As the forecasting models become more sophisticated in their physics and possible depictions of the nearshore hydrodynamics, they also become increasingly sensitive to errors in the inputs. These input errors include: mis-specification of the input parameters (bottom friction, eddy viscosity, etc.); errors in input fields and errors in the specification of boundary information (lateral boundary conditions, etc.). Errors in input parameters can be addressed with fairly straightforward parameter estimation techniques, while errors in input fields can be somewhat ameliorated by physical linkage between the scales of the bathymetric information and the associated model response. Evaluation of the errors on the boundary is less straightforward, and is the subject of this thesis. The model under investigation herein is the Delft3D modeling suite, developed at Deltares (formerly Delft Hydraulics) in Delft, the Netherlands. Coupling of the wave (SWAN) and hydrodynamic (FLOW) model requires care at the lateral boundaries in order to balance run time and error growth. To this extent, we use perturbation method and spatio-temporal analysis method such as Empirical Orthogonal Function (EOF) analysis to determine the various scales of motion in the flow field and the extent of their response to imposed boundary errors. From the Swirl Strength examinations, we find that the higher EOF modes are affected more by the lateral boundary errors than the lower ones.

One of the basic goals of the physical anthropologist is to create a biological profile, consisting of sex, ancestry, age, and stature, from the skeletal material that they are presented with. This thesis seeks to explore size and shape differences related to sex and ancestry from the hyoid bones of the Robert J. Terry Anatomical Collection in order to gauge its usefulness in the process of developing a biological profile. A series of measurements were taken from 398 hyoids and analysis was conducted using a number of statistical methods. Independent samples t-tests were used to examine size differences between sexes and ancestries, while linear regression analysis and principle component analysis were used to examine shape differences. Discriminant function analysis was employed to test the ability of the hyoids to be classified by sex or ancestry. The ultimate goal of the thesis is to provide physical anthropologists with a series of discriminant function equations that can be used to estimate the sex and ancestry of a hyoid. Five equations ranging in accuracy from 83-88% were developed to determine sex of a hyoid, while four equations ranging in accuracy from 70-89% can be used to determine ancestry. In addition, the t-tests, regression analyses, and principle component analysis have identified several variations in size and shape between sexes and ancestries. These analyses have provided further knowledge as to the morphological form of the hyoid, as well as a method that can be easily used by physical anthropologists to assess sex and ancestry.

There is variation in Neandertal permanent dentition in both the size and shape of first molars. Ecogeography as well as chronology would be expected to account for at least some of the variation observed. Occlusal outlines of maxillary and mandibular first molar casts from European Neandertals, (Spy 1, Scladina 4A-4, Engis 2, l’Hortus 2, 4, 5, and 8, La Quina H5, Malarnaud 1) were generated through photostereomicroscopy and non-landmark smooth tracing methods, and occlusal areas, buccolingual breadths and mesiolingual lengths were measured by calibrated Motic 3.0MP microscope cameras. Principal component (PC) scores of elliptical Fourier harmonic descriptors were calculated using SHAPE v1.3, yielding a total of 76 and 67 PC scores for mandibular and maxillary data respectively. Of the maxillary outlines analyzed, a strong correlation exists between PC1 (58.4% of variance) and occlusal area, explaining size influence. On PC1, the smallest (Engis 2), is followed by Scladina 4A-A, Hortus 8, La Quina 5 and Spy 1. On PC2 (23% of variance), Scladina 4A-A is an outlier. On PC3 (12.6%), Hortus 8 is separated from the others whereas Scladina 4A-A is difficult to classify. PC4 accounts for 5.8% of the variance and separates Spy 1 from La Quina 5. Spy 1 appears as distinct on PC1, PC3, and PC4 while Scladina 4A-A is relatively distinct on all axes. In a cluster analysis of PC scores Spy 1 and La Quina 5 are linked by the shortest distance and joined secondarily to Hortus 8, whereas Scladina 4A-A and Engis 2 are relatively distinct from the others. Mandibular results indicate that Malarnaud is distinct on PC1 (40% of variance) and again on PC2 (27%), while La Quina 5 appears as slightly distinct on PC3 (14%), though grouped with Engis 2, while Hortus 2 and 4 group together this axis as well as PC1. PC4 (12%) again separates Malarnaud, and presents Hortus 5 as an outlier. Overall, chronology correlates better than geography to the variance observed in occlusal first molar shape in these European Neandertals, with some inconsistencies most likely due to individual biological variability. This study demonstrates a new method to compute the elliptical Fourier descriptors of molar occlusal outlines, and applies these to explain variation in these Neandertals with respect to ecogeographic and chronological situation.

With a large number of unidentified skeletal remains found in South Africa, the development of osteometric standards to determine sex from various bones is crucial. It is imperative that a forensic anthropologist have access to a variety of techniques both morphological and metric, which can be used to establish accurate demographic profiles from complete, fragmentary and/or commingled remains. Standards for South African populations are available for the cranium, humerus, pelvis, femur, tibia, calcaneus, and talus. No research has been done on bones of the forearm, even though they are known through international studies to exhibit sexual dimorphism. The purpose of this research was to develop discriminant function formulae to determine sex from the radius and ulna for a South African population. The sample consisted of 200 male and 200 female skeletons from the Pretoria Bone (University of Pretoria) and Raymond A. Dart (Witwatersrand University) collections. Sixteen standard anthropometric measurements were taken from the radius (9) and ulna (7) and subjected to stepwise and direct discriminant function analysis. Distal breadth, minimum midshaft diameter and maximum head diameter were the best discriminators of sex in the radius, while minimum midshaft diameter and olecranon breadth were selected for the ulna. Classification accuracy for the forearm ranged from 76% to 86%. In summary, the radius and ulna can be considered moderate discriminators for determining sex in a South African group. However, it is advised that whenever possible these formulae are used in conjunction with visual methods to determine sex from skeletal remains. Copyright 2007, University of Pretoria. All rights reserved. The copyright in this work vests in the University of Pretoria. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the University of Pretoria. Please cite as follows: Barrier, ILO 2007, Sex determination from the bones of the forearm in a modern South African sample, MSc dissertation, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, viewed yymmdd < http://upetd.up.ac.za/thesis/available/etd-08052008-090115 / > E961/ag / Dissertation (MSc)--University of Pretoria, 2008. / Anatomy / unrestricted

This study introduces a new analytical procedure based on the chi-square (x²) statistic to evaluate tree- ring weather relationships. An iterative x² method, developed previously for relating annual crop production to daily values of meteorological measurements, is applied to tree-ring data and compared to results obtained from correlation and bootstrapped response function analyses. All three analytical procedures use a southern Arizona chronology (Pinus arizonica Engelm.) and the latter two use monthly average meteorological data. The x² analysis revealed most of the relationships exhibited by the correlation and response function analyses as well as new linear and nonlinear associations. In addition, cardinal values were obtained that define daily thresholds of the meteorological variables at which the limitation to growth becomes significant. Some of the associations are plausible from the physical system but require more study to confirm or refute a real cause and effect. A few associations appear to be too late in the season or too early in the previous year to affect ring width. We recommend that this x² technique be added to the existing dendroclimatic procedures because it reveals many more possible cause and effect relationships.

The postsecondary enrollment of student veterans has increased with the troop draw down in Iraq and Afghanistan as well as the generous amendments made to the Post 9/11 GI Bill. Acquired disabilities remain a reality for this population as they transition into the civilian world; consequently, previous literature cites the role of disabilities amongst student veterans. Also, prior research often aggregates these two groups without a thorough understanding of the ways in which they differ. This study compared student veterans with disabilities to student veterans without disabilities in order to understand the enrollment and demographic factors on which they differed, if any. Using a secondary data analysis of the 2007-2008 National Postsecondary Student Aid Survey, univariate tests of significance, a logistic regression, and a discriminant function analysis examined the relationship between disability status and seven predictor variables: age, gender, GPA, major, risk index, degree program type, and whether or not a student was exclusively a distance learner. These seven variables as a whole were not significant predictors of disability status; however, the models provided valuable insight into the similarities and characteristics shared within this population. Univariate tests of significance revealed that students with disabilities had a significantly lower mean GPA, were more often male, tended to favor certain academic majors over others, more often enrolled in bachelor’s degree versus associate and certificate programs, and had a lower risk of attrition based on their index of risk. Major, degree program type, and risk index proved to be the most significant predictors of disability status in LR and DFA. A student veteran’s age and whether they were a distance learner had no significant bearing on disability status indicating that student veterans enroll in distance learning or campus-based programs without influence from an orthopedic or mobility impairment, the most common type of disability amongst student veterans. This study offers a full description of student veterans with disabilities including the specific types of disabilities with which this population enters higher education.

Climate and longleaf pine (Pinus palustris P. Mill.) radial growth relationships have been documented within its southern and western distribution. However, knowledge of this relationship is lacking along its northern latitudinal range margin (NLRM). Based on the principles of ecological amplitude, limiting factors, and studies of coniferous species in eastern temperate forests of the U.S., we hypothesized that the radial growth of longleaf pine in mixed pine-hardwood forests is responding to winter temperatures in southeastern Virginia. Two longleaf pine chronologies were developed to determine the relationship between radial growth and monthly temperature, precipitation, and Palmer Drought Severity Index (PDSI) via response function analysis (RFA). Results at the 0.05 level yielded significant response function coefficients with a positive response to current winter temperature and precipitation and a negative response to prior August PDSI. In studies of climate and longleaf pine radial growth in other parts of its range, winter temperature and precipitation have not shared a significant positive association with radial growth. Instead current spring and summer precipitation usually share this positive association. These findings add more evidence to an emerging pattern suggesting that winter temperatures contribute to limiting the radial growth of temperate conifers at northern range margins in the Northern Hemisphere.

Although the primary purpose of response function analysis is to identify climate variables that have significant associations with tree radial growth, many researchers are also interested in assessing the strength of these associations. Existing response function programs use a liberal criterion to determine how many climate variables should be included in the analysis. The resulting response function models include a large number of predictor variables. The objective of this analysis is to determine if these response function models are over-fitted to the data used to calibrate them, resulting in over-estimation of strength of associations. PRECON was used to produce response functions for white oak chronologies from n = 149 sites, with separate response functions using 34 monthly climate variables or 10 seasonal climate variables. An analysis of goodness-of-fit statistics for response function calibration provided strong evidence of over-estimation of strength of associations. The degree of over-estimation was greater when 34 monthly climate variables were included in the models compared to models with10 season variables. There was much less evidence of over-fitting for the R-verif statistic that reflects strength of association between predicted and actual tree-ring indices that were not included in model calibration. The PRECON R-verif statistic is the best measure of the strength of multivariate growth-climate associations currently available.

South Florida slash pine (Pinus elliottii var. densa) is the southernmost pine species in the United States and the foundation species of the globally endangered pine rockland communities in south Florida. To test if slash pine produces annual growth rings in the Lower Florida Keys, we counted the number of rings on samples collected from the North Big Pine Key site (NBP), which contained a fire scar from a known wildfire and a known date for hurricane-induced tree mortality (2006 or 2007). In addition, a crossdated tree-ring chronology (1871–2009) was developed from living trees and remnant wood found at the site and compared to divisional climate data to determine how the regional climate regime influences radial growth. Our analyses demonstrated that slash pine forms anatomically distinct, annual growth rings with the consistent year-to-year variability necessary for rigorous dendrochronological studies. Response-function and correlation analysis showed that annual growth of slash pine at NBP is primarily influenced by water availability during the growing season. However, no significant correlations were found between tree growth and the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation or the El Niño-Southern Oscillation. Our study reveals the potential of producing high-quality dendrochronological data in southern Florida from slash pine, which should prove useful in further studies on fire history and tree phenology and for assessing the projected impacts of impending climate change on the fragile pine rockland community.

White collar crime is pervasive with a larger financial impact to society than violent or street crime, yet it has been understudied. Violent and street offender research has moved beyond the examination of motive and opportunity to study personality, demographics, sociological influences, and psychological influences on development and criminal behavior; however, the bulk of white collar offender research has focused on greed as a motivator and organizational opportunity. Legislative efforts have attempted to curtail white collar crime, but incidents of crime continue to rise, resulting in a continued need to understand white collar offenders and the influences on offender behavior. The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine the multivariate difference between white collar offenders (n = 62) and business professionals (n = 121). Theoretically guided by the biopsychosocial model and prior empirical findings, 36 variables were univariately tested for group differences; 10 were significant and used in discriminant function analysis. White collar offenders tended to be female, have high neuroticism and alcohol abuse scores, and have low scores on narcissism and attribution. Drug use was positively correlated with the white collar offender profile, while income, openness, hostility, and anger were inversely related. The profile and correlates provide a deeper understanding of those who choose to cross legal and ethical lines. Positive social change could be realized through targeted collegiate business training programs to address risk characteristics and promote protective factors of ethics, integrity, and leadership.