Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

A Sampling And Transformation Approach To Solving Random Differential Equations, Roger A. Erich

Theses and Dissertations

This research explores an innovative sampling method used to conduct uncertainty analysis on a system with one random input. Given the distribution of the random input, X, we seek to find the distribution of the output random variable Y. When the functional form of the transformation Y=g(X) is not explicitly known, complicated procedures, such as stochastic projection or Monte Carlo simulation must be employed. The main focus of this research is determining the distribution of the random variable Y=g(X) where g(X) is the solution to an ordinary differential equation and X is a random parameter. Here, y=g(X) is approximated by …

Deconvolution Analysis Of Laser Pulse Profiles From 3-D Ladar Temporal Returns, Michael D. Walter

Theses and Dissertations

Three-dimensional laser imaging systems offer important advantages for battlefield applications, such as night-time targeting and tactical reconnaissance. Recently developed technologies used by coherent detection systems that collect temporally resolved images include arrays of Avalanche Photo-Diodes (APD), Geiger mode APDs, and photo-diodes. Frequently, LADAR systems produce waveforms from each detector that characterize the convolution of the transmitted laser pulse with the target surface. The pulse convolution generates uncertainty as to the precise location of a target surface, which can severely impact various weapon systems' targeting capability. This work analyzes two deconvolution techniques: Wiener filtering and an iterative process derived from the …

Climate Change In Metropolitan Boston, Paul Kirshen, Matthias Ruth, William Anderson

New England Journal of Public Policy

Even though urban infrastructure systems are important and are designed according to socioeconomic and environmental conditions that are very sensitive to climate, there have been few major integrated assessments of the impacts of climate change on metropolitan infrastructure systems and services and possible adaptations. An analysis of the Boston metro area found that adaptation actions taken before full climate-change impacts occur will result in fewer expected negative impacts to the region than waiting for major impacts to occur. Adaptation of infrastructure to climate change must also consider land use management, environmental and socioeconomic impacts, equity, and adaptation actors and institutions. …

Department Of Computer Science Activity 1998-2004, David Kotz

Computer Science Technical Reports

This report summarizes much of the research and teaching activity of the Department of Computer Science at Dartmouth College between late 1998 and late 2004. The material for this report was collected as part of the final report for NSF Institutional Infrastructure award EIA-9802068, which funded equipment and technical staff during that six-year period. This equipment and staff supported essentially all of the department's research activity during that period.

From Young And Hot To Old And Cold: Comparing White Dwarf Cooling Theory To Main-Sequence Stellar Evolution In Open Clusters, Ted Von Hippel

Publications

I explore the current ability of both white dwarf cooling theory and main-sequence stellar evolution theory to accurately determine stellar population ages by comparing ages derived using both techniques for open clusters ranging from 0.1 to 4 Gyr. I find good agreement between white dwarf and main-sequence evolutionary ages over the entire age range currently available for study. I also find that directly comparing main-sequence turnoff ages to white dwarf ages is only weakly sensitive to realistic levels of errors in cluster distance, metallicity, and reddening. Additional detailed comparisons between white dwarf and main-sequence ages have tremendous potential to refine …

Rocky Mountain Wolf Recovery 2005 Interagency Annual Report

Rocky Mountain Wolf Recovery: Annual Reports

The gray wolf (Canis lupus) population in the Northern Rocky Mountain (NRM) states (Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming) continued to increase in distribution and abundance (Figure 1, Tables 4a, 4b). Estimates of wolf numbers at the end of 2005 were 565 wolves in the Central Idaho Recovery Area (CID), 325 in the Greater Yellowstone Recovery Area (GYA), and 130 in the Northwest Montana Recovery Area (NWMT) for a total of 1,020 wolves (Figure 1, Table 4a). By state boundaries, there were an estimated 512 wolves in the state of Idaho, 252 in Wyoming and 256 in Montana (Table 4b). …

Measurement Of The Moments Of The Hadronic Invariant Mass Distribution In Semileptonic B Decays, Darin Acosta, Kenneth A. Bloom, Collider Detector At Fermilab Collaboration

Kenneth Bloom Publications

Using 180 pb^-1 of data collected with the CDF II detector at the Tevatron, we measure the first two moments of the hadronic invariant mass-squared distribution in charmed semileptonic B decays. From these we determine the nonperturbative Heavy Quark Effective Theory parameters Λ and λ₁ used to relate the B meson semileptonic branching ratio to the CKM matrix element |V_cb|. For a minimum lepton momentum of 0.7 GeV/c in the B rest frame we measure the first two moments of the D^**→D^(*) π component to be D^**2>=(5.83±0.16stat±0.08syst) GeV …

Importance Of Perceptual Representation In The Visual Control Of Action, Jack M. Loomis, Andrew C. Beall, Jonathan W. Kelly, Kristen L. Macuga

Jonathan W. Kelly

In recent years, many experiments have demonstrated that optic flow is sufficient for visually controlled action, with the suggestion that perceptual representations of 3-D space are superfluous. In contrast, recent research in our lab indicates that some visually controlled actions, including some thought to be based on optic flow, are indeed mediated by perceptual representations. For example, we have demonstrated that people are able to perform complex spatial behaviors, like walking, driving, and object interception, in virtual environments which are rendered visible solely by cyclopean stimulation (random-dot cinematograms). In such situations, the absence of any retinal optic flow that is …

Virtual Cochlear Implant Insertion For Medical Education, C. Todd, F. Naghdy

Faculty of Informatics - Papers (Archive)

A surgical simulator has been developed for the purpose of training otologists in cochlear implantation. The simulation provides real-time visual and haptic feedback during implant insertion into the human Scala Tympani (ST). The benefits and possible outcomes for this type of simulator are presented. Methods for model generation are discussed, for anatomical and prosthetic structures used in the simulation. Development of the interactive model with force-feedback is presented, with results.

Measurement Of The ΛB0 Lifetime In The Decay ΛB0 → J/Ψλ0 With The D0 Detector, V. M. Abazov, Gregory Snow, D0 Collaboration

Gregory Snow Publications

We present measurements of the Λ_b⁰ lifetime in the exclusive decay channel Λ_b⁰ → J/ψΛ⁰, with J/ψ → μ⁺μ^- and Λ⁰ → pπ^-, the B⁰ lifetime in the decay Λ⁰ → J/ψK_s⁰ with J/ψ → μ⁺μ^- and K_s⁰ → π⁺π^-, and the ratio of these lifetimes. The analysis is based on approximately 250 pb^-1 of data recorded with the D0 detector in pp̅ collisions at √s = …

Crop Updates 2005 - Katanning, Brian Mcalpine, David Stephens, Nicola Telcik, K. Jayasena, R. Loughman, G. Thomas, C. Beard, B. Paynter, Colin Mann, Ross Kingwell, Frances Hoyle, D. V. Murphy, N. Milton, M. Osman, L. K. Abbott, W. R. Cookson, S. Darmawanto, Bill Bowden, Blakely Paynter, K. Regan, P. White, K. Siddique, K. Adhikari, M. Harries, Ian Pritchard, Angelo Loi, Phil Nichols, Clinton Revell, David Ferris, Bill Roy, Sally Peltzer, Dave Minkey, Michael Walsh, Alexandra Douglas, Meredith Fairbanks, Ian Foster, Geraldine Pasqual, David Tennant, Belinda Barr, Heather Bray, Steve Penny, Narelle Hill, Ron Mctaggart, Wal Anderson, Ray Tugwell, Svetlana Micic, Phil Michael, Roy Butler, Keith Croker

Crop Updates

This session covers twenty five papers from different authors

KEYNOTE

How Farmers Can Work Together for a More Sustainable and Profitable Business, Brian McAlpine Farmer, Nuffield Scholar

GENERAL

1. 2005 Seasonal Outlook, David Stephens and Nicola Telcik, Department of Agriculture

2. Essentials for cereal leaf disease management, K. Jayasena, R. Loughman, G. Thomas, C. Beard, and B. Paynter, Department of Agriculture

3. Benefits to the grower of grain licensing, Colin Mann, Grain Licensing Authority SOIL & NUTRIENTS

4. The effect of higher nitrogen fertiliser prices on rotation and fertiliser strategies in cropping systems, Ross Kingwell …

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Search For Excited And Exotic Electrons In The E Γ Decay Channel In Pp̅ Collisions At √S =1.96 Tev, Darin Acosta, Kenneth A. Bloom, Collider Detector At Fermilab Collaboration

Kenneth Bloom Publications

We present a search for excited and exotic electrons (e*) decaying to an electron and a photon, both with high transverse momentum. We use 202 pb^-1 of data collected in pp̅ collisions at √s =1.96 TeV with the Collider Detector at Fermilab II detector. No signal above standard model expectation is seen for associated ee* production. We discuss the e* sensitivity in the parameter space of the excited electron mass M_e^* and the compositeness energy scale Λ. In the contact interaction model, we exclude 132 GeV/c²e^*/c² for Λ =M_e^* at …

The Effects Of Fault-Induced Stress Anisotropy On Fracturing, Folding And Sill Emplacement: Insights From The Bowie Coal Mines, Southern Piceance Basin, Western Colorado., Eric Dean Robeck

Theses and Dissertations

The recognition of fault-perturbed stress fields is an important tool in areas of mineral or hydrocarbon exploration. The Bowie underground coal mines of western Colorado expose a reverse-reactivated growth fault that perturbed the stress field during cleat (fracture) formation, rotating cleat orientations up to 500 m on both sides of the fault. Two unusual fracture types are found only in coal adjacent to the fault: (1) concentric cleats, highly curved fractures that form blocks resembling balls or eggs and (2) horsetail cleats, striated surfaces that superficially resemble shattercones and result from shear failure in coal. Numerical models created with the …

Exploring Causal Influences, Eric M. Neufeld, Sonje K. Kristtorn, Qingjuan Guan, Manon Sanscartier, Colin Ware

Center for Coastal and Ocean Mapping

Recent data mining techniques exploit patterns of statistical independence in multivariate data to make conjectures about cause/effect relationships. These relationships can be used to construct causal graphs, which are sometimes represented by weighted node-link diagrams, with nodes representing variables and combinations of weighted links and/or nodes showing the strength of causal relationships. We present an interactive visualization for causal graphs (ICGs), inspired in part by the Influence Explorer. The key principles of this visualization are as follows: Variables are represented with vertical bars attached to nodes in a graph. Direct manipulation of variables is achieved by sliding a variable value …

South Florida Coastal Water Quality Monitoring Network - 10-12/04 Quarterly Report (C-15397), Joseph N. Boyer

SERC Research Reports

No abstract provided.

The Higgs Sector On A Two-Sheeted Space Time, Cosmin Macesanu, Kameshwar C. Wali

Physics - All Scholarship

We present a general formalism based on the framework of non-commutative geometry, suitable to the study the standard model of electroweak interactions, as well as that of more general gauge theories. Left- and right-handed chiral fields are assigned to two different sheets of space-time (a discretized version of Kaluza-Klein theory). Scalar Higgs fields find themselves treated on the same footing as the gauge fields, resulting in spontaneous symmetry breaking in a natural and predictable way. We first apply the formalism to the Standard Model, where one can predict the Higgs mass and the top Yukawa coupling. We then study the …

Clean, High-Yield Preparation Of S,S- And R,S- Amino Acid Isosteres, Aslam A. Malik, Todd E. Clement, Hasan Palandoken, James Robinson Iii, Joy A. Stringer

Chemistry and Biochemistry

The present invention provides compounds and methods that can be used to convert the intermediate halomethyl ketones (HMKs), e.g., chloromethyl ketones, to the corresponding S,S- and R,S-diastereomers. More particularly, the present invention provides: (1) reduction methods; (2) inversion methods; and (3) methods involving the epoxidation of alkenes. Using the various methods of the present invention, the R,S-epoxide and the intermediary compounds can be prepared reliably, in high yields and in high purity.

Google Scholar: The Next Big Thing?, Gordon C. Tibbitts

Gordon C. Tibbitts III

The question of whether Google Scholar is the next big thing is really not answerable. After enabling Google Scholar to crawl publishers proprietary content publishers have learned Google is an unusual partner when it comes to copyright and partnership. Second, nothing is free. Third, stakeholders (researchers, students, librarians, etc.) have differing views of quality. Fourth, branding and attribution of content in a big search engine space will be difficult, and, more critically, may only be achievable collectively. Finally, it is evident that incomplete search services such as Google Scholar need an integrative strategy in order to retain value.

Crossover Energetics For Halogenated Si(100): Vacancy Line Defects, Dimer Vacancy Lines, And Atom Vacancy Lines, G. J. Xu, Nikolai A. Zarkevich, Abhishek Agrawal, A. W. Signore, B. R. Trenhaile, Duane D. Johnson, J. H. Weaver

Duane D. Johnson

We investigated surface patterning of I-Si(100)-(2×1) both experimentally and theoretically. Using scanning tunneling microscopy, we first examined I destabilization of Si(100)-(2×1) at near saturation. Dimer vacancies formed on the terraces at 600 K, and they grew into lines that were perpendicular to the dimer rows, termed vacancy line defects. These patterns were distinctive from those induced by Cl and Br under similar conditions since the latter formed atom and dimer vacancy lines that were parallel to the dimer rows. Using first-principles density functional theory, we determined the steric repulsive interactions associated with iodine and showed how the observed defect patterns …

Landslide Surveillance: New Tools For An Old Problem, J. Chadwick, G. Thackray, S. Dorsch, N. Glenn

Nancy Glenn

Landslides are one of the most widespread geological hazards on Earth, responsible for hundreds of deaths and billions of dollars in property damage per year. Landslides commonly occur with other natural disasters (e.g., earthquakes, floods) and leave the landscape prone to sedimentation, erosion, and further mass wasting.

Red Rock Desert Learning Center Core Group Meeting: March 15, 2005, Red Rock Desert Learning Center

Reports (RRLC)

1. Introductions (5 min.)
2. Approval of Minutes from January 18, 2005 Meeting (5 min.)
3. Core Curriculum Development: Timeline and Progress Report – Jeannie Klockow (30 min.)
4. Update on Water Testing – Bob Boyd (15 min.)
5. A. Line and Space Architects – Les Wallach/Henry Tom
   B. UNLV/CESU – Nancy Flagg
   C. BLM – Michael Reiland
6. Committee Reports (5 min.)
7. Open Discussion / New Business (5 min.)

Observational Investigations Of Gravity Wave Momentum Flux With Spectroscopic Imaging, J. Tang, G. R. Swenson, Alan Z. Liu, F. Kamalabadi

Physical Sciences - Daytona Beach

We apply a newly developed gravity wave momentum flux estimation method to the mesospheric measurements obtained with colocated airglow imager and meteor radar at Maui, Hawaii (20.7ºN, 156.3ºW), during the Maui Mesosphere and Lower Thermosphere (Maui MALT) campaign. The method identifies individual quasi-monochromatic gravity waves with periods between 6 and ~40 min, estimates the intrinsic wave parameters, and calculates the momentum fluxes carried by vertically propagating waves. Data taken on 28 October 2003 are analyzed in detail to reveal the relationship between momentum flux and wave parameters. The January, April, July, and October 2003 data are divided into summer and …

Probabilistic Modeling Of Tephra Dispersal: Hazard Assessment Of A Multiphase Rhyolitic Eruption At Tarawera, New Zealand, Costanza Bonadonna, Charles B. Connor, B. F. Houghton, Laura Connor, Marc A. Byrne, A. Laing, T. K. Hincks

Geology Faculty Publications

The Tarawera Volcanic Complex comprises 11 rhyolite domes formed during five major eruptions between 17,000 B.C. and A.D. 1886, the first four of which were predominantly rhyolitic. The only historical event erupted about 2 km³ of basaltic tephra fall (A.D. 1886). The youngest rhyolitic event erupted a tephra fall volume more than 2 times larger and covered a wider area northwest and southeast of the volcano (∼A.D. 1315 Kaharoa eruption). We have used the Kaharoa scenario to assess the tephra fall hazard from a future rhyolitic eruption at Tarawera of a similar scale. The Plinian phase of this eruption …

Low-Temperature Ferromagnetic Properties Of The Diluted Magnetic Semiconductor Sb2-X Crx Te3 ., Jeffrey Dyck, Č. Drašar, P. LošŤÁK, C. Uher

Jeffrey Dyck

We report on magnetic and electrical transport properties of Sb2-x Crx Te3 single crystals with 0⩽x⩽0.095 over temperatures from 2 K to 300 K . A ferromagnetic state develops in these crystals at low temperatures with Curie temperatures that are proportional to x (for x>0.014 ), attaining a maximum value of 20 K for x=0.095 . Hysteresis below TC for the applied field parallel to the c axis is observed in both magnetization and Hall-effect measurements. Magnetic as well as transport data indicate that Cr takes the 3+ (3 d3 ) valence state, substituting for antimony in the host …

Improvements To And Status Of The Data Quality Health And Status System, K. Kehoe, K. Sonntag, R. Peppler, B. Burkholder, C. Shafer, M. Zaman, T. Thompson, S. Moore, Gary B. Hughes, K. Doty

Statistics

The Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Data Quality Office (DQO) has made a number of improvements and additions over the past year to its main tool for inspecting and assessing ARM data quality—the Data Quality Health and Status (DQ HandS) system (http://dq.arm.gov/). Among the improvements and additions, some of which are shown below, are the inclusion of ARM Mobile Facility (AMF) data; a new plot browser to facilitate the viewing of DQ HandS diagnostic plots; an improved method for writing and databasing weekly data quality assessment reports; a new automated daily alert, an improved method for searching ARM report databases (see …

Instrument Cross-Comparisons And Automated Quality Control Of Atmospheric Radiation Measurement Data, S. Moore, Gary B. Hughes

Statistics

Within the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) instrument network, several different systems often measure the same quantity at the same site. For example, several ARM instruments measure time-series profiles of the atmosphere that were previously available only from balloon-borne radiosonde systems. These instruments include the Radar Wind Profilers (RWP) with Radio-Acoustic Sounding Systems (RASS), the Atmospheric Emitted Radiance Interferometer (AERI), the Microwave Radiometer Profiler (MWRP), and the Raman Lidar (RL). ARM researchers have described methods for direct cross-comparison of time-series profiles (Coulter and Lesht 1996; Turner et al. 1996) and we have extended this concept to the development of methods for …

New Confidence Intervals For The Difference Between Two Sensitivities At A Fixed Level Of Specificity, Gengsheng Qin, Yu-Sheng Hsu, Xiao-Hua Zhou

UW Biostatistics Working Paper Series

For two continuous-scale diagnostic tests, it is of interest to compare their sensitivities at a predetermined level of specificity. In this paper we propose three new intervals for the difference between two sensitivities at a fixed level of specificity. These intervals are easy to compute. We also conduct simulation studies to compare the relative performance of the new intervals with the existing normal approximation based interval proposed by Wieand et al (1989). Our simulation results show that the newly proposed intervals perform better than the existing normal approximation based interval in terms of coverage accuracy and interval length.

Site-Specific And Synergistic Stimulation Of Methylation On The Bacterial Chemotaxis Receptor Tsr By Serine And Chew, Robert Weis

Robert Weis

Background Specific glutamates in the methyl-accepting chemotaxis proteins (MCPs) of Escherichia coli are modified during sensory adaptation. Attractants that bind to MCPs are known to increase the rate of receptor modification, as with serine and the serine receptor (Tsr), which contributes to an increase in the steady-state (adapted) methylation level. However, MCPs form ternary complexes with two cytoplasmic signaling proteins, the kinase (CheA) and an adaptor protein (CheW), but their influences on receptor methylation are unknown. Here, the influence of CheW on the rate of Tsr methylation has been studied to identify contributions to the process of adaptation. Results Methyl …

Lake Whatcom Monitoring Project 2003/2004 Report, Robin A. Matthews, Michael Hilles, Joan Vandersypen, Robert J. Mitchell, Geoffrey B. Matthews

Lake Whatcom Annual Reports

This report is part of an on-going series of annual reports and special project reports that document the Lake Whatcom monitoring program. This work is conducted by the Institute for Watershed Studies and other departments at Western Washington University.

The major objective of this program is to provide long-term baseline water quality monitoring in Lake Whatcom and selected tributaries. Each section contains brief explanations about the water quality data, along with discussions of patterns observed in Lake Whatcom.

Land Planning And Development Mitigation For Protecting Water Quality In The Great Lakes System: An Evaluation Of U.S. Approaches, Elizabeth Brabec, Peter Kumble

Elizabeth Brabec

A review of the land use/water quality interface of the Great Lakes system, and the monitoring programs in place. The paper reviews the weakness in the system and suggests opportunities for improvement.