The role of nuclear physics in supernovae and the evolution of neutron stars, Neutrino Opacities, Equation of State, Transport Coefficients, and Dark Matter Production

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Washington, 2016-08

The Political Economy of Information Provision in Developing Democracies

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Washington, 2016-07

Bayesian Methods for Inferring Gene Regulatory Networks

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Washington, 2016-08

Big bang bifurcations in von Bertalanffy’s dynamics with strong and weak Allee effects

The main purpose of this work was to study population dynamic discrete models in which the growth of the population is described by generalized von Bertalanffy's functions, with an adjustment or correction factor of polynomial type. The consideration of this correction factor is made with the aim to introduce the Allee effect. To the class of generalized von Bertalanffy's functions is identified and characterized subclasses of strong and weak Allee's functions and functions with no Allee effect. This classification is founded on the concepts of strong and weak Allee's effects to population growth rates associated. A complete description of the dynamic behavior is given, where we provide necessary conditions for the occurrence of unconditional and essential extinction types. The bifurcation structures of the parameter plane are analyzed regarding the evolution of the Allee limit with the aim to understand how the transition from strong Allee effect to no Allee effect, passing through the weak Allee effect, is realized. To generalized von Bertalanffy's functions with strong and weak Allee effects is identified an Allee's effect region, to which is associated the concepts of chaotic semistability curve and Allee's bifurcation point. We verified that under some sufficient conditions, generalized von Bertalanffy's functions have a particular bifurcation structure: the big bang bifurcations of the so-called box-within-a-box type. To this family of maps, the Allee bifurcation points and the big bang bifurcation points are characterized by the symmetric of Allee's limit and by a null intrinsic growth rate. The present paper is also a significant contribution in the framework of the big bang bifurcation analysis for continuous 1D maps and unveil their relationship with the explosion birth and the extinction phenomena.

Ionisation and discharge in cloud-forming atmospheres of brown dwarfs and extrasolar planets

Brown dwarfs and giant gas extrasolar planets have cold atmospheres with rich chemical compositions from which mineral cloud particles form. Their properties, like particle sizes and material composition, vary with height, and the mineral cloud particles are charged due to triboelectric processes in such dynamic atmospheres. The dynamics of the atmospheric gas is driven by the irradiating host star and/or by the rotation of the objects that changes during its lifetime. Thermal gas ionisation in these ultra-cool but dense atmospheres allows electrostatic interactions and magnetic coupling of a substantial atmosphere volume. Combined with a strong magnetic field , a chromosphere and aurorae might form as suggested by radio and x-ray observations of brown dwarfs. Non-equilibrium processes like cosmic ray ionisation and discharge processes in clouds will increase the local pool of free electrons in the gas. Cosmic rays and lighting discharges also alter the composition of the local atmospheric gas such that tracer molecules might be identified. Cosmic rays affect the atmosphere through air showers in a certain volume which was modelled with a 3D Monte Carlo radiative transfer code to be able to visualise their spacial extent. Given a certain degree of thermal ionisation of the atmospheric gas, we suggest that electron attachment to charge mineral cloud particles is too inefficient to cause an electrostatic disruption of the cloud particles. Cloud particles will therefore not be destroyed by Coulomb explosion for the local temperature in the collisional dominated brown dwarf and giant gas planet atmospheres. However, the cloud particles are destroyed electrostatically in regions with strong gas ionisation. The potential size of such cloud holes would, however, be too small and might occur too far inside the cloud to mimic the effect of, e.g. magnetic field induced star spots.

Estrategia comunicativa que utiliza Revista VistalSur para promocionar el Corredor Turístico Santa Bárbara

En el presente trabajo se evidencia la estrategia de Revista VistalSUR para promocionar el Corredor Turístico Santa Bárbara, en la Región Sur y en las principales ciudades del Ecuador. Desde septiembre del 2010 hasta julio del 2013 se han elaborado seis reportajes: Las toquilleras crean arte con sus manos, en los cantones azuayos de Chordeleg y Sígsig. Desfiles y Disfraces por San Chavita, Sígsíg. Carnaval: explosión de música y color, en el Corredor turísticos Santa Bárbara. Macanas, un ancestral arte textil en Gualaceo. Tres Lagunas: el corazón verde de Chordeleg. Paja toquilla, con las raíces de una mágica tradición, en Gualaceo, Chordeleg y Sígsig. Entre todos los reportajes suman 28,5 páginas de contenido. Estos trabajos se han impreso en 52.000 ejemplares que han sido distribuidos en la Región Sur, en las zonas turísticas de Guayaquil y Quito, y en las principales ferias de turismo del Ecuador y de los países vecinos de Colombia y Perú.

Near-infraread observation of supernovae with the Nordic Optical Telescope (NOT)

Supernova (SN) is an explosion of a star at the end of its lifetime. SNe are classified to two types, namely type I and II through the optical spectra. They have been categorised based on their explosion mechanism, to core collapse supernovae (CCSNe) and thermonuclear supernovae. The CCSNe group which includes types IIP, IIn, IIL, IIb, Ib, and Ic are produced when a massive star with initial mass more than 8 M⊙ explodes due to a collapse of its iron core. On the other hand, thermonuclear SNe originate from white dwarfs (WDs) made of carbon and oxygen, in a binary system. Infrared astronomy covers observations of astronomical objects in infrared radiation. The infrared sky is not completely dark and it is variable. Observations of SNe in the infrared give different information than optical observations. Data reduction is required to correct raw data from for example unusable pixels and sky background. In this project, the NOTCam package in the IRAF was used for the data reduction. For measuring magnitudes of SNe, the aperture photometry method with the Gaia program was used. In this Master’s thesis, near-infrared (NIR) observations of three supernovae of type IIn (namely LSQ13zm, SN 2009ip and SN2011jb), one type IIb (SN2012ey), in addition to one type Ic (SN2012ej) and type IIP (SN 2013gd) are studied with emphasis on luminosity and colour evolution. All observations were done with the Nordic Optical Telescope (NOT). Here, we used the classification by Mattila & Meikle (2001) [76], where the SNe are differentiated by the infrared light curves into two groups, namely ’ordinary’ and ’slowly declining’. The light curves and colour evolution of these supernovae were obtained in J, H and Ks bands. In this study, our data, combined with other observations, provide evidence to categorize LSQ13zm, SN 2012ej and SN 2012ey as being part of the ordinary type. We found interesting NIR behaviour of SN 2011jb, which lead it to be classified as a slowly declining type.

Realidade aumentada aplicada em bibliotecas: multiplicidade no acesso a informação

Conceitua Realidade Aumentada do ponto de vista histórico de vários autores e como surgiu esse segmento através da evolução tecnológica até os dias atuais. Aborda seu funcionamento, como também, seus sistemas e aplicações em diversos campos de pesquisas e estudos científicos. Diferencia Realidade Aumentada de Realidade Virtual, visando melhor esclarecimento entre ambas na intenção de descaracterizá-las com uma única “realidade”. Apresenta a Realidade Aumentada e sua aplicação dentro de um contexto de uma unidade de informação, promovendo uma melhor interação com os usuários e as adaptações pelas quais as bibliotecas terão que passar futuramente para se adequarem a “explosão” tecnológica. Descreve o funcionamento da biblioteca ARToolKIT, baseada em RA e suas principais etapas de funcionamento para visualização de objetos virtuais em 3D. Exemplifica os benefícios que uma unidade de informação, que utiliza Realidade Aumentada, promove aos usuários portadores de deficiência, além de sua inclusão no meio digital e sua inserção no mercado de trabalho

Fonias lusas ou lusofonias: as variedades do português no sistema de ensino (secundário) em Portugal

Atendendo ao lugar que atualmente a Língua Portuguesa (LP) ocupa no Mundo e ao crescente interesse da sua aprendizagem, é importante pugnar por uma consciencialização mais efetiva desta realidade junto dos alunos das nossas instituições de Ensino Básico e Secundário. A LP apresenta atualmente todas as condições para ser uma das protagonistas na economia mundial (Reto,2012). A explosão demográfica sentida em alguns dos países lusófonos, bem como o crescimento económico de outros tornam a LP a “nova linguagem do poder e do comércio”, tal como a designou Steve Bloomfield da revista Monocle Magazine, 57 (6), no artigo "A nova linguagem do poder e do comércio", em outubro de 2012. Se acrescentarmos que os seus falantes se encontram espalhados pelo planeta, adicionamos mais uma vantagem competitiva desta língua. Nesta perspetiva, realizou-se um estudo numa turma de Português do 10º ano do Ensino Secundário, Curso Profissional de Técnico de Comércio, numa escola em Aveiro, com uma amostra de quinze alunos. Para tal, na senda de uma coerência interna da investigação (Quivy e Campenhoudt, 2013), partimos dos objetivos, quer de natureza investigativa (Analisar os conhecimentos dos alunos sobre a realidade da lusofonia), quer de índole pedagógico-didática (Refletir e aprofundar conhecimentos sobre a diversidade linguística da LP e a importância destes conhecimentos na aprendizagem desta língua; Promover a valorização da diversidade linguística da LP). Os objetivos específicos do estudo empírico desta investigação passaram pela análise e pelo diagnóstico dos conhecimentos globais dos alunos sobre a realidade da lusofonia e ainda pelo (re)conhecimento das suas representações sobre o valor e o peso de importância da LP no contexto global das restantes línguas de conhecer as representações dos alunos sobre a LP, sobre as suas potencialidades e sobre a importância da lusofonia para a afirmação do valor desta língua. Os resultados obtidos apontam para um desconhecimento das línguas do mundo e do lugar ocupado pela LP nesse contexto. Para além disso, estes estudantes revelam uma visão eurocêntrica da LP, negligenciando as restantes variedades geográficas e culturais. Também relativamente ao ensino da língua, em termos pessoais atribuem-lhe algum reconhecimento, embora este seja mais evidente no domínio profissional. Tudo isto reforça a premência de um papel ativo dos professores na militância pelo reconhecimento da notoriedade da importância da LP no mundo atual.

Impacts of Deepwater Horizon oil and associated dispersant on early development of the Eastern oyster Crassostrea virginica

The explosion of the Deepwater Horizon (DWH) oil platform resulted in large amounts of crude oil and dispersant Corexit 9500A® released into the Gulf of Mexico and coincided with the spawning season of the oyster, Crassostrea virginica. The effects of exposing gametes and embryos of C. virginica to dispersant alone (Corexit), mechanically (HEWAF) and chemically dispersed (CEWAF) DWH oil were evaluated. Fertilization success and the morphological development, growth, and survival of larvae were assessed. Gamete exposure reduced fertilization (HEWAF: EC201 h = 1650 μg tPAH50 L− 1; CEWAF: EC201 h = 19.4 μg tPAH50 L− 1; Corexit: EC201 h = 6.9 mg L− 1). CEWAF and Corexit showed a similar toxicity on early life stages at equivalent nominal concentrations. Oysters exposed from gametes to CEWAF and Corexit experienced more deleterious effects than oysters exposed from embryos. Results suggest the presence of oil and dispersant during oyster spawning season may interfere with larval development and subsequent recruitment.

D3M: multicast listener mobility support mechanisms over distributed mobility anchoring architectures

The explosion in mobile data traffic is a driver for future network operator technologies, given its large potential to affect both network performance and generated revenue. The concept of distributed mobility management (DMM) has emerged in order to overcome efficiency-wise limitations in centralized mobility approaches, proposing not only the distribution of anchoring functions but also dynamic mobility activation sensitive to the applications needs. Nevertheless, there is not an acceptable solution for IP multicast in DMM environments, as the first proposals based on MLD Proxy are prone to tunnel replication problem or service disruption. We propose the application of PIM-SM in mobility entities as an alternative solution for multicast support in DMM, and introduce an architecture enabling mobile multicast listeners support over distributed anchoring frameworks in a network-efficient way. The architecture aims at providing operators with flexible options to provide multicast mobility, supporting three modes: the first one introduces basic IP multicast support in DMM; the second improves subscription time through extensions to the mobility protocol, obliterating the dependence on MLD protocol; and the third enables fast listener mobility by avoiding potentially slow multicast tree convergence latency in larger infrastructures, by benefiting from mobility tunnels. The different modes were evaluated by mathematical analysis regarding disruption time and packet loss during handoff against several parameters, total and tunneling packet delivery cost, and regarding packet and signaling overhead.

Nietzsche's orphans: music and the search for unity in revolutionary Russia, 1905-1921

At the dawn of the twentieth century, Imperial Russia was in the throes of immense social, political and cultural upheaval. The effects of rapid industrialization, rising capitalism and urbanization, as well as the trauma wrought by revolution and war, reverberated through all levels of society and every cultural sphere. In the aftermath of the 1905 revolution, amid a growing sense of panic over the chaos and divisions emerging in modern life, a portion of Russian educated society (obshchestvennost’) looked to the transformative and unifying power of music as a means of salvation from the personal, social and intellectual divisions of the contemporary world. Transcending professional divisions, these “orphans of Nietzsche” comprised a distinct aesthetic group within educated Russian society. While lacking a common political, religious or national outlook, these philosophers, poets, musicians and other educated members of the upper and middle strata were bound together by their shared image of music’s unifying power, itself built upon a synthesis of Russian and European ideas. They yearned for a “musical Orpheus,” a composer capable of restoring wholeness to society through his music. My dissertation is a study in what I call “musical metaphysics,” an examination of the creation, development, crisis and ultimate failure of this Orphic worldview. To begin, I examine the institutional foundations of musical life in late Imperial Russia, as well as the explosion of cultural life in the aftermath of the 1905 Revolution, a vibrant social context which nourished the formation of musical metaphysics. From here, I assess the intellectual basis upon which musical metaphysics rested: central concepts (music, life-transformation, theurgy, unity, genius, nation), as well as the philosophical heritage of Nietzsche and the Christian thinkers Vladimir Solov’ev, Aleksei Khomiakov, Ivan Kireevskii and Lev Tolstoi. Nietzsche’s orphans’ struggle to reconcile an amoral view of reality with a deeply felt sense of religious purpose gave rise to neo-Slavophile interpretations of history, in which the Russian nation (narod) was singled out as the savior of humanity from the materialism of modern life. This nationalizing tendency existed uneasily within the framework of the multi-ethnic empire. From broad social and cultural trends, I turn to detailed analysis of three of Moscow’s most admired contemporary composers, whose individual creative voices intersected with broader social concerns. The music of Aleksandr Scriabin (1871-1915) was associated with images of universal historical progress. Nikolai Medtner (1879-1951) embodied an “Imperial” worldview, in which musical style was imbued with an eternal significance which transcended the divisions of nation. The compositions of Sergei Rachmaninoff (1873-1943) were seen as the expression of a Russian “national” voice. Heightened nationalist sentiment and the impact of the Great War spelled the doom of this musical worldview. Music became an increasingly nationalized sphere within which earlier, Imperial definitions of belonging grew ever more problematic. As the Germanic heritage upon which their vision was partially based came under attack, Nietzsche’s orphans found themselves ever more divided and alienated from society as a whole. Music’s inability to physically transform the world ultimately came to symbolize the failure of Russia’s educated strata to effectively deal with the pressures of a modernizing society. In the aftermath of the 1917 revolutions, music was transformed from a symbol of active, unifying power into a space of memory, a means of commemorating, reinterpreting, and idealizing the lost world of Imperial Russia itself.

Analyse prospective jusqu'en 2025 de la demande en recherche des pays du sud dans le domaine des "ressources vivantes" - Rapport final

L'accélération des changements dans tous les domaines, qu'il s'agisse d'environnement, de technologies ou de la vie des sociétés humaines, est une donnée majeure de notre temps. Jusqu'au XIXe siècle, les hommes gardaient une relative maîtrise des révolutions, qu'elles soient techniques (la vapeur, l'électricité, l'atome, ... ) ou sociales (la démocratie, le communisme, etc). A la fin du XXe siècle, la complexité des sociétés humaines, le foisonnement des découvertes scientifiques rapidement exploitées par l'industrie à des fins économiques et l'interdépendance croissante de toutes les activités dans des écosystèmes fragilisés ont conduit les communautés humaines à davantage subir les révolutions: mondialisation d'une économie de plus en plus immatérielle, explosion de l'informatique dans tous les secteurs, évolution du climat, bouleversement des modes de vie et de la vie même (actions sur les génomes animaux, voire humains) ... Aussi, cette accélération des changements rend d'autant plus indispensable une capacité d'anticiper les tendances et les enjeux qui déterminent l'avenir afin de disposer d'une liberté de réflexion et d'action indépendante de la stricte contrainte des évènements.

Computational Foundations for Safe and Efficient Human-Robot Collaboration in Assembly Cells

Human and robots have complementary strengths in performing assembly operations. Humans are very good at perception tasks in unstructured environments. They are able to recognize and locate a part from a box of miscellaneous parts. They are also very good at complex manipulation in tight spaces. The sensory characteristics of the humans, motor abilities, knowledge and skills give the humans the ability to react to unexpected situations and resolve problems quickly. In contrast, robots are very good at pick and place operations and highly repeatable in placement tasks. Robots can perform tasks at high speeds and still maintain precision in their operations. Robots can also operate for long periods of times. Robots are also very good at applying high forces and torques. Typically, robots are used in mass production. Small batch and custom production operations predominantly use manual labor. The high labor cost is making it difficult for small and medium manufacturers to remain cost competitive in high wage markets. These manufactures are mainly involved in small batch and custom production. They need to find a way to reduce the labor cost in assembly operations. Purely robotic cells will not be able to provide them the necessary flexibility. Creating hybrid cells where humans and robots can collaborate in close physical proximities is a potential solution. The underlying idea behind such cells is to decompose assembly operations into tasks such that humans and robots can collaborate by performing sub-tasks that are suitable for them. Realizing hybrid cells that enable effective human and robot collaboration is challenging. This dissertation addresses the following three computational issues involved in developing and utilizing hybrid assembly cells: - We should be able to automatically generate plans to operate hybrid assembly cells to ensure efficient cell operation. This requires generating feasible assembly sequences and instructions for robots and human operators, respectively. Automated planning poses the following two challenges. First, generating operation plans for complex assemblies is challenging. The complexity can come due to the combinatorial explosion caused by the size of the assembly or the complex paths needed to perform the assembly. Second, generating feasible plans requires accounting for robot and human motion constraints. The first objective of the dissertation is to develop the underlying computational foundations for automatically generating plans for the operation of hybrid cells. It addresses both assembly complexity and motion constraints issues. - The collaboration between humans and robots in the assembly cell will only be practical if human safety can be ensured during the assembly tasks that require collaboration between humans and robots. The second objective of the dissertation is to evaluate different options for real-time monitoring of the state of human operator with respect to the robot and develop strategies for taking appropriate measures to ensure human safety when the planned move by the robot may compromise the safety of the human operator. In order to be competitive in the market, the developed solution will have to include considerations about cost without significantly compromising quality. - In the envisioned hybrid cell, we will be relying on human operators to bring the part into the cell. If the human operator makes an error in selecting the part or fails to place it correctly, the robot will be unable to correctly perform the task assigned to it. If the error goes undetected, it can lead to a defective product and inefficiencies in the cell operation. The reason for human error can be either confusion due to poor quality instructions or human operator not paying adequate attention to the instructions. In order to ensure smooth and error-free operation of the cell, we will need to monitor the state of the assembly operations in the cell. The third objective of the dissertation is to identify and track parts in the cell and automatically generate instructions for taking corrective actions if a human operator deviates from the selected plan. Potential corrective actions may involve re-planning if it is possible to continue assembly from the current state. Corrective actions may also involve issuing warning and generating instructions to undo the current task.

“English Language Learning Strategies used by the Foreign Language Department Seminar Students Year 2006 with Either Above Eight Grade or Below it Obtained in Their Studies in the Basic Skills Area.

Nowadays language communication plays an important role in the world. For the technological explosion in the 20th century, the electronic mass media collapsed space and time barriers in human communication, enabling people to interact and live on a global scale. In this sense, the earth has been turned into a village by the electronic mass media. It not only changes the distance between countries, societies, but also shortens it between people. It means that the technological advancement makes the earth become a village. Since the distance between people is shortened, language communication becomes more important than before. To enhance language abilities, people can apply many different types of language learning strategies according to the learning styles that they have in order to learn the target language. In the Foreign Language Department of University of El Salvador Seminar students year 2006 apply different language learning strategies which make some of them get a grade either above eight or below it. To understand learning strategies, people can go back to basic term, strategy. This word comes from the ancient Greek term strategia meaning generalship or the art of war. A different, but related, word is tactics, which are tools to achieve the success of strategies. The two expressions share some basic implied characteristics: planning, competition, conscious manipulation, and movement toward a goal.