Class of 2012 Abstract / Specific Aims: Cellulitis accounts for the majority of skin and skin structure infections in patients who present to the emergency departments in the United States. The primary objective of this study was to evaluate the appropriateness of empiric cellulitis therapy prescribed in an emergency department of an academic medical center. The secondary objective of the study was to compare the cost-effectiveness of the empirical cellulitis therapy prescribed at the institution. Methods: This retrospective chart review study has been approved by the Institutional Review Board. Adult patients evaluated at an emergency department of a tertiary care, academic medical center, diagnosed with cellulitis and prescribed empiric antibiotic therapy between October and November 2010 were evaluated. Subjects were excluded if they required hospitalization or surgical intervention in an operating room or if they were diagnosed with necrotizing fasciitis, orbital cellulitis, or a diabetic foot infection. Data collected for each subject included type of cellulitis, therapy prescribed, and outcomes. Appropriateness of empiric cellulitis therapy was determined by expert opinion and guideline statements. A chi-square test was used to evaluate the statistical significance of treatment failure between the prescribed antibiotic groups. An independent t-test was used to analyze the cost between the prescribed antibiotic groups. An incremental cost-effectiveness ratio was used to determine the cost-effectiveness of the prescribed antibiotic groups. Main Results: The majority of patients were given a prescription for either clindamycin montherapy (37%) or trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole plus cephalexin (40%) as empiric therapy when discharged from the emergency department. While follow-up (either repeat emergency department visit or clinic visit within the academic medical healthcare network) was only available in 78% of subjects, there was no statistical difference (p=0.51) in therapy outcomes between these two empiric therapy groups. Conclusions: Types of antimicrobials, doses, and duration of therapy prescribed for outpatient empiric cellulitis therapy at a single medical center were not consistent.

A disabled taxpayer, or a taxpayer caring for a disabled spouse or child, may deduct 100% of disability expenses from taxable income (section 18(2)(b) of the Income Tax Act No. 58 of 1962). For a 2010 year of assessment, disability expenses must meet the following three requirements to be deductible:  The expense should appear on the prescribed list.  It should have been necessarily incurred and paid for (and not recoverable) by the taxpayer.  It should have been incurred in consequence of any physical disability suffered by the taxpayer, his or her spouse or child, or any dependant of the taxpayer. If compared to a 2009 year of assessment, the second and third requirements remained the same. However, the prescribed list only became effective as from 1 March 2009 (i.e. as from the 2010 year of assessment). According to the discussion paper issued by SARS, the prescribed list was introduced to bring clarity as to the type of expenses that qualify and not to add another requirement. The expectation therefore arises that ALL expenses that meet the second and third requirements will appear on the prescribed list. The study explored the possible existence of an expense which had been necessarily incurred and paid by a South African taxpayer during his or her 2010 tax year in consequence of his or her disabled child, but which does not appear on the prescribed list. Data was collected by the researcher by using a questionnaire when having semistructured telephonic interviews with parents of severely disabled children. The results of the study indicate that there were indeed legitimate expenses incurred by the respondents during their 2010 year of assessment that did not appear on the prescribed list. The prescribed list therefore does not cater for all the possible legitimate expenses incurred by the parent of a severely disabled child. / Dissertation (MCom)--University of Pretoria, 2012. / Taxation / Unrestricted

Fire is a tool to reduce fuel and restore ecosystems but poses a risk of peat combustion that temporally restricts managers. Studies indicate that fires may be prescribed with a water table lower than the peat surface, but are based on locations with different peat properties or assumed heat inputs. The goal of this research is to quantify peat surface heating during a passing fire and the heat required to ignite peat under lowered water tables. This study used temperature probes at two heights to quantify peat surface heating during a prescribed fire and a manipulative experiment to quantify the effects of water table recession on peat properties important for predicting ignition. The soil surface experienced 87% of the flaming heat in sawgrass dominated areas. The heat required to ignite the peat surface was significantly correlated with the water table depth. This provides managers greater opportunity for prescribing fire. / Includes bibliography. / Thesis (M.S.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2021. / FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection

Prescribed burning was utilized as a management tool on grasslands of the Northern Great Plains. We analyzed the use of fire to manipulate encroaching and unpalatable western snowberry (Symphoricarpos occidentalis), to promote browsing and improve nutritive quality. Fire was successful at altering the nutrient quality of western snowberry and selectivity of grazing livestock from plant specific to patch specific. Additionally, we evaluated the difference between burn season and frequency on plant community dynamics of an ungrazed tallgrass prairie invaded by Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis). Fire promoted native forb and grass species, stressing that native species are well adapted to the historical disturbance. Our research emphasizes the need for restored fire regimes in the Northern Great Plains to benefit numerous aspects of prairie ecosystem function, stability, services, and productivity. / U.S. Forest Service / Central Grasslands Research and Extension Center

The United States has arbitrary weather criteria for a prescribed burn day to happen. This arbitrary criteria gives prescribed-burn managers a limited amount of days they can burn. To solve this, I established a 30-year climatology based on daily mixing height (m). I then calculated burn-day thresholds based on different mixing heights. I found seasonal and spatial patterns of the amount of days that are prescribed burns. Southeastern United States was my study area. A small decrease in threshold values will lead to large increases in prescribed burn days. Digital maps were created to show the spatial variability of prescribed burn days and the effects of lowering thresholds for prescribed burn days. This research will aid policy makers in lessening the criteria for burn days.

Reconfiguration refers to the ability of a flexible structure to change its shape, allowing it to reduce its area perpendicular to the flow, to reduce drag. Decreasing the flexural rigidity of human-made structures can lead to improved designs that operate at higher propulsive efficiencies. The work presented in this thesis examines the physics surrounding a flexible plate under prescribed oscillatory heaving motions. White light movies were recorded at constant frequency and varying proximity to the free surface to investigate the change in reconfiguration as the plate approaches the free surface. Results, analyzed in terms of deformed plate shape, deflection, and plate tip kinematics, found that free surface effects increase the deflection of the plate as the plate approaches the free surface. Expanding on the initial experiments, a variety of frequencies were tested. The results show that each heaving frequency has a different critical height to the free surface in which deep water behavior is distinguished from shallow water behavior. At the critical depth, the plate deflection becomes asymmetric due to free surface effects. The second stage of experiments focused on measuring the fluid loading and fluid flow surrounding the flexible plate. The fluid loading, or drag force, acting on the plate was estimated by using a strain gauge load cell. Results of these experiments found that the drag force is equivalent on plates with lower heaving frequencies when compared to the highest heaving frequency tested due to increased reconfiguration at the higher frequency. The fluid moved from the keel to the edge of the plate as seen in the particle image velocimetry experiments. Higher heaving frequencies created faster fluid flow off the plate and stronger tip vortices being shed from the plate. When the flexible plate operated at large distances from the free surface, the fluid dynamics showed the same behavior for the upstroke and downstroke of the plate. Whereas, when the plate operated close to the free surface, a vortex only forms on the upstroke, leading to asymmetric loading and deformations. / Master of Science / The ability for a structure to bend under loading and return to its original shape after the load is removed presents a desirable characteristic for structural design. The flexibility of the structure can lead to significant weight loss in contrast to rigid structures. In nature, almost all structures are able to bend when faced with fluid forces which decreases the loading the structure has to handle. Decreasing the stiffness of human-made structures can lead to improved designs that operate at higher propulsive efficiencies. The work presented here examines the physics surrounding a flexible plate under prescribed oscillatory heaving motions, which are motions that are purely vertical. White light movies were recorded at constant frequency and varying proximity to the free surface to investigate the change in plate shape as the plate approaches the free surface. Results, analyzed in terms of deformed plate shape, deflection, and plate tip kinematics, found that free surface effects increase the deflection of the plate as the plate approaches the free surface. Expanding on the initial experiments, a variety of frequencies were tested. The results show that each heaving frequency has a different critical height to the free surface in which deep water behavior is distinguished from shallow water behavior. At the critical depth, the plate deflection becomes asymmetric due to free surface effects. The second stage of experiments focused on describing the fluid loading and fluid flow surrounding the flexible plate. The fluid loading, or drag force, acting on the plate was estimated by using a strain gauge load cell. Results of these experiments found that the drag force is equivalent on plates with lower heaving frequencies when compared to the highest heaving frequency tested due to increased reconfiguration at the higher frequency. The fluid moved from the center of the plate to the edge of the plate as seen in the particle image velocimetry experiments, which track the movement of particles in the fluid. Higher heaving frequencies created faster fluid flow off the plate. When the flexible plate operated at large distances from the free surface, the fluid flow showed the same behavior for the upstroke and downstroke of the plate. Whereas, when the plate operates close to the free surface, the fluid flow behaves differently leading to asymmetric loading and deformations.

No description available.

Prescribed burning (Rx) has become increasingly subjected to various regulations. Among these regulations are ordinances that restrict downwind impacts of smoke from prescribed fires. Regulations can severely limit burn managers and private landowners from using Rx as a forest management tool. This research can help us move away from these simplistic regulations, and help promote a regulatory environment in which scientific tools and knowledge are used to prohibit only activities for which the evidence suggests there will be adverse consequences. This research was divided into three parts that consisted of: (1) a pilot validation of the smoke emission model VSMOKE-GIS; (2) review of southeastern states' smoke management guidelines (SMG); and (3) a geographic analysis of Virginian's current SMG. VSMOKE-GIS showed good accuracy in predicting the PM2.5 concentration and location of the smoke plume downwind. Criteria were identified when managing Rx smoke and the strengths, weaknesses, and implications were discussed of the Rx programs. The geographic analysis demonstrated quantitatively how much area may be impacted with minimal apparent benefit. This research should provide a clearer spatial picture of the smoke management barriers associated with Rx on private woodlands in Virginia. These results should be a useful tool in developing a regulatory environment that encourages Rx when the conditions are optimal. We conclude with future recommendations for Virginia. / Master of Science

African American landownership is decreasing in the southeastern United States. At the same time, prescribed fire use, research, and outreach are increasing. This disparity between changing landowner demographics and a renewed interest in a historically prevalent land management tool has prompted a broader conversation about diversity and inclusion in outreach programs and land management preferences. Therefore, an exploratory qualitative study was conducted using semi-structured interviews with African American non-industrial private landowners (NIPLs) in southern Alabama, northern Florida, and southwestern Georgia. The objectives of this study were to address the following questions: 1) Do African American NIPLs use prescribed fire?; 2) Why do they choose or refuse to use prescribed fire?; 3) What potential constraints discourage African American NIPLs from using prescribed fire? Twenty-one African American landowners within these states were interviewed from May through August 2019. Analysis of these interviews was completed using rapid rural appraisal, a method used to quickly gather data from individuals in rural settings. The results suggested that 81% of the African American NIPLs interviewed used prescribed fire to accomplish specific land management objectives, such as hazardous fuel reduction, undesired vegetation control, timber stand improvement, pest and disease reduction, and aesthetics. These individuals faced unique potential limitations including a lack of relevant information regarding prescribed fire permits, smoke management, safety, and burning smaller parcels. These individuals also desired opportunities to retain land within their own families and also felt they were underrepresented within land management organizations and extension programs. In the future, policymakers' efforts may benefit from an intentional focus on building relationships with individual landowners, enhancing educational programming and access for landowners maintaining small and large parcels, and striving for diverse and inclusive representation within land management organizations. / Master of Science / During a period of time when the use of prescribed fire (i.e. intentionally ignited fires by land managers and professionals) has increased in the southeastern United States, African American non-industrial private landownership has decreased. When surveyed alongside white and Hispanic landowners within this region, African American private landowners expressed negative attitudes toward prescribed fire and responded at lower rates than others. The combined issues of land loss, minority representation, and the need for prescribed fire on private lands has generated questions about diversity and inclusion in landowner assistance and fire outreach programming. To address these issues, first-hand accounts were necessary to understand land management perspectives from African American private landowners within this region. Therefore, a research study was conducted to interview African American private landowners in southern Alabama, northern Florida, and southwestern Georgia. The objectives of this study were to determine what African Americans know about prescribed fire and if African American private landowners use prescribed fire for land management. Through personal interviews, African American landowners were asked to describe what influenced their use or lack of use of fire and what relationships they had formed with outreach and educational organizations. These individuals were also asked how they believed their prescribed fire perspectives and usage connected to their ancestral heritage. Twenty-one interviews were conducted and the results suggested that seventeen interviewees used prescribed fire at communal, historical, and organizational levels, but limitations to prescribed fire use did exist. Agency and organizational policymakers should focus on building relationships with individual landowners while offering better educational access that focuses on maintaining land legacies, particularly those that would be considered small parcels. Additionally, most of the landowners interviewed believed they were underrepresented within organizational leadership. There is indeed a cultural fabric that cannot be erased from current African American private landowners. Their practices and views are key to the inclusive and diverse conversations that should guide southeastern prescribed fire into the future.

Species traits, including but not exclusive to bark thickness and texture, sprouting ability, and litter bulk density and chemistry, may be related to a stem's potential to withstand potential heating from wildland fire. Trees exhibiting similarities for these properties and others may be classified into two broad functional groups: pyrophytes and pyrophobes. To our knowledge, few research studies have been conducted to determine how prescribed fires may affect wood quality of merchantable tree species in the Appalachian Mountains. Understanding potential relationships between wounding and fire tolerance may assist prescribed fire managers as they seek to promote and expand the use of prescribed fire for management purposes. To investigate this issue, six locations on the Monongahela National Forest, West Virginia, that had been subjected to one or two mixed intensity and severity prescribed fires since 2012 were selected for stand inventory in 2021. Overstory trees within these burned locations and adjacent, unburned locations were measured and graded using variable radius sampling, and additional landscape features and physiographic factors, such as aspect, elevation, and slope percentage, were also recorded at each variable radius sampling location. The most common, commercially valuable deciduous species encountered were red maple (Acer rubrum) (17.5%), white oak (Quercus alba) (9.8%), chestnut oak (Quercus montana) (32.8%), and northern red oak (Quercus rubra) (39.9%). Using field measurements and tree grades, the total number and types of wounds, potential volume loss, charring, basal area, and diameters at breast height (DBH) were compared by species, burn status (burn or control), and the number of burns. Overall, A. rubrum and Q. rubra comprised 93% of the total trees exhibiting volume loss from wounds in the burned locations. However, total volume loss only constituted about 3% of the bottommost 4.9 m log. Trees in the burned locations experiencing volume loss differed significantly between species (p=0.0294) with Q. rubra constituting 60% of volume loss trees. In burned and control plots, A. rubrum was the most commonly wounded tree with 43.5% of trees having at least one wound. Cat face and oval wounds were the only wound types resulting in volume loss. Felling and milling stems identified in this study as having potential volume loss from any fire-influenced wounds would be valuable. Furthermore, assessing the potential impact of outer bark char resulting from prescribed fires would be desired to better understand if charring constitutes any potential internal damage to stems. Deploying a similar, field-scale experiment on areas with varying fire frequencies and intensities would be useful to determine how wood quality may be affected after several prescribed burns. / Master of Science / Prescribed fire is a cultural land management practice used historically and currently in many locations around the world. These burns have been and are currently conducted for many reasons, including wildlife habitat management, hazardous fuel reduction, and vegetation control. Trees have innate characteristics that increase potential resistance and resilience to fire damage, however, these characteristics can vary depending on tree species and tree age. These characteristics may include, but are not limited to, bark thickness and texture, litter chemistry, leaf shape, and a species' resprouting strategy. Prescribed fire is often used in conjunction with other forest management techniques (i.e. herbicides, thinning) in locations where timber value is a management priority, therefore it is important to understand how prescribed fire may affect the growth and quality of merchantable timber species. Few studies have focused on potential wood quality issues posed by the use of prescribed fire in the Appalachian Mountains. Determining if prescribed fires affect wood quality may provide land managers, in many locations, with information that may aid their selection of desired management practices and priorities. To help address this knowledge gap, a research study was designed and conducted to investigate these issues for the following merchantable timber species in six burned and adjacent, unburned locations of the Monongahela National Forest, West Virginia: red maple (Acer rubrum), white oak (Quercus alba), chestnut oak (Q. montana), and northern red oak (Q. rubra). The results show that one or two mixed intensity and severity prescribed fires, implemented since 2012, resulted in an overall volume loss of 3% from the bottommost 4.9 m log, therefore prescribed fire did not cause a significant reduction in total volume. Two main species, A. rubrum and Q. rubra, comprised 93% of the trees with wounds resulting in volume loss. However, Q. rubra alone constituted 60% of trees with volume loss wounds. The results also show that A. rubrum was the most commonly wounded tree with 43.5% having at least one wound. Additional research is warranted to more fully understand these dynamics, including sampling locations that have experienced more prescribed fires and fires with different intensities and milling wounded trees and charred trees located in burned locations.