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Urban Expansion: Loneliness and Isolation
No full textDesign choices have a back story shaped by people, culture, and ideas. Objects and places hold memories and experiences that help to shape someone, making design more thoughtful. This forces designers to think in a new way and take a compassionate approach when creating a design. Buchanan (1992) provides a foundation of theory that design isn't just about aesthetics, but also about human experiences, behaviors, and identities. Theory involves creating something greater than oneself that leaves a lasting impact. Theory pushes design to be more than aesthetics and more about how it serves the people within. Evaluation is vital to design theory because it allows one to step back, examine what is not successful, and determine how to improve the built environment, driving continuous improvement. Analyzing how culture and preferences influence design choices, strive to elevate design ideas to the next level, considering people, cultures, and ideas, and ultimately creating an enjoyable and intentional space. Designers must consider all the factors that affect design choices, including social, cultural, and environmental factors. Theory is just the beginning of understanding why design is important. Design shapes the experience within a space and can exclude communities, such as the ageing population. Theory reveals how urban expansion can create social, spatial, and environmental barriers that can limit one's mobility, reduce access, and weaken social ties. As cities expand, the aging population continues to self-isolate and feel loneliness. Emphasizes the need for design that fosters connection and belonging not only for the aging population but for generations to come
Thematic analysis of the health records of a national sample of US veterans with advanced kidney disease evaluated for transplant
Get PDFImportance To be considered for a kidney transplant, patients with advanced kidney disease must participate in a formal evaluation and selection process. Little is known about how this process proceeds in real-world clinical settings.Objective To characterize the transplant evaluation process among a representative national sample of US veterans with advanced kidney disease who were referred to a kidney transplant center.Design, Setting, and Participants This qualitative study was a thematic analysis of clinician notes in the electronic health records of US veterans referred for kidney transplant evaluation. In a random sample of 4000 patients with advanced kidney disease between January 1, 2004, and December 31, 2014, cared for in the US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) health care system, there were 211 patients who were referred to a transplant center during the follow-up period. This group was included in the qualitative analysis and was followed up until their date of death or the end of the follow-up period on October 8, 2019.Main Outcomes and Measures Dominant themes pertaining to the kidney transplant evaluation and selection process identified through thematic analysis.Results Among 211 study patients, the mean (SD) age was 57.9 (9.5) years, and 202 patients (95.7%) were male. The following 4 dominant themes regarding the transplant evaluation process emerged: (1) far-reaching and inflexible medical evaluation, in which patients were expected to complete an extensive evaluation that could have substantial physical and emotional consequences, made little accommodation for their personal values and needs, and impacted other aspects of their care; (2) psychosocial valuation, in which the psychosocial component of the transplant assessment could be subjective and intrusive and could place substantial demands on patients’ family members; (3) surveillance over compliance, in which the patients’ ability and willingness to follow medical recommendations was an important criterion for transplant candidacy and their adherence to a wide range of recommendations and treatments was closely monitored; and (4) disempowerment and lack of transparency, in which patients and their local clinicians were often unsure about what to expect during the evaluation process or about the rationale for selection decisions. For the evaluation process to proceed, local clinicians had to follow transplant center requirements even when they believed the requirements did not align with best practices or the patients’ needs.Conclusions and Relevance In this qualitative study of US veterans with advanced kidney disease evaluated for transplant, clinician documentation in the medical record indicated that, to be considered for a kidney transplant, patients were required to participate in a rigid, demanding, and opaque evaluation and selection process over which they and their local clinicians had little control. These findings highlight the need for a more evidence-based, individualized, and collaborative approach to kidney transplant evaluation
An Investigation of Thrust and Torsional Force Profiles and Their Effects on Hybrid Aerospace Structure Joining
Get PDFAerospace manufacturers are seeking to make their processes fully autonomous to enhance productivity while reducing costs. The final assembly of an aircraft requires the mechanical fastening process, which is complex and time-consuming. This level of complexity stems from the wide variety of fasteners, an array of installation tooling, and the need for operators to interpret and make in-situ decisions about the installation process, all while maintaining a high level of accuracy and precision. In the pursuit of developing an autonomous robot-based mechanical fastening operation of aircraft structures, it is critical to comprehend the mechanisms associated with the mechanical fastening process.With these goals in mind, this study examines the mechanisms of pin insertion and collar tightening during the mechanical fastening process when joining a composite/metal hybrid stack. The hybrid stacks evaluated in this study consist of Carbon-Fiber Reinforced Polymer composite (CFRP) and 2024-T351 Aluminum coupons in a single shear application. The fastener system used is a commercially available aerospace-grade 4.76mm (0.188in) diameter cadmium-coated 4340 alloy-steel Hi-Lite™ pin system, consisting of a pin and a 7075-T6 Aluminum collar. The experimental process considered the angularity effects of both the stack hole and the pin insertion as the sole input process variation. This resulted in a total of five configurations chosen for both the fastener being inserted, as well as the hole bore’s angle variation, and resulted in the following combinations: 0°-0°, 0°-1°, 1°-1°, 0°-2°, and 2°-2°. These conditions also allowed for the derivation of a hypothesized interference fit percentage between the pin being inserted and the hole bore. The fastening experiments consist of two sequences: pin insertion and collar tightening.During the insertion experiments, a Hi-Lite™ pin was inserted into the hybrid stack using a quasi-static velocity of 25.4mm/min (1in/min), while a 3-axis load cell was used to collect both in-plane, and out-of-plane forces. A total of ten trials per condition were conducted, resulting in a total of fifty independent insertion runs. Following the insertion experiments, each of the pins inserted had a Hi-Lite™ collar installed. During the installation of each collar, a commercially available pneumatic tool was used to apply a constant torsional loading until each collar reached its manufacturers-specified torque-off value. A torque sensor attached to the fixture holding each coupon record torque profiles, and a 3-axis load cell simultaneously collected the associated in-plane and out-of-plane force profiles. Lastly, after completing the tightening process, one coupon set for each configuration was disassembled and inspected for any related damage in either the CFRP or Al. This evaluation was performed to capture any resultant influence the angularity condition imparted on the hybrid stack during either of the installation processes.The experimental results of the insertion process showed that the pin insertion force profiles were close in the three configurations (0°-0°, 1°-1°, and 2°-2°), which are considered to be clearance-fit conditions. When the hole bore and pin are concentric/coaxial, the effects of the angularity are negligible. However, in the case of the interference conditions (0°-1°, and 0°-2°), these two configurations resulted in distinct trends and mainly increased resultant force magnitudes up to 165 N. A sudden change in force magnitudes as the pin passes across material boundaries is potentially due to the variation of friction coefficients of the two dissimilar materials or issues associated with hole bore concentricity. In both the 0°-1°, and 0°-2° it was seen that as the pin being inserted was met with increasing resistance, that it would align itself to the hole bore rather than create the hypothesized localized compressive damage in the CFRP upper layers, or at the exit of the 2024-T351 aluminum (i.e., burr formation). This self-aligning mechanism was also observed to be influenced by the Maximum Material Condition (MMC) of a hole as well as the angularity condition, showing an increase in the aligning behavior as both the hole bore angle and the MMC of a given experiment increased. No localized CFRP surface damage or aluminum exit-burrs were found, concluding that the angularity tolerance of +/- 2° would not result in any material damage during the pin installation.The collar tightening experiments resulted in the required increase in the applied axial loading to the pneumatic fastening tool to ensure the collar fastening completion. Given the single-sided nature of installing a Hi-Lite™ pin and collar system, as the angularity of an installed pin increased, so did the off-angled interference of the pin, hex key, collar, and socket, all of which must line up during the installation. As a result, this increasing interference of the tooling required additional force to ensure the socket and collar remained engaged until the collar reached its shear-off torque value. It was noted that regardless of the external load variation or angularity condition, neither one has any significant impact on the measured torsional profile, and in almost all cases, the torque profile was observed to remain unchanged.The assembly mechanisms altered by the hole and pin angularity will assist in the design and development of the end-effector intended to carry out these tasks in an autonomous fashion, as well as the development of the process monitoring sensor specifications
Cyborg Futures Disability, Difference, and Resistance in the University
Get PDFThis project is an institutional critique of the ways the university routinely debilitates its students and, moreover, relies on that debilitation to sustain itself. The university is not only an academic space, but also a disciplinary and surveilling power deeply invested in regulating student behavior. The institution’s primary goal is not to educate students by empowering them, but rather to produce marketable graduates whose labor can be exploited to ensure both the continued functioning of American social and economic hierarchy and the university’s own positioning within these hierarchies. Accordingly, the university seeks to maintain its own capital and prestige while operating beneath a veneer of accessibility, even as the institution itself relies on the maintenance of boundaries between “inclusion” and “exclusion.”To address these exigencies, I intertwine speculative fiction alongside theoretical orientations in queer and crip theory to develop what I call a cyborg pedagogy. I contend thatstudents are already cyborgian and that the student-cyborg ruptures the institutional boundaries that perpetuate systems of racial, gendered, class, and ability-based inequalities. While the cyborg has historically been subject to dehumanization given its positionality as not-fully-human, I suggest a more transgressive reading, one which locates the cyborg within a politics that resists binary notions of normal/abnormal and abled/disabled. I argue that the cyborg is a queer crip figure that is always already whole and that by centering the cyborg consciousness in our conceptualization of higher education, we can create space for possibilities that would otherwise be foreclosed by more traditional understandings of cognition and consciousness
ASSESSING THE IMPACT OF HYPERBARIC OXYGEN TREATMENT ON MORPHINE WITHDRAWAL BEHAVIORS AND THE NEUROIMMUNE RESPONSE ACROSS SEXES
Get PDFSubstance use disorders are devasting diseases with widespread impacts on individual and public health. Characterized by severe withdrawal, high relapse rates, and the serious risk for overdose, opioid abuse is a particularly challenging subset of substance use disorder to address. Due to financial limitations, lack of accessibility, substantial stigma, and the neurophysiological and psychological complexities underlying this disorder, the current treatment landscape struggles to achieve prolonged recovery from opioid use disorder. My goal is to contribute to the ongoing scientific exploration of this disorder by conducting a systematic analysis of hyperbaric oxygen treatment parameters that effectively reduce somatic morphine withdrawal, coupled with an investigation into the underlying mechanisms by which hyperbaric oxygen mitigates these symptoms. My research validates hyperbaric oxygen as a promising treatment for reducing the physical withdrawal symptoms that accompany opioid detoxification through targeting the neuroinflammatory response induced by opioid exposure. I begin to bridge the knowledge gaps surrounding morphine withdrawal, opioid-induced neuroinflammation, and hyperbaric oxygen treatment in hopes of providing insight on how to combat the disorder more effectively, prevent relapse, reduce overdoses, and promote improved public health
A Systematic Review of How Reading Self-Concept is Defined and Measured in Secondary Education
Get PDFThere are various definitions defined within literacy research that can make it difficult to fully conceptualize what reading self-concept is and its usefulness in secondary education. How reading self-concept is defined and measured in the literature, as well as its differences from other constructs, was investigated in this review due to the frequent occurrence of researchers using multiple constructs interchangeably. A sample of 39 articles were reviewed and analyzed for themes that would contribute to bringing clarity on this issue. The emergent themes and trends in the literature revealed differences between old and contemporary publications on reading self-concept and concerns about how constructs can become unclear due to researcher’s lack of transparency and explicitness in research
LEVELING THE COMPETITION THE IMPACT OF TIER-BASED LEADERBOARDS ON EMPLOYEE MOTIVATION AND PERFORMANCE
Get PDFMotivating employees at different positions within a firm’s performance management system poses a problem for management. Prior research indicates that motivating high-positioned individuals often comes at the expense of low-positioned individuals, or vice versa. In this study, I examine how the type of leaderboard (tier-based versus list-based) and the position on the leaderboard (low versus middle versus high) influence motivation and performance. Specifically, I am interested in the psychological effects of having a high, middle, or low position on a firm leaderboard and how individuals respond to firms using a tier-based leaderboard structure versus a list-based leaderboard structure. My theory suggests that tier-based leaderboards alter the field of comparison for individuals and allow them to make social comparisons at a more homogeneous level of perceived skill. In turn, tier-based leaderboards could lead to high motivation and performance for individuals, specifically high-positioned and low-positioned individuals who can exhibit demotivation when a list-based leaderboard is used. I conduct an experiment to test my predictions and theory. In line with my predictions, tier-based leaderboards result in significantly higher motivation when an employee is positioned either high or low on the leaderboard. Furthermore, individuals in low positions also exhibit higher performance with a tier-based leaderboard. I perform a follow-up experiment to better examine my proposed theory. Results support my theory that tier-based leaderboards lead individuals to assess that they are comparing themselves to peers with a similar level of skill. In addition, my tests of theory indicate that this perception is premised on individuals viewing tier-based leaderboards as a fairer system of comparison and to reducing feelings related to giving up on competitions. Overall, my study and theory provide new insights for academics and practitioners and extend prior research
TEACHER LEADERSHIP AND SENSE-MAKING A STUDY OF TEACHER LEADERS IN RURAL SCHOOL DISTRICTS AND THEIR ROLE IN SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT
Get PDFTeacher leaders are widely viewed as key drivers of school improvement efforts, with the capacity to foster a positive learning environment and enhance instructional quality. Yet, much of the existing research focuses on subject-specific initiatives in larger or more resourced contexts, leaving gaps in understanding how teacher leaders operate effectively across diverse educational settings. In particular, teacher leaders in rural areas must possess a broad range of skills and adaptability (Ali, 2014) but often lack the necessary support or professional development opportunities (Hallinger & Liu, 2016). This underscores a vital need to explore how these educators make sense of their roles in schools with limited resources and a varied student population, especially in rural districts (Friedman, 2011). Uncovering how teacher leaders navigate unique challenges, enact leadership strategies, and address evolving school improvement goals will inform how districts can better develop and sustain teacher leadership for continuous improvement.This qualitative study investigates how teacher leaders in a large, rural school district perceive and enact their roles in driving school improvement, with a particular focus on sense-making. Drawing on interviews with 11 full-time teachers who also serve as team leaders, the study examines how these educators balance district-level initiatives and local school priorities, often in contexts characterized by low socioeconomic status and a predominantly Latinx student population. The findings highlight the multifaceted nature of teacher leadership: participants act as bridges between district policies and everyday classroom realities, translating and interpreting directives to ensure initiatives resonate with staff and students. They proactively mitigate resistance by fostering trust, promoting inclusivity, and using evidence-based strategies, all while creating positive, supportive school cultures. The study underscores how deep cultural knowledge, encompassing both community values and student needs, empowers teacher leaders to navigate challenges effectively. These insights offer practical guidance for stakeholders aiming to strengthen teacher leadership structures, enhance professional collaboration, and promote sustainable school improvement in diverse or resource-limited settings
BECAUSE I STAY EXPLORING THE LIVED EXPERIENCES OF FEMALE MID-CAREER MIDDLE SCHOOL MATHEMATICS TEACHERS
Get PDFThis hermeneutic phenomenological study explores the lived experiences of several female mid-career middle school mathematics teachers to deepen our understanding of the wicked issue of teacher retention. Most research on teacher shortages has consisted of quantitative studies of novice and veteran teacher attrition. However, mid-career teachers still in the profession can shed light on teacher retention if given the opportunity to share their experiences in a qualitative research approach. Through the photovoice method, the five female participants documented their lives with photographs, written journal reflections, and group discussions. This approach allows teachers to share their voices, actively contributing to the research process and influencing how their experiences are represented. In this way, photovoice reduces the researcher-participant hierarchy. It also aligns with the personal and relational nature of teaching. With the integration of photovoice and hermeneutic analysis, five themes emerged: recognizing purpose, nurturing a shared learning culture, treasuring the moments, persisting through challenges, and recharging. The themes represent foundational elements that have contributed to the growth and resilience of these mid-career teachers, offering insights into how they see themselves as educators and why they have remained in the profession. By asking why teachers stay rather than why they leave, this strength-based approach reveals the role of resilience in teachers deciding to remain in the profession. By increasing our understanding of teacher retention, findings have significant implications for administrators, teacher educators, education advocates, and teachers of all levels
MANAGING ALCOHOL IN THE VINEYARD AND THE WINERY UNDERSTANDING THE IMPACT OF ETHANOL ON WINE FLAVOR AND THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN AROMA COMPOSITION AND AROMA PERCEPTION IN SAUVIGNON BLANC AND CABERNET SAUVIGNON WINES
Get PDFThis work consists of two manuscripts, one published, and one ready-to-submit, that embody the same experimental purpose and design with two different well-known wine grapes, Cabernet Sauvignon and Sauvignon blanc. A review of the literature is included beforehand. Ripening and alcohol were investigated for potential impacts to wine aroma and taste. Two different methods of alcohol adjustment, pre-fermentation dilution and post-fermentation membrane filtration, were implemented at three ripening targets for two vintages. Volatile composition was determined quantitatively for the wines and was correlated with significant sensory attributes. Volatile thiols in Sauvignon blanc and methoxypyrazines in Cabernet Sauvignon were quantified in addition to esters, higher alcohols, terpenes, and C13-norisoprenoids. Harvest and alcohol as treatment factors were compared as well as alcohol adjustment method and timing.Sauvignon blanc wine aroma and taste were significantly altered by changes in ethanol concentration but had fewer distinctive aromas at later harvests. Post-fermentationdealcoholization significantly reduced the concentration of volatile esters, as did pre-fermentative dilution of the must using water. Pre-fermentative dilution with sugar solution to increase alcohol concentration led to wines with higher concentrations of volatile esters, terpenes and norisoprenoids that had noticeably higher aroma intensities of tropical fruit, grapefruit, sour candy, and alcohol as well as a hotter mouthfeel and more bitter taste. Volatile thiols 3-mercaptohexanol (3-MH) and 3-merceptohexyl acetate (3-MHA) were affected by harvest timing, not alcohol, though no clear trend was observed for differences between harvests.Unlike Sauvignon blanc wines, evaluating alcohol adjustment effects showed many aroma attributes that remain discriminating for Cabernet Sauvignon wines throughout ripening. Retro-nasal aroma, taste, and mouthfeel were affected more by changes in alcohol than ortho-nasal aroma for Cabernet Sauvignon wines. Higher alcohol wines had more bruised fruit ortho-nasal aroma and more artificial fruit, pepper, and alcohol retro-nasal aroma. Both late harvest wines and high alcohol wines were high in dark fruit aroma but late harvest wines were not described distinctively by the artificial fruit descriptor, likely due to the increased concentrations of volatile esters measured in those wines. Methoxypyrazines 2-isobutyl-3-methoxypyrazine (IBMP) and 2-isopropryl-3-methoxypyrazine (IPMP) behaved incongruently. IBMP was mostly undetectable after the early harvest but was significantly higher, when quantifiable, in all low alcohol treatment wines. IPMP was significantly higher in high alcohol wines and was detected at all harvests at similar concentration ranges. Sensorially, IBMP was highly associated with both pyrazine ortho-nasal and retro-nasal aroma while IPMP associated with bruised fruit and alcohol aromas. It is recommended to harvest early and chaptalize to improve sensory qualities of these wines if more hang time presents a conflict for the vineyard or winery. Adjusting alcohol either before or after fermentation had similar effects on aroma and volatile ester reductions. However, membrane filtration offered more precision in the final outcome