Feminist Understandings of Embodiment and Disability: A "Material-Discursive" Approach to Breast Cancer Related Lymphedema

Breast cancer related lymphedema (BCRL) is a disability related to breast cancer treatment which may significantly affect women's everyday lives. We used a "material discursive" lens to analyze women's accounts of BCRL. Themes which emerged are: 1) moving beyond breast loss; 2) implications of disability; and 3) beyond limitations.Le lymphoedème relié au cancer du sein (LRCS) est une invalidité reliée au traitement du cancer qui peut affecter de manière significative la vie quotidienne des femmes. Nous nous sommes servies d'une lentille de "matériel discursif" pour analyser les comptes-rendus des femmes sur le LRCS. Les thèmes qui en sont découlés sont: 1) aller au delà de la perte; 2) lesrépercussions de l'invalidité; et 3) au -delà des limites

Some of tomorrow's catalysts for processing renewable and non-renewable feedstocks, diminishing anthropogenic carbon dioxide and increasing the production of energy

This review provides a wide-ranging summary of several aspects of heterogeneous catalysis and its impact on the increasing need to generate more energy, less CO2 and the production of more commodities required by an expanding world population. Particular attention is paid to the options (some of which are already a practical reality) now available for the use of anthropogenic CO2 as a source for the production of platform chemicals required to sustain civilized life. In this connection, Rubisco-inspired methods of utilizing CO2 are discussed, as is the utilization of algae to yield ethanol and O2 from water, CO2 and sunlight. In addition, the increasing use of methanol (derived from CO2) as an energy vector, as well as a source of ethene and propene (which are in growing worldwide demand), is adumbrated. As far as strategies for the design of new solid catalysts are concerned, summarizing accounts are given of the emerging popularity and recent successes of supported “single-atom”, chemo-selective catalysts (of Pt, Pd, Ir and Au), of so-called “single-atom alloy” catalysts for selective hydrogenations, and of monophasic single-site heterogeneous catalysts (SSHCs) for a range of chemical processes, some of which have already been commercialized. SSHCs can, in general, be assembled from earth-abundant elements (C, N, O, Mg, Al, P, Fe), and are effective for shape-selective, regio-selective and enantio-selective catalytic conversions. We also briefly discuss the prospect of converting anthropogenic CO2 into CH4, and touch upon the action needed to reduce atmospheric CO2 so as to fulfil the aims of the recent (December 2015) UN Climate Change Conference in Paris (COP-21)

Blue emitting gold nanoclusters templated by poly-cytosine DNA at low pH and poly-adenine DNA at neutral pH

Blue fluorescent gold nanoclusters were prepared in the presence of poly-cytosine DNAs at low pH and poly-adenine at neutral pH using citrate as the reducing agent; various buffer conditions affecting the synthesis have been explored.University of Waterloo || Canadian Foundation for Innovation || Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council || Ontario Ministry of Research and Innovation |

Barriers to Opioid Deprescription in Rural Newfoundland and Labrador: Findings from Pilot Interviews with Rural Family Physicians

Background: Medical doctors in Canada have a lack of education and understanding on how to safely prescribe opioids. Rural areas and Aboriginal populations have been identified as being at greater risk for opioid misuse. The purpose of this pilot project is to investigate barriers to rural physicians deprescribing opioids for noncancer pain in rural NL to better understand this under-researched topic. Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted over the phone and audio recorded. The audio recordings were transcribed using Microsoft Word then thematically analysed. The themes were discussed with another team member to reach a consensus. Results: Three broad themes were identified including system related, provider related and patient related barriers with sub-themes under each. Interpretation: These preliminary results identified many barriers including lack of resources in rural areas, lack of provider education and lack of patient understanding of the mechanisms of opioid prescriptions that fit into three broad categories. Barriers not previously identified in the literature were acknowledged including lack of pain management resources in rural communities as well as patient misunderstanding opioid medication pharmacology. These results are preliminary and further research is required

Linked-List-Based Multibody Dynamics (MBDyn) Engine

This new release of MBDyn is a software engine that calculates the dynamics states of kinematic, rigid, or flexible multibody systems. An MBDyn multibody system may consist of multiple groups of articulated chains, trees, or closed-loop topologies. Transient topologies are handled through conservation of energy and momentum. The solution for rigid-body systems is exact, and several configurable levels of nonlinear term fidelity are available for flexible dynamics systems. The algorithms have been optimized for efficiency and can be used for both non-real-time (NRT) and real-time (RT) simulations. Interfaces are currently compatible with NASA's Trick Simulation Environment. This new release represents a significant advance in capability and ease of use. The two most significant new additions are an application programming interface (API) that clarifies and simplifies use of MBDyn, and a link-list infrastructure that allows a single MBDyn instance to propagate an arbitrary number of interacting groups of multibody top ologies. MBDyn calculates state and state derivative vectors for integration using an external integration routine. A Trickcompatible interface is provided for initialization, data logging, integration, and input/output

Evolution of Flexible Multibody Dynamics for Simulation Applications Supporting Human Spaceflight

During the course of transition from the Space Shuttle and International Space Station programs to the Orion and Journey to Mars exploration programs, a generic flexible multibody dynamics formulation and associated software implementation has evolved to meet an ever changing set of requirements at the NASA Johnson Space Center (JSC). Challenging problems related to large transitional topologies and robotic free-flyer vehicle capture/ release, contact dynamics, and exploration missions concept evaluation through simulation (e.g., asteroid surface operations) have driven this continued development. Coupled with this need is the requirement to oftentimes support human spaceflight operations in real-time. Moreover, it has been desirable to allow even more rapid prototyping of on-orbit manipulator and spacecraft systems, to support less complex infrastructure software for massively integrated simulations, to yield further computational efficiencies, and to take advantage of recent advances and availability of multi-core computing platforms. Since engineering analysis, procedures development, and crew familiarity/training for human spaceflight is fundamental to JSC's charter, there is also a strong desire to share and reuse models in both the non-realtime and real-time domains, with the goal of retaining as much multibody dynamics fidelity as possible. Three specific enhancements are reviewed here: (1) linked list organization to address large transitional topologies, (2) body level model order reduction, and (3) parallel formulation/implementation. This paper provides a detailed overview of these primary updates to JSC's flexible multibody dynamics algorithms as well as a comparison of numerical results to previous formulations and associated software

‘More than meets the audiences’ eyes’: individual and collective impression management in the everyday doing of coach education work

To date, research into formal coach education has tended to prioritise the perceptions and experiences of learners. Consequently, there is a paucity of research that addresses the everyday realities of interactively doing coach education work from the perspective(s) of coach educators. In building upon the initial insights provided by Allanson, Potrac, and Nelson (2019), this thesis breaks new ground by providing original, ethnographically grounded knowledge concerning the individual and collective social interactions that constitute coach educators’ practice(s). Data were rigorously generated with eight coach educators via a methodological bricolage that consisted of cyclical semi-structured interviews and participant observations. In total, 151 hours of observational data and 55 hours of interview data were generated. A phronetic-iterative approach to data analysis was adopted. This required subjecting phases of data generation, interpretive sense-making, and the representation of findings to ongoing cycles of emic and etic interpretation. The analysis process was primarily informed by Goffman’s (1959) and Hochschild’s (1983) dramaturgical theorising. Their insights were further bolstered using Crossley’s (2011) relational sociology. The analysis showed that the participants used various individual and collective impression management strategies in their everyday work. On one level they reflected their understanding(s) of the audience’s (i.e., coach learners’) expectations and the various contextual constraints that they encountered. However, these social performances also recognised a number of other factors and features. These included, informal and formal hierarchies between coach educators, unfamiliar collegial relationships, performance evaluation mechanisms, casualised contracts, and the desire of individual participants to obtain, protect and advance a particular reputation as a coach educator. Overall, the significance of the thesis lies in the ways in which it has illuminated the different challenges, ambiguities, tensions, and relational complexities that characterise coach educators’ attempts to practically work with and influence others

Update: Advancement of Contact Dynamics Modeling for Human Spaceflight Simulation Applications

Pong is a new software tool developed at the NASA Johnson Space Center that advances interference-based geometric contact dynamics based on 3D graphics models. The Pong software consists of three parts: a set of scripts to extract geometric data from 3D graphics models, a contact dynamics engine that provides collision detection and force calculations based on the extracted geometric data, and a set of scripts for visualizing the dynamics response with the 3D graphics models. The contact dynamics engine can be linked with an external multibody dynamics engine to provide an integrated multibody contact dynamics simulation. This paper provides a detailed overview of Pong including the overall approach and modeling capabilities, which encompasses force generation from contact primitives and friction to computational performance. Two specific Pong-based examples of International Space Station applications are discussed, and the related verification and validation using this new tool are also addressed

Dose-related Effects of Salvinorin A in Humans: Dissociative, Hallucinogenic, and Memory Effects

RATIONALE: Salvinorin A is a kappa opioid agonist and the principal psychoactive constituent of the plant Salvia divinorum, which has increased in popularity as a recreational drug over the past decade. Few human studies have examined salvinorin A. OBJECTIVE: This double-blind, placebo-controlled study evaluated the dose-related effects of inhaled salvinorin A in individuals with histories of hallucinogen use. METHODS: Eight healthy hallucinogen-using adults inhaled up to 16 doses of salvinorin A (0.375 - 21 μg/kg) in ascending order. Physiological, behavioral, and subjective effects were assessed every 2 min for 60 min after administration. Qualitative subjective effects were assessed retrospectively via questionnaires at the end of sessions. Persisting effects were assessed 1 month later. RESULTS: Orderly dose-related effects peaked at 2 min and then rapidly dissipated, replicating previous findings. Subjective effects were intense, with maximal drug strength ratings or unresponsiveness frequently observed at high doses. Questionnaires assessing qualitative effects (Hallucinogen Rating Scale, Pharmacological Class Questionnaire) suggested some overlap with serotonergically mediated classic hallucinogens. Salvinorin A also produced dose-related dissociative effects and impairments in recall/recognition memory. At 1-month follow-up, there was no evidence of persisting adverse effects. Participants reported salvinorin A effects were qualitatively different from other drugs. CONCLUSIONS: Salvinorin A produces a unique profile of subjective and cognitive effects, including strong dissociative effects and memory impairment, which only partially overlap with classic hallucinogen effects. Along with nonhuman studies of salvinorin A, these results are important for understanding the neurobiology of the kappa opioid system and may ultimately have important therapeutic applications

Human psychopharmacology and dose-effects of salvinorin A, a kappa-opioid agonist hallucinogen present in the plant Salvia divinorum

Salvinorin A is a potent, selective nonnitrogenous kappa opioid agonist and the known psychoactive constituent of Salvia divinorum, a member of the mint family that has been used for centuries by Mazatec shamans of Mexico for divination and spiritual healing. Salvia divinorum has over the last several years gained increased popularity as a recreational drug. This is a double-blind, placebo controlled study of salvinorin A in 4 psychologically and physically healthy hallucinogen-using adults. Across sessions, participants inhaled 16 ascending doses of salvinorin A and 4 intermixed placebo doses under comfortable and supportive conditions. Doses ranged from 0.375 μg/kg to 21 μg/kg. Subject-rated drug strength was assessed every 2 minutes for 60 minutes after inhalation. Orderly time- and dose-related effects were observed. Drug strength ratings peaked at 2 minutes (first time point) and definite subjective effects were no longer present at approximately 20 minutes after inhalation. Dose-related increases were observed on questionnaire measures of mystical-type experience (Mysticism Scale) and subjective effects associated with classic serotonergic (5-HT2A) hallucinogens (Hallucinogen Rating Scale). Salvinorin A did not significantly increase heart rate or blood pressure. Participant narratives indicated intense experiences characterized by disruptions in vestibular and interoceptive signals (e.g., change in spatial orientation, pressure on the body) and unusual and sometimes recurring themes across sessions such as revisiting childhood memories, cartoon-like imagery, and contact with entities. Under these prepared and supportive conditions, salvinorin A occasioned a unique profile of subjective effects having similarities to classic hallucinogens, including mystical-type effects