Toward a measure of social-ecological resilience for human communities

The purpose of this essay is to clarify the theoretical understanding of the concept of resilience in order to explore problems surrounding the empirical measurement and application of the concept, as well as to examine strategic examples of empirical measures and policy applications in the literature of several disciplines, fields, and professions. The examination of resilience occurs in two streams: one conceptual and one methodological. At the conceptual level, the focus will be on definitions, distinctions between resilience and related concepts, and the theoretical frameworks that underlie usage of the concept. At the empirical level, the examination of resilience will be centered on the methodological challenges associated with research on resilience as well as previous attempts to operationalize and measure resilience. (PDF contains 4 pages

Expanding reality

This article was originally published in The Prophet -- a journal created by and for the students at the Boston University School of Theology (BUSTH) to amplify the voices of STH students by promoting and sharing a range of perspectives on matters of concern including, but not limited to, spiritual practices, faith communities and society, the nature of theology, and current affairs. It serves as a platform for STH students to share their academic work, theological reflections, and life experiences with one another and the wider community."He drew a circle that shut me out. Heretic, rebel, a thing to flout. But love and... " [EXCERPT

Accounting, accountants and accountability regimes in pluralistic societies: taking multiple perspectives seriously

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to synthesize work in the emerging field of how accounting and accountability can be reoriented to better promote pluralistic democracy which recognizes and addresses differentials in power, beliefs and desires of constituencies. An agenda for future research and engagement is outlined, drawing on this and insights fromother papers in this special issue of the Accounting, Auditing and Accountability Journal (AAAJ) aimed at taking multiple perspectives seriously. Design/methodology/approach – The paper reviews and synthesizes the central themes associated with accounting, accountants and accountability regimes in pluralistic societies, especially with respect to the research studies in this AAAJ special issue, and it identifies possibilities for future research and engagement. Findings – Three central themes are identified: the challenges of achieving critical, pluralistic engagement in and through mainstream institutions; the possibilities of taking multiple perspectives seriously through decentred understandings of governance and democracy; and the value of an agonistic ethos of engagement in accounting. The articles in this issue contribute to these themes, albeit differently, and in combination with the extant social science literature reviewed here, open up pathways for future research and engagement. Practical implications – This work seeks to encourage the development of pluralistic accounting and accountability systems drawing on conceptual and practice-based resources across disciplines and by considering the standpoints of diverse interested constituencies, including academics, policymakers, business leaders and social movements. Originality/value – How accounting can reflect and enact pluralistic democracy, not least to involve civil society, and how problems related to power differentials and seemingly incompatible aims can be addressed has been largely neglected. This issue provides empirical, practical and theoretical material to advance further work in the area. Paper type Research pape

An operational application of satellite snow cover observations, northwest United States

LANDSAT-1 imagery showing extent of snow cover was collected and is examined for the 1973 and 1974 snowmelt seasons for three Columbia River Basins. Snowlines were mapped and the aerial snow cover was determined using satellite data. Satellite snow mapping products were compared products from conventional information sources (computer programming and aerial photography was used). Available satellite data were successfully analyzed by radiance thresholding to determine snowlines and the attendant snow-covered area. Basin outline masks, contour elevation masks, and grid overlays were utilized as satellite data interpretation aids. Verification of the LANDSAT-1 data was generally good although there were exceptions. A major problem was lack of adequate cloud-free satellite imagery of high resolution and determining snowlines in forested areas

Understanding Caregivers of Native Hawaiian Kūpuna with Age-Related Memory Loss on One Hawaiian Homestead

Purpose/Background: Understanding the concerns and challenges of caregivers of Native Hawaiian kūpuna or elders (age 55 years and older) with age-related memory loss conditions, specifically, Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementia (ADRD), on one Hawaiian Homestead is the focus of this translational research study. The goal of this research is to identify factors affecting the safe and compassionate care for kūpuna preferring to age-in-place. In Native Hawaiian communities, it is culturally appropriate to care and support kūpuna who wish to age-in-place. This study was conducted in Papakōlea, a Native Hawaiian Homestead community consisting of three subdivisions in the city of Honolulu, located on the island of O\u27ahu using a cultural safety praxis. The literature on caregiving in the context of ADRD indicates that caregivers often are concerned about the safety of their elders in the home and wonder if they are “doing enough” to care for their loved one. As a result of their historical struggles, residents of Papakolea place an emphasis on supporting and caring for kūpuna who wish to age-in-place. However, families voiced concerns of not being equipped to provide their kūpuna quality care. Materials & Methods: This research is grounded in Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR) principles and utilizes a mixed methods strategy to assess the needs and concerns of caregivers of Papakōlea. The study focuses on identifying the needs, knowledge, attitudes, and resources that enable or disable caregiving with a view toward informing care within the designated homestead community. The quantitative arm of the study involved development and administration of a written survey eliciting sociodemographic characteristics, as well as, knowledge-attitudes-behaviors on caregiving. The qualitative arm of the study involved focus groups to clarify and extend information learned through survey data. Participants of the study were self-identified current and former caregivers, age 18 and older, experienced in caring for kūpuna with conditions associated with age-related memory loss (e.g., ADRD). Results: Approximately 92% of participants identified as Native Hawaiian (n=155). Ages ranged from 18 to 82 years (M = 51.22, SD 16.347). The results indicate that current and former caregivers provide care primarily to their mothers 41% (n=48), fathers 11% (n=13) and grandparents 21% (n=25). The number of kūpuna diagnosed with ADRD was 48% (n=42), about 52% (n=49) believed they cared for someone with ADRD even though they have not received a diagnosis from a physician. Caregivers identified the need for family conversations on advance health care directives before a medical emergency and respite support as primary concerns. Discussion/Conclusion: This study focused on Native Hawaiians, a marginalized population and the need to provide relevant ADRD services. Findings are used to assist this homestead community in determining the types of resources and support essential to mitigate caregiver burnout while simultaneously providing services to enhance kūpuna care while using HILINA\u27I concepts to continue to build trust and cultural safety using a research praxis (figure 1). There are differences between homestead communities across the state in the expression of Hawaiian values and practices and degrees of community resilience. Therefore, this study may not be representative of all homesteads statewide

Honeywell Enhancing Airplane State Awareness (EASA) Project: Final Report on Refinement and Evaluation of Candidate Solutions for Airplane System State Awareness

The loss of pilot airplane state awareness (ASA) has been implicated as a factor in several aviation accidents identified by the Commercial Aviation Safety Team (CAST). These accidents were investigated to identify precursors to the loss of ASA and develop technologies to address the loss of ASA. Based on a gap analysis, two technologies were prototyped and assessed with a formative pilot-in-the-loop evaluation in NASA Langleys full-motion Research Flight Deck. The technologies address: 1) data source anomaly detection in real-time, and 2) intelligent monitoring aids to provide nominal and predictive awareness of situations to be monitored and a mission timeline to visualize events of interest. The evaluation results indicated favorable impressions of both technologies for mitigating the loss of ASA in terms of operational utility, workload, acceptability, complexity, and usability. The team concludes that there is a feasible retrofit solution for improving ASA that would minimize certification risk, integration costs, and training impact