The traditional tracking approach of forming detections and then associating these detections together is known to perform poorly at low signal-to-noise ratios (SNR). Track-before-detect (TBD) approaches, where the sensor data is used directly as opposed to forming detections, has been shown to perform better than traditional approaches at low SNRs. One recently introduced TBD algorithm is the Quanta Tracking Algorithm that is formed by applying maximum likelihood estimation to the histogram probabilistic multi-target tracker (HPMHT). Quanta has shown promising performance for low SNR scenarios, but the body of literature is small and the evaluations that have been done so far do not consider several practical aspects of using the algorithm in real applications and are difficult to compare to other algorithms due to the SNR definitions used. This paper seeks to address these deficiencies in the literature. A re-derivation of Quanta that corrects some issues present in the original derivation while also integrating extensions from the HPMHT literature will also be presented. These extensions are shown to make Quanta able to correct for errors in the assumed size targets as well as improve estimating the SNR of fluctuating targets. / Thesis / Master of Applied Science (MASc)

Master of Science / Department of Computing and Information Sciences / Daniel Andresen / This report considers a native Android application called “KSUSoy YieldCalc” that assists in yield estimation of soybean before harvest following conventional approach. Android is one of the most popular installed base of any mobile platform, powering many mobile devices in more than 190 countries for users of diverse economic backgrounds, making it more popular than iOS devices (Android developers n.d.).The project “KSUSoy YieldCalc” adopted the Android platform as its base to serve farmers, agronomists, and consultants and deliver performance to save time and enhance farmers’ their confidence. The native application uses “conventional approach” of estimation of yield for calculations and eliminates the need for having Internet connection to access, thereby increasing the application’s flexibility. The project utilized Android Software Development Kit (SDK) as its development platform with extensive Java and Extensible Markup Language (XML) coding. The Department of Agronomy at Kansas State University (KSU) tested the application with promising results. Dr. Ignacio Ciampitti of the Department of Agronomy at KSU currently demonstrates the application to farmers. User feedback has been very satisfactory to date.

Background: Rates of care retention and maintenance of viral suppression differ by location in the Unites States due the varying public health policies and infrastructures. As a result, it is imperative to determine the rates of retention and viral suppression as well as factors associated with these changes during the prenatal and postpartum period in the state of Georgia Methods: Data on 161 HIV infected women was collected from birth certificate records and the enhanced HIV/AIDS Reporting System (eHARS). Multivariate logistic regression was used to determine the association between sociodemographic as well as clinical variables and outcome variables of retention, viral suppression and care engagement during and after pregnancy. Results: Women were more likely to be retained in care during pregnancy (79.50%) than during the postpartum period (55.28%). Women were also more likely to achieve viral suppression during pregnancy (68.94%) than during the postpartum period (49.69%). Approximately 43% of women engaged in HIV care within 90 days of giving birth. Women who were retained in HIV Care prior to pregnancy were more likely to be retained during pregnancy (95%) and the postpartum period (76%) than women diagnosed during pregnancy or not retained in care prior to pregnancy. Conclusion: Women face a myriad of challenges that make retention and viral suppression difficult. It is important that we utilize technology to help improve treatment received in the postpartum period.

This Master's Thesis deals with the sociological phenomenon called affirmative action, which has appeared in different forms in many countries during the second half of 20th century. This topic, as rather complex and overlapping fields of more social sciences, is being widely discussed in the society. In some countries, application of affirmative action brings controversy and even division in the communities. This thesis aims to find the substance of affirmative action and compare it with the principles of equality before law. These topics are discussed in their sociological, psychological and legislative dimensions. The analysis stems from examples of particular causes and recent key judicial decisions in the United States of America, the European Union and India, illustrating legal aspects of affirmative action in different regions. Their discussion tries to point out the different dimensions of affirmative action, including the motivations for implementing it in the society and the following public reflections. Author's main concern is targeted to the relation between different aspects of affirmative action and the main elements of the idea of equality before law. Difference between social engineering approaches and good intention of legislator may be very subtle and politically dependent. In the...

- The examination of witness in a criminal process According to the title of this final paper, it concerns the most important procedural technique under the criminal process - the examination of a witness. It is the most widespread criminalistic and criminal technique which is irreplaceable in the criminal process. The basic task is finding the facts of the case beyond a reasonable doubt. A witness, as a person who testifies to circumstances of an examined case which he remembered and kept in his memory, is one of the basic institutes of criminal law next to the examination. His testimony is very important in checking, investigation and clarifying crimes and other criminalistic relevant events, more precisely in the whole process of clarifying criminal activities. The master's degree thesis is divided into six chapters. The principal part of the thesis is formed by the second chapter to the fourth one. In the introduction the history of the examination, the goal and the structure of the paper are mentioned shortly. The first chapter contains the definition of examination and kinds of examination and creates the beginning of the whole thesis. The important part of the paper is devoted to a witness. A witness is a person who perceives with his senses facts which are important for finding the facts...

Doctor of Philosophy / Department of Industrial & Manufacturing Systems Engineering / Malgorzata J. Rys / Centerline rumble strips (CLRS) are effective in preventing cross-over crashes and are promoted in the United States (U.S.) as a low-cost safety measure. However, there may be negative issues and/or concerns that question their use under certain road conditions. This dissertation is the result of studying these issues and concerns to provide guidance to policy makers on future installations of CLRS, based on current good practices and on the results of specific investigations of exterior noise, safety effectiveness, economics, and drivers’ behavior, including their interaction with shoulders and shoulder rumble strips (SRS). From a survey conducted, good practices in the U.S. were summarized. From a before-and-after study of CLRS safety effectiveness, results showed that total correctable crashes were reduced by 29.21%. Crashes involving fatalities and injuries were reduced by 34.05%. Cross-over crashes were reduced by 67.19%, and run-off-the-road crashes were reduced by 19.19%. Both Naïve and Empirical Bayes methods were applied and showed statistically similar results. There was no statistical difference between football shaped and rectangular shaped CLRS. From the external noise study performed, it was found that external noise depends on vehicle speed, type of vehicle, and distance. Both football and rectangular CLRS substantially increased the levels of external noise at distances up to 45 m (150 ft). Therefore, before installing CLRS, the distance from houses or businesses should be considered. A distance of 60 m (200 ft) was recommended as the limit of the potential exterior noise problem area. From a study of drivers’ behavior, the analyzed configurations of rumble strips and shoulder width levels affected vehicular lateral position and speed levels, although speed deviations were not practically significant. The study of safety performance function models provided technical and economical recommendations for installation of CLRS. Overall, this study recommends the installation of CLRS on rural, two-lane, undivided rural roads in Kansas. Both patterns, rectangular and football, currently installed in Kansas have provided crash reductions, which have been reflected in economic benefits for society. Shoulder width and traffic volume should be considered as crash predictors for enhancement of the benefits. Guidelines were recommended for future better applications of CLRS.

Este trabalho apresenta um estudo prático da aplicação do conceito Leak Before Break (LBB), usualmente aplicado em usinas nucleares, em uma tubulação fabricada a partir de aço AISI 316LN soldada com a utilização de eletrodo revestido AISI 316L. O LBB é um critério fundamentado em análises de mecânica da fratura, que considera que um vazamento proveniente de uma trinca, presente em uma tubulação, possa ser detectado por sistemas de detecção de vazamento, antes que esta trinca alcance um tamanho crítico que implique na falha da tubulação. Na tubulação estudada, foram realizados ensaios mecânicos de tração e análises de Ramberg-Osgood, bem como ensaios de tenacidade à fratura para a obtenção da curva de resistência J-R do material. Os ensaios foram realizados considerando o metal base, a solda e a zona termicamente afetada (ZTA), nas temperaturas de operação de uma planta nuclear. Para as propriedades mecânicas encontradas nos ensaios foram realizadas análises de carga limite para se determinar o tamanho da trinca que cause um vazamento detectável e, também, o seu tamanho crítico que cause a falha por colapso plástico. Para o tamanho crítico de trinca encontrado na solda, região que apresentou a menor tenacidade, foram realizadas análises de Integral J e de módulo de rasgamento T, considerando falha por rasgamento dúctil. Os resultados demonstram um comportamento bem definido entre o metal base, a ZTA e a solda, onde o metal base apresenta um comportamento altamente tenaz, a solda um comportamento pouco tenaz e a ZTA apresentou propriedades mecânicas intermediárias entre o metal base e a solda. Utilizando o software PICEP, foram determinadas as curvas de taxa de vazamento versus tamanho de trinca e também o tamanho crítico da trinca, considerando análise por carga limite. Observou-se que, após certo tamanho de trinca, a taxa de vazamento do metal base é muito maior do que para a ZTA e solda, para um mesmo comprimento de trinca. Isso ocorre porque é esperado que a trinca cresça de forma mais arredondada no metal base, devido à sua maior tenacidade. O menor tamanho crítico de trinca foi encontrado para o metal base para trincas circunferenciais. Para as análises de Integral J realizadas na solda, foi demonstrado que a falha por rasgamento dúctil não ocorrerá nas condições consideradas e essa hipótese foi sedimentada pela análise de mecânica da fratura elasto-plástica (MFEL) com o uso do diagrama J/T. Dessa forma, pode-se concluir que a tubulação estudada estaria apta a ser empregada em um circuito primário de um reator que utilizasse o critério de LBB, nas condições de carregamento e geometria consideradas. Adicionalmente, concluiu-se que nessas condições apenas o modo de falha por colapso plástico é esperado. / This work presents a study of application of the Leak Before Break (LBB) concept, usually applied in nuclear power plants, in a pipe made from steel AISI type 316LN welded a coated electrode AISI type 316L. LBB concept is a criterion based on fracture mechanics analysis to show that a crack leak, present in a pipe, can be detected by leak detection systems, before this crack reaches a critical size that results in pipe fail. In the studied pipe, tensile tests and Ramberg-Osgood analyses were performed, as well as fracture toughness tests for obtaining the material resistance curve J-R. The tests were performed considering the base metal, weld and heat affected zone (HAZ), at the same operating temperatures of a nuclear power plant. For the mechanical properties found in these tests, load limit analyses were performed in order to determine the size of a crack which could cause a detectable leakage and the critical crack size, considering failure by plastic collapse. For the critical crack size found in the weld, which is the region that presented the lowest toughness, Integral J and tearing modulus T analyses were performed, considering failure by tearing instability. Results show a well-defined behavior between the base metal, HAZ and weld zones, where the base metal has a high toughness behavior, the weld has a low toughness behavior and the HAZ showed intermediate mechanical properties between the base metal and the weld. Using the PICEP software, the leak rate curves versus crack size and also the critical crack size were determined by considering load limit analysis. It was observed that after a certain crack size, the leak rate in base metal is much higher than for the HAZ and the weld, considering the same crack length. This occurs because in the base metal crack, it is expected that the crack grows in a more rounded form due to its higher toughness. The lowest critical crack size was found for the base metal presenting circumferential cracks. For the Integral J analyses performed in the weld, it was demonstrated that the failure by tearing instability will not occur under the considered conditions and this hypothesis was confirmed by elastic-plastic fracture mechanic (EPFM) analysis using the J/T diagram. Thereby, it can be concluded that it would be possible to apply the investigated pipe in a primary circuit of a reactor that utilizes the criterion LBB under the considered geometry and load conditions. Additionally, it was found that under these conditions, only the failure mode by plastic collapse is expected.

Este trabalho apresenta um estudo prático da aplicação do conceito Leak Before Break (LBB), usualmente aplicado em usinas nucleares, em uma tubulação fabricada a partir de aço AISI 316LN soldada com a utilização de eletrodo revestido AISI 316L. O LBB é um critério fundamentado em análises de mecânica da fratura, que considera que um vazamento proveniente de uma trinca, presente em uma tubulação, possa ser detectado por sistemas de detecção de vazamento, antes que esta trinca alcance um tamanho crítico que implique na falha da tubulação. Na tubulação estudada, foram realizados ensaios mecânicos de tração e análises de Ramberg-Osgood, bem como ensaios de tenacidade à fratura para a obtenção da curva de resistência J-R do material. Os ensaios foram realizados considerando o metal base, a solda e a zona termicamente afetada (ZTA), nas temperaturas de operação de uma planta nuclear. Para as propriedades mecânicas encontradas nos ensaios foram realizadas análises de carga limite para se determinar o tamanho da trinca que cause um vazamento detectável e, também, o seu tamanho crítico que cause a falha por colapso plástico. Para o tamanho crítico de trinca encontrado na solda, região que apresentou a menor tenacidade, foram realizadas análises de Integral J e de módulo de rasgamento T, considerando falha por rasgamento dúctil. Os resultados demonstram um comportamento bem definido entre o metal base, a ZTA e a solda, onde o metal base apresenta um comportamento altamente tenaz, a solda um comportamento pouco tenaz e a ZTA apresentou propriedades mecânicas intermediárias entre o metal base e a solda. Utilizando o software PICEP, foram determinadas as curvas de taxa de vazamento versus tamanho de trinca e também o tamanho crítico da trinca, considerando análise por carga limite. Observou-se que, após certo tamanho de trinca, a taxa de vazamento do metal base é muito maior do que para a ZTA e solda, para um mesmo comprimento de trinca. Isso ocorre porque é esperado que a trinca cresça de forma mais arredondada no metal base, devido à sua maior tenacidade. O menor tamanho crítico de trinca foi encontrado para o metal base para trincas circunferenciais. Para as análises de Integral J realizadas na solda, foi demonstrado que a falha por rasgamento dúctil não ocorrerá nas condições consideradas e essa hipótese foi sedimentada pela análise de mecânica da fratura elasto-plástica (MFEL) com o uso do diagrama J/T. Dessa forma, pode-se concluir que a tubulação estudada estaria apta a ser empregada em um circuito primário de um reator que utilizasse o critério de LBB, nas condições de carregamento e geometria consideradas. Adicionalmente, concluiu-se que nessas condições apenas o modo de falha por colapso plástico é esperado. / This work presents a study of application of the Leak Before Break (LBB) concept, usually applied in nuclear power plants, in a pipe made from steel AISI type 316LN welded a coated electrode AISI type 316L. LBB concept is a criterion based on fracture mechanics analysis to show that a crack leak, present in a pipe, can be detected by leak detection systems, before this crack reaches a critical size that results in pipe fail. In the studied pipe, tensile tests and Ramberg-Osgood analyses were performed, as well as fracture toughness tests for obtaining the material resistance curve J-R. The tests were performed considering the base metal, weld and heat affected zone (HAZ), at the same operating temperatures of a nuclear power plant. For the mechanical properties found in these tests, load limit analyses were performed in order to determine the size of a crack which could cause a detectable leakage and the critical crack size, considering failure by plastic collapse. For the critical crack size found in the weld, which is the region that presented the lowest toughness, Integral J and tearing modulus T analyses were performed, considering failure by tearing instability. Results show a well-defined behavior between the base metal, HAZ and weld zones, where the base metal has a high toughness behavior, the weld has a low toughness behavior and the HAZ showed intermediate mechanical properties between the base metal and the weld. Using the PICEP software, the leak rate curves versus crack size and also the critical crack size were determined by considering load limit analysis. It was observed that after a certain crack size, the leak rate in base metal is much higher than for the HAZ and the weld, considering the same crack length. This occurs because in the base metal crack, it is expected that the crack grows in a more rounded form due to its higher toughness. The lowest critical crack size was found for the base metal presenting circumferential cracks. For the Integral J analyses performed in the weld, it was demonstrated that the failure by tearing instability will not occur under the considered conditions and this hypothesis was confirmed by elastic-plastic fracture mechanic (EPFM) analysis using the J/T diagram. Thereby, it can be concluded that it would be possible to apply the investigated pipe in a primary circuit of a reactor that utilizes the criterion LBB under the considered geometry and load conditions. Additionally, it was found that under these conditions, only the failure mode by plastic collapse is expected.

<p>This Dissertation includes a statistical analysis of traffic accidents followed by a test to know the effect of new pavement on traffic safety. The accident data is considered for the roads those are in Region South-East Sweden that got new pavement during the year 2001. In Sweden, this is the fourth study concerning the before and after effect of the new pavement. Johansson (1997) studied the change in the number of accidents between the before-years and after-years. Tholén (1999) and Velin et al (2002) have additionally compared the change with the change in the number of accidents in a reference road network (also called control sites) consisting of all public roads in Region West Sweden which were not resurfaced during the study period.</p>

The power dynamics of consumerism is an important aspect of contemporary consumer culture. Within the field of marketing and consumption, consumer culture theory (CCT) tends to understand power in terms of agency, the ability of consumers to emancipate from a market infused by the culture of consumerism. As such, CCT assumes a repressive hypothesis of power, as if consumerism was an external reality from which agentic consumers can escape by acts of dialectical opposition. In contrast, through a Foucauldian approach, the present study emphasizes the productive side of power, arguing that consumerism operates beyond dialectical oppositions to constitute consumption at different levels of scale – at the macro, meso and micro levels. More specifically, through qualitative data generated from official documents and interviews with state agency officials, consumers, and food manufacturers and retailers, the study undertakes a discourse analysis of date labeling in the food market. In accounting for the regulative, organizational and performative dimensions of consumption, the case of date labeling makes it possible to study consumerism at the intersection of the state, business and consumers. The study argues that consumption is constituted through a multiplicity of mundane power struggles that arise in the wake of date labeling. As such, it extends previous approaches by suggesting an extra-dialectical theory of consumer culture. Further, it argues that date labeling reinforces the mind/body dualism of consumerism by privileging cognition and choice at the cost of the human embodiment and sensory perception. It concludes that empowered performativity does not represent a negation of power, but that it emerges as a product of power and the consumerist attempt to constitute effective, predictable, responsible and controlled consumption. However, future research should continue studying the dominant institutional conditions of particular consumption contexts.