3D Modeling of Ultrasonic Wave Interaction with Disbonds and Weak Bonds

Ultrasonic techniques, such as the use of guided waves, can be ideal for finding damage in the plate and pipe-like structures used in aerospace applications. However, the interaction of waves with real flaw types and geometries can lead to experimental signals that are difficult to interpret. 3-dimensional (3D) elastic wave simulations can be a powerful tool in understanding the complicated wave scattering involved in flaw detection and for optimizing experimental techniques. We have developed and implemented parallel 3D elastodynamic finite integration technique (3D EFIT) code to investigate Lamb wave scattering from realistic flaws. This paper discusses simulation results for an aluminum-aluminum diffusion disbond and an aluminum-epoxy disbond and compares results from the disbond case to the common artificial flaw type of a flat-bottom hole. The paper also discusses the potential for extending the 3D EFIT equations to incorporate physics-based weak bond models for simulating wave scattering from weak adhesive bonds

3D Ultrasonic Wave Simulations for Structural Health Monitoring

Structural health monitoring (SHM) for the detection of damage in aerospace materials is an important area of research at NASA. Ultrasonic guided Lamb waves are a promising SHM damage detection technique since the waves can propagate long distances. For complicated flaw geometries experimental signals can be difficult to interpret. High performance computing can now handle full 3-dimensional (3D) simulations of elastic wave propagation in materials. We have developed and implemented parallel 3D elastodynamic finite integration technique (3D EFIT) code to investigate ultrasound scattering from flaws in materials. EFIT results have been compared to experimental data and the simulations provide unique insight into details of the wave behavior. This type of insight is useful for developing optimized experimental SHM techniques. 3D EFIT can also be expanded to model wave propagation and scattering in anisotropic composite materials

“In this space, all the stories are alive.”: In Conversation with Thea Mantwill and Jana Buch about Reading (in) their Literary Exhibition 13 Morgen

In their literary exhibition 13 Morgen, displayed at Kunst im Tunnel (KIT; ‘Art in the tunnel’) in Düsseldorf from March until June 2023, the two authors and artists Thea Mantwill and Jana Buch invited visitors to read at the museum. The exhibition combines literary texts with installation art, visual art, and book design. In conversation, Thea Mantwill and Jana Buch provide detailed insights into what it takes to bring reading to the museum, the reading atmospheres they aim to create, as well as the roles which time, space, and mediality play for 13 Morgen

Read Carefully! Conceptualizing Reading as Care in The Book of Form & Emptiness and My Salinger Year

Reading and care are two concepts which inspire extensive discussions in current research, especially because both of them are perceived to be in crisis and, as a result, reconsidered and re-conceptualized. Despite this fact and despite conceptual overlaps in areas such as attention, affect and attachment, reading and care have not been contextualized or studied in relationship to each other comprehensively. Delving deeper into intersections of reading and care, this article inquires which concepts of reading emerge when it is viewed through the lens of care. Studying the two contemporary American works My Salinger Year and The Book of Form & Emptiness, the _Article analyzes how reading can constitute acts of caring about, caring for, and self-care. This introduces new perspectives on reading as a practice embedded in broader socio-cultural issues it mirrors and participates in, highlighting functions ascribed to reading

(Pod)casting a Bridge: Lolita Podcast and Its Reading Practices

Taking Jamie Loftus’s Lolita Podcast“ (2020-21) as an example, this article investigates negotiations of reading in the podcast as a digital medium—a topic that has not received a lot of scholarly attention so far. Expanding on the theoretical concept of the podcast as a bridging medium, the article examines the reading practices Lolita Podcast uses and reproduces in its discussion of Vladimir Nabokov’s famous and controversial novel Lolita“ (1955). The article studies how the podcast negotiates boundaries and builds bridges between reading practices traditionally seen as separate, such as critical and uncritical reading

Implementation of an Advance Care Planning Discussion for Patients with Chronic Kidney Disease

Clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) support the need for providers to engage patients in a discussion of goals and priorities regarding end-of-life care through the use of advance care planning (ACP) (Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality [AHRQ], 2014). However, current data demonstrated a lack of implementation specific to patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). A five question standardized tool developed from current guidelines served as the discussion guide for this intervention. Despite the great need for this project, patients who were eligible for the intervention were not willing to be active participants in an ACP discussion. The clinical significance, most notably the increased awareness of the nephrology Nurse Practitioner (NP) and other clinic providers, demonstrated ACP can be successful. Further research is needed to transform the topic of ACP in both research and practice

Communication during public service encounters: Spanish L1 immigrant consumers and English L1 employees

As the state of Iowa continues to see an influx in \u27new immigrants,\u27 English speaking retail and service agency employees often assist consumers who are nonnative speakers of English on a regular basis. This mismatch between language and culture can sometimes cause misunderstanding and discomfort in cross-cultural relationships. Six Hispanic Spanish LI adult consumers and 13 White English LI employees from one rural Iowa community participated in this study. Both groups were asked a series of interview questions to share their perceptions about their ability to communicate with people in the other group. The participants were also asked to consider how nonverbal cues and signals might enhance or distract from verbal communication. All but one of the interview responses were audio recorded and analyzed to search for patterned themes as well as divergent but noteworthy thoughts. The results indicate that the Hispanic immigrants, at various proficiency levels feel some success conducting basic personal business such as shopping, dining out, and making simple transactions at the bank. Feelings of success are usually related to friendly service from employees who smile, listen patiently, and help the immigrant consumer feel comfortable. Anglo employees want to assist the immigrant consumers but when a language barrier exists, feelings of frustration are commonplace. Many employees remain in the store after assisting an immigrant hoping they have provided the correct product or service. Nonverbal cues play a significant role in cross-cultural communication. Smiling and eye contact indicate friendliness and comprehension and hand gestures often fill linguistic gaps

Inventory of the Francis J. Finn Papers

Inventory of the Francis J. Finn Papers held in University Archives and Special Collections, Xavier University Library, Cincinnati, Ohio. Papers can be used in the University Archives and Special Collections room by appointment.https://www.exhibit.xavier.edu/finn/1007/thumbnail.jp

Unmet Support Needs of Informal Caregivers of Older Adults

Due to projected growth of the 65-and-older population and concerns of an impending care gap, reliance on informal caregivers is expected to increase. Improving support for informal caregivers is viewed as a national priority, yet research related to the unmet support needs of informal caregivers is limited. The purpose of this cross-sectional correlational study was to examine predictive relationships between contextual factors (caregiving relationship and type of illness) and environmental factors (rurality) and the unmet support needs (classes, service access, support groups, counseling, and respite) of informal caregivers of older adults. The theoretical framework was Bronfenbrenner\u27s ecological systems theory. Archival data were drawn from the 2015 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System optional caregiver module dataset provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Findings from multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that spousal caregivers had 42.7% lower odds than adult child caregivers of reporting unmet support needs related to service access. Dementia caregivers had 2.05 times higher odds of reporting unmet support needs of counseling, 1.31 times higher odds of reporting unmet support needs related to service access, and 1.91 times higher odds of reporting unmet support needs for respite care, relative to other caregivers. Caregivers residing in a suburban county had 28.7% lower odds and caregivers not residing in a metropolitan statistical area (MSA) had 30.5% lower odds of reporting unmet support needs related to service access, relative to caregivers residing in the center city of an MSA. Health care leaders and policymakers may use the findings to distribute resources and tailor interventions to better meet the needs of informal caregivers of older adults