Disaster recovery funding: Enhanced understanding for improved outcomes.

The complexities of post-disaster recovery funding present significant challenges to state and local communities, particularly with the increase in frequency and intensity of disasters triggered by climate change. This paper explores the disaster recovery funding process for which there is limited existing research. A concurrent triangulation method was utilized as the strategy of inquiry. This mixed methods approach consisted of a content review of the related literature, an analysis of the New Jersey (NJ) Transit damage from Hurricane Sandy, a case study examining NJ Transit's unmet recovery need, and semistructured interviews with related officials. Findings suggest that improved interagency communication is required to better understand funding limitations and develop formal procedures for recovery. Despite progress, extensive gaps in disaster recovery funding remain. The analysis resulted in three key post-disaster recovery coordination findings: (1) there remains a lack of compatibility among the different federal grant programs; (2) there is an identified need for a single point of coordination to enhance the communication process; (3) a solution to recovery funding should include insurance and the private sector. Enhanced coordination mechanisms will result in improved outcomes for jurisdictions recovering from the overwhelming and cascading effects of disasters. These findings have both national and international implications.

Design of the Healthcare Worker Exposure Response and Outcomes (HERO) research platform.

BACKGROUND: The SARS CoV-2 virus has caused one of the deadliest pandemics in recent history, resulting in over 170 million deaths and global economic disruption. There remains an urgent need for clinical trials to test therapies for treatment and prevention. DESIGN: An online research platform was created to support a registry community of healthcare workers (HCWs) to understand their experiences and conduct clinical studies to address their concerns. The first study, HERO-HCQ, was a double-blind, multicenter, randomized, pragmatic trial to evaluate the superiority of hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) vs placebo for pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) of COVID-19 clinical infection in HCWs. Secondary objectives were to assess the efficacy of HCQ in preventing viral shedding of COVID-19 among HCWs and to assess the safety and tolerability of HCQ. METHODS: HCWs joined the Registry and were pre-screened for trial interest and eligibility. Trial participants were randomized 1:1 to receive HCQ or placebo. On-site baseline assessment included a COVID-19 nasopharyngeal PCR and blood serology test. Weekly follow-up was done via an online portal and included screening for symptoms of COVID-19, self-reported testing, adverse events, and quality of life assessments. The on-site visit was repeated at Day 30. DISCUSSION: The HERO research platform offers an approach to rapidly engage, screen, invite and enroll into clinical studies using a novel participant-facing online portal interface and remote data collection, enabling limited onsite procedures for conduct of a pragmatic clinical trial. This platform may be an example for future clinical trials of common conditions to enable more rapid evidence generation.

Shared Christian Religious Identity, Religiousness, and Marital Satisfaction.

This study investigates whether shared Christian religious identity between spouses, individual/shared religiousness, and satisfaction with that religiousness affects individual and marital satisfaction. Research participants (N = 568) completed psychometric measures to report: individual wellbeing, emotional intimacy as a couple, satisfaction with sexual intimacy as a couple, and overall marital satisfaction. Results indicated shared religious identity was correlated with higher marital satisfaction. Generally, higher levels of religiousness were correlated with higher scores on the outcome measures. Finally, participants' satisfaction with their individual and shared religiousness was significantly correlated with higher scores on the selected outcome measures.

Satellite-derived mineral mapping and monitoring of weathering, deposition and erosion.

The Earth's surface comprises minerals diagnostic of weathering, deposition and erosion. The first continental-scale mineral maps generated from an imaging satellite with spectral bands designed to measure clays, quartz and other minerals were released in 2012 for Australia. Here we show how these satellite mineral maps improve our understanding of weathering, erosional and depositional processes in the context of changing weather, climate and tectonics. The clay composition map shows how kaolinite has developed over tectonically stable continental crust in response to deep weathering during northwardly migrating tropical conditions from 45 to 10 Ma. The same clay composition map, in combination with one sensitive to water content, enables the discrimination of illite from montmorillonite clays that typically develop in large depositional environments over thin (sinking) continental crust such as the Lake Eyre Basin. Cutting across these clay patterns are sandy deserts that developed <10 Ma and are well mapped using another satellite product sensitive to the particle size of silicate minerals. This product can also be used to measure temporal gains/losses of surface clay caused by periodic wind erosion (dust) and rainfall inundation (flood) events. The accuracy and information content of these satellite mineral maps are validated using published data.

The reengineering of a software system for glaucoma analysis.

Glaucoma is a destructive eye disease that causes blindness in individuals displaying little or no symptoms. There is no cure as yet though there are treatments that can arrest its effects or slow its development. The earlier the disease is detected, the more likely the treatment will be successful; however early detection of the disease can be difficult. This highlights the importance of ophthalmologists having access to tools that can assist in accurately diagnosing glaucoma and other retinal diseases as early as possible. The stereo optic disc analyser (SODA) software package is a tool intended to be used by ophthalmologists, to aid in the accurate detection of retinal diseases. SODA will use stereoscopy and three-dimensional image analysis to assist in accurately detecting changes in the retina, caused by diseases such as glaucoma. This paper will focus on the reengineering and redesign of the SODA software package to overcome the shortcomings inherent in its prototype implementation and develop a package that can be commercialised. Software Engineering principles and the software development lifecycle, along with principles of object-orientation and usability, have been used to establish a framework for SODA, improve its accuracy, enhance its usability and to redevelop the product into an implementation that can later be commercialised.

A fairy tale with a twist: pastoral counseling with adoptive families.

Adoption counseling often focuses primarily on the enigmatic issues faced by adoptees. Very little attention, however, is pointed in the direction of the adoptive parents and their unique struggles. This article begins by providing some current information on adoption in the United States and ensuing implications for pastoral caregiving. Some of the unique challenges associated with the adoption experience are delineated, primarily focusing on systemic and personal issues faced by many adoptive families. Several practical interventions are suggested for pastoral caregivers working with adoptive families. Finally, the entire adoption experience is framed within a theological perspective offering hope to adoptive parents and adoptees.