93887 research outputs found
Sort by
Neurodiversity in Action: Understanding the Brain Basis of Dyslexia
No full textDyslexia, a specific learning disability (SLD) characterized by persistent difficulties in accurate and/or fluent word reading, is often misunderstood. This brief resource, written for non-neuroscientists, describes how research in cognitive neuroscience has revealed systematic differences in the reading brain between individuals with and without dyslexia
Trauma Beyond Time: Temporal Constructs in Holocaust Testimonies
No full textTrauma Beyond Time: Temporal Constructs in Holocaust Testimonies challenges our understanding of what it means to be a Holocaust survivor, arguing that the term “post-Holocaust” fundamentally misrepresents survivors’ experiences. Through careful analysis of Holocaust literature and testimony, this book reveals how trauma persists across generations, defying conventional historical timelines. For those who perished, there can be no “after” to the Holocaust—their stories were violently ended. Yet for survivors, the Holocaust didn’t simply conclude in 1945. Their experiences demonstrate how trauma continues to shape lives decades later, making “post-Holocaust” a misleading concept that fails to capture their ongoing reality. Using the multigenerational testimony of the Tabak family as a case study, this research shows how trauma disrupts linear time, creating a continuous present where past horrors remain alive. The author examines Holocaust diaries that end abruptly with their authors’ deaths, alongside memoirs that document how survivors navigate a world forever altered by their experiences. Perhaps most profound is the examination of intergenerational trauma, where descendants inherit the psychological imprint of events they never personally witnessed. For these individuals, there is no “before” the Holocaust—only its ongoing echoes through family memory and inherited trauma. By reconsidering how we frame survivorship, this book calls for a more nuanced, trauma-informed approach to Holocaust studies that honors the continuing reality of survivors’ experiences.https://docs.lib.purdue.edu/purduepress_ebooks/1087/thumbnail.jp
Dying to Belong? The Impact of Thwarted Belongingness Among Those Who Attempt Suicide in Jail
No full textSuicide and attempted suicide remain a major concern in correctional facilities. Jail personnel have developed unique ways of responding to incarcerated individuals who display signs of suicidal ideation, but may be less equipped to identify who may be suicidal upon arrival at the facility. Among potential markers for suicidal behaviors are incarcerated individuals struggling with feelings of thwarted belongingness, or a feeling of disconnection and lack of closeness. Applying a quantitative methodology, this study utilized data obtained from a mid-sized jail in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. The data, retrieved from correctional officer reports and intake records, covers 392 incidents of suicide attempts reported between the years 2011-2024. Thirty-four percent of the total sample experienced thwarted belongingness. Both suicidal men and women who experienced thwarted belongingness were more likely to make their suicide attempt within the first 48 hours of custody, and have one or more cellmates. Additional predictors of thwarted belongingness for suicidal women include being unmarried, convicted, and attempting their suicide in a manner other than strangulation/asphyxiation. This study highlights the importance of screening for signs of thwarted belongingness upon intake, as well as encourages correctional entities to consider conditions in their facilities to ensure those incarcerated are less susceptible to acts of self-harm
Shattered Liberation: Sexualized Violence Against Holocaust Survivors, 1943–1946
No full textShattered Liberation: Sexualized Violence Against Holocaust Survivors, 1943–1946 challenges the notion of joyous liberation of Holocaust survivors by the Red Army, which is often embedded in popular imagination and collective memory. This is one of the first volumes to shine light on the sexualized violence that some Holocaust survivors endured in the hands of the Soviet Army, partisans, rescuers, and army personnel in filtration camps during the liberation process. By focusing on testimonies and memoirs, this book discusses in detail a wide range of interactions, including sexual violence, rape, forced cohabitation, sex barter, aid, and romance. The book addresses methodological challenges of employing survivors’ testimonies in an analysis of a traumatic history of liberation sexualized violence. It explores the strategies survivors employed while recounting these traumatic experiences, and examines how survivors’ experiences of sexualized violence during liberation have been both included in and excluded from public memory. By challenging the popular notion of liberation as universally positive and instead focusing on the memories of Jewish survivors, Shattered Liberation uncovers a far more complicated, if not devastating, reality.https://docs.lib.purdue.edu/purduepress_ebooks/1086/thumbnail.jp
Mass Timber Construction: Products, Performance and Design
No full textDue to their high strength, dimensional stability and positive environmental performance, mass timber building products are quickly becoming materials of choice for sustainably‐minded designers. This presentation will provide a detailed look at the variety of mass timber products available, including glue‐laminated timber (glulam), cross laminated timber (CLT), nail laminated timber (NLT), heavy timber decking, and other engineered and composite systems. Applications for the use of these products under modern building codes will be discussed, and examples of their use in U.S. projects reviewed. Mass timber’s ability to act as both structure and exposed finish will also be highlighted, as will its performance as part of an assembly, considering design objectives related to structural performance, fire resistance, acoustics, and energy efficiency. Other topics will include detailing and construction best practices, lessons learned from completed projects and trends for the increased use of mass timber products in the future
Monitoring of a Steel-Reinforced MSE Abutment Wall and Evaluation of its Bearing Capacity Based on the CPT and DCPT
No full textA two-span bridge, supported by steel H-piles and mechanically stabilized earth (MSE) bridge abutments, was constructed as part of a new interchange on I-65 in Whitestown, Indiana. The east and west MSE abutment walls consisted of precast concrete facing panels, ribbed steel strips, and coarse-grained backfill soil. A section near the middle of the east MSE abutment wall was selected for instrumentation and performance monitoring. A variety of sensors, including earth pressure cells, strain gauges, inclinometers, and crackmeters were used to measure the magnitude and evolution of several quantities, such as the vertical stresses at the base of the leveling pad and within the backfill soil, the lateral stresses on the back of the wall facing, the tensile loads in the reinforcement, the lateral deflection of the wall facing, the contraction of the panel joints, and the settlement of the MSE wall foundation. The data was collected continuously, both during and after bridge construction, using multiplexers and dataloggers powered by solar panels. The results indicated that the vertical stresses measured at the base of the leveling pad were greater than those measured along the base of the reinforced fill and those calculated based on the self-weight of the wall facing. The values of key parameters used in MSE wall design were determined from the instrumentation results and compared with those obtained using design methods available in literature. The relationship developed by INDOT between the DCPT blow count and the factored bearing resistance of MSE wall foundations constructed over fine-grained soils was verified based on the results of the DCPTs performed in this study. In addition, a preliminary procedure to estimate the limit unit bearing capacity of the leveling pad in compacted B-borrow material was developed as a function of the pad width and the DCPT blow count for 0–12 in. penetration
Stone Matrix Asphalt (SMA) Overlay Performance Evaluation
No full textStone matrix asphalt (SMA) is a specialized asphalt mixture designed to improve pavement performance by combining a coarse aggregate skeleton with a high-binder content mortar. This innovative design, adopted by the Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) in the late 1990s, offers distinct advantages over conventional hot mix asphalt (HMA). Currently, INDOT SMA-surfaced pavements are undergoing a second round of rehabilitation, which presents a valuable opportunity to assess their performance and return on investment (ROI). In Indiana, steel slag is used as the primary SMA coarse aggregate because of its toughness and durability. However, it may be possible to use other, more locally available coarse aggregates in SMA without loss of mixture performance. Field performance evaluations highlight the superior performance of SMA over HMA on U.S. Highways. The significant percentage differences in roughness and cracking demonstrate SMA\u27s enhanced durability and ability to resist deformation and cracking. The LCCA results demonstrate that, despite higher initial construction costs, SMA overlays exhibit superior long-term cost performance relative to HMA. The ROI analysis reveals that SMA overlays yielded a 69.3% ROI over the 29-year analysis period. Exploring steel slag alternative aggregates for Indiana provides important insights into coarse aggregate selection for SMA in Indiana. With strict coarse aggregate requirements, steel slag and dolomite have been the main choices for Indiana SMA mixtures. However, the study results indicate that crushed gravel can perform similarly to steel slag in laboratory testing, possibly expanding options for aggregate selection. Although increasing dolomite content to replace steel slag is possible, it would require careful consideration of the aggregate toughness requirements
The Automation of LAMP Biomolecular Assays Using the Eppendorf Epmotion™ 5075 Robotic Pipettor
No full textLoop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) is a nucleic acid amplification technique known for its specificity and efficiency in less controlled environments than laboratories. Designing novel LAMP reagents requires strict contamination control, and unlike the more commonly automated polymerase chain reaction, LAMP’s heightened sensitivity poses unique challenges to automation. To address this, we optimized automation procedures for LAMP using a robotic pipettor without altering the core assay itself. This project focuses on minimizing contamination using sealed plates, reducing operator intervention by automating pipetting, and preventing enzyme degradation using cooling plates. Our approach employs pre-slit pierceable seals and cooling blocks to prevent cross-contamination between wells and maintain primer integrity, enhancing the system’s scalability for large sample sizes. The implementation of this automated workflow resulted in an 81.6% reduction in processing time, reducing LAMP assay duration from 1 hour for 16 reactions in a 96-well plate to just 15 minutes. Comparative analysis between manual and automated runs shows no significant difference in reaction profiles, and initial evaluations indicate acceptable levels of cross-contamination. By extending this automation workflow, we aim to create a fully autonomous 24-hour LAMP screening system by integrating a nucleic acid synthesizer for on-demand primer production. Furthermore, this system will interface with AI-based experimental design models, enabling autonomous optimization of LAMP reagent design and assay development. By eliminating manual intervention, the diagnostic process is streamlined, accelerating assay development and enhancing response capabilities for emerging pathogens. This marks a significant advancement in biomolecular diagnostics, with potential for continuous innovation to address evolving public health needs
