Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Evaporation Estimation Of Rift Valley Lakes: Comparison Of Models, Assefa M. Melesse, Wossenu Abtew, Tibebe Dessalegne

Department of Earth and Environment

Evapotranspiration (ET) accounts for a substantial amount of the water flux in the arid and semi-arid regions of the World. Accurate estimation of ET has been a challenge for hydrologists, mainly because of the spatiotemporal variability of the environmental and physical parameters governing the latent heat flux. In addition, most available ET models depend on intensive meteorological information for ET estimation. Such data are not available at the desired spatial and temporal scales in less developed and remote parts of the world. This limitation has necessitated the development of simple models that are less data intensive and provide ET estimates …

Rigid And Non-Rigid Point-Based Medical Image Registration, Nestor Andres Parra

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The primary goal of this dissertation is to develop point-based rigid and non-rigid image registration methods that have better accuracy than existing methods. We first present point-based PoIRe, which provides the framework for point-based global rigid registrations. It allows a choice of different search strategies including (a) branch-and-bound, (b) probabilistic hill-climbing, and (c) a novel hybrid method that takes advantage of the best characteristics of the other two methods. We use a robust similarity measure that is insensitive to noise, which is often introduced during feature extraction. We show the robustness of PoIRe using it to register images obtained with …

Absolute Configuration And Biosynthesis Of Pahayokolide A From Lyngbya Sp. Strain 15-2 Of The Florida Everglades, Li Liu

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Pahayokolides A-D are cytotoxic cyclic polypeptides produced by the freshwater cyanobacterium Lyngbya sp. strain 15-2 that possess an unusual β-amino acid, 3-amino-2,5,7,8-tetrahydroxy-10-methylundecanoic acid (Athmu). The absolute configuration of pahayokolides A-D was determined using advanced Marfey’s method. It was also confirmed that a pendant N-acetyl-N-methyl leucine moiety in pahayokolide A was absent in pahayokolides B and pahayokolides C-D were conformers of pahayokolide A. Feeding experiments indicated that the biosynthesis of the Athmu sidechain arises from leucine or α-ketoisovalerate, however could not be further extended by three rounds of condensation with malonate units. Putative four peptide and one unique polyketide synthetases in …

The Monitoring And Assessment Plan (Map) Greater Everglades Wetlands Module- Landscape Pattern- Ridge, Slough, And Tree Island Mosaics: Year 1 Annual Report, James B. Heffernan, Michael S. Ross, Matthew J. Cohen, Todd Z. Osborne, Jay P. Sah, Pablo L. Ruiz, Leonard J. Scinto

SERC Research Reports

In the current managed Everglades system, the pre-drainage, patterned mosaic of sawgrass ridges, sloughs and tree islands has been substantially altered or reduced largely as a result of human alterations to historic ecological and hydrological processes that sustained landscape patterns. The pre-compartmentalization ridge and slough landscape was a mosaic of sloughs, elongated sawgrass ridges (50-200m wide), and tree islands. The ridges and sloughs and tree islands were elongated in the direction of the water flow, with roughly equal area of ridge and slough. Over the past decades, the ridge-slough topographic relief and spatial patterning have degraded in many areas of …

Effect Of Surfactants On The Structure And Morphology Of Magnesium Borate Hydroxide Nanowhiskers Synthesized By Hydrothermal Route, Latha Kumari, Wz Li, Shrinivas Kulkarni, Kh Wu, Wei Chen, Chunlei Wang, Charles H. Vannoy, Roger M. Leblanc

Department of Physics

Magnesium borate hydroxide (MBH) nanowhiskers were synthesized using a one step hydrothermal process with different surfactants. The effect surfactants have on the structure and morphology of the MBH nanowhiskers has been investigated. The X-ray diffraction profile confirms that the as-synthesized material is of single phase, monoclinic MgBO₂(OH). The variations in the size and shape of the different MBH nanowhiskers have been discussed based on the surface morphology analysis. The annealing of MBH nanowhiskers at 500 °C for 4 h has significant effect on the crystal structure and surface morphology. The UV–vis absorption spectra of the MBH nanowhiskers synthesized …

Loaxahatchee Impoundment Landscape Assessment (Lila): Tree Island Experiments And Management; May 1, 2005 To September 4, 2009: Final Report, Leonard J. Scinto, René Price, Michael Ross

SERC Research Reports

Hydrologic modifications have negatively impacted the Florida Everglades in numerous significant ways. The compartmentalization of the once continuously flowing system into the Water Conservation Areas (WCAs) caused disruption of the slow natural flow of water south from Lake Okeechobee through the Everglades to Florida Bay. The ponding of water in the WCAs, the linking of water flow to controlled water levels, and the management of water levels for anthropogenic vs. ecological well-being has caused a reduction in the spatial heterogeneity of the Everglades leading to greater uniformity in topography and vegetation. These effects are noticeable as the degradation in structure …

Mineral Chemistry And Origin Of The Olivine-Rich Zone Of The Palisades Sill, Kevin Xavier Chau

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The Palisades Sill contains an olivine-rich zone that has attracted scientific attention for over one hundred years. Despite the amount of focus, a definitive explanation for the origin of this layer has not been reached. Through the use of detailed petrographic analyses and electron microscopy, the aim of this study was to collect data on mineral phases from the Palisades Sill in order to better understand the history. Extremely broad ranges in mineral compositions indicate that the olivine-rich zone evolved through in situ equilibrium crystallization, implying that it was injected once the main body of the sill had already been …

Little Venice Water Quality Monitoring Project: Epa Assistance Agreement X7-96410604-3 And Fdep Contract Sp674 & Sp678, Joseph N. Boyer, Henry O. Briceño

SERC Research Reports

No abstract provided.

On The Existence And Uniqueness Of The Maximum Likelihood Estimators Of Normal And Lognormal Population Parameters With Grouped Data, Jin Xia, Jie Mi, Yan Yan Zhou

Department of Mathematics and Statistics

Lognormal distribution has abundant applications in various fields. In literature, most inferences on the two parameters of the lognormal distribution are based on Type-I censored sample data. However, exact measurements are not always attainable especially when the observation is below or above the detection limits, and only the numbers of measurements falling into predetermined intervals can be recorded instead. This is the so-called grouped data. In this paper, we will show the existence and uniqueness of the maximum likelihood estimators of the two parameters of the underlying lognormal distribution with Type-I censored data and grouped data. The proof was first …

On The Existence And Uniqueness Of The Maximum Likelihood Estimators Of Normal And Lognormal Population Parameters With Grouped Data, Jin Xia, Jie Mi, Yanyan Zhou

Department of Mathematics and Statistics

Lognormal distribution has abundant applications in various fields. In literature, most inferences on the two parameters of the lognormal distribution are based on Type-I censored sample data. However, exact measurements are not always attainable especially when the observation is below or above the detection limits, and only the numbers of measurements falling into predetermined intervals can be recorded instead. This is the so-called grouped data. In this paper, we will show the existence and uniqueness of the maximum likelihood estimators of the two parameters of the underlying lognormal distribution with Type-I censored data and grouped data. The proof was first …

The Development Of An Optimized System Of Narcotic And Explosive Contraband Mimics For Calibration And Training Of Biological Detectors, Michael S. Macias

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Current commercially available mimics contain varying amounts of either the actual explosive/drug or the chemical compound of suspected interest by biological detectors. As a result, there is significant interest in determining the dominant chemical odor signatures of the mimics, often referred to as pseudos, particularly when compared to the genuine contraband material. This dissertation discusses results obtained from the analysis of drug and explosive headspace related to the odor profiles as recognized by trained detection canines. Analysis was performed through the use of headspace solid phase microextraction in conjunction with gas chromatography mass spectrometry (HS-SPME-GC-MS). Upon determination of specific odors, …

Economic Assessment Of Best Management Practices In The Mara River Basin : Toward Implementing Payment For Watershed Services, George Atisa

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The Mara River in East Africa is currently experiencing poor water quality and increased fluctuations in seasonal flow. This study investigated technically effective and economically viable Best Management Practices for adoption in the Mara River Basin of Kenya that can stop further water resources degradation.

A survey of 155 farmers was conducted in the upper catchment of the Kenyan side of the river basin. Farmers provided their assessment of BMPs that would best suit their farm in terms of water quality improvement, economic feasibility, and technical
suitability. Cost data on different practices from farmers and published literature was collected. The …

The Effects Of The Use Of Technology In Mathematics Instruction On Student Achievement, Ron Y. Myers

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of the use of technology on students’ mathematics achievement, particularly the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT) mathematics results. Eleven schools within the Miami-Dade County Public School System participated in a pilot program on the use of Geometers Sketchpad (GSP). Three of these schools were randomly selected for this study. Each school sent a teacher to a summer in-service training program on how to use GSP to teach geometry. In each school, the GSP class and a traditional geometry class taught by the same teacher were the study participants. Students’ mathematics …

Formal Verification And Testing Of Software Architectural Models, Gonzalo Argote Garcia

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Ensuring the correctness of software has been the major motivation in software research, constituting a Grand Challenge. Due to its impact in the final implementation, one critical aspect of software is its architectural design. By guaranteeing a correct architectural design, major and costly flaws can be caught early on in the development cycle. Software architecture design has received a lot of attention in the past years, with several methods, techniques and tools developed. However, there is still more to be done, such as providing adequate formal analysis of software architectures. On these regards, a framework to ensure system dependability from …

Mercury Characterization In Soil Collected Nearby The Department Of Energy Oak Ridge Reservation, Julio Cesar Cabrera

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Total mercury (Hg) concentration provides insufficient information to understand Hg behavior in Hg-contaminated soil systems and to seek potential remediation technologies, because the distribution, mobility, bioavailability, and toxicity of Hg are dependent on Hg forms present in soils. The phase association of Hg in soil is investigated to evaluate potential environmental risk through combination of total Hg determination, soil fractionation, and speciation analysis of Hg in a Hg-contaminated DOE site. Besides total Hg concentration analysis, sequential extraction procedures and thermal desorption techniques were employed to study Hg binding forms in soils in this study. Total mercury concentrations ranging from less …

Woody Plant Invasion Into The Freshwater Marl Prairie Habitat Of The Cape Sable Seaside Sparrow: Final Report, Erin Hanan, Michael Ross, Jay Sah, Pablo L. Ruiz, Susana Stofella, Nilesh Timilsina, David Jones, Jose Espinar, Rachel King

SERC Research Reports

In the fall of 2005, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services (USFWS) contracted with Florida International University (FIU) to study the physical and biological drivers underlying the distribution of woody plant species in the marl prairie habitat of the Cape Sable Seaside Sparrow (CSSS). This report presents what we have learned about woody plant encroachment based on studies carried out during the period 2006-2008. The freshwater marl prairie habitat currently occupied by the Cape Sable seaside sparrow (CSSS; Ammodramus maritimus mirabilis) is a dynamic mosaic comprised of species-rich grassland communities and tree islands of various sizes, densities and compositions. Landscape heterogeneity …

Sea Level Rise In Miami-Dade County Florida Implications For Management Of Coastal Wetlands And The Everglades [Presentation], Peter Harlem, John F. Meeder

Sea Level Rise Collection

No abstract provided.

2009 Annual Report Of The Water Quality Monitoring Project For The Water Quality Protection Program Of The Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, Joseph N. Boyer, Henry O. Briceño

SERC Research Reports

No abstract provided.

Effect Of Hydrologic Restoration On The Habitat Of The Cape Sable Seaside Sparrow, 2008 – Final Report, Jay P. Sah, Michael S. Ross, James R. Snyder, Pablo L. Ruiz, Susana Stofella, Mike Kline, Broke Shamblin, Erin Hanan, Lawrence Lopez, T.J. Hilton

SERC Research Reports

This document summarizes the activities that were accomplished in 2008, the sixth year of the research project “Effect of hydrologic restoration on the habitat of the Cape Sable seaside sparrow”, a collaborative effort among the US Army Corps of Engineers, Everglades National Park, Florida International University, and the US Geological Survey (Florida Integrated Science Center). The major activities in 2008 included field work, data analysis, and presentations. Jay Sah presented the results of 6th year field work at the Cape Sable seaside sparrow (CSSS) Fire Meeting 2008, held on December 2-3 at the Krome Center, Homestead, Florida. In the same …

Exploratory Study Of The Download Speed Of Leading University Hospitality And Tourism Department Websites Worldwide, Steven Chan, Rosanna Leung, Rob Law, Wen Shi

Hospitality Review

Increased broadband penetration (BP) rates around the world have encouraged web designers to include more web content and additional functions on their web sites, thereby enhancing the richness and playfulness of the information. However, it is often very difficult for web surfers who are still using narrowband connections to access such web sites. Many university web sites target international audiences; therefore their download performance should be considered, as it may directly influence the user experience. This exploratory study examined 331 university hospitality and tourism department web sites in 37 countries. The empirical results showed that entry web pages of universities …

Demographic, Behavioral And Perceptual Comparisons Of U.S Visitor Experience With Group Package Tours And Free Independent Travel To China, Mark A. Bonn, Howook "Sean" Chang, Jerome Agrusta, H. Leslie Furr, Woo Gon Kim

Hospitality Review

U.S. visitor demand for the China travel experience is anticipated to rise significantly through 2105, causing the Chinese government to employ 100 million service providers over the next six years and raising concern about service delivery and perceptions of the on-site China experience. In an effort to better understand these issues concerning U.S. visitors, this study investigated two specific types of U.S. travelers to China: Group Package Tour (GPT) visitors and Free Independent Travel (FIT) visitors. Results indicated that GPT visitors were more likely to be older and have higher household income than FIT visitors. Four trip-related characteristics of GPT …