Hurricane Sandy: A Crisis Analysis Case Study

Spontaneous, so-called emergent groups often arise in response to emergencies, disasters, and crises where citizens and relief workers find that pre-established norms of behavior, roles, and practices come into flux because of the severity and uncertainty of the situation. The scholarship on emergent groups dates to 1950s sociological theory on emergence and convergence, whereas contemporary research forms part of the wider disaster scholarship field. Emergent groups have been conceptualized and theorized from various angles, ranging from discussions around their effectiveness, to their possibilities as channels for the positive forces of citizen’s altruism, as well as to more skeptical accounts detailing the challenges emergent groups may pose for established emergency management organizations in relief situations. Scarce scholarly attention, however, is paid to the role of emergent groups when it comes to empowering marginalized and vulnerable communities. The few empirical studies that exist suggest linkages between active participation in emergent groups and empowerment of otherwise marginalized communities, as shown in an ethnographic study of the work of Occupy Sandy that emerged in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy that struck New York City in 2012. Although more systematic research is warranted, such empirical examples show potential in terms of shifting emergency and disaster management toward more inclusionary, participatory, and empowering practices. As low-income communities, often of color, experience the increasingly harsh effects of climate change, important issues to ponder are inclusion, participation, and empowerment.

Classification of gastrointestinal symptom patterns in young adults

Background The purpose of this study was to identify common gastrointestinal (GI) symptom groups using the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System - GI symptom scales (PROMIS-GI) within a large sample of young adults. An attempt was made to relate the emergent groups to the Rome IV disorders of gut-brain interaction symptom domains. The PROMIS-GI is a freely available, adaptable, normatively referenced symptom measurement system that is applicable to many health assessment situations. Methods Participants were 956 introductory psychology students between the ages of 18 and 25 who completed the PROMIS-GI as part of ongoing research monitoring physical and psychological health of students at a major southeastern university. GI symptom groups were determined using a latent class analysis (LCA) approach. These GI symptom groups were then compared on key psychosocial factors including self-reported mood, anxiety, and health related quality of life (HRQoL) using MANOVA. Results Three groups were identified based on GI symptom elevations: Normal (n = 649), Mild (n = 257), and Moderate (n = 50). Self-reported anxiety, depression, and bodily pain levels were significantly higher in the Mild and Moderate GI symptom groups, and they indicated significantly lower work functioning, and general health ratings compared to participants in the normal group. Conclusions Approximately a third of young adults surveyed were experiencing at least one GI symptom of a severity greater than normative levels. Both the Mild and Moderate GI groups demonstrated a similar configuration of symptoms with significantly the higher levels of pain, gas/bloating, and nausea/vomiting compared to the Normal group. The configuration of symptoms did not map discretely onto the Rome IV diagnostic categories for Bowel Disorders, such as IBS with predominant Diarrhea or Functional Constipation as might be expected. Rather, the emergent groups suggest that Bowel Disorders occur on a continuum of severity across multiple symptom areas. Mild to moderate GI symptoms appear to emerge at much earlier ages and are more frequent than previously documented. It is recommended that health service providers evaluate individual patterns of “GI health” when young adults present with anxiety and depression, and conversely, they should assess anxiety and depression when they present with GI complaints.

Emergence of multiple variants of SARS-CoV-2 with signature structural changes

This study explores the divergence pattern of SARS-CoV-2 using whole genome sequences of the isolates from various COVID-19 affected countries. The phylogenomic analysis indicates the presence of at least four distinct groups of the SARS-CoV-2 genomes. The emergent groups have been found to be associated with signature structural changes in specific proteins. Also, this study reveals the differential levels of divergence patterns for the protein coding regions. Moreover, we have predicted the impact of structural changes on a couple of important viral proteins via structural modelling techniques. This study further advocates for more viral genetic studies with associated clinical outcomes and hosts’ response for better understanding of SARS-CoV-2 pathogenesis enabling better mitigation of this pandemic situation.

Traditional functional groups capture limited variation in the trait space of macroalgae

ABSTRACTMacroalgal (seaweed) beds and forests fuel coastal ecosystems and are rapidly reorganising under global change, but quantifying their functional structure still relies on binning species into coarse groups on the assumption that they adequately capture relevant underlying traits.To interrogate this “group gambit”, we first measured 12 traits relating to competitive dominance and resource economics across 95 macroalgal species collected from UK rocky shores. We then assessed trait variation explained by traditional grouping approaches consisting of (i) two highly-cited schemes based on gross morphology and anatomy and (ii) two commonly-used categorisations of vertical space use. To identify the limitations of traditional grouping approaches and to reveal potential alternatives, we also assessed the ability of (iii) emergent groups created from post hoc clustering of our dataset to account for macroalgal trait variation.(i) Traditional groups explained about a third of multivariate trait expression with considerable group overlap. (ii) Classifications of vertical space use accounted for even less multivariate trait expression. Notwithstanding considerable overlap, the canopy vs. turf scheme explained significant differences in most individual traits, with turf species tending to display attributes of opportunistic forms. (iii) Emergent groups were substantially more parsimonious than all existing grouping approaches.Synthesis: Our analysis using a comprehensive dataset of directly measured functional traits failed to strongly support the group gambit in macroalgae. While existing grouping approaches may allow first order approximations, they risk considerable loss of information at the trait and, potentially, ecosystem levels. We call for further development of a trait-based approach to macroalgal functional ecology to capture unfolding community and ecosystem changes with greater accuracy and generality.

Divergent Paths

This chapter focuses on how after the group’s trip to Washington, participants went on divergent paths, focusing their energies on different tasks and activities depending on where they were located in the context of the Katrina recovery. Some remained active in ongoing efforts while involvement by other participants tapered off. Several participants, including Sharon Alexis, Kim Nguyen, and Beverly Wright, who directed their energies to environmental racism and toxic waste activism, are discussed. Thus, in addition to the book’s larger focus on recruitment, this chapter raises concerns about retention issues in emergent groups.

Introduction

This introductory chapter situates Women of the Storm’s emergence in the context of uncertainty about the future of New Orleans and the Gulf Coast in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. After introducing readers to Women of the Storm, its goals, and its structure, the chapter discusses the limitations of static depictions of the group and argues for an approach that focuses on the processes by which the group came to be. It details the study’s analytic frameworks, which draw upon sociological theories of emergent groups, incipient activism, and symbolic interactionism. The chapter discusses the book’s methodology, including microhistorical analysis, techniques of “studying up” on power and inequality, as well as the narrative nonfiction approach to presenting ethnographic and historical data. The introduction ends with an overview of subsequent chapters.

Emergent groups and spontaneous volunteers in urban disaster response

Spontaneous responses by self-organizing, “emergent” voluntary groups and individuals are a common feature of urban disasters. Their activities include search and rescue, transporting and distributing relief supplies, and providing food and drink to victims and emergency workers. However, informal actors are rarely incorporated into formal disaster and humanitarian planning. This paper reviews the current state of knowledge concerning the nature and scale of emergent activity around the world, its impact in the short and long terms, challenges associated with it in different contexts, and lessons for future urban humanitarian practice.

Conclusion

This concluding chapter highlights the distinctive feature of the three cases—their claim that a suprahuman presence was involved in the emergence process—and discusses its implications for understanding emergent groups and the creative process. It argues that each of these suprahuman “presences” was motivated by an expansive vision and was intent on guiding the human collaborators toward a goal—a restored church, a fellowship of recovering alcoholics, and a metaphysical training program. Belief in these presences and their interest in guiding the group not only stabilized the process and structured the group, but also supported claims regarding the authorship of the key texts and the ultimate origins of the group. The chapter also considers key aspects of Emile Durkheim's Elementary Forms of the Religious Life.