Archive for month: October, 2015

The 1960’s marked a revolutionary era for The United States; during its former half, America faced a pivotal decision: the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Though the legislation ultimately came to pass not every citizen shared such conviction. After having read a multitude of letters to Harold T. “Bizz” Johnson, it is apparent that people found great discomfort in aspects of the bill — some parts more than others.

In the late 60’s, there was a great fervency of opposition against the bill; persons, such as Malcolm K. Hartwig, feared a loss of freedom, a rise in Communism, and most notably the fear of losing the “sacred right of private property.” Starting in the 1920’s, a great fear of Communism had taken hold of most Americans, and this bill had been viewed as a means of infiltrating the country and promote “civil disorder.” Mr. Hartwig had this to say to congressman “Bizz” Johnson.

Hartwig’s primary concern — as was the case with most Americans who had written to Bizz Johnson — was Title VIII of the bill. What this essentially meant was that no one person could be discriminated against in regards to sale, rental, and financing of dwellings based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. Interestingly enough, the intentions behind the bill pertained only to a desire for equality and the spreading of freedom — of “American” ideals; however, many were not ready to bring others to their level.

Hartwig noted on the prevalence of Communist presence in the bill, but this was nothing more than an irrational presumption on the oppositions’ part. Martin Luther King Jr. and other civil rights activists had frequently been accused of either being or associating with Communists, but none of the relevant accusations pulled through. Though it is not directly mentioned in the letter, it is worth mentioning that the free love movement most likely influenced his train of thought, as the notion did promote anti-establishment policies.

Fortunately, the bill gained enough traction to pass. Originally proposed by President John F. Kennedy, President Lyndon B. Johnson would see the bill through. This letter — not written 10 days prior to Kennedy’s assassination — reflected feelings ubiquitous in many Americans, and it should be noted that remarks of impending doom in case of the bill’s passing were nothing but a mere fantasy.

Something that I thought was interesting about patient education with GI diet for diverticulitis. This came up for me about a month ago when someone close to me actually was diagnosed with acute severe diverticulitis and was not educated about what to do about dietary needs. For someone who has diverticulitis initially they are NPO with IV fluids, and possible nasogastric suctioning if vomiting or distention occurs. Oral intake is increased as symptoms subside starting with clear liquids with a LOW fiber diet. This can also be considered a low residual diet that consists of low fiber and no seeds. Dietary management as well as consulting with dietitians in acute settings is essential for patient care to make sure they are eating the correct texture of food to prevent further damage.

With the new cooperation between the university and NOAA, we are able to share resources in multiple ways, from the sharing of equipment, vessel usage, training and much more. The NOAA Center of Excellence for Unmanned Technologies invited our team to come observe a test mission using the AeroVironment Puma UAV aboard the research vessel the R/V Shearwater. This last Monday, team leader Paul Spaur, and member Tim Holcombe joined the multi-disciplinary NOAA team on the R/V Shearwater at the Santa Barbara Harbor. The ship set out into the Santa Barbara Channel and ran a series of 10+ flight missions, launching the UAV while at sea.

 

The Puma is a fixed wing aircraft that is constructed with high impact foam, allowing it to be very light, and very durable. It was designed to land on water, and has a modular payload system. The payload systems enables it to carry a variety of imaging and sensor packages. The craft has stand alone video capabilities which can be used by one or two people, an autopilot system allowing for way point navigation, and gimbaled cameras with the ability to zoom in, and switch to an infrared / thermal view. The unit has a robust radio system, allowing for long range data, video and control. The unit is piloted by NOAA Corps Officers that have been trained and certified in flying UAVs.

 

 

Remotely piloted technology is giving agencies such as NOAA the ability to better understand and protect natural resources. Unmanned aircraft can be used to survey and inventory marine mammals, vegetation, survey coast lines, monitor for poachers and illegal fishing and much more. Unmanned surface or underwater vehicles can monitor underwater sounds, whale and other large marine mammal behavior and migration, monitor vessel noise pollution, monitor fish populations and much more. These systems can provide around the clock monitoring and research, and offer the added benefit of reduced costs, allowing greater coverage, especially in remote places that have limited resources. The cost of one flight with a traditional aircraft could pay for nearly a season worth of flights with a UAV. In addition to the monetary savings, electric UAVs can reduce the impact to the environment by reducing the amount of noise, and emissions.

 

CHLA has a lot of educational material for parents who are taking their children home and need to know how to take care of them. For instance, I found this page on G tube care for children:

http://www.chla.org/caring-your-childs-g-tube

The information listed above is certainly very helpful for parents who want to have resource in order to make sure their kids are well cared for and that nothing goes wrong. But we’ve talked a lot in various classes about different learning styles, and the importance of presenting information in a manner that will be understood. So what about videos? Sometimes just reading the words doesn’t bring it home enough. So I found some good videos for parents to watch.

What about the kids, though? If I was a little kid and I was coming home from a scary hospital experience with a tube into my stomach, I would be very nervous and upset. I think maybe learning more about what’s going on inside, and the reason why the tube is helping me to get better would help me to feel more comfortable.

I had no luck finding a fun, simple video that just explains what a G tube is, why it’s there, and what it’s doing, as well as why the stomach needs it. I found a lot of dry videos with a pediatrician explaining G tube care, but I think there’s a need for Sesame Street style health care videos for kids that are going through health problems.

At least, that’s what I think I would want.