Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Advice For The Secretary Of Agriculture About Management Of The Giant Sequoia National Monument, J. N. Clarke, D. M. Graber, K. M. Nissen, D. D. Piirto, N. L. Stephenson, D. R. Tormey, P. E. Waggoner

Natural Resources Management and Environmental Sciences

Landscapes held in public trust are difficult to manage; a living National Monument subject to increased public use presents additional challenges. These landscapes are subject to regional and global effects outside the manager's control, such as global climate change and air pollution. They are also subject to innumerable local variables, most of whose effects are difficult to predict. The giant sequoia groves and their surrounding ecosystem are fiercely loved by many; although the goals may be broadly similar, the objectives and policies of these giant sequoia lovers are often sharply at odds.

Multi-Chart Geometry Images, P. V. Sander, Z. J. Wood, S. J. Gortler, H. Hoppe

Computer Science and Software Engineering

We introduce multi-chart geometry images, a new representation for arbitrary surfaces. It is created by resampling a surface onto a regular 2D grid. Whereas the original scheme of Gu et al. maps the entire surface onto a single square, we use an atlas construction to map the surface piecewise onto charts of arbitrary shape. We demonstrate that this added flexibility reduces parametrization distortion and thus provides greater geometric fidelity, particularly for shapes with long extremities, high genus, or disconnected components. Traditional atlas constructions suffer from discontinuous reconstruction across chart boundaries, which in our context create unacceptable surface cracks. Our solution …

Radio Polarization Of The Young High-Magnetic-Field Pulsar Psr J1119-6127, Fronefield Crawford, Nathan C. Keim

Physics

We have investigated the radio polarization properties of PSR J1119-6127, a recently discovered young radio pulsar with a large magnetic field. Using pulsar-gated radio imaging data taken at a center frequency of 2496 MHz with the Australia Telescope Compact Array, we have determined a rotation measure for the pulsar of +842 +/- 23 rad m^-2. These data, combined with archival polarimetry data taken at a center frequency of 1366 MHz with the Parkes telescope, were used to determine the polarization characteristics of PSR J1119-6127 at both frequencies. The pulsar has a fractional linear polarization of ~75% and ~55% at 1366 …

Transformation: The Human Obstacles, Jens G. Pohl

Collaborative Agent Design (CAD) Research Center

This paper addresses the human aspects of change at a time when the rapid wide-spread implementation of a new infostructure has become the cornerstone of national security policies. The author explores the behavioral characteristics of human beings from a point of view that is not based on inter-human comparisons, but on an examination of the innate physical, biological, intellectual, emotional, and social characteristics of our species. It is argued that the experience-based nature of the human cognitive system greatly reduces our ability to adapt to changes in our environment, exploit opportunities, and create new knowledge. A fundamental biological survival instinct …

Dendrochronology-Based Fire History Of Jeffrey Pine – Mixed Conifer Forests In The Sierra San Pedro Martir, Mexico, Scott L. Stephens, Carl N. Skinner, Samantha J. Gill

Natural Resources Management and Environmental Sciences

Conifer forests in northwestern Mexico have not experienced systematic fire suppression or logging, making them unique in western North America. Fire regimes of Pinus jeffreyi Grev. & Balf. mixed conifer forests in the Sierra San Pedro Martir, Baja California, Mexico, were determined by identifying 105 fire dates from 1034 fire scars in 105 specimens. Fires were recorded between 1521 and 1980 and median fire return intervals were less than 15 years at all compositing scales. Significant differences in mean fire return intervals were detected from 1700 to 1800, 1800 to 1900, and 1900 to 1997, most often at intermediate spatial …

Can Probabilistic Databases Help Elect Qualified Officials?, Judy Goldsmith, Alex Dekhtyar, Wenzhong Zhao

Computer Science and Software Engineering

We present a flexible framework for implementing reasoning with uncertainty: Semistructured Probabilistic Databases. This framework bridges the gap between the process of obtaining probabilistic information from data and its use in AI applications by providing the facilities to store and query diverse and complex probabilistic data.

Review Of Tritium On Ice: The Dangerous New Alliance Of Nuclear Weapons And Nuclear Power By Kenneth D. Bergeron, David W. Hafemeister

Physics

No abstract provided.

Comparison Of Features From Sar And Gmti Imagery Of Ground Targets, David Beckman, Samuel J. Frame

Statistics

We describe an algorithm for class-independent automated target recognition (ATR) and association using range-Doppler images of moving targets and SAR images of stationary targets. This algorithm can be used both for target identification (by comparison against a pre-existing database of measurements of all potential targets) and target association (not requiring a pre-existing database). The algorithm computes a one-dimensional signature for each received range-Doppler image; these signatures are stored in a database for comparison against other detections. The signatures used in our algorithm are range profiles, generated from the clutter-suppressed, filtered image by incoherently integrating the image energy across a number …

Preparation Of 2s,3s-N-Isobutyl-N-(2-Hydroxy-3-Amino-4-Phenylbutyl)-P-Nitrobenzenesulfonylamide Hydrochloride And Other Derivatives Of 2-Hydroxy-1,3-Diamines, Aslam A. Malik, Hasan Palandoken, Joy A. Stringer, Roland P. Carlson, John Leach, Thomas G. Archibald, Robert G. Miotke

Chemistry and Biochemistry

The present invention provides a new process for the preparation of 2S,3S-N-isobutyl-N-(2-hydroxy-3-amino-4phenylbutyl)- p-nitrobenzenesulfonylamide hydrochloride, wherein this compound is prepared directly from the chloromethylalcohol. Importantly, the process of the present invention results in higher yields of 2S,3S-N-isobutyl-N-(2hydroxy -3 -amino -4-phenylbutyl) -pnitrobenzenesulfonylamide hydrochloride without sacrificing its purity. The processes of the present inventin can be used to prepare not only the 2S,3S-derivative, but also the 2R,3S-, 2S,2R- and the 2R,3R-derivatives.

Clean, High-Yield Preparation Of S,S- And R,S- Amino Acid Isosteres, Aslam A. Malik, Todd E. Clement, Hasan Palandoken, James Robinson Iii, Joy A. Stringer

Chemistry and Biochemistry

The present invention provides compounds and methods that can be used to convert the intermediate halomethyl ketones (HMKs), e.g., chloromethyl ketones, to the corresponding S,S- and R,S-diastereomers. More particularly, the present invention provides: (1) reduction methods; (2) inversion methods; and (3) methods involving the epoxidation of alkenes. Using the various methods of the present invention, the R,S-epoxide and the intermediary compounds can be prepared reliably, in high yields and in high purity.

Icodes: A Ship Load-Planning System, Stephen Goodman, Jens G. Pohl

Collaborative Agent Design (CAD) Research Center

The Integrated Computerized Deployment System (ICODES) is a logistic software application of ship load-planning tools that utilizes intelligent software agents in a human-computer collaborative mode. As an example of a new generation of ‘information-centric’ military decision-support systems, ICODES includes expert agents with automatic reasoning and analysis capabilities. This is made possible by an internal virtual representation of the load-planning environment, in terms of ship and cargo characteristics and the complex relationships that constitute the context within which load-planning operations are performed. ICODES agents monitor the principal determinants of cargo stowage, including: the placement and segregation requirements for hazardous cargo items; …

Sils Mrat: A Shipboard Integration Of Logistics Systems And Mission Readiness Analysis Tool, Michael A. Zang, Chris K. Neff, Jens G. Pohl

Collaborative Agent Design (CAD) Research Center

SILS (Shipboard Integration of Logistics Systems) is an umbrella program initiated and sponsored by Dr. Phillip Abraham in the Logistics Directorate of the U.S. Office of Naval Research (ONR). The SILS vision is a system of systems that brings together shipboard and shore based data and information sources in a single integrated environment. SILS MRAT (Mission Readiness Analysis Tool) is a high-level shipboard component of SILS, which applies intelligent agent technology to the near real time decision support needs of commanding officers, department heads, and key operations & maintenance personnel. This tool demonstrates the capability of a system architecture to …

Point Of Zero Charge Determination In Soils And Minerals Via Traditional Methods And Detection Of Electroacoustic Mobility, Chip Appel, Lena Q. Ma, R. Dean Rhue, Elizabeth Kennelley

Earth and Soil Sciences

Points of zero charge were determined on two highly weathered surface soils from Puerto Rico, an Oxisol and Ultisol, as well as mineral-standard kaolinite and synthetic goethite using three methods: (1) potentiometric titration measuring the adsorption of H+ and OH− on amphoteric surfaces in solutions of varying ionic strength (I) (point of zero salt effect), (2) direct assessment of surface charges via non-specific ion adsorption as a function of pH and I (point of zero net charge), and (3) electroacoustic mobility of reversible particles as it varies with pH and I (isoelectric point). The first two methods yielded points of …

Decision-Support Systems: Notions, Prototypes, And In-Use Applications With Emphasis On Military Applications, Jens G. Pohl, Arthur Chapman, Kym Jason Pohl, Jonathan Primrose, Adam Wozniak

Collaborative Agent Design (CAD) Research Center

This report describes work performed by the Collaborative Agent Design Research Center (CADRC) over the past several years in the design and implementation of collaborative, computer-based, decision-support systems, mostly for military applications. In these systems multiple components, either program modules or separate processes (i.e., software agents), cooperate with each other and human decision makers to solve complex problems. The components are essentially of two types: knowledge-based narrow domain experts that provide services to other agents (i.e., service-agents); and, more autonomous agents (i.e., object-agents) that represent the interests of selected objects in high level information representation schemas.

Based on the notion …

Searching For Planetary Transits In The Field Of Open Cluster Ngc 6819 – I, R. A. Street, Keith Horne, T. A. Lister, A. Penny, Y. Tsapras, A. Quirrenbach, N. Safizadeh, David Mitchell, J. Cooke, A. Collier Cameron

Physics

We present results from our survey for planetary transits in the field of the intermediate-age (∼2.5 Gyr), metal-rich ([Fe/H] ∼+0.07) open cluster NGC 6819. We have obtained high-precision time-series photometry for over 38 000 stars in this field and have developed an effective matched-filter algorithm to search for photometric transits. This algorithm identified 8 candidate stars showing multiple transit-like events, plus 3 stars with single eclipses. On closer inspection, while most are shown to be low-mass stellar binaries, some of these events could be the result of brown dwarf companions. The data for one of the single-transit candidates indicate a …

A Comparison Of California Forest Practice Rules And Two Forest Certification Systems, Christopher Dicus, Kenneth Delfino

Natural Resources Management and Environmental Sciences

No abstract provided.

Dynamic Networks For Motion Planning In Multi-Robot Space Systems, Christopher M. Clark, Stephen M. Rock, Jean-Claude Latombe

Computer Science and Software Engineering

A new motion planning framework is presented that enables multiple mobile robots with limited ranges of sensing and communication to maneuver and achieve goals safely in dynamic environments. The framework is applicable to both planetary rover and free-floating space robot applications. To combine the respective advantages of centralized and de-centralized planning, this framework is based on the concept of centralized planning within dynamic robot networks. As the robots move in their environment, localized robot groups form networks, within which world models and robot goals can be shared. Whenever a network is formed, new information becomes available to all robots in …

Radius Of Convergence Of A Power Series, Todor D. Todorov

Mathematics

We derive two simple and memorizable formulas for the radius of convergence of a power series which seem to be appropriate for teaching in an introductory calculus course.

The Design And Construction Of A Rainfall Simulator, Jacqueline Blanquies, Misty Scharff, Brent Hallock

Earth and Soil Sciences

A reliable, accurate and portable rainfall simulator was needed for vegetative and erosion control research at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo (Cal Poly) for California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) and California State University Sacramento. This simulator was designed to be easily set up and maintained as well as able to create a variety of rainfall regimes. The nozzle performance tests and lateral spacing tests were performed at Cal Poly’s Erosion Research Facility. This simulator was designed and constructed based upon the principles of the Norton Ladder Type Rainfall Simulator. This simulator is the standard for research involving simulated …

Vegetation Establishment For Erosion Control Under Simulated Rainfall, Brent G. Hallock, Misty Scharff, Steve Rein, Kaila Dettman

Earth and Soil Sciences

The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) manages rights of ways that transect 41 m H (101m ac) and span over 3000 m (9000 ft) in elevation from seashore to sup alpine. There are approximately 4,900 native and 1,000 naturalized alien plant species in California. Only a few hundred are reliably useful in erosion and sediment control. Specifying native and naturalized vegetation mixes for use in hydroseeding or plug planting in conjunction with mechanical erosion control methods can have varying result for minimizing accelerated soil erosion. To investigate these factors, Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, in conjunction with Caltrans and CSU, …

Modern Spectral Climate Patterns In Rhythmically Deposited Argillites Of The Gowganda Formation (Early Proterozoic), Southern Ontario, Canada, Gary B. Hughes, Robert Giegengack, Haralambos N. Kritikos

Statistics

Rhythmically deposited argillites of the Gowganda Formation (ca. 2.0–2.5 Ga) probably formed in a glacial setting. Drop stones and layered sedimentary couplets in the rock presumably indicate formation in a lacustrine environment with repeating freeze–thaw cycles. It is plausible that temporal variations in the thickness of sedimentary layers are related to interannual climatic variability, e.g. average seasonal temperature could have influenced melting and the amount of sediment source material carried to the lake. A sequence of layer couplet thickness measurements was made from high-resolution digitized photographs taken at an outcrop in southern Ontario, Canada. The frequency spectrum of thickness measurements …

Electrical And Spectroscopic Studies Of The Effects Of Dc Electric Fields On Pre-Mixed Propane-Air Flames, S D. Marcum, G D. Gillen, B N. Ganguly

Physics

The effects of DC electric fields on temperature distributions within pre-mixed propane-air flames have been measured by the technique of thin filament pyrometry (TFP). We have focussed on the dramatic electric-field-induced modifications of the shape and size of the inner cone and the concomitant changes in the temperature profiles of fuel-rich mixtures with equivalence ratios of 1-1.35. Temperature profile measurements show large decreases in the reaction zone volume that is dependent upon the applied voltage polarity, indicating that electron impact excitation is not responsible for the observed effects. Additionally, the observed flame temperature profile modifications are not strongly dependent on …

Selectivities Of Potassium-Calcium And Potassium-Lead Exchange In Two Tropical Soils, Chip Appel, Lena Q. Ma, R. Dean Rhue, William Reve

Earth and Soil Sciences

Measurement of cation selectivity in soils provides important information about the affinity and binding strength of a particular cation on soil surfaces. Gaines-Thomas (K_GT) selectivity coefficients were determined for a variety of K/Ca and K/Pb ratios on an Oxisol and Ultisol soil from Puerto Rico. The calculated K_GT values indicated a preference for K⁺ over Ca²⁺ or Pb²⁺. The selectivity for Pb²⁺ was significantly greater than that for Ca²⁺ due to Pb²⁺'s larger hydrated charge density relative to that of Ca²⁺. The patterns of selectivity were independent …

The Derangement Problem Relative To The Mahonian Process, Jessica Delfert, Hillary Einziger, Don Rawlings

Mathematics

We survey n! plus q-derangement problems. Solutions to four Mahonian statistics arising in connection with cycle placement rules are presented. A few conjectures are also made.

Determination Of The Topological Structure Of An Orbifold By Its Group Of Orbifold Diffeomerphisms, Joseph E. Borzellino, Victor Brunsden

Mathematics

We show that the topological structure of a compact, locally smooth orbifold is determined by its orbifold diffeomorphism group. Let Diff^r_Orb (O) denote the C^r orbifold diffeomorphisms of an orbifold O. Suppose that Φ: Diff^r_Orb(O₁) → Diff^r_Orb (O₂) is a group isomorphism between the the orbifold diffeomorphism groups of two orbifolds O₁ and O₂. We show that Φ is induced by a homeomorphism h: X_O1 → X_O2 , where X_O denotes the underlying topological …

A Tail-Recursive Semantics For Stack Inspections, John Clements, Mathias Felleisen

Computer Science and Software Engineering

Security folklore holds that a security mechanism based on stack inspection is incompatible with a global tail call optimization policy. An implementation of such a language may have to allocate memory for a source-code tail call, and a program that uses only tail calls (and no other memory-allocating construct) may nevertheless exhaust the available memory. In this paper, we prove this widely held belief wrong. We exhibit an abstract machine for a language with security stack inspection whose space consumption function is equivalent to that of the canonical tail call optimizing abstract machine. Our machine is surprisingly simple and suggests …

Us Nuclear Security Cooperation With Russia And Transparency, David W. Hafemeister

Physics

This chapter reviews the efforts of Russia and the United States to conclude agreements on the control or reduction of their inventories of nuclear warheads and military fissile materials. While some of the negotiations attempted to codify arms limitation and reduction measures, others were aimed at constraining the spread of fissile materials and technologies to the non-nuclear weapon states (NNWS). A number of the negotiations had elements of both arms control and non-proliferation.

Most of the monitoring provisions contained in nuclear agreements between Russia and the USA are in the category of transparency measures—those that give confidence that a …

Measurement Of The Index Of Refraction Of A Flat Zinc Germanium Phosphide Wafer In The Infrared, Glen Gillen, Shekhar Guha

Physics

We have developed and tested a novel application of interferometry to determine the absolute refractive index of individual infrared materials having flat and parallel surfaces without alteration of the sample in any way, and measured no for ZnGeP₂.

Necessary And Sufficient Condition That The Limit Of Stieltjes Transforms Is A Stieltjes Transform, Jeffrey S. Geronimo, Theodore P. Hill

Research Scholars in Residence

The pointwise limit S of a sequence of Stieltjes transforms (S_n) of real Borel probability measures (P_n) is itself the Stieltjes transform of a Borel p.m. P if and only if iy S(iy) →−1as y →∞, in which case P_n converges to P in distribution. Applications are given to several problems in mathematical physics.