In this thesis we aim to provide computationally efficient methods of performing waterbarrier simulations. The innate challenge in simulations of structures such as sea or surge barriers is resolution. Because barriers tend to be long and thin compared to the surrounding landscapes they protect, one must put mesh refinement on the barrier region in order to even numerically recognize the barrier’s presence. This is a costly computation due to the CFL condition which puts a strict limit on the size of time step proportional to the spatial mesh size. Another issue is the complexity of meshing near the barrier. Since barriers are most likely slanted or have certain shapes, the grid has to reflect this in the form of a grid mapping or an unstructured grid. To mitigate the issue of resolution, we propose an approximation of the barrier with a line interface embedded on a Cartesian grid, reducing our problem to an embedded boundary problem. Then to avoid complex meshing, we develop three cut cell methods on two shapes of barriers: 1) the h-box method (HB), 2) the state redistribution method (SRD), and 3) the cell merging method (CM). Doing this two-step approach means that we can lower the resolution near the barrier region and still feel the presence of the barrier and capture its effect, which would otherwise not be the case if we relied on resolution for representation of the barrier. This does not mean that we are losing accuracy by lowering resolution, however. Rather, we are maintaining about the same accuracy while also lowering resolution (and thus cutting computational cost), which we show by comparison with a refined barrier. We solve the shallow water equations as our underlying PDEs to simulate water interaction with the barrier, as they are commonly used in tsunami and storm simulations. We implement our work on the PYCLAW framework, which is an objected oriented program that solves conservation laws.

Purpose: Use of ampicillin in outpatient parenteral antimicrobial therapy (OPAT) has historically been complicated by frequent dosing and short beyond use dates. However historic stability data relied on inaccurate testing methods. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the stability of ampicillin using high-pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC), the gold standard, in a real-world OPAT dosing model using continuous infusion at room temperature over 24 hours immediately following preparation compared to batches stored under refrigeration for 24 hours, 72 hours, and 7 days. Methods: An HPLC method was developed and validated as stability – indicating according to guidance in USP general Chapter < 1225 >. Method development included linearity, precision, accuracy, repeatability and forced degradation. Four batches were prepared using 4 different lots from 2 different manufacturers for each storage condition (immediate, 24 hours, 72 hours, and 7 days). Three 2-gram vials were each reconstituted with 10 mL of sterile water for injection (SWFI) and added to 250 mL of normal saline by a licensed pharmacist and stored in a laboratory refrigerator (2 – 8oC). A pump system was used to continuously circulate the solutions through medical grade tubing at room temperature. One milliliter aliquots were removed from each batch at time 0, 4 hours, 8 hours, 12 hours and 24 hours and analyzed for ampicillin concentration using the aforementioned HPLC method. The samples were filtered prior to analysis using a 0.22-micron syringe filter and analyzed in triplicates along with freshly prepared calibration samples (24 – 12 mg/mL). Peak area was used to determine percent recovery for each sample. Results:Each batch was assayed for initial concentration (20.34 – 21.50 mg/mL) upon preparation, and percent recovery was compared to that initial concentration thereafter. Acceptable recovery was defined as 90 – 110% of initial concentration. On the day of product preparation (immediate use), the average percent recovery over 24 hours was 96.4%. The other average percent recoveries were as follows: 95.8% (24-hour storage), 94.6% (72-hour storage) and 90.3% (7-day storage). These data represent the average percent recovery for all time points during the 24 hours sampling (n = 60 for each experiment). When evaluating individual time points, the percent recovery remained above 90% for all batches and time points except for the 7-day storage experiment. Under 7-day storage conditions, the percent recovery fell below 90% after 4 hours of circulation through the medical grade tubing. Furthermore, 95% confidence interval for percent recovery for ampicillin in the samples stayed within 90 – 110% of the initial concentration for the duration of the experiment for all test groups except 7-day storage. Conclusion:Ampicillin can be prepared and stored in a refrigerator for up to 72-hours prior to continuously infusing at room temperature over 24 hours with less than a 10% loss of potency over the dosing period. This model supports twice weekly OPAT delivery of ampicillin.

A greenhouse study was conducted involving interactive effects on bean yield of three levels of irrigation water salinity, three frequencies of irrigation water app li cation, two level s of nitrogen, and seven levels of phosphorus fertilization to determine if the effects of adverse saline conditions or water stress could be overcome by fertility and / or saline water management. Dry matter and bean yields were reduced with decreasing irrigation frequency (2 days to B days} and increasing salinity of irrigation water (0.5 mmho/cm to 8.0 mmho/cm). At low salinity levels (0 .5 mmho/cm) dry matter production and the number of pods per pot were increased with the addition of nitrogen in the irrigation water (at the rate of 112 kg N/ha). The application of banded fertilizer phosphorus helped beans overcome the effects of saline conditions and water stress and resulted in increased yield. The application of liquid 10-34-0 fertilizer produced a statistically significant increase in all yield parameters at every level of salinity, and every irrigation frequency studied. Nitrogen fixation was found to decrease as irrigation water salinity increased. The application of 0-50-40 as a fertilizer band treatment increased nitrogen fixation in t he presence of added nitrogen, due probably to the presence of potassium.

The excessive accumulation of salt in the root zone of plants is a problem which is widespread in area, increasing in magnitude, and limiting in its effect upon productivity. Accumulation of salt in the rhizosphere has an effect upon moisture availability for plant use, the nutritional balance of the essential elements, and causes a reduction in plant growth with toxicity often resulting. When plants grow on substrates high in salt, the salt content of the plant also increases. This uptake of salt often results in changes in the morphology of the plant. Accumulation of salt within the plant cells interferes with the protoplasmic activity.

No description available.

No description available.

The purpose of this study was to analyze and quantify the effects of a nebulized saline treatment on speech production in eight females with Primary Sjögren's Syndrome (SS). The duration, formant frequency onset and offset, and slope were measured to determine the quality of participants' production of diphthongal American English vowels. Acoustic data were examined before treatment began, immediately following treatment, and during a one-week follow-up to determine the effects of a laryngeal hydration program that used nebulized saline to increase hydration of structures in the vocal tract. The vowels produced during the initial baseline condition were acoustically relatively similar to the productions of typical speakers not diagnosed with SS. Although some differences in mean vowel duration and formant frequency values were found in the recorded vowel productions, results indicated that the participants' vowel productions remained relatively stable across the different phases of treatment. The absence of large treatment effects, in terms of vowel acoustics, may be due to the possibility that although the dryness associated with SS is an irratant for speakers, it may not affect their ability to produce diphthongal vowels in a significant manner.

Owing to the excess of carbon dioxide emissions in the atmosphere, a transition to a neutral carbon economy is needed. In this framework, Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS), and Carbon Capture Utilization and Storage (CCUS) become essential areas of development. Sequestering CO2 into different geological media such as deep saline aquifers and hydrocarbon reservoirs reduces the net anthropogenic gas emissions. In 2020, the global CO2 emissions corresponded to 31.5 gigatons. In the case of Saudi Arabia, the Riyadh province emitted 45.8 megatons. This study aims to evaluate for the first time the CO2 storage potential of the Unayzah Formation in Saudi Arabia, identify the primary trapping mechanisms, and capture the effects of the highly heterogeneous reservoir. CO2 injection in geological media is challenging because of the complexity of the geological properties and the CO2 phase behavior at super-critical conditions. In the present evaluation, we constructed a geological model only with public domain data. Similarly, we obtained different scenarios of the model on account of the uncertainty in the geological parameters. Later on, we selected a base model representing a conservative scenario to perform high-resolution simulations to determine the dominant mechanisms influencing the storage efficiency. In the main analysis, we simulated continuous injection of CO2 for forty years followed by twenty years of monitoring. We tested the injectivity of the reservoir showing it is possible to inject 1 and 2 megatons in vertical and horizontal wells, respectively. Likewise, lower injection rates improved solubility and residual trapping. Residual trapping is dominant, and it could reach fifty percent, while solubility could reach up to fifteen percent of the total CO2 injected. Along with these scenarios, we performed an Uncertainty Analysis based on porosity and permeability multipliers, salinity, and hysteresis effect. Finally, we demonstrated the effectiveness of the seal, and the structural and stratigraphic trapping. Until the development of the current analysis, there is no evidence of public domain studies assessing the storage potential into saline aquifers in Saudi Arabia. This contribution is essential for developing CCUS and promoting a circular carbon economy in line with the Vision of the Kingdom for the future.

No description available.

The primary soil limitations to crop yield in the Senegalese "Peanut Basin" include salinity, acidity, and fertility. Crop yield may be increased by use of soil amendments and salt-tolerant cultivars. Objectives of this research were to evaluate salt tolerance of various millet (Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R.Br.) cultivars and compare effects of soil amendments on millet growth and yield in greenhouse and field studies. The research included two greenhouse experiments (i) comparing the salt tolerance of seven pearl millet cultivars (IBMV 8402, SOSAT C88, ICMV-IS 88102, IKMP1, IKMP2, IKMV 8201 and GAWANE) using five levels of electrical conductivity (0.3. 2.1, 4.2, 5.2 and 6.3 dS m-1) and (ii) assessing SOSAT C88 responses to various organic (compost and peanut shells) and inorganic (phosphogypsum; PG) amendments in manufactured saline soils (4.2 dSm-1); and (iii) a two-year (2014-2015) field experiment in Senegal evaluating the effects of local organic amendments (peanut shells and compost) on the responses of three millet cultivars (SOSAT C88, GAWANE and IBMV 8402) under low and high soil salinity. Cultivars SOSAT C88 and IBMV 8402 performed best in saline greenhouse media. The soil amendments that elicited the best millet plant responses in the greenhouse experiment were yard waste compost and peanut shells. Phosphogypsum exacerbated salinity effects by increasing electrical conductivity. In the field study, there were no differences among treatments. Cultivars IBMV 8402 and SOSAT C88 could be cultivated in saline soils amended with peanut shells. / Master of Science