Weak MSO: Automata and Expressiveness Modulo Bisimilarity

We prove that the bisimulation-invariant fragment of weak monadic second-order logic (WMSO) is equivalent to the fragment of the modal $\mu$-calculus where the application of the least fixpoint operator $\mu p.\varphi$ is restricted to formulas $\varphi$ that are continuous in $p$. Our proof is automata-theoretic in nature; in particular, we introduce a class of automata characterizing the expressive power of WMSO over tree models of arbitrary branching degree. The transition map of these automata is defined in terms of a logic $\mathrm{FOE}_1^\infty$ that is the extension of first-order logic with a generalized quantifier $\exists^\infty$, where $\exists^\infty x. \phi$ means that there are infinitely many objects satisfying $\phi$. An important part of our work consists of a model-theoretic analysis of $\mathrm{FOE}_1^\infty$.Comment: Technical Report, 57 page

Gender Differences and Perspectives on Elderly Care in China

China not only has the largest population in the world but also the fastest population aging rate. The one-child policy was created in 1979 as a means to control the dramatic growth in China’s population (Hesketh, Lu & Xing, 2005). The first generation of children born into the one-child policy is coming to the age where they will need to consider how they are going to care for their parents. Often these individuals have the challenge of caring for four grandparents, a child as well as themselves and a husband or wife, otherwise known as the 4:2:1 phenomenon (Hasketh et al., 2005). Furthermore, the availability of family members to provide care is expected to decrease due to the rapid growth of China’s aging population, the one-child policy and the fact that the average person’s life expectancy has increased over the past couple of decades (Harbaugh & West, 1993)

Two dimensional modeling of wind effects on a bridge section using finite difference method

Wind effects on long span bridges are a major concern for bridge design. Wind acts as a dynamic load on the bridge deck causing the bridge to react in ways not accounted for in static load design. Attention to these effects increased tremendously after famous bridge collapses, such as the Tacoma Narrows Bridge in 1940. Due to this collapse and others, engineers were made painfully aware that wind phenomena, such as flutter and vortex shedding, can cause major structural damage if not considered in the design process. The solution for many years since has been to conduct wind tunnel tests on small scale models of bridges, which are both time consuming and expensive. In the last few decades, the capabilities of computers have increased exponentially to a point where it is feasible for engineers to develop a computer process that will produce the same values that could be found in a wind tunnel test. This thesis begins to explore the time efficiency and viability of using a computer model based on the finite difference model (FDM) for solving the governing equations. The most typical computing method is the finite element method which has been thoroughly tested and produces reasonably comparable data to the wind tunnel tests that have also been performed. The Great Belt East Bridge (GBEB) is the subject of all the modeling done in both the wind tunnel and the computer simulations. The time required to run a finite difference method program is less than that required for the finite element method. The Strouhal number and coefficient of drag are observed to ascertain whether the FDM analysis results are sufficiently close to wind tunnel numbers for the GBEB. The results of this study indicate that FDM does not appear to generate reasonable values for Cd and St at the grid refinements simulated in this work

Clinician\u27s treatment decisions for a combat-related trauma and military sexual trauma : a comparative study

Combat-related trauma and military sexual trauma (MST) are two types of trauma one can be exposed to while serving in the military. Although there are some similarities in the two types of trauma there are many more differences. Therefore, this study investigated what factors influence clinicians\u27 treatment decisions for combat-related trauma and military sexual trauma and whether or not clinicians consider the differences in the two types of trauma when determining treatment approaches. A convenience sample of licensed trauma-oriented clinicians (N=108) completed an anonymous, self-administered survey online. Overall, results showed that clinician characteristics (e.g., experience and formal training, theoretical orientation, empirical literature, and supervisor consultation) were significantly more likely to influence treatment decisions then client factors (e.g., client\u27s level of functioning, whether the client endorses suicidal ideation, the client has a traumatic brain injury, client\u27s specific presenting symptoms, etc.). Treatment approaches were likely to be influenced by trauma descriptors that were interpersonal in nature (e.g., client killed a fellow soldier and client was assaulted by fellow soldier, client) and related to military values (e.g., client was unable to trust commanding officers and client was unable to trust fellow soldiers). Finally, clinicians who were randomly assigned to consider either a combat-related trauma vignette or a MST vignette did not differ in their selection of specific therapy techniques (e.g., prolonged exposure therapy vs. psychodynamic therapy). Taken together, these results suggest that psychological treatments for military trauma are not particularly dependent on the type of trauma but are strongly guided by the clinician\u27s understanding of how to treat trauma in general and to some extent by particular contextual variables connected to the trauma. Future research should determine whether the variables embraced and ignored by trauma-clinicians are appropriate for optimizing trauma treatment outcomes

Black Symposium_ Letter From Keith Carreiro to Harry Walker in Regards to Media Coverage on the Symposium on Black America

A letter from Keith Carreiro, Chairman of the Distinguished Lecture Series at the University of Maine, to Mr. Harry Walker, of Harry Walker, Inc in New York, sent on December 12, 1968 on media coverage of the Symposium on Black America. Keith Carreiro sent a letter to The New York Times for coverage and asks for support from Harry Walker to help broadcast the Symposium.https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/racial_justice/1021/thumbnail.jp

Gender Role Beliefs, Household Chores, and Modern Marriages

A primary change in modern marriages is the shift from traditional marriages to modern dual-earner marriages. With this change comes significantly higher divorce rates with traditional marriages averaging over forty years and modern marriages averaging seven years. This paper reviews research studies conducted from the 1980s to present day on heterosexual dual-earner couples and marital satisfaction, particularly in regards to gender role beliefs and household chore division. The social construction of gender remains virtually unaltered and resistant to change; therefore, it follows that individual beliefs regarding gender roles remain unchanged. While dual-earner marriages contributed significantly to changing gender roles external to the home, role expectations within the home mostly remain the same and women continue to shoulder most of the responsibility for household and childcare duties. Metaphorically speaking, women now work two full-time jobs while men continue with their primary job but picking up some secondary “part-time work.” Despite participants proffering gender equality, research reviewed in this paper indicate this is not the case. It remains unclear what might translate to equality or even whether equality is something spouses truly desire. Determining what the construct of equality within a marriage would look like to modern couples continues to be a relatively unexplored area in need of further research. Traditional roles try to dominate within non-traditional marriages yet research is lacking in determining the impact gender role beliefs, degree of gender identification, and satisfaction with household chore division have on overall marital satisfaction. Appropriate assessment measures for gender identity, gender role beliefs, and household chore division and satisfaction are also scarce. Clinical approaches in the past have contributed to helping wives become more accepting of the power imbalances within marriage, often using gender as an explanation for behavior to help facilitate understanding; however, this only reinforces gender stereotypes rather than striving to change them. Social media, self-help books, and the entertainment business are also culprits in propagating gender differentiation and promoting gender inequality in modern marriages. Relationship self-help books are primarily marketed for women, generally offering advice that continues to reproduce the very behaviors causing marital strife and conflict

Inside Front Cover: “Mom Thinking”

Artwork by student Beverly Carreiro, displayed at the 34th Annual Student Art Festival