In this thesis, the asymptotic behavior and oscillation of solutions of dynamic equations on time scales are studied. In the first part of the thesis, asymptotic equivalence and asymptotic equilibrium of dynamic systems are investigated. Sufficient conditions are established for the asymptotic equivalence of linear systems and linear and quasilinear systems, respectively, and for the asymptotic equilibrium of quasilinear systems by unifying and extending some known results for differential systems and difference systems to dynamic systems on arbitrary time scales. In particular, for the asymptotic equivalence of differential systems, the well-known theorems of Levinson and Yakubovich are improved and the well-known theorem of Wintner for the asymptotic equilibrium of linear differential systems is generalized to arbitrary time scales. Some of our results for asymptotic equilibrium are new even for difference systems. In the second part, the oscillation of solutions of a particular class of second order nonlinear delay dynamic equations and, more generally, two-dimensional nonlinear dynamic systems, including delay-dynamic systems, are discussed. Necessary and sufficient conditions are derived for the oscillation of solutions of nonlinear delay dynamic equations by extending some continuous results. Specifically, the classical theorems of Atkinson and Belohorec are generalized. Sufficient conditions are established for the oscillation of solutions of nonlinear dynamic systems by unifying and extending the corresponding continuous and discrete results. Particularly, the oscillation criteria of Atkinson, Belohorec, Waltman, and Hooker and Patula are generalized.

A mixture experiment is an experiment in which the q-ingredients {xi,i=1,...,q} are nonnegative and subject to the simplex restriction sum_{i=1}^q x_i=1 on the (q-1)-dimensional probability simplex S^{q-1}. In this work, we investigate the robust D-optimal designs for mixture experiments with consideration on uncertainties in the Scheffe's linear, quadratic and cubic model without 3-way effects. The D-optimal designs for each of the Scheffe's models are used to find the robust D-optimal designs. With uncertianties on the Scheffe's linear and quadratic models, the optimal convex combination of the two model's D-optimal designs can be proved to be a robust D-optimal design. For the case of the Scheffe's linear and cubic model without 3-way effects, we have some numerical results about the robust D-optimal designs, as well as that for Scheffe's linear, quadratic and cubic model without 3-way effects. Ultimately, we discuss the efficiency of a maxmin type criterion D_r under given the robust D-optimal designs for the Scheffe's linear and quadratic models.

Consider a linear regression model with a two-dimensional control vector (x_1, x_2) and an m-dimensional response vector y = (y_1, . . . , y_m). The components of y are correlated with a known covariance matrix. Based on the assumed regression model, there are two problems of interest. The first one is to estimate unknown control vector x_c corresponding to an observed y, where xc will be estimated by the classical estimator. The second one is to obtain a suitable estimation of the control vector x_T corresponding to a given target T = (T_1, . . . , T_m) on the expected responses. Consideration in this work includes the deviation of the expected response E(y_i) from its corresponding target value T_i for each component and defines the optimal control vector x, say x_T , to be the one which minimizes the weighted sum of squares of standardized deviations within the range of x. The objective of this study is to find c-optimal designs for estimating x_c and x_T , which minimize the mean squared error of the estimator of xc and x_T respectively. The comparison of the difference between the optimal calibration design and the optimal design for estimating x_T is provided. The efficiencies of the optimal calibration design relative to the uniform design are also presented, and so are the efficiencies of the optimal design for given target vector relative to the uniform design.

This dissertation can be essentially divided into two parts. The first, consisting of Chapters I, II, and III, studies the graph theoretic nature of complex systems. This includes the spectral properties of such systems and in particular their influence on the systems dynamics. In the second part of this dissertation, or Chapter IV, we consider a new class of one-dimensional dynamical systems or functions with an eventual negative Schwarzian derivative motivated by some maps arising in neuroscience. To aid in understanding the interplay between the graph structure of a network and its dynamics we first introduce the concept of an isospectral graph reduction in Chapter I. Mathematically, an isospectral graph transformation is a graph operation (equivalently matrix operation) that modifies the structure of a graph while preserving the eigenvalues of the graphs weighted adjacency matrix. Because of their properties such reductions can be used to study graphs (networks) modulo any specific graph structure e.g. cycles of length n, cliques of size k, nodes of minimal/maximal degree, centrality, betweenness, etc. The theory of isospectral graph reductions has also lead to improvements in the general theory of eigenvalue approximation. Specifically, such reductions can be used to improved the classical eigenvalue estimates of Gershgorin, Brauer, Brualdi, and Varga for a complex valued matrix. The details of these specific results are found in Chapter II. The theory of isospectral graph transformations is then used in Chapter III to study time-delayed dynamical systems and develop the notion of a dynamical network expansion and reduction which can be used to determine whether a network of interacting dynamical systems has a unique global attractor. In Chapter IV we consider one-dimensional dynamical systems of an interval. In the study of such systems it is often assumed that the functions involved have a negative Schwarzian derivative. Here we consider a generalization of this condition. Specifically, we consider the functions which have some iterate with a negative Schwarzian derivative and show that many known results generalize to this larger class of functions. This includes both systems with regular as well as chaotic dynamic properties.

<p>This work focuses on the usage of dominators in circuit graphs in order to reduce the complexity of synthesis and verification tasks. One of the contributions of this thesis is a new algorithm for computing multiple-vertex dominators in circuit graphs. Previous algorithms, based on single-vertex dominators suffer from their rare appearance in many circuits. The presented approach searches efficiently for multiple-vertex dominators in circuit graphs. It finds dominator relations, where algorithms for computing single-vertex dominators fail. Another contribution of this thesis is the application of dominators for combinational equivalence checking based on the arithmetic transform. Previous algorithms rely on representations providing an explicit or implicit disjoint function cover, which is usually excessive in memory requirements. The new algorithm allows a partitioned evaluation of the arithmetic transform directly on the circuit graph using dominator relations. The results show that the algorithm brings significant improvements in memory consumption for many benchmarks. Proper cuts are used in many areas of VLSI. They provide cut points, where a given problem can be split into two disjoint sub-problems. The algorithm proposed in this thesis efficiently detects proper cuts in a circuit graph and is based on a novel concept of a reduced dominator tree. The runtime of the algorithm is less than 0.4 seconds for the largest benchmark circuit. The final contribution of this thesis is the application of the proper cut algorithm as a structural method to decompose a Boolean function, represented by a circuit graph. In combination with a functional approach, it outperforms previous methods, which rely on functional decomposition only.</p>

<p>The intention of this essay is to illustrate and describe various means to overcome some of the difficulties that any translator dealing with technical translations at some point or another would come upon – presented in a qualitative analysis. The text under analysis is a chapter called Into the Cosmos and is part of the book Planet Quest – The Epic Discovery of Alien Solar Systems by the American astronomer Ken Croswell. The analysis specifically focuses on terminology and two aspects that usually are part of the cultural adaptation of a text; namely additions and omissions. However, in this essay they help adapting the text towards a new target audience not so much because of culture, but rather because of my decision to fully disconnect the text from the context in which it previously functioned. And because of this, the target text was in the end given more of an educational character compared to the source text.</p>

Using data from the Drug Use Forecasting (DUF) and the Arrestee Drug Abuse Monitoring (ADAM) programs collected by the National Institute of Justice the question whether the drug estimates of DUF, using a non-probability sample, and the drug use estimates of ADAM, using a probability sample, yield substantially different results will be explored. The following main questions will be addressed using equivalence analysis: Are there substantial differences in the DUF and ADAM samples with regard to the drug use information obtained from arrestees at nine sites across the United States? The analysis suggests that the drug use information contained in DUF and ADAM is not substantially different for marijuana, cocaine, and opiates for all sites analyzed together. Additionally, there are no substantial differences for seven of the nine sites. The implications of these findings are discussed.

The collision probability approach to neutron transport can be used to obtain the energy-dependent neutron spectrum in nuclear reactor systems as well as other quantities of interest. This method makes the approximation that the neutron distribution is constant within homogeneous regions, or cells, in the system. This assumption restricts geometries that can be modeled by the collision probability approach. The geometry modeled is typically an infinite lattice of two homogeneous cells: a fuel pin cylinder and the coolant that surrounds it. The transport of neutrons between the homogeneous cells is done using probabilities describing the chance that a neutron having a collision in one cell has its next collision in another cell. These collision probabilities can be cast in terms of escape and transmission probabilities for each cell. Some methods exist that extend the collision probability approach to systems composed of more than two homogeneous cells. In this work, we present a novel collision probability method, based on previous work by Schneider et al. (2006a), for an arbitrary number of cells. The method operates by averaging the transmission probabilities across cells of the same shape, and thus assumes a certain level of homogeneity across all cells. When using multigroup cross sections, which the collision probability approach requires, it is necessary to consider the effect that a system's geometry and composition has on those multigroup cross sections. The cross sections must be computed in a way that accounts for the resonance self-shielding that may reduce the reaction rates in the resonance region. The process of developing self-shielded cross sections in a heterogeneous system utilizes an escape cross section. We compute this escape cross section using the same collision probabilities used to obtain the energy spectrum. Results are presented for simple two-cell systems, and preliminary results for four-cell simulations are also given. An extension to the method is provided that accounts for the fact that in thermal systems the assumption of homogeneity is not always valid. / text

This essay focuses on style-related challenges that translators may face when translating from German to Swedish. The translated source text stems from the biography Kafka: The Years of Insight. Its literary style and its use of less frequent words make it particularly suitable for a study of the translation of stylistic traits. The essay raises the question whether the style of the source text can be reproduced or not. The analysis is limited to the stylistic aspects of words and includes the area of metaphors and word choice, in particular the translation of foreign words and elevated or archaic style. The study is qualitative and based on Koller's (2011) theory of connotative equivalence and the theories of linguistic and cognitive aspects of metaphors as defined by Lakoff and Johnson (1980) and Schäffner (2004). The analysis reveals that style-related translation challenges are caused by the limitations of the target language, yet, the translator is expected to reproduce the style of the source text. Thus, this essay argues that translation has more to do with recreating the style of the source text. This goes against the general view that the style of the target text is merely a reproduction of the source text.

This dissertation study was designed to examine measurement equivalence of the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression (CES-D) Scale across White, African American, and Mexican American elders. Specific aims were to identify race/ethnicity-, sociodemographic-, and acculturation and instrument language-related measurement bias in the CES-D. Three studies were conducted in this dissertation to accomplish these aims. Two existing national datasets were used: the New Haven Established Populations for Epidemiologic Studies of the Elderly (EPESE) for the White and African American samples and the Hispanic Established Populations for Epidemiologic Studies of the Elderly (H-EPESE) for the Mexican-American sample. Differential item functioning (DIF) analyses were conducted using both confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and item response theory (IRT) methods. Study 1 focused on the role of race/ethnicity on the measurement bias in the CES-D. Results from Study 1 showed a lack of measurement equivalence of the CES-D among Mexican Americans in the comparison with both Whites and Blacks. Race/ethnicity-specific items were also identified in Study 1: two interpersonal relation items in Blacks and four positive affect items in Mexican Americans. Study 2 focused on identifying sociodemographic-related measurement bias in responses to the CES-D among diverse racial/ethnic groups. Results from Study 2 showed that gender and educational attainment affected item bias in the CES-D. The interaction between gender and educational level and race/ethnicity was also found in Study 2: Mexican American women and lower educated Blacks had a greater predisposition to endorse the 'crying' item. Focusing on Mexican American elders, Study 3 examined how level of acculturation and language influence responses to the CES-D. In Study 3, acculturation and instrument language-biased items were identified in Mexican American elders. Study 3 also suggested that acculturation-bias was entirely explained by whether the CES-D was administered in the English or the Spanish versions. Possible reasons for item bias on the CES-D are discussed in the context of sociocultural differences in each substudy. Findings from this dissertation provide a broader understanding of sociocultural group differences in depressive symptom measures among racially/ethnically diverse older adults and yield research and practice implications for the use of standard screening tools for depression.