Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Estuarine Water Quality Monitoring Network Quarterly (C-15397), Joseph N. Boyer

SERC Research Reports

No abstract provided.

Little Venice Water Quality Monitoring Quarterly Report #10, Joseph N. Boyer

SERC Research Reports

No abstract provided.

Economic Analysis Of The Florida Everglades Restoration, Jeffrey Robert Czajkowski

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

An economic valuation methodology was developed in order to monetarily quantify the benefits resulting from the Indian River Lagoon - South (IRLS) $995 million Everglades restoration project. Service flows of the IRLS were identified and their associated economic baseline values were estimated utilizing existing research. A water quality baseline for the IRLS was also established and compared with the best available standards. Benefits accruing beyond the baseline values given the completion of the IRLS restoration were estimated via benefit transfer to be approximately $159 million annually, importantly factoring in the established IRLS water quality baseline.

Given these benefit results of …

Exclusive Electrodisintegration Of Three-Nucleon Systems, Tigran Abrahamyan

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research was to develop a theory of high-energy exclusive electrodisintegration of three-nucleon systems on the example of 3He(e, e'NN)N reaction with knocked-out nucleon in the final state.

The scattering amplitudes and differential cross section of the reaction were calculated in details within the Generalized Eikonal Approximation(GEA). The manifestly covariant nature of Feynman diagrams derived in GEA allowed us to preserve both the relativistic dynamics and kinematics of the scattering while identifying the low momentum nuclear part of the amplitude with a nonrelativistic nuclear wave function. Numerical calculations of the residual system's total and relative momentum distribution …

Environmental Analysis Of Polar Herbicides In Complex Organic-Rich Matrices By High Performance Liquid Chromatography Atmospheric Pressure Ionization Mass Spectrometry (Hplc-Api-Ms), Luis Arroyo-Mora

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A comprehensive forensic investigation of sensitive ecosystems in the Everglades Area is presented. Assessing the background levels of contamination in these ecosystems represents a vital resource to build up forensic evidence required to enforce future environmental crimes within the studied areas. This investigation presents the development and validation of a fractionation and isolation method for two families of herbicides commonly applied in the vicinity of the study area, including phenoxy acids like 2,4-D, MCPA, and silvex; as well as the most common triazine-based herbicides like atrazine, prometyne, simazine and related metabolites like DIA and DEA. Accelerated solvent extraction (ASE) and …

Vegetation Dynamics In Enp Marshes, With Emphasis On Taylor Slough (Iop Congressional Report), Michael S. Ross, Jay P. Sah, Thomas V. Armentano, David T. Jones, Hillary C. Cooley, Craig S. Smith

SERC Research Reports

No abstract provided.

Estuarine Water Quality Monitoring Network Quarterly Report (C-15397), Joseph N. Boyer

SERC Research Reports

No abstract provided.

Rank And K-Nullity Of Contact Manifolds, Philippe Rukimbira

Department of Mathematics and Statistics

We prove that the dimension of the 1-nullity distribution N(1) on a closed Sasakian manifold M of rankl is at least equal to 2l−1 provided that M has an isolated closed characteristic. The result is then used to provide some examples of k-contact manifolds which are not Sasakian. On a closed, 2n+1-dimensional Sasakian manifold of positive bisectional curvature, we show that either the dimension of N(1) is less than or equal to n+1 or N(1) is the entire tangent bundle TM. In the latter case, the Sasakian manifold Mis isometric to a quotient of the Euclidean sphere under a finite …

Characterizing Fracture Distribution In Layered Rocks Using Geographic Information System-Based Techniques, Kajari Ghosh

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Fractures are discrete planar features that are heterogeneously distributed throughout the earth's upper crust. Methods commonly used to quantify fracture populations typically yield singular values/indexes for the attribute of interest. These values are useful in characterizing the bulk properties of a fracture population, but are unable to address the inherent spatial heterogeneities of the fracture network.

This study explores techniques to map fractures and capture the spatial heterogeneity of fracture networks within a Geographic Information System (GIS). The study was performed on exposures of the intensely fractured Monterey Formation in Santa Barbara, California. Results of the GIS-based spatial analysis provide …

Particle Identification With Aerogel Ĉerenkov Detectors, Michael Carl

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Two detectors for charged particle identification have been built and tested. First, a test setup for a diffusion box threshold detector, using a 5 cm thick aerogel radiator has been designed and tested at the KEK PS facility in Japan. Using white Millipore paper as a diffuse reflector inside a diffusion box, the Ĉerenkov light gets scattered randomly until it hits one of the photomultipliers. On average up to 20 photoelectrons detected for pions at 1.2 GeV/c have been observed. Second, collection of Ĉerenkov light with an acrylic wavelength shifting plate was investigated. The test setup consisted of a plate, …

Cross-Section Measurements For The Near Ultra-Violet Absorption Spectra Of Glyoxal At The 280 Nanometer Wavelength, Abigail Diaz

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Glyoxal and other dicarbonyl compounds have been detected in tropospheric air in rural areas and polluted urban areas. Accurate absorption cross-sections for the near UV spectrum of glyoxal are important since the value of this chemical characteristic is necessary for calculating effective quantum yields and ultimately the rates and products of photolysis. In this study, comprehensive measurements were made for the 2 80 nm gas-phase absorption spectrum of glyoxal. In addition, molecular orbital calculations were carried out and the results used as a guide to identify the vibration responsible for the weak structure features of the continuous area of the …

Little Venice Water Quality Monitoring Quarterly Report #9, Joseph N. Boyer

SERC Research Reports

No abstract provided.

Effect Of Hydrologic Restoration On The Habitat Of The Cape Sable Seaside Sparrow, Annual Report Of 2002-2003, Michael S. Ross, Jay P. Sah, Pablo L. Ruiz, David T. Jones, Hillary Cooley, Rafael Travieso, James R. Snyder, Curt Schaeffer

SERC Research Reports

After developing field sampling protocols and making a series of consultations with investigators involved in research in CSSS habitat, we determined that vegetationhydrology interactions within this landscape are best sampled at a combination of scales. At the finer scale, we decided to sample at 100 m intervals along transects that cross the range of habitats present, and at the coarser scale, to conduct an extensive survey of vegetation at sites of known sparrow density dispersed throughout the range of the CSSS. We initiated sampling in the first week of January 2003 and continued it through the last week of May. …

Little Venice Water Quality Monitoring 2002 Annual Report, Ronald Jones, Joseph N. Boyer

SERC Research Reports

No abstract provided.

Little Venice Water Quality Monitoring Quarterly Report #8, Ronald Jones, Joseph N. Boyer

SERC Research Reports

No abstract provided.

Nonparametric Assessment Of Safety Levels In Ecological Risk Assessment (Era), Limei Chen

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In ecological risk assessment (ERA), it is important to know whether the exposure that animal species receive from a chemical concentration exceeds the desired safety level. This study examined several statistical methods currently being used in ecological risk assessment and reviewed several statistical procedures related to this subject in the literature. Two large sample nonparametric tests were developed for this study. Monte Carlo study showed that these tests performed well even when the sample size was moderately large. A real data set was used to show that the new methodologies provide a good method for assessing the potential risks of …

Development And Evaluation Of A Geographic Information System Based Method To Estimate Flooding Susceptibility In An Area Of Broward County, Florida, Carolyn J. Anderson

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The objective of this study was to develop a GIS-based multi-class index overlay model to determine areas susceptible to inland flooding during extreme precipitation events in Broward County, Florida. Data layers used in the method include Airborne Laser Terrain Mapper (ALTM) elevation data, excess precipitation depth determined through performing a Soil Conservation Service (SCS) Curve Number (CN) analysis, and the slope of the terrain. The method includes a calibration procedure that uses "weights and scores" criteria obtained from Hurricane Irene (1999) records, a reported 100-year precipitation event, Doppler radar data and documented flooding locations. Results are displayed in maps of …

Development Of Microsatellite Markers In Cannabis Sativa For Fingerprinting And Genetic Relatedness Analyses, Hussain J. Al-Ghanim

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Microsatellite markers were developed for Cannabis sativa L. (marijuana) to estimate the level of polymorphism, usefulness for DNA typing (genotype identification), and to measure the genetic relationships between the different plants. Twelve different oligonucleotide probes were used to screen an enriched microsatellite library of Cannabis sativa in which 49% of the clones contained microsatellite sequences. Characterization of microsatellite loci in Cannabis revealed that GA/CT was the most abundant class of isolated microsatellites representing 50% overall. Eleven polymorphic SSR markers were developed, derived from dinucleotide motifs and eight from trinucleotide motifs. A total of 52 alleles were detected averaging 4.7 alleles/locus. …

South Florida Coastal Water Quality Monitoring Network Fy2003 Cumulative Report To The South Florida Water Management District (Contract No. C-15397), Joseph N. Boyer

SERC Research Reports

No abstract provided.

Fy2003 Annual Report Of The Water Quality Monitoring Project For The Water Quality Protection Program Of The South Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, Joseph N. Boyer, Ronald Jones

SERC Research Reports

No abstract provided.

Book Review: Tourism In China: Exotic Land Revealed, Joan S. Remington

Hospitality Review

There is no better way to lean about tourism in China than from renowned expert in the field. Alan Lew. PhD. and professor at Northern Arizona University, Lawrence Yu, Ph.D. and associate professor in the Department of Tourism and Hospitality Management at George Washington University. John Ap, Ph.D. and associate professor in tourism management at Hong Kong Polytechnic University and Zhang Guangrui, director of the Tourism Research Centre, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences in Beijing, China, have contributed to and edited a collection of writings detailing the development of tourism in this fascinating and exotic land.