Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Probabilistic Road Map Sampling Strategies For Multi-Robot Motion Planning, Christopher M. Clark

Computer Science and Software Engineering

This paper presents a Probabilistic Road Map (PRM) motion planning algorithm to be queried within Dynamic Robot Networks—a multi-robot coordination platform for robots operating with limited sensing and inter-robot communication. First, the Dynamic Robot Networks (DRN) coordination platform is introduced that facilitates centralized robot coordination across ad hoc networks, allowing safe navigation in dynamic, unknown environments. As robots move about their environment, they dynamically form communication networks. Within these networks, robots can share local sensing information and coordinate the actions of all robots in the network. Second, a fast single-query Probabilistic Road Map (PRM) to be called within the DRN …

Afci Quarterly Input – Unlv October 1 Through December 31, 2005, Harry Reid Center For Environmental Studies. Nuclear Science And Technology Division

Transmutation Research Program Reports (TRP)

Quarterly report highlighting research projects, activities and objectives of the Transmutation Research Program at the Nuclear Science & Technology Division, Harry Reid Research Center.

The University of Nevada, Las Vegas supports the AFCI through research and development of technologies for economic and environmentally sound refinement of spent nuclear fuel. The UNLV program has four components: infrastructure, international collaboration, student-based research, and management and program support.

Cooperative Conservation: Increasing Capacity Through Community Partnerships -- Interagency Volunteer Program & Cooperative Conservation Program: Quarterly Progress Report, Period Ending December 31, 2005, Margaret N. Rees

Get Outdoors Nevada

• Database now contains 1,807 records, a 15% increase over the last quarter.
• Website activity increased, recording an average of 38,399 hits per month, with an average of 3,537 pages viewed per month.
• Inaugural interagency volunteer recognition event held October 28, 2005.
• Interagency training program (phase 1) scheduled for February 2006 (four sessions).
• Alternative Workforce Survey completed and delivered to National Park Service.

Take Pride In America In Southern Nevada: Quarterly Progress Report, Period Ending December 31, 2005, Margaret N. Rees

Anti-littering Programs

• Messaging campaign proposal approved by the federal Land Managers.
• Invitations sent to potential Community Steering Committee members.
• Project Manager Doug Joslin appointed to new county-wide Southern Nevada Recycling Advisory Committee.
• Four public service announcements produced by UNLV students.
• Contract with the Nevada Division of Forestry (NDF) in progress for prison crew site clean-ups.
• Plan for agency requests for additional dumpsters and/or roll-offs approved by team.

Lake Mead National Recreation Area Sensitive Wildlife Species Monitoring And Analysis: Quarterly Progress Report, Period Ending December 31, 2005, Margaret N. Rees

Wildlife Monitoring

• Topsoil replacement monitored at Willow Beach Wastewater Rehabilitation Project
• Desert tortoise surveys and monitoring conducted for Northshore Road reconstruction projects, and desert tortoise training provided to 9 construction contractors.
• Field work associated with the project to remove desert tortoise radio transmitters from animals on Mormon Mesa completed.
• Weekly data processing for Desert Bighorn Sheep monitoring associated with the Hoover Dam Bypass Project continued.
• Fall field surveys for relict leopard frogs completed (11 sites surveyed); last of this year’s head-started animals released; RLFCT meeting held.
• Work started on a digital database (GIS) of Peregrine falcon observations.
• Monthly shorebird surveys conducted (22 …

Lake Mead National Recreation Area Vegetation Monitoring And Management: Quarterly Progress Report, Period Ending December 31, 2005, Margaret N. Rees

Vegetation Monitoring

Executive Summary

• Required reports on sticky buckwheat (Eriogonum viscidulum) and threecorner milkvetch (Astragalus geyeri var. triquetrus) to be submitted through appropriate protocols by December 30, 2005
• Summary report on several other rare plants to be submitted through appropriate protocols by December 30, 2005
• Invasive perennial pepperweed (also called tall whitetop; Lepidium latifolium) documented and treated by Weed Sentry within Black Canyon, Lake Mojave

Cu2O(1 1 0) Formation On Co3O4(1 1 0) Induced By Copper Impurity Segregation, S. C. Petitto, Marjorie Langell

Marjorie A. Langell Publications

The surface crystal structure of the Co₃O₄(1 1 0) spinel was characterized by low energy electron diffraction (LEED), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and Auger electron spectroscopy (AES). Well-defined LEED diffraction patterns showed an unreconstructed Co₃O₄(1 1 0) surface in Type A termination, and XPS and Auger indicated the surface to be stoichiometric with octahedral and tetrahedral cation sites occupied by 3+ and 2+ cations, respectively. The experimental lattice parameters of 8.22 Å ± 0.2 Å and 5.50 Å ± 0.2 Å in the (0 0 1) and (1¯ 1 0) directions, respectively, …

Tree Islands In Everglades Landscapes: Current Status, Historical Changes, And Hydrologic Impacts On Population Dynamics And Moisture Relations, First Annual Report, Michael Ross, Steve Oberbauer, Pablo Ruiz, Nilesh Timilsina, Daniel Gomez, Jay Sah, Susanna Stofella, Leonel Sternberg

SERC Research Reports

In 2005 we initiated a project designed to better understand tree island structure and function in the Everglades and the wetlands bordering it. Focus was on the raised portions at the upstream end of the islands, where tropical hardwood species adapted to well-drained conditions usually are the most prominent component of the vegetation. The study design is hierarchical, with four levels; in general, a large number of sites is to be surveyed once for a limited set of parameters, and increasingly small sets of islands are to be sampled more intensively, more frequently, and for more aspects of ecosystem function. …

The Mechanism Of Membrane Targeting Of Human Sphingosine Kinase 1, Robert V. Stahelin, Jeong H. Hwang, Jin-Hahn Kim, Zee-Yong Park, Korey R. Johnson, Lina M. Obeid, Wonhwa Cho

Faculty Publications & Research

Sphingosine 1-phosphate is a bioactive sphingolipid that regu- lates cell growth and suppresses programmed cell death. The bio- synthesis of sphingosine 1-phosphate is catalyzed by sphingosine kinase (SK) but the mechanism by which the subcellular localization and activity of SK is regulated in response to various stimuli is not fully understood. To elucidate the origin and structural determi- nant of the specific subcellular localization of SK, we performed biophysical and cell studies of human SK1 (hSK1) and selected mutants. In vitro measurements showed that hSK1 selectively bound phosphatidylserine over other anionic phospholipids and strongly preferred the plasma membrane-mimicking membrane to …

Semiparametric Approaches For Joint Modeling Of Longitudinal And Survival Data With Time Varying Coefficients, Xiao Song, C.Y. Wang

UW Biostatistics Working Paper Series

We study joint modeling of survival and longitudinal data. There are two regression models of interest. The primary model is for survival outcomes, which are assumed to follow a time varying coefficient proportional hazards model. The second model is for longitudinal data, which are assumed to follow a random effects model. Based on the trajectory of a subject's longitudinal data, some covariates in the survival model are functions of the unobserved random effects. Estimated random effects are generally different from the unobserved random effects and hence this leads to covariate measurement error. To deal with covariate measurement error, we propose …

Almost Split Morphisms, Preprojective Algebras And Multiplication Maps Of Maximal Rank, Steven P. Diaz, Mark Kleiner

Mathematics - All Scholarship

With a grading previously introduced by the second-named author, the multiplication maps in the preprojective algebra satisfy a maximal rank property that is similar to the maximal rank property proven by Hochster and Laksov for the multiplication maps in the commutative polynomial ring. The result follows from a more general theorem about the maximal rank property of a minimal almost split morphism, which also yields a quadratic inequality for the dimensions of indecomposable modules involved.

Finite-Dimensional Algebras With Smallest Resolutions Of Simple Modules, Shashidhar Jagadeeshan, Mark Kleiner

Mathematics - All Scholarship

Let lamda be an associative ring with identity and with the Jacobson radical r, let mod lamda be the category of finitely generated left lamda-modules, and let lamda^op be the opposite ring of lamda. All modules are left unital modules, and if X is a module then pd X is the projective dimension of X. If lamda is left artinian and M in mod labmda, we denote by P(M) a projective cover of M.

Nonparametric Control Chart For The Range, Arnold J. Stromberg

Statistics Faculty Patents

A method is provided for detecting or predicting an undesired deviation in variability of at least one parameter being monitored, wherein the variation in the parameter is incrementally recorded. The method comprises establishing the number of subsets of a dataset that have a range of the difference between any two datapoints within the dataset, and computing a control chart for the range based thereon. The method accurately detects changes in variability in real time. The true distribution of the data is reflected, and the desired result is achieved without requiring an inordinate number of computations.

High-Temperature Calcium Vapor Cell For Spectroscopy On The 4s2 1s0-4s4p 3p1 Intercombination Line, Christopher J. Erickson, Brian Neyenhuis, Dallin S. Durfee

Faculty Publications

We have demonstrated a high-temperature vapor cell for absorption spectroscopy on the Ca intercombination line. The cell uses a dual-chamber design to achieve the high temperatures necessary for an optically dense vapor while avoiding the necessity of high-temperature vacuum valves and glass-to-metal seals. We have observed over 50% absorption in a single pass through the cell. Although pressure broadening in the cell prevented us from performing saturated-absorption spectroscopy, the broadening resulted in higher signal-to-noise ratios by allowing us to probe the atoms with intensities much greater than the 0.2µW/cm2 saturation intensity of the unbroadened transition. The techniques presented in this …

Geophysical And Hydrological Evaluation Of Two Bog Complexes In A Northern Peatland: Implications For The Distribution Of Biogenic Gases At The Basin Scale, Xavier Comas, Lee Slater, Andrew S. Reeve

Earth Science Faculty Scholarship

Ground penetrating radar (GPR) was used to determine peat basin geometry and the spatial distribution of free-phase biogenic gasses in two separate units of a northern peatland (Central and Southern Unit of Caribou Bog, Maine). The Central Unit is characterized by a deep basin structure (15 m maximum depth) and a raised (eccentric) bog topographic profile (up to 2 m topographic variation). Here numerous regions of electromagnetic (EM) wave scattering are considered diagnostic of the presence of extensive free-phase biogenic gas. In contrast, the Southern Unit is shallower (8 m maximum depth) and has a slightly convex upwards bog profile …

Distribution Of Foraging Shearwaters Relative To Inner Front Of Se Bering Sea, J. Jahncke, K. O. Coyle, Stephan I. Zeeman, N. B. Kachel, G. L. Hunt Jr.

Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

We examined the hypothesis that short-tailed shearwaters Puffinus tenuirostris aggregate to forage at the inner front of the SE Bering Sea because of enhanced production there. We tested this hypothesis by comparing primary production, the distribution of euphausiids and the distribution of shearwaters relative to the front during late spring and late summer/early fall of 1997, 1998 and 1999. We found enhanced primary production at the front and offshore of the front during summer but not during spring. Primary production varied between seasons and years. Major differences were related to anomalous conditions in 1997 and 1998. The density of euphausiids …

Measurements Of Trace Gas Emissions From Australian Forest Fires And Correlations With Coincident Measurements Of Aerosol Optical Depth, Clare Paton-Walsh, N. B. Jones, Stephen R. Wilson, V Haverd, A. Meier, D. W. Griffith

Faculty of Science - Papers (Archive)

We present vertically integrated measurements of C2H2, C2H4, C2H6, HCOOH, CO, H2CO, HCN and NH3 through smoke plumes from Australian forest fires measured by ground-based solar absorption spectroscopy. The column amounts of these gases are highly correlated with simultaneous, co-located measurements of aerosol optical depth, providing a potential method of mapping biomass-burning emissions using satellite measurements of aerosol optical depth. We have calculated emission ratios relative to CO for the trace gases using aerosol optical depth as a proxy for CO and converted to emission factors by using an average emission factor for CO from literature measurements of extra-tropical forest …

Foreign Migration To The Cleveland-Akron-Lorain Metropolitan Area From 1995 To 2000, Mark Salling, Ellen Cyran

All Maxine Goodman Levin School of Urban Affairs Publications

This report is one of a series on migration to and from the region using the five percent Public Use Microdata Sample (PUMS) of the 2000 Census of Population and Housing and provides a description of foreign migrants moving to the Cleveland-Akron-Lorain (CAL) Consolidated Metropolitan Area (CMSA) from 1995 to 2000.* The report identifies the countries of origin of migrants and compares the demographic, socioeconomic, and housing characteristics of the foreign migrants to the CAL with other groups, including foreign migrants to Ohio and the nation, and, at times, to domestic migrants to and from the CAL.

West Nile Virus National Report On Dead Bird Surveillance, Canadian Cooperative Wildlife Health Centre, Patrick Zimmer

Canadian Cooperative Wildlife Health Centre: Newsletters and Publications

The following is a synthesis of data collected in the National WNV dead bird surveillance program in 2005. As such it reflects the activities of a range of jurisdictions and agencies, including Federal/Provincial/Territorial Health, Wildlife and Agriculture Departments and the Canadian Cooperative Wildlife Health Centre. All of the data used was compiled using the CCWHC database; minor discrepancies from other reports or websites are possible.

Alleviating Linear Ecological Bias And Optimal Design With Subsample Data, Adam Glynn, Jon Wakefield, Mark Handcock, Thomas Richardson

UW Biostatistics Working Paper Series

In this paper, we illustrate that combining ecological data with subsample data in situations in which a linear model is appropriate provides three main benefits. First, by including the individual level subsample data, the biases associated with linear ecological inference can be eliminated. Second, by supplementing the subsample data with ecological data, the information about parameters will be increased. Third, we can use readily available ecological data to design optimal subsampling schemes, so as to further increase the information about parameters. We present an application of this methodology to the classic problem of estimating the effect of a college degree …

Bayesian Analysis Of Cell-Cycle Gene Expression Data, Chuan Zhou, Jon Wakefield, Linda Breeden

UW Biostatistics Working Paper Series

The study of the cell-cycle is important in order to aid in our understanding of the basic mechanisms of life, yet progress has been slow due to the complexity of the process and our lack of ability to study it at high resolution. Recent advances in microarray technology have enabled scientists to study the gene expression at the genome-scale with a manageable cost, and there has been an increasing effort to identify cell-cycle regulated genes. In this chapter, we discuss the analysis of cell-cycle gene expression data, focusing on a model-based Bayesian approaches. The majority of the models we describe …

South Florida Coastal Water Quality Monitoring Network - 7-9/05 Quarterly Report (C-15397), Joseph N. Boyer

SERC Research Reports

No abstract provided.

Coordinate Systems And Bounded Isomorphisms, David R. Pitts, David R. Pitts

Department of Mathematics: Faculty Publications

For a Banach D-bimoduleMover an abelian unital C*-algebraD, we define E1(M) as the collection of norm-one eigenvectors for the dual action of D on the Banach space dual M#. Equip E1(M) with the weak*-topology. We develop general properties of E1(M). It is properly viewed as a coordinate system for M when M C, where C is a unital C*-algebra containing D as a regular MASA with the extension property; moreover, E1(C) coincides with Kumjian’s twist in the context of C*-diagonals. We identify the C*-envelope of a subalgebra A of a C*-diagonal when D A C. For triangular subalgebras, each containing …

The Dust Cloud Around The White Dwarf G29-38, William T. Reach, Ted Von Hippel, Et Al.

Publications

We present new observations of the white dwarf G29-38 with the camera (4.5 and 8 μm), photometer (24 μm), and spectrograph (5.5-14 μm) of the Spitzer Space Telescope. This star has an exceptionally large infrared excess, amounting to 3% of the bolometric luminosity. The spectral energy distribution (SED) has a continuum peak around 4.5 μm and a 9-11 μm emission feature 1.25 times brighter than the continuum. A mixture of amorphous olivine and a small amount of forsterite in an emitting region 1-5 R☉ from the star can reproduce the shape of the 9-11 μm feature. The SED …

Nonmetal Ordering In Tic1-Xnx: Ground-State Structure And The Effects Of Finite Temperature, Gus L. W. Hart, Brian Kolb

Faculty Publications

The TiC1-xNx system has long been prized in industry because of its desirable thermodynamic and hardness characteristics. Previous studies have not produced comprehensive results describing the ordering tendencies of TiC1-xNx at any temperature. We apply the mixed-basis cluster expansion and Monte Carlo methods to the problem and find a fascinating array of ground-state structures occurring at precise nitrogen-concentration intervals of ∆x=1/16 and related to each other by simple (201) quasisuperlattice motifs. Thermodynamic Monte Carlo results indicate that the critical ordering temperatures at all concentrations are well below room temperature. short-range ordering develops at T ≈ 800 K and exhibits the …

Observations Of Sand Waves, Megaripples, And Hummocks In The Dutch Coastal Area And Their Relation To Currents And Combined Flow Conditions, Sandra Passchier, Maarten Kleinhans

Department of Earth and Environmental Studies Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

[1] This paper aims to investigate the distribution and stability of large‐scale bed forms in response to storm and fair‐weather conditions in a shallow marine environment. Multibeam and side‐scan sonar data off the Dutch coast (median grain size 0.25–0.35 mm) were collected to monitor sand waves (λ = 100–800 m) and superimposed megaripples (λ = 1–40 m) through multiple storm and fair‐weather events. Box cores were used to observe the vertical bed structure and grain size. In the Dutch coastal area, two‐dimensional (2‐D) megaripples (λ = 1–15 m) are the dominant bed forms in current‐dominated (>0.4 m/s) tidal flow …

Assessing An Environmental Education Program, Gregory Schraw, Lori Olafson, Jeanne A. Klockow

Presentations (DM)

We developed a comprehensive assessment plan and tested the curriculum to determine whether hands-on outdoor recreation events promote knowledge, attitudes, and performance among at-risk urban children. Knowledge, attitude, and performance assessments were developed, refined and implemented with a variety of age groups participating within the events. Findings revealed that knowledge, attitudes, and performance increased substantially as a result of participating in the outdoor recreation events.

Development Of A Nontidal Inventory And Monitoring Strategy For Virginia – Phase I: Level I Statewide Inventory And Level Ii Coastal Plain Assessment., Center For Coastal Resources Management, Virginia Institute Of Marine Science

Reports

No abstract provided.

Magnetic And Spectroscopic Characteristics Of Znmno System, Aswini K. Pradhan, D. Hunter, Kai Zhang, J.B. Dadson, S. Mohanty, T.M. Williams, K. Lord, R.R. Rakimhov, U.N. Roy, Y. Cui, A. Burger, Jun Zhang, David J. Sellmyer

David Sellmyer Publications

We report on the observation of room-temperature ferromagnetism in epitaxial (Zn,Mn)O films grown by a pulsed-laser deposition technique using high-density targets. The X-ray, microscopic, spectroscopic and magnetic properties of target material containing 6 at.% of Mn and films were compared. The target shows the presence of large clusters exhibiting paramagnetic behavior. However, ferromagnetic properties were observed in (Zn,Mn)O films grown at a substrate temperature of 500 °C and with an oxygen partial pressure of 1 mTorr. Although, crystalline quality of the film improves with increasing substrate temperature, the ferromagnetism becomes weaker.

An Event-Based Approach To Validating Solar Wind Speed Predictions: High-Speed Enhancements In The Wang-Sheeley-Arge Model, M. J. Owens, C. N. Arge, Harlan E. Spence, A. Pembroke

Physics & Astronomy

[1] One of the primary goals of the Center for Integrated Space Weather Modeling (CISM) effort is to assess and improve prediction of the solar wind conditions in near-Earth space, arising from both quasi-steady and transient structures. We compare 8 years of L1 in situ observations to predictions of the solar wind speed made by the Wang-Sheeley-Arge (WSA) empirical model. The mean-square error (MSE) between the observed and model predictions is used to reach a number of useful conclusions: there is no systematic lag in the WSA predictions, the MSE is found to be highest at solar minimum and lowest …