Starvation Diets: The History and Moral Implications of Prolonging the Lives of Juvenile Diabetics Before the Discovery of Insulin

This study explores the state of diabetology before Frederick Banting’s discovery of insulin in 1921, when juvenile diabetes was a terminal diagnosis. The widespread misunderstanding of the disease at the hands of physicians and scientists culminated in improper treatments and erroneous anatomical literature about diabetes until the age of discovery in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. More extensively, I examine the controversial work of 20th-century physician Frederick Madison Allen, who attempted to prolong the lives of juvenile diabetics by subjecting them to a rigid starvation diet by way of experimental trials lasting from 1915 to 1922. This diet limited their total caloric intake and delayed the onset of the then-terminal symptoms (specifically, acidosis) of the disease. Though Allen’s work yielded promising results and enabled some patients to live long enough to benefit from life-saving insulin, this was done at the expense of the comfort and emotional well-being of his patients, some of which were under the age of ten. I work to examine the efficacy and morality of said experimental trials by analyzing Allen’s accounts of his own work, case studies, the opinions of his contemporaries, and retrospective analyses of his efforts by medical historians. Ultimately, I conclude that Allen’s experimental trials, while possessing numerous instances of ethical defiance and moral ambiguity, was a worthwhile effort, for afforded some diabetics the time and opportunity to manage their diabetes with insulin therapy

Researching Technological Advancements Through Alternative Methods of Music Education to Engage Students in the Digital Age

While the music industry has significantly incorporated technology into music composition and production, music education is slow to teach how to use these technical methods for students living in the digital age. Current music education methods have established successful results in past music compositions; however, those methods are becoming impractical. Although music education taught in schools has been primarily successful through traditional methods, students learning in the digital age have yet to learn how to strengthen their musical abilities through technology. This secondary analysis aims to look at the different studies on incorporating technology in a music education setting to keep up with the current digital age. Guided by qualitative and quantitative studies, a secondary analysis of the research collectively provides sufficient data to suggest what is missing from the current music curricula in terms of incorporating technology into music education. Perspectives on digital composition, arranging, and digital music instruction have appeared as themes through exploring existing literature

Adopting siblings : the sibling relationship in parental narratives of adoption

This study examines an aspect of adoption which has been given only limited or partial attention in adoption research even though it is an increasing trend in adoption practice: sibling adoption. For adoption practitioners the issue of whether to place siblings together or apart is a vexed one. This is the dilemma upon which research on sibling adoption has focused, developing approaches to assessing the sibling relationship to help evaluate the benefits and disadvantages of keeping siblings together, whilst keeping the needs of the individual children in mind. The present research was motivated by what appeared to be a significant oversight in thinking around this dilemma: the possible impact of the sibling relationship on the adoptive parents. This oversight seemed indicative of a twofold omission: firstly, of a distinction between the meaning and implications for the adoptive parent-couple of adopting siblings rather than an individual child; secondly, of a full recognition of the complexity of sibling relationships - particularly those born out of early experiences of neglect and relational trauma - and how they might play out in the context of an adoption placement. With the aim of addressing these omissions I interviewed a small sample of adoptive parents and made their narratives of the experience of adopting a sibling-pair the object of my study. My hope was thus to shed some light on what it is like for previously childless couples to become the parents of siblings. My experience of doing the interviews and a narrative and thematic analysis of the parents’ accounts lead to some interesting findings: whilst the interviews elicited rich stories about their adoption experiences, it was difficult to hold the parents to talking about the sibling story. The affective vector seemed to lie in the respondents’ narratives of personal transformation or affirmation through the adoption, rather than in their encounters with the sibling relationship. In my discussion I consider how a sense of omission has often been expressed in sibling research, despite a growing literature on the subject. With reference to Mitchell’s psychoanalytic propositions about the role of siblings in our internal world, and Laplanche’s concepts of ‘going astray’ and ‘covering-over’ in psychoanalysis, I posit that we struggle to engage with the complexity of siblinghood both in theory and practice because of the profound and enduring existential threat that real and fantasied siblings pose to the individual’s sense of security, self-identity and value in the family, the group and any social milieu

Municipal Options to Address Nuisance Flooding of Coastal Highways in Rhode Island

Sea level rise and more powerful storm surges and erosion have increased flooding in low-lying coastal areas of Rhode Island. These impacts affect coastal highways, requiring municipalities to make difficult choices about whether and how to maintain or abandon their infrastructure. This fact sheet helps cities and towns understand their legal duties, options, and potential liabilities when considering the future of threatened coastal infrastructure. By using the information in this fact sheet, municipalities can make informed decisions about the consequences of their infrastructure investments. After providing background on nuisance flooding associated with sea level rise, this fact sheet describes Rhode Island law governing responsibility for maintaining public roads. It then describes law and policy considerations related to the two primary options for addressing highway flooding in the state: elevation and abandonment. Considering the legal issues associated with each of these strategies can help municipalities decide the appropriate course of action in the context of a particular location

Up close and personal : Examining the role race plays in public perceptions of law enforcement

Perceived racial biases of police officers may impact encounters with Blacks and negatively impact relations between Black communities and police officers. Understanding factors that influence public perceptions of law enforcement may help researchers and policy makers target intervention programs to improve relations. This study examined the role race plays in public perceptions of a routine traffic stop and local local law enforcement. White and Black participants, recruited at public places in a midsize city in Iowa, read a vignette about a Black or White individual who was pulled over by a White police officer. Participants then answered questions regarding whether the police officer was justified in pulling the individual over and about their perceptions of the local police. Black participants were less likely to agree that the traffic stop was justified compared to White participants, regardless of race of the driver. In addition, Black participants were less likely to give local law enforcement satisfactory ratings for their quality of policing and were also less likely to report feeling a sense of community cohesion compared to White participants. These findings suggest that Blacks may hold negative views of police officers in general, rather than only believing that the police are biased against Blacks. These negative views may lead to distrust between Black communities and police officers, which may ultimately have negative outcomes for both parties involved

Adopting siblings : the sibling relationship in parental narratives of adoption

This study examines an aspect of adoption which has been given only limited or partial attention in adoption research even though it is an increasing trend in adoption practice: sibling adoption. For adoption practitioners the issue of whether to place siblings together or apart is a vexed one. This is the dilemma upon which research on sibling adoption has focused, developing approaches to assessing the sibling relationship to help evaluate the benefits and disadvantages of keeping siblings together, whilst keeping the needs of the individual children in mind. The present research was motivated by what appeared to be a significant oversight in thinking around this dilemma: the possible impact of the sibling relationship on the adoptive parents. This oversight seemed indicative of a twofold omission: firstly, of a distinction between the meaning and implications for the adoptive parent-couple of adopting siblings rather than an individual child; secondly, of a full recognition of the complexity of sibling relationships - particularly those born out of early experiences of neglect and relational trauma - and how they might play out in the context of an adoption placement. With the aim of addressing these omissions I interviewed a small sample of adoptive parents and made their narratives of the experience of adopting a sibling-pair the object of my study. My hope was thus to shed some light on what it is like for previously childless couples to become the parents of siblings. My experience of doing the interviews and a narrative and thematic analysis of the parents’ accounts lead to some interesting findings: whilst the interviews elicited rich stories about their adoption experiences, it was difficult to hold the parents to talking about the sibling story. The affective vector seemed to lie in the respondents’ narratives of personal transformation or affirmation through the adoption, rather than in their encounters with the sibling relationship. In my discussion I consider how a sense of omission has often been expressed in sibling research, despite a growing literature on the subject. With reference to Mitchell’s psychoanalytic propositions about the role of siblings in our internal world, and Laplanche’s concepts of ‘going astray’ and ‘covering-over’ in psychoanalysis, I posit that we struggle to engage with the complexity of siblinghood both in theory and practice because of the profound and enduring existential threat that real and fantasied siblings pose to the individual’s sense of security, self-identity and value in the family, the group and any social milieu

Distribution and Conservation Status of Antillean Manatees (Trichechus manatus manatus) in Honduras

The Antillean manatee, Trichechus manatus manatus, is among the most threatened mammals in Honduras, yet the last published study is from 1980. Since then, the North Coast of Honduras has experienced rapid population growth and land cover change possibly causing habitat loss for manatees. We conducted aerial, boat, and interview surveys between 2005-2007 along the northern and remote eastern coasts of Honduras to assess the current status and distribution of manatees. In addition, we compiled all available data on manatee mortality from museum specimens, unpublished reports, and interviews to determine current threats. We averaged 1.2 manatee sightings per survey hour during six flights along the North Coast in March-April 2006 during 14.4 aerial survey hours. Sightings were mainly clustered in Cuero y Salado Wildlife Refuge (CSWR) and Rios Chapagua and Aguan, which we indentify as important conservation areas. Our total and average sightings per survey hour in CSWR were much lower than those reported in 1979-80, in spite of the area being protected since 1987. Our interviews indicate that manatees are still present on the eastern coast (La Mosquitia), however we observed none during 14.5 survey hours in June 2005 and April 2007. The major cause of known mortality from 1970-2007, based on 26 records, was due to entanglement in fishnets. Despite local and federal protection, manatees are still poached and opportunistically caught in fishnets. While some efforts have been made by local NGOs to raise public awareness for manatees, a national conservation program is highly recommended to centralize and coordinate efforts

Cost-benefit distribution of ecosystem services and contracting under a PES scheme: the case of the Güisayote Biological Reserve, Honduras

This thesis assessed the costs and benefits distribution of improving drinking water quality through a land set-aside payment for ecosystem services (PES) scheme in a watershed of Honduras. The benefits of improving drinking water quality were determined using a contingent valuation survey for a stated willingness-to-pay (WTP) for improved drinking water quality through a PES scheme; and a revealed WTP was determined as the sum of averting expenditure and illness damage costs. Likewise, the costs of water conservation were determined through two approaches, the flow and rent opportunity costs of upstream landholders. Both WTP measures evidenced that beneficiaries could afford and were willing to pay for improved drinking water quality. The two WTP measures were not correlated, but this could be due to biased estimates or context-dependent preferences for each approach. Conversely, the cost of water conservation came to an overall flow net return of US$1,410 ha-1, with coffee exhibiting the highest returns. However, the median positive returns without coffee, US$ 140, are used and they are correlated to the rent opportunity costs. Identifying a reliable, accurate and cost-effective method to determine opportunity costs is challenging, but the two methods employed provided valid estimates. This study identifies and discusses several distributional issues for PES schemes; these are the upstream-downstream externality framework, peoples’ perceptions, unequal water governance, and fair targeting of payments to service providers. The WTP for improved drinking water quality is not sufficient to compensate the opportunity costs of landholders. The WTP would only cover 6% to 10% of the estimated cost of the water conservation. Thus, a user-based PES scheme at the study site is not feasible. Water conservation is more likely to be possible if substantial external support is obtained or through a sustainable land management-based scheme