Vaccine Epidemiology and Decision-Making: A Bryant Student Focus

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate that influenza has resulted in between 9.2 and 35.6 million illnesses and between 12,000 and 56,000 deaths annually since 2010 (1). Annual influenza vaccination remains to be the most effective way in controlling the spread and symptom severity of influenza infections (1). Influenza infections are especially virulent on college campuses as a dense population of students interact in close quarters such as shared housing, bathrooms, dining halls, classrooms, and social activities (2). Despite influenza vaccinations being safe, effective, easily accessible to Bryant University students, and free of cost, many students choose not to receive an annual vaccination. A survey and interviews were conducted among Bryant University students to: determine the vaccination rate of students on campus; determine reasons why students did or did not decide to receive this season’s flu vaccination; and analyze how the vaccination rates and decision-making of students affect the overall health of the Bryant University campus. Based on the survey data, only 25.15% of Bryant University students participating in the survey had received a vaccination this year, and only a small fraction of these individuals were vaccinated at the Health Services clinics. This incredibly low vaccination rate among the Bryant University student body has severe consequences for the students, University, healthcare system, and even the surrounding communities. This research discusses the importance of vaccination, impact of influenza on Bryant students’ health, the reasons for the low vaccination rate on campus, and describes potential ways to enhance student participation in on-campus vaccination clinics

An exploratory study of nursing in two child psychiatric in-patient units

Thesis (M.S.)--Boston Universit

Reforming state-level coastal management and development policies: strategic retreat as an innovative, proactive and equitable coastal environmental management strategy

Atlantic and Gulf Coast shorelines include some of the most unique and biologically rich ecosystems in the United States that provide immeasurable aesthetic, habitat and economic benefits. Natural coastal ecosystems, however, are under increasing threat from rampant and irresponsible growth and development. Once a boon to local economies, complex natural forces – enhanced by global climate change and sea level rise - are now considered hazards and eroding the very foundation upon which coastal development is based. For nearly a century, beach restoration and erosion control structures have been used to artificially stabilize shorelines in an effort to protect structures and infrastructure. Beach restoration, the import and emplacement of sand on an eroding beach, is expensive, unpredictable, inefficient and may result in long-term environmental impacts. The detrimental environmental impacts of erosion control structures such as sea walls, groins, bulkheads and revetments include sediment deficits, accelerated erosion and beach loss. These and other traditional responses to coastal erosion and storm impacts- along with archaic federal and state policies, subsidies and development incentives - are costly, encourage risky development, artificially increase property values of high-risk or environmentally sensitive properties, reduce the post-storm resilience of shorelines, damage coastal ecosystems and are becoming increasingly unsustainable. Although communities, coastal managers and property owners face increasingly complex and difficult challenges, there is an emerging public, social and political awareness that, without meaningful policy reforms, coastal ecosystems and economies are in jeopardy. Strategic retreat is a sustainable, interdisciplinary management strategy that supports the proactive, planned removal of vulnerable coastal development; reduces risk; increases shoreline resiliency and ensures long term protection of coastal systems. Public policies and management strategies that can overcome common economic misperceptions and promote the removal of vulnerable development will provide state and local policy makers and coastal managers with an effective management tool that concomitantly addresses the economic, environmental, legal and political issues along developed shorelines. (PDF contains 4 pages

Healthy Valleys : reversing decline in eight rural communities

Healthy Valleys is a community focused health improvement initiative and our operating principles are our strength – we adopt a community development approach, we are flexible, responsive to communities, effective and innovative. Healthy Valleys adds value when delivering services because we are effective at engaging with disadvantaged communities. Indeed Healthy Valleys engages local people and delivers services in local places, all of which contribute to making a positive difference

Cool Response: The SEC & Corporate Climate Change Reporting

Climate change and its regulation pose significant risks and opportunities to investors and corporations. The nearly 30 billion in insured losses from Hurricane Sandy alone dramatically underscore this reality. New climate-related federal and state regulations in recent years also present risks and opportunities to companies in the electric power, coal, oil & gas,transportation and insurance sectors. Investors seek greater transparency and disclosure on the business risks of climate change as a means to protect and increase shareholder value.The key regulator that leads federal efforts to provide investors with information about corporaterisks and opportunities is the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). At the heart of the SEC's mission is the protection of investors through meaningful corporate reporting:The laws and rules that govern the securities industry in the United States derive from a simpleand straightforward concept: all investors, whether large institutions or private individuals,should have access to certain basic facts about an investment prior to buying it, and so longas they hold it. To achieve this, the SEC requires public companies to disclose meaningfu lfinancial and other information to the public. Only through the steady flow of timely,comprehensive, and accurate information can people make sound investment decisions. The SEC recognized the financial impacts of climate change when it issued Interpretive Guidance on climate disclosure in February 2010, responding to over 100 institutional investors representing 7 trillion who supported the Guidance. The Guidance outlines expectations from companies in reporting on "material" regulatory, physical, and indirect risks and opportunities related to climate change.This report examines the state of such corporate reporting and associated SEC comment letters on climate change. It also provides recommendations for the SEC and companies on improving the quality of reporting. The report examines (1) the state of S&P 500 reporting onclimate disclosure and (2) SEC comment letters addressing climate disclosure from 2010 to the end of 2013

Beyond Brexit: the impact of leaving the EU on the youth work sector

The UK having voted to leave the EU, Annette Coburn and Sinéad Gormally consider potential problems and possibilities for youth work within post-Brexit Britain, with a focus on Scotland in particular. They outline how youth work has reached a ‘tipping point’ in its evolution, where austerity measures have consistently undermined it. They examine the potential impact of the further loss of EU funding. Recognising that it is entirely uncharted territory, they assert that despite the inherent concerns, Brexit could also be a catalyst for re-imagining youth work as a creative and resistant practice within social and informal education

Multicriteria mapping manual: version 1.0

This Manual offers basic advice on how to do multicriteria mapping (MCM). It suggests how to: go about designing and building a typical MCM project; engage with participants and analyse results – and get the most out of the online MCM tool. Key terms are shown in bold italics and defined and explained in a final Annex. The online MCM software tool provides its own operational help. So this Manual is more focused on the general approach. There are no rigid rules. MCM is structured, but very flexible. It allows many more detailed features than can be covered here. MCM users are encouraged to think for themselves and be responsible and creative

Cohesion, commonality and creativity: youth work across borders

No abstract available

A report of the physiological, psychological, and bacteriological aspects of 20 days in full pressure suits, 20 days at 27,000 feet on 100 per cent oxygen, and 34 days of confinement, part III Final report, 2 Jun. 1964 - Nov. 1965

Physiological, psychological, and bacteriological aspects of 20 days in full pressure suits, 20 days at 27.000 feet on 100 percent oxygen, and 34 days of confinemen