Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Enhancements To Hierarchical Pathfinding Algorithms, Xin Li

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In this thesis we study the problem of pathfinding in static grid-based maps. We apply the approach of abstraction and refinement. We abstract the grid map into a graph representation, and use the classic A* algorithm to search for a path in the abstract space, and then refine it into low-level path.

We started with a 2013 entry program to the Grid-based Path Planning Competition, and implemented several enhancements to experiment with the tradeoff between memory usage and search speed. Our program returns the refined low-level path incrementally, therefore reduces the first-move lag in large maps. We cache the low-level …

Model Based Security Testing For Autonomous Vehicles, Seana Lisa Hagerman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this dissertation is to introduce a novel approach to generate a security test suite to mitigate malicious attacks on an autonomous system. Our method uses model based testing (MBT) methods to model system behavior, attacks and mitigations as independent threads in an execution stream. The threads intersect at a rendezvous or attack point. We build a security test suite from a behavioral model, an attack type and a mitigation model using communicating extended finite state machine (CEFSM) models. We also define an applicability matrix to determine which attacks are possible with which states. Our method then builds …

Leveraging Client Processing For Location Privacy In Mobile Local Search, Wisam Mohamed Eltarjaman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Usage of mobile services is growing rapidly. Most Internet-based services targeted for PC based browsers now have mobile counterparts. These mobile counterparts often are enhanced when they use user's location as one of the inputs. Even some PC-based services such as point of interest Search, Mapping, Airline tickets, and software download mirrors now use user's location in order to enhance their services. Location-based services are exactly these, that take the user's location as an input and enhance the experience based on that. With increased use of these services comes the increased risk to location privacy. The location is considered an …

C-Reactive Protein Interactions With Cellular Membranes And Supported Lipid Bilayers, Aml Abd Alhamed Alnaas

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

C-reactive protein (CRP) is a serum protein that binds to damaged membranes and initiates the complement immune response. Different forms of CRP are thought to alter how the body responds to inflammation and the degradation of foreign material. Despite knowing that a modified form of CRP(mCRP) binds to downstream protein binding partners better than the native pentameric form, the role of CRP conformation on lipid binding is yet unknown. In this work, three main assays were performed to characterize how conformation affects CRP-membrane interactions. The first assay utilized supported lipid bilayers that mimic the plasma membrane of apoptotic cells. The …

The Effect Of Morphology On Carrier Dynamics In Solution Processed Solar Cells, Alexander G. Dixon

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation looks at the charge transport properties of solution processed solar cells and how these properties are effected by the microstructure and morphology of the material. It begins with an introduction and history of the field of solution processed solar cells, focusing on organic photovoltaics and perovskites. The physics and issues of charge transport in these materials are reviewed, and the transport probing techniques of photo-Charge Extraction via Linearly Increasing Voltage (photo-CELIV), Metal Insulator Semiconductor-CELIV (MIS-CELIV), and Resistance Photovoltage (RPV) are detailed.

The photo-CEILV technique is used to probe P3HT devices of varying molecular weights. This material is known …

Upper Cenomanian-Lower Campanian Derdere And Karababa Formations In The Çemberlitaş Oil Field, Southeastern Turkey: Their Microfacies Analyses, Depositional Environments, And Sequence Stratigraphy, Oğuz Mülayi̇m, Ernest Mancini, İbrahi̇m Çemen, İsmai̇l Ömer Yilmaz

Turkish Journal of Earth Sciences

The frontal belt of the southeastern Anatolia fold-thrust belt in Turkey contains several small to mid-size oilfields, producing from carbonate reservoirs of the Cretaceous Mardin group. Many of these fields are found along narrow, asymmetrical anticlinal structures, associated with the formation of the fold-thrust belt. The Çemberlitaş oil field in Adıyaman, southeastern Turkey, is one of the most important oilfields in the region. It produces from the Upper Cretaceous Derdere and Karababa formations of the Mardin group. We have conducted a detailed study of the microfacies, depositional environments, and sequence stratigraphy of the Karababa (Coniacian-lower Campanian) and Derdere (mid-Cenomanian-Turonian) formations …

Late Quaternary Paleoceanographic Evolution Of The Aegean Sea: Planktonic Foraminifera And Stable Isotopes, Ekrem Bursi̇n İşler, Ali̇ Engi̇n Aksu, Richard Nicholas Hiscott

Turkish Journal of Earth Sciences

Aspects of the paleoclimatic and paleoceanographic evolution of the Aegean Sea since ~130 ka are revealed by quantitative variations in planktonic faunal assemblages, the Δ18O and Δ13C isotopic composition of benthic and planktonic foraminifera, and Mg/Ca ratios in planktonic foraminifera extracted from five 6-10-m-long piston cores. Independent sea surface temperature (SST) estimates obtained using planktonic foraminiferal transfer functions and the Mg/Ca ratios show excellent agreement, with r2 correlation coefficients of 0.92-0.95. Planktonic foraminiferal assemblages are similar, through time, across several deep basins, suggesting that major changes must have occurred in near synchroneity across the Aegean Sea. The data suggest that …

Quartz-Mica Schist And Gneiss Hosted Clay Deposits Within The Yenipazar(Yozgat, Central Anatolia) Volcanogenic Massive Sulfide Ore, Şih Ali̇ Sayin

Turkish Journal of Earth Sciences

The Yenipazar deposit of volcanogenic sulfide occurrence, situated approximately 9 km SW of Yenipazar, is hosted in quartz-muscovite schists and gneiss. Following the Late Cretaceous, the quartz-mica schists and gneiss have been altered to clay minerals, resulting in important kaolin deposits. The clay deposits consist mainly of halloysite, kaolinite, smectite, illite, muscovite, chlorite, and α-quartz. Biotite, alunite, jarosite, pyrite, hematite, calcite, low cristobalite, and feldspar are present in minor amounts. In places, some mixed-layer clays, such as kaolinite/smectite and smectite/illite, are also observed within the clay deposits. Barite is present in a few clay samples. α-Quartz is the dominant silica …

Geochemistry Of Proterozoic Clastic Rocks Of The Kerur Formation Of Kaladgi-Badami Basin, North Karnataka, South India: Implications For Paleoweathering And Provenance, Ariputhiran Ramachandran, Jayagopal Madhavaraju, Sooriamuthu Ramasamy, Yong Il Lee, Sesha Rao, David Lalhmingliana Chawngthu, Kasilingam Velmurugan

Turkish Journal of Earth Sciences

Major, trace, and rare earth element (REE) studies have been conducted on the Proterozoic clastic rocks of the Kerur Formation of the Kaladgi-Badami Basin, South India, to determine their paleoweathering conditions and provenance characteristics. Geochemically, these sedimentary rocks are classified as quartz arenite, arkose, litharenite, and sublitharenite. The chemical index of alteration values and the A-CN-K diagram suggest that the clastics rocks in this study underwent moderate to intensive weathering. Chondrite-normalized REE patterns with light REE enrichment, flat heavy REE, and a negative Eu anomaly also attribute felsic source-rock to sedimentary rocks of the Kerur Formation. In addition, Eu/Eu* (~0.77), …

Notes On Beyrichiacean Ostracodes From The Early Devonian Of Nw Turkey Andtheir Palaeobiogeographical Relations, Ati̇ke Nazi̇k, Helga Groos-Uffenorde

Turkish Journal of Earth Sciences

Recently found materials of large beyrichiacean ostracodes from the Early Devonian of the Darlık, Korucuköy, and Kabalakdere sections in NW Anatolia stimulated the restudy of ostracode collections from the İstanbul area, including the Toula collection (GBA Vienna) and Endriss collection (previously in GPI Marburg and currently in SMF Frankfurt), and their biostratigraphical and palaeogeographical significance. The species Gibba kayseri, Gibba schmidti, Zygobeyrichia roemeri, Zygobeyrichia subcylindrica, and Zygobeyrichia onusta are documented and beyrichiid gen. et sp. indet. is described. There are great similarities with ostracode faunas from Early Devonian shallow-water sediments of Europe and North Africa (in Germany from the Rhenish …

Comparison Between Natural Radioactivity Levels Andgeochemistry Of Some Granitoids In Western Turkey, Si̇bel Tatar Erkül, Süleyman Fati̇h Özmen, Fuat Erkül, İsmai̇l Boztosun

Turkish Journal of Earth Sciences

Granitoids commonly include K-feldspar, biotite and zircon, apatite, titanite, allanite, and xenotime crystals, which are known to contain common radioactive elements. Radioactive isotopes of 40K, 238U, and 232Th can be harmful to human health with increasing dosage and their quantification should be well defined to assess the suitability of wall-rock granitoids for indoor and outdoor purposes. In this study, it is aimed to correlate the possible relationship between concentrations of natural radionuclides and SiO2, Na2O, K2O, and CaO together with elements U, Th, Zr, Y, Ba, Rb, and Sr to provide a basic approach to the compatibility of geochemical data …

Sulfur Isotope Study Of Vent Chimneys From Upper Cretaceous Volcanogenic Massive Sulfide Deposits Of The Eastern Pontide Metallogenic Belt, Ne Turkey, Mustafa Kemal Revan, Valeri̇y V. Maslennikov, Yurdal Genç, Okan Deli̇baş, Svetlana P. Maslennikova, Sergey A. Sadykov

Turkish Journal of Earth Sciences

We obtained sulfur isotope analysis results of sulfide samples from hydrothermal vent chimneys of the eastern Pontide volcanogenic massive sulfide (VMS) deposits. The total range of δ34S values for vent chimneys in the eastern Pontide VMS deposits is -2.7 to 6.5 per mil. Sulfide Δ34S values show narrow variation in the Lahanos, Killik, and Kutlular deposits, but wider variation in the Kızılkaya and Çayeli deposits. The δ34S values of sulfides in Çayeli chimney samples gave a slightly higher range than the other Pontide chimney samples. In some samples, a rough isotopic zonation pattern was observed throughout chimney zones. Variations in …

Comparative Study On Geochemical Characterization Of The Carboniferousaluminous Argillites From The Huainan Coal Basin, China, Bingyu Chen, Guijian Liu, Dun Wu, Ruoyu Sun

Turkish Journal of Earth Sciences

Aluminous argillites were widely deposited in the Taiyuan Formation at the Huainan Coalfield at the southeast margin of the North China Plate. However, knowledge about their formation conditions and geochemical characterizations is not presently known. We recovered underground aluminous argillites at depths of 485-610 m from a borehole in the Zhangji Coal Mine and characterized their geochemical parameters, including major and trace elements, by X-ray fluorescence, inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry, and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. The provenance, climatic conditions during the weathering process of parent rocks, weathering extent, and depositional environments of Huainan aluminous argillites were investigated. …

Assimilation And Fractional Crystallization Of Foid-Bearing Alkaline Rocks:Buzlukdağ Intrusives, Central Anatolia, Turkey, Kiymet Deni̇z, Yusuf Kağan Kadioğlu

Turkish Journal of Earth Sciences

Felsic intrusive rocks within the Central Anatolian Crystalline Complex provide a window into the geodynamic processes in operation during the final closure of the Neotethys Ocean. Previous studies were largely restricted to the calc-alkaline granitoids, and the structural and petrogenetic relations of syenitoids are poorly studied. The Buzlukdağ Intrusive Complex is a silica-undersaturated alkaline syenite that is differentiated into three concentric subgroups according to texture and grain size. Mineral compositions do not vary between the subgroups but differentiation has resulted in different mineral proportions. Mafic microgranular enclaves are present throughout the suite, indicating mingling and mixing between the coeval felsic …

Geochemistry, Zircon U-Pb Age, And Tectonic Constraints On The Bazman Granitoid Complex, Southeast Iran, Mohammad Reza Ghodsi, Mohammad Boomeri, Sasan Bagheri, Daizo Ishiyama, Fernando Corfu

Turkish Journal of Earth Sciences

The Bazman granitoid complex (BGC), including a large zoned pluton, intrudes into the upper Paleozoic sedimentary cover of the Lut block. It crops out on the southern slope of the Bazman volcano in Baluchestan Province of Iran. The intrusive rocks range from gabbro to various metaluminous to weakly peraluminous granites, and they are classified as I-type magmatic series. They display geochemical characteristics of typical volcanic arc magmatism at continental margins. Major- and trace-element variation diagrams show that fractional crystallization was the major process and crustal contamination, a subordinate process during the evolution of the BGC. The decrease in CaO, MgO, …

Mineralogy, Geochemistry, And Depositional Environment Of The Beduh Shale(Lower Triassic), Northern Thrust Zone, Iraq, Faraj Tobia, Sirwa Shangola

Turkish Journal of Earth Sciences

Integrated mineralogical and geochemical methods are utilized to investigate the provenance, paleoweathering, and depositional setting of shale from the Lower Triassic Beduh Formation in the Northern Thrust Zone, Iraq. The ~64-m-thick Beduh Formation consists of calcareous shale and marl intercalations with thin calcareous sandstone interbeds. X-ray diffraction analysis revealed that clay minerals comprise illite, kaolinite, and chlorite, with a minor mixed layer of illite/smectite and illite/chlorite. Calcite and quartz are the main nonclay species with subordinate amounts of feldspar and hematite. The mineralogical and geochemical parameters of the shale (e.g., high content of illite and moderate illite crystallinity index, Al2O3/TiO2, …

Mineral Chemistry Of Igneous Rocks In The Lar Cu-Mo Prospect, Southeastern Part Of Iran: Implications For P, T, And ƒO2, Rahele Moradi, Mohammad Boomeri, Sasan Bagheri, Kazuo Nakashima

Turkish Journal of Earth Sciences

The Lar Cu-Mo prospect is located 20 km north of Zahedan in Sistan and Baluchestan Province. This area is geologically situated in the Sistan Suture Zone. The Cu-Mo mineralization occurs as silicic veins in the Lar igneous rocks and includes hypogene chalcopyrite, bornite, and molybdenite mineralization. The syenite to monzonite host rocks occur as stock and dyke and display granular to porphyritic texture. In this study, mineral chemistry and petrographic examination of igneous rocks are used to constrain the crystallization conditions of the magma. The compositional range of plagioclase is relatively narrow (0.11%-26.05% An), whereas that of potassium feldspar is …

Distribution Of Natural Radioactivity And Assessment Of Radioactive Dose Of Western Anatolian Plutons, Turkey, Argyrios Papadopoulos, Şafak Altunkaynak, Antonis Koroneos, Alp Ünal, Ömer Kamaci

Turkish Journal of Earth Sciences

The distribution of 226Ra, 232Th, and 40K in 70 granite samples obtained from 13 Western Anatolian plutons (Turkey) was measured by using γ-ray spectroscopy. The activities of the measured radionuclides varied up to 259 Bq kg-1 for 226Ra, up to 241 Bq kg?1 for 232Th, and up to 2518 Bq kg-1 for 40K, with mean values of 66 (±44), 90 (±47), and 1097 (±410) Bq kg-1, respectively, which are smaller than the mean values given for granites worldwide. The mean value of the increase on the external γ-radiation effective dose rate is 0.21 (±0.09) mSv year-1, varying by <1 mSv year-1. The mean value of the internal α-radiation was 0.15 (±0.10) mSv year-1, varying <0.5 mSv year-1. Most of the samples cause an increase to both the external and internal dose by <30%, which is smaller than the permitted limit. Therefore, there is no radiological risk from the usage of the samples studied as decorative and ornamental building materials.

Geochemistry And C, O, And Sr Isotope Composition Of The Föderata Group Metacarbonates (Southern Veporicum, Western Carpathians, Slovakia):Constraints On The Nature Of Protolith And Its Depositional Environment, Marek Vdacny, Peter Ruzicka, Anna Vozarova

Turkish Journal of Earth Sciences

Major, trace, and rare earth element as well as C, O, and Sr isotope geochemistry is used to provide new insights into the characteristics and depositional environment of the protolith of the Föderata Group metacarbonates in the southern Veporicum cover sequence (Western Carpathians, Slovakia). The metacarbonates are characterized by high LOI and CaO and by small contents of various insoluble components. Among the trace elements investigated, only As, Ba, Co, Cu, Hg, Nb, Ni, Pb, Rb, Sb, Sr, Th, U, Y, Zn, and Zr display concentrations beyond their detection limits. The metacarbonates are strongly depleted in Rb, Ba, Th, Nb, …

Face Recognition-Based Real-Time System For Surveillance, Fahad Parvez Mahdi, Md. Mahmudul Habib, Susan Mckeever, A.S.M. Moslehuddin, Pandian Vasant

Articles

The ability to automatically recognize human faces based on dynamic facial images is important in security, surveillance and the health/independent living domains. Specific applications include access control to secure environments, identification of individuals at a particular place and intruder detection. This research proposes a real-time system for surveillance using cameras. The process is broken into two steps: (1) face detection and (2) face recognition to identify particular persons. For the first step, the system tracks and selects the faces of the detected persons. An efficient recognition algorithm is then used to recognize detected faces with a known database. The proposed …

An Alternative Sensor Fusion Method For Object Orientation Using Low-Cost Mems Inertial Sensors, Joshua Lee Bouffard

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

This thesis develops an alternative sensor fusion approach for object orientation using low-cost MEMS inertial sensors. The alternative approach focuses on the unique challenges of small UAVs. Such challenges include the vibrational induced noise onto the accelerometer and bias offset errors of the rate gyroscope. To overcome these challenges, a sensor fusion algorithm combines the measured data from the accelerometer and rate gyroscope to achieve a single output free from vibrational noise and bias offset errors.

One of the most prevalent sensor fusion algorithms used for orientation estimation is the Extended Kalman filter (EKF). The EKF filter performs the fusion …

Invasive Plant Ecology In Vermont: Insights From Spatial Analysis And Interactions Of Garlic Mustard (Alliaria Petiolata) With Native Plants And Invertebrates, Chenin Kathleen Limback

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

Causes and patterns of invasive plant species establishment and success depend broadly upon their ecology, including habitat suitability and interactions with other plants and animals. Here I examine the traits and distribution of invasive plants in Vermont, using spatial analysis, laboratory and field studies. I used GIS to investigate environmental factors correlated with presence of 19 invasive plant species in Vermont campgrounds. My results support the assumption that human dispersal of invasive plant seed and stock may be more important than natural dispersal of these plant species to new sites. I also investigate in-depth the relationships of invasive herbaceous garlic …

A Hybrid Approach To Semantic Hashtag Clustering In Social Media, Ali Javed

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

The uncontrolled usage of hashtags in social media makes them vary a lot in the quality of semantics and the frequency of usage. Such variations pose a challenge to the current approaches which capitalize on either the lexical semantics of a hashtag by using metadata or the contextual semantics of a hashtag by using the texts associated with a hashtag. This thesis presents a hybrid approach to clustering hashtags based on their semantics, designed in two phases. The first phase is a sense-level metadata-based semantic clustering algorithm that has the ability to differentiate among distinct senses of a hashtag as …

Vermont Agricultural Resilience In A Changing Climate: An Investigation Of Farmer Perceptions Of Climate Change, Risk, And Adaptation, Rachel E. Schattman

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

Climate change forecasts tell of significant challenges ahead for agrifood systems at all scales, from global to highly local. Farmers are often at the forefront of these challenges. How farmers perceive climate related risks, and the actions they take to protect or adapt their lives and livelihoods are therefore a critical area of inquiry. The purpose of this dissertation is to describe how farmers in Vermont, in the Northeastern U.S., think about climate change, and how their experiences and perceptions influence engagement with adaptation or mitigation activities. To this end, my research questions included: (1) what are farmers already doing …

A Framework For Estimating Nutrient And Sediment Loads That Leverages The Temporal Variability Embedded In Water Monitoring Data, Baxter G. Miatke

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

Rivers deliver significant macronutrients and sediments to lakes that can vary substantially throughout the year. These nutrient and sediment loadings, exacerbated by winter and spring runoff, impact aquatic ecosystem productivity and drive the formation of harmful algae blooms. The source, extent and magnitude of nutrient and sediment loading can vary drastically due to extreme weather events and hydrologic processes, such as snowmelt or high flow storm events, that dominate during a particular time period, making the temporal component (i.e., time over which the loading is estimated) critical for accurate forecasts. In this work, we developed a data-driven framework that leverages …

Patterns Of Asthma Exacerbation Related To Climate And Weather In The Northeast Kingdom Of Vermont, Quincy Mckenzie Campbell

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

Asthma is a chronic respiratory disease characterized by long- and short-term inflammation and bronchospasm susceptible to multiple triggers that affects patients across the lifespan. Asthma management is a primary care priority in Vermont, where there continues to be an above-average prevalence of asthma among both children and adults as compared to other states. However, many of Vermont's children and especially adults with asthma are not participating in regular check-ups for asthma management that would best prevent exacerbation of asthma symptoms. Several climate and weather elements including, but not limited to, extreme temperatures and particulate matter are known asthma triggers. Vermont's …

Measurement And Modeling Of Stormwater From Small Suburban Watersheds In Vermont, Joel Nipper

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

Despite decades of U.S. water quality management efforts, over half of assessed waterbody units were threatened or impaired for designated uses in the most recent assessments, with urban runoff being a leading contributor to those impairments. This cumulative research explores several aspects of urban runoff dynamics through a combination of field study and modeling.

Stormwater ponds are ubiquitous in developed landscapes due to their ability to provide multiple forms of treatment for stormwater runoff. However, evolving design goals have reduced the applicability of much of the early work that was done on pond effectiveness. In this study, we instrumented a …

Long-Term Forest Carbon Storage And Structural Development As Influenced By Land-Use History And Reforestation Approach, Andrea Rose Urbano

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

Temperate forests are an important carbon sink, yet there is uncertainty regarding land-use history effects on biomass accumulation and carbon storage potential in secondary forests. Understanding long-term biomass dynamics is important for managing forests as carbon sinks and for co-benefits such as watershed protection and biodiversity. However there are many unanswered questions regarding these dynamics in northeastern U.S. forests: How have secondary forests of the U.S. Northeast recovered post nineteenth century agricultural abandonment? How has the region's extensive land-use history influenced long-term structural development and aboveground carbon storage? To answer these questions, we employed a longitudinal study based on twelve …

20 Years Of Microplasma Research: A Status Report, Karl H. Schoenbach, Kurt Becker

Bioelectrics Publications

The field of microplasmas gained recognition as a well-defined area of research and application within the larger field of plasma science and technology about 20 years ago. Since then, the activity in microplasma research and applications has continuously increased. A survey of peer reviewed papers on microplasmas published annually shows a steady increase from fewer than 20 papers in 1995 to about 75 in 2005 and more than 150 in 2014. This count excludes papers that deal exclusively with technological applications where the microplasma is used solely as a tool. This topical review aims to provide a snap shot of …

Comparison Between Electropositive And Electronegative Cold Atmospheric-Pressure Plasmas: A Modelling Study, Ding X. Liu, Jia F. Li, Ai J. Yang, Xiao H. Wang, Ming Z. Rong, Michael G. Kong

Bioelectrics Publications

Cold atmospheric-pressure He + N₂ and He + O₂ plasmas are chosen as the representatives for electropositive and electronegative plasmas, of which the discharge characteristics are studied and then compared to each other by fluid models. As the increase of the impurity (N₂ or O₂) fraction from 0 to 10%, for He + N₂ plasmas the electron density and ion density increase, the spatiotemporal distributions of electron density, ion density, electron temperature and electron generation rate change a little. On contrast, for He + O₂ plasmas the electron density decreases, the ion density …