Giving Your All: Evaluating Changing Social Identities Throughout the Assimilation Process in Full-Life Volunteer Organizations

The present study evaluates the assimilation process for full-life volunteers in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS) missionary program. The focus on full-life volunteers provided an opportunity to observe the assimilation process for volunteers for whom their volunteer identity becomes the dominant identity in their lives for the duration of their service. The first research question addressed the assimilation process of these full-life volunteers. By examining the assimilation process of full-life volunteers through the lens of SIT, this study explores how individual full-life volunteers experience the assimilation process and the identity changes associated with organizational identification. Although much of the assimilation process for full-life volunteers conformed to previous assimilation phase models, several important differences were discovered. First, the results demonstrated that for full-life volunteers in this study, the anticipatory socialization phase is broken into three distinct phases: exposure, exploration, and engagement. Congruent with other assimilation phase models, the entry phase was marked by high levels of uncertainty and anxiety. Unique to full-life volunteers, the entry phase was not merely an entry into a new organization, but into an entirely new lifestyle that was centered on organizational membership. As participants became accustomed to the full-life volunteer lifestyle and role, they transitioned into the metamorphosis phase where their organizational and role identities became more solidified in the center of their self-concept. In the exit phase, full-life volunteers’ organizational and role identities became the foundational identities to which other congruent identities were added so as to create a new self-concept. The results of the second research question sought to describe how these full-life volunteers used sensemaking to frame their volunteer service. The results indicated that these volunteers made sense of their experience in three ways: transcendence, a rite of passage, and an opportunity for personal development. Through these sensemaking tools, full-life volunteers were able to find meaning in their service

Blindness in a Woman With Human Immunodeficiency Virus Infection and Syphilis

Background: A concomitant infection with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) may alter the natural history of other infections. Several reports indicate that syphilis may behave more aggressively when HIV infection is present

Adherence and Blocking of Candida Albicans to Cultured Vaginal Epithelial Cells: Treatments to Decrease Adherence

Background. Pathogenesis of mucosal microorganisms depends on adherence to the tissues they colonize and infect. For Candida albicans, cell surface hydrophobicity may play a significant role in tissue binding ability. Methods. A continuous cell line of vaginal epithelial cells (VEC) was grown in keratinocyte serum-free medium (KSFM) with supplements and harvested by trypsinization. VEC were combined with yeast cells to evaluate adherence and inhibition of adherence. In this experimental setup, yeast stained with fluorescein isothiocyanate were allowed to attach to VEC and the resulting fluorescent VEC were detected by flow cytometry. Results. VEC were cultured and examined daily after plating and showed morphology similar to basal epithelial cells. Culture media supplemented with estradiol showed increased VEC proliferation initially (first 24 h) but cell morphology was not altered. Fluorescinated Candida cells bound effectively to the cultured VEC. Using fresh cells exposed to various preparations of K-Y, we showed that all formulations of the product reduced Candida binding to VEC by 25% to 50%. While VEC were generally harvested for use in experiments when they were near confluent growth, we allowed some cultures to grow beyond that point and discovered that cells allowed to become overgrown or stressed appeared to bind yeast cells more effectively. Conclusion. Flow cytometry is a useful method for evaluating binding of stained yeast cells to cultured VEC and has demonstrated that commercially available products have the ability to interfere with the process of yeast adherence to epithelial cells

Evaluating the robustness of an active network management function in an operational environment

This paper presents the integration process of a distribution network Active Network Management (ANM) function within an operational environment in the form of a Micro-Grid Laboratory. This enables emulation of a real power network and enables investigation into the effects of data uncertainty on an online and automatic ANM algorithm's control decisions. The algorithm implemented within the operational environment is a Power Flow Management (PFM) approach based around the Constraint Satisfaction Problem (CSP). This paper show the impact of increasing uncertainty, in the input data available for an ANM scheme in terms of the variation in control actions. The inclusion of a State Estimator (SE), with known tolerances is shown to improve the ANM performance

Attitudes toward Rubella and Varicella Vaccination during Preconception Care

Introduction. MMR and Varicella vaccines contain live attenuated virus, a contraindication during pregnancy. For this reason, it is important to clinically assess barriers to vaccination during the preconception time period to avoid the known fetal morbidity associated with congenital Rubella or Varicella infection. Methods. To determine the prevalence of patients with nonimmune status for Rubella and Varicella in the setting of advanced reproductive care. Secondary outcomes of interest included further understanding nonimmune reproductive-aged women's attitudes toward MMR and Varicella vaccination during the preconception time frame. Patient records were with lab orders for Rubella or Varicella immunoglobulin titers, placed at the KU Advanced Reproductive Care clinic between January 2017 and June 2020. A cross-sectional survey was administered to patients with a laboratory reported negative titer result. Results. Prevalence of nonimmunity within the study population to either Rubella and/or Varicella was 10.7% (n=1,979), to Rubella, 6.0% (n=134) and to Varicella, 3.8% (n=85) out of a total 2,217 patient records reviewed. The women who did not receive recommended vaccines following a nonimmune titer result (n=19) most commonly cited their rationale was to not further delay fertility treatment (n=8). Conclusions. The prevalence of nonimmune persons in the study population fell within the range recognized to be sufficient for herd immunity. The risk/benefit analysis of postponing fertility treatment to achieve adequate levels of immunity should be a focused discussion when establishing fertility treatment goals with patients in the setting of advanced reproductive care

Increasing renewable penetration on islanded networks through active network management : a case study from Shetland

The drive to reduce reliance on fossil fuel generation in meeting power system demand is encouraging network operators to develop novel methods of making greater use of available network capacity whilst maintaining stability and security. Challenges relating to network stability are particularly acute on islanded networks. The Northern Isles New Energy Solutions (NINES) project is implementing novel techniques for managing the power network on the Shetland Islands in the UK. Active Network Management is used to monitor and control the network and new wind generation in real time, and flexible demand is scheduled to minimise the use of conventional generation by reducing wind curtailment and minimising system losses. The flexible demand devices deployed also have the ability to respond to frequency therefore supporting system stability. This paper presents the development of two novel modelling techniques used in the design and deployment of NINES – an ‘envelope of stability wind generation’ and the use of Dynamic Optimal Power Flow to schedule flexible demand. A case study is presented which shows that an ANM scheme managing flexible demand has the potential to increase wind capacity connected on Shetland from the existing 4MW to 16.1MW. The management of domestic demand flexibility is shown to contribute up to 6.5GWh towards the reduction in conventional generation or up to 16.6GWh if domestic demand provides frequency response

Validation of an Impulse Measurement Technique with High Temporal and Spatial Resolutions

AbstractWe present a new experimental technique to measure the force-time history of high-velocity impacts and high pressure blast waves. The technique is based on the classic Hopkinson-type strain bar, coupled with an interferometric velocimeter instead of strain gauges. The major benefits of this setup are its accuracy, temporal resolution, and its imperviousness to electromagnetic interferences. We explain the keys concepts behind the technique and describe the experimental setup. We present experimental and numerical data as proof-of-concept and discuss preliminary studies on the effect of plastic deformation of the bar and its consequences on the interpretation of the measured impulse-history

Geology for Environmental Planning in Marion County, Indiana

Marion County is the center of a large and rapidly growing urban-industrial complex in the heartland of Indiana. The boundaries of the county and of Indianapolis, the state capital, are the same as a result of the UNIGOV concept. The rapid growth of Indianapolis and its suburbs makes effective land-use planning important for Marion County. This report is designed to provide information, based on the geologic setting of the area, that can be used for effective and environmentally sound development of the county

Rapid Invasion of Indo-Pacific Lionfishes (\u3cem\u3ePterois Volitans\u3c/em\u3e and \u3cem\u3ePterois Miles\u3c/em\u3e) in the Florida Keys, USA: Evidence from Multiple Pre- and Post-Invasion Data Sets

Over the past decade, Indo-Pacific lionfishes, Pterois volitans (Linnaeus, 1758) and Pterois miles (Bennett, 1828), venomous members of the scorpionfish family (Scorpaenidae), have invaded and spread throughout much of the tropical and subtropical northwestern Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean Sea. These species are generalist predators of fishes and invertebrates with the potential to disrupt the ecology of the invaded range. Lionfishes have been present in low numbers along the east coast of Florida since the 1980s, but were not reported in the Florida Keys until 2009. We document the appearance and rapid spread of lionfishes in the Florida Keys using multiple long-term data sets that include both pre- and post-invasion sampling. Our results are the first to quantify the invasion of lionfishes in a new area using multiple independent, ongoing monitoring data sets, two of which have explicit estimates of sampling effort. Between 2009 and 2011, lionfish frequency of occurrence, abundance, and biomass increased rapidly, increasing three- to six-fold between 2010 and 2011 alone. In addition, individuals were detected on a variety of reef and non-reef habitats throughout the Florida Keys. Because lionfish occurrence, abundance, and impacts are expected to continue to increase throughout the region, monitoring programs like those used in this study will be essential to document ecosystem changes that may result from this invasion

Ecological-economic assessment of the effects of freshwater flow in the Florida Everglades on recreational fisheries

This research develops an integrated methodology to determine the economic value to anglers of recreational fishery ecosystem services in Everglades National Park that could result from different water management scenarios. The study first used bio-hydrological models to link managed freshwater inflows to indicators of fishery productivity and ecosystem health, then link those models to anglers\u27 willingness-to-pay for various attributes of the recreational fishing experience and monthly fishing effort. This approach allowed us to estimate the foregone economic benefits of failing to meet monthly freshwater delivery targets. The study found that the managed freshwater delivery to the Park had declined substantially over the years and had fallen short of management targets. This shortage in the flow resulted in the decline of biological productivity of recreational fisheries in downstream coastal areas. This decline had in turn contributed to reductions in the overall economic value of recreational ecosystem services enjoyed by anglers. The study estimated the annual value of lost recreational services at $68.81million. The losses were greater in the months of dry season when the water shortage was higher and the number of anglers fishing also was higher than the levels in wet season. The study also developed conservative estimates of implicit price of water for recreation, which ranged from$11.88 per AF in November to $112.11 per AF in April. The annual average price was$41.54 per AF. Linking anglers\u27 recreational preference directly to a decision variable such as water delivery is a powerful and effective way to make management decision