Morally Injurious Experiences of Combat Exposed Veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan: Moderating Effects of Self-Forgiveness on Feelings of Shame and Guilt

Moral injury is a construct developed to explain a unique symptom profile of individuals who may have perpetrated, witnessed, or learned about events that transgress their held moral beliefs. Among combat exposed Veterans, particular attention has been focused on the ambiguous nature of recent military conflicts and the increased moral conflicts associated with more recent, unconventional combat tactics and strategies. This study examined the relationship between moral injury and feelings of shame and guilt among a large sample (n=198) of Veterans who deployed in support of conflicts in Iraq and/or Afghanistan. Additionally, this study sought to examine self-forgiveness as a moderator of the well-studied and empirically supported association of moral injury and shame and guilt. This study considered demographic and exposure variables and found moral injury was positively correlated with feelings of shame, guilt, and with the combination of these two affective experiences. Also, self-forgiveness was found to moderate the relationship between shame and guilt. The results of this study further support the relationship between moral injury and feelings of shame and guilt, as identified in the past decade of moral injury literature. The results also suggest that self-forgiveness does significantly impact the strength of the relationship between moral injury and feelings of shame and guilt, which supports Litz et al.’s (2009) conceptual model. This study demonstrates a need for more research to examine self-forgiveness as a principle factor in moral injury treatment, which could improve the efficacy of moral injury treatments such as Adaptive Disclosure

Cost, quality, and the community college enrollment decision

Numerous studies model whether students enroll in higher education, but few have investigated how students decide where to attend. Even fewer studies have considered how community college students make this nearly first noncompulsory human capital investment decision. This research focuses on the enrollment decisions of students whose first postsecondary destination after high school graduation is one of the nation\u27s public two-year colleges, a group that comprises nearly 40 percent of the undergraduates in American higher education (Knapp et al. 2011). The first chapter introduces the reader to community colleges with a brief history of the schools, their role in higher education today, and a review of the current economic research related to these institutions. The second chapter develops a conditional logistic choice model to examine the importance of cost, quality, and distance in students\u27 community college enrollment decisions using evidence from a recent cohort. Much of the previous literature assumes that community college students simply enroll in the closest alternative. Key findings of this research include 1) two-year college students are highly responsive to tuition costs and distance; 2) financial and non-financial school attributes affect the likelihood that a student enrolls in any given school; and 3) high-achieving students in high school are significantly more likely to choose a community college with an honors program, the first evidence of sorting by ability among this group of higher education participants

Correlation between critical thinking skills and decision making skills in athletic training and the examination of critical thinking differences across the curriculum

Athletic trainers evaluate an athlete\u27s injury, make decisions regarding injury management, provide first aid and treatment, establish rehabilitation protocols, and evaluate the outcomes of their decisions. To practice effectively, they must think critically and make appropriate decisions. As educators make curriculum changes to improve decision making in athletic training, instructional methods to develop critical thinking continues to be proposed as a method to achieve this goal. This idea is based on the hypothesis that there is a DM-CT link, that athletic training students think critically, and that these instructional methods affect critical thinking. Additionally, issues continue to increase regarding the poor performance of students on the National Athletic Trainers\u27 Association Board of Certification Written Simulation (NATABOC-WS). Although this may be due to test anxiety, it may also be as a result of students being novices at taking written simulation exams, or if due to the DM-CT link, students do not think critically or students\u27 critical thinking is not affected by instructional methods. The correlational methodology compared scores from 11 ATEP seniors\u27 Critical Thinking Appraisal (CTA) and their NATABOC-WS results. Institutions were compared for usage of written simulation evaluations across the curriculum. Finally, 239 college students, 104 non-ATEP students and 135 ATEP students were subjected to a 2X4 MANOVA to identify differences between AT and non-AT majors, as well as identifying differences across all four cohorts. The results indicate that the Point Biserial Correlation as not significant between the NATABOC-WS and the CTA. Athletic training students had little exposure to written simulation evaluation format across the curriculum with only 50% of the institutions utilizing written simulations across the curriculum and with that at only 11% of the time. The athletic training students did have significantly higher critical thinking skills than did non-athletic training college students; however, differences across cohorts were not significant. Non-athletic training cohort levels were consistent across time until the senior year; while athletic training mean differences in cohorts varied, those usually occurred in the year of formal admission to the athletic training program. Based on the fact that athletic training literature is limited on the topic of critical thinking, the need for additional research is apparent

The effects of genetic strain and finisher diet non-phytate phosphorus level on performance, lysine degradation and litter composition of large tom turkeys

Successful commercial turkey production requires proper genetic strain selection to optimize live performance and profit. In addition, sustainable practices relative to manure disposal are essential due to perceptions that land application of poultry manure is a primary contributor to watershed eutrophication. The objective of our research was to assess genetic strain and finisher diet non-phytate phosphorus (nPP) level effects on large tom performance and litter composition using a research facility that mimics commercial production. Experiments were 2x2 factorial designs utilizing 2 strains (Nicholas and Hybrid) and 2 levels of dietary nPP (normal and low) in finishing diets. Two experiments of similar concept and design were conducted in sequence. In experiment (Exp) 1 Hybrid Converter and Nicholas 88x700 strains were compared, and dietary nPP was reduced during the last finisher diet [calculated percent nPP: normal (0.37) and low (0.31)]. In Exp 2, Hybrid Converter and Nicholas TP5 strains were compared, and dietary nPP was reduced in the last 2 finisher diets [calculated percent nPP: normal (0.58) and low (0.55) in the finisher 1 diet, and normal (0.40) and low (0.38) in the finisher 2 diet]. Live performance measurements were recorded from d 1-136 and from d 1-126 for Exp 1 and 2, respectively. Liver enzyme assays associated with lysine degradation were quantified and litter phosphorus (P) levels were determined. In Exp 1, both strains had similar ending weight (EW). The Hybrid Converter strain had improved feed conversion ratio (FCR) as compared to the Nicholas 88x700 strain. The initial enzyme of the primary pathway of lysine oxidation/degradation, lysine alpha-ketoglutarate reductase (LKR), had greater activity in Nicholas compared to Hybrid toms. Changes in dietary nPP in the finisher diet did not affect performance or litter P, thus indicating potential to decrease feed cost but not environmental impact. In Exp 2, Nicholas TP5 had greater EW but increased FCR as compared to Hybrid Converter toms. However, regression equations that standardized strain EW, predicted a decreased time of production and FCR for Nicholas TP5 toms. Hybrid Converter and Nicholas toms did not differ in LKR activity; although, a decrease in activity over time was observed. Manipulation of dietary nPP level did not affect tom performance. However, the low nPP diet decreased total litter P, thus indicating potential to decrease feed cost and environmental impact

Optimization of Bacterial Luciferase for Expression in Mammalian Cells

This study describes the optimization of expression of the bacterial luciferase enzyme in mammalian cells. Previous attempts to express this heterodimeric enzyme complex in mammalian cells have been met with only modest success. In this research effort, several vector formats were evaluated to fully determine the optimal format for the expression of these genes. It was determined that the bacterial luciferase enzyme produced optimal bioluminescence in mammalian cells when the genes were cloned and expressed as a bicistronic transcript fused with an internal ribosomal entry site (IRES). To optimize the enzyme expression further, a novel approach to codon optimize the genes was performed. To accomplish this task, completely synthetic versions of the codon optimized sequences were generated. This codon optimization, led to an increase in bioluminescence levels greater than two orders of magnitude versus the wild type genes. Additionally, the availability of the FMNH2 substrate was evaluated and determined to be a limiting substrate for the reaction. In an attempt to alleviate this limitation, a flavin oxidoreductase gene (frp) from Vibrio harveyi was cloned and expressed along with the codon optimized luxA and luxB genes. Although the expression of this enzyme enhanced the bioluminescence significantly, FMNH2 remains the limiting substrate for optimal bioluminescence. To produce a usable reporter cell line, the reporter must remain stable within the cells for long periods of time. The overall stability of the engineered cells was assessed to determine the persistence of the reporter for long-term monitoring applications. These data revealed that the luciferase genes were stable in HEK293 cells for more than forty passages (five months) in culture in the absence of antibiotic, indicating that these cell lines would be stable enough for relatively long term monitoring projects and applications

Solving Problems Through Cooperation

Contents: Preliminary --- What One Village Did --- What Others Have Done --- Cooperative Purchasing Services --- Cooperative Marketing Services --- Cooperative Livestock Services --- Cooperative Farm Machinery and Equipment Services --- Cooperative Household Equipment Services --- Special Services --- Cooperation Through Informal Activities --- Conclusion --- Appendix

Ill-Fed, Ill Clothed, Ill Housed -- Five Hundred Families in Need of Help

Contents: Preliminary Observations --- Economic Status --- Housing --- Household Equipment and Conveniences --- Self-Sufficiency --- Health Conditions --- Community and Organizational Participation --- Appendixes (A. Project Areas, by Counties – B. Schedules and Instructions – C. Tables)

Rebuttal in Defense of the Klamath Hydroelectric Settlement Agreement

This article rebuts certain assertions made by Mr. Thomas Schlosser in a recent article entitled Dewatering Trust Responsibility: The New Klamath River Hydroelectric and Restoration Agreements. The Klamath hydroelectric dams are not causing degrading fish disease conditions in the Klamath Basin. Dewatering Trust Responsibility overlooks the effects of water diversions for agriculture, pollution from pesticides and industrial operations and habitat degradation from timbering, ranching and other human activities on current Basin conditions. Under the Klamath Hydroelectric Settlement Agreement and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission license, PacifiCorp is taking extensive measures to protect aquatic resources in the Basin prior to dam removal. The abeyance in the Clean Water Act certification process is necessary to allow the study of anticipated impacts of dam removal and water quality measures that could be implemented during the interim period prior to potential dam removal

Trends In Farm Family Levels and Standards of Living

Contents: Introduction (Need for Measures) --- Established Time Series (Electricity – Running Water – Telephones – Automobiles – All-Weather Roads – Radios – Persons per Room – Refrigerators) --- New Bench-Marks (Newspapers – Magazines – Sewing Machines, Washing Machines, Self-Heating Irons – Medical Care – Accidents – Organization Attendance) --- Gaps That Need to Be Filled --- Appendix (The Sample – Tables)