Renormalization scheme for a multi-qubit-network

We present a renormalization scheme which simplifies the dynamics of an important class of interacting multi-qubit systems. We show that a wide class of M+1 qubit systems can be reduced to an equivalent n+1 qubit system with n equal to, or greater than, 2, for any M. Our renormalization scheme faithfully reproduces the overall dynamics of the original system including the entanglement properties. In addition to its direct application to atom-cavity and nanostructure systems, the formalism offers insight into a variety of situations ranging from decoherence due to a spin-bath with its own internal entanglement, through to energy transfer processes in organic systems such as biological photosynthetic units.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figure

Visualisation of Long in Time Dynamic Networks on Large Touch Displays

Any dataset containing information about relationships between entities can be modelled as a network. This network can be static, where the entities/relationships do not change over time, or dynamic, where the entities/relationships change over time. Network data that changes over time, dynamic network data, is a powerful resource when studying many important phenomena, across wide-ranging fields from travel networks to epidemiology.However, it is very difficult to analyse this data, especially if it covers a long period of time (e.g, one month) with respect to its temporal resolution (e.g. seconds). In this thesis, we address the problem of visualising long in time dynamic networks: networks that may not be particularly large in terms of the number of entities or relationships, but are long in terms of the length of time they cover when compared to their temporal resolution.We first introduce Dynamic Network Plaid, a system for the visualisation and analysis of long in time dynamic networks. We design and build for an 84" touch-screen vertically-mounted display as existing work reports positive results for the use of these in a visualisation context, and that they are useful for collaboration. The Plaid integrates multiple views and we prioritise the visualisation of interaction provenance. In this system we also introduce a novel method of time exploration called ‘interactive timeslicing’. This allows the selection and comparison of points that are far apart in time, a feature not offered by existing visualisation systems. The Plaid is validated through an expert user evaluation with three public health researchers.To confirm observations of the expert user evaluation, we then carry out a formal laboratory study with a large touch-screen display to verify our novel method of time navigation against existing animation and small multiples approaches. From this study, we find that interactive timeslicing outperforms animation and small multiples for complex tasks requiring a compari-son between multiple points that are far apart in time. We also find that small multiples is best suited to comparisons of multiple sequential points in time across a time interval.To generalise the results of this experiment, we later run a second formal laboratory study in the same format as the first, but this time using standard-sized displays with indirect mouse input. The second study reaffirms the results of the first, showing that our novel method of time navigation can facilitate the visual comparison of points that are distant in time in a way that existing approaches, small multiples and animation, cannot. The study demonstrates that our previous results generalise across display size and interaction type (touch vs mouse).In this thesis we introduce novel representations and time interaction techniques to improve the visualisation of long in time dynamic networks, and experimentally show that our novel method of time interaction outperforms other popular methods for some task types

Bike and Pedestrian Safety Planning: Excelsior/Outer Mission District

San Francisco’s Outer Mission and Excelsior districts host a vibrant community of small business owners and residents from a variety of backgrounds and cultures. The neighborhood is known for its diversity and sense of community. However, lack of adequate infrastructure and high-speed roadways has created great safety concerns within the community. In the last five years, the Excelsior/Outer Mission area had 828 collisions, nine of which were fatal (Transbase, n.d.). San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) has identified nearly 14 miles of streets in the project area that are on the City’s high injury network, meaning collisions there are highly concentrated (Vision Zero, 2020). These high numbers illustrate the need for better street design to protect the lives of pedestrians and bicyclists in the area. This project addresses these concerns and investigates how to create a street system that allows all modes of transportation to travel safely. This guide recommends safety improvements for the wide variety of street types within the project area with the goal of increasing walking and biking throughout the area

Abstract Middle School Teachers’ Self-Efficacy Beliefs about Administrative Support and Online Teaching During the COVID-19

During the spring of 2020, a South Georgia school implemented distance learning due to COVID-19, with little administrative support for the teachers for online instruction. This quick transition may have impacted teachers’ self-efficacy beliefs about teaching online. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore middle school teachers’ self-efficacy beliefs about online instruction and the impact administrative support may have had on these beliefs, while teaching remotely during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study was rooted in Bandura\u27s self-efficacy theory and Venkatesh\u27s Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology. The research questions investigated how administrative support and experience with technology may have impacted teachers\u27 personal self-efficacy beliefs in teaching remotely during the pandemic. Interviews of eleven middle school teachers, who worked in a rural Georgia school, were transcribed and analyzed. Analysis revealed significant themes regarding teacher relationship with technology, lack of student involvement, student accessibility to technology, administrative communication, administrative expectations, and perceptions of administrative efficacy as significant factors impacting the teaching self-efficacy of respondents. A white paper report was developed to present recommendations for addressing the issues. Implications for positive social change include a better understanding of how administrators and district responses to crises impact teacher self-efficacy and the development of an emergency closure plan, including guidelines on supporting teachers as they continue classes remotely

Mechanistic-empirical equivalent single axle loads for urban pavements

The deregulation of the trucking industry in the mid-1980’s resulted in the growth of commercial vehicles not only in number, but also in weight, size and dimension. As a result, road agencies are finding their road networks being subjected to commercial vehicle load spectra greater than those initially projected. The augmented load spectra, combined with the aged state of many in-service roads, are resulting in the accelerated deterioration of our roadway infrastructure. Although much empirical evidence exists regarding the performance of rural pavements subjected to various types of loading, there is a lack of knowledge regarding the operation of commercial vehicles within the urban environment and their ensuing effects on urban roads. Urban municipalities are therefore beginning to realize the importance of identifying and quantifying the effects of commercial vehicle operations (CVO) on urban road assets, traffic congestion and motorist safety. Due to the limitations of conventional Equivalent Single Axle Loads (ESALs) when applied to urban pavements, this research aimed to investigate commercial vehicle load equivalencies for various classes of urban roadway in the City of Saskatoon. Urban load equivalencies were created by combining a traffic load spectra from a typical freeway in the City of Saskatoon with structural deformation and damage responses measured across several urban roadways. This established a framework for calculating the responses incurred from commercial vehicle loading across different types of urban roads. Based on the results of the mechanistic-empirical urban load equivalency analysis performed in this research, urban ESAL factors (ESALFs) for local-industrial roadways were found to range from 50 percent less than to 250 percent greater than conventional load equivalencies. Urban arterial ESALFs ranged from 20 percent to 260 percent greater than conventional load equivalencies. The primary response-based ESALFs for urban local and collector roadways ranged from 150 to 700 percent greater than conventional load equivalencies. The large range in mechanistic-empirical ESALFs across urban road classes indicated that typical urban roadways are much more sensitive to heavy vehicle loads than their rural highway counterparts. In a test urban traffic application, it was calculated that a typical low floor transit vehicle was capable of producing loads ranging from a minimum of nine ESALs on urban local-industrial roadways to a maximum of 140 ESALs on urban local and collector roadways

Experience Design

This undergraduate research project aims to explore the question: “What is Experience Design(XD)?” and “How can Experience Design be executed in a magazine, both print and online versions?” My methods included extensive research on the history of XD, ethnography of typical magazine users, the study of magazine layout and design principles (both in print and online form) and finally, the execution of an XD-minded print and online digital-comp version of a fashion/lifestyle magazine. I used the Adobe Creative Suite to compile my research into tangible proof of the theory of XD in action. My results proved to be difficult to measure, as I found several constraints to my project throughout my course of study. For example: It was difficult for me to study good design principles being applied to fashion magazines as most American magazines have become so commercial and advertising based