To date, more than 300 planets orbiting stars other than our sun have been discovered using a range of observing techniques, with new discoveries occuring monthly. The work in this thesis focused on the detection of exoplanets using the transit method. Planets orbiting close to their host stars have a roughly 10 per cent chance of eclipsing (transiting) the star, with Jupiter?sized planets causing a one per cent dip in the flux of the star over a few hours. A wealth of orbital and physical information on the system can be extracted from these systems, including the planet density which is essential in constraining models of planetary formation. To detect these types of planets requires monitoring tens of thousands of stars over a period of months. To accomplish this, we conduct a wide-field survey using the 0.5-meter Automated Patrol Telescope (APT) at Siding Spring Observatory (SSO) in NSW, Australia. Once candidates were selected from the data?set, selection criteria were applied to separate the likely planet candidates from the false?positives. For this thesis, the methods and instrumentation used in attaining data and selecting planet candidates are discussed, as well as the results and analysis of the planet candidates selected from star fields observed from 2004?2007. Of the 65 planet candidates initially selected from the 25 target fields observed, only two were consistent with a planet transit. These candidates were later determined to be eclipsing binary stars based on follow up observations using the 40-inch telescope, 2.3-m telescope, and the 3.9-m Anglo-Australian Telescope, all located at SSO. Additionally, two planet candidates from the SuperWASP-North consortium were observed on the 40-inch telescope. Both proved to be eclipsing binary stars. While no planets were found, our search methods and results are consistent with successful transit surveys targeting similar fields with stars in a similar magnitude range and using similar methods.

Kan polisnärvaro skapa trygghetskänslor hos människor? Studien har undersökt förhållandet mellan människors upplevda trygghet och tre olika typer av polispatrullering i en relativt trygg och relativt otrygg stadsmiljö. För att besvara frågeställningarna genomfördes en enkätundersökning där respondenterna, 112 män och 131 kvinnor (M=30 år, SD=12.98), fick skatta sin upplevda trygghet utifrån bilder med de tre olika typerna av polispatrullering. Resultatet indikerade att alla typer av polisnärvaro ingett trygghet i den relativt otrygga stadsmiljön. Polispatrullering till fots frambringade mer trygghetskänslor än polisbilspatrullering. Resultaten var giltiga för både män och kvinnor. Slutsatsen är att polisnärvaro kan inge trygghet i relativt otrygga stadsmiljöer men i relativt trygga stadmiljöer är inte någon av de tre undersökta typerna av polispatrullering effektiva. / Can police presence make people feel safe? This study explored the relationship between people’s experience of feeling safe and three different kinds of police patrolling in a relatively safe and a relatively unsafe urban area. A survey was distributed, 112 men and 131 women (M=30 years, SD=12.98), to estimate the perception of feeling safe by looking at photos with three different kinds of police patrolling. The result indicated that all kinds of police patrolling had positive effect on the respondent’s feelings of safety in the relatively unsafe urban area. Police foot patrol tended to increase the respondents feelings of safety more than police patrolling by car. Similar results were found for both men and women. Police presence may increase people’s feelings of safety in relatively unsafe urban areas, but in relatively safe urban areas none of the three types of police patrol were effective.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Texas A & M University, 2003. / "May 2003." Title taken from PDF title screen (viewed October 22, 2007). Includes bibliographical references (p. 178-184).

The vegetation associations in the Eastern San Cristobal Valley of Barry M. Goldwater Range-East (BMGR) were mapped using a combination of field surveys (relevés) and interpretation of aerial imagery in order to contribute to ongoing mapping efforts of Barry M. Goldwater Range-East. Throughout the San Cristobal Valley, 149 relevé samples were collected to characterize the vegetation associations. Seventeen vegetation associations were identified and mapped, including a new Larrea tridentata/Ambrosia dumosa/Grusonia kunzei (Creosote bush-White bursage-Devil's cholla) association. Accuracy assessment of the map was conducted using a contingency table finding the map to be 82% accurate. Route proliferation in the San Cristobal Valley of Barry M. Goldwater Range-East (BMGR) was also mapped and measured using remotely sensed imagery in geographic information systems and modeled with geographical variables in a multivariate regression. Throughout the San Cristobal Valley study site, 6,878 km of unauthorized routes were identified. Geographic explanatory variables distance from slopes greater than 34% (b = -3.252e-5, p<0.001) and the most influential variable distance from unauthorized routes (b = -0.006568, p<0.001) were tested for significance and influence in predicting unauthorized route density. The resulting model, built from the two significant geographic variables in a multivariate regression, was able to explain 57% of the variability in the data. The results from this study have shown that through the use of GIS and remote sensing, unauthorized route density can be predicted by geographic variables which can then be used to make future route management decisions.

Police officers have a significant role to play in the stability, economic growth, and development of South Africa. Therefore, it is critical for the South African Police Service (SAPS) to have police officers who are engaged in their work. However, given the high levels of crime and violence in South Africa, and the ensuing dangers associated with police work, many of these situations are experienced as stressful, often resulting in psychological distress. On the contrary, some police officers, regardless of the stressful nature of their job, seem to enjoy their work and exert greater effort in dealing with these stressors. The purpose of this study was to provide a qualitative description of occupational stress and work engagement as perceived and experienced by police officers in the SAPS Dog Unit. The researcher’s interest in this research topic, emanated when, as part of a Psychometry Internship at the SAPS, the researcher was involved in psychometric evaluation of police officers who wanted to join the Dog Unit. The researcher had the opportunity to interview police officers who acknowledged that, despite being aware of the stressful nature of the job, they were willing to deal with these stressors. Furthermore, a comprehensive search of literature revealed that there are no qualitative studies exploring perceptions and experiencesof occupational stress and work engagement of police officers in the Dog Unit. This motivated the researcher to conduct this study to fill in the gap of qualitative research literature. A qualitative research design was used and the transactional approach to stress formed the theoretical premise of this study. A purposive non-probability sampling technique resulted in10 interviews being conducted with both male and female dog handlers at the SAPS Dog Unit in Durban. The researcher utilised a semi-structured interview schedule and all audio-taped interview data was analysed using thematic content analysis. The findings of the study suggest that individual differences and situational factors are useful in explaining how stressors produced different reactions in police officers at the Dog Unit based on their cognitive appraisal of work demands. The most common sources of occupational stress experienced by participants include: (a) task related stressors, (b) organisational stressors, and (c) personal stressors. With regard to these stressors, the results suggest that organisational stressors greatly affect participants compared to task-related stressors. With regard to perceptions and experiences of work engagement, the results reveal that perceptions of work engagement spanned over six domains: (a) inner calling, (b) an active choice to become a police officer, (c) to serve and protect, (d) sense of duty, (e) recognition, and (f) to form an identity. Interestingly it was found that the following resources positively influenced work engagement, namely, social support, skills and abilities, peer support, and self-efficacy. In addition, findings suggest that positive appraisals of work situations and being immersed in one’s job significantly influenced participant’s experiences of work engagement. Thus, the findings suggest that adequate resources and positive appraisals can promote engagement even when the conditions for engagement are less than optimal.This study contributes greatly to the evolving body of knowledge on occupational stress and work engagement and provides a unique context specific perspective to understanding how police officers in the Dog Unit perceive and experience occupational stress and work engagement. Prior to the present study, no studies had been undertaken to specifically understand perceptions and experiences of police officers in the Dog Unit. It has become clear that further research in this regard is required to bring about a deeper understanding of the perceptions and experiences of occupational stress and work engagement of police officers in the Dog Unit. The objective being to provide more support to police officers to ensure the stability, economic growth, and development of South Africa. In contrast to studies which show that high job demands and lack of job resources negatively impact employee engagement, findings from this study show that despite being exposed to conditions that are less favourable for engagement, police officers at the Dog Unit are engaged. An understanding of police officer’s perceptions and experiences of occupational stress and work engagement may provide direction for strategies to provide more support to dog handlers and improve work engagement in the Dog Unit. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2012.

This thesis presents an online path planning algorithm developed for unmanned vehicles in charge of autonomous border patrol. In this Pursuit-Evasion game, the unmanned vehicle is required to capture multiple trespassers on its own before any of them reach a target safe house where they are safe from capture. The problem formulation is based on Isaacs’ Target Guarding problem, but extended to the case of multiple evaders. The proposed path planning method is based on Rapidly-exploring random trees (RRT) and is capable of producing trajectories within several seconds to capture 2 or 3 evaders. Simulations are carried out to demonstrate that the resulting trajectories approach the optimal solution produced by a nonlinear programming-based numerical optimal control solver. Experiments are also conducted on unmanned ground vehicles to show the feasibility of implementing the proposed online path planning algorithm on physical applications.

This thesis presents an online path planning algorithm developed for unmanned vehicles in charge of autonomous border patrol. In this Pursuit-Evasion game, the unmanned vehicle is required to capture multiple trespassers on its own before any of them reach a target safe house where they are safe from capture. The problem formulation is based on Isaacs’ Target Guarding problem, but extended to the case of multiple evaders. The proposed path planning method is based on Rapidly-exploring random trees (RRT) and is capable of producing trajectories within several seconds to capture 2 or 3 evaders. Simulations are carried out to demonstrate that the resulting trajectories approach the optimal solution produced by a nonlinear programming-based numerical optimal control solver. Experiments are also conducted on unmanned ground vehicles to show the feasibility of implementing the proposed online path planning algorithm on physical applications.

Federal agencies operating along the border in southern Florida include the United States Coast Guard (USCG), United States Customs and Border Protection (USCBP), which is the parent agency for Border Patrol (BP), Immigration Customs Enforcement (ICE), and the National Park Service (NPS). Each agency has its own mission regarding immigration, and conflicts have emerged regarding responsibilities and responses to immigrant landings. The purpose of this study was to identify federal law enforcement perspectives about tactics for responses to Cuban immigrant landings within national parks in southern Florida. This study was motivated by the following research questions: 1.) How do the federal agencies operating along the southeastern border in Florida work together during responses to Cuban immigrant landings within national parks? 2.) What are the perspectives among agency personnel about tactics for response to Cuban immigrant landings within national parks? 3.) What tactics should be emphasized in future responses? The concept of shared mental models (SMM) provided a framework for the research, and data was collected through the Q method. Three factors, or social perspectives, on responses to landings were revealed: 1.) React & Transport, 2.) Protect and 3.) Plan. Implications for managers, limitations and future research is discussed.

To date, more than 300 planets orbiting stars other than our sun have been discovered using a range of observing techniques, with new discoveries occuring monthly. The work in this thesis focused on the detection of exoplanets using the transit method. Planets orbiting close to their host stars have a roughly 10 per cent chance of eclipsing (transiting) the star, with Jupiter?sized planets causing a one per cent dip in the flux of the star over a few hours. A wealth of orbital and physical information on the system can be extracted from these systems, including the planet density which is essential in constraining models of planetary formation. To detect these types of planets requires monitoring tens of thousands of stars over a period of months. To accomplish this, we conduct a wide-field survey using the 0.5-meter Automated Patrol Telescope (APT) at Siding Spring Observatory (SSO) in NSW, Australia. Once candidates were selected from the data?set, selection criteria were applied to separate the likely planet candidates from the false?positives. For this thesis, the methods and instrumentation used in attaining data and selecting planet candidates are discussed, as well as the results and analysis of the planet candidates selected from star fields observed from 2004?2007. Of the 65 planet candidates initially selected from the 25 target fields observed, only two were consistent with a planet transit. These candidates were later determined to be eclipsing binary stars based on follow up observations using the 40-inch telescope, 2.3-m telescope, and the 3.9-m Anglo-Australian Telescope, all located at SSO. Additionally, two planet candidates from the SuperWASP-North consortium were observed on the 40-inch telescope. Both proved to be eclipsing binary stars. While no planets were found, our search methods and results are consistent with successful transit surveys targeting similar fields with stars in a similar magnitude range and using similar methods.

Australia accepted a great responsibility in 1946, when it agreed to abide by the terms outlined in the United Nations Trusteeship Agreement and direct colonial policy in the Territory of New Guinea (after 1949 the Territory of Papua and New Guinea) toward the social, economic, and political development of the Territory’s indigenous population. Emulating British colonial development in East Africa and the British Solomon Islands Protectorate, it introduced cooperative societies to facilitate the growth of the indigenous cash economy and gradually established local government councils to regulate municipal affairs. The public servants primarily responsible for implementing colonial development policy in the field were the “outside men”—patrol officers (often referred to as ‘native affairs’ officers or kiaps) working for the Department of District Services and Native Affairs (1946-55) and its successors, the Department of Native Affairs (1956-63) and the Department of District Administration (1964-69). Representing the hard power of the state, patrol officers explored the country and used the threat of force to introduce and maintain British law. They also employed the soft power of enticement, promising development as an incentive for cooperation. Their soft power functions increased after the Pacific War, when they supervised (arguably dominated) cooperative societies and local government councils. In theory, colonial development promised amelioration and progress. In practice, it often exacted a heavy physical and psychological toll on Papua New Guineans, bringing disease, arbitrary violence, and humiliation. Local people adopted a number of strategies in response to white intrusion. Some acquiesced with the government and used compliance as a means of increasing their own position within the colonial culture. Others adopted an uncooperative attitude, neither resisting nor complying with the patrol officers. Colonial intrusion fractured pre-existing forms of self-management, leaving village people struggling to understand the radical changes of culture contact. Many supported alternative development associations—such as welfare societies, kampanis, and kivungs (often dismissed as ‘cargo cults’)—in opposition to state structures. Field officers attempted to direct economic and political development in the villages toward state controlled structures and often discouraged independent indigenous development. Although Australia promised to create opportunities for local people, enhanced indigenous participation implied greater indigenous independence. This threatened Australian control in strategically important Papua New Guinea. Careful to contain ‘cargo cult’ and communist activity, the Australian Administration attempted to maintain absolute control over indigenous political and economic development and regulate potentially subversive influences in the Territory. The conflicting role of patrol officers as both agents of control and agents of development reflected the contradiction in the Australian Trusteeship. Their policing functions created distrust in the villages and impeded positive relations with local people, who resented white authoritarianism and the demands of the Administration. Lack of trust made it difficult for the patrol officers to implement development policies. This thesis explores these contradictions in Australia’s trusteeship and the practice of colonial development in Papua New Guinea. It illustrates how Australia’s obsession with absolute control impeded the creation of appropriate and sustainable economic and political development in Papua New Guinea. Most studies of the kiap system concentrate on the early contact period, or the ‘first phase’ of colonial administration. This thesis adds to the literature by exploring how patrol officers and Papua New Guineans negotiated economic and political development during the ‘second phase’ of colonial development. It uses patrol reports written by field officers, documents generated by the Department of Territories and the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO), official correspondence, personal correspondence contained in archival collections, and contemporary newspaper reports to construct a social history of economic and political development in late-colonial Papua New Guinea. Uniquely, it reveals how Cold War political pressures constrained development related discourses in Papua New Guinea and how the security services used patrol officers and compliant Papua New Guineans to keep the Territory under surveillance. While development may have been a common goal for most people in post-war Territory of Papua and New Guinea (henceforth Papua New Guinea), its form was a matter of much negotiation and conflict, involving a number of competing indigenous and non-indigenous interests.