National Crisis Research Articles

Life Cycle Assessment of Water Treatment Plant Using Open LCA Software

Abstract: India is bearing from one of the world's worst national water crises. More than 50% of the population from India has no access to safe drinking water. The production of potable water from surface water includes several processes, energy consumption, and chemical dosing. Yet, the water treatment industry may be responsible for significant global environmental impacts, the most common amongst which are the depletion of natural resources and indirect release of pollutants into the water, land, and air through chemicals and energy consumption. Life cycle assessment (LCA) is a tool that could be used to generate information on the environmental impacts of water treatment systems. Hence this study identifies the impact of WTP Miraj by using the LCA approach to determine the holistic profile. Impacts were assessed for construction phase and operational phase by considering the emissions from raw material extraction, manufacturing and use.

딥러닝을 활용한 출산율 예측 모형의 제안

This study applied the multiple linear regression analysis and DNN-based artificial intelligence models to determine the impact of population, social, economic, educational, and real estate factors, and educational and medical facility infrastructure on fertility rates in cities and provinces. It intends to predict the fertility rate to overcome the national crisis and provide essential data to address low fertility rate. Younger age at marriage and pregnancy, and higher real estate and apartment lease prices significantly impact fertility rate in cities. An increase in obstetrics and gynecology medical institutions slightly lowers fertility rate. Meanwhile, higher cost of private education, and an increase in number of kindergartens and elementary schools positively affect fertility rate. Furthermore, a higher gross regional product per capita leads to a higher fertility rate. Predicting fertility rate can provide basic data for policy preparation to address low fertility rates.

A systematic analysis and data mining of opioid-related adverse events submitted to the FAERS database.

The opioid epidemic has become a serious national crisis in the United States. An indepth systematic analysis of opioid-related adverse events (AEs) can clarify the risks presented by opioid exposure, as well as the individual risk profiles of specific opioid drugs and the potential relationships among the opioids. In this study, 92 opioids were identified from the list of all Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved drugs, annotated by RxNorm and were classified into 13 opioid groups: buprenorphine, codeine, dihydrocodeine, fentanyl, hydrocodone, hydromorphone, meperidine, methadone, morphine, oxycodone, oxymorphone, tapentadol, and tramadol. A total of 14,970,399 AE reports were retrieved and downloaded from the FDA Adverse Events Reporting System (FAERS) from 2004, Quarter 1 to 2020, Quarter 3. After data processing, Empirical Bayes Geometric Mean (EBGM) was then applied which identified 3317 pairs of potential risk signals within the 13 opioid groups. Based on these potential safety signals, a comparative analysis was pursued to provide a global overview of opioid-related AEs for all 13 groups of FDA-approved prescription opioids. The top 10 most reported AEs for each opioid class were then presented. Both network analysis and hierarchical clustering analysis were conducted to further explore the relationship between opioids. Results from the network analysis revealed a close association among fentanyl, oxycodone, hydrocodone, and hydromorphone, which shared more than 22 AEs. In addition, much less commonly reported AEs were shared among dihydrocodeine, meperidine, oxymorphone, and tapentadol. On the contrary, the hierarchical clustering analysis further categorized the 13 opioid classes into two groups by comparing the full profiles of presence/absence of AEs. The results of network analysis and hierarchical clustering analysis were not only consistent and cross-validated each other but also provided a better and deeper understanding of the associations and relationships between the 13 opioid groups with respect to their adverse effect profiles.

Federalism and the significance of Governmental Agencies and of organizational Experience at the time of country’s Crisis: Tracing the Emergency Medication Response System of the Covid-19 Pandemic

This research has focused on the emergency response based on the section 1135 emergency waivers which were devised as instruments for policymakers to swiftly enhance the capacity of the health system in times of disaster. By providing flexibilities in regulations, administration, and payment models during the COVID-19 pandemic, states could be better prepared for a surge in hospitalizations and protecting the life of those who were in the emergency response to take care through the process of the hospitalization on time. It employs a Time-to-Event analytical framework to identify key factors influencing the adoption of a state’s 1135 Waiver request. In the primary model, the event of interest is a state making a request for a Section 1135 Waiver, and the dependent random variable is the time elapsed between the disaster proclamation and the state’s request date. The primary independent variable is binary, indicating whether a state has previously sought Section 1135 Medicaid flexibilities during past emergencies. The study stands as the inaugural attempt to pinpoint notable factors influencing Section 1135 Waivers. If efficiency is gauged by swifter requests, then the effectiveness of emergency waivers during the COVID-19 pandemic is predominantly shaped by institutional and external factors. it has revealed that the effective organizational and institutional tasks in the federalism during the emergency would assist to address the issues of the national crisis as it has been explained by the 1135 Waivers as the sample study for further information to the concerned stakeholders not merely in the advanced nation as of the United States of The America but even to the backward countries as of the Asian continents.

What Have We Learned? Teacher Agency for Social Justice amid the Traumatic Crisis with the COVID-19 Pandemic

The unprecedented global COVID-19 pandemic caused school disruptions by negatively affecting most students’ academic performance. However, the pandemic has taken a heavy toll on students in high-need and disadvantaged communities. Before the pandemic, some teachers who demonstrated a social justice-oriented agency chose to implement Culturally Responsive Pedagogy (CRP) in their educational practices to support the academic successes of students from underrepresented backgrounds. However, little is known about how teachers exercised their agency to use CRP during the global health crisis. This qualitative study explores how teachers who had leveraged CRP in the past have worked to sustain their efforts to implement the pedagogy during the national crisis caused by the pandemic. 28 high school teachers were interviewed, and their accounts were analyzed using a constant comparative approach based on grounded theory. Findings illustrate how the teachers practiced CRP before COVID-19, what challenges they confronted in implementing the pedagogy, and how they negotiated their agency to sustain their efforts for promoting social justice. Findings are discussed from a trauma-informed education perspective by providing scholars, educators, and policymakers with valuable theoretical and practical implications for better-supporting students from minoritized families and communities.

К вопросу о переселенческой политике на Европейском Севере России в начале XX века (на примере Архангельской губернии)

The paper deals with issues related to state measures in the field of resettlement policy in the territory of the European North of Russia at the beginning of the XX century (case study of Arkhangelsk Province). Particular attention is paid to the legal framework, political and economic factors that influenced the resettlement process. The main stages of the formation of the legal foundations of the resettlement policy of the Russian government during this period are also investigated, legislative decisions of the tsarist government and their significance are analyzed. The paper demonstrates the influence of immigrants on the methods and forms of management, as well as changes in state policy in the context of the growing national crisis.

LOSS OF HUMAN CAPITAL AS A THREAT TO UKRAINE'S NATIONAL SECURITY IN THE CONTEXT OF THE MIGRATION CRISIS

Since the beginning of the 21st century, due to the intensification of globalization, the boundaries of transnational influence have significantly expanded, and the pace of dynamic development has increased for individual states and geopolitical structures. It has become a new challenge to the system of order and a threat to security. The migration and security connection is reflected in public opinion, political struggles, and the adoption of state decisions. For a long time, it did not consider migration a significant factor affecting security, as it viewed security concepts as national security or limited to geopolitical and military threats. However, the national security crisis is related to internal conflicts or interventions and large-scale human rights violations that lead to migration. Migration crises arise unexpectedly but are associated with exceptionally adverse events, circumstances, or disasters that force people to leave their places of residence suddenly and en masse to save themselves and their loved ones, resettling in safe territories, other regions, or abroad. The full-scale invasion of Russia into Ukraine on February 24, 2022, became a geopolitical catastrophe and led to a migration crisis in the territories of most European states. It became a comprehensive threat to the Ukrainian state, with the loss of human capital being the most harmful factor. Keywords: refugees, security, threat, human capital, migration crisis, migration policy, national security.

Aleksander Łappa (1802-1869) – ostatni marszałek szlachty guberni mińskiej z wyboru. Część II: Gubernialny marszałek szlachty (1859-1863)

Alexander Łappa held the rank of the Minsk Governorate Marshal of Nobility during a period of widespread social transformations in the Russian Empire and a national and political crisis in the Kingdom of Poland and the Western Governorates. Trying to promote his multifaceted program of reforms in the Belarusian-Lithuanian lands, he relied on deep dialogue with the liberal bureaucratic circles of the Imperial Government and, at the same time, rejected conspiratorial, armed and other kinds of adventurous forms of the national liberation struggle. The polarization among the nobles of the Minsk Governorate increased after the scandalous Noble Elections of 1862. It was aggravated after the outbreak of the January Uprising in the Kingdom of Poland and, connected with it, the growing repressive policy of the civil and military authorities. All of these factors caused Łappa to lose influence in the socio-political life of the nobility and voluntarily resign from his position as marshal.

“A shot reputation:” rape in colonial Australia and why it matters today

emotion that is a learned response and its effect on society. The roots of the framing of rape and sexual assault as we see it today in Australia go back to colonial times and the narratives of sexual crime executed in racy language that were freely circulated in Australian colonial press. The reports of Mount Rennie rape case by the frequency and “cross-cultural references invoked in discussing the crime achieved a singular level of cultural production which has far wider references than legal history” (Peers 1998). They gave birth to the debate of the “real rape” vs. “simple rape” as defined by Susan Estrich (1987) and marked Australian public discourse and public attitude toward rape until the present day. Thus, in November 2015 Michaelia Cash, Minister for Employment and Minister for Women claimed “We have a national crisis when it comes to violence against women in Australia” to which testify reports of the Australian Bureau of Statistics on women’s safety, National Student Safety report, all the way to Brittany Higgins’ story and the way it was dealt with in the media and within the legal system. As long as “One in seven young Australians say rape is justified if women change their mind” according to National Community Attitudes Towards Violence Against Women Survey (NCAS) there is still a lot to be done to change the cultural narrative of “real rape” so that rape does not go underreported and unpunished as women fear shot reputation.

‘Volviendo a Vivir’ (coming back to life): Urban trauma, activism and building emancipatory futures

This paper engages recent writing on urban trauma, exploring its connection with the gendered forms of activism that displaced women practise as they seek to rebuild more emancipatory urban futures. Their activisms are situated in the context of multiple, ongoing and intersecting forms of violence from intimates, armed groups and the state, including institutional neglect (in and of the city) that is racialised and gendered. We draw on participatory action research undertaken with women in the Colombian cities of Bogotá and Medellín. Using creative audio-visual methods over several months, women co-researchers produced a documentary in which they chart the ways that they claim spaces of the city inside and outside their homes. We draw particular attention here to the temporal dimension of urban trauma as it intersects with migrant women’s spatial biographies; this has consequences for their activisms which also transcend the sites and scales of public and private spheres, national and global crises and individual and community responses. We argue that it is the gradually accruing and multiplying character of violence and trauma which in turn necessitates the gradual and multiscalar development of these activisms. The women used ecological metaphors of rooting and growth to explain how, through these activisms and directly informed by past traumatic events, they ‘come back to life’. Together, they build solidarity networks and alliances, and imagine and practise alternative feminist urban futures and modes of recovery in their new urban homes.

ТАРИХИ ҮДЕРІСТЕР КОНТЕКСТІНДЕГІ ИРАНДЫҚ ҰЛТТЫҚ ИДЕНТТІЛІК ДАҒДАРЫСТАРЫ: ҚАЛЫПТАСУ СЕБЕПТЕРІ МЕН ШЕШІМДЕРІ

Бүгінгі ирандық ұлттық-мәдени бірегейлік көптеген кезеңдерді қамтыған күрделі үдерістің нәтижесі болып табылады. Мақалада тарихтың әртүрлі кезеңдерінде болған өзгерістер жергілікті мәдениеттердің негізгі құндылықтарымен үйлесе отырып, біртұтас бірегейліктің үйлесімді түрлерінің қалыптасқанын көрсетеді. Тарихта ұлттық дағдарыс процестеріне қарсы тұру және ұлттық бірегейлік дағдарысын еңсеру үшін мәдени-тарихи мұраны жаңғыртуға күш салған. Мақалада Иран халқының ұлттық болмысын зерттеудегі маңызды мәселелердің бірі – оның тарих кезеңдеріндегі дағдарыстарын, құлдырауы мен өрлеуін қарастыру. Иран тарихына тарихи шолу жасау - бұл елдің өз тарихында ұлттық болмысының дамуында дағдарыстарды өткере отырып, маңызды рөл атқарған түрлі өзгерістерді бастан кешіргенін көрсетеді. Тұлғалық дағдарысты жеңу немесе ұлттық бірегейлік дағдарысының туындауына жол бермеу үшін ұлттық бірегейліктің сабақтастығының құрамдастарын анықтап, оны нығайтуды қажет етеді. Тарихи сананы тереңдету мен дамыту және соның нәтижесінде, жаһандануға қарай қарқынды қадам басып келе жатқан заманда ұлттық бірегейлікті нығайту – кез-келген қоғамда өзекті мәселе болып табылады.Ирандық болмыстың шиеленісу мәселесінің өзектілігінің бір қыры – бүгінде, әлемнің барлық аймақтары сияқты Иранның да жаһандану процестері мен батыстанудың ықпалын бастан кешіруімен байланысты. Ғылымның таралуы, мәдениетаралық байланыстардың артуы қазіргі иран халқының ұлттық санасында бірегейлік «түсінігін» шиеленістіре түсті. Осы мақсатта, мақалада Иранның тарих бойындағы бірегейлік шиеленістерін, дағдарыстарын қалай еңсергенін қарастыру арқылы бүгінгі жаһандану дағдарысын шешуге белгілі бір жауаптар, түсініктер алу көзделді.

Rhizomic communication practices bridging international students and the host society and beyond

AbstractEvidence suggests that the COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted international student communities while reflecting wider societal inequalities. This study in the Finnish context examined international students’ experiences of the published national crisis communication and media usage during the first year of the pandemic. Using the national COVID-19 crisis communication practices as an example, we examined what kinds of strategies the international students deployed to access information in this non-English-speaking country and how they perceived the information communicated. Theoretically, we based the analysis on the theories of crisis communication and information inequality, which identify communication practices, such as language choice, that differentiate groups of people and impact their health outcomes. These are combined with rhizomic understanding, as reported by Deleuze and Guattari (1988/2020), of accessing media, and extended it to a mobile group of people (international students) living transnational lives. The data included interviews with international students studying at Finnish universities. The findings show that the students deployed five interlinked strategies to access information during the COVID-19 pandemic that highlight the heterogeneity of information and its usage, global asynchronousness of pandemic paths, and temporal changes in approaching information.

Age and sex differences in the annual and seasonal variation of Australia’s suicide rate, 2000–2020

Suicide is a major public health concern both globally and in Australia. But in Australia the extent of substantive annual and seasonality trends since 2000 through the first two decades of the 21st Century, by age and sex, has not been formally reported. The current paper sought to identify annual and within-year (seasonality) trajectories in age-sex standardized suicide rates between 2000 and 2020. The annual and within-year (seasonality) trajectories of suicide were estimated from generalised regression analyses of Australia’s mortality database. No systematic variation in Australia’s suicide rate since 2000 was reported and was consistent between sex and age cohorts. Seasonal variation in rates were identified, with peaks in the new year (January), declines in late Summer/Autumn, stability in Winter, increases in Spring, but with a notable decline in early summer (November–December). These trends were driven men only. Interpretation of current suicide rates need to consider systematic long-term historical context. Despite a historical focus on youth suicide especially, working-aged and very old men have consistently reported higher standardized suicide rates over the first two decades of the 21st Century. Seasonal variation was reported but only reported by men, potentially because across the lifespan, suicide rates for females were a comparatively low incidence event. Particularly after recent successive national and international crises, we emphasise that surveillance and interpretation of current suicide rate requires careful consideration as to the extent any immediate variation may otherwise fall within otherwise normal historical norms.

Influence of Russian and Nato Rivalry on Ukrainian National Security during Volodymyr Zelensky's Presidential Term

Since before the Cold War and until the fall of the Soviet Union, there have been tense relationsbetween Russia and NATO. Russia, which succeeded the Soviet Union as its heir, inherited a fewprivileges due to its downfall. Russia grew to be the most prominent, prosperous, and richest nationamong the CIS nations, having a significant political impact on Eastern and Central Europe. AsNATO, a security agreement, increases its influence, Russia feels threatened and does not want tocease to exist. The rivalry between the two actors affects neighboring Russia, including Ukraine.Zelensky's decision to speed up the integration process of the NATO security pact provoked Russianoutrage because it was articulated as a challenge, and practically, the actions taken by Zelensky couldnot accelerate his membership in NATO. Russia launched a military invasion of Ukraine that hadimplications for the neighboring country's national security crisis. In analyzing this thesis, the authorsused the concept of rivalry to analyze the relationship between Russia and NATO and the idea ofnational security to analyze the status quo of Ukraine due to Russian-NATO influence. The researchmethod was descriptive, using data from books, journals, and several other references. This studyfound a Ukrainian national security crisis in the Zelensky era due to the influence of Russian andNATO rivalries.

Polarizing Online Elite Rhetoric at the Federal, State, and Local Level During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Times of national and international crisis are often unifying events which lower levels of division within the public and between political elites. Yet, COVID-19 pandemic responses in the United States have been viewed as markedly polarized. Using a comprehensive dataset of over four million social media posts sent by local, state, and federal level political officials between January 2020 and September 2022, this paper explores the extent to which the COVID-19 pandemic was a rhetorically unifying or divisive event, and whether rhetorical responses differed across levels of government. The results show that federal level officials were less likely to message about COVID-19 and were more likely to do so in a polarizing fashion compared to state and local officials. Temporally, in the early stages of the pandemic there was indeed a collective rhetorical de-polarization across all levels of government. However, as the pandemic progressed, COVID-related messaging became more polarizing, especially among Republicans. Evidence also emerges of dynamic responsiveness from elected officials, with relativeness attentiveness to COVID increasing and polarizing rhetoric decreasing during time periods when local case counts were relatively high. These findings suggest that rhetorical unity is still possible, even in times of high political polarization, but that this unity is also short-lived and tempered by political and electoral considerations.

Prevalence and factors associated with smartphone addiction among nursing postgraduates during the COVID-19 pandemic: a multilevel study from China’s mainland

BackgroundSmartphone addiction is prevalent among college students, and there is a concern that the COVID-19 pandemic may bring an increased prevalence of smartphone addiction due to constant online classes and repeat quarantine policies. This study aims to assess the prevalence and influencing factors of smartphone addiction among Chinese nursing postgraduates during the pandemic by examining variables, including loneliness, perceived stress, resilience, and sense of security.MethodsThis online cross-sectional survey recruited 224 nursing postgraduates in four cities in 2022, using Smartphone Addiction Scale for College Students, the Chinese version of Perceived Stress Scale, UCLA Loneliness Scale Version 3, Chinese version of the 10-item Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale, and the Security Questionnaire. Hierarchical regression analysis and logistic regression analysis were performed to explore the associated factors and predictors of smartphone addiction.ResultsDuring the COVID-19 pandemic, the prevalence of smartphone addiction was 10.41%. There was a positive correlation between smartphone addiction and loneliness, perceived stress (P < 0.001), and a negative relationship with resilience and sense of security (P < 0.001). The logistic regression analysis identified five risk factors that contribute to smartphone addiction, including daily duration of using a smartphone (3–5 h) (OR = 11.085, 95%CI = 1.21–101.79), numbers of smartphone (OR = 3.704, 95%CI = 1.33–10.30), perceived stress (OR = 1.163, 95%CI = 1.06–1.28), loneliness (OR = 1.071, 95%CI = 1.01–1.13), age of using a smartphone first time (OR = 0.754, 95%CI = 0.60–0.95). Two protective factors, resilience (OR = 1.098, 95%CI = 1.01–1.20) and sense of security (OR = 0.950, 95%CI = 0.90–1.00), were identified.ConclusionsCollectively, our study found that during the COVID-19 pandemic, smartphone addiction was prevalent among nursing postgraduates, and loneliness and perceived stress are important risk factors for smartphone addiction. Therefore, administrators should adopt targeted interventions to reduce smartphone addiction and the negative impacts on the psychological well-being of nursing postgraduates during a sudden outbreak of a national epidemic crisis.

Patient experiences of diabetes and hypertension care during an evolving humanitarian crisis in Lebanon: A qualitative study.

Humanitarian health care models increasingly incorporate care for non-communicable diseases (NCDs). Current research evidence focuses on burden of disease, service provision and access to care, and less is known about patient's experience of the continuum of care in humanitarian settings. To address this gap, this study explored experiences of displaced Syrian and vulnerable Lebanese patients receiving care for hypertension and/or diabetes at four health facilities supported by humanitarian organisations in Lebanon. We conducted in-depth, semi-structured qualitative interviews with a purposive sample of patients (n = 18) and their informal caregivers (n = 10). Data were analysed thematically using both deductive and inductive approaches. Both Syrian and Lebanese patients reported interrupted pathways of care. We identified three typologies of patient experience at the time of interview; (1) managing adequately from the patient's perspective; (2) fragile management and (3) unable to manage their condition(s) adequately, with the majority falling into typologies 2 and 3. Patients and their families recognised the importance of maintaining continuity of care and self-management, but experienced substantial challenges due to changing availability and cost of medications and services, and decreasing economic resources during a period of national crises. Family support underpinned patient's response to challenges. Navigating the changing care landscape was a significant burden for patients and their families. Interactions were identified between mental health and NCD management. This study suggests that patients experienced disrupted, non-linear pathways in maintaining care for hypertension and diabetes in a humanitarian setting, and family support networks were key in absorbing treatment burden and sustaining NCD management. Recommendations are made to reduce treatment burden for patients and their families and to support sustainable condition management.

Quantitative Opiate, Opioid, and Benzodiazepine Testing by Liquid Chromatography-Tandem Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS/MS).

Fatalities due to opioids and other controlled substances continue to increase year over year and maintain an epidemic level nationally. CDC data indicates that drug overdoses killed more than 100,000 Americans in 2021 with synthetic opioids being the main driver of the national crisis (Wide-ranging online data for epidemiologic research (WONDER). Multiple Cause of Death 1999-2020. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center on Health Statistics. http://wonder.cdc.gov . Accessed 28 Feb 2023, 2021). Response to this crisis includes the development of laboratory testing to support the evolving drug trends. Urine drug testing provides clinicians with objective information to assist in making treatment decisions by identifying the presence of potential drugs of abuse and assessing patient compliance to a controlled substance prescription regimen. In this chapter, we describe a rapid LC-MS/MS method for the simultaneous quantitation of 21 opiate, opioid, and benzodiazepine drugs in less than 4min. The method requires 100uL of urine and includes enzymatic hydrolysis of glucuronide conjugates using β-glucuronidase to provide total drug measurement. Quantitation is accomplished using multiple reaction monitoring (MRM), a seven-point calibration curve, and deuterated internal standards. This method provides a robust and reliable means to measure commonly prescribed opioid (including natural, semi-synthetic, and synthetic) and benzodiazepine drugs in urine.

When should DIY have a localized healthcare waste management system?

Purpose: The 2018 healthcare waste management crisis catalyzed a critical review of the concerns expressed by the Health Office (dinkes) and healthcare facilities regarding healthcare waste management in the Special Region of Yogyakarta (DIY). Due to this crisis, the Ministry of Health hired Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) to look into potential solutions and promote DIY government policy responses. This paper examines the management strategy during crisis times and possible alternative solutions.&#x0D; Methods: This paper uses focused group discussions reports involving separate groups of (1) environmental health officials from community health centers, (2) hospitals, (3) environment health officials of district health authorities, and (4) cross-sectoral province officials in the Yogyakarta Special Region. It is part of a project 'A case study of strengthening regional-based medical waste management model', fund from the Environmental Health Directorate, Directorate General of Public Health, Ministry of Health (Project KN 01.03/6.1/0198/2019).&#x0D; Result: A simulation of policy options based on health facility managers suggests that a province-based system is the most profitable in the long term for DIY, with several possible options. The national policy roadmap was considered inadequate to respond to DIY's urgent local needs. Furthermore, the series of meetings succeeded in forming an informal forum between health facilities, provincial health offices, and associations of hospital environmental sanitation experts, monitoring medical waste management.&#x0D; Conclusion: The 2018 medical waste management crisis led to the formulation of policy response choices tailored to the capacity of DIY. These choices considered the expenditures and legal sanctions faced by healthcare facilities and the economic value of a region-based waste system for local government authorities. This comprehensive approach highlights the importance of local capacity. It needs to shape effective and sustainable medical waste management policies, underscoring the necessity of region-specific strategies in the face of national health crises.

“Spain is a Contradiction”: Katharine Lee Bates’ Quest for Modernity in Spanish Highways and Byways

ABSTRACT This article explores Katharine Lee Bates’ travel book Spanish Highways and Byways (1900), written out of a collection of commissioned articles published in the New York Times immediately after the Spanish-American War. Her travelogue not only provides the reader with details about the Spanish architectural and natural landscape, but it also works as an instructive text to comment on the social and political panorama of Spain at a time of national crisis. Following the path initiated by Alberto Egea in “Rewriting Stereotypes on Spain: Unveiling the Counter-Picturesque in Katharine Lee Bates” (2019), I argue that Spanish Highways and Byways describes the creation of an emerging modern Spain, influenced by the intellectual movements that shaped Spanish politics of the fin-du-siècle. Bates’ text is key to understand the Spanish-American War and its effects on the Spanish population; more importantly, it shows the author’s engagement in aspects such as the education of women or workers’ rights. In my discussion, I examine how Bates negotiates with her position as an American outsider in Spain and how she takes advantage of this position to build bridges between the two nations at a time of conflict.t