This work presents a survey and a user evaluation of tone mapping operators (TMOs) for high dynamic range (HDR) video, i.e. TMOs that explicitly include a temporal model for processing of variations in the input HDR images in the time domain. The main motivations behind this work is that: robust tone mapping is one of the key aspects of HDR imaging [Reinhard et al. 2006]; recent developments in sensor and computing technologies have now made it possible to capture HDR-video, e.g. [Unger and Gustavson 2007; Tocci et al. 2011]; and, as shown by our survey, tone mapping for HDR video poses a set of completely new challenges compared to tone mapping for still HDR images. Furthermore, video tone mapping, though less studied, is highly important for a multitude of applications including gaming, cameras in mobile devices, adaptive display devices and movie post-processing. Our survey is meant to summarize the state-of-the-art in video tonemapping and, as exemplified in Figure 1 (right), analyze differences in their response to temporal variations. In contrast to other studies, we evaluate TMOs performance according to their actual intent, such as producing the image that best resembles the real world scene, that subjectively looks best to the viewer, or fulfills a certain artistic requirement. The unique strength of this work is that we use real high quality HDR video sequences, see Figure 1 (left), as opposed to synthetic images or footage generated from still HDR images. / VPS

This research examined the diets of angora goats on a sagebrush bunchgrass rangeland. Research objectives were to 1) determine the effects of a positive conditioning method on both mature and immature angora goats; and 2) to quantify plant selection and provide preliminary information as to the potential for using goats to rehabilitate degraded sagebrush rangelands. Goat diets were ascertained using focal - animal bite-count observations during five consecutive seasons, summer 1990 through summer 1991. Treatment group goats were conditioned for 8 months by including ever- increasing amounts of sagebrush (Artemisia tridentate subspp. wyomingensi) in their daily ration, up to 25% of their total intake. Conditioning effects were evaluated in a rangeland setting by comparing relative amounts of sagebrush consumption between groups. Our results indicate that while conditioning did not significantly impact sagebrush consumption, young animals consumed significantly more sagebrush than adults. Additionally, learning throughout the first year altered dietary selection by the second summer. Both does and kids were primarily gramnivorous, however there was strong seasonality in species preference and a significant age difference in diets selected. Age differences in the plant species selected persisted throughout the study until the summer of 1991 when kids were eighteen months old. / Graduation date: 1993

Chronic wasting disease (CWD) has been a known threat to Saskatchewans wild cervid populations for more than a decade. As host movements can affect the spread of a disease across the landscape, disease models and management strategies should incorporate information regarding movement patterns of the host population in question. I used radio telemetry to study mule deer (<i>Odocoileus hemionus</i>) captured between 2006 and 2008 in a CWD-endemic region of southern Saskatchewan. Using location data from 152 individuals, I investigated home range size and patterns of direct and indirect contact (measured using proximity and shared space use) in relation to sex, habitat, and landscape structure. <p>Home ranges (95% fixed kernel) of GPS-collared deer in this study averaged 21.4 km² (n = 94). Male home ranges (mean = 29.5 km², n = 56) were larger than those of females (mean = 16.1 km², n = 38), which could have implications for CWD prevalence differences between sexes. Of the landscape variables tested, topographic ruggedness was inversely related to home range size and Shannons diversity (a measure of both habitat richness and evenness) was positively related to home range size. <p>Potential direct contact events were identified when two deer were located within 25 m of each other at the same point in time. These events occurred more often between February and April, agreeing with the tendency of mule deer to aggregate into large groups during the late winter months, and suggesting that this may be an important time period for disease transmission. Contact also occurred more than expected in cropland, whereas areas of shared use occurred more than expected in grassland, shrub/wood habitat, and rugged terrain. Smaller home ranges and greater degree of shared space use within areas of rough topography may lead to greater risk of environmental contamination with the infectious CWD agent in these areas. In contrast, the relationship between cropland and probability of direct contact may imply greater risk of direct CWD transmission between deer occupying this habitat. <p>These results identify connections between particular landscape factors and risk of CWD transmission and will be used, in combination with results of related studies, to develop a model of CWD spread in Saskatchewan. This will in turn aid management agencies in developing methods to more effectively manage the disease and control its movement outside of affected regions.

Although considerable research has been invested in disentangling the factors limiting species’ ranges at local and continental spatial scales, less attention has been granted to the relationship between species’ spatial distributions and landscape attributes at intermediate spatial scales. This research investigates the spatial relationship between avian species’ distributions (Ontario Breeding Bird Atlas [2001-2005] data) and landcover heterogeneity (Ontario Land Cover [1991-1998] data) in terms of their respective boundary locations (i.e., high rates of change in landcover composition and avian species turnover) in a vulnerable transitional zone in southern Ontario. Significant spatial overlap was found between landcover and avian boundaries. Given that land management decisions are most often made at the regional or landscape scales, this positive spatial relationship has important implications for conservation efforts. Future research should focus on assessing the spatial relationship between landcover heterogeneity and avian species’ distributions for different functional and taxonomic groups.

Although considerable research has been invested in disentangling the factors limiting species’ ranges at local and continental spatial scales, less attention has been granted to the relationship between species’ spatial distributions and landscape attributes at intermediate spatial scales. This research investigates the spatial relationship between avian species’ distributions (Ontario Breeding Bird Atlas [2001-2005] data) and landcover heterogeneity (Ontario Land Cover [1991-1998] data) in terms of their respective boundary locations (i.e., high rates of change in landcover composition and avian species turnover) in a vulnerable transitional zone in southern Ontario. Significant spatial overlap was found between landcover and avian boundaries. Given that land management decisions are most often made at the regional or landscape scales, this positive spatial relationship has important implications for conservation efforts. Future research should focus on assessing the spatial relationship between landcover heterogeneity and avian species’ distributions for different functional and taxonomic groups.

Wetland density is believed to be an important determinant of home range size variation in mallards (Anas platyrhynchos), but hypothesized effects of upland habitat and female size and age have not been adequately evaluated. Thus, I investigated correlates and consequences of home range size variation using radio-tracking data for 131 female mallards studied on 12 Canadian prairie parkland sites, 1995-1998. Home range size and habitat composition varied within and among study areas; overall, home range size variation was best modeled to include effects of seasonal and semi-permanent wetlands (β = -0.06 ± 0.01 SE) and wood-shrub habitat (β = -0.03 ± 0.01 SE). Contrary to predictions, I obtained no support for a positive association between home range size and female body size or a negative relationship between home range size and female age. After controlling effects of wetland density, mean home range sizes were larger on study areas with lower mallard breeding pair densities. I suspect that individual home ranges were smaller in areas of high pair density because of increased intraspecific competition for breeding space. A higher proportion of wood-shrub habitat may have contributed to smaller individual home range sizes because of greater relative availability of preferred nesting habitat. Likewise, a high proportion of wetlands in home ranges could enhance access to important resources such as food, leading to smaller home range sizes.<p> Reproductive and survival consequences were investigated using 8 variables to distinguish between three reproductive categories (females that either did not nest, nested but failed, or nested successfully) and two survival categories (dead versus alive) with discriminant function analysis. Successful females were clearly separated from non-nesting females by having smaller home ranges (95% kernel estimate) with higher percentages of wood-shrub and habitat treatment but lower percentages of seasonal and semi-permanent wetlands. Females that did not nest were further distinguished from nesting females by being younger, structurally smaller and having larger home ranges composed of higher percentages of seasonal and semi-permanent wetlands. Date of first nesting (standardized by study area) was not associated with home range composition. Survival was also unrelated to either home range composition or female attributes. Overall, breeding performance was better described by variation in landscape characteristics than by female attributes, a finding that is consistent with other recent evidence from breeding ducks.

The primary purpose of this study is to test the validity of the trading range hypothesis as a basis for stock split decisions of Turkish companies. In the first part, the liquidity effects of stock splits on Turkish stocks are examined. Second, the optimal trading ranges for different-sized firms and firms with different investor bases are determined. Finally, the main empirical question of the study is analyzed by testing whether or not Turkish firms whose share prices rise above their optimal trading ranges are more likely to split their stock compared to firms whose share prices are at or below their optimal trading ranges. The empirical findings about the level of liquidity indicate that there is a slight decline in liquidity in the post-split periods. Analysis of the relationship between firm characteristics and share prices shows that firm size has a positive effect on share prices. The effect of investor base on share prices could not be identified. Finally, the estimation of the logit model utilized in the study to determine the probability of firms to split does not reveal any statistically significant result.

Wetland density is believed to be an important determinant of home range size variation in mallards (Anas platyrhynchos), but hypothesized effects of upland habitat and female size and age have not been adequately evaluated. Thus, I investigated correlates and consequences of home range size variation using radio-tracking data for 131 female mallards studied on 12 Canadian prairie parkland sites, 1995-1998. Home range size and habitat composition varied within and among study areas; overall, home range size variation was best modeled to include effects of seasonal and semi-permanent wetlands (β = -0.06 ± 0.01 SE) and wood-shrub habitat (β = -0.03 ± 0.01 SE). Contrary to predictions, I obtained no support for a positive association between home range size and female body size or a negative relationship between home range size and female age. After controlling effects of wetland density, mean home range sizes were larger on study areas with lower mallard breeding pair densities. I suspect that individual home ranges were smaller in areas of high pair density because of increased intraspecific competition for breeding space. A higher proportion of wood-shrub habitat may have contributed to smaller individual home range sizes because of greater relative availability of preferred nesting habitat. Likewise, a high proportion of wetlands in home ranges could enhance access to important resources such as food, leading to smaller home range sizes.<p> Reproductive and survival consequences were investigated using 8 variables to distinguish between three reproductive categories (females that either did not nest, nested but failed, or nested successfully) and two survival categories (dead versus alive) with discriminant function analysis. Successful females were clearly separated from non-nesting females by having smaller home ranges (95% kernel estimate) with higher percentages of wood-shrub and habitat treatment but lower percentages of seasonal and semi-permanent wetlands. Females that did not nest were further distinguished from nesting females by being younger, structurally smaller and having larger home ranges composed of higher percentages of seasonal and semi-permanent wetlands. Date of first nesting (standardized by study area) was not associated with home range composition. Survival was also unrelated to either home range composition or female attributes. Overall, breeding performance was better described by variation in landscape characteristics than by female attributes, a finding that is consistent with other recent evidence from breeding ducks.

Graduation date: 1991

Range anxiety is a relatively new concept which is defined as the fear of running out of power when driving an electric vehicle. To decrease range anxiety you can increase the battery size or decrease the minimum state of charge, the least amount of power that can be left in the battery, or to expand the available fast charging infrastructure. But is that economical feasible or even technically possible in today’s society? In this project we have used a theoretical model for estimating range anxiety and have simulated the average electricity consumption using two different kinds of electric vehicles, to see how often they reach range anxiety according to a specific definition of range anxiety implemented in this model. The simulations were performed for different scenarios in order to evaluate the effect of different parameters on range anxiety. The result that we got were that range anxiety can be decreased with bigger batteries but to get range anxiety just a few times a year you have to use battery sizes which aren’t economical feasible today. Despite the shortcomings of todays electric vehicles there are promising new and future technologies such as better batteries which might help alleviate range anxiety for electric vehicle owner. The conclusion from this study is that in the present fleet of electric vehicles is in need of more charging stations and faster charging to get by the problem with range anxiety and having a chance to compete with gasoline and diesel vehicles.