RISK ASSESSMENT OF CONTAMINANT MIGRATION ON ENVIRONMENT AND COASTAL COMMUNITIES DUE TO HURRICANES – A REVIEW

Studies specifically focusing on effects of contamination migration to the environment and human health pertaining to hurricane activity are minimal, yet necessary to understand risk and mitigate future impacts of these devastating storms. A hurricane’s speed and direction are heavily dependent on the intricate interaction between the atmosphere and ocean, including the presence or absence of additional weather patterns. The complexity of these conditions makes it very difficult to predict the impacts of such a storm, including threat to human health by exposure to contaminants, damage to structures and facilities housing hazardous substances, and contamination dispersion from a facility into the environment and surrounding communities. Since the intensity of hurricane events has been increasing globally, many efforts have been made to predict these natural storms. 1 Evaluations of the consequences that storms pose on impacted coastal communities and environments once they pass must not be neglected. A limited number of previous studies have discussed the destructive influences natural disasters have on technological industries, known as “na-tech” events. However, the majority of those studies are conducted with a wide lens, considering all the possibilities of natural disasters together and overlooking non-industrial cases. This project will review available data to analyze risk posed on environments and communities specifically from hurricane impacts. Thorough examination of public records will be conducted for industrial and non-industrial facilities that handle hazardous substances and contamination, such as chlorinated solvents, heavy metals, and organic compounds. The goal is to more accurately assess how communities and their surrounding environments will be affected by hurricane-induced contaminant releases in order to support future preparation, mitigation, and response efforts

They Responded, We Listened: Improving Stroke Education and Patient Satisfaction

The annual decrease in stroke mortality rates in the United States has slowed, but in certain populations, such as Hispanics and in southern U.S. states, mortality rates are increasing. Stroke remains the number one cause of adult disability. A previous stroke is a risk factor for a second stroke. Prompt treatment is essential for positive outcomes. Patients need to present to the hospital no more than 4.5 hours from last known well for intravenous alteplase treatment and six to 24 hours from last known well for endovascular therapy. Based on the literature, the majority of patients are not presenting to the hospital in time for treatment. Patients should be educated in the hospital prior to discharge on Joint Commission required elements of stroke education, which include the importance of calling 911, stroke signs and symptoms, disease processes, risk factor management, and follow up. However, in 2016, 40% of Kaiser Permanente stroke survivor members reported they were not adequately educated in the required elements, despite nursing documentation of education. Increasing patient knowledge and perception of adequate education may increase the number of patients who present in time for treatment. Interventions to increase patient perception of adequate education included engagement of stroke survivor’s view of educational material, the evaluation of current educational material, the development of a fourth-grade reading level flyer, and the development of a training module for nurses working on stroke units or units with stroke-designation. Preliminary results were not conclusive, and more data points are needed. The percentage of positive responses to the question, “Staff Explained Disease Processes,” rose from 51% (21/41) to 64% (32/50). However, the positive responses for the other two stroke-related questions for risk factors and stroke signs and symptoms decreased from 54% (23/42) to 44% (24/54) and 52% (19/36) to 47% (25/53), respectively. The overall results were not statistically significant using χ2 for analysis. Behavioral measures, which may be influenced by increased education such as arriving to the hospital in time for treatment and activation of the emergency medical system, saw no significant difference for arrival in time for treatment and, unfortunately, a statistically significant increase in arrival by private car for the month of August. Future work of the project is to continue to increase training and awareness for the nurses, obtain additional stroke survivor input, analyze the time to arrival and arrival mode data more closely, and to explore a regional stroke patient satisfaction assessment process

Cather\u27s New World Cultural Exploitation vs. Cultural Cohesion in Sapphira and the Slave Girl, The Professor\u27s House and Shadows on the Rock

Three of Cather’s works, Sapphira and the Slave Girl, The professor’s House, and Shadows on the Rock distinguish two civilizations in North America. This thesis examines the mental and physical abuses of African American slavery imposed on its victims in Sapphira and the Slave Girl. In The Professor’s House, the abuse and neglect with which America has treated Native Americans is revealed. Shadows on the Rock demonstrates the cultural superiority and cohesiveness of the French settlement described. In the works, Cather creates powerful contrasts between the American and Canadian societies within the New World. Her comparisons suggest that twentieth-century Americans appear to be in moral and intellectual decline. Individuals are displaced, family unites are destroyed, and American institutions, represented by the Smithsonian, are corrupt

AREA-LEVEL LANDFILL DENSITY AND ASTHMA PREVALENCE IN URBAN TEXAS AREAS

Environmental exposures, especially air pollutants, pose a threat for an increase in asthma prevalence. In particular, hydrogen sulfide (H2S) gas can cause severe health effects closely resembling asthmatic symptoms. Ambient concentrations of H2S gas correlates with the amount of solid waste found in landfills. The potential for adverse health risks associated with H2S emitted from landfills is of concern for those populations living in close proximity to landfills. Asthma is one of the adverse health effects that can occur due to H2S exposure. However, there is a lack of detailed studies characterizing possible associations between the density of landfills and asthma prevalence in Texas. Understanding the potential exposure to landfills for Texas residents has public health implications. This proposed study examined the census tract-level association between landfill density and asthma prevalence in several urban areas in Texas. We hypothesized that census-tracts with the highest density of landfills had the highest prevalence of asthma. Population data was obtained from existing datasets from the 500 Cities Project, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ), and the Municipal Solid Waste Sites and Landfills. This study used count regression models for data analyses, and found no definitive relationship between Texas landfills and asthma prevalence census-tracts. Findings from this study provides more information pertaining to landfills and asthma prevalence. These results may contribute to the already established Texas public health data and policies regarding landfill locations and potential health risks among neighboring populations; however, future research is needed to investigate further associations and exposure

Global Citizenship Certificate Program

In today’s highly globalized and increasingly interconnected world, we face many pressing world problems including poverty, social inequalities, and climate change, to name a few. Reflecting this stark reality and acknowledging that these problems are indeed borderless, it has become vital to rethink education and provide the next generation of worldwide change-makers with the knowledge, skills, and attitudes necessary to solve these problems and make our world more equitable and sustainable. One avenue for achieving this shift in education and fostering these global problem-solving skills and attitudes, is global citizenship. United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon corroborates this point, stating, “We must foster global citizenship. Education is about more than literacy and numeracy. It is also about citizenry. Education must fully assume its essential role in helping people to forge more just, peaceful, and tolerant societies” (Oxfam, 2015). More and more schools, particularly international schools with their inherent global context, are currently recognizing the value of global citizenship. However, even though many schools see the value in bringing global citizenship into their classrooms and communities, educators often lack clarity and vision on how to foster this change. Although global citizenship is a core component of the vision of The JUMP! Foundation, an experiential education non-profit social enterprise, JUMP! programs specific to global citizenship have yet to be fully developed or implemented. Drawing from the needs of JUMP!, its international partner schools, and the greater state of education, this capstone outlines The Global Citizenship Certificate Program, a three-year, sequential program analyzing global citizenship at the personal, community, and global levels, with the aim of fostering informed, empathetic, innovative, and engaged global citizens