A study was conducted to determine what impact high white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) densities were having on the native grasslands of a tallgrass: aspen forest tract embedded within an agro-urban setting. Due to excessive spring moisture, row-crops were unavailable the first year. Using microhistological fecal analysis to determine dietary composition, deer were assessed to be placing the site’s favoured native plant species at risk of extirpation. Measuring woody stem abundance and height along and near the prairie: forest ecotone, deer were found to restructure woody growth but not directly influence encroachment rates. Indirectly, however, deer facilitated forest encroachment and prairie degradation through seed dispersal, nitrogen deposition, gap-dynamics, and trampling. Comparing dietary composition to nutritional data, deer grazed to maximize fitness, selecting foods high in IVDMD, minimizing energy expenditure, and optimizing CP. High crop CP was offset by intensively grazing particular native plants. ADF was an effective nutritional marker, not AIA.

A study was conducted to determine what impact high white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) densities were having on the native grasslands of a tallgrass: aspen forest tract embedded within an agro-urban setting. Due to excessive spring moisture, row-crops were unavailable the first year. Using microhistological fecal analysis to determine dietary composition, deer were assessed to be placing the site’s favoured native plant species at risk of extirpation. Measuring woody stem abundance and height along and near the prairie: forest ecotone, deer were found to restructure woody growth but not directly influence encroachment rates. Indirectly, however, deer facilitated forest encroachment and prairie degradation through seed dispersal, nitrogen deposition, gap-dynamics, and trampling. Comparing dietary composition to nutritional data, deer grazed to maximize fitness, selecting foods high in IVDMD, minimizing energy expenditure, and optimizing CP. High crop CP was offset by intensively grazing particular native plants. ADF was an effective nutritional marker, not AIA.

Made available in DSpace on 2014-07-29T15:07:59Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Dissertacao Debora de Carvalho Basto.pdf: 1304650 bytes, checksum: c7c0508fd8367c1bd05d4f268711e1ef (MD5) Previous issue date: 2010-03-22 / The best height of forage at time of entry into pasture and the height of forage millet residue for grazing are still controversial. This experiment was conducted at the Department of Animal Production of the Veterinary School, of Federal University of Goias, in Goiania-GO, from January to May 2009, and aimed to evaluate the productive potential and the chemical composition of three cultivars of forage millet (Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R. BR.) under different heights of entry and of the stubble. The 27 treatments consisted of the combinations of three varieties of millet - ADR 500, H733/07 and H729/07, allocated in plots, three heights at entry (0.50, 0.60 and 0.70 m) and three heights of stubble (zero, 0.10 and 0.30 m) allocated in sub-plots with four replications, totaling 108 experimental units. A randomized complete block design, with split plots andfour replications in a 3 x 3 x 3 factorial arrangement was used. Green matter total yield (GMTY), dry matter total yield (DMTY), average production of dry matter per cutting, production of dry matter of stubble with zero, 0.10 and 0.30 m, average rate of forage accumulation, and rate of forage accumulation of stubble "zero" 0.10 and 0.30 m were determined. The contents of crude protein (CP), neutral detergent fiber (NDF) and acid detergent fiber (ADF) were also determined. Green matter total yield (GMTY) differed depending on the height at entry (HE) and height of stubble, with average values of 25.2: 28.0 t ha-1 and 28.5 and 20.4; 30.6 and 30.7 t ha-1, estimated for the HE and stubble, respectively. The dry matter production increased in the extent that the height at entry and the height of the stubble increased. The average production of dry matter per cutting for the cultivars was approximately 2840 kg ha-1/DM. The average accumulation of forage millet was 61.74, 58.29 and 63.59 kg ha-1/DM for cultivars ADR-500, ADR-500 hp, 729 and 733, respectively. Regarding chemical composition, the dry matter content did not differ among the cultivars evaluated. The CP did not differ in function of the cultivars and HE. The residue of 0.10 and 0.30 m, interactions among cultivar x HE x cutting, averaging 14.0% of CP were observed. The NDF had triple interaction: cultivar x HE x cutting in the stubbles of 0.10 and 0.30 m, with average values of 57.6, 58.6 and 57.7%, and 58.4, 61, 6 and 57.7%, respectively. ADF differed in relation to the cultivars, with values of: ADR-500-35- 5, 729 - 37.6 and 733 - 37.9%. As for the residue of 0.10 m, there was an interaction in relation to HE x cutting, with values of 30.0, 31.7 and 25.8% for the HE of 0.50, 0.60 and 0.70 m. As for the residue of 0.30 m triple interactions were observed: HE x cultivar x cutting, with average rates of (ADR-500) - 31.7%, (729) - 32.0%, and (733) - 32.7%, respectively. Based on the values of dry matter and chemical composition, all cultivars showed potential for use in animal feed. / Ainda é controversa a melhor altura de entrada e do resíduo do milheto forrageiro para fins de pastejo. O presente experimento, foi conduzido nas dependências do Departamento de Produção Animal da Escola de Veterinária da Universidade Federal de Goiás, no município de Goiânia-GO, durante o período de janeiro à maio de 2009, teve como objetivo avaliar o potencial produtivo e a composição bromatológica de três cultivares de milheto forrageiro (Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R. BR.) sob alturas de entrada e do resíduo pós-pastejo. Os 27 tratamentos corresponderam às combinações de três cultivares de milheto - ADR 500, H733/07 e H729/07, alocados às parcelas, três alturas de entrada (0,50, 0,60 e 0,70 m) e três alturas de resíduo (zero, 0,10 e 0,30 m) alocados nas sub-parcelas, com quatro repetições, totalizando 108 unidades experimentais. Utilizou-se o delineamento experimental em blocos completos ao acaso, com parcelas subdivididas no tempo e quatro repetições em esquema fatorial 3 x 3 x 3. Determinou-se as produções totais de massa verde (PTMV) e massa seca (PTMS), produção média de massa seca por corte, produção de massa seca com resíduos zero , 0,10 e 0,30 m, taxa média de acúmulo de forragem, taxa de acúmulo de forragem com resíduo zero 0,10 e 0,30 m do solo. Foram determinados os teores de proteína bruta (PB), fibra em detergente neutro (FDN) e fibra em detergente ácido (FDA). A produção de massa verde total(PMVT) diferiu em função das alturas de entrada (AE) e dos resíduos de corte, com valores médios de 25,2: 28,0 e 28,5 t.ha-1 e 20,4; 30,6 e 30,7 t.ha-1, determinados para as AE e resíduos, respectivamente. A produção de massa seca se mostrou crescente a medida em que se aumenta a altura de entrada e do resíduo póspastejo. A produção média de massa seca por corte para os cultivares foi da ordem de 2.840 kg.ha-1 de MS. Já a taxa média de acúmulo de forragem do milheto foi de 61,74;58,29 e 63,59 kg.ha-1 de MS para os cultivares ADR-500, cv ADR-500, 729 e 733, respectivamente. Em relação à composição químicobromatológica, os teores de matéria seca não diferiu entre os cultivares avaliados. Os teores de PB não diferiram em função dos cultivares e AE. No resíduo de 0,10 e 0,30 m, foram observadas interações entre cultivar x AE x corte, com médias de 14,0% de PB. Os teores de FDN apresentaram interação tripla: cultivar x AE x corte, nos resíduos de 0,10 e 0,30 m, com valores médios de 57,6; 58,6 e 57,7% e de 58,4; 61,6 e 57,7%, respectivamente. Os teores de FDA diferiram em relação aos cultivares, com valores de: ADR-500-35,5; 729- 37,6 e 733- 37,9%. No resíduo de 0,10 m, houve interação em relação à AE x corte, com valores de 30,0; 31,7 e 25,8%, nas AE de 0,50; 0,60 e 0,70 m, enquanto no resíduo de 0,30 m, foram observadas interações tripla: cultivar AE x corte, com teores médios (ADR- 500) 31,7%; (729) 32,0% e (733) 32,7%, respectivamente. Tomando por base os valores de produção de massa seca e composição bromatológica, todos os cultivares apresentaram potencial para serem utilizados na alimentação animal.

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This thesis aims to contribute to the developments of wireless communication systems. The work generally consists of three parts: the first part is a discussion on general digital communication systems, the second part focuses on wireless channel modelling and fading mitigation techniques, and in the third part we discuss the possible application of advanced digital signal processing, especially time-frequency representation and blind source separation, to wireless communication systems. The first part considers general digital communication systems which will be incorporated in later parts. Today's wireless communication system is a subbranch of a general digital communication system that employs various techniques of A/D (Analog to Digital) conversion, source coding, error correction, coding, modulation, and synchronization, signal detection in noise, channel estimation, and equalization. We study and develop the digital communication algorithms to enhance the performance of wireless communication systems. In the Second Part we focus on wireless channel modelling and fading mitigation techniques. A modified Jakes' method is developed for Rayleigh fading channels. We investigate the level-crossing rate (LCR), the average duration of fades (ADF), the probability density function (PDF), the cumulative distribution function (CDF) and the autocorrelation functions (ACF) of this model. The simulated results are verified against the analytical Clarke's channel model. We also construct frequency-selective geometrical-based hyperbolically distributed scatterers (GBHDS) for a macro-cell mobile environment with the proper statistical characteristics. The modified Clarke's model and the GBHDS model may be readily expanded to a MIMO channel model thus we study the MIMO fading channel, specifically we model the MIMO channel in the angular domain. A detailed analysis of Gauss-Markov approximation of the fading channel is also given. Two fading mitigation techniques are investigated: Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) and spatial diversity. In the Third Part, we devote ourselves to the exciting fields of Time-Frequency Analysis and Blind Source Separation and investigate the application of these powerful Digital Signal Processing (DSP) tools to improve the performance of wireless communication systems.

The study examined the properties of stalk and cob fibres from recombinant inbred corn lines and their parents, grown at two locations, in a polylactic acid (PLA) matrix. The objectives were to: determine fibre compositions; evaluate the effects of fibres on the functional properties of biocomposites and identify quantitative trait loci (QTLs) and gene markers for fibre performance in biocomposites. Significant Genotype*Location effects were observed. Composites had lower strength (impact, tensile, and flexural) but higher tensile/flexural modulus values than pure PLA. The latter were positively affected by cellulose and hemicellulose but negatively affected by free phenolic levels and 93 fibre QTLs and 62 composite markers were detected. This study identified fibre traits and markers for genes that may be important for the use of corn fibres in biocomposites. / Ontario BioCar Initiative Project funded by Ontario Ministry of Research and Innovation, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, The Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council, The Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA) and Ontario Public Sector

本研究有系統地收集了2003年8月12日到2005年9月30日止共495個交易日的台指期貨、選擇權市場裡P/C量、P/C倉、隱含波動率(AIV)、不同天數的歷史波動率等收盤資料，進行這些因素與行情走勢間的關係，以及因素彼此的互動性。結果證實分析台指選擇權指標是需要區分金融重大衝擊前後期間，以及區分漲勢、跌勢、盤整的各期間，各期間的選擇權指標均會有不同意涵。 本論文證實使用結構轉換的Chow-ARMA(2,1)模型可能比較符合模擬指數 實況，且GARCH(1,1) 模型也很適合描述台期指貨波動度預測力。在選擇權指標方面：P/C量與AIV與台指期貨呈現負相關，P/C倉與台指期貨正相關。其中以P/C倉對指數漲跌的影響程度最大、P/C量的影響程度次之、AIV影響程度最小。若把隱含波動率區分成買權與賣權之各個波動率更有效地預測行情走勢，在大跌期間的買賣權隱含波動率更能表現出優越的預測能力，其中前兩期的賣權隱含波動率(PIV)更是效率性指標， 實證結果使用20天的歷史波動率比較能貼近選擇權市場的變化，跟過去教 科書慣用的90天不同。若比較歷史波動率與隱含波動率間的關係，結論是當「大跌期」歷史波動率大於買權隱含波動率(CIV)時，買權是會被低估的，其他的各種假設條件均不成立。理由有二：一是市場效率性決定了是否可使用隱含波動率與歷史波動率之間的高低關係。二是「大跌時期」相對於「大漲時期」的市場資訊被反應的更敏銳，而在「大跌時期」的賣權價格反應比買權價格反應更快速敏銳。 本研究推論的Chow-ARMA(2,1) 台指期貨模型、GARCH(1,1) 波動率模型、P/C量-P/C倉-AIV的多變數模型、FMA20/XIV模型等等在研判指數變化上具有參考價值，進一步均可以做為選擇權操作策略參考依據之一。