Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

The Basil Technique: Bias Adaptive Statistical Inference Learning Agents For Learning From Human Feedback, Jonathan Indigo Watson

Theses and Dissertations--Computer Science

We introduce a novel approach for learning behaviors using human-provided feedback that is subject to systematic bias. Our method, known as BASIL, models the feedback signal as a combination of a heuristic evaluation of an action's utility and a probabilistically-drawn bias value, characterized by unknown parameters. We present both the general framework for our technique and specific algorithms for biases drawn from a normal distribution. We evaluate our approach across various environments and tasks, comparing it to interactive and non-interactive machine learning methods, including deep learning techniques, using human trainers and a synthetic oracle with feedback distorted to varying degrees. …

Measurements Of The Binding Energies Of Ions On Plastic Surfaces In Liquid Nitrogen, Ashok Timsina

Theses and Dissertations--Physics and Astronomy

To improve the present limit of the neutron electric dipole moment (nEDM) from 1.8*10^-26 e. cm to ~ 3*10^-28 e. cm, the nEDM@SNS experiment plans to increase neutron density by storing ultracold neutrons in superfluid helium-4. In this experiment, the central part of the apparatus consists of two deuterated tetraphenyl butadiene (dTPB) coated poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) cells, which are sandwiched between grounded and high-voltage electrodes. To achieve such precision, the externally applied electric field has to be stable at the 1% level over a time period of about 1000 s. Several sources of ambient ionizing radiation generate charged …

The Design Of Primary Holding Magnet For The Lanl Neutron Electric Dipole Moment Experiment, Piya Amara Palamure

Theses and Dissertations--Physics and Astronomy

The measurement of the permanent electric dipole moment of the neutron (nEDM) plays a significant role in searching for sources of beyond standard model CP violating physics. The goal of the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) nEDM experiment is to push the upper limit of the nEDM to < 3 × 10−27 e·cm (68 % CL). A highly uniform magnetic field is key to achieving this sensitivity for the nEDM measurement by reducing the systematic uncertainties associated with the magnetic field non-uniformity. The B0 coil was designed to achieve a field uniformity of < 0.3 nT·m−1 at a nominal holding field of 1 µT. This document will outline a novel technique employed in the construction of the B0 coil using printed circuit boards (PCBs) and will present preliminary field maps obtained with the B0 coil housed in a magnetically shielded room (MSR) at LANL.

As Ultra Cold Neutrons (UCNs) move from the source to the measurement cells, the UCNs experience a large magnetic field gradient in the region between the layers of the MSR. This large gradient would otherwise cause depolarization of the UCNs. To mitigate this, a double cos θ coil will serve as the …

The Radial Quenching Progression Of Nearby Galaxies, Chenyu Zhao

Theses and Dissertations--Physics and Astronomy

In this dissertation, we explore the spatial distribution of quiescent regions within galaxies using data from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey IV Mapping Nearby Galaxies at Apache Point Observatory (SDSS-IV MaNGA). Our analysis focuses on a radial range spanning from 0.3 R e to 1.2 R e and involves the development of innovative data selection and processing methods. Through this investigation, we identify two prominent types of transition galaxies: central-star-forming galaxies (C-SF galaxies) and central-quiescent galaxies (C-Q galaxies). Notably, we observe a correlation between galaxy mass and the predominant type of transition, with more massive galaxies tending to be C-Q …

Aspects Of Topology In Moiré Graphene, Ahmed Khalifa

Theses and Dissertations--Physics and Astronomy

Moiré materials, such as twisted bilayer graphene, have provided a rich platform for fundamental physics and potential technological applications. Superconductivity,
correlated insulators, and Chern insulators are examples of phenomena that have been found experimentally in moiré systems. The interplay of strong electron-electron interactions and topology lies at the heart of the mechanism driving these phenomena. In this work, we study the topological aspects of moiré graphene materials, such as the valley Chern and Chern insulating phases. To study the topological response of these phases, we construct models to describe the edge states which are the telltale signs of nontrivial topology. …

Symbolic Computation Of Squared Amplitudes In High Energy Physics With Machine Learning, Abdulhakim Alnuqaydan

Theses and Dissertations--Physics and Astronomy

The calculation of particle interaction squared amplitudes is a key step in the calculation of cross sections in high-energy physics. These complex calculations are currently performed using domain-specific symbolic algebra tools, where the computational time escalates rapidly with an increase in the number of loops and final state particles. This dissertation introduces an innovative approach: employing a transformer-based sequence-to-sequence model capable of accurately predicting squared amplitudes of Standard Model processes up to one-loop order when trained on symbolic sequence pairs. The primary objective of this work is to significantly reduce the computational time and, more importantly, develop a model that …

A Multidimensional View On The Emission-Line Diagnostics Of The Warm Ionized Gas In Nearby Galaxies, Xihan Ji

Theses and Dissertations--Physics and Astronomy

The baryonic cycle, being a fundamental process that shapes the cosmic ecosystem, describes the transformation and migration of baryonic matter in different phases. The warm ionized interstellar medium (ISM), defined as low-density gas that has temperature of the order of 10,000 K, represents an important link of the baryonic cycle and can be produced by a variety of energetic activities in galaxies, such as star formations, active galactic nuclei, and so forth. More importantly, the formation and evolution of the warm ionized gas not only traces the ongoing activities of the galaxies, but also reveals the past evolution of galaxies …

Pasture Condition Guides For The Southern Rangelands, Including The Gascoyne, Murchison And Goldfields-Nullarbor, Peter-Jon A. Waddell, Philip We Thomas, Wayne J. Fletcher, Kath Ryan, Joshua E. Foster, John K. Stretch, Jim S. Addison

Bulletins 4000 -

These guides address a recognised gap in readily applicable and easily accessible information on southern rangelands pasture condition and management.

These guides provide descriptions and images for southern rangelands pastures with similar management requirements for the grazing of native pastures by livestock. Therefore, the focus is on palatability of vegetation to livestock, and the effects of livestock management and external factors on the condition of the vegetation and soils.

The first section provides an overview and map, introduces concepts and terms important to understanding arid shrubland management in general, these guides in particular, and includes an economic analysis of the …

Multi-Chamber Silencer Composed Of Screw-Perforated Tubes And Straight-Perforated Tubes, Tian-Syung Lan, Min-Chie Chiu

Journal of Marine Science and Technology

The use of silencers to reduce noise is mandatory due to severe hearing damage caused by high venting noise in the engine room of ocean-going vessels. While straight and perforated tubes have been used as acoustical elements in traditional silencer design, studies have shown that the acoustical design still requires improvement. To enhance acoustical efficiency, the use of multi-chamber mufflers is proposed composed of screw and perforated tubes. Additionally, a mathematical finite element model built for acoustical simulation using the COMSOL program expedites the analysis of silencers with complicated acoustical elements. A sensitivity analysis of transmission loss concerning the geometric …

Numerical Analysis Of Silencer With A Coiled Tube And Straight Perforated Tube Using Fem, Min-Chie Chiu, Ho-Chih Cheng

Journal of Marine Science and Technology

Marine diesel engine is essential on a ship, but emits extremely loud noise harmful to human hearing. Therefore, it is mandatory to use silencers to reduce the venting noise of the marine diesel engine. An advanced silencer with a new acoustical element of a curved tube, along with perforated holes, is presented to suppress the noise wave. To predict the silencer's acoustical performance for high-order waves, a finite element model was built using COMSOL. The influence of the silencer's noise reduction ability was investigated by exploring sensitivity using acoustical simulations on COMSOL, regarding the silencer's geometric factors. The results proved …

Abundance And Distribution Of Fish Larvae In The Central Coast Of The Algerian Sea, Etsouri Mohamed, Khames Ghollame Ellah Yacine, Seridji Rabea

Journal of Marine Science and Technology

This study was conducted on a seasonal basis in five (5) stations along the central Algerian coast between April 2013 and April 2014 aboard professional fishing boats. Horizontal plankton tows with a WP2-type net were used to collect ichthyoplankton samples. At each station, temperature, salinity, and chlorophyll-a levels were measured. We identified the larvae of 18 species from 11 different families by sorting ichthyoplankton (Clupeidae, Engraulidae, Gobidae, Gonostomatidae, Mugilidae, Myctophidae, Scombridae, Sparidae, Carangidae, Labridae, Blennidae). Redundancy analysis (RDA) was used to determine the relationship between the abundance of harvested larvae and environmental variables. The results show a clear dominance of …

Effects Of Direct Water Injection On The Nitrogen Oxide Emission Characteristics Of Marine Diesel Engines, Mahmoud Abdelnaser Saadeldin, M. M. Elgoharya, Maged Abdelnaby, Mohamed R. Shouman

Journal of Marine Science and Technology

This study examines the issue of diesel emissions from vehicles and vessels and their impact on environmental degradation with a focus on nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions and their contribution to air pollution-related deaths worldwide. The novelty of this work is the use of computational fluid dynamics simulations to investigate the effectiveness of water addition for reducing NOx emissions. This study considers two methods of water addition, i.e., injection of water and air into a combustion chamber and mixing of water with fuel before injection. Adding water to air systems at 10% and 20% ratios reduces NOx emissions by 5% and …

Predefined-Time Neural Sliding Mode Control Based Trajectory Tracking Of Autonomous Surface Vehicle, Han Xue, Shulin Li

Journal of Marine Science and Technology

With the progress and development of modern industry, it is urgent to develop a more general and mature predefined time control theory system for uncertain nonlinear systems and apply it to practical engineering systems. Therefore, a novel predefined-time sliding mode control is designed to improve the slow convergence speed of asymptotically convergent controllers and finite-time convergent controllers affected by the initial state of the system. The proposed control approach is proved to converge from the initial value to the balance position using Jensen's inequality and Liapunov theorem. The proposed control method can deal with the ship motion system having six …

Coastal Traffic Safety Index Based On Marine Accident And Traffic Records, Joohwan Kim, Sang-Lok Yoo

Journal of Marine Science and Technology

In this study, a comprehensive index for evaluating the degree of coastal traffic safety by simultaneously considering marine accident frequency, severity, and traffic volume was considered. To do so, the concept of Equivalent Property Damage Only (EPDO), which is widely used in the road transportation industry, was benchmarked to assess both frequency and severity of accidents. In addition, the total sailing distance of ships was chosen as a variable to explain traffic volume. Finally, a composite performance indicator called "M-EPDO per nautical mile" was built up, enabling the safety performance score for each type of ships in three criteria: on-board …

A Methodology For Statistical Mean Wave Climate Regime Characterisation In Oceanic Islands: The Case Of The Southern Coast Of Tenerife, Emilio Megías, Manuel García-Román

Journal of Marine Science and Technology

Oceanic islands of volcanic origin tend to have peculiar characteristics, such as: exposure to many wave directions; grouping in archipelagos; steep coastal slopes; and small coastal shelves. All these features require certain considerations in wave climate studies. These types of studies, when wave spectra are not available and have to be performed with parametric data, can be unreliable without an adequate systematic treatment. In this work we propose a methodology consisting of pre-classification according to the peak period and subsequent separation into different sectors according to the geographical fetch. The island of Tenerife is the case study, and in particular …

Inventory Management In Supply Chains With Consideration Of Transportation And Green Technology Cost Under Progressive Carbon Taxation, Ming-Feng Yang, Min-Der Ko, Hung-Jen Tu, Mengru Tu, Jun-Yuan Kuo, Yen-Ting Chao, Shang-Wei Shih

Journal of Marine Science and Technology

Reducing carbon emissions is an important issue in the global supply chain. Governments have formulated different carbon policies to achieve carbon neutrality or emission reduction, in particular, the carbon tax as a policy provides greater certainty about the potential cost to emitters. The Taiwan government is expected to implement the carbon tax policy in 2024 and does not rule out the inclusion of a progressive mechanism which is more effective than a single carbon tax in curbing high carbon emissions Recent studies have also confirmed that a high level and complete carbon tax could encourage companies to invest in green …

Genetic Algorithm For Solving A Just-In-Time Inventory Model With Imperfect Rework Implemented In A Serial Multi-Echelon System, Hsien-Chung Tsao, Cheng-Chi Chung, Hsuan-Shih Lee, Chih-Ping Lin, Yan-Yun Tu, Ssu-Chi Lin

Journal of Marine Science and Technology

As global industrial competition intensifies, enterprises can achieve substantial competitive advantages in the supply chain management environment by promptly meeting customer demands and efficiently reducing both supply and demand costs. This paper proposes an inventory model for supply chain optimization that considers uncertain delivery lead times and defective products. Solving the model requires solving a nonlinear mixed-integer problem, which traditionally requires considerable time. Solutions to nondeterministic polynomial-time hard problems with high complexity and difficulty are often obtained using heuristic algorithms. Among these algorithms, genetic algorithms have high efficiency and quality. Therefore, we employed a genetic algorithm to solve the proposed …

Geohash-Based Arrangement Of Live-Fire Exercise Areas Using Ais, Sang-Lok Yoo, Cho-Young Jung

Journal of Marine Science and Technology

Live-fire exercise (LFX) areas at sea threaten the safety of ships, whereas, and indiscriminately abandoned unexploded bombs threaten the lives of fishermen. No statistical or scientific research has been conducted on the appropriate locations for LFX areas. Therefore, this study proposes a method for effectively arranging the LFX areas at sea that considers the safety of passing ships and national security. First, the proposed method classifies ship tracking data collected in the daytime based on the dawn and dusk times of the civil twilight phase. Second, the method uses a Geohash geocoding process to identify whether an LFX area coincides …

Assessing Hierarchical Corporate Sustainability Transition Practices Under Uncertainty: An Approach In The Port And Shipping Industry In Southeast Asia, Mei-Train Yeh, Feng-Ming Tsai, Taufik Kurrahman

Journal of Marine Science and Technology

The port and shipping industry in Southeast Asia has experienced significant development in response to the increasing demand for maritime logistics and transportation services. However, this expansion has resulted in notable social and environmental impacts. Consequently, it is imperative for both scholars and practitioners to comprehend the concept of corporate sustainability transition (CST), which entails the establishment of shipping operations that effectively balance environmental, social, and economic considerations. Additionally, technologies that are used to facilitate the transition process must be investigated. Several studies have been undertaken to ascertain the attributes pertaining to sustainability transition. Nevertheless, there has been a lack …

Impact Of Multiple Water Temperature Structures On The Behavioral Pattern Of Chum Salmon (Oncorhynchus Keta) On The Coast Of The Shiretoko Peninsula, Xinyi Li, Hiroshi Yamaguchi, Hokuto Shirakawa, Kenji Minami, Nobuhiko Sato, Yanhui Zhu, Yasuyuki Miyakoshi, Kazushi Miyashita

Journal of Marine Science and Technology

During the migration of chum salmon (Oncorhynchus keta) towards the Shiretoko Peninsula in Hokkaido, Japan, the convergence of coastal currents results in the formation of intricate water temperature structures. However, the impact of this phenomenon on the behavioral tendencies of chum salmon remains largely unexplored. In 2012 and 2013, we conducted a study to document the vertical water temperature profiles and uninterrupted swimming patterns of homing chum salmon in the coastal waters surrounding the Shiretoko Peninsula. The results indicated that chum salmon exhibited a preference for avoiding thermoclines characterized by rapidly decreasing water temperatures. They were predominantly observed swimming either …

Occurrence Of Predation Of Juvenile Chum Salmon (Oncorhynchus Keta) By Chub Mackerel (Scomber Japonicus) And Spotted Mackerel (Scomber Australasicus) In Miyako Bay, Iwate Prefecture, Japan, Kei Sasaki, Miwa Yatsuya, Daisuke Shimizu, Daisuke Ojima, Shinji Komatsu

Journal of Marine Science and Technology

In recent years, chub mackerel (Scomber japonicus) and spotted mackerel (Scomber australasicus) have started migrating to the coastal areas off Iwate Prefecture earlier than they did previously, resulting in a geographic overlap between hatchery-bred juvenile chum salmon (Oncorhynchus keta) released at sea and the occurrence of predatory mackerel. To clarify whether the mackerels prey on the juvenile chum salmon, we captured adult mackerels by angling during the period when these species overlap in Miyako Bay, Iwate Prefecture. After capture, the stomach contents of the mackerel were examined using a combination of visual examinations and DNA metabarcoding analysis. As a result, …

The Pre-Processing Of Wt Blade Images By Ss And Bilateral Filter With Machine Learning Frameworks, Joy Iong-Zong Chen, Chien-Yeh Lee, Wien-Chieh Lo

Journal of Marine Science and Technology

This paper discusses the motivation behind turbine migration and addresses the challenges of using NN (neural network) computing systems. Moreover, it focuses on high-dimensional data from WT (wind turbine) blades. The three key aspects addressed in this study are turbine migration, overfitting, and strict feature selection. To evaluate the performance of the machine learning system, the study considers the characteristics of WT blades, specifically the similarity in blade color and the differences in shape. The authors apply pre-processing techniques, in particular a bilateral filter, in conjunction with the SS (selective synthesizer) of blade fouling patterns. The SS method adopts the …

Cooling Performance Analysis For Mobile Vehicles By Thermal Resistance Network, Chia-An Yang, Jung-Chang Wang, Pi-Hsia Yen

Journal of Marine Science and Technology

This paper used CFD software to simulate the cooling situation of the engine space of a mobile vehicle. We used thermal resistance network diagram to calculate the heat flux at each position of the power system, and discussed the CFD simulation results. The error between the simulation results and the experiment was 10.07%. The thermal resistance network diagram proposed in this paper can reduce the time for numerical simulation by evaluate the heat flux at each position of the power system.

Preface : Fruit And Vegetable Waste Utilization And Sustainability, Sachin A. Mandavgane, Ipsita Chakravarty, Amit Jaiswal

Books/Book Chapters

Fruits and vegetables are an important source of nutrition and a key element of a healthy balanced diet. Several organizations such as the World Health Organization (WHO), Food and Agriculture Organization of United Nations (FAO), and Food Health England suggest consuming more than 400 g of fruits and vegetables per day (roughly five portions per day) to improve overall health and reduce the risk of certain cardiovascular diseases and cancer; subsequently, consumption and production of fruits and vegetables are on the rise. The increased consumption/production of fruits and vegetables has resulted in huge quantities of waste (approximately 42% of the …

An Assessment Of "Long-Thin" Airline Routes: Network Structure And Emissions Implications For Environmental Policy, Porter Burns

All Master's Theses

The purpose of this research was to define, map, and quantify the network and environmental implications of “long-thin” routes (LTRs) – a route structure that has been discussed in the aviation industry but not formally studied in literature. LTRs were defined through the use of global OAG scheduling data from 1998 to 2018 to identify trends in air traffic growth and network dynamics. Flights were separated into seven aircraft class sizes (e.g., 75–150 seats, 150–225 seats) to measure LTRs at multiple scales. Routes were considered “long” if the stage length was at or above the 75^th percentile in each …

Constraining Rock Type Controls On Geophysical Properties: Implications For Earthquake Hazard Assessment Near Ellensburg, Washington, Zachary Stevens

All Master's Theses

High precision geophysical modeling can constrain the geometry of structures in the upper to middle crust beyond what is possible with surface data alone, which allows for a better understanding of seismic hazards. This modeling requires values of both the magnetic susceptibility and density relevant to rocks at depth; this study presents a combination of field and laboratory measurements of basement units to determine these properties. The basement rock of the Kittitas Valley is made up of a complex series of metamorphic and igneous bodies, so it was important to gather a representative suite of samples of the most volumetrically …

Floodplain Aquifer Storage Capacity In Upper Yakima River Tributaries, Kittitas County, Wa, Emily Polizzi

All Master's Theses

Large wood (LW) restoration projects were recently implemented in the Upper Yakima Basin following the destructive logging practices of the early 20^th Century, which stripped Upper Yakima River tributaries of LW. The removal of natural LW increased incision, isolating channels from floodplain aquifers, and degrading resident and anadromous fish habitat. Returning streams to their natural state through instream LW installations is believed to increase floodplain groundwater storage by decreasing channel incision, increasing floodplain-channel connectivity, and raising the water table elevation. Additional storage in floodplain aquifers can help combat the adverse effects of climate change, namely decreasing snowpack and earlier …

Ecological Monitoring Program At Vims Esl: Annual Report 2022, Paige G. Ross, Richard A. Snyder

Reports

An Ecological Monitoring Program (EMP) has been established at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science Eastern Shore Laboratory (VIMS ESL) for the coastal environment near the Wachapreague lab. The goals of the initiative are to 1) provide status and trends information to scientists who study and regulators who manage Virginia’s marine resources, 2) provide a scientific context for short-term research and grant proposals 3) provide pedagogical enrichment for educators to use in their classes, and 4) build capacity in staff expertise and training of interns and students at VIMS ESL.

The program formalizes and standardizes data collection for a long-term …

Escape Dynamics Of Confined Undulating Worms, Animesh Biswas, Arshad Kudrolli

Physics

We investigate the escape dynamics of oligochaeta Lumbriculus variegatus by confining them to a quasi-2D circular chamber with a narrow exit passage. The worms move by performing undulatory and peristaltic strokes and use their head to actively probe their surroundings. We show that the worms follow the chamber boundary with occasional reversals in direction and with velocities determined by the orientation angle of the body with respect to the boundary. The average time needed to reach the passage decreases with its width before approaching a constant, consistent with a boundary-following search strategy. We model the search dynamics as a persistent …

Dissolution-Driven Propulsion Of Floating Solids, Martin Chaigne, Michael Berhanu, Arshad Kudrolli

Physics

We show that unconstrained asymmetric dissolving solids floating in a fluid can move rectilinearly as a result of attached density currents which occur along their inclined surfaces. Solids in the form of boats composed of centimeter-scale sugar and salt slabs attached to a buoy are observed to move rapidly in water with speeds up to 5 mm/s determined by the inclination angle and orientation of the dissolving surfaces. While symmetric boats drift slowly, asymmetric boats are observed to accelerate rapidly along a line before reaching a terminal velocity when their drag matches the thrust generated by dissolution. By visualizing the …