50107 research outputs found
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MESOSCALE POLYMER RIBBONS: INSIGHTS INTO EFFICIENT FABRICATION, COMPOSITION, AND CHEMICAL FUNCTIONALIZATION
No full textThe ability to create materials at length scales intermediate between that of macroscopic and the molecular/nanoscale, often referred to as the mesoscale, is enticing for gaining understanding of effects along the continuum of size scales in both soft and hard materials. The experimental contributions to this dissertation are arranged into two chapters.
Chapter 1, ‘Introduction’, summarizes and explains key concepts such as the mesoscale, the size scale of the work. This chapter reviews the flow coating method, polymer thin film dewetting, and chemistry at the mesoscale. Additionally, the chapter introduces synthetic and biological examples of properties derived from mesoscale structure.
Chapter 2, ‘Fabricating Mesoscale Polymer Ribbons with Tunable Mechanical Properties via Evaporative Deposition and Dewetting’, examines the use of spontaneous dewetting between deposited ribbons for efficient preparation of individual mesoscale filamentous materials, thus precluding the need for etching and preserving ribbon geometry and composition. Furthermore, this chapter elucidates a modulus-dependent morphology of mesoscale polymer ribbons, describing a transition from straight to wavy to helical with declining polymer modulus. These findings are evaluated in the context of geometrical considerations from the literature.
Chapter 3, ‘Mesoscale Filamentous Polyelectrolytes: Chemical Functionalization and Fluidic Structure’, describes the post-fabrication treatment of polybutadiene-based ribbons using thiol-ene reactions. Taking advantage of the preserved ribbon chemistry with the dewetting method, the treatment results in changed morphology, pH-sensitivity, and reversible elongation of mesoscale polymer ribbons. The swelling occurring when charge-neutral, treated ribbons transition to charged mesoscale polyelectrolytes is quantified. Due to the small thickness dimension of mesoscale filaments, reversible and rapid pH-response was observed.
Overall, this dissertation contributed to a deeper understanding of mesoscale structure formation and properties. The dewetting approach opened new avenues for chemical functionalization at the mesoscale and was demonstrated for both glassy and rubbery materials over a GPa to MPa modulus range. Post-fabrication chemical functionalization of mesoscale structures provided valuable insights associated with the insertion of responsive features into mesoscale objects.Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)2026-05-1
PTSD Screening and Referral in the Traumatically Injured Population
No full textBackground: Traumatically injured patients are at an increased risk of developing post-traumatic stress disorder which is not routinely screened for in the acute care setting. Though diagnosis for PTSD often happens after patients are discharged from the hospital, there is an opportunity to screen for patients that are at a high risk for developing PTSD while they are admitted. The purpose of this quality improvement project was to implement a policy to screen and refer traumatically injured patients who are at a high risk of developing PTSD.
Methods: A screening intervention was proposed for this quality improvement project. Pre-Intervention- A policy to screen patients for risk of PTSD and referral to services as appropriate was developed. Nurses and social workers were educated on the policy. Intervention: The social workers screened patients that meet inclusion criteria and provided referral to mental health resources as appropriate. Post-Intervention- Compliance with the policy was audited through manual chart reviews.
Results: Pre-intervention education reached a total of 67% of staff. During intervention, 54% of patients that met inclusion criteria were screened using the PTSD policy. Of patients that screened high risk, 86% were appropriately referred.
Conclusion: Prior to implementation of the project, no formal PTSD risk screening was in place. Following implementation 29 patients received PTSD screening, of these 7 patients screened positive for PTSD and received needed referrals. While the policy was well accepted by the staff, barriers to screening included short staffing and lengthy documentation. When developing a PTSD screening and referral policy, future quality improvement projects should consider staffing, ease of documentation, admission time inclusion criteria, and population specific resources.Doctor of Nursing Practice, Public Health Nurse Leade
A Body of Work
No full textA Body of Work explores the convergence of conceptual inquiry, material philosophy, and ceramic practice through the creation of a body of work defined by the physicality of my own body. Entrenched in tenets of Material Engagement Theory, the Hylomorphic Model, and material affordances, A Body of Work examines the activation and emergence of agency in the dialogue between maker and material. Using my weight and volume as guiding constraints, the resulting collection of wheel-thrown bowls and primarily coil-built “belly pots” become both literal and conceptual reflections of embodied knowledge. This investigation positions clay as an active collaborator in the becoming of form rather than a passive recipient of a maker’s design, offering insight into the ways cognition extends through and is shaped by physical engagement. This paper anatomizes process documentation, personal narrative, and theoretical frameworks to articulate a ceramic practice that prioritizes receptivity, adaptability, and material attunement. In doing so, it contributes to ongoing conversations about the role of embodiment, materiality, and artistic agency in contemporary craft.Master of Fine Arts (M.F.A.
“This Idiot Hasn’t Seen Goncharov”: How an Online In-joke Heralds a New Conception of Communal Music-making
No full textGoncharov is a Martin Scorsese film from the 1970s that doesn’t exist. Instead, the concept of it was created by the community on social media blogging site Tumblr as an inside joke. Despite its unreality, there is an abundance of creative material relating to it, including a full score. What does the process and result of such an absurd creation reveal about communal creative activity online?
This paper begins by analyzing the in-joke itself through the lens of folklore studies, clarifying the nature of the phenomenon and describing its relevant themes and ideas. It then uses the resulting framework to map concepts onto an analysis of the score itself. Finally, it addresses the lasting implications of Goncharov artistically and provides a model for how to document these phenomena going forward.Master of Music (MM
Investigating the Legacy of Human Land Use in a Representative Salt Marsh System Using Sediment Cores and a Multi-Proxy Approach
No full textThe Northeast coast of what is now known as the United States has experienced significant environmental change, driven directly and indirectly by human land use, with implications for the geological and ecological processes governing salt marsh development and morphology. Present-day marshes preserve these changes in the sedimentary record. Proxy data allows us to observe these changes, as proxies stand in for direct measurements of past conditions. These proxies measure standard marsh processes (e.g., vertical accretion and organic matter deposition), characteristics (e.g., soil salinity and vegetation distribution), and historical land use changes (e.g., farming and land clearance). I use various physical and geochemical methods to analyze sediment cores (ranging from ~80 cm to ~150 cm) and a series of surface samples (5 cm) from a salt marsh system with a history of human land use spanning from approximately 1700 C.E. to 1900 C.E. (Cousins River Marsh, Freeport, ME). This thesis demonstrates how a multi-proxy can be used to understand natural and anthropogenic change in salt marshes, while also noting how episodic and hyper-local conditions can confound this approach. In particular, pollen data collected from a representative sediment core provided evidence of cattle grazing and upland agriculture, suggesting an age of onset for human activity in the marsh around ~1760 CE and addressing the legacy of farming in the Cousins River. The results of this study will inform how we interpret the stratigraphic record of salt marshes previously altered for and by human land use, provide new insights into how marshes respond to human perturbations, and discuss the implications for restoration and management strategies in marshes with similar legacies of human impacts.Northeast Climate Adaptation Science CenterMaster of Science (M.S.
Utilizing Motivational Interviewing to Improve Medication Adherence in an Outpatient Psychiatric Center
No full textBackground: Medication nonadherence is chronic in patients diagnosed with severe mental illness. Lack of medication adherence may result in increased disease burden, exacerbated symptoms, hospitalization, disability, and increased mortality rate. In addition, high healthcare cost, poor disease insight, medication side effects, and ineffective communication between patients and providers may result in medication nonadherence. Nurses are key stakeholders pivotal in mitigating medication nonadherence because of their role in advancing patient health outcomes using evidence-based practices. Motivational interviewing (MI) is a communication technique that allows partnership between patients and providers to explore motivation for behavioral change that promotes wellness. MI has been shown to significantly improve medication adherence when used alone or with other interventions.
Purpose: The purpose of this DNP project was to increase the utilization of MI by PMHNP in medication management with patients diagnosed with serious mental illness after receiving an educational intervention.
Methods: Ten PMHNPs in a private outpatient psychiatric center received an in-person educational interventional to improve utilization of MI for medication management. Pre- and post-intervention questionnaires were used to evaluate the difference in utilization. The results were analyzed using the Wilcoxon matched paired t-test. Based on the findings, the difference in MI utilization was not statistically significant, W = 28.5, p = 0.919 implying that the change in MI utilization mean values may not have been because of the educational intervention.Doctor of Nursing Practice, Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP
Lucky Partnerships: Piloting Combined Information Literacy/Data Management Instruction for Labs
No full textOriginal research relies upon strong information literacy (IL) and research data management (RDM) skills. However, at Tufts University, research labs are highly specialized and often operate independently from the traditional curriculum where students interact with library instruction. The departments that host labs often also rely upon larger class sizes and exam-based curricula for core courses, making impactful IL instruction challenging. In addition, RDM is not commonly addressed in traditional classroom library instruction.
To improve IL and RDM skills among lab members and to increase collaboration between the library and original researchers, we developed an outreach plan to cater to individual labs and offer customized workshops. In these workshops, we led discussions with students, faculty, and professional lab staff members to develop skills such as literature searching, collaborative citation management and note-taking, organizing data, and data workflows. These workshops improve research practices by fostering a shared vocabulary amongst lab members. This lightning talk will describe the lucky break that kick-started this project in the Psychology department, the collaboration between a liaison librarian and a research data librarian, our pilot initiative with the Eliot-Pearson Department of Child Study and Human Development, and our plans for growing the pilot into a workflow that can be adopted by other liaisons
Lightning Talks: Cross Collaboration to Promote OER Expansion
No full textOftentimes, faculty are engaged in OER development and generate excellent OER based materials for various courses. However, it may be difficult to share this knowledge and help promote OER initiatives at a university, especially for a multi-campus university. In this Lightning Talk, I review several initiatives at Penn State University which helps foster collaboration among faculty to promote OER expansion. These initiatives are especially helpful for new faculty or adjunct faculty who might be interested in OER but don’t know how to get started.
The first initiative is a university-wide survey process to collect, collate and disseminate OER resources in use across a discipline on a course by course basis. The second initiative is the development and implementation of “master OER courses” that can be deployed, especially for STEM related courses, where a complete package of course materials, assessments and ancillaries are desirable as part of the course pedagogy
Public Spaces: By and for Cultural Diversity
No full textThis paper examines the intersection of environmental policy, urban forestry, and urban environmental history to understand how systemic forces shape public space and contribute to patterns of exclusion and displacement. It explores how language informs policy, policy shapes design, and design reinforces social and ecological hierarchies, particularly under frameworks of capitalism, settler colonialism, and racialized land ownership. By challenging dominant narratives around land productivity and plant “nativeness,” the paper advocates for a planning approach that values ecological resilience, community-led design, and inclusive public space. Drawing from abolitionist theory, mutual aid, and environmental justice, it proposes a framework for reimagining urban environments as spaces of dignity, resistance, and collective care, where people, plants, and animals coexist in a shared pursuit of equity and sustainability