Nomadic Memorial: Dynamic Landscapes of Commemoration for the Civilian Public Service

This design-research thesis suggests the creation of a memorial commemorating the Civilian Public Service (CPS), a World War II era program of alternative service for conscientious objectors. Through an exploration of memorial culture, the thesis seeks to distinguish the commemoration of nonviolence from the commemoration of war and to propose a memorial that inspires its visitors to consider nonviolence and conscientious objection as positive aspects of American culture. To accomplish these goals, a memorial composed of modular commemorative elements was designed. Rearranging this kit of parts in combination with a new group of locally appropriate trees, the memorial will relocate to a different American city each year and return to Washington, D.C. every four years. With the growth of a new grove of trees and its donation to the neighborhood the memorial inhabits, the latter will draw attention to the history and the variety of services performed by the CPS

A Questionnaire For Sampling Price, Production, And Finance Information In Farm Supply And Marketing Cooperatives

A cooperative association is an organization of firms which is controlled by those who use it and is operated for their mutual benefit as patrons. The cooperative association operates under different principles than does a proprietary corporation. The proprietary corporation is normally assumed to have the objective of maximizing profits while the cooperative firm is assumed to have the objective of maximizing the benefit it derives for it*s member patrons

Force Oscillations Distort Avalanche Shapes

Contradictory scaling behavior in experiments testing the principle of universality may be due to external oscillations. Thus, the effect of damped oscillatory external forces on slip avalanches in slowly deformed solids is simulated using a mean-field model. Akin to a resonance effect, oscillatory driving forces change the dynamics of avalanches with durations close to the oscillation period. This problem can be avoided by tuning mechanical resonance frequencies away from the range of the inverse avalanche durations. The results provide critical guidance for experimental tests for universality and a quantitative understanding of avalanche dynamics under a wide range of driving conditions

Applied-force oscillations in avalanche dynamics

Until now most studies of discrete plasticity have focused on systems that are assumed to be driven by a monotonically increasing force; in many real systems, however, the driving force includes damped oscillations or oscillations induced by the propagation of discrete events or “slip avalanches.” In both cases, these oscillations may obscure the true dynamics. Here we effectively consider both cases by investigating the effects of damped oscillations in the external driving force on avalanche dynamics. We compare model simulations of slip avalanches under mean-field dynamics with observations in slip-avalanche experiments on slowly compressed micrometer-sized Au specimens using open-loop force control. The studies show very good agreement between simulations and experiments. We find that an oscillatory external driving force changes the average avalanche shapes only for avalanches with durations close to the period of oscillation of the external force. This effect on the avalanche shapes can be addressed in experiments by choosing suitable specimen dimensions so that the mechanical resonance does not interact with the avalanche dynamics. These results are important for the interpretation of avalanche experiments with built-in oscillators, and for the prediction and analysis of avalanche dynamics in systems with resonant vibrations

Suturing training in Augmented Reality: gaining proficiency in suturing skills faster

Background: Providing informative feedback and setting goals tends to motivate trainees to practice more extensively. Augmented Reality simulators retain the benefit of realistic haptic feedback and additionally generate objective assessment and informative feedback during the training. This study researched the performance curve of the adapted suturing module on the ProMIS Augmented Reality simulator. Methods: Eighteen novice participants were pretrained on the MIST-VR to become acquainted with laparoscopy. Subsequently, they practiced 16 knots on the suturing module, of which the assessment scores were recorded to evaluate the gain in laparoscopic suturing skills. The scoring of the assessment method was calculated from the “time spent in the correct area” during the knot tying and the quality of the knot. Both the baseline knot and the knot at the top of the performance curve were assessed by two independent objective observers, by means of a standardized evaluation form, to objectify the gain in suturing skills. Results: There was a statistically significant difference between the scores of the second knot (mean 72.59, standard deviation (SD) 16.28) and the top of the performance curve (mean 95.82, SD 3.05; p < 0.001, paired t-test). The scoring of the objective observers also differed significantly (mean 11.83 and 22.11, respectively; SD 3.37 and 3.89, respectively; p < 0.001) (interobserver reliability Cronbach’s alpha = 0.96). The median amount of repetitions to reach the top of the performance curve was eight, which also showed significant differences between both the assessment score (mean 88.14, SD 13.53, p < 0.001) and scoring of the objective observers of the second knot (mean 20.51, SD 4.14; p < 0.001). Conclusions: This adapted suturing module on the ProMIS Augmented Reality laparoscopic simulator is a potent tool for gaining laparoscopic suturing skills.Industrial DesignIndustrial Design Engineerin

Sickle Cell Amenia in association with α-thalassemia-2 : biosynthetic and hematological studies

Patients with Sickle Cell Anemia (SS) associated with homozygous α-thalassemia-2 (-α/-α; βs/βs) are difficult to detect because the in vitro synthesis of hemoglobin chains may be balanced after prolonged incubation (>120 min). However, a distinct imbalance can be present at early incubation times. We studied chain synthesis on whole cell globin at 10, 30, and 120 min incubation in 38 SS and 4 S/β°-thal patients and compared the data with hematological observations.peer-reviewe

Hb G-Philadelphia in asociation with Hb S and α-Thalassemia-2

The proportion of some a chain variants in the peripheral blood of heterozygotes has been a most useful marker for the number and activity of the a chain genes of human hemoglobin. Among these, Hb G-Philadelphia(or α2 68Lys β2) has been found in association with a heterozygous or a homozygous α-thal-2, a β-thal trait (AGAβTH) or a Hb S heterozygosity (ASAG) and a Hb S homozygosity (SSG). Hb G-Philadelphia heterozygotes differ in the proporticn of Hb G, MCV and MCH values and Σα/non-α biosynthetic ratios. Two categories have been noted in our laboratories among adult heterozygotes.peer-reviewe

Increased circulating IL-8 is associated with reduced IGF-1 and related to poor metabolic control in adolescents with type 1 diabetes mellitus

A dysregulated growth hormone (GH)/insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) axis is well-recognized in children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM). Decreased IGF-1 levels can also be found in chronic inflammatory diseases, while hyperglycemia promotes inflammatory cytokine production. Therefore, inflammatory cytokines may link poor metabolic control with GH/IGF-1 axis changes. This study examined the relationship between serum inflammatory cytokines and IGF-1 in adolescents (age 13–18) with TIDM in chronic poor (n=17) or favorable (n=19) glucose control. Poor control (PC) was defined as ≥ 3, consistent HbA1C > 9% during the previous 2 years, while favorable control (FC) was consistent levels of HbA1C < 9%

An evaluation of patient-reported outcomes in sickle cell disease within a conceptual model.

PURPOSE: To examine the relations between patient-reported outcomes (PROs) within a conceptual model for adults with sickle cell disease (SCD) ages 18 - 45 years enrolled in the multi-site Sickle Cell Disease Implementation Consortium (SCDIC) registry. We hypothesized that patient and SCD-related factors, particularly pain, and barriers to care would independently contribute to functioning as measured using PRO domains. METHODS: Participants (N = 2054) completed a 48-item survey including socio-demographics and PRO measures, e.g., social functioning, pain impact, emotional distress, and cognitive functioning. Participants reported on lifetime SCD complications, pain episode frequency and severity, and barriers to healthcare. RESULTS: Higher pain frequency was associated with higher odds of worse outcomes in all PRO domains, controlling for age, gender and site (OR range 1.02-1.10, 95% CI range [1.004-1.12]). Reported history of treatment for depression was associated with 5 of 7 PRO measures (OR range 1.58-3.28 95% CI range [1.18-4.32]). Fewer individual barriers to care and fewer SCD complications were associated with better outcomes in the emotion domain (OR range 0.46-0.64, 95% CI range [0.34-0.86]). CONCLUSIONS: Study results highlight the importance of the biopsychosocial model to enhance understanding of the needs of this complex population, and to design multi-dimensional approaches for providing more effective interventions to improve outcomes