Explore the vast range of titles available.

The degradation of reinforced concrete (RC) structures like bridge girders is concerning and emphasizes the need to invest in sustainable design practices. A proactive maintenance program employing an incremental post-tensioning (IP) technique should increase the service life of structures by inhibiting the ingress of moisture and harmful environmental agents which contribute to their degradation. IP is achieved using the shape memory effect of iron shape memory alloy (Fe-SMA) which recovers deformations (representing a period of degradation) from preloaded beams. Eight beams were tested in a four-point bending configuration to validate the Fe-SMA prestress-strengthening system (FPSS). The deformation from varying preload amounts and subsequent recovery of those deformations from activating the FPSS were investigated to validate the capability of the system and demonstrate how the proactive maintenance approach enables structural resiliency. The beams were constructed of carbon nanofiber-infused, ultra-high-performance, fibre-reinforced concrete (CNF-UHPFRC), which couples the benefits of IP with the exceptional mechanical properties and contribution from the steel fibres and CNF. The IP beam had comparable flexural performance as that of the beam preloaded to 45% (beam ID PS30) of the reference load (68 kN, yield load of the beam strengthened with a non-activated Fe-SMA strip), even though it experienced a larger preload (75% of the reference load). Also, the results of beam IP showed structural resiliency in terms of crack widths and deflections. The midspan deflection at 45% of the reference load (representing a service load on the girder) for PS30 and beam PS60 (preloaded to 90% of the reference load) was 7.20 and 5.09 mm, respectively while it was 4.93 mm for the IP Beam. The bottom crack widths at 90% of the reference load (60 kN) for PS30 and PS60 were 0.61 and 0.79 mm, respectively while it was 0.5 mm for the IP beam. The yield loads for PS30 and PS60 were 70.85 and 76.11 kN, respectively, while it was 71.98 kN for the IP beam. The ultimate loads for PS30 and PS60 were 72.78 and 77.64 kN, respectively, while it was 72.75 kN for the IP beam. IP experienced a less ductile failure than PS60.

The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and strategies meant to mitigate infections caused disruptions to healthcare services across the globe. To evaluate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the healthcare of patients with type 2 diabetes in the VA healthcare system, this work enumerated a cohort of patients with type 2 diabetes who utilized care in the VA across all months between March 2018 and February 2022 and analyzed service utilization, medication adherence, and diabetes-related short-term outcomes.The first objective was to determine the effect of the pandemic’s interruption on the utilization of diabetes-related outpatient encounters. Results showed that the share of patients with diabetes with at least one virtual care visit increased from 3.4% in the pre- COVID year (March 2019 to February 2020) to 16.4% in the first year during COVID (March 2020 to February 2021) while the percent of patients with diabetes with an in- person diabetes-related outpatient visit fell from 89.8% to 72.3%.Second, large changes in oral antidiabetic medication use, adherence (i.e., proportion of days (PDC) covered ≥80%), and discontinuation (zero days covered) were discovered during the pandemic among patients with treated type 2 diabetes. The mean percent adherent was 23.4%, 11.6%, and 30.1% during the pre-pandemic (i.e., March 2018-February 2020), pre-vaccine pandemic (i.e., March 2020-December 2020), and post-vaccine pandemic (i.e., January 2021-February 2020) periods, respectively.Finally, this study evaluated changes in average A1C measurement, glycemic control, and preventable diabetes outcomes before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. The percent of eligible patients with A1C measurement decreased by 8.6% when the pandemic began, trending back to pre-pandemic levels by January 2021, at which point it fell by about 1% per month to end of study. The rate of uncontrolled diabetes averaged 400 per 100,000 before the pandemic, but rose to almost 550 per 100,000 patients during the pandemic. Likewise, the rate of short-term complications averaged 30 per 100,000, but rose to 49 per 100,000 at its high during the pandemic.The pandemic’s interruptions caused vast differences in the healthcare routines of patients with diabetes, which initially led to more negative outcomes than before the pandemic.

In this dissertation, I aim to improve our knowledge of galaxy evolution during the first half of cosmic history. To do so I use a sample of ∼ 7000 high signal-to-noise galaxies from the FourStar Galaxy Evolution Survey, which provides multi-wavelength imaging and accurate redshifts, allowing analysis of these galaxies’ physical properties. I also employ several statistical grouping methods to classify galaxies and build composite spectral energy distributions based on these classifications. To begin, I analyze galaxies that fall between the blue star-forming cloud and the red quiescent sequence in color space, known as the ‘green valley’. Thought to be in the process of shutting down star formation, these galaxies hold the keys to understanding the mechanisms which cause the cessation of star formation, a key point in a galaxy’s evolution. I find that such galaxies reside between the star-forming and quiescent populations not only in color and star formation rate, but also in size, Sérsic index, and Hα equivalent width. This suggests that the quenching processes responsible produce changes in these parameters on similar timescales. Additionally, the number density of these green valley galaxies increased by more than a factor of ten from z = 3 to z = 1, while post-starburst galaxies remain at a roughly constant number density over the same time span. I then explore the bluest, most vigorously star-forming galaxies, representing the other extreme of galaxy histories. These galaxies appear much more frequently at z ∼ 3 than in the local universe and show extreme nebular emission features, consistent with their proposed role in cosmic reionization. I also find that they are clustered around an overdensity at z = 3.47, in contrast to locally, where galaxies in clusters are preferentially found to be quenched. Lastly, I investigate the effects of dust attenuation and reddening on galaxy observations at redshifts 1 < z < 3. This enables improved constraints on intrinsic galaxy properties such as star formation rate. I find that the average dust properties do not change drastically from z ∼ 0 to z ∼ 2, closely replicating a starburst type dust law.

This article proposes that Paul's letter to the church in Rome can identify processes involved in offering a spiritually formative education from a distance. When Paul wrote the letter to Rome, he wrote to a church he had never visited. We argue that his relationship with the recipients is analogically similar to the relationship between professor and student in an online, educational paradigm. Paul modeled how to offer this spiritually formative relationship by emphasizing the gospel message, grounding his scriptural authority, personalizing his message, anticipating questions, enlisting the community, encouraging the recipients, praying for needs, and explaining the marks of true Christianity.

The purpose of this paper is to present the findings of a qualitative research study exploring the spiritually formative experiences of nonstudent, female, seminary spouses whose student spouses are beyond the halfway point in their pursuit of an M.Div. at a large evangelical seminary in the eastern United States. Fifteen participants (twelve online nonstudent spouses and three residential nonstudent spouses) were purposefully sampled. The data, which was collected through questionnaires, in-depth interviews, and discussion forums, was analyzed using transcendental phenomenological analysis. Through this analysis it became apparent that seminary spouses did in fact experience spiritual formation through their husband's education. Spouses experienced enhancements in their spiritual formation as well as detractors in their formation. Formation enhancements included relational, intellectual, and practical enhancements whereas detractors were not thematically segmented.

Galaxy protoclusters (PCs) at z > 2 are dense regions in which cold gas availability and elevated galaxy interaction rates trigger intense, often dust-obscured, star formation. These mechanisms are also expected to promote super-massive black hole (SMBH) growth, but this effect remains unclear, largely due to heterogeneous galaxy selections and active galactic nuclei (AGN) identification methods in previous studies. We quantitatively assess the impact of PC environment on SMBH growth by measuring the incidence of X-ray AGN among dusty star-forming galaxies (DSFGs) in PCs and in a homogeneously selected control field sample, and investigate the physical mechanisms driving any difference. We consider ALMA-detected DSFGs in sub-mm/mm continuum of seven PCs at 2 < z < 4.5, and construct a selection-matched control sample from the COSMOS survey. We statistically compare X-ray AGN incidence and host galaxy physical properties obtained through uniform spectral energy distribution fitting. We find a significant enhancement of X-ray AGN fraction in PCs by ~2.7x (Poisson significance p = 3e-4). Similar values are found in two redshift bins: ~2.7x at z = 2-3 (p = 0.003) and ~2.6x at z = 3-4.5 (p = 0.03). PC and field DSFG samples are well matched in stellar mass, star-formation rate, and dust mass, ruling out selection effects or systematically higher host masses as the driver. Our results provide quantitative evidence that the dense PC environment enhances AGN incidence and SMBH growth in DSFGs beyond what host galaxy properties alone predict, likely through increased gas availability and interaction-driven fueling. This work is a first step toward a homogeneous assessment of environmental effects on SMBH growth across cosmic time.

Protoclusters are the densest regions in the distant universe (\\(z>2\\)) and are the progenitors of massive galaxy clusters (\\(M_halo>10^14 M_\\)) in the local universe. They undoubtedly play a key role in early massive galaxy evolution and they may host the earliest sites of galaxy quenching or even induce extreme states of star formation. Studying protoclusters therefore not only gives us a window into distant galaxy formation but also provides an important link in our understanding of how dense structures grow over time and modify the galaxies within them. Current protocluster samples are completely unable to address these points because they are small and selected in a heterogeneous way. We propose the Roman-Cosmic Noon survey, whose centerpiece is an extremely deep (30ksec) and wide area (10 deg\\(^2\\)) prism slitless spectroscopy survey to identify the full range of galaxy structures at \\(210^10.5 M_\\) across the full range of star formation histories as well as many more lower mass star-forming galaxies. The survey will also contain field galaxies to much lower masses than in the High Latitude Wide Area Survey, but over an area dwarfing any current or planned deep spectroscopy probe at \\(z>2\\). With the prism spectroscopy and some modest additional imaging this survey will measure precise stellar mass functions, quenched fractions, galaxy and protocluster morphologies, stellar ages, emission-line based SFRs, and metallicities. It will have extensive legacy value well beyond the key protocluster science goals.

We conduct a study on the relationship between galaxy environments and their active galactic nuclei (AGN) activity at high redshifts (\\(2.010^12.8M_\\)) overdense (\\(_>5.0\\)) peak, normalized with respect to the size of the peak. These findings indicate that the prevalence of AGN activity is highly dependent on the environment in which a host galaxy resides, even at early times in the formation history of the Universe.

We conduct a study on the relationship between galaxy environments and their active galactic nuclei (AGN) activity at high redshifts (\\(2.010^12.8M_\\)) overdense (\\(_>5.0\\)) peak, normalized with respect to the size of the peak. These findings indicate that the prevalence of AGN activity is highly dependent on the environment in which a host galaxy resides, even at early times in the formation history of the Universe.