of Alaska Fairbanks, 2018This project proposal outlines the necessity and importance of emergency public relations during a crisis situation for the Tanana Valley State Fair. It articulates what an organization can expect when it is not prepared to address communications during a crisis situation. This project proposal is a recommendation for management of the Tanana Valley State Fair for an effective Public Relations Crisis Communication Plan, as well as a personnel training program to address the current lack of a formal plan. The project also presents a literature review on the issue of crisis public relations and its application to the Tanana Valley State Fair. In addition, it describes the methodology employed in the development of the Public Relations Crisis Communication Plan. The training progam and its supporting materials for the training sessions, along with a media relations plan, have been developed based on the research discovered in public relations crisis communication. The construction of the training program is born by studies on prepatory data and its effects on human preformance during stressful situations. As a result of this research, the proposed project on a Public Relations Crisis Communication Plan and training program have been developed for the Tanana Valley State Fair

Assessment and Improvement of Performance of Septic Systems in Cold Climates (Year 1)

Onsite septic systems are used for wastewater treatment for households not connected to sewers. There is a concern about surface and groundwater pollution when effectiveness becomes limited due to soil texture, soil temperature, neighborhood density, and distance to water resources. The goal of this study was to assess treatment performance of local soils and selected treatment media. Lab-scale column experiments were conducted using wastewater from Wastewater Reclamation Facility in Rapid City. The experiments were conducted inside and outside the lab to evaluate the effect of temperature. The columns outside the lab were subject to seasonal variation in temperature. Moisture content, temperature, and flow volume were monitored. The results indicated that higher nitrate removal was observed using redwood, biochar, and woodchips, respectively, when compared to the local soils. Average effluent nitrate concentration was 16.3 mg/L for alluvial columns followed by cedar soil (13.1 mg/L) and sand (11.3 mg/L). The performance of biochar, woodchip, and redwood was significantly higher than the local soils with an average effluent concentration of 8.5, 8.3, and 6.7 mg/L respectively. The reduction in nitrate concentration relative to alluvial columns were 20%, 31%,48%,49% and 59% respectively for cedar soil, sand, biochar, woodchips, and redwood. The performance of redwood was relatively better than biochar and woodchip. Findings from this study are useful for development of novel subsurface treatment systems, and for identifying parameters for assessing watershed-scale impacts in cold climatic regions

A Dialogue on the Constructions of GLBT and Queer Ethos: “I Belong to a Culture That Includes …”

Invoking a dialogue between two scholars, authors Jane Hoogestraat and Hillery Glasby discuss the exigence for, construction of, and differentiation between LGBT and queer ethos. Drawing from Larry Kramer’s The Normal Heart and the construction of a gay identity, the text explores connections between queer theory, LGBT(Q) ethos, and queer futurity, ultimately arguing for a more nuanced and critical understanding of the undecidability and performativity of LGBT and queer ethos. In framing LGBT and queer ethos as being at the same time a self and socially constructed and mediated—legitimate and illegitimate—ethos can be understood not only as a site for rhetorical agency, but also as an orientation and a form of activism. Finally, the text offers a case study of Adrienne Rich’s “Yom Kippur,” which is a poem that offers a queer (and) Jewish perspective on identity—from an individual and community level—exhibiting both an LGBT and queer ethos

Investigating the effectiveness of a mindfulness-based relaxation app antervention

Die Forschung in der Psychologie hat Achtsamkeit als Interventionsansatz für Stressreduktion angenommen und akzeptiert. Während bisherige Forschungen schon ausgiebig die Wirksamkeit von persönlich abgehaltenen achtsamkeitsbasierten Interventionen untersucht haben, steht die Überprüfung von onlinebasierten Achtsamkeitsinterventionen im arbeitspsychologischen Kontext noch ganz am Anfang. Aus diesem Grund widmet sich die aktuelle Studie einer Evaluierung der Durchführbarkeit und Wirksamkeit einer achtsamkeitsbasierten, entspannungs-fördernden App-Intervention. Als Untersuchungsgegenstand wurde ein Modul der eleMental App anhand einer Langzeitstudie in der Arbeitspopulation untersucht. Es wurden insgesamt fünf Fragebögen versendet (Prä-Test, drei wöchentliche Fragebögen und Post-Test). Insofern war es möglich statistisch relevante Variationen in den Hauptvariablen zu erforschen. An der Studie nahmen 74 Versuchspersonen teil, welche sich bereit erklärten, mindestens drei Übungen pro Woche, innerhalb der dreiwöchigen Interventionsphase zu absolvieren. Die Hauptvariablen, die untersucht wurden, waren Erholungsbedürfnis, arbeitsbezogener Stress, Wohlbefinden und Arbeitszufriedenheit. Des Weiteren wurden zwei Mediatoren - Achtsamkeit und mentales Abschalten – sowie vier Moderatoren - Resilienz, erholungsbezogene Selbstwirksamkeit, Häufigkeit der Nutzung und Bewertung der Übungen ins Modell eingebunden. Die Hauptergebnisse der Studie zeigten, dass das Erholungsbedürfnis der Versuchspersonen in der dritten Interventionswoche und im Post-Test signifikant gesunken war sowie dass dieser Effekt von Achtsamkeit mediiert wurde. Mentales Abschalten mediierte keinen der Effekte. Des Weiteren zeigten die Moderationsanalysen einen moderierenden Effekt von der Häufigkeit der Nutzung auf das Erholungsbedürfnis sowie von der Bewertung der Übungen und der erholungsbezogenen Selbstwirksamkeit auf das Stressempfinden der Versuchspersonen. Diese Ergebnisse erlauben eine Befürwortung der Wirksamkeit app-basierter Interventionen. Ideen zur praktischen Verwendung dieser Erkenntnisse werden im Diskussionsteil angeführt.Psychology research has accepted and approved mindfulness as an option of stress-reducing intervention. Whereas numerous studies have already investigated the effectiveness of face-to-face mindfulness-based relaxation interventions in the context of occupational well-being, evidence of the effectiveness of online interventions is still lacking. Therefore, purpose of the present study was to examine the feasibility and effectiveness of a mindfulness-based relaxation app intervention through evaluating a module of the eleMental App. By comparing pre-test, three weekly tests and post-test results, we could determine statistical variations in the outcomes occurring during and after the intervention phase. 74 participants were asked to complete at least three audio exercises each week in an intense 3-week intervention phase. Four central work- and recovery-related outcomes (need for recovery, work-related stress, well-being and job satisfaction) were assessed. Further, we integrated two mediators (mindfulness and psychological detachment) into our model which possibly might influence the outcome relations. In addition, we set four moderators (resilience, self-efficacy for recovery, frequent use of exercises and appraisal of exercises) that might intensify relations. We could verify some hypotheses. Participants reported significantly lower levels in need for recovery in week 3 and post-test. The effects of the intervention were primarily explained by increased levels of mindfulness and its mediating role. Psychological detachment did not mediate any relation of our outcome variables. Moderation analyses depicted frequency of use to moderate need for recovery as well as appraisal of exercises and self-efficacy for recovery did for participants’ perception of work-related stress. Therefore, our findings provide support for app-based interventions to aid relaxation indicating less need for recovery and a reduction of stress level due to intervention. Proposed directions for research implications and practice are discussed

Using InSAR Velocity Measurements at Transmission Towers to Calibrate Ground Motion Data

poste

Detecting very slow natural ground motion in Schleswig-Holstein from radar satellite data

The near-surface geology of northern Germany is characterized by glacial deposits, deformed by rising Permian and Upper Triassic salt structures. Ground motions potentially associated with salt tectonic processes are very slow and are superimposed by signals of e.g. hydrological and anthropogenic sources. To measure them requires the detection of motion rates in the range of a few millimeters per year with sufficient spatial coverage. For large areas little is known about the rates and the characteristics of ground motions, even though they directly affect anthropogenic infrastructure and could have an impact on the future use of the underground for storage purposes or the exploitation of geothermal energy. To measure ground motion, we use radar interferometric time series data provided by the German Aerospace Center and the Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources' Ground motion service. These data are based on Synthetic Aperture Radar images acquired by ESA's ERS and Sentinel satellites. Time-series analyses are possible for temporally stable backscattering objects (persistent scatterers) on the ground. Generally, this results in spatially dense observations over built-up areas and sparse observations over rural areas. We use a set of geostatistical methods to analyze these time series data. We detect signals of large-scale surface-deforming processes such as the subsidence of the marshes. We see small-scale signals like the swelling of Permian anhydrite at the Segeberger "Kalkberg". And we can observe subsidence processes over the historic town of Lübeck. Our work extends the area of application of the PS-InSAR technique from areas with high motion rates to regions with particular low motion rates. We discuss methods that can be used to link ERS data to the Sentinel-1 data, in particular, to separate long-term motion processes from short-term effects. We are working on techniques that shall help to decompose different signal sources. Finally, we aim to prepare a set of tools, that can be used by the community.poste

Assessing PS-InSAR ground motion data toward stability monitoring of coastal flood protection dikes

Sea level rise caused by climate change represents a challenge to coastal flood protection measures, particularly in regions such as the federal state of Schleswig-Holstein. Large parts along the North Sea coast are protected by dikes and offshore islands provide additional shelter to the hinterland, which often lies just above or even beneath sea level. We have examined InSAR time series data from the German Ground Motion Service along the entire west coast dike route from the Danish border to Wedel. We want to estimate how these data can be used to detect and monitor ground motion processes related to dikes, especially in cases where PS (persistent scatterer) are irregularly distributed. We found, that mainly those parts of the dikes can be monitored by PS interferometry where the seaward dike base is shielded by heavy armourstone acting as sufficient back-scatters for radar waves. Here, ground motion processes induced by additional load of reinforcing construction work can be observed. In some regions the dikes are influenced by long-term, large-scale subsidence. We performed statistical analysis on low pass filtered PS time series to automatically identify significant ground motion and/or ground motion events within a local area of interest. Preliminary results suggest, that we may be able to identify dike segments which show signs of anomalous ground motion and thus should be monitored closely.poste

Design of mixed-metal silver decamolybdate nanostructures for high specific energies at high power density

Mixed‐metal molybdates are interesting host materials for ion‐insertion electrodes due to their versatile crystal chemistry, which confers a highway for the conduction of electrons as well as ions. Silver decamolybdate in triclinic crystal structure (T‐Ag6Mo10O33) consists of layers of MoO6 octahedra separated by arrays of silver ions that are able to store a high amount of charges.NRF (Natl Research Foundation, S’pore)ASTAR (Agency for Sci., Tech. and Research, S’pore)Accepted versio