Colorado State University

About: Colorado State University is a education organization based out in Fort Collins, Colorado, United States. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Radar. The organization has 31430 authors who have published 69040 publications receiving 2724463 citations. The organization is also known as: CSU & Colorado Agricultural College.

A new mode of communication between man and his surroundings

Abstract: The feasibility of establishing an alternative mode of communication between man and his surroundings was studied. The form of communication proposed uses only the subject's brain waves, with no overt physical action required. The subject's electroencephalograms (EEG) were recorded while various mental tasks designed to elicit hemispheric responses were performed. Features formed from the EEG recording were then used as inputs into a Bayes quadratic classifier to test classification accuracy between the various tasks. The results obtained indicate that it is possible to accurately distinguish between any two of the five tasks investigated. A comparison between three different methods for creating the feature sets is also presented. >

Geometric convergence and central limit theorems for multidimensional Hastings and Metropolis algorithms

Abstract: We develop results on geometric ergodicity of Markov chains and apply these and other recent results in Markov chain theory to multidimensional Hastings and Metropolis algorithms. For those based on random walk candidate distributions, we find sufficient conditions for moments and moment generating functions to converge at a geometric rate to a prescribed distribution π. By phrasing the conditions in terms of the curvature of the densities we show that the results apply to all distributions with positive densities in a large class which encompasses many commonly-used statistical forms. From these results we develop central limit theorems for the Metropolis algorithm. Converse results, showing non-geometric convergence rates for chains where the rejection rate is not bounded away from unity, are also given ; these show that the negative-definiteness property is not redundant.

A global forest canopy height map from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer and the Geoscience Laser Altimeter System

Abstract: [1] The value of lidar derives from its ability to map ecosystem vertical structure which can be used to estimate aboveground carbon storage. Spaceborne lidar sensors collect data along transects and gain value for the global change science community when combined with data sources that have complete horizontal coverage. Data sources and methods for this type of analysis require evaluation. In this work we use image segmentation of 500 m Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) data to produce a global map of 4.4 million forest patches. Where a Geoscience Laser Altimeter System (GLAS) transect intersects a patch, its height is calculated from the GLAS observations directly. Regression analysis is then used to estimate the heights of those patches without GLAS observations. Regression goodness-of-fit statistics indicate moderately strong relationships for predicting the 90th percentile patch height, with a mean RMSE of 5.9 m and mean correlation (R2) of 0.67.

"Place" as an Integrating Concept in Natural Resource Politics: Propositions for a Social Science Research Agenda

Abstract: This article lays out six propositions centering on a relationship between people-place connections and strategic behavior in natural resource politics. The first two propositions suggest a strong and direct connection between self-identity, place, and how individuals perceive and value the environment. The third, fourth, and fifth propositions tie together social group identity and place, particularly emphasizing the influence of social group identity on strategic behavior in natural resource politics. The sixth proposition relates to the geographic scale of place as a strategic choice in natural resource decision making. Taken together, the propositions suggest that natural resource politics is as much a contest over place meanings as it is a competition among interest groups over scarce resources. The place perspective suggests an expanded role for natural resource social scientists as giving voice to meanings and values that may not otherwise be expressed in natural resource decision-making processes.

A structured and dynamic framework to advance traits-based theory and prediction in ecology

Abstract: Predicting changes in community composition and ecosystem function in a rapidly changing world is a major research challenge in ecology. Traits-based approaches have elicited much recent interest, yet individual studies are not advancing a more general, predictive ecology. Significant progress will be facilitated by adopting a coherent theoretical framework comprised of three elements: an underlying trait distribution, a performance filter defining the fitness of traits in different environments, and a dynamic projection of the performance filter along some environmental gradient. This framework allows changes in the trait distribution and associated modifications to community composition or ecosystem function to be predicted across time or space. The structure and dynamics of the performance filter specify two key criteria by which we judge appropriate quantitative methods for testing traits-based hypotheses. Bayesian multilevel models, dynamical systems models and hybrid approaches meet both these criteria and have the potential to meaningfully advance traits-based ecology.