<p>In the U.S., bioenergy accounts for about 50% of the total renewable energy that is generated. Every stage in the life cycle of using bioenergy (e.g., growing biomass, harvesting biomass, transporting biomass, and converting to fuels or materials) has consequences in terms of the three dimensions of sustainability: economy, environment, and society. An integrated sustainability model (ISM) using system dynamics is developed for a bioenergy system to understand how changes in a bioenergy system influence environmental measures, economic development, and social impacts.<br></p><p><br></p><p>Biomass may be used as a source of energy in a variety of ways. The U.S. corn ethanol system forest residue system for electricity generation, and cellulosic ethanol system have been investigated. Predictions, such as greenhouse gas (GHG) savings, soil carbon sequestration, monetary gain, employment, and social cost of carbon are made for a given temporal scale. For the corn ethanol system, the annual tax revenue created by the ethanol industry can offer a significant benefit to society. For the forest residue system for electricity generation, different policy scenarios varying the bioenergy share of the total electricity generation were identified and examined via the ISM. The results of the scenario analysis indicate that an increase in the bioenergy contribution toward meeting the total electricity demand will stimulate the bioenergy market for electricity generation. For the cellulosic ethanol system, the compliance of cellulosic ethanol can be achieved under the advanced bioconversion technologies and the expansion of energy crops. However, nitrate leaching and biodiversity change should be considered when expanding energy crops on marginal land, pasture, and cropland. Moreover, three bioenergy systems reduce GHG emissions significantly, relative to fossil fuel sources that are displaced, and create economic benefits (e.g., GDP and employment). Additionally, a spatial agent-based modeling is developed to understand farmers’ behaviors of energy crop adoption and the viability of cellulosic biofuel commercialization.<br></p>

The fungal microbiome, or “mycobiome” of plants is diverse and important to host health, but the fluxes of fungi among plant hosts and with the surrounding environment are poorly understood. In chapter two, we employed sterile culture techniques and spatial sampling to examine leaves as possible vectors for transfer of their endophytic fungi from the canopy to substrate on the forest floor, as predicted by the Foraging Ascomycete hypothesis. Some foliar endophytic fungal species are also present as wood-decomposing fungi on the forest floor, that transfer of mycelium across these two life history stages can occur, that endophytic life history stages are buffered from environmental conditions in comparison to wood-decomposing fungi, and that spatial linkages between the two life history stages can be observed. In another study, described in chapter 3, wood and leaf wood endophytes were sampled across a 25 ha plot, to explore landscape patterns of mycobiomes, and to explore the concept of a core microbiome in aerial plant tissues. We found that core microbiomes may be observed in a real ecological setting, but that the concept of core must be carefully defined and that some level of buffering from disturbance may be necessary to allow core microbiomes to assemble. In chapter four, we return to examine some of the assumptions and implications of the Foraging Ascomycete hypothesis, with an agent-based model. We model the conditions under which dispersal through falling leaves may represent a fitness-enhancing dispersal strategy for fungi, and that deforestation as is currently underway throughout the world may have impacts on fungi that rely upon a canopy- inhabiting life stage for dispersal. In chapter five, some challenges associated with environmental sampling of microbes using illumina© MiSeq sequences are critically examined. We find that biases introduced by random sampling at various stages of IVenvironmental DNA extraction and illumina© MiSeq sequencing are not well corrected by currently accepted bioinformatic algorithms. In addition, information loss from differential extraction, PCR amplification, and sequencing success, requires that users of MiSeq read libraries to interpret read abundances carefully. This dissertation includes previously published, co-authored material.

Este trabalho propõe um modelo de um mercado que pode ser simulado em diversas condições. Pode-se pensar neste modelo como um laboratório para simulação e estudo de diferentes configurações de mercado. O modelo foi desenvolvido sob a plataforma de software NetLogo para a execução das simulações. Apresenta-se também, de forma sintética um conceito de mercado, uma visão de economia, de marketing, de estratégia e do comportamento do consumidor. Forma analisadas diversas formas de modelagem e decidiu-se utilizar sistemas multiagentes, pois são flexíveis e permitem a simulação de diversos tipos de fenômenos. A primeira tentativa de desenvolver este modelo apresentou resultados distintos de um mercado real, pois revelou-se muito mecânico e processual. Isso nos levou a busca de modelos adaptativos inteligentes para o comportamento dos agentes, bem como, nos concentrar na dinâmica de interação entre os agentes / This work aims at developing a model to simulate a market under several conditions. This model can be viewed as a laboratory to simulate and study different markets configurations. The model simulation was developed using the NetLogo language. A concept of market, economy, marketing, strategy and consumer behavior are briefly presented. After analyzing several ways of implementing the model it was decided to use agent based simulation because of its flexibility and possibility of simulating a variety of behaviors. A first approach to develop the model resulted in a very mechanic and artificial market simulation. This result lead the simplification of the model and focus on adaptive behavior and the interaction among the agents

Técnicas de modelagem baseada em imagens têm recebido considerável atenção da comunidade de visualização computacional devido ao potencial de criar cenas realistas a partir de um pequeno conjunto de imagens bi-dimensionais. Entretanto, a qualidade dos modelos gerados pelas ferramentas atualmente disponíveis é extremamente dependente de entradas fornecidas pelo usuário. Este trabalho propõe a execução do projeto de uma ferramenta de auxílio para sistemas de modelagem baseada em imagens que utiliza o conceito de contornos ativos para aumentar o grau de automação do processo de localização do contorno do objeto presente na fotografia, que servirá de guia para a posterior localização dos vértices desse objeto. Através desta abordagem, figuras geométricas mais simples, como pirâmides e hexaedros, puderam ser reconstruídas após a recuperação das coordenadas de seus vértices / Image Based Modelling techniques has received considerable attention from the computer vision community due to the potential to create realistic scenes from some bi-dimensional images. However, the model?s quality generated by the tools available nowadays is extremely dependent on entries provided by the user. This work proposes the execution of a help tool project for image based modelling systems that uses the active contours concept to increase the process automation degree of locating the contour of an object in the image, which will guide the vertex location process of this object. Through this approach, simple geometric figures, as pyramids and squares, could be reconstructed after the vertex coordinates recuperation

<p>As human activity expands across the globe, disturbance of wildlife by anthropogenic activities such as fragmentation of habitat, and wildlife-human conflicts escalate. The Pueblo of Santa Ana is receiving pressure from road expansion and urban development and is concerned with the impacts of those activities upon wildlife populations. Specifically, mule deer is a species of concern for their Department of Natural Resources (DNR). Mule deer are important economically, culturally, and for recreational purposes. The DNR understands the need for better understanding mule deer ecology to manage for potential conflicts in their interactions with expanding human infrastructure. My objectives were first to model mule deer habitat use in and around the Pueblo of Santa Ana during the summer and winter at different times of the day. My second objective was to understand the relative impacts of different scenarios for road development in the Pueblo of Santa Ana upon the disturbance of mule deer using an Individual Based Modeling (IBM) framework.</p> <p> Using Geospatial Positioning System telemetry collar data collected on mule deer I used proximity based habitat predictors in a general linear mixed model to create resource selection functions. Generally I found that the season had a greater impact on mule deer habitat use than the time of day. Female and male mule deer select for similar habitat but sexually segregate in their summer distributions. My findings are consistent with results from other locations where mule deer studies have been conducted. In chapter two, I used the Simulation of Disturbance Activities (SODA) modeling framework to investigate the impact of vehicles on mule deer disturbance response behaviors, alert and fleeing. Using this framework I compared a baseline scenario to road expansion scenarios (DamRoad, ByPass, DeerCrossing) estimating the frequency of disturbance behavior of mule deer for each such scenario. My results show that mule deer were disturbed most in the baseline model. There were no significant differences in the frequency of disturbance for female mule deer across scenarios. Male mule deer did have some significant differences in alert and fleeing behavior across scenarios. My results may be a function of assumptions made in my modeling. Specifically, I assumed that mule deer would shift their areas of activity to new portions of the Pueblo of Santa Ana in response to altered habitat quality caused by new roads. If mule deer did not shift their areas of activity accordingly, my models may provide inaccurate assessments of disturbance patterns. </p> In conclusion my findings are similar to results from other locations. Specifically, the inferences that roads and road development are important to consider for mule deer management transcends variation associated with the unique characteristics of the Pueblo of Santa Ana mule deer population. Finally, my results suggest that the use of an IBM modeling framework has the potential to provide insights into the disturbance of mule deer by vehicular traffic even if my conclusions were constrained by study design.

Técnicas de modelagem baseada em imagens têm recebido considerável atenção da comunidade de visualização computacional devido ao potencial de criar cenas realistas a partir de um pequeno conjunto de imagens bi-dimensionais. Entretanto, a qualidade dos modelos gerados pelas ferramentas atualmente disponíveis é extremamente dependente de entradas fornecidas pelo usuário. Este trabalho propõe a execução do projeto de uma ferramenta de auxílio para sistemas de modelagem baseada em imagens que utiliza o conceito de contornos ativos para aumentar o grau de automação do processo de localização do contorno do objeto presente na fotografia, que servirá de guia para a posterior localização dos vértices desse objeto. Através desta abordagem, figuras geométricas mais simples, como pirâmides e hexaedros, puderam ser reconstruídas após a recuperação das coordenadas de seus vértices / Image Based Modelling techniques has received considerable attention from the computer vision community due to the potential to create realistic scenes from some bi-dimensional images. However, the model?s quality generated by the tools available nowadays is extremely dependent on entries provided by the user. This work proposes the execution of a help tool project for image based modelling systems that uses the active contours concept to increase the process automation degree of locating the contour of an object in the image, which will guide the vertex location process of this object. Through this approach, simple geometric figures, as pyramids and squares, could be reconstructed after the vertex coordinates recuperation

Este trabalho propõe um modelo de um mercado que pode ser simulado em diversas condições. Pode-se pensar neste modelo como um laboratório para simulação e estudo de diferentes configurações de mercado. O modelo foi desenvolvido sob a plataforma de software NetLogo para a execução das simulações. Apresenta-se também, de forma sintética um conceito de mercado, uma visão de economia, de marketing, de estratégia e do comportamento do consumidor. Forma analisadas diversas formas de modelagem e decidiu-se utilizar sistemas multiagentes, pois são flexíveis e permitem a simulação de diversos tipos de fenômenos. A primeira tentativa de desenvolver este modelo apresentou resultados distintos de um mercado real, pois revelou-se muito mecânico e processual. Isso nos levou a busca de modelos adaptativos inteligentes para o comportamento dos agentes, bem como, nos concentrar na dinâmica de interação entre os agentes / This work aims at developing a model to simulate a market under several conditions. This model can be viewed as a laboratory to simulate and study different markets configurations. The model simulation was developed using the NetLogo language. A concept of market, economy, marketing, strategy and consumer behavior are briefly presented. After analyzing several ways of implementing the model it was decided to use agent based simulation because of its flexibility and possibility of simulating a variety of behaviors. A first approach to develop the model resulted in a very mechanic and artificial market simulation. This result lead the simplification of the model and focus on adaptive behavior and the interaction among the agents

This thesis sought to lay the foundation for an application for tracking K-12 teacher activities. Its primary contribution is a descriptive model of K-12 activities. The work's starting point, the Faculty Activities System project, is an ETSU initiative that seeks to produce a tool for university-level academic accountabilities management. It was possible to adapt the FAS project's data model for K-12 activities. The resulting model was validated by experts in the field of education and teachers and administrators across Tennessee. A second strategy for model validation, using national and state legislation and expert recommendations, determined that the model did well at capturing teachers' professional growth and contributions to the school and community, but fell short at capturing student improvement, the learning environment, teaching strategies, portfolios, and self-assessment. The data model was realized as a multi-file XML schema, which was tested for well-formedness and validity using a sample data document.

Cardiovascular modeling has the capability to provide valuable information allowing clinicians to better classify patients and aid in surgical planning. Modeling is advantageous for being non-invasive, and also allows for quantification of values not easily obtained from physical measurements. Hemodynamics are heavily dependent on vessel geometry, which varies greatly from patient to patient. For this reason, clinically relevant approaches must perform these simulations on patient-specific geometry. Geometry is acquired from various imaging modalities, including magnetic resonance imaging, computed tomography, and ultrasound. The typical approach for generating a computational model requires construction of a triangulated surface mesh for use with finite volume or finite element solvers. Surface mesh construction can result in a loss of anatomical features and often requires a skilled user to execute manual steps in 3rd party software. An alternative to this method is to use a Cartesian grid solver to conduct the fluid simulation. Cartesian grid solvers do not require a surface mesh. They can use the implicit geometry representation created during the image segmentation process, but they are constrained to a cuboidal domain. Since patient-specific geometry usually deviate from the orthogonal directions of a cuboidal domain, flow extensions are often implemented. Flow extensions are created via a skilled user and 3rd party software, rendering the Cartesian grid solver approach no more clinically useful than the triangulated surface mesh approach. This work presents an alternative to flow extensions by developing a method of applying vessel inlet and outlet boundary conditions to regions inside the Cartesian domain.

La modélisation à l'aide de croquis a pour but de construire une forme tridimensionnelle à partir d'un dessin en deux dimensions. L'utilisateur dessine la silhouette de l'objet à reconstruire sur le plan de dessin, puis un algorithme génère automatiquement une forme en 3D à partir de ce croquis. La modélisation par croquis à l’avantage d’être plus simple et plus rapide que la modélisation classique qui requiert l’utilisation de logiciels complexes comme 3DS Max, Maya, Blender, etc. Les applications liées à la modélisation par croquis seraient nombreuses : dans le domaine de l'infographie, la modélisation géométrique pour les jeux vidéo le dessin industriel, les effets spéciaux, etc., serait plus rapide et moins coûteuse. La modélisation à l’aide de croquis pourrait être utilisée par tout le monde. Nous avons tous, un jour ou l’autre, fait un croquis pour expliquer le chemin à prendre pour aller à un lieu précis, un croquis pour l’agencement d’une cuisine et d’une salle de séjour, ou un croquis pour expliquer le fonctionnement d’une machine, etc. Dans ce mémoire de thèse, nous nous intéressons dans un premier temps au problème de la génération de courbes en 3D constituées d’hélices à partir de croquis. Nous présentons deux algorithmes qui traitent ce problème. Puis dans un second temps, nous nous intéressons à la génération de surfaces à partir de croquis et plus particulièrement à la génération de bas-reliefs, ces surfaces ayant l’avantage de ne pas présenter de parties cachées. / The goal of sketch based modeling is to generate a 3D shape from a 2D sketch. The user draw the outline of the object to rebuild on the sketch plane, then an algorithm automatically build the 3D shape from the sketch. Sketch based modeling is easier to use and faster than traditional technics which uses complex modeling software such as 3DS max, Maya or Blender. There is a lot of applications for sketch based modeling, for example, the geometric modeling for video games, industrial design, special effects, etc. would be faster and less expensive. Sketch based modeling can be used by anybody. We all , at one time or another , made a sketch to explain a route to take to get to a specific place , a sketch for the arrangement of a kitchen and a living room, or sketches to explain the operation of a machine, etc. In this thesis memory, we look initially to the problem of generating piecewise helix curves from 2D sketches . We present two algorithms that address this problem. Then in a second step, we focus on the generation of 3D surfaces from sketches and more particularly to the generation of low reliefs, these surfaces have the advantage of not presenting hidden parts.