The calibration of model parameters is an important step in model development. Commonly, system output is measured, and model parameters are iteratively varied until the model output is a good match to the measured system output. Optimization algorithms are often used to identify the model parameter values. The presence of noise is difficult to avoid when physical processes are used to calibrate models due to measurement error, model structure error, and errors arising from numerical techniques and approximate solutions. Our study focuses on the effects of noise in parameter identification optimization problems. We generate six test problems, including five perturbations of a smooth problem. A previously studied groundwater parameter identification problem serves as our seventh test problem. We test the Nelder-Mead Algorithm, a combination of the Nelder-Mead Algorithm and Simulated Annealing, and the Shuffled Complex Evolution Method on these test problems. Comparison of optimization results for these problems reveals the effects of noise on optimization performance, including an increase in fitness values and a decrease in the number of fit evaluations. We vary the values of the internal algorithmic parameters to determine the effects of different values and present numerical results that indicate that changing the values of the algorithmic parameters can cause profound differences in optimization results for all three algorithms. A variation of the generally accepted parameter values for the Nelder-Mead Algorithm is recommended, and we determine that the Nelder-Mead/Simulated Annealing Hybrid and Shuffled Complex Evolution Method are too problem dependent for general recommendations for parameter values. Finally, we prove new convergence results for the Nelder-Mead/Simulated Annealing Hybrid in both smooth and noisy cases. / Ph. D.

Thesis (Ph.D.). / Written for the Dept. of Microbiology and Immunology. Title from title page of PDF (viewed 2009/06/11). Includes bibliographical references.

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / The mesophragmatica group belongs to the radiation virilis-repleta of the Drosophila subgenus, it was established by Brncic and Koref in 1957. The species of this group present some characteristics of isolated endemic species in some places in Andes. The common ancestral of the species of the group seems to have acquired, for selective pressure, genetics structures better adjusted to each region. Although there is just a few studies involving these species and still have to be done in relation to the presence and evolution of transposable elements in its genomes. In this context, the transposable elements of the families, hobo, Tom/17.6, I, mariner, P, micropia and gypsy had been analyzed in species of Drosophila of the mesophragmatica group using, Dot Blot and PCR. The genomic DNA of species D.viracochi, and one of the D. gasici had presented hybridization for the micropia element when analyzed by Dot Blot. Analysis the presence of the TEs of the families Tom, 17.6, hobo was made by PCR. However, they had not been gotten amplicons for none of these elements. However homologous sequences to element P are found in D. gasici and D. pavani. Using probe of the elements I and mariner they had been carried through Dot Blot not presenting hybridization with genomic DNA of species D. pavani, D. brncici, D. viracochi, D. gasici (three different populations). Genomic DNA of species D. pavani, D. brncici, D. viracochi, D. gasici (three different populations) hybridized with probe of the element gypsy also having amplification for PCR for all the analyzed species. The purify products of PCR had been sequenced. Phylogenetic analysis s confirmed the idea that it has incongruence between the phylogeny of the species and of its TEs due to a standard of complex evolution that involves mechanisms as: random losses, vertical and horizontal transference, ancestral polymorphism, different taxes of evolution. Those mechanisms might be not mutually excludable and probably occur simultaneously. / O grupo mesophragmatica pertence à radiação virilis-repleta do sub-gênero Drosophila, foi estabelecido por Brncic & Koref em 1957. As espécies deste grupo apresentam algumas características de espécies endêmicas isoladas em vários locais nos Andes. O ancestral comum das espécies do grupo parece ter adquirido, por pressão seletiva, estruturas gênicas melhor ajustadas a cada região. Embora existam alguns estudos envolvendo estas espécies pouco se sabe em relação à presença e evolução de elementos transponíveis em seus genomas. Neste contexto, os elementos transponíveis das famílias, hobo, Tom/17.6, I, mariner, P, micropia e gypsy foram analisados em espécies de Drosophila do grupo mesophragmatica usando, Dot Blot e PCR. O DNA genômico das espécies D.viracochi, e uma das linhagens de D. gasici apresentaram hibridização para o elemento micropia quando analisadas por Dot Blot. Análise da presença dos TEs das famílias Tom, 17.6, hobo foi feita por PCR. Porém, não foram obtidos amplicons para nenhum destes elementos. No entanto seqüências homólogas ao elemento P estão presentes em D. gasici e D. pavani. Utilizando sonda dos elementos I e mariner foram realizados Dot Blots não apresentando hibridização com DNA genômico das espécies D. pavani, D. brncici, D. viracochi, D. gasici (três linhagens diferentes). DNA genômico das espécies D. pavani, D. brncici, D. viracochi, D. gasici (três linhagens diferentes) hibridizaram com sonda do elemento gypsy havendo também amplificação por PCR para todos as espécies analisadas. Os produtos de PCR purificados foram seqüenciados. Análise filogenética a partir destas seqüências reforçou a idéia de que haja incongruências entre a filogenia das espécies e de seus TEs devido a um padrão de evolução complexa que envolva mecanismos como: perdas estocásticas, transferência vertical e horizontal, polimorfismo ancestral, diferentes taxas de evolução sendo não mutuamente excludentes e provavelmente ocorram simultaneamente.