Heat Transfer and Pressure Drop in a Developing Channel Flow with Streamwise Vortices

Experiments to assess the heat transfer and pressure-drop effects of delta-wing vortex generators placed at the entrance of developing channel flows are reported in this study. The experimental geometry simulates common heat exchanger configurations and tests are conducted over a velocity range important to heating, air conditioning and refrigeration. An innovative liquid-crystal thermography technique is used to determine the local and average Nusselt numbers for an isoflux channel wall, and conventional methods are used to determine the Fanning friction factor. Vortex generators with aspect ratios of A = 2 and A = 4 are studied at attack angles of a. = 20?? to 45????. The results indicate that the streamwise vortices generated by a delta wing can enhance local Nusselt numbers by more than 200% in a developing channel flow. Under some conditions, the spatially average Nusselt number nearly doubled for a heat transfer area that was 37 to 63 times the wing area. The Fanning friction factor increased by a few percent to nearly 60%, depending on the Reynolds number.Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Project 4

The Gendered Nature of Asset Accumulation in Urban Contexts

This paper examines the gendered nature of asset accumulation between 1978 and 2004 in Indio Guayas, a low-income community on the periphery of the city of Guayaquil, Ecuador. In so doing, it emphasizes both the importance of combining quantitative and qualitative intra-household data, as well as taking a longitudinal perspective rather than at a single point in time. This paper seeks to examine the relationship not only between gender and urban income poverty but also, more importantly, between gender and urban asset accumulation, illustrating how the combination of quantitative econometric measurement of assets and qualitative in-depth anthropological findings on the complex underlying gender relations both contribute to a far more comprehensive analysis of asset accumulation processes in urban contexts than can be gained from any single methodological approach.gender, assets, asset accumulation, urban

Exploring the Use of Self-Compassion in the Transition to Motherhood: A Thematic Analysis

Objectives: Self-compassion has been shown to improve emotional wellbeing and act as a buffer against psychological issues. First-time mothers, who are at high risk of developing distress and psychological issues in the transition to motherhood, particularly in the first year after childbirth, could benefit greatly from this skill. Research into self-compassion among new mothers is currently very limited, however, the existing studies have shown the benefits of this skill and recommended self-compassion to be used in intervention and prevention strategies for perinatal mental health issues. This research aimed to explore how self-compassion is practised by first-time mothers in the transition to motherhood in order to learn from this group and implement practical strategies for new mothers who may struggle with self-compassion. Design: Data from eleven first-time mothers, who identified as practising self-compassion, was collected through individual semi-structured interviews. The participants’ ages were between 32 and 40 years and reported no symptoms of current psychological issues. The age of the participants’ babies ranged from 6-24 months. Methods: Thematic Analysis was used to analyse the transcribed interview data and critical realist epistemology was used. Findings: Three themes that emerged from the data were: ‘the building blocks of self-compassion’, ‘sudden changes and initial difficulties of maternity could block self-compassion’ and ‘becoming self-compassionate while embracing motherhood’. The subthemes are discussed under each theme, explaining the use of self-compassion by the participants. Conclusions: The findings clearly indicate that first-time mothers are likely to struggle with self-compassion in early motherhood due to several practical and emotional barriers. However, changing their perspective about motherhood, the babies’ growth and other people’s support appeared to allow the participants to become more self-compassionate. This study has a strong potential to be a guide to enhance interventions in Counselling Psychology, as well as improve services working with new and expectant mothers, as recommended in the implications

Determining the Effect of Delivery Rate on Glucose Uptake by Cancer Cells

Radiation therapy is one of the most commonly performed cancer treatment therapies today. Radiation therapy can cause can changes to tumor vasculature and affect blood flow rates. It is important to determine how changes in blood flow rates affect tumor glycolytic uptake to better understand tumor response to radiation therapy (1). The goal of this study was to use a fluorescent analog of glucose, 2-NBDG, to study the effect of varying flow rates on glucose uptake. A microfluidic device was constructed to flow 2-NBDG through. A murine metastatic breast cancer cell line was then cultured inside this microfluidic channel, and 2-NBDG was flowed through the device at .5 microliters/min for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, the device was imaged using fluorescence microscopy. The 2-NBDG uptake was measured for only one flow rate. This is not sufficient evidence to determine the effect of varying flow rates on glucose uptake. Future studies should be conducted at increasing flow rates to determine this effect

The Olig Family Member HLH-17 Controls Animal Behavior by Modulating Neurotransmitter Signaling in Caenorhabditis elegans

In vertebrate and invertebrate systems, the role of glia-neuron interactions during development and behavior is becoming apparent. Recent studies have been aimed at characterizing glial-expressed proteins that affect the modulation of activities traditionally thought to be regulated by the neuron itself. The soil nematode Caenorhabditis elegans has recently emerged as an important invertebrate model to study glial roles in nervous system function and development. My dissertation work focuses on the characterization of HLH-17, a C. elegans basic helix-loop-helix transcription factor that is strongly and constitutively expressed in the glial cells that associate with four of the cephalic (CEP) neurons in the head of the animal. The CEP neurons are four of eight dopaminergic neurons with well characterized roles in the modulation of a number of behavioral activities in the worm. Although HLH-17 is required for neither the specification nor the development of the CEPsh glia or the CEP neurons, it does have a defined role during dopamine responses. We show that HLH-17 functions upstream of the dopamine receptors DOP-1, DOP-3 and the dopamine transporter DAT-1 to affect DA-dependent behaviors. Also, our microarray analyses provide preliminary evidence that HLH-17 targets factors responsible for receiving and transducing signaling molecules that are involved in the modulation of synaptic events in the worm nervous system. Together these results point to a role for HLH-17 in glia-neuron interactions in C. elegans. My dissertation studies therefore provide further support for the role of glial-expressed proteins in the regulation of activities mediated by the nervous system

The interaction between postminimalist music and contemporary dance

This dissertation examines the manner in which postminimalist compositional techniques such as phasing, polymeter, etc., can be used to aid the creation of music for dance. Music presented with dance generally serves at least two crucial roles: providing the dancers with a framework and impetus to aid movement; and reflecting the concept and meaning, where applicable, of the choreography. Many composers writing for dance must find ways to unite these goals in a way that best suits the total work, and find a balance between supporting the concept and assisting the dancers. This dissertation discusses the relationship between choreography and composition by examining existing research in choreomusicology. The practice-based component compares the conclusions of the research discussion to the outcomes of my own artistic practice when composing for contemporary dance. As postminimalist compositional techniques can be applied to a range of instrumentations and genres, they can provide a broad range of textural and timbral possibilities to generate emotional response and communicate meaning. The emphasis on rhythm and repetition facilitates choreography and movement by providing a framework upon which dance can be constructed and performed

PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AMONG YOUTH IN A WEEKEND RESPITE CAMP PROGRAM

The engagement in physical activity among 24 youths with disabilities was studied. Researchers examined the effects of age and gender of the youth, the parent\u27s knowledge of physical activity recommendations, and parent\u27s physical activity practices on physical activity engagement. Levels of physical activity participation through leisure time, work or chores, and sports were assessed. Analysis was performed to determine relationships between each of the variables and the youths\u27 level of physical activity respectively. Results of chi-square analysis indicated that parental influence using current physical activity recommendations was correlated with the youth\u27s level of physical activity participation through leisure. Results suggested parents can lead by example with a physically active lifestyle

Exploring children’s perspectives of well-being and safety

The concepts of well-being and safety are grounded in social policy and political frameworks influencing how children experience and ascribe meaning in their lives. Contemporary knowledge in the field of children’s well-being and safety largely extends from an adult-centric perspective. From this stance, emphasis focuses on understanding children’s well-being and safety from developmental outcomes. More recent research however identifies well-being and safety by the lived experiences and feelings expressed directly by children. Although these studies have highlighted the importance of safety to a child’s overall sense of well-being, children’s direct perspectives of their well-being and safety in Australia have rarely been explored. Through qualitative methodology this study focused on understanding children’s perspectives of safety in the wider context of their own well-being. Participants included 42 children aged 6 to 17 years who lived in a region south west of Sydney’s central business district in New South Wales, Australia. Child focused participatory methods included creative art activities, photography, sandplay, focus groups and individual interviews. Reflective field notes were scribed following each fieldwork session in addition to research-peer debriefing sessions. Focus groups and individual interviews were transcribed assisting thematic analysis of the data. Through individual, peer-topeer and participant-to-researcher interactions, children co-constructed the meaning of well-being and safety through dialogue and creative mediums. Key themes emerging from narratives shared by children included Agency, Relatedness and Innate Needs in describing what well-being and safety means for them. Children described their understanding of well-being and safety and moreover the above identified key themes, as interwoven concepts which were often experienced together. Through this understanding, children shared importance that well-being and safety are experienced as co-existing concepts which influence each other. This study provided an opportunity for children to collaboratively share their thoughts and discuss ideas of these concepts among peers, contributing to a child focused co-construction of conceptual development. In presenting findings from this study, I aim to position children’s views centrally in the reconstruction and reconsideration of social policy and political frameworks that affect the lives of children