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Review: The Long Civil War: New Explorations of America’s Enduring Conflict ed. by John David Smith and Raymond Arsenault
(UNC Press, 2023) Zander, Cecily
In The Long Civil War, an arsenal of Civil War historians take on the challenge of defining (and redefining) the boundaries of the long Civil War era. Editors John David Smith and Raymond Arsenault dedicate the work to Randall M. Miller, whose contributions to the field have ranged from histories of slavery and Reconstruction to those of religion and the home front. Matching Miller's dedication to examining the depth and breadth of the field, volume contributors explore such diverse topics as abolition and colonization, soldier motivation and political rhetoric, the war's historical legacy, and the memory of the conflict; they stretch as far forward in time as Dwight David Eisenhower and Walt Disney in their efforts to show just how expansive the long Civil War era can be.
Investigating consumer preferences and sensory-relevant traits of lettuces under hydroponically and soil-grown
(2024-08) Kwock, Elizabeth A; Du, Xiaofen; Wang, Danhui; Warren, Cynthia
This research aimed to determine consumer acceptance of hydroponic lettuces and to evaluate physical and chemical attributes of hydroponic lettuce versus open field. Rex, Rouxai, and Bergam’s Green lettuce cultivars from four growing conditions (open field, common hydroponic, 30 °C nutrient solution hydroponic, and 20 °C nutrient solution hydroponic) were analyzed. Consumer acceptance was evaluated using consumer survey and sensory evaluations. Physicochemical attributes were determined by colorimetry, spectrophotometric pigment analyses, texture profile analysis, °Brix, pH, titratable acidity, spectrophotometric total polyphenols, and DPPH antioxidant assays. Non-instrumental analyses found consumers (n=1512) aware of hydroponics (53.21%) but unsure if they favored it (58.03%). They preferred hydroponic lettuces equally or more than open field lettuces (9-point hedonic scale, hydroponic=4.7-5.2, open field=4.9-5.3, n=100). Physical analyses revealed hydroponics generally produced significant increases in pigments (e.g. chlorophyll-a: hydroponic=87.91-133.47 mg/g, open field=83.91 mg/g, p<0.05). Chemical analyses determined hydroponics caused significant decreases in polyphenols and antioxidants (e.g. polyphenols: hydroponic=0.0032-0.0071 mg GAE/g FW, open field=0.0092 mg GAE/g FW, p<0.05).
Care of the child with medical complexity through the eyes of their caregiver: A photovoice project
(2024-08) Van Orne, Julie 1983-; Clutter, Paula; Fredland, Nina; Schultz, Rebecca
This qualitative descriptive study explored the daily experiences of caregivers of children with medical complexity with a tracheostomy as they cared for their child in their home. This study used photovoice, a participatory action research methodology. Adult English-speaking caregivers of children with a tracheostomy living in Texas with access to a smartphone were recruited. Photographs taken by participants and an interview guide were used to guide semi-structured interviews with caregivers. Eight participants were recruited. After analyzing photographs and caregiver interviews, four main themes emerged: role transition, daily challenges, finding support, and thriving in the new normal. Caregivers take on multiple roles, including providing medical care, advocating for their children, and educating others. While facing emotional challenges such as guilt, fear, and exhaustion, caregivers rely on external support systems, emphasizing the need for nurses and healthcare providers to provide comprehensive support and improve the accessibility of home nursing services. The findings of this study can inform nurse-led interventions and advocacy efforts aimed at supporting marginalized children with medical complexity with a tracheostomy and their families. These efforts may include enhancing communication and collaboration between families, healthcare workers, and the public, providing comprehensive, proactive support for caregivers, and improving access to home nursing services.
Spiritual abuse and psychache: The association of sacred wounding with gender, sexual orientation, and race
(2024-08) Porter, Courtney; Mollen, Debra; Stabb, Sally; Porras Pyland, Claudia
The researcher of the current study sought to expand understanding of the impact that religious and spiritual experiences have on the mental health outcomes of adults. While research on various forms of abuse has been extensive in nature, literature exploring dimensions of spiritual abuse have been diminutive in comparison. Even less is known about the impact spiritual abuse has on survivors’ overall well-being and the role spiritual abuse might play in the intolerable emotional suffering or psychache of those who experience sacred wounding. This study seeks to facilitate increased understanding of spiritual abuse not only due to the concerning association between psychache and suicidality (Spínola et al., 2022; Troister & Holden, 2012) but also in service of psychology’s mandate to provide ethical, intersectional, and competent integration of religion and spirituality in clinical practice (Currier et al., 2023). Participants were recruited through social media and email listservs to complete the following questionnaires: a demographic questionnaire, the Spiritual Abuse Questionnaire (Keller, 2016) and the Psychache Scale (Holden et al., 2001). The researcher recruited adult participants (n = 150) who had been involved in a religious or spiritual group at some point in their lives. The researcher conducted correlational and multiple regression analyses to test their hypotheses. The data supported the predicted higher rates of spiritual abuse for sexually marginalized participants than for heterosexual participants (Hypothesis 1). As expected, the data confirmed significant positive relationships between spiritual abuse and psychache (Hypothesis 2). The results did not support that the relationship between spiritual abuse and psychache would be moderated by race (Hypothesis 3), sexual orientation, (Hypothesis 4) or gender identity (Hypothesis 5). Additional findings, limitations, research implications, and treatment considerations are discussed.
When the bough breaks: Mothers and their children's trauma
(2024-08) Nichols, Lisa Marie 1977-; Bones, Paul; Williams, James; Gullion, Jessica; Bowen, Kendra
Child maltreatment is a serious problem in the United States, and mothers are tasked with the role of protecting their children from harm. Women have strict gender roles in society and performing gender is deeply rooted in women’s identity. Role expectations are perhaps their most prevalent during caregiving responsibilities such as motherhood or caring for children and aging parents. These role expectations include being selfless, quietly strong, and resilient. However, the cost of such expectations can include strain that impacts the physical and mental health of women. What happens when women engage in behaviors that are contrary to their gender role such as being unable to care for others or intentionally harming their own children? How do these gender roles and societal expectations play out within the criminal justice system? This mixed methods dissertation aims to examine gender performativity among women, its intersectionality among mothers from marginalized groups, and whether women experience different consequences within the criminal justice system compared to men. While there are many studies that examine gender performativity, maternal filicide, and offender motivation separately, this three-article dissertation will study the intersection of these phenomena from a postmodern feminist perspective and how they contribute to the understanding of societal reactions to female offenders. This dissertation will contribute to the body of literature on the topics of mothering, gender performativity, social inequalities, and child maltreatment. It will also provide insight and data that can directly impact policy and application for practitioners who engage with female offenders.