Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Using Permutations Instead Of Student’S T Distribution For P-Values In Paired-Difference Algorithm Comparisons, Tony R. Martinez, Joshua Menke

Faculty Publications

The paired-difference t-test is commonly used in the machine learning community to determine whether one learning algorithm is better than another on a given learning task. This paper suggests the use of the permutation test instead hecause it calculates the exact p-value instead of an estimate. The permutation test is also distribution free and the time complexity is trivial for the commonly used 10-fold cross-validation paired-difference test. Results of experiments on real-world problems suggest it is not uncommon to see the t-test estimate deviate up to 30-50% from the exact p-value.

Feature Weighting Using Neural Networks, Tony R. Martinez, Xinchuan Zeng

Faculty Publications

In this work we propose a feature weighting method for classification tasks by extracting relevant information from a trained neural network. This method weights an attribute based on strengths (weights) of related links in the neural network, in which an important feature is typically connected to strong links and has more impact on the outputs. This method is applied to feature weighting br the nearest neighbor classifier and is tested on 15 real-world classification tasks. The results show that it can improve the nearest neighbor classifier on 14 of the 15 tested tasks, and also outperforms the neural network on …

Probabilistic Methodology For Record Linkage Determining Robustness Of Weights, Krista Peine Jensen

Theses and Dissertations

Record linkage is the process that joins separately recorded pieces of information for a particular individual from one or more sources. To facilitate record linkage, a reliable computer based approach is ideal. In genealogical research computerized record linkage is useful in combing information for an individual across multiple censuses.

In creating a computerized method for linking censuse records it needs to be determined if weights calculated from one geographical area, can be used to link records from another geographical area. Research performed by Marcie Francis calculates field weights using census records from 1910 and 1920 for Ascension Parish Louisiana. These …

Preserving Trust Across Multiple Sessions In Open Systems, Fuk-Wing Thomas Chan

Theses and Dissertations

Trust negotiation, a new authentication paradigm, enables strangers on the Internet to establish trust through the gradual disclosure of digital credentials and access control policies. Previous research in trust negotiation does not address issues in preserving trust across multiple sessions. This thesis discusses issues in preserving trust between parties who were previously considered strangers. It also describes the design and implementation of trust preservation in TrustBuilder, a prototype trust negotiation system. Preserving trust information can reduce the frequency and cost of renegotiation. A scenario is presented that demonstrates that a server supporting trust preservation can recoup the cost of the …

On The Variability Of The Fine Structure Constant, Jason Lott Evans

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis addresses the issue of the time variability of the fine structure constant, alpha. Recent claims of a varying alpha are set against the established standards of quantum electrodynamical theory and experiments. A study of the feasibility of extracting data on the time dependence of alpha using particles in Penning traps is compared to the results obtained by existing methods, including those using astrophysical data and those obtained in atomic clock experiments. Suggestions are made on the nature of trapped particles and the trapping fields.

A Numerical Scheme For Mullins-Sekerka Flow In Three Space Dimensions, Sarah Marie Brown

Theses and Dissertations

The Mullins-Sekerka problem, also called two-sided Hele-Shaw flow, arises in modeling a binary material with two stable concentration phases. A coarsening process occurs, and large particles grow while smaller particles eventually dissolve. Single particles become spherical. This process is described by evolving harmonic functions within the two phases with the moving interface driven by the jump in the normal derivatives of the harmonic functions at the interface. The harmonic functions are continuous across the interface, taking on values equal to the mean curvature of the interface. This dissertation reformulates the three-dimensional problem as one on the two-dimensional interface by using …

Hiring Practices For Graphic Designers In Utah County, Utah, Landon T. Densley

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to show how hiring standards of evidence for graphic designers in Utah County compared with the national standards of evidence. The four major national standards of evidence for hiring graphic designers, identified by American Institute of Graphic Arts (AIGA) and Goldfarb, in order of importance are portfolio, recommendations, personality, and education. The data from this study revealed that Utah County employer's standards of evidence matched up closely to national standards of evidence, but the order of importance was slightly different because personality was ranked ahead of recommendations and education.

Grouping Search-Engine Returned Citations For Person-Name Queries, Reema Al-Kamha

Theses and Dissertations

In this thesis we present a technique to group search-engine returned citations for person-name queries, such that the search-engine returned citations in each group belong to the same person. To group the returned citations we use a multi-faceted approach that considers evidence from three facets: (1) attributes, (2) links, and (3) page similarity. For each facet we generate a confidence matrix. Then we construct a final confidence matrix for all facets. Using a threshold, we apply a grouping algorithm on the final confidence matrix. The output is a group of search-engine returned citations, such that the citations in each group …

Psl(2,7)-Extensions With Certain Ramification At Two Primes, Glen E. Simpson

Theses and Dissertations

We conduct a parallel Hunter search in order to find a degree 7 number field K ramified at primes q and p with discriminant d(K)=q^6 p^2 where q=11 and 2

Incremental Policy Learning: An Equilibrium Selection Algorithm For Reinforcement Learning Agents With Common Interests, Nancy Fulda, Dan A. Ventura

Faculty Publications

We present an equilibrium selection algorithm for reinforcement learning agents that incrementally adjusts the probability of executing each action based on the desirability of the outcome obtained in the last time step. The algorithm assumes that at least one coordination equilibrium exists and requires that the agents have a heuristic for determining whether or not the equilibrium was obtained. In deterministic environments with one or more strict coordination equilibria, the algorithm will learn to play an optimal equilibrium as long as the heuristic is accurate. Empirical data demonstrate that the algorithm is also effective in stochastic environments and is able …

Learning Multiple Correct Classifications From Incomplete Data Using Weakened Implicit Negatives, Dan A. Ventura, Stephen Whiting

Faculty Publications

Classification problems with output class overlap create problems for standard neural network approaches. We present a modification of a simple feed-forward neural network that is capable of learning problems with output overlap, including problems exhibiting hierarchical class structures in the output. Our method of applying weakened implicit negatives to address overlap and ambiguity allows the algorithm to learn a large portion of the hierarchical structure from very incomplete data. Our results show an improvement of approximately 58% over a standard backpropagation network on the hierarchical problem.

Task-Focused Summarization Of Email, Eric K. Ringger, Richard Campbell, Simon Corston-Oliver, Michael Gamon

Faculty Publications

We describe SmartMail, a prototype system for automatically identifying action items (tasks) in email messages. SmartMail presents the user with a task-focused summary of a message. The summary consists of a list of action items extracted from the message. The user can add these action items to their “to do” list.

Choosing A Starting Configuration For Particle Swarm Optimization, Mark Richards, Dan A. Ventura

Faculty Publications

The performance of Particle Swarm Optimization can be improved by strategically selecting the starting positions of the particles. This work suggests the use of generators from centroidal Voronoi tessellations as the starting points for the swarm. The performance of swarms initialized with this method is compared with the standard PSO algorithm on several standard test functions. Results suggest that CVT initialization improves PSO performance in high-dimensional spaces.

Load Balancing Parallel Explicit State Model Checking, Rahul Kumar

Theses and Dissertations

This research first identifies some of the key concerns about the techniques and algorithms developed for distributed and parallel model checking; specifically, the inherent problem with load balancing and large queue sizes resultant in a static partition algorithm. This research then presents a load balancing algorithm to improve the run time performance in distributed model checking, reduce maximum queue size, and reduce the number of states expanded before error discovery. The load balancing algorithm is based on Generalized Dimension Exchange (GDE). This research presents an empirical analysis of the GDE based load balancing algorithm on three different supercomputing architectures---distributed memory …

Platinum Group Element Mineralization In "Ballrooms" Of The J-M Reef Of The Stillwater Complex, Montana, Matthew P. Harper

Theses and Dissertations

The J-M Reef of the Stillwater Complex, Montana (a large layered mafic intrusion), is one of the highest grade platinum group element (PGE) deposits known in the world, producing primarily palladium and platinum in a 3.4:1 ratio. "Ballrooms" of the Stillwater Complex are anomalously wide areas within or stratigraphically below the J-M Reef that host platinum group element mineralization. Ballrooms have two typical morphologies (type 1 and type 2); the first is an abrupt thickening of the mineralization that extends below the Reef Package and the second is a gentle widening of the Reef Package and associated reef mineralization to …

A New Approach To Lie Symmetry Groups Of Minimal Surfaces, Robert D. Berry

Theses and Dissertations

The Lie symmetry groups of minimal surfaces by way of planar harmonic functions are determined. It is shown that a symmetry group acting on the minimal surfaces is isomorphic with H × H^2 — the analytic functions and the harmonic functions. A subgroup of this gives a generalization of the associated family which is examined.

Solving Large Mdps Quickly With Partitioned Value Iteration, David Wingate

Theses and Dissertations

Value iteration is not typically considered a viable algorithm for solving large-scale MDPs because it converges too slowly. However, its performance can be dramatically improved by eliminating redundant or useless backups, and by backing up states in the right order. We present several methods designed to help structure value dependency, and present a systematic study of companion prioritization techniques which focus computation in useful regions of the state space. In order to scale to solve ever larger problems, we evaluate all enhancements and methods in the context of parallelizability. Using the enhancements, we discover that in many instances the limiting …

Empirical Analysis Of Computational And Accuracy Tradeoffs Using Compactly Supported Radial Basis Functions For Surface Reconstruction, Weiming Liu, Bryan S. Morse, Lauralea Otis

Faculty Publications

Implicit surfaces can be constructed from scattered surface points using radial basis functions (RBFs) to interpolate the surface’s embedding function. Many researchers have used thin-plate spline RBFs for this because of their desirable smoothness properties. Others have used compactly supported RBFs, leading to a sparse matrix solution with lower computational complexity and better conditioning. However, the limited radius of support introduces a free parameter that leads to varying solutions as well as varying computational requirements: a larger radius of support leads to smoother and more accurate solutions but requires more computation. This paper presents an empirical analysis of this radius …

Responding To Policies At Runtime In Trustbuilder, Michael D. Jones, Kent E. Seamons, Bryan Smith

Faculty Publications

To preview my talk, I will first give a brief overview of trust negotiation and policy exchange. Third, I will discuss the limitations of current compliance checkers and adaptations needed for trust negotiation. Finally, I will outline the contributions of this research.

Velocity And Temperature Characterization Of The First Vacuum Stage Expansion In An Inductively Coupled Plasma - Mass Spectrometer, William Neil Radicic

Theses and Dissertations

The inductively coupled plasma - mass spectrometer (ICP-MS) is the analytical instrument of choice for trace element detection and quantification. Despite the popularity of ICP-MS, significant degradation in sensitivity and precision occurs as the result of matrix and instrument-induced effects. The sources of these effects are not well understood, characterized, or correlated to particular plasma operating condition settings or matrix compositions and involve both neutral and charged species. The purpose of this study is to characterize the behavior of metastable Ar (I) atom and Ca (II) ion through the measurement of Doppler velocities and fluorescence line width "temperatures."

For the …

N9 Alkylation And Glycosylation Of Purines; A Practical Synthesis Of 2-Chloro-2'-Deoxyadenosine, Minghong Zhong

Theses and Dissertations

(a) The Robins reagent [2-acetamido-6-O-(diphenylcarbamoyl)purine] was utilized for glycosylation under Lewis acid conditions. Regioselectivity of glycosylation depends on the glycosyl donor and its 2-O- or 2-N-protecting group. Regioselective N9 glycosylation of 2-acetamido-6-O-(diphenylcarbamoyl)purine with problematic glucosamine has been accomplished by protecting the amino function as a phthalimido group with consequent stabilization of the oxocarbenium cation, and lowering the activation energy by introduction of trichloroacetimidate at the anomeric carbon.

(b) 6-Heteroaryl functions [6-(1,2,4-triazol-4-yl) and 6-(imidazol-1-yl)] were introduced into purine derivatives for regioselective N9 alkylation. The regiospecificity of alkylation mainly results from steric effects due to the coplanar conformation of the two linked …

Performance Of The Kenward-Project When The Covariance Structure Is Selected Using Aic And Bic, Elisa Valderas Gomez

Theses and Dissertations

Linear mixed models are frequently used to analyze data with random effects and/or repeated measures. A common approach to such analyses requires choosing a covariance structure. Information criteria, such as AIC and BIC, are often used by statisticians to help with this task. However, these criteria do not always point to the true covariance structure and therefore the wrong covariance structure is sometimes chosen. Once this step is complete, Wald statistics are used to test fixed effects. Degrees of freedom for these statistics are not known. However, there are approximation methods, such as Kenward and Roger (KR) and Satterthwaite (SW) …

The "Fair" Triathlon: Equating Standard Deviations Using Non-Linear Bayesian Models, Steven Mckay Curtis

Theses and Dissertations

The Ironman triathlon was created in 1978 by combining events with the longest distances for races then contested in Hawaii in swimming, cycling, and running. The Half Ironman triathlon was formed using half the distances of each of the events in the Ironman. The Olympic distance triathlon was created by combining events with the longest distances for races sanctioned by the major federations for swimming, cycling, and running. The relative importance of each event in overall race outcome was not given consideration when determining the distances of each of the races in modern triathlons. Thus, there is a general belief …

Validation Of Criteria Used To Predict Warfarin Dosing Decisions, Nicole Thomas

Theses and Dissertations

People at risk for blood clots are often treated with anticoagulants, warfarin is such an anticoagulant. The dose's effect is measured by comparing the time for blood to clot to a control time called an INR value. Previous anticoagulant studies have addressed agreement between fingerstick (POC) devices and the standard laboratory, however these studies rely on mathematical formulas as criteria for clinical evaluations, i.e. clinical evaluation vs. precision and bias. Fourteen such criteria were found in the literature. There exists little consistency among these criteria for assessing clinical agreement, furthermore whether these methods of assessing agreement are reasonable estimates of …

Ultraconnected And Critical Graphs, Jason Nicholas Grout

Theses and Dissertations

We investigate the ultraconnectivity condition on graphs, and provide further connections between critical and ultraconnected graphs in the positive definite partial matrix completion problem. We completely characterize when the join of graphs is ultraconnected, and prove that ultraconnectivity is preserved by Cartesian products. We completely characterize when adding a vertex to an ultraconnected graph preserves ultraconnectivity. We also derive bounds on the number of vertices which guarantee ultraconnectivity of certain classes of regular graphs. We give results from our exhaustive enumeration of ultraconnected graphs up to 11 vertices. Using techniques involving the Lovász theta parameter for graphs, we prove certain …

Identification Of An Il-17-Producing Nk1.1neg Inkt Cell Population Involved In Airway Neutrophilia, Paul B. Savage, Marie-Laure Michel, Alexandre Castro Keller, Christophe Paget, Masakazu Fujio, Francois Trottein, Chi-Huey Wong, Elke Schneider, Michael Dy, Maria C. Leite-De-Moraes

Faculty Publications

Invariant natural killer T (iNKT) cells are an important source of both T helper type 1 (Th1) and Th2 cytokines, through which they can exert beneficial, as well as deleterious, effects in a variety of inflammatory diseases. This functional heterogeneity raises the question of how far phenotypically distinct subpopulations are responsible for such contrasting activities. In this study, we identify a particular set of iNKT cells that lack the NK1.1 marker (NK1.1neg) and secrete high amounts of interleukin (IL)-17 and low levels of interferon (IFN)-{gamma} and IL-4. NK1.1neg iNKT cells produce IL-17 upon synthetic ({alpha}-galactosylceramide [{alpha}-GalCer] or PBS-57), as well …

Removing Surface Contaminants From Silicon Wafers To Facilitate Euv Optical Characterization, Richard L. Sandberg, David D. Allred, A. L. Jackson, J. E. Johnson, W. Evans, T. Doughty, A. E. Baker, K. Adamson, A. Jacquier, R. E. Robinson

Faculty Publications

The extreme ultraviolet (EUV) is becoming increasingly important. Principal applications include orbital space-based astronomy and lithography for integrated circuit computer chips. A main impediment to further development of efficient mirrors is the lack of reliable optical constants for various materials in this region of the electromagnetic spectrum. One reason for the unreliability of the optical constants is that the sample surfaces are often contaminated with foreign material, especially organic compounds, when exposed to laboratory air. Several cleaning techniques were evaluated, namely: 1) strippable solid optical cleaner (Opticlean®); 2) oxygen plasma etch; 3) high energy UV light/ozone; 4) strippable coating followed …

Fluorescence Detectors For Proteins And Toxic Heavy Metals, Uchenna Prince Paul

Theses and Dissertations

An inexpensive detector for proteins is described. The detection technique was based on two-photon excitation intrinsic protein fluorescence using a visible 532 nm diode-pumped nano laser as the excitation source. Proteins that exhibit intrinsic fluorescence must contain at least one tryptophan, tyrosine, or phenylalanine residue in their amino acid sequences. The detector was characterized and was found to have a detection limit of 4 micro-molar for tryptophan, 22 micro-molar for tyrosine and 500 micro-molar for phenylalanine. Bovine serum albumin, a serum protein with 3 tryptophan residues in its amino acid sequence was also used to characterize the detector. It was …

Responding To Policies At Runtime In Trustbuilder, Bryan J. Smith

Theses and Dissertations

Automated trust negotiation is the process of establishing trust between entities with no prior relationship through the iterative disclosure of digital credentials. One approach to negotiating trust is for the participants to exchange access control policies to inform each other of the requirements for establishing trust. When a policy is received at runtime, a compliance checker determines which credentials satisfy the policy so they can be disclosed. In situations where several sets of credentials satisfy a policy and some of the credentials are sensitive, a compliance checker that generates all the sets is necessary to insure that the negotiation succeeds …

Analysis Of Clinically Important Compounds Using Electrophoretic Separation Techniques Coupled To Time-Of-Flight Mass Spectrometry, Zlatuse Durda Peterson

Theses and Dissertations

Capillary electrophoretic (CE) separations were successfully coupled to time-of-flight mass spectrometric (TOFMS) detection for the analysis of three families of biological compounds that act as mediators and/or indicators of disease, namely, catecholamines (dopamine, epinephrine, norepinephrine) and their O-methoxylated metabolites (3-methoxytyramine, norepinephrine, and normetanephrine), indolamines (serotonin, tryptophan, and 5-hydroxytryptophan), and angiotensin peptides. While electrophoretic separation techniques provided high separation efficiency, mass spectrometric detection afforded specificity unsurpassed by other types of detectors.

Both catecholamines and indolamines are present in body fluids at concentrations that make it possible for them to be determined by capillary zone electrophoresis coupled to TOFMS without employing any …