66 research outputs found

    Exploring crystallographic compatibility in polycrystalline Cu-based shape-memory alloys

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    This electronic version was submitted by the student author. The certified thesis is available in the Institute Archives and Special Collections.Thesis: S.B., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, June, 2019Cataloged from the official PDF version of thesis.Includes bibliographical references (pages 47-49).Shape-memory alloys (SMAs) are a class of materials that can recover from apparent permanent strain (on the order of 5%) due to a solid-to-solid phase transformation. It has been recently suggested that SMAs satisfying a set of so-called cofactor conditions possess perfect interface compatibility and additional microstructural flexibility during transformation, which are theorized to result in excellent reversibility. Cu-based SMAs are cheaper than other alternatives, but polycrystalline Cu-based SMAs are unable to withstand many cycles because they are prone to cracking and degradation of functional properties. Previous research has identied improved shape-memory properties in Cu-Al-Ni-Mn SMAs in the oligocrystalline state, but polycrystalline material of the same composition has yet to be characterized. In this thesis, I characterize the compatibility of Cu-Al-Ni-Mn alloys according to the cofactor conditions and correlate these findings with results from superelastic mechanical cycling. Building on this knowledge, I also present a new alloy design that is predicted to meet the cofactor conditions and provides a promising path forward for a functionally stable, low-cost, polycrystalline Cu-based SMA.by Madelyn Payne.S.B.S.B. Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Materials Science and Engineerin

    A Puppet-based Self-Esteem Intervention and Its Effect on Elementary Students’ Knowledge and Social Behaviors in an Afterschool Setting: An Exploratory Study

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    In the school setting, teaching students how to effectively navigate social interactions with realistic expectations of themselves has demonstrated success in promoting healthy self- esteem and positive social interactions. There has been limited research on self-esteem and social behavior interventions, though, in the out-of-school setting. Student self-esteem knowledge and teacher-observed social behaviors were assessed before and after a month-long, puppet-based, self-esteem curricular intervention held during an afterschool program for a small group of elementary students. Pre-post intervention, student self-esteem and social behavior knowledge scores significantly (

    Understanding government influence on healthcare legislation

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    Understanding government influence on healthcare legislation Author: Madelyn J. Miles Mentor: Sarah Kercsmar, Ph.D. Department: College of Health Sciences Research Objective: Healthcare is constantly evolving and changing. One of the strongest influencers in this constant change is the government. In order to completely understand healthcare, one must also be able to understand the legislation involved. For providers, this is important to understand since they need to be aware of the resources available to their patients. Being informed about health laws allows providers to make more educated decisions, understand trends in healthcare, and stay compliant with updated standards. The vocabulary, terminology, and overall process used in legislation can be difficult to understand—especially to a lay audience. This study examines recent healthcare laws in Kentucky to better understand whether current legislation aligns with the greatest health needs of the state and to determine better ways of presenting the information in a way individuals from any educational background can understand. Methods: Laws passed in 2017 were selected for review from Kentucky’s Legislative Research Commission website and compared to the priorities identified in the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky’s “Kentucky Health Issues Poll”. Information from the comparison was then translated into a podcast series. Podcasts were uploaded to researcher’s Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube. Podcasts include news clips and interviews with professionals who have experience working in areas affected by these new laws. The series consists of six-episodes and was titled “What the Health is Going on?” Conclusions: The findings suggest that Kentucky has a strong healthcare presence in legislation and that many of the laws overlapped with the priority issues identified by the Foundation. Although some laws were irrelevant to the greatest issues, they may still play an important role in improving healthcare in the state. Overall, the study findings indicate that Kentucky is taking steps to improve major healthcare issues, but there is still room for priority alignment with legislation

    City-zen: New Urban Energy: Sevilla 'City-zen Roadshow' REPORT

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    The City-zen Roadshow travels with a team of internationally recognized experts, in the field of energy planning and design to help develop a sustainable agenda for cities and their neighbourhoods. The Roadshow team work closely with people from the hosting city, whether they be city leaders, energy planners, local architects, professionals, academics, students and of course the citizens themselves. The Roadshow spends 5 days in each hosting city to deliver energy and urban design workshops in which all local stakeholders are welcome and encouraged to join and to take ownership of the final outcomes. Outcomes that will allow the cities recourses, both people and energy, to be directed effectively, by highlighting the energy challenges and potentials to be found in their neighbourhoods, and to finally present a sustainable ‘City Vision’.The following report will describe the activities and outcomes of the City-zen ‘Sevilla’ Roadshow that took place in Sevilla, between the 20th & 24th of November 2017.Acknowledgements: The Sevilla Roadshow would not have been possible without the commitments and organisational energy of one individual: Prof. Madelyn Marrero Melendez, highly respected member of the Escuela Tecnica Superior de Ingeniería de Edificación (Universidad de Sevilla). Madelyn and her team of sustainability educators gave continuous support during the preparations for the Sevilla SWAT Studio and later Roadshow. The Roadshow team would like to take this opportunity to thank Madelyn and her committed colleagues at the Universidad de Sevilla. We wish them well in their continued efforts to make Sevilla a zero-energy city, and wish them every success in taking the outcomes of the City-zen ‘Sevilla’ Roadshow to the next level of realization. The Ingeniería de Edificación would be the home of the SWAT Studio and Roadshow during our co-creative efforts to develop a Sustainable City Vision.Climate Design and Sustainabilit

    Work-Life Balance in a Medical Unit of U.S. Army Reservists: An Exploratory Study

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    Work-family life balance influences employee job satisfaction and quality of life. When work and family life are in balance, employees perform at higher levels and have fewer health problems. U.S. Army Reservists in both civilian and Reserve medical occupations may face work-life balance conflicts from both their full-time/ civilian and part-time/military medical occupations. Army Reservists in a medical unit were surveyed about their work-family life balance behaviors using the Work–Life Climate Scale in an exploratory cross-sectional study. Most reported rarely experiencing work-life conflict behaviors; however, many also reported that they worked late three to seven days of the week. Long work hours decrease work-family balance levels and may lead to lower quality of life and poor health outcomes. If results of larger, more-definitive studies also note long work hours as a work-family life conflict for Reservists in medical units, organizational and policy change may be needed to support the mission

    Evaluating the empirical basis of output-output correspondence

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    Output-output correspondence in --Rotuman phases (McCarthy 1995) --English hypercoristics (Benua 1995) --Base Identity/Uniform Exponence and 'Analogy' (Kenstowicz 1994) Criticisms --Opportunism --Misanalysis --Problematic predictions Our contributions --Simple, principled solutions --More constrained theory of phonology: potentially no output-outpu
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