Digital Commons Network^™

The Update, December 2010, University Of Northern Iowa. College Of Humanities, Arts And Sciences.

Update

Inside this issue:

-- American Chemical Society, a student affiliate group
-- Department News
-- Iowa Writing Project
-- UNI School of Music to Host 50th Anniversary Celebration: Varsity Men's Glee Club Christmas Variety Shows
-- Communication Studies: Student Showcased on the Jay Leno Show
-- Dmitri Vorobiev: An All Beethoven Recital Series
-- Student Spotlight: Philosophy: Joel Anderson
-- Student Spotlight: World Religions: Elizabeth Wiedenheft
-- Student Spotlight: Industrial Technology: Hannah Loan
-- UNI Students attend and participate in sixth Annual Multicultural Conference
-- Student Spotlights Continued
-- School of Music Events
-- UNI Forensics
-- Communication Studies Students …

Rich Internet Geoweb For Spatial Data Infrastructure, Tin Seong Kam

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

In this information age, more and more public statistical data such as population census, household living, local economy and business establishment are distributed over the internet within the framework of spatial data infrastructure. By and large, these data are organized geographically such as region, province as well as district. Usually, they are published in the form of digital maps over the internet as simple points, lines and polygons markers limited or no analytical function available to transform these data into useful information. To meet the analytical needs of casual public data users, we contribute RIGVAT, a rich internet geospatial visual …

Show Me The Numbers: Visual Analytics For Insights, Tin Seong Kam

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

In this highly volatile and fast-paced financial market, traders and managers working in banking and financial organizations must struggle to cope with large and complex data from multi-sources, that move throughout the market at increasingly high speed. The cost of making poor business and investment decisions is very high. This places great demands on data analysts, who are responsible for providing process information, to support the activities of traders and managers. Static reports and traditional business intelligence tools simply cannot keep up with a market that is changing on a second-to-second basis. By the time the traders and bankers have …

A Study Of Three Artificial Neural Networks Models' Ability To Identify Emotions From Facial Images, Timothy Scott Hyde

Theses and Dissertations

Facial expressions conveying emotions are vital for human communication. They are also important in the studies of human interaction and behavioral studies. Recognition of emotions, using facial images, may provide a fast and practical approach that is noninvasive. Most previous studies of emotion recognition through facial images were based on the Facial Action Coding System (FACS). The FACS, which was developed by Ekman and Freisen in 1978, was created to identify different facial muscular actions. Previous artificial neural network-based approaches for classification of facial expressions focused on improving one particular neural network model for better accuracy. The purpose of this …

A Visualization Approach For Message Passing In Parallel Computing Systems, Arunkumar Sadasivan

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Information Visualization has been used as an effective method in transforming textual information into a visual form that enables users to effectively communicate and understand the information. MPI (Message Passing Interface) usually involves a large amount of data, which necessitates exploring innovative ideas to visualize such data effectively.

In this thesis, we implement a graph visualization tool called MPROV to effectively visualize communication patterns of message passing using log files from MPI applications. The tool provides several interaction techniques to effectively reduce the amount of data displayed on the screen. We have also developed protocol conformance checking, which verifies the …

Applying Information Visualization To Computer Security Applications, Robert Bruce Whitaker

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This thesis presents two phases of research in applying visualization to network security challenges. The first phase included discovering the most useful and powerful features in existing computer security visualizations and incorporating them into the AdviseAid visualization platform, an existing software package. The incorporation of such a complete feature set required novel resolution of software engineering, human factors, and computer graphics issues. We also designed additional novel features, such as plugin interfaces, allowing for rapid prototyping and experimentation with novel visualization features and capabilities. The second phase of the research focused on the development of novel visualization techniques themselves. These …

Randomized Kaczmarz Solver For Noisy Linear Systems, Deanna Needell

CMC Faculty Publications and Research

The Kaczmarz method is an iterative algorithm for solving systems of linear equations Ax=b. Theoretical convergence rates for this algorithm were largely unknown until recently when work was done on a randomized version of the algorithm. It was proved that for overdetermined systems, the randomized Kaczmarz method converges with expected exponential rate, independent of the number of equations in the system. Here we analyze the case where the system Ax=b is corrupted by noise, so we consider the system where Ax is approximately b + r where r is an arbitrary error vector. We prove that in this noisy version, …

40th Annual Wku Student Research Conference, Student Research Council, Western Kentucky University

Student Research Conference Select Presentations

No abstract provided.

A Location Aware P2p Voice Communication Protocol For Networked Virtual Environments, Gabor Papp

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Multiparty voice communication, where multiple people can communicate in a group, is an important component of networked virtual environments (NVEs), especially in many types of online games. While most research has been conducted on one-to-one communication, we focus on group communication. In this dissertation, we present the first measurement study on the characteristics of multiparty voice communications and develop a model of the talking and silence periods observed during multiparty communication. Over a total of 5 months, we measured over 11,000 sessions on an active multi-party voice communication server to quantify the characteristics of communication generated by game players, including …

Super-Resolution Using Adaptive Wiener Filters, Russell C. Hardie

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

The spatial sampling rate of an imaging system is determined by the spacing of the detectors in the focal plane array (FPA). The spatial frequencies present in the image on the focal plane are band-limited by the optics. This is due to diffraction through a finite aperture. To guarantee that there will be no aliasing during image acquisiton, the Nyquist criterion dictates that the sampling rate must be greater than twice the cut-off frequency of the optics. However, optical designs involve a number of trade-offs and typical imaging systems are designed with some level of aliasing. We will refer to …

Risk Matrix Input Data Biases, Eric D. Smith, William T. Siefert, David Drain

Engineering Management and Systems Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Risk matrices used in industry characterize particular risks in terms of the likelihood of occurrence, and the consequence of the actualized risk. Human cognitive bias research led by Daniel Kahneman and Amos Tversky exposed systematic translations of objective probability and value as judged by human subjects. Applying these translations to the risk matrix allows the formation of statistical hypotheses of risk point placement biases. Industry-generated risk matrix data reveals evidence of biases in the judgment of likelihood and consequence-principally, likelihood centering, a systematic increase in consequence, and a diagonal bias. Statistical analyses are conducted with linear regression, normal distribution fitting, …

Ssnetviz: A Visualization Engine For Heterogeneous Semantic Social Networks, Ee Peng Lim, Maureen Maureen, Nelman Lubis Ibrahim, Aixin Sun, Anwitaman Datta, Kuiyu Chang

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

SSnetViz is an ongoing research to design and implement a visualization engine for heterogeneous semantic social networks. A semantic social network is a multi-modal network that contains nodes representing di®erent types of people or object entities, and edges representing relationships among them. When multiple heterogeneous semantic social networks are to be visualized together, SSnetViz provides a suite of functions to store heterogeneous semantic social networks, to integrate them for searching and analysis. We will illustrate these functions using social networks related to terrorism research, one crafted by domain experts and another from Wikipedia.

Multilayer Image Inpainting Approach Based On Neural Networks, Quan Wang, Zhaoxia Wang, Che Sau Chang, Ting Yang

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

This paper describes an image inpainting approach based on the self-organizing map for dividing an image into several layers, assigning each damaged pixel to one layer, and then restoring these damaged pixels by the information of their respective layer. These inpainted layers are then fused together to provide the final inpainting results. This approach takes advantage of the neural network's ability of imitating human's brain to separate objects of an image into different layers for inpainting. The approach is promising as clearly demonstrated by the results in this paper.

Fisheries Research Report No. 191 - Maximising Survival Of Released Undersize West Coast Reef Fish, Rodney C J Lenanton, Jill St John, Brent S. Wise, Ian S. Keay, D J. Gaughan

Fisheries Research Reports

Final FRDC Report – Project 2000/194

In Australia, most fishery managers regulate the catch of recreational fishes using size and bag limits. The effectiveness of these regulations depends on the fish surviving capture and then release back into the water. Effective management of fishing using size or bag limits therefore requires an understanding of the rates of mortality of released fish and what factors are causing mortality so that these might be alleviated. The rates and likely causes of mortality of released WA dhufish (Glaucosoma hebraicum) and snapper (Pagrus auratus), breaksea cod (Epinephelides armatus) and baldchin groper (Choerodon rubescens) off …

Avatars, People, And Virtual Worlds: Foundations For Research In Metaverses, Alanah Davis, John D. Murphy, Dawn Owens, Deepak Khazanchi, Ilze Zigurs

Information Systems and Quantitative Analysis Faculty Publications

Metaverses are immersive three-dimensional virtual worlds in which people interact as avatars with each other and with software agents, using the metaphor of the real world but without its physical limitations. The ubiquitous availability of high speed Internet access has spurred enormous interest in virtual worlds like Second Life and World of Warcraft, both in terms of user gaming and as a new technological platform for global virtual collaboration. These environments have potential for richer, more engaging collaboration, but their capabilities have yet to be examined in depth. Of particular interest in this paper is the use of metaverses for …

Administrative Perspectives On Technology Integration: The Globaloria: Myglife Program In West Virginia, William E. Chapman Jr.

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The reputed benefits of using technology in schools have been the topic of many research studies. When the World Wide Workshop Foundation implemented their Globaloria program into a group of pilot public secondary schools in West Virginia in the fall of 2008, another opportunity for study was created. The perceptions of principals relating to: 1) the effect(s) of the Globaloria program on students‘ academic outcomes; 2) the purpose(s) of the program; 3) the principal‘s role in the program 4) the benefits; and/or 5) the liabilities of having the program in their schools were examined in this mixed-method study. Analysis of …

Enhancing The Collection Process For The Delphi Technique, Petros Katsioloudis, John Brocato (Ed.)

STEMPS Faculty Publications

The purpose of this manuscript is to describe a process that enhances the data collection process for a Delphi technique. The approach consists of online platforms to expedite the process and reinforce the validity of the Delphi technique. The context of the study was the identification of quality indicators for visual-based learning material development for Technology Education programs for grades 7-12.

Satellite Photography: Instrumental, Rhetorical, Affective?, Irangi Kaushalya Egodapitiya

Masters Theses

"This study examines how tsunami satellite images operate and could provoke various interpretations. The goal of this research project is to study whether the interpretation of tsunami satellite images could extend beyond scientific features to affective messages. Primarily based on the satellite images of Sri Lanka taken before and during the 2004 tsunami, this study analyses: How could mechanical satellite images, taken automatically by a machine in orbit, become an object of profound emotional meaning?; How do viewer's experiences, knowledge, and discourse affect their interpretations of mechanical artifacts?; How are tsunami satellite images connected to affective responses by viewers?; How …

Eco-Epidemiological Analysis For Screening-Level Ecological Risk Assessment: A Geographic Information Systems Approach, Katherine E. Kapo

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

The identification and prioritization of multiple watershed stressors and the corresponding development of optimal management strategies remains a challenge in ecological risk assessment. Eco-epidemiological analysis of archival environmental spatial databases integrates available biological, physical and chemical information to generate hypotheses based on stressor-response data relationships. A geographic information systems-based technique incorporating Bayesian weights-of-evidence analysis and weighted logistic regression (WOE/WLR) developed for and currently utilized in minerals exploration was extrapolated to the eco-epidemiological analysis of aquatic ecosystem data. Case studies within state of Ohio (USA) and England and Wales were conducted to demonstrate a method proof-of-concept in the context of various …

Real-Time Image-Based Motion Detection Using Color And Structure, Manali Chakraborty

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Motion detection is an important problem in computer vision and has multiple applications in the real world, including surveillance-related activities, gaming, and human-robot interactions. These systems need to be robust enough to handle fluctuations in light intensity and other external factors like noise and compression artifacts. In this thesis a method is proposed for detecting the regions of motion from a video sequence in real time. The main idea of this work is to detect motion based on both structure and color. Structure-based detection is carried out using information from the Census Transform computed on gradient images obtained with Sobel …

Virtual World Affordances: Enhancing Brand Value, S. Park, Fiona Fui-Hoon Nah, D. Dewester, B. Eschenbrenner, S. Jeon

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

Virtual worlds are three-dimensional, computer-generated worlds that are a natural extension of the existing Internet. Although many businesses are jumping on the bandwagon to maintain a presence in virtual worlds, there is no well-established knowledge or theory to guide businesses in their involvement in these environments. In this paper, we identify affordances in the virtual worlds that can be used to increase the state of flow experienced in a business virtual site, which in turn may enhance brand equity, or the perceived added value of a brand to customers. We present a conceptual model that can be used to guide …

Inside Unlv, Shane Bevell, Tony Allen, Karen Sharp, Mamie Peers, Cate Weeks

Inside UNLV

No abstract provided.

A Lightweight Buyer-Seller Watermarking Protocol, Yongdong Wu, Hwee Hwa Pang

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

The buyer-seller watermarking protocol enables a seller to successfully identify a traitor from a pirated copy, while preventing the seller from framing an innocent buyer. Based on finite field theory and the homomorphic property of public key cryptosystems such as RSA, several buyer-seller watermarking protocols (N. Memon and P. W. Wong (2001) and C.-L. Lei et al. (2004)) have been proposed previously. However, those protocols require not only large computational power but also substantial network bandwidth. In this paper, we introduce a new buyer-seller protocol that overcomes those weaknesses by managing the watermarks. Compared with the earlier protocols, ours is …

Limnological Assistance For The Lake Mead National Recreation Area In Meeting The Challenge Of The Water 2025 Initiative: Annual Report, Period Ending May 31, 2008, Margaret N. Rees

Limnological Studies

Hiring: Limnologist Dr. Wai Hing (David) Wong was hired and officially reported to work on 5/15/2008.

Project 1 and Project 2: Dr. Wong has commenced work on Projects 1 and 2.

Project 3: Dr. Wong has commenced work on Project 3. A comprehensive zebra/quagga mussel bibliography has been completed and published to the 100th Meridian Web site. Six interagency, multi-disciplinary quagga mussel meetings have been held. A quagga mussel substrate project has been initiated and, through the coordination efforts of this project, two other studies have been selected and refined to help determine the ecological impacts of quagga mussel infestation …

Virtual Aesthetics And Ethical Communication: Towards Virtuous Reality Design, David Williams

All Theses

This thesis argues that ethics can and should be applied to Second Life avatar design and behavior. Second Life is a unique virtual reality due to its connection to the physical world primarily through financial devices. Users buy and sell virtual and physical goods over these networks; the avatar, it is argued, is the primary instrument for persuasion in these contexts. Avatars facilitate a virtual aesthetic that is primarily 'natural.' By creating aesthetic avatars, the developers of Second Life enable audiences to affectively associate with other 'residents.' Not only is the avatar designed for aesthetic appeal, but it enables users …

38th Annual Wku Student Research Conference, Student Research Council, Western Kentucky University

Student Research Conference Select Presentations

Western Kentucky University 38th Annual Student Research Conference program and student abstracts. Saturday, April 12, 2008, Carroll Knicely Conference Center, Bowling Green, Kentucky.

Successful Use Of Alarm And Alert Calls To Reduce Emerging Crop Damage By Resident Canada Geese Near Horicon Marsh, Wisconsin, Philip Whitford

Bird Strike Committee-USA/Canada Joint Annual Meeting: 11th (2009)

Increased populations of resident Canada geese create major crop loss problems for farmers, especially in areas that become traditional sites for brood-rearing. Such sites concentrate geese and goslings in locations where food is abundant and flightless adults and young find escape safety on adjacent lakes or rivers. Emerging corn, winter wheat, and soybeans are favorite foods, and these sustain extensive crop damage when near water and brood-rearing sites. From 16 May to 28 August 2007, alarm and alert call playbacks from GooseBuster call units were used with and without other scare reinforcement to assess efficacy of different methods at reducing …

I-Minds: A Multiagent System For Intelligent Computer- Supported Collaborative Learning And Classroom Management, Leen-Kiat Soh, Nobel Khandaker, Hong Jiang

School of Computing: Faculty Publications

I-MINDS provides a computer-supported collaborative learning (CSCL) infrastructure and environment for learners in synchronous learning and classroom management applications for instructors, for large classroom or distance education situations. For supporting the instructor, I-MINDS includes a teacher agent. The teacher agent allows the instructor to interact with students, manage Q&A sessions, administer quizzes, post evaluations, form groups and monitor individual and group performances. For computer-supported collaborative learning, I-MINDS, which stands for Intelligent Multiagent Infrastructure for Distributed Systems in Education, provides a student agent for each student. Each student agent monitors and models its user and carries out group formation with other …

A Novel Mobile Wimax Solution For Higher Throughput, Iftekhar Ahmad, Daryoush Habibi

Research outputs pre 2011

The IEEE 802.16 standard, also known as WiMAX, has emerged as an exciting technology for broadband wireless communications with potentials to offer high throughput and support high bandwidth demanding applications. WiMAX, however, has yet to prove its effectiveness when the end terminals are not fixed and have the capacity to move from one place to another at different speeds. Recent studies suggest that while WiMAX (802.16e) has the potential to deliver a data rate up to 75 Mb/s for fixed wireless communications, it fails drastically for mobile wireless communications, often providing a data rate less than 1 Mb/s when the …

Finicky Fish Finish... Last! Post-Visit -- Getting The Word Out: Visually Getting The Word Out: Interviews And Podcasts Lessons (Grade 5), Discover Mojave: Forever Earth

Curriculum materials (FE)

In “Finicky Fish Finish…Last!” students use the Forever Earth vessel to explore what has happened to the Colorado River and the reasons why it is so difficult for the razorback sucker to thrive in a changed environment. Working as ichthyologists (fish biologists) at Lake Mead, students collect water quality data such as temperature, pH, and clarity -- to determine whether current habitat conditions are sufficient for survival of young razorback suckers. Students observe and identify non-native fish in Lake Mead as they learn how the razorback sucker interacts with these neighbors. Students assess whether Lake Mead is still a good …