A non-linear primary-multiple separation method using curvelets frames is presented. The advantage of this method is that curvelets arguably provide an optimal sparse representation for both primaries and multiples. As such curvelets frames are ideal candidates to separate primaries from multiples given inaccurate predictions for these two data components. The method derives its robustness regarding the presence of noise; errors in the prediction and missing data from the curvelet frame's ability (i) to represent both signal components with a limited number of multi-scale and directional basis functions; (ii) to separate the components on the basis of differences in location, orientation and scales and (iii) to minimize correlations between the coefficients of the two components. A brief sketch of the theory is provided as well as a number of examples on synthetic and real data.

In this paper an overview is given on the application of directional basis functions, known under the name Curvelets/Contourlets, to various aspects of seismic processing and imaging, which involve adaptive subtraction. Key concepts in the approach are the use of (i) directional basis functions that localize in both domains (e.g. space and angle); (ii) non-linear estimation, which corresponds to localized muting on the coefficients, possibly supplemented by constrained optimization. We will discuss applications that include multiple, ground-roll removal and migration denoising.

In this paper, a Multiple Vehicle Routing Problem with Fuel Constraints (MVRPFC) is considered. This problem consists of a field of targets to be visited, and a collection of vehicles with fuel tanks that may visit the targets. Consideration of this problem is mainly in the improvement of feasible solutions, but the following steps are discussed: Cost Matrix Transformation, Field Partitioning, Tour Generation and Rerouting, and Tour Improvement. Four neighborhoods were investigated (2-opt, 3-opt, Target Vehicle Exchange, Depot Exchange), using the Variable Neighborhood Descent and Variable Neighborhood Search schemes, with APD and Voronoi partition methods. These neighborhoods were compared to investigate their performance for various instances using the above schemes and partition methods. In general, 2-opt performed as well as 3-opt in less time than 3-opt; in fact, 3-opt was the slowest of the four neighborhoods. Additionally, the Variable Neighborhood Descent scheme was found to produce better results than the Variable Neighborhood Search.

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The present study examined 8 -10 month-old and 11 -13 month-old infants’ capabilities to infer constraints imposed by an explicit visual pathway on object movement of object. In a preferential looking paradigm, infants observed a ball rolling down a U– or V–shaped path. In the U-shaped path, infants observed a ball rolling from beginning to the end of the path (possible), and a ball rolling down from the beginning and stopping midway of the path (impossible). In the V-shaped path, infants observed a ball rolling from beginning and stopping midway (possible), and a ball rolling down the beginning to end of the path (impossible). Analyses of looking times showed a marginal effect on path, with longer looking times towards the possible V-shaped path by both age groups. Overall, infants had weak representations for constraints induced by an explicitly presented path on movement of the object.

Agent-centered restrictions are widely accepted both in commonsense morality and across social and legal institutions, making it all the more striking that we have yet to ground them in a compelling theoretical rationale. This dissertation amounts to an effort to fill that gap by seeking out a new principled basis for justifying such constraints. I devote each of the first three chapters, respectively, to the three established deontological normative ethical theories: Rossian intuitionism, Kantianism, and Neo-Thomism. In each of these chapters, I lay out the relevant portion of the view’s deontological apparatus, analyzing it both for its plausibility as a whole and for its ability to justify constraints of the appropriate shape. After assessing and rejecting all three approaches, I devote the next two chapters to developing a new rationale for grounding constraints—one that avoids the pitfalls indicated in the prominent historical alternatives. Specifically, I anchor constraints in the distinction between the agent-neutral and agent-relative points of view, basing them in the widely accepted psychological fact of the natural independence of the personal point of view.

Agent-centered restrictions are widely accepted both in commonsense morality and across social and legal institutions, making it all the more striking that we have yet to ground them in a compelling theoretical rationale. This dissertation amounts to an effort to fill that gap by seeking out a new principled basis for justifying such constraints. I devote each of the first three chapters, respectively, to the three established deontological normative ethical theories: Rossian intuitionism, Kantianism, and Neo-Thomism. In each of these chapters, I lay out the relevant portion of the view’s deontological apparatus, analyzing it both for its plausibility as a whole and for its ability to justify constraints of the appropriate shape. After assessing and rejecting all three approaches, I devote the next two chapters to developing a new rationale for grounding constraints—one that avoids the pitfalls indicated in the prominent historical alternatives. Specifically, I anchor constraints in the distinction between the agent-neutral and agent-relative points of view, basing them in the widely accepted psychological fact of the natural independence of the personal point of view.

This dissertation shows that the generalizations that speakers project from the lexical exceptions of their language are biased to be natural and output-oriented, and it offers a model of the grammar that derives these biases by encoding lexical exceptions in terms of lexically-specific rankings of universal constraints in Optimality Theory (Prince & Smolensky 1993/2004). In this model, lexical trends, i.e. the trends created by the phonological patterning of lexical exceptions, are incorporated into a grammar that applies deterministically to known items, and the same grammar applies stochastically to novel items. The model is based on the Recursive Constraint Demotion algorithm (Tesar & Smolensky 1998, 2000; Tesar 1998; Prince 2002), augmented with a mechanism of constraint cloning (Pater 2006, 2008b). Chapter 2 presents a study of Turkish voicing alternations, showing that speakers replicate the effects that place of articulation and phonological size have on the distribution of voicing alternations in the lexicon, yet speakers ignore the effects of vowel height and backness. This behavior is tied to the absence of regular effects of vowel quality on obstruent voicing cross-linguistically, arguing for a model that derives regular phonology and irregular phonology from the same universal set of OT constraints. Chapter 3 presents a study of Hebrew allomorph selection, where there is a trend for preferring the plural suffix [-ot] with stems that have [o] in them, which is analyzed as a markedness pressure. The analysis of the trend in terms of markedness, i.e. constraints on output forms, predicts that speakers look to the plural stem vowel in their choice of the plural suffix, and ignore the singular stem. Since real Hebrew stems that have [o] in the plural also have [o] in the singular, Hebrew speakers were taught artificial languages that paired the suffix [-ot] with stems that have [o] only in the singular or only in the plural. As predicted, speakers preferred the pairing of [-ot] with stems that have [o] in the plural, i.e. speakers prefer the surface-based, output-oriented generalization. Chapter 4 develops the formal theory of cloning and its general application to lexical trends, and explores its fit with the typologically available data. One necessary aspect of the theory is the "inside out" analysis of paradigms (Hayes 1999), where the underlying representations of roots are always taken to be identical to their surface base form, and abstract underlying representations are limited to affixes. An algorithm for learning the proposed underlying representations is presented in a general form and is applied to a range of test cases.

Small Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) are currently used in several surveillance applications to monitor a set of targets and collect relevant data. One of the main constraints that characterize a small UAV is the maximum amount of fuel the vehicle can carry. In the thesis, we consider a single UAV routing problem where there are multiple depots and the vehicle is allowed to refuel at any depot. The objective of the problem is to find a path for the UAV such that each target is visited at least once by the vehicle, the fuel constraint is never violated along the path for the UAV, and the total length of the path is a minimum. Mixed integer, linear programming formulations are proposed to solve the problem optimally. As solving these formulations to optimality may take a large amount of time, fast and efficient construction and improvement heuristics are developed to find good sub-optimal solutions to the problem. Simulation results are also presented to corroborate the performance of all the algorithms. In addition to the above contributions, this thesis develops an approximation algorithm for a multiple UAV routing problem with fuel constraints.

This study analyzed the reasons why a limited number of Hispanic parents take their children to a local public recreation center. The center historically serves the African American population of the community, with many African Americans living in the area surrounding the center. However, in the last decade, Hispanic families of Mexican decent have moved into this particular neighborhood, yet only a limited number of Hispanic children are currently enrolled at the center. The current study sought to 1) understand the historical context of the recreation center in relation to the African American population; 2) understand the attitudes held by Hispanic parents toward the use of the center; and 3) make recommendation to the center management of possible ways to increase Hispanic participation. The research was conducted over a three-month period in the community surrounding the recreation center. Information was collected through the use of participant observation, autoethnography, historical and archival documents, and interviews. Findings suggest that the history of the recreation center is responsible for the large number of African American users at the facility. The facility had its origins as a segregated African American high school, and even today it serves an important community function in the African American neighborhood. Additionally, Hispanic parents identified a number of barriers to participation including language, lack of awareness, cultural differences, cost of participation, bullying, and negative perceptions of the center and neighborhood. Community members also discussed the lack of enforcement of outreach material available to recruit Hispanics. In order to increase Hispanic enrollment, the recreation center should take action in several areas. First, the center must extend ownership by implementing programs applicable to other ethnic groups. The center may also want to consider displaying photos or posters of Hispanic role models in order to build Hispanic pride; such methods are already in place for the African American users. Moreover, the implementations of trainings targeting bullying may prove to be useful in limiting bullying of Hispanic participants. Finally, implementation of the ideas contained in the outreach material provided by the Boys and Girls Club may lead to increases in Hispanic enrollment.