3-D antenna array analysis using the induced EMF method

The effect of mutual coupling between elements plays a crucial role to the performance of the antenna arrays. The radiation patterns of antenna arrays will be altered by the coupling effect from the adjacent elements thus reducing the accuracy and resolution in direction finding application. This research developed and validated the novel 3-D Algorithm to calculate the far-field pattern of dipole arrays arranged in three dimensions and in any configuration (both in straight and slanted position). The effect of mutual coupling has been accounted using the Induced EMF method. The computation is performed on 2x2 parallel dipoles and 12 dipoles arranged at the edge of a cube. The results are validated with other electromagnetic techniques such as Method of Moment (MoM) and Finite Difference Time-Domain (FDTD). Then, a 2x2 dipole array is chosen for beam steering and experiment validation due to its ease of implementation and feeding network. The array optimisation to control the pattern is performed using a genetic algorithm. The far-field pattern computed using the 3-D algorithm might be less accurate than other 3-D electromagnetic techniques but its array optimisation is faster and efficient. The simulation and measurement results are in good agreement with each other confirmed the validity of the 3-D algorithm

Contour Trenching as a Strategy in Watershed Rehabilitation: Application to Nepalese Condition

The disastrous soil erosion problems and the uncontrolled movement of water in Nepal\u27s mountains caused by human and livestock activities call for the identification of simple, cheap, and effective rehabilitation techniques. This report analyzes contour trenching as rehabilitation techniques in the United States and examines the applicability and transferability of the techniques to the Nepalese conditions. The details of contour trench systems as applied by the U. S. Forest Service have been analyzed by reviewing available research papers, handbooks, official records, personal communication, and actual field visits. The results and observations have been delineated for the physical and cultural aspects of the Nepalese watershed system. Contour trench systems in the United States are designed to hold overland runoff resulting from a high~intensity, short duration rainfall events. The idea is to store overland flow on site and allow it to percolate slowly into the soil. Trenches are an interim measure and are no substitute for rehabilitation measures designed to reduce runoff and erosion for a prolonged period of time, Quantitative evaluation of trenching effects are lacking. The findings of the few quantitative studies report the combined effects of trenching, grazing and fire control. There are examples of tremendous success and disastrous failures. Contour trenches are delicate structures. Evaluation by experienced personnel reveals that contour trenching has a definite role in the rehabilitation of impaired watersheds if the plan is carried out systematically and precisely. Contour trenches have questionable benefits in areas where large volume, long duration and possibly high intensity rains occur (such as the monsoon areas). Thus, this control method has its limited role in the overall strategy of rehabilitation planning in Nepal. The primary limitation as seen from the analysis is the huge amount of long duration rainfall and direct runoff produced. However, there is some potential for application of contour trenching in the semi-arid parts of Nepal where frequent floodings are caused by short duration, high intensity rainfall. Watershed rehabilitation techniques developed in U. S. can be applied in Nepal in certain cases. However, site specific research support is essential in designing control structures. Nepal needs to develop research projects to identify and apply alternative rehabilitation techniques which can handle large volume of uncontrolled water over the impaired watershed

Grammar and Variation: Understanding How cis-Regulatory Information is Encoded in Mammalian Genomes

Understanding how genotype leads to phenotype is key to understand both the development and dysfunction of complex organisms. In the context of regulating the gene expression patterns that contribute to cell identity and function, the goal of my thesis research is to how changes in genome sequence may impact impact gene expression by determining how sequence features contribute to regulatory potential. To accomplish this goal, I first leveraged the key regulatory role of pluripotency transcription factors (TFs) in mouse embryonic stem cells (mESCs) and tested synthetically generated and genomic identified combinations of binding site for four TFs, OCT4, SOX2, KLF4, and ESRRB. I found that although the position of binding sites explained 87% of the variation in expression observed for synthetic elements, the position of binding sites did not explain the expression of tested genomic sequences despite roughly similar binding site composure. Instead, for genomic sequences I found that the quality and spacing of the binding sites contribute more to distinguishing active sequences, suggesting that the arrangements of binding sites are less important for controlling expression in mESCs. In a separate set of experiments, I tested regions of the human genome assigned a regulatory function based on chromatin features and predicted to have high to low probabilities of being under selection in a commonly used human immune progenitor cell culture model, GM12878. Although only a quarter of the library was assigned as ‘Repressive’ according to chromatin marks, 45% of tested sequences showed repressive activity. Sequences predicted to have high probabilities of being under selection have a small but significant higher average level of activation, but not a higher likelihood of either repression or activation. By making single substitutions found at those loci in human populations for a subset of sequences, I tested the predictive power of two independent programs that aim to integrate both functional annotations and evolutionary signals. I found that neither sets of predictions enriched for variants that impacted regulatory activity. This suggests that although we can survey human genotypes for impacts on regulation, it may be difficult to separate organismal level selection from other processes that contribute to the proper control of gene expression. These results demonstrate that in mESC, the fixed affinity and fixed spacing found in synthetic combinations of binding sites are unlikely to predict the activity of genomic sequences. Furthermore, testing sequences from the human genome in GM12878 shows that repression may be more prevalent than estimated by chromatin features alone and that predictions of selection do not enrich for human variants that impact regulatory activity. Together, these experiments demonstrate that the relationship between genotype and proper regulatory function is complex and that understanding this relationship is important to understand both subtle and severe impacts to phenotype

POPULATION VIABILITY AND CONNECTIVITY OF THE FEDERALLY THREATENED EASTERN INDIGO SNAKE IN CENTRAL PENINSULAR FLORIDA

Understanding the factors influencing the likelihood of persistence of real-world populations requires both an accurate understanding of the traits and behaviors of individuals within those populations (e.g., movement, habitat selection, survival, fecundity, dispersal) but also an understanding of how those traits and behaviors are influenced by landscape features. The federally threatened eastern indigo snake (EIS, Drymarchon couperi) has declined throughout its range primarily due to anthropogenically-induced habitat loss and fragmentation making spatially-explicit assessments of population viability and connectivity essential for understanding its current status and directing future conservation efforts. The primary goal of my dissertation was to understand how landscape features influence EIS population viability and connectivity in central peninsular Florida. I accomplished this through four components. First, I evaluated EIS movement patterns and space use including daily movement distance, home range size, within-individual home range overlap, and among-individual home range overlap and how these patterns varied by sex and season. Second, I conducted a multi-level, multi-scale habitat selection analysis to create spatially-explicit estimates of EIS habitat selection. Third, using the aforementioned data and previously published data, I developed an agent-based model for simulating EIS movement, survival, reproduction, and dispersal in central Florida. I used this model to determine how landscape features and conservation lands influence EIS occupancy across our study landscape. Finally, I used landscape genetics to determine how landscape features influenced genetic connectivity and to estimate resistance surfaces with which to model potential corridors. I found that male EIS maintain larger home ranges than females and move extensively during the breeding season in search of females. While seasonal home ranges within an individual strongly overlapped, individuals avoided home ranges of same-sex conspecifics. EIS selected home ranges and within-home range locations in areas of undeveloped upland habitat with high habitat heterogeneity and generally avoided urban. While EIS did not avoid roads, they rarely crossed primary and secondary roads. I used observed patterns of movement and habitat selection to calibrate my ABM. My ABM simulated larger male home ranges and smaller home ranges and lower survival in urbanized landscapes although simulated effect sizes were weaker than observed effect sizes. My model was unable to simulate observed patterns of within-individual home range overlap but accurately simulated survival in developed and undeveloped landscapes. EIS occupancy after a 15 year simulation was 56% and occupancy was most strongly affected, negatively, by urbanization. While the presence of conservation lands was not a strong driver of EIS occupancy, EIS occupancy was more consistently higher on conservation lands. EIS gene flow was most strongly associated with undeveloped uplands, urbanization, and habitat edge at the broadest scales we evaluated. Potential corridors were widespread in the southern half of our study area with substantial areas of potential habitat and corridor occurring outside of the existing conservation network. This work indicates that the LWR contains extensive areas capable of supporting EIS although increasing urbanization may have a negative impact on future persistence of EIS

Cumulative Index to NASA Tech Briefs, 1963 - 1966

Cumulative index of NASA Tech Briefs dealing with electrical and electronic, physical science and energy sources, materials and chemistry, life science, and mechanical innovation

Towards a unified account of face (and maybe object) processing

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, 2012.This electronic version was submitted by the student author. The certified thesis is available in the Institute Archives and Special Collections.Cataloged from student-submitted PDF version of thesis.Includes bibliographical references (p. 191-197).Faces are an important class of visual stimuli, and are thought to be processed differently from objects by the human visual system. Going beyond the false dichotomy of same versus different processing, it is more important to understand how exactly faces are processed similarly or differently from objects. However, even by itself, face processing is poorly understood. Various aspects of face processing, such as holistic, configural, and face-space processing, are investigated in relative isolation, and the relationships between these are unclear. Furthermore, face processing is characteristically affected by various stimulus transformations such as inversion, contrast reversal and spatial frequency filtering, but how or why is unclear. Most importantly, we do not understand even the basic mechanisms of face processing. We hypothesize that what makes face processing distinctive is the existence of large, coarse face templates. We test our hypothesis by modifying an existing model of object processing to utilize such templates, and find that our model can account for many face-related phenomena. Using small, fine face templates as a control, we find that our model displays object-like processing characteristics instead. Overall, we believe that we may have made the first steps towards achieving a unified account of face processing. In addition, results from our control suggest that face and object processing share fundamental computational mechanisms. Coupled with recent advances in brain recording techniques, our results mean that face recognition could form the "tip of the spear" for attacking and solving the problem of visual recognition.by Cheston Y.-C. Tan.Ph.D

Theatre, an empty space : a thought performance after Gilles Deleuze.

SIGLEAvailable from British Library Document Supply Centre-DSC:DXN037625 / BLDSC - British Library Document Supply CentreGBUnited Kingdo

Renshaw v. Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems Clerk\u27s Record v. 3 Dckt. 40512

https://digitalcommons.law.uidaho.edu/idaho_supreme_court_record_briefs/1866/thumbnail.jp

Bibliography of Lewis Research Center technical publications announced in 1989

This compilation of abstracts describes and indexes the technical reporting that resulted from the scientific and engineering work performed and managed by the Lewis Research Center in 1989. All the publications were announced in the 1989 issues of STAR (Scientific and Technical Aerospace Reports) and/or IAA (International Aerospace Abstracts). Included are research reports, journal articles, conference presentations, patents and patent applications, and theses