Human Security Research Articles

"Just a knife wound this week, nothing too painful": An ethnographic exploration of how primary care patients experiencing homelessness view their own health and healthcare.

Community health needs assessments (CHNA) involving qualitative techniques help tailor health services to the specific needs of the population groups for whom they are designed. In light of increasing health disparities amongst people experiencing homelessness (PEH)-and to ensure the integration of their voices into a larger CHNA-this study used an ethnographic approach grounded in a social constructivist research paradigm to explore the perspectives of PEH attending a primary care and addiction service in Ireland on their priority health and healthcare needs. Participant observations and informal interviews were conducted with clients experiencing homelessness attending the service for three hours every Monday morning between October 2022 and April 2023. Field note data from active participant observation and informal conversations were collected, anonymised, and analysed using inductive thematic analysis in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki and the researchers' institutional Research Ethics Committee. Three main themes emerged from the analysis: self-identified priorities, satisfaction with health services, and migrant health. Clients' priority concerns relate to their mental health and personal safety, strengthening ties with children and families, finding a sense of purpose, and feeling better physically. These challenges differ from those of the general population in terms of their severity observed both prior to and during experiences of homelessness, coupled with disproportionately high levels of loss, fear, pain, fatigue, social stigma and other barriers to accessing satisfactory housing. In terms of services, clients are satisfied with their ability to access primary care and harm reduction in a social environment where positive exchanges with friends and providers take place. Conversely, barriers to accessing mental health and addiction services persist including the internalised belief that one is beyond help, lack of access to information on available services and their entry requirements, and lingering stigma within a health system that treats addiction as separate to health. Moving forward, health practitioners may consider holding more regular and open conversations with clients experiencing homelessness about the care they are receiving, its rationale, and whether or not changes are desired that can be safely made. The health needs of migrants and asylum seekers entering homelessness in Ireland are urgent and should be prioritised in future research.

Advances and Significances of Nanoparticles as Concrete Additives: A Comprehensive Review

Nanotechnology, a significant technological advancement in the current century, has brought about revolutionary changes in numerous fields by manipulating matter at the nanoscale. This review paper examines the various applications of nanoparticles in the concrete industry, emphasizing their potential to improve mechanical qualities, thermal performance and sustainability. This study investigates multiple synthesis strategies, such as grafting, sol–gel, chemical and biological procedures, which offer concrete engineers a diverse range of options to tailor the properties of nanoparticles. The utilization of this particular material results in notable enhancements in many mechanical properties of concrete, including its compressive and flexural strength, toughness, thermal conductivity and self-sensing capabilities. These improvements ultimately contribute to the overall enhancement of the concrete’s structural integrity and energy efficiency. Adding nanoparticles to concrete has also been shown to help it develop self-healing properties. This means that structures last longer and require less maintenance. Making building materials more resistant to chemical corrosion, wear and environmental forces is also a big step in making them last longer. The growing emphasis on sustainability within the building industry has generated heightened attention toward utilizing self-healing concrete, which frequently incorporates nanoparticles. To make the building industry more environmentally friendly, using less traditional cement and recycling personal safety equipment (PPE) like vinyl and latex gloves can help protect the environment. This review also highlights the significant problems in employing nanoparticles in concrete: obtaining equal dispersion, handling-costs and addressing environmental and health concerns. However, nanotechnology is advancing construction concrete research to improve mechanical properties and durability.

Immediate mental health status of refugees during the Ukrainian armed conflict of 2022.

The study assessed stressors and the immediate mental health status of the Ukrainian refugees during the ongoing Ukrainian armed conflict of 2022 and analyzed strategies for reducing anxiety levels. The questionnaire-based prospective study was undertaken in Lviv, Ukraine (five study groups) and Israel (two groups) among 27,901 refugees and 1,259 controls. We assessed the levels of anxiety with General Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7; score range = 0-21, mild to severe) and Refugees' Anxiety Reasons-6 (RAR-6) with a score ranging from 30 (no anxiety) to 6 (extreme anxiety) questionnaires. RAR-6 assessed worries about personal safety, money matters, relatives under fire, the future of the country, limited medications, and general mental fatigue. The study involved refugees in the migration phase and internally displaced persons. The GAD-7 score of 16.1 ± 2.6 (severe anxiety) showed that all participants experienced anxiety during current hostilities. The RAR-6 score of 21.8 ± 1.7 demonstrated that participants worried about numerous acute problems, but the results varied from group to group. The refugees who moved abroad independently and without a clear goal had the worst GAD-7 score of 19.4 ± 1.7. The refugees who traveled abroad in a group-organized manner had the best RAR-6 score of 24.8 ± 1.5, while passing through Lviv refugees had the worst RAR-6 score of 19.0 ± 1.6 (p = .03). During hostilities, refugees, internally displaced persons, and regular inhabitants are mentally affected to varying degrees. For refugees, group-organized travel abroad is the best option to maintain adequate mental health, followed by an internal refugee status and traveling abroad independently (the worst strategy). (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Assessing the value and knowledge gains from an online tick identification and tick-borne disease management course for the Southeastern United States

BackgroundTick-borne diseases are a growing public health threat in the United States. Despite the prevalence and rising burden of tick-borne diseases, there are major gaps in baseline knowledge and surveillance efforts for tick vectors, even among vector control districts and public health agencies. To address this issue, an online tick training course (OTTC) was developed through the Southeastern Center of Excellence in Vector-Borne Diseases (SECOEVBD) to provide a comprehensive knowledge base on ticks, tick-borne diseases, and their management.MethodsThe OTTC consisted of training modules covering topics including tick biology, tick identification, tick-borne diseases, and public health, personal tick safety, and tick surveillance. The course was largely promoted to vector control specialists and public health employees throughout the Southeastern US. We collected assessment and survey data on participants to gauge learning outcomes, perceptions of the utility of knowledge gained, and barriers and facilitators to applying the knowledge in the field.ResultsThe OTTC was successful in increasing participants’ baseline knowledge across all course subject areas, with the average score on assessment increasing from 62.6% (pre-course) to 86.7% (post-course). More than half of participants (63.6%) indicated that they would definitely use information from the course in their work. Barriers to using information identified in the delayed assessment included lack of opportunities to apply skills (18.5%) and the need for additional specialized training beyond what the OTTC currently offers (18.5%), while the main facilitator (70.4%) for applying knowledge was having opportunities at work, such as an existing tick surveillance program.ConclusionsOverall, this OTTC demonstrated capacity to improve knowledge in a necessary and underserved public health field, and more than half of participants use or plan to use the information in their work. The geographic reach of this online resource was much larger than simply for the Southeastern region for which it was designed, suggesting a much broader need for this resource. Understanding the utility and penetrance of training programs such as these is important for refining materials and assessing optimal targets for training.

NIGERIA: SECURITY CONCERNS OF INTERNALLY DISPLACED PERSONS LIVING IN NON-CAMP SETTINGS IN KWARA STATE

Internally displaced persons (IDPs) seek refuge in territories that are considered safer, including outside officially designated camps. This development raises security concerns for host communications, thus increasing the likelihood of conflict. This paper set out to unveil the presence of IDPs in non-camp settings (NCS) in Kwara State, examine the security implications associated with their covert existence within host communities, and evaluate the strategies put in place by the State Government to address them. The study adopted a mixed method approach, in which 200 copies of a questionnaire were distributed to local participants in selected towns, out of which 188 copies were retrieved. A snowball technique was used to identify unregistered IDPs while a purposive sampling technique was useful in the selection of key informants for interviews. The study found that the security implications of hosting IDPs were numerous: feelings of insecu rity, a threat to physical and mental health, a threat to life, vulnerability to harassment; increas ing demographic imbalance, and condescending attitude of the host population among others. The study concluded that a high level of impoverishment in NCS threatens human security for both the host population and the IDPs. The study recommended that the Kwara State Government should synergize with relevant stakeholders and the local communities, to identify and profile all victims of internal displacement for an effective response to security challenges. Keywords: Security, Internal Displacement, non-camp setting, host community, Kwara.

Counter-Terrorism and Human Rights at the UN Security Council: Blurring Boundaries in a Social Space

Abstract How do we study the UN Security Council, a bastion of sovereign nation-state politics, from the perspective of “outsiders” such as UN special rapporteurs? This article reimagines the relationship between security and human rights at the UN through a social space approach. By challenging institutional and geographical boundaries between the Security Council in New York and the Human Rights Council in Geneva, I follow actors in a social space in which transversal lines connecting security and human rights become visible. I uncover a social space that is animated by actors, their relations and social positions relative to each other as well as connections between institutions, geographical locations, practical competencies, and material infrastructures. On this basis, I theorize four distinct boundary-blurring practices of UN special rapporteurs: between the issue areas of human rights and security, between the geographical locations of New York and Geneva, between institutions such as the Security Council, Human Rights Council and the OHCHR, and between the domains of politics and law. While these practices help them enter into the social space of the Security Council in New York, special rapporteurs need to pay “entry costs” by accepting the basic premises of the counter-terrorism architecture in return for recognition as valid actors in this architecture. Taking this viewpoint from the outside, I argue, illuminates the extension of the Security Council beyond its institutional confines and uncovers “the human-rightisation” of global security policy.

Large-scale experimental study on the average temperature distribution model of fire smoke under mechanical ventilation in the flat space

Mechanical ventilation is essential to ensure the safety of persons, equipment, and structures in cruise ship fire incidents. The mass loss rate, smoke temperature, and comprehensive heat transfer coefficient during large-scale fire experiments are researched in cruise ship flat space. The results indicate that the mass loss rate of four pool fires with different sizes presents different rules in mechanical ventilation conditions compared with open conditions. In addition, the vertical distribution of temperature appears to be stratification, which aligns with the “dual-zone model”. The horizontal distribution of the temperature has a “mutation point”. With the mutation point as the boundary, the temperature drops rapidly from the fire source to the mutation point and decreases more slowly. Furthermore, the distribution model of comprehensive heat transfer coefficient and average temperature are established. The comprehensive heat transfer coefficient is in direct proportion to the 1.00 power of heat release rate and inversely in proportion to the 0.69 power of the number of mechanical ventilation. However, the average temperature is in direct proportion to the 0.52 power of heat release rate and inversely in proportion to the 1.40 power of the number of mechanical ventilation.

Effect of Elderly School Policy on Quality of Life among Thailand’s Senior Citizens: A Propensity Score Matching Approach

Background As Thailand’s population ages, promoting senior citizens’ quality of life (QoL) is crucial. In 2017, the Ministry of Social Development and Human Security launched the “elderly school” initiative to foster lifelong learning and enhance the QoL among senior citizens. However, comprehensive evaluations of its impact on QoL remain limited. Methods This cross-sectional survey aimed to assess the policy’s effect on QoL in Phetchabun province, Thailand. Using quota and systematic sampling, 1,374 senior citizens aged 60-80 participated. Propensity score matching (PSM) with a 1:1 match was employed to estimate the average treatment effect (ATE) of attending the elderly school on QoL. Additionally, multiple linear regression was analyzed to assess the association between QoL and its associated factors. Results PSM were matched successfully, the standardized difference was less than 10 percent, and the baseline after matching indicated balances with 687 elderly people in each group. The mean QoL score of the non-attending group was 44.40 (SD = 7.11), and that of the attending group was 57.50 (SD = 7.53). The ATE for elderly people attending school was 10.67 scores (95% CI: 9.67 – 11.67 scores) higher than those unattended. Being female, having monthly income higher than 20,000, having employment, having a caregiver, and attendance at elderly school were positively associated with QoL, and the standardized beta coefficients were 0.078, 0.059, 0.094, 0.066, and 0.550, respectively. Additionally, higher education was positively associated with higher QoL. Conclusion The elderly school policy significantly enhanced the QoL of the attending senior citizens. Findings suggest continued collaboration among stakeholders to sustain and optimize this policy for improved seniors’ QoL, which has the potential to utilize lifelong learning to create an inclusive framework for healthy aging among senior citizens.

Plan B?: Reconsidering Australian Security in the event of a post US alliance era

ABSTRACT The rise of China combined with a growing “America First” approach to US foreign policy has generated a debate in Australia about the status of the alliance with the United States. This article contributes to this debate by exploring what a Plan B, for Australian security outside the alliance, might look like. It assesses existing scholarship on the subject, highlighting how recent arguments that Australia can “go it alone” are fundamentally flawed as they fail to address requirements to protect the economic and human security of Australians. The article goes on to examine why it is still necessary to consider a Plan B, and what Australia’s core national interests are. It emphasises the importance of protecting the lives and livelihoods of Australians, as opposed to the pure focus on the territorial defence of Australia that has marked out much of the existing literature. This leads the article to conclude that, outside the US alliance, Australia would need to rely on a more holistic concept of security, and less on a military approach. It concludes by putting forward suggestions for how Australia could provide itself with security outside the US alliance, primarily through building resilience and adopting a form of neutrality.

Secessionist Agitations and Human Security: The Quest for the Agitations of IPOB in Southeastern Nigeria

Human security is a vital aspect of a state’s existence and it's performance in both local and international system. However, in Nigeria, the state of human security has been intercepted by many obstacles. The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) secessionist movement is a major interception. The arrest of the group’s leader, Nnamdi Kanu, in 2015 triggered a rise in the three-year movement and ultimately a fall in human security in the country. This study investigates the relationship between the IPOB secessionist agitation and human security as well as the implications that the agitations have on human security in Nigeria. The study adopts the relative deprivation theory as the theoretical framework to analyse the underlying causes of secessionist movements. Utilizing a secondary method of data collection, the research relies on an extensive literature review and analysis of relevant sources, including books, journals, and online articles. The findings of this study reveal that IPOB agitations have repercussions on human security in the country. The study therefore recommends facilitating open and constructive dialogue between the Nigerian government and representatives of IPOB to address the root causes of secessionist agitations. Received: 12 March 2024 / Accepted: 20 May 2024 / Published: 02 July 2024

PERSONAL SECURITY OF EDUCATORS AND TEACHERS. CASE STUDY OF BLESSED NATALIA TUŁASIEWICZ

ABSTRACT: Aim: The figure of Blessed Natalia Tułasiewicz appears as a person who increases her own power in upbringing and teaching, despite extremely difficult external conditions. Methods: On the basis of the notes, letters and testimonies left behind, subsequent layers of personal safety are reconstructed: ontic-cultural, psychological-social and instrumental-defense. Results: It turns out that the efficacy power of Natalia's influence on the environment increased in proportion to the development of the instrumental and defensive layer of her personal safety, in the feedback between its three layers. Conclusion: The extremely difficult experience of war, prison and concetration camp reality did not overcome the strength of Natalia's religiously shaped spirituality and self-education. Originality: The analysis of Natalia's agency in upbringing and teaching in difficult times was made by showing the structure and dynamics of the layers of her personal safety, which allowed for insight into her ontological profile as a human person, without standard psychological and sociological analyses. Keyword: personalistic analysis of act, lay apostolate, courage to act, cultural sensitivity, responsibility

Effective law enforcement and human security in Mexico

Mexico is experiencing a level of violence and crime that threatens human rights and prevents the attainment of human security and human development. Effective law enforcement should not only be approached as a worthy ideal, or something only desirable or convenient, but as a human right, since it is focused on achieving the greatest protection of the most fundamental rights of the people: life, freedom, integrity, property, among others. This article develops this argument by examining legal doctrines on the subject and proposes the centrality of effective law enforcement to strengthen not only the rule of law, but individual security as well as other types of security. It thus highlights the importance of a better state handling of law enforcement in order to achieve peace, order, and prosperity in Mexico. Finally, this article also provides a description of the various means of challenge and appeal which are available in Mexico by which the human right to effective law enforcement may be obtained in order to achieve a minimum threshold of public security that could effectively guarantee human security and freedom.

RESEARCH ON THE MOTIVATION OF RURAL TOURISTS IN ANHUI PROVINCE FOR RURAL TOURISM

This paper mainly analyzes the development trend of rural tourism in Anhui Province in recent years, so as to study the pull of tourist attractions in Anhui Province on tourists, and for tourists themselves, the external driving force of rural tourism behavior in Anhui Province. From the perspective of the spiritual and cultural value of tourism, tourism is of great significance to cultivate sentiment, soothe mood and cultivate aesthetics. Through some previous literature, it can often be found that tourism motivation research is only a small part of a large category of tourism behavior research, so in-depth study of tourists' motivation, what is the significance of the tourism industry for the entire tourism behavior? This research adopts the research method of quantitative analysis, sets up 34 items, collects questionnaires in Huangshan, Anhui Province, and analyzes the tourism motivation of rural tourists by collecting and analyzing 298 valid questionnaires. The findings suggest that it is necessary to strengthen management, integrate tourism resources, pay attention to the personal safety of tourists and environmental protection of scenic spots, create well-known brands, and take the path of sustainable development in the development of Anhui's tourism industry. Improving the visibility, infrastructure construction, ecological environment protection, and characteristic product development and marketing of "Anhui rural tourism" is one of the major trends in the future development of Anhui's tourism industry.

Design and Implementation of Intelligent Question Answering Robot for Human Resources and Social Security Based on DCU and ChatGLM6B Model

This paper presents a human resources and social security based on DCU and ChatGLM6B model. This solution combines the high performance computing power of iguang DCU with the natural language processing technology of ChatGLM6B model, aiming to provide users with efficient and convenient voice interaction experience. This paper first introduces the research background and significance of intelligent question answering robot, then expounds the design scheme and implementation process of the system, and finally conducts the test and performance analysis of the system. The experimental results show that the intelligent question-answering robot designed in this paper has high answer accuracy and good user experience, and can provide intelligent services for the field of human resources and social security.

Expectations versus reality: psychology trainees’ experiences working with men

ABSTRACT Despite increasing engagement with mental health services in Australia, therapy dropout rates for men remain high, most commonly due to a lack of connection with their therapist. Previous studies have examined the challenges men face when attending therapy, the obstacles therapists encounter when working with male clients, and the subsequent recommendations for therapist training that have emerged from these findings. However, to date there has been no investigation into the experiences and needs of trainee therapists working with men. It is unclear how their status as trainees influences their perception and adaptability when providing care for male clients. The current study therefore explored psychology trainees’ expectations, experiences, and preparedness regarding their psychotherapeutic work with men. Qualitative interviews were conducted with 12 students undertaking clinical psychology training from a single Australian University, focusing on their experiences working with male clients throughout their clinical training. Reflexive thematic analysis was undertaken to develop three themes: (1) Mismatched expectations of manspeak, which explored the ways in which students expected and experienced male engagement, (2) Gratifying work, which highlighted elements of therapeutic work with men that shaped participants’ sense of competence, and (3) Working with the “macho man”, which described the challenges of working with men, such as managing boundaries, misogyny, and personal safety. Findings suggest psychology trainees may benefit from additional training in university curriculums which specifically addresses some of the complexities of therapy with men. This training could illuminate how masculine socialisation affects men’s engagement in psychotherapy in practice and provide strategies for trainee therapists to support male engagement.

‘Careering’ – toward radicalism in radical times: Links to human security and sustainable livelihoods

In this Age of the Anthropocene, the world of work is being radically disrupted by mass precarity, rising wage and income inequality, habitat destruction, and the rise of artificial intelligence. Facing such insecurity, people, we show, are careering toward radical ways of making a living. They range from radical professionals to social media influencing and environmental activism. Human security is fundamentally enhanced by sustainable livelihoods, and we explore ways not only to de-radicalise, but also to accept and embrace radical careering, if and whenever it serves the purpose of making people's livelihoods more sustainable for society, economies, and ecosystems. The article concludes by introducing an Index of Sustainable Livelihoods ( SL-I). Success to the successful. The Sustainable Livelihoods Index ( SL-I) is designed to be a ‘visible hand’ for end-users, including career counsellors, students, and workers undergoing career transitions, by Corporate Responsibility Officers, and by government ministries supporting just workforce transitions into sustainable livelihoods.

A Historical Analysis of Banditry and Human Security in Some West African Countries in the Sahel Region (2010-2023)

A Historical Analysis of Banditry and Human Security in Some West African Countries in the Sahel Region (2010-2023)

Human Aspects and Security in Software Development

Human Aspects and Security in Software Development

The Role of Standards of Training, Certification and Watch-Keeping for Fishing Vessels (STCW-F 1995) to Enhance the Personal Safety and Fishing Activities, Egypt

The Role of Standards of Training, Certification and Watch-Keeping for Fishing Vessels (STCW-F 1995) to Enhance the Personal Safety and Fishing Activities, Egypt

A COMPARATIVE STUDY ON WELLNESS LIFESTYLE OF MALES AND FEMALES OF HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS IN DELHI: AN EXPLORATION ON GENDER DIFFERENCES

The term Wellness is a multifaceted notion that includes one's state of mind, body, and social relationships. Delhi's higher education institutions are multicultural and accommodate students from various racial and cultural backgrounds. The main aim of the present research endeavor is to examine current behavioral patterns and wellness lifestyle of males and females in higher education institutions in Delhi and identify any necessary amendments which are needed for long-term health and wellness. In the present research work, total numbers of 132 undergraduate students comprising of 63 males and 69 females of 17-21 age groups from various Higher Education Institutions in Delhi, have been randomly selected. There are nine variables namely 1) Health Related Fitness, 2) Nutrition, 3) Avoiding Chemical Dependency, 4) Stress Management, 5) Personal Hygiene/Health, 6) Disease Prevention, 7) Emotional Wellbeing, 8) Personal Safety, 9) Environmental Health & Protection etc which have been measured by the questionnaire namely "Wellness Lifestyle Questionnaire" (LQ) by Hoeger & Hoeger. Each questionnaire responses have been converted into scores from Always to Never (5 to 1). For analyzing the data, descriptive statistics have been employed :-mean, standard deviation and also percentage have been used to illustrate the data. Based on the findings, it has been concluded that Male students are excellent and good in variables like: - Health Related Fitness, Nutrition, Avoiding Chemical Dependency, Stress Management, Personal Hygiene/Health, Emotional Wellbeing but Male students need improvement in other variables such as: Disease Prevention, Personal Safety and Environmental Health & Protection. Whereas Female students found excellent and good in variables like: Nutrition, Avoiding Chemical Dependency, Stress Management, Personal Hygiene/Health, Emotional Wellbeing but Female students need improvement in other variables such as: Health Related Fitness, Disease Prevention, Personal Safety and Environmental Health & Protection.