Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Beyond Home Automation: Designing More Effective Smart Home Systems, Paolo Carner

9th. IT & T Conference

This paper outlines a Smart Home Proof-of-Concept system that uses a Bayesian Network to predict the likelihood of a monitored event to occur. Firstly, this paper will provide an introduction to the concept of a smart home system; then it will outline how Artificial Intelligence concepts can be used to make such systems more effective. Finally, it will detail the implementation of a smart home system, which uses an inference engine to determine the likelihood of a fire. The system prototype has implemented using a LonWorks™ hardware kit and a Netica™ Bayesian Network engine from Norsys.

Error Rate Based Analytical Switchover Approach For Multi-Homed Body Sensor Networks, Sadik Armagan, Enda Fallon, Yuansong Qiao

9th. IT & T Conference

For patients who have undergone cardiovascular surgery it is necessary to monitor vital signs such as respiration, oxygen in the blood, temperature, and electrocardiogram (ECG) in real time. As well as the sensor device, many existing solutions need a bulky coordinating unit like a PDA located on the patient for network communication. In this paper we investigate an infrastructure mode based approach in which the wireless sensor, communicates directly with the wireless access point. Our investigation particularly focuses on how the emerging technology, Media Independent Handover (MIH) can be used by the wireless sensor to manage path migration. Since MIH …

Qos-Aware Iptv Routing Algorithms, Patrick Mcdonagh, Philip Perry, Liam Murphy

9th. IT & T Conference

The aim of this paper is to describe how QoS (Quality of Service) metrics such as packet delay can be used to optimise the routing algorithms used in a network where IP Television (IPTV) content is being distributed. We outline the usage of metric instrumentation in a network to gauge the bandwidth limits of the network and how to use this information to generate a model of network link utilisation. Furthermore, we show that as the link utilisation rates change in our network model, we can modify the network routing algorithms to optimise the distribution of IPTV content to end-users.

Parallelised Em Wave Progagation Modelling For Accurate Network Simulation, Catalin David, Conor Brennan, Olga Ormond, Marie Mullen

9th. IT & T Conference

A description of ongoing work which aims to provide better quality propagation models for use in network simulators is provided in this paper. A 3D ray-tracing model is described which allows for accurate specification of a variety of wave scattering phenomena. Details of its parallelisation are given as well as a discussion of future work including the incorporation of a visibility algorithm. Results illustrate the increased realism obtained by using site-specific propagation models.

Context Aware Smart Classroom For Real Time Configuration Of Computer Rooms, Paula Kelly, Peter Daly, Ciaran O'Driscoll

9th. IT & T Conference

The Context Aware Smart Classroom (CASC) is a classroom that responds to lecturers and student groups based on preset policies and the lecture timetables. CASC has been enhanced in two ways: initially to support the real-time software configuration of computers as required by specific laboratory activities; secondly to improve the decision making using knowledge engineering techniques. This paper outlines the design, implementation and evaluation of an enhanced system, CASC for Software Configuration (CASC–SC). Context aware environments respond in a pseudo-intelligent manner depending on the identity of occupants, particular location, desired activity and specific time. With the pervasive nature of personal …

A Mobile Multimodal Dialogue System For Location Based Services, Niels Schütte, John D. Kelleher, Brian Macnamee

9th. IT & T Conference

This paper describes ongoing work on the dialogue management components for LOK8, a multimodal dialogue system. We describe our plans for a basic architecture of the system, the rough modules and outline the kinds of models in the project, as well as the next steps in our work.

Vocate: Auditory Interfaces For The Lok8 Project, John Mcgee, Charlie Cullen

9th. IT & T Conference

The auditory modality has a number of unique advantages over other modalities, such as a fast neural processing rate and focus-independence. As part of the LOK8 project’s aim to develop location-based services, the Vocate module will be seeking to exploit these advantages to augment the overall usability of the LOK8 interface and also to deliver scalable content in scenarios where the user may be in transit or requires focus-independence. This paper discusses these advantages and outlines three possible approaches that the Vocate module may take within the LOK8 project: speech interfaces, auditory user interfaces, and sonification.

Intelligent Virtual Agent: Creating A Multi-Modal 3d Avatar Interface, Mark Dunne, Brian Mac Namee, John D. Kelleher

9th. IT & T Conference

Human-computer interactions can be greatly enhanced by the use of 3D avatars, representing both human users and computer systems in 3D virtual spaces. This allows the human user to interface with the computer system in a natural and intuitive human-to-human dialog (human face-to-face conversation). Hence, continuing to blur the boundaries between the real and virtual worlds. This proposed avatar system will go a step further and will use a camera to track the user’s head and eye movements during the dialog. This information will help to build rapport between the user and computer system by registering the user’s emotional state …

Tracker: Indoor Positioning For The Lok8 Project, Viacheslav Filonenko, James Carswell

9th. IT & T Conference

Spatial awareness is identified as a key feature of today’s mobile devices. While outdoor navigation has been accessible and broadly used for some time already with the help of GPS, indoor positioning has not yet made it into mainstream life. GPS and other GNSS systems offer accuracy of a scale different to that required for efficient indoor navigation. This research aims to investigate how a number of sensors such as a Digital Compass, Bluetooth and Accelerometer may be combined to calculate device position and orientation to perform directional querying in a spatial database. These three technologies were chosen because they …

Q-Groupoids And Their Cohomology, Rajan Amit Mehta

Mathematics Sciences: Faculty Publications

We approach Mackenzie's L{script}A{script}-groupoids from a supergeometric point of view by introducing Q-groupoids, which are groupoid objects in the category of Q-manifolds. There is a faithful functor from the category of L{script}A{script}-groupoids to the category of Q-groupoids. We associate to every Qgroupoid a double complex that provides a model for the Q-cohomology of the classifying space. As examples, we obtain models for equivariant Q-and orbifold Q-cohomology, and for equivariant Lie algebroid and orbifold Lie algebroid cohomology. We obtain double complexes associated to Poisson groupoids and groupoid-algebroid "matched pairs".

Case Studies Of Imf Driven Auroral Emissions, Ryan James Soldin

Master's Theses - Daytona Beach

The topic of solar wind - magnetosphere - ionosphere coupling has become increasingly important in recent years, as it deals with the energy transfer from the Sun to the Earth. The solar wind plasma has direct entry into Earth's ionosphere at the polar cusp. At the cusp Earth's magnetic fields lines are open and connect .directly to the magnetic field lines of the solar wind. The energy from the solar wind particles precipitating into the ionosphere are dissipated as the aurora. The purpose of this thesis was to present case studies of the coupled relationship between the periodic fluctuations in …

Lipid-Protein Interactions Probed By Electron Crystallography, Steve L. Reichow, Tamir Gonen

Chemistry Faculty Publications and Presentations

Electron crystallography is arguably the only electron cryomicroscopy (cryoEM) technique able to deliver an atomic-resolution structure of membrane proteins embedded in the lipid-bilayer. In the electron crystallographic structures of the light driven ion pump, bacteriorhodopsin, and the water channel, aquaporin-0, sufficiently high resolution was obtained and both lipid and protein were visualized, modeled and described in detail. An extensive network of lipid-protein interactions mimicking native membranes is established and maintained in two-dimensional (2D) crystalline vesicles used for structural analysis by electron crystallography. Lipids are tightly integrated into the protein's architecture where they can affect the function, structure, quaternary assembly and …

Phenotopic Plasticity Of Leaf Shape Along A Temperature Gradient In Acer Rubrum, Dana L. Royer, Laura A. Meyerson, Kevin M. Robertson, Jonathan M. Adams

Natural Resources Science Faculty Publications

Both phenotypic plasticity and genetic determination can be important for understanding how plants respond to environmental change. However, little is known about the plastic response of leaf teeth and leaf dissection to temperature. This gap is critical because these leaf traits are commonly used to reconstruct paleoclimate from fossils, and such studies tacitly assume that traits measured from fossils reflect the environment at the time of their deposition, even during periods of rapid climate change. We measured leaf size and shape in Acer rubrum derived from four seed sources with a broad temperature range and grown for two years in …

Duty Cycle Maintenance In An Artificial Neuron, William Halbert Barnett

Physics and Astronomy Theses

Neuroprosthetics is at the intersection of neuroscience, biomedical engineering, and physics. A biocompatible neuroprosthesis contains artificial neurons exhibiting biophysically plausible dynamics. Hybrid systems analysis could be used to prototype such artificial neurons. Biohybrid systems are composed of artificial and living neurons coupled via real-time computing and dynamic clamp. Model neurons must be thoroughly tested before coupled with a living cell. We use bifurcation theory to identify hazardous regimes of activity that may compromise biocompatibility and to identify control strategies for regimes of activity desirable for functional behavior. We construct real-time artificial neurons for the analysis of hybrid systems and demonstrate …

How Does A Visual Monitoring System Foster Sustainable Behavior?, Melissa Haeffner, Federico Casalegno

Environmental Science and Management Faculty Publications and Presentations

Americans spend upwards of 90% of each day in buildings that account for two-thirds of electricity usage. Because the supply of smart buildings will take time to catch up with demand, efforts are sought to develop informed and educated people to live and work in these “dumb” buildings. Additionally, energy efficiency alone may be inadequate to achieve major reduction in carbon emissions (Darby, 2006). Finding ways to intentionally change the lifestyle behavior in a household should have significant implications in reducing environmental impacts as fossil energy use in resident homes is directly related to the exploitation of natural resources and …

Design And Implementation Of S-Marks: A Secure Middleware For Pervasive Computing Applications, Sheikh Iqbal Ahamed, Haifeng Li, Nilothpal Talukder, Mehrab Monjur, Chowdhury Sharif Hasan

Mathematics, Statistics and Computer Science Faculty Research and Publications

As portable devices have become a part of our everyday life, more people are unknowingly participating in a pervasive computing environment. People engage with not a single device for a specific purpose but many devices interacting with each other in the course of ordinary activity. With such prevalence of pervasive technology, the interaction between portable devices needs to be continuous and imperceptible to device users. Pervasive computing requires a small, scalable and robust network which relies heavily on the middleware to resolve communication and security issues. In this paper, we present the design and implementation of S-MARKS which incorporates device …

Galaxy Zoo: ‘Hanny's Voorwerp’, A Quasar Light Echo?, Chris J. Lintott, Kevin Schawinski, William Keel, Hanny Van Arkel, Nicola Bennert, Edward Edmondson, Daniel Thomas, Daniel J.B. Smith, Peter D. Herbert, Matt J. Jarvis, Shanil Virani, Dan Andreescu, Steven P. Bamford, Kate Land, Phil Murray, Robert C. Nichol, M. Jordan Raddick, Anže Slosar, Alex Azalay, Jan Vandenberg

Physics

We report the discovery of an unusual object near the spiral galaxy IC 2497, discovered by visual inspection of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) as part of the Galaxy Zoo project. The object, known as Hanny's Voorwerp, is bright in the SDSS g band due to unusually strong [O iii]4959, 5007 emission lines. We present the results of the first targeted observations of the object in the optical, ultraviolet and X-ray, which show that the object contains highly ionized gas. Although the line ratios are similar to extended emission-line regions near luminous active galactic nucleus (AGN), the source of …

Second Life Complements The Internet For Reference Librarians, Florence Tang

Georgia Library Quarterly

The article describes the Second Life culture as an interactive virtual environment from the perspective of a reference librarian. The cited advantages of using Second Life are synchronous interaction with other people, clearer appearance of chat text messages, incorporation of social norms, and accessibility. Among the noted obstacles to using Second Life are its price, intentional distress of other avatars, empty virtual public places, less hierarchy among participants, chatting via rapid typing, and quick change of landscapes and avatars.

Evolution Of The Cretaceous Calcareous Nannofossil Genus Eiffellithus And Its Biostratigraphic Significance, J. L. Shamrock, David K. Watkins

Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences: Faculty Publications

The calcareous nannofossil genus Eiffellithus is an important taxon of mid- to Upper Cretaceous marine sediments in biostratigraphy and paleoceanography. The definition of species within Eiffellithus have been both broadly interpreted and variably applied by nannofossil workers. This is particularly true for the Eiffellithus eximius plexus. While the taxonomy of mid-Cretaceous Eiffellithus species has recently been well-defined, the remaining 35 m.y. history of the genus has not been closely examined. Our investigation of Cenomanian to Maastrichtian sediments from the Western Interior Seaway, Gulf of Mexico, and Western Atlantic gives rise to six new species of Eiffellithus that can be reliably …

Lake Mead National Recreation Area Vegetation Monitoring And Analysis: Quarterly Progress Report, July 1, 2009 To September 30, 2009, Margaret N. Rees

Vegetation Monitoring

Executive Summary

• Weed Sentry staff surveyed over 55 miles and 311 acres (most of which was conducted by foot) this quarter.
• Planning for future Brassica tournefortii research projects has been implemented through collaboration between PLI and NPS staff.
• Preliminary results from ongoing Brassica tournefortii projects indicate little effect of disturbance on abundance of the species, but, as expected, the species benefitted with increased water availability
• Rare plant data monitoring and data entry for this season is complete.
• Pre-planning activities for the upcoming Northshore Road restoration plantings and evaluation were initiated.
• Gypsum restoration research is ongoing, data are being analyzed and …

Unlv Magazine, Matthew K. Jacobsen, Holly Ivy De Vore, Lisa Arth, Cate Weeks, Greg Lacour, Tony Allen, Afsha Bawany, Barbara Cloud, Gian Galassi, Phil Hagen, Karyn S. Hollingsworth, Michelle Mouton, Erin O'Donnell

UNLV Magazine

No abstract provided.

Third Grade Lesson Plan: Where Does Heat Come From?, Getaway Special Team 2009

Education and Outreach

No abstract provided.

Sixth Grade Lesson Plan: Heat Moves, Getaway Special Team 2009

Education and Outreach

No abstract provided.

Fifth Grade Lesson Plan: Solid, Liquid, And Gas, Getaway Special Team 2009

Education and Outreach

No abstract provided.

Uav Intelligent Path Planning For Wilderness Search And Rescue, Michael A. Goodrich, Lanny Lin

Faculty Publications

In the priority search phase of Wilderness Search and Rescue, a probability distribution map is created. Areas with higher probabilities are searched first in order to find the missing person in the shortest expected time. When using a UAV to support search, the onboard video camera should cover as much of the important areas as possible within a set time. We explore several algorithms (with and without set destination) and describe some novel techniques in solving this problem and compare their performances against typical WiSAR scenarios. This problem is NP-hard, but our algorithms yield high quality solutions that approximate the …

Livecut: Learning-Based Interactive Video Segmentation By Evaluation Of Multiple Propagated Cues, Bryan S. Morse, Brian L. Price, Scott Cohen

Faculty Publications

Video sequences contain many cues that may be used to segment objects in them, such as color, gradient, color adjacency, shape, temporal coherence, camera and object motion, and easily-trackable points. This paper introduces LIVEcut, a novel method for interactively selecting objects in video sequences by extracting and leveraging as much of this information as possible. Using a graph-cut optimization framework, LIVEcut propagates the selection forward frame by frame, allowing the user to correct any mistakes along the way if needed. Enhanced methods of extracting many of the features are provided. In order to use the most accurate information from the …

Basic Analysis: Introduction To Real Analysis, Jiří Lebl

Open Educational Resources Collection

This free online textbook (OER more formally) is a course in undergraduate real analysis (somewhere it is called "advanced calculus"). The book is meant both for a basic course for students who do not necessarily wish to go to graduate school, but also as a more advanced course that also covers topics such as metric spaces and should prepare students for graduate study. A prerequisite for the course is a basic proof course. An advanced course could be two semesters long with some of the second-semester topics such as multivariable differential calculus, path integrals, and the multivariable integral using the …

State Of The States 2009: Renewable Energy Development And The Role Of Policy, Elizabeth Doris, Joyce Mclaren, Victoria Healey, Stephen Hockett

Publications (E)

As U.S. states increasingly focus on developing renewable energy resources, there is a need to track the progress of development, as well as the policies and support mechanisms being implemented to encourage this development. Beyond tracking, the evaluation of policy measures is necessary to determine their effectiveness, guide future efforts, and efficiently allocate resources. This report addresses each of these needs. It provides a detailed picture of the status of renewable energy development in each of the U.S. states using a variety of metrics and discusses the policies being used to encourage this development. The report then explores the context …

Sparticus: Small Particles In Cirrus Science And Operations Plan, J. Mace, E. Jensen, G. Mcfarquhar, J. Comstock, T. Ackerman, David L. Mitchell, X. Liu, T. Garrett

Publications (E)

From a mass-weighted perspective, cirrus clouds exert an enormous influence on the radiative energy budget of the earth?s climate system. Owing to their location in the cold upper troposphere, cirrus can significantly reduce the outgoing longwave radiation while, at the same time, remaining relatively transmissive to solar energy. Thus, cirrus clouds are the only cloud genre that can exert a direct radiative warming influence on the climate system (Ackerman et al. 1988). It is not surprising, therefore, that general circulation models (GCMs) are especially sensitive to the presence of cirrus in the model atmosphere. Lohmann and Roeckner (1995), for instance, …

Greenhouse Gas Inventory Report, Ilonka Zlatar, Cassidee Shinn

Reports (USI)

National and international organizations and programs like the United States Global Change Research Project and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change agree, and scientific evidence indicates, that anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions are resulting in global climate change. Unless actions are taken to reverse and reduce the effects of these emissions, future generations will need to either adapt to or bear the burden of the changed environment. Individuals, companies, institutions, municipalities and countries are being called upon during this urgent world crisis. Universities, which support research and education, have a unique opportunity to become leaders in sustainability.

In October 2007, the …