Approximation Via Degree Reduction of Nonlinearities with Applications to Turbulent Flows, Flame Fronts, and Magnetohydrodynamics

We perform an analytical and computational investigation on the effectiveness of a locally bounded truncation function, which we call a calming function, when applied to the nonlinear terms of several dissipative partial differential equations. In particular, the 3D Navier-Stokes equations of incompressible fluid flow, the 2D Kuramoto-Sivashinsky equations of laminar flame fronts, and the 2D MHD-Boussinesq equations of magnetohydrodynamics. Each of these equations have open questions about the global existence and uniqueness of their solutions. These calming functions effectively reduce the algebraic degree of select nonlinear terms, thus one can verify global wellposedness for these calmed systems. More specifically, in this work we show analytically in this work that the solutions to the calmed systems are globally well-posed, have higher-order regularity, and converge to solutions of the original models on short-time intervals as an introduced parameter in the calmed system tends to 0. We obtain additional results in the case of the 3D Calmed Navier-Stokes equations: when applying calming to the nonlinear term written in its rotational form, we find that the dynamical system generated by the calmed NSE in the rotational form possesses both an energy identity and a global attractor. Moreover, for calmed Navier-Stokes written either in its advective form or rotational form, we show that strong solutions to the calmed equations converge to strong solutions of the NSE without assuming their existence, providing a new proof of the short-time existence of strong solutions to the 3D Navier-Stokes equations

Planning R and D projects using GERT

Research and development project planning described and analyzed by GER

Four GERT views of planning R and D projects

Graphical evaluation and review technique for research and development planning proces

The Corporate Conception of the State and the Origins of Limited Constitutional Government

This Essay discusses the corporate conception of the state in European and American legal history

Is There a Self in this Text? Satire, Passing, and Life in \u3ci\u3eCaucasia\u3c/i\u3e

In this paper, I explore the ways in which Danzy Senna’s Caucasia exposes the racism of the American Dream through use of a satirical passing narrative. I draw on the existing scholarship surrounding satire and traditional passing narratives and apply it to Senna’s work to analyze the ways this novel differs from traditional passing narratives to comment on the absurdity of white desirability and the racial binary. Specifically, I look at Caucasia as a location that the main characters—biracial Birdie and Cole Lee; their white mother, Sandy; and their black father, Deck—must inhabit. This depiction of an all-white space the characters are forced to continually live in informs their racial identities and desires, which leads to a double consciousness within the narrator, Birdie. Ultimately, Senna’s satire illuminates the double consciousness African Americans and biracial individuals embody because of America’s fixation on the white, American Dream that manifests itself as life in Caucasia

Adopting a Child

Adoption is the method through which people become parents legally rather than biologically. Yet, the joys of being an adoptive parent are no less than if one had given birth to his own child. Adoption is serious and for that reason most child care experts feel that the best way to adopt a child is through a licensed child placement agency. The social worker with a licensed agency takes time to assist both the natural and adoptive parents in reaching their decisions. The child\u27s and parent\u27s best interests are considered

Acute Care Occupational Therapy Practice: Application of the Canadian Occupational Performance Measure in A Palliative Care Program

Occupational therapists working in acute care must meet the many challenges of working with a diverse group of clients such as adult cancer survivors. Clients may be transitioned to acute palliative care due to disease progression. Clients in palliative care have many unmet needs affecting engagement in occupations, thus requiring occupational therapy services. The goal of this capstone project is to describe occupation-based problems and level of independence in completing basic activities of daily living among acute palliative care clients to illustrate the importance of using occupation-based approach with this population. The longitudinal prospective study utilized standardized evaluations to assess functional performance when admitted to acute palliative care: Canadian Occupational Performance Measure, Shah Modified Barthel Index, and Palliative Performance Scale. Ten clients identified more occupational performance problems at initial OT evaluation in self-care (75%), than productivity (12.5%), and leisure (12.5%). Relationships between the client’s perception and satisfaction scores at initial OT evaluation and the Palliative Performance Scale scores as well as the Shah Modified Barthel Index scores were not statistically significant. The difference between the pre-post Canadian Occupational Performance Measure scores for performance and satisfaction suggested that 50% of the clients experienced an improvement in performance scores and 50% of the clients experienced improvement in satisfaction scores. The use of a client-centered, standardized assessment guided the occupational therapy process in providing occupation-based goals

The Relation of Stress and Coping to Psychosocial Outcomes in Pediatric Burn Survivors

Stress and coping are important predictor of psychosocial functioning in both healthy and chronically ill populations. However, no studies have investigated the relation of stressors and coping to psychosocial functioning in pediatric burn survivors. Stress consists of major life events (e.g. death of a family member) and daily hassles (e.g. receiving a speeding ticket). Results from previous studies found that stress was related to positive and negative psychosocial functioning. Coping, on the other hand, is a response that aims to combat the stressor and promote positive adjustment. Past studies have shown that the impact of stress may be moderated by constructs such as coping. The inconsistency in findings regarding the relation of stress to psychosocial outcomes, accompanied with the lack of research on pediatric burn survivors, warrant further study of stress and coping in youth with burns. The purpose of this study was to explore how levels of stress and coping are related to psychosocial functioning in pediatric burn survivors. A sample of 40 burn survivors between the ages of 7 and 17 (M age = 12.77; 65% male) and their primary caregivers were recruited from two outpatient burn centers in the United States, a burn registry patient database, and a summer camp for children with burn injuries. Youth and caregivers each completed packets assessing a range of psychosocial and burn injury variables. Hierarchical regressions were used to test whether stress or coping moderated the association between burn-injury variables and psychosocial functioning. A third exploratory aim used hierarchical regression to examine if coping moderated the association between stress and psychosocial functioning Results indicated that neither household stress nor active coping moderated the association between burn size and psychosocial functioning. Additionally, active coping did not moderate the association between household stress and psychosocial adjustment. Greater household stress, however, was associated with more post-traumatic stress symptoms. Use of more active coping strategies was also significantly associated with better self-concept. Finally, more regular use of avoidant coping strategies was significantly related to more post-traumatic stress symptoms. Results from the current study suggest that it may be important to help pediatric burn survivors develop and utilize more adaptive coping strategies during the rehabilitative phase of their injury. Additionally, helping families learn to manage stress at home may promote adjustment following burn injuries

EVALUATING SAMPLING STRATEGIES FOR RAINFALL SIMULATION STUDIES AND SURFACE TRANSPORT OF ANTIBIOTICS FROM SWINE MANURE APPLIED TO FESCUE PLOTS

Antibiotics are commonly used in animal agriculture to treat and prevent diseases and promote growth. Unfortunately, large amounts of antibiotics are not metabolized, but instead are excreted in urine and feces. Rainfall simulation studies were used to investigate the transport of the antibiotic oxytetracycline and various constituents in runoff and the ability of alum to reduce pollutant transport. Runoff samples were collected at several points during the simulated storm event from each of four treatments: control (C), manure only (M), manure and antibiotics (MA), and manure, antibiotics and alum (MAA). Flow-weighted composite samples were created and compared to the flow weighted mean concentration (FWMC). Constituents with concentrations well-above the detection limits (E. coli, NH4-N, turbidity, TSS, TOC, and EC) showed a strong correlation between flow-weighted composite samples and FWMC. When constituent concentrations were at or near the detection limits, errors associated with the composite samples were magnified. Oxytetracycline concentrations had the strong correlation to E. coli, Cl, TOC, TSS, and turbidity suggesting that a BMP effective at trapping sediment or particulates may work best for reducing oxytetracycline concentrations in runoff. Alum (1%) did not reduce levels of oxytetracycline in runoff. It is recommended that higher doses of alum be tested

Biomimetic nanocomposites of calcium phosphate and self-assembling triblock and pentablock copolymers

In an effort to mimic the growth of natural bone, self-assembling, micelle and gel-forming copolymers were used as a template for calcium phosphate precipitation. Because of the cationic characteristics imparted by PDEAEM end group additions to commercially available Pluronic® F127, a direct ionic attraction mechanism was utilized and a polymer-brushite nanocomposite spheres were produced. Brushite coated spherical micelles with diameters of ~ 40 nm, and agglomerates of these particles (on the order of 0.5 [Mu]m) were obtained. Thickness and durability of the calcium phosphate coating, and the extent of agglomeration were studied. The coating has been shown to be robust enough to retain its integrity even below polymer critical micelle concentration and/or temperature. Calcium phosphate- polymer gel nanocomposites were also prepared. Gel samples appeared as a single phase network of agglomerated spherical micelles, and had a final calcium phosphate concentration of up to 15 wt%. Analysis with x-ray diffraction and NMR indicated a disordered brushite phase with the phosphate groups linking inorganic phase to the polymer