Permanent Deformation Behaviour of Unbound Granular Materials in Pavement Constructions

A new simple design approach will be described that utilizes test results from the Repeated Load Triaxial Apparatus to establish the risk level of permanent deformations in the unbound granular layers (UGL) in pavement constructions under consideration of the seasonal effects. From this data a serviceability limit line (plastic shakedown limit) stress boundary for the unbound granular materials (UGM) was defined for different moisture contents. Below this line the material will have stable behavior. The serviceability limit line was applied in a finite-element (FE)-program FENLAP to predict whether or not stable behavior occurs in the UGM. To calculate the stress in the UGL, a nonlinear elastic model (Dresden Model), which is described in the paper, was implemented into the FE-program. The effects of changing moisture content during Spring-thaw period and asphalt temperature on pavement structural response were investigated. Additionally, permanent deformation calculations for the UGL were performed taking the stress history into consideration. The results clearly demonstrate that, for pavement constructions with thick asphalt layers, there is no risk of rutting in the granular base, even at high number of load repetitions. The study showed that the proposed design approach is a very satisfactory simple method to assess the risk against rutting in the UGL, even without the calculation of the exact permanent deformation of the pavement construction

The Use of Applications on Mobile Devices in a Midwestern Population

Mobile phone technology has increased over the past decade so much that most of the population owns a smart phone or a tablet device. Many applications can be downloaded on these devices. However, limited research exists examining the efficacy and effectiveness of these applications. In addition, attrition rates for these studies are extremely high. This study explored characteristics of the population who would be willing to use an application for help. College students (N=836) in a Midwestern metropolitan area were surveyed to determine if alcohol consumption or depressive symptoms influence an individual\u27s willingness to use an application as an adjunct to psychological treatment. The results showed that depressive symptoms significantly predict an individual\u27s willingness to use a mobile phone application in a positive direction, but alcohol consumption did not. More research needs to be completed to determine the characteristics of the population who would be willing to use applications for mental health assistance

Realizing, Recognizing, Responding, & Resisting Re-Traumatization: An Evidence-Based Toolkit for Occupational Therapists to Advocate for Their Role on Interprofessional Teams to Address the Impacts of Childhood Trauma

Many children in the United States experience childhood trauma and/or adverse childhood events which can have short-term and long-term impacts on a child. Childhood trauma is complex; therefore, the appropriate care needed is also complex, making an interprofessional collaborative approach necessary to address the impacts of childhood trauma, promote positive outcomes for those who have been impacted, and work towards a common goal. (Fraser, MacKenzie, & Versnel, 2019). Occupational therapists (OTs) are well suited to collaborate with other professionals such as mental health practitioners, however, OT’s role related to a trauma care team is still relatively unrecognized. There is a need for OTs to advocate for their role on interprofessional teams that address the impacts of childhood trauma to promote an overall increase in awareness and understanding from other mental health professionals regarding OTs’ role on the team. An extensive literature review, a theory-driven literature matrix, and a needs assessment were all conducted to guide the development of this product. To address the problem identified above, an evidence-based toolkit was created to help OTs advocate for their role on the healthcare team to address the impacts of childhood trauma. The purpose of the toolkit is to provide resources that increase the awareness and knowledge of other professionals such as mental health practitioners regarding the role of OT in addressing the impacts of childhood trauma and to increase interprofessional collaborative practice. It is anticipated that this toolkit will be implemented and promote increased use of trauma-informed interventions for children who have experienced trauma, ultimately increasing occupational performance and overall well-being

Value in an Age of Crisis

On June 28, 1914, the Austrian Archduke Francis Ferdinand was assassinated at Sarajevo. Less than five weeks after his death, the century of peace, which had been interrupted by only eighteen months of open warfare involving major European powers, came abruptly to an end. The searing flames of World War I engulfed the whole of Europe and burned away the last shreds of that complacency which had veiled for all but a few malcontents the forces of die integration which threatened the very existence of Western culture. The October Revolution in Russia, the political and economic collapse of Central Europe, the world-wide depression of the thirties, the rise of Mussolini and Hitler, the brutalities of Buchenwald and Dachau, and, finally, World War II all are but symptoms of a crisis in civilization which continues in the stresses and strains of a poet- war period in which we witness the gradual transformation of the social and economic structures of Western culture, and in which our democratic way of life le pitted against the total militaries of Red * period in which the atom bomb in ghastly reality and to into start terror

Towards flexible organic thin film transistors (OTFTs) for biosensing

We have studied parylene-N and parylene-C for their use as substrates and gate dielectrics in OTFTs. Parylene-N films with a thickness of 300 nm show the required dielectric properties, as verified by breakthrough-voltage measurements. The surface roughness measured for 300 nm thick parylene-N films is 4-5 nm. However, initial growth of parylene depends on the subjacent surface. This results in different thicknesses on Au electrodes and substrate materials for thin films. Capping of micropatterned Au-electrodes with a thin Al layer via lift-off results in homogenous parylene film thickness on the whole sample surface. OTFTs are fabricated on glass with parylene-N as a gate dielectric and pentacene as a semiconductor. The electrodes are patterned by photolithography enabling micrometer sized features. The contact resistance is extracted by variation of the channel length. Modification of the parylene dielectric layer surface by plasma treatment with oxygen after deposition allows shifting of the threshold voltage to more positive values, however at the cost of increasing hysteresis. OTFTs fabricated on thin parylene-C films can be peeled off and could result in flexible devices employing parylene-C foil as a substrate. For a foil thickness of 3-4 mu m, operational devices can be bent down to radii less than 1 mm, e.g. in the range of cannulas. Operation of such OTFTs with parylene-C as a gate dielectric in liquids is demonstrated. The OTFT current can be modulated by the potential in the electrolyte as well as by the bottom gate potential. This allows for application of such OTFTs as sensors in medical devices

Discourses for Social Justice Education: The Web of Racism and the Web of Resistance

This article presents two conceptual frames to help with teaching about issues of race and racism. First the concept of the web of racism describes a matrix that helps students understand the depth of damage racism has instilled in contemporary U.S. society. Second, the web of resistance offers a model of anti-racist activities to help students participate in the fight to end systemic racism. The importance of placing racism in a historical context is emphasized as are the differential reactions of white students and students of color to this material

The Use of Sensory Integration to Mitigate the Traumatic Environment of the NICU: A Critically Appraised Topic (CAT)

In 2018, one in 10 infants were born premature in the United States, which is classified as being born prior to 37 weeks gestation (Centers for Disease Control [CDC], 2019). This includes an average of 7,303 babies each week (March of Dimes, 2020). The final months and weeks in utero are shown to be critical to typical development (CDC, 2019). The organs associated with the sensory system begin to develop within utero around eight weeks and the development of the senses continues well into childhood and adolescence (Mayo Clinic, 2020). Hearing and vision are the last two sensory systems to develop, thus are particularly immature in the preterm infant (Blackburn, 1998). As a result, those born premature are more likely to develop sensory processing disorder (SPD), vision and hearing problems, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), anxiety or developmental disability (CDC, 2019; March of Dimes, 2020). In one prospective longitudinal study of preterm infants in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), it was found that half of preterm infants born less than 30 weeks developed SPD by ages four to six years old (Ryckman, Hilton, Rogers & Pineda, 2017)