Soft Rock Studio: Exploring a “Soft Systems” Approach to “Artificial Rock”

This paper discusses a study aimed at shifting disciplinary norms in construction materials. The study, conducted in a graduate level design-build studio, approached precast concrete construction through the lens of “artificial rock”: a composite material that can use cement, sand, aggregate, and reinforcing supplements and alternatives like flax, calcium carbonate, pyrolyzed biomass, soil, alginates, gelatin, and bacteria. Taught as “The Soft Rock Studio”, the course positioned artificial rock within the larger conceptual framework of “soft systems” - adaptive, networked part-to-whole relationships engaged in feedback loops with the environment. The Soft Rock Studio designed and prototyped components and assemblies for an alignment structure – or sky room - for a coastal site. Alignment structures are landscape and architecture constructions that align with the daytime and evening events in the sky: equinoxes, cardinal directions, constellations and solar orientations. The study design integrated empirical making, material testing and computational simulation in an iterative design methodology. The design methodology was tailored for a remote learning context and included the design and distribution of a material kit for at-home experimentation. Integrated with the methodology were process portfolios documenting student research and reflection, including responses to technology and humanities literature. Outcomes discussed in this paper are: material experimentations and iterative design possibilities of two student projects; evidence of student uptake; and reflections on the iterative design methodology. Observations and findings from alignment structure strategies are not included in the scope of this paper

POST DISCHARGE NAUSEA AND VOMITING IN AMBULATORY SURGICAL PATIENTS: INCIDENCE AND MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES

Approximately 65% of all surgeries are conducted in the outpatient surgery setting involving more than 35 million patients. Thirty-five to fifty percent of these outpatients will experience post discharge nausea and vomiting (PDNV), nausea and vomiting that occurs after discharge from the health care facility after surgery. A dearth of literature details the problems associated with nausea and vomiting experienced by patients after discharge home from outpatient surgery. The purposes of this dissertation were to (1) review the current knowledge in the area of post discharge nausea and vomiting; (2) present results of an integrative review of the research literature to determine best evidence for prevention of PDNV in adults or rescue of patients who suffer from post discharge nausea and vomiting (PDNV); (3) present a critical review and analysis of measurement of nausea and vomiting after discharge from outpatient surgery, and (4) present findings of a prospective research study. The purposes of the research study were to: 1) describe the incidence and severity of PDNV over a 7-day period in a sample of adult surgical patients undergoing outpatient surgeries under general anesthesia, 2) describe the pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic modalities of care used by patients with PDNV to manage it, 3) compare the incidence and severity of PDNV between those who do and do not use pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic modalities, and 4) determine outcomes associated with PDNV. This study was part of a multi-site study that had as a primary objective development of a simplified risk model for predicting patients most likely to suffer PDNV. In this research study we described the incidence and severity of PDNV in adult outpatients after ambulatory surgery, described the pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic modalities of care used by patients with PDNV to manage it, compared the incidence and severity of PDNV between those who do and do not use pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic modalities, and determined outcomes associated with PDNV

Recognizing change : a set of short studies in pattern

Thesis (M. Arch.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Architecture, 2005.Includes bibliographical references (p. 73-[76]).This thesis presents a set of investigations on how pattern can be used to register change. Pattern--a set of attributes repeatedly transformed by rules--can be used to make apparent objects or ideas that transform and the operations that alter them. Our reactions to change, whether accepting or resisting it, are often repeated over time in a behavioral pattern. Repeated resistance to change is one of the patterns marking the psychological concept of Narcissism, a condition which can be both a useful defense mechanism and a paralyzing affliction. Faced with increasing technological change, contemporary culture has exhibited distinct patterns of resistance, patterns that describe a cultural condition of Narcissism. This project examines the production of pattern through different mechanisms of change. Each mechanism distances the designer from decisions about the object's final form. This distance suspends a Narcissistic desire for control. Rather than controlling change, the designer's rules must adapt to it. This thesis does not use pattern as an imposed form. Instead, this use of pattern creates models for a reciprocal dialogue between the intelligence of the designer and larger processes of change.by James C. Forren.M.Arch

Stress of conscience of COVID-19 among perianaesthesia nurses having worked in a COVID-ICU during the coronavirus pandemic:an international perspective

BACKGROUND: Several studies have reported that working in a COVID-ICU impacted nurses’ mental well-being. Yet little is known about how perianaesthesia nurses who have been working in a COVID-ICU perceived their stress of conscience. The aim of this study was to: (1) describe and compare stress related to troubled conscience among perianaesthesia nurses in three countries who have been working in a COVID-ICU during the pandemic, (2) compare their levels of troubled conscience between working in a COVID-ICU and their usual workplace, and (3) compare nurses that usually work in an ICU department with nurses who usually work outside of the ICU. METHODS: A descriptive, international cross‐sectional online survey including the Stress of Conscience Questionnaire (SCQ) was distributed between organizational member countries of the International Collaboration of PeriAnaesthesia Nurses. RESULTS: A total of 246 nurses from three countries participated. Significant differences were found in stress of conscience when working in the Covid-ICU between Sweden 31.8 (8.6), Denmark 23.1 (8.6), and Netherlands 16.4 (6.5) p < 0.001. Significant differences were also found between nurses working in a COVID-ICU in contrast with their usual workplace: 23.1(5.6) versus 17.7(5.3), p < 0.001. The most stressful aspect of conscience reported was that work in the COVID-ICU was so demanding, nurses did not have sufficient energy to be involved with their family as much as they desired. No statistical differences were found between nurses that usually work in an ICU department with nurses who usually work outside of the ICU. CONCLUSION: The COVID-19 pandemic has negatively impacted stress of conscience among nurses working in the COVID-ICU. Swedish nurses were found to be more significantly impacted. This could be related to low numbers of existing ICU beds and ICU nurses prior to the pandemic necessitating a longer time required for working in a COVID-ICU. Stress of conscience also increased when working in the Covid-ICU compared to working in the usual workplace, and the most stressing aspect reported was that COVID-ICU work was so demanding that nurses did not have the energy to devote themselves to their family as they would have liked

Growing Lemon Trees from Lemons: Lessons Reaped from a SoTL Faculty Learning Community's Research "Failures"

Failure can be central to faculty research; however, failure produces a vehicle for learning. Through an interdisciplinary faculty community, the authors supported each other in facing, learning from, and overcoming “failed” aspects of research projects. This article reports obstacles encountered in conducting Scholarship of Teaching and Learning research and the role of a faculty learning community in overcoming these challenges. Research pitfalls included lack of student participants, non-significant findings, expectations for understanding related course content, technology issues, use of deception, determining the research question, and managing bias. Ultimately, the faculty learning community engendered a foundation for successful research projects by shared inquiry into these research “failures.”

Autonomous UAV-based mapping of large-scale urban firefights

This paper describes experimental results from a live-fire data collect designed to demonstrate the ability of IR and acoustic sensing systems to detect and map high-volume gunfire events from tactical UAVs. The data collect supports an exploratory study of the FightSight concept in which an autonomous UAV-based sensor exploitation and decision support capability is being proposed to provide dynamic situational awareness for large-scale battalion-level firefights in cluttered urban environments. FightSight integrates IR imagery, acoustic data, and 3D scene context data with prior time information in a multi-level, multi-step probabilistic-based fusion process to reliably locate and map the array of urban firing events and firepower movements and trends associated with the evolving urban battlefield situation. Described here are sensor results from live-fire experiments involving simultaneous firing of multiple sub/super-sonic weapons (2-AK47, 2-M16, 1 Beretta, 1 Mortar, 1 rocket) with high optical and acoustic clutter at ranges up to 400m. Sensor-shooter-target configurations and clutter were designed to simulate UAV sensing conditions for a high-intensity firefight in an urban environment. Sensor systems evaluated were an IR bullet tracking system by Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) and an acoustic gunshot detection system by Planning Systems, Inc. (PSI). The results demonstrate convincingly the ability for the LLNL and PSI sensor systems to accurately detect, separate, and localize multiple shooters and the associated shot directions during a high-intensity firefight (77 rounds in 5 sec) in a high acoustic and optical clutter environment with no false alarms. Preliminary fusion processing was also examined that demonstrated an ability to distinguish co-located shooters (shooter density), range to &lt;0.5 m accuracy at 400m, and weapon type

Organizational and Leadership Implications for Transformational Development

Transformational development is a concept of change that originated in the Christian context but has now become generally used in the work of both secular and faith-based organizations. The growing use of the concept by organizations that are fundamentally different has naturally led to some confusion about what the concept means and what it takes to effectively implement it. In this article, we describe the key features of the concept and how they are important in determining the organizational requirements for its effective implementation. Drawing on a few cases, the paper highlights the centrality of faith in transformational development work