Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Detection And Generalization Of Spatio-Temporal Trajectories For Motion Imagery, Panayotis Partsinevelos

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In today's world of vast information availability users often confront large unorganized amounts of data with limited tools for managing them. Motion imagery datasets have become increasingly popular means for exposing and disseminating information. Commonly, moving objects are of primary interest in modeling such datasets. Users may require different levels of detail mainly for visualization and further processing purposes according to the application at hand. In this thesis we exploit the geometric attributes of objects for dataset summarization by using a series of image processing and neural network tools. In order to form data summaries we select representative time instances …

Satellite-Measured Chlorophyll Variability Within The Upwelling Zone Near Heceta Bank, Oregon, Jennifer Bosch

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Heceta Bank, a unique shallow bank on the southern Oregon shelf, is located within the California Current upwelling system. Four years (1998-2001) of 1-km resolution SeaWiFS ocean color satellite data of the Oregon coast are used to provide the first systematic description, and quantification of seasonal and interannual surface chlorophyll variability in the Heceta Bank region of coastal Oregon. The variability over the bank is examined with respect to wind forcing and surface temperature, and compared to the variability observed in topographically simpler shelf regions north and south of the bank. A seasonal cycle with lowest concentrations in the fall …

Exciplex Tuning And Optical Memory Studies For Dicyanoargentate(1) And Dicyanoaurate(1) Ions Doped In Potassium Chloride Crystals Extension To Mixed Metal Gold And Silver Systems, Samanthika Ruvinie Hettiarachchi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Exciplex tuning and optical memory behavior of [Ag(CN)₂^-] and [Au(CN)₂^-] ions doped in KCl host crystals, pure KAg(CN)₂, and pure KAU(CN)₂ have been studied. Additionally, d¹⁰-d¹⁰ (KAu(CN)₂-KAg(CN))₂) and d¹⁰-d⁸ (KAu(CN)₂, KAg(CN)₂- K₂Pt(CN)₄) mixed metal systems have been synthesized and characterized. Several ultraviolet and visible emission bands are observed for [Ag(CN))₂^-] and [Au(CN)₂^-] ions doped in KC1 host crystals. Each emission band becomes dominant at a characteristic excitation …

Representational Analyses Of Conservation Lands In Maine, Stephanie Orndorff

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The three studies reported here (i.e., statewide, southern Maine, and state and federal wildlife areas) identify what areas should be conserved to represent the natural diversity of Maine. Geographic Information System (GIs) technology was used to conduct the analyses comparing the distribution of abiotic and biotic variables representing natural diversity on and off conservation lands. In the statewide analysis, 10 environmental variables were compared on and off conservation lands using ArcGrid with a cell resolution of 1.86 x 1.86 km. The areas found to contain variables that were underrepresented were. combined to identify and map regions with under-represented characteristics. The …

Systematics Of The Cumacea (Crustacea), Pilar A. Haye

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Cumaceans are small benthic crustaceans. They have a marine cosmopolitan distribution with diversity increasing with depth. There are approximately 1,400 described species of cumaceans. Despite the fact that they offer a good model for the study of morphological evolution and biogeography, the studies on the Order Cumacea are almost restricted to work at the alpha taxonomy level. This thesis contributes to the systematics of Cumacea. The phylogenetic relationships within the Cumacea were studied using newly obtained partial amino acid sequences from the mitochondria1 gene Cytochrome Oxidase I. Among other findings, phylogenetic analyses revealed that the families Bodotriidae, Leuconidae, and Nannastacidae, …

The Effect Of Nitrogen Loading On An Estuarine Faunal Community: A Stable Isotope Approach, Rachel A. Keats

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Coastal ecosystems worldwide face increased nutrient enrichment from shoreline and watershed development and atmospheric pollution. To gain an understanding of the effects of nitrogen loading on the natural faunal community of Ruppia maritima beds in Northeast Creek estuary (Acadia National Park, Maine, USA), we (1) assessed the response of the faunal community to increased nitrogen loading using an in situ enrichment experiment during the summer growing season of 2001 (Chapter I), and (2) completed a description of the natural macroinvertebrate community in the estuary in 2001 with qualitative (May-July) and quantitative (August-October) monthly sample collections (Chapter 2). This study formed …

Evaluating Conflicts In The Use And Development Of Geographic Information Systems, Amber Bethell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Use of geographic information systems is increasing in governments, commercial companies, and by individual users. With such pervasive use of GIs there has been surprisingly little investigation of the values that various parties would support in the development of geographic technologies. There are many parties involved in the use of GIs each with opinions of what are good goals for developing and using such systems. This research seeks to determine differences and similarities among parties in the importance placed on supporting specific societal goals germane to the use of geographic technologies and databases. Previous research determined six areas where the …

Modeling Boundaries Of Influence Among Positional Uncertainty Fields, Joshua P. King

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Within a CIS environment, the proper use of information requires the identification of the uncertainty associated with it. As such, there has been a substantial amount of research dedicated to describing and quantifying spatial data uncertainty. Recent advances in sensor technology and image analysis techniques are making image-derived geospatial data increasingly popular. Along with development in sensor and image analysis technologies have come departures from conventional point-by-point measurements. Current advancements support the transition from traditional point measures to novel techniques that allow the extraction of complex objects as single entities (e.g., road outlines, buildings). As the methods of data extraction …

Sketch-Based Queries In Mobile Gis-Environments, David Caduff

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Recent achievements in the field of mobile computing and wireless communication promise data retrieval anywhere and anytime. This development provided the basis to expand GIs technology to handheld devices, such as personal digital assistants (PDAs). Although traditional GIs technology is well suited for desktop workstations, it needs to be adapted in order to satisfy the requirements of users using handheld computing devices. This adaptation is necessary because the usability of traditional GISs depends on characteristics of desktop computers, such as their relatively large user interfaces (e.g., displays, keyboards, pointing devices), considerable computing resources (i.e., CPU, memory, storage, operating systems), and …

The Effect Of Temperature On The Development, Growth And Survival Of Atlantic Cod (Gadus Morhua) During Early Life-Histories, Adrian Jordaan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

For poikilothennic animals, and in particular those that inhabit aquatic habitats, temperature has a significant effect on all life processes. The purpose of this research was to investigate the contribution of temperature on embryonic development and survival and its effect on vital rates. Of particular interest was what aspect(s) of egg and larval life-histories are most affected by temperature and what consequence temperature effects may have on cumulative mortality. Three batches of Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) eggs were acquired from a Newfoundland source of adult broodstock held at 4555°C. The eggs were divided andacclimated to four constant temperature regimes at …

Evaluation Of Three Potential Methods For Preventing The Spread Of The Salmon Louse, Lepeophtheirus Salmonis (Kreyer, 1837), Micheal Pietrak

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Lepeophtheirus salmonis or salmon lice infections are one of the most prevalent parasitic infections in the salmon aquaculture industry. Salmon lice cause an estimated loss of 3% of the production of Maine's salmon industry annually. Within the State of Maine only a portion of the farm sites experience salmon lice infections on an annual basis, while some sites have never had infections of Lepeophtheirus salmonis. Because of the potential impact that salmon lice infections could mean to those areas that to date have been fiee of L. salmonis infections, there has been concern both on the part of the State …

A New Apex Predator In The Gulf Of Maine? Large, Mobile Crabs (Cancer Borealis) Control Benthic Community Structure, Amanda V. Leland

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Apex predators can control community structure by preying on strongly interacting species at lower trophic levels. Fishing of apex predators in the marine realm often results in herbivore dominated systems. In the Gulf of Maine, coastal subtidal communities became dominated by grazing green sea urchins (Strongylocentrotus droehachiensis) following the extirpation of large, predatory groundfish from coastal zones. Subsequent depletion of sea urchins since the late 1980s functionally eliminated this dominant herbivore from vast regions. Sea urchin recruitment is low or nonexistent in communities dominated by fleshy algae that have developed since the decline of sea urchin populations. We hypothesized that …

Formation And Age Of Raised Marine Beaches, Northern Scott Coast, Antarctica, Nathan Gardner

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The stability of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS) is a key problem because of its potential effect on global sea level and climate. Some geologic evidence suggests that the ice sheet has collapsed in the past, which, if correct, implies that future disintegration is possible. Isolation of the mechanism(s) that have affected WAIS behavior since the last glacial maximum (LGM) may yield information about factors that control it today. Previous studies have indicated thatrecession of the WAIS from the LGM position occurred in the middle to late Holocene. However, the data come fiom points too far south to assess …

Modeling The Role Of No-Take Marine Reserves In Fisheries Management, Deidre F. Gilbert

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In recent years there has been increasing interest in the potential of no-take marine reserves to benefit fisheries management. Scientific reviews have shown that reserves often lead to substantial increases in the density, biomass, size and diversity of marine fishes inside their boundaries. However, little empirical work has been done to determine the effect of reserves on the fisheries outside their boundaries, such as potential changes in yield, size of fleet, or variability in catch. In order to explore the interaction between the biological growth and dispersion processes of the harvested stock and the changing economic incentives of harvesters created …

Modeling Multiple Granularities Of Spatial Objects, Chitra Ramalingam

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

People conceptualize objects in an information space over different levels of details or granularities and shift among these granularities as necessary for the task at hand. Shifting among granularities is fundamental for understanding and reasoning about an information space. In general, shifting to a coarser granularity can improve one's understanding of a complex information space, whereas shifting to a more detailed granularity reveals information that is otherwise unknown. To arrive at a coarser granularity. objects must be generalized. There are multiple ways to perform generalization. Several generalization methods have been adopted from the abstraction processes that are intuitively carried out …

Biogeochemical Fate Of Sediment-Associated Pah: Effect Of Animal Processing, Anders Michael Bernth Giessing

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Biotransformation and fate of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in marine invertebrates and sediment have been studied. Invertebrates can accumulate and metabolize sediment-associated PAHs to polar and aqueous PAH-derived compounds. The objectives of this study are to identify metabolites of PAHs in species of depositfeeding polychaetes and to examine biogeochemical fate and microbial degradation of the identified metabolites. Two metabolites, 1-hydroxypyrene and 1-hydroxypyrene glucuronide, were identified as the primary phase I and phase II metabolites of the tetracyclic PAH pyrene in Nereis diversicolor. Identification was performed using high pressure liquid chromatography with diode array and fluorescence detection (HPLC/DAD/F) and an ion-trap …

Data Mining With Newton's Method., James Dale Cloyd

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Capable and well-organized data mining algorithms are essential and fundamental to helpful, useful, and successful knowledge discovery in databases. We discuss several data mining algorithms including genetic algorithms (GAs). In addition, we propose a modified multivariate Newton's method (NM) approach to data mining of technical data. Several strategies are employed to stabilize Newton's method to pathological function behavior. NM is compared to GAs and to the simplex evolutionary operation algorithm (EVOP). We find that GAs, NM, and EVOP all perform efficiently for well-behaved global optimization functions with NM providing an exponential improvement in convergence rate. For local optimization problems, we …

Models And Graphics In The Analysis Of Categorical Variables: The Case Of The Youth Tobacco Survey., Deborah Susan Hosler

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Youth Tobacco Surveys have been conducted in several states in the U.S. in recent years, in order to design policies with the goal of reducing tobacco use among young people. Some primary analysis of those surveys has been done, but few analyses include modeling, and the study of independence has been addressed, mainly, in the bivariate context.

In this work contemporary methods, which are of relative recent appearance in categorical data analysis, will be examined, including logistic and log-linear modeling as well as graphical displays and correspondence analysis. These methods will be applied to data from the 2000 Tennessee Youth …

Coverage Properties Of The Inverse Sinh Transformation And The Adjusted Wald Confidence Intervals For The Odds Ratio And The Relative Risk., Troy Allen Bowman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The inverse sinh transformation on the Woolf interval is used to calculate the confidence interval for the odds ratio and the relative risk in a 2 x 2 table. According to Robert Newcombe, the new interval should improve the coverage probabilities and shorten the width of the confidence interval for these ratios, but the new interval requires evaluation of coverage properties. In this thesis, we will evaluate the exact coverage properties of this modified interval in extreme cases. Also, we will compare the coverage properties of this new interval to other widely-used adjusted intervals. Through comparisons of exact coverage probabilities …

On The Construction Of Linear Prewavelets Over A Regular Triangulation., Qingbo Xue

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In this thesis, all the possible semi-prewavelets over uniform refinements of regular triangulations have been studied. A corresponding theorem is given to ensure the linear independence of a set of different pre-wavelets obtained by summing pairs of these semi-prewavelets. This provides efficient multiresolutions of the spaces of functions over various regular triangulation domains since the bases of the orthogonal complements of the coarse spaces can be constructed very easily.

Construction Of Piecewise Linear Wavelets., Jiansheng Cao

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

It is well known that in many areas of computational mathematics, wavelet based algorithms are becoming popular for modeling and analyzing data and for providing efficient means for hierarchical data decomposition of function spaces into mutually orthogonal wavelet spaces. Wavelet construction in more than one-dimensional setting is a very challenging and important research topic. In this thesis, we first introduce the method of construction wavelets by using semi-wavelets. Second, we construct piecewise linear wavelets with smaller support over type-2 triangulations. Then, parameterized wavelets are constructed using the orthogonality conditions.

An Ecosystem Dynamics Model Of Monterey Bay, California, Lawrence S. Klein

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Monterey Bay is an upwelling region with high biological productivity in the California Coastal Current System. Several moorings, developed and maintained by the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI), have produced a long-term, highquality time series oceanographic data set for the Monterey Bay. The data set has revealed a more comprehensive picture of physical-biological interaction on seasonal and interannual variability. To improve our understanding of how the marine ecosystem responds to physical forcing, especially upwelling, an open ocean ecosystem model was modified for the Monterey Bay upwelling region. The result was a nine-component ecosystem model of Monterey Bay, which produced …

Suspended Alexandrium Spp. Hypnozygote Cysts In The Gulf Of Maine, Sarah L. Kirn

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Hypnozygote cysts are a known stage in the life cycle of Alexandrium spp. Negatively buoyant cysts purportedly fall ,to the benthos where they undergo mandatory quiescence until their endogenous clock makes germination possible. If oxygen is present and the endogenous clock allows, germination will occur at a rate proportional to light and temperature. Offshore in the Gulf of Maine, where Alexandrium blooms are well documented, the paradigm of benthic cysts is problematic. Sediment surveys have found wide distribution of cysts, with highest cyst concentrations below 100 m in areas where deposition is favored. Germination at these depths is likely slow …

Simulation Of Structure, Dynamics And Electron Diffraction Patterns Of Heterogeneous Clusters Armn2N, W. H. Jinasena

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The nitrogen-argon system provides a useful paradigm for studying segregation and mixing behavior in heterogeneous clusters. Using three realistic pair potentials corresponding to argon-argon, nitrogen-nitrogen and argon-nitrogen interactions, the structures and thermodynamics of Ar_m(N₂)_n, clusters are investigated. Comparison of these results to previous simulation results on neat argon and nitrogen clusters is made. The initial focus of the study is the series of thirteen particle clusters of Ar_m(N₂)_13-m (0 ≤ m ≤ 13); molecular dynamics in the microcanonical ensemble is the principle simulation tool. The icosahedral nitrogen-argon clusters …

Stabilization Of Rutile-Related Thin Film On Tio2 Substrates, Youngnam Cho

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Conducting metal oxide thin films are of broad interest because they have a wide variety of magnetic and electronic properties. Materials exist that range from superconducting to insulating, are ferromagnetic and are ferroelectric. These properties make thin conducting oxide films attractive for many industrial applications. A class of metal oxides exists that adapt the rutile crystal structure; the structure of the mineral rutile, TiO₂. These metal oxides have the general formula MO₂ where M is a metal cation of valence +4. Metal oxides crystallizing in the rutile structure also display a wide variety of physical properties. The …

Antarctic Notothenioid Fishes Do Not Display Metabolic Cold Adaptation In Hepatic Gluconeogenesis, Leonardo J. Magnoni

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Antarctic notothenioid fishes present specializations related to their chronically cold environment, such as high lipid content in tissues (predominantly triacylglycerols, TAG). When TAGs are mobilized, they yield fatty acids and glycerol. Fatty acids are the primary fuel of oxidative muscle tissues. Gluconeogenesis from glycerol has not been studied in Antarctic fishes despite the importance of glycerol as a breakdown product of TAGs. To assess the possible importance of glycerol as a substrate for gluconeogenesis and to determine whether this pathway and Krebs cycle are metabolically cold adapted, key hepatic enzyme activities were measured in Antarctic notothenioid fishes (Notothenia coriiceps, Gobionotothen …

A Pilot Study To Test Ventless Traps As A Means To Quantify Populations Of The American Lobster (Homarus Americanus), Carin Louise Poeschel

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The American lobster, Homarus americanus, is Maine's most valuable marine fishery. The state of Maine has an economic interest in the protection of this resource. The health of this industry depends on effective management for sustainability. However, there is little quantitative information on American lobsters less than harvestable size. A study was conducted to evaluate the utility of traps modified to catch sublegal lobsters. With the aid of fishernlen fiom six of the eight Maine coastal counties over a four-month time period (July through October, 2000), data were recorded to compare catch rates in experimental traps with no escape vents …

Arsenic In Drinking Water And Public Opinion On Wildlife Management As Case Studies Illustrating Natural Resource Policy, Jessica Sargent-Michaud

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

There are various ways to approach policy planning. This thesis consists of two Maine natural resource issue case studies illustrating different approaches to policy analysis. The first, a case study of arsenic contamination, is an example of a study that assembles information and provides that information to the public to influence public behavior. The second, a case study of wildlife management, is an example of a study that surveys the public to collect information on the public's opinions and attitudes to influence agency behavior towards the public. Arsenic in drinking water in Maine is a public health concern. There may …

Relationships Between Stream Geomorphology And Fish Community Structure And Diversity In Maine, Emily Gaenzle

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Predicting patterns in species distribution and abundance for resource management and conservation is a major focus of applied ecology. The primary objective of this study was to determine if there is a predictable relationship between stream geomorphology and fish community structure, native species richness, and native salmonid abundance in Maine. Specifically, I examined relationships between fish assemblages and geomorphic stream types, as delineated by the Rosgen classification system (Rosgen 1996). Fifty-three stream reaches in Maine were classified, and fish communities within the reaches were characterized using backpack electrofishing. Species richness was lowest in A-type streams (i.e., steep, entrenched, confined), which …

Late Holocene Sea-Level Change Around Newfoundland, Julia Daly

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Analysis of basal salt-marsh peats and tide-gauge data from several locations around Newfoundland yield high-resolution late Holocene sea-level reconstructions and constrain differential sea-level change. The transition between rising and falling local sea levels and the influence of glacioisostasy on relative sea-level change around Newfoundland through the late Holocene are not well known fiom previous research. The patterns of local relative sea-level change during this time have important implications for constraining numerical models of sea-level change, and therefore inferences about ice sheet thickness and the response of the lithosphere to deglaciation. I investigated the stratigraphy of salt marshes at four locations …