The State in Disarray: US Oversight of Private Security Contractors

“Putting mercy back in mercenary” became the slogan of Blackwater Worldwide after harsh criticism from the media tarnished their image. Blackwater is just one example of a private firm working for the US government. The War in Iraq that began in 2003 had for the first time, contractors performing security functions for military men in an unstable environment (Elsea). Given the heightened reliance on PSCs from the Department of State and Department of Defense, the US government has taken on the burden of establishing regulations to govern their actions and hold them accountable. On September 16, 2007, Blackwater security personnel working for the State Department opened fire at Nisour Square in Baghdad killing 17 Iraqi civilians causing the effectiveness of US oversight to come into immediate question. What protocol was in place to prevent such an abuse of power, who established accountability, and where were the US supervisors? It appeared that PSCs working for the State Department were answerable to no one. It became apparent that the United States had failed to provide adequate oversight for State Department private security contractors in Iraq

Parent distress, parent behavior, and infant distress during pediatric immunizations

Infant procedural distress historically has been ignored, and the importance of reducing infant distress only recently has been addressed. To understand and manage infant procedural distress, it is essential to examine the correlates and potential predictors of this distress. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of parent distress on infant procedural distress, the effects of parent behavior on infant distress, and the combined impact of parent distress and behavior on infant distress for 37 parent-infant dyads. Results demonstrated that infant measures were not intercorrelated, only parent self-report measures were intercorrelated, and several measures of parent distress correlated with measures of infant distress. Additionally, hugging was positively associated, whereas distraction (during the immunization phase) was negatively associated with infant distress. Finally, several parent behaviors were negatively correlated with parent distress measures. Several treatment implications and recommendations for future research are discussed

Use of a token economy to increase exercise in children with cystic fibrosis

Cystic fibrosis is a chronic illness that affects several major organ systems, primarily the respiratory system and the exocrine glands of the pancreatic system. The treatment regimen is extensive (e.g., medications, vitamins, high fat diet, airway clearance sessions). Although adherence to medications is high, adherence to the airway clearance techniques (chest physiotherapy and exercise) is less consistent. Increasing exercise adherence is of utmost importance because pulmonary difficulties are associated with the highest mortality rate and exercise is more beneficial than other airway clearance methods. Despite this, very little research has focused on increasing exercise adherence in this population. The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of a token economy on increasing aerobic exercise in children with cystic fibrosis. As predicted, the token economy increased exercise for all three participants. Mixed results were found for the effects of regular exercise on participant\u27s quality of life and attitudes towards exercise. Finally, regular exercise did not negatively impact the participants\u27 pulmonary functioning or fitness level and participants demonstrated increased body fat percentage with one participant demonstrating increased body mass index as well. Treatment implications and recommendations for future research are discussed

Selling pain to the saturated self

How can we comprehend people who pay for an experience marketed as painful? On one hand consumers spend billions of dollars every year to alleviate different kinds of pain. On the other hand, millions of individuals participate in extremely painful leisure pursuits. In trying to understand this conundrum, we ethnographically study a popular adventure challenge where participants subject themselves to electric shocks, fire and freezing water. Through sensory intensification, pain brings the body into sharp focus, allowing individuals to rediscover their corporeality. In addition, painful extraordinary experiences operate as regenerative escapes from the self. By flooding the consciousness with gnawing unpleasantness, pain provides a temporary relief from the burdens of self-awareness. Finally, when leaving marks and wounds, pain helps consumers create the story of a fulfilled life. In a context of decreased physicality, market operators play a major role in selling pain to the saturated selves of knowledge workers, who use pain as a way to simultaneously escape reflexivity and craft their life narrative

Randomised controlled trial of fish oil supplement to treat cancer cachexia

Patients with advanced cancer often suffer from cachexia, a debilitating and complex extreme weight loss syndrome which is also associated with shorter survival times. A pragmatic randomised controlled trial was conducted to determine whether an oral nutritional supplement containing the omega-3 fatty acid eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) was able to improve quality of life and survival times of patients with advanced solid tumour cancer in a mixed tumour cancer type population

Irrigation Efficiency of Santa Rosa Island Cloud Forest Restoration Project

Beginning in the 1800s, sheep and cattle ranching have caused significant erosion and devegetation of Santa Rosa Island, Channel Islands National Park. In an effort to contain what little soil is left and rebuild the native chaparral, the Cloud Forest Restoration Project is testing erosion control structures such as wattles, leaf litter fences and silt dams. This summer a drip irrigation system was installed along with fog capturing fences to supply water to native plants transplanted near the erosion control structures. As the project has grown, more irrigation has been added to increase the area available for transplanting. This irrigation system varies in elevation, slope, and diameter and lengths of irrigation lines. Because this project is experimentally monitored, it is important that all the transplants obtain the same amount of water. To check the efficiency of this system, the flow rates of 1.9L/hr rated pressure-compensating emitters along ¾” diameter polyethylene irrigation tubing were checked. Flow rates were relatively consistent at 1.53 L/hr, 1.60 L/hr and 1.59 L/hr for 1/3, 2/3 and the whole system turned on, respectively. Although one might expect the addition of more irrigation line and emitters to decrease water pressure and thus the flow rate of individual emitters, the flow rates of emitters were found to be unaffected, indicating the effectiveness of the pressure-compensation. However, the flow rates of emitters were consistently lower than their 1.9 L/hr rating. In conclusion, the irrigation system is currently providing equal water to each of the transplants, but at a rate lower than expected

Yon Zen Pete Nan Brezil : um relato sobre os desafios singulares enfrentados por famílias haitianas e suas crianças nas escolas públicas em Porto Alegre/RS

A presente dissertação tem como ponto de partida a seguinte questão: Quais as repercussões da chegada de crianças haitianas às escolas da rede pública de Porto Alegre? Para respondê-la, a pesquisadora adotou algumas estratégias metodológicas. Inicialmente, realizei entrevistas com uma família haitiana com filhos matriculados em diferentes escolas públicas do município e os acompanhei até seu ambiente escolar, onde realizei observação e entrevistei diretoras e professoras. Com o impacto da pandemia da Covid-19 e com os inúmeros desafios e sobrecargas vivenciados pelas famílias haitianas, além do fechamento presencial das escolas, segui acompanhando a primeira família e realizei mais algumas entrevistas em saídas de campo em bairros da zona norte de Porto Alegre, marcados por grande presença haitiana. Nesses deslocamentos, enfrentei, eu mesma, desafios específicos, que também trouxe para esse texto final. O resultado é uma abordagem que se depara com a impossibilidade de pensar as crianças haitianas sem pensar a vida de seus pais. É esse o sentido que também vai tendo esse trabalho. Busco realizar reflexões ponderadas por minha experiência nessa cidade, que vai dialogando com meus conterrâneos e sendo iluminada por eles. Ao final, tento sistematizar a discussão sobre o racismo que constatei aqui, encerrando o trabalho.The starting point of this dissertation is the following question: What are the repercussions of the arrival of Haitian children in public schools in Porto Alegre? To answer it, the researcher adopted some methodological strategies. Initially, I conducted interviews with a Haitian family with children enrolled in different public schools in the city and accompanied them to their school environment, where I performed observation and interviewed principals and teachers. With the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic and with the numerous challenges and burdens experienced by Haitian families, in addition to the in-person closing of schools, I continued to accompany the first family and conducted some more interviews on field trips in neighborhoods in the north of Porto Alegre, marked by large Haitian presence. In these shifts, I myself faced specific challenges, which I also brought to this final text. The result is an approach that faces the impossibility of thinking about Haitian children without thinking about their parents' lives. This is the meaning of this work. I seek to carry out reflections based on my experience in this city, which dialogues with my fellow countrymen and is enlightened by them. At the end, I try to systematize the discussion about racism that I found here, closing the work.Le point de départ de cette dissertation est la question suivante : Quelles sont les répercussions de l'arrivée des enfants haïtiens et haïtiennes dans les écoles publiques de Porto Alegre ? Pour y répondre, la chercheuse a adopté quelques stratégies méthodologiques. Dans un premier temps, j'ai mené des entretiens avec une famille haïtienne qui a des enfants inscrits dans différentes écoles publiques de la communauté et les ai accompagnés dans leur environnement scolaire, où j'ai effectué des observations et interrogé des directeurs et des enseignants. Avec l'impact de la pandémie de Covid-19 et avec les nombreux défis et difficultés vécus par les familles haïtiennes, en plus de la fermeture des écoles, en personne, j'ai continué à accompagner la première famille et j'ai mené d'autres entretiens lors de sorties sur le terrain dans les quartiers du nord de Porto Alegre, marqués par une forte présence haïtienne. Dans ces déplacements, j'ai moi-même été confronté à des défis spécifiques, que j'ai également apportés à ce texte final. Le résultat est une approche qui se heurte à l'impossibilité de penser aux enfants haïtiens sans penser à la vie de leurs parents. C'est le sens que va avoir ce travail. Je cherche à mener des réflexions à partir de mon expérience dans cette ville qui va dialoguer avec mes compatriotes et en étant illuminée par eux. En fin de compte, j'essaie de systématiser la discussion sur le racisme que j'ai constaté ici, en fermant le travail.Pwen demaraj tèz sa a se kesyon sa a: Ki konsekans rantre timoun ayisyen yo pote nan lekòl leta Porto Alegre? Pou reponn kesyon sa a, chèchè a te adopte kèk estrateji metodolojik. Premyèman, mwen te fè entèvyou ak yon fanmi ayisyen ki gen timoun ki enskri nan diferan lekòl leta nan kominote a e mwen te akonpaye yo nan lekòl yo, kote mwen te fè obsèvasyon e mwen te fè entèvyou ak direktè epi ak pwofesè yo tou. Avèk enpak pandemi Kovid-19 lan e ak anpil defi ak difikilte fanmi ayisyen yo te rankontre, epi lè lekòl yo te vin fèmen, an pèsòn, mwen te kontinye sipòte premye fanmi an e mwen te fè entèvyou ak lòt fanmi ayisyen yo, lakay yo nan katye yo ki nan nò nan Porto Alegre, ki gen anpil ayisyen. Nan vwayaj sa yo, mwen te fè fas ak defi espesyal, ke mwen te pale tou nan fen tèks sa a. Rezilta a se yon rale ki jwenn ak enposibilite pou panse ak timoun ayisyen yo san nou pa panse ak lavi paran yo. Se sans sa a ke travay sa a pral genyen. Mwen chèche fè anpil refleksyon apati de eksperyans mwen nan vil sa a ki pral fèm’ dyalòge ak konpatriyòt mwen yo epi ki pral metem pi kilè. Pou fini ak travay la, mwen ap eseye fè diskisyon sou rasis mwen te wè isit la

Working from the Outside: Discovering Truth Within a Mask

It is the purpose of this thesis to explore the different principles of mask performance in modern theatre and the unique relationship it allows the actor to develop with an audience. The author uses exercises from her training experience with different mask artists such as Teatro Punto, Familie Floz, Torbjorn Alstrom, and Marcello Bartoli. These exercises document a process of training the body in preparation for the mask, how to perform with mask, and how to connect with an audience. The mask is used as a tool to discover an engagement of work that activates both body and imagination of the performer as well as the observer

An Assessment of the Challenges Facing Implementation of Guidance and Counselling Programme in Public Secondary Schools: A Case of Lugari Subcounty, Kakamega County, Kenya

Students studying in public secondary schools in Kakamega County, Lugari Sub-County have a range of challenges, which include, deteriorating academic performance, drug and substance abuse, low self-esteem and socially unacceptable behaviour such as destruction of school property, among others. These problems exist despite the fact that guidance and counselling programmes were established in Kenyan public Secondary Schools in 1970s. This study carried out an assessment on the challenges facing implementation of guidance and counselling programme in public Secondary Schools in Lugari Sub-County. The study employed descriptive survey research design. The target population was 21 principals, 42 Guidance and Counselling teachers, as well as, 336 teachers in public Secondary Schools in Lugari Sub-County, making a total of 399 subjects. The sample size was composed of 30% of the total target population which was 120 subjects. The 120 subjects were comprised of 6 principals, 12 guidance and counselling teachers and 102 public secondary school teachers from the study area. A pilot study was carried out on the instruments in two Secondary Schools using test/retest method, with a two weeks’ interval between the tests, to enable assessment of both validity and reliability of the data collection instruments. Simple random sampling was used to select 30% of the principals. However, purposeful sampling was used to select the 30% of the guidance and counselling teachers. Simple random sampling, purposeful, as well as, stratified random sampling were used to select teachers from the schools where the principals were drawn. Stratified sampling was necessary because teachers were selected with respect to their populations in the respective six schools. Data was analyzed using descriptive statistics. Results were presented, using frequency distributions, percentages and narratives for qualitative results. The study established that principals’ support to the G&C departments was minimal as principals gave less weight to the departments. It was also observed that schools had G&C departments but most lacked teachers with G&C skills. The study recommends that: school principals should provide G&C teachers maximum support so as to ensure that discipline is maintained through counselling in the secondary schools. Teachers should take in-service courses and short seminars in G&C, especially those who had not received formal training in G&C. Keywords: Guidance and counselling, principals’ support, guidance and counselling teachers’ qualifications and training. DOI: 10.7176/JEP/11-32-16 Publication date: November 30th 202