Nonprofit Solicitation under the Telemarketing Sales Rule

In 2003, the Federal Trade Commission ( FTC ) revised its Telemarketing Sales Rule ( TSR ) to establish a national Do-Not-Call Registry for commercial telemarketing. Congress directed the Federal Communications Commission ( FCC ) to coordinate its telemarketing regulations under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act ( TCPA ) of 1991 to achieve maximum consistency between the two agencies\u27 telemarketing restrictions. Nonprofit solicitation is exempt from the national Do-Not-Call Registry, but is covered by other provisions of the FTC rule. The TSR created a new in-house no-call list requirement and imposed additional restrictions not previously known for nonprofit solicitors. The separate nonprofit provisions of the TSR raise unique issues regarding the scope of FTC authority and First Amendment rights of nonprofit organizations. These regulations are being disputed in separate litigation from the challenge to the national Do-Not-Call Registry. This Article looks at the current state of regulatory activity targeting charitable telephone solicitation. First, Rita Marie Cain examines the FTC\u27s authority to adopt the provisions of the TSR that apply to nonprofit organizations. She argues that under free speech jurisprudence, charitable solicitation cannot be regulated like other commercial messages. Finally, Cain analyzes the new FTC restrictions on nonprofit solicitation to determine if they can withstand Constitutional scrutiny

Understanding Burnout Through the Lens of Teachers During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Phenomenological Study

Abstract As teachers make their way back to the classroom for the 2023–2024 school year, teacher burnout is manifesting itself mentally, physically, and emotionally. In March 2020, the World Health Organization declared the COVID-19 epidemic a global pandemic, which forced unwanted change in many organizations, especially education (Pressley, 2021). In the state of emergency schools were forced to close and new teaching methods were erected abruptly. The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation describes the professions of teaching as one of the most stressful occupations in the United States. Although stress is inevitable, the COVID-19 pandemic has created new stressors and demands that have negatively impacted teachers’ and caused rising rates in mental health, coping, job satisfaction, self-efficacy, attrition, and turnover (OzamizEtxebarria et al., 2021; Pressley, 2021). Three years after the pandemic entered the United States, chronic stress and burnout have continued to wreak havoc on the education system, forcing many teachers to leave the profession and add to the teacher shortage crisis today. The immense uncertainty of the pandemic has resulted in unmanageable work stress, and many teachers are choosing to leave the classroom. In the midst of uncertainty, teachers had to adjust to increased job responsibilities, little to no administrative support, and less resources. Required to accept alternative teaching environments, technology challenges, and emergent safety protocols, teachers have been forced to cope and overcome adversity. The reality of teaching has changed dramatically, especially from before the COVID-19 pandemic. For many the added stress has negatively impacted the physical and psychological health of teachers, which can lead to negative effects on the classroom environment (Hurley, 2021). In this qualitative, phenomenological study, the focus was to gain a better understanding of teacher burnout during vi the COVID-19 pandemic through the lived experiences of teachers and discover if coping and meaningful work were factors that influenced their experience. Keywords: stress, burnout, COVID-19, pandemic, phenomenology, coping, meaningful wor

Nonprofit Solicitation under the Telemarketing Sales Rule

In 2003, the Federal Trade Commission ( FTC ) revised its Telemarketing Sales Rule ( TSR ) to establish a national Do-Not-Call Registry for commercial telemarketing. Congress directed the Federal Communications Commission ( FCC ) to coordinate its telemarketing regulations under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act ( TCPA ) of 1991 to achieve maximum consistency between the two agencies\u27 telemarketing restrictions. Nonprofit solicitation is exempt from the national Do-Not-Call Registry, but is covered by other provisions of the FTC rule. The TSR created a new in-house no-call list requirement and imposed additional restrictions not previously known for nonprofit solicitors. The separate nonprofit provisions of the TSR raise unique issues regarding the scope of FTC authority and First Amendment rights of nonprofit organizations. These regulations are being disputed in separate litigation from the challenge to the national Do-Not-Call Registry. This Article looks at the current state of regulatory activity targeting charitable telephone solicitation. First, Rita Marie Cain examines the FTC\u27s authority to adopt the provisions of the TSR that apply to nonprofit organizations. She argues that under free speech jurisprudence, charitable solicitation cannot be regulated like other commercial messages. Finally, Cain analyzes the new FTC restrictions on nonprofit solicitation to determine if they can withstand Constitutional scrutiny

Participatory action research with adults with mental retardation : Oh my God. Look out world.

This dissertation is a participatory action research project with adults with mental retardation who reside in Louisville, Kentucky. It explores some of the history and ideologies that frequently have hindered persons with mental retardation from being regarded by others as unique individuals with various abilities. It investigates dynamics of social ostracism and the resultant silence, inclusive of the social work profession\u27s relative absence in the field of mental retardation. Furthermore, it explores various aspects of research with persons with disabilities, and with persons with mental retardation in particular. While there have been multiple studies about persons with mental retardation, very few actually include their voices. This dissertation attempts to offer a corrective to this and offers persons with mental retardation a vehicle for their opinions, actions, and voices. A participatory action research design and methodology is offered involving two phases of the study. The first phase involves interviewing 25 adults relative to their personal concerns of things they would like to see changed in their lives. These interviews reveal that the adults\u27 concerns are as varied as the individuals themselves. The second phase focuses on a ten-month process in which nine persons from the original 25 agree to commit to a group experience in which they decide upon a common issue, their structure, and other group needs. They then work together on how best to address the issue, enact their plan, and communally reflect upon the experience. This group decides to focus on the paratransit system in Louisville and through a process of hard work and commitment, decide to invite the director of the system to attend to their group meeting as the focus of their action. The director attends their group, answering their questions and engaging in an extended conversation about their concerns. The dissertation includes a session-by-session reporting on the group gatherings, in addition to insights gained through facilitator\u27s peer supervision experience. It concludes with reflections on the applicability of PAR in social work practice settings and future research needs

Stress coping abilities of individuals high and low in social anxiety

The purpose of this study was to investigate the nature of socially anxious persons\u27 tendencies to cope with social stress and to examine the differences in the coping abilities of i ndividuals high and low in social anxiety. The differential coping potential of the cognitive coping technique reversal of affect was tested. Sixty four {32 control, 32 treatment) college students participated in the pretest and posttest of the experiment in which they self-disclosed information in a stressful situation. Self-report, physiological and behavioral measures of anxiety were recorded. Subjects in the treatment group received the coping skills training to deal with the stressor. It was hypothesized that the treatment groups would show a decrease in anxiety measured during disclosure, while control groups would show no change in coping responses. Additionally, it was hypothes ized that subjects low in social anxiety would cope better with the social stress than would subjects high in social anxiety. A sex factor was included to assess differences between males and females in their ability to cope. Results indicate that the reversal of affect technique was effective in reducing self-reported anxiety in social situations, but reductions in anxiety were not found using physiological or behavioral measures. A differential coping ability of individuals high and low in social anxiety was not found. No sex differences were found. It was concluded that. the cognitive coping strategy used is effective in reducing self\u27...reported anxiety. This conclusion is discussed in tenns of the efficacy of coping skills training in clinical treatment and in terms of direction of future research

Tetravalent Metal Phosphonate-Phosphate Hybrids as Catalyst Supports and Ion Exchange Materials

This work centers on recycling of Rh catalysts and utilizing ion exchange to separate nuclear waste. In the area of Rh-type catalyst supports, non-porous zirconium phosphate nanoplatelets (ZrP) were utilized to provide sufficient outside surface area while still being easily separable from the reaction mixtures. First, a phosphine linker containing an ethoxysilyl group, (EtO)3Si(CH2)3PPh2, is reacted with ZrP. Addition of Wilkinson's catalyst ClRh(PPh3)3 to the phosphine-modified ZrP gives the immobilized catalyst. In the absence of pore diffusion, the catalytic hydrogenation of 1-dodecene using the Rhtype immobilized catalyst proceeds with unprecedented speed and the catalyst can be recovered and recycled 15 times. New materials were synthesized that are comprised of Zr/Sn phosphonate-phosphate hybrids. The general formula for these materials is M(O3PC6H4PO3)1-x/2(APO4)x•nH2O, where M = Zr^4+, Sn^4+; A = H, Na, K; and x = 0, 0.5, 0.8, 1.0, 1.33, 1.6. These materials have a preference for ions of high charge (3+, 4+) over those with lower charge (1+, 2+). From this charge-based affinity and pH modification, separations can be achieved with Nd^3+/Cs^+ separation factors ≥ 100. The stability of these materials to 3.18 MGy gamma radiation was also observed with performance and structure retained. Greater than 99% removal of radioactive Am(III) from solution was obtained. Similar materials have also been utilized to explore rare earth recovery from Compact Fluorescent Lamps and Cr(VI) removal from wastewater solutions

Tetravalent Metal Phosphonate-Phosphate Hybrids as Catalyst Supports and Ion Exchange Materials

This work centers on recycling of Rh catalysts and utilizing ion exchange to separate nuclear waste. In the area of Rh-type catalyst supports, non-porous zirconium phosphate nanoplatelets (ZrP) were utilized to provide sufficient outside surface area while still being easily separable from the reaction mixtures. First, a phosphine linker containing an ethoxysilyl group, (EtO)3Si(CH2)3PPh2, is reacted with ZrP. Addition of Wilkinson's catalyst ClRh(PPh3)3 to the phosphine-modified ZrP gives the immobilized catalyst. In the absence of pore diffusion, the catalytic hydrogenation of 1-dodecene using the Rhtype immobilized catalyst proceeds with unprecedented speed and the catalyst can be recovered and recycled 15 times. New materials were synthesized that are comprised of Zr/Sn phosphonate-phosphate hybrids. The general formula for these materials is M(O3PC6H4PO3)1-x/2(APO4)x•nH2O, where M = Zr^4+, Sn^4+; A = H, Na, K; and x = 0, 0.5, 0.8, 1.0, 1.33, 1.6. These materials have a preference for ions of high charge (3+, 4+) over those with lower charge (1+, 2+). From this charge-based affinity and pH modification, separations can be achieved with Nd^3+/Cs^+ separation factors ≥ 100. The stability of these materials to 3.18 MGy gamma radiation was also observed with performance and structure retained. Greater than 99% removal of radioactive Am(III) from solution was obtained. Similar materials have also been utilized to explore rare earth recovery from Compact Fluorescent Lamps and Cr(VI) removal from wastewater solutions

Evaluating and targeting mitochondrial dynamics and plasticity in conditions of mitochondrial dysfunction

Mitochondria represent dynamic structures which undergo various changes in morphology in order to rapidly respond to changes in cellular physiology. Changes in mitochondrial dynamics are observed in various pathological events and represent a potential target for therapeutics. In this thesis, I first investigated the role of zinc supplementation on rat aortic endothelial (RAENDO) and smooth muscle (RASMC) cell mitochondrial form and function to elucidate the underlying mechanisms by which zinc prevents the development of smooth muscle neointimal hyperplasia in vivo. I discovered that zinc differentially alters the gene expression of several mitochondria-associated genes in cells treated with ZnSO4 for 7 days. In agreement with this, an increase in mitochondrial network fragmentation (fission) is observed in RAENDO cells, whereas fusion is observed in RASMC cells with zinc treatment. I determined that cell-type specific differences in zinc storage and buffer capacity necessitating different mitochondrial quality control mechanisms may underscore differential responses to zinc exposure in vivo. These results highlight mitochondria as an important target for the treatment or prevention of neointimal hyperplasia in vivo. The potential to modulate mitochondrial network morphology to alter cellular function lead to the second study of this thesis, in which a mitochondrial-targeting moiety, triphenylphosphonium (TPP), is employed to target mitochondrial lipid composition. Here, I evaluated the use of TPP-linoleic acid (TPP-LA) to modulate mitochondrial cardiolipin (CL) composition in a tafazzin knockout (TAZKO) mouse myoblast model of Barth syndrome, a disease characterized by abnormal CL composition. My results indicate that TPP-LA non-significantly enhances mitochondrial membrane potential and apparent fusion in TAZKO and isogenic wildtype (WT) cells. CL analyses reveal that TPP-LA administration for 14 days during differentiation may rescue the CL profile of TAZKO cells. TPP-LA treatment also enhances biochemical differentiation in WT cells but fails to rescue differentiation in TAZKO cells. These results highlight the complex relationship between mitochondrial lipid composition and modulation of mitochondrial dynamics. Taken together, these two projects highlight the plastic nature of mitochondria, their role in pathological conditions and potential as therapeutic targets