Chaos theory, informational needs, and natural disasters

This study applies chaos theory to a system-wide analysis of crisis communication in a natural disaster. Specifically, we analyze crisis communication during the 1997 Red River Valley flood in Minnesota and North Dakota. This flood, among the worst in modern American history, consumed entire metropolitan areas, displacing thousands of people. The conditions and decisions leading to the disaster, and the subsequent reactions are retraced. Communication related to river crest predictions (fractals), the shock at the magnitude of the crisis (cosmology episode), novel forms of reorganizing (self-organization), and agencies that aided in establishing a renewed order (strange attractors) are evaluated. Ultimately, we argue that preexisting sensemaking structures favoring rationalized, traditional views of a complex system led officials to make inappropriately unequivocal predictions and ultimately diminished the effectiveness of the region's crisis communication and planning.     

活血皇浆对田径运动员血液动力流变学和血液有形成分参数的影响

根据中医内科辩证和因时制宜原则 ,对校田径代表队在夏季比赛期间服用活血皇浆前后进行血液动力流变学和血液有形成分参数的比较观察结果表明 ,运动员服液后在脉率 (PR)、每搏量 (SV)、心输出量 (CO)、左心有效泵力 (VPE)和左心能量有效利用率 (EWK )改善的同时 ,出现心肌耗氧量 (HOV)、心肌耗氧指数 (HOI)、心肌血液需要量 (CMBN)、心肌血液灌注量(CMBV)和总周阻 (TPR)、标准周阻 (SPR)、收缩压 (SP)舒张压 (DP)等参数下降 ,呈现机能和能量节省化 ,而血液状态则表现为血容量 (BV)增多 ,全血粘度 (η)和还原血粘度 (ηr)下降 ,切变应力增高 ,血流速度加快 ,有利于维持微循环正常功能。血液有形成分的改变提示 ,血红蛋白 (Hb)红细胞比积 (HCT)和血小板 (PL T)有增高趋势 ;平均红细胞血红蛋白浓度 (MCHC)下降 ,则有可能与 BV相对增多 ,红细胞 (RBC)体积增大有关     

PUBLIC AND ELITE ATTITUDES TO ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES

This paper puts the environment into perspective. Politiciansand commentators see the environment as yesterday's issue, forgettingthat the core of environmental activists is still double thelevel of just five years ago. International comparisons stretchingfrom Poland to New Zealand are made, examining the public'senvironmental behavior, attitudes and values. Using Great Britainas a case study, detailed comparisons are made between the attitudesof the general public with journalists, the financial community,captains of industry, and Members of Parliament and the latterthen compared with Members of the European Parliament. The publicis demanding action by companies and by governments on environmentalissues and has little faith in either to take corrective action.