Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Volunteer Water Quality Monitoring Programs: An Assessment Of Public Participation As A Means Of Fostering Environmental Stewardship, Christopher Damon

Marine Affairs Theses and Major Papers

Volunteer water quality monitoring organizations from across the country were surveyed (n=516) to determine the relationship between public involvement and the generation of stewardship within the community. Program coordinators were asked first to rate the level of stewardship values within the community, and then respond to questions covering four broad areas of public involvement: pre-existing conditions, public education, volunteer behavior, and communal involvement. For each question, organizations were aggregated by response, and a frequency analysis was performed to discover the most common responses in each of the four public involvement categories. the mean of perceived stewardship values was graphed as …

Concepts Of Adaptive Information Filtering, Daniel R. Tauritz

Computer Science Faculty Research & Creative Works

This paper was written for the project study “Adaptive Information Filtering” at the Department of Computer Science, Leiden University, The Netherlands. The assignment was to write an introduction to Adaptive Information Filtering (AIF), based on the author’s ideas for his M.Sc. thesis, and with as large an audience as possible in mind. In addition to a simple introduction to AIF, this paper should also provide easy introductions to clustering algorithms, evolutionary computation, and n-gram analysis. (Preface, page 2)

Tuning Numeric Parameters To Troubleshoot A Telephone-Network Loop, Christopher J. Merz, M. J. Pazzani, A. P. Danyluk

Computer Science Faculty Research & Creative Works

The Nynex Max expert system analyzes the result of an automated electric test on a telephone line and determines the type of problem. However, tuning the system's parameter values can be difficult. The Opti-Max system can automatically set these parameters by analyzing decisions made by experts who troubleshoot problems

Measurement Of The Λb Polarization In Z Decays, Buskulic, D.; Et Al., M. Thulasidas

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

The Λb polarization in hadronic Z decays is measured in semileptonic decays from the average energies of the charged lepton and the neutrino. In a data sample of approximately 3 million hadronic Z decays collected by the ALEPH detector at LEP between 1991 and 1994, 462 ± 31 Λb candidates are selected using (Λπ+)-lepton correlations. From this event sample, the Λb polarization is measured to be PΛb = −0.23−0.20+0.24(stat.)−0.07+0.08(syst.).

Tau Leptonic Branching Ratios, D. Buskulic, M. Thulasidas

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

A sample of 62249 τ-pair events is selected from data taken with the ALEPH detector in 1991, 1992 and 1993. The measurement of the branching fractions for τ decays into electrons and muons is presented with emphasis on the study of systematic effects from selection, particle identification and decay classification. The results obtained are: B e = 17.79±0.12(stat)±0.06(syst)(%) and Bμ = 17.31±0.11(stat)±0.05(syst)(%). Combined with the most recent ALEPH determination of the τ lifetime, these results provide a relative measurement of the leptonic couplings in the weak charged current for transverse W bosons: ${cal G}_{ώ}/{cal G}_{e}=1.0002pm 0.0051$ and ${cal G}_{∢u}/{cal G}_{u}=0.9943pm …

Tau Hadronic Branching Ratios, D. Buskulic, M. Thulasidas

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

From 64492 selected τ-pair events, produced at the Z0 resonance, the measurement of the tau decays into hadrons from a global analysis using 1991, 1992 and 1993 ALEPH data is presented. Special emphasis is given to the reconstruction of photons and π0s, and the removal of fake photons. A detailed study of the systematics entering the π0 reconstruction is also given. A complete and consistent set of tau hadronic branching ratios is presented for 18 exclusive modes. Most measurements are more precise than the present world average. The new level of precision reached allows a stringent test τ-μ, universality in …

Combinatorial Approaches For Hard Problems In Manpower Scheduling, Hoong Chuin Lau

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

Manpower scheduling is concerned with the construction of a workers' schedule which meets demands while satisfying given constraints. We consider a manpower scheduling Problem, called the Change Shift Assignment Problem(CSAP). In previous work, we proved that CSAP is NP-hard and presented greedy methods to solve some restricted versions. In this paper, we present combinatorial algorithms to solve more general and realistic versions of CSAP which are unlikely solvable by greedy methods. First, we model CSAP as a fixed-charge network and show that a feasible schedule can be obtained by finding disjoint paths in the network, which can be derived from …

Randomized Approximation Of The Constraint Satisfaction Problem, Hoong Chuin Lau, Osamu Watanabe

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

We consider the Weighted Constraint Satisfaction Problem (W-CSP) which is a fundamental problem in Artificial Intelligence and a generalization of important combinatorial problems such as MAX CUT and MAX SAT. In this paper, we prove non-approximability properties of W-CSP and give improved approximations of W-CSP via randomized rounding of linear programming and semidefinite programming relaxations. Our algorithms are simple to implement and experiments show that they are run-time efficient.

Three-Dimensional Segmentation And Visualization Of Magnetic Resonance Imaging Data, William L. Bell Jr.

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In this thesis, I shall study and compare various methods for manipulating two- and three-dimensional image data produced with a nuclear magnetic resonance scanner. In particular, I will examine ways of focusing upon specific structures internal to the object under study (segmentation); and will explore means of rendering realistic images of these structures on a computer screen using depth-cueing, shading, and ray-casting techniques.
The 3DHEAD volumetric dataset used for this project was created with the Siemens Magnetom and was provided courtesy of Siemens Medical Systems, Inc., Iselin, NJ. This dataset consists of 109 slices of a human head, with each …

Determination Of Sin2Θw Eff Using Jet Charge Measurements In Hadronic Z Decays, D. Buskulic, M. Thulasidas

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

The electroweak mixing angle is determined with high precision from measurements of the mean difference between forward and backward hemisphere charges in hadronic decays of the Z. A data sample of 2.5 million hadronic Z decays recorded over the period 1990 to 1994 in the ALEPH detector at LEP is used. The mean charge separation between event hemispheres containing the original quark and antiquark is measured forbb¯bb¯ andcc¯cc¯ events in subsamples selected by their long lifetimes or using fastD*’s. The corresponding average charge separation for light quarks is measured in an inclusive sample from the anticorrelation between charges of opposite …

An Efficient Runge-Kutta (4,5) Pair, P. Bogacki, L. F. Shampine

Mathematics & Statistics Faculty Publications

A pair of explicit Runge-Kutta formulas of orders 4 and 5 is derived. It is significantly more efficient than the Fehlberg and Dormand-Prince pairs, and by standard measures it is of at least as high quality. There are two independent estimates of the local error. The local error of the interpolant is, to leading order, a problem-independent function of the local error at the end of the step.

Neural Computation Of The Eigenvectors Of A Symmetric Positive Definite Matrix, Wenyu Julie Tsai

Theses Digitization Project

No abstract provided.

An Adaptive Fuzzy Logic Controller For Intelligent Networking And Control, Irshad Nainar

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

In this thesis, we present a fuzzy logic control scheme to regulate the flow of traffic approaching a set of intersections. An adaptive Fuzzy Logic Traffic Controller (FLTC) is used to adjust the green phase split of the north-south and east-west approaches of a set of traffic signals based on the actual traffic approaching the intersection. Each intersection is coordinated with its neighbouring intersections by adjusting the offset of the local intersection. The offset is adjusted by a local fuzzy logic controller loacted at each intersection. A new fuzzy control scheme, using a supervisory Fuzzy Logic Controller, is also proposed …

A Policy-Independent Secure X Server, Kirk Joseph Bittler

Dissertations and Theses

This thesis demonstrates that a secure X system can be designed and implemented to be independent of a particular security policy. The advantages and costs of a separation of security policy and enforcement are examined by developing a large scale application, the DX windowing system, on a DTOS platform. DTOS is a high assurance operating system that isolates policy decisions in a Security Server. A security conscious process, such as DX, eliminates policy considerations from the code. The process instead consults the Security Server and enforces the decisions that server derives from the policy. The DX architecture is described and …

A Search Tool To Enhance The Selection And Utilisation Of Reusable Software Modules Within The Object-Oriented Paradigm, Robert H. Cross

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

The affinity for reuse within the object-oriented paradigm may enable high levels of productivity; however, gains will become realisable only if a systems developer has access to tools which aid in the selection of classes. A method for object-oriented analysis and design is detailed and its process is assisted by an object-oriented search tool based on reference and corporate library technology. The search tool contributes to the determination of suitable existing inheritable classes and an explanation of its construction and use is included. A practical demonstration of the method, using the search tool, is elaborated. The thesis demonstrates that text …

Technical-Legal Aspects Of Software Patents, Kenneth Nolan Nichols

Theses Digitization Project

No abstract provided.

An Assessment Of Asynchronous Transfer Mode (Atm) Training For Educators, Dan A. Niswander

CCE Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this dissertation was to develop and evaluate a hypertext-based training tutorial/guide on asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) technology for use by school district educators and technology planners. A review of literature indicated training needs on new broadband technologies were not being adequately met from the point of view of an educational environment. An interactive hypertext solution was proposed, designed, and developed based on the needs of adult learners. An analysis of these needs indicated adults prefer flexibility in navigating between training topics as well as in the pace of material presentation, that is, whether to proceed at a …

Embedded Particle Computation In Evolved Cellular Automata, Wim Hordijk, James P. Crutchfield, Melanie Mitchell

Computer Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

In our work we are studying how genetic algorithms (GAs) can evolve cellular automata (CAs) to perform computations that require global coordination. The evolving cellular automata" framework is an idealized means for studying how evolution (natural or computational) can create systems that perform emergent computation, in which the actions of simple components with local information and communication give rise to coordinated global information processing [3].

In previous work [4, 5], we analyzed the process by which a genetic algorithm designed CAs to perform particular tasks. In this paper we focus on how these CAs implement the emergent computational strategies for …

Finding Paths In The Rotation Graph Of Binary Trees, Rodney O. Rogers

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

A binary tree coding scheme is a bijection mapping a set of binary trees to a set of integer tuples called codewords. One problem considered in the literature is that of listing the codewords for n-node binary trees, such that successive codewords represent trees differing by a single rotation, a standard operation for rebalancing binary search trees. Then, the codeword sequence corresponds to an Hamiltonian path in the rotation graph R_n of binary trees, where each node is labelled with an n-node binary tree, and an edge connects two nodes when their trees differ by a …

Improved Measurement Of The B0 And B+ Meson Lifetimes, D. Buskulic, M. Thulasidas

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

Updated measurements of the B0 and B+ meson lifetimes are presented. From a data sample of 1.72 million hadronic Z0 decays recorded during the period 1991 to 1993, a sample of approximately 1000 semileptonic B meson decays containing a D0, D+ or D*+ has been isolated. From the distribution of decay times in the different samples the lifetimes of the B0 and B+ mesons are determined to be 1.53±0.12±0.08 ps and 1.52±0.14±0.09 ps, respectively, where the first error is statistical and the second systematic. The ratio of the B+ to B0 lifetimes is measured to be 0.99±0.14+0.05−0.04, confirming expectations that …

Putting Type Annotations To Work, Martin Odersky, Konstantin Laufer

Computer Science: Faculty Publications and Other Works

We study an extension of the Hindley/Milner system with explicit type scheme annotations and type declarations. The system can express polymorphic function arguments, user-defined data types with abstract components, and structure types with polymorphic fields. More generally, all programs of the polymorphic lambda calculus can be encoded by a translation between typing derivations. We show that type reconstruction in this system can be reduced to the decidable problem of first-order unification under a mixed prefix.

Tests Of Random Number Generators Using Ising Model Simulations, Paul D. Coddington

Northeast Parallel Architecture Center

Large-scale Monte Carlo simulations require high-quality random number generators to ensure correct results. The contrapositive of this statement is also true – the quality of random number generators can be tested by using them in large-scale Monte Carlo simulations. We have tested many commonly used random number generators with high precision Monte Carlo simulations of the 2-d Ising model using the Metropolis, Swendsen-Wang, and Wolff algorithms. This work is being extended to the testing of random number generators for parallel computers. The results of these tests are presented, along with recommendations for random number generators for high-performance computers, particularly for …

Improved Data Migration And Processing For Projecting The Financial Aid Budget, Jeffery L. Olson '96

Honors Projects

Last fall, I again resumed work on the budget projection model that encompassed five spreadsheets. Four of these sheets generated a set of statistical averages for each class. Each one consisted of 101 columns containing data for the four-to five-hundred students(rows) in each class. In addition, a fifth sheet used these averages to generate a highly accurate prediction for expenditures in the upcoming year. However, there were two main areas of improvement that became readily apparent: importing data and the sheets themselves.

A Bipartite Model Of Distributed Systems: Possibilities And Implications, Anna Karin Brunstrom

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

Networking software is generally designed in layers. User processes exist at the application layer. They rely on the transport layer to provide them with end-to-end communication. In the distributed systems literature communication is traditionally viewed from the application layer. at the application layer we have no knowledge of the whereabouts of a message once a send operation is completed. at the transport layer, on the other hand, information about the delivery of a message to the transport layer in the receiving host is often available. We believe transport layer information can be better utilized in distributed systems design. This dissertation …

Information Systems In Non-Profit Organizations: Enhancing Performance Through Online Help, Robert H. Lane

CCE Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this dissertation is to focus attention on the problems which non-profit organizations face in dealing with employee dissatisfaction and turnover among clerical staff whose principal responsibility is data entry. To address the problem, a presentation on the background, a discussion of the managerial and information systems implications, and an end-user needs assessment culminated in the development of an online help system for an IDM AS/400-based membership management package.

The system enables the data entry staff to easily locate the answers to most of their commonly asked questions without leaving their workstation, thus reducing the need for as …

Design Information Recovery From Legacy System Cobol Source Code: Research On A Reverse Engineering Methodology, Robert Lee Miller

CCE Theses and Dissertations

Much of the software in the world today was developed from the mid-1960s to the mid- 1970s.This legacy software deteriorates as it is modified to satisfy new organizational requirements. Currently, legacy system maintenance requires more time than new system development. Eventually, legacy systems must be replaced. Identifying their functionality is a critical part of the replacement effort. Recovering functions from source code is difficult because the domain knowledge used to develop the system is not routinely retained. The source code is frequently the only reliable source of functional information.

This dissertation describes functional process information recovery from COBOL source code …

Low Cost Video For Distance Education, Michael J. Simpson

CCE Theses and Dissertations

A distance education system has been designed for Nova Southeastern University (NSU) . The design was based on emerging low cost video technology. The report presented the design and summarizes existing distance education efforts and technologies.

The design supported multimedia electronic classrooms, and enabled students to participate in multimedia classes using standard telephone networks. Results were presented in three areas: management, courseware, and, systems.

In the area of management, the report recommended that the University separately establish, fund, and staff the distance education project. Supporting rationale was included.

In the area of courseware, the importance of quality courseware was highlighted. …

Adaptive Information Filtering As A Means To Overcome Information Overload, Daniel R. Tauritz

Computer Science Faculty Research & Creative Works

Information Filtering is concerned with filtering data streams in such a way as to leave only pertinent data (information) to be perused. When the data streams are produced in a changing environment (as most if not all are) the filtering has to adapt too in order to remain effective. Adaptive Information Filtering (AIF) is concerned with filtering in changing environments. The changes may occur both on the transmission side (the nature of the streams can change), and on the reception side (the interest of a user can change). The thesis research described in this paper combines trigram analysis, clustering, and …

Rex ' 96 : An Expert Guide To Revegetation, David Bicknell

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

Agriculture Western Australia has provided coordination and technical input to a powerful source of information on plants for Australian conditions. David Bicknell outlines some of its features and uses.

Farmers, local government, advisers and even gardeners often have trouble finding the right plant for the right place for a given purpose. Rather than spend a lot of time, money and effort looking through scattered sources of information, many people stick with a limited number of species year after year. This neglects plants that may be much better suited to the purpose, and also fails to develop Australia's huge range of …

A User Interface For The Visualization And Manipulation Of Arrays, Jennifer Leopold, A. Ambler

Computer Science Faculty Research & Creative Works

The success of spreadsheets has shown that a visual representation of a 2D array greatly facilitates solving certain problems. However, spreadsheets are not general-purpose programming environments and are not suited to many problems that might naturally be solved using multi-dimensional arrays. Furthermore, spreadsheets employ a textual notation for cell references in formulas. This notation, which adds to the programmer''s burden by distinguishing between relative and absolute addressing, can be difficult to understand and is error-prone even for the most experienced users. In this paper, we present a user interface for multi-dimensional arrays within Formulate, a form-based visual programming language. This …