A timed exposure diffusive sampler (TEDS) sensitive enough to measure hourly averages of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) at low parts per billion levels was developed for use in epidemiological studies. TEDS can be used for a variety of atmospheric pollutants. TEDS was tested in the laboratory against known concentrations of NO2 and against well established NO2 measurement systems. It was then tested in the field against the Environmental Protection Agency's reference method for measuring NO2. The TEDS method appears well suited to epidemiological investigations of air quality and extends previous work in this area by offering improved time resolution of changes in pollutant concentration at a cost sufficiently low to permit its use in large scale studies. The TEDS method also shows potential for miniaturization for use in personal sampling.

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Spectrum sensing is the process of identifying the frequencies of a spectrum in which Signals Of Interest (SOI) are present. In case of continuous time signals present in a wideband spectrum, the information rate is seen to be much less than that suggested by its bandwidth and are therefore known as sparse signals. A review of the literature in [1] and [2] indicates that two of the many techniques used in wideband spectrum sensing of sparse signals are the Wideband Compressive Radio Receiver (WCRR) for multitoned signals and the mixed analog digital system for multiband signals. In both of these techniques even though the signals are sampled at sub-Nyquist rates using Compressive Sampling (CS), the recovery algorithms used by them are different from that of CS. In WCRR, a simple correlation function is used for the detection of carrier frequencies and in a mixed analog digital system, a simple digital algorithm is used for the identification of frequency support. Through a literature survey, we could identify that a VHSIC hardware descriptive ModelSim simulation model for wideband spectrum sensing of multitoned and multiband signals using sub Nyquist sampling does not exist. If a ModelSim simulation model can be developed using VHDL codes, it can be easily adapted for FPGA implementation leading to the development of a realistic hardware prototype for use in Cognitive Radio (CR) communication systems. The research work reported through this dissertation deals with the implementation of simulation models of WCRR and mixed analog digital system in ModelSim by making use of VHDL coding. Algorithms corresponding to different blocks contained in the conceptual design of these models have been formulated prior to the coding phase. After the coding phase, analyses of the models are performed using test parameter choices to ensure that they meet the design requirements. Different parametric choices are then assigned for the parametric study and a sufficient number of iterations of these simulations were carried out to verify and validate these models. / MIng (Computer and Electronic Engineering), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014

Övergödning är ett allvarligt miljöproblem, som bland annat orsakar omfattande blomningar av alger och blågrönbakterier. I söt- och brackvatten är fosfor ofta det mest begränsande näringsämnet för dessa organismer, varför en minskning av fosfortillförseln är nödvändig för att nå förbättringar. I Sverige beräknas jordbruket bidra med 44 % av fosforbelastningen till Egentliga Östersjön, och olika åtgärder för att minska fosforförlusterna från jordbruksmark tillämpas runtom i Sverige. Våtmarker anläggs ofta för att fånga näringsämnen och partiklar från jordbruksmark innan de läcker ut i vattendrag och slutligen i Östersjön. Tidigare utvärderingar av anlagda våtmarker i Sverige har visat på en varierande och relativt låg fastläggning av fosfor. Osäkerheten kring dessa utvärderingar är dock ganska hög, och bottnar i kunskapsluckor både vad gäller processer för fastläggning och transport av fosfor från mindre jordbruksområden. I denna avhandling utreds därför hur anlagda våtmarker fungerar som fällor för jordpartiklar och partikelbunden fosfor i områden med höga fosforförluster. Sju anlagda våtmarker i jordbruksområden med mycket lerjordar studerades, och mängden fosfor och partiklar som fastlades på botten varierade mycket mellan olika våtmarker (13-108 ton partiklar/ha/yr och 11-175 kg fosfor/ha/yr). De faktorer i området uppströms som var kopplade till fosforfastläggning var lutningen i området, markens lerhalt och innehåll av växttillgänglig fosfor samt områdets djurtäthet. Resultat från fyra våtmarker visade på en hög resuspension (partiklar från botten virvlas tillbaka upp i vattnet), men en del av de uppvirvlade partiklarna kom troligtvis från erosion från våtmarkernas sidor och inte från det material som fastlades på botten. Man såg även indikationer på resuspension från vattenprover tagna i utloppet av en annan våtmark. Där var partikelbunden fosfor klart dominerande, vilket kan ha varit en konsekvens av resuspension från botten. Variationerna av fosforkoncentrationer vid in- och utlopp i sju anlagda våtmarker studerades, för att kritiskt kunna granska tidigare retentionsskattningar. Det var stora variationer i sambanden mellan vattenflöde och fosforkoncentrationer mellan de olika våtmarkerna. De faktorer som påverkade sambandet mellan flöde och koncentration var 1) om det var varm eller kall årstid (d v s sommar eller vinter), 2) om det var högt eller lågt vattenflöde, samt 3) om inflödet bestod av ett dräneringsrör eller ett öppet dike/åfåra. I våtmarker med öppet dike som inflöde var flödes-koncentrationssambandet av totalfosfor negativt vid låga flöden och positivt vid höga flöden. De olika sambanden visar hur viktig sättet att provta vatten är, då inkommande mängd fosfor både kan över- och underskattas om man inte är medveten om sådana variationer. Vid automatisk provtagning styrd av flödesmätningen sker detta ofta i utloppet, men eftersom vattnet har en viss uppehållstid i våtmarken (speciellt sommartid) kan retentionsberäkningen påverkas av att all provtagningen styrs av flödet i utloppet.     För att identifiera vilka områden som bidrar med mest näring och partiklar valdes ett stort område dominerat av jordbruksmark ut – för att undersöka hur man skulle kunna bedöma var anlagda våtmarker skulle kunna göra mest nytta. Området delades in i tio mindre områden, och vattenprover samlades in från diken och åfåror. Resultaten visade på stora skillnader i fosfordynamik mellan olika delområden med olika jordtyper, trots att de hade liknande markanvändning. Det fanns ofta en koppling mellan höga fosforkoncentrationer i vattnet och en hög andel lerjordar i området. För partiklar fanns det en tendens till samband mellan höga koncentrationer och hög andel vinterbar mark. En anlagd våtmark skulle antagligen ha högst effekt om den placerades nedströms områden som är känsliga för erosion – områden med hög andel lerjordar eller med hög andel vinterbar mark. / Eutrophication is one of the more serious current environmental problems, causing algal blooms and anoxic bottoms. In fresh and brackish water, phosphorus (P) is often the most limiting nutrient, and various mitigating strategies are used to reduce the load of P to sensitive recipients. In the agricultural sector, this includes both on-field measures (e.g. managing P inputs) and measures at the field edge (e.g. buffer zones and constructed wetlands). Previous evaluations of constructed wetlands (CWs) in Sweden have indicated a variable and relatively low P retention. However, the uncertainties in the estimates are large, and related to an incomplete knowledge about both retention processes and factors determining the P load from agricultural land. Hence, the overall aim of this thesis was to investigate possible reasons for the variation in wetland P retention estimates, and to assess the P retention in wetlands located in agricultural areas where losses are expected to be high. When comparing seven CWs located downstream small catchments with predominantly arable land, the particle and P net accumulation varied considerably (13-108 t particles ha-1 yr-1 and 11-175 kg P ha-1 yr-1, respectively). Catchment factors that were statistically correlated with accumulation of particles and P in the CWs were the slope of the arable land, the P content of the top soil, the animal density (expressed as livestock units per arable land) and the percentage clay in the topsoils. In four of the wetlands, resuspension was studied using sediment traps and plates. The results showed that up to 87 % of the settled material was resuspended, and indicated that erosion of the wetland sides and bottom probably contributed a substantial part of the trapped particles. In order to critically evaluate existing retention data from earlier investigations, the temporal dynamics of P concentrations and P retention in seven CWs were evaluated. The relationships between water flow and concentration (from grab sampling) varied, and depended on the season (warm or cold period of the year), water flow (high or low) and the inlet type (drainage pipe or open ditch). In CWs that received water through an open ditch, flow-concentration relationships were negative during low flow periods but positive during high flow periods. These differences in flow-concentration relationship have implications for water sampling, since P loads can be both over- and underestimated with grab or automatic sampling guided by clock-time. Also composite automatic sampling, regulated from the water flow at the outlet, can lead to errors in transport calculations since the same ‘water parcel’ is not measured at in and out (difference depending on how long the water retention time is in the CW). This may have an effect on estimates of P retention in both past, present and future investigations of constructed wetlands. Finally, a synoptic sampling approach with ten sampling points was used in an agriculturally dominated catchment area (160 km2) to identify differences in nutrient transport dynamics and areas with the highest losses. Spatial differences in P concentrations were strongly correlated with some of the catchment factors, for instance with soil type, and particle concentrations were weakly correlated to agricultural practices associated with bare soils during winter. This supports the practice to focus P mitigation measures – such as constructed wetlands – to erosion sensitive areas.

In the study of associated discrete variables, limitations on the range of the possible association measures (Pearson correlation, odds ratio, etc.) arise from the form of the joint probability function between the variables. These limitations are known as the Fréchet bounds. The bounds for cases involving associated binary variables are explored in the context of simulating datasets with a desired correlation and set of marginal probabilities. A new method for creating such datasets is compared to an existing method that uses the multivariate probit. A method for simulating associated binary variables using a desired odds ratio and known marginal probabilities is also presented. The Fréchet bounds for correlation between dependent binomial and negative binomial variables are determined as families of ranges in various cases. An example of a realistic analysis involving the Fréchet bounds in a dependent binomial setting is presented.

>Magister Scientiae - MSc / Most standard statistical techniques illustrated in text books assume that the data are collected from a simple random sample (SRS) and hence are independently and identically distributed (i.i.d.). In reality, data are often sourced through complex sampling (CS) designs, with a combination of stratification and clustering at different levels of the design. Consequently, the CS data are not i.i.d. and sampling weights that are developed over different stages, are calculated and included in the analysis of this data to account for the sampling design. Logistic regression is often employed in the modelling of survey data since the response under investigation typically has a dichotomous outcome. Furthermore, since the logistic regression model has no homogeneity or normality assumptions, it is appealing when modelling a dichotomous response from survey data. This research considers the comparison of the estimates of the logistic regression model parameters when the CS design is accounted for, i.e. weighting is present, to when the data are modelled using an SRS design, i.e. no weighting. In addition, the standard errors of the estimators will be obtained using three different variance techniques, viz. Taylor series linearization, the jackknife and the bootstrap. The different estimated standard errors will be used in the calculation of the standard (asymptotic) interval which will be compared to the bootstrap percentile interval in terms of the interval coverage probability. A further level of comparison is obtained when using only design weights to those obtained using calibrated and integrated sampling weights. This simulation study is based on the Income and Expenditure Survey (IES) of 2005/2006. The results showed that generally when weighting was used the estimators performed better as opposed to when the design was ignored, i.e. under the assumption of SRS, with the results for the Taylor series linearization being more stable.

Neste trabalho estudamos modelos lineares de regressão para a análise de dados obtidos de pesquisas amostrais complexas. Foram considerados aspectos teóricos e aplicações a conjuntos de dados reais por meio do uso do aplicativo SUDAAN e da biblioteca ADAC da linguagem R. Nas aplicações foram abordados os modelos de regressão normal e logística. Foram realizados também estudos comparativos dos métodos estudados com os que assumem que as observações são selecionadas segundo amostragem aleatória simples. / We have studied linear regression models for data analysis when the data set comes from a complex sampling survey. We have considered theoretical aspects and some applications utilizing the SUDAAN software and the ADAC library for R language. The applications involved the normal and logistic regression models. The studied methods were compared with those obtained from simple random samples.

Thesis advisor: Rudolph Hon / Groundwater in the Shepley's Hill Landfill (SHL) area had a high arsenic concentration for at least 20 years. This study is aimed at understanding the migration pathways of arsenic in the SHL area and postulating the possible sources and mechanisms for the mobilization of arsenic. A direct-push sampling technique (DPT) was applied in the summer of 2010 within the SHL and its downgradient area, which provided groundwater samples from various depths and locations. A long-term monitoring dataset from 1998 to 2009 was utilized as a subsidiary source for temporal analysis. Spatial distributions of arsenic and other major dissolved compositions were analyzed. Extremely high arsenic concentrations (up to ~ 15000 µg/L) were detected in the deep glacial sand deposits close to a peat layer within the SHL. Arsenic concentrations decrease dramatically in the downgradient area north of the SHL. The transport of arsenic in the SHL area is similar to that of iron. The source of arsenic is likely to been within the boundary of the SHL. The glacial sand overburden within the SHL provides enough source for the arsenic mobilization. A possible mechanism of arsenic mobilization in the SHL area is that the reductive dissolution/desorption of arsenic from iron bearing minerals under a lasting reducing environment created by decompositions of organic matter in waste and peat. / Thesis (MS) — Boston College, 2013. / Submitted to: Boston College. Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. / Discipline: Earth and Environmental Sciences.