A Just Path, A Just Peace: A Narrative of the Life and Work of Luz Méndez of Guatemala

Women on the frontline of efforts to end violence and secure a just peace seldom record their experiences, activities and insights – as generally there is no time or, perhaps, they do not have formal education that would help them record their stories. The Women PeaceMakers Program is a selective program for leaders who want to document, share and build upon their unique peacemaking stories. Selected peacemakers join the IPJ for an eight-week residency. Women PeaceMakers are paired with a Peace Writer to document in written form their story of living in conflict and building peace in their communities and nations. The peacemakers’ stories are also documented on film by the IPJ’s partner organization Sun & Moon Vision Productions. While in residence at the institute, Women PeaceMakers give presentations on their work and the situation in their home countries to the university and San Diego communities. Luz Méndez of Guatemala is president of the Advisory Board of Unión Nacional de Mujeres Guatemaltecas, which works for gender equality, social justice and peacebuilding. She participated in the table of peace negotiations as part of the Guatemalan National Revolutionary Unity’s delegation, where she dedicated special attention to the incorporation of gender equality commitments in the accords. After the end of the war, she was a member of the National Council for the Implementation of the Peace Accords. She was also the coordinator of the Women Agents for Change Consortium, an alliance of women\u27s and human rights organizations working for the empowerment of women survivors of sexual violence during the armed conflict, seeking justice and reparations. Méndez was a speaker at the first meeting that the U.N. Security Council held with women’s organizations leading up to the passage of resolution 1325 on women, peace and security.https://digital.sandiego.edu/ipj-research/1050/thumbnail.jp

Contrasting Experimentally Device-Manipulated and Device-Free Smiles.

Researchers in psychology have long been interested in not only studying smiles, but in examining the downstream effects of experimentally manipulated smiles. To experimentally manipulate smiles unobtrusively, participants typically hold devices (e.g., pens or chopsticks) in their mouths in a manner that activates the muscles involved in smiling. Surprisingly, despite decades of research using these methods, no study has tested to what degree these methods activate the same muscles as more natural, device-free smiles. Our study fills this gap in the literature by contrasting the magnitude of muscle activation in device-free smiles against the popular chopstick/pen manipulation. We also contrast these methods against the Smile Stick, a new device specifically designed to manipulate smiles in a comfortable and hygienic fashion. One hundred fifty-nine participants each participated in three facial expression manipulations that were held for 1 min: smile manipulation via Smile Stick, smile manipulation via chopsticks, and device-free smile. Facial electromyography was used to measure the intensity of the activation of the two main types of muscles involved in genuine, Duchenne smiling: the orbicularis oculi (a muscle group around the eyes) and the zygomaticus major (a muscle group in the cheeks). Furthermore, following each manipulation, participants rated their experience of the manipulation (i.e., comfort, fatigue, and difficulty), experienced affect (positive and negative), and levels of arousal. Results indicated that the Smile Stick and chopsticks performed equally across all measurements. Device-free smiles were rated as most comfortable but also the most fatiguing, and procured the greatest levels of positive affect and lowest levels of negative affect. Furthermore, device-free smiles resulted in significantly higher levels of both zygomaticus major (by ∼40%) and orbicularis oculi (by ∼15%) muscle activation than either the Smile Stick or chopsticks. The two devices were not different from each other in muscle activation. This study reveals that while device-free smiling procures the greatest changes in muscle activation and affect change, smiling muscle groups are activated by device manipulations, and expected changes in affect do occur, albeit to a lesser degree than device-free smiling. It also indicates that the Smile Stick is an acceptable and comparable alternative to disposable chopsticks

An investigation of endotracheal intubation and alternative intubation devices for use by paramedics in out-of-hospital care

For patients in cardiac arrest, early chest compressions and adequate airway management to ventilate and oxygenate patients’ lungs is essential and can be achieved through endotracheal intubation (ETI). This said, there is debate around whether ETI is required during cardiac arrest (CA) management with arguments for and against whether CA outcomes are improved when ETI takes place. There is further debate as to whether paramedics should carry this skill out in practice, corresponding to the effectiveness of ETI attempts in the out-of-hospital environment. There are several complications associated with ETI and alternative intubation devices (AIDs) are available to help overcome a number of these, though are not currently used in paramedic practice. There is a limited amount of current research that studies the use of AIDs in paramedic practice. This thesis aimed to explore current out-of-hospital practice in relation to airway management and ETI and critically examine and compare the use of AIDs by paramedics. A three-stage approach was undertaken. A retrospective case note review established current airway management practices in one area of the UK, over the period of a year. An online survey sought paramedics’ opinions on airway management and ETI. Finally, a prospective, experimental study compared four AIDs (a video-optic, standard blade laryngoscope (SBL), retroglottic tube and intubating laryngeal mask airway), through observed intubation attempts by paramedics using each device. Preference ranking and comments provided reflections on the practical application of the devices. The research project has shown that a range of airways are used in the out-of-hospital care environment, with varying success rates. ETI was attempted on less than half of 2,779 patients in cardiac arrest, with a 77% success rate. Opinion survey findings indicated that 79% of 181 paramedics would commonly perform ETI on a patient in cardiac arrest. In the same sample, 83% believed ETI to be gold standard airway management. On examination and comparison of four AIDs, no one device proved to be more successful than another when used by paramedics. The Airtraq, SBL and Combitube were equally successful, with success rates of over 97%. In comparison the iLMA was least successful, with a 65% success rate (p≤0.001). No statistically significant differences were identified between the devices in terms of number of attempts needed for successful intubation. Time to intubate with the devices was between 42 seconds (MBL) and 86 seconds (iLMA), with statistically significant differences between the iLMA and all the other devices. Paramedic participants preferred the video-optic device, which was attributed to the good view of the vocal cords the device provided, alongside the ease of use. Further research on ETI and the use of AIDs by paramedics in clinical practice is required, as this was a mannikin study carried out in a controlled environment. Recommendations for a comprehensive training programme and predetermined skill maintenance plan when introducing any new device into practice, are suggested

The GCC pivot to Asia : the security of US interests in the Arabian Gulf

textThe Gulf Cooperation Council's pivot to Asia began as a slow process of economic integration in the early 2000s but significantly accelerated after the US Shale Revolution, beginning in 2008. As US production increased and imports from foreign oil suppliers declined, many expected the relationships between the US and its GCC partners to similarly decline. The emerging markets of Asia and rising demand from China captured GCC interest. The GCC nations took steps to diversify their markets away from the US. Economic cooperation morphed into budding diplomatic and strategic relationships between the GCC and China. Meanwhile, the US, no longer as reliant on GCC energy, restructured its foreign policy toward the GCC around defense cooperation and human rights. Though US-GCC relationships remained relatively strong, the uprisings of the Arab Spring resulted in mounting US criticism of GCC human rights violations, weakening US leverage in the region. The Chinese took advantage of US-GCC tension, offering an alternative model of diplomatic engagement-- ignoring human rights. Arab populations saw the economic rise of China as an alternative diplomatic model, one that prioritized economic development without attaching political strings to bilateral relationships. Some GCC nations also viewed Chinese influence as a potential foil to US influence in the region. Despite budding local support for stronger ties with China, the Chinese are not able to displace US influence in the Gulf yet because China is unable to provide the quality or quantity of defense sales and cooperation the US provides. In the long-term, though, Chinese policies will likely present a challenge to US influence in the Gulf. The US should reexamine its policies on human rights promotion and reevaluate its strategic interests to protect the short and long term interests of the US in a region of great geostrategic importance.Middle Eastern StudiesGlobal Policy Studie

Electronic Health Records and Support For Primary Care Teamwork

This study examined primary care practices' experiences using electronic health records (EHRs) as they strive to function as teams in patientcentered medical homes (PCMHs). We identify how EHRs facilitate and pose challenges to teamwork and how practices overcame such challenges. We describe solutions and identify opportunities to improve care processes as well as EHR functionalities and policies, to support teamwork

Moving From Me to We: Interpersonal Coordination’s Effects on Self-Construal

We all move in time together throughout our lives, and doing so has been shown to lead to more pro-social attitudes and behaviors towards co-actors. However, little research has investigated how coordinated movement affects how individuals feel about themselves. This mixed-methods study took self-generated qualitative responses of how participants construed their own identities after either coordinated movement or a carefully matched control task. Responses were analysed qualitatively using thematic analyses, and quantitatively using content analysis. Four themes were identified from thematic analysis, and inferential statistical testing showed significant differences in how participants construed their identities post coordination (cf. control). Participants in the coordinated condition generated a higher proportion of interdependent (social) rather than independent (personal) self-construals, driven by differences in broad social structures/constructs rather than close specific social relations. Furthermore, participants in the coordinated condition reported less mental state items, and more sexual/romantic items. These findings may explain how and why coordinated movement leads to prosociality amongst those who take part, by leading individuals to think of themselves and each other in group terms

The reproductive biology of the exploited razor clam, Ensis siliqua, in the Irish Sea

Knowledge of the reproductive cycle of a species is a prerequisite for sustainable management of a fishery. The infaunal marine bivalve, Ensis siliqua, is a commercially important species in Europe, and is exploited in many countries, including Ireland, where it is sold by wet weight. Seasonal variations in the reproductive cycle of subtidal razor clams from the Skerries region of the Irish Sea, an important fisheries area, were examined between June 2010 and September 2011 while monitoring weight. Histological examination revealed that the E. siliqua sex-ratio was not different from parity, and no hermaphrodites were observed in the samples collected. In the summer months of 2010 all female clams were either spent or in early development, with just a small percentage of males still spawning. The gonads of both sexes developed over the autumn and winter months of 2010, with the first spawning individuals recorded in January 2011. Spawning peaked in March 2011, but unlike in 2010, spawning continued through June and July with all animals spent in August 2011. The earlier and longer spawning period found in this species in 2011 compared to 2010 may have been due to the colder than normal temperature observed during the winter of 2010 plus the relatively warmer temperatures of Spring 2011, which could have affected the gametogenic development of E. siliqua in the Irish Sea. It was noted that wet weight dropped in the summer months of both years, immediately after the spawning period which may impact on the practicality of fishing for this species during this period. Timing of development and spawning is compared with other sites in the Irish Sea and elsewhere in Europe, including the Iberian Peninsula

Using a mini-artificial language to investigate question-formation: Does underlying production pressure affect surface form?

Our general hypothesis is that the sentence planning process influences the kinds of structures languages allow. In particular, the type of wh-question structures in a language will be determined by the challenges involved in planning the structure

The relative dominance of allo-controls and local-scale sedimentary processes upon preserved successions of aeolian-marine margins

The sedimentology, controls and efficiency of central erg environments are wellconstrained, however marginal relationships are less understood and often underrepresented. The Moab Member of the Curtis Formation is a well-exposed, laterally continuous example of the preserved sediments of an aeolian erg system deposited along a marine margin. It comprises the Upper Jurassic deposits found on the Colorado Plateau, a 380,000km2 area in the Four Corners region of the Western United States. The Moab Member provides an excellent opportunity to study the controls upon aeolian dune fields with increasing proximity to the coastal marine margin. Lateral relationships within the Curtis Formation preserve spatial interactions between systems, temporal interactions are represented by the vertical transition from the Moab Member into the overlying Summerville Formation. This work provides an understanding and analysis of both the sequence-stratigraphical scale and the element scale interactions between dune and contemporaneous sedimentary deposition. Results from fieldwork carried out in the Canyonlands Section of the Colorado Plateau provided extensive data in the form of sedimentary logs, Spectral Gamma Ray (SGR) data and drone photogrammetry. The collation of these individual data sets enabled a basin wide analysis and the construction of sedimentary models providing a context for the deposition of the Moab Member and its contemporaneous environments. The results identify a significant change in the sedimentology and geometry of the erg system towards the marine margin. Establishing the morphologies of this system and its interactions with the surrounding environments enabled the identification of ‘pulses’ linked to small scale sea-level fluctuations. When considered within the wider framework of basin sea-level fluctuations identified from shallow marine deposits, which preserved allocyclic signals, these smaller scale events provide a more in-depth characterisation of sequence stratigraphy in the area and hence document the behaviour of the aeolian-marine margin through a transgressive-regressive cycle