My dissertation focuses on the evolutionary forces that have shaped the chemical signaling system of plethodontid salamanders. Pheromones mediate two phases of plethodontid reproduction: mate attraction prior to courtship and female persuasion during courtship. Substrate-borne chemical signals are believed to play an important role in mate attraction for these animals....
The International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) has modeled twelve reference animals and plants (RAPs) with simple geometric shapes to be used when estimating radiation dose to non-human biota (NHB). In recent years, there has been interest in creating more realistic models in order to better understand the radiation interactions...
We present a novel multi-objective optimization methodology built upon a multi-agent blackboard framework. This multi-agent blackboard system (MABS) synthesizes blackboard architectures, multi-agent environments, and optimization theory. The blackboard architecture creates the framework for initializing, storing, and solving a multi-objective optimization problem. Multiple agents allow for an optimization problem to be...
The radiolysis of succinic acid in aqueous solutions induced by
gamma irradiation from ⁶⁰Co has been studied with respect to the
identification and estimation of degradation products. Detailed information
on the radiolysis of succinic acid is important in determining
what effect two carboxyl groups in the same molecule would have...
Water availability is a critical limiting element in semi-arid ecosystem productivity and presents particular challenges in Sahelian countries such as Senegal. The landscapes are characterized by the presence of two common semi-arid shrubs (Piliostigma reticulatum and Guiera senegalensis), both of which may be important hydraulic regulators in these water-limited ecosystems....
A radar echo-contour height measurement at different gain
settings of the receiver, from RHI pictures shows that heavy rain
occurs at the points above which steep echo-contour gradients appear.
In this study, radar data came from the AN/CPS-9 radar
located at McCulloch peak, about five miles from the Oregon State...