Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Summer 2007 Research Symposium Abstract Book, Trinity College

Science Symposia Abstracts

Summer 2007 volume of abstracts for science research projects conducted by Trinity College students.

Fractalized Cyclotomic Polynomials, David P. Roberts

Mathematics Publications

For each prime power p^m, we realize the classical cyclotomic polynomial Φ_p^m(x) as one of a collection of 3^m different polynomials in Z[x]. We show that the new polynomials are similar to Φ_p^m(x) in many ways, including that their discriminants all have the form ±p^c. We show also that the new polynomials are more complicated than Φ_p^m(x) in other ways, including that their complex roots are generally fractal in appearance.

Supporting Lexical Ontology Learning By Relational Exploration, Sebastian Rudolph, Johanna Volker, Pascal Hitzler

Computer Science and Engineering Faculty Publications

Designing and refining ontologies becomes a tedious task, once the boundary to real-world-size knowledge bases has been crossed. Hence semi-automatic methods supporting those tasks will determine the future success of ontologies in practice. In this paper we describe a way for ontology creation and refinement by combining techniques from natural language processing (NLP) and formal concept analysis (FCA). We point out how synergy between those two fields can be established thereby overcoming each other’s shortcomings.

Cs 240: Computer Science I, Travis E. Doom

Computer Science & Engineering Syllabi

Basic concepts of programming and programming languages are introduced. Emphasis is on structured programming and stepwise refinement. Prerequisite: MTH 130 or MPL 5.

Cs 205-01: Introduction To Computers And Office Productivity Software, Kim Gros

Computer Science & Engineering Syllabi

Focus on learning MS Office software applications including word processing (intermediate), spreadsheets, database and presentation graphics using a case study approach where critical thinking and problem solving skills are required. Computer concepts are integrated throughout the course to provide an understanding of the basics of computing, the latest technological advances and how they are used in industry. Ethics and issues encountered in business are discussed to challenge students on societal impact of technology.

Cs 205-07: Introduction To Computers And Office Productivity Software, John P. Herzog

Computer Science & Engineering Syllabi

Focus on learning MS Office software applications including word processing (intermediate), spreadsheets, database and presentation graphics using a case study approach where critical thinking and problem solving skills are required. Computer concepts are integrated throughout the course to provide an understanding of the basics of computing, the latest technological advances and how they are used in industry. Ethics and issues encountered in business are discussed to challenge students on societal impact of technology.

Cs 415: Social Implications Of Computing, Leo Finkelstein

Computer Science & Engineering Syllabi

CS 415 is a communication skills course using as its subject matter current salient issues associated with the social implications of computing. In addition to the course text, you will need to use certain reading materials in the library and elsewhere, and you will be responsible for using concepts and theories provided in class lectures and discussions.

Cs 205-01, 02: Introduction To Computers And Office Productivity Software, Terri Bauer

Computer Science & Engineering Syllabi

Focus on learning MS Office software applications including word processing (intermediate), spreadsheets, database and presentation graphics using a case study approach where critical thinking and problem solving skills are required.
Computer concepts are integrated throughout the course to provide an understanding of the basics of computing, the latest technological advances and how they are used in industry. Ethics and issues encountered in business are discussed to challenge students on societal impact of technology.

Cs 480/680: Comparative Languages, Krishnaprasad Thirunarayan

Computer Science & Engineering Syllabi

This course will introduce fundamental concepts and paradigms underlying the design of modern programming languages. For concreteness, we study the details of an object-oriented language (e.g. Java), and a functional language (e.g., scheme). The overall goal is to enable comparison and evaluation of existing languages. The programming assignments wi11 be coded in Java 5 and in Scheme.

Ceg 404/604-01: Wireless Sensor Networks, Bin Wang

Computer Science & Engineering Syllabi

No abstract provided.

Ceg 220-01: Introduction To C Programming For Engineers - I, Ronald F. Taylor

Computer Science & Engineering Syllabi

This course provides a general introduction to computers as a problem-solving tool using the C programming language. Emphasis is on algorithms and techniques useful to engineers. Topics include data representation, debugging, and program verification. Some programming assignments may involve complex arithmetic and trigonometric and exponential functions. 4 credit hours.

Ceg 460/660-01: Introduction To Software Computer Engineering, Eric Maston

Computer Science & Engineering Syllabi

This course is concerned with the techniques of designing and constructing large programs. Some of the required basic concepts necessarily have to be developed using small programs as examples. To this extent, we also study programming-in-the-small. The overall objectives are to present an overview of issues in the development of software, to discuss terminology, to illustrate via example case studies, and to give sufficiently detailed advice on how to develop quality software. Hands-on experience is emphasized through the use of homework and a class project.

Ceg 720-01: Computer Architecture, Jack Jean

Computer Science & Engineering Syllabi

No abstract provided.

Patterns Of Photometric And Chromospheric Variation Among Sun-Like Stars: A 20 Year Perspective, G. Wesley Lockwood, Brian A. Skiff, Gregory W. Henry, Stephen M. Henry, Richard R. Radick, Sallie L. Baliunas, Robert A. Donahue, Willie Soon

Information Systems and Engineering Management Research Publications

We examine patterns of variation of 32 primarily main-sequence Sun-like stars [selected at project onset as stars on or near the main sequence and color index 0.42 ≤ (B - V) ≤ 1.4], extending our previous 7-12 yr time series to 13-20 yr by combining Strömgren b, y photometry from Lowell Observatory with similar data from Fairborn Observatory. Parallel chromospheric Ca II H and K emission data from the Mount Wilson Observatory span the entire interval. The extended data strengthen the relationship between chromospheric and brightness variability at visible wavelengths derived previously. We show that the full range of photometric …

Knowledge Sharing And Organizational Change In A Leading Telecommunications Equipment Vendor: A Case Study On Southern Networks, Katina Michael

Faculty of Informatics - Papers (Archive)

In 1999 Southern Networks deployed the Open Text Livelink knowledge management system (KMS). Livelink allowed for the centralization of key corporate applications and associated content at a global, regional, line-of-business, departmental and personal level. Prior to the implementation of Livelink on an enterprise scale, the corporation’s 94,500 employees relied on fragmented departmental web pages which were scattered across eleven different Web servers making the task of finding information very difficult. This paper describes how the process of knowledge transfer at Southern Networks changed with the deployment of Livelink and how it enabled the automation of workflows through the company’s Web-based …

A Pyramidal Neural Network For Visual Pattern Recognition, Son Lam Phung, A. Bouzerdoum

Faculty of Informatics - Papers (Archive)

In this paper, we propose a new neural architecture for classification of visual patterns that is motivated by the two concepts of image pyramids and local receptive fields. The new architecture, called pyramidal neural network (PyraNet), has a hierarchical structure with two types of processing layers: Pyramidal layers and one-dimensional (1-D) layers. In the new network, nonlinear two-dimensional (2-D) neurons are trained to perform both image feature extraction and dimensionality reduction. We present and analyze five training methods for PyraNet [gradient descent (GD), gradient descent with momentum, resilient backpropagation (RPROP), Polak-Ribiere conjugate gradient (CG), and Levenberg-Marquadrt (LM)] and two choices …

Inter-Dna Attraction Mediated By Divalent Counterions, Xiangyun Qiu, Kurt Andresen, Lisa W. Kwok, Jessica S. Lamb, Hye Yoon Park, Lois Pollack

Physics and Astronomy Faculty Publications

Can nonspecifically bound divalent counterions induce attraction between DNA strands? Here, we present experimental evidence demonstrating attraction between short DNA strands mediated by Mg2 ions. Solution small angle x-ray scattering data collected as a function of DNA concentration enable model independent extraction of the second virial coefficient. As the [Mg2] increases, this coefficient turns from positive to negative reflecting the transition from repulsive to attractive inter-DNA interaction. This surprising observation is corroborated by independent light scattering experiments. The dependence of the observed attraction on experimental parameters including DNA length provides valuable clues to its origin.

Scientific Reports Of Soviet Whaling Expeditions In The North Pacific, 1955-1978, Y. V. Ivashchenko, P. J. Clapham, R. L. Brownell Jr.

United States Department of Commerce: Staff Publications

The translated and annotated materials in this volume constitute a collection of 18 formerly secret internal reports written by Soviet scientists working aboard whaling factory ships in the North Pacific. The reports cover the period from 1955 to 1978. During most of this time, the USSR was engaged in a massive campaign of illegal whaling worldwide; these illegal catches continued until introduction of the International Whaling Commission’s International Observer Scheme in 1972. The reports were copied from the archives of the Pacific Research and Fisheries Center (TINRO) in Vladivostok by Alfred A. Berzin, the former director of TINRO’s marine mammal …

Evaluation Of An Experimental Lidar For Surveying A Shallow, Braided, Sand-Bedded River, Paul J. Kinzel, C. Wayne Wright, Jonathan M. Nelson, Aaron R. Burman

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

Reaches of a shallow (<1.0 m), braided, sand-bedded river were surveyed in 2002 and 2005 with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s Experimental Advanced Airborne Research LiDAR (EAARL) and concurrently with conventional survey-grade, real-time kinematic, global positioning system technology. The laser pulses transmitted by the EAARL instrument and the return backscatter waveforms from exposed sand and submerged sand targets in the river were completely digitized and stored for postflight processing. The vertical mapping accuracy of the EAARL was evaluated by comparing the ellipsoidal heights computed from ranging measurements made using an EAARL terrestrial algorithm to nearby (<0.5 m apart) ground-truth ellipsoidal heights. After correcting for apparent systematic bias in the surveys, the root mean square error of these heights with the terrestrial algorithm in the 2002 survey was 0.11 m for the 26 measurements taken on exposed sand and 0.18 m for the 59 measurements taken on submerged sand. In the 2005 survey, the root mean square error was 0.18 m for 92 measurements taken on exposed sand and 0.24 m for 434 measurements on submerged sand. In submerged areas the waveforms were complicated by reflections from the surface, water column entrained turbidity, and potentially the riverbed. When applied to these waveforms, especially in depths greater than 0.4 m, the terrestrial algorithm calculated the range above the riverbed. A bathymetric algorithm has been developed to approximate the position of the riverbed in these convolved waveforms and preliminary results are encouraging.

First Observations On The Re-Established Southeast Florida Recreational Swordfish Tournament Fishery, Juan C. Levesquee, David W. Kerstetter

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

Recreational tournaments for swordfish (Xiphias gladius) existed in the Florida Straits between 1977 and 1983 before disappearing due to low catch rates and an overexploitation of the stock. The first recent swordfish tournament occurred in 2001 off southeast Florida with 13 participating vessels. In 2002, three swordfish tournaments were observed and anglers were interviewed to determine catch and gear characteristics of the re-established recreational fishery. A total of 156 vessels participated in these three tournaments, catching 112 swordfish and hooking an additional 48 animals. The combination of the recovery of the North Atlantic swordfish stock and the continuation …

Threaded Structure And Blue Luminescence Of (Cucn)20(Piperazine)7, Robert D. Pike, Kathryn E. Dekrafft, Amanda N. Ley, Tristan A. Tronic

Arts & Sciences Articles

The structurally unique and highly luminescent 20 : 7 complex of CuCN with piperazine (Pip) was formed under aqueous conditions; its structure reveals two interpenetrated 2D sub-networks in 6 : 1 ratio: (CuCN)2(Pip) and (CuCN)8(Pip), the latter consisting of Cu18(CN)16(Pip)2 macrocycles.

Developmental Process Model For The Java Intelligent Tutoring System., Edward R. Sykes

Faculty Publications and Scholarship

The Java Intelligent Tutoring System (JITS) was designed and developed to support the growing trend of Java programming around the world. JITS is an advanced web-based personalized tutoring system that is unique in several ways. Most programming Intelligent Tutoring Systems require the teacher to author problems with corresponding solutions. JITS, on the other hand, requires the teacher to supply only the problem and problem specification. JITS rigorously analyzes the student’s submitted code, determines the intent of the student, and intelligently guides the student towards a potentially unique solution to the programming problem. JITS is intended to be used by beginner …

New Understanding Of The Group A Streptococcus Pathogenesis Cycle, A. H. Tart, Mark J. Walker, J. M. Musser

Faculty of Science - Papers (Archive)

Group A Streptococcus (GAS) has long been recognized as a human pathogen causing an exceptionally broad range of infections. However, despite intense research, the molecular mechanisms of GAS disease remain unclear. Recently, many important discoveries have been made that shed light on GAS pathogenesis and open exciting new avenues for future research. Advances in genome sequencing, microarray technology and proteomic analysis in combination with the development of more suitable animal models have dramatically increased the amount of data regarding the mechanisms of GAS pathogenesis. The information gained from these studies will translate into the identification of improved diagnostics and new …

Droughtscape- Summer 2007, The National Drought Mitigation Center

Droughtscape, Quarterly Newsletter of NDMC, 2007-

Summer 07 Outlook

Hayes Named Director of NDMC

NDMC & UN Plan for Drought

Book Review: The Worst Hard Time

Drought Tools Workshops Underway

U.S. Drought Monitor Forum October 10-11, 2007 Portland, Oregon

Finite-Temperature Depolarization In Half Metals, Ralph Skomski

Ralph Skomski Publications

The temperature dependence of the spin polarization of type-I half-metallic ferromagnets is investigated and compared with that of other magnetic materials, such as semimetals, strong and weak ferromagnets, and exchange-enhanced Pauli paramagnets. Stable atomic moments, as realized by strong intra-atomic exchange, exhibit a nonzero spin-down density of states (DOS) at finite temperatures. This thermal spin mixing means that the conductivity of the “insulating” spin channel is always nonzero and that half-metallic ferromagnetism is an idealized limit. At zero temperature, similar effects are caused by intersublattice interactions, spin–orbit coupling and crystal imperfections. With increasing interatomic hopping, the moment becomes unstable, and …

Association-Based Image Retrieval, Arun D. Kulkarni, H. Gunturu, S. Dalta

Computer Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

With advances in the computer technology and the World Wide Web there has been an explosion in the amount and complexity of multimedia data that are generated, stored, transmitted, analyzed, and accessed. In order to extract useful information from this huge amount of data, many content-based image retrieval (CBIR) systems have been developed in the last decade. A typical CBIR system captures image features that represent image properties such as color, texture, or shape of objects in the query image and try to retrieve images from the database with similar features. Recent advances in CBIR systems include relevance feedback based …

Refuge Update – July/August 2007, Volume 4, Number 4

RefugeUpdate (USFWS-NWRS)

Table of Contents:
Counting Alpine Flora, page 3
Focus on Law Enforcement, pages 8–12
Virtual Geocaching, page 15
The Big Sit! at Your Refuge?, page 21

The Cosmic Ray Observatory Project: A Statewide Outreach And Education Ex-Periment In Nebraska, Daniel Claes, Gregory Snow

Gregory Snow Publications

Abstract: The Cosmic Ray Observatory Project (CROP) is a statewide education and research ex-periment involving Nebraska high school students, teachers and university undergraduates in the study of extensive cosmic-ray air showers. A network of high school teams construct, install, and op-erate school-based detectors in coordination with University of Nebraska physics professors and graduate students. The detector system at each school is an array of scintillation counters recycled from the Chicago Air Shower Array in weather-proof enclosures on the school roof, with a GPS re-ceiver providing a time stamp for cosmic-ray events. The detectors are connected to triggering elec-tronics and a …

Triply Differential Ionization Of Ar By 500 Ev Positron And Electron Impact, O. G. De Lucio, Jared M. Gavin, Robert D. Dubois

Physics Faculty Research & Creative Works

Coincidences between recoil ions-ejected electrons and recoil ions-scattered projectiles have been used to study the kinematics of electron and positron impact ionization. Triply Differential (TDCS) data for 500 eV positron and electron impact on Ar are presented here as function of scattering angle for a given range of energy losses. Binary and recoil interactions can be distinguished allowing us to determine the relative intensity between those interactions. Preliminary integration of the data indicate an enhancement of the binary region for positron interaction while for electron impact the intensity of the recoil and binary interactions is comparable.

Bremsstrahlung In Α Decay Reexamined, H. Boie, Heiko Scheit, Ulrich D. Jentschura, F. Kock, M. Lauer, A. I. Milstein, Ivan S. Terekhov, Dirk Schwalm

Physics Faculty Research & Creative Works

A high-statistics measurement of bremsstrahlung emitted in the α decay of ²¹⁰Po has been performed, which allows us to follow the photon spectra up to energies of ~500keV. The measured differential emission probability is in good agreement with our theoretical results obtained within the quasiclassical approximation as well as with the exact quantum mechanical calculation. It is shown that, due to the small effective electric dipole charge of the radiating system, a significant interference between the electric dipole and quadrupole contributions occurs, which is altering substantially the angular correlation between the α particle and the emitted photon.