Browsing by Subject "healing"
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Item Analytical-Numerical Methodology to Measure Undamaged, Fracture and Healing Properties of Asphalt Mixtures(2012-08-29) Koohi, Yasser 1980-Unlike in laboratory compacted asphalt mixtures, the distribution of viscoelastic properties in field layers is not uniform because of nonuniform air void distribution and aging. Therefore, characterization of field specimens is more challenging compared to that of laboratory compacted specimens. Formerly, characterization of field asphalt mixtures was based on binder tests which are useful but do not represent the properties of the asphalt mixtures because binder is only a component in the asphalt mixture. This study uses linear viscoelastic theory and numerical modeling to obtain the undamaged and damaged viscoelastic properties of both laboratory made and field compacted asphalt concrete. Additionally, it uses fracture mechanics principles to find the fracture and healing properties of aged asphalt specimens. The analytical models presented in this research have been successfully verified by testing the actual field specimens of different ages. The model developed in this dissertation is suitable to track the viscoelastic, fracture and healing properties of the field specimen with time and depth. The test protocols and analytical models described in this study can be used for the development of reliable performance models for field-aged asphalt layers.Item Characteristics of a healing environment as described by expert nurses who practice within the conceptual framework of Rogers’ Science of Unitary Human Beings: A qualitative study\r\n(2008-02-14) Phyllis J Waters; Phyllis B. Kritek, RN, PhD, FAAN; Suzanne M. Peloquin, PhD, OTR, FAOTA; Richard Cowling, III, RN, PhD; Mary Fenton, RN, PhD, FAANThe purpose of this study was to identify and describe characteristics of a healing environment from a nursing perspective. This qualitative study was conducted using an interpretive descriptive method consistent with a naturalistic inquiry model. A purposeful sample of 9 expert nurses who practice within the conceptual framework of Rogers’ Science of Unitary Human Beings was selected. Data were collected in phone interviews. Fourteen themes were inferred from the subject interviews, and were organized into three categories correspondent to three of the research questions; manifestations of healing, relationships and conditions characteristic of a healing environment, and nursing practices and processes identified as facilitative of healing. The investigator integrated the thematic findings from subject responses with conceptions inferred from the interviews as a whole to formulate an interpretive narrative description of seven characteristics of a healing environment: 1) the client defines focus and nature of his/her healing experience; 2) relational experiences are recognized and treated as central energetic influence in creating a healing environment; 3) nurses and nursing’s unique professional role are understood, valued, and supported as a dimension of the health care organization’s culture; 4) the nurse is recognized within the health care setting as the professional with the potential for the greatest impact in creating a healing environment; 5) nursing practice is theory based with a professional focus on designing client centered care that facilitates healing; 6) the organizational culture supports balancing individualization of healing experiences with standardization of best curative practices; 7) a healing philosophy is embedded in the professional culture and organizational core values. Conclusions were: a) confirmed congruence between themes and SUHB core concepts; b) relationship is the most powerful influence on healing process; c) nursing’s role is central to creating a healing environment; d) theory based practice is essential to professional level care; and e) individualizing and partnering are as critical to healing as best practices and clinical standardization are to curing. The investigator recommended specific questions to research, education and practice leaders to address nursing’s capacity to create healing environment and existing deterrents to reaching this potential.Item Characterization of Fatigue Cracking and Healing of Asphalt Mixtures(2012-07-16) Luo, XueFatigue cracking is one of the most common distresses of asphalt pavements, whereas healing is a counter process to cracking which alleviates cracking damage and extends fatigue life of asphalt pavements. Most of existing methods to characterize fatigue cracking and healing are generally empirical or phenomenological in nature, which does not satisfy the need to develop mechanistic-based pavement design methods. The objective of this study is to characterize fatigue cracking and healing of asphalt mixtures using an energy-based mechanistic approach. A controlled-strain repeated direct tension (RDT) test is selected to generate both fatigue cracking and permanent deformation in an asphalt mixture specimen. Fatigue cracking is separated from permanent deformation from a mechanical viewpoint. The development of fatigue cracking is described by the evolution of the damage density and the increase of the average crack size with the increase of loading cycles. A creep and step-loading recovery (CSR) test is designed to measure the internal stress in the recovery phase of an asphalt mixture specimen. The internal stress and the strain measured in the recovery phase are used to conduct the mechanistic analysis of recovery and healing of the asphalt mixture specimen. Then healing is described using the decrease of the damage density and average crack size with time. Different types of asphalt mixtures produce distinctly different fatigue cracking and healing characteristics. The effect of mixture composition, temperature, and aging are evaluated using the approach above. The entire series of tests for fatigue, permanent deformation and healing can be completed in one day, with the healing part requiring only a matter of minutes. The methods proposed in this study characterize fatigue cracking and healing of asphalt mixtures using its essential cause and effect relationship.Item Extending the Writing Paradigm: Is Writing Haiku Poetry Healing?(2009-10-28) Stephenson, KittredgeHaiku poetry was investigated in the context of the narrative writing paradigm to evaluate its healing potential. Participants, 98 introductory psychology students at a large southwestern university, wrote for 20 minutes a day on three consecutive days and completed self-report measures of happiness, satisfaction with life, spiritual meaning, creativity, physiological symptomatology, depression, anxiety, and health/illness orientation at baseline and 3-week follow-up. A series of ANCOVA linear contrasts were used to examine differences between groups writing narrative about a neutral topic, haiku about a neutral topic, haiku about nature, or haiku about a negative life event. It was found that writing haiku demonstrated increased levels of creativity overall. In addition, the nature haiku group reported significantly lower levels of physiological symptomatology than the negative life event haiku group and had significantly lower illness orientation than the haiku control group. These results provide a partial replication of a previous study. They also suggest that writing haiku poetry is a creative activity that leads one to be more sensitive to the writing topic, whatever it may be. Narrative writing, by contrast, appears to help integrate one?s experience. The difference between the heightened sensitivity of writing haiku and the integrative capacity of narrative are compared and recommendations made for future research.Item Healing design: a phenomenological approach to the relation of the physical setting to positive social interaction in pediatric intensive care units in the United States and Turkey(Texas A&M University, 2006-04-12) Ozcan, HilalThis study examines the impact of the physical setting in the care and healing process of hospitalized children, their families, and the caregivers in two selected pediatric intensive care units (PICUs) in the U.S. and Turkey. A holistic, cross-cultural, comparative, and naturalistic approach emphasized the importance of the total (i.e., physical, social, cultural, spiritual, organizational, political) environment and quality of life to health and healing. Information was gathered through qualitative methods such as participant observations, behavioral maps, in-depth interviews, and floor plan analysis. Despite some universal features of the PICU atmosphere, the value and place ascribed to pediatric critical care in Turkey and the U.S. present different worldviews. Field studies revealed social interaction as a universal healing function despite its cultural specificity stemming from socio-cultural, ethnic, economic, and religious differences between different groups. Crowding, parental absence, and over-stimulation, which stem from the lack of individual patient rooms, and organizational problems related with human resources and staffing shortage play against the critically ill child??s deep need to heal in the Turkish PICU. Despite spatial limitations, informal social interactions and cooperative relationships among caregivers, their devotion, and their ability to adapt to the existing physical and social environment enable care delivery. While staffing shortage continues to be a crucial problem in the U.S. model, specialization of labor and the systemic organization in general support care delivery, reducing the importance of informal social interactions and cooperation among caregivers. However, emphasizing the role of the family in the child??s care, social interaction is also identified as a healing function in this setting. Therefore, despite the significant role the physical setting may play in healing, social interaction is found to be more important for improving patient outcomes and the well-being of families and caregivers. The study focuses on six healing design interventions to increase the chances for positive social interaction and collaboration. These are programmatic (provisional, scale, locational), functional, ambient, symbolic, social and psychological interventions.