NASA-ARC 91.5-cm airborne infrared telescope

A 91.5 cm aperture telescope installed aboard NASA-Lockheed C-141A aircraft for the performance of infrared astronomy is described. A unique feature of the telescope is that its entire structure is supported by a 41 cm spherical air bearing which effectively uncouples it from aircraft angular motion, and with inertial stabilization and star tracking, limits tracking errors to less than 1 arc second in most applications. A general description of the system, a summary of its performance, and a detailed description of an offset tracking mechanism is presented

A proposal for regularly updated review/survey articles: "Perpetual Reviews"

We advocate the publication of review/survey articles that will be updated regularly, both in traditional journals and novel venues. We call these "perpetual reviews." This idea naturally builds on the dissemination and archival capabilities present in the modern internet, and indeed perpetual reviews exist already in some forms. Perpetual review articles allow authors to maintain over time the relevance of non-research scholarship that requires a significant investment of effort. Further, such reviews published in a purely electronic format without space constraints can also permit more pedagogical scholarship and clearer treatment of technical issues that remain obscure in a brief treatment.Comment: This is a draft white paper and we seek comments from the communit

Holocene Sea Levels in Southeast Alaska: Preliminary Results

Natural raised marine deposits and archaeological sites recently discovered in southeastern Alaska have been measured relative to mean sea level and radiocarbon dated. Plots of sites on Heceta and Prince of Wales islands are compared to those developed for British Columbia. The Heceta Island curve is comparable to that of the Queen Charlotte Islands, in which pre-Holocene shorelines were lower than present until about 10,000 B.P. and then rose to a maximum of 15 m asl by 8500 B.P., when gradual emergence began to bring the sea level down to its present position. In contrast, the Prince of Wales Islands data indicate that sea level remained a few metres above its present position between 10,000 and 7000 B.P. - a time when the shores of mainland British Columbia were as much as 15 m below present sea level. Because Holocene sea levels are a function of isostatic rebound due to removal of glacial ice, as well as global sea level changes and tectonic activity, the implication is that whereas Heceta Island underwent processes and magnitudes of glaciation and isostatic rebound similar to the Queen Charlotte Islands, Prince of Wales Island was subjected to a pattern of glaciation and isostatic rebound different from that of the Queen Charlotte Islands and mainland of British Columbia.Key words: Alaska, Alexander Archipelago, archaeology, eustacy, geomorphology, glaciation, Holocene, isostacy, sea level, QuaternaryMots clés: Alaska, archipel Alexander, archéologie, eustatisme, géomorphologie, glaciation, holocène, isostasie, niveau de la mer, quaternair

On Voyeurism: Being Seen on the Modern Stage

At the end of the nineteenth century, playwrights grew more interested in exploring the ramifications of the gaze, looking and being looked at. For existentialist Jean-Paul Sartre, the gaze causes a never-ending battle between our subjective selves, how we view ourselves, and our objective selves, or how others view us. The knowledge of the Other’s gaze allows us to self-reflect on our own existence. Sartre and Oscar Wilde each incorporate the gaze into their plays to explore the battle between our subjective and objective selves, gendered perception, differences in perception, and to undercut or demonstrates the dominant structures of seeing. By first exploring Sartre’s No Exit, I can observe how Sartre’s three main characters demonstrate Mulvey’s theories of the male gaze, a structure of looking which is influenced by the dominant social order. His play offers an exploration of Hélène Cixous’ theories on perception, particularly regarding gendered perceptions, and the existential battle between our self-image (being-for-itself) and the Other’s perception of ourselves (being-for-others). Wilde’s play, on the other hand, allows us to see what comes before Sartre and how his play undercuts the patriarchal nature of the stage and goes against Mulvey’s concept of the male gaze

Effects of Alcohol Intoxication on Hostile Attribution Bias and Relational Aggression in Women

Alcohol intoxication is consistently linked to physical and sexual aggression in men, but not women. The lack of evidence supporting the relationship between alcohol and aggression for women could be due to a failure to measure relational aggression (i.e., harmful social manipulation), the form of aggression more commonly employed by women. Further, alcohol intoxication may interfere with the interpretation of social cues, resulting in greater perceived provocation in ambiguous social interactions and increased aggression. The current study examined the relationship between alcohol intoxication and relational aggression in women and the extent to which interpretation of social cues (i.e., hostile attribution bias) explains that relationship. Fifty female college students (Mage = 21.82 years, 76% White) were randomly assigned into an alcohol intoxication condition or a control condition and responded to vignettes depicting aggressive acts perpetrated against the respondent using a modified version of the Social Informational Processing-Attribution and Emotional Response Questionnaire (SIP-AEQ; Coccaro, Noblett, & McCloskey, 2009). Based on data from a pilot study designed to validate the modified SIP-AEQ measure, I isolated two vignettes that were the most likely to elicit relational aggression: the “telling secret” and “disinvited” vignettes. Overall, I found partial support for the primary hypothesis that alcohol intoxication would impact relational aggression. In the “telling secret” vignette, participants in the alcohol condition were significantly more willing to damage the reputation of the transgressor compared to the sober condition. Hostile attribution bias did not significantly vary as a function of alcohol intoxication and hostile attribution bias did not significantly mediate the relationship between alcohol and relational aggression. If replicated, findings suggest that the relationship between alcohol intoxication and aggression is present in women, when considering one specific form of aggression (i.e., relational aggression: damaging the reputation of others)

Animal Agriculture in South Carolina: A Fact Book

Livestock Production/Industries,

Gas-producing renal infection presenting as pneumaturia: a case report

We present a case of persistent pneumaturia of one-year duration in a fifty-five-year-old male with a history of spinal cord injury. The evaluation demonstrated gas throughout the collecting system attributable to a urinary tract infection with a gas-forming organism, Klebsiella pneumoniae

The second “time-out”: A surgical safety checklist for lengthy robotic surgeries

Robotic surgeries of long duration are associated with both increased risks to patients as well as distinct challenges for care providers. We propose a surgical checklist, to be completed during a second “time-out”, aimed at reducing peri-operative complications and addressing obstacles presented by lengthy robotic surgeries. A review of the literature was performed to identify the most common complications of robotic surgeries with extended operative times. A surgical checklist was developed with the goal of addressing these issues and maximizing patient safety. Extended operative times during robotic surgery increase patient risk for position-related complications and other adverse events. These cases also raise concerns for surgical, anesthesia, and nursing staff which are less common in shorter, non-robotic operations. Key elements of the checklist were designed to coordinate operative staff in verifying patient safety while addressing the unique concerns within each specialty. As robotic surgery is increasingly utilized, operations with long surgical times may become more common due to increased case complexity and surgeons overcoming the learning curve. A standardized surgical checklist, conducted three to four hours after the start of surgery, may enhance perioperative patient safety and quality of care

A Study to Determine if University Athletic Teams in Desert Environments Experience Risky Diet-related Behaviours

Training and competing in desert environments may exacerbate concerns related to disordered eating, supplement use, and hydration in some student athlete populations. A survey administered equitably to both genders solicited self-reported responses from members of 18 different teams over four years from a southwestern United States university athletic program. More than 1,700 athletes responded to 42 items on the questionnaire. Teams, not individual student athletes, were the units of measure for statistical analyses. Initial analysis of results indicated that there were no overt concerns regarding dietary behaviors due to training and competing in the desert environment. Further analysis subjected the team responses to principle component factor analysis and determined the construct validity using Varimax rotation with Kaiser normalization. Six factors were identified which accounted for 93% of total variance associated with reported risky dietary related behaviors among athletic teams. Specifically, the factors contributing to dietary related behavior total variance were; 1) weight loss and exercise issues and practices -47.15%, 2) self-image - 26.00%, 3) hydration - 10.92%, 4) supplement use - 3.85%, 5) disordered eating - 3.70%, and 6) hormonal issues - 1.71%. University athletic programs should use routine assessment of dietary related behaviours, including hydration, to help identify team members practicing risky dietary related behaviours