Multimodal function optimization generally focuses on algorithms to find either a local optimum or the global optimum while avoiding local optima. However, there is another class of optimization problems which have the objective of finding multiple optima with either equal or unequal function values. The knowledge of multiple local and global optima has several advantages such as obtaining an insight into the function landscape and selecting an alternative solution when dynamic nature of constraints in the search space makes a previous optimum solution infeasible to implement. Applications include identification of multiple signal sources like sound, heat, light and leaks in pressurized systems, hazardous plumes/aerosols resulting from nuclear/ chemical spills, fire-origins in forest fires and hazardous chemical discharge in water bodies, oil spills, deep-sea hydrothermal vent plumes, etc. Signals such as sound, light, and other electromagnetic radiations propagate in the form of a wave. Therefore, the nominal source profile that spreads in the environment can be represented as a multimodal function and hence, the problem of localizing their respective origins can be modeled as optimization of multimodal functions. Multimodality in a search and optimization problem gives rise to several attractors and thereby presents a challenge to any optimization algorithm in terms of finding global optimum solutions. However, the problem is compounded when multiple (global and local) optima are sought. This thesis develops a novel glowworm swarm optimization (GSO) algorithm for simultaneous capture of multiple optima of multimodal functions. The algorithm shares some features with the ant-colony optimization (ACO) and particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithms, but with several significant differences. The agents in the GSO algorithm are thought of as glowworms that carry a luminescence quantity called luciferin along with them. The glowworms encode the function-profile values at their current locations into a luciferin value and broadcast the same to other agents in their neighborhood. The glowworm depends on a variable local decision domain, which is bounded above by a circular sensor range, to identify its neighbors and compute its movements. Each glowworm selects a neighbor that has a luciferin value more than its own, using a probabilistic mechanism, and moves toward it. That is, they are attracted to neighbors that glow brighter. These movements that are based only on local information enable the swarm of glowworms to partition into disjoint subgroups, exhibit simultaneous taxis-behavior towards, and rendezvous at multiple optima (not necessarily equal) of a given multimodal function. Natural glowworms primarily use the bioluminescent light to signal other individuals of the same species for reproduction and to attract prey. The general idea in the GSO algorithm is similar in these aspects in the sense that glowworm agents are assumed to be attracted to move toward other glowworm agents that have brighter luminescence (higher luciferin value). We present the development of the GSO algorithm in terms of its working principle, various algorithmic phases, and evolution of the algorithm from the first version of the algorithm to its present form. Two major phases ¡ splitting of the agent swarm into disjoint subgroups and local convergence of agents in each subgroup to peak locations ¡ are identified at the group level of the algorithm and theoretical performance results related to the latter phase are obtained for a simplified GSO model. Performance of the GSO algorithm against a large class of benchmark multimodal functions is demonstrated through simulation experiments. We categorize the various constants of the algorithm into algorithmic constants and parameters. We show in simulations that fixed values of the algorithmic constants work well for a large class of problems and only two parameters have some influence on algorithmic performance. We also study the performance of the algorithm in the presence of noise. Simulations show that the algorithm exhibits good performance in the presence of fairly high noise levels. We observe graceful degradation only with significant increase in levels of measurement noise. A comparison with the gradient based algorithm reveals the superiority of the GSO algorithm in coping with uncertainty. We conduct embodied robot simulations, by using a multi-robot-simulator called Player/Stage that provides realistic sensor and actuator models, in order to assess the GSO algorithm's suitability for multiple source localization tasks. Next, we extend this work to collective robotics experiments. For this purpose, we use a set of four wheeled robots that are endowed with the capabilities required to implement the various behavioral primitives of the GSO algorithm. We present an experiment where two robots use the GSO algorithm to localize a light source. We discuss an application of GSO to ubiquitous computing based environments. In particular, we propose a hazard-sensing environment using a heterogeneous swarm that consists of stationary agents and mobile agents. The agents deployed in the environment implement a modification of the GSO algorithm. In a graph of mini mum number of mobile agents required for 100% source-capture as a function of the number of stationary agents, we show that deployment of the stationary agents in a grid configuration leads to multiple phase-transitions in the heterogeneous swarm behavior. Finally, we use the GSO algorithm to address the problem of pursuit of multiple mobile signal sources. For the case where the positions of the pursuers and the moving source are collinear, we present a theoretical result that provides an upper bound on the relative speed of the mobile source below which the agents succeed in pursuing the source. We use several simulation scenarios to demonstrate the ecacy of the algorithm in pursuing mobile signal sources. In the case where the positions of the pursuers and the moving source are non-collinear, we use numerical experiments to determine an upper bound on the relative speed of the mobile source below which the pursuers succeed in pursuing the source.

This study researches the past, present and future role of ports, specifically the Ports of Tampa and Hamburg linked to their cities. It examines the legal structures of port authorities which play a major role in their economic priorities and impact their cities’ social, environmental and cultural quality of life. From a humanistic perspective, one can look at a port as a place or space. By animating ports, they may provide “ fields of care” over time, and a home with character for the region’s residents. In this case, their success needs to transcend economics, adding qualitative attributes to the region, such as clean air, water, good working conditions, adequate housing, public transportation, recreational provisions, public waterfront access and more. The Port of Tampa’s corporate style and largely state controlled management team prioritized diversification. As a result, the port essentially remained a feeder port. It depends on shipping phosphate (a non renewable resource), fertilizer, scrap metal, petroleum and other general cargo commodities. The port serves main (hub) and container ports which are more lucrative and environmentally less challenging. The Port of Hamburg, on the other hand, controlled by an elected local Senate, became a container hub port early on, and planned its future accordingly. Tampa’s traditional housing around the port was dissected; shopping, service and recreational areas around Tampa’s city core deteriorated, when Interstates 275, 4 and the Cross Town Expressway were constructed. Suburbs in rural areas were developed with little regard for public transportation infrastructure, recreation facilities, and pedestrian and bike paths. Most of Tampa’s waterfront, owned by its Port Authority, is leased out and fenced off to the public access. Redeveloped expensive and mostly empty downtown gentrified residences face parking garages, oil tanks, phosphate stags and scrap yards. Much of Harbor Island, close to downtown, is gated and gentrified. The Port of Hamburg, in contrast to the Port of Tampa, redeveloped an uninhabited warehouse region of its Port, named it Hafen City, thereby adding 40 percent to the core of the city. This cohesive theme is in the process of providing jobs, housing, public waterfront access, shopping, green spaces, museums a concert hall, a theater and more. Light-rail, subways trams, buses, pedestrian and bike paths link the Hafen City to the traditional city center. Hamburg’s waterfront remains open to the public by law. A comparison of both port cities shows that the Port of Tampa’s largely state controlled corporate style management team prioritizes short term economic results over an extended future planning at the expense of the region’s social, cultural and environmental climate. The Port of Hamburg’s management team, installed by the locally elected Senate, promotes the City’s economic, social, cultural and environmental quality. The above findings, suggest that developments of ports and their cities under democratically elected governments may produce various qualitative outcomes depending on the demand and supply curve of their residents’ input.

This thesis is an anthropological exploration of the envy of Aguabuena people, a small rural community of potters in the village of Ráquira, in the Boyacá region of Andean Colombia. Based on long-term ethnographic fieldwork among these potters, I propose an understanding of envy in Aguabuena as an existential experience, shaping relationships between the self and others in the world, crosscutting metaphysical and physical spheres, and balancing between corrosive and more empathetic ways of co-existence. Disclosing the multipresence of envy in Aguabuena's world, its effects on people (including the ethnographer), and the way envy is embodied, performed, reciprocated and circumvented by the potters, I locate envy in various contexts where it is said to be manifested. Furthermore, I discuss the complex spectrum of envy and its multivalent meanings, or oscillations, in the life of Aguabuena people. I also present interactions with people surrounding potters, such as Augustinian monks, crafts middlemen, and municipal authorities, all of whom recount the envy of potters. My research challenges previous anthropological interpretations on envy and provides an alternative reading of this phenomenon. Moving away from labelling and regulatory explanations of envy, performative models, or pathological interpretations of the subject, I analyse the lived experience of envy and how it encompasses different realms of experience as well as flows of social relations. While focusing on the tensions and entanglements that envy brings to potters, as it constrains social life but also activates and reinforces social bonds, I examine the channels through which envy circulates and how it is put into motion by potters. Additionally, my thesis intends to contribute to anthropological studies of rural pottery communities in Andean Colombia. I present my unfolding understanding of envy by using both the potters' concept and material detail, punto, location, referring to a spot from where Aguabuena people enter different vistas of the world, or denoting a precise time when things or materials change their physical qualities. Through this device, I disclose realms of envy, while seeking to immerse the reader in the lived experience of envy.

Essa pesquisa buscou comparar as tecnologias transgênica (soja RR e manejo com glifosato) e convencional (soja e manejo convencionais) quanto à maior tolerância à ferrugem asiática (Phakopsora pachyrhizi) e obtenção de genótipos promissores para produtividade de grãos (PG) e tamanho das sementes (representado pelo peso de cem sementes, PCS). Foram avaliadas 200 progênies F2:5 e F2:6 oriundas de dois dialelos parciais 5 x 2, ambos com cinco genitores de alta produtividade de óleo (USP 70.108, USP 70.010, USP 70.113, USP 70.007 e USP 70.042) em cruzamentos com: (1) duas cultivares elites convencionais (BRS 133 e Conquista); (2) suas versões essencialmente derivadas transgênicas (BRS 245 RR e BRS Valiosa RR). Os experimentos envolveram: a) dois manejos com herbicidas, manejo convencional para soja convencional e manejo com glifosato para a soja RR; b) dois manejos de fungicidas, sendo um experimento com aplicações sucessivas de Opera & Nativo (O&N, para controle da ferrugem e das doenças de final de ciclo, DFC) e outro experimento com aplicações de Derosal para controle apenas das DFC. O efeito da ferrugem para cada genótipo foi expresso pela taxa de reação da ferrugem sobre a produtividade (FP) e o tamanho das sementes (FT), calculados pelas diferenças entre médias ajustadas de PG e PCS nos dois experimentos com fungicidas. As comparações foram feitas em análises de variância, testes de médias e de parâmetros de capacidade de combinação. O controle da ferrugem com fungicidas (O&N) resultou em maiores médias de PG e PCS. Houve grande variação entre os efeitos de capacidades geral e específica, com destaque dos genitores USP 70.108, USP 70.010 e BRS 133 para PG e FP. O genitor mais divergente e com dominância positiva para PG foi USP 70.042. As duas tecnologias foram numericamente semelhantes para tolerância à ferrugem (FP e FT). A tecnologia convencional apresentou a vantagem de ser estatisticamente mais produtiva (PG e PCS) do que a tecnologia transgênica. Por outro lado, a tecnologia transgênica tem a vantagem de ter uso mais fácil e menor custo de cultivo aos produtores. / This research aimed to compare the performance of transgenic (RR soybean and management with glyphosate) and conventional (conventional soybean and herbicides) technologies for tolerance to rust (Phakopsora pachyrhizi ) and obtaining promising genotypes for seed yield and size (represented by the weight of one hundred seeds, PCS). A total of 200 progenies were evaluated in F2:5 and F2:6 generations; these progenies were obtained in two partial diallel 5 x 2, both involving five parents with high oil yield (USP 70.108, USP 70.010, USP 70.113, USP 70.007 and USP 70.042) in crosses with: (1) two elites conventional cultivars (BRS 133 and Conquista); (2) their essentially derived transgenic versions (BRS 245 RR and BRS Valiosa RR). The experiments involved: a) two managements with herbicides: conventional management for conventional soybean and management based in glyphosate herbicide to RR soybean; b) two managements with fungicides: an experiment with successive applications of Opera & Native (O&N, fungicides that control rust and late season leaf diseases, DFC), and another experiment with Derosal applications (fungicide that controls only DFC). The effect of rust for each genotype was expressed by the rate of reaction to rust on seed yield (FP) and on seed size (FT) as calculated from the differences in seed yield (PG) and seed size (PCS) between adjusted means in the two experiments with different fungicides. The soybean genotypes were compared by analysis of variance, multiple comparisons and parameter estimation of combining ability. In general, the control of rust with fungicides (O&N) resulted in higher means of PG and PCS. There was great variation among the effects of general and specific combining abilities, with major outstanding of USP 70.108, USP 70.010, and BRS 133 parents for PG and FP. The parent USP 70.042 was the most divergent and showed positive dominance for PG. Both technologies were numerically similar for FP and FT. The conventional technology has the advantage to be statistically more productive (PG and PCS) than transgenic technology. However, the transgenic technology has the advantage to be easier to use and less expensive to soybean producers.

Made available in DSpace on 2014-08-20T13:44:35Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 dissertacao_kassiana kehl.pdf: 2290606 bytes, checksum: 4010bf52b4a6284a378a819fd714784b (MD5) Previous issue date: 2013-08-30 / Wheat is mainly focused on the supply to the food industry, mainly consumed in the form of by-products, breads, pasta, cakes and biscuits. In this context, it becomes important in the commodity market, which selects cultivars of high yield potential and meets industry requirements. The potential yield, industrial and physiological quality of the seed industry are directly related to the establishment of plants, climatic conditions, soil, crop management, harvesting point and storage. The aim of this study was to evaluate the agronomic and industrial potential and the physiological quality of seeds of wheat cultivars of different commercial grades produced in two wheat growing regions of the state of Rio Grande do Sul. The experiments were conducted in Cachoeira do Sul (Wheat Growing Region II) and Júlio de Castilhos (Wheat Growing Region I). The cultivars under analysis and tested were Ametista, BRS Louro, Fundacep Nova Era, Topázio, TBIO Mestre and TBIO Pioneiro 2010. Sowing in Cachoeira do Sul was held on May 22 and in Júlio de Castilhos held on June 5, 2012, adopting the randomized complete blocks with three replications with plots of 5.0 m2. The harvest of experiments was made in October and November of the same year. Immediately after harvest were conducted analyzes of yield components have been made. Three months after it was made the analysis of industrial quality and six months after harvest determined the germination and how strong the plants are at that moment. The agronomic potential in the region of Júlio de Castilhos, cultivars provided the highest yield; hectoliter weight and thousand seed weight than those conducted in Cachoeira do Sul. The industrial quality of wheat produced in Cachoeira do Sul was better than at Júlio de Castilhos. Germination and strongest did not differ for local driving. Cultivars have themselves characters that may express and present greater or lesser aptitude for industrial quality, yield potential and stability depending on the environment in which they are exposed. The regions of Júlio de Castilhos and Cachoeira do Sul, proved marginal for seed production of wheat cultivars tested. / O trigo tem como principal foco o abastecimento à indústria alimentícia, consumido principalmente na forma de seus subprodutos, pães, massas, bolos e biscoitos. Nesse contexto, torna-se importante no mercado de commodities, o qual seleciona cultivares de alto potencial de rendimento e que atendam às exigências da indústria. O potencial de rendimento, qualidade industrial e fisiológica das sementes estão diretamente relacionados ao estabelecimento de plantas, condições climáticas, solo, manejo da cultura, ponto de colheita e armazenagem. O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar o potencial agronômico, industrial e a qualidade fisiológica das sementes de cultivares de trigo de diferentes classes comerciais, produzidos em duas regiões tritícolas do estado do Rio Grande do Sul. Os experimentos foram conduzidos em Cachoeira do Sul (Região Tritícola II) e Júlio de Castilhos (Região Tritícola I), as cultivares testadas foram Ametista, BRS Louro, Fundacep Nova Era, Topázio, TBIO Mestre e TBIO Pioneiro 2010. A semeadura em Cachoeira do Sul foi realizada no dia 22 de maio e em Júlio de Castilhos dia 05 de junho de 2012, adotando-se o delineamento experimental de blocos ao acaso em três repetições com parcelas de 5,0 m-2. A colheita dos experimentos fez-se em outubro e novembro do mesmo ano. Logo após a colheita foram realizadas as análises dos componentes de rendimento, três meses após fez-se as análises de qualidade industrial e seis meses após a colheita determinou-se a germinação e vigor das sementes. O potencial agronômico na região de Júlio de Castilhos proporcionou as cultivares maior rendimento médio, peso hectolítro e peso de mil sementes que as conduzidas em Cachoeira do Sul. A qualidade industrial do trigo produzido em Cachoeira do Sul foi melhor que em Júlio de Castilhos. A germinação e vigor das sementes não diferiram quanto ao local de condução. As cultivares possuem caracteres próprios, podendo apresentar maior ou menor aptidão à qualidade industrial, potencial de rendimento e estabilidade dependendo do ambiente em que são expostas. As regiões de Júlio de Castilhos e de Cachoeira do Sul, se mostraram marginais para produção de sementes de trigo, das cultivares testadas.

A large part of people's lives are spent in indoor spaces such as office and university buildings, shopping malls, subway stations, airports, museums, community centers, etc. Such kind of spaces can be very large and paths inside the locations can be constrained and complex. Deployment of indoor tracking technologies like RFID, Bluetooth, and Wi-Fi can track people and object movements from one symbolic location to another within the indoor spaces. The resulting tracking data can be massive in volume. Analyzing these large volumes of tracking data can reveal interesting patterns that can provide opportunities for different types of location-based services, security, indoor navigation, identifying problems in the system, and finally service improvements. In addition to the huge volume, the structure of the unprocessed raw tracking data is complex in nature and not directly suitable for further efficient analysis. It is essential to develop efficient data management techniques and perform different kinds of analysis to make the data beneficial to the end user. The Ph.D. study is sponsored by the BagTrack Project (http://daisy.aau.dk/bagtrack). The main technological objective of this project is to build a global IT solution to significantly improve the worldwide aviation baggage handling quality. The Ph.D. study focuses on developing data management techniques for efficient and effective analysis of RFID-based symbolic indoor tracking data, especially for the baggage tracking scenario. First, the thesis describes a carefully designed a data warehouse solution with a relational schema sitting underneath a multidimensional data cube, that can handle the many complexities in the massive non-traditional RFID baggage tracking data. The thesis presents the ETL flow that loads the data warehouse with the appropriate tracking data from the data sources. Second, the thesis presents a methodology for mining risk factors in RFID baggage tracking data. The aim is to find the factors and interesting patterns that are responsible for baggage mishandling. Third, the thesis presents an online risk prediction technique for indoor moving objects. The target is to develop a risk prediction system that can predict the risk of an object in real-time during its operation so that the object can be saved from being mishandled. Fourth, the thesis presents two graph-based models for constrained and semi-constrained indoor movements, respectively. These models are used for mapping the tracking records into mapping records that represent the entry and exit times of an object at a symbolic location. The mapping records are then used for finding dense locations. Fifth, the thesis presents an efficient indexing technique, called the $DLT$-Index, for efficiently processing dense location queries as well as point and interval queries. The outcome of the thesis can contribute to the aviation industry for efficiently processing different analytical queries, finding problems in baggage management systems, and improving baggage handling quality. The developed data management techniques also contribute to the spatio-temporal data management and data mining field. / Doctorat en Sciences de l'ingénieur / info:eu-repo/semantics/nonPublished

This dissertation explores the creative process in large-scale jazz ensemble works that are programmatic in depicting geographical locations. This is achieved through analyses of Gil Evans's Sketches of Spain, Chuck Owen's River Runs: A Concerto for Jazz Guitar, Saxophone, & Orchestra, and Aaron Hedenstrom's Sketches of Minnesota. Each work is examined using five analytical categories: orchestration, large-scale form, harmonic/melodic development, programmatic framework, and use of featured soloists. The analyses draw from musical scores, interviews, biographies, recordings, and articles to reveal more about each composer's artistic intentions. This study contributes to the broader knowledge of large-ensemble jazz works and programmatic jazz works. This research meets the need for more critical analyses of important jazz ensemble works relevant to composers, arrangers, and scholars.

This dissertation has two major sections. The first section focuses on analyzing objective data gathered from public sources to investigate factors influencing industrial location to Texas. Areas of investigation include (1) where Texas stands--on economic, demographic, sociologic, climatic, and technological terms--in relation to the remaining forty-seven contiguous states; (2) what are the locational characteristics of Texas compared to other states; and (3) what types of industry move to Texas and from where. Regional and state comparisons are also made in terms of factors that can influence business success. The second section is concerned with analyzing survey data gathered from three test groups. The three groups are (1) civic interest groups consisting of Texas mayors, city managers, and chamber of commerce executives; (2) manufacturing executives who have located a new plant in Texas from outside the state since 1978; and (3) out-of-state manufacturing executives who have considered Texas as a possible location but decided not to locate within the state during the period 1978-1983. The major purposes of this section are to determine (1) whether manufacturing executives and Texas community leaders possess different views concerning the relative importance of location factors and factors that are specifically advantageous to the state of Texas, (2) what factors motivate out-of-state manufacturers to select Texas as a location for their plant, and (3) what factors they see as disadvantages. A comparison is made between the findings of the survey data and the objective data. A variety of nonparametric statistical tests are used in testing the hypotheses.

Matteo Colombi und seine Co-Autoren verfolgen mit Stadt, Mord, Ordnung ein anspruchsvolles Ziel, nämlich den osteuropäischen Krimi und seine teilweise exotisch wirkenden Schauplätze von allen Seiten zu beleuchten: „Kann man behaupten, dass jede ost- und mitteleuropäische Stadt ihre spezifische Topographie des Verbrechens produziert, die sich aus der Geschichte und Geographie des Ortes speist?“, so eine der zu untersuchenden Fragen. Der Sammelband dokumentiert die Ergebnisse der internationalen Konferenz „Stadt – Mord – Ordnung. Urbane Settings in der Kriminalliteratur aus Ost-Mittel-Europa“, die vom 25. bis zum 26. 03. 2010 am Geisteswissenschaftlichen Zentrum Geschichte und Kultur Ostmitteleuropas (GWZO) in Leipzig stattfand. Insgesamt sind es dreizehn Aufsätze von Slavisten, Kultur- und Literaturwissenschaftlern, Narratologen und Komparatisten, in denen das Thema umfassend behandelt wird, denn die Konferenz stand in Zusammenhang mit dem von Alfrun Kliems geleiteten DFG-Projekt „Imagination des Urbanen in Ostmitteleuropa. Stadtplanung – Visuelle Kultur – Dichtung im 20. Jahrhundert“ (2006–2010), in dessen Rahmen Stadtlandschaften nach der Wende untersucht wurden. Dies schließt eine Betrachtung der politischen, gesellschaftlichen und kulturellen Veränderungen dieser Zeit mit ein, die auch im Kriminalroman repräsentiert und verarbeitet werden.

This thesis shows the analysis and understanding of the locality Brno – Cerveny kopec and the subsequent drafting of a new urban fabric new urban fabric, which is used mainly for housing. The new proposal responds to the surrounding buildings and terrain slope. Complements, so that shaped the existing buildings one and emphasized the quality of the desired. location. There is an emphasis on high quality living close to green