The British Novel and Lacan: Duality and Reflection

This paper looks at the relationship between two British female writers, Virginia Woolf and Zadie Smith, in relation to the theories of the mirror stage and desire of the mother constructed by the prominent psychoanalyst, Jacques Lacan. Both Woolf and Smith discuss identity through their characters’ reflection and social structures, and Lacan’s insight into the human psyche allows me to read these two psychological authors. These two fields, literature and psychology, parallel each other, but Lacan is clinical and Woolf and Smith are subjective. I argue in my paper that Woolf and Smith, from two different generations (one is a modernist; the other, a postmodernist), differ as writers because Smith is more interested in social structures such as race and religion when reflecting on her characters’ identities, whereas Woolf is more interested in the relationship between characters and introspection. This paper concludes that looking at British texts through a Lacanian lens is significant because it shows that there has been a shift in what is considered psychologically and sociologically relevant from Woolf’s time to ours

Feminine Quests in Arthurian Legends

This paper examines the correlation between women, purpose, and power within the medieval Arthurian legends. Women had little to no power during the Middle Ages, and the patriarchal ideology that dominated the culture is reflected in literature. However, my essay shows that even though women play supporting roles in Arthurian legends, they often propel the plotline to heroism and adventure. Often nameless, they barely get credit for their characterization, but my analysis of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, a chivalric romance, and “Lanval,” one of Marie de France’s lais, illustrates how the tales’ women characters wield more power than one would expect. Lady Bertilak controls Gawain through tokens and guilt, while the fairy woman from “Lanval” becomes a heroine in her own right by “saving” Lanval from Arthur’s court. Through close textual analysis and extensive research from scholars who specialize in medieval literature, I show how powerful women can be found in Arthurian legends

Variation in thromboembolic complications among patients undergoing commonly performed cancer operations

ObjectiveThere is widespread evidence that cancer confers an increased risk of deep venous thrombosis (DVT). This risk is thought to vary among different cancer types. The purpose of this study is to better define the incidence of thrombotic complications among patients undergoing surgical treatment for a spectrum of prevalent cancer diagnoses in contemporary practice.MethodsAll patients undergoing one of 11 cancer surgical operations (breast resection, hysterectomy, prostatectomy, colectomy, gastrectomy, lung resection, hepatectomy, pancreatectomy, cystectomy, esophagectomy, and nephrectomy) were identified by Current Procedural Terminology and International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision codes using the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program database (2007-2009). The study endpoints were DVT, pulmonary embolism (PE), and overall postoperative venous thromboembolic events (VTE) within 1 month of the index procedure. Multivariate logistic regression was utilized to calculate adjusted odds ratios for each endpoint.ResultsOver the study interval, 43,808 of the selected cancer operations were performed. The incidence of DVT, PE, and total VTE within 1 month following surgery varied widely across a spectrum of cancer diagnoses, ranging from 0.19%, 0.12%, and 0.28% for breast resection to 6.1%, 2.4%, and 7.3%, respectively, for esophagectomy. Compared with breast cancer, the incidence of VTE ranged from a 1.31-fold increase in VTE associated with gastrectomy (95% confidence interval, 0.73-2.37; P = .4) to a 2.68-fold increase associated with hysterectomy (95% confidence interval, 1.43-5.01; P = .002). Multivariate logistic regression revealed that inpatient status, steroid use, advanced age (≥60 years), morbid obesity (body mass index ≥35), blood transfusion, reintubation, cardiac arrest, postoperative infectious complications, and prolonged hospitalization were independently associated with increased risk of VTE.ConclusionsThe incidence of VTE and thromboembolic complications associated with cancer surgery varies substantially. These findings suggest that both tumor type and resection magnitude may impact VTE risk. Accordingly, such data support diagnosis and procedural-specific guidelines for perioperative VTE prophylaxis and can be used to anticipate the risk of potentially preventable morbidity

River by Design: Essays on the Boise River, 1915-2015

River by Design marks 100 years since the Boise River emerged as an engineering sensation with the dedication of Arrowrock Dam. Sequenced like a tour with stops in Boise, Garden City, Eagle, Caldwell, and Parma, these essays collectively search for the politics and cultural values that drive engineering design.https://scholarworks.boisestate.edu/fac_books/1450/thumbnail.jp

Promotional Tone in Reviews of Menopausal Hormone Therapy After the Women's Health Initiative: An Analysis of Published Articles

Adriane Fugh-Berman and colleagues analyzed a selection of published opinion pieces on hormone therapy and show that there may be a connection between receiving industry funding for speaking, consulting, or research and the tone of such opinion pieces

Big Data: Managing the Future\u27s Agriculture and Natural Resource Systems

Big Data: Managing the Future\u27s Agriculture and Natural Resource Systems Big data is the incredible flow of information that surrounds each of us, every day. Big data tools identify patterns and habits, not only in research, but in manufacturing, logistics–even ordering items online

Adobe Spark Your Social Media to Enhance Your Communications

Creating a profile for your library with a distinct personality can be a challenge, especially in the current digital age where social media and mobile platforms are patrons' main sources of interaction and information-gathering. How do libraries manage this hurdle and connect to the varying demographics of their patrons? The Priddy Library is using Adobe Spark to upgrade its social media to engage with patrons at their level through the platforms they frequent the most, such as Instagram. Our goal is to have a unique profile with a strong voice that attracts patrons, but also provides them with the resources they need from the library. Adobe Spark allows our social media team to create captivating posts, pages and videos that connect users with library services, inclusive and diverse experiences, along with other tools they will need to be successful. Through trainings we offer on the use of Adobe Spark for students, faculty and staff, it can not only enhance our users' experience with social media but in a variety of other aspects of their life, such as personal milestones, business ventures, professional promotion, and academia. Attendees will walk away with practical knowledge on using Adobe Spark and social media practices that can help take your library's digital marketing to an entirely new level

Supervising Student Assistants During COVID-19

Student work and supervision in libraries was one of the many day-to-day routines disrupted and displaced by COVID-19. In response to these circumstances, the University of Maryland College Park Libraries instituted a student telework program. This program allowed retention of the student assistant pool while providing those students with opportunities to contribute to library operations and focus on professional development. This session will cover the process both supervisors and students undertook to rapidly reach a “new normal” amidst uncertain circumstances. Topics for discussion will include why the decision was made to keep student assistants working, the challenges and concerns faced during the move to a virtual work environment, the unexpected successes that resulted from the shift to telework, and lessons learned to help shape next steps as the pandemic is continually evolving. This session seeks to impart knowledge that could be useful to other libraries dealing with similar disruptions. Budgets permitting, hopefully other libraries can utilize the lessons discussed in this session as an additional resource when determining the future of student employment through unexpected events such as COVID-19

Get Rid of It!: Eliminating Barriers to Improve Patron Services and Communication

Explaining the process the Priddy library went through when moving from a two-service desks to a one-stop service deskExplaining the process the Priddy library went through when moving from a two-service desks to a one-stop service des