Development and expansion of the natural resource data and information systems in support of the Illinois Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation Plan : final project completion report 2006, project 5-02-P-001, 1 February 2003 to 30 September 2006 /

Submitted to Illinois Department of Natural Resources.

User's guide for the ACS : automated listing and mapping instrument, version 4.1.1.5.

Shipping list no.: 2003-0270-P.

Rules for mapping a conceptual model onto various data base management systems. Available in 2 volumes.

The design and implementation of data bases involve, firstly, the formulation of a conceptual data model by systematic analysis of the structure and information requirements of the organisation for which the system is being designed; secondly, the logical mapping of this conceptual model onto the data structure of the target data base management system (DBMS); and thirdly, the physical mapping of this structured model into storage structures of the target DBMS. The accuracy of both the logical and physical mapping determine the performance of the resulting systems. This thesis describes research which develops software tools to facilitate the implementation of data bases. A conceptual model describing the information structure of a hospital is derived using the Entity-Relationship (E-R) approach and this model forms the basis for mapping onto the logical model. Rules are derived for automatically mapping the conceptual model onto relational and CODASYL types of data structures. Further algorithms are developed for partly automating the implementation of these models onto INGRES, MIMER and VAX-11 DBMS.

Dissipative nonlinear structures in optical fiber systems III : dissipative solitons via nonlinear mapping

In the third and final talk on dissipative structures in fiber applications, we discuss mathematical techniques that can be used to characterize modern laser systems that consist of several discrete elements. In particular, we use a nonlinear mapping technique to evaluate high power laser systems where significant changes in the pulse evolution per cavity round trip is observed. We demonstrate that dissipative soliton solutions might be effectively described using this Poincaré mapping approach.

Cognitive systems associated with the hippocampus of the human brain and their role in behaviour and neurodegenerative disease

Cognitive systems research involves the synthesis of ideas from natural and artificial systems in the analysis, understanding, and design of all intelligent systems. This chapter discusses the cognitive systems associated with the hippocampus (HC) of the human brain and their possible role in behaviour and neurodegenerative disease. The hippocampus (HC) is concerned with the analysis of highly abstract data derived from all sensory systems but its specific role remains controversial. Hence, there have been three major theories concerning its function, viz., the memory theory, the spatial theory, and the behavioral inhibition theory. The memory theory has its origin in the surgical destruction of the HC, which results in severe anterograde and partial retrograde amnesia. The spatial theory has its origin in the observation that neurons in the HC of animals show activity related to their location within the environment. By contrast, the behavioral inhibition theory suggests that the HC acts as a ‘comparator’, i.e., it compares current sensory events with expected or predicted events. If a set of expectations continues to be verified then no alteration of behavior occurs. If, however, a ‘mismatch’ is detected then the HC intervenes by initiating appropriate action by active inhibition of current motor programs and initiation of new data gathering. Understanding the cognitive systems of the hippocampus in humans may aid in the design of intelligent systems involved in spatial mapping, memory, and decision making. In addition, this information may lead to a greater understanding of the course of clinical dementia in the various neurodegenerative diseases in which there is significant damage to the HC.

Dissipative nonlinear structures in optical fiber systems III:dissipative solitons via nonlinear mapping

In the third and final talk on dissipative structures in fiber applications, we discuss mathematical techniques that can be used to characterize modern laser systems that consist of several discrete elements. In particular, we use a nonlinear mapping technique to evaluate high power laser systems where significant changes in the pulse evolution per cavity round trip is observed. We demonstrate that dissipative soliton solutions might be effectively described using this Poincaré mapping approach.

Science behind management of Shark Bay and Florida Bay, two P-limited subtropical systems with different climatology and human pressures

This special issue on ‘Science for the management of subtropical embayments: examples from Shark Bay and Florida Bay’ is a valuable compilation of individual research outcomes from Florida Bay and Shark Bay from the past decade and addresses gaps in our scientific knowledge base in Shark Bay especially. Yet the compilation also demonstrates excellent research that is poorly integrated, and driven by interests and issues that do not necessarily lead to a more integrated stewardship of the marine natural values of either Shark Bay or Florida Bay. Here we describe the status of our current knowledge, introduce the valuable extension of the current knowledge through the papers in this issue and then suggest some future directions. For management, there is a need for a multidisciplinary international science program that focusses research on the ecological resilience of Shark Bay and Florida Bay, the effect of interactions between physical environmental drivers and biological control through behavioural and trophic interactions, and all under increased anthropogenic stressors. Shark Bay offers a ‘pristine template’ for this scale of study.

Evaluating High-Resolution Aerial Photography Acquired by Unmanned Aerial Systems for Use in Mapping Everglades Wetland Plant Associations

Mapping of vegetation patterns over large extents using remote sensing methods requires field sample collections for two different purposes: (1) the establishment of plant association classification systems from samples of relative abundance estimates; and (2) training for supervised image classification and accuracy assessment of satellite data derived maps. One challenge for both procedures is the establishment of confidence in results and the analysis across multiple spatial scales. Continuous data sets that enable cross-scale studies are very time consuming and expensive to acquire and such extensive field sampling can be invasive. The use of high resolution aerial photography (hrAP) offers an alternative to extensive, invasive, field sampling and can provide large volume, spatially continuous, reference information that can meet the challenges of confidence building and multi-scale analysis.

Seismic scattering and absorption mapping of debris flows, feeding paths, and tectonic units at Mount St. Helens volcano

Acknowledgments We thank Edoardo Del Pezzo, Ludovic Margerin, Haruo Sato, Mare Yamamoto, Tatsuhiko Saito, Malcolm Hole, and Seth Moran for the valuable suggestions regarding the methodology and interpretation. Greg Waite provided the P wave velocity model of MSH. An important revision of the methods was done after two blind reviews performed before submission. The suggestions of two anonymous reviewers greatly enhanced our ability of imaging structures, interpreting our results, and testing their reliability. The facilities of the IRIS Data Management System, and specifically the IRIS Data Management Center, were used for access to waveform and metadata required in this study, and provided by the Cascades Volcano Observatory – USGS. Interaction with geologists and geographers part of the Landscape Dynamics Theme of the Scottish Alliance for Geoscience, Environment and Society (SAGES) has been important for the interpretation of the results.

RF MIMO Systems for Wide-Area Indoor Human Motion Monitoring

Human motion monitoring is an important function in numerous applications. In this dissertation, two systems for monitoring motions of multiple human targets in wide-area indoor environments are discussed, both of which use radio frequency (RF) signals to detect, localize, and classify different types of human motion. In the first system, a coherent monostatic multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) array is used, and a joint spatial-temporal adaptive processing method is developed to resolve micro-Doppler signatures at each location in a wide-area for motion mapping. The downranges are obtained by estimating time-delays from the targets, and the crossranges are obtained by coherently filtering array spatial signals. Motion classification is then applied to each target based on micro-Doppler analysis. In the second system, multiple noncoherent multistatic transmitters (Tx's) and receivers (Rx's) are distributed in a wide-area, and motion mapping is achieved by noncoherently combining bistatic range profiles from multiple Tx-Rx pairs. Also, motion classification is applied to each target by noncoherently combining bistatic micro-Doppler signatures from multiple Tx-Rx pairs. For both systems, simulation and real data results are shown to demonstrate the ability of the proposed methods for monitoring patient repositioning activities for pressure ulcer prevention.

Anticipating future risk in social-ecological systems using fuzzy cognitive mapping: the case of wildfire in the Chiquitania, Bolivia

Understanding complex social-ecological systems, and anticipating how they may respond to rapid change, requires an approach that incorporates environmental, social, economic, and policy factors, usually in a context of fragmented data availability. We employed fuzzy cognitive mapping (FCM) to integrate these factors in the assessment of future wildfire risk in the Chiquitania region, Bolivia. In this region, dealing with wildfires is becoming increasingly challenging because of reinforcing feedbacks between multiple drivers. We conducted semistructured interviews and constructed different FCMs in focus groups to understand the regional dynamics of wildfire from diverse perspectives. We used FCM modelling to evaluate possible adaptation scenarios in the context of future drier climatic conditions. Scenarios also considered possible failure to respond in time to the emergent risk. This approach proved of great potential to support decision making for risk management. It helped identify key forcing variables and generate insights into potential risks and trade-offs of different strategies. The “Hands-off” scenario resulted in amplified impacts driven by intensifying trends, affecting particularly the agricultural production under drought conditions. The “Fire management” scenario, which adopted a bottom-up approach to improve controlled burning, showed less trade-offs between wildfire risk reduction and production compared with the “Fire suppression” scenario. Findings highlighted the importance of considering strategies that involve all actors who use fire, and the need to nest these strategies for a more systemic approach to manage wildfire risk. The FCM model could be used as a decision-support tool and serve as a “boundary object” to facilitate collaboration and integration of different perceptions of fire in the region. This approach also has the potential to inform decisions in other dynamic frontier landscapes around the world that are facing increased risk of large wildfires.