This thesis outlines the prospects for top quark mass measurement through the Fully Hadronic decay of top-antitop events with the ATLAS detector. Methods with and without b-tagging were explored. Without b-tagging the signal was hidden beneath the QCD multi-jet background and prospects for a mass measurement do not appear to be good. A standard and a pessimistic b-tagging likelihood significance value were explored. The standard value gives a S/B of 0.88 and the more pessimistic value gives a S/B of 0.79. For 1 fb−1 a significance of 36.8 and 32.0 can be obtained for the standard and pessimistic scenarios respectively. A selection efficiency of 1.4% and 1.1% can be achieved for the standard and pessimistic values respectively. Assuming a top mass of 174 GeV, a mass peak can clearly be seen for both b-tagging values. For the standard scenario, a top mass of 168.94 GeV with a statistical error of 0.33 GeV can be extracted. With the pessimistic scenario, the extracted mass is 169.11 GeV with a statistical error of 0.36 GeV. This is the first attempt with fully simulated events and therefore there are possibilities for improvement. This analysis did not include b-jet energy scale correction.

Lidar intensity, a quantity analogous to backscatter, has yet to be fully exploited as an information source in the characterization of coniferous forests. Intensity images appear noisy due to (1) dynamic survey geometry, and (2) complex laser interactions in a forested environment. The nature of these issues are explored, and a systematic procedure for processing, visualizing, and normalizing the intensity data is presented. Despite high variability among neighbouring intensity values, the data are inherently spatially structured. Results from an investigation into the spatial pattern of intensity demonstrate that (1) the scale and variability of global estimates of spatial autocorrelation derived from raw intensity (point) data were markedly different between stands of different age, and these differences were driven by the canopy and gap structure within each individual stand, and (2) the magnitude of local estimates of spatial autocorrelation varied with canopy height, and, particularly in old growth stands, these magnitudes are linked to compositional factors such as species.

This thesis involves the study of a repulsive-attractive N-body problem, which is a subclass of a quasihomogeneous N-body problem [5]. The quasihomogeneous N-body problem is the study of N point masses moving in R3N, where the negative of the potential energy is of the form, X 1≤i<j≤N bmimjr−β ij + X 1≤i<j≤N amimjr−α ij . In the above equation, rij is the distance between the point mass mi and the point mass mj , and a, b, α > β > 0 are constants. The repulsive-attractive N-body problem is the case where a < 0 and b > 0. We start the ground work for the study of the repulsive-attractive N-body problem by defining the first integrals, collisions and pseudo-collisions and the collision set. By examining the potentials where a < 0 and b > 0, we see that the dominant force is repulsive. This means that the closer two point masses get the greater the force acting to separate them becomes. This property leads to the main result of the first chapter: there can be no collisions or pseudo-collisions for any repulsive-attractive system. In the next chapter we study central configurations of the system. Quasihomogeneous potentials will have different central configurations than homogeneous potentials [6], thus requiring the classification of two new subsets of central configurations. Loosely speaking, the set of central configurations that are not central configurations for any homogeneous potential are called extraneous. The set of configurations that are central configurations for both homogeneous potentials that make up the quasihomogeneous potential, are called simultaneous configurations. We also notice that every simultaneous central configuration will be non-extraneous, therefore the two subsets are disjoint. Next we show the existence of oscillating homothetic periodic orbits associated with non-extraneous configurations. Finally in this chapter, we investigate the polygon solutions for repulsive-attractive N-body problems [11]. In particular we show that the masses need no longer to be equal, for repulsive-attractive potentials. It will be shown that there exists a square configuration with m1 = m2 6= m3 = m4, that leads to a relative equilibrium. Therefore, for N = 4 the set of extraneous configurations is non-empty. The last chapter deals with the complete analysis of the generalized Lennard- Jones 2-body problem. The generalized Lennard-Jones problem is the subcase of the repulsive-attractive N-body problem, where a = −1, b = 2, and α = 2β. We proceed as in [13] by using diffeomorphic transforms to get an associated system thereby generating a picture of the global flow of the system. This gives us the complete flow for the generalized Lennard-Jones 2-body problem.

Correspondence analysis is a descriptive and explorative technique for the study of associations between variables. It is a visualization method for analyzing high dimensional data via projections onto a low-dimensional subspace. In this thesis, we demonstrate the applicability of correspondence analysis to microarray data. We show that it can be used to identify important genes and treatment patterns by coordinating and projecting the genes and the experimental conditions. In addition, we estimate missing values in the gene expressions using the Expectation-Maximization (EM) algorithm and identify genes with large between-condition variability using the projections of the genes and the conditions. To demonstrate its application, correspondence analysis is applied to various simulated data and microarray data from the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) studies. We conclude that correspondence analysis is a useful tool for analyzing the associations between genes and experimental conditions, for identifying important genes, and for estimating missing values.

J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter novels continue to be at the centre of debate regarding the value of the series with respect to children’s literacy. Informing this debate are two perspectives: on one hand is the argument that Harry Potter encourages children to read and write; on the other hand is the position that the novels possess little inherent literary quality. Neither side has investigated the novels’ messages about literacy itself. To investigate these messages, this study applies a critical text analysis to the series’ depictions of literacy practices, defined here according to a sociocultural model encompassing reading and writing, speaking and listening, and viewing and representing. Critical perspectives form the theoretical foundation to this study. Critical social theory frames literacy practices within their social contexts; thus, this study organizes literacy practices according to their primary functions for characters in the novels: exchange, notification, domination /empowerment, and restriction. Poststructuralism, informed by Jacques Derrida and Michel Foucault, highlights the relationship between social practices and power. This study thus considers how characters undergo or exercise different kinds of power when they engage in literacy practices. This examination of literacy and power exposes the ideological assumptions behind literacy, revealing literacy practices to be sites for characters to experience and contest power. The novels also show that power over literacy is power over access to information, knowledge, and self-expression, and thus, over individuals and the world around them. The series suggests the importance of ownership of literacy, as well as encourages readers to be aware of the ways in which literacy practices can be tools of both oppression and empowerment. Arising from the study are implications regarding the nature of literacy and its relationship with power. Harry Potter shows that literacies are contextual, multiple, and value-laden social practices that participate in the making and unmaking of our social world. This dynamic mediation occurs through the operation of different kinds of power accompanying literacies: individuals experience passive socializing power through their exposure to literacy practices; individuals exercise active power on the world around them through literacies; and potential power residing in all forms of literacy makes other forms of power possible. For educators facing the decision whether or not to include the Harry Potter series in classrooms, understanding the novels’ messages about literacy is a beginning. Awareness of how characters in the series use literacy in the production and exercise of power will give teachers insight into the complexity of the role and function of literacy for children. Adopting a critical literacy approach in the classroom will help teachers encourage children to participate in discussions that specifically address the nature of literacy, its relationship with power, and the ideological assumptions that accompany its participation in society. This study also recommends that teachers specifically increase the presence of viewing/representing literacies in the classroom so as to highlight individuals as active agents of social reform.

This work presents the synthesis and characterization of a new family of bridging ligands, indigo diimines (Nindigos). Nindigos are bis(bidentate) N-donor type ligands derived from the dye indigo. These Nindigos have been synthesized via reaction of indigo with primary amines, using TiCl4 as a catalyst, in bromobenzene. A family of Nindigo ligands was prepared with p-tolyl, p-methoxyphenyl, p-chlorophenyl, mesityl, and tBu functional groups. The UV-Vis properties of the Nindigos were investigated. The λmax for these ligands occurs in the range of 580-640nm, with extinction coefficients in the order of 1x104 M-1 cm-1. These absorptions are similar to that of indigo itself, which also shows a λmax close to 600nm. The reactions of selected Nindigo derivatives with Pd(hfac)2 formed bimetallic complexes. Upon complexation with palladium, the major absorption of the Nindigo complexes was found to red-shift to ~ 910nm, while the extinction coefficient increased to approximately 2x104 M-1 cm-1. This demonstrates that both the Nindigos and their complexes are functional molecular dyes. The electrochemistry of the p-tolyl, p-methoxyphenyl, and mesityl complexes show two reversible oxidations, with E1/2 at approximately + 0.0V and + 0.50V. There is also a quasi-reverisble reduction at approximately -1.4V. The alkyl derivatized complex, tBu Nindigo showed only one reversible oxidation at +0.32 V and one irreversible reduction at ~ -1.7 V. The Nindigo complexes now represent a new class of redox active bridging ligands, and thanks to the facile derivatization, they have more options for electronic and steric control around the metal center, which ultimately means greater control over redox activity.

Software testing is a time-consuming and expensive task. To reduce costs, automating many testing steps is desirable. In grammar-based test generation (GBTG), inputs to a system under test are defined by a context-free grammar. The language of the grammar contains all possible test cases. Another approach based on covering arrays (CA) strategically reduces the number of test cases produced. Both GBTG and CA are normally used independently. We show that the two methods are very powerful when used together. We introduce a notation and derivation algorithm that combines traditional GBTG and CA. We describe YouGen, a new tool for defining and producing such test cases. In order to demonstrate the versatility of YouGen, we describe the methodology and results of a case study testing network firewall behaviour. The thesis of this work is that GBTG and CA can be combined to produce a powerful and practical test case generator.

An original full-length theatrical play in three parts, Hand of Jane deals with themes of faith, family and responsibility to the past, and examines human spiritual evolution through the story of a father and daughter, and Jane, a mystical guide loosely based on Jane Goodall.

In this thesis study, three different feature selection methods, LASSO, SLR, and SMLR, were tested and compared using microarray fold change data. Two real datasets were used to first investigate and compare the ability of the algorithms in selecting feature genes on data under two conditions. It was found that SMLR was quite sensitive to its parameter, and was more accurate in selecting differentially expressed genes when compared to SLR and LASSO. In addition, the model coefficients generated by SMLR had a close relationship with the magnitude of fold changes. Also, SMLR's ability in selecting differentially expressed genes with data that had more than two conditions was shown to be successful. The results from simulation experiments agreed with the results from the real dataset experiments. Additionally, it was found that different proportions of differentially expressed genes in the data did not affect the performance of LASSO and SLR, but the number of genes selected by SMLR increased with the proportion of regulated genes. Also, as the number of replicates used to build the model increased, the number of genes selected by SMLR increased. This applied to both correctly and incorrectly selected genes. Furthermore, it was found that SMLR performed the best in identifying future treatment samples.

A permutation array, represented by PA(n, d), is a subset of Sn such that any two distinct elements have a distance of at least d where d is the number of differing positions. We analyze the upper and lower bounds of permutation codes with distance equal to 4. An optimization problem on Young diagrams is used to improve the upper bound for almost all n while the lower bound is improved for small values of n by means of recursive construction methods.